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There is no one with whom we need to build a relationship with, more than God our Father. The prayer that Jesus gave us sets us a pattern for building up this relationship - through Prayer.
It is given though, no not as a demand but given as a response the request, Lord, teach us to pray.
Prayer is spoken of, by Jesus, as one of the normalities of Christian life. Something that we all do.
Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones once observed that: Prayer is the ultimate test of our true spiritual condition.
There is nothing that tells the truth about us (as Christians) as much as our prayer life. So how are we doing? (You and I). Well I don’t know what your response would be but mine would certainly be: Could do better!
Prayer is the access to God our Father secured by Jesus himself and we need to understand that this access, that WE ALL have back to God our Father, was NOT given lightly.
The veil of the Temple was torn in two ONLY when the price was paid. The access into the Holy of Holies, into God’s presence was only given when the price was paid.
It was only when Jesus, on the cross: cried out in a loud voice and gave up his spirit that the veil was torn from top to bottom, giving YOU and ME the unbelievable access to God our Father, into the Holy of Holies, into God’s presence, though prayer.
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. God gave his only Son - that YOU and I might have the right to enter into His presence - through prayer.
The price has been paid, the Access has been granted, but how often do we use this path back to God?
How often do we seek his guidance/direction for our lives?
How often do we seek his guidance/direction for our church?
How do we know what God is calling us to do here in Boyatt Wood? Is it that WE think we know all the answers? That our strength alone is sufficient?
How often this path back to God seems to REMAIN UNTRODDEN.
No wonder then that George Duncan, a Scottish Minister once stated : One of the commonest sins amongst Christians is that of Prayerlessness.
The witness of the history of the church is that whenever God works it is in answer to prayer. Throughout the Gospel of Luke we find Jesus praying constantly at every turn of his life.
- He prays as he senses God’s call on his life
- He prays before choosing his disciples
- He prays as he serves and heals other people
- He prays as he feels the demands of his ministry
- He prays as he faces the cross
- he prays as he finishes his work on the cross
Jesus is continually praying.
He knew that in order to live out the life that God had called him to live that he needed to be continually connected to God in prayer.
God was the source of his power. It was out of his own consistent prayer life that Jesus gives us this teaching in our reading this morning
His disciples had seen Jesus praying constantly They observe that prayer is a vital practice for Jesus’ life. They have noticed the profound impact that it has on him in carrying out his ministry.
If it is essential for the master then it must be essential for us.
Lord, teach us to pray
What follows is a profound lesson from Jesus about prayer.
But it is not a lesson about technique.
It is not a lesson about phrasing or what to say.
It is not a lesson about how to persuade God.
It is a lesson about persistence.
Jesus is saying that: effective prayer is persistent prayer. Effective prayer is continual connection to God, being conscious of God’s presence in all we do.
Those who are able to pray constantly, who are constantly aware of God in all that they do are like sailors who have cast anchor on a rock.
As they pull on the anchor, they think they are pulling the rock to themselves, but in fact, they are pulling themselves to the rock.
This is what persistent prayer does. It pulls us closer to the Rock, to our Father God.
As we move closer to God in prayer we find that we do NOT get what we want from God. We get something much better.
We get what we need. We get what GOD wants.
As we move closer to the Rock we begin to desire what God desires.
So that what we ask for, knock for, and seek after, becomes what God desperately wants to give us.
Then the truth of Jesus words come to life, so that what we pray for, we truly receive. It’s a sacred surprise.
There is no one with whom we need to build a relationship with, more than God our Father.
Lord, teach us to pray AMEN |
