Prayer is Intentional

 

“Intentionally Communicating With God”

DAN. 9:1-23 

THEME: Regularly Engage in Two-Way Communication With the Lord in order to Build an Ever Deepening Fellowship With Him.

RELEVANCE:

Many good communication books are on the market today. The Bible, however, is God’s foremost book about God’s communication with us. The Scriptures are the supreme source of insight on prayer and talking with God. It is the source from which we receive new insights and eternal wisdom regarding our prayer ministry.  

The Christian life is NOT a set of religious rituals, nor merely a list of beliefs.  God is a Divine Person and we must never forget he offers us a personal relationship to enjoy and maintain.  Intimate associations grow, prosper, and are strengthened through wholesome self-disclosing communication—prayer.  Victory or defeat is decided in your Christian life on the battleground of your daily walk with the Lord.

INTRODUCTION:

1.  Each of Us Has a Need to Communicate with God. That need has been built into us by our Creator. It is part of God’s design—part of His imprint on our lives. We desire to be in touch with our Maker.

2.  Prayer Is Communication with God. In its broadest definition, prayer includes both verbal and nonverbal communication—it covers our thoughts and actions toward God, as well as our words toward Him.

Daniel’s prayers illustrate and model two-way communication with God.   

MESSAGE: 

I.   PRAYER IS TO BE INTENTIONAL; DO IT ON PURPOSE (Dan. 9:3-6)

1. PRAYER DOES NOT HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT.

Daniel 9:3-4, And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: [4] And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

1.      We must Engage in the Process Regularly.

A.    We must turn our minds, hearts and voices toward God. Vs. 3-4, “I set my face,” “I prayed.”

1.      Daniel demonstrated a purposeful persistence in prayer. Even Jacob in his prayer cried, “… I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Gen. 32:26).

2.      Daniel was concerned about his people. Perhaps he was shaken by that little horn in chapter 8, Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian king of the Seleucid dynasty. He would abuse Daniel’s people, and he would desecrate the temple. All of this caused Daniel great concern.

3.      We must make a conscious decision to pray daily. Certainly Daniel did!

 

B.     We must designate specific times of prayer and devotion with our Heavenly Father.

1.   Daniel disciplined himself to pray three times a day (Dan. 6:10).

2.   Nehemiah was a godly leader of constant prayer (Neh. 1:14; 2:4; 4:9; 6:9).

3.   The Lord Jesus made a major priority of prayer each day (Mk.1:35).

a.       Jesus rose a long while before daylight and went out to a place where He would be free from distraction and spend time in prayer. The Servant of Jehovah opened His ear each morning to receive instructions for the day from God the Father (Isa. 50:4, 5).

b.      If the Lord Jesus felt the need of this early morning quiet time, how much more should we! Notice too that He prayed when it cost Him something; He rose and went out a long while before daylight. Prayer should not be a matter of personal convenience but of self-discipline and sacrifice. Does this explain why so much of our service is ineffective? –Believer's Bible Commentary

c.       Despite a full day of ministry (vv. 21-34), Jesus got up the next morning very early, before daybreak (about 4 a.m.) and went out to a solitary place (cf. v. 4) where He spent time praying. 

d.      Mark selectively portrayed Jesus at prayer on three crucial occasions, each in a setting of darkness and aloneness: near the beginning of his account (v. 35), near the middle (6:46), and near the end (14:32-42). All three were occasions when He was faced with the possibility of achieving His messianic mission in a more attractive, less costly way. But in each case He gained strength through prayer.—The Bible Knowledge Commentary 

C.     We must include these various aspects of this passage in our own prayers.  True prayer is:

1.      In response to the Word (v. 2). 

a.       The determining factor which brought Daniel to this prayer was his study of the Word of God. The Word reveals the will of God. A study of God’s Word, followed by prayer, is the formula for determining God’s will.

b.      The promises Daniel read are (Jer. 25:11; 29:10).

2.      Characterized by fervency (v. 3).

a.       James 5:16,…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

3.      Characterized by self-denial (v. 3).

4.      Identifies unselfishly with God’s people (v. 5).

5.      Strengthened by confession (vv. 5–15).

a.       He Confesses His Own Sins and the Sins of His People. He reviews Bible history and confesses that the nation has been wicked and God has been righteous to judge them.

b.      He Knew the Warnings Moses Had Given (v. 13, see Lev. 26).  He knew that he and his people deserved far greater disaster than God had sent to them. It is wonderful to see Daniel identifying himself with his sinning nation, though he himself had not been guilty of these sins.

