What do you
think about Prayer?
Some
of you may think prayer is awkward, weird, a normal ritual or maybe it is just
something most people “claim” to do. So many times we say things like- “I am
sorry you are ill, I will pray for you today.” But do we really intent to pray
for that person, do we always follow through with our commitment? And more
importantly, do we believe God is going to answer our prayer to heal that
person?
According
to a Fox.com article:
·
1/3
of Americans claim to pray several times a day
·
2/3
of Americans claim to pray at least once a day
·
Only
10% admit to rarely or never praying!
Think
about how many people are in this world and how many requests God must receive
not only each day but each hour, minute, & second. How does He hear them
all? Are there too many to respond to and maybe this is why some of our prayers
go answered?
I don’t think I’m the only one guilty of
putting limitations on God. I often imagine God receiving prayers in a similar
way that we see in the Bruce Almighty clip- but God is not human. In this video,
Bruce is still human- he just has “super hero” powers. Our human brain cannot comprehend
the real powers of our TRUE God. So it is impossible for us to understand that
He is not limited by time or energy. In fact our God created time and energy-
He is bigger than both of these things and He is capable of everything
imaginable and unimaginable.
But
we often put limitations on God and also on prayer. So we pray because we know
we should, but deep down do we truly believe in the power of prayer?
Why should we
pray?
1.)
Jesus tells us to pray
1 Thes. 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you
1.) Prayer is an act
of faith
Matthew 7:7-11 Ask and it will be given
to you; seek
and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks
receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if
your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or
if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If
you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
When we pray, we are admitting to God
that we need him and that we are putting our faith in His power. Prayer is also
a test of our faith. Through prayer, the Holy spirit can reveal areas we need
to give God control.
Does
God hear all our prayers?
Yes, but our prayers can be hindered
when we are not right with God.
John 9:3 Now we know that God
does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will,
He hears him.
3 Things that hinder our prayers:
1.
Wickedness (sin): Psalm 66:18
If I
regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
2.
Improper attitudes towards others: Matthew 5:23-24
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the
altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be
reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
3.
Selfishness: James 4:3
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on
your pleasures.
This is the one I struggle with the most! This
week I had to get really honest with myself and question several things I do.
One big thing that came to mind was obviously teaching/writing… Why do I pour
so much time and effort into preparing for a lesson? I pondered this question
for a while… and I struggled to give an honest answer… The right response would
be: “I do it so others would come to know Christ.” Or “I want to motivate
others to strengthen their relationship with Jesus.” Of course these things are
true, but there is definitely some selfishness involved. If I am honest, the
main motivation during my preparation is Attention! I want you to like me and
think that I've got it all figured out, I want others to notice me, and I am
encouraged when I receive compliments- “Laura, you are such a rock star!”
When I realized that I struggle with pride and
self-centeredness I had to be honest with the Lord and ask him to take me off
this high horse. That is why I have to pray that God would move me out of the
way and that you would hear His words- not my own. Because deep down I am human
and it is natural to desire the attention.
God just convicted me this week to pray for others,
that we would draw closer to Him. That needs to be my prayer when I am
preparing to teach or when I write. Instead of asking God to give me the right
words/stories/ movie clips/jokes, I should focus less on “God give me” and more
on “God give them.” Lord, let them hear your word. Draw them closer to you.
Make them desire you!
Do ALL our prayers matter?
Yes,
all our prayers matter to God! However, we need to check our heart before we go
to God in prayer. At times we may feel that our prayers remain unanswered
because God is too busy or has forgotten us. But instead of becoming angry or
impatient with God, examine your heart and listen. God has a reason for
unanswered prayers. And maybe the answer is- “Examine our heart: set your eyes
on Me (God) and your desires/ motives that influence your prayers will change.”
AMOS 7
Today
we will continue our study of Amos, focusing in on Amos chapter 7. In this passage, we will see just how
effective our prayers can be.
Let’s
read Amos 7:
1-9.
1-3: This
is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after
the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up.
When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive!
How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” So the Lord relented. “This will not
happen,” the Lord said.
4-6: This is what the Sovereign Lord showed
me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great
deep and devoured the land. Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop!
How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” So the Lord relented. “This will
not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said.
7-9: This is what he showed me: The Lord was
standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in
his hand. And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb
line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my
people Israel; I will spare them no longer. “The high places of Isaac will be
destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will
rise against the house of Jeroboam.”
In
the first 9 verses of chapter 7, Amos shares three visions with Israel. After
the first two visions, God hears Amos’ plea and because of his faithfulness,
God spares Israel a little longer. However, in the third vision, God can no
longer spare Israel and He holds them accountable for their sins.
So
first, let’s look at vision #1 and #2 to see what we can learn and how we can
apply this to our lives.
Vision
#1 & #2
In
these two visions, Amos sees the destruction of Israel, first by famine (the
locus devour all of their food) and then by fire. Amos realized that these visions
God showed him threaten Israel’s survival. Thus, he pleads with God to spare
the Israelites.
Amos
v. 2 & v. 5
“Sovereign
Lord, I beg you, Stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small.”
