TEACH US TO PRAY (3): SIGHTING IN ON GODS WILL

(Luke 11:1-4)
Intro Jas 4:2-3 reminds us of 2 main reasons prayers seem unanswered:
You do not have, because you do not ask. (Problem #1, we dont ask) 3 You
ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your
passions. (Prob #2, we ask selfishly). Either kills the spirit of prayer and it is
the second we want to examine today.
Lu 11:1-4 contains Jesus response to a request, Lord, teach us to pray. So
far weve studied 8 general principles we learn here. Today we look at 3
more before getting into detail next week. A birds eye perspective.
IX.

It focuses on Needs, Not Wants

This is readily apparent from a review of the 5 requests the Lord suggests
form a framework for prayer. There is not a luxury item in the list. Even
food not a months worth or a weeks worth, but just what is needed today.
The requests are about God and His glory. The emphasis is all on needs as
defined by God, not on wants as defined by me. Do you see that?
Prayer is asking but in the pursuit of His will and His glory, not my will,
and my glory. That misses the entire spirit of prayer. You ask and do not
receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions (Jas 4:3).
God is far more interested in making us holy than He is in making us
happy, The idea that He is some kind of divine genie who can be tapped to
make me happy misses the point badly! But thats how most treat prayer!
Christian Smith is a sociologist who wrote Soul Searching, documenting an
extensive study of American youth. Many interesting insights, but he
concludes that the religion of America is moralistic, therapeutic deism. What
does he mean by that? Lets take the deism first. This is the premise that God
created, then left. Most Americans believe God created the world but He
mostly stays out of it. Classical deism says He created, wound it up like a
clock and never intervenes. In the modern version you can call on God
occasionally. But Hes uninvolved unless you call Him to solve a problem.
Like a divine butler. You whistle and He comes. Otherwise Hes uninvolved.
How about moralistic? Moralistic means God rewards nice people. Hes the
eternal Mr. Rogers. Who defines the morals? In our relativistic society, thats
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largely up to the individual. The Bibles definitions are too strict, certainly in
the area of sexuality. So, we can define morals in whatever way works for us,
just so we mean well. Well-intentioned people go to heaven and most are.
Hitler wouldnt make it. Putin, maybe not, but most people you meet are fine.
Therapeutic? This element means that the central goal of life is to be
happy; to feel good about yourself. Ill never forget one famous NFL
quarterback explaining his infidelity to his wife by saying, God wants Joe
[blank] to be happy. Guess God didnt care about the wife. Thats the
therapeutic part of moralistic, therapeutic deism. My happiness is what is
most important. It's all about what God can do for me. How can He make
me happy? How can He contribute to this movie that is my life? There was a
great book title a few years ago: Life, the movie by Everyone. Its premise
was we live like were in a movie. "Here, God, let me grab you as a bit
player. You'll be a walk-on. Were not gonna be a close, but you can help
keep me happy. God's nice, we are nice, so let's all be nice. This is
Americas spiritual creed. Happiness is the ultimate good! But with that
creed being taught in churches and lived out in lives, is it any wonder our
prayers are sloppy, self-centered exercises focused on us? Wants instead of
needs. Luxury instead of necessity. Happiness instead of holiness. We pray
for what makes us happy; when did we last pray for what makes us holy?
A pastor bought a parrot with a colorful vocabulary from its previous owner.
A woman in the congregation suggested he put him with her well-behaved
bird who said nothing except, Lets pray. So they were caged together. The
pastors parrot took one look at his new companion and chirped, Hey, Toots,
how about a kiss? The other responded, My prayers have been answered.
Thats our prayer life, isnt it? Its all about me and my wants.
We hardly know the difference between needs and wants anymore. We pray,
Give me a new car. Give me a boyfriend. Give me better job. Give me a
better husband. Can we pray about those things? Yes. God cares about our
needs. But we pray those things for our own passions. Were not looking for
Gods interests; we are looking out for our own. We are not looking for
holiness; we are looking for happiness. We have acquired more of the
decadence of our society. We must retrain to look for the mind of God.
X.

