We Pray the Father

To take on the topic of prayer can be a little intimidating and a humbling experience but that is what I will attempt to do today. I hope to bring a little more understanding and to make it easier for us to pray and to do it more often.

Abraham prayed. Isaac prayed. Jacob prayed. Moses prayed. King David prayed. The prophets prayed. 

Jesus prayed. The Bible contains one story after another involving prayer and the results brought about by prayer.

Jesus told us parables to the end that men ought always to pray. (Luke 16:1)
He told us directly to pray to our Father in Heaven. (Matt 6:6)

Jesus told us we were to ask our Heavenly Father for whatsoever we desire and to do so in His name, by His authority.

Joh 16:23-27 KJV  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.  (24)  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.  (25)  These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.  (26)  At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:  (27)  For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

Christ was sacrificed for us, for our sins. He took the punishment that we deserve. Instead of us having to take it, He took it in our place. By doing so, he opened the way, a new and living way, giving us direct access to God the Father. We do not have to pray to Jesus because as he says, God the Father loves us and will receive us directly. We approach God in Jesus’ name, meaning we are acknowledging His sacrifice for us and that we are subservient to Him.

Turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Paul puts it this way – 

Heb 10:19-22 KJV  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,  (20)  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;  (21)  And having an high priest over the house of God;  (22)  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

It is only because of the sacrifice of Christ that we can come boldly to God’s throne of grace in prayer. To come boldly does not mean we arrogantly step up to God’s throne and make demands. What it means is that we can confidently approach Him without fear of death or reprisal. Jesus has paved the way for us and as one of his disciples, Jesus vouches for us as one of his own.

Jesus tells us that whatsoever we ask the Father in His name He will give us. 

Whatsoever! Anything! Everything! Whatever our heart desires!

This tells us that there is nothing too great or too small or insignificant that we can’t bring it to God’s attention and ask Him to intercede on our behalf. 

This is an amazing thing! The Sovereign Ruler of the Universe who made all things and controls all things will listen to our requests and answer our prayer. We should be the most joyous people on the planet!

James tells us though that many times we don’t have what we want simply because we didn’t ask for it. “…ye have not because ye ask not.” (James 4:2)

So, does that mean we can ask God for whatever we want and He has to give it to us because Jesus said so? Is that what this means?

Of course not! Just like we as earthly fathers are not obligated to fulfill every wish our dear little one might dream up, neither is our Heavenly Father obligated, nor would it be prudent, to fulfill every request we make of Him. 

James further tells us that when we do ask, we don’t receive what we want because we ask “amiss”. We ask with the wrong motives, with selfish intent.

1Jn 3:22 KJV  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

1Jn 5:14 KJV  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

So, what are we doing wrong here? Either we don’t ask, we don’t pray at all for whatever reason or when we do ask, we pray with the wrong motives, we pray out of a disobedient heart, or we ask for something that is not in accordance with God’s will for us.

Does God have to power to grant every request no matter how fantastic or outlandish or miraculous it is? Of course, He does. But is that what’s best for us?

God has our best interest at heart as His sons and daughters. However, He sees a bigger picture and has a greater overall purpose than we can even understand. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask; it just means that we need to consider there’s a greater power at work here.

The same is true with earthly fathers. Our fathers have more experience and greater understanding of how the world works and look out for our best interests in accordance with that understanding.

Our relationship with our own father is a model of our relationship with God. We can gain a deeper understanding of our relationship with God by examining our relationship with earthly fathers. 

That’s what I hope to accomplish today.

When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, he took them back to Mount Horeb where he first met God at the burning bush. There God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stone. These were to be the foundation of a new nation that lived according to God’s direction. These Laws were to govern man’s relationship with God and man’s relationship with his fellow man.

One commandment in particular draws the parallel between man’s relationship to God, his Heavenly Father and man’s relationship to his earthly father.

Turn to Exodus 20:12

Exo 20:12 KJV  Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

The first three words, “Honor thy father” hearken back to the first commandment to honor God. 

God tells the children of Israel to honor their father and their mother. If they would do this, their days would be long in the land.

Moses reminds them of this in Deuteronomy 5:16 adding to their prolonged life, that it may go well with thee in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Why would this be so? God tells the Israelites that their lives will be longer and happier if they honor their fathers and their mothers. Could it be that listening to our parents and taking their instruction to heart helps us live a better life? Could it be that this conditions us to listen to God and take His instruction to heart that it may go well with thee?

