The Necessary Environment for a Spirit filled Prayer life

Teach us to pray | Series Introduction part 2

Last week I started with an introduction on a series on “Teach us to Pray”. I spoke on the subject, “Prayer, A condition of the heart”.

It is my prayer that the Lord would show us the real reason for our lack of prayer and that we would repent from the sin of prayerlessness and get our hearts right with God so that we can seek Him and long for Him with a desperation that will grab hold of God and not let go until He comes down in a mighty way.

This morning I want to continue with the second part of my introduction to this series. I want us to consider the “Necessary environment for a Spirit filled Prayer life”.

I am aware that unless God drives us from our comforts and complacency, we will continue to love “stuff or ourselves” more than God. But thanks be to our God for His commitment towards His people. 2Tim. 2:13 says, “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself”

God has sacrificed His Son to be an atonement for us so that we can be reconciled to Him through the death of Christ.

I am convinced that if God would let Christ suffer to draw us near… He will also let us suffer so that we would draw near.

God is committed to drawing His people to Himself, to live in His place, under His rule, enjoying His blessing for His glory.

Last Sunday we considered Isaiah 64:1

Isaiah 64:1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence

We saw how Isaiah cried to the Lord with a passionate concern and desire

• ·         His prayer expressed a deep yearning for God to come down
• ·         A heartfelt longing that can only be expressed by a groaning sound… “Oh!”
• ·         It is a passionate, desperate, heart wrenching prayer for God to go into action.
• ·         It comes from the heart of someone who will not rest until God shows up.
• ·         A heart that will not be satisfied with anything less than the active presence of God!

Oh that the Lord would give us such a heart… Whatever it takes oh Lord!

Grant us your presence… We need Revival! We need the manifest presence of God among us! – AMEN!

Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence.

I mentioned last Sunday that this kind of prayer has at least three components: It’s a prayer with great humility, distress and longing.

There could probably be more components to this kind of prayer, but I think these three components are generally present in the heart that moves the heart of God into action… “Humility, Distress & Longing”

I don’t think I have to say much about this, but let me just mention it…

Prayer is not about twisting God’s arm to get what you want! – Prayer is about desiring God… It’s about you wanting God… not what you can get out of God. (E.G. Do you want your wife or just someone who can clean the house?)

This is where prayer starts… it starts with you longing for God!

But God knows our frame, He knows how easily we can get complacent and selfish and distracted… Listen to what the Bible says:

Psalm 103:13-14 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. ¹⁴For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

Remember… I’m preaching to the remnant this morning…

Our God loves us and He is committed to our sanctification.

• ·         He is committed to showing us how dependent we are upon Him
• ·         He will lead His children in the paths of righteousness for His Name sake
• ·         The Bible says, “The steps of a righteous man is ordered by the Lord” [Ps.37:23]

Ezekiel 36:27 says: “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes”

Psalm 23:2 says: “He makes me to lie down in green pastures”

Proverbs 20 verse 24 is even bolder as it describes God’s sovereignty over man’s ways:

Proverbs 20:24 A man's steps are of the LORD; How then can a man understand his own way?

Do you know where you will be tomorrow? Work? Hospital? Morgue?

And one of my favourite verses in the Bible…

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Our God will work out all things so that we might have The Necessary environment for a Spirit filled Prayer life.

God will cause things to happen in your life that will create the right environment for you to have a Spirit filled prayer life.

By now I’m sure you’ve guessed what that environment is…

The best environment for a Spirit filled prayer life is that of suffering.

I know we don’t want to hear that, but just think of the times in your life when you called to the Lord in desperation for Him to show up… it was most probably during a time of suffering.

The world hates suffering!

·         They do everything in their power to get the most comfort out of life as they can.

·         They do everything to avoid as much suffering as they possibly can.

It should not be the same for the genuine believer.

·         The genuine believer should embrace suffering as gift… an opportunity to reach the mercy seat of God!

Philippians 1: 29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake

Even Jesus, the sinless Son of God learned obedience through suffering!

What about you and I who are sinful and easily tempted by the pleasures of this world.

