Prayer 1.0

Texts:  Psalm 5:1-3; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12, Philippians 4:6-7

Pastor Phil Hughes at American Fork Presbyterian Church, Utah,

October 8, 2023

Prayer is one of the most basic acts of faith.  Anyone who wants to walk with God prays. This morning I want to preach on prayer to help us pray.  I want to encourage us, guide us, and help us pray. Periodically, I like to preach on prayer because prayer is so fundamental to our lives in relationship with God.  And it is one of the great gifts of our faith.

I don’t know if you will hear anything that particularly surprises you today.  I don’t know that you will hear anything new. That’s OK.  Sometimes we don’t need to hear anything new.  Sometimes we need to affirm what we already know in order to own it again.

If you are a Christian who takes your faith seriously in any way you pray.  Maybe prayer comes easily and naturally for you.  Maybe it is a struggle. Maybe you are off and on with prayer.  Or maybe you are very consistent and intentional. Maybe prayer is one of those things you know you should do and feel guilty that you don’t prayer more often. Maybe most of your praying is done right here in this place when you come to worship. Maybe you only pray when you are desperate and you don’t pray when life is good.

Whatever your praying looks like just take yourself where you are.  Let’s just work on what I call Prayer 1.0.

Prayer is something we learn.  We learn to pray over time, through experiences, and as we grow in our experience of Jesus Christ.  We don’t know it all nor are we prayer experts by osmosis.

Jesus’ disciples wanted to learn to pray.  They asked him to teach them.  He didn’t belittle them for not knowing how to pray.  He didn’t shun their request.  He taught them by giving them a prayer which we know as The Lord’s Prayer.  That’s right.  “Our Father who is in heaven…” comes as a lesson from Jesus in praying. Jesus our Lord recognized that prayer is something to learn.

In our Sunday morning Adult class we are reading different prayers from people in the Bible. Prayer is what the people of God do.  The Bible is full of people praying, and many, many examples of prayer.

One of the best places for that is the book of Psalms.  Psalms is basically full of prayers that the people of ancient Israel prayed.  We read the first verses of Psalm 5 this morning, but we could have taken any number of psalms.  Psalms 5 begins: “Listen to my words, Lord.”  That’s prayer.

The psalmist is sad.  He is lamenting.  And he prays, “Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.”

He continues, “…in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”  He prays in the morning.  He lays his requests before God.  And then he waits to see what will happen.  That’s a pretty good snapshot of prayer.

Our Lord Jesus Christ prayed.  Mark tells us that Jesus would get up early in the morning while it was still dark, go to a place where he could be by himself, and there he would pray.  Jesus gets alone to pray and be still before the Father amidst all kinds of busyness and activity.  Right before this we read that Jesus had a busy night of ministry.  The whole town gathered around the house where he was staying.  He drove out demons and healed the sick.  He must have been wrung out from meeting the needs of so many people. But then he goes to be alone and quiet with the Father. After this he says that he must go to the surrounding towns and villages to preach.

Sometimes we say that we have so much going on we don’t have time to pray.  I think there was a book a few years back entitled, “Too busy not to pray.”  How can Jesus give himself in compassion to others?  Because he prayed.  How can he travel and preach?  Because he prayed. The busier we are, perhaps the more we need to pray.

Luke tells us that Jesus would often withdraw to lonely places to pray.[1] One time Jesus went by himself up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed all night.  He did this before making the important decision of choosing the twelve men who would be his first disciples. Those who came to arrest Jesus knew where to find him based on his prayer life.  Judas knew where Jesus went to pray, and that is exactly what Jesus was doing in Gethsemane when they came to get him.

If the Son of God had to pray – and no one was closer to the Father than Jesus  - then how much more do I need to pray.

There are no experts in prayer.  Some have gone farther but we are always beginning again. From time to time it’s good to go back to the basics.

One of my favorite bits of wisdom in prayer comes from a monk whose name was Dom Chapman.  And he said, “Pray as you can, not as you can’t.”

If you can’t pray first thing in the morning then find another time.  If you can’t pray all night pray for a few minutes some other time. If you can’t kneel, then sit. If you can’t pray for more than three minutes, then pray for an amount of time that you can. Pray as you can, not as you can’t.

