TITLE: PRAYER:
BEYOND COMMUNICATION
THESIS: THE 3
REMINDERS OF RELATIONAL PRAYER
INTRODUCTION
I. Communication
- Media Evolves
· Letter – the most primitive
way to communicate
· Telephone
· Cellular Phone
· Internet (Video and Audio)
II.
Communication – Not Just An Access
· Communication is one of the
most people do nowadays
o
People are texting, chatting, calling
o
They are now accessible and affordable
o
Most people have their own access
o
It is not just an access but became life of people today as we observe
o
People love to communicate
III. The
Neglected Communication - Prayer
· Most people do not pray
· Or they will only pray if
they want something from whom they called God
· But the tragic thing is that
Prayer is neglected second to Meditation of the Word of those who called
themselves Christian
THE BIG
QUESTION: Why most Christians do not pray?
· Maybe they forgot something
about prayer
· Or they just taken for
granted of something about prayer
· And this is the relational
value.
o
Observe the attitude of the newly wed or new found love of teenagers
and even adults
§ The intimacy is so strong
that they want to communicate from time to time
o
Observe the attitude of couple married beyond 5 or 7 years
§ Communication is almost gone
THIS IS THE SAME THING IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD – COMMUNICATION IS
ALMOST GONE IF THERE’S ANY COMMUNICATION IT IS JUST BUT A MECHANICAL ONE – NO
INTIMACY
BODY
I. RELATIONAL PRIVILEGE
a. Father and Children Relationship (Our Father)
He wanted to be called
Father : I wait for my son to call me father (a sweet sound)
Bearing His name is your
privilege :
If you are a
son of a prominent man (Ayala, Sy) you will be proud
Knowing that
someday you will receive inheritance from Him.
How much more
God who owns everything and can do everything? (Luke 12:32)
· Unconverted State
o
Children of the Devil
o
Children of Darkness
o
Children of God’s Wrath
· Converted State
o
The Right to Become Children of God
o
Children of Light
o
Adopted Son of God in Christ
b. God and Worshipper Relationship (Hallowed by Your Name)
Not all has privilege to
worship God – Only those who have Spirit and Know the Truth
· Worshipping the Wrong God
o Pagans worship the wrong God
o Even those who claim to be
Christian they worship the wrong god (god by their own mind)
·
Worshipping the Right God in
the Wrong Way
o Old Testament Israelites
worship God in wrong way
o Today, those who believe
Jesus Christ, they worship Him in the way they want
II. RELATIONAL
PURPOSE
What is your purpose when you pray?
Most of the time, we pray mechanically. These are prayers without purpose.
That is why Jesus is telling the people “do
not pray like pagans”
a. King and Citizen Relationship (Your Kingdom Come)
·
Advancing the Kingdom of God
o Evangelism
o Witnessing
o Teaching
b. Master and Servant Relationship (Your Will Be Done)
·
Parallel Will
o When we pray, we have our
will
o And we want our will be
God’s will
o we must pray if it is God’s
will let it be (James 4:13)
·
Supreme Will
o The will of God must be our
purpose in prayer, not ours
o Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane
presented the supremacy of God’s will (Luke 22:42)
o God answered the prayer of
the righteous – because what will they ask is a righteousness and the first
thing they considered is the will of God (Solomon’s request)
III. RELATIONAL
PROVISION
God provides because of the common
grace / benevolent grace – righteous and unrighteous
But there is a kind of provision
that is so special and only His people can avail.
The
Israelites received everyday supply of manna
The
Israelites received forgiveness and deliverance from their sins and enemies
The
Israelites received protection against danger
a. Benefactor and Beneficiary Relationship (Give Us This Day Our Daily
Bread)
·
The One Who Gets the Glory
·
The One Who Gets the
Satisfaction
o “God is glorified when we
are satisfied” by John Piper
b. Pardoner and Sinner Relationship (Forgive Our Sins)
·
Confession
o We are sinful everyday
o He is just and faithful if
we confess (1John 1:9)
o Those who do not have
relationship with God they will still be penitent
c. Protector and Pilgrim Relationship (Lead Us Not ....Deliver Us)
·
Christians are Strangers
o We need divine protection
o Jesus prayed for protection
in John 17
o Jesus asked the disciple to
pray so that they will not be tempted
FIRST MOUNT ZION
07/01/12
