Teach Us to Pray #rebellion #reality #relationship #prayer #Hosea #Sodom...
Teach Us to Pray.
Gospel: Luke 11:1–13
Hosea 1:2–10 Psalm 85
Genesis 18:20–32 Psalm 138
Colossians 2:6–1
Prayer
- Broken by Rebellion
- Based in Reality - Around us, within us, and beyond us
- Bonded in Relationship
Summary of Message
We focused on the theme of prayer, exploring its significance and how it is taught and practiced according to biblical teachings. We began with the disciples’ request to Jesus to teach them how to pray, similar to how John taught his disciples.
We highlighted the importance of understanding prayer through various scriptures, including Luke 11:13, Hosea, Psalms, Genesis, and Colossians, emphasizing the relationship between prayer, rebellion, and redemption.
Prayer reflects one’s relationship with God, which can be broken by rebellion but restored through redemption.
We also touched on the character of God, who desires reconciliation with humanity, and the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer.
We concluded by encouraging participants to engage in prayer as a means of developing a deeper relationship with God, using the Lord’s Prayer as a model.
When You Pray …
Luke 11:1–4
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them,
When ye pray, say,
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Jesus teaches us to focus our hearts on the real issues in prayer: relationship with God, reverence for God, Kingdom concerns, practical needs, personal purity, and victory over sin.
“Our Father,” He allowed us to say with confidence and love. It accentuates our intimate and loving relationship with God. He rejoices to receive us into His presence and hear our prayers.
“Hallowed be Thy Name.” No matter how intimate we are with God, He is God and we are not. He deserves our reverence and worship. We are not only His children, but His subjects.
His kingdom and will are our deep concerns in prayer. Kingdom motivation is the heart of praying in Jesus’ Name. We seek and request His will as we submit ourselves to His Lordship. This sort of praying pleases the heart of God.
We pray for daily bread because God wants to provide for our needs. He also wants us to ask. We bring our practical needs to God knowing that He is more concerned about our needs than we are
When we seek and offer forgiveness, we place ourselves on the altar of personal purity. We are asking God to remove any hindrance to what He desires to do in our lives, be that our own sin or our bitterness toward those who have sinned against us.
Finally, in Luke’s account, Jesus reminds us to keep our eyes on the prize and pray for victory over evil and temptation. The fact that we are authorized to pray this way gives us more than a clue that it is God’s intention to give us the victory.
So, our Master taught us to pray and so we ought to pray. In these few sentences all the prayers we will ever need to pray are included.
Bold Praying and Gracious Giving
Luke 11:9–13
“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for a fish, would give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asked for an egg, would 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!”
Jesus raises two issues. One concerns what sort of praying people we ought to be. The other is what sort of God is it to whom we pray.
We are called to persistence and consistency in prayer. We are to be like the desperate and audacious friend who goes to his neighbor at midnight seeking bread to feed his guest. That kind of boldness gets God’s attention. He wants to develop that in us.
If we ask, we will receive. If we seek, we will find. If we knock, the door will be opened. E.M. Bounds says that God has placed himself under the law of prayer. He is Sovereign. He can do that. It is His choice. He has chosen to respond to prayer for His own reasons.
One may be the change that it affects in our own lives and the intimacy that is facilitated when we enter into partnership with God concerning the things that concern Him.
Jesus says that the neighbor, who is just a man and subject to sinful motivations, responded to the boldness of his friend and not to his friendship. By contrast, God is our Heavenly Father who is always waiting up for us. His light is always on and His delight is to give us good gifts.
That is who God is and His greatest delight is to give us the Holy Spirit, who incidentally, teaches us to pray from within and prays for us and through us.
We have two very major reasons to pray boldly: because bold prayer gets action and because we have a generous God who happens to be our Heavenly Father.
Recap:
The Essence of Prayer Tom discusses the essence of prayer, emphasizing its role in revealing God’s character and fostering a relationship with Him. Prayer is seen as a means to understand God’s nature, which is rooted in love and redemption. Tom highlights the importance of prayer in aligning with God’s will and experiencing His presence, as exemplified by Jesus’ teachings and the Lord’s Prayer.
