You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
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To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.
Martin Luther.
Though in its beginnings prayer is so simple that the feeble child can pray,
yet it is at the same time the highest and holiest work to which man can rise.
It is the very essence of true religion, the channel of all blessings, the secret of power and life.
Andrew Murray.
What a man is alone on his knees before God, that he is and no more.
Robert Murray McShane.
Wow.
Prayer is kind of important, right?
Maybe you heard that.
Maybe you thought it's supposed to be.
Our church has said that prayer is one of our core commitments.
It's one of those handful of things that we have said must shape how we do everything that we do.
We recognize our deep dependence and need for prayer.
As our session has talked about these core commitments, the things we want to increasingly define us,
one of the things we've acknowledged also is that this particular one about dependence and prayer
is one that doesn't currently define us nearly as much as we wish it did.
I know it's a struggle for the pastor.
I'm so much like Martha from last week's sermon, the story of Mary and Martha.
I so quickly find my significance in things that I do, how much I'm able to accomplish what other people can see.
And so prayer can feel inefficient, unimpressive, and therefore secondary a lot of times.
We all live in a fast-paced, achievement-oriented culture where slowing down to talk with God is not often rewarded.
Independence is praised more than dependence, right?
So as we come to a place in God's Word in our study through Luke, where Jesus teaches us about prayer,
we decided just to slow down for a few weeks, to talk about this together.
We'll ask as His disciples ask Him here in this passage,
Lord, teach us to pray.
I've been studying these past few weeks, and I'm more and more convinced that I'm learning right along with you,
over and over.
You're probably going to notice that this morning in the unusually high number of other people that I quote,
which could get a little bit annoying for you.
But it's so good, y'all.
The things that God's been teaching me over the last few months about a relationship with Him in prayer,
I'm so eager to be able to share some of that with you as He continues teaching me.
I'm really looking forward to how Jesus will teach us and transform us through this.
So let's read this familiar passage and then ask for His help.
Luke 11 at verse 1.
This is God's Word.
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished,
one of His disciples said to Him,
Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.
And He said to them,
When you pray, say,
Father,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.
The grass withers,
the flowers fade,
these words of our God will stand forever.
Let's ask for His help as we look to them.
Jesus, teach me to pray.
Teach them to pray.
Teach us to pray.
We ask it in Your name.
Amen.
Notice briefly before we look at the famous words of the Lord's Prayer
that we've prayed already this morning,
that Jesus Himself is praying yet again
as we turn the page to chapter 11.
And it's actually His activity of praying
that prompts His disciples' request, isn't it?
Now, think about that request for a minute.
Lord, teach us to pray.
Why teach us to pray?
Why not teach us to preach
the way You do so incredibly well, Jesus?
Teach us to perform miraculous signs and wonders
as You do,
and healing and other things.
Teach us to lead so powerfully as You do, Jesus.
Why teach us to pray?
I think Jesus' disciples must have seen
how vital prayer was to who Jesus was.
They've been around Him.
They've seen what drives Him.
They've seen what fuels everything that He does.
And Jesus praying is so often connected
in the Gospel of Luke with His great deeds,
with the things that He does.
He's constantly praying as He goes into them.
And the disciples have watched that.
And they come to Him with a request,
not for information on prayer,
but rather, Lord, teach us to pray.
Jesus gets that request.
Where's He gonna go with that?
Where will He take them to start?
He loves prayer, right?
He does it all the time.
What's He gonna tell someone first?
When to pray?
Where to go to pray?
No.
Jesus starts with the identity
of the person you're talking with in prayer.
My favorite book on prayer,
which is available in the guest center this morning,
if you want a copy,
is this one,
A Praying Life by Paul Miller.
It's a really helpful book.
It's rich theologically and biblically.
It's also very practical
and gives you tips on how to develop
a relationship with God
where prayer is a natural part of life.
