Trusting our Father, and prayer

By Ron van Leerdam.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them,

“When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’ ”

Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:1-13

https://www.bible.com/bible/111/LUK.11.1-13.NIV

Meaningful relationships are vitally important for human health and life.

I heard someone say the other day that we are human beings – not human doings.

The point she was making was that too often we base our sense of self-worth on what we do rather than on what we are.

As you read the summary of the teaching of Scripture in Lord’s Day. 46, what thoughts came into your mind?

https://www.heidelberg-catechism.com/en/lords-days/46.html

For me it was memories of my earthly father.

‘Our human fathers do not refuse us the things of this life; God our Father will even less refuse to give us what we ask in faith.’

So we pray, ‘Lord please give us what you know is best for us!’

What do you remember of your Dad?

For some there will be gladness- ‘my Dad was the best!’

For others it will be sadness, pain and the wish that things had been different.

When children live in a dysfunctional family it can discolor or impact on the way they think of Father God.

Perhaps they think, if God is like my father I want nothing to do with Him.

A relationship happens when we connect with the spirit and heart of another person.

I think of the relationship that David enjoyed with king Saul’s son Jonathan.

Both wanted the best for each other.

The first thing for this to happen is knowledge!

We must first get to know a person before an intimate relationship can be established.

We can only get to know another person if communication takes place.

Too often people do not connect because they do not take or make the time to share what is on their heart and listen to what is on the heart of the other.

This may well be because we are afraid of what they might do with what we share – and when our trust is betrayed – it will take a long time for that trust to be restored – if ever!

The same principle applies in our relationship with God.

But the question is, how big is your God?

Our relationship with God grows only as we spend time listening to His heart – where does God reveal His heart?

In Scripture!

My friends, the amazing truth is that our God never betrays our trust.

Our deepest darkest secrets and fears we may share with Him and know He will never betray our trust.

Knowing that our God and Father wants the best for His children we come to Him in prayer with childlike trust and awe.

Those who humble themselves before God will be lifted up.

The Bible tells us of the way God treats His children.

“He is gracious and compassionate not treating us as our sins deserve.”

Is there one word that describes our GOD and Father? LOVE!

We can remember Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,  Moses, Joshua, the Judges, David, Solomon, the prophets, and Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, the disciples and Saul on the road to Damascus.

If we want to know what our heavenly Father is really like we need to look to and listen to Jesus.

Our communion with God is made more intimate only as we draw near to God.

It is to be still and know God.

It is to know who heals you.

It is to put your trust in Him and take refuge under the shadow of His wings.

Our God and heavenly Father has promised,

‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you!’

As a loving a merciful Father He never gives His children a burden greater than they can bear.

As the Apostle Paul wrote, “His grace is sufficient for all my needs.”

We only feel a growing intimacy with God as we get to know Him better.

We hear His Father heart of love, mercy, compassion and grace that is so great that He gave His beloved Son so we are able to pray, 

“Our Father in heaven.”

Prayer is a spiritual exercise.

If we want to commune with God, if we want draw near to Him, we must lift up our hearts to Him in faith for without faith it is impossible to please God..

We put aside earthly things.

Put aside the things that hinder, the sin that so easily entangles and focus on our Father who is in heaven.

The point Jesus is making in this prayer that He taught His disciples and us is that communion with God is a spiritual not physical practice.

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray.

They wanted to know how they could share in this life-giving, spiritually reviving communion with the one true living God that refreshes the spirit and soul, that breathes faith and life into the innermost part of one’s being.

They had seen this in Jesus’ life.

They wanted to know how they could also enjoy this blessing.

Isn’t it true that sometimes we see prayer more as a duty, a job, an obligation, and a chore!

When I was younger, this was the case.

Mum & Dad taught me to pray:

‘Lord bless this food for Jesus sake amen.’

We were taught another prayer when going to bed.

‘Lord before I sleep I pray and I thank you for this day, for my parents and for food and for health and all things good… 

This prayer became the spring-board for more personal prayer that grew as my knowledge of my heavenly Father’s heart grew.

So then began the practice of falling asleep in prayer.

This is a blessed experience!

What a blessing and what peace comes as we fall asleep with our heart as it were in the presence of our loving Father who loves us unconditionally.

As we grow in the knowledge of God, prayer becomes more intimate.

