PRAYER AND PRAISE

 

  1. Introduction: For many weeks we have been looking at what the Bible says about praising and thanking      God continually. Ps 34:1; Eph 5:20; I Thess 5:18; Heb 13:15; etc.
  2. God’s Word (the Bible) tells us to praise and thank God always—no matter what, in the good times and             in the bad times, when we feel like it and when we don’t.
  3. Praise and thanksgiving, in its most basic form, is a verbal acknowledgement of God.  We, out of                  our mouths, proclaim who He is and what He does. Ps 107:8; 15; 21; 31
  4. We praise God continually because it’s always appropriate to praise Almighty God.  We thank God                      continually because there is always something to thank Him for—the good He has done, the good                                        He is doing, and the good He will do.
  5. Continual praise and thanksgiving doesn’t happen automatically happen.  In fact, we all have a natural         tendency to focus only on what we see in our circumstances and then complain about.  We must put                     forth effort to develop the habit of continual praise and thanksgiving to God.
  6. Last week we discussed Paul the apostle.  He had a well developed habit that enabled him to                           respond to very difficult circumstances with continual praise and thanksgiving to God.
  7. We looked at Paul and his co-worker Silas who were arrested, beaten, and chained in a prison in the                  the Greek city of Philippi.  Yet at midnight, they prayed and sang praises to God. Acts 16:25
  8. Not long after, Paul wrote to believers in the Greek city of Thessalonica who were experiencing                    persecution for their faith.  He told them:  Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks                                         in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (I Thess 5:16-18, ESV).
  9. Several years later Paul wrote to Christians in the city of Rome:  Rejoice in hope, be patient in                         tribulation, be constant (persevere) in prayer (Rom 12:12, ESV).
  10. A few years after that, when Paul was imprisoned in Rome, he sent a letter to the believers in                               Philippi and exhorted them:  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer                                                 and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Phil 4:6, ESV).
  11. Note that in these verses Paul connects praise, thanksgiving, and prayer.  Praise and thanksgiving                   can and should be expressions of prayer to God.  In this lesson we’re going to consider the                              relationship between prayer and praise and thanksgiving.

 

  1. We aren’t going to do an exhaustive study of prayer. But, before we discuss the relationship   between prayer, praise, thanksgiving, we need to make some general comments about prayer.
  2. Prayer is a challenge for many if not most of us.  We’re not sure what to say or how to say it.  We aren’t              sure if God hears us, let alone will answer us.
  3. For many, if not most of us, prayer is a desperate request to God to stop our troubles and fix our                           situation.  Or we list the reasons why we deserve His help because of our faithfulness and works.
  4. And, much of the popular teaching in the Church over the last few decades has reduced prayer                            to a technique:  if you say the right words in the right way, you’ll get your answer.
  5.     But prayer is not mechanical, nor is it transactional—I do this so that God will do that.  Prayer                         is more than simply asking God to give us things and fix our circumstances.
  6. Prayer is relational.  Prayer is the means by which we commune or communicate with God.                                 Through prayer we express our attitude toward the Lord—our reverence and love for Him, and                                our        dependence on Him for everything.
  7. To pray effectively, we must understand that many, if not most, of life’s challenges cannot be easily                     changed, if at all.  Troubles are unavoidable in this broken world. Rom 5:12; Gen 3:17-19; etc.
  8.     We live in a fallen world that is infused with a curse of corruption and death.  We must daily deal                      with the effects of this curse—loss, pain, frustration, disappointment, hardship.
  9.     Jesus Himself said that in this world we will have tribulation, and moths and rust will     corrupt,                       and thieves will break through and steal. John 16:33; Matt 6:19
  10. But God is able to use the harsh realities of life in a fallen world and cause them to serve His                                  ultimate purpose for a family of sons and daughters who are like Jesus.  God is able to bring                                              genuine good out of truly bad circumstances.  Some of the good is realized in this life, but most                             of it, in the life to come. Eph 1:9-11; Rom 8:18; II Cor 4:17-18; etc.
  11. Much of the time, prayer doesn’t change your circumstances.  Prayer changes you by changing                        your perspective and your attitude toward your circumstances.
  12. Paul wrote that the first effect of prayer is peace of mind, a peace that passes understanding.                                     Peace of mind means freedom form disquieting thoughts and emotions (Webster’s Dictionary).
  13. Phil 4:6-7—Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you                             need, and thank him for all he has done.  If you do this, you will experience God’s peace,                                       which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.  His peace will guard your                          hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (NLT).
  14.    Paul was repeatedly harassed by a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan (fallen angel)                                          who stirred up wicked people against Paul wherever he went to preach the gospel.  Paul                                                  begged the Lord three times to remove it.
  15. The Lord’s answer:  My grace is all you need.  My power works best in your weakness.                                So now I (Paul) am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may                                                    work through me…for when I am weak, then I am strong (NLT, II Cor 12:9-10).
  16.    We don’t know what words Paul and Silas prayed when they were locked up in the Philippian jail.  But         we do know what they knew about prayer, praise, and thanksgiving from the Bible, the Word of God.
  17. They would have been familiar with a prayer prayed by King Jehoshaphat of Judah when three                          enemy armies joined together to attack him and his people.  Judah was greatly outnumbered and                                     very afraid when Jehoshaphat led the people in prayer to God. II Chron 20:5-13
  18. The king began his prayer by magnifying (or praising) God:  “O Lord, God of our ancestors,                                   you alone are the God who is in heaven.  You are the ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth.                                             You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you” (II Chron 20:6, NLT).
  19. Next Jehoshaphat he recalled God’s past help and promise of help in time of future trouble                                 (II Chron 20:7-9).  Finally, he stated the problem and expressed their complete dependence on                                  Almighty God:  We don’t know what to do.  But our eyes are on you (II Chron 20:10-13).
  20. Jehoshaphat and his armies went into battle with praisers out in front of the army declaring:                                   “Give thanks to the lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure for ever” (II Chron 20:21,                                         Amp).  And, the Lord delivered them from their enemies in a mighty victory.
  21. This incident shows us an important point about prayer.  Prayer is first and foremost God-ward, not                   man-ward.  Prayer begins with God, His honor and His glory, not our problem and what we want.                             1.         No matter how desperate we are or how great our need is, prayer must begin with the realization                          that we are approaching the Creator of all, the King of the universe, Almighty God.
  22. When we magnify God (praise Him for who He is and what He does) He gets bigger in our eyes                            and our confidence in His help and our peace of mind grows.  And, we become thankful.
  23. Paul would have also known what Jesus taught about prayer.  Remember, Jesus personally instructed                      Paul after his conversion and gave him the message that he preached (Gal 1:11-12).  Let’s consider what                      Jesus taught about prayer.

