Teachings of Jesus (Part 34) On Prayer by Ben Fronczek

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Teachings of Jesus (Part 34) On Prayer 

A young man went into a drugstore to buy 3 boxes of chocolate: …… small, medium, and large. When the pharmacist asked him about the three boxes, he said, “Well, I am going over to my new girlfriend’s house tonight for supper. Then we are going out for the evening.

If she only lets me hold her hand, then I’ll give her the small box.
If she lets me kiss her on the cheek, …..then I’ll give her the medium box.
But if she really lets me smooch seriously, I’ll give her the large box.”
He made his purchase and left.

That evening as he sat down for dinner with his girlfriend’s family, he asked …. if he could say the prayer before the meal. He began to pray, ….. and he prayed a most earnest, and intense prayer ….. that lasted for almost five minutes.

When he finished his new girlfriend said, “You never told me you were such a religious person.” He said, …… “And you never told me your dad is the local pharmacist!”

It is really essential to pray…… whatever the circumstances!
Jesus told His disciples in our reading today in Luke that they need to be persistent in prayer.
According to many public opinion polls, prayer is still very important to most Americans.
The Gallup organization found 90 percent of Americans pray, but only 86 percent said they believed in God.

It is interesting more people pray than claim to believe in God?

In Luke 18:1-8 Jesus begins to teach on prayer using the parable of the Unjust Judge to encourage us to persevere in our prayer. Now I believe Prayer is very precious to our Father in Heaven. We read in Revelation 8:3-4 that the prayers of the saints are equated with the incense offered to God at the altar in Heaven.

It is important to note what Jesus is NOT saying with the Parable of the Unjust Judge.
He is NOT saying that God is as tightfisted in answering prayer, as the unjust judge was tight in dispensing justice.

Judges were notoriously corrupt in Israel during the 1st century.
A possible implication in the parable would be that some rich person possibly bribed the judge not to give this widow justice. Possibly to stop her from inheriting her husband’s estate.

Without the protection of a benefactor, the widow would have had neither the strings to pull nor a bribe to offer. Yet, in this parable, her persistence won out that day.

So…. What is Jesus saying?
If the Unjust Judge in this parable gives justice to the woman surely our God who loves us, who hears and seeks our prayers will do the same.

It seems to me, there are three things implied from this passage:
#1. God is calling his people to be persistent in prayer.

#2. God is wanting us to lean upon and depend upon Him so that He can not only help us but also change us if needed in a positive way.

#3. Jesus wants us to see that God is calling us into fellowship with Him thru prayer He wants us to talk to Him
Let us look at the first of these challenges: #1. God is calling his people to be persistent in prayer.

The Jews, in the first century, limited prayer to three times a day, so they would not wear God out by their petitions. But Jesus taught something different here. In 1 Thess. 5:16-18 Paul wrote, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

It is also worth noting that the woman came to the judge expected to win. In other words, …… she had faith she would eventually receive a fair judgment from the judge.

I meet people far too often who don’t really seem to expect God to answer their prayers. And it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
James 1:6 says, “When you ask you must believe and not doubt because the one that doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind.”

There may be some here today who personally find it hard to pray at all because they don’t feel like it really gets them anywhere.
Why do we pray? Do you see prayer as something to do to appease an angry God; … a type of divine penitence or divine insurance policy?

Is it some kind of a religious duty for you? ‘Well God wants me to pray, so I should do it.’

Do I do it expecting a reward …. so that you will be blessed?
Or do you come to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords ….. to be in Fellowship with Him and hear His Voice?

Remember His promise “My Sheep hear my voice”.
So, #1. God is calling his people to be persistent in prayer, so that we can have regular open communication with Him
#2. I believe that another thing that this parable is teaching is that God wants us to lean on and depend on Him through prayer so He can help change the situation or possibly us in a positive way. 1 Peter 3:12 says, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayers.” This woman had no choice but to lean on that judge for help to fix her situation.

What is real prayer? Prayer is when a person turns to God.
As it states in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray ….. and seek my face …. and turn from their wicked ways,…… then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

When we pray and when we repent …… God will not only help us He can transform circumstances and us as well.

In the 18th Century, John Newton was a slave trader. He swore and cursed……He bought and He bought and sold slaves. He nearly lost his life in a storm …….And it was in that storm …… that he turned to God.

Because Newton turned to God in prayer repenting and renouncing his evil ways God saved him and change Him so much that he eventually became a leader in the Anglican Church. Newton latter went on and helped William Wilberforce in outlawing slavery in the British Empire.

Newton became one of the leading men of the Evangelical Revival in England. You may know him as the author of the hymn: “Amazing Grace”.
We need to realize that no one is too lost or too bad for the Grace of God.
So, #1 God is calling his people to be persistent in prayer so that we can have regular open communication with Him
#2. God wants us to lean on and depend on Him through prayer so that He will not only help us but also possible change us in in positive way.
In Proverbs 3:5 it says “Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding.” Get it?

#3. Jesus wants us to see that God is calling us into fellowship with Him thru prayer
Prayer is Fellowship. It’s not only open Communication with God, we also spend time with Him; much as one talks to their friend (Exodus. 33:11)

But as you know a conversation needs to be two ways. Sometimes we need to speak, and sometimes we need to listen.

We need time for private prayer with God. We need to shut ourselves away and have this personal time with Him, and some quiet time just to listen.

The world and Satan are out to get us and keep us so busy that we forget to spend time with God.

But hear Jesus’ words in Matthew’s Gospel: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.” ….. “I tell you they have their reward in full. …… But when you pray, ….. go into your room close the door …. and pray to the Father who is unseen. …… Then your Father who sees what is done in secret ….. will reward you.” (Matthew. 6:5-6)

This is a command from our Lord. His words are clear to all who call themselves followers of the Christ.

Go into your room, …. close the door …. and pray. How much clearer does our Lord need to be? But sad to say, most of us are not very good at being still and listening to anyone or anything. It may be something you may have to practice doing. (Practice sitting still and practice listening)

Sometimes we need to get alone with Him and to talk with Him and then take time to listen to Him. Jesus, after intense ministry would go away, even from his closest disciples to pray quietly and alone.

Mark records the following in the life of Jesus: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went off to a solitary place ….. where He prayed.” (Mark1:35) I bet Jesus listened as well!

If Jesus needed time alone with the Father, don’t you and I need to do the same even more? We need to Listen, … to listen …. for the His Voice. And our God will answer.
When my children were young, they would ask me a question, ……and they did so expecting they would get an answer even though it may not have been

the one they wanted to hear. And if I did not give them an answer they would ask it again …. and again …. and again.

If we expect to hear from God… then we need to learn to Listen.
We cannot hear an answer if we do not take time and listen.
You will not hear a response from God ….. until you stop and Listen …. to Him.

So, #1 God is calling his people to be persistent in prayer so that we can have regular open communication with Him Colossians 4:2 says “Devote yourself to prayer being watchful and thankful.”

Philippians 4:6 says, “6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Ephesians 6:18 says “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

#2. God wants us to lean on and depend on Him through prayer so that He will not only help us but also possible change us in in positive way.

#3. Jesus wants us to see that God is calling us into fellowship with Him thru prayer
I am convinced….. Nothing of eternal significance is ever accomplished or was worth doing…… apart from prayer.

So I say, ‘Seek God’
Heed his words “Go into your Room, Close The Door and Pray.”
Be Still….. Wait on Him and… Hear His voice.

He will help you. Let the maker of the Universe Transform you into the image of his Christ. And if you do …. If you do He will truly take you from Glory to Glory!