WEBVTT 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:02.200 Good afternoon, everybody. 00:00:04.219 --> 00:00:11.620 It is really fun to be here because, as Dan said, just in a few short months, our family 00:00:11.620 --> 00:00:17.740 of four, me, my wife, and my two little daughters, June and Sayla Rose, are planning on moving 00:00:17.740 --> 00:00:20.100 down to Richmond in order to plant a church. 00:00:20.300 --> 00:00:25.080 And the church we hope to plant in many ways will be a lot like this one. 00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:30.059 And so, as I was just sitting here in the front row, listening to your voices sing, listening 00:00:30.059 --> 00:00:36.619 to you read, just observing the way that you worship, you all are a tremendous encouragement 00:00:36.619 --> 00:00:43.379 to me that the gospel can go forth in a city as complex and challenging as Washington, 00:00:43.379 --> 00:00:43.859 D.C. 00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:49.359 It gives me hope for Richmond, which is slightly less complex and probably less challenging. 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:58.019 So, you've spent a little bit of time this summer reading and listening to some of the 00:00:58.019 --> 00:01:00.820 parables that Jesus taught, and these are marvelous stories. 00:01:01.899 --> 00:01:07.659 They're short and simple enough to teach a child, and yet nuanced and sophisticated enough 00:01:07.659 --> 00:01:10.140 to confound scholars for centuries. 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:17.060 There is deep, deep wisdom about truth and beauty and goodness in these stories. 00:01:17.060 --> 00:01:24.019 They're never outdated, a bit like the old-fashioned water pump that sits at the edge of the forest 00:01:24.019 --> 00:01:25.140 at my parents' house. 00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:29.060 You go over and you lift the handle, and no matter what time of year it is, it could be 00:01:29.060 --> 00:01:34.200 the hottest August day, the water that will gurgle up from down beneath is always cold. 00:01:34.859 --> 00:01:37.180 Like these parables, it never fails to refresh. 00:01:38.780 --> 00:01:43.560 Now, we're going to talk about prayer this morning. 00:01:43.560 --> 00:01:49.799 The story that you just heard from the parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:55.799 is a very interesting one and somewhat a surprising one. 00:01:56.640 --> 00:02:00.859 You know, prayer is one of the most basic elements of a life with God. 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:06.260 But for many of us, if you're anything like me, it's still oftentimes puzzling, discouraging, 00:02:06.439 --> 00:02:10.819 sometimes disappointing, most often elusive for many of us. 00:02:10.819 --> 00:02:13.299 What exactly is happening when we pray? 00:02:14.199 --> 00:02:15.359 How should we go about praying? 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:17.719 What should we expect to happen when we pray? 00:02:18.900 --> 00:02:23.599 I encourage you, if you have other questions that begin to come up as I'm speaking, I encourage 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:24.620 you to go ahead and write them down. 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:29.159 Those could be good conversation starters with the people around you, perhaps after the service, 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:30.659 maybe later this week. 00:02:32.099 --> 00:02:34.459 Now, before we tackle some of these questions, allow me to share a story. 00:02:34.460 --> 00:02:41.780 When I was six years old, I found myself in my grandparents' basement on a hot, muggy August 00:02:41.780 --> 00:02:42.460 afternoon. 00:02:43.260 --> 00:02:47.860 My grandfather had promised to take me fishing, and I was pretty pumped. 00:02:48.379 --> 00:02:54.680 I had read all of the latest six-year-old literature on outdoor survival, how to survive in the woods 00:02:54.680 --> 00:02:59.620 with a pocket knife and a pair of tweezers, and I thought an afternoon of fishing would be 00:02:59.620 --> 00:03:00.280 a walk in the park. 00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:07.599 So, after all, my grandfather had just given me a high-performance fishing rod, all of two 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:10.939 feet long, with my name monogrammed into the handle. 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:12.620 Fish beware. 00:03:13.920 --> 00:03:18.860 So as my grandfather gathered up the supplies, I was full of questions, as most six-year-olds 00:03:18.860 --> 00:03:19.060 are. 00:03:19.159 --> 00:03:19.800 What's that for? 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:20.879 Can I carry this? 00:03:20.979 --> 00:03:21.599 Is that sharp? 00:03:21.800 --> 00:03:22.979 How do you get this hook out of my finger? 00:03:22.979 --> 00:03:26.959 We finally set off walking for the pond. 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:28.119 It's hot outside. 00:03:28.239 --> 00:03:28.639 We're sweating. 00:03:29.060 --> 00:03:33.439 And I'm rushing ahead a little bit, asking questions over my shoulder, and my grandfather 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:35.479 is all smiles and gentle answers. 00:03:36.539 --> 00:03:37.479 We arrive at the pond. 00:03:37.839 --> 00:03:42.199 And I'm really anxious to get started on the fishing, but he calls me over and quietly 00:03:42.199 --> 00:03:47.399 shows me how to put a worm on the hook, which is a terribly gruesome affair for a six-year-old. 00:03:47.699 --> 00:03:49.539 But we got through it, and he's very patient with me. 00:03:49.539 --> 00:03:52.759 And eventually, we cast the line into the water. 