Luke 11:5-13 - PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER

Perseverance: “…to persist in anything undertaken; to maintain a purpose despite difficulty, obstacles or discouragement; to continue steadfastly.“

There ought to be no doubt in our mind that  the practice of biblical  prayer  demands perseverance. It ought to be one of the easiest things, since  the most basic definition of prayer is “talking to God”. However, the most seasoned  Christians  will tell you  that  there are many obstacles, difficulties and discouragements in the way  of prayer in this world of sin,  where our hearts and minds are so often weighed down  by so many matters of secondary and lesser importance. The Lord Jesus  anticipated  this  and that is why, I believe, He attaches this  teaching on perseverance in prayer in addition   to  the outline  of prayer given in response to the question of one of the disciples:  “Lord, teach us to pray”[1] (Lk  11:1). 

Before  we move on to the subject of perseverance in prayer  (Lk  11: 5-13) allow me to repeat  what we have  said  over the last two  Sundays   concerning   the “Lord’s prayer”.

The order of  this prayer  suggests  that there is  a structure   to  prayer.  We are called  begin with God  and His Name  and His kingdom and  thereafter we  are invited to present  all  our physical, emotional and spiritual needs. This is what is suggested in Matthew 6: 33 :

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you…”

This  simple outline  is profoundly comprehensive. Everything  is covered here.  God is at the top of the prayer agenda  as He is remembered,  worshipped and honoured. This is followed  by the  invitation to  present  all our daily  needs  to  God.[2]  Prayer is speaking to  the God  who knows everything, sees everything and who can do everything. So we must  not think  that prayer is  an information session,  for we cannot add any knowledge to God.  David says, “Even before  a word is on my tongue, behold O LORD you know it altogether” (Psalm  139:4).  Neither is the purpose  of prayer  to remind God,  just in case God forgets! God  is not a man . He who has planned and executed  every detail of this universe  continues to uphold  everything  by His  perfect knowledge.

So prayer  is  a gift  from God, and it is for our benefit. He invites us and enables us to speak to Him. Christ is the Mediator  through whom we have access into His  presence. That is why we pray to God the Father  in the Name of Jesus.  In prayer  we speak to God   like a child would speak to  a father. The father  is the child’s provider,  and the child trusts him to provide his  essentials. The father has the resources, and the father has the knowledge concerning  what is  really  needed and  what is  really  important, and what is not important or beneficial. 

And so,  as the Lord  Jesus  teaches  His disciples  these principles of prayer,  there is now  an added matter-  that of persevering in prayer!  In verses 5- 13 He addresses 2  questions   which  we would   often ask in connection  with  the matter  of perseverance in prayer :

1.  How much  of prayer is my responsibility? How much effort  must I put into prayer and how long must I persevere in order to obtain  an answer? 

2.     Why   and on what  basis  should  God  be  obliged to answer my prayer, and why does it  often take time  before He answers  prayer?

1.     My Responsibility – Patience and Perseverance in Prayer

By means of a simple story Jesus teaches us an important fact about prayer. A man goes to  the house of  his friend at midnight, and asks him  for food.  He tells him  that a  friend has arrived unexpectedly from a journey  and he has no food  to set before  him. You will understand  that for  a man in bed with his family all tucked in, this  is   an inconvenient hour,  and yet amidst protests (v.7) the man perseveres  and gets what he wants.(v.8)  

The point  of the story is simple:  If perseverance in asking  works so well  between man and man, how much more may we expect  when we persevere in prayer with God?   May I remind you that Jesus used this illustration  to encourage  us  not to give  up in prayer – particularly in relation to those  prayers  that  carry   God’s  approval.  Your duty  is to persevere   in prayer! In fact, perseverance is one of the ways in which you show that  you really mean business with God!

Your duty is to persevere by asking:  If the man had not asked his friend for bread, he would not have received it. The same is true for prayer. If we do not ask God,  then we  must not expect to receive. Jesus  encourages us to ask  perseveringly : “…ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be  opened to you…”.  The matter of  asking with perseverance  is taught here and later again in Luke 18:1-8, in  the parable of the persistent widow, where it is explicitly said that “… he told them a parable to the effect that  they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”  (Luke 18:1).  We must learn to persevere in prayer.

