Sermon Series: Monkey See, Monkey Do

“Prayer”

January 15, 2006.  Pastor Matt

Do you know why we do what we do or do you just blindly do it?

Remember when you said, “Mom, but all my friends are doing it?”

Remember when momma told you, “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?”

Religion does not require knowing the why.  It only requires you knowing how.

Relationship requires knowing the why and wanting to do the how.

What we do at the church is just a reproduction of what we do at home.  The things we do at the church are not to be done just at the church.  It just so happens that On Sundays we all get together and do it as a large group.

More than that, as Christians, as a church, our lives are to be intertwined with each other.  Our Christian faith is in cooperation with other Christians.

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There are almost 1000 passages that deal with prayer in the Bible. 

Seems pretty important

What is prayer?            (two of the many reasons)

Easton’s:    A communication of the soul with God, not in contemplation or                                  meditation, but in direct address to Him

the soul, the deepest part of you connecting with God

§        we can talk to strangers on the street but it is different when we connect with someone on the soul level

·        Do you talk to God like He is a stranger on the street?

1. Communication with God

o       Remember that He wants a relationship with you

o       On the day of judgment there will be those who say “Lord, look at what I did for You.” But He will say, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”

2. Submission to God

o       If we did not want to submit to His authority or respect His knowledge or power, we would not ask, we’d just do things on our own

Why prayer at Church?

I. Prayer is to be a part of everything we do

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul is giving instructions to the church. 

          “Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Pray continually…..never stop praying

God’s will…..for you and the church as a whole

Why do I say that?

The New Testament Christian was always seen in connection with the New Testament church

o       Instructions to New Testament believers was always seen in the context of the church…..other believer were around to help, to be part of the process.

-         If we as individuals are supposed to be praying all the time, then we, as a church should be praying all the time because the individuals make the church

II. Prayer is part of fighting life’s battles

Ephesians 6: 10-18. 

-         We are not always at battle but we must always keep ourselves ready for battle, wearing our armor.

-         When we are in the midst of the battle, prayer is not in addition to the armor of God, it is part of the armor. 

o       We cannot fight God’s battles without prayer

o       We must do our part to put on the armor but we must also pray so God can do His part

-         Once again, these are instructions from Paul to the church. 

o       The church is the army.  Battles (spiritual) must be fought with armies.

o       One soldier never goes to battle alone

§        At a minimum, they go in twos (police often go in twos)

The early church was an army of people dressed for battle and engaged in prayer

(By the way, being dressed for battle and not praying is like a soldier who trains, puts all his gear on but leaves his gun at home.  “I don’t need this gun.  I can do it on my own!”  How insane is that?)

When they, as an army (group) continually got together to pray, great things happened. 

III. Prayer is for crisis intervention

In Acts 12:5, we see that the king had one of the disciples put to death and was about to put Peter to death.  He had arrested Peter for the specific purpose of killing him. 

(Think your situation is tuff?  Any one here on death row for something they did not do?)

Verse 5: “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

The church (not one person)  a room full of people who got together for one reason…to pray!

For him.  What are you going through?  How can the church get together and pray for you? 

-         not just the pastor, but the church as a whole

*Please note that the church did not have to wait till a scheduled meeting to pray*

-         the prayed all the time

-         they also got together to pray for others who were in the midst of a crisis

o       The time for prayer is now

§        In the store, on the phone, at work, over an e-mail, etc.

IV. Prayer is to bring people to Jesus

Acts 4:23-31. 

4:23.  “When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.”

-         as a church, they prayed for the lost

o       they also prayed against those who are doing their best to prevent the lost from coming to Jesus

4:29.  “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.”

-         in the midst of a situation when they were having a difficult time sharing Jesus with others, they prayed for boldness

o       remember that they could have been thrown in jail and put to death for sharing Jesus

4:31.  “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.  And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

-         because of prayer, the Holy Spirit worked through them so they could speak boldly

o       when we pray, the Holy Spirit does amazing things through us, including overcoming those who try to prevent the Gospel

Acts 1:14.  The early church “all joined together constantly in prayer.”

Acts 2:42.  “They devoted themselves to the apostles teachings and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.”

And what was the result?

Acts 2:47.  “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

In conclusion…

We pray at church because…

Of all places, the church is supposed to be a house of prayer

In Isaiah 56:7, God names the Temple (The place where people would go to worship God). 

“my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."

Mark 11:15-19.  Jesus overturns the tables because they made the church into something it is not. 

Would He say the same of our church?  Would He overturn our tables, our ministries?

          MODERN CHURCH

-         used for reasons other than it was intended

-         ironic we are least praying of other religions

-         but we’ve got the doing part down pat

-         those in the temple were doing

-         say they were providing essential services

-         may have a legitimate role but still be out of sync w/ God’s purpose for His house

-         God is not impressed by what we do if we don’t mainly pray

Prayer is not something we do.  It is what we do.  If we do anything, we need to pray.  Other ministries are to be in addition to prayer.

Closing

What do you need prayer for?

Bow your heads.  Take a minute to talk to God.

Tell Him two things:

First thing:           You are the boss.  I put you in charge of my life.

Second thing:       Ask Him for something.  Tell Him something.  (Tell Him you are at church and just wanted to say hi)

Where you unable to talk with God? 

Sin?  God knows what you have already done.  Confess and receive His forgiveness.

You can’t go it alone.

You need to Ask Him for help.

You need to put Him in charge of your life.

You need to reach out to other Christians so they can help you.