The Model Prayer - Our Responsibility
Introduction
It’s reported that a preacher in Redrock, Mississippi prayed this sermon: “Oh Lord, give Thy servant this mornin’ the eyes of the eagle and the wisdom of the owl; connect his soul with the gospel telephone in the central skies; ‘luminate his brow with the Sun of heaven; possess his mind with love for the people; turpentine his imagination, grease his lips with ‘possum oil, loosen his tongue with the sledge hammer of Thy power; ‘lectrify his brain with the lightnin’ of the word; put ‘petual motion on his arms; fill him plum full of the dynamite of Thy glory; ‘noint him all over with the kerosene oil of Thy salvation and SET HIM ON FIRE. Amen!”
We mentioned that the model prayer involves 3 things that we need to do to make it effective and efficient in our lives, as follows:
1 – Effective Prayer Involves Relationship
2 – Effective Prayer Involves Responsibility
3 – Effective Prayer Involves Request
We considered our proper relationships last week. We need to have proper relationships with each other and with God. This means our trusting God. It also means knowing him personally as our heavenly father. It would also involve having assurance that we are children of God and that we are obeying him. The first thing needed for effective praying is have that proper relationship.
Mat 6:9-13 KJV - After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
How Much Does Prayer Weigh?
Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food. John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store. Visualizing the family needs, she said: ’Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can." John told her he could not give her credit, as she did not have a charge account at his store. Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer man that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocer man said in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have a grocery list? Louise replied "Yes sir" "O.K." he said, put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries." Louise, hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed. The eyes of the grocerman and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down. The grocerman staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, "I can’t believe it." The customer smiled and the grocerman started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more. The grocerman stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement. It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer which said: "Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands." The grocer man gave her the groceries that he had gathered and placed on the scales and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left the store. The customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to John as he said, "It was worth every penny of it." It was sometime later that John Longhouse discovered the scales were broken; therefore, only God knows how much a prayer weighs.
I. Honor God’s Name
In considering this model prayer we see that we have a threefold responsibility if we are going to pray effectively. We must honor God’s name, hasten God’s kingdom, and heed God’s will.
A) His Name is Hallowed
“Hallowed be thy name” – The name of God represents the totality of all that he is and all that he represents. Even in our modern age a person’s name represents the person. In giving us this prayer Jesus declares that we should give reverence and respect to the very name of God.
Ecc 7:1 KJV - A good name [is] better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
Pro 22:1 KJV - A [good] name [is] rather to be chosen than great riches, [and] loving favour rather than silver and gold.
Our name carries much honor if we protect what it stands for, if not go to a local bank and try to borrow money with a bad name. Our name proceeds us in the community and our name precedes us in the community.
God is very protective of his name and wants his name glorified due to his standing and sinless character.
Jhn 17:4 KJV - I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
The real purpose of prayer is to glorify the name of God; you may ask how that is possible. It certainly is not to glorify our name or standing. If God brings forth a positive answer and outcome to our prayer does this not glorify his name? If God gives us peace and comfort as we pray does this not glorify his mighty name?
We must realize that God is holy and just and knows exactly what we need before we even ask, his name is worthy to be honored and to receive glory. The prayers that Gods precious children pray in his name give honor and glory to hallowed name that is worthy of all praise and glory.
It is comforting to know that Gods precious character will never do wrong, never consider wrong, and has never nor ever will be deemed as wrong. In all truth nothing is higher than the glory of Gods name.
B) His Name is Honorable
In the Book of Acts we find numerous references to the name of Jesus:
Act 2:21 KJV - And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Act 2:38 KJV - Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 3:6 KJV - Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Act 3:16 KJV - And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Act 4:7 KJV - And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
Act 4:10 KJV - Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Act 4:12 KJV - Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Act 4:17 KJV - But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
Act 2:21 KJV - And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Act 2:38 KJV - Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 3:6 KJV - Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Act 3:16 KJV - And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Act 4:7 KJV - And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
Act 4:10 KJV - Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Act 4:12 KJV - Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Act 4:17 KJV - But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
We ought to consider honoring his name as we pray; this should be our ultimate motive for prayer. It should not be to bring glory to ourselves or honor to our own character, but to give glory and honor to his name. We are very protective of our name and whom we loan it too; none of us would allow a drunk of the street to have our signature upon a loan for him or her. In this same aspect we should realize that as Gods children he has given us his might wonderful name and we should treat it with the utmost reverence and respect. As his children we wear his name daily and I wonder how much credence we give in honoring his name.
