Persistent Prayer

Transcript

Through right now, I. I'm finding it hard to pray. And I've been there. Some of you would say, yes, I am praying and I pray throughout the day, all the time. Me and God have been talking a lot lately. Can I tell you that your prayers matter?

Your prayers matter? You say my prayers matter? Yes, your prayers matter. I. I believe the pastor's prayer matters. Yes, his prayer matters.

Her prayer matters. Can I tell you that your PR matters to God? He is bending down to hear you. Your prayer matters. And for those of you who are walking through a season that is difficult, there is a song by Maverick City that I love that is called the Story I'll Tell.

And in the lyric it says, the hour is dark and it's hard to see what you are doing here in the ruins and where this will lead. Oh, but I know that down through the years I'll look on this moment and I'll see your hand on it and I know you were here and I'll testify of the battles you've won how you were my portion when there wasn't enough and I'll testify of the seas that we've crossed the waters you parted and the waves that I've walked Knowing you were present. There's times in our life when we can't see what he's doing. We just sang about it. And we pray and we pray and we pray and we don't see his hand moving.

And we pray and we pray and we pray. And I ask you this morning, think back over your life. Was there a period of time where you prayed persistently? Was there a period of time where there was a specific prayer that you recall praying over and over and over? And how did God move?

Or better yet, how did God change you in that process? When I think back over my life there, God brought to my mind the prayer from my father. I'm not going to go into all of it, but my parents divorced and me and my dad's relationship was severed. He had turned away from the Lord and I prayed for him. And it broke my daddy's girl heart.

I remember being in college and going forward in an altar call and amongst other people standing before this minister and he said, is there someone that you are praying for? And I was praying for my daddy. And he said, can you imagine the day when he gives or she their hearts to Christ? And how will you praise the Lord? Then go ahead and thank God in advance for how he saves their life.

And I remember standing there and with the faith of a mustard seed I Believed that God would save him. Can I tell you? It was over 15 years later when my dad turned back to the Lord. He is one of the godliest men we'll ever meet. My boys only know a godly grandfather.

Can I tell you that God invites us to pray and to pray persistently. If you'll stand with me. We're going to read from the Gospel of Luke, Luke, chapter 11, verses 1 through 13. And it says Jesus was praying in a certain place. And after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, lord, teach us to pray.

As John taught his disciples. And he said to them, when you pray, say, father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us and do not bring us to the time of trial. And he said to them, suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived and I have nothing to set before him. And he answers from within, do not bother me.

The door has already been locked and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything. I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything, because it is his friend, at least because of his persistence, he will get up and give him whatever he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given. You search and you will find.

Knock, and the door will be open for you. For everyone who asks, receives, and everyone who searches, finds. And for everyone who knocks, the door will be open. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?

If 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? Let us pray. Holy Spirit, we know you are present. Lord, may the words of my mouth, the meditation of my heart, my words, may they be acceptable in your sight. Oh God, you are my strength, you are my redeemer.

Have your way. In this place we pray. Amen. And you may be seated.

Prayer. Prayer. In this text where it starts here, it says one day Jesus was praying. Now in the Bible we have often text see Jesus praying. Sometimes Jesus is praying all night.

Have you been there? Sometimes Jesus is praying amongst his disciples. Sometimes it says he gets away alone to pray. But can you imagine watching Jesus, God himself pray to his father. How powerful.

This disciple is watching Jesus pray. He's got his eyes on Jesus, and he waits till Jesus is done. And he says, jesus, will you teach us to pray? Evidently, John the Baptist had been teaching his disciples how to pray. And he says, well, will you teach us?

Like John teaches his disciples to pray? Could it be the prayer of our hearts this morning? Jesus, will you teach us to pray? How humble. Jesus, will you teach us to pray?

Our greatest need church is to pray. Our greatest need. Notice he asked, will you teach me to pray? He doesn't actually ask for a technique. He doesn't actually say, teach me how to pray.

A technique or an ABC step is helpful, but our greatest need is just to pray at all. Teach us to pray. And Jesus then goes ahead and begins. Now, you'll notice this is similar to the Lord's Prayer. And it's funny.