Your duty is  to  persevere  by asking  with sincere motives:  We are making this point  because we do need to understand  that  our prayers are not always  answered immediately  for  we often ask  in the wrong spirit or with wrong motives.  Thus James tells us: “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:2,3).  Now the man in Jesus’  story had a  sincere and legitimate need. There was  no issue of wrong or of hidden motives or self-gain implied  in his asking. He was asking  for  three loaves of bread, and this  for another person who had  suddenly arrived on his doorstep, and who needed something to eat.

James makes the point  that asking (praying) in a context of unconfessed and ongoing quarrels and fighting and covetousness  causes  God to be deaf  to our prayers. [3]  A self -centered spirit as is described by James perverts  our prayer life, and  we  will not receive anything from God.   

This  partially answers our question  as  to why   God keeps us  sometimes waiting  in terms of an answer to prayer.  Often God teaches us in a time of waiting to  confess our sins. At other times we learn adjust our prayers, or to drop them altogether  as we discover that our motives have been wrong  or misdirected. At other times it is just a matter of God’s sanctifying work  within us by which He teaches us to be patient and perseverant.  It is important to understand these things  as  we  turn to the next point.

Your duty   is  to persevere  with boldness!  The story  of  “the  friend at midnight”  teaches us something else. Be  persistently bold  in your prayers! This man knew that he would get what he wanted from his friend.  Why? Jesus says, firstly because   he was his friend, and secondly because of his  persistence.(v.8). Now notice  that Jesus is building up to His final argument, illustrating  in verses   9-13  that God  is  our friend, and as  such He is neither tight fisted  nor unsympathetic to our urgent pleading. He is after all our Father in heaven  (11:2,13).  Both,  Abraham and Moses  are good examples  of men ‘urgently arguing ‘ with God  on behalf of  their people.[4] They are clearly doing this on the basis of their relationship with Him. God was very real to them.  We learn from their example,  and from Jesus example here and in Luke 18:1ff  that   God is  not offended if  you  ask with boldness and persistence. He is your Father  and He is your friend. He is for you and not against you.

The secret  of bold prayer  lies  in understanding and appropriating ‘the promises of God’ – the things that He has clearly said  and promised in the Scriptures.   We pray  on solid ground  when we  ask according to the promises  of God’s Word. Spurgeon says :  “Our prayers are according to the mind of God when they are according to the word of God.”

Monica,  the godly mother of Augustine (b. 354 A.D),  the North African Church father prayed for him  relentlessly   before his conversion. I quote this transcript of  a  prayer of Monica[5], Augustine's mother, as a beautiful example of this earnestness and simplicity of faith in pleading the promises of the word:

 'Lord, these promises were made to be made good to some, and why not to me? I hunger;  I need; I thirst; I wait. Here is thy hand-writing in thy word; … I am resolved  to be as importunate till I have obtained, and as thankful afterwards,  as by thy grace I shall be enabled; being convinced that I am  utterly lost and undone, if thou hearest not the desires of the  humble: and if thou dost hear and grant, I am so well acquainted  with myself and with my own heart, that I have nothing to glory in; but I shall wholly glory in the Lord; and I do resolve and believe,  that I shall to all eternity celebrate and magnify the riches of thy grace. Thy promises are the discoveries of thy purposes, and  vouchsafed as materials for our prayers; and in my supplications  I am resolved every day to present and tender them back to thee;  and if thou wilt have regard to them, and appear to be a "God of truth to my soul; a poor creature, that hath long feared to burn in hell for hypocrisy, will be secured and made happy for ever. I  am resolved to wait upon thee, and to cast down my soul upon thee.”

