Weekly Sermons

Why Pray?

Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

       be pleasing in your sight,

       O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Our sermon text today comes from our gospel reading.

Luke 11:1,11-13 (ESV)

1Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."

11What father among you, if his son asks for[a] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

When I first read this I wondered what the disciples saw that they would want to know how to pray. I wondered why they didn’t know how to pray after being around Jesus while he prayed.

They were seeing a relationship that Jesus had with His Heavenly Father. The relationship he had with God. They saw how these prayers strengthened him. They saw the things he was doing after he prayed.

We see in Luke 9:28 (NIV) at The Transfiguration

 28About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.

And again in John 11:40-42 (NIV) Raising Lazarus.

 40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

 41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

They were seeing the miracles that Jesus was doing

So why is it important that we pray? It’s important because even for us prayer brings miracles. It’s important because we have ruined our relationship with God through sin. Now it’s important to really realize what sin is and what it means for us. Sin is not something we do. Sin is something we are and it is sin that separates us from God our Father.

It is sin that is our transgression and our rebellion toward God. We are not in the right relationship with God. Our iniquity keeps us in the wrong place. We miss the perfect mark that God created us to be. For all have fallen short of the Glory of God. It is what has destroyed our relationship with Him since the fall of the human race.

Sin breaks our relationship inside of us. It ruins the vertical relationship, the one we have with God and, it ruins the horizontal relationship we have with each other.

And there is sin of every nature that disrupts God’s entire created order. And we know that the wages of sin is death.

And how do we know this? We know this because we have God’s law to show us our sins.

But the law does not solely point out our sin. The law is used as a ruler to keep things straight and a fence to keep things separated. You might say O.K. we are sinful people but does that really matter if Jesus died for our sins? How can I answer that?  Yes, it matters! And it matters a lot because if we don’t know what our sins are or how sinful we are we would never repent and look for forgiveness. If we don’t do that then we are not leading holy lives and are not good witnesses for Christ.

The law gives us principles.

Now all of this has led to a recall notice. I don’t know how many of you got this in your emails this week but I did and I thought it would be good to share with all of you. Let me read it to you.

RECALL NOTICE:

        The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.

        This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed "Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

        Some of the symptoms include:

        1. Loss of direction

        2. Foul vocal emissions

        3. Amnesia of origin

        4. Lack of peace and joy

        5. Selfish or violent behavior

        6. Depression or confusion in the mental component

        7. Fearfulness

        8. Idolatry

        9. Rebellion

        The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.

        The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.

        The number to call for repair in all areas is P-R-A-Y-E-R.

        Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.

        No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:

        1. Love

        2. Joy

        3. Peace

        4. Patience

        5. Kindness

        6. Goodness

        7. Faithfulness

        8. Gentleness

        9. Self control

        Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

        WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

        DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention!

        - GOD

        P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'!

We pray to restore the relationship we should have with God. We have been atoned for through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ for all of our sins.

Our hope from now to the end of time is through Christ’s resurrection. It is that hope that we have as a basis of a Christian life of obedience. We need to be a little Christ every day.

2 Peter 3:11 (English Standard Version)

 11Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness…

We should pray with the right motivation and that is through grace alone. It is because of what God has done for us with His love for us.

Prayer is the conversation of the heart, a heart of grace found in Jesus Christ.

Luther says that we always pray. He compares prayer to a heartbeat. "Where there is a Christian, there is the Holy Spirit, who is always engaged in prayer. Even though the Christian does not continually move his lips to utter words, nevertheless the heart is beating, like arteries and that heart in the body, unceasingly sighing, "O dear Father…" As the attacks, trials, and troubles press and crowd harder, also such sighing and begging becomes more urgent, even audible. So, then, you cannot find a Christian who is not always praying, as little as a living person is without a pulse, which never rests, but beats continuously, though the person be sleeping or preoccupied otherwise, so that he is not aware of its beating."

You don’t need the “right” words. God hears requests. One of my teachers that I have been taking classes from is Dr. Jim Butler who is the Pastor of St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Dedham , MA

He explained having the right words this way when talking about his daughter Kelly who was about 8 years old at the time. He tells the story as follows.

 If Kelly said to me, "Dad, I'm thirsty," I knew what she wanted. I poured her a glass of milk. If she had said, "O dearest Father, head of the house and owner of all, who has wonderfully and thoughtfully provided for all my needs throughout my life, providing raiment for my body and food for my stomach, although I am rarely grateful, wouldst thou, in thy mercy, consider traversing to the rectangular appliance filled with freon and retrieving the plastic container filled with the fruit of the cow so that I might enjoy it as a libation?" I would have poured her a glass of milk. If she had said, "Moo" I would have poured her a glass of milk. I knew then and I know now what Kelly requires. She doesn't need to ask in perfect English. Sometimes she doesn't need to ask at all. It's the same way with God. Our words don’t need to be perfect; he will hear us anyway.

 Know that God hears your prayer. You should pray with boldness. Not boldness that your asking for a new car and want it or else God but with the boldness of a firm faith in your Father in heaven.

And finally we should pray with thanksgiving. Thanks are a necessary ingredient for good communication with God. Thanksgiving is a confession of our faith and glorifies God.

This is our hope of salvation in our relationship with God.

Luke11: 13

13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

God has saved us through His Son Jesus Christ. God wants the relationship with us. What Father would not want His children to talk to him and ask him for help.

Our heavenly Father is already hearing our prayers to Him and His answers are ready for us.

Matthew 7:7 (English Standard Version)

 7"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

And realize that sometimes the answer is no. Yet we always pray with facts, F.A.C.T.S. And facts stands for faith, adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication.

Let the door be open again to the hope of Jesus through your prayers

God hears your prayers. God has made you righteous through the resurrection of Jesus and he wants to hear from you.

God’s word tells us in Romans 6:23 (ESV) 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Like Jesus the disciples wanted the same type of relationship with our Heavenly Father as Jesus had. That’s why they wanted to know how to pray. That’s why we need to pray. We need that relationship too with God.

And we know what is said about prayer in James 5:15-16 (NIV)

15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Taking time to pray and be a prayer warrior is worth the time and effort. The prayer is free the cost has already been paid and there is always someone that listens.

Amen

In service to our Lord and Savior

Kevin Mongeau 7-25-2010