We all learned it in the King James Version. None of us know the Lord's Prayer from the message. We all pray the same in that. But this text is a little bit shorter than the one in Matthew. And so he gives them this demonstration.

Now, can I tell you, God is not saying every time you pray, you have to pray the Lord's Prayer. He is not saying you have to pray this verbatim. He is just giving this as an example. And I want our text today to be a little bit further down with the teaching, but quickly. Let's go over just this Lord's Prayer.

This example that he gives when he starts with Father. Oh, isn't it beautiful that he starts with Father? In Matthew, he says, our Father, Father. Why do you think he starts with calling God Father? Can I tell you that we get.

We're identifying who God is and we get our identity at the same time, we're identifying and he gives us our own identity in that word, Father. Can I tell you for some of us, it is easier to start a prayer with Lord than Father. We may find it easier to feel a servant to God than his child. And he says, father, Father, you know what? It's an intimacy and it's relational.

Can I tell you also that there are some privileges for the child of God? For instance, when my children call on their father, they know that their father is willing. They feel bold in asking their father for certain privileges because it's their daddy. Can I tell you that when you go to the throne of grace, there are privileges allowed for you because you are his daughter, you are his son. So when you start with saying Father, it is a reminder to yourself of who he is to you, Father, he says, hallowed be your name, or set apart, or holy is your name.

It's a reminder. Also, it's who he is, his holiness, how he acts, his very nature, his righteousness to us. I can trust him for he is holy. I can trust him because he is my Father, but also because he is like no father I have ever known. He is holy in his actions.

He is set apart. I often use the term praise before petition. Praise before petition. He starts with praising before he gets down to the asking. Now, there's nothing wrong with going in a quick prayer, Jesus, I need your help in this.

But the point here was he starts with praising. Why? Because he's relational.

To do something. I start with greeting. So he's praising first. Then he says, your kingdom come. May your plans come to be.

May your will be done. Here, it's almost as if you're praying, God, I will be obedient to your plan. I want your plan to come to. To be. And get this for God's plan to come to be.

He wants to use us to carry out the plan. You get an opportunity to participate in what God wants to do here on the earth. Does that not blow your mind, Emily, in all the brokenness when you think back on the past, when you go back, God said, that is under the blood. And I want to use you today. Let your will be done here.

God, we pray in accordance to his will. And see the Trinity here. Notice how it starts with Father, the source of all holiness. You see Jesus who brings the kingdom of God to us, and then the Holy Spirit who accomplishes God's will in us and among us. You see a picture of the Trinity here in this demonstration.

Let your will be done. God, he invites our participation. Can I tell you, it's a privilege to pray. It's a privilege to pray. We have a God who lends his ear to hear our petition.

He is available. Are we taking that opportunity? How often are we praying? Ponder that. He goes down and he says, give us this day our daily bread.

God welcomes us to freely bring whatever our needs are for that day. Now, this doesn't mean just food. My daily bread, as in what I'm eating that day, I need strength. Today I need peace. Today I need help with my anger.

Today I need help with these thoughts that keep coming back. Today, whatever the daily need is, he says, bring it to me. I have enough for you today. Will you trust me for your daily needs? Oh, I hear you that you'll call on me when there's a crisis.

But will you call on me in the mundane things? I grew up in a church with Pastor Hal, and I remember him saying often he would pray before he stopped to get gas. And I thought, who does that? Like, he is super saved. There are people that he is super saved.

He tell us that he would pray because there would be different gas stations. And he wanted to share a word and encourage that particular person. And so he would pray that God would lead them to which gas station to stop at.

Daily needs. It's interesting that he's not saying, pray for a storehouse of bread. God, would you give me enough for today? Why? Because I can trust you that you're going to take care of tomorrow's bread.

I need today. I got to get through today before I can ever get to tomorrow. Some of you know what it's like to live from moment to moment. When heartache comes, when grief comes. I need strength for this moment.

And then he gives you strength for the next. Daily bread. Can I tell you that your prayer life is a reflection of your dependency on him or your own self? Reliance. If you really believe God is who he says he is and you really believe he is able to do the impossible, how would that change your prayer life or how much time you spend praying your prayer life or your own self?

Reliance. He says, forgiveness. Forgive us as we forgive. Get this, everyone. It says everyone.

