Fostering the Attitude of Trust 2

1 Thessalonians 5:17

SUBJECT: Cultivating the Christian Attitude of Trust

THEME: We can foster the spiritual attitude of Trust by praying without ceasing; infusing prayer with communion, confidence, and consistency!

INTRODUCTION: Our aim here is to expand further on the attitude of trust. We have examined how our prayers must be infused with communion with the Most High as an exercise of trust. Now, we need to explore the role of confidence in prayer noting how this demonstrates trust also. Referring to trust The Dictionary of Bible Themes adds this definition,

Trust: Reliance on and confidence in a person. Scripture affirms the total trustworthiness of God, especially in relation to his promises to his people. Christian faith is, essentially, trust in the person and character of God.^[1]

For us believers, trust rests soundly on the person and character of the Almighty. God is the proper object of our confidence; He presents us with every convincing argument of his unique trustworthiness and anything he says or promises can be taken as true, reliable and fully credible. Again trust is not some philosophical consideration for the intellectually elite to debate in the ivory towers of academia; no, trust is most relevant to life and certainly to a robust Christian experience.  

So then, how may we improve our trust in Jehovah God? One way to practice and cultivate trust/confidence in God is to “pray without ceasing” (1Thess. 5:17).

RELEVANCE: As Christians our inner life is deeply important to God and our spiritual welfare—attitudes, motives, and behaviors are equally weighty aspects of our growth in grace. Doing the right things and being the right person should be in harmony. Certainly, our inner lives are to be consecrated to the glory of our Lord God.

FOSTER THE ATTITUDE OF TRUST THROUGH PRAYER  

1Thes 5:17, Pray without ceasing.

Recall the Lord Jesus’ promise, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. ²² And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.^[2]” (Matt. 21:21-22). 

Prayer and trusting God should be viewed as constituent parts of one whole. Much like neutrons, protons and electrons belong to a single atom. Meager prayer formalities empty of real trust/faith in God are powerless and ineffectual! So, how may be continue to build trust into our prayers?

Thesis: We can foster the spiritual attitude of Trust by praying without ceasing; that is infusing prayer with communion, confidence, and consistency!

LESSON:

I.               Foster the Attitude of Trust through Prayer Confidence

A.    Another Reason for Praying without Ceasing is Unwavering Confidence!

B.    Prayer Confidence is an Exercise of Trust

                                                  1.     Confidence in a faithful person is well placed; we cherish no fears that God will betray our expectations, disappoint or let us down as long as we pray his will.

                                                  2.     The Scriptures challenge us often to pray with confidence in the Lord…to cry out to him in faith and unflappable trust.

a.      Mark 11:22-24, And Jesus answering saith unto them, ^sHave faith in God. ²³ For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. ²⁴ Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.^[3]

b.     1 Tim 2:8, I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. ^[4]

c.      1 John 5:14-15, And this is the confidence [boldness and courage even in intimidating circumstances] that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: ¹⁵ And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.^[5]

d.     James 1:5-7, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. ⁷ For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.^[6]

                                                  3.     Prayer confidence stems from extensive trust in the character, competency, and counsel of God. Can we justify our doubting and reluctance to stand on God’s promises? When was the last time we privately or publicly claimed a promise of God’s Word in prayer?

C.    God is Worthy of our Trust 

                                                  1.     The Almighty Lord God is the true object of our trust.

a.      Prov. 22:19-21, That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. ²⁰ Have not I written to thee excellent things In counsels and knowledge, ²¹ That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; That thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?^[7]

b.     Prov. 3:5-7, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths. ⁷ Be not wise in thine own eyes: Fear the Lord, and ^odepart from evil.^[8]

c.      Psalm 62:7-8, In God is my salvation and my glory: The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. ⁸ Trust in him at all times; ye people, Pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.^[9]

