Well let's pray, let's ask God for help as we
look at his word now. Father we thank you that
you're a speaking God, that you speak to us in
the Bible. We thank you that you're a listening
God, that you answer our prayers, that you hear
them and act on them. And we ask Father that
you would help us to see how wonderful it is
to be in relationship with you as we look at
your word now. Amen. Well, my wife Laura has
some strange hobbies. She's away in Sydney at
the moment with one of our sons, Ethan. They're
playing a Pokemon card tournament and they're
having a blast from what I can hear. She's got
some strange hobbies, but probably the strangest
that I've come across her having was that back
in Geraldton, she used to write grant applications.
That was her hobby. I kid you not, she did that
for fun. She raised over $100 ,000 in grants
for the Geraldton Toy Library when we were back
in Geraldton, her and another lady. Together
they worked out this formula for writing grants
that just seemed to get a pretty good answer
nine times out of ten. So she just kept getting
this favourable answer, you know, submit it to
NAB, submit it to the council, submit it to whoever,
and all of a sudden they just get more money.
It was amazing. I sometimes wonder if she uses
that ability on me. I don't think so. Then again,
she's in Sydney right now. Anyway. But wouldn't
it be great if you could pray like that? Wouldn't
that be great if you could... pray in the same
way that laura makes a grant application you
know it's not 10 out of 10 but gee you know you
get a favorable answer most of the time that'd
be pretty awesome you want something a promotion
a spouse a house healing conversion of someone
you love and you just ask god and it happens
wouldn't that be awesome if there was just like
a formula that you could kind of come to god
with and you just knew the right formula the
right way to ask to get what you want that'd
be fantastic wouldn't it especially because god
is all powerful i mean you know it's it's one
thing to ask you know for laura to ask me and
i can give her limited things it's one thing
for her to ask the geralton city council they're
kind of limited in what they can give but to
come to god And ask him for things. He's all
powerful. What a great thing that would be. It'd
be like having your own genie. Except there's
no limits on the wishes. The trick would be finding
out that formula. Wouldn't that be amazing? So
I want to ask today, is there a way to get God
to give me what I want? Is there a way to get
God... to give me what i want if there is i bet
we all want to know it if there's not well then
what is the point of prayer why do we bother
with it see the thing is many of us want a god
who is a genie some christians feel disillusioned
with god when they don't get what they want i
i get that it can be really hard sometimes many
people explore christianity Because they're desperate.
They're going, is there a God out there who can
give me the sort of things I want? I don't necessarily
want him, but I want the things he can give me.
Well, if either one of those are you, sorry,
today I need to tell you, I don't have a formula
that I can give you. Sorry to disappoint. God's
not actually like that. But I want to show you
today that the Christian God is so much better
than the genie God. how so how should we think
of the god that we pray to that's what we're
going to look at today and the driving focus
of this passage the closest thing that we get
to a formula for prayer is this here's the big
thing we see today god is a caring father who
gives us what we really need that's the way to
approach god it's the closest thing we get to
a formula That's the thing we need to be thinking
about when we pray. God is a caring Father who
gives us what we really need. And when you see
that, praying like that is so much better than
praying to the sort of genie God we wish we had.
So that's the big thing we see in our passage.
God is a caring Father who gives us what we really
need. And there's two things that Jesus tells
us to do when we pray. Here's what we see. Firstly,
don't try to coerce God. Don't try to coerce
God. Don't try and twist his arm. And secondly,
trust God's fatherly care. Trust God's fatherly
care. They're the two things we're going to see
today. So let's start with the first one. Don't
try to coerce God. When you pray, don't try to
coerce God. See, prayer is not us trying to get
God to do our will. It's not us trying to control
God. Prayer is about trusting our good Heavenly
Father, trusting that he's in control of us and
of everything. If you've got a Bible there in
front of you, come with me to verse 7. And when
you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans,
for they think they'll be heard because of their
many words. Now, in the ancient world, people
would pray by repeating an extensive list, names
of a particular God they'd speak magic incantations
they'd repeat themselves louder and louder like
we saw in our Old Testament reading they'd even
harm themselves in order to get their God's attention
and the point of doing that was to try and force
their God to answer them and answer them favorably
they kind of saw the gods of their day and age
as kind of reluctant to give So you kind of had
to twist their arm or stroke their ego to get
your prayers answered. You had to come to them
with the right formula. Now, we actually have
our own versions of this today, don't we? Think
of something like The Secret. You know, that
whole book about the law of attraction and you
just manifest your desires. That's kind of a
secular way of doing it. But even in Christianity,
there's things like the Word of Faith movement,
isn't there? name it and claim it you just need
enough faith or you know maybe a bit more subtly
sometimes we're tempted to do bartering prayer
you know that one the quid pro quo kind of prayer
you know lord if i just do this if i give you
some money to the church if i come to god with
the right words then he will give me what i want
Now, all of these are attempts to force God,
to force God or a higher power to give us what
we want. I think I used this illustration once
before, but it's wanting God to be like a claw
machine or approaching God like a claw machine.