But in this book,
Miller reminds us
that fixing your prayer life
is not something that you do
by focusing on prayer itself,
but rather by focusing on the God
to whom you pray.
He gives this analogy
I've shared with you before
that focusing on prayer
is like driving
and looking at the windshield
rather than looking through the windshield
to the road
and the people where you are driving.
Trying to address prayer
by focusing on prayer
is like driving
while staring only at the windshield.
You're never going to get anywhere.
What will motivate us,
what will help our lives of prayer
is knowing and trusting
the person to whom we pray.
That's so important to think about it
in any conversation that you have.
Who you're talking to
is directly connected
to what you're willing to share with them,
what things you might ask of them.
You have to know who they are.
While prayer is in many ways
hard for all of us,
in one sense,
nearly everyone prays.
In the general sense
of speaking to someone
or something beyond yourself,
all sorts of people pray.
Perhaps you have prayed
at some point in your life
or heard someone else pray
to the great being
or to God if you're even there
or can anyone help me.
Certainly to gods of other religions
different from the God of the Bible
and Christianity.
Well, certainly then the content
and the effectiveness of your prayer
hinges on who is hearing your prayer, right?
Who's hearing those words
when you throw them out there?
Who will respond?
And so when Jesus teaches us to pray,
He begins with the identity
of the one we're addressing.
And He says,
when you pray,
say,
Father.
We're actually going to stop
at this word for today.
I promise we'll move faster next week
beyond the word who.
But you really could stop
at the word Father.
And the rest of the prayer
would fall out
if we stop and contemplate
what it means to be coming to God
and saying,
Father.
Did you know in the Old Testament,
no one ever addressed God as Father?
Father.
God is described there
as a Father,
but no one
would ever address Him
with such a comfortable,
familiar, affectionate term.
No Jew would ever speak
to God that way
except Jesus.
And you turn to the Gospels
and here is Jesus
walking into a context
where you don't call God Father
in every single prayer
in the Gospels
with only one exception.
on the lips of Jesus
calls God Father.
So the disciples have watched Him
and heard Him pray this way.
Undoubtedly,
they've heard
and they've wondered,
what's He doing?
That's not what you say.
But they know
that this is how Jesus,
the one they're beginning to know
is the one and only
Son of God
always begins.
He can do it
and nobody else can.
He says Father.
And now Jesus turns
to His disciples
and says,
you call my Father
your Father.
You call God
the same thing
Jesus does.
You come to Him
in the same way
as you pray.
R.C. Sproul marvels
at what he calls
the unspeakable privilege
privilege of addressing God
in the same terms
of filial familiarity
that Jesus Himself used.
Abba.
Father.
There's so much
wrapped up in that one word.
Relating with God
as our Father
is the essence
of a life of prayer.
It goes beyond
just saying a word.
It's a relationship
where we relate to God
as one who is indeed
our Father
and that's what
a life of prayer
is all about.
Let me unpack
what Jesus' disciples
would be hearing there
just a little bit
and then we'll actually
practice letting this
guide us
and guide our hearts
into prayer.
Two things this morning
that Jesus is teaching us
about praying
in terms of God
being our Father.
and the first is
that God our Father
adopts us
into His family.
That's not just
the heart of prayer.
That's really
the heart of Christianity
if you were wondering
about that this morning.
We talk about Christianity
don't we
as a personal relationship
with God.
We're very prone
to saying that
or hearing that
in the South.
That's not unusual
for you to hear about
having a personal relationship
with God
but I think often
we say that
may not have any idea
what we mean.
What do you mean
a personal relationship
like do you all
even communicate?
Yes.
Yes we should.
Praying to our Father
is at the heart
of having a relationship
with Him.
J.I. Packer
famously wrote
that if you want
to judge
how well a person
understands Christianity
find out how much
He makes
of the thought
of being God's child
and having God
as His Father.
Because see
the family of God
has how many sons?
One.
The family of God
had one son.
The only begotten
Son of God
Jesus Christ.