00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:59.419 We sit there for one minute, two minutes, three minutes, and I'm done. 00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:01.379 Where are the fish? 00:04:01.500 --> 00:04:02.359 I have more questions. 00:04:02.699 --> 00:04:03.280 Are you bored? 00:04:03.359 --> 00:04:03.840 I'm bored. 00:04:04.180 --> 00:04:04.719 What's happening? 00:04:04.780 --> 00:04:05.859 Are there any fish in this pond anyway? 00:04:06.759 --> 00:04:11.459 Eventually, I hand the pole back to him, and I go off to skip rocks on the other side of 00:04:11.459 --> 00:04:15.379 the pond, yelling over my shoulder that perhaps he should be the one to catch the fish, since 00:04:15.379 --> 00:04:17.339 he's older and more experienced anyway. 00:04:17.339 --> 00:04:20.139 And again, he beckons me over. 00:04:20.679 --> 00:04:22.539 I want to fish with you. 00:04:22.839 --> 00:04:24.379 Let's do this together. 00:04:25.739 --> 00:04:27.919 He said that probably 50 times that day. 00:04:28.419 --> 00:04:33.319 Now, I'm not sure how alike fishing and prayer actually are, other than some people seem to 00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:36.599 just take to them so naturally, and others of us get bored after a few minutes. 00:04:37.620 --> 00:04:41.299 Now, prayer, no matter who you are, it's not a foreign concept. 00:04:41.500 --> 00:04:46.379 Even if this is your very first time in a Christian church, you are no stranger to prayer. 00:04:46.379 --> 00:04:53.519 Out in the diverse ethnic and religious soup of D.C., there is simmering all different 00:04:53.519 --> 00:04:56.899 forms and types and methods of prayer. 00:04:57.600 --> 00:04:58.860 Let's try a few on for size. 00:04:58.980 --> 00:05:05.560 Some of our friends think prayer as primarily a time for meditation and chanting in order 00:05:05.560 --> 00:05:08.000 to somehow connect with the divine. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:15.139 If you have a background in Hinduism, the Gayatri mantra is a perfect example of this, meditating 00:05:15.139 --> 00:05:23.240 on, repeating the same phrases over and over again in order to enlighten the mind and inspire 00:05:23.240 --> 00:05:23.800 the soul. 00:05:25.379 --> 00:05:31.680 Others, perhaps those who live in apartments next to us, pray in order to connect themselves 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:37.740 with the divine through centering and removing impurities from their mind. 00:05:38.180 --> 00:05:42.100 The search for the divine here is not outwards, but it's actually turned inwards. 00:05:42.780 --> 00:05:46.259 And many forms of Buddhist prayer are good examples of this. 00:05:47.579 --> 00:05:54.500 In an entirely different way, our Muslim neighbors have a very rigidly formulaic process for prayer. 00:05:54.500 --> 00:06:01.680 Five times a day at prescribed hours, you are obligated to pray in a very particular fashion. 00:06:02.860 --> 00:06:06.759 And on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from that, we all have co-workers or family 00:06:06.759 --> 00:06:10.420 members who do not ascribe to any such mainstream world religions. 00:06:10.839 --> 00:06:14.680 Instead, they've opted for a more personalized spirituality. 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:18.639 And here, there is not so much a search for a God out there or a God in here. 00:06:18.860 --> 00:06:24.079 The focus is more on health and awareness, becoming a less anxious, better person. 00:06:24.780 --> 00:06:30.139 The idea is that prayer is a pathway to inner peace and health. 00:06:30.960 --> 00:06:38.120 Now, if we're going to make any progress this afternoon in understanding prayer as Jesus taught 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:44.660 it, then we must make an absolutely crucial distinction between all the different forms of 00:06:44.680 --> 00:06:51.759 and methods of prayer that are swirling about in our culture and prayer according to the Bible. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:58.160 While both are called prayer, they are fundamentally different in many very important ways. 00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:01.960 But in one in particular that we'll focus on this morning, or excuse me, this afternoon. 00:07:03.300 --> 00:07:12.040 You see, prayer in nearly every single religious or belief system across the globe is essentially 00:07:12.040 --> 00:07:19.900 humanity's pursuit of divinity or prosperity or health or wholeness or peace. 00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:28.640 Human beings taking the initiative to reach outwards beyond themselves or to look inwards within themselves. 00:07:29.500 --> 00:07:36.620 And this is completely contrary to the teachings of the Bible about prayer. 00:07:36.620 --> 00:07:44.579 Throughout history, the people who have followed Yahweh God, the Hebrews in the Old Testament and then Christians in the New Testament and today, 00:07:45.420 --> 00:07:51.199 have understood their prayers not as a way of taking the initiative and reaching out to God, 00:07:51.259 --> 00:07:59.379 but rather a response to God taking the initiative and reaching down to them. 00:07:59.379 --> 00:08:05.459 To pray as a Christian is to never have the first word. 00:08:06.500 --> 00:08:08.339 Prayer never happens in a vacuum. 00:08:08.740 --> 00:08:09.740 It's never abstract. 00:08:10.259 --> 00:08:12.279 It's never even spontaneous. 00:08:12.860 --> 00:08:19.939 Prayer always happens in the context and in light of what God has already revealed and what he's already done. 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:21.659 That's what Christian prayer is. 00:08:23.019 --> 00:08:27.319 God does not sit back and wait for us to come searching for him. 00:08:27.319 --> 00:08:28.779 No, no, no. He speaks first. 