In June of 2013, news broadcasts across the country featured a little boy named Grayson Clamp doing something he had never done before. The three-year-old was born without the auditory nerves that carry sound to the brain. Attempts to restore his hearing with a cochlear implant were unsuccessful, so doctors at the University of North Carolina tried an experimental procedure to implant an auditory nerve directly into Grayson’s brain. This procedure proved successful, and millions of people enjoyed seeing the look of wonder and joy on the little boy’s face when he heard his father’s voice for the first time. (Source: CNN.com, June 21,2013)
Today, with the technology available, communication is instant—but even then, it is a delight to hear from a friend or family member who is far away. Just as we respond to those familiar voices with pleasure, God delights in hearing from His children.
Why do we pray? Certainly, it is not to inform God of what we need. He already knows everything about our situation, and, far better than we could devise, He knows the answer that will be best for us. Prayer is meant in part to remind us of how dependent we truly are on God. But prayer is not just for our benefit. God enjoys hearing us pray! When we come to Him in faith and make our petitions before His throne of grace, His heart rejoices. He likes hearing our voices. Let us never go long without going to Him in prayer.
D.L. Moody said, “I would rather be able to pray than to be a great preacher; Jesus Christ never taught His disciples how to preach, but only how to pray.”
Hudson Taylor, pioneer missionary to China, said, “The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not!'”
Do we have struggles FINDING POWER WITH GOD? The significance of prayer cannot be overstated. How well do we understand the importance of prayer? How well do we practice the command of prayer?
The Authorized Items
In John 14:14 it says, “If ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it.” What does it mean when Jesus says, “in my name?”
Years ago, my wife and I visited Washington, DC as a young married couple. We walked around the city and saw many well-known places. Imagine with me if we had entered the White House without a tour guide. Somehow, some way, we just simply walked in and began looking around. In very short order, the secret service would have surrounded us and ask us all sorts of questions – and most likely detained us for a time. Now if we entered the White House of our own accord, we would most likely be in trouble. However, if we had entered the White House with a top level secret service agent who gave us the authority to be there (because he had the authority to give such permission), all we would have had to say is – “we’re with him!”
He is our authority for coming to the Father. I have been given permission/allowance to come directly to God saying, “Jesus told me to come.”
He is also our limitation for coming to the Father. Since I am coming in the name of Jesus, I can only ask for those things He has authorized for me to ask.
In Luke 11, we see some things the Lord has authorized our bringing to God the Father:
1. Bring your praise for God (v. 2).
Do your prayers include your praising the one true God? Sometimes, all we choose to see in life is our struggles – and we end up missing God’s great blessings. We need to be careful that our focus sharpens on what we already have while we are standing in positions of betrayal, struggles, and heartache.
2. Bring your yielded will to God (v. 2).
Jesus Himself modeled a prayer life that asked for what He wanted (“let this cup pass”) but He also clearly declared His willing heart to follow God no matter what (“not my will, but thine be done”). Matthew 26:39.
3. Bring your daily needs (v. 3).
God knows what your needs are – after all, He is all-knowing! However, God delights in our choosing Him above any other option. God delights in our dependence upon Him and giving Him the glory. God delights in hearing from us in prayer!
4. Bring your humble spirit (v. 4).
Sometimes, forgiveness is much easier to receive than to grant to one who is asking.
Forgiveness is the cancellation of debt. My sin debt to God is far greater than any wrong done me by another on this earth. (Lamentations 3:22; Luke 6:36)
Forgiveness must be granted to others on earth as we look for such forgiveness from God in heaven.
5. Bring your need for guidance (v. 4b).
God sees the end from the beginning. I can’t see the next 10 seconds of my future. If I had full access to anyone on earth, what would keep me from going to Lebron James for help on the basketball court? If I had full access to anyone on earth, what would keep from going to a billionaire for counsel on investing or asking for help with bills? If I had full access to anyone on earth, what would keep me from going to the number one surgeon in the world for needed surgery?
I do have access to the throne room of heaven — what keeps me from going to God in prayer?! God knows all my strengths and weaknesses…when I will often delay in understanding how strong my weaknesses truly are.
God has no limitation to how He can help. He is all-powerful! My strength and abilities are completely limited. I can only lift so much weight. I can only make some things happen. I cannot create anything (Gen. 1:1; Heb. 11:3).
God can be everywhere and promises to never forsake us (Prov. 15:3; Heb. 13:8). I can only be in one place, at one time. I need God’s guidance that He has promised!
What keeps me from going to God in prayer? When I was about the age of a 4th or 5th grader, I remember taking a fall off my bike. It was summer. The air was warm, but not too humid that day. It was perfect weather for bike riding in the neighborhood! I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, having a great time outside. Within a matter of mere seconds, everything changed. I lost control of my bike and my body slid across the gravel and asphalt, like I was sliding into home base during a baseball game. Unfortunately, shorts and a t-shirt do not provide much (if any) protection from cuts and bruises. When I finally came to a stop, I knew right away I was pretty banged up. It wasn’t the sight of my bloody leg or arm. It was the pain from these injuries that cued my brain for “urgent help needed.” I came into the house and my mom saw my leg and arms and rushed me into the bathroom. The injuries weren’t that serious, but dripping blood on the carpet is hard to clean up…so, we rushed into the bathroom. My mamma sat me on the edge of the bathtub, helped me get my shoes & socks off, and then asked me to put my legs in the bathtub. As she began cleaning up the wounds, she didn’t ask me “what were you thinking?” She simply cleaned me up and comforted me. The conversation about how to avoid repeat performances came later. I wasn’t so much running from my bike (the instrument of my demise). I was running to the one I knew would help me.
I received some good counsel years ago that has stayed with me ever since … and I have shared with many others since that day. Here it is, “When making a big decision in life, always choose to run TO something – not away from something.”
God cares for His own with the tender comfort of a parent (II Corinthians 1:2-4). God rejoices with His own or encourages His child as a very best friend (Proverbs 18:24). God knows our struggles with sin better than any (Hebrews 4:14-16) – AND He is compassionate, merciful, and always ready to forgive (Psalm 86:5, 15)! Run to Christ (Matthew 11:28; I Corinthians 9:24-27; Hebrews 12:1-2)! Run like the wind! Run like you know there is none greater for comfort, none greater for encouragement, none greater for for victory celebrations, and none greater for help — than Jesus!