Chariot of Fire 2004.01 - Rising to the Call to Pray - Part 1

When it comes to being a prayer warrior, many may think of the women filling that role. I believe if we're to see a change in our culture, in our churches, and in our families, we men must rise to the call to pray. But what is to motivate us to pray when we're so busy? Many men feel inadequate about praying. How do you feel?

An encounter between Jesus and his disciples may be encouraging and motivational. We find in Luke 11 a discussion on prayer. Apparently the disciples noticed Jesus' prayer life. They could tell it was vital to His relationship with His father and to His ministry. We're told He often went aside to pray. After one of those prayer sessions the disciples felt impressed to ask Jesus to teach them to pray.

And it came about that while He was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1)

Notice they didn't ask Him to teach them how to pray, but to pray. They asked about the motivational aspect of His prayer life. I think Jesus' response to their question dealt with the motivation to pray, rather than the details of how to pray. If we're to become men of prayer, like the disciples, we need to be motivated. Let's look at what the Lord Jesus taught His disciples in answer to their question.

We should rise to the call to pray because prayer is simple.

Have you ever felt you couldn't be a prayer warrior because you didn't know how to pray? Perhaps you've compared yourself with your wife's ability to articulate her prayers. Maybe you think you have to pray like your pastor before God will hear you. When you think about your prayer life, maybe you don't feel God would be impressed with your prayers since you aren't! At first glance, we might think Jesus' reply to their question was directed to teach them how to pray because it is part of what is commonly called "the Lord's prayer." But if you compare it with the prayer in Matthew 6, you'll find some elements missing here in Luke 11. I think we can be assured Jesus didn't forget a phrase. The explanation lies, I think, in realizing he was motivating them to pray.

How do verses 2-4 answer the disciples' request for Jesus to teach them "to" pray? And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4)

First, notice the simplicity of prayer. You don't have to know the details to pray because our father in heaven already knows the details. That's what Matthew recorded in 6:8. "Your father knows what you need before you ask him." So why ask? Because prayer is about our relationship with our father. All we need to know is God is our father. We want His name to be hallowed and His kingdom to come. We know we need daily sustenance and daily forgiveness and protection. How these things are to be done, we leave to our Father's wise handling.

Jesus' encouragement indicated a confidence in our relationship with God. He's our father! Prayer is simple because our Father knows our needs. We don't have to have all the right words. We don't have to know exactly how the Father is going to answer before we ask. We should pray because prayer is simple.

We should rise to the call to pray because we are needy.

And He said to them, "Suppose one of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;' and from inside he shall answer and say, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.'

"I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs." (Luke 11:5-8)

Why does the man persist with his friend for the bread? Because of his neediness.

Jesus told them they ought to be motivated by their spiritual poverty. Can you relate? We never have the spiritual or physical resources we need each day to give to those around us. Jesus was pointing to the fact that on a daily basis, God brings people to our doors who also are needy. Our responsibility is to love them and provide what they need. The problem is, of course, our own spiritual poverty. We're like the man who has had a friend come for a surprise visit. He's caught with an empty pantry. What does he do?

In the Middle East, to fail to provide refreshment was an insult. A man did whatever was needed to provide for his guests. In Jesus' story, He tells His disciples of a man who knew where to get what he needed in order to serve his guests. The implication is we have a Father who is very near. His pantry is full of what we need to serve those God brings to our doors.

Furthermore, because of our neediness, we should persist in prayer. The man in Jesus' story knew where the source of supply was. He persisted in knocking because he knew his friend would get up and give him what he needed if he persisted. Our persistence reflects our understanding of our neediness and responsibility to serve those around us. Our wives, children, work associates, neighbors, and brothers and sisters in Christ need spiritual food from us. We owe love to every person we meet. When they leave our door, we want them to glorify God because they leave the encounter full and satisfied in their souls. Does that make you feel needy? It should! According to Jesus, our neediness should motivate us to pray.

We should rise to the call to pray because of Jesus' promise.

Hope is a motivational factor, isn't it? What motivates us to persist if our neediness doesn't? The promise of God should keep us knocking on our Father's door in hope. Jesus continued His motivational discourse.

"And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luke 11:9-13)

The Lord Jesus told them when they pray, the Father has promised the Holy Spirit to help them. If you knew every time you persisted in prayer your Heavenly Father would give the Holy Spirit to help you, would you be motivated to pray? Consider what the Apostle Paul taught in Romans 8.

And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:26-28).

Verse 26 teaches when you have an attitude of prayer but don't know how or what to pray, the Holy Spirit, Himself, prays! Verse 27 indicates when the Holy Spirit prays, He always prays according to the will of God! Our confidence in prayer is revealed in verses 27-28. When the Holy Spirit prays, God knows the mind of the Spirit and causes all things to work for our benefit! Now that's motivational. Every time we pray, we can know we're being assisted by the Holy Spirit.

Rise to the call of God to pray!

The Lord Jesus gave three very good motivations to rise to the call to pray. We should rise to the call to pray because prayer is simple, because of our neediness, and because God has given us hope with His promise of the Holy Spirit. Will you determine to grow in your prayer ministry to your family? I hope this motivates you to pray as it has me.