Prayer- Seep It Simple Saints 10/2/11

PRAYER: As Comfortable As Talking To A Friend

10/2/11  RUMC

Today I am going to share with you the greatest secret to powerful prayer.

Somebody lock the doors because we don’t want just anyone to hear this.  Wade, maybe we better go to hard wired microphones, because I know sometimes people can pick up wireless mic signals.

OK are we ready?

After exhaustive research…combing the Bible for clues… after studying all the greats from Athanasius of Alexandria, John Wesley. . .  after reading what must surely be 1000 books and earning my Master of Divinity Degree (I don’t know what difference that makes, but it sounds holy doesn’t it)…I have figured out the greatest key to powerful prayer.

Do you want to know?

Do you think you can handle it?

I think so. . .

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Maybe you have seen the acronym KISS “Keep it simple stupid” I modified that

KEEP IT SIMPLE SAINTS!

KEEP IT SIMPLE- are you disappointed?  Well, let’s see what else we can learn.

Today’s scripture passage contains one of the most intimate sentences Jesus ever speaks. 

YOU ARE MY FRIENDS.  Listen to a couple of lines from the passage.

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command you.  I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends.

Jesus is not some far off, deity we have to impress.  God is not just the omnipotent, almighty, invincible, supreme, colossal, enormous, impersonal, uncaring God to whom be bow in homage.  God is intimate and personal.  God is so personal he came as Jesus Christ to tell us “I have called you friends.” Each one of us!  “If you do what I command you, you are my friends”

That changes everything about how we pray doesn’t it?

If God is impersonal, he might not know me.  But God is personal and knows me intimately.

If God is way out there, he might not see me. But God is personal right here.

If God is omnipotent, and omniscient, and omnipresent why would God bother to listen to my prayers?  Well, God is all those things, but God also came personally to walk with us, and cry with us, and celebrate with us, and grieve with us in Jesus Christ.  God came in Jesus to say “You are my friend.”

So, we can bow down in homage when we pray, you can kneel beside your bed and say a rote prayer, but the great secret my friends is that prayer it is as simple as pulling up a chair and to have a talk with Jesus.

Keep it Simple Saints- One of the clearest places Jesus teaches about simplicity in prayer is Matthew chapter 6

 ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.’  Matthew 6:5-6

Be careful here.  Jesus is not saying do not pray in public.  He is not saying don’t pray with others.  What Jesus is addressing here is showing off in prayer.  The Pharisees loved to show off for God and others by standing on the street corner or in church and making a spectacle of themselves.  Jesus is saying prayer is really much simpler than that.

Jesus is saying prayer is SIMPLE RELATIONSHIP with God.   You don’t have to show off to other people.  You don’t have to show off to God by burning sacrifices.  You don’t have to earn your right to pray. You can’t manipulate God into answering your prayers quicker. Prayer is not a game so there really aren’t any rules.  Prayer is relationship with the God who wants more than anything to sit with you in prayer.  

You can take off all the masks you wear.  You won’t fool God anyway.

You can leave all your fancy clothes at home.  God sent you into this world without any clothes at all.

You can leave your fancy techniques at home.  Although there are techniques like the breath prayer I taught you last week, or journaling, or dialogue prayer, that help us to focus on God, help us to empty ourselves of all the distractions of life; none of those techniques in themselves make our prayers any better than simply sitting down and hanging out beside God.

Like I said last week prayer is not about asking for stuff.  Or asking for help.  (Sure that is part of it) but the heart of prayer is being in prayer with the God who wants more than anything to be in prayer with us.

Prayer really is not that complicated so Keep It Simple Saints.

In addition to a simple relationship, prayer is best done in a SIMPLE PLACE. In some translations Jesus says your closet. I don’t know about you maybe you have one of those walk in closets that is as big as my living room, but I’m just not all that comfortable standing or sitting in my closet for very long. 

But I don’t think that is the point.  I think Jesus point is just the opposite.  It doesn’t matter where you pray.  He says it doesn’t have to be the synagogue or the street corner, and I would add, or your closet.   Just go to a simple place to pray. 