Paul calls this commandment the first commandment with promise in Ephesians chapter 6. Let’s turn there.

Eph 6:1-3 KJV  Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.  (2)  Honor thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)  (3)  That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

There it is again - “That it may be well with thee.” Obey your parents, for this is right and it is promised that it may be well with you and you’ll live a long life.

The first relationship we ever form is with our parents. They love us and care for us. Anything we need they’re the ones we ask. They provide for our every need. They teach us and guide us. They are our first authority figures chastening us, encouraging us, and directing us in the paths of righteousness. They have our best interest at heart. No one on earth loves us more than our parents. A mother or a father will do everything they can to protect their child and see to it that they have everything they need to grow up to be a loving, caring, responsible adult.

For this to happen, God tells the children of Israel to obey their parents and to honor them. To revere them. To treat them with respect.

To a small child, their father and mother are god-like. The father figure in the home is God from a young child’s perspective. He provides. He protects. 

This relationship is the model that teaches a child how to love, honor, obey, and respect God. How can a child learn to love, honor, obey, and respect God the Father whom they cannot see if they cannot learn to love, honor, obey, and respect their father whom they can see?

We see this principle spelled out in 1 John 4:20 – 

1Jn 4:20 KJV  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

The same applies to a child and God. How can we expect a child to love God whom he has not seen unless he is taught to love his father whom he has seen?

We learn about our relationship with our Heavenly Father from our relationship with our earthly father. Now, we all know that earthly fathers are flawed. Some are flawed more than others. Yours truly for example.

But just the same, little children learn to relate to God through principles learned through relating to their fathers. There are many parallels between how we relate to our earthly fathers and how we relate to our Heavenly Father.

We pray to God for many things. We ask for material things and blessings. We ask for protection. We ask for healing. We ask Him to fix certain situations in our lives that are making us anxious or unhappy. Is He obligated to fulfill our request? Does He answer every prayer in accordance with our desires? Would it always be in our best interest if He did?

Why God answers our prayers, or sometimes delays in answering our prayers, or doesn’t give us the answer we want, or doesn’t answer at all can be simplified through a child’s relationship to his earthly father and comparing it to our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Let’s start with something simple. 

How often do we pray? In other words, how often do we communicate with God, our Heavenly Father?

I believe many of us would say, not as often as I should, or not as often as I would like. What are some of the reasons why we don’t pray as often as we should or as often as we would like?

Why don’t we pray as we ought?

• God expects me to do my part. I don’t need to pray right now. I got this. I’ll let Him know if I need Him. I’ll pray if something goes wrong.
• By the time I get around to it, I’m too tired. “Sleepy time prayer” Don’t even get to the “Amen” before I fall asleep.
• I do pray but it’s become dull and repetitive. Lackluster. Lukewarm. [Movie – War Room – 2015 by the Kendrick brothers]
• It doesn’t do any good any way. I’ve prayed before and nothing happens.
• Don’t want to put God on the spot. Afraid to ask because if He doesn’t answer then what does that mean? People who know that I prayed may think God’s not able or is not interested. Or maybe I don’t have any sway with God. Maybe I don’t have enough faith.
• God might hear some people’s prayers but He doesn’t hear mine. I must not be worthy. Maybe I don’t have enough faith. [according to your faith be it unto you]
• I believe God could fix this but this; THIS would take a miracle! I’ll say a prayer, but…this is too far gone. So, with a defeatist attitude we pray, “Oh well, God’s will be done” with no expectation (faith) that He will intervene in this case.
• Guilty conscience. I know I haven’t been listening to God lately and I haven’t been doing what He told me. Not pleasing in His sight. How can I ask Him to do anything?

You may have some reasons of your own. We all have lapses in our prayer life from time to time. 

How can we expect to develop a relationship with someone though if we don’t spend time with them? 

Sometimes I can’t get out of my own way. If there’s a way to make something more complicated I’ll find it. It was the same way with developing a prayerful relationship with God at one point. 

But I’ve discovered a few things that make developing prayer life really simple. Consider how each of these compare to a relationship between a child and his earthly father to provide insight and clarity.

Paul says, we should pray without ceasing. (1Thes 5:17) Does that mean pray all the time. No, but we can always be in a prayerful state. You know that running conversation we always have going in our head? Why not have it with God? Instead of talking to yourself, talk to your Father. Like Micah 6:8 says, “walk humbly with thy God”.

