A Faithful Prayer
A Sermon by Pastor R. D. Johnson
Preached at the Ann Arbor, MI Free Methodist Church
Scripture Text:
I Chronicles 29:10-19
April 29, 2012
Sermon #0299
Children’s Moment: What is Prayer?
How do you talk to your parents?
Do you know The Lord’s Prayer?
[Lord’s Prayer video]
Last week we considered listening for God’s voice and we found that we can only hear His
small, still voice when we are able to be still, be quiet, listen and obey. This morning we
follow that up with considering how we talk to the God.
The way we talk to God is called prayer.
It was a healing service and the church was packed with people. The pastor asked, “Are
there any here with special needs who would like to be prayed over? Please come down to
the alter.” An Aboriginal man got into line, and when it was his turn, the preacher asked,
“Mulrunji, what would you like me to pray about for you?”
Mulrunji said, “Preacher, I need you to pray for help with my hearing.” The pastor and the
congregation prayed and prayed and prayed. Then the pastor put one finger of one hand in
Mulrunji’s ear and the other hand on his head and prayed further while the congregation
joined in with great enthusiasm.
After a few minutes, the pastor removed his hands, stood back and asked, “Mulrunji, how is
your hearing now?”
Mulrunji answered, “I don’t know. It aint until next week… At Dubbo Court.”
I found the following statement about prayer at the Christian Apologetics & Research
Ministry website (carm.org):
Prayer is the practice of the presence of God. It is the place where pride is
abandoned, hope is lifted, and supplication is made. Prayer is the place of
admitting our need, of adopting humility, and claiming dependence upon God.
Prayer is the needful practice of the Christian. Prayer is the exercise of faith
and hope. Prayer is the privilege of touching the heart of the Father through the
Son of God, Jesus our Lord.
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
This morning is a celebration that God has made Himself available to us through prayer! But
just as Jesus’ disciples needed to be taught HOW to pray, so do we. If I said I needed
someone to come up and pray out loud for the church this morning, raise your hand if you
would be willing to do it.
If Martin Luther King Jr. is right, then all of you who think you are unable to pray out loud in
front of everyone are spiritually holding your breath. Let me teach you how to pray this
morning by walking backward through the statement I red for you:
Prayer is the place of admitting our need, of adopting humility, and claiming
dependence upon God.
along with an example pray from King David. Shortly before King David died, he gathered
the people together to announce that Solomon would be king after him and according to I
Chronicles 29, he prayed through all of these three elements of a faithful prayer.
Dependence on God
Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD,
is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is
in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are
exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In
your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength
to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
(I Chronicles 29:10-13)
Praise God - Eternal, Great, Powerful, Exalted above all
Thank God
Adopting Humility
But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For
all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. For we are strangers before
you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and
there is no abiding. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for
building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. I
know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness
of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who
are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.
(I Chronicles 29:14-17)
Perspective on Us
Who am I?
Admitting our Need
O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes
and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. Grant to
Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies,
and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made
provision.
(I Chronicles 29:18-19)
Request help from God
Application
David incorporated all the elements of a faithful prayer, as did Jesus when He taught us to
pray:
 Our Father, which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who
trespass against us.
 Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
[For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen]
We have been taught how to pray, so my closing question to all of you is
 How are your prayers?
 How is your prayer life?
 Do you pray as you should?
 Are you practicing the Presence of God?
John Bunyan said, “Pray often; for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a
scourge for Satan.”
“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.”
Corrie Ten Boom
One benefit of a strong prayer life is peace. When your life is defined by the practice of the
presence of God, you will know His peace. You can test the level of your prayers by the
amount of peace you live in.
And so it should be each of our prayer that God would empower us to pray always, without
ceasing, to depend on God fully, to come before Him with humility and make your requests
known.
In your bulletin there is space for you to write out your own prayer. I hope you will. As we
close to Keith Green, may his words be your desire that God would make your life and
prayer to Him.
Closing [Video: Keith Green 1978 – Make My Life A Prayer to You]