6.      Dependent on God’s character (vv. 4, 7, 9, 15).

7.      It has as its goal, God’s glory (vv. 16–19).

D.    This is proper expression of intentional prayer to the Lord.  While we may express our prayers through feelings and thoughts, prayer must be intentional for it truly to be a form of communication.

2.      We Must Engage in Prayer Instead of Complaining. 

A.    I am NOT discouraging confiding in a friend regarding a burden or struggle, but if you ask for prayer, be sure to pray for yourself also.   

B.     Prayer is far better than merely complaining to each other.

1.      Ex 17:3, And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? Again the people of Israel complained about their problem instead of praying. They had followed God’s leading into the desert, but now were doubting his ability to take care of them.

2.      Some problems can be solved by careful thought or by rearranging our priorities. Some can be solved by discussion and good counsel. But some problems can be solved only by prayer.

3.      We should make a determined effort to pray when we feel like complaining, because complaining only raises our level of stress. Prayer quiets our thoughts and emotions and prepares us to listen to the Lord.

C.     Silently wishing something might be so is not prayer.

D.    Confessing a fault to another person is not prayer.

E.     Feeling a spring in our step as we rejoice in the warmth and beauty of an April day is not prayer. No, we must intentionally engage in prayer.

2. PRAYER WILL HAPPEN WITH PERSONAL INITIATIVE.

Daniel 9:3-4, And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: [4] And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession….   

1.      Take the Matter Straight to God. Daniel took the initiative and took the matter to the Lord in prayer.  He by-passed everybody else and went straight to the Lord his God.

 

2.      Don’t Miss out Because You Fail to Pray.  Many times our problems and challenges persist because we failed to pray over the matter.

A.    James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

B.     To be engaged in prayer, we must voice our problem to God … with an expectation that He not only will hear us, but will respond to us.

C.     To be engaged in prayer, we must yield our desires to God … and expect Him to answer or change our desires as part of the process.

D.    To be in genuine prayer, we must make our confessions to God … and actively receive His cleansing and forgiveness.

E.     To be people of prayer, we not only must feel positive, good, or thankful, but must give voice to our thanksgivings and praise … and open ourselves fully to experience the presence of God at work both in and around us.

3.      Initiate Prayer By Speaking With Your God.

A.    Psalm 4:3, But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.  The godly are those who are faithful and devoted to God. David knew that God would hear him when he called and would answer him.

B.     We too can be confident that God listens to our prayers and answers when we call on Him. Sometimes we think that God will not hear us because we have fallen short of his high standards for holy living. But if we have trusted Christ for salvation, God has forgiven us, we have fellowship, and he will listen to us.

C.     When you feel as though your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, remember that as a believer, you have been set apart by God -- and he loves you. He hears and answers, although his answers may not be what you expect.

D.    Look at your problems in the light of God’s power instead of looking at God in the shadow of your problems.  Make prayer intentional.

 

God's Cell Phone Number!

Jer. 33:1-9

Take God’s invitation to Prayer seriously, because it is one way we enter a deepening relationship with Him.  

1.  The cell phone is an extremely popular communication device. They boost of myriads of entertainment features and conveniences. They are so much a part of our technology and information age that we find it difficult to image life without them. Of course their grandest quality it that they permit us to stay in contact with friends and family anytime and anywhere as long as we have their number.

Well, God has a Cell Phone with universal access, Bluetooth, hands free headset, infrared, texting, touch screen, and voice activation. It is not a Blackberry, Nokia, or iPhone, but it is certainly a GPhone and His number is “Call Unto Me.”

2. In spite of the conveniences of the cell phone, communication is still a real problem. Actually a Failure to Communicate, is a Major Problem in Our technologically advanced World.

• So often we don’t say what we mean.
• We have difficulty putting our feelings into words.
• We leave people with misunderstanding.
• Some of us even expect others to read our minds.

Whether in our family, the workplace, the church, on Face Book, Twitter, or texting we have problems communicating. In our text, God issues an invitation to ‘call Him up’ to His servant.

3.  In Jeremiah 33:1–3, God’s issued a prayer invitation to His prophet (Stanley, C.).  It was given:

A. To a righteous man. All believers may pray, but it is “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man that availeth much” (James 5:16).  Prayer works when righteous people work it!

