5
Sunday Morning 02/26/2012 Pastor David King Jesus is God Part 16-“Prayer is Hard” Luke 22:39-46 One of my favorite quotes on prayer comes from Martin Luther, “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness.” Prayer does indeed move the heart and hand of God, yet many of us do little more than give lip service to prayer. We talk about prayer, we tell others we will pray for them and we even preach sermons on prayer, yet most of us would rightly say that we don’t pray like we should. I want each one of us this morning to be reenergized and recommitted to the power and practice of prayer. BIG IDEA: Prayer is the Work that Works! Background to Passage: View of Mount of Olives from Temple Wall

Web view“Prayer is Hard ” ... that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, ... that you may know that you have eternal life

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Web view“Prayer is Hard ” ... that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, ... that you may know that you have eternal life

Sunday Morning 02/26/2012 Pastor David King

Jesus is GodPart 16-“Prayer is Hard”

Luke 22:39-46One of my favorite quotes on prayer comes from Martin Luther, “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness.” Prayer does indeed move the heart and hand of God, yet many of us do little more than give lip service to prayer. We talk about prayer, we tell others we will pray for them and we even preach sermons on prayer, yet most of us would rightly say that we don’t pray like we should. I want each one of us this morning to be reenergized and recommitted to the power and practice of prayer.

BIG IDEA: Prayer is the Work that Works!

Background to Passage:

View of Mount of Olives from Temple Wall

Page 2: Web view“Prayer is Hard ” ... that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, ... that you may know that you have eternal life

Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing,

2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,

1 Timothy 2:8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

boulomai and thelema are considered to be VERY close synonyms with arguments being made by both sides that one implies an emotional will while the other implies a conscious planning will. It seems in this passage that the two near synonyms are used to demonstrate the Son’s submission of his earthly emotional will to the Father’s divine plan for Him. Not a conflict in perfection, but a conflict that comes from the human emotion that does not desire or will for pain both emotionally and physically. This is consistent with the way in which God has made us to naturally flee pain.

What Should We Pray About?

Spiritual Protection “Pray that you may not enter into temptation”

Physical and Emotional Provision “if it is Your Will, take this cup from Me…being in agony, He prayed more earnestly…”

God’s Will to Be Done “Your will… not my will, but Yours, be done”

Page 3: Web view“Prayer is Hard ” ... that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, ... that you may know that you have eternal life

Why Should We Pray?

God is our Father “…you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life…,” 1 John 5:13

God Hears Our Prayers “…if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us…,” 1 John 5:14

God Answers Our Prayers “And if we know that Hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him,” 1 John 5:15

What Keeps Us From Praying?

Most of us would agree that prayer is vital and powerful in the life of a believer, yet we would also admit that we don’t pray like we should. We will find excuses and reasons ranging from not having enough time, spiritual apathy to even anger at God. What has kept you from praying? Resolve today to confess your sin and begin to invest time, energy and hope into your conversations with God.

9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:9-13