Dummies: Prayer for Dummies

By Pastor Christian on 8/25/09

We are winding down our summer series – “Canyon Creek Church for Dummies.” Over the last two-months, we have taken the major “what” and “why” questions of church and boiled them down into informative 35-minute messages. Taken together, we intend for these messages to form THE definitive guide to Canyon Creek Church. Individually, we hope each message will be great resources for the life of Canyon Creek and Christians in general. If you missed any part of the series or just want to send one to a friend, visit our sermon archive page and click on Canyon Creek for Dummies.

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This Sunday, Pastor Di Beals pushed us to consider why, what, how, and when we should pray. I commend this thoughtful message to you if you have not listened to it yet. Di did a great job providing theologically concentrated answers to really massive questions. But I warn you. It’s a sticky message. And, it’s not her concise Biblical answers that will haunt you next week. It’s her heart-wrenching stories of real lives impacted by obedient prayer that will stick in your brain and pester you. So, if you don’t want to be painfully convicted that God intends for daily, potentially embarrassing and readily obedient prayer to be vital part of your Christian life - avoid this message at all costs. I promise the phrase “Pray Now” will go through your head about 300 times the following day.

That fact of the matter is that God wants us to pray, AND when we pray it actually makes a difference in the outcome of the universe (Matt 6:5-14; James 5:13-16). That fact raises another interesting question – SAY WHAT?! How, Why?

Why does OUR prayer make a difference? Why does God want US to pray? Beyond Di’s solid answer that it builds our relationship with him, I mean WHY have US do it? If he knows everything, (and by everything I mean even “what could have happened”), Why does he want US to pray? Didn’t Jesus say IN his instructions on prayer that our Father already knows what we need (Matt 6:8)?

It makes no sense to ME. It seems inefficient to involve ME at all. Can’t he just do what he is going to do? He knows what’s best anyhow. Why involve us at all? That my friends, is the BIG, FAT MYSTERY of HUMAN AGENCY. Why does God involve humans in his plans at all?

Really. Why doesn’t God just announce himself from the heavens or send billions of angels to smack some sense into everyone? Because he intends to involve US in the process. Why didn’t Jesus stick around and tell people about himself? Because he intends to involve US in the process. Why not eradicate all the problems now and finish this broken project? Because he intends to involve US in the process!

He made US in his image (Gen 1:27). He made US as the crown of his creation (Gen 2:4-25). He made US as rulers in his kind (Gen 1:28). He redeemed US as his Children (Eph 1:3-14). He intends to prepare US for an eternity with him. Consequently, he wants US involved in his process!

How else do you train? How else do you shape and model your greatest creation? By involving them in the process of course!

When we pray, God in his sovereignty, in his power, and in ways beyond our comprehension, sows our prayers into the outcomes of the universe. Things really change and don’t change for the want of the involvement of his children (Esther). Don’t miss your opportunities to be involved in GOD’S GOOD WORK – PRAY NOW!

At the end of the day, it may not seem the most efficient plan from our perspective, but at the end of the day it’s not our perspective that counts. . .

Christian

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