February 17, 2008 - Prayer

Scripture: Matthew 4:12-23
Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

"Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Theme: Balance: there is a time to stop, and there is a time to go.
Title: Red Light – Green Light
Notes: Red Light – Green Light Game, Traffic Light Video, VIP – “How You Live”

One pastor shared some of the letters that he received from some of the children in his flock:

Dear Pastor, Please pray for all the airline pilots. I am flying to California tomorrow. Laurie. (Age 10, New York City)

Dear Pastor, Do I have to say grace before every meal? Even when I am only having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Wesley. (Age 9, Baltimore)

Dear Pastor, Thank you for your sermon on Sunday. I will write more when my mother explains to me what you said. Yours truly, Justin. (Age 9, Westport)

Dear Pastor, 1980 by Bill Adler Books, Inc.

Sometimes it’s not just the kids who have a hard time understanding the preacher. Today’s sermon should be a little easier to digest. It only has two points: Stopping and Going.

We find Jesus withdrawing when he heard about the arrest of his cousin John. Then we see Jesus going – preaching, choosing disciples, curing. There is a time to stop and a time to go. A time for Red Light – Green Light! Jesus knew the difference and the importance of each!

C. S. Lewis wrote, “The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning (should) consist(s) in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.”

[John Bunyan shared, “He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.”]

Martin Luther, the great reformer and founder of the Lutheran Church, indicated this: “If I should neglect prayer but a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith.

[While very ill, Pastor John Knox, the founder of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, called to his wife and said, "Read me that Scripture where I first cast my anchor." After he listened to the beautiful prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17, he seemed to forget his weakness. He began to pray, interceding earnestly for his fellowmen. He prayed for the ungodly who had thus far rejected the gospel. He pleaded in behalf of people who had been recently converted. And he requested protection for the Lord's servants, many of whom were facing persecution. As Knox prayed, his spirit went Home to be with the Lord. The man of whom Queen Mary had said, "I fear his prayers more than I do the armies of my enemies," ministered through prayer until the moment of his death. (Our Daily Bread.)]

EM Bounds wrote a great book on prayer. He mentioned this: “What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men [people] whom the Holy Ghost can use—men [people] of prayer, men [people] mighty in prayer.”

Five young college students were spending a Sunday in London, so they went to hear the famed C.H. Spurgeon preach. While waiting for the doors to open, the students were greeted by a man who asked, "Gentlemen, let me show you around. Would you like to see the heating plant of this church?" They were not particularly interested, for it was a hot day in July. But they didn't want to offend the stranger, so they consented. The young men were taken down a stairway, a door was quietly opened, and their guide whispered, "This is our heating plant." Surprised, the students saw 700 people bowed in prayer, seeking a blessing on the service that was soon to begin in the auditorium above. Softly closing the door, the gentleman then introduced himself. It was none other than Charles Spurgeon. (Our Daily Bread).

Our vision – our hope – is to make Jesus Christ real and relevant in our neighborhood and beyond. It does not happen unless we pray, pray hard, pray long, pray with belief!

James wrote: “But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind;” (James 1:6 NRSV).

About a month ago we collected 405 names to pray for – people who were unchurched and/or unsaved. These folks are precious before the Lord. I am going to place these 9 pages on the altar today. Let’s dedicate them, and really begin to pray for them. Two-hundred seventy of the names can be shared; the remaining names are confidential. We will begin to circulate the non-confidential names soon. Our dear ones, our family, friends and co-workers “may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments and even despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers” (Sidlow Baxter).

It comes down to not only belief but also perseverance: Eighteen-year-old Hudson Taylor wandered into his father's library and read a gospel tract. He couldn't shake off its message. Finally, falling to his knees, he accepted Christ as his Savior. Later, his mother, who had been away, returned home. When Hudson told her the good news, she said, "I already know. Ten days ago, the very date on which you tell me you read that tract, I spent the entire afternoon in prayer for you until the Lord assured me that my wayward son had been brought into the fold." (Daily Bread, July 19, 1989.)

We tend to get it backwards: go then pray. An especially verbal and boisterous child was being hurried out of a Kentucky church, slung under his irate father's arm. No one in the congregation so much as raised an eyebrow -- until the child captured everyone's attention by crying out in a charming Southern accent, "Ya'll pray for me now!" (Jean McMahon (Dyer, Ind.) in Reader's Digest, April 1980).

There is so much action, followed by a prayer for direction. It must be the other way around. We must stop and pray, then we are ready to go!

Let me give you an example of the affect of stopping first. Things looked bleak for the children of George Muller's orphanage at Ashley Downs in England. It was time for breakfast, and there was no food. A small girl whose father was a close friend of Muller was visiting in the home. Muller took her hand and said, "Come and see what our Father will do." In the dining room, long tables were set with empty plates and empty mugs. Not only was there no food in the kitchen, but there was no money in the home's account. Muller prayed, "Dear Father, we thank Thee for what Thou art going to give us to eat." Immediately, they heard a knock at the door. When they opened it, there stood the local baker. "Mr. Muller," he said, "I couldn't sleep last night. Somehow I felt you had no bread for breakfast, so I got up at 2 o'clock and baked fresh bread. Here it is." Muller thanked him and gave praise to God. Soon, a second knock was heard. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. He said he would like to give the children the milk so he could empty the cart and repair it. (Source Unknown.).

When asked how much time he spent in prayer, George Muller's reply was, "Hours every day. But I live in the spirit of prayer. I pray as I walk and when I lie down and when I arise. And the answers are always coming." (Source Unknown.) More things happen because of prayer than we could possibly imagine!

Let’s be certain, though, that we understand that prayer is not about what we get nor even primarily what we need. As EM Bounds wrote, “The central significance of prayer is not in the things that happen as results, but in the deepening intimacy and unhurried communion with God at His central throne of control…” (E.M. Bounds, The Weapon Of Prayer.)

I read one of the best books I have ever read on prayer a few years ago. It still influences me toay. The book was by Bill Hybels, entitled Too Busy Not to Pray. Let’s remember this advice as I close:

If the request is wrong, God says, "No."

If the timing is wrong, God says, "Slow."

If you are wrong, God says, "Grow."

But if the request is right, the timing is right and you are right, God says, "Go!" (Bill Hybels, Too Busy Not To Pray, IVP, p. 74.)

Jesus knew the power of stopping – of communing with God. Look what it produced! He embarked on the greatest career ever known to humanity. All that was accomplished was fueled by the persistence and power of prayer. Stop a lot, then go believing that God is with you!


When Robert Louis Stevenson was a boy he once remarked to his mother, "Momma, you can't be good without praying." "How do you know, Robert?" she asked. "Because I've tried!" he answered (Our Daily Bread). Prayer forms us. It unleashes the goodness of God in us and helps us to be what God intended for us to be.

The little girl who asked for prayer for the pilots before she flew had it right. Pray before you go!

A little boy had been sent to his room because he had been bad. A short time later he came out and said to his mother, "I've been thinking about what I did and I said a prayer." "That's fine," she said, "if you ask God to make you good, He will help you." "Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me be good," replied the boy. "I asked Him to help you put up with me." (Our Daily Bread).

Smart little boy - some might say smart allec! I want to turn this incident around for a second. Do you think that God has a lot to put up with when it comes to us? As a whole, humanity has a lot of issues. But don’t forget that God loves us with a divine love – a love that goes far beyond our ability to love. So,

When we pray, remember this advice from Professor William Barclay:

1. The love of God that wants the best for us.

2. The wisdom of God that knows what is best for us.

3. The power of God that can accomplish it. (William Barclay, Prodigals and Those Who Love. )