The only place we can begin to pray is where we are.  We may feel angry, sad or joyful.  Tell God what you feel.  Don’t worry about not praying enough or feeling guilty of praying too selfishly or feeling inadequate.  “The most important place to begin in prayer is our desire for God.  Begin with the awareness that something inside you longs to know God, to commune with God, to connect with God’s purpose in the world.”[2]

Any desire to pray comes from the Spirit of God.  It is God inviting us into a personal and deep relationship with him.  Because that is what prayer is – fostering our relationship with the Lord. Prayer is simply coming before the Lord.  It is calling out to him.  It is asking him to hear us.  It is speaking and listening to the Lord. A relationship.

Here are some things that can be helpful in our praying.  First, set a time.  We can pray anytime, and there are moments in our day when we will find we need to pray. But if we just say we will get around to it it often won’t happen. You know how it is when you never schedule a time to do things you want to do.  We will never get around to cleaning out that room full of junk,

…we will never get together with that person,

…we will never get around to hiking that trail we have always said we would hike if we don’t set a time.

Yes, we can be spontaneous in prayer and do it when the opportunity presents itself.  But we are probably more likely to pray if we have a designated time when we pray as we do with game nights, shopping, coffee dates, exercise. Having a set time to meet with the Father – like Jesus did – will help us.  It might be first thing in the morning.  Later in the day.  Before we go to bed.  Or some other time.

For me, my habit is to pray first thing in the morning.  After I grab my coffee. The beginning of the day often sets the tone for the rest of the day.  Jesus got up early, I think, for a reason.

C.S. Lewis was wise when he said this:

“The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals.  And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.”

That “other voice” and “quieter life” is God. There is so much we want to get done and as fast as possible. There are burdens, worries and hopes that face us each day. There are responsibilities, meetings, errands, appointments, emails to read, people to care for, places to go, unforeseen challenges. Prayer helps us bring God into all of it.  Like it says in Psalm 5, “In the morning I lay my requests before you…”

Maybe your time to pray is 10 AM.  Maybe it is noontime.  Maybe it is in the evening.  Maybe it is brief times throughout the day.  We read how Daniel prayed three times a day.  Three times a day was a familiar pattern in the Bible.  We read in Acts how John and Peter were going to the temple at the hour of prayer.  There was a set time to pray. Jesus would get up early, get alone and pray.  We need a time.

We need a time and we need time.  We don’t have to pray for a long time.  We may pray for only three minutes. Maybe we will pray for five minutes.  Maybe we will pray for ten minutes. Don’t grit your teeth and say, “I’m going to pray for a half hour even if it kills.”  Just start with a few minutes. Different days might be different.

Just as having a time to pray will help us pray, so will having a place to pray.  It is true that we can pray any place.  We can pray in the car, on the treadmill, in the waiting area, in the office, or anywhere else.  But there is a reason Jesus went away to a deserted place to pray.

When I was a pastor in Philadelphia one of our members was a cop.  He had his prayer time every day at a set time in his police car.  He told me he would shut off the radio from dispatch and would read his Bible and pray. (No one crime was running rampant in the streets, huh?)

We have dining room tables which is the place we eat.  We have a work bench which is our place to do our fixing or building.  We have a sewing room to sew.  We will pray better when we have a place dedicated to praying.  A place where we can be undisturbed and left alone.  We need a place where it’s just us and the Lord.

Find a place away from the kids, away from the phone (leave it in another room or put it on silent), away from the television and the computer, where it is just you and the Lord.  And I know young parents and families this may be a challenge.  Your prayer might be, “Lord, give me two minutes alone with you amidst this chaos.”

Whenever we determine what is the best time for us to pray, wherever we determine what is the best place, how do we pray?  What do we pray for?  What should we say? Here are some suggestions.

We might want to begin by simply calming down. Focus on God.  Close our eyes.  Or look at the mountains. Think about God and that he is with you. Just doing that for a while might be your prayer time.

Or a good place to start is to be still and ask the Holy Spirit to help you and lead you in your praying.  He will send people, places, and needs into your mind.  Pay attention and pray for those things.

But then just talk to him as you would a friend.  Our language doesn’t have to be in King James English.  God understands plain, ordinary words.  He hears incomplete sentences.  He hears groans and sighs.  We won’t be docked for bad grammar.

