What does true prayer look like?
1)It is the acknowledgement of God himself. It is an act of faith.
Surely prayer is the first and last gasp of the christian life, from spiritual birth to spiritual death, we live by prayer. Prayer is the Christians constant companion, it is the acknowledgement, realisation and evidence of the life of God in the heart of man.
Prayer is the first expession of faith, in repentance, in praise, in petition.
a) hebrews 11 v 1 Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
b) Faith needed to see God. 11V6
We cannot see God so spiritual sight is needed and prayer is the spiritual conversation we have with God. Be it on our own,in at a meeting, we are sighting, we are look towards God.
c) Faith needed to please God, 11v6
We are through prayer pleasing to God, prayer is the expression of faith.
d) Faith needed to obtain the rewards of the Christian life. V6
How often have we as parents waited for the child to say please or thankyou before giving the what they ask for.
Faith is the mode, the conduit of salvation from God, faith expressed in prayer is the please and thank you of the Christian life to obtain all the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus.
So that James says the prayer of faith will heal the sick. Prayer and faith are the air and water of the Christian life, we cannot live with out them.
2)Communication of Man to the Almighty God.
a) God is to be feared, 10 v31
God is for real the athiest who denies God on the buses, will not deny him on his death bed. Where he chooses to believe in him or not.
God is more Holy than Muslims or indeed Christians have ever comprehended.
God is merciful says the Muslim, God will look at my good points he says. If I am punished it will belimited they claim,
God is eternal and all Holy therefore his punishment is eternal and proportional to our great sin. The justice of God demands it. God is more awe filling than the strictest headmaster, and the most unbending police officer.
How can we then approach God.
b) We have boldness to entering to the Holiest, into the House of God, we can approach Him, 10v 19
c) We have the saviour
I) By this Man, 10 v12
II) Offered up one sacrifice for sins,
III) by the blood of Jesus, througth his flesh,
There is no sacrifice, no subtitutionary death, no saviour in Islam, Hinduism, or Athiesm,
“Nor is there salvation in any other,for there is no other name under heaven given amongst men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4 v12
3)It is the real and sincere outpouring of ones woes and troubles before God. 10 v33.
Yes God knows all your troubles.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
a) Troubles either turn us away from God, 10 v 23 – 25, they were tempted not to meet together v39, tribulation, persection, makes one stumble, and cares and decitfulness of riches choke the word. Matt13v 21 – 22. As the hymn writer Timothy Dudley Smith says – spirits oppressed by Pleasure wealth and care. Troubles in life in churches, in marriages, in work place can make us turn away from God and ask whether God was in all our descions.
When friends leave you and cause trouble the temptation is to throw in the towel.
I am so poor at this when troubles comes we turn to the chocolate or the wine,orthe hobby rather than God. It reminds me of that old halifax? Advert in which a couple talk about there dreams,one is a he is a home bird, wants to have kids, enjoy the garden, grow old. The other wants to see the world, go to Tokyo NY, Paris! So often we can be like the second when God has called us to serve him here in West yorkshire not Barbados spain or maldives.
We turn to the woorld rather than to God.
b) Or Do we turn us to God – in prayer,
When we come to prayer we see the end from the beginning, the wheat from the chafe, gold from the dross, the real from the fake. We come boldly to throne of grace, 4V 16. because God is to be sought an found, Because we have a saviour who makes a sacrifice for us, becauase we have a great high preist who makes continual intercession for us.
Let us come to prayer.