The practice of persevering prayer then is a Christian’s duty, and so I trust that you have the answer to that question answered,  How long must I pray? The answer is this, Until God answers! Thankfully God is not deaf. He is not ignoring you. He is working out His plan. While Monica was praying, God was working in Augustine’s life[6] to bring him to his end and to repentance and to conversion.[7]

2.     God’s Responsibility: Faithful,  Fatherly Love

So,  how much commitment can I expect from God  when I present my prayer  persistently and boldly  and without selfish motives to Him?  The answer is this: God  is fully committed to answer every  God honouring  request  in prayer!  The biblical basis  for this is found in verses 11 & 12 : “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;  or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? “  Your heavenly father  is good and kind. He will not give you something evil in return  for a  reasonable  request. So if  you ask  what is  God glorifying  (Your  kingdom come – i.e.  to see souls saved-  your children or family members  saved), and if you ask  for what you need (daily bread;  forgiveness and power to forgive; escape from temptation)   will God  refuse you these things? No! He has promised  to look after your daily  physical, emotional and spiritual needs.   The basis for this is the fact that God is a good, caring Father to  His children. A good father does not ignore the legitimate needs of his children. He may not give them everything that they want, but He will provide  everything that they need. That is good parenting. Even if the answer is “no” or “wait a little longer”  it is a good answer  and a loving response, and it is for our benefit. How thankful we can be that God  does not always grant us the  desires of our heart. Standing  at this particular point in life, and looking back, I can say with gratitude: ”Thank you Lord that you did not grant me certain things which I had asked, and that you have closed certain doors.” So, God  will withhold no good thing from me; yet at the same time  I know that He will not grant me anything that would set me back spiritually, for the chief  reason for which I exist is to glorify God.[8]

A brief  comment on the last verse: “ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (v.13) In giving us the Holy Spirit, God gives us Himself , and in giving us Himself He gives us  everything that we need and desire:

• Salvation to eternal life  which is the work of the Holy Spirit ;  this  promise is for us and our children  and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself.” (Acts 2:39)
• Sanctification, which is power from the Holy Spirit  for holy living.
• Spiritual Gifts - the ability  to work effectively  in the kingdom of God and in our local church  through  the spiritual gifts which the Holy Spirit gives us.

Persevere  in prayer  then, dear brothers and sisters. God is for you. But be prepared  for Him to work in you  while you pray. Ultimately we persevere because He perseveres with us. 
Amen!

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[1] Jesus was probably asked   this  many times, and when He did  He  gave  this  outline which we find  in Matthew 6:9-13 and also here in Luke  11:2-4, which clearly were different occasions.

[2] The 10 commandments ( Ex 20:1-17)  follow a similar pattern : God  and His honour first , and then  the various human relationships .

[3]  God is deaf to our prayers when we deliberately  and habitually sin against Him : see  for instance  Jeremiah   7:17 ;  11:14; 14:11

[4] E.g. Genesis 18: 22-32  ( Abraham) ; Exodus 32:11-14 ( Moses)

[5]  Quoted in Charles  Bridges commentary on Psalm 119 : 76  p.207

[6] Augustine’s insights in this regard  are  remarkable  ( Sheed : p.72)

[7] Confessions  of Augustine : translated by F.J. Sheed , p.141f

[8] Westminster Catechism : Question 1 : “What is the chief end of man?” Answer : “The chief end of man is  to worship (glorify) God  and to enjoy Him forever. “ 

LUKE 11:3-4 : HOW TO PRAY FOR YOUR OWN NEEDS

January is “prayer month”  at Eastside Baptist Church.  We  focus  and prepare  ourselves for the year ahead by  asking  for God’s blessing and direction  upon  us  and  the work  which  God has called us to do  for the sake of His Name.

Last Sunday   we saw  that  the Lord Jesus was approached   by one of  His disciples  with the request  “Lord  teach us  ( i.e. me and your other disciples) to pray “.  The disciple  was obviously impressed by the reality and the significance of  Jesus’  communion with His Father in prayer. We considered verse 2  in which the Lord Jesus  began  by instructing  the disciples  to focus firstly  on  God Himself  in prayer -  that His Name might be sanctified; that  His kingdom might come on earth. [1] We learn from this that all true prayer begins with God. The truth and the priority of this fact  is  summed  up very well in  Matthew 6:33 :  “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all  these things will be added to you.”

