Fostering the Attitude of Trust

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!

RELEVANCE: our interior life as Christians is vitally significant to our spiritual welfare—attitudes and motives like behaviors are equally weighty aspects of our growth in grace. Doing the right things and being the right person should be in harmony. However, sometimes it is necessary to do right and trust that our hearts will catch up in a reasonable amount of time. You may recall, an attitude is “a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behavior.” Attitudes include our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors; all of which are to be consecrated to the glory of our Lord God. Trust is an crucial attitude to foster.

INTRODUCTION: Our focus today is on the attitude of trust. Consider this weighty observation about the importance of trust from Harvard Business Review,

We think of trust as precious, and yet it’s the basis for almost everything we do as civilized people. Trust is the reason we’re willing to exchange our hard-earned paychecks for goods and services, pledge our lives to another person in marriage, cast a ballot for someone who will represent our interests. We rely on laws and contracts as safety nets, but even they are ultimately built on trust in the institutions that enforce them. We don’t know that justice will be served if something goes wrong, but we have enough faith in the system that we’re willing to make high-stakes deals with relative strangers (Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss; Harvard Business Review, Begin with Trust, from the May–June 2020 Issue).

Certainly, trust plays a major role in our society and personal experiences. But from a biblical perspective what is trust? W. Grudem, author of Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Theology says, “Trust: an aspect of biblical faith or belief in which we not only know and agree with facts about Jesus, but also place personal trust in him as a living person” (Pg. 1256). In the NT, there is an insistence upon placing personal faith/trust in the living Christ to establish a relationship with God (Rom. 10:9, 14; 6:8; Acts 14:23; Gal 2:20; Phil 1:29; 1 Pet. 1:8). Trust is absolutely fundamental to our relationship and communion with the Most High! Trust does not end or expire in relevance after initial conversion. It remains an integral part of the Christian experience.

1493 Setting The Sails

When Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary, first went to China, it was in a sailing vessel. Very close to the shore of cannibal islands the ship was becalmed [stationary], and it was slowly drifting shoreward unable to go about and the savages were eagerly anticipating a feast.

The captain came to Mr. Taylor and besought [asked or begged] him to pray for the help of God. “I will,” said Taylor, “provided you set your sails to catch the breeze.” The captain declined to make himself a laughing stock by unfurling in a dead calm. Taylor said, “I will not undertake to pray for the vessel unless you will prepare the sails.” And it was done.

While engaged in prayer, there was a knock at the door of his stateroom. “Who is there?” The captain’s voice responded, “Are you still praying for wind?” “Yes.” “Well,” said the captain, “you’d better stop praying, for we have more wind than we can manage.”

—Oriental and InterAmerican Missionary Standard^[1]

The great missionary, Hudson Taylor knew God could be trusted with his welfare and the ministry God had so entrusted to him. Full of unwavering confidence in God’s power, wisdom, love, grace, and providence, the missionary cried out to God in prayer and God answered in a mighty way. How may we develop a ubiquitous—ever present and pervasive trust in God? One way to practice and develop confidence in God is to “pray without ceasing.”

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 belong together like flowers to the spring season and like a melody to a song. While mere prayer rituals devoid of trust/faith in God are patiently useless, the prayer of faith can move massive obstructions and immovable obstacles to see God’s plan executed still. We must trust the Most High to realize the difference he makes in any circumstance. This kind of trust literally invigorates our prayer communion!

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 Communion

A.    An Obvious Reason for Praying without Ceasing is Communion!

B.    Prayer Communion is an Exercise of Trust.

                                                  1.     Communion is sharing or exchanging intimate thoughts and feelings on a mental and spiritual level. We commune deeply and confide transparently with those we trust. It is hard to use the word commune with reference to a stranger, yet the Lord God is virtually a stranger to many of us. Yet, he designed prayer, at least in part, for intimate communion with him.

