God never
intended for us to be lone ranger Christians. When we give our lives to Jesus,
we need specific tools, or applications, to help us along the way.
So, God gives us
the tools, or applications that we need to help us live for Him.
The universal application
that God has given to every one of us is, well, watch this clip and find
out…
Show “there’s an app for that”
clip (http://www.sermonspice.com/product/30332/theres-an-app-for-that)
Every
application that we will ever need to make it through this journey called life
is given to us in the Word of God.
But here’s the
deal: simply knowing that God has a specific application for your life won’t do
you any good.
It isn’t enough
just to know about the various applications that God has, to get the most out of life, we must apply
God’s word to our lives, because “application makes all the difference”
Our main
scripture verse for this series is taken from James chapter 1:22
James is talking
to Christians when he is writing this verse. He says: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so
deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22, NIV)
It’s not enough
for you, and me, to just hear the word of God. We must apply the word of God.
This is the same
truth that Paul expressed to the Roman Church: “For merely listening to the law doesn’t make
us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.” (Romans
2:13, NLT2)
It isn’t enough
just to hear about something. To get the most out of anything, we must apply
it, because application
makes all the difference.
Last week, I
told you that I am a professional worrier. I worry about anything and
everything.
Pastor Craig
Groeschel reminds us that worry is “the sin of distrusting the promises and the power of
God.” (Groeschel,
2010, 149-150)
To help us
overcome worry, the Bible has a specific application. It’s called Trust. We
must do the best that we can do, and we must place our trust in God.
Jesus said: “Do not let your
hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” (John 14:1, NIV)
Jesus knew that
we would suffer from worry, which is why He asked us to place our trust in Him.
I hope that most
of us worried a little less and trusted a little more this week, but if the
truth be told, the app of trust isn’t enough.
Applying the app
of trust isn’t enough to help me, to help you, overcome the sin of worry.
We need another
application. That other application is also one of my specialities.
It helps with so
much more than worry, It’s called: Prayer.
Evangelist D.L.
Moody once said: “I’d rather be able to pray than to be a great preacher; Jesus Christ
never taught His disciples how to preach, but only how to pray.” (Taken from my files)
This is an interesting
statement. Jesus didn’t teach us how to preach, but He did teach us to pray.
In His most
famous sermon, Jesus said: “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray
publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I
tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.” (Matthew 6:5, NLT2)
Jesus was
teaching His disciples that they don’t pray in order to be seen by everyone.
Prayer is supposed to be a private two-way conversation, between you and God.
Jesus then goes
on to say: “When
you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think
their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8
Don’t be like them….” (Matthew
6:7-8a, NLT2)
When
we pray, we are to be specific; we don’t have to use big words that even we
don’t understand, we are to talk to God just as we might talk to our friend or
spouse.
God is personal and He wants to know
what’s on our mind.
Now that Jesus
has set parameters on what we’re not to do in prayer-- be showy and wordy-- He
tells us what we should do:
“This, then, is how
you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your
kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today
our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for yours is the kingdom and
the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew
6:9-13, NIV)
Commenting on
this verse, Keith Drury says that: “Christ taught us to praise God, pray about His kingdom,
our necessities, forgiveness, temptation, and deliverance from evil.”
(Drury, 2005, 130)
It’s interesting
that Jesus didn’t teach His followers how to preach; Jesus simply taught His
followers how to pray.
Does
your praying look like the model prayer? Does my praying look like the model
payer?
If we’re praying the way Jesus taught
us to pray, our prayers will involve all of the aspects of the Lord’s Prayer.
Because application
makes all the difference, Jesus not only taught us to pray, Jesus showed us
how to pray.
The Bible tells
us that Jesus prayed. Not once, but several times.
Jesus prayed when His life was crowded and draining.
The Bible tells us that “The news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of
people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
16 But Jesus often
withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke
5:15-16, NIV)
Jesus prayed when He faced important decisions. The Bible tells us that one day “…Jesus went out to
a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
13 When morning
came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them….”
(Luke 6:12-13, NIV)
Jesus prayed
when He was sad or frightened.
When Jesus heard
that John the Baptist had been beheaded, “…he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.”
(Matthew 14:13, NIV)
Jesus prayed
when He needed strength for His work.
