Why Pray?
Why Pray?
1) Because humans seek
a spiritual dimension
to life!
2) Because God’s
people have always
wanted to respond
to His initiative!
Why Pray?
3) Because Jesus
taught and expected
His disciples to pray
– so the early Church
was a praying
Church!
4) Because Jesus
prayed!
Why Pray?
• Because humans seek
a spiritual dimension
to life!
• Because God’s people
have always wanted
to respond to His
initiative!
Why Pray?
A Spiritual Dimension - Longing for
the Transcendent!
• Pre-Christian Etruscan,
Ancient Greek Gods
• Legal bargaining
between higher power
and worshipper
• Sacrifices of animals
• Homer’s epics 9th BC
• Greek Gods corrupt,
vain and self-serving
Why Pray?
A Spiritual Dimension - Longing for the
Transcendent!
• Pagan Roman
worship of Isis
• Adopted from Egypt
Why Pray?
A Spiritual Dimension - Longing for the
Transcendent!
• Throughout the
Roman empire
• ‘I give so that
you may give in
return’
Priestess of Isis
Why Pray?
A Spiritual Dimension - Longing for the
Transcendent!
Is there something
about human nature
that impels us to
seek the spiritual?
Raymond Williams memorial lecture 2002
The very Rev Dr Rowan Williams
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Transcendent –Found!
• Augustine of Hippo
(354-430)
• Bishop, priest,
father, theologian
and thinker
• ‘You have made us
for yourself and our
heart is restless till
it finds rest in you’
Botticelli 1480c
The Transcendent –Found!
• ‘Lord, give me what you
have made me want; I
praise and thank you for
the desire you have
inspired; perfect what
you have begun and
grant me what you have
made me long for’.
• Argues that human
longing has its origins in
God
Anselm of Canterbury
(1033-1109)
The Transcendent - Found!
‘Still the small inward
Voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins
forgiven,
Still the atoning blood is
near,
That quenched the wrath
of hostile heaven,
I feel the life His wounds
impart,
I feel my Saviour in my
heart’.
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
The Transcendent Found Me!
Amazing grace! how sweet the
sound
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am
found,
Was blind, but now I see. ’
T’was grace that taught my
heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace
appear,
The hour I first believ’d!
1779
John Newton 1725-1807
The Transcendent Found Me!
• Novelist, academic,
medievalist, literary
critic, essayist, lay
theologian and
Christian apologist.
• ‘I experienced the
steady unrelenting
approach of Him who
I so earnestly
desired not to meet’
(Surprised by Joy)
C S Lewis (1893-1963)
Why Pray?
• Because humans seek
a spiritual dimension
to life!
• Because God’s people
have always wanted
to respond to His
initiative!
Why Pray?
Response to God’s Initiative!
Noah, Abraham and
Moses had
communion with God
on behalf of His
chosen people
John Everett Millais
Why Pray?
Response to God’s Initiative!
King David and the
Prophets (e.g.
Jeremiah and Ezekiel)
developed a more
personal faith in the
Lord
Rembrandt van Rijn
Why Pray?
Response to God’s Initiative!
Devout Jews in our Lord’s
time with a personal
relationship with God
• Simeon: Simeon took
him (Jesus) in his arms
and praised God….
(Lk 2;28)
• Anna: She never left
the temple but
worshipped there with
fasting and prayer night
and day (Lk 2:36-38)
Alexey Yegarov 1830
Why Pray?
Response to God’s Initiative!
• Prophesied by
Jeremiah (Jer 31;3134). ‘The days are surely
coming, says the Lord, when
I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel’.
• Jesus sacrifice on
the cross brought in
the New Covenant for
us
Greco 1580
Why Pray?
Response to God’s Initiative!
• No longer fear
/atonement under the
Old Covenant but grace
and love under the New
• Forgiveness and
salvation are available
through faith in Christ.
(Heb 8;6-13)
Greco 1580
Why Pray?
• Because Jesus
taught and expected
His disciples to pray
– so the early Church
was a praying
Church!
• Because Jesus
prayed!
Why Pray?
Jesus taught the Early Church to Pray!