So for God
to be my Father
He has to adopt me.
He has to bring me
into His family.
And the Jews
know immediately
what that takes.
They're familiar
with this.
Because in the Old Testament
God is called
the Father
of the whole nation
of Israel.
It's referred to
as God's Son.
He is the Father.
And they know
that the context
of that relationship
being discussed
that way
began
when God
calls them
out of slavery
in Egypt
in the Exodus
to freedom
to worship Him
and leads them out
delivers them.
That's what it meant
for God
to be their Father.
When Jesus
tells His disciples
to call God
Father
they hear
that He is
their deliverer.
That the slaves
are called
to be sons
as Peter read
from Romans 8
earlier.
Jesus has come
for a new Exodus
hasn't He?
to set the captives
free
to make slaves
into sons
and if that's
going to happen
that requires
complete forgiveness
because this is
a holy family
the one of which
God
the holy God
is the Father.
To have Jesus
as your brother
and the holy God
as your Father
you must be delivered
from your slavery
to sin
and given a perfect
record of a son
and that's exactly
what Jesus
has come to do
right?
That's why He
can tell us this.
Jesus says
you can call God
Father
because you're
following me
trusting me
and I'm headed
to a cross
to purchase
forgiveness
from all your sins
and in their place
to give you
my perfect
righteousness
so the Holy Father
can welcome you
into His family.
See there's
nothing you can do
you can't
clean yourself up
enough
to call God
Father
but Jesus can
and does
and so
tells you
to call God
Father.
I read this week
the story of
Stan
and Laurie
Helm
you don't know
them but
they many years ago
adopted
a son
Nicholas
when they went
to get him
he was living
as an infant
in a squalid
orphanage
in Russia.
The day they
picked him up
Nicholas was
covered in
scabies
blisters on
his hands
and his feet
and his mouth
and covered
in the stench
of his own
excrement
and that's
when they see
their son.
Stan said this
I looked at
him in all
his distress
I just
wanted to
hold him
to comfort
him
to heal
him
but more
than anything
else I
wanted Nicholas
to know
just how much
Laurie and I
love him.
What a great
picture of the
heart of our
Father
who sees
the filth
of our sin
and yet instead
of being driven
away desires
to heal us
and let us
know how much
he loves us.
Someone said
to Stan once
years later
wow with you
and Laurie
Nicholas just
won the lottery
of adoption
and Stan said
no
no you're wrong
we are the
lucky ones
we won
the lottery
here
no one in the
world could be
happier than we
are to have
Nicholas as
our son.
Can you imagine
that?
Can you imagine
that that's how
God feels
about sinful
broken
bleeding
you?
Could your
Father love
you like that?
He is not
ashamed to be
called our
God
He's our
Father who
delivers us
and delights
in us
because the
love of God
is a perfect
love
He's everything
a father is
supposed to
be
and that
many fathers
often aren't
He's perfect
always
present
tender
strong
bringing
security
reassuring
guiding
He loves
to care
for His
children
That's why
Andrew Murray
urges us
to pray
in our
lowest
darkest
most
pathetic
moments
He says
just because
your heart
is cold
and prayerless
get you
into the
presence
of the
loving
Father
as a
father
pitieth
his
children
so the
Lord
pitieth
you
do not
be thinking
of how
little
you have
to bring
to God
but of
how much
He wants
to give
you
think of
His love
His wonderful
tender
pitying
love
just tell
Him how
sinful
and cold
and dark
all is
it is the
Father's
loving heart
will give
light
and warmth
to yours
look up
and say
my
Father
that's
what it
means
to have
a
Father
that even
when you
have
nothing
to offer
Him
He's
already
planning
to care
for you
when there's
little
to give
and you
know you
have nothing
to bring
He's
waiting
to give
to you
when you've
blown it
and life
is falling
apart
when you're
sleepless
in the
middle of
the night
when your