B.  To a beloved servant. If a heavy weight prophet of Jehovah needed to pray, then no believer knows so much or is so far spiritually advanced that he can discard the holy habit of prayer. Whenever you find it difficult to clear off time to pray or to make prayer a daily priority, ask yourself these questions:

1.  Am I too smart, too in control, too proud, too prosperous, too self-contained, too self-sufficient, or too discouraged to pray?

2.  Do I fail to communicate with God consistently because I don’t even try?  Why?

3.  Am I too frustrated, too isolated, too misunderstood, or too messed up to ask God for help?

Lesson: “CALL UNTO ME” (Jer. 33:3)

When God’s invitation came to Jeremiah, he was in prison for disagreeing with the king and leaders of Jerusalem. They wanted to align themselves with the Egyptians in order to defeat the invading Babylonians. But Jeremiah knew this was useless because the Lord had told him that Judah would be taken into captivity by the Babylonians for seventy years.

Jeremiah, therefore, recommended to King Zedekiah that they surrender peacefully and voluntarily (Jer. 32:1-5). God’s Word was already coming to pass, so there was no point in fighting against it. The leaders responded by putting Jeremiah in prison. His words sounded too much like treason and disloyalty.

But the Prophet still had access to the Lord.  As Jeremiah’s imprisonment dragged on, God’s word came to him again (Jer. 33:1). The sovereign God who created all things told the prophet, He would do “Great and mighty things! Just ask Me!” He was fully able to restore his people to their land and give them prosperity (Jer. 33:4-13), this would cause all nations to praise Him (Jer. 33:9).  This is the context for this wonderful and much welcomed invitation to cry out to the Lord who keeps His promises. There are three applications in this word of the Lord to Jeremiah, I’d like to make.

I.  CALL ME DURING THE TIMES YOU FEEL TRAPPED.

 Jeremiah 33:1,  Moreover the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

1.      Call When You Feel Closed In. (Sometimes we feel captive to our circumstances)

a.      The invitation came to Jeremiah in prison.

                                                      i.      Stone walls cannot shut out God from us, nor prevent our souls from rising in prayer to Him. No one can rob you of your choicest jewel—communion with Jehovah, your heavenly Father.

                                                     ii.      God often visits the soul in scenes of earthly distress to initiate dialog.

b.      No one or nothing can imprison the soul that longs for God.

                                                      i.      When people try to close you in with their rigid ideas and unfair expectations for your time, energy, money, and life.  God invites you to prayer.

                                                     ii.      When your options, opportunities, and hopes for positive changes dry up right before your eyes leaving you trapped where you don’t want to be in life; still God invites you to prayer.   

c.       God says, “Call unto Me.” There’s probably no better place for a person to catch up on his or her prayer life than behind bars!  I have had several former inmates confirm this reality!

2.      Call When You Feel All Alone.

a.       Jeremiah Felt Alone.  He was the only one declaring this message of surrender to the Babylonians.

                                                      i.      Often in standing on the Word and Promises of God we feel alone.  Very few others seem interested or motivated to see God truly at work.

                                                     ii.      Often in standing for what’s right, because God said its right, we stand alone.  It may be at school, home, work, in a relationship, and even on rare occasions at church.  God still invites us to “Call unto Me.”

                                                  iii.      Sometimes we find ourselves arguing with ourselves saying, “Why are there so few advocates for real spiritual change?” “Why isn’t there a great deal of spiritual energy from the masses of God’s people behind this?” “Why aren’t more believers concerned about this?”

b.      Sometimes We Feel Isolated. Although we may not be behind physical bars or residing in a public prison, we very often are isolated through a series of events or problems so that we find ourselves feeling alone in our circumstances—unable to connect with others in meaningful ways.

                                                      i.      In those times our attention very often turns to God.  This invitation came a second time to Jeremiah. God repeatedly invites his troubled people to turn to Him; He offers this open door to Him again and again. You see the prayers of yesterday will not make those of today unnecessary.

                                                     ii.      You may discover a wonderful and faithful companion in your Lord who will never leave you alone.  Spouses do deploy or pack up and leave, friends PCS and move away, children graduate and go off to college, and some relationships grow cold and unsatisfying.  But God says to you, “Call unto Me.”

                                                   iii.      There is nothing like feeling alone or abandoned to get our attention back on God and conversation with Him.

3.      Call When You Feel Desperate.

a.       In Desperate Times We Want an Escape.  Our cry when life slaps us with some desperation is usually, “God, get me out of this place” or “God, get me out of this mess.” Sometimes we may even attempt to barter with God, saying, in effect, “God, if you get me out of here, I will serve You better and read the Scripture and pray more than I have in the past. God I’m serious this time!”

b.      God Does Not Guarantee Escape! Notice this prayer invitation did not bring deliverance from trouble.