00:08:29.980 --> 00:08:33.580 He doesn't demand obligatory prayers in order to satisfy him. 00:08:34.539 --> 00:08:39.819 Nor does he tell us to go sit in a corner and meditate while he takes care of our lives. 00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:46.740 Nor does he give us some sort of mantras or chants or prescribed formulas and then tell us to get on with it. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:47.460 No. 00:08:47.460 --> 00:08:59.240 Prayer, according to the Bible, in the teachings of Jesus, is the touchpoint where God invites us to do life with him together. 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:05.280 And when we refuse, as we often do, if you're anything like me, we opt rather to do life alone. 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:10.540 God, out of relational love and pursuit, comes after us. 00:09:10.539 --> 00:09:15.159 And we see this, of course, most clearly in the life of Jesus. 00:09:15.779 --> 00:09:20.219 God's initiating word to us wrapped in human flesh and blood. 00:09:20.500 --> 00:09:24.839 And this is the context, the setting for all Christian prayer. 00:09:24.840 --> 00:09:37.379 So when it comes time to turn to this parable about prayer, what we find is an interesting little story that Jesus told in order to teach his followers something about prayer. 00:09:38.300 --> 00:09:42.480 And Jesus uses this story to essentially say to his followers and to all of us, 00:09:42.800 --> 00:09:47.980 Look, God, this one to whom you are praying, he's actually nothing like this. 00:09:48.580 --> 00:09:52.300 This is a story that illustrates what God is not like. 00:09:52.299 --> 00:09:57.639 In this story, there is a widow, and she has fallen on hard times. 00:09:57.939 --> 00:10:03.519 And in a day when women were often married very young, widows commonly outlived their husbands by decades. 00:10:04.059 --> 00:10:06.979 I'm so glad that that is not a norm in our culture anymore. 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:13.179 This left them some of the poorest and most vulnerable members of society. 00:10:13.939 --> 00:10:16.099 And some injustice has been done to this widow. 00:10:16.199 --> 00:10:20.319 We don't know what's happened, but perhaps her land has been forcibly taken away. 00:10:20.779 --> 00:10:21.459 She is desperate. 00:10:21.460 --> 00:10:23.340 How is she going to make it day to day? 00:10:23.540 --> 00:10:24.480 How is she going to survive? 00:10:25.300 --> 00:10:37.400 And so, even though her case is assigned to a corrupt judge, she plagues him day and night until eventually he cries mercy and he gives up and he grants her what she wants. 00:10:37.800 --> 00:10:38.620 He grants her justice. 00:10:40.040 --> 00:10:46.360 Jesus then goes on to end this story by telling everyone that God is not like this unjust judge. 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:49.580 Because God will not put off his people. 00:10:50.180 --> 00:10:51.440 He will not reject them. 00:10:51.919 --> 00:10:56.399 He will not make them come back and just bother him until he finally gives in. 00:10:56.700 --> 00:10:56.879 No. 00:10:57.759 --> 00:10:59.180 God cares about justice. 00:10:59.899 --> 00:11:03.259 And will make sure that his people receive it. 00:11:04.340 --> 00:11:12.080 Now, as Jesus told this story, his purpose was to encourage his followers to always pray and to never give up. 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:15.420 We hear that right in the very first lines of the story. 00:11:15.420 --> 00:11:24.360 And, you know, whenever Jesus gives a command, it's always worth looking at what he actually did with his own command. 00:11:24.560 --> 00:11:35.240 Remember, Jesus is not a corrupt boardroom CEO or some ivory tower intellectual throwing out mandates and laws for everybody that applied to everybody else except himself. 00:11:35.240 --> 00:11:35.560 No. 00:11:36.659 --> 00:11:38.480 Jesus prayed. 00:11:39.299 --> 00:11:40.120 He prayed every day. 00:11:40.700 --> 00:11:42.379 Sometimes for many hours a day. 00:11:43.299 --> 00:11:47.159 Jesus spent a lot of time praying to God the Father. 00:11:47.860 --> 00:11:50.200 And this is initially a little bit puzzling, right? 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:52.779 Because Jesus was God. 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:54.820 So why on earth did he need to pray? 00:11:55.440 --> 00:12:01.980 Well, yes, Jesus was and is fully God and fully man. 00:12:01.980 --> 00:12:11.000 And, as such, he wanted and needed to be in regular, daily communion with God, the Father, and the Spirit. 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:11.980 Why? 00:12:12.200 --> 00:12:12.980 Why was it a need? 00:12:13.080 --> 00:12:13.879 Why would he need this? 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:25.060 Because Jesus understood that to be a human being meant to be made to do life with God together. 00:12:25.659 --> 00:12:27.539 That was what the design is for. 00:12:27.740 --> 00:12:30.879 That life apart from God would be futile and hopeless. 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:31.700 And Jesus knew this. 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:37.299 And so even Jesus, in his full humanity, was not self-sufficient. 00:12:38.580 --> 00:12:41.120 And if he is not, then surely we are not. 00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:43.860 He needed to be with God every day. 00:12:44.059 --> 00:12:51.820 So when Jesus tells us a story designed to encourage us to pray and to never give up, he is encouraging us to do nothing less than to be like him. 00:12:54.259 --> 00:12:55.340 So I have a question for you. 00:12:56.240 --> 00:12:58.100 It's not meant to elicit guilt or shame. 