“What Do You Ask For In Prayer?”

Sunday, August 31, 2009

David Schneider, Interim Pastor

 

 Matthew 6:5-13

 

I.         WHEN YOU PRAY, IS IT OK TO ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING YOU WANT?

            A.        Consider this prayer which was printed in the Lincoln, Nebraska, Journal

                        & Star in 1977.                     

                        1.         "'O Lord, send us and our dusty neighbors around the world, a good soaking rain of about 1 1/2 inches over a 15-hour period, at the rate of no more than a tenth of an inch per hour, preferably at night; and repeat it once a week through July 15, with the exception of 3 weeks appropriate for spring planting; and thereafter once every 2 weeks, until the soil-moisture deficit has been eliminated, or until the farmers wish it would stop, whichever comes first, Amen.'" (Context, 5/1/77)

 

            B.        Now I know some good Christian people who see ASKING as the very lowest form of prayer.

1.         Asking God for something  I want is at the bottom of the scale of communication, they will inform me, and such a prayer is selfish, immoral, and beneath a real Christian!...        

 

            C.        How strange then that Jesus taught us a prayer which has almost nothing but asking in it!

                        1       There are 7 specific requests in the Lord's

                                 Prayer, 4 of which deal with ourselves:  

                                    a.         "Give us this day our daily bread"

                                    b.         "forgive us our debts as we forgive..."

                                    c.         "do not lead us into temptation"

                                    d.         and "deliver us from evil"

                        2.         And what do we do with these words from Jesus?  "'...I tell you , if you ask the Father for any thing in my name, He will give it (to) you.  So far you have asked nothing in my name.  Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be complete'" (New English Bible, John 16:23-24).

                                    a.         There is one very explicit example of someone who kept after what she wanted. In Luke 18:1-5, there was “a widow who feared neither God nor regarded man.” She pestered a powerful judge every day until he gave in to her just to get rid of her!

        

            E.         We catch glimpses of Jesus' private  prayer life through the Gospels, in which he asks something of his Father.

                        1.         Certainly his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemene is the CLIMAX of all


 

                                    prayer in the Bible," (C.W.F. Smith, IBD) in which Jesus asks  his loving Father that he might not have to die.

                         2.        For Jesus asking is the highest form of communicating with God in prayer!

                                    a.         A former teacher of mine at San Francisco Seminary, David

Jacobson, in his book, CLARITY IN PRAYER, suggests that  "Asking creates freedom for the one who is asked (God).  Asking is such a high form of communication that it is seldom found in its pure form.  We manipulate people.  We speak to them for the purpose of getting things. We hint... we make demands.  But asking is none of these. Asking is a request delivered so clearly and directly  as to release the person who has been asked.  Asking is in essence, surrendering choice.  It provides a space for another to  choose"– for God to choose (p. 23).

 

II.        WHEN I PRAY, HOW THEN SHOULD I GO ABOUT ASKING?

            A.        First, Be DIRECT and HONEST.


 

                        1.         Certainly that prayer quoted in the Lincoln Journal is about as direct and forthright as you can get!

                        2.         The personal prayers in many of the Psalms are so openly frank and honest, they are embarrassing!

                        a.         Prayer is a gift of intimacy from God,

 

            b.         –In counseling young couples who are having problems, I may ask them if they pray together–this reveals how intimate their relationship really is.

 

     B.   When you ask in prayer, it is an act of SURRENDER.

            1.         Prayer removes all restraints to the hand of God by giving Him the

                       ...freedom to do in our lives what He has been wanting to do." (Myron

                        Augsburger)

                        a.         Prayer together with your spouse may also be the way to surrender to the other, even the husband to his wife.

            2.         God who is absolutely sovereign does not impose Himself on us, He waits

                        for an invitation in prayer--to be asked.

                         a.        "He chooses to function in our lives only to the degree of freedom

                                    we surrender to Him."

            3.         So many times in asking we try to MAKE A BARGAIN, offer something in

                        return.

                        a.         True asking is a special communication which lets the other choose

                        b.         it is a form of AGREEMENT with God in prayer to accept whatever is

                                    God’s will.

            4.         When you go home, may I suggest a small exercise in prayer:  make a list

                        of everything you really want– spend 2 minutes (It might be unhealthy,

                        foolish, illegal, but make it an honest and direct asking!)  Now go back

                        over that list, and choose 3 things and ask God for them--surrender them

                         to Him–get those things off your mind. See what happens.

 

C.        When you ask right up front, be prepared to receive.

            1.         "'Be careful, runs the old saying, "because you may get what you want.'"

            2.          A dignified old clergyman owned a parrot, "which had picked up an

                        appalling vocabulary of (profanity) from a previous owner(sailor) . This

                      Preacher was very fond of his parrot, but after several particularly

                        embarrassing episodes, he decided he would have to have the parrot put

                        to sleep. A faithful lady in his congregation suggested a possible

                        solution. She said, "I have a female parrot. She is an absolute saint.

                        She sits quietly on her perch and says nothing except, 'Let's pray.'

                        Why don't you bring your parrot over and see if my bird's good

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                        influence doesn't convert him?"...Well, it is worth a try...the  next

                        night he arrived with his crusty old parrot.  The bird took one look at

                        the lady parrot and whistled, "Hi, toots; how about a little

                        action?"...The lady parrot responded happily, "My prayers have been

                        answered."  

 

  D.                  The one corrective to asking, however, is that we must always ask in his name–not only surrender the choice without reservation, but be sure I ask what meets with God’s  will.

                        1.         Let’s review:

                                    a.         Be direct and honest in your asking.

                                    b.         When you ask in prayer, you are surrendering.

                                    c.         Be prepared to receive.

                                    d.         Always ask in Christ’s name and in his will.

 

III.      "I ASKED GOD FOR STRENGTH THAT I MIGHT ACHIEVE.

            I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.

            I asked for health, that I might do greater things...

          I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

            I asked for riches, that I might be happy.                                 

          I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

            I asked for power, that I might have the praise of others

          I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

          I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.

          I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

            I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I had hoped for.

            Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.”      (Anonymous)

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