Our prayer life is indicative of our relationship with God. How often a child communicates with her father is an indication of their relationship.

Praying to God is not merely our duty but a privilege and a joy. A child should enjoy being with his or her father. She should delight in his presence.

Constant contact – the more we talk with Him the easier it is. We can pick up right where we left off. We don’t feel that distance that sets in when it’s been a while requiring formality. The more we talk the easier it is for both the child and the father to open up and reveal their innermost thoughts.

Obedient child – it’s hard to talk to our father when we’ve not be listening to what he’s been telling us. But if we’ve been obedient, we don’t feel threatened. We feel we’re in his good graces and can come to him easily.
But if we have been disobedient; if we’ve not been doing those things that are pleasing in his sight, we need to immediately repent and clear the air. If we have been disrespectful, we need to apologize and tell him we’re sorry and didn’t mean to hurt him. Ask him, “How have I been doing lately?”


Our prayer time is sacred time – 

• Schedule it – David and Daniel prayed 3 times a day
• Set up the right environment for it
• Quiet
• Alone
• Uninterrupted

Start with 1 solid regular consistent time and build from there, preferably in the same place.

Rom 8:14-15 KJV  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  (15)  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption [sonship], whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Abba is a term of endearment. It’s an indication of closeness, like Daddy. We are sons and daughters of God and we have been invited to be close to Him as we would our own father. 

Pray respectfully and reverently but conversationally. 

You can think of prayer like a diary or a daily journal

• Morning – here’s what’s on my schedule today
• Here’s what’s on my mind about that
• Here are my cares and concerns about that
• Evening – here’s what I actually did today
• Here’s how it went and how it compared to what I thought this morning
• Here are my cares and concerns about that

Keep in mind, we are His child. What do we want from our child?

• What do you have going today?
• Are you prepared for it? Do you need my help?
• How was school today? “Fine.”
• How did it go today? “Okay.”
• Is that our desire? Is that what we hoped to hear?
• What if he ignored you completely? (Have we been ignoring God?)
• Imagine going a whole day without your child talking with you. A whole week. Or weeks.

What if God wasn’t there? What if your heavenly Father wasn’t there to listen and to help with your every care? What if he turned away from you because of your attitude and how you’ve acted?

• I remember once when I was maybe 15 when I got angry with my father and told him I didn’t want to talk to him.
• He didn't speak to me for two months. I thought I was going to die!

Begin with God. What is His will?

• He has our best interest at heart. Who else could we go to for better advice if not our father or mother?
• Instead we ask our friends because we already know what our parents would say and that’s not the answer we’re hoping for (Rehoboam - 1Kings 12:8)
• Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain. (Psa 127:1)
• Not an afterthought, after we’ve already messed things up
• In and of ourselves we can do nothing. Even Jesus said this about himself  

Joh 5:30 KJV  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

• We can do all things through Christ (Php 4:13)
• Trust God – He is able and willing

Do you love God? [This goes to motivation to pray]

• Are you even a little hesitant to tell God you love Him? Why? Sometimes it’s hard to tell someone you love them. But why is that?
• What if they don’t love me back?
• Not been obedient, not been doing what you’re told
• He is faithful and just to forgive (1John 1:9)
• What is love for God? (1John 2:5, 3:16, 4:9 5:3)

Ask, Seek, Knock – A. S. K. 

Mat 7:7-11 KJV  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  (8)  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  (9)  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?  (10)  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?  (11)  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Ask – you have not because you ask not (James 4:2)

• A father knows what his child needs but he wants to be asked
• Our Father doesn’t want to interfere in our lives
• Sometimes we don’t know how or what to ask but The Holy Spirit groans on our behalf 

Rom 8:26-27 KJV  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  (27)  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

• Christ is our intercessor 

Rom 8:34 KJV  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Seek

• Seek His will in all things
• Put God at the forefront of everything
• Seek His face

Have you ever had an instance when your child was so upset, crying, blubbering? Maybe they’ve hurt themselves or they’ve become afraid? 
Sometimes you have to get their attention off themselves. 

What do you say?

LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! Listen. It’s going to be alright. I know you you’re feeling afraid right now and that’s okay. But I’m right here. Stay close to me and everything will be alright. “Okay Daddy.”

We have a broader view than they have. We understand real versus perceived threats. We can see down the road and know what the outcome will be and can comfort our child. God is the same. His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts wiser than our thoughts. He knows what’s best. 