I remember we went to Time Zone for Ollie's birthday
last year and our kids loved the claw machines
at Time Zone. I hate Time Zone. If anyone wants
to take my kids to Time Zone so that I don't
have to go, you're more than welcome. It's just
so overstimulating for anyone over the age of
35. You go to Time Zone and there's claw machines
everywhere. And the claw machines, they offer
the big prizes, but they're so hard, aren't they?
And my kids, they dream of being claw machine
masters. They're sitting there and they're trying
to get the little joystick just the right amount.
Oh, not quite, not quite. Okay, push the button,
push the button. And then the claw comes down.
It picks it up. You think, yes, I've got what
I want. And then it goes boop and falls down.
And you've just got to keep trying and trying
and trying. Well, for many people, that's what
prayer can easily become, isn't it? It's like,
if I just come to God the right way, just like
with the claw machine, if I just get it just
right, if I do it again and again, persist, until
finally I get what I want, I'll get what I want.
I just have to have the right formula. But have
you ever thought about how blasphemous and insulting
approaching God like that really is? It's forgetting
who's God in the relationship. Does God suddenly
exist to do my bidding? Or, hang on, aren't I
here to do what he wants? Actually, it's viewing
God as harsh, that he only is generous to me
and gives to me when... I somehow earn it or
merit it. And it's treating God as if he's stingy,
as if he's reluctant to give, that he's got to
be forced and coerced to actually bless us. That's
not what God is like. What do we see at the start?
God is a caring father who gives us what we really
need. He loves to give us what we need. He's
more willing to give than we are to ask. You
know, God is not like John Paul Getty. Have you
heard of John Paul Getty? He was a billionaire
oil baron, and he's basically the epitome of
Scrooge. He was around in the 1970s. His grandson
was kidnapped, and they asked for a ransom, and
he refused to pay. Only after months of torture
and an ear getting cut off, which was sent to
him, did he eventually pay. three million dollars
three million instead of the original seven million
uh it he sort of bartered them down this billionaire
it took so much pressure for him to give anything
that's john paul getty the god that christians
pray to is not like that but sadly sometimes
we approach him as if he is Imagine you've had
a really bad day. You wake up late, you skip
breakfast, you jump in the car but the car won't
start, you've got to walk or catch the bus and
you get to work and you're grumpy and you put
your foot in your mouth all day. Do you have
foot in mouth disease? That's pretty regular
for me. And then you've got a co -worker who
asks you at work about Jesus. Great to get an
opportunity like that, but you're so grumpy that
you nearly bite their head off. It's going well,
isn't it? You get home, and then you're cranky
with your spouse, you're short with the kids,
and you get into bed and you think, oh, no, I
should pray. What's the point, though? I doubt
God would even listen, especially after the way
I've been today. Now imagine the next day. You
have a wonderful day. You wake up early and,
you know, you don't just wake up rubbing the
sleep out of your eyes. You wake up with that
added enthusiasm, that vim and vigour. You go
for a run. You have a hearty and healthy breakfast.
You get to work early and you work so well that
the boss notices and says, do you know, I think
it's about time we talk about that promotion.
Your co -worker asks you about Jesus and... You
give an amazing answer with the grace and the
insight of Spurgeon or Billy Graham. You invite
them to church and they say yes. You get home
and everyone's relating beautifully. Your spouse
greets you at the door with a smile and a hug.