I love this simple place; especially at night when the only light is the cross and the eternal flame, but then I get to live next door so that works for me.  Prayer doesn’t need a fancy place like a church.  Although it is nice to have access to a beautiful sanctuary, it is not necessary for prayer.  Prayer can happen in any simple place.

·         Just you and God sitting across from each other at the kitchen table.

·         You and God walking through the forest or down the street together. 

·         You and God laying in the dark of the night, or sitting in the hospital room, or standing at the graveside together. 

·         You and God driving down the road, or mowing your grass. 

·         You and God might be in your closet. 

·         God might just as easily kneel beside you easy chair.

·         Or you might find God in your car, because I am sure when someone cuts you off in traffic, your first instinct is to pray for them.

·         You might be praying for people as they walk by you at the mall while you are waiting for you wife to try “on one more dress.”

Jesus’ point is just this- the place is not important.  Don’t get hung up on where you pray.  Any simple place will do.

Along with that, the posture doesn’t matter.  Your knees won’t let you kneel beside you bed anymore?  That’s OK sit in your easy chair.  You feel called to pray while you walk? Do it.  Lift your hands?  Do it.  Where and how you pray really are not important, it is only important that you _pray.

Prayer really is not that complicated so Keep It Simple Saints.

Continuing to verse 7 of the 6^th Chapter of Matthew says ‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

In short when you pray use simple words.

Some pastors can write pastoral prayers that border on poetic.  Sometimes we hear prayers in worship that use thee and thou.   But those prayers are different from our personal prayers.  They are written that way in an attempt to draw people into an attitude of prayer.  The poetic images prod our imaginations, to enter into prayer.

Frankly, my personal prayers don’t sound anything like that.  Do yours?  My prayers are more like “OK God I’m back.”  They are more like talking to my best friend than reading a poem.

You don’t have to use fancy words.  Your own words will be fine.

You don’t have to use, thee and thine.  You and your will work just fine.

You don’t have to be a poet.  Your stumbling and stammering will be just as good.

You don’t have to use a prayer language. (What we call speaking in tongues).  The language of your heart will be perfectly acceptable.

Jesus says don’t heap up empty words.  Just spit it out.  God already knows what you need.  He won’t misunderstand.  He won’t forget.  And he won’t be impressed by big words.

Prayer really is not that complicated so Keep It Simple Saints.

Nothing is simpler than the prayer of a child

·         A grandfather overheard his granddaughter repeating the alphabet in reverent, hushed tones. 
"What are you doing?" he asked. 
"I’m praying, Grandpa," she said. "I can’t think of the right words, so I just say all the letters. God will put them in the right order.

You know, as silly as that sounds, there is an element of helpfulness in that. 

·         Don’t worry so much. 

·         Don’t try to be a poet.

·         Don’t try to make it fancy.

·         Don’t try to sound like Jesus or a Saint or anyone else.  Just be yourself.

·         Keep It Simple Saints.

Max Lucado writes "I read recently about a man whose kikes up mountain trails began early in his life and sustained him to the end.  A few days before the man he died, a priest went to visit him in the hospital.  As the priest entered the room, he noticed an empty chair beside the man's bed.  The priest asked him if someone had been by to visit.  The old man smiled, 'I place Jesus on that chair, and I talk to him.'
"The priest was puzzled, so the man explained.  'Years ago a friend told me that prayer was as simple as talking to a good friend.  So every day I pull up a chair, invite Jesus to sit, and we have a good talk.'

"Some days later, the daughter of this man came to the parish house to inform the priest that her father had just died.  'Because he seemed so content,' she said, 'I left him in his room alone for a couple of hours.  When I got back to the room, I found him dead.  I noticed a strange thing, though: His head was resting, not on a pillow, but on an empty chair that was beside his bed.'"_{(— Max Lucado, The Applause of Heaven)}

Sometimes when I come over here to pray.  I like to sit right.  Here.  I invite Jesus to come sit beside me and we pray.  Often times for those who will sit in the pews on Sunday.           

Try this week.  Pull up a chair and have a little talk with Jesus

AMEN