Listen to this…

Hebrews 5:8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

This is the sinless Son of God… the God-Man… Immanuel, God with us!

It is recorded of Him in Luke 6:12 that He, “continued in prayer to God all night” – Christ learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

Listen to me believer…

God is committed to cause things to happen in your life that will create the right environment for you to have a Spirit filled prayer life.

·         So don’t waste your suffering on murmurings and complaints

• ·         Don’t waste your suffering by going to people for help
• ·         Stop blaming the devil for all you are going through… God is in control!
• ·         He has caused you to be where you are!
• ·         Run to God! Seek Him!
• ·         He has created that environment for you so that you might seek Him!

 This is the kind of environment for a prayer life that will consist of:

Great Humility, Distress and Longing

• Humility – You know who you are and who God is – What is man that You are mindful of him?
• Distress – You consider the kindness and severity of God – He will not let the guilty go unpunished, but He shows mercy to a thousand generations
• Longing – Your desire for God and His Glory outweighs your desire for your own needs to be met – His will be done

The person that is in an environment for a Spirit filled prayer life acknowledges that he deserves no kindness from God.

• ·         He understands that he is but a slave in the Master’s house
• ·         Yet he can come with boldness because he was adopted as a son
• ·         Not on his own merit but on the merit of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of his Master
• ·         He knows that his reward is not on earth but in heaven
• ·         So he humbly approaches the mercy seat of his loving Father.. longing for His attention!

The person that is in an environment for a Spirit filled prayer life understands that God is merciful and loving and righteous and holy.

• ·         He knows that God hates sin and will punish it where ever He finds it
• ·         He knows that God is a consuming fire! And that His wrath burns against the unrepentant sinner
• ·         When he considers the judgement of God on the wicked he trembles and have great concern over their souls
• ·         He is in distress over the wickedness that the world enjoys, because it was for such wickedness that Christ died

·         He is in distress because so many hear the gospel call and still they reject the Son of God… and soon their day of judgement will come

The person that is in an environment for a Spirit filled prayer life have a desperate longing for the manifest presence of God.

• ·         He is constantly praying for Revival! He wants to see God rend the heavens
• ·         He longs for the glory of God to be seen amongst the people of God
• ·         He wants God! He longs for God!
• ·         He wants God more than sleep; more than pleasure; more than family; more than life itself
• ·         His heart cries out in the midst of severe trouble – not my will but yours be done!
• ·         His mind is constantly filled with thoughts of God
• ·         He is constantly aware of God’s presence with him
• ·         He is all heavenly minded – and that’s why he is of any earthly good!
• ·         As the deer pants for the water so his soul longs after God!

Now… please turn with me in your Bibles to 1Samuel chapter 1 and let’s consider the prayer life of Hannah… 1Sam. 1:1-18

This was a time when the Word of God was rare [1Sam. 3]. There was no revelation from God.

·         God was not speaking to His people and His presence was not known among them

• ·       The priests [Hophni & Phinehas] were corrupt. “they did not know the LORD.” (1Sam2:12)
• ·       They treated the worship of God with contempt
• ·       These guys took the best of the offering for themselves with no regard for how God’s instructed them to conduct His worship

This is the Temple which Elkanah and his wife Hannah comes to every year to worship God and to pay their vows.

Regardless of the corruption at Shiloh among the priests… Hannah came to worship God.

• ·         God was silent… But she still came faithfully
• ·         She knew that her help will only come from the Lord.
• ·         She did not come looking for the priests… She came to seek the Lord!

This brings us to our first component: Humility

God will create the necessary environment for you to become humble

·         It is clear from our text that Hannah was more loved by Elkanah than Peninnah was.

• ·         Hannah use to get a double portion of the offering from Elkanah
• ·         She was clearly the favourite wife.
• ·         If she had kids and still a husband who loved her more, it could have been Peninnah who might have been the one seeking the Lord in humility.

Her domestic troubles and her barrenness drove her to her knees before the Lord.

• ·         Her circumstances didn’t make her bitter… it humbled her!