closest
friends
have
hurt you
deeply
you can
call out
to the
Heavenly
Father
and be
confident
that He
loves you
and forgives
you
because of
Jesus
but many of
you have
heard those
things before
and sometimes
you don't
feel lovable
like that
right
when life
hits hard
a lot of
times
we feel
more
orphaned
than we
do
beloved
I feel
fearful
alone
weak
unwanted
how could
anyone
possibly
care
perhaps
even for
many of
you feel
cynical
that God
would hear
at all
or would
care
if He
did
and it's
actually
especially
in those
moments
when we
feel emotions
like this
that we
need
to pray
Father
Martin Luther
says
in prayer
we wage
a mighty
warfare
in prayer
we wrestle
against the
anxiety
and unworthiness
we feel
within us
do you fight
that battle
with anxiety
and unworthiness
I mean
not sure
do you
have a
father
who listens
and cares
what we
need to
remember
in that
battle
is that
because
He has
adopted
us
into
His
family
God
our
Father
always
invites
us
into
His
presence
you may
have seen
this
iconic
photograph
of
John
F
Kennedy
Jr
underneath
the desk
of his
dad
in the
Oval
office
peering
out
from
the
neat
little
door
there
in
the
desk
it's
a
famous
photo
of course
because
of
how
remarkable
it is
that
someone
would
be
there
in
that
place
where
no
one
goes
in
that
office
right
it's
reported
that
John
Kennedy
Jr.
would
come
running
into
the
office
in
the
middle
of
all
sorts
of
important
meetings
and
jump
right
into
his
dad's
lap
and
start
talking
gets
in
there
because
he's
his
son
because
he
was
not
at
work
but
at
home
he
had
full
access
full
access
to
the
father
Tim
Keller
says
just
like
the
only
person
who
dares
wake
up
a
king
at
3
a.m.
for
a
glass
of
water
it's
his
child
that's
what
we
are
so
that
as
Galatians
4
says
we
have
the
full
rights
of
sons
we're
not
just
partially
included
like
because
he
has
to
the
full
rights
of
sons
full
access
to
the
father
who
welcomes
us
into
the
throne
room
of
heaven
walking
straight
into
his
presence
all
the
time
never
doubt
that
you're
welcome
there
at
the
throne
of
the
king
of
heaven
you can
run
in
and jump
in
his
lap
anytime
because
you're
his
child
if
you can
imagine
it
actually
gets
better
than
that
it
actually
gets
better
than
just
you
can
come
in
anytime
he
doesn't
just
accept
us
into
his
presence
he
actually
invites
us
in
and
wants
us
there
and
I
gotta
confess
to
you
this
is
where
I
really
struggle
to
believe
this
and
feel
this
because
when
I'm
struggling
with
prayer
it's
not
usually
that
I
think
if
I
went
and
prayed
God
would
ignore
me
or
he
just
tuned
me
out
and
nobody
would
listen
it's
just
that
I'm
not
always
convinced
that
it's
all
that
important
to
him
so
if
it's
not
a
big
deal
to
me
if
I
don't
really
need
to
pray
or
if
I
don't
really
have
time
exactly
today
then
no
big
deal
to
him
I
don't
need
it
carry
on
and
then
I
think
of
how
my
parents
always
seem
to
answer
the
phone
when
I
call
they
may
be
in
a
meeting
or
at
lunch
with
friends
or
on
vacation
and
they
answer
and
there
are
other
people
talk
I'm
afraid
one
day
they're
going
to
answer
at
a
wedding
or
in
the
middle
of
a
classical
music
concert
or
something
to
talk
with
me
I
think
of
how
I
drove
home
from
work
a
little
faster
this
Wednesday
because
I
was
so
eager
to
hear
about
the
first
day
of
school
and
I
wanted
each
of
my
girls
to
come
up
on
my
lap
and
just
talk
and
talk
and
talk
until
they
couldn't
think
of
anything
else
to
tell
me
about
what
happened
at
the
first
day
of
school
think
of
how
you
respond
when
your
pregnant
daughter
calls
to
give
you
an
update
on
your
grandchild
or
how
you
rush
into
the
crying
child
in
the
middle
of
the
night
eager
to
know
what's
going
on
these
are
images
of
your
heavenly
father's
eagerness
to
hear
from
you
to
hear
your
heart
let me
give you
one more
image
of
that
think
of
Jesus
praying
in
the
garden
of
Gethsemane
sweating
drops
of
blood
in
his
anguish
and
as
he
struggles
and
bows
he
cries
out
father
Abba
what
