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…