In and of itself that  part of  prayer being answered would solve  all our problems.   If God’s Name were ‘hallowed’  in all the earth, then the earth would be a  perfect  place in which  all the wants and needs of man are  supplied , for  God would be  honoured , and   we would honour our fellow human beings.

But we are not living in a perfect world . Sin makes us godless and selfish .Sin makes us  grow distant from God  and  distant from  our fellow  human being.  

We see this in  a number of instances:

We see it firstly in the fact  that  many people  in our world  suffer from  food shortages  - from lack of  bread.   Now there is really no need  for anyone to starve, for in truth so much food gets wasted  and thrown  away on this planet.  There is more than enough farming land to  feed  6 billion people  and beyond. However, so  much land cannot be farmed  because  war  and selfishness  prevent it  being used  to produce food. Think of South Sudan  at this moment. This is a  rich and fertile land , but  right now the fields lie wasted , and the population lives by and large in UN shelters , depending on food aid  from abroad.

Furthermore,   many  selfish economic policies  of countries  keep  excess  food productions from being imported and exported. In addition  there  is so much  corruption  among politicians  and governments  who prevent  food aid  to reach the poor and the needy – all because of political  manipulation. In reality however if we were God centered  and  obedient to care for our fellow human being, there would be no shortage of bread .

Secondly , sin  is also the reason  why  we   commit sins  that  cause  others to suffer   and for which we need to be forgiven  whilst , whilst  we  also  have to  learn to forgive  those  who have sinned against us, whether parents , siblings , thieves ,murderers,  rapists – you name them!  Unforgiveness  makes emotional wrecks of so many people. Many people are emotionally crippled because  they cannot forgive , and because they have not met the Living God who alone  can forgive our sins through Jesus Christ our Lord. Forgiveness is a  huge need in the world. Man needs to be forgiven  by God, and  man needs  to forgive  his fellow man  for sins  mutually committed. 

Thirdly, we live in a sinful and fallen  world  in which Satan and his demon forces have  been  thrown  down to the earth[2] and where people ultimately  suffer  because evil  forces are at work  stirring and  tempting[3] people  to sin. This  fact must never  be underestimated  or disregarded.[4]   We need protection from  their temptations to sin.

WHAT WE ARE TO PRAY FOR ON A  FREQUENT  BASIS

These  three areas according to the Lord Jesus   need particular  and consistent attention in prayer to God .  [3] Give us each day our daily bread,[4] and forgive us our sins ( Matthew : debts[5]) , for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”   (Matthew  6:13 adds   “… but deliver us from evil… “)  

In a fallen world we are to pray for :

(i)         daily  bread i.e. everything essential for physical survival  

(ii)      forgiveness of  our sins  and  grace to forgive the sins  of  others against ourselves  i.e everything essential for  emotional survival   

(iii)       escape from temptation  i.e.  everything essential  for  spiritual survival.  

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT  TO ASK THESE THINGS IN PRAYER ?

God knows what we need to survive   as we  live  in a fallen world where physical, emotional and spiritual need  is so very apparent . Every person  is  a physical , emotional and spiritual  being , and if  any one of these components  are  challenged,   our whole being is challenged.

We cannot function very well without   physical  sustenance (food, clothing , shelter) . This is a basic need. A lack of these basics will   have  an impact  upon our emotional and spiritual well -being.  We are to ask God  in prayer to provide  for  our daily needs : “Give us this day our daily bread.”   

We cannot function without  emotional  well being.  At  this level  unforgiveness is the greatest  culprit  in draining us emotionally ,  and therefore  Jesus specifically addresses this matter here. However ,  this  aspect of our  emotional  wellbeing goes further  in that it also incorporates a spiritual dimension:  Unforgiveness  has spiritual consequences !  Jesus elaborates on this  very specifically in   Matthew  6:14,15 :  “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. “   Being forgiven for our sins  by God  and  forgiving others  for having sinned against us  is a basic  need  for survival in this world . It  is  a spiritual  requirement for our entry into the world that is to come . Without forgiveness received or given, we do immense  danger to ourselves and to others – and if not  dealt with,  unforgiveness    may become pathological – hidden so deeply in our souls that we do not recognize the dangers. Unforgiven and abused people  often become abusers, perpetuating the  spirit of  unforgiveness,  of  violence and abuse .  We are to ask God in prayer  for  forgiveness . We must learn to keep short accounts with sin. We need to learn to  pray regularly  : “ … and forgive us our debts ( sins)  as we also have forgiven our debtors .”

