4th February 2007 AM

WE PRAY TO GOD THE FATHER Pastor Linton Smith

This week I found an article on prayer in USNews.com. It was written in 2004 and quotes a professor in sociology saying that prayer is “one of the most common and unacknowledged activities on the planet.” It goes on to report on the results of an online survey on prayer in America. There were more than 5,600 responses. Among other things the responses showed that people pray about nearly everything.

Prayer is our subject now for the next two months.

We begin with three introductory messages, and then from Feb 25 on we will be looking at the Lord’s Prayer. The messages on the Lord’s Prayer will be linked with small group Bible studies.

Next week we will think about praying through Jesus, the week after, praying with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Today we are looking at praying to the Father.

From time to time we hear people pray to Jesus.. sometimes to the Holy Spirit. This is not wrong.. for both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are fully God. But the pattern of prayer we find in the Bible is to pray to God the Father. Jesus says, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father” [Matt6:6].

As I pondered this subject I decided to focus on the things that are uppermost in my mind when I pray to the Father. There are many, many things that would be valid and helpful to focus on, but these are the things that help me.

Please consider them with me today..

WE PRAY TO GOD THE FATHER WHO IS..

· ALL POWERFUL

The Father is the Mighty Creator of the Universe, the One who divided the Red Sea and set His people free, the One who raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at His right hand far above all power and authority. There is absolutely no limit to His power.

I find the prayer of David at the end of 1 Chronicles most inspiring..

1 Chronicles 29:10-13.. Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

The greatness.. and the power.. and the glory.. and the majesty.. and the splendor.. everything on earth is Yours.. Yours is the kingdom.. You are exalted as head over all.. the ruler of all things..

For Him.. all things are possible.

Listen to Jesus as He prays the night before He was crucified. Facing the cross the next day.. the suffering He would endure in body and in spirit as He suffered there.. bore our sin.. and tasted hell for us.. He prayed.

Mark writes.. Mark 14:35,36.. Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Everything is possible for you!

When we pray.. we pray to the Father who is all powerful.

Everything is possible for Him!

And we pray to the Father who is..

· ALL KNOWING

The Father is the Creator of everything that exists.. and the Bible tells us many times.. knows all there is to know. Nothing is hidden from Him.

David prayed like this..

Psalm 139:1-4.. O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

Focus on that truth when we pray.. and we will be honest. We will know it is useless to pretend.. for the Father knows everything there is to know.. about us.. and the people and circumstances around us.

We will be honest and encouraged.

Jesus said.. Matthew 6:6-8.. When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

He knows what we need before we ask Him. Some hear this.. and say.. Well, what is the point of prayer?

Others respond in a very different way. He knows.. what is good.. what is helpful to me.. I do not need to spell out the things that are bothering me.. He knows.. so I can come to Him.. and even say something as simple as this.. Father, you know all about this. I need help. Please help me!

When we do that.. and wait on Him.. he will show us how to pray. More about that when we look at praying with the help of the Holy Spirit.

We pray the Father who is all powerful.. all knowing and..

· ALL WISE

This is the third thing in my mind when I pray. I may want this and that.. but ask.. is it wise.. is it the best? God knows all there is to know and is wise.. all wise.

I am reminded of Daniel’s prayer..

Daniel 2:20-22.. Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.

Wisdom and power are His.. He gives wisdom.. He reveals deep and hidden things..

The Apostle Paul writes..

1 Corinthians 1:25.. the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom..

And at the end of His letter to the Romans bursts out in praise..

Rom 16:27.. to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ!

The only wise God. Paul is humbled by the wisdom of God.

He bursts out in praise in Romans 11:33.. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

God the Father knows all there is to know.. is all wise..

Makes sense.. doesn’t it.. to trust His wisdom.. not our own.

I read Proverbs 16:3 this week.. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Literally.. Roll your way on to the LORD! What a beautiful picture! Whatever it is you are planning.. roll it on to the LORD.. the all powerful.. all knowing.. all wise Father!

We pray to the Father who is all powerful, all knowing, all wise, and..

· ALL LOVING

The Bible abounds with references to the Father’s love. I have chosen the prayer that

Nehemiah prayed for himself and his people..

Nehemiah 9:9-17.. You saw the suffering of our forefathers in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. You sent miraculous signs and wonders.. You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through it on dry ground.. By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take. You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven.. In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock.. But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them..

You saw the suffering of our Fathers in Egypt.. You divided the sea.. came down on Sinai.. spoke to them from heaven…. Fed them.. gave them water. But they.. refused to listen.. failed to remember Your miracles.. became stiff-necked and rebelled.. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.. Therefore You did not desert them!

Reminds me of Paul’s words Romans 8. He speaks about the sacrifice Jesus, the Son of God made for us.. then says..

Romans 8:35-39.. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? …

I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Not only is God all powerful.. and all knowing.. and all wise.. He is all loving..

His love will never let us go..

Keep this in mind when we pray.. and we will believe He can be absolutely trusted to do what is best..

And He will do what is best!

Sometimes we might wonder.. can’t see anything good in that.. When we feel like that.. remember God the Father is thinking in terms of eternity.. not just this life.. He loves us intensely.. and wants the best for us in the long term.. the very long term.. eternity!

Let’s look again at the prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden.. the night before He was crucified..

Everything is possible for You.. then.. Yet not what I will, but what You will.

What is not written here.. are the thoughts of Jesus as He prayed these words.. thoughts.. I suggest.. that included at least these three.. You are all knowing.. all wise.. and all loving.. Your way is always best.. Your will be done!

We have been speaking of the Father Who is perfect in power.. knowledge.. wisdom.. and love.

He is in a class all by Himself. And we are so minute.. so frail.

He is pure.. totally free of evil.. and we are sinners.

He is Holy! How dare we come to Him?

We come to Him through Jesus.

More about this next week.. but now.. ponder Jesus.. He died in my place.. for my forgiveness.. to cleanse me from sin.. I come as a sinner.. but as a forgiven and cleansed sinner.. I come now.. Father, please have mercy on me.. please hear my prayer.

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