Pray for things that are coming up in your day or the next day.  Ask for his help, his guidance, his strength. Pray for your family.  Take time to pray for each person thinking about the things that they are facing.  Ask God to meet them in whatever the circumstances of their lives might be.

Pray for friends. Pray for your church, the people in it, and the things that go on. Pray that the message of Christ would spread throughout the world.

Pray for the world.  All those places you hear about where terror is spreading, refugees are fleeing, disasters are happening are opportunities for our praying.

Pray for deeper faith, greater love, larger hope. If you are frustrated, tell that to God.  If you are in need, tell God what you need.

If you don’t have any particular needs, pray for everything good in your life.  Go through the list of all the good things in your life and say “thank you” to God. We are good at praying for what we want and need, but we also need to give God thanks for answers to prayer, for the good things in our lives, and for his rich blessings.

Heck, if you really can’t think of anything or anyone to pray for, if you are just dry, you can pray for me.  I am always in need of prayer. “Lord, I lift up Pastor Phil to you because boy does he need you.”

There may be times when we don’t need to say anything in our praying.  We simply are quiet and rest in the love and presence of God. We might be too anxious or burdened to even bring clarity to our words.  Sometimes we find ourselves praying through tears.  We are in grief. That’s OK.  Our tears can be our prayer. Don’t think we have to fill every moment with words.

Two of my best prayers are: “Help me, Lord” and “Thank you, God.”  Pretty sophisticated, huh?

We don’t have to be sophisticated in what we say to God.  We don’t need to be long.  In fact, Jesus said don’t heap up empty phrases and think we will be heard because of our many words.[3]  The longer we pray does not mean we are praying better.  Simple, brief, heartfelt words are the best praying.

As we pray, there will be obstacles. There will be distractions.  Some days won’t be hot as others.  But there is really never anything such as prayer that is a waste of time.  Prayer depends more on the Holy Spirit than it does on us.  Maybe we aren’t in a great head space.  Doesn’t matter.  What matters is who is on the receiving end of our praying. Our praying probably depends more on God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit more than our ability to pray.

You may find you get drowsy and sleepy as you pray.  Try praying with your eyes open, or standing, or pray aloud. But going to sleep in the presence of the Lord isn’t such a bad thing. We may struggle with doubts.  That might be part of the spiritual struggle but such struggle can also lead to growth. Tell God about your doubts.

We may feel weak when we pray.  Remember it wasn’t always easy for Jesus, either. Jesus wasn’t at his best when he prayed in Gethsemane knowing what was before him.

Prayer doesn’t have to be exciting, entertaining or even engaging.  There will be times when our praying is very meaningful, but don’t let your feelings about prayer dictate your progress or effectiveness.  Just pray as you can and let God receive you as you are.

There is nothing I have mentioned this morning that anyone in this room can’t do.  Nothing fancy.  Nothing too lofty.  Just basic, simple prayer.  1.0.

Ultimately, prayer is not a technique, so much as it is a relationship. It is a way of surrendering our self and all our activities, desires, and concerns into God’s hands.  Whatever techniques we might use, or however skilled we might become at this or that way of praying, they mean nothing unless we are in relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ has opened way for us to go to God through his death and resurrection.  He has forgiven us.  And he said that he and the Father will make their home with us as he cling to him.

Prayer will look differently for all of us. It is a gift God has given us to know him,

…love him,

…encounter him,

…give our burdens to him,

…receive from him.

And I have found the more I pray, the more I become aware of God.

The biggest thing is to start where you are.  Or continue where you are.  Deepen where you are.  Maybe your first prayer, or your renewal in prayer is to ask God to help you by giving you the grace to pray.  He will.

The only way we will begin to pray is by praying.

It wouldn’t make sense to talk about prayer and not pray, so let’s close with some time in prayer.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, hear us as we pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, teach us to pray.

Holy Spirit, help us in our praying.

[Be still.  Whatever is on your heart speak to God about that.  If it is a person, pray for them.  If it is a burden, pray for that.  If it is a blessing, give thanks for that.  If it is a desire, ask God for that. Just talk to him now just as you are.]

We are your children and you are our Father.  We are weak.  You are strong.  We have so much to carry and do.  You desire to walk with us in all of it.

O Lord, our Rock, hear our prayer.  Amen.

[1] 5:16)

[2] Ben Campbell Johnson, Invitation to Pray, pp.9-10

[3] Matthew 6:7