Sunday 1:24:10

My hope for us above everything else is that we’ll have a vibrant, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. Individually and corporately that we’ll be caught up in loving and pursuing Him. The best way to be in relationship with God is through connecting and communicating with Him. God communicates with us by the Holy Spirit and His Word. We communicate with Him through prayer. A vibrant, dynamic relationship can only happen through vibrant, dynamic life in the Word and in prayer. But I know that for most of us a deep, consistent prayer life has been difficult. No matter if you’ve walked with the Lord for a month or 60 years, it’s been difficult to sustain the prayer life that brings a vibrant relationship with God. For some of you it’s because you want to pick and choose the parts of your life that you give to Christ. You have created what Tim Keller calls a Stepford God. He cannot confront you or correct you. You do whatever you want. That relationship is dead – you’ve cut the real, living God out. For others, you’re caught up in thinking that somehow you blew it in the past and that God does not hear you or want to hear from you. You misunderstand your own religion. You keep yourself away from a God who desires to accept you and draw near to you in deep relationship. The Gospel message is that God forgives sinners through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ – and we’re all sinners. For the rest of us, it’s not that we don’t know that we ought to pray or even how to pray, but it’s a heart issue and a misunderstanding about prayer. We misunderstand a tension in the truths of the Bible. Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. Isaiah 46:10-11 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. Jeremiah 10:23 23 I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. God reigns over all. He is sovereign. He does whatever He pleases. If that‘s true, why pray? Why pray if He’s determined the outcome? Here’s the tension: God is sovereign, and in the Bible, His people ask him for things and He listens and moves and acts according to their prayer. Exodus 32:9-10 v. 10 God planned on destroying the Israelites. Exodus 32:11-14 v. 14 the Lord relented. In His prefect holiness, His anger burned against the Israelites to punish their sins. But His desire in His mercy was to show them grace. By Moses’ prayer, the wrath of God was turned away (propitiation). That’s the tension. Is God sovereign or can He be moved by our prayers? YES! Moses is a foreshadowing of another who would turn away God’s wrath from guilty people. Moses said in Deuteronomy 18 that God would raise another prophet like Him. Moses is a shadow of the greater prophet, Jesus Christ who would turn away the wrath of God. It was God’s desire to show mercy and He answered Moses’ prayer to do it. What about salvation? John 6:65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." Who enables us to come to Christ? God does. If preaching and sharing your faith doesn’t open people’s hearts to the Gospel, why do it? Because God’s appointed means for achieving His appointed purpose is the preaching, teaching, and proclamation of His Word. The same is true of prayer. Prayer is the means by which the purposes of God are carried out. The Lord gives to askers. Luke 11:9-13 9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" The Lord answers prayers of faith. Matthew 21:22 21Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." The Lord answers prayers when we abide with Him. John 15:7 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. The Lord answers prayers made in Jesus’ name. John 14:13-14 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. Prayer is the means by which the purposes of God are carried out. You thought God is going to do what He’s going to do. But He limits himself and determines to answer the prayers of His people to accomplish His purpose. Pray. You do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2-3 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.