                                                  2.     The fear of God leads to trust. Pr 14:26.^[10]

                                                  3.     There are concrete grounds for trusting in our Father-God

a.      Trust in God’s power and strength Ex 14:31; 2Ti 1:12 See also 2Sa 22:1-3 pp Ps 18:2-3; Ps 9:9-10; 115:9-11; 144:1-2

b.     Trust in God’s unfailing love Ps 13:5 See also Ex 15:13; Ps 17:7; 21:7; 33:18; 52:8; 147:11

c.      Trust in God’s salvation Isa 12:2 See also 1Sa 17:37; Ps 22:4-5; 40:2-3; Isa 25:9

d.     Trust is nurtured by God’s revealed truth. Pr 22:19-21 See also Ps 18:30; 119:42; Pr 30:5; Jn 12:36; 14:1-3^[11]

                                                  4.     Why don’t we trust God more often than we do? Do we secretly doubt his power or ability to deliver? Are we too proud to need him?

                                                  5.     Why don’t we believe God will answer our prayers? Are we afraid that we are only setting ourselves up for a letdown? Do we think ourselves selves self-sufficient...independent?

                                                  6.     Why don’t we commit our needs to God with confidence? Are we afraid his love is insufficient to move him to meet our needs? Beloved, if God is worthy and deserving of our full confidence then why don’t we immediately run to him or turn to him? Do we trust ourselves more…than our Almighty Father-God?

                                                  7.      6929 Putting Down Whole Weight

To celebrate an old man’s seventy-fifth birthday, an aviation enthusiast offered to take him for a plane ride over the little West Virginia town where he spent all his life. The old man accepted the offer. Back on the ground, after circling over the town twenty minutes, his friend asked, “Were you scared, Uncle Dudley?” “No-o-o,” was the hesitant answer. “But I never did put my full weight down.”^[12]

D.    Faith in God can Achieve Great Things

                                                  1.     Faith in our heavenly Father can move unmovable obstacles. Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. ²² And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.^[13]” (Matt. 21:21-22). 

                                                  2.     The Lord literally looks for opportunities to show himself strong in the affairs of his people! 2 Chron. 16:9, For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.^[14]

                                                  3.     It is wisdom to commit the hard cases to the Father with full confidence. Drug attics are drug free because of him; violent offenders are now given to nurturing and treasuring others because of him; vagrants are transformed to productive citizens because of him; lairs have become people of integrity living and speaking the truth because of him. Financial needs are met, loneliness is replaced with family, friends, and church, and heartbreak is healed and strong enough to trust again. Keep praying for that lost love one, that prodigal daughter, that nearly worthless husband, that wife who medicates her emptiness by spending money you don’t have…commit them to the Lord in prayer. Believe him for the impossible.

                                                  4.     God still makes everything possible—all options remain on the table! Matt. 19:26, But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.^[15]

                                                  5.     NOTHING is impossible with God! Luke 1:37, For with God nothing shall be impossible.^[16]

                                                  6.     1499 Epigram On Faith

a.      Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible.

b.     Faith is to accept the impossible, do without the indispensable, and bear the intolerable.—David Lloyd George

c.      A little faith will bring your soul to heaven; a great faith will bring heaven to your soul.—Spurgeon

d.     Faith is not believing that God can, but that God will!^[17]

E.    Trusting God involves giving Control to God (Matt. 26:36-42)

                                                  1.     The relationship between trust and control must be considered: if we trust God more then we will need to control less. Lord Jesus fully illustrates what it means to trust God and his will completely at Gethsemane. You see, control is God’s place and trusting him with control is our place. Have you surrendered to his will and plan like the Lord Jesus did?

                                                  2.     How do we do this? How do we give control to God?

a.      Acknowledge God’s perfections and constantly affirm these realities to yourself

b.     Give him space to execute his will in his timing

c.      Refuse to give way to your fears, worries, anxieties, or your need to achieve/produce certain results or outcomes

d.     Use prayer to help you manage your associated stress or the risks associated with committing the matter with the Lord. The Lord Jesus clung to the Father in prayer during his most stressful moments. His sweat was mingles with his blood as he worked through the bone-crushing pressure of Calvary in his immediate future. He consciously choose to trust and prayer was his method to cope with the associated stress!

e.      Be open to change or different outcomes than originally anticipated; acknowledge that God has the freedom to do his work. The Lord Jesus wanted the will of the Father above all else.

f.      Be willing to live or even die under divine authority and wisdom; fear, worry, and anger are inappropriate responses to God’s control. Daniel faced down hungry lions by trusting God with control. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced the roaring fiery furnace by trusting control with God! Clearly, the Lord Jesus trusted God’s wisdom and authority yielding his entire being to God’s control at Calvary and in the resurrection. See also Hebrews 11:35-40 for more examples of unflappable trust in God’s sovereign control.