It focuses on God First, Then Self

Jesus model prayer consists of 5 petitions here (7 in Matt). But the starting
point is God. Note the beginning. V. 2, Father, hallowed be your name. Your
kingdom come. Most of our prayers are self-centered. Jesus example is very
God-centered. Listen, does Jesus care about us? He loves us more than we
love ourselves. But He knows our best good and greatest happiness will be
found in putting God first. Otherwise, everything gets all messed up.
There is so much misunderstanding about prayer. We take promises like If
you ask me anything in my name, I will do it (John 14:14) to mean God is at
our disposal for any whim that takes our fancy. We interpret that God is at
our beck and call like some kind of Cosmic Santa. But we ignore the
qualifiers, in my name that is according to my will.
The pattern of Jesus prayer puts this all in perspective. It puts Gods name,
Gods will and Gods kingdom at the top. So, anything I may be asking for
myself or others must fit within that framework. Without the framework, we
are all over the map with our selfish desires. Within the framework, we are
protected. Know what prayer is at its heart? It is aligning as closely as
possible with the heart of God and then asking for what you believe He
would ask for. Then when He answers Yes, No or Wait, you are that much
closer to knowing the mind of God. Prayer is an adventure in finding and
doing Gods will, not mine. Bending me to Him, not Him to me!
Idols = things more important to us than God. Prayer is about removing idols
from our lives, not building new ones. It always amazes me how God
arranges for teachers to live the things they are teaching. Just last week, God
smashed a potential idol in my life and Pattys. It was painful even tho God
did it in the most gracious manner possible. Amazingly gracious. I cant give
you the details today another time, perhaps. But the point is prayer is about
smashing idols, not creating them. Building His empire, not mine.
Our lives, even as a Xn, are littered with idols, lurking in every corner. Idols
can be evil areas where we are in direct disobedience. BUT more often
they are good things that we love more than Him. When we treasure the gift
more than the Giver = IDOL. It can be anything a relationship, possession,
a passion, a hobby a good thing placed one notch too high. Know how you
can tell an idol? The acid test? Ask, what would make me angry with God if
he took it away? Get really honest. Those are your idols. A huz, wife, kids,
job, career, position, prestige, reputation, car, house, boat, second home,
recreation, sport, Big screen, books, shopping, grades. What would make you
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angry at God if He took it? Its an idol. It can be anything a ministry, a

friend, health, wealth, a talent, a carefully honed identity.
2nd test. What has God not given you that makes you angry with Him? If it
makes you angry, you love it more than Him and its an idol. Perhaps youre
single and want to be married married and want to be single. Perhaps you
want a better job, a new friend, a new car, a promotion. Perhaps youve been
praying for kids spiritual well-being and God is not answering. If you are
mad at God for not delivering, youve got an idol and its time to embrace
His answer, lay the idol at His feet and seek forgiveness. Whatever else is
going on, God is not doing you wrong! The problem is us. Calvin said our
hearts are idol-making factories! They are in every nook and corner of our
existence and prayer is about getting them out, not making new ones.
The only good prayer is the prayer that is centered on Gods will even if it
differs from mine at the moment. Jesus Himself showed us that when
tempted to idolatry in Gethsemane, Father, if you are willing, remove this
cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. That ought to
put any iota of anger we have against God in the background. Gods will cost
Jesus way more than it will ever cost us. God doesnt always give us what
we want; but He always gives what we need.
Remember Jonah after he had preached in Nineveh and everyone repented.
Youd have thought hed have been ecstatic, but instead he is in a snit mad
at God for forgiving Israels mortal enemies. So he sits down to pout. Jonah
4:6, Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah,
that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So
Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up
the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it
withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the
sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. So what in the
world is God doing? Hes pulling one of His own lovely gifts out of Jonahs
life. Showing him his idol of nationalism and that he was just as idolatrous
as the Assyrians on difference being they were repentant; he was not.
So does God delight in our pain? No. He delights in the safety Hes moving
us to. But Hes like the lumberjacks who noticed 2 birds taking nest in a tree
that was coming down. So they began to beat on the tree, rattling the birds
until they flew to the next tree to nest. But that tree was coming down, too.
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So they pained the birds more finally the birds nested in the rocks where they
would be safe.
Beloved, we may have been pretty angry with God. But what Hes saying to
us is, This tree is coming down, this thing you built your life on, this thing
you say you must have to be happy. Dont you realize you will never have
lasting, unassailable certainty and joy until you build your nest in a tree
thats not coming down? Thats Me. Im that tree! Thats why prayer
focuses on God first. That puts our lives in perspective, keeps us from asking
things we can consume on our own lusts. Idols that will destroy us.
XI.