In
this text, Amos calls Israel- Jacob. This was because of the promise the Lord
had made to stand beside Jacob forever. God had made this same promise with
Israel- so Amos uses the name Jacob to reflect Israel.
This
plea is similar to one we see in Exodus. (Exodus 32:11-14) Moses prays for the
Israelites regarding their idolatrous behavior at Mount Sinai.
“But Moses sought the favor of
the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people,
whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should
the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill
them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from
your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham,
Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your
descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance
forever.” Then the Lord
relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
These
two accounts we see from Moses and Amos should set an example for our prayer
life. They should be a reminder that God not only hears our prayers, but He
answers them.
When
we read Amos 7:6 in the American Standard Version, it says “The Lord changed his mind.”
Amos 7:6 (ASV) “Lord God, please stop!
How can Jacob stand, for he is small?” The Lord changed His mind about this.
“This too shall not be,” said the Lord God.
How
do we explain an all knowing God that changes His mind? Is this consistent to
what we know and have been taught about our Lord?
Numbers 23:19- God
is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
James 1:17- Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the
heavenly lights, who does not
change like shifting shadows.
God’s purpose
will never change,
but we see in Moses’ and Amos’ example that God’s immediate reaction may change due to believer’s faithful
requests.
When you think about Moses and Amos
standing before God and saying “forgive,” “I beg you to stop” Are you reminded
of any other biblical figure?.... JESUS CHRIST should come to mind. This is what
Christ does for us when we mess up. Jesus says- “Father, forgive Laura for her
selfishness… she is your child who you created! She messes up because she is
human, but remember, I died so that you could forgive her sins.”
Vision
#3
Amos’
third vision is very different from the first two. In this vision, he sees the
Lord standing next to a wall and holding a plumb line.
What
is a plumb line?
A plumb line is a device used by builders during construction to make sure the
rows of stones or bricks, in a wall, remain vertically straight. Inspectors can
also use these to make an existing wall is evenly straight. If a stone has
shifted out of place, it could cause the wall to collapse.
The
Lord uses this image to show that He, the master
builder,
has inspected Israel’s spiritual condition by setting a plumb line in the midst
of his people.
*The results are
clear- Israel is corrupt beyond repair and they are nearing a collapse. They
must be knocked down in order to be rebuilt.
How
can we apply this test to our own lives: If God were to hold a plumb line next your
spiritual life, how would you measure up?
Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to Trust in the
Lord and by submitting to Him, our paths will be made straight.
*Here is how we can use the plumb line
test on ourselves: If we trust in the Lord, it should reflected in our prayer
life!* When I
teach, I should be in prayer more than I am thinking of what things to say or
what outfit I am going to wear. If I am not asking God to speak and reveal the
message then maybe I have the wrong motive? But sometimes it is hard to not
have ulterior motives… the only way to overcome our selfish motives is to
submit to Christ and allow him to take control.
Israel’s
response to Amos’ visions
Amos
7:13
Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back
to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.
Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the
temple of the kingdom.”
During
this time, Amaziah is the high priest of Israel and he commands Amos to stop
prophesying because Israel did not like what Amos had to say- they wanted him
gone. They tell him to go earn his bread else where- meaning go make your
money/living (as a prophet) somewhere else.
Amos’ response
to Israel’s insults
In
Amos 7: 14, he responds by telling the Israelites that He did not come to make
any money, he had nothing to gain. He did not make a living by prophesying.
He
said-
“I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a
shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me,
‘Go, and prophesy to my people Israel.’ Now then, hear the word of the Lord.”
Amos
obeyed the Lord. He said “I came only
because The Lord instructed me to.” So he what he is saying is, “Hear what God
has to say… not what I have to say.”
And
in vs. 17 He tells Amaziah what the Lord has said:
Amos
7:17
“Therefore this is what the Lord says: “‘your wife will become a
prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword.
Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagan country. And Israel will surely go
into exile, away from their native land.’”
This
text is specifically directed to Amaziah (Israel’s high priest): But it is
intended to forewarn Israel that their sins have consequences.
Closing
Last
time I taught/wrote, the main point of the lesson (from Amos 1-3) was: As
Christians, we have a high calling and therefore, we are held to a higher
standard. Higher Calling= Higher Responsibilities= Higher
Accountability.
Today,
our text concludes with the consequences associated with neglecting these
responsibilities- Whooo hooo! Happy Messages J So needless to say, these past
two lessons have been pretty difficult to give.
But
I think today’s lesson can really be applied to our lives and that we can use
it as a motivation to examine our hearts and more specifically our prayer life!
1) Our Prayers
Do Matter!
So
therefore….
2) We should be
motivated to pray, especially for others to receive Christ.
And
because we are praying for others salvation….
3) We should
always be on guard- ready to share the gospel.
1 Peter 3:15 tells us to- Always be
prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have.
Just
as Amaziah opposed what Amos said, we too will face opposition. Our opposition
will probably look different because we are not actually prophesying as Amos
did, but we prophesy through our words and actions. How do you talk to your
peers/co-workers/family members?
*Does
your life prophesy Christ no matter who you are with?
One
last verse to close with:
Matthew 10:32-33-
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge
before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown
before my Father in heaven.
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