00:12:58.139 --> 00:12:58.740 It's just a question. 00:12:58.740 --> 00:13:00.820 Do we pray? 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:02.539 Do you pray? 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:11.139 When we sit down to eat, do we thank God for supplying our simplest and most basic needs? 00:13:11.659 --> 00:13:18.919 When we scroll through the news feed and see reports of the drama of tragedy being played out all over the world, 00:13:19.080 --> 00:13:26.840 do we cry out to God for justice for the oppressed and for peace in war-torn countries? 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:32.019 When you cycle or take the metro to work, do we think of this city and her people? 00:13:32.300 --> 00:13:34.660 Do we pray for their livelihood and for their work? 00:13:35.080 --> 00:13:39.680 When you sit at your desks, do you pray for the prosperity of your employer? 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:42.559 Do you pray for the salvation of your co-workers? 00:13:43.599 --> 00:13:47.479 Do you pray for the good fruit of your hard work? 00:13:48.339 --> 00:13:56.459 When you're on your way home, do you pray for your neighbors, for those who are lonely or perhaps those who are hurting and might feel trapped in abusive relationships? 00:13:56.460 --> 00:14:07.120 When you dine at a restaurant or when you drink at a bar, do you pray for the misguided longings for romance that plague my generation and your generation? 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:19.060 Do we cry out, how long, O Lord, will we keep trying to satisfy our cravings and fill our emptiness with more human skin and self-centered sexuality? 00:14:20.060 --> 00:14:27.639 When we retire to our apartments, do we thank God for shelter and safety every time we walk through the door? 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:34.000 When we lie down, whether alongside a spouse or in the solitude of your own company, 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:37.279 do we have the boldness to ask God for help? 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:46.860 The question, do we pray, could be rephrased, do we do life with God all throughout the day? 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:54.000 You see, the injustice and the pain and the crooked lines of this world can feel totally overwhelming, 00:14:54.259 --> 00:15:00.779 and Jesus' response was to pray, to pray regularly all throughout the day, to do life with God. 00:15:00.779 --> 00:15:08.779 He needed to constantly return to God for comfort, for refreshment, and for help, and so do we. 00:15:10.199 --> 00:15:13.079 The Bible says that a servant is not above his or her master. 00:15:13.299 --> 00:15:18.980 It's sort of one of those wisdom principles that is true all over the world, no matter what time it is, no matter what culture it is. 00:15:19.439 --> 00:15:24.159 It's always true, and we are certainly not above our master, Jesus. 00:15:24.860 --> 00:15:28.639 We should always be in an attitude of prayer. 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:34.819 That's what it means to live as a Christian with God, is to live your life in an attitude of prayer. 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:41.240 Kind of like the knights in the Middle Ages, who would eat and sleep and work in their armor, 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:46.580 so that they're always ready, always ready, in a moment's notice, to jump to the assistance of someone in need. 00:15:47.539 --> 00:15:48.919 We're always ready to pray. 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:55.759 To begin to pray again should only be to re-engage an ongoing conversation with God. 00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:57.919 Okay, time out. 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:00.759 I'm not sure how all of this sounds to you. 00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:04.559 It might sound somewhat lovely or perhaps wildly unrealistic. 00:16:05.179 --> 00:16:09.819 The idea of praying to God, like Jesus did, all throughout the day. 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:17.100 My own impression, even as I hear my own words, is that I doubt my ability to do this, 00:16:17.100 --> 00:16:22.980 and I have doubts about how effective my own prayers are or will be. 00:16:23.620 --> 00:16:27.500 In other words, the idea of connecting with God is somewhat appealing, 00:16:28.139 --> 00:16:33.340 but when we often ask God for things, it's because we really want them, right? 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:36.180 This is not an exercise in abstract spirituality. 00:16:36.440 --> 00:16:38.560 When we pray, it's about our real lives. 00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:44.119 So when we ask God for things, it's usually because we really, really want them. 00:16:44.239 --> 00:16:48.779 And to ask and to not receive can be so disappointing and so discouraging. 00:16:49.359 --> 00:16:51.359 And sometimes it feels safer not to ask, 00:16:52.119 --> 00:16:56.619 or perhaps to ask quickly and then move on before we feel too much tension. 00:16:57.779 --> 00:17:02.799 If you can relate to me on any bit of that, then this parable is for you. 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:07.139 Because in this story, Jesus reassures us of two things. 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:13.279 One is God's character, and two is God's promise to act in response to our prayers. 00:17:14.639 --> 00:17:17.099 Okay, what kind of God invites people to do life with him, 00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:19.180 to pray regularly all throughout the day? 