Prayer in Practice

—Prayer pt3: Exodus 32:9–14, Numbers 14:13–21

 
 
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• Andrew Fountain – Aug 24, 2014

Summary so far:

• Part 1: Improving our Prayer Lives
  1. God wants you to treat him like your closest friend
     All of us long for the friends we can be totally honest and open with.
     Someone who understands us perfectly and accepts us. Someone we can be ourselves with.
     God wants to be that person in your life!
  2. Prayer is part of the “cause and effect” of this world
     God is sovereign but has decreed that there are laws of cause and effect that govern this world.
     Prayer is just as much how this world works as the law of gravity.
     On the one hand God’s has decreed everything that will happen,
     but on the other, we are responsible and have a real choice
     Your prayers this week will count

Summary so far:

• Part 1: Improving our Prayer Lives
  1. God wants you to treat him like your closest friend
  2. Prayer is part of the “cause and effect” of this world
• Part 2: Prayers that Get Answered
  1. God hears those that do his will
     The Bible is very clear about that, but it leads to a problem
     Are answers to prayer a reward for good behaviour?
     Is God like a vending machine—we put in the obedience and out come the answers?
  2. Because doing leads to knowing his will
     No, the core idea is that when we pray according to his will, our prayers are answered
     But it’s only when we try to obey him, that we really understand what kind things are his will
  3. His specific will is revealed to those in relationship to him
     Jesus said that if we have a heart to follow his words, he and the Father would dwell in us
     As we obey, the relationship gets closer.
     As we follow his general will (revealed in the Scriptures), his specific will for a given situation will be revealed to us.
     And we can “pray according to his will” and be answered”
     “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” 1 John 5:14

Summary so far:

• Part 1: Improving our Prayer Lives
  1. God wants you to treat him like your closest friend
  2. Prayer is part of the “cause and effect” of this world
• Part 2: Prayers that Get Answered
  1. God hears those that do his will
  2. Because doing leads to knowing his will
  3. His specific will is revealed to those in relationship to him
  4. So what about ending our prayers with “in Jesus’ name, Amen”?

Prayer and Faith

• Faith must always be in something
• Is it faith in “the power of faith”
• Faith in God’s words
• Faith in God’s power and character

Matthew 8:8–10

8. But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Instead, just say the word and my servant will be healed.
9. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go’ and he goes, and to another ‘Come’ and he comes, and to my slave ‘Do this’ and he does it.”
10. When Jesus heard this he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found such faith in anyone in Israel!

Matthew 14:28–31

28. Peter said to him, “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.”
29. So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.
30. But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

ABC of following Jesus’ example:

1. Be passionate about following what Jesus has already revealed to you in his Word
   Faith in who God has revealed himself to be
   Obedience to what he has said he wants you to do
2. As you do that he will give you more precise revelation about situations
3. So you can pray according to his will
   And your faith and obedience will be more specific.
   • Speak to God as strongly, forcefully and passionately as you feel
   • “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24