And the kids, they just follow your every command
and every word. You have a great family devotion
at dinner time. It's fantastic. And you go to
bed and what happens? You're eager to pray. You
did so well today. Lord, I'm going to pray for
everybody and every missionary I can think of
and my half -cousin twice removed. Now, what's
wrong with both those scenarios? You think that
God hears and answers your prayers based on your
performance. It's treating God as if he answers
prayers based on a formula. You know, if I put
in X, good living, God will answer with Y. But
why does God hear us and answer our prayers?
It's because of grace, isn't it? It's the blood
of Jesus. His death on the cross that's given
us access to God. It's the curtain being torn
in two because of the death of Jesus. God is
not more or less likely to hear you if you did
well or poorly today. God's children shouldn't
approach him that way, should they? We come to
a loving, gracious, generous Father who is more
willing to give than we are to ask. So when you
pray, Don't try to coerce God. So how should
you pray? Trust God's fatherly care. Trust God's
fatherly care. Look with me at verse 8. Do not
be like them. Do not be like the non -Christians,
the pagans, the non -Christian world who try
and force God to give them stuff. Why? Well,
your father knows. Did you see what Jesus assumes
here about the God that we have? He assumes that
God is almighty, that he has the power to give
us what we need. He assumes that God is a father
who loves us and cares for us and wants what's
best for us. He says that God is wise, that he
knows our needs before we do. And better than
we do. A God like this is so much better than
a genie God, isn't it? I mean, human parents,
they're a little pale shadow of this, aren't
they? They help us see what a good father...
We have in heaven. I think of a couple I know
back in Broken Hill. When we were there, they
had twins. And before the twins were born, this
couple, they went around and they were buying
car seats and clothes and bottles. They were
thinking about what these twins needed before
they could even coo, before they even came out.
They were such wonderful parents. Or I think
one time we used to have a dart board at home
and when Geneva was two, she would see me with
the older boys playing darts. It's a great way
to practice maths, by the way, if you've got
young kids. Great way to lose an eye as well.
But she'd look at the darts and she'd say, I
need it! And she'd ask me for it. And I'd say,
sorry baby girl, when you're older, I'd love
to play with you. Now, I did that because as
her dad, I love her and I care for her, and I
don't want her to get hurt. She thinks she needs
it, but as her dad, I know better. Or it's a
bit like this. Think of that movie, Bruce Almighty.
Did you ever see that? There's that scene in
Bruce Almighty. Bruce is this TV reporter. He's
given some godlike powers and all the prayers
start coming to him. And he answers yes to all
the prayers. He can't be bothered sorting through
them. So he just does a blanket reply all yes.
Well, you know what happens? The world descends
into utter chaos. Everyone who prayed that they'd
win the lottery, they all win. And so they only
win a few bucks. And it leads to anger, violence,
chaos, riots in the streets. And it's a kind
of powerful picture, that, because it shows us
that getting what we want isn't always good,
is it? I think some of the prayers that I've
said in my life, in hindsight, I'm very glad
God didn't say yes. The third time, I think I've
said this in three months, but I want to keep
beating this drum because it's so important in
our prayer lives. As a youth, I was taught God
answers prayers in one of three ways, yes, no,
or not yet. But what's he answer? He answers
with only two answers, yes or better, because
he's a good heavenly father. If we were omniscient,
if we could see and know everything, we'd answer
prayers the way God answers prayers. We'd see
that he's right to do it the way he does. But
maybe you're still sceptical that God is a good
father who answers with either yes or better.
If that's you, I'd want to suggest you look at
the cross. Before I was born... God knew I needed
a saviour. He planned to send his son, the Lord
Jesus. Before I even realised I was a sinner
facing God's righteous eternal judgement, before
I even asked Jesus to come into my life and save
me from my sins, God had sent Jesus to die in
my place. He'd already arranged things to work
in my life, to open my eyes. God knew my needs
before I did. He knew them better than I did.
He is such a good, wise and caring Father. But
that opens another can of worms. If God knows
our needs, then why pray at all? He's got this,
right? Why bother praying? I love what J .I.
