The Lord's Model Prayer - Part 3 - CrossCulture Inductive Bible Study Series

Prayers that God answered:

Hezekiah: Isaiah 38:3

• Kingdom people through prayer can change God’s mind.
• ·   God may change His mind when He needs to demonstrate His steadfast love. 
• ·   God will never change His mind when He needs to demonstrate His faithfulness to His Word.
•   Search “endures” in BibleGateway.com ESV

Peter: Matthew 14:30

• ·         Short prayer
• ·         Prayer God answers AFTER you launch out in faith
• Oftentimes, we give Peter a bad rap just because Christ addressed him as having little faith, but we forget that Peter was the ONLY ONE of the 12 willing to exercise faith. FAITH INVOLVES RISK 
• Like Peter, we step out of the boat into God's will when we recognize God's voice. Do we recognize God's voice when He calls?
• Like Peter, we encounter storms and waves when we launch out to follow God's will.
• Like Peter, we cry out to God when we need his intervention in our lives and affairs knowing He hears
• God answers our prayers, many times immediately, when we cry out to Him when we are in His will and doing His will.

Elijah: James 5:17-18

• Righteous man and great power
• A man JUST LIKE US
• Prayed FERVENTLY
• ·         Cref: 1 Kings 17, 18
• Elijah is the same man like us and his God is the same God as our God

Canaanite Woman: Matthew 15:21-28

• Not a Jew!  Key is she was imploring the RIGHT GOD (Lord, Son of David...). She had an understanding of God that even the disciples did not have, possibly because the disciples also listened to OUTSIDE NOISES (like what John the Baptist's disciples were talking about or what the Pharisees were constantly questioning)
• In principle, God listens only to His Kingdom Children v.24, 26
• Woman expresses not only an understanding of God but how God works v.27
• ·         Great FAITH v.28 - This is faith that NOT EVEN the APOSTLE Peter had!!!
• ·         Healed INSTANTLY v.28. Jesus Christ overrides the divine principle in v.24,26 (He makes an exception on the spot). Divine intervention is NOT something gradual like reformation. It is instantaneous like transformation. However, although God's responsibility is to transform, man's responsibility is to demonstrate transformation by reformation.
• ·         Luke 18:1 – 8

o   Persistent

o   Changed the mind of the judge
o  We CAN wear God out according to Jesus v.6   v.7 "...will not God..."

o   Judge answered SPEEDILY v.8a
o God's positive response is the exclusive privilege of "his elect (i.e., His Kingdom children whom He delights in)" v.7
o Recall the purpose of the parable: v.1 - PRAY and NOT GIVE UP!
o Faith is questioned (similar to Peter) v.8b

The Church: Acts 12:5

• Earnest (literally stretched out to the limit) prayer (intently, intensely)
• By the church; What is the difference compared to praying individually? 
• no special magic from God's viewpoint, however...
• we feed on each others faith.
• we feed on each others fervency.
• There is a special experience of the presence of God Matthew 18:20
• There seems to be a special guarantee from God Matthew 18:19
• Relational aspect: 
• Impact of numbers: 1 Samuel 8 - 10 

Daniel: Daniel 2:17-23

• ·         Group petition v.17,18
• Note appeal to the RACHEM (mercy, compassion, related to Kheced) of God (the basis for changing God's mind)
• ·         God chooses how to answer v.19. 
• Many times we tell God how to respond to our prayer instead of leaving the method to Him
• In this case, God revealed not only the details of the dream but the details of the interpretation as well 
• Learn from Daniel's understanding of God and how He operates. v.20-23
• He has the resources to respond v.20
• He is the source of supernatural wisdom and knowledge v.21 Ironically, we all know that, seek that but do rarely touch the Word (revelation) of God!
• He REVEALS v.22 deep, hidden things and exposes darkness to light
• Note that this is the event that elevated and promoted Daniel to head of all the wise men.

Caveat:

1 Samuel 8-10

• ·         Be careful what you pray for  v.8:9-18
• ·         God listens even to wrong prayers v.8:7-9
• ·         God answers even some wrong prayers v.8:19-22
• ·         Right prayers = right results, wrong prayers = dire consequences
• Notes and reflection:
• v.8:19 - God answers but we do not listen or reject His answers
• v 8:20 - We think we are wiser than God
• v.8:7-8 - God wants to be more involved in our lives but we'd rather depend on other people or things
• v.9:15; 10:1 - God still wants to get involved in our lives even when the group we belong to goes astray. Because some of God's people, like Samuel and David, were still faithful, God will not allow them to be victims of collateral damage.
• v.9:15; 10:1 - Just because God anoints does not negate our free will to destroy what He has or had anointed (What happened to the rest of Saul's history???)

David: 1 Chronicles 29:19

• ·         2 requests from David
• Solomon would have a whole heart to obey God's commandments
• Solomon would complete building the temple of God
• ·         1 answered as requested. The temple was completed
• ·         1 answered opposite to request or not entirely as expected. Why?
• David's request, because of who David was, implied Solomon to be loyal and faithful to God his whole life and reign
• The Lord answered the completion of the temple while Solomon was faithful
• The Lord did not and DOES NOT mess with Solomon's free will (Bruce Almighty: the movie)

King Solomon: 2 Chronicles 1:7-12

• ·         Noble request. Why was it noble?
• The request for possessions, wealth, honor and the life of those who hate you are basically SELFISH requests that think only of SELF and what SELF and get
• The request for wisdom and knowledge to govern God's people wisely, was to honor God and prevent an occasion from giving shame to the name of God.
• The SELFLESS request of Solomon was what delighted God even if He was already willing to give anything to Solomon
• ·         Result: “ALL these things shall be added” Matthew 6:33
• A Kingdom of God principle that articulates what Solomon actually did. Notice that Jesus did not miss to mention Solomon in the passage.
• There are worldly stuff that we do not even need to ask for. 
• There is no logical cause-and-effect other than the promise of Jesus. This is similar to Joshua 1:8, no logical cause-and-effect other than the guaranteed promise of God.

David: Psalm 27:4 “ONE thing…”

•  Like Mary vs Martha, David desired and chose the BETTER PART.
•  SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness….
•  Result: “ALL these things shall be added” Matthew 6:33

Jacob: Genesis 32:22-32

• ·         Jacob __________________ with God v.24
• ·         I will not let you go unless ___________________ v.26
• ·         I have seen God  ________  to ________  v.30

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