This is the message given in the United Methodist churches of the Wheatland Parish on Sunday, October 6, 2013. The Bible verses used are 1 Samuel 1:1-20 and Luke 11:5-13.
We've been talking about the power of prayer. We've talked about how prayer can create a close relationship between us and God. We've talked about how, by creating that relationship, prayer opens us up to God's guidance and helps create chances to serve God. This week, we go a little farther. This week, we're going to talk about how prayer gives God chances to use God's power.
Because when we talk about the power of prayer, that's really what we're talking about, right? God's power. Prayers are not powerful because of us. Prayers are powerful because of God. The only thing our prayers do is give God chances to use God's power.
Now, some of you may be thinking, “Wait a minute. How can you say prayer gives God chances to use God's power? God can use God's power whether we do anything or not. God can use God's power any time God wants to. God is all-powerful. There's nothing we can do that affects God's ability to use God's power.”
Well, that's true, of course. God is all-powerful. God can use God's power any time God wants to. But what the Bible seems to tell us is that sometimes, God waits to be invited to use God's power. God sometimes does not use the power God has until we ask God to do that. And the way we ask is through prayer.
To me, that fits in with the idea that God gives us free will. God allows us to make choices with our lives, and so God is not going to use the power God has, even for our own good, until we ask God to do that. If we don't, God will allow us to go our own way and will allow us to deal with the consequences of going our own way.
But we're encouraged to ask. Jesus himself encourages us to ask in the passage we read from Luke. In fact, Jesus tells us we should ask with “shameless audacity.”
That word “audacity” is not one we use a lot in normal conversation. It means boldness or daring. It means to act confidently, without regard to any restrictions. So what Jesus is telling us is not just to ask God to use God's power, but to be bold in ask God to do that and to be confident that God will do it. Jesus is saying we should not be afraid to come to God with big requests. We should not feel like we're imposing on God to ask for things. We should be bold and confident in asking.
That's what the person is Jesus' story did. He goes to his friend in the middle of the night, after everyone's gone to bed, and says, “Hey, company just came and I don't have anything to feed 'em. I need you to give me some food right now.”
I mean, can you imagine that? You're at home asleep, in the middle of the night, and somebody starts banging on your door and demanding food? Seriously, think about it. It'd be really tempting to just ignore them and hope they go away, right? I'd be thinking, “You idiot. How can you not have any food? Who in the world runs completely out of food? What were you planning to do for breakfast?”
But that's the audacity, the boldness, the confidence, with which Jesus says we're supposed to ask God for things. We're not supposed to worry about whether we should've done more to be prepared. We're not supposed to worry about whether God will be inconvenienced when we ask. We're not supposed to worry that this might be too much for us to ask God. We're just supposed to ask. And God, out of love, will give us what we ask.
Now, I think we need to notice something about Jesus' story. The thing that was asked for was not something frivolous. It was not “give me something extravagant so I can go have fun”. The request was for food. Specifically, for bread. Bread is something people need.
I think that tells us something. Jesus tells us to ask God with boldness, but not to ask for a bunch of stuff we don't need. Jesus says “ask and it will be given to you” but that may not work if we ask God for a Mercedes. Jesus is telling us to ask God for things we truly need.
Jesus goes on to compare God to a good father, and says “Look, if your son asks for a fish or an egg, you'll give it to him, right? You won't give him a snake or a scorpion. You give you kids things that are good for them, not things that are bad for them. And God will do the same for you.”
Now, again, I think that means we get what we need, not necessarily what we want. Again, Jesus is comparing God to a good father. A good father, or a good mother, does not give their children everything they want. Sometimes the things we want are not good for us. If a child asks a parent for a snake or scorpion, you won't give it to them, will you? A good parent gives their children what they need, not necessarily what they want.
But again, we can still make bold requests. We should make bold requests. And if they meet with God's approval, God will answer those requests. Our prayer will have created the chance for God to use God's power for our good.
That's what Hannah did in our reading from First Samuel. Hannah desperately wanted a child. It looked like she would never have one. She was begging, pleading, even bargaining with God, asking God to please, please, give her a child. She was praying so hard the priest Eli thought she was drunk.
Now, that's a pretty bold request, right? To ask God to give you a child? That's no small thing, especially when you've been trying to have children for years and have never been able to have one. That's audacity. I mean, there's nothing in the Bible that says Hannah was anyone special. There's nothing that says Hannah had any reason to think God would do anything special for her. But she trusted God. She trusted God enough to make a big, bold, audacious request. And her prayer had power: God's power. God used God's power to do what Hannah wanted.
I think that's really what it comes down to—trust. Trusting in God's love. Trusting in God's power. Going to God confidently, not because we believe in our own goodness, but because we trust God's goodness and God's greatness. Trusting that, if what we're praying for meets with God's approval, our prayer will have power. God will answer our prayer, no matter how big or bold it is.
Now, of course, we need to understand that we cannot order God around. Hannah did not go to God and demand that God do what she wanted. She did not say, “God here's what I want, so get going.” She called herself God's servant. She was humble. She was respectful. She did not demand anything. She simply asked. And she said that, if God granted her request, she would do everything she could to make sure her child served God and honored God.
I think that tells us the attitude with which we should make these bold, audacious requests to God. We should go to God humbly. We should go to God respectfully. We should recognize that we're God's servants. And then, we should simply ask, and resolve that if God does give us what we ask for, then we'll do everything we can to use whatever God has given us to serve God and honor God.
So, what's on your mind today? What's on your heart? Is there something you need? I mean, not something you want, not something you'd like to have, but something you really need? Pray for it. It does not matter how big it is. Pray for it. It does not matter whether you deserve it, because of course you don't deserve it and neither do I. Pray for it.
And when you do, pray boldly. Pray confidently. Trust God's love. Trust God's power. Trust that, if what you pray for meets God's approval, God will give it to you. And resolve that if God does what you ask for, you'll do everything you can to use whatever God has given you to honor God and serve God.
We know God has power. We know God has unlimited power. Jesus told us God will use God's power to give good gifts to us, God's children, because God loves us. There is nothing too big for God to do.
God wants us to ask. Jesus told us to ask. So, let's ask. And let's be bold in asking. Let's give God chances to use God's power. Then, we'll really see the power of prayer.
No comments:
Post a Comment