We read in verse 11: “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant”

She understood who God was

·         She called Him Yahweh (Jehovah) – The Self-Existent or Eternal One

·         This was the proper name of God – it refers to His Sovereignty and Total rule over all things

 She understood who she was

• ·         She was the maidservant or female slave of Jehovah
• ·         She was His property and she had no rights
• ·         She gave up any rights that she thought she had
• ·         She realised that God can do with her as He pleased, because she did not belong to herself

Do you know who you are and who God is? Or do you still feel that God owes you a better life?

Maybe you still feel that God is treating you unfairly!

Peninnah never went to the Temple to worship God, but she had plenty children… Shouldn’t she be the barren one?

Unless you realise who you are and who God is, you will remain in your pride

• ·         And God gives grace to the humble, but He oppose the proud! [James4:6]
• ·         Don’t waste your suffering on pride and bitterness

The Word of God says:

James 4:9-10 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Your suffering is creating in you the humility that is needed for you to experience God’s grace in your darkest hour.

The second component needed for a Spirit filled prayer life is: Distress

God will cause such conflict in our lives that will move us from complacency to distress.

We read in 1 Samuel 1 verse 2 and verse 5… “Hannah had no children…” because “the Lord has closed her womb”

She was the favourite wife, but she could not provide her husband with the one thing that every women during that time desired to have… a child.

• ·         It was considered a curse for a woman not to be able to bear children
• ·         This was God’s doing! Scripture clearly says twice: God closed he womb!
• ·         On top of this Peninnah use to provoke her severely
• ·         She continually tried to make Hannah angry and miserable
• ·         She rubbed it in her face that she had children, but Hannah had none

·         Hannah was under great distress and affliction so much so that she could not even eat.

• ·         We read in verse 10, “she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish.”
• ·         She had no pretend happiness on her face. She was in misery and she needed to get to God.

Listen to me child of God… You must get this, this morning…

Your distress is meant to drive you to your knees

• ·         Don’t waste it! It’s meant to drive you to God!
• ·         It’s your opportunity to make your way to the mercy seat of God
• ·         It’s in your distress that you will find God waiting

·         Psalm 46:1 says that God is a very present help.. where? In trouble!

• ·         God is a very present help in trouble!
• ·         Verse 7 says, Hannah went year after year to the Temple of God
• ·         And year after year she was severely provoked, but she pressed on until God showed up in her life.

The third component (and I’m coming to a close now) is: Longing

At first Hannah looked at Peninnah and must have longed to have children of her own.

• ·         She could see how Peninnah played with her children
• ·         She saw how Peninnah taught her children and the special bond that she had with her children
• ·         Oh how Hannah must have longed to have a child of her own

But look at verse 11

¹¹Then she made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head."

Hannah’s longing changed from her need to have a child for herself to her desire to have a child to give back to God for the glory of God.

• ·         Her longing changed from self-satisfaction to God’s glorification
• ·         She was now not looking for God to fill her needs, but for God to provide her with a child for His glory
• ·         Why would you get a child that you’ve longed for, for so many years and then give him away “all the days of his life”
• ·         She was willing to give up what she desires most for the purposes of God.

The phrase in verse 11, “and no razor shall come upon his head” refers to the Nazarite

·         A Nazarite according to WEBSTER: Is A Jew who professed extraordinary purity of life and devotion. It was someone that was completely separated for God’s work only.

Hannah was saying, Lord whatever you give to me I will give back to you and I will not put my hands on it again

• ·         Whatever you give to me or do in me must be for your glory alone!
• ·         I long to see your glory and your presence in whatever I ask of you
• ·         I am your servant… Your will be done through all my suffering.

·         Let me say it again… Don’t waste your suffering!

Is this your prayer? Now that you are where you are… is their humility, distress & longing?

Teach us to Pray | Prayer - A Condition of the Heart

Prayer Series Introduction - part 1

This morning I want to start with a series on “Teach us to Pray”. For the next two months by God’s grace we will look to God’s Word to teach us to pray and to dwell with the Almighty in prevailing prayer.

So this morning I will start with a very long introduction which will examine the condition of our heart towards God.

