Prayers of shameless audacity- January 3rd

January 3ed, 2018  Day 3

I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.  Luke 11:8 NIV

Principle: Meaningful prayer includes a comfortability of asking boldly and an expectation that God will answer.

Living in Florida we experienced occasional Hurricanes.  Mostly, we would have afternoon thunderstorms that would roll across the state and be gone in 20 minutes.  Having a low horizon, you could watch these storms form and then move out of range.  Once in a while these small storms would produce a small tornado that was hard to detect and gone before much warning could be given. 

On this particular night, the conditions were right for a small spin up tornado.  Pam and I were living in a double-wide mobile home when David and Jonathan were about 1 at the time.  Our back door faced a field that spread out between our home and Pam’s parents.  We saw the storm approaching from the south.  Healthy fear arose for us both as we were trying to decide should we stay or go down to her parent’s home.  Then, I went to the backdoor, stood on the steps, pointed to the storm and shouted.  “I am a child of God and he is my father.  Jesus had authority over the wind and the rain.  I ask you God to protect my home.  Cause the wind, rain or tornado to lift over my home and allow no damage to our home.  Give us peace that you will take care of us.”  Pam appreciated my boldness, but also wanted me to get back into the house.  Shortly we heard a very loud noise pass over our home.  The next morning, our neighbor called to tell us that a very small tornado had touched down in his pasture and damaged his shed.  His shed was only a hundred yards from our home.

I don’t pray like this every time I hear that a storm is coming.  But prayer includes a boldness mixed with faith.  The boldness comes from having a close relationship with our Heavenly Father.  We are his children.  Children have the right and the privilege to ask their parents for things that others do not.  Jesus in Luke said, “if we being evil know how to give good things to our children, how much more will our heavenly Father, give to those who ask.”  In other words,  God desires to answer the request that his children make to him.  He doesn’t have to answer our request exactly as we ask, but his first disposition is to answer when we ask.

Asking is not informing!  God knows your needs.  Going down a list relating to God how bad things are and how much you need is not asking.  Asking puts us in a place of receiving when we have little to no control of producing the outcome.  Telling God that your car is broken is not asking.  Asking would sound like this, “God, my car is broken and I do not have the resources to fix it.  Would you show me what to do?  Would you provide the money for the repairs or send someone to help me work on the car?  I will do as you lead, so give me ears to hear, eyes to see and feet that will move in the direction that you lead”. 

Prayers that we expect God to answer will include our faith.  Just telling God our need may not include faith.  “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 NIV.  I will deal more with the element of faith in another post.  Just know that God responds differently to prayers that are saturated in faith.  Jesus prayers were answered partially because of his faith in God to do what he asked.  Jesus did not perform miracles from his own divine power and authority.  Rather, he asked Father God to bring his divine power into the earthly situation.  For us, our faith level grows from the word of God.  Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the word of God.

So, what would prayers of faith sound like?  “Father, my wife and I have been arguing and we are distant from one another.  I ask that you change my tone to be more sympathetic and loving. Father would you help us to forgive one another.  I ask that you help us both sense your change tonight as we go out to eat.”  Faith was expressed in alignment of love and repentance and that God would move in a certain time table.  “Father, I do not have enough money at this time to pay this bill.  What should I do?  I ask you to provide the resources or give me wisdom.  God replies, “Call the collector.”  My response, “I’ve tried, but have not gotten a favorable answer.  But because you asked me to call, I will call today.  Please work out the situation and help me be free from the debt.”  Faith will be expressed in making the call with anticipation that God will orchestrate an answer.

As God’s child, you can bring any request before the Lord.  He loves you and wants to interact with the things that concern you.  Jesus saw the weariness of people and said that He has a yoke that will lighten our load.  Ask for him to help you and expect that your load will be lighter starting today.

To be a prayer warrior in 2018 will include bold prayers of faith.

• -       How do you see faith expressed in your prayer request?
• -       In what ways are you asking God to do, what only He can do?
• -       Have you prayed a bold prayer in the past, what was the outcome?
• -       How could you begin to grow in praying bolder prayers?
• -       Who do you know who prays  bold prayers that you could begin to pray with?

“Father, I want to pray prayers that reflect faith and boldness.  Many times I am unsure of the answer, so I am not praying expectantly.  I have prayed for healing for people in the past and they have not gotten better.  I have prayed for financial help and things have remained the same.  So, Lord, today I ask that you increase my faith to pray in agreement with the word of God and the promises for your children.  Let me not rely on my own understanding, but trust your Holy Spirit to lead and guide me. Your word says that if we ask a parent for a fish, they would not give us a stone.  You desire to answer my request today, so help me ask in bold faith.  In Jesus name, Amen.”