What is the most unique or exasperating nickname someone gave you? One that, when you hear it, you immediately know who it is - because no one else dares calls you that - and you wish they didn’t call you that! Many of you know I was born on Halloween - which made for interesting birthday parties. Because of my birthdate - my Grandma and Mom called me “Mitchieboo” - as in “scary boo!”
Often when someone meets you for the first time, they ask, “what do I call you?” I always answer, “anything you want as long as it’s not late for....dinner.” When my daughter takes me to Starbucks - they write your name on the cup. Some people make up names for themselves. Some friends of ours who were celebrating their anniversary had the barista put, “wesley and buttercup” from Princess Bride. Other times the barista struggles with even the simplest names...(total misspellings)
Have you have been deep into a conversation with someone who obviously knows all about you - but you have no idea who they are? Or you are deep in a conversation with someone and it becomes obvious that they have no idea who you are? Today we’re going to talk about why it matters who you think you’re talking to when you pray.
Once in a while I run into someone who says, “I like to think of God as...” - and I know they mean well - but to be honest - we don’t get to decide what God is. We can guess. We can make things up. We can design our own God. But that doesn’t change who God really is. A. W. Tozer wrote "what comes to your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you, because it affects everything else in your life." God is God - not who we think He is.
So what is God really like? The only place we’re going to find out who God is - is in His Word. And the Bible says God is, “all-knowing, all powerful and He is everywhere and everywhen at the same time. The Bible also says God is holy, God is just, God is kind, God is faithful - and perhaps the most important thing: God is Love.”
If God is not a loving God - there would be no reason to pray. If God doesn’t care about you - there would be no reason to pray. If God does not love you - there would be no reason to pray. If God does not love you - you might as well pray to a rock or a wall or to yourself. We pray because we believe Someone is listening, Someone cares about us, Someone will answer us. Even if they do not always answer the way we want - They will answer. Prayer is not an empty or meaningless exercise - it is a conversation with Someone who loves us.
One of the first things we need to talk about is - how do you start a prayer. And the answer is - depends on why you are praying. Every one of us uses different names for people depending on the circumstances of our conversation.
There is our formal name - our informal name - our nickname and then names that only one or two people use for us. But there are also descriptives - names people use to get our attention when they don’t know our name. If I’m walking down the sidewalk and someone yells, “hey - you, skinny guy” - I just keep on walking - it’s obvious they aren’t talking to me. On the other hand - if someone says, “hey - you with the cowboy boots” - they are probably trying to get my attention. My kids and grandkids all have two middle names - and you know what it means when someone says, “Zadok John William Poppe” or “Katie Ann Puanani Gowen...” That is a very different moment than when we say, “hey Z” or “hey Puanani...” What name do people use for you when they want something? What name do they use when they are angry? What name do they use when they are hurt and in pain and are running to you for love and comfort?
When Moses met God at the burning bush - before going off of to do what God told him to do - Moses said, “who do I say sent me?” And God says, “My name is ‘YHWH” or the translation “I am that I am.” And that is one of the things we need to learn about God’s names - they are more than names - they teach us about God - who He is - what He is - and how He works among us. The name “YHWH” was so important to the Jews that following the Babylonian exile they would not speak it outloud - but always substituted one of the other names for God: Adonai or El Shaddai.
To me - this is one of the things the church needs to spend some time on. Because of the world we live in - the cultural and systematic changes that have taken place - when someone uses the word “God” it is so generic I have no idea who or what they are talking about. And you need to know this is very intentional by the media and the world. They want us to accept and believe that all gods are the same - that when you call one - they all hear - or if there is only one god he or she doesn’t care what name you use - they will answer to anything.
Last week we talked about the greatest prayers are sometimes the ones where there are no words - or our sobs render any words we are speaking as unintelligible. I noted in such cases God listens to our heart which makes our prayers as perfect as they can be even if there are no words or if we really mess up the words.
Ever prayed outloud and said something you shouldn’t have said or mixed up words or prayed the wrong name? I have. And there are moments when I close my eyes and start to pray and my mind just goes blank. I always hope and trust the people listening forgive me - and understand it is not the words that are important - it is our heart. Words are important - but God is able to translate - He knows what we are trying to say or what we are really saying. But the only way that works is if the “Who” we are praying to knows us and also knows we are praying to them.
A long time ago we started getting phone calls from Ashley furniture telling us to pick up the pillows we ordered. We would tell them they had the wrong number and they would hang up and call us right back and tell us to pick up our pillows. This went on for weeks. It got to the point where we just started telling them, “we’re on our way...” or answering the phone by saying, “Pizza Hut Delivery may I help you?” No matter what we did - we could not convince them that they had the wrong number. Nancy even called a supervisor - who insisted it was not the wrong number. We always wondered what happened to those pillows and the people who ordered them - the phone calls finally stopped after we quit answering when the caller ID said “Ashley.”
This is important. God takes His name very seriously. So much so one of the Commandments is, “thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.” And you need to know there are some 600 different names or descriptors of God’s name in the Bible. Why does God say you shouldn’t mess with His name - because His name is His promise. God doesn’t just stand for some cosmic force. God always translates as something specific. God our protector, God our Savior, God with skin on, God who loves us, God who is our Father.