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:21.220 This is no complex theology. 00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:22.240 It's very simple. 00:17:23.159 --> 00:17:23.899 This is what he wants. 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:27.059 This is simply what God wants. 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:27.940 It's his desire. 00:17:27.940 --> 00:17:35.980 He wants us to participate with him and partner with him in our hourly, daily life. 00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:43.620 A bit like a man who would rather choose the inefficiencies of going fishing with a six-year-old 00:17:43.620 --> 00:17:45.539 rather than do it all himself. 00:17:46.620 --> 00:17:53.420 God would rather partner and participate in life with you than to do it all by himself. 00:17:53.580 --> 00:17:56.080 This is not a commentary on God's capacity. 00:17:56.080 --> 00:17:57.820 God is completely self-sufficient. 00:17:57.940 --> 00:18:01.660 He doesn't need us one little bit, but it is a commentary on God's character, 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:05.759 which is dynamic, relational love. 00:18:06.460 --> 00:18:11.519 He chooses to be with us, and so he invites us to pray. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:12.820 That's his heart. 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:16.400 Okay, not only does this parable reassure us of God's character, 00:18:16.519 --> 00:18:19.620 but also of his promise to act in response to our prayers. 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:21.840 And this is tremendously encouraging because, after all, 00:18:21.840 --> 00:18:25.779 most of us know lots of nice people with very wonderful intentions 00:18:25.779 --> 00:18:28.299 who have absolutely no power to help us at all. 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:30.319 So what good are their wonderful intentions? 00:18:31.019 --> 00:18:31.359 Nothing. 00:18:32.099 --> 00:18:32.619 Not a bit. 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:34.539 Not so with this parable. 00:18:34.980 --> 00:18:40.920 This parable ends with a promise that God will vindicate his people. 00:18:41.180 --> 00:18:43.839 He will bring justice to their broken world. 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:45.259 How? 00:18:45.980 --> 00:18:46.379 When? 00:18:47.699 --> 00:18:49.359 This promise was made a really long time ago. 00:18:49.459 --> 00:18:52.039 What sort of hope could we possibly have right now 00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:56.539 that God will act in response to our prayers? 00:18:57.699 --> 00:18:59.699 After all, we pray for peace, 00:18:59.779 --> 00:19:02.819 and then this week an ISIS sympathizer pulls out an AK-47 00:19:02.819 --> 00:19:04.279 and a razor blade on a French train. 00:19:05.379 --> 00:19:06.419 We pray for justice, 00:19:06.419 --> 00:19:08.740 and then every month thousands of girls are kidnapped 00:19:08.740 --> 00:19:11.200 and forced into a life of degrading slavery. 00:19:12.259 --> 00:19:13.279 We pray for healing, 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:15.500 and still our bodies betray us, 00:19:16.099 --> 00:19:18.059 and still we attend funerals for dear ones. 00:19:19.500 --> 00:19:21.900 We pray for spiritual redemption for our friends 00:19:21.900 --> 00:19:23.359 and our co-workers and our family members, 00:19:23.420 --> 00:19:25.980 and yet they continue to walk away from God. 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:27.880 We pray for our futures, 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:30.759 and then you get demoted or laid off. 00:19:31.539 --> 00:19:34.779 We pray for a husband or for a wife, 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:38.240 and then yet we still end the day in loneliness. 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:40.900 We pray that God will take away temptation, 00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:43.279 and then we still awake each morning, 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:46.380 it seems, to face the same cruel dragons. 00:19:48.019 --> 00:19:48.859 You'll notice here, 00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:50.579 I'm not talking about selfish prayers. 00:19:51.740 --> 00:19:53.079 We're not talking about prayer 00:19:53.079 --> 00:19:54.839 that is against other people 00:19:54.839 --> 00:19:57.000 or contrary to the character of God. 00:19:57.859 --> 00:19:59.019 Jesus makes no promises 00:19:59.019 --> 00:20:01.420 about God answering those sort of prayers. 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:06.620 However, the prayers which are in line with His character, 00:20:06.619 --> 00:20:10.279 the prayers which are an appropriate response 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:12.739 to God's initiating love, 00:20:13.219 --> 00:20:15.759 good prayers for peace, justice, 00:20:16.179 --> 00:20:18.959 healing, redemption, future, security, 00:20:19.479 --> 00:20:20.819 companionship, freedom, 00:20:21.159 --> 00:20:23.599 those, those have a promised answer. 00:20:24.579 --> 00:20:26.819 The good news of the gospel 00:20:26.819 --> 00:20:28.639 is that in Jesus, 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:32.319 God has already begun to answer those prayers, 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:35.319 and this is not some trite, fancy pastor cop-out. 00:20:35.720 --> 00:20:35.859 No. 00:20:36.379 --> 00:20:40.720 This is a very tangible, encouraging reality. 