He Withdrew Himself to Pray

Q: What does the Bible say about the importance of prayer?

The Bible emphasizes that prayer is crucial for communion with God and expressing dependence on Him. Prayer is a vital aspect of the believer's life, showcasing not only our dependence on God but also our relationship with Him. The Scriptures illustrate that Jesus withdrew to pray for strength, guidance, and communion with the Father. In Luke 5:16, Jesus' withdrawal into solitude highlights the necessity of seeking God's face away from distractions. Hebrews 12 discusses the importance of God’s chastening, indicating a desire for closeness, which is facilitated through prayer. Thus, prayer is not just a ritual; it is essential for a vibrant spiritual life, confirming our reliance on Him especially in times of temptation and need.

Q: How do we know that God hears our prayers?

The assurance that God hears our prayers comes from His word and the intercession of Christ. God's responsiveness to prayer is deeply rooted in His character and the assurance found in Scripture. John 11:41-42 illustrates that Jesus had complete confidence that the Father hears Him. This confidence is extended to believers, as seen in the promise that God exists as the hearer of prayer (Psalm 65:2). When we approach God in prayer, we do so in the name of Christ, relying on His intercession and merit. As believers, our relationship through Christ gives us the confidence that God hears us and answers our prayers according to His sovereign will.

Q: Why is prayer considered essential in the life of a Christian?

Prayer is essential as it fosters a deep relationship with God and acknowledges our reliance on Him. Prayer is fundamentally about communion with God and recognizing our need for Him. Jesus modeled this for His disciples, emphasizing its significance in His own ministry. In Luke 18:1, He instructs that men ought always to pray and not lose heart, implying its continual importance. Through prayer, believers express their vulnerabilities, seek guidance, and align their will with God's. It’s not merely a routine aspect of faith but is integral to living a life rooted in trust, submission, and relationship with the Sovereign God. Without prayer, our spiritual vitality may dwindle, as it is our lifeline to the divine.

Q: What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus?

To pray in the name of Jesus means to come before God based on His authority and righteousness. Praying in the name of Jesus is not simply about ending a prayer with His name; it signifies coming before God clothed in Christ's righteousness and authority. According to John 14:13-14, asking in Jesus' name means seeking the will of God and acknowledging that all blessings come through Christ. This principle underscores the necessity of understanding the gospel, wherein every aspect of our salvation operates for the sake of Christ. Our prayers are accepted by God because they are presented by Jesus, highlighting the believer’s reliance on Him for access and favor.

Q: How does prayer relate to God's sovereignty?

Prayer is an expression of our dependence on God, who is sovereign over all things, including our requests. In the context of God's sovereignty, prayer reflects both our dependence on His will and confidence in His control over all circumstances. James 5:16 highlights the efficacy of the prayers of the righteous, asserting that God ordains to act in response to our prayers as part of His sovereign plan. While God is fully in control, He chooses to work through the prayers of His people, demonstrating the dynamic relationship between divine sovereignty and human action. This means that prayer is not a mere formality but an integral part of how God orchestrates His purposes within the world.