Thirdly, we cannot function  in a fallen world without spiritual protection. We live in a world ruled by  evil principalities and powers  which do their utmost  to hinder the progress  and  the work of the kingdom of God. Each Christian  is committed  to  the advance  of God’s kingdom. It is  part of the first half of the Lord’s prayer : “ Your kingdom come !” .   The way  Christians  are hindered  is by causing  them to fall into  temptation .  We must understand that Satan, the tempter   easily exploits our weaknesses. These weaknesses  are inherent  in our personalities ,  in our gender , in  our circumstances,  cultures etc. ,  and we must learn to understand our  weaknesses  and to submit these to God in prayer : “ lead me  not into temptation…”.  Men must submit their roving eyes to  God. Women  must submit  their temptation to  jealousy and covetousness to God . Young people  must submit their  rebellious natures  to God.  Falling into  temptation   can have  awful consequences , and the more responsibility you bear  the greater the fall. The tragedy of  the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11 à cf Psalm 51)  is a point  in case.  The story  where Satan  incited David  in 1 Chronicles  21 to  conduct a  ‘sinful census ‘  is another point in case. 
David was consumed by  delusions of grandeur and Satan quickly  exploited this and David in  an unguarded moment and with a prayerless heart   fell right into  Satan’s  snare!  
We need to learn to pray  : “Our Father in heaven … lead us not into temptation.”  
We need God’s help to survive against the tricks of Satan  in this world , “ so that we  would not be  outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.”  ( 2 Cor. 2:11)  
Satan  is forever trying his best to get to  fall. He  even tried this  with Jesus[6]  . It is important to  retain our confidence in God and in the truth  of His Word. Jesus  was able  to  withstand the devil in every temptation because He trusted His Father’s word … “ It is written” . He knew the  word and the will of the Father so well  that He also knew when Satan misquoted  biblical  texts.7]   

CONCLUSION  

Life in this fallen world  is difficult. Sin always  has consequences – physical,  emotional    and spiritual .  So we must talk to our heavenly Father  daily about this.  We must watch our hearts and we must always remember  that  we are  responsible for  giving into temptation ( James 1:14,15). Although the devil is the first cause of  temptation  we  cannot blame the devil for our sinful actions . We are moral beings . We choose to sin .

Therefore we must  learn to be vigilant, and  the main way in which we  are to do this  is by praying  to our Heavenly Father  for help .

“Oh what peace we often forfeit , O what needless pain we bear , all because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.” [8]

So then,   learning about this aspect of prayer is absolutely vital.  Make it  apart of your daily prayer habit, and fill in the details .  This is after all an outline  for praying .

So, we have  learned where to begin  in prayer . We  start with God – His Name – His kingdom – His will (Luke 11: 2)

Secondly , we have learned  that  should pray for our  physical , emotional and spiritual well being.  Starving, hurting , wounded , compromised  soldiers cannot fight  in  the battle for the advancement of the kingdom of God. So the Lord  commands us to pray that we  may  remain  well fed, emotionally robust  and  spiritually alert .

Against such  people the devil has no effective strategy. They will cause Him to loose ground . May  we be  such people , for the sake of Christ and His  happy kingdom! Amen .