do you
think
his
father
feels
do you
think
God
was
eager
to
hear
from
his
son
in
that
moment
he
hears
the
same
word
out
of
your
mouth
father
you
get
to
cry
out
exactly
what
Jesus
did
in
that
moment
no
line
more
special
or
quicker
access
than
the
one
you
have
you
call
Jesus
his
father
your
father
and
he's
on
the
edge
of
his
seat
to
hear
from
you
amazing
Thomas
Watson
writes
were
a
man
to
petition
his
enemy
there
were
little
hope
but
when
a
child
petitions
his
father
he
may
hope
with
confidence
to
succeed
the
word
father
works
upon
God
it
touches
his
very
bowels
the
word
father
on
the
lips
of
Jesus
the
word
father
on
your
lips
the
depths
of
his
heart
wants
to
hear
from
you
because
God
is our
father
J.I.
Packer
says
he is
always
more
ready
to
hear
than
we
are
to
pray
and
he
loves
to
give
more
than
we
either
desire
or
deserve
he
delights
in
that
that's
the
God
the
father
that
we
pray
to
what
an
incredible
privilege
full
access
to
the
throne
room
where
he
leans
forward
on
the
edge
of
his
seat
eager
to
hear
the
cries
of
our
hearts
John
Calvin
says
contemplating
God
as our
father
should
impact
our
hearts
too
not
just
God's
heart
the
heart
of
a
father
but
ours
as
his
children
by the
great
sweetness
of the
name
father
he
frees
us
from
all
distrust
Calvin
says
Andrew
Murray
adds
in
the
infinite
tenderness
and pity
and patience
of the
infinite
father
that's a lot
of infinite
in his
loving
readiness
to hear
and to
help
which will
never
run out
the life
of prayer
has its
joy
this
is
what
is
to
delight
us
when
Jesus
starts
our
lesson
in
prayer
by
telling
us
to
call
God
father
he's
directing
us
to
consider
this
incredible
relationship
that we
have
with
God
a
relationship
we have
only
because
we're
united
to
his
son
by
faith
we
enter
into
the
throne
room
with
confidence
because
of his
complete
forgiveness
and his
perfect
love
you can
come to
your
father
today
with
full
access
because
of
Jesus
and
know
that
your
heavenly
father
is
eager
to
hear
from
you
that's
the
one
to
whom
we
pray
Jesus
says
each
week
of this
series
on the
Lord's
prayer
we're
going
to
stop
and
take
some
time
to
practice
what
Jesus
is
teaching
us
give
me
a
chance
to
make
you
feel
awkward
we're
not
just
learning
things
about
prayer
right
we're
asking
that
Jesus
would
teach
us
to
pray
I'll
try
to
give
us
questions
to
consider
each
time
in
light
of
how
Jesus
is
directing
our
hearts
in
prayer
which
he's
begun
today
with
one
word
and
is
going
to
keep
explaining
in
the
weeks
ahead
today
when
Jesus
says
father
when
he's
inviting
you
to
come
and
begin
your
prayer
as
father
what
are
things
we
could
consider
questions
we
could
ask
ourselves
to
prepare
our
hearts
and lead
us
into
prayer
we need
to slow
down
and consider
what
what is
my
relationship
with
God
what does
it mean
that he's
my father
we should
meditate
on
how is
it
that I
have
this
relationship
how is
that even
possible
then
finally
ask
yourself
how does
that
reality
impact
how I
pray
how I'm
about to
pray
now
if I've
set
aside
some
time
how I
live
through
this
day
and
relationship
with
him
will
I
pray
again
before
this
time
tomorrow
I'm
going to
guide us
through
a season
of
prayer
considering
these
three
questions
for each
one I'm
going to
have us
read
together
out
loud
a passage
of
scripture
on the
screen
that will
direct us
into
prayer
in these
areas
then we're
going to
take some
time
privately
silently
to
contemplate
that
and to
pray
to our
father
and then
after
each
section
I'll
close
us
in
prayer
join
me
as we
read
1 John
chapter
3
at
verse
1
what's
our
relationship
with
God
let's
read
together
see
what
great
love
the
father
has
lavished
on
us
that
we
should
be
called
children
of
God
and
that
is
what
we
are
take
a moment
silently
to
contemplate
that
and pray
to your
father
spent
year
or
얼
Invest
around
Jeff
him
son
a
dog
been
a
son
minutes
that
S
Father, we marvel at the privilege,
the wonderful reality that we call you Father.