Back to Luke chapter 5. Tonight, we're going to observe
the Lord's Table together, and we're going to look at the fifth beatitude. Blessed are
the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. And one thing I
was thinking during that scripture reading from Hebrews chapter
12, about the Lord's chastening. I fear the Lord's chastening. But you know what I fear more?
Not being chastened. Luke chapter 5, verse 15. But so much the more went there
a fame abroad of him, and great multitudes came together to hear,
and to be healed by him of their infirmities." Now, can you imagine
the excitement of that atmosphere? Great multitudes coming to hear
the Lord preach. and to be healed of him, of their
infirmities and their weaknesses. In verse 16, it says, and he
withdrew himself from that atmosphere, from that excitement. He withdrew
himself into the wilderness and prayed. I've entitled this message, he
withdrew himself to pray. He withdrew himself from the
noise and the fanfare, and he went into the wilderness to pray. Not in ostentation, like the
Pharisees, he withdrew himself in the privacy of the wilderness
to pray unto his father. Now, if you and I ever pray,
we're going to have to withdraw ourselves from whatever to seek
his face to pray. That's what our Lord did. He
withdrew himself into the wilderness alone with his father to pray. Now in the scripture, there's
something special about the wilderness. It was in the wilderness. The
word of God came to John. And if you were going to hear
from God, you wouldn't hear from him in man's organized religion,
in the temples and the synagogues, you had to go to the wilderness
to hear from him. It was in the wilderness. that
Christ went to be tempted of the devil and to defeat him. It was in the wilderness that
he fed the 5,000 with five biscuits and two sardines. The place of the woman, the church
to be nourished in Revelation 12, her place was in the wilderness. That's where she was to be nourished. Our Lord withdrew himself into
the wilderness to pray. Turn a page over to Luke chapter
six, verse 12. And it came to pass in those
days that he went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night
in prayer. to God. Now I dare say that he's
the only one to ever do this. You reckon? He continued all
night in prayer. Me and you'd fall asleep at some
time. We'd lose focus. But he continued all night in
prayer and his prayers must have been very different from ours.
Because when he prayed, he had no sin to confess. He had no
corruptions to struggle with. His mind never wandered off,
or what's worse, never became infatuated with evil during the
very act of the prayer. Perfect communion with his Father. Isn't that wonderful to think
about? perfect communion with his father. Prayer is talking to God and
having him hear me. Prayer is talking to God. speaking
with the living God and actually having His ear where He, the
living God, hears me. Now, while the Son of God had
no sin to confess in His prayer, as a man, He depended upon His
Father for everything. You remember when He was being
tempted of the devil and the wilderness? He said, if you're
the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Now,
the Lord had gone 40 days without eating. He could have done that
if he wanted to, but he didn't. Why? Because me and you can't.
And he as a man was to depend upon his father for his next
bite of food. He never performed miracles for
himself. He only did it to testify of
who he was. Now, when he prayed, What praise
there must have been. What communion with His Father
there must have been. What intercession for His people.
I love to think of Him praying for His people. He said in John
chapter 17 verse 9, I pray for them, speaking of His people.
I pray not for the world, but for them which You've given Me,
for they are Thine. Think about when He prayed for
Peter. I prayed for you." Now, if he
prayed for Peter, Peter have any problems? Peter, I prayed
for you. Oh, the prayers of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Look with me to Luke chapter
nine. Here's one of the times his disciples heard him pray.
Verse 28. And it came to pass, about eight
days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James
and went up into a mountain to pray. And they witnessed this,
and as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered. And his raiment was white and
glistering. And behold, there talked with
him two men, which were Moses and Elijah. who appeared in glory
and spake of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. Look in Luke chapter 22. And he came out, verse 39, Luke
22. And he came out and went as he
was wont to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples also followed
him. And when he was at that place, he said unto them, Pray,
pray that you enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn
from them about a stone's cast, and he kneeled down and prayed,
saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me nevertheless,
not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto
