What does Jesus teach us about prayer? Too often I think we look at God as if He were Santa Claus, there to provide our every desire. Or maybe He's like a lucky rabbit's foot. If we have God, we need only ask. Even though we may say we don't believe that prayer is like this, how do we approach God in prayer?
There is the timid prayer. The person who says that God knows my needs so I don't need to ask anything of Him. He will provide as He desires to. The other extreme is the one who prays and says that if they ask God, He will do anything they ask of Him right now.
The Midnight Friend
What does Jesus say? He has given us some prayer guidelines in 3 parables. Luke 11: 5-10 tells the story of someone who goes to a friend's house at midnight asking for bread for a visitor that has suddenly appeared at his home. Jesus says even though the man's friend doesn't want to help him, it is midnight remember, he will still do it because his friend doesn't give up. He keeps asking -persistently, audaciously.
Two things about this situation. First the man asking for the bread is not asking for bread for himself but for someone else. Secondly, the man is asking a lot from his friend to open his home in the middle of the night to give him bread. This is not a simple request. His whole family will be awakened. He has to get up, find the bread, get dressed and go to the door.
It is clear that Jesus wants us to be bold in our requests. Be specific in your prayers. Ask for more than you think possible, because God is the God of the impossible. If this man can presume on his friend to help him, how much more can we presume on God to answer our prayers. Especially when we pray for the needs of others.
Be Humble
In Luke 18: 9-4 we see the prayers of the "sinful" tax collector and the "supposedly" righteous Pharisee. The tax collector humbles himself before God. He compares himself to no one. He knows before God he is nothing. The Pharisee however boasts of how much better he is than the tax collector. He compares himself to the tax collector believing that he will come out on top in God's eyes. How foolish the Pharisee is, how mistaken he is.
Any prayer we make to God, needs to be made in humility. We acknowledge our sinfulness; we say thank you for God's graciousness and love toward us. In James 4:6 (b) we see how God treats the proud. He resists them:
"Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
The Persistent Widow
In Luke 18: 1-8 the third parable tells us the story of the persistent widow. Prayers are not always answered immediately. In fact, they rarely are. By being persistent we learn to be faithful, we learn to be steadfast, we learn patience. We also are reminded that it is God who we solely rely on, not ourselves. We pray for things out of our control.
The widow has no one to help her but the judge. She has no one to help plead her case. The judge is her only recourse. The widow's persistence pays off and the judge grants her request. If a human judge can be swayed by persistence how much more can God be?
The Lord's Prayer
In the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6: 9-13) Jesus gives us a model prayer. God is our Father and his name is holy. We should pray that His will be done here just as it is in Heaven. Not our will, His will. We pray for our daily needs. Not superficial wants, but our needs at this moment. We ask that our sins be forgiven in the same way that we forgive others. We ask not to be led into trials that would overwhelm us and we seek protection from Satan who uses those trials as a wedge between us and God.
How Have We Prayed?
Has God answered your prayer? Have you asked? Have you asked persistently, with boldness and not timidly? Have you asked in humility? Have you treated God like Santa Claus or like your loving Father who above all, we want to please by doing His will and praying His will?
More Than We Can Dream
God has more for us than even we can imagine. Paul says in Ephesians 3:20-21:
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Don't limit God in your prayers or in your faith, because he is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think!
Enjoy He is Able by the Marantha Singers
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