Packer says in his book, Evangelism and the Sovereignty
of God. it's a bit small but let me read it to
you it says this ask and you shall receive seek
and you will find knock and the door will be
opened if you and i are too proud or lazy to
ask we need not expect to receive this is the
universal rule in evangelism as elsewhere god
will make us pray before he blesses our labors
in order that we may constantly learn afresh
that we depend on god for everything And then
when God permits us to see conversions, we shall
not be tempted to ascribe them to our own gifts
or skill or wisdom or persuasiveness, but to
his work alone, and so we shall know whom we
ought to thank for them. So he's saying there
that actually when it comes to prayer, whether
it's for evangelism or anything else, God wants
to teach us that we depend on him for everything.
And he's going to often hold back until we...
Pray to him so that we learn afresh that we do
depend on him for everything. See, the asking
is actually good for us, isn't it? It strengthens
our relationship with our Father. It humbles
our hearts so that we see how much we need him.
It fills us with gratitude and a heart to worship
him for all that he's done for us. Even though
God knows what we need, even though he's going
to act before we know what to ask for, we still
must ask. We still must depend on him because
it's good for us. You know, I think the perfect
model is to copy the Lord Jesus, isn't it? Pray
like Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane. Do
you remember? He prays, Father, all things are
possible for you. Take this cup from me. Now
Jesus is going, God can do anything. He's able
to change things. I'm going to pray for anything
and I'm going to pray boldly because I know he
hears me and answers me and can do anything.
But Jesus also said, yet not what I will, but
what you will. His prayer was that his will,
his heart, would be aligned with his Father's.
And that's what gives us great peace when we
pour our hearts out to God, asking for something,
and it doesn't happen. We can go, our Father
knows best. We trust that he is doing what is
better for me. All right, let's draw some threads
together. We started by asking, how can I get
God to give me what I want? And I hope you've
seen as we've gone through today that that's
actually the wrong question. A better question
to ask is, what is God like? How does he answer
my prayers? And here's what we saw. We saw that
God is a caring father who gives us what we really
need. God's a caring father who gives us what
we really need. And if we're one of his children,
here's how we should pray. Don't try to coerce
God. Trust God's fatherly care. So what's all
this mean for us? Well, some of you might be
here today and you're not yet one of God's children.
You haven't had your sins forgiven. You haven't
trusted in Jesus' death. You haven't been welcomed
into God's family. God is not yet your father.
But I want to tell you today, he would be happy
to adopt you. He's happy to adopt anyone. Jesus
died for all the times we didn't trust God as
Father, all the times we sold God short in our
mind, all the times we ignored him and rejected
him. Christians believe that God is a Father,
an all -knowing, all -powerful, and all -loving
Father, and that anyone... can become his child
if they trust in the Lord Jesus. If you're here
today and you're not yet one of God's children,
can I ask, are you better off continuing to ignore
him? The comfort and the peace it gives you when
you pray to a God who is your father. It's unparalleled.
What's stopping you from praying to him now?
Maybe while we're singing our next song, maybe
you need to say to God, God, I want you to be
my father. I want to be your child. Please forgive
me my sins and make me your child. While everyone's
singing, just pray that quietly in your own heart.
But if you're here today and you are one of God's
children, I know that there will be times where
it can feel like God is shortchanging you. It's
hard. You pray and you pray and you pray for
something good, for a job, for a spouse, for
healing, for conversion, for some sort of change.
And God doesn't give it to you and you wonder,
why hasn't God given me what I want? What am
I doing wrong? What is he doing? What's going
on? Does he even love me? Is he just cruel or
sadistic? Why? And if that's you, I want to encourage
you, don't buckle under your doubts. Actually,
doubt your doubts. Maybe they're not serving
you very well. Better yet, go back to the cross
and see what sort of God you have. You have a
good Father who loves you. And even though at
times it's hard to see, He knows what's best.
I get it. A genie God sounds appealing. A God
who with the right formula just caves in sounds
really good. But scratch beneath the surface
and you see it's not as good as it actually sounds.
Thankfully the God who is there is so much better.
He's a Father who loves us, who is wise, and
he is answering your prayers better than you
can imagine. Keep praying and don't lose heart.
Let me pray. Father, we thank you that you are
a good Father, a wise Father, a powerful Father.
We thank you that you know what's best for us.
And when we pray, help us to trust your fatherly
care, that you are giving us what we need. There
are times where it is hard, where it hurts, but
help us to see that you truly want what's better
for us, that you want what's best for us, better
than we do. Help us to trust you, we pray. Amen.