him from heaven, strengthening him, and being in agony, he prayed
more earnestly. And his sweat was as it were
great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when
he arose up from the prayer and was come to his disciples, he
found them sleeping for sorrow. And he says unto them, why sleep
ye? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation. Now, I don't
quite know how to say this, But if the Son of God needed to pray,
and he did, how much more do you and I? We need to withdraw ourselves to pray. I love what the Lord
said to Ananias with regard to Saul of Tarsus. Behold, he prayeth. The Lord's done something for
him. Behold, he prayeth." Prayer. What is this thing of prayer? The Lord withdrew himself into
the wilderness to pray. What is this thing of prayer?
Now, let me say this at the outset. Prayer is not understood apart
from the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. You can just forget prayer. without some understanding, some
belief, some entering in to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn with me to John chapter
14. Verse 13. And whatsoever you shall ask, And before I go on, isn't that
pretty much what prayer is? Asking. Asking. You know, in Psalm 103, that
great Psalm of praise, David doesn't ask for a thing. I've
never got there. There's never been a time when
I prayed when I wasn't asking for something. Now there are
other aspects of prayer, I realize that. But what prayer essentially
is, is asking. Verse 13, and whatsoever you
shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in
my name, I will do it. Now there's the promise. If you
ask anything in my name, I will do it. Now, what does it mean
to ask in his name? And this is how I must understand
something of the gospel to understand this thing of prayer. What does
it mean to ask in his name? There's no true prayer without
this. Well, God saves us. Listen real carefully. If we're
saved, God saves us for Christ's sake. Ephesians 4.32 says, Be
ye kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Now, every aspect of salvation
is for Christ's sake, isn't it? Talk about election, why did
he choose you? For Christ's sake. Not because of you, but because
of Christ. Justification, why did he justify you? For Christ's
sake. Why did He redeem you? For Christ's sake. Why did He
give you a new heart? For Christ's sake. Why are you
preserved right now and you haven't fallen away and left? It's for
Christ's sake. Every aspect of salvation, can't
take this too far, every aspect of salvation is for the sake
of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the gospel for His name's
sake. Turn with me to Psalm 106. Psalm 106. Verse 6. We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done Wickedly. Now there's confession of sin
right there. No excuses. The confession. Verse seven. Our fathers understood
not thy wonders in Egypt. They remembered not the multitude
of thy mercies, but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red
Sea. And we're right with them. But
here's our hope. Verse eight. Nevertheless, he
saved them for his namesake. Not because of anything they
did. Not because of their confession. He saved them for his namesake,
that he might make his mighty power known. Now, just as God
wholly looks to Christ to bless us. Isn't that so? Just as God looks holy to Christ
to bless us. He doesn't do it because we ask
for it or because we deserve it. He does it for Christ's sake.
Just as God looks holy to Christ to bless us, we look holy to
Christ as to why God would bless us, don't we? We pray in his
name. We say, Lord, hear this prayer. because Christ presents it to
you. Not because of anything in me. Hear this prayer as Christ
praying it. We really believe in the intercession
of Christ, don't we? I know the only reason that my
prayer is heard by the Father is for the sake of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And we pray in His name. Now that's the gospel. That's
the gospel we believe. All God has for the sinner is
for Christ's sake. We really believe that. And when
we come into his presence, we come into his presence in the
high and holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ and no other way. In Psalm 65 verse 2, God is called,
O thou that hearest prayer. Isn't that a wonderful name for
the Lord? O thou that hearest prayer. That means if I come in Christ's
name, when I pray, He hears me. The sovereign, independent, eternal,
immutable God who does according to His will in the armies of
heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, who does all things
by His eternal purpose and decree. That's who He is. At who he is,
what he does, he does through the prayers of his people. And
let me show you this in Ezekiel chapter 37. I'm sure most of
you have seen this before, but maybe somebody hadn't. Ezekiel
36, I'm sorry. Now in this 36th chapter of Ezekiel,
he talks about all these things that he's going to do. Verse
21, he said, I had pity for mine. Holy name. Remember he does what
he does for his namesake. His name is who he is. Not just
