Honest Talk about Prayer - Jason Brown | Emmanuel Reformed Church

Honest Talk about Prayer - Jason Brown

Yesterday we heard from Jesus. He knows we have trouble praying. He knows we have needs. He knows we have experienced the silence of God. Because he knows this is true about you and me, he tells a story to help us persevere in prayer.

Well, I imagine since we heard Jesus tell us yesterday we need to persevere in prayer, all of us were praying our guts out last night and this morning – right? Thank goodness the story after the one about persevering in prayer highlights the most honest prayer we can pray: God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Isn’t it amazing we serve a God who delights in our honesty? And speaking of being honest, most of us were not praying our guts out last night or this morning, even though our Savior stood before us yesterday and implored us to do this.

My question is, what’s the problem? If hearing from Jesus doesn’t solve your prayer problem, what will? Why don’t you persevere in prayer more? What decisions could you make that would help you to actually persevere in prayer? Notice, these questions are about you and why you fail to persevere in prayer – not about other people who aren’t praying. Do your best to focus on YOUR issues and solutions that would help YOU to persevere in prayer. This will be most helpful for all of us.

The readers of this blog look forward to hearing your thoughts on the above questions (as does the author, who needs all the help he can get!). I’m very hopeful this will be one of the best, most encouraging blogs yet because of what you are going to post.

Posted on Mon, April 14, 2008 by Jason Brown

10 comments (Add your own)

1. John Payne wrote:: I have been praying for my wife who has been having a lot of stress @ work and feeling like quitting her job for the last year. We like many others in this day in age can only financially survive on a dual income household. So quitting was not an option, unfortunately. We had to wrestle through this thing and she had others praying about this as well. Her and her accountability partner, our mini-church family, and also me and my wife. She felt like she could not take it anymore at times. Me being a man and not being able to "FIX" the situation, did not make things any better. I was at times not as sensitive towards her feelings of anguish. I told her to be proactive, put in applications, send out your resume and complaining about it won’t change anything. Well I had to confess these things to the men’s group I am in. We re-partnered and continued to pray. I would send her encouraging emails with prayers about perseverance and they found her with a heavy but submissive heart towards God. I share all this to say and give a praise report. This morning I received a CC email from my wife to another sister in the church who helped arrange an interview for her tomorrow at 2pm. My reply email to my beautiful wife was "way to stay persistently in prayer and God listens"!!!! Not to jump the gun or be presumptuous, but this gives us another opportunity to take this to God also. So feel free in joining us that this may be the answer to our prayers.
Love You Emmanuelites...Stay prayed up!!!!!!!
Mon, April 14, 2008 @ 9:34 AM
2. Pat Dirkse wrote:: Great question. I don't persevere in prayer because I don't like to wait. I want it now. The sooner the better. When I go to Costco or a grocery store I am always looking for the quickest exit. I am usually wrong and then I have to wait (hum) but I am always trying to find the quickest way out. If I see a red light and a person is in front of me and no one is next to me I will switch lanes to get a few more spots ahead. I would even turn down other streets to try and find the fastest way. I am not a big fan of fast food, but I will call ahead for take out so I don't have to wait. I was once with my friend and we called ahead to Chipotle to have our burrito done when we get there so we didn't have to wait the long 4 minutes. I don't persevere because I don't like to wait.

I also don't persevere in prayer because I don't deeply connect with my deep need. I connect with it but not on a deep level. Thanks to books like Emotionally Healthy Spirituality I am getting a better understanding of my deep need for a Savior to help me each day. But when it comes to food, shelter, clothes, etc. it feels as if I have it under control. I don't deeply connect with needing (physical) daily bread. I am slowly connecting with my emotional and spiritual need for daily bread. But this has been a slow change. In Proverbs it says, "God don't make me so rich that I forget about you and don't make me so poor that I need to steal and dishonor your name." (Pat's paraphrase) At times my affluence has made me believe that I was in control.

