The challenge of prayer

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2024 – MR PHILIP ROBINSON

LUKE 18 VERSES 1 – 8 AND 1 TIMOTHY 2 VERSES 8 - 15

Luke 18 verse 1 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.”

1 Timothy 2 verse 1 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks, be made for all made.”

Prayer is a very hard subject to preach on.   I know a lot of people struggle with prayer.  Many a Christian could say they struggle with prayer.  When we think of prayer we define it as sitting with our eyes closed and arms folded.  To a Christian prayer is so much more.  Being able to spend time with God in prayer.  It is taking all our troubles and fears to God.  We can take all our worries to God in prayer.    J C Ryle wrote a book called “Challenging subjects for today’s Christians.”  “But this I do say that prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian.  Prayer is the most important subject.  In practical religion all else is secondary. Nothing is so important as prayer.”  I want to bring a few simple thoughts on prayer. 

First, prayer is needful for the Christian.    When we eat or drink we are fueling our bodies.  Prayer is like oxygen for the Christian.  It keeps our spiritual life alive.  It is vital for the Christian.  We cannot stress how important that is for the Christian.  It can be quite challenging sometimes.  Sometimes you don’t know what to say to God in prayer but you know God understands what we are feeling at that time.  Many godly Christians spend time first thing in the morning in prayer.  Being continually in prayer.   We can pray to God at any time in any place.  We do not have to do it at a specific time of the day or time of the day.  We can pray to our heavenly father whether we are walking or sitting or relaxing.  That is why we pray.  As Christians we know that we asked the Lord into our hearts, we prayed that God would come into our life.  Prayer is needful for salvation.  Many say can get to heaven in different ways.  Giving money into your church will get you higher into heaven.  Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9 tells us we can only get in by faith.  When we ask Christ to come into our lives, asking for forgiveness of sins.  John 14 verse 6.  We can only get into heaven by Jesus Christ.  Asking God for the forgiveness of sins.  We can only have faith through the Lord.  Many say they go to church but that will not get you into heaven.  Prayer is the communication line between us and God.  Think of those organisations that have a 24 hour help line – prayer is similar.  We can have access with God in prayer.  No matter what we are doing we can spend time with God in prayer.  We can pray to God at any time in any place.  When we think of our physical bodies eating and drinking makes us come alive and breath in life.  By praying to God we are giving by God that spiritual oxygen.  As human beings we must keep eating and drinking.  The same is true with prayer and bible reading, feeding ourselves on the word of God.  Many Christians struggle with prayer.  Pastors and ministers struggle with prayer.  There are times when we can go in and feel we can pray for hours and other times we can simply say “Lord help me.”  Many struggle with prayer

Secondly prayer is the surest mark of the Christian.  Luke 18 verse 1 shows us that prayer is a mark of the true Christian.  We should want to spend time with God in prayer.  If we have asked the Lord to come into our lives we should want to go to that place of prayer.  Angus Buchan’s testimony - all he wanted to do was spend time in prayer when he became a Christian.  It can be hard to pray in the busyness of life.  I am always reminded you can spend time driving in the car, walking or working outside.  Spending time with Christ with God in prayer.  Luke 18 verse 1 “Be in continual prayer.”  One of the beauties of being a Christian, people say I don’t know what to say to God, then all you can say is “Lord help me “.  You don’t need to have education or qualifications.  Just spending time in prayer with God is important.  It shows the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we pray.  There are many different things that can help us to pray – Prayermate is an app for example.  Pray with other people can help us in our prayer times.  Many people find it beneficial.  When we become Christians we are asking the Lord into our hearts putting our faith in Christ.  We didn’t know what prayer was up to that point.  As Christians is vital for us to grow in our lives as Christians.