talking about the audible name. His name represents his attributes.
His name is his. Holy name is his sovereign name
is his just name is his powerful name. His name is who he is.
And he does what he does for his holy namesake. He says in
verse 22, therefore saying in the house of Israel, thus saith
the Lord God, I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel,
but for mine holy namesake, which you have profaned among the heathen,
whether you went. Now he talks about these things
that he's going to do for them. Look, he says in verse 24, for
I will take you from among the heathen and gather you out of
all countries and will bring you into your own land. Verse
25, then will I sprinkle clean water upon you. You shall be
clean. Verse 26, a new heart also will
I give you. and a new spirit while I put
within you and I'll take away the stony heart out of your flesh
and I'll give you a heart of flesh. I'll pour my spirit within
you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep
my judgments and do them. He talks about all these things
that he's going to do. Don't you want the Lord to do these
things in you? I want him to give me this new heart. I want
him to cause me to walk in his statutes. I want him to do these
things for me. Now look what he says in verse
37. Thus saith the Lord God, I will
yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it
for them. I'll give them a new heart. and
they're going to ask me for it. I'll sprinkle them with clean
water, and they're going to ask me to do it. I'll save them by
my grace and by my mercy, and they're going to ask me to save
them by my grace and my mercy. Here's the point. All that God
gives me are you. We're going to ask for. Ask and you shall receive. You have not because you ask
not. Now that's what prayer is. We're
asking him in the name of his son. Prayer is communion with
God. Me actually speaking to him and
him the infinite God hearing me. hearing my voice, accepting
me for Christ's sake. Now, prayer assumes that God
is a person, not a force. You know, everybody's all taken
up with UK right now, basketball, I am too, but I was listening
to John Calipari, I love John Calipari, you know, basketball
coach, but he was talking about how you shouldn't root against
your opponent. You gotta just be for the person
you're for and not be against the opponent because he says
if you root against your opponent, that'll upset the karma. There ain't no such thing as
karma. God reigns and rules. He's in control. He is a person. Not a force, not a cosmic karma,
but a person. Prayer assumes that he is not
a God far off, but a God near, able, and willing to hear us. And in true prayer, And notice,
I use that phrase, true prayer, because much of what goes on
under the name of prayer is not true prayer. When the Pharisee
prayed and stood, prayed thus with himself, that wasn't true
prayer, was it? He was praying to himself. He wasn't praying
to the God of glory. But true prayer assumes that the Lord
God is in sovereign control of everything. Nature, events, people,
salvation, He controls the minds, the thoughts, and the feelings
of all men. We looked at this in Sunday school.
Proverbs 16, one says the preparations of the heart, the inclinations,
the disposings, the disposition of the heart. And the answer
from the tongue is of the Lord. And we know that the King's heart
is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water. He turneth
it with her. So ever he will now, The God we worship controls the
minds, the thoughts, and the feelings of all men. Now, if the God you pray to is
not like that, you're praying to a non-existent God. If you believe in free will, well, that God can't do anything
for you. You might as well not pray to Him. You need to pray
to the person who has the will. No point in praying to God. That's
a non-existent God. Now, the God of the Bible is
the hearer of prayer. He's not an intelligence or power. He is a person. Think of this. If man was created
in the image of God, and the Bible says that, doesn't it?
If man was created in the image of God, then God is like a man.
You know what that means? He loves. He feels as well as
thinks. Cast all your care upon Him,
for He careth for you. Be careful for nothing, the Scripture
says, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.
Let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God
which passes all understanding shall keep your minds and hearts
through Christ Jesus. Now, the Bible, or the Lord,
the Lord tells us this. When we think of prayer, when
we think of communion with God, the Lord said, not a sparrow
falls to the ground without your heavenly Father. Now you think
of something as insignificant as maybe somewhere in Asia or
Europe, a sparrow falling to the ground. It's insignificant,
isn't it? To us? What if it did? Is it
going to have any impact on our life? It seems like an utterly
insignificant event. And yet our Lord tells us that
there's not a sparrow that falls to the ground without your Heavenly
Father. You know what that means? Nothing