                                                      i.      Though God visited Jeremiah in prison once and again, the prophet still remained there.

                                                     ii.      We have no right to expect God to automatically remove our source of trouble or desperation. The Lord may find it better to bless us in our troubles.

                                                   iii.      Therefore, on the other hand, the continuation of the trouble is not evidence that we are deserted by God.  It is quite possible that the opposite is true, because “whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.”

c.       The Desperate Circumstance May be From God. In reality, the “prison” in which we find ourselves may be the very place that God has designated for us to learn better how to serve Him, read the Bible, and pray more. This is especially true when the prison is one of our own making—a prison marked:

                                                      i.      By our sins, failures, character flaws, poor judgment, or errors.

                                                     ii.      By our lack of emotional control or forms of anger and bitterness—other emotional problems.

                                                   iii.      By our relationship problems—conflict, abuses, distrust, betrayal, poor friendship choices, a bad marriage that is getting worse, loneliness, and boredom.    

                                                   iv.      By our self-created financial problems and impulsive spending habits.

                                                    v.      By our self-inflicted health problems—poor diet, bad habits, alcohol, and drugs.

                                                   vi.      By our habitual neglect of God and the things of God!

d.      Our answer lies not in our deliverance from the problem, but in developing a relationship with God in the midst of the problem. Psalm 50:15, And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.  Remember God’s deliverance could take many forms, including a “prison.”

II. CALL ME DURING THE TIMES YOU FEEL PAIN.  Vs. 33:3

No doubt the rejection, mistreatment, isolation, and cruelty Jeremiah experience was quite painful for him. Certainly he felt cast aside and misunderstood. Yet, God made no mention of Jeremiah’s release from prison in this passage. He simply said, “Call unto Me.”

Centuries before King Solomon dedicated the temple he had constructed in Jerusalem. At that time he looked ahead and foresaw the many ways in which Israel would sin against God. Solomon knew that sin would have disastrous consequences, making God’s people vulnerable to foreign enemies, drought, and other disciplines. Solomon also knew that when God’s people began to feel the pain, they would finally turn back to God.  Likewise when we feel the pain, we desperately cry to God and try to live as good Christians (1 Kings 8:35, 36). So when we are feeling the pain, it’s time to call on God! But we need to realize something first:

1.      God is More Interested in Relationship Then Relief.

He is far more interested in building a relationship with us and communicating with us within our situation than He is in changing our circumstances or releasing us from our problems.

2.      God is More Interested in Maturity Then Miracles.

The lessons that we learn within life’s problems are valuable for all eternity. Lessons learned through pain can be some of our best teachers and stimulate significant growth in Christ. They are greater than any lessons we might learn from a miraculous deliverance from our pain, suffering, or trouble.

3.      God is More Interested in Prayer Then Pacifiers.

Psalm 50:15, And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

1. God calls us to pray within the struggles of life.  Prayer is the shortest distance between:

·        Problems and solutions. 

·        Difficulties and remedies. 

·        Questions and answers.

2. Use the pain you feel to prompt you to cry out to God! The distance between your knees and the floor is the shortest distance to seeing God at work in your life.
3. The Positive Side of Pain (A diary entry from a young lady)

June 6, 1992:

I talked with a young woman today who has been suffering with severe back pain. Her name is Dotty, and her doctor hasn't been able to find any cause for the pain (not that that's any surprise to me!). She was very scared. When I told her about what I have been going through for the past four years, she started to cry.

She said she didn't know how she would make it, and so I told her about God and prayed with her. I took her number so I could call her and talk with her some more. It's really been amazing how many people God has brought into my life to minister to through my problem. I'm beginning to see what God is doing in my life.

I've changed, too. I don't know how many people have told me I'm an inspiration. Sometimes I don't feel like an inspiration! I remember how I used to be, though. I think God has used my suffering to strip away some of my own childishness. When I hear some of the dumb statements or empty phrases from people, I think, “Before I would have probably said the same thing!” Now I understand so much better what other people with pain are going through since I've been there myself.