You who are rich in every way,
perfectly loving, always forgiving,
full of compassion and tenderness.
You have made us your children.
We're reminded that even though we fail as parents,
even though a human parent may forget her child,
yet you will not forget us.
You've engraved our names in the palm of your hand.
We're precious to you.
So Father, I'm a child of the King,
a recipient of a love I can't even comprehend,
an heir of glory today and forever.
Thank you.
Amen.
How do we come into that kind of relationship?
We know what Jesus has done for us.
Galatians 4 reminds us of that.
Join me as we read.
Amen.
But when the fullness of time had come,
God sent forth His Son,
born of woman,
born under the law,
to redeem those who were under the law
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
And because you are sons,
God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts,
crying,
Abba, Father.
So you are no longer a slave,
but a son.
And if a son,
then an heir through God.
Spend a minute praying.
Amen.
The lengths
that You've gone to
to make us
Your own astonish us.
To make those of us
who are in no way worthy
of Your love,
who've often chased after
other pleasures,
who don't deserve
a Father like You.
You sent the One who did,
who was deserving,
Your own perfect,
worthy,
beloved Son
for us.
Remind us of how precious we are to you.
Jesus, we praise you for your perfect life,
for your atoning death.
We thank you for your sacrifice to wash us clean,
to clothe us in your royal robes,
to usher us into the family table
and seat us in front of the King forever.
Thank you, Jesus.
Amen.
These are realities that as we begin to contemplate them
ought to change the way we talk to our Father,
the way we enter into prayer.
And God's Word directs us in that
for what it can look like in our lives.
Hebrews chapter 4, let's read this together.
Since then we have a great high priest
who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God.
Let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who in every respect
has been tempted as we are,
yet without sin.
Let us then with confidence
draw near to the throne of grace
that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help
in time of need.
Come boldly to the throne now.
Amen.
Father, in the silence we hear some of the cries of your children
and we delight in them as you do.
You love to hear your children.
And it seems so easy and obvious that we would come to you often
to find mercy and grace in time of need.
And we know the needs in this room alone are many.
The needs of my heart alone are many.
And yet, Father, I confess my heart's slow to learn,
slow to approach the throne of grace and admit that need
and plead for your help.
So, Father, thank you for the amazing gift that I never stand before you alone,
that I have no need to fear entering your presence in any moment
because through the blood of Jesus you've welcomed me in
and you delight to hear from me.
Father, might I come boldly and expectantly before such a gracious God.
Would we have such a vision of you this morning
that there's nowhere we'd rather run than to talk with you?
Might I come often into your presence to cry out in grief,
to rejoice in your provision, to plead for those I love,
to cling to the promises of your word.
Lord, teach me, Jesus, to pray like this.
We ask in your name. Amen.
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