FAITH
& PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER
Lk.
11:5-13 Parable of the friend at midnight.
Some
things to be learned from his example.
1.
He
went DIRECTLY to his friend
Jn.
16:23-27 Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the Father and ask in His
(Jesus')
name.
We
go to our FRIENDS first
Jn.
15:13-14 "Greater
love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you."
Have
we laid down our lives for Him? Is He our FRIEND?
Mt.
16:24-26 We must DENY self, take up our cross, and FOLLOW Him.
2
Cor. 8:1-5 The Macedonians "First gave themselves..."
There
is a BOND between friends that allows us to CONFIDE in them. (What
we might be afraid to ask a stranger, we can ask a friend - even
at midnight)
2.
He
went PERSONALLY to his friend
Mt.
6:6 "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."
Not
only is prayer intimately personal, but it is CONFIDENTIAL.
(We
can bring to Him our most shameful problems - that which we are
embarrassed for
the world to know - knowing that He will keep them confidential -
That's
what friends
do)
But
it will not be so in the judgment where sin will be exposed for all
to see
1
Cor. 4:5 "Therefore
judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who
will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and
reveal the counsels of the hearts; and then each one's
praise will come from God."
3.
He
went with URGENCY & PERSISTENCE
Mt.
7:7-11
Ask,
Seek, Knock
He
did his part in trying to obtain his need. (The
Lord helps those who help themselves)
Mt.
6:11 "Give
us this day our daily bread."
2
Thess. 3:10 "For
even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If
anyone will not work, neither shall we eat."
Jas.
2:14-17 Faith without works is dead (Based
on our work - should we eat?)
4.
He
went INTENDING to receive his request
Jas.
1:5-8 If we lack faith - don't expect to receive our request.
(This
is the mark of an unstable, double-minded person.)
Lack
of confidence = lack of trust = lack of commitment
Lukewarmness
- Indifference - Lack of zeal = Unacceptability to God.
Rev.
3:15-16 "I
know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were
cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold
nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth."
1
Cor. 15:58 "Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be steadfast
, immovable
, always abounding
in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in
vain
in the Lord."
Are
we morally
sound
- spiritually
grounded
- faithfully
active?
(Firm
in conviction - faithful in attendance - responsible - dependable)
Heb.
4:14-16 " ...let us hold
fast
our confession" COMMITMENT
!!! (so
we can "...come boldly..." in order to "...obtain..."
our requests.)
To
abide in
Christ
& His word in
us
- is a prerequisite to answered prayer.
Jn.
15:7 "If
you
abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what
you
desire, and it shall be done for you."
If
we are not in
Christ
- we do not have access to the blessings in
Him
Eph.
1:3 "Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."
vs.
7-8 "In
Him
we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound
toward
us in all wisdom and prudence."
vs.
11 "in
whom
also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according
to the counsel of His will,"
INVITATION
- How do we gain access to these blessings in
Christ?
Gal.
3:26-29 "For
you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of
you as were baptized into
Christ
have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor
female; for you are all one in
Christ Jesus.
And if you are Christ's, then you are Abrahams's seed,
and heirs according to the promise."