is insignificant to Him. And for us to even think that
anything is insignificant to Him is for us to place limitations
on Him. He is God. He controls all things. Now turn to James chapter 5. James chapter 5, beginning in
verse 16. Confess your faults one to another.
Now, before I go on, that doesn't mean confess your individual
sins one to another. Don't do that. Don't do that.
I think one of the big problems with being a preacher, sometimes
people think a preacher's a priest. And they feel a need to, I don't,
ignorance is bliss. I'm as bad as you are, and when
you do that, all you do, well, don't, you see what I'm saying?
But confess your faults one to another. You know what that means?
That means we be honest with one another. Don't confess to
be what you're not. Be honest with one another. Confess
your faults one to another. Boy, we're faulty individuals,
aren't we? Every one of us are faulty individuals. Confess your
faults one to another and pray one for another that you may
be healed. The effectual, fervent prayer
of a righteous man availeth much. Now this is the prayer of a believer.
Every believer is a righteous man, righteous before God, truly
righteous, having the very righteousness of Christ as their own personal
righteousness. That's a righteous man, isn't
it? I'm looking at some righteous men and women. Confess your faults
one to another, pray one for another, that you may be healed.
The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elijah, He was a man subject
to like passions as we are. He had the same problems we do.
And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain. And it rained
not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
You know how long it didn't rain? However long Elijah prayed that
it might not rain. And he prayed again, verse 18.
And the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit. God always does what He's determined
to do and He does what He's determined to do in answer to the prayer
of His people. Now let me repeat that. God always
does what He's determined to do and He does what He's determined
to do through the prayers of His people. The Lord promises
us Huh. We pray in secret. And that's
the only kind of prayer there is. Prayer in secret. I see folks praying publicly
and, well, Lord said, enter your closet, didn't he? He said, enter
your closet. And when you pray in secret,
your Father will reward you openly. That's His promise. The Lord
Jesus Christ withdrew Himself into the wilderness to pray. Turn with me for a moment to
John 11. Verse 41. And Jesus lifted up his eyes
and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. There's no praying without the
Father hearing. And the Lord Jesus says, I thank
you that you've heard me. And I knew that thou hearest
me always. But because of the people which
stand by, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent
me. Now look back in verse 21, the
same chapter. Then said Martha unto Jesus,
Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But
I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will
give it thee. And she knew that if he asked
God to restore the life of Lazarus, God would do it. That is the
prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever he asks will be done. Now would you turn to Luke chapter
11? Well, I sure want the Lord praying
for me, don't you? Peter, I prayed for you that your faith fail
not. And when thou art converted,
when your turn from this Whatever it is you're into, he knew what
it was. This state of pride and self-righteousness and a lie. He said, when you're converted,
strengthen your brethren. Now look in Luke chapter 11,
verse 1. And it came to pass that as he
was praying in a certain place, evidently he was praying aloud
at this time. And can you imagine what it would have been like
to be the disciples? And you're sitting there listening
to him pray. He's praying aloud at this time. And oh, what that
must have been like. to hear him pray. And it came to pass that he was
praying in a certain place. When he ceased, one of his disciples
said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray. As John also taught
his disciples. Teach us to pray. Somebody once
said, we never read where they said teach us to preach. But
they did say, Teach us to pray. I think it's interesting sometimes
when we run into a brick wall, we say, well, all we can do is
pray. We've reached the last resort. All we can do is pray.
That's all you can do anyway. It's not the last resort. It's
the first. Teach us to pray. And you know
what? He did. Verse 2, And he said unto them,
When you pray, say. Say. Now this is truly the disciple's
prayer. This is when the Lord teaches
His people to pray. And I want to be taught to pray,
don't you? I want Him to teach me to pray. And remember, you
can't pray without the gospel. You can't pray without the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to be taught truly
to enter into this prayer. Most folks have it memorized.
I remember back when I was in junior high, in football games,