I know I'm closer to God after going through this whole experience. With all the time I've spent on my knees, I ought to be! But if I hadn't spent so much time praying and looking for insight, would I have the deep communion with my Lord that I now have? I don't think so. Not to mention, I've learned to turn to God when something goes wrong. I'm still not pleased about the pain I've had to go through, but I thank God that it hasn't been for nothing. Sometimes I'm almost grateful. (Timothy J. Richards, 1995: Real Life, Real People: Drawing comfort and inspiration from the experiences of Bible personalities)

III. CALL ME BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO.

Jeremiah 33:2, Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;

Though God is free of any needs, He still desires to spend time with us. Actually prayer does far more for us and God makes Himself available to us. But we should pray not only in our crisis situations and when the pressures of life place the squeeze on us, but to maintain a healthy growing relationship with God during the normal seasons.

1. God Desires to Emphasize His Power and Character in a Relationship with You.
1. His Power is Unparalleled! God stresses both His power and His character. He is the awesome mighty Creator-God (Jer. 32:17). What an encouragement to pray to Him!
2. His Faithfulness is Absolute! By revealing His name Lord (Yahweh), God emphasized His covenant-keeping faithfulness to His people (Jer. 32:18; Ex. 3:13-15). Thus, Jehovah’s very Name is a pledge of his faithfulness to his promises (Jer. 32:18).  He will be faithful to you also! He will never leave you nor forsake you—ever!
3. His Attraction is Undeniable. Everything about God makes it worth getting closer to Him and Conversing more with Him in Prayer!

                                                               i.      Don’t take Him for granted because He is Powerful and Faithful!

                                                             ii.      Establish a time and place to meet with Him regularly for brief chats and extended and deep communication. Start with brief periods, but also learn to pray on the fly through your day.

                                                            iii.      Make time with Him a priority—a daily date to share your soul with God—you don’t need to wait until you have a crisis before you come.

2. God Desires for us to Call on Him for His Salvation—to Accept a Relationship with Him.
1. Take Him at His Word. Jeremiah 33:8, And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
2. Ask Him to Save You Today! Why not call on the Lord today in confession, in repentance, for forgiveness, to place your Faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and to begin a relationship with God. (See also Rom. 10:8-13, 17). Really you cannot pray to God until a relationship with Him begins through Faith in Jesus Christ.
3. Pray, “Thy Kingdom Come” (Matt. 6:10; Luke 11:2)! The Lord gave further glowing promises of restoration to Israel and Judah—the land will be repopulated with joyful people; the mountains will be enriched with flocks; and, best of all, the Messiah, “A Branch of righteousness” descended from David, will come. Jerusalem ... will be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Jehovah gives His name to restored Israel, just as a man does to his bride and just as Christ does to the church (1 Cor. 12:12).—Believer’s Bible Commentary

  

3. God, Our Heavenly Father, Desires for us to Pray Because He Wants Us To. 
1. Jesus expects us to pray and the Bible commands us to pray. The Spirit helps us to pray. God wants us to pray.  He communicates awesome grace into the praying soul.
2. The God of the Universe and the God of Covenant wants you to spend time with Him often.
3. This is His invitation to prayer! Certainly “men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1).

Conclusion:

Accept the Lord God’s Invitation to Satisfying Fellowship With Himself.  Yes, Many People Have Problems Communicating with God. They are uncomfortable talking with God. They wonder if he has heard what they have said. They are confused or frustrated by their lack of ability to say what they mean. Some don’t even try to communicate (Stanley, C.).

This is the foremost problem in communication. The greatest obstacle in both our human relationships and our relationship with God is a failure to try to communicate. If a person never opens his mouth and his heart to others, communication is halted. Without an effort to start communicating, there can be no progress in one’s ability to communicate (Stanley, C.).

The Problem Is Not New. Repeatedly in the Bible, God invited His people to communicate with Him—Today He is seeking to open a dialogue with you. He wants to engage you in a deep heart-felt conversation. He wants to begin a faith-based relationship through Christ with you to afford you the privilege of prayer.  God is extending this invitation to you and me today.  “Call Unto Me!”

Remember God is NOT too Busy to Spend Time with You!  We think that God is off in a corner of the universe somewhere doing big things, or trying to keep nuclear wars from breaking out, or containing some evil angel rebellion, and that He doesn’t have time or interest for our petty matters. Nothing could be farther from the truth (Anders, M). An omniscient and omnipotent God has no trouble running the universe and still having time for us. We are the reason everything about prayer exists in the first place. We are not an afterthought or secondary interest for God. We are “it” as His children.  The Bible teaches we are the ‘apple of God’s eye.’ (Duet. 32:10; Zech. 2:8).  Outside of Himself, nothing is more important than we are. He wants us to pray. So, take a moment and call God up!