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[1]  Matthew  adds ( Matt 6:10b)  “ You will be done on earth as it is in heaven” .  “They are  in essence one petition  expressed in  a threefold way “ ( Norval Geldenhuys: The Gospel of Luke, NICT p.  320)

[2] Revelation 12: 4,9,10, 12, 13

[3] Satan is called the  tempter ( Matt. 4:3;  1 Thess. 3:5 )

[4] see Ephesians  6:10-18 ;  2 Cor.  2:11; 4:4 ; ; 11: 3; 11:14-15 ; 1 Peter 5:8

[5] Gr. “Opheilēma” – sin is  described  here as  debt , because it demands  expiation by way of punishment  ( Vines)

[6] See  Luke 4:1-13

[7]  E.g. Luke  4:9-11

[8]  What a friend we have in Jesus  : Joseph Scriven ( 1819 – 1886) 

LUKE 11: 2 - HOW TO START IN PRAYER

A  DIAGRAMMATIC OUTLINE OF THE LORD'S PRAYER  -  J.Rieck

 

Exposition of Luke  11:2

On this occasion  Jesus  was praying in a certain place. The disciples had taken note of His prayer habit and they  wanted  to know  about prayer and so they asked Him: “Lord teach us  to pray, as John taught his disciples”. Clearly prayer is not something that comes naturally. Clearly prayer  is a  spiritual discipline, and the Lord assumes  that  believers  should pray and that they must learn how  to pray. We see here also that John taught his disciples to pray.

So, in response to their request, Jesus gives them this short outline on how to pray. Matthew’s version of the Lord’s prayer is  a little more detailed, and indicates  that  this is not a prayer in itself but  that this is  a pattern after which  to  pray.  “Pray then like  this” (Matt  6:9).

Jesus  probably taught  about prayer  on many occasions.  He may even have taught  His  own disciples   repeatedly concerning the nature  and the form of biblical prayer. You know how we are. We learn so slowly. Things take time to sink in! Spiritual truths  do not always sink in  the first time. That is why we need to read and re-read the Bible. That is why we need to be taught  its truths repeatedly. For this reason  we make time to be reminded  concerning on of the core disciplines  of the Christian church at every beginning of the year.    Matthew and Luke’s accounts  of Jesus’ teaching on prayer certainly seem to indicate  different occasions on which He taught principles of praying.  In Luke’s account Jesus  adds information concerning   the necessity of persevering in prayer  (Lk 11:5-13).  We must learn  to be patient. We need to learn to trust God.  We need to  trust His timing. We need to learn  vital lessons in prayer – in particular that when praying  that  we should always  seek  His glory  and purposes FIRST!

The  Lord’s  prayer  has a very specific  logic or structure and we  cannot afford  to ignore  this. This is part of the divine inspiration of the Bible. The order in which things are written are  important. There  is a clear  order and structure  attached to the Lord’s prayer, and we would be foolish  not to see this and apply this.

Today,  we will focus  on  the ‘first half’  of  the Lord’s prayer in Luke 11: 2.  Here  the Lord Jesus directs His disciples  to  begin  prayer   with the request that God’s Name might be sanctified – that  His Name might be declared  holy. Jesus  says to them: “Pray like this…start  your praying like this:  “Father, hallowed by your name”. Linked to this  is an added request : “your kingdom come”.  Luke omits the third  part of the petition, mentioned in Matthew’s account :  “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10b). One might argue that  the  various components  of  the first part of the Lord’s prayer  are really all  variations  of  the  same theme, namely  that the glory of God  might be made visible on our earth!

This then  is the very first thing  that ought to occupy our prayers. This  is challenging  for we know  that very often  our prayers  are not  structured that way. We tend to be  ‘need focused’ or self- centered in  in prayer.

Prayer  is  often  considered to be  the  last resort - like the   woman who once undertook a sea journey, and  in the midst of  a serious storm, she  asked  the captain: “Captain what shall we do?”  “Well, you can always pray“, answered the captain.  “Oh no!“… she cried, “Is it as bad as that?” You may laugh – but that’s  how  we tend to use  prayer - only in real crisis- when it’s really bad! There is, of course a place for that  sort  of prayer, as was the  case of  Jonah’s story, where  the men in the ship  were praying  that the storm might subside[1] , and when  Jonah was praying  to God from within the whale[2]  to save him. 