We are allowed to use his name in prayer, in worship, in praise, and in our day to day living.
1Ti 3:15 KJV - But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Out of the Mouth of Babes
There was once a pastor who had a little five year old daughter. Now the little girl notice that every time her dad stood behind the pulpit, and was getting ready to preach he would bow his head for moment before he began to preach. The little girl noticed that he did this every time. So one day after the service the little girl when to her dad and asked him, “Why do you bow your head right before you preach your sermon?” “Well Honey” the preacher answered, “I asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.”
The little girl looked up at her father and asked, “Then how come he doesn’t do it?”
It would benefit us to question the true motive of our prayers if God is seemingly not answering our prayers, is denying them, or is answering them differently. We may be praying selfishly and ignorantly due to the fact that our prayers will not bring glory to the name of God.
II. Hasten God’s Kingdom
A) The Desire for his Kingdom
“Thy Kingdom Come” – This would be our second responsibility to be effective in our praying. It is not only our responsibility to give honor to the glorious name of our heavenly father, but we also should try to hasten the coming of his kingdom. The moment we are saved we spiritually enter into the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God is here spiritually for you and I now, but of course one day he will set up his physical kingdom here upon the earth.
B) The Destiny of his Kingdom
Rev 11:15 KJV - And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become [the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
2 Peter 3:10-12, 14 KJV - But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
We can hasten his kingdom by living for him faithfully and obediently, in a way that is deemed godly and blameless.
C) The Delay of his Kingdom
2Pe 3:15 KJV - And account [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
The only reason that God has not already come back is he is giving grace to the unsaved. It is up to us to help him reach the unsaved and in doing so we can hasten his coming kingdom.
2Pe 3:9 KJV - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The very will of God is for all men to come to him in repentance and salvation, of course this will not happen; but it is not Gods will that all people aren’t saved. if we pray Hallowed be his name and thy kingdom come and fail to live godly and without trying to offer salvation to the lost, we are not being fully accountable or responsible in our prayer life.
III. Heed God’s Will
“Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” – In this phrase we find the third responsibility to pray effectively.
1Jo 5:14 KJV - And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1Jo 5:15 KJV - And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Oops
A pastor and his wife decide to have the church deacons and their wives over for dinner. It was quite an undertaking, but the pastor and his wife want to be "Salt and Light" for the leaders of their church.
When it comes time for dinner, everyone is seated and the pastor's wife asks her little four year old daughter if she will say grace. (As a note to new parents: Don't do this!) The girl says "I don't know what to say."
Her mom tells her, "Just say what I say honey."
Everyone bows their head and the little girl says, "O dear Lord, why am I having all these people over for dinner! Amen!"
True prayer will only be effective if we honestly heed the will of God. It would benefit us to understand that prayer and the word of God go together.
Jhn 15:7 KJV - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
1 – We know God’s will by Knowing his Promises and precepts
2 – We Know God’s will by Know his Character
This means when we pray we understand his character and how that he wants what is right and what is best for us, just as we would want to do for our own kids. The Lord will not give us anything that could hurt us or harm us.
3 – We Should Depend Upon the Leading of the Holy Spirit
Jud 1:20 KJV - But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Rom 8:26 KJV - Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Have you ever felt lead by the Holy Spirit to make a specific prayer request for something or someone not knowing at the time why, but later on fully understand that it was perfectly in the will of God.
The will of God will accomplish the work of God. God’s will is nourishment to our very being and our souls. What food is to our human body, the will of God is to our spiritual bodies.
Jhn 4:34 KJV - Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
Jhn 5:30 KJV - I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
We must remember something happens when churches pray, especially if their prayers honor the name of the Lord, hasten his kingdom, and heed to his will.