This is why our relationship with God is so important. God is ready to enter into a deep and everlasting relationship with us. There can be no doubt about this. Psalm 139 says God loved us before we were born and every day of our life is written in His book. God doesn’t miss anything in our life. Jeremiah says God set us apart before we were born. God knows what we’re going through and what we’re capable of - and we have a holy purpose. And when we call upon God - we use a name that states our expectation. Just by speaking the Name - we are reminded that God has made a promise and God never breaks His promise.
When the disciples told Jesus, “you need to teach us how to pray...” - Jesus started the prayer, “Our Father, who art in heaven...” I know there are people today that really struggle with using the word “Father” in a prayer. Because their father was anything but a father - or they never knew their father - they would rather use any word except father.
Did you hear the Pope wants to change part of the Lord’s prayer because when it says, “lead us not into temptation...” - it confuses people. James 1:13 tells us that God never tempts anyone. The purpose of temptation is failure. God doesn’t want us to fail. God does test us - the purpose of a test is to help people succeed. Because people are confused the Pope suggested we change it to, “do not let us fall into temptation.” I get it - and it does make sense - but I doubt the Pope is going to get everyone to change - how long has the “not KJV” version of the Lord’s prayer been in our hymnals and I rarely hear anyone use it even though it’s easier to understand.
To me - this is why prayer from the heart is so important. I may struggle with the word “father” or “temptation.” They may cause all sorts of feelings to go racing through my mind. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know what I want the word Father to mean. I know what kind of Father I want. I know what I believe a father is - what he does - how he acts. In Luke 11, Jesus says, “what kind of father gives a snake to his children?” Jesus didn’t say there weren’t fathers who did that because there are - He is allowing us to recognize this means that kind of a person really isn’t a father. And so - when I pray, “Our Father...” - what my heart is crying out for is the kind of father I know I need - the kind of father who loves me - encourages me - who does not “lead me into temptation - but delivers me from evil...”
And so, regardless of what word I start my prayer with - my heart is crying out to and for someone I can trust - someone I know will help me.
When Jesus was in the Garden the night before He was crucified - He changed words. He cried out, “Abba, Father...” The word “Abba” is the deepest and most sincere word you can use for your dad. It is the word you use when everything is falling apart. The word you use when you feel like a little child and you just want your dad to hold you and protect you from the world.
Doesn’t take much to understand why Jesus would use this word at this time. The next day He would be crucified for the sins of the world. He would bear the pain, the suffering, the punishment of everyone who ever was so they could be forgiven and free. Such a death is unimaginable. And if we had doubts that Jesus was both God and Man - this verse declares it without apology. Jesus’ words, “not My will - but Yours be done” is an amazing statement of faith and love. Jesus’ - being willing to open up His hear to His Father - and for just a second admit His fear - is a gift from God to us.
In the 1990’s, John Powell wrote a book called, “Why am I afraid to tell you who I am?” It wasn’t a book about prayer or God. It was a book that noted the biggest problems we have is being honest with ourselves - and especially with one another. Here is Mr. Powell’s theme verse, “I am afraid to tell you who I am, because, if I tell you who I am, you may not like who I am, and it's all that I have..."
Most of us are afraid to pray because we think God might judge us - He might get mad at us - He might stop listening to us because of what we say or how we say it. We’re afraid if we tell God what is on our heart - and He doesn’t like it - we won’t have anything else to share.
God knows who we are - He knows us inside and out - He knows it so well that even though it is “all we have” - it is also always enough.
The next time you pray - think about the word you use to start the prayer. Think about what you are saying - or what you are trying to say - or what you hope God hears. Let your heart guide you.
The first time you meet someone and get into a conversation - it’s usually pretty bumpy. “How about the weather?” Or “how about them Patriots?” Or “did you watch the Olympics” might get you a five word answer - and that awkward silence that follows is painful. But if you keep asking questions - and learn what questions to ask - you will eventually find a subject that both of you are passionate about - and when that happens - the conversation becomes amazing and the time flies by and when you must end the conversation - you can’t wait to talk with them again - because you have something in common.
There are two quotes that might help you with your prayer life. The first is from Les Carter whose book title is, “Enough About You - Let’s Talk about Me.” And the second quote from local girl Bette Midler who said, “enough about me, let’s talk about you - what do you think of me?”
Sounds a bit narcissistic - but I have great news for you. You are God’s favorite subject to talk about - which should make your conversations pretty easy to get started. And I’m pretty sure you know enough about you to keep the conversation going - literally forever because that’s how long heaven lasts. God knows your heart - whatever name you start your prayer with - He’s listening. Don’t worry so much about the words - just make time to talk to God. The name matters - for you. Find the Name that is already the answer to your prayer. Let Him hear your heart. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Many of you heard that Billy Graham died this past week. You might not know He was a dear friend of both Walter A Maier and Oswald Hoffmann and supporter of the Lutheran Hour. My dad and I both had a good cry over Billy’s death because we will miss him - but we also have a joy in our heart knowing that heaven is a place Billy was prepared for his whole life. I showed this clip a few years ago. Last week I noted if you are going to follow someone - copy them specifically around their prayer life - you need to make sure they are worthy of following. Billy is -