Please open up your Bibles with me to Isaiah 64:1

Isaiah 64:1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence

When we read this verse we are immediately struck with the opening word “Oh”

·         It is a word of passionate concern and desire

·         It expresses a deep yearning for something to happen

·         It describes a heartfelt longing that cannot be otherwise communicated, but by a groaning sound… “Oh!”

Words cannot express such deep groaning that comes from the heart of someone who is desperate for God to show up.

This word “Oh” reveals to us that the prophet has been petitioning God for a long time now… He has been desperately and urgently pursuing God.

·         You don’t get to “Oh” by praying for a few moments!

·         This is the kind of prayer that grab hold of God and doesn’t let go of Him until He comes down.

·         This is the kind of prayer that leaves you limping, because you wrestled with God all night.

Do you know this kind of prayer?

Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence.

This is a passionate cry for God to go into action!

It’s a prayer with great humility, distress and longing.

·         Humility – Because he knows who he is and who God is

·         Distress – Because of Israel’s rebellion and God’s wrath on His people

·         Longing – Because of his desire to have the true worship of God restored amongst the people of God for the glory of God

Here is a man who is unconcerned about any plans, methods, strategies or tactics (not that any of these are wrong), but all he wants is God to show up and he will not rest until He does!

This is the kind of prayer that gets to the heart of every blessing – the active presence of God!

Do you know such prayer in your own life?

As I was busy thinking about the issue of prayer… The question that came to mind was - Why do we not prioritise prayer? Why do we always find a reason not to pray?

We’ve got so many excuses…

• ·         I don’t have time
• ·         I Must get up early to go to work and when I get home I’m very tired
• ·         I Must clean the house and I only have a Saturday to do it.
• ·         I Need to cook when I get home from work
• ·         The Children need my attention (baby, school work, etc.)
• ·         I just don’t have time

Let me ask you a few questions…

• ·         What is your favourite program on TV? (7de Laan, Muvango, etc.)
• ·         Have you watched a movie recently?
• ·         Do you read newspaper, magazine, novels, etc.
• ·         How much time do you spend on Facebook, whatsup, etc.
• ·         Do you watch the news, sports?
• ·         Do you go for a run or gym during the week?
• ·         How many times a month do you shopping or go to the malls?
• ·         How many times a week do you visit friends or family or entertain friends or family?
• ·         What does ‘me-time’ look like for you?

Is it not amazing how we can make time for many other things, but find it difficult to make time for prayer? Is it also not amazing how prayer becomes a priority when we are in desperate trouble? – But not when we feel life is okay or bearable.

Isn’t it funny how we would like to learn how to pray… even seek new methods of prayer, but don’t really want to take time to pray.

·         We want to learn about intercessory prayer, but does not want to intercede for others.

·         We want to learn about praying the Scriptures, but does not like reading the Bible.

·         We want to learn how to pray effectively, but will only pray when the need is desperate or selfish.

·         Prayer has become the chore everyone feel they must do, but really hate doing!

The Problem is not that you don’t have time – the problem is with the condition of your heart.

Prayer is a heart issue

It is important for us to know how to pray or how to approach God in prayer, but if we don’t have a desperate desire after God… if our hearts does not long for Him… all the methods of prayer would be the empty ramblings of a fool.

·       

•   We need to deal with the issue of prayerlessness first.
• ·         We need to deal with the sin of prayerlessness.
• ·         Sin reveals the condition of a man’s heart. Prayerlessness is a sin!

Let me say it again… Prayer is a heart issue – Time is not the problem. Your heart is!

• ·         Leonard Ravenhill liked to say: “a man is only as big as his prayer life”.
• ·         Paul Washer said his pastor asked him: “Boy, can you be alone with God?”

It is easy to fool ourselves in believing that we really desire God. We lie to ourselves because we want to believe only the best about ourselves, but our actions speak louder than our words.