The prayer that Jesus  is  thinking  about here  is  not ‘emergency prayer’.  He is  thinking about regular prayer, or routine prayer. Here we are thinking about  the  regular personal  quiet time  or  the  regular church prayer meeting.  Jesus  regularly took time out to pray ; John taught his disciples  how to conduct their times of prayer. The early church had  regular  times of prayer, which  followed  the  pattern  of  temple worship    with its regular times  of prayer.[3] We must  make time for prayer – individually and corporately. It is important  that this discipline should form a part of our  spiritual  lives :

“O  what peace we  often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear – all because we  do not carry everything to God in prayer.” [4]

How then  should  we structure our prayer  time?  The structure of the Lord’s prayer helps us  here. We are taught  to  begin praying with God and His glory in mind! Let’s try to be practical about that. How  do I do that ?  There is no more practical way  to  begin  prayer  than by reading  the Bible. The Bible  in its very essence  is God –focused. So, as I read the Bible  my thoughts  are  directed  to God, and immediately I am in the spirit of prayer.

Let me give you an example  how this  works for me.  Recently I was reading through  the book of Leviticus. Now, that  book presents  a great  challenges to many  people. The laws for  burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings  guilt offerings (Lev. 1-7), together  with  the  laws of cleansing, and various  laws  for guiding human relationships appear  to be tiresome. But  I cannot get away from the fact that all this ordered ritual was  designed to bring glory  to God and happiness to man. The unblemished, the very  best sacrifices brought  by the worshiper  to God  were  not  only designed to provide atonement  for the worshiper, but it was also designed to be  a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Does this not apply to prayer?  The goal of prayer  is to offer up time (Yes, it takes time!)  to seek the presence of God  so that I might worship Him, and  so that I, a sinful being might  find my peace with Him and therefore my joy in Him  through  the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And then  there  is the story of the  death of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron the high priest  in Chapter 10   who offered ‘unauthorized fire‘ . This  story  sent  cold shivers down my spine,  as I realized afresh  that  God will not be worshipped  casually.

The  repeated use of the phrase  “holy to the Lord” challenged me greatly, and the  Lord used the reading of this book  to cause me to pray for  an awareness  of a  greater revelation of His holiness in me  and in our church and in our society.  Can you see how that links up with this  part  of the Lord’s prayer? I prayed in essence: ”Lord  may your glory   be seen in our society!” May your Name be hallowed  here  in my life, and at Eastside, and in Windhoek, and in Namibia – and indeed in the whole world.“  I would argue that the entire Bible will do that for  you.  So, use the Bible  to provide you with fuel for  this vital part of  prayer. It is important that you do, for  so the Lord Jesus has taught us to pray: “May  your Name be hallowed. May your Kingdom come. May your will be done.”

Will   This Aspect Of Prayer Really  Make A Difference ?  

Of course it must! Anything that God commands in His Word,  if it is obeyed, will carry His blessing. I  direct your attention to   1 John 5 :14,15 :

"And this  is the confidence that we have toward him, that  if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us  in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

If we pray  that God’s  Name  would be glorified  in our lives, our church, our country and our world  then we should expect God to honour  this prayer.  Who knows  what God has spared us from in Namibia  as we have often prayed  that  God’s glory would be seen and felt  in every corner and part of our country. Who knows what God is doing in our country  as  He brings  men and women  to conviction  and repentance through Christ our Lord. While there are many  things that are  not  good, we do  need to thank God that there is  a general sense of  the fear of the Lord  among us, and I do not want to take that  for granted, and so I would encourage  Christians to earnestly continue praying  that God’s Name would be honoured  in our land. Pray for visible  tokens of the advancement of his kingdom . I cannot speak for other  churches and  Christian organizations, but I thank God, that the gospel has not stood still among our churches.

So, learn to make the  glory of God  central to your praying. The degree  to which  God’s Name will be  hallowed in the earth; the degree to which His kingdom advances  and  the degree  to which  His will is  done on earth, will  ensure  your and my happiness this side of heaven. 

Pray therefore brothers and sisters  that the glory of the LORD will  be seen and felt  in these days ! Amen .

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[1] Jonah 1:1-14

[2] Jonah  2

[3] Acts  1:14; 2:42; 3:1

[4] Joseph Scriven (1819-86) “What a friend we have in Jesus”