00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:45.500 19th century pastor John Henry Jewett 00:20:45.500 --> 00:20:48.480 once wrote that often when we pray, 00:20:48.879 --> 00:20:50.220 we ask for a fruit, 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:52.319 and the Lord immediately responds 00:20:52.319 --> 00:20:53.599 by planting a seed. 00:20:53.599 --> 00:20:55.639 In this case, 00:20:56.119 --> 00:20:58.199 God has already planted a seed 00:20:58.199 --> 00:20:59.559 that, when fully grown, 00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:02.859 will answer every single good prayer 00:21:02.859 --> 00:21:03.939 that you and I have. 00:21:04.279 --> 00:21:06.480 The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:08.379 marks the beginning of the end 00:21:08.379 --> 00:21:10.959 for all pain and sickness 00:21:10.959 --> 00:21:13.519 and corruption in this world. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:15.619 The resurrection of Jesus from the dead 00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:17.779 is God's stamp of guarantee 00:21:17.779 --> 00:21:20.579 to answer all of your good prayers, 00:21:20.579 --> 00:21:23.099 every single one of them. 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:25.199 Your prayers for peace. 00:21:25.939 --> 00:21:27.859 God says, through Jesus, 00:21:28.259 --> 00:21:32.579 yes, one day peace will cover the earth. 00:21:33.179 --> 00:21:34.199 Your prayers for justice. 00:21:34.679 --> 00:21:37.399 God says, yes, through Jesus, 00:21:38.179 --> 00:21:40.619 there will one day be vindication and justice 00:21:40.619 --> 00:21:43.079 for every single oppressed human being. 00:21:43.639 --> 00:21:44.639 Your prayers for healing. 00:21:45.019 --> 00:21:46.939 God says, through Jesus, yes, 00:21:46.939 --> 00:21:50.679 all of your bodies will one day be made whole. 00:21:51.959 --> 00:21:53.539 Your prayers for companionship. 00:21:54.159 --> 00:21:56.359 God says, through Jesus, yes, 00:21:56.599 --> 00:21:59.099 in my country, you will never be lonely. 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:01.740 Your prayers for temptation, 00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:04.539 to just leave you alone. 00:22:05.179 --> 00:22:07.319 God says, through Jesus, yes, 00:22:07.519 --> 00:22:09.519 the day is rapidly approaching 00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:11.899 when the stress and strain of temptation 00:22:11.899 --> 00:22:12.539 will be gone, 00:22:13.159 --> 00:22:15.579 and in its place will be contentment 00:22:15.579 --> 00:22:16.819 and satisfaction. 00:22:16.819 --> 00:22:19.980 And you and I live and pray 00:22:19.980 --> 00:22:21.439 in the in-between, 00:22:22.099 --> 00:22:23.839 in the tension in between 00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:25.599 the seed that God has planted 00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:27.059 and the good fruit 00:22:27.059 --> 00:22:29.359 that will one day heal us 00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:30.059 and the whole world. 00:22:30.139 --> 00:22:31.439 And we've got to remember this 00:22:31.439 --> 00:22:32.139 when we pray, 00:22:32.359 --> 00:22:33.799 because otherwise it becomes so easy 00:22:33.799 --> 00:22:34.559 to get discouraged. 00:22:35.559 --> 00:22:37.220 This is what gets us through life. 00:22:37.319 --> 00:22:38.799 This is what makes it possible 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:40.819 to actually keep praying, 00:22:40.819 --> 00:22:44.279 praying even when you are not sure 00:22:44.279 --> 00:22:45.639 what is going to happen. 00:22:46.759 --> 00:22:49.399 Knowing that so long as our prayers 00:22:49.399 --> 00:22:51.279 are spoken or thought 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:53.899 in response to God's initiating love 00:22:53.899 --> 00:22:56.500 and in line with God's character, 00:22:57.339 --> 00:22:58.859 then the answer from God 00:22:58.859 --> 00:23:01.000 is a resounding yes. 00:23:02.179 --> 00:23:03.279 Just by way of illustration, 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:04.460 I have a friend who, 00:23:05.240 --> 00:23:06.099 as a child, 00:23:06.740 --> 00:23:09.099 suffered the amputation 00:23:09.099 --> 00:23:10.839 of a limb from cancer. 00:23:11.619 --> 00:23:13.240 And he told me that for him, 00:23:14.099 --> 00:23:15.639 the key to persevering 00:23:15.639 --> 00:23:17.599 through the pain of his treatments 00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:19.960 was knowing how long 00:23:19.960 --> 00:23:21.160 that pain was going to last. 00:23:21.240 --> 00:23:22.500 And so before he underwent a treatment, 00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:23.440 he would ask the doctor, 00:23:23.639 --> 00:23:24.700 how long is this going to be? 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:26.019 And the doctor would tell him, 00:23:26.099 --> 00:23:27.059 and knowing that there was 00:23:27.059 --> 00:23:28.539 an end point in sight 00:23:28.539 --> 00:23:30.180 that helped him get through, 00:23:31.119 --> 00:23:32.599 he told me that he could endure 00:23:32.599 --> 00:23:33.480 any amount of pain 00:23:33.480 --> 00:23:34.539 as long as he knew 00:23:34.539 --> 00:23:35.519 that there was going to be 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:36.299 an end to it. 00:23:36.859 --> 00:23:39.019 That knowledge allowed him 00:23:39.019 --> 00:23:40.099 to continue to hope 00:23:40.099 --> 00:23:41.559 and to never give up. 00:23:42.639 --> 00:23:45.099 We know that an answer 00:23:45.099 --> 00:23:46.859 to our good prayers is coming. 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:48.299 It's on the way. 