Thirdly, the place of private prayer.  This is the point all of us struggle with.  This aspect is something we struggle with.  In the busyness of life it is hard.  Times when we struggle to pray.  Perhaps when we are going through a valley that we don’t understand what is going on.  The place of private prayer can become a challenge to the Christian.  The place of private prayer in our own quiet times is neglected for different reasons.  Lot of people “say you ministers have it easy you can sit and study you have no problem” but sometimes it is not easy.  You don’t know what to pray to God about.  As Christians, the Lord knows our thoughts.  He knows what is our minds. He knows the trials that you are going through.  We can pray on the mountain tops when the Lord is blessing us, we can give thanks to God.  Say this as a challenge to myself – how is our place of private prayer?  We can be challenged by how our private prayer is.  Something we don’t like to talk about often.  It is the hardest subject to talk about.  How can we find the private place for prayer?  Angus Buchan would have sat in his maze fields and prayed for hours.  We can find that quiet place to find time to pray.  Perhaps by a lake or at a beach.  A place where we can appreciate the creation of God.  We have people to pray for – family, work colleagues.  Someone might come to say “that man has something different in his life.”  There was a film a couple of years ago about a person who built a ‘war room’ in their house.  It was a closet in their hallway.  There they did business with God.  She spend hours in prayer for family and friends.  When they went to buy the house a pastor came in to look at the house.  He was able to say there was something different in this particular room.  He experienced the presence of God in that closet.  Sometimes we can find it difficult to find time to pray.  How much time do you spend with God in prayer?  Do you spend extra time each day in prayer?  Taking time early in the morning to pray to God. 

Fourthly, prayer is the greatest encouragement.  Prayer can be encouraging to us as Christians but also to others as we think of them.  We don’t often think of prayer as being encouragement.  Some regard it as a chore but we need to think instead of prayer as encouragement.  Being able to spend time with God in prayer.  We can take all our worries and fears to God in prayer.  Everything we are going through we can take it to God in prayer.  As we go through the trials of life it can be encouragement for us whatever we are going through.  We know we have a God who hears our cries.  Christ is the mediator between God and man.  Whenever we are praying Christ is taking our prayers to God.  If you have a cheque and if you have the person’s name on that cheque, if that person doesn’t sign the cheque or the name to whom it is written that paper is worthless.  It has lost its value. Not worth anything at all.  That piece of paper is worth more when the signature is put on it.  Whenever we pray Christ is taking our prayers to God.  What an encouragement to know God hears our prayers.  At times when we struggle we can know that the Lord understands what we are going through.  The Lord gives us many promises relating to prayer.  Matthew 7 verses 7 and 8.  If it is in God’s will he will answer our prayer.  Matthew 21 verse 22.  John 14 verses 13 and 14.  All of these passages on prayer should encourage us as Christians.  When we feel as though the Lord is not hearing or answering our prayers, we need to be reminded of what God has said in his word.  We need to pray for those who are sick or going through trials.  That can be an encouragement to them. 

Fifthly, a great source of happiness.  In a world were there is so much sorrow and sadness, we will find joy and peace in praying with God.  In a world against Christianity, the world we live in has forsaken God completely, when our own government does not obey the laws of God’s word.  In a world with so much war and sadness we can find as Christians joy in coming to God in prayer.  We can find peace in knowing God hears our prayers.  He understands the things we are going through.  Prayer is a great comfort and source of encouragement for the believer.  Taking time with God in prayer will help many.  Those who practice other religions throughout the world do not have the true happiness Christians have.  Spending time in prayer and reading God’s word.  The mindset of the world is how much fun you can have, how much money you can make, how much drink they can consume.  There is a short joy in this for a time and happiness for a time.  All will eventually pass away.  As Christians we can know true enjoyment today.  We know that Christ is always with us.  In all the trials of life we can pray and ask for God to continually be with us.  “I have got that joy, joy, joy down in my heart.”  As Christians we have that joy.  Being able to sit in the quiet place, being fed from the word of God.  Sometimes it is hard to find what God says in his word but spending time in prayer, asking for him to help us can give us true happiness.  I challenge those unsaved today - you need to put your faith in Christ to know that joy.  All that matters is if we have trusted in Christ.  As a Christian what priority does prayer have today in your life?