In short I don't persevere in prayer because I don't like to wait and because I have not connected with my deep need.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God have mercy on me a Sinner.
Mon, April 14, 2008 @ 9:50 AM
3. Bill White wrote:: I've found the thing that helps me persevere in prayer is a good strong crisis. I'm not talking about just having a bad hair day - I'm talking about a major health issue, the loss of a job, or some move to follow Jesus that shakes your world. I feel strange saying it, but there are good reasons that the scriptures tell us to rejoice in trials... and one of those reasons is that all of the sudden we are confronted with our huge need for God and we can't help but keep praying (because we have no alternatives).
Mon, April 14, 2008 @ 11:39 AM
4. Alecia Streelman wrote:: I'm reluctant to write anything about prayer, since it is, without a doubt, the biggest challenge of my spiritual walk. I don't persevere mostly because I'm forgetful--I easily forget God's past faithfulness, his persistent grace and goodness, his many blessings. If I spent more time remembering and recounting God's mercies to me I think the natural result would be greater perseverance in prayer. Like remembering how great a meal was at a certain restaurant makes me want to go back over and over again. I think there is probably a pretty high correlation between true gratitude and praying "without ceasing."
Mon, April 14, 2008 @ 1:02 PM
5. Michelle Dong wrote:: I agree with Bill. Our need has to be a felt one, one that supercedes our ability to buy out or fix it ourselves. I believe God does not want pain for us, but allows it. And in the process of submitting to Him in our need, he comes and meets us there. So many times my busyness lures me away from persevering in prayer. The ability to get something done or check a box on my list calls out and the physical feeling of accomplishing wins out over the obedient quiet act of prayer. Persevering in prayer must be a conscious act of my will.
Mon, April 14, 2008 @ 3:09 PM
6. Michael wrote:: For me, the biggest reason I don't go in prayer enough is because, honestly, I don't care enough. There are certain things I'm not willing to go into the battlefield for because the fight and cause doesn't seem that important sometimes; I don't "have it in my gut" to willingly, day after day, go into prayer for things. Sometimes it's physical demands like sleep or eating, a busy schedule, or a need to mentally rest and unwind that often times will take precedence over prayer; that and I'm also easily distracted.

And if I do go into prayer consistently for something I reach that point where you have to wait and, like Pat said, I don't like to wait. I'd rather just get it done myself and do it my own way. And as Bill pointed out, it's when things are completely out of my control and this huge need is out of my grasp that makes me go to God in perseverance.
Mon, April 14, 2008 @ 6:26 PM
7. JOANNIE wrote:: I think the real reason that I dont go to prayer enough is I don't make the time. It is so easy to make the time for something else that I want, why do I struggle with prayer? I guess I am too self centered. Most of my days and nights seem to be filled with all the wrong things and always never enough time. I have hundreds of blessings in my life to be thankful for and I am ashamed to say its hard to take the time to say Thanks. The "GOLDEN" insert this week talks about taking only 3 minutes a day to sit in silence and give my thoughts to God. I am going to make a good attempt at it and then maybe I can give it five minutes and then who knows where I can go from there. If I want my prayers answered, I guess I need to ask and be consistant in my prayers.
Mon, April 14, 2008 @ 8:04 PM
8. Jayne Nord wrote:: I would definitely have to agree with Pastor Bill...I have been more persistent in my prayers since Jeff got sick, however, I don't spend as much time in God's word as I should...praying just seems easier...I can do it anytime during the day and I don't have to ponder on what I am saying. My challenge these days is to remember to pray for other things other than healing in our family. There are so many other families dealing with scary situations. Although, I also agree with Pastor Pat that waiting is not fun...there is a certain comfort in knowing that I don't have to have it all figured out!
Tue, April 15, 2008 @ 9:39 AM
9. Christine wrote:: I am totally crisis-oriented. I grew up with a dad who kept orange cones in the back of our wood paneled station wagon, and regularly put out car fires for total strangers on the freeway. I don't think I've really ever escaped that. If you have an urgent need, I'm your girl - kind of a wonder woman approach - flash of the golden lasso and the problem is solved. I get frustrated that prayer can take so much time to "work", and even then, God doesn't always answer them the way I'd thought He would.

I need constant reminders that my time in prayer is less about what He will do to answer my prayers, and more about what good it will do to my heart and my walk with Him if I will just sit at His feet (and put away my fire extinguisher!).
Wed, April 16, 2008 @ 6:17 AM
10. Greg Wallace Dolmage wrote:: What is my problem with prayer? I don't actually believe that I need it.

I know that I should pray. I've read plenty of books, heard many sermons, and even told several people with the confidence of a pastor, "Prayer is important." I know that prayer is beneficial to me and those around me. I know prayer work. These are all great things, but I still don't believe in the deepest part of me that I need prayer.

My view of prayer has for too long been similar to my view of exercise. I know that it is good for me and has endless amounts of benefits, but I also know that if I stop exercising for a few months to a year, I will still be alive and able to perform daily tasks. (Trust me. I've tested this out more than once.)

The truth is I need to bury deep into my heart a belief that I need prayer like I need water or food or oxygen. I need prayer because every time I do it with honesty and sincerity, I am awakened a little more to God's view of myself and this world. I need prayer because by my connecting to God, I become a blessing for those around me. Not only do I need my prayers, the world needs my prayers. I wonder what the world would look like if every monastery and prayer room was shut down world wide. How many more wars would be taking place? How much more injustice would be present?

I need prayer. You need prayer. This world needs prayer.
Fri, April 18, 2008 @ 8:14 AM

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