I was always ashamed because everybody had this prayer memorized
and I didn't. I mean, everybody said, you know,
Our Father, who art in heaven... I didn't know the prayer, you
know, but everybody, you know, they knew it. Well, it doesn't
matter if you know the words to this prayer. You can know
the words to this prayer and not ever pray it. That's what most
folks do. They have it memorized. Our father, it's in, you know,
that's what most folks do. Did it before a football game.
Before we kill these people, we're praying, you know. Now, this prayer is divided into
four parts. One, and this is always true
in true prayer, the God we worship. The second part is our needs. I'm a needy person and I pray
because of my neediness. There's needs I have that only
he can meet, only he can fulfill. That's why we pray to him. And
thirdly, there's our fears. We pray about our fears, the
things we're afraid of. And fourthly, our confidence. That is all seen in this prayer. First, the God to whom we pray,
our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. He's our Father. He's not everybody's
father. You know, the Lord said to one
crowd, you're of your father, the devil and the lusts of your
father, you'll do. He's not everybody's father,
but he is father to every one of his children. Every believer,
everybody united to the Lord Jesus Christ, everybody who looks
to Christ only as everything in their salvation. He is their
Father. And what a Father He is. The God of glory is the Father
of every believer. And this is how we're taught
to address Him. Our Father who art in heaven. He's not the man upstairs. I
hate that kind of language. That's blasphemous. He's the
God of glory. And He dwells in the light that
no man can approach to. You know, people talk, I'm going
to say a little prayer. There ain't no such thing as a little prayer.
Now, a little God hears a little prayer, but the God of glory,
our Father who art in heaven, hallowed, holy is thy name. His name is who he is, and we
acknowledge who he is. His sovereignty is a holy sovereignty. His wrath is a holy wrath. His justice is a holy justice. His grace and mercy is a holy
grace and mercy. That's who he is. Our father
who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. And we pray about the
advancement of his kingdom. Thy kingdom come. Thy kingdom come. Cause your
kingdom to come. And we pray about his will being
done. Let thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Well,
how's his will done in heaven? Perfectly. Unhesitatingly. Willingly. Constantly. Cheerfully. Immediately. And without any
questions. That's the way his will is done
in heaven. And the prayer of our hearts is, let your will
be done here, just like it is in heaven. And then we pray about our needs. First, there's the God we pray
to, but then we pray about our needs. Look in verse two, and
he said unto them, when you pray, say, our father, which art in
heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be
done, as in heaven, so in earth. That's the God we pray to. Now
here's our needs. Give us day by day, our daily
bread and forgive us of our sins for we also forgive everyone
that's indebted to us. There's our needs. First, our
physical needs. Give us our daily bread. That
covers everything physical, doesn't it? It covers everything. Give
us what we need. Give us our daily bread. Everything
that pertains to this life, doesn't matter what it is. Give me those
needs for Christ's sake. I'm asking for my daily needs.
I got a lot of needs. I got a lot of physical needs.
I got a lot of emotional needs. I'm a needy person. And David
said the same about himself. He said, I'm poor and I'm needy.
Lord, give me what I need. There's his physical needs. And
then he talks about his spiritual needs. The Lord teaches us to
pray about our spiritual needs. When he teaches us to pray, forgive
us our debts, forgive us of our sins. as we forgive those who
are indebted to us. Now, is there ever a time when
you don't need to pray this prayer, forgive us of our sins? I've
heard people question, well, if they've already been forgiven,
why do you got to pray this prayer? Because the Lord said to. And
because in my experience, there's never a time when I don't need
to pray, Lord, forgive me of my sins. Let them be blotted
out. Let them be washed away. Cleanse
me from my sins. I always have to pray that prayer
and that regards every spiritual need I have. Justification, sanctification,
acceptance, all spiritual needs I have are found in this. Forgive
me of my sins. And don't miss this as we forgive
those that are indebted to us. And that's part of this prayer.
I can forget forgiveness if I'm unwilling to forgive. Just forget
it. That's what the Lord says. And look what he says next. Now
here's our fears. Verse 4. Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Now here is our fears. Temptation
and evil. Temptation. And that can mean
trials. Sometimes it's used for trials.
Lord, deliver me from trials. I'm not going to pray for trials. I'm just not going to do it. I asked the Lord to let me get