This is indicating that the one who is forgiven will also forgive others.

And then he says, and lead me not into temptation, but lead me, Jesus, Will you guide my steps? Holy Spirit, would you help me to know where to step? Help me in those moments where temptation begins to come, that you give us that escape, Lord, and that I'll make the right decision. And then we get to this parable, and this is where I want to focus just for a few minutes today. I love this parable.

Now, you guys know that Jesus was. Was the ultimate storyteller. He could teach by telling a story. And so he gave this example of a prayer he says when you pray, meaning it's not just, you know, if you want to. He's saying, if you're a child of God, you will talk to me when you pray.

And then he goes to this parable. He tells this story, and he says, you've got a friend who's been on a journey. The friend shows up and is hungry, and you have no bread. And you will go to your friend at midnight and ask for bread. Now, when I hear this story, it gives me pause.

Now, one Obviously he didn't know his friend was coming because he has no bread to give him. Now, most of us, if we knew company was coming, we'd buy some groceries, right? You'd have something extra. They didn't have cell phones. They didn't have Facebook.

There was no gas station. There was no McDonald's, no Walmart. There is nothing.

He says, you'll go to your friend at midnight to ask for bread. Does that make any of you uncomfortable? Like, it may. I'm thinking, this is super awkward. I am going to someone's house at midnight to wake them up to ask for bread.

What an inconvenience I would be to them. And I began to think of excuses or God, is there any way I could avoid this? Like, is there something I could do creatively to come up with something? Or could you just help them through the night as they're hungry? You know, like, is there anything I can do where I don't have to wake somebody up at midnight?

Can I tell you that you are not an inconvenience to God? You may feel like it's an inconvenience to wake someone up at midnight, but we have a God who is awake at the midnight hour and you are not an inconvenience. You are not waking him up. This is not God saying, I'm like the grumpy friend. No, he is contrasting that.

He says, you're going to go to your friend. Now, in my mind's eye also, I tend to think that this is not a friend, but a neighbor. I think I do that because I would think if it's midnight, I'm going to go to the closest person. But the story doesn't say neighbor. The story says you go to your friend at midnight.

And that makes me a little bit more comfortable. Now I also think about my bestie and I'm like, well, her husband's asleep, her kids are asleep. Like, do I really want to, you know? Okay, you're going to your friend at midnight. Now, if you research Bible times, it's believed that they had a one room home.

There may have been a platform where mom, dad, children are sleeping. And underneath the platform there could be animals that are sleeping. Okay, so then I'm thinking, I'm going to the house and I'm waking up mom, dad, all the children and all the animals. Are there goats in there? I don't know.

Now everybody's awake. I'm thinking, oh, this is really awkward. And yet, because it is your friend that is hungry, you're gonna go now, one night last week, God tend to to speak to me about messages. About 2 to 3am, I wake up and God is speaking to me about this message. What is so interesting is it says, because your friend has a need, you're going to go.

I thought to myself, I don't know how long their journey was. I don't know how long it's been since they've eaten. This was not just to give them something small. This is a big deal. They're hungry.

Because you have a friend who is in need, you will act. The idea is I am emboldened to go to this door and begin to knock. Why? Because someone is hungry and I know that this person has what they need. And the only way I can get for my friend bread that he or she needs is by knocking and waking up.

And this friend, it is a picture of intercession. It is a picture of going and standing in between, saying, God, there is something that someone needs and you have it. And I need this. Can I tell you that I may not would go wake up a friend at midnight for another friend who needs bread, but if my children have a need, I am knocking.

I will call that doctor no matter what time of day it is. If my baby needs something, do you know what I'm saying? If you knew God has the answer, is there a time of day that would stop you from calling out to him? It is a picture of intercessory prayer. It is standing in the gap.

And it's so interesting because it says, because of your shameless boldness, because of your persistence, because of your audacity. Some versions say, shameless audacity to pound on somebody's door at midnight. There's a word, importunity, which means persistence, especially to the point of annoyance. Do you know those people? Persistence to the point of annoyance, he says, because you are pounding and you're not giving up.

Surely your friend will answer the door like, they're not going to stop knocking until I get up, so I've got to go. Jesus says, because of that shameless boldness. Boldness, the opposite of fear, the opposite of timidity, the opposite of being a coward. But I am boldly pounding on the door. I'm not leaving until I have some loaves of bread.

