Can We Learn To Pray Like Jesus?

Can We Learn To Pray Like Jesus?

Good Morning Friends,

It has been said that people who have demons have somehow invited them into their lives. Getting them to leave takes some powerful praying. Replacing them with something better takes God. Above my pay grade but still I might have a role to play. And so yesterday we were praying around the story of the demons with the man at the tombs and we compared and contrasted it with the tomb of Lazarus and to the tomb of our Lord. And then we realized that all three tombs were empty and that we too are to leave behind our tombs and all that they symbolize and here at a point of insight we acknowledged that demons know Jesus and the Saints know Jesus but that the problem is not so much in the spiritual world but in the physical one. Today the juxtaposition of the story of the healing of the boy with epilepsy and the story of the Transfiguration is instructive along this same line of thought. And so today, in the story of the Transfiguration we see how prayer evokes the manifestation of the Saints and brings Jesus and the three disciples into the presence of God. It is the precursor to what will follow and makes us wonder if we too might have such faith…such inspiration of how to bring a little of heaven to earth. Note that initially the disciples failed in trying to heal the boy. Which brings us to today’s question about how prayer might bring us insights to better the physical world as well as bring victory in the spiritual world. So, Can We Learn To Pray Like Jesus?

Scripture: The Transfiguration

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Luke 9:28-36 (NRSV)

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, ‘Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’ Jesus answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’ While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God.

Jesus Again Foretells His Death

While everyone was amazed at all that he was doing, he said to his disciples, ‘Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.’ But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was concealed from them, so that they could not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

True Greatness

An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, and said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.’

Luke 9:37-48 (NRSV)

Message: Today’s scripture, about Jesus healing a boy, is sandwiched in between the story of the Transfiguration, that mountaintop experience, and the passage of Jesus telling His disciples, as they travel in Galilee, that He was going to be betrayed, murdered and that He would after three days rise, alive. Mark’s Gospel tells a similar story. We go from a light-radiant cloud, a wave of energy, to the earthly reality of a boy writhing on the ground, to the core of what we are to believe as Christians. Here our doubts make the journey from waves of light to particles of dust. But today’s scripture also instructs us in the power of prayer and that, like believing, is a gift first and foremost and second is a situation where God is in control. Now if I asked you if you believed it all, practiced it all in prayer as a perfect examples of our Christian faith, how many would raise your hands?  How about if I asked you how many have ever doubted our faith? Come on be honest. The truth is pretty clear. There is a faith and a lack of faith in all of us. But there is a deeper reality here and it is that among believers there are to be no “ifs”. It is absolutely silly to ask if God can help us. If God can rise from the dead all the rest is easy. So forgive me for not posing the question more directly. There are no ifs in this discussion. We are powerless, like the disciples in today’s story. But God is not powerless but in control.  So why do we persist in the insanity of trying to control what is in God’s preview? Yes when we confess our beliefs… Lord I believe, help my unbelief, we confess our doubts. We are saying yes, when we are faced with a difficult future, Lord I will believe in you, help my unbelief. Lord, I believe, help me, help us all, as we practice turning over our doubts and walking away from our personal tombs as we learn to pray.

Pray we realize that faith is a gift, believing is a gift and God is in control of the journey including what comes of prayers. Pray when we pray we remember who we are talking to. Pray we gain practical wisdom during our prayer time. Pray we pray like Jesus early in the morning and before we have a big decision to make. Pray that our prayers keep us in tune with God’s will and purpose. Pray we come to know God though prayer gaining insights into how we might glorify God here on earth.
Pray we have a powerful prayer life.
Pray we learn to become habitual about prayer so that it becomes an important part of our lifestyle not just when we eat but also when we wake and go to sleep and when we walk through a doorway…without ceasing. Pray we avoid selfish prayers. Pray we intercede for others. Pray we pray when facing times of trouble and pray we experience a community of love that transforms us. Pray our prayer life involves others in a confidence that God is listening and is ready to act on our behalf. Pray we keep our prayer life balanced and genuine and that it reminds us that God is the giver of all things good. Pray we are not afraid to ask God for help especially when we feel alone.

Blessings,

John Lawson