Am I talking to the Ceiling??

At a Christian school, a teacher desiring to help the children learn how to go to God for help, asked them to write down their request, and he would pray for them… Here are just a few of those requests:

"Please say a prayer that my mom can lose 20 pounds.  She tried Weight-Watchers and it didn't help.  Now she needs PRAYER!"

"Please say a prayer for my math teacher.  She's sick and if you said a prayer she would get better and come back to school.  Sincerely Susan. P.S.--The other kids in my class said I should not write this letter."

"Pastor, please pray for all the airline pilots.  I'm flying to California tomorrow."

"Please pray that Boston is the capital of Vermont. I just took a geography test!"

As we close out this time of meditating on Thanksgiving, let's remember that our focus is not on the holiday, but on the action of giving thanks. We looked at thanking God for his Grace and for prayer, because it is the key action we can take to keep our spirit in a state of giving thanks. First, we looked at the fact that prayer is the power:

Review:

·      1. It is the POWER!

a. Overt Power

b. Covert Power

c. Invisible Power

d. Unlimited Power

Sadly, many feel that their prayers hit the ceiling and bounce back! Our next three very important reasons why we should be thankful for the gift of prayer from our Lord dispels that lie from the enemy! These three truths testify to the intimacy that God intends in prayer.

* It is PRACTICAL.

Abraham Lincoln offered this honest confession about his need for prayer: "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.  My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day."

Prayer is what brings us close to God. Most people think God is far off, aloof. Nothing is further from the truth. Scripture points out that even before we were in our mother's womb God knew us. Throughout Scripture the description of God's intimacy with his creation is very clear! Even in the midst of trials He is a God that desires intimate relationship.

Jonah 2:1–8 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said, “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me! You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’ “I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death! As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.

John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Unlike religiosity, the God of the Bible has given use the gift to speak directly to Him and in very specific ways. Scriptural prayer is not some dead formula of words, it is a dialogue…GET THIS…with the Creator of everything! This is what makes our next reason so special:

* It is PERSONAL.

Genesis 25:21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.

Joshua 10:12–13 On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day.

2 Kings 4:32–34 When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child’s body began to grow warm again!

Psalms 4:1  Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

Psalms 6:9 The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.

No matter how large or small the issue is, we can take it to the most powerful Person in the universe, because He desires to guide and help.

Philippians 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. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

“Anything” & “Everything” – that covers it all! God wants us to discuss all of our life’s issues with Him. Very personal!

James 5:16...The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

F.B. Meyer - "The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer."

* It is where the best PRAISE takes place!

No matter the circumstance, or how I “feel” at the moment, when I humble myself and approach the Lord, I enter into worship, which honors God and brings praise to Him because my prayer testifies that I am not able to deal with life on my own. I need His help!  

Psalms 141:2 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Proverbs 15:8 The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

Meditation: What does prayer really mean to you? Can you make it through a day without talking to God? Do you have to be somewhere special, or in a particular position with your body to connect with Him? Can you talk to Him with your eyes open? What area of your prayer life is lacking the most?