Surely Jesus says, the friend will get up. The friend's going to get up. And so I want to tell you today that when you go to the throne of grace that is available for us 24 7, we can boldly approach the throne, not with timidity. And not with fear, but knowing that he will surely get up. And this is when Jesus directly turns the teaching to us.

He's not finished yet. Verse 9 says, so I say to you, to who? You harvest point everyone in this room. He says, I'm saying this to you. Ask, and it will be given to you.

Seek and you will find. Knock, and the door will be open to you. In this verse, these verses right here, he says the word you four times. He wants you to hear that this is a word for you. Keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.

Have you ever prayed something and didn't hear the answer? Have you ever prayed and didn't see God moving? He says, don't stop. Keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. And you will find, and you will receive, and you will hear.

Then he changes it. In verse 10, he says, everyone. He says that word three times. Everyone who asks, everyone who seeks, everyone who. Who knocks.

The word for us today is persistence. Persistence in prayer. It changes us. Persistence in prayer changes us. It develops within us a heart and a passion that God wants us to have.

It is continually returning to that well that never runs dry. It is me. Keep going back, praying and believing that even though I don't see how you're moving, I know that you can. And I know that in this prayer, you are changing me for your glory. It develops a heart like him, a heart that is his, that has love for others.

Ask, seek, knock. These are verbs, and these are continuous. To pray intentionally, to pray purposefully, to pray persistently is the problem that you're not asking your father. It's the problem you're not asking. What does James tell us in James 4?

It says, you have not because you ask not. He then goes on to say, or, you're asking with the wrong motives.

Thomas Watson says this quote, I love it. The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel.

It was an angel that fetched Peter out of the prison, but it was prayer that sent the angel. I love that. I love that he is a God of more. Ephesians 3 says, now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. He says, keep asking.

And then when you think, lord, I can't take any more of your teaching. He's not done. And he keeps on. And he says, what Father gives a snake when his son asks for a fish or a scorpion when he asked for an egg? A good father would never do that.

If you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more, hear the word more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? Notice he uses Father again. Oh, he's so good. Remember how he started our example with the prayer?

He said, father. He circles back. He says, if a father knows how to give good gifts, how much more does your father know how to provide what you need? Notice that the Son here is the one doing the asking. The asking comes first as asking matters.

Asking with a childlike faith. The child knows that his father has food for him. The child has boldness to ask his Father for what he needs. And Jesus is saying, how much more do I have for you, son? Will you ask me, daughter?

Will you believe that I have what you need for today? That Father. And he says, how much more will he give the Holy Spirit? And for some of us, we're like, er, we weren't talking about the Holy Spirit. All of a sudden the Holy Spirit is brought into the conversation.

Can I tell you it is God's desire to pour out the Holy Spirit to fill us with the Holy Spirit? You may say, emily, I am not filled with the Holy Spirit. Can I tell you that it's God's will and we can ask for it. We can ask for it. God, would you fill me with your Holy Spirit?

It's his will. You are praying in accordance to the will of God. Ask, seek, knock, and it will. You will be filled. God Himself within us.

I've heard it said, you're led by what you're full of. You're led by what you're full of. What are you full of today? Are you full of the Holy Spirit? Can I tell you the problem is in our receiving, not in his pouring.

He wants us to be full of himself. But sometimes we're not ready to receive it. Sometimes our hands are full with other things. Sometimes our heart is full, full of the Holy Spirit. So you've got to empty yourself of me, Emily.

I can't be full of Emily if I want to be full of the Holy Spirit.

Thinking back to last week with my outburst about the apple fritter that was full of Emily, that was not full of the Holy Spirit.

The problem is in our receiving, not in his pouring. Another problem is being distracted. When I was a little girl, my daddy coached baseball. How many of you here played baseball when you were little? Or softball?

Okay, well, I never played softball because my dad was a coach and they would allow me to play baseball until they realized I was a girl. At a certain Age. And then they said I couldn't play anymore. But anyways, I played baseball. Was I good at baseball?

No. Did my dad really want me to be? Yes. Did I have lots of practice? Yes.