• ‘All these were constantly
devoting themselves to prayer’
Acts 1:14
• Peter, Apostles and 3000
baptised – ‘They devoted
themselves to the Apostles
teaching and fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and prayers’
Acts 2:42
• Peter and John – ‘When they
had prayed, the place in which
they had gathered was shaken
and they were all filled with
the Holy Spirit and spoke the
Word of God with boldness’.
Acts 4:23 - 31
Pentecost
Why Pray?
We can Praise and Worship our Lord in
Prayer!
• To demonstrate our Faith –
‘And without faith it is
impossible to please God, for
whoever would approach him
must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those
who seek him’ (Heb 11:6)
• To receive salvation – ‘He
himself bore our sins in his
body on the cross, so that,
free from sins, we might live
for righteousness’
(1 Pet 2:24)
Why Pray?
We can Praise and Worship our Lord in
Prayer!
• To access the Father
through Jesus and to
discern his will – ‘for
through him, both of us
have access in one Spirit
to the Father’ (Eph
2:18)
Why Pray?
We can Prepare for Major Decisions!
• Selection of Matthias to replace Judas.
‘Then they prayed and said “Lord, you
know everyone’s heart…’ (Acts 2:24)
• Gathering of workers for spiritual
harvest. ‘…therefore, ask the Lord of the
harvest to send out labourers into his
harvest’ (Lk 10:2)
Why Pray?
We can Prepare for Major Decisions!
• Gaining strength to overcome temptation.
‘Stay awake and pray that you may not
come to the time of trial’ (Mat 26:41)
• Discerning God’s will. ‘So Peter got out of
the boat, started walking on water, and
came toward Jesus’ (Mat 14:28-29)
Why Pray?
We want our Lives to Make a Difference!
A Form of service –
• We pray for Christian
leaders. Paul says ‘pray
for us’ (Heb13:18)
• We want to see prayer
answered in his will. ‘You
do not have because you
do not ask’ (Jas 4:2)
• Fervent prayers can
accomplish much. ‘The
prayer of the righteous is
powerful and effective’
(Jas 5:16)
•
Why Pray?
Prayer provides our relationship with
Jesus!
God plants and inspires the
seeds of prayer in our hearts –
in his will.
‘Likewise the Spirit helps us in our
weakness…….’
(Rom 8:26-27)
• But we also want to intercede
with the Lord for others As
Abraham’s prayer led to Lot’s
deliverance. (Gen 19:29)
This tells us
• God wants our relationship to
grow
• In his love/grace, he calls us to
be partners in our involvement in
his world
Why Pray?
Prayer is the Living Breath of Christ’s
Church!
By prayer
• The Church resists Satan. ’Therefore, take up
the whole armour of God’ (Eph 6:13)
• Receives gifts of grace. ‘…they were all
filled…’ (Acts 4:31)
• Seeks deliverance, healing and restoration of
fellow Christians. ’Pray in the Spirit at all
times in every prayer and supplication’ (Eph
6:18)
Why Pray?
Prayer is the Living Breath of Christ’s
Church!
By prayer
• Is witness to the Gospel. ‘Pray…that God
will open to us a door for the Word’ (Col
4:3)
• Seeks the return of the Lord. ‘”Surely I
am coming soon”. Amen. Come Lord
Jesus’ (Rev 22: 20)
Why Pray?
• Because Jesus
taught and expected
His disciples to pray
– so the early Church
was a praying
Church!
• Because Jesus
prayed!
Why Pray?
We must follow the example of Jesus!
• Preaching in Galilee. ‘In the
morning, while it was still very
dark, he got up and went out to
a deserted place, and there he
prayed’ (Mk1:35)
• Before selection of disciples.
‘…he went out to the mountain
to pray, and he spent the night
in prayer to God’ (Lk 6:12)
Why Pray?
We must follow the example of Jesus!
• Prayer for himself, for the disciples
and for future believers. ‘…he looked
up to heaven and said, ”Father, the
hour has come; glorify your Son so
that the Son may glorify you..’ (Jn 17:
1-26)
• Prayer under stress in Gethsemane.
‘Father, if you are willing, remove this
cup from me; yet, not my will but
yours be done’ (Lk 22:42)
Why Pray?
Summary!
• Prayer means ‘pluggingin’ to God’s power
• Prayer allows us to see
God at work in others
lives
• Prayer allows God to
work in our lives
• It is our only means of
tackling the forces of
evil – our guided missile
• Prayer is worship
• Prayer is relationship