If we are honest with ourselves…

• ·         We really want Hollywood more than we want the Holy Spirit.
• ·         We want relaxation and entertainment more than we want Revival.
• ·         We want me-time more than we want time with Him.
• ·         We want to rest in the world more than we want to rest in His presence.
• ·         We please Self more than we please God.
• ·         We love ourselves more than we love God.
• ·         Me, myself and I have become the trinity we bow down to
• ·         You are your greatest stumbling block to prayer…
• ·         You can be as close to God as you want to be, but you choose not to draw near to Him.

James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you

We have set ourselves up as idols in the presence of God and demand that God bow to our wants and needs, while we bow to everything that can satisfy the cravings of our flesh – the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life! [1John 2:16]

Let me say it again… Prayer has become the chore we must do, but don’t like to do. 

So we try to get it over and done with as quick as we can, so that we can get back to the worldly things we really love. 

We say a quick prayer to ease our conscience, but never really meet with God. Prayer has become so impersonal that it’s like sending a what’s-up message to someone you’ve never met… or liking a comment you never even read!

When last were you alone with God? When last did you seek the face of God and have Him show up in a real way.

I’m not talking about a mystical experience that makes you pass out on the floor.

• ·         When last did you wrestle with God?
• ·         I’m talking about seeking the face of God until He shows up!

I’m talking about God making you so aware of His presence that your sin is exposed, as His holiness is revealed to you… you become overwhelmed with godly sorrow and in confession and true repentance you turn away from your sin only to be embraced by His love that breaks your heart and causes you to be filled with zeal for Him… so that you cry out like Isaiah: “Here I am, Send me!”

Is the presence of God a reality in your life?

• ·         I’m not talking about your knowledge of God…
• ·         I know you know that God is omnipresent…
• ·         When last did He show up in your life and brought you low!
• ·         When last did He visit you in a special way because you sought Him with all your heart?

Can you truly say as David says in Psalm 63:1

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

Listen… we are called to be more than just people that seek to be biblically correct in our doctrine.

• ·         We are called to be a people that dwell with the Most High.
• ·         We are those who earnestly seek the God of the Bible… not just knowledge about Him… We want Him!
• ·         Do you want Him or are you satisfied just with knowing about Him?
• ·         We are those that are constantly aware that we are in the presence of holiness – In Him we live and move and have our being!

Every conflict, every trial, every heart break, every sorrow in your life has one purpose… it’s to send you to your knees… it’s to drive you to the God of the Bible!

Every battle is won on your knees… Don’t you understand that…?

• ·         Every battle in your life will only be won in prayer.
• ·         Every victory is won in the presence of God
• ·         The battle is the Lord’s… that’s why we pray!

You have not because you ask not and when you ask you don’t receive because you ask a miss… according to your own desires! [James 4:2-3]

We need to be honest with ourselves and with God about the condition of our heart. We need to be honest about our lack of love for the Lord. 

Only when we are honest will we be able to confess our sin of prayerlessness and be on the path of an effective God-hounoring prayer life.

God knows the condition of our hearts.

Let me ask you this…

• ·         How much has living for Jesus cost you?
• ·         How much has prayer cost you?
• ·         How much do you give up to be in the presence of God alone?

If being a believer doesn’t cost you anything you should ask yourself whether you are actually living for Him or maybe you’re living for yourself.

All those who would live a godly life will suffer persecution.

Brothers and sisters… let’s not fool ourselves with this… examine yourself now!

• ·         How much do you give up to be alone with God!?

God knows the condition of our hearts... And I thank God that He knows!

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb 4:12).

Thank God that He knows us! He is a Father that will not leave His children in their sin.

• ·         He is the one that disciplines every true child of His.
• ·         He is the One that can bring us to a place of desperate prayer.

 Pastor Neil Henry likes to say:

God is always calling a people to Himself, to live in His place, under His rule, enjoying His blessing for His glory.

Let me say it this way…

God is committed to drawing His people to Himself, to live in His place, under His rule, enjoying His blessing for His glory.

Next week we will consider how God did just that in the life of Hannah…

He brought her to a place of humility, distress and longing… a place of desperate prayer!

May the Lord draw our hearts to a place where we will desperately long for Him to come down!

Let us pray… Oh God forgive our lack of prayer and complacent hearts…