Sept 12, 2010

“Make the Call”
big idea: Prayer draws us near to God.

Intro:
-we just finished a 10 week series on Ephesians
-a new series on one of the Christian basics: prayer

• about 5 weeks, themes like
Q. What should I expect when I pray
Q. How do I pray?
Important prayers of the Bible
Praying together

Q. What is prayer & why should I do it?

• prayer is -at it’s most basic – communicating with God
• prayer is a “tool” of communication with God
• a different kind of being than us..

Q. What if we could talk to God, as simply as we can talk to a friend?

• or is that it?
• is prayer any more complicated than that?

Psalm 145:18 “The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.”

can we memorize this right now???

What is prayer?

• prayer is calling on God
• ‘prayer’ can mean many different things to different folks
  • ill: dad growing up going to confessional (‘say 50 hail Mary’s…)
  • some people think it’s a memorized poem
  • some people think it’s a superstitious routine (prayer wheels, Tibet)
• the bible really does not prescribe one particular way to pray (it gives some modeling, which we will study)
  • the emphasis is on communicating with God
    • talking
    • speaking in your heart/brain
    • writing a prayer down
    • listening for God’s reply (an impression…)
• prayer can be real simple. Just talk to God.
  • tell him about your day
  • praise him &tell him that you love him
  • ask him for guidance & peace
  • ask him for help with circumstances
  • share your joys & sadness with him

Why should we pray?

• because the Lord is near to all who call on Him.

Q. what’s the best part of talking on the phone?

• it’s not the phone (or the technology)
• it’s the relationship (new iPhone ads)

prayer is a wonderful tool. It can do more than any iPhone:

• it can change our circumstances
• it can bring healing and change in the lives of others
• it can change our attitudes
• it can give us wisdom
• it can lift our burdens as we cast them on God
• it can give us peace

BUT:
the best thing about prayer is that it strengthens our relationship with God.
“the LORD is near to all who call on Him”

really, the key to closeness in any relationship is communication… (having a conflict with your spouse?)

• sometimes my wife initiates, sometime I do
• sometimes I initiate with God
• sometimes God catches my attention (with beauty or a circumstance)

BUT once I start talking to God, and trying to listen and tune in to his guidance, the closeness comes…

A key component of intimate prayer: Truth

The truth of who God is

• some people say it’s not important who you pray to…(kinda vague)
• praying vaguely (to the universe) probably results in vague results
• the bible says there is one true God (the Creator) , and we should pray to him.
  • praying to the real God, gets real results

The truth about us (sincerity)
our need of his grace

Luke 18:9-14 “9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
• if we try to approach God, confident of our own religious holiness, we will not get far;
• but if we admit our spiritual bankruptcy, and accept the forgiveness & leadership of JC, we will experience God’s grace, and can come to Him with confidence.
sincerety: be honest about yourself in that moment…

Conclusion: Make the call
Q. ever have someone encourage you to “make the call?”

• a girl/guy you liked?
• Canadian idol?
• a friend you’ve drifted apart from?
• a job you’re nervous to apply for?
• help for a problem?

“The Lord is near to all who call on Him”

• maybe you know Christ, but you’re heart has drifted away…
• maybe you’ve been really busy, and haven’t taken the time to just talk to God…
• maybe this is all new to you, and you’ve never really even talked to God before…

Make the call.
When you go home today, make a time to reconnect with God in prayer.

• make time
• find a place
• fit it into the spaces of your day (commute, break time, while cooking or cleaning or showering…)