Community Covenant Church - Sermons - Beginning with Prayer

September 10, 2006

“Beginning with Prayer”

Luke 18:1-8; Ephesians 6:10-20

This has been a busy morning; not only at a personal level doing all you needed to do to get here, especially those with children in tow; but also here in worship we too have been very busy:

- greeting one another,

- singing our praises to God,

- learning about Whitinsville Christian School,

- handing out Bibles,

- dedicating this year’s teachers and administrators.

A lost has happened in this half-hour, but lest we lose our way in our busyness, I encourage us to consider beginning with prayer.

One of a number of things that has impressed me over the years at Whitinsville Christian School, is that they always begin with prayer.

- When Carole & I first interviewed in 1999 with Lance as Headmaster, along with a teacher and a Whitinsville Christian School parent; we began that interview with prayer.

- Every year, including this past Thursday night, whenever we as parents met with Casey’s or Sidney’s teachers, on fall “Back-to-School nights or parent-teacher conferences, they always began with prayer.

- And even at a recent meeting for parents of student athletes, the Athletic Director invited hundreds of us to bow in prayer.

Whitinsville Christian School knows, as all who follow Christ should know, that prayer is the place to start.

So as we “kick-off” our new season of Christian Education, we begin with prayer.

We begin with prayer, because;

1. We are obedient to God’s Word

When the Apostle Paul was writing instructions about worship to young Timothy, he wrote:

1 Timothy 2:1

1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—

FIRST OF ALL... pray.

Bow your head before the Almighty and Holy God (“God is great & God is good”; many of us say as we pray before mealtime)

First of all... pray. Before you eat... before you worship, before you rise in the morning, before you begin a new season of Christian Education: Fold your hands and pause to again acknowledge your total dependence upon God.

We begin with prayer because we desire to live in obedience to God’s Word.

We also begin with prayer, because

2. Prayer is the most common application of our faith.

This past week I was listening to a popular morning drive-time radio station, whose host was interviewing, Pat Summerall, a former football star turned sports commentator. Pat was promoting his new book Summerall: On and Off the Air, in which he revealed his battle with alcoholism. When asked by the radio host (also a former alcoholic) what motivated the changes in his life, Pat Summerall spoke of his Lord Jesus Christ.

“So you finally got faith”, the radio host said.

“I got faith.” said Summerall.

“Good for you” was the sincere reply.

(It was a wonderful witness to hear over secular radio.)

Today, many people say they too “have faith”, but as James so powerfully reminded that first generation of Christians, faith is dead if it is not seen in action.

We pray, because it is the most common action of our faith. John Calvin, in words reprinted in today’s “Thought before Worship” described it this way:

The principal work of the Spirit is faith ... the principal exercise of faith is prayer.

John Calvin

We exercise our faith when we give our money for the work of God’s Kingdom, when we go on mission trips, when we offer witness to others of God’s love in our lives; but “the principal exercise of faith is prayer”. Do you have faith? How often do you pray? Do you pray about something once, then give up? Or, do you pray expectantly, unceasingly, having faith that God not only hears your prayers but will act upon them in His perfect time?

Do you recall the parable of the “persistent widow” told by Jesus?

Luke 18:1-8

1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Unceasing prayer to our Heavenly Father is the foremost act of an unceasing faith. When Jesus returns, will he find you praying?

- Will He find you seeking the guidance of His Spirit in those last days?

- Will He find you trusting more in God’s wisdom than in your own?

- Will He find you prioritizing time on your knees seeking Gods perspective or too busy gathering worldly opinion?

Please understand that we “begin with prayer” not only out of obedience to God’s Word, and not only to exercise our faith, but we also begin with prayer because...

3. Prayer changes us and changes others by spiritually developing within us “the mind of Christ”.

While reminding the Corinthian Christians how he had come to them not with human wisdom but in the power of the Spirit, the Apostle Paul communicates a wonderful truth:

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

6We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9However, as it is written:
   "No eye has seen,
      no ear has heard,
   no mind has conceived
   what God has prepared for those who love him" — 10but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
      The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
16"For who has known the mind of the Lord
      that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

We begin with prayer because unless we hear the Spirit’s guidance, we are dead in the spiritual waters of life. But when we do pray, and pray for others, we begin to experience the mind of Christ and the “new life in Christ” we so love to celebrate.

Sometimes our prayers seem to be quickly answered because His Spirit has been stealthfully working in ways unaware to us.

A few weeks ago at the collation after Annie Hager’s funeral, I spoke with a family friend.. a tall Norwegian gentleman in his seventies.

“You know Padre”, he said to me (I am rarely called Padre!), “ I didn’t become a Christian until I was nearly in my 50’s!”

“Really”, I said, “And how did that come about?”

“Well, it was Dick Germaine... you know who Dick Germaine is, don’t you?.”

I do, we’re good friends.”

“I used to attend the Congregational Church when it was located on the town square” the man said.” My wife was a member, I just came because I enjoyed Dick’s talks... but I didn’t believe in God. One weekend I went on a men’s retreat, and during that retreat I told Dick, ‘You know Dick, I’m not a Christian.’”

“Dick was surprised, he had just assumed I was a believer.”

“Immediately, Dick asked me if I had ever asked God to reveal Himself to me. I told him “No.”

So he challenged me to pray; to ask God to show Himself to me so that I might believe in Him. So I prayed.”

“And you know what? Things started happening that very week. Some would call them coincidences Padre, but I knew they were answers to my prayers. Soon I came to faith in Christ, was baptized, and joined the church. “

Sometimes persistence in prayer is not necessary, because sometimes God has been working on us, getting our hearts ready long before we pray to Him, and invite Him in.

But sometimes, persistence is necessary.

George Mueller, a Christian social reformer best known for building orphanages which cared for over 100,000 children in Victorian England, chronicled his devotion to prayer in his journal:

In November 1844, we began praying for the conversion of five individuals. He stated in his journal that “I prayed every day without a single intermission, whether sick or in health, on the land, on the sea, and whatever the pressure of my engagements might be.”

Eighteen months elapsed before the first of the five came to faith. He thanked God and prayed on for the others. Five years elapsed, and then the second came to faith. He thanked God for the second, and prayed on for the other three. Day by day, He continued to pray for them, and six years passed before the third trusted in Jesus. He thanked God for the three, and went on praying for the other two. These two remained unconverted.

Thirty-six years later he wrote that the other two, sons of one of Mueller's friends, had still not come to faith. He wrote, “But I hope in God, I pray on, and look for the answer. They are not converted yet, but they will be.”

We know that in 1897, 52 years after Muller began praying, these final two men came to faith. By then Mueller had died, but his faith that God hears and answers prayers became very visible again.

Ben Patterson, Deepening Your Conversation with God (Bethany, 1999), p.105-106

Sometimes, we need to practice persistence in our prayers, for we know how difficult change can be and how long it takes for us, or for others to align their hearts with God’s. After all, that is what prayer does: not so much changing God’s mind, but helping us to gain the mind and heart of Christ and, viewing and engaging our world with a perspective only received through prayer.

4. Finally, we begin with prayer because prayer reminds us that our real struggles in this life are spiritual not physical.

Hear again what is a great bible passage for Sunday School kick-off:

Ephesians 6:10-20

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Today, as we kick-off a new season of Christian Education, let us begin with prayer.... prayers offer right now in this setting, and prayers offered by you in the weeks ahead.

Let me lead us now in praying through those items listed at the end of the white bulletin insert, before we end together sharing our Lord’s Prayer. While I expect most people will silently offer their prayers, if God leads you to offer a spoken prayer, by all means “speak up”!

Let us begin this year with prayer..........

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (r).