out of trials. Let me be exempt. I know if he
sends them, it's for my good and his glory, but I'm not asking
for deliver me from temptations, trials, all the various, but
more than anything else, deliver me from being tempted. Because
I know myself enough to know that if I'm tempted, I'll take
the bait. So, Lord, don't even let me be
tempted. Hedge me about and don't let
me be tempted. Because if I'm tempted, I'll
fall. Therefore, I pray, Lord, don't let me be tempted. Now, that's our first fear. Lord,
lead us not into temptation. But then the second thing he
says is deliver us from evil. Deliver us from the evil one. Deliver us from this evil world.
Most especially, deliver me from the evil of my own heart. Deliver
me from evil. You know, Jabez prayed that prayer.
Let me read this to you. I was thinking about this this
morning when I was thinking about this passage of scripture. Verse 9
of 1 Chronicles 4 says, And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren.
And his mother called his name Jabez, because I bear him with
sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh, that
thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that
thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldst keep me from
evil, that it may not grieve me. And God granted what he requested. Deliver us from evil. And here's
our confidence, for thine is the kingdom. Thine is the power to hear, to
answer, to say by your grace, by the power of your blood. And
thine is the glory forever. Now, the Lord withdrew himself
away from the multitude, away from the noise, away from the
fanfare, away from the hustle and bustle. He withdrew himself
to pray. Now, when I pray, I withdraw
myself and I want to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I want to pray in faith. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is and that he's a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him. I want to pray in sincerity. You know, God knows insincerity
and I don't want to come to him insincere going through the motions
of prayer. I want to come with reverence.
Holy and reverend is thy name. I want to come in humility, knowing
who he is and who I am. And I want to come in submission.
Whatever he does is right. I bow and submit to him. Whatever
he does is right. And I want to come with importunity.
Now here's the last thing we're going to look at. Luke 18. Verse 1, And he spake a parable
unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not
to faint. Now, the first thing I'd like
to point out is I like the way he says that men ought always
to pray. He doesn't say that saints ought always to pray or
just believers, although you know that he only hears believers.
But I like this term men, men. I'm one of them. I'm one of them. You women are too. It's not talking
about just males, you know that, just men. Men ought, ought, is
what everybody ought to do. Ought not be discouraged about
this. Men ought always, when? Always, to pray. and not to faint, not
to give up, not to lose heart, not to grow utterly discouraged. Verse 2, saying, there was in
a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man. Now
remember, this is the parable the Lord gave us to teach us
something. Men ought always to pray and not to faint. Here's
why. There was in a city a judge which
feared not God, neither regarded man. There wasn't much to this,
fella. And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto
him saying, avenge me of mine adversary. And he wouldn't. For
a while. For a while. But afterwards he
said within himself, though I fear not God nor regard man, yet because
this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her lest by her continual
coming she weary me. And this unjust judge says, this
woman's going to drive me crazy if I don't give her what she
asks. That's exactly what he's saying. So what does our Lord
say about that? Verse six. And the Lord said,
hear what the unjust judge saith, and shall not God avenge his
own elect, which cried day and night unto him, though he bear
long with them. Continual coming is what the
Lord calls in Luke 11, importunity. Shameless persistence. Shameless persistence. Now, the
Lord withdrew himself into the wilderness to pray. May you and
I be enabled by his grace to do the same thing. Let's pray
together.

He Withdrew Himself to Pray

What does the Bible say about the importance of prayer?

How do we know that God hears our prayers?

Why is prayer considered essential in the life of a Christian?

What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus?

How does prayer relate to God's sovereignty?

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He Withdrew Himself to Pray

What does the Bible say about the importance of prayer?

How do we know that God hears our prayers?

Why is prayer considered essential in the life of a Christian?

What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus?

How does prayer relate to God's sovereignty?

Sermon Transcript

About Todd Nibert

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