Prayer is our life-line to our Father in heaven.

The Almighty maker of heaven and earth comes to us and invites us to bring our needs for food, the forgiveness of sin, deliverance from the evil One, indeed all things TO HIS THRONE OF GRACE.

So far you may have been thinking that prayer is a purely personal exercise. 

In one way that is true.

Just like, when we sing hymns, it is personal, in that my lips praise God and I lift my heart to God, yet we are also joining with others, the angels and all of creation in praising God.

Jesus teaches that prayer has a corporate element.

He says to His Disciples when you pray SAY  ‘Our’

Christians around the world are praying the Lord’s prayer together. 

May we teach our children to pray this prayer. 

Remember the Scripture that says, “ Where 2 or 3 are gathered in the Lord’s Name He is with them.

There has in been a trend to think that unless we pray beautiful prayers that are in our own words, only then does God hear us.

There has even been a feeling that a written or formal prayer is somehow of less value or worth to God than one that is so called ‘spirit led’.

But let me ask, is our praying the Lord’s prayer less Spirit led than saying what comes to mind?      NO!

There is a corporate nature to prayer as well as that of going into your secret room to pray.

Prayer is the Christians life breath.

Prayer is the Churches life breath.

In prayer we lift up our hearts to God.

We enter into His throne room.

We enter into the Father’s presence joining with the angels and the saints of God in communion with God.

Isn’t it true that too often a crisis must arise before we become fervent in prayer.

When the crisis comes we pray constantly – often asking God to remove the problem that troubles us.

As children of God we are confident that our Father does hear us, but does not always remove the problem.

If He wants to teach us patience, his answer is WAIT! At all times He wants to teach us to trust Him. Sometimes God’s answer is NO.

Remember His answer to Paul’s request to remove the thorn from his flesh?

Then He provides the strength and grace we need. Being united to the family of God, sharing the same heavenly Father means that we pray for each other.

 Uphold each other in prayer. What things can we thank God for them? What prayer needs might they have? Perhaps a visit or a phone call would help us to be more specific in our prayer for others.

As we consider the future direction of the Church we might become afraid. What do we do with our concerns. Go to our Father in prayer.

Pray at home in your inner room – on your bed so to speak, fast in secret, pray when you get together, pray when you come to Church.

Prayer is the means that God has given so we may truly bear one another’s burdens. May God forgive us when we don’t take the burdens of others seriously.

May God open our often deaf ears so that we hear the burdens that others carry and then go together to the Father’s in prayer.

Many have labored and been in travail praying and wanting and desiring for Christ to be formed in you more and more.

Many of you have been praying for others – that Christ be more fully formed in them.

We can never be the Messiah! Christ is.

What would Christ have us do to build up each other in love so that we become like Him?

Support one another in prayer.

Listen to the small voice of God within.

The Spirit’s voice of love, gentleness, compassion, grace, self-control and forgiveness.

Having been bought into this special relationship with the maker of Heaven & earth through His Son Jesus Christ, we can have confidence when we pray that the Father will hear us.

Prayer is not a mental exercise or a ritual, but a spiritual exercise.

I am convinced that if we humble ourselves and pray, God will not let our prayers go unanswered. Isn’t that what he has promised.

Pray at home, meet together for prayer, and let’s take God at His word – give him no rest – till He establishes His kingdom.

All of us have loved ones who have lost their way in their relationship with Father God.

Perhaps you have a neighbor who wants nothing to do with God. Or perhaps you meet someone who does not know Father God.

What might help them to seek God? Share something of the father heart of God.

God who sent His one and only son into this broken, sad and sorry world, TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST.

I am reminded of the 3 parables that Jesus told us about the lost.

What ones do you think I am refering to?
1 – The good shepherd who seeks and finds his lost sheep and is filled with great joy.

The woman who lost a coin searches and finds and is filled with great joy and celebrates.

The lost son who squanders his inheritance and is destitute and starving in a foreign land, but comes to his senses and returns to his father and is welcomed – a son who was lost has been found let the celebration begin!

So too the angels in heaven rejoice over every sinner who repents and calls on Jesus to save them.

Our father in heaven wants us to trust that He is faithful giving good gifts to His children and Jesus is preparing a place for them.

And after all has been said and done and prayed for I can but join with the Apostle Paul;

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36

                                                                  AMEN.