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:50.139 And this gives us what it takes 00:23:50.139 --> 00:23:52.279 to persevere and to keep praying 00:23:52.279 --> 00:23:53.399 without giving up. 00:23:55.079 --> 00:23:55.459 Okay. 00:23:56.179 --> 00:23:56.899 At this point, 00:23:56.959 --> 00:23:57.319 I think it would be 00:23:57.319 --> 00:23:58.779 rather disingenuous of me 00:23:58.779 --> 00:24:00.079 to just carry on 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:01.119 with a lot of enthusiasm 00:24:01.119 --> 00:24:03.299 and not acknowledge the fact 00:24:03.299 --> 00:24:05.119 that waiting 00:24:05.119 --> 00:24:07.639 can be absolutely agonizing. 00:24:08.539 --> 00:24:09.639 This is the hardest part. 00:24:10.500 --> 00:24:11.379 And this is where it becomes 00:24:11.379 --> 00:24:12.199 so crucial, 00:24:12.619 --> 00:24:13.219 so essential 00:24:13.219 --> 00:24:14.919 to live life 00:24:14.919 --> 00:24:15.979 with God. 00:24:16.959 --> 00:24:17.859 Because sometimes God 00:24:17.859 --> 00:24:18.959 chooses to answer our prayers 00:24:18.959 --> 00:24:20.399 sooner rather than later. 00:24:20.739 --> 00:24:20.899 I mean, 00:24:21.419 --> 00:24:22.000 prayers for healing 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:22.939 are sometimes answered 00:24:22.939 --> 00:24:24.639 quickly and miraculously. 00:24:25.079 --> 00:24:25.579 It's incredible. 00:24:25.859 --> 00:24:26.679 Sometimes God answers 00:24:26.679 --> 00:24:27.579 our prayers for justice 00:24:27.579 --> 00:24:30.039 in astoundingly dramatic ways. 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:32.019 The innocent are rescued 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:33.559 and restored to freedom. 00:24:34.059 --> 00:24:35.139 And these moments, 00:24:35.559 --> 00:24:36.599 these answered prayers 00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:37.559 in the here and now, 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:38.799 they are a foretaste. 00:24:39.240 --> 00:24:40.199 They're an appetizer. 00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:41.559 And they're good. 00:24:41.879 --> 00:24:43.339 And we should keep praying for them 00:24:43.339 --> 00:24:44.279 because they're good. 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:46.679 But when the answer from God 00:24:46.679 --> 00:24:47.480 seems to be, 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:48.779 no, not yet, 00:24:49.779 --> 00:24:51.699 then we cultivate perseverance. 00:24:51.700 --> 00:24:52.779 Remember, 00:24:54.140 --> 00:24:55.019 when Jesus prayed, 00:24:55.160 --> 00:24:55.779 the answer was 00:24:55.779 --> 00:24:57.819 not always an immediate yes. 00:24:58.360 --> 00:24:58.799 Oftentimes, 00:24:59.140 --> 00:25:00.480 even when Jesus prayed, 00:25:00.779 --> 00:25:02.600 the answer from God the Father 00:25:02.600 --> 00:25:03.019 was, 00:25:03.539 --> 00:25:03.720 no, 00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:04.600 not yet. 00:25:05.620 --> 00:25:06.140 And yet, 00:25:06.660 --> 00:25:07.799 Jesus continued to pray. 00:25:08.460 --> 00:25:10.299 He continued to do life with God. 00:25:11.480 --> 00:25:11.700 Okay, 00:25:12.200 --> 00:25:12.920 before we conclude, 00:25:13.420 --> 00:25:14.240 let's review where we've been. 00:25:15.340 --> 00:25:16.580 All Christian prayer, 00:25:17.059 --> 00:25:18.039 every single bit of it, 00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:19.240 is a response 00:25:19.240 --> 00:25:21.319 to God's initiating move 00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:22.379 towards us. 00:25:22.819 --> 00:25:23.659 In this parable, 00:25:24.220 --> 00:25:25.579 the parable of the persistent widow 00:25:25.579 --> 00:25:26.599 and the unjust judge, 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:28.200 Jesus encourages us 00:25:28.200 --> 00:25:29.259 to always pray 00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:30.619 and to never give up 00:25:30.619 --> 00:25:31.179 because 00:25:31.179 --> 00:25:32.619 that's what it means 00:25:32.619 --> 00:25:33.460 to live life 00:25:33.460 --> 00:25:34.559 with God. 00:25:34.980 --> 00:25:35.779 And it's what he did. 00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:37.399 He tells us 00:25:37.399 --> 00:25:38.200 that this story 00:25:38.200 --> 00:25:39.740 should remind us 00:25:39.740 --> 00:25:40.700 what God's character 00:25:40.700 --> 00:25:41.399 is like 00:25:41.399 --> 00:25:42.839 so that we'll remember 00:25:42.839 --> 00:25:43.819 that life with God 00:25:43.819 --> 00:25:44.519 is a good thing 00:25:44.519 --> 00:25:45.419 and the pain 00:25:45.419 --> 00:25:46.019 and corruption 00:25:46.019 --> 00:25:46.619 of this world 00:25:46.619 --> 00:25:48.619 need not discourage us 00:25:48.619 --> 00:25:49.879 nor keep us from praying. 00:25:49.880 --> 00:25:52.060 Jesus calls us 00:25:52.060 --> 00:25:52.800 to persevere 00:25:52.800 --> 00:25:53.840 in our life with God 00:25:53.840 --> 00:25:54.880 through prayer. 00:25:55.400 --> 00:25:55.940 And we can. 00:25:56.260 --> 00:25:57.340 It's actually possible 00:25:57.340 --> 00:25:57.900 because 00:25:57.900 --> 00:25:59.460 we can look forward 00:25:59.460 --> 00:26:00.040 to the day 00:26:00.040 --> 00:26:01.220 when the answer 00:26:01.220 --> 00:26:02.420 to every single one 00:26:02.420 --> 00:26:03.240 of our good prayers 00:26:03.240 --> 00:26:04.460 is a yes 00:26:04.460 --> 00:26:05.380 from God 00:26:05.380 --> 00:26:06.660 and it keeps us going. 