                                                  2.     The Lord Jesus advocated for secret prayer with our Father! Saying, And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. ⁶ But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. ⁷ But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. ⁸ Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him (Matt. 6:5-8).^[3]

                                                  3.     Jesus advocates for prayer communion and not mere lifeless rituals! Prayer is dialog or a personal conversation with God; we speak most transparently and deeply with the Lord when we truly trust him. While public prayer is prescribed in other passages, God places extra emphasis here on the importance of being personal, yet reverent, with our heavenly Father. Do you get personal with God? Do you trust him enough to make things that are valuable to you vulnerable to his actions?

C.    What Does “Pray” Mean? (1Thes 5:17)

                                                  1.     The Apostle Paul says to, “Pray without ceasing” (1Thes 5:17). The word “pray” here means to speak to or to make requests of God. It implies enjoying and valuing his company and Presence...conversation involving speaking and listening. Speaking confidently with a much treasured Friend is the idea.

                                                  2.     It is not racing through a laundry list of requests, but entrusting serious concerns and real needs to Him who cares like no other. Our Father God wants us to come to Him as often and continually as possible...as frequently as opportunities present themselves...seizing seasons to be with Him. Come to him to speak and make requests; to be with him.

                                                  3.     4522 How Praying Hyde Prayed

Dr. Wilbur Chapman wrote to a friend: I have learned some great lessons concerning prayer. At one of our missions in England the audience was exceedingly small; but I received a note saying that an American missionary was going to pray for God’s blessing down on our work. He was known as Praying Hyde. Almost instantly the tide turned. The hall became packed, and at my first invitation fifty men accepted Christ as their Saviour. As we were leaving I said, “Mr. Hyde, I want you to pray for me.”

He came to my room, turned the key in the door, and dropped on his knees, and waited five minutes without a single syllable coming from his lips. I could hear my own heart thumping, and his beating. I felt hot tears running down my face. I knew I was with God. Then, with upturned face, down while the tears were streaming, he said, “O God.” Then for five minutes at least he was still again; and then, when he knew that he was talking with God there came from the depths of his heart such petitions for me as I had never heard before. I rose from my knees to know what real prayer was. We believe that prayer is mighty and we believe it as we never did before.—Gospel Herald^[4]

                                                  4.     Yes, Beloved, speaking with God is a wonderful privilege…an awesome time of communion with the Most High. Do we treasure prayer like this?

D.    What Does “Without Ceasing” Mean? (1Thes 5:17)

                                                  1.     It refers to frequent and regular prayers from a consistent prayer life. “Without ceasing” literally does refer to non-stop activity, but this is not possibly the meaning here because that disregards and automatically negates all the other commands in this passage. This is living with an attitude of prayerfulness and the ability to connect with God at any time.

                                                  2.     This is not continuous uninterrupted prayer. There is zero counsel to abandon normal life, duties and responsibilities in order to pray all the time without ever stopping. As an individual this is impossible, but a congregation or a band of believers can maintain ceaseless prayer. Perhaps we all have been a part of a 48 hour prayer vigil involving many participants.

                                                  3.     However, continuing in prayer communion is a definite expression of trust and confidence in the Lord’s love, character, wisdom, and power! Prayer is powerful because it is rooted...deeply rooted in a concrete trust in the awesome character of God and the precious Word of God. To hang on to God in prayer…to cling to Him refusing to entertain any other options are serious evidences of a well-founded trust. To utter and mean it when we say, ‘Your will, O’ Lord, on earth as it is in heaven.’ To yearn for His will above all…to cry out to God passionately…to hang on to the Lord while hot tears race down your cheeks are activities of unwavering trust in the Lord above all else.

E.    What Does No Prayer Communion Look Like?

                                                  1.     Obviously, no prayer communion is the opposite of prayer communion. If communion is partly rooted in trust, then no prayer communion is based on no trust.

                                                  2.     We are far too casual about prayer…so little reverence and respect for the Almighty Father. We don’t commune with people we do not respect.

                                                  3.     We have made prayer about ourselves…instead of insisting upon the will of God and the advancement of his purposes in this world. Do we really believe we know better than him? It is difficult to commune when ‘it’s all about you.’

                                                  4.     We pray primarily when we have an emergency…so few cherish a healthy habit of prayer personally and corporately. We only want God exclusively for difficult situations, but we do not want him involved with our lives. Then when life goes left we are angry with him because he did not prevent it. It would be shameful to discover how many Christians actually engage God daily in prayer.