“Very early in the
morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to
a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35, NIV)
When Simon came
to Him, Jesus said: "Let us go somewhere else-- to the nearby villages-- so
I can preach there also. That is why I have come." (Mark 1:38, NIV)
Jesus prayed
when He faced an insurmountable problem. “Jesus went out …to the Mount of Olives, and
his disciples followed him.
40 On reaching the
place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into
temptation."
41 He withdrew about
a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 "Father, if you are
willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."
43 An angel from
heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:39-43, NIV) (Ortberg, 2010, 174-176)
The Bible is
clear about this one thing: Jesus prayed. He prayed about everything. He didn’t
pray because He had to, He prayed because He wanted to.
Jesus needed the
strength to carry on, so He prayed.
You and I need
the strength to carry on, so we need to pray.
ILLUSTRATION- Researchers once surveyed
people about their favorite room in the house. The top answer was the kitchen.
People love that one.
Most
Husbands’ top answer was the bedroom.
Want to guess what the top answer
was for mothers of young children?
The
bathroom.
Why?
You (can) lock the door. You keep those little rug rats out of there for at
least a couple of minutes.
You keep your husband out there for at least a couple minutes.
The
idea is that you find someplace where you know you are alone. You are free of
stress. You find a sanctuary—a holy place.”
(Ortberg, 2010.171)
If
we are going do more than just hear about prayer; if we are going to apply the
application of prayer, we must find our sanctuary, our holy place.
We’ve
got to turn off the radio, turn off the television, turn off the iPad, and
pray.
Jesus
said: “When you
pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in
private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6, NLT2)
When
you apply the application called Prayer—not if—but when you pray, get away to a
quiet place, a place that is free from distractions, and spend time taking to
God, and tell Him what’s on your mind.
Don’t
worry so much as to the words you are using, as long as they are coming from a
sincere heart.
The
Bible says: “pray
without ceasing.” (1Thess. 5:17 NKJV)-
this means, don’t stop praying! You can pray as you drive, (But keep your eyes
open!)
You can pray as
you do laundry; you can pray when you are in a meeting; you can pray before you
go to bed; and you can pray when you wake up.
“Don’t worry about
anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him
for all he has done.” (Philippians 4:6, NLT2)
Someone once
said: “Prayer
is not an argument with God to persuade Him to move things our way; but an
exercise by which we are enabled by His Spirit to move ourselves His way.” (unknown)
Prayer draws us
closer to God, and this is the benefit, and idea behind this application.
When we pray, we focus more on
God and less on ourselves.
Friends, there’s
much I know about prayer, and much more I don’t know about prayer.
What I do know is
that there are several “prayer blockers”— several reasons our prayers do not
get answered.
One of them is
unbelief. We ask for something, but don’t really expect God to do what we are
asking. Unbelief is a prayer blocker.
The second, and
probably the biggest “prayer blocker” is sin.
The Bible says
in Psalm 66: “If
I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened…”
(66:18 NIV)
If you are
asking God to answer your prayers, but nothing seems to be happening, it could
be that you don’t believe that God can answer your prayers, or you have
un-confessed sin in your life.
Both of these issues
need to be addressed, and you address them as you get alone with God in your
prayer closet.
“If my people, who
are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and
turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive
their sin and will heal their land.” (2
Cor. 7:14, NIV)
God wants His
people to be a praying people. God does awesome things when His people pray.
But taking about
praying and actually paying are two different things. In order to get the most
use out of this application, we must start praying.
Simply
acknowledging that we need to be a praying people is as useless as having a gym
membership. Unless it’s put to use, it will not do you any good.
James reminds us
that the reward is in the doing, so how are you praying? A little? All the time? Not at all?
Jesus assumed
that His followers would be a praying people, and I think we would get out of a
world of problems if we actually were a praying people, so if you pray little,
or not at all, the good news is you can begin right now!
There is no
better day that today to begin praying. If you are struggling with what to say,
pray the prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples.
That prayer has
been prayed by countless people, all over the world for years. It’s an
excellent prayer to pray and it reminds us who’s really in control.
As you are
praying you can take comfort in this simple truth: “The power of prayer does not depend on the
one who makes the prayer, but on the one who hears the prayer” (Lucado,
2006, 61)
Jesus said: “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep
on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to
you.
8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds.
And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8, NLT2)
Jesus wants His
people to be a praying People. He doesn’t want us to give up on prayer, He
wants us to be faithful in prayer, and trust that He hears us when we pray.
When it comes to
prayer, application really does make all the difference.
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