 

  1. When Jesus was on earth, His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Jesus gave them a prayer known as    the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father, and told them this is how you should pray. Luke 11:1-4
  2. Let’s read it:  Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will          be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts as we                   forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matt 6:9-12, KJV).
  3.     In this prayer Jesus gave a pattern or a model for prayer.  It has elements that should be found in all                prayer.  Notice that the first half of this prayer is God-ward or directed toward God and His glory,                              and the second half is man-ward or directed at us and our needs.
  4.     Should we pray this prayer word for word, just as it is?  There’s nothing wrong with doing so.                         First of all, it’s a prayer given by Jesus.  Second, we can assume that Jesus followed this                                            pattern when He prayed.  Third, praying it will help you grow in what and how to pray.
  5. Didn’t Jesus say we shouldn’t use vain repetition or repeat the same words over and over (Matt                             6:7)?  Jesus’ listeners would have recognized this as a reference to pagan practices, such as the                                          prophets of Baal who cried all day long:  Baal hear us (I Kings 18:25-29).
  6.     Jesus told His listeners that our Father knows what we need before we ask (Matt 6:8).  But we are to                  ask any way as an expression of our trust in and dependence on God who is the source of all.
  7. Note that Jesus opens the prayer with the statement our Father.  Jesus came into this world to die as a                 sacrifice for sin.  By doing so, He opened the way for men and women to be restored to their created                            purpose as sons and daughters of God through faith in Him. John 1:12-13
  8. Jesus was born into 1st century Israel.  God was the Father of Israel as a whole in that He was their               Creator, Redeemer, and covenant maker (Ex 4:22-23; Jer 31:9; Hosea 11:1).  However, they had no                             concept of an individual Father-son relationship with God.  They were servants of God, not sons.
  9. In many ways, Jesus’ earth ministry was transitional.  He was preparing people to receive a new                           kind of relationship with Almighty God—that of God as our Father and us as sons and daughters.
  10. During His ministry Jesus modeled what a Father-son relationship looks like.  Remember,                                   Jesus is God become man without ceasing to be God—one person, two nature; fully God and                                             fully man.  While on earth He lived as a man in dependence on God as His Father.  By doing                              so He showed us what a relationship with God looks like. John 1:1; John 1:14; Phil 2:6-7; etc.
  11.    Jesus in His humanity is the pattern for God’s family (Rom 8:29).  He showed us what                                        sons and           daughters who are submitted to the Father’s will (fully pleasing to Him) look like.
  12.     Why did Jesus say our Father as opposed to my Father?  This was culturally appropriate.                                    Jews approached God with the concept that they were His people and, together, were part                                              of something.  This doesn’t mean you and I can’t pray My Father or must pray in a group.
  13.     During His time on earth, Jesus also gave us important information about God the Father.                                     A.   Jesus did the works of God the Father and spoke His Father’s words.  When we look at                                                         Him we get an idea of what God is like and how He treats sons and daughters. John 14:9-10
  14.     In the context of praying to God the Father, Jesus made it clear that our heavenly Father is                                    better than the best earthly father. Matt 7:7-11
  15. Jesus continued:  Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will          be done in earth, as it is in heaven Matt 6:9-10.  In other words, the God to whom we pray is above all.
  16. When we approach our Father, we are approaching Almighty God—the Transcendent, Eternal,                             Holy, God who is worthy of reverence and awe.  He is not Daddy God or Papa.  He is Omnipotent                    (All-power), Omniscient (All-knowing), and Omnipresent (present everywhere at once).
  17. Hallowed means to make or keep holy:  May your name be honoured (J. B. Phillips); be revered                            (Moffatt); be held holy (20th Cent).  Name means God Himself.  The Jews had such       reverence for                           God that they referred to Him as the Name to avoid speaking His name aloud (Yahweh, Jehovah).
  18. Jesus said that we should desire that God Himself would be reverenced and honored by all,                              and that all would see and know Him as He truly is—and then worship and glorify Him.