God says the same thing – 

(Psa 27:7-8 KJV) Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.  (8)  When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! It’ll be okay. I’m right here. Stay close to me and everything will be alright.

Knock

• Be fervent
• We have a form and semblance of prayer but no heart
• Fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16)
• Hannah poured out her soul before the Lord in her prayer for a son. (1Sam 1:15)
• Be persistent
• Child wants a bicycle – how badly does he want it?
• God wants to know that we deeply desire whatever we ask for. As fathers, we judge the value of a thing by the frequency of asking for it, and by the special and urgent plea made for it.
• God wants us to respect & worship Him for answering our prayer. If He gave us every little thing, it would have no value.
• Remember Daniel’s prayer was heard immediately but took 21 days to bring about the right circumstances for it to be answered. There are dark forces opposed to our prayers ever being answered. 
• If God doesn’t answer right away, it doesn’t mean God didn’t hear, or that He said, “No”. We just gave up on it. “Wait I say on the Lord”.
• Remember the widow with the unjust judge

Luk 18:1-8 KJV  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;  (2)  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:  (3)  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.  (4)  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;  (5)  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.  (6)  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.  (7)  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?  (8)  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Pray expectantly

• Christ has given us the authority to pray the Father
• Believe – according to your faith be it unto you
• Trust God’s word
• Your feelings have nothing to do with it 

Remember the Centurion in Luke chapter 7?

Luk 7:1-10 KJV  Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.  (2)  And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.  (3)  And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.  (4)  And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:  (5)  For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.  (6)  Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:  (7)  Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.  (8)  For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.  (9)  When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.  (10)  And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

When we do finally get around to praying and we get off our knees and feel like that was a good one, we might expect immediate results. But what if we don’t get immediate results? What if it seems like we don’t get an answer at all? 

What does God expect of us when we come to Him in prayer?

• Obedience to God is a vital condition for answered prayer.

If our child has be disobeying us and not listening to what we tell them, why would we reward their request for a new bicycle?
If we expect God to continue hearing our prayers, we must begin obeying the Ten Commandments and His other commandments (1 John 3:22).

• Confess your sins to God, forgive others, and honor your wife so that your sins will no longer stand in the way. Remember that to be forgiven, we must be forgiving of others (Isaiah 59:2; Matthew 6:12, 14-15; 1Pet 3:7).
• One’s motives should not be selfish, greedy or trying to impress others(James 4:2-3; Matthew 6:5-6;  18:10-14).
• Study the Bible to know and pray according to God’s mind and will (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15; Matthew 4:4).
• Believe—have full faith in God’s love, mercy and promises—and expect answers (Mark 11:24; Hebrews 10:22, Hebrews 10:38-39; Hebrews 11:6; James 1:5-6).
• Be extremely grateful to God and express thanksgiving and praise profusely (Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
• Be wholehearted, fervent and passionate in prayer (James 5:16; Psalms 119:145; Hosea 7:14).
• Multiple repetitions of words and phrases are worthless , although Christ taught persistence in repeating a petition to God day after day (Matthew 6:7-8; Luke 11:5-13; Luke 18:1-7).
• Ask God to guide and inspire you with His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14-15, Romans 8:26-27; John 14:26).

This list is not meant to imply we have to earn God’s answer to our prayers or to earn His blessings. It is meant as an indicator that if we are not getting answers the first thing we should examine is ourselves.

God may still answer our prayers according to His good pleasure. Sometimes God will give us something we may not even remember saying we’d like to have for no other reason than that He loves us. That’s grace!

If our child is doing the best she can but is still not fully compliant, we may still reward them because we love them. We reward them for no other reason than that. We love them. That’s grace. God will do likewise.


There are lessons we can learn from the earthly father relationships that can bring understanding to our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Take the time to meditate on your current prayer life in light of that of a child making requests of his earthly father. 

How often does he spend time with him? What’s the nature of his attitude toward the father’s wishes? Are we in good stead with our Father or have we let things slip a bit? Approach your Heavenly Father like a child would her earthly father, with love, respect, and honor. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8) As you do, prayer will become easier and your relationship to God will grow closer.

Seek His face. Hear His voice. Trust Him. Pray the Father. “Abba Father.”

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References:
Prayer and Praying Men - E. M. Bounds
The Possibilities of Prayer - E. M. Bounds
The Reality of Prayer - E. M. Bounds
God Has Conditions For Answered Prayer - United Church of God