                                                  5.     We cherish what we want from God more than we cherish time with God…we permit our dreams and goals to supersede relationship and fellowship with the Almighty. Our God is simply not the priority….

                                                  6.     We excuse our prayerlessness because we are busy and lead demanding lives with challenging schedules. Such confessions reveal poor planning and misplaced priorities. Our self-important veneer is just one crisis away from being shattered. God does not have your attention, and you really have no place for him. What will it take to get your attention again?

                                                  7.     We really don’t believe God will bother with our requests; we see him as indifferent and uninterested…we view God as distant, disengaged, and disinterested…much like ourselves. We have become practical Deist…or even worst practical Atheists. We have come to believe that God will not do anything at all…so, why bother praying? Others feel God is too weak to make a difference or too uncaring to be bothered with, so why pray? Some have even come to doubt whether God, if he does exist, even matters. Such misrepresentations of the Almighty are scandalous to say the least.

                                                  8.     I believe we need to repent of our irreverence, selfishness, irregularity, prayerlessness, materialism, powerlessness, idolatry, and indifference! Remember, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9). Beloved, it is time to make this right with the Almighty Father. May the Lord revive a love for him in each of our hearts that will result in frequent communion with Him as Almighty Father God!

CONCLUSION:

God says to us through the great apostle in 1Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” Yes, referring to frequent and regular prayers from a consistent prayer life—continuous communion with the Most High Father. We can foster the spiritual attitude of Trust by praying without ceasing; infusing prayer with communion, confidence, and consistency! Such an attitude must be fostered, nurtured, cultivated, developed, and trained until it becomes a normal part of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. What I started in this article I will finish in the following to give you the full content of this meditation.

As you may recall my family and I were privileged to serve in Germany as missionaries to our US military stationed there. God gave us some special years of ministry that I will always cherish. Sweet times with him in the study is one of my grandest personal memories from those years. God also gave us the incredible gift of faithful praying friends there in Germany. Fellow missionaries striving to reach precious people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. They really believe God and live on their knees. Still today every week my friend in Germany reaches out to remind me to submit my prayer requests because Friday Prayer time is on their schedule. I wish to say, I deeply cherish their prayers to the Father for my family and me. I cannot count the number of times their prayerfulness strengthened and steeled me against the challenges. May God Almighty increase their number exponentially!

I do not get to see my pastor very often during the year. It has been that way for several years now. That is simply how it is in our itinerate ministry. Our work is typically somewhere else…in another city…with a different congregation or with a different church planter. Whenever I do see him and speak with him he assures me that he has been faithfully praying for our family. Occasionally, he will send a text to let me know he is consistently praying for us as we serve. I deeply cherish his prayers.

I share these accounts because prayer communion is their attitude. It’s a part of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They faithfully and consistently carry others before the throne of grace seeking their help and spiritual welfare. They pray and pray and pray some more. Every day at designated times, and as needs arise they instinctively fall to their knees and cry out to God. Some have special prayer engagements throughout the week and the calendar year. They intentionally sustain communion with the Most High and count it a blessing to enter the presence of God.

Beloved, we all must choose to hang on to God in prayer...to cling to Him refusing to entertain any other options. Continuing in prayer with unwavering trust in God’s great heart and mighty arm. This is serious evidence of a well-founded trust in the Lord. To utter and mean it when we say, ‘Your will, Almighty Lord God, on earth as it is in heaven.’ To yearn for His will above all...to cry out to our Father God passionately...to hang on to the Lord while hot tears race down our cheeks are activities of unwavering trust in the Lord above all else. 

So, what might this look like in our experiences? Continuing in fellowship and sweet communion with God must start somewhere…right? Call God up early in your day and keep Him on the phone throughout your day! You may need to pause the conversation periodically, but keep him on the line. Resume the conversation as many times as you need and as much as you desire. He is available to you 24/7; therefore, pray without ceasing. Your relationship with God will deepen and become more meaningful as this sweet attitude of trust takes shape through prayerfulness.

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^[1] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (pp. 403–404). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

^[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., Mt 6:5–8). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[4] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (pp. 1035–1036). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.