It Focuses on Spiritual More Than Physical

One of the things I love about Christianity is that it cares for the whole
person. It promises a future for both body and soul. Most religions have as a
goal to discard the body. Xns look forward with great anticipation to the day
when we will have a body like His glorious body (Phil 3:20). But as much
as physical things mean to us, they must take a backseat to spiritual things.
They do so in this prayer. In Lukes version 4 of 5 petitions relate to spiritual
things. In Matts version 5 of 6 do so. The priority is spiritual.
Most of our prayers are topsy-turvy in this regard. We spend much more time
praying for physical issues than spiritual. The reason is obvious. The physical
is so immediate and present. I can perceive physical needs; I cannot perceive
spiritual needs. So I tend to be more concerned about my or others health
issues than our spiritual transformation. Paul urged otherwise when he wrote
in II Cor 4:17-18, For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an
eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things
that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are
transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. He is urging us to see
beyond; so is this prayer of Jesus where the only physical petition is for daily
bread. So are the prayers of the apostles in the NT. Check them out. You
dont find Sister Graces gout mentioned very often, but youll find a lot
about spiritual insight and understanding.
Does that mean we should not pray for immediate physical needs? Of course
not. II Pet 5:7 says, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for
you. Thats a generous invitation from a loving Father. But in our concern
for the immediate, we must not neglect the spiritual.
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Evangelicalism was guilty for much of the 20th century of ignoring the
physical needs of people. But now the pendulum has swung far in the other
direction. It has been well said that you cannot preach Christ to someone
with an empty stomach. But neither is it possible to let our light shine by our
good deeds and have people glorify our Father in heaven rather than us if we
do not speak of Him and make the spiritual needs a priority. In the end,
what is most important -- that someone find healing or shelter or food only to
die without Christ OR that they find Christ, even if they die today of neglect?
That question really demands a both/and answer rather than either/or. But
the priority must be spiritual need.
NBCs Dateline followed Boston oncologist Dr. Jerome Groopman for 2
years as he tried to save the lives of Gene, an AIDS victim and Elizabeth,
who suffered from breast cancer. He became quite close to both patients, yet
both eventually lost their lives to their diseases. Dr. Groopman concluded,
"If you care for someone without addressing his or her soul, youre not
really caring for them." His point is to cure physical issues that are temporal
without addressing spiritual issues that are eternal, is to fail of our calling.
This ought to inform and change our prayer life, Beloved. Pray for the
physical needs, yes. But pray with even greater urgency for the spiritual
needs or yourself and others. Thats the priority for eternal reasons.
Conc Now all the principles weve looked at the last 3 weeks really boil
down to one thing. Prayer is not about aligning God with me; Prayer is
about aligning me with the will of an omniscient God. This will always be
what is best for us and for His glory. Charles Spurgeon in Lectures to My
Students tells of a Pastor Gilpin being called to pray for a boy who was
gravely ill. The pastor prayed, asking that God would, if it were His will,
restore the boy to life and health. But the mother interrupted him at that
point. She said, No, I cannot agree to such a prayer as that; I cannot put it
in that shape, it must be Gods will to restore him. I cannot bear that my
child should die; pray that he may live whether it be Gods will or not.
Pastor Gilpin responded, I cannot pray that prayer, but if it is answered;
your child will recover, but you will rue the day that you made such a
request. Spurgeon went on: Twenty years later she was removed after she
fainted away at the gallows at Tyburn where her sons crimes had brought
him. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on
your own passions. Beloved, prayer is not about telling God, its about
trusting God. We wont get it perfect today or tomorrow or next year or in
this lifetime. But let us start. Lets pray.
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