  19. Note what Paul later wrote about worshipping God:  Since we are receiving a kingdom that                                cannot be destroyed, let us be thankful and please God by worshipping him with holy fear and                                awe (Heb 12:28, NLT).
  20. Jesus said that our first desire should be that God’s kingdom come and that His will be done on earth                 as it is in Heaven.  The meaning is twofold.
  21. We should desire that the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus advance so that the                            reign (the kingdom) of God can be established in the hearts of people when they believe on                                                 Him, and then live their lives in submission to the will of God their Father. Luke 17:20-21
  22. And we should desire Jesus’ return so that God’s visible, eternal kingdom can be established on                      earth and His will perfectly expressed.  This sin cursed world then will be freed from the curse                                of sin, corruption and death and restored to a fit forever home for God and family. Rev 11:15
  23. The next three requests in the Lord’s Prayer deal with us and our needs:  Give us this day our daily                bread.  And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver           us from evil (Matt 6:11-13, KJV).  These requests address our physical, mental, and spiritual needs.
  24. We aren’t going to discuss all of them now (we’ll do so next week).  But notice one point.                               Immediately following the first three lofty requests—that God’s name be revered, His kingdom                                    come, and His will be done—Jesus’ next statement reveals that this Transcendent, Glorious Being,                  the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, is concerned about our daily bread
  25. Daily bread means more than food.  It means all of our material needs, everything that is necessary                    to live in this world.  In His earth ministry Jesus made it clear that God is concerned for and aware                               of the details of our life—your life, my life.
  26. Jesus told His followers that God the Father knows we need the necessities of life, and that as                         we seek Him first (desire His glory, His will be done, and His kingdom come) He will give us                                  what we need.  Jesus said that birds eat and flowers are dressed because our heavenly Father                                     takes care of them—and we matter more than flowers and birds. Matt 6:25-34
  27. Jesus told His followers:  Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground                          without your Father knowing it.  And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  So don’t                                      be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows (Matt 10:29-30, NLT).
  28. John 16:23-24—The night before Jesus was crucified He told His apostles that a day was coming                             when they would pray to the Father in His name and the Father would hear and answer.
  29. Jesus wasn’t giving them the rules for prayer—you must use my name in your prayer.  He was                         making the point that His death and resurrection would make it possible for men and women to                                 become sons and daughters of God—and go to God for help, just as a child goes to their father.
  30. Stephen the martyr and Paul the apostle both prayed to Jesus after His resurrection (Acts 7:59;                           II Cor 12:8-9).  Prayer isn’t about technique.  It’s an expression of relationship.

 

  1. Conclusion: God desires relationship with us.  Prayer is relational and keeps us in contact with our Father —who He is and who we are in relation to Him.  It magnifies God and increases our trust in Him.                      1.         Prayer is God-ward.  It should not start with us and what we want.  It begins with who God is and what              He wants.  Beginning prayer with God is not only appropriate because of who He is, it also benefits us.
  2. When you begin your prayer with praise to God by acknowledging His bigness and goodness, you                      magnify Him, which relieves some of the mental and emotional pressures of life’s troubles.
  3. When you magnify God through praise and thanksgiving, He gets bigger in your eyes which                           increases your trust in Him and gives you peace of mind.
  4. Paul wrote that we are to pray without ceasing (I Thess 5:17) and persevere or keep at it (Rom 12:12).                Continual praise and thanksgiving to God helps you persevere and pray without ceasing.
  5. Did Paul pray the Lord’s Prayer?  There is no reason to think that he didn’t.  He most certainly prayed          according to the pattern laid out by Jesus.  He acknowledged God with praise and thanksgiving, desiring               His glory and will above all.  We would be wise to do so as well.  Much more about prayer next week!