                                                  3.     6924 Cromwell’s Secretary

Oliver Cromwell’s secretary was dispatched to the continent on some important business. He stayed one night at a seaport town, and tossed on his bed, unable to sleep.

According to an old custom, a servant slept in his room, and on this occasion slept soundly enough. The secretary at length awakened the man who asked how it was that his master could not rest.

“I am so afraid something will go wrong with the embassage [business of the envoy],” was the reply.

“Master,” said the valet, “may I ask a question or two?”

“To be sure.”

“Did God rule the world before we were born?”

“Most assuredly He did.”

“And will He rule it after we are dead?”

“Certainly He will.”

“Then, master, why not let Him rule the present, too?”

The secretary’s faith was stirred, peace was the result, and in a few minutes both he and his servant were in sound sleep.—Gleanings^[18]

F.     Trusting God involves real Obedience (Heb. 11:8-10)

                                                  1.     Obedience is marked by confidence

                                                  2.     Obedience is marked by courage

                                                  3.     Obedience is marked by commitment; Abraham cast all caution to the wind and confidently and courageously committed himself and his family to God’s plan—he believed God and his radicle obedience proved it.

                                                  4.     6925 Hudson Taylor’s Discovery

On June 25, 1865, James Hudson Taylor at thirty-three came to the great crisis of his life. The locale was Brighton beach on the south coast of England. There on a quiet Sunday morning he took a step of faith in response to a simple spiritual principle he had just discovered. He was surprised that this truth had so long eluded him. “If we are obeying the Lord, the responsibility rests with him, not with us!” Months of struggle were over, and the way ahead was clear. To obey the Scriptures and trust God to be faithful to his pledged Word was not rash.

Throwing caution and tradition to the winds, Hudson Taylor formed the China Inland Mission.—Arthur F. Glasser^[19]

CONCLUSION:

The second attitude the Apostle Paul prescribes for individual believers, Christians collectively and for entire congregations is to, “Pray without ceasing” (1Thes 5:17). Beloved, this is the expressed plan of God for us all in Christ Jesus. Yes, God commands this because it honors him, and it is wonderfully beneficial to us temporary and eternally. Your attitude matters to God because it often includes your emotions, intellect and behavior! We can foster the spiritual attitude of Trust by praying without ceasing; infusing prayer with communion, confidence, and consistency! Our prayers must not be reduces to mere rituals where we “say our prayers,” but never reach heaven. No, a thousand times NO! God invites us into sharing life with him through the sweet excellent communion and confidence of dialog with him. Why not take him up on his offer to engage him by praying without ceasing?

What about your prayer habits? Do you pray without ceasing? God fully expects us, his children, to engage him and come to him in prayer regularly. Do you enjoy communion with your heavenly Father? Do you cry out to him with confidence? Do you trust him implicitly and explicitly? Beloved, a pervasive trust in the Almighty is an essential attitude to cultivate. Please do not allow dull routine and mere rituals to rob you of a vibrant and fruitful life with our Father at the center of it!

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^[1] Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.

^[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mt 21:21–22). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mk 11:22–24). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ti 2:8). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Jn 5:14–15). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[6] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jas 1:5–7). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[7] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Pr 22:19–21). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[8] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Pr 3:5–7). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[9] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ps 62:7–8). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[10] Torrey, R. A. (2001). The new topical text book: A scriptural text book for the use of ministers, teachers, and all Christian workers. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Bible Software.

^[11] Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.

^[12] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 1526). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

^[13] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mt 21:21–22). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[14] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 2 Ch 16:9). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[15] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mt 19:26). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[16] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Lk 1:37). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[17] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 405). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

^[18] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 1525). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

^[19] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 1525). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.