00:26:08.560 --> 00:26:08.800 Okay, 00:26:08.840 --> 00:26:09.180 let's go back 00:26:09.180 --> 00:26:09.680 to that pond 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:10.900 on a hot, 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:11.260 muggy, 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:12.440 sweaty August day. 00:26:13.700 --> 00:26:14.160 You know, 00:26:14.180 --> 00:26:15.140 my grandfather and I 00:26:15.140 --> 00:26:16.480 were laughing this summer 00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:18.480 about that fishing trip. 00:26:18.660 --> 00:26:19.099 It took place 00:26:19.099 --> 00:26:20.079 over 25 years ago 00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:21.360 and he was giving me 00:26:21.360 --> 00:26:21.740 a little bit 00:26:21.740 --> 00:26:22.620 of good natured teasing 00:26:22.620 --> 00:26:23.339 because now 00:26:23.339 --> 00:26:24.759 I have two daughters 00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:26.440 and I take them fishing 00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:28.140 and just like me, 00:26:28.839 --> 00:26:29.819 they want to run ahead 00:26:29.819 --> 00:26:31.039 and they want to do it 00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:31.620 all by themselves 00:26:31.620 --> 00:26:32.860 and I have to call them back 00:26:32.860 --> 00:26:33.799 and say, 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:34.259 no, no, no, 00:26:34.299 --> 00:26:35.400 I really want to do this 00:26:35.400 --> 00:26:36.240 with you. 00:26:37.240 --> 00:26:37.519 Then, 00:26:37.940 --> 00:26:38.839 when fishing requires 00:26:38.839 --> 00:26:39.460 more patience 00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:40.240 than their young minds 00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:40.720 can tolerate, 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:41.819 they want to give up 00:26:41.819 --> 00:26:42.539 and they want to go play 00:26:42.539 --> 00:26:43.299 and do something else 00:26:43.299 --> 00:26:43.659 and again, 00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:44.319 I call them back 00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:44.700 and say, 00:26:45.019 --> 00:26:45.379 no, come here, 00:26:45.779 --> 00:26:46.619 I want to do this 00:26:46.619 --> 00:26:47.019 with you. 00:26:47.919 --> 00:26:48.779 I don't need their help 00:26:48.779 --> 00:26:50.159 any more than my grandfather 00:26:50.159 --> 00:26:50.859 needed mine 00:26:50.859 --> 00:26:52.619 but I want it 00:26:52.619 --> 00:26:54.539 and so did he 00:26:54.539 --> 00:26:56.299 and so does God. 00:26:58.379 --> 00:26:59.639 God reaches out to us 00:26:59.639 --> 00:27:00.879 and he invites us 00:27:00.879 --> 00:27:02.240 to do life with him 00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:03.480 and the touch point 00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:05.039 for doing life with God 00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:05.779 is prayer. 00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:07.579 This parable gives us 00:27:07.579 --> 00:27:08.119 the encouragement 00:27:08.119 --> 00:27:09.200 we need to keep praying, 00:27:09.460 --> 00:27:11.720 to keep doing life with God. 00:27:13.299 --> 00:27:14.099 So let's close 00:27:14.099 --> 00:27:15.119 by having another touch point. 00:27:16.759 --> 00:27:17.680 Let's re-engage 00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:19.059 the conversation with God. 00:27:19.159 --> 00:27:20.480 If perhaps you've drifted 00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:21.299 away from him 00:27:21.299 --> 00:27:22.579 recently 00:27:22.579 --> 00:27:23.899 and stopped praying, 00:27:24.779 --> 00:27:25.899 then he beckons you back. 00:27:26.779 --> 00:27:27.440 Keep praying. 00:27:28.059 --> 00:27:28.799 Don't give up. 00:27:29.559 --> 00:27:30.720 Keep doing life with me. 00:27:31.700 --> 00:27:32.899 Let's keep doing life with him. 00:27:33.579 --> 00:27:33.980 Let's pray. 00:27:33.980 --> 00:27:34.000 Let's pray. 00:27:39.480 --> 00:27:41.200 God, thank you for initiating 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:43.420 when we were not looking for you. 00:27:44.420 --> 00:27:46.259 Thank you for reaching out to us 00:27:46.259 --> 00:27:48.340 before we even thought 00:27:48.340 --> 00:27:49.819 to reach out to you. 00:27:51.160 --> 00:27:53.059 Thank you for partnering with us 00:27:53.059 --> 00:27:54.900 and inviting us to participate 00:27:54.900 --> 00:27:57.000 in what you are doing in the world 00:27:57.000 --> 00:27:58.860 even though you don't need our help. 00:27:59.620 --> 00:28:01.319 Thank you for wanting us. 00:28:01.319 --> 00:28:05.240 And thank you for wanting us 00:28:05.240 --> 00:28:06.539 hour to hour, 00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:07.419 day to day, 00:28:07.500 --> 00:28:08.619 all throughout our lives. 00:28:09.939 --> 00:28:10.599 May we 00:28:10.599 --> 00:28:12.220 please 00:28:12.220 --> 00:28:13.659 keep praying 00:28:13.659 --> 00:28:15.700 and thus 00:28:15.700 --> 00:28:17.119 keep doing life with you. 00:28:17.939 --> 00:28:18.899 In the name of Jesus. 00:28:19.139 --> 00:28:19.319 Amen. 00:28:19.319 --> 00:28:19.419 Amen. 00:28:19.419 --> 00:28:19.460 Amen. 00:28:19.460 --> 00:28:19.500 Amen. 00:28:19.500 --> 00:28:19.539 Amen. 00:28:19.539 --> 00:28:19.559 Amen. 00:28:19.559 --> 00:28:19.619 Amen. 00:28:19.619 --> 00:28:21.539 Amen. 00:28:21.539 --> 00:28:21.559 Amen. 00:28:21.559 --> 00:28:23.500 Amen. 00:28:23.500 --> 00:28:23.579 Amen. 00:28:23.579 --> 00:28:23.619 Amen. 00:28:23.619 --> 00:28:25.539 Amen. 00:28:25.539 --> 00:28:27.539 Amen. 00:28:27.539 --> 00:28:27.619 Amen. 00:28:27.619 --> 00:28:27.639 Amen. 00:28:27.639 --> 00:28:27.679 Amen. 00:28:27.679 --> 00:28:27.700 Amen. 00:28:27.700 --> 00:28:27.720 Amen. 00:28:27.720 --> 00:28:27.740 Amen. 00:28:27.740 --> 00:28:27.759 Amen. 00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:27.779 Amen. 00:28:27.779 --> 00:28:27.799 Amen. 00:28:27.799 --> 00:28:28.299 Amen. 00:28:28.299 --> 00:28:28.319 Amen.