Yes. It never worked. Never worked. But my dad coached. I would play on the Cubs for many, many years.

There's so many pictures of me playing in the dirt. And I would pose for pictures, and dad would say, down and ready. Down and ready. And he would make me practice. And when he said, down and ready, y' all know what down and ready means?

I mean, you are bent down, hands on the knees. You are ready. Eyes up. You are waiting for the ball. Down and ready.

Emily was distracted playing in the dirt. What happens when you're distracted is you don't catch the ball or you get hurt. Hear the Holy Spirit saying, down and ready. I have something for you, and I want you to receive. And the good news is, Jesus is interceding for you.

If you hear me saying all of this and you say, emily really need to be praying, but it's hard. And I would say, yes, yes, it can be. The devil wants us distracted. The devil wants us full of other things. The devil does not want you praying.

You said, if I only had more time.

Be mindful of Satan's distraction to get your mind off of Jesus and away from praying. Because if the answer is, ask, seek and knock and he will. Satan doesn't want you doing that. Ask, seek, knock, and Jesus is interceding for you. Hebrews 7 says, Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he is always living to intercede for them.

How would your life look if you knew Jesus was praying for you? How would your actions change? There is a fellow by the name of Robert McShane. He was a Scottish minister, and he said, if I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet the distance makes no difference because he is praying.

If I could hear what Jesus was saying right now, how would that affect how I lived my life? Jesus is praying for you. You may not be able to hear it, but he is. It makes you bold. Jesus is praying.

The Bible tells us the Holy Spirit is interceding. You have Jesus himself praying for you. You have the Holy Spirit himself praying for you. What do you have to fear? And he says boldly, come to me.

I want you, Justin, to pray. I want you to call on my name boldly. Come ask me. Just ask me. I'm a good father and I want you to Receive.

Join the conversation. Jesus, the Holy Spirit. And I'm closing, I think it was last year. There's a fellow by the name of Dr. Roman Miller. He's went on to live with Jesus.

My maiden name was Miller. He was a pastor. He had a white beard, white hair. His countenance was kindness. And as a teenager he would come around the church from time to time and every once in a while they would call the youth down and they would pray over us.

And Roman Miller would look me out and I would feel his hand on my shoulder and his godly man would pray over me. He believed God had a calling on my life and he would pray for me. Last year I was working at camp, youth camp. I was the evangelist with the preteens. There was a young man I'd never met before who kept coming around and talking to me.

And he come by the nurses station. Turns out he was Dr. Roman Miller's great grandson. I am standing in service one night about to preach and the Holy spirit reminded me, Dr. Roman Miller prayed over you. I never could have imagined that over 20 years later I would be the evangelist for his great grandson. Can I tell you that these persistent prayers are prayers that will persist when we pray, it not just goes away.

God holds on to those prayers. Prayers. God was fulfilling a prayer that was over 20 years in the making.

You have no idea what tomorrow holds. But God says, I hold. Tomorrow. Will you ask me? Will you seek me?

Will you knock? Dr. Helen Rosevir, she was a missionary in Central Africa. She was a physician. I'm reading one of her books right now about holiness. She beautiful storyteller, but she tells a story about a mother at their mission who died after giving birth to a pre.

And she had a premature baby. And the mama died and they tried to improvise, making an incubator for this baby that they didn't have in the Congo. The only hot water bottle they had for an incubator was beyond repair. They need a hot water bottle. So they asked the children to pray for this baby and to pray for this baby's sister.

They've lost the mama. And one of the girls, a little girl, responded, dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, help send a doll for the sister so she won't feel so lonely. That afternoon a large package arrived from England and the children are watching eagerly as they open the box.

Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle. And immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, if God sent that, I'm sure he also sent a doll. And she was right. The Heavenly Father knew in advance of that child's sincere request. And five months earlier he had led a group of ladies at a church to gather articles, and they included in this box a hot water bottle and a dollar.

Can I tell you that your prayers matter? God says, ask me. Seek me. Keep knocking. Be persistent.

If the child you are praying for hasn't come home yet, don't stop praying. Don't give up. If you're still waiting on something, don't call it in. Don't give up yet. Keep praying.

He hears you, church. He hears you. Can we have a few minutes? As they lead us in worship? Pray in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.