Sermon in a Sentence: It Is Extremely Important That We Pray in a Manner That Permits

PRAYER PROTOCOL

Feb. 12, 2017

Sermon in a sentence: It is extremely important that we pray in a manner that permits God to respond to us in a positive manner.

Congregational reading: Matthew 6:5-8

Scriptures (NKJV unless otherwise noted): Matthew 6:5-18; Isaiah 56:7; Romans 8:26-27; 1 Corinthians 14:4,14-20,40; James 5:16b; Phil. 4:6-7; Luke 18:10-14

Prayer is the word we use to describe our communication with God. We allow God to speak to us through His Word and His Spirit, and we respond to Him with our words and our spirit.

Daily, we find the time … we take the time … we make the time to develop a relationship of love and intimacy with God, with the objective of becoming more like Him. Therefore, we find that most of our prayers are very private and extremely personal as God opens Himself up to us and we open ourselves up to Him. It stands to reason that we need to spend a lot of time alone with God (as modeled for us by our Lord Jesus), if we truly want to know Him.

The Gospel writers give us many examples from the life of Christ:

Matt. 14:23 … when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.

(This was right after the miracle of feeding well over 5,000 people.)

Matt. 26:36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.”

Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Luke 5:16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Luke 6:12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

So, even prior to it being written, Jesus totally exemplified the injunction: “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes. 5:17).

If we are going to pray and seek communication with God, we need to follow the proper protocol and pray in a manner that allows Him to respond positively.

“Protocol” is a word we use to describe the proper way in which things should to be done, and we certainly need to know the proper way to approach our Almighty God and Heavenly Father.

To help us, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray and how not to pray:

Matt 6:5-15 NKJV "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Then Jesus taught them a beautiful prayer that some folks like to pray every day.

In this manner, therefore, 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 this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

[Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.]

Jesus also spoke to them about fasting in the way that pleases God. (See Isaiah 58:5-11). Our prayer protocol includes denying our flesh, exhibiting a spirit of self-sacrifice.

Matt 6:16-18 NKJV "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Along with the private protocols of prayer and fasting, scripture provides us many examples of people gathering together in small or large groups for united prayer.

Praying together in agreement and in “one accord” is a powerful force for good and for seeing God’s will accomplished in the Earth. It is also a powerful force against the evil elements at work in our world!

Isaiah informs us:

Is. 56:7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

As you may recall, the NT church in the book of Acts began in a prayer meeting:

Acts 1:13-14 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

And the Church’s response to persecution was to have a prayer meeting:

Acts 4:24,31 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…. 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Acts 12:12 So, when he [Peter] had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.

As New Testament Christians, filled with the Spirit of the living God, our prayers take on an incredible new dimension. We now have the privilege of “praying in the Holy Spirit”. This describes the reality of the Spirit of God praying for us and through us, in perfect harmony with the divine will of God. It is the Spirit of Christ praying and interceding on our behalf, praying through us in silent groanings, and also, at times, with “unknown tongues”. We are privileged to join our own heartfelt prayers with the prayers God prays through us.

The apostle Paul gives us some insight into this ‘Spirit prayer’:

Rom 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

We may not know what the Spirit is saying as He prays through us, but we always want to be:

Jude 20 … building [ourselves] up on [our] most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit….

Spirit prayer edifies us helps us to pray beyond our human ability:

1 Cor. 14:4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself….

1 Cor. 14:14-19 … if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

Praying and praising God in other tongues is a personal and intimate interaction with Him that we should utilize often, remembering that:

1 Cor. 14:20 … he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God….

But here again, in the setting of corporate prayer, there are protocols to observe. We can certainly pray and praise God in our native language with a loud, strong voice, which may very well serve to edify our brethren. The spirit of intercession will sometimes rest upon an individual, and their leadership in prayer can serve to lead the rest of the congregation to a deeper place of faith and entreaty.

However, if we are praying and praising in tongues, it should be done at a volume that does not stand out from the crowd. Such prayer is directed only to God and does not benefit our brethren. In fact:

1Cor. 14:16-17 … if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.

Therefore, since loud public prayer in other tongues is not edifying to the rest of the congregation, we must engage in Spirit prayer at a volume that does not call attention to ourselves.

1 Cor. 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

We can speak to God in total faith, just as we would speak to a parent, spouse, employer or friend. We do not need to scream and yell at God in prayer. We simply need to commune with Him as our loving heavenly Father, knowing that:

James 5:16b The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

John Bunyan (of Pilgrim’s Progress fame) explains this concept further:

“Far away from the Bible's example are most people when they pray! Prayer with earnestness and urgency is genuine prayer in God's account. Alas, the greatest number of people are not conscious at all of the duty of prayer. And as for those who are, it is to be feared that many of them are very great strangers to sincere, sensible, and affectionate-- emotional--pouring out of their hearts or souls to God. Too many content themselves with a little lip-service and bodily exercise, mumbling over a few imaginary prayers. When the emotions are involved in such urgency that the soul will [exhaust] itself rather than go without the good desired, there is communion and solace with Christ. And hence it is that the saints have spent their strength, and lost their lives, rather than go without the blessings God intended for them.” (John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Prayer Book).

Let us consider some other wise words on prayer:

When people do not mind what God speaks to them in His Word, God doth as little mind what they say to Him in prayer. (William Gurnall, a Puritan preacher of the 17th century)

It is strange that, while praying, we seldom ask for change of character, but always a change in circumstance. (Baptist Challenge, December 1981)

When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do, and so on. Nor am I disposed to undervalue any of these things in their proper place, but when we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do. (A.C. Dixon, Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, M. Cocoris, Moody, 1984, p. 108)

Prayer protocol allows us to bring our requests and needs before God, but also requires a time of thanksgiving! We do not come selfishly, only concerned with what we can get from God. We also need to thank Him for His goodness to us:

Phil. 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The last part of the Prayer Protocol we will discuss in this lesson is a humble spirit!

Luke 18:10-14 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

So, let us pray. Let us pray persistently. Let us pray consistently. And let us pray in a manner that elicits God’s positive response!