Biblical References to Prayer Tom references various biblical passages to illustrate the theme of prayer, including Luke 11:13, Hosea, Psalm 85, Genesis 18, and Colossians 2. These scriptures highlight the brokenness caused by rebellion, the need for reconciliation, and the role of prayer in restoring relationships with God. Tom emphasizes the importance of understanding these biblical contexts to deepen one’s prayer life.
The Lord’s Prayer and Its Lessons Tom discusses the Lord’s Prayer, particularly its version in Luke, as a model for effective prayer. This prayer emphasizes the importance of recognizing God’s holiness, seeking His kingdom, and relying on Him for daily needs. Tom notes that Jesus used this prayer to teach about God’s character and the importance of persistence in prayer, as illustrated by a parable about a friend asking for bread at midnight.
Rebellion and Redemption Tom explores the theme of rebellion and redemption, using the story of Hosea and the people of Israel as an example. The narrative illustrates how rebellion breaks the relationship with God, but through prayer and God’s grace, redemption and reconciliation are possible. Tom emphasizes that God’s desire is to restore and redeem those who have strayed, as seen in the stories of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Psalms.
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Prayer Tom highlights the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer, describing it as the ultimate gift from God that believers should seek. The Holy Spirit is portrayed as essential for a fulfilling prayer life, enabling believers to align their prayers with God’s will and experience His presence. Tom encourages seeking the Holy Spirit to deepen the relationship with God and enhance the effectiveness of prayer.
Hosea 1:2-10
Hosea's marriage
When
the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take for
yourself a wife of prostitution and have children of prostitution, for the land
commits great prostitution by forsaking the LORD."
So
he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a
son.
And
the LORD said to him, "Name him Jezreel, for in a little while I will
punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the
kingdom of the house of Israel. On that
day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel."
When
she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son.
Then
the LORD said, "Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people, and I am not
your God."
“Yet
the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can
be neither measured nor numbered, and in the place where it was said to them, ‘You
are not my people,’ it shall be said to them, ’Children of the living God.’"
Psalm 85
Righteousness and peace
LORD,
you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You
forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin. Selah
You
withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.
Restore
us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us.
Will
you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
Will
you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?
Show
us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.
Let
me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to
his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely
his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in
our land.
Steadfast
love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness
will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The
LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness
will go before him and will make a path for his steps.
Genesis 18:20-32
Abraham bargains with
God
Then
the LORD said, "How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how
very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether
according to the outcry that has come to me, and if not, I will know."
So
the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained
standing before the LORD. Then Abraham came near and said, "Will you
indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty
righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive
it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a
thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the
wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is
just?"
And
the LORD said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will
forgive the whole place for their sake."
Abraham
answered, "Let me take it upon myself to speak to my lord, I who am but
dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you
destroy the whole city for lack of five?"
And
he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."
Again
he spoke to him, "Suppose forty are found there."
He
answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it."
Then
he said, "Oh, do not let my lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are
found there."
He
answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."
He
said, "Let me take it upon myself to speak to my lord. Suppose twenty are
found there."
He
answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it."
Then
he said, "Oh, do not let my lord be angry if I speak just once more.
Suppose ten are found there."
He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it."
Colossians
2:6-15, (16-19)
Buried
with Christ in baptism
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the
Lord, continue to walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in
the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Watch out that no one takes you captive through
philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the
elemental principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells
bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler
and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision,
by the removal of the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; when you
were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in
the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
And when you were dead in trespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he
forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with
its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a
public example of them, triumphing over them in it. Therefore do not let anyone
condemn you in matters of food or drink or of observing festivals, new moons,
or Sabbaths.
These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the
body belongs to Christ.
Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on
self-abasement and worship of angels, initiatory visions, puffed up without
cause by a human way of thinking, and not holding fast to the head, from whom
the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows
with a growth that is from God.
Comments