ATTN: As we are still starting out the year, this being only the 4th sunday of the year, and there are 48 left, I want us to focus on the main thing. Prayer. For Christians, prayer like breathing. It should be as natural as breathing and without it, we should feeling like suffocating. Unfortunately, many self-proclaimed christians go a long time without prayer and I wonder how they do it. How do you go a long time without breathing? Prayer in its simplest term is talking to God. Prayer should not be something we do only when we have a need from God that we can’t solve. How would you like it if your child only came to you if she needed money or needed to get out trouble. She’s using you. Maybe this is an advantage of having daughters, but my two girls will come to me just to sit with me or show me what they drew, or just to lay there and watch dramas/movies with me. However, when this relationship is established, I’m delighted when they come to me for help. They can’t take apart a certain Lego pieces or they want me to draw a princess on a piece of paper for them to color or they need help on their math homework because their momma can’t figure out 3rd grade common core math and sometimes I get stumped too! Imagine that. I can teach high school math but I get stumped on 3rd grade math…My children will hear me go on a rant about how creators of common core probably didn’t have children of their own, but all because I want to give help to my children. I delight in it.

So does God when we go to Him. Hopefully, it’s not only when we have a need of Him. Hopefully, going to God and communing with him is a routine part of your life, and when that relationship is established, God delights in His children when they go to Him for help. Such as before a test you are nervous about. If you are in high school, your final week is this week. Maybe you have a job interview and you are nervous. Maybe you just need to make a decision on housing… or you need to have a tough talk with your neighbor or a friend…. I want to teach a simple acronym to help you go to God for help. [Got this from John Piper]

A.P.T.A.T.

A – Admit that you need help

P – Pray for help

T – Trust a certain promise

A – Act!

T – Thank Him.

1. Admit you can do nothing without God (John 15:5).
   John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

We live in a country where we are bombarded almost daily with the message of humanism – meaning that we can achieve anything we put our mind to. “If you can dream it, you can do it,” Walt Disney once said. And if you have been to Disney World, well, you have to be impressed. It really is something. It’s 40 square miles, or the size of San Francisco. You marvel at the creativity and ingenuity of human beings in creating such a place that is dedicated to entertain. We spent 4 full days there some years ago and maybe we saw half of the parks if that. Or if you want to go small, think of all the technology that goes into a smart phone. A couple weeks ago, while cleaning out our closets, Janet fished out a Sony Walkman. Teenagers, do you know what those are? If you’ve been to a history museum, you’ve seen those. It’s a music player that plays what’s called cassette tapes. Each tape will play about 1 hour worth of music. And if you want more than that, then you have to carry these cassette tapes with you. Those of you who are old like me, do you remember how cool we thought it was when these became portable? Before that, we were carrying around boom boxes that took 4 size D batteries. And I thought we were at the height of technological advancement when auto reverse was introduced! You didn’t have to take the tape out to flip it so that you can play the back side. The walkman did it by itself! Do you remember fast forwarding to the next song? You’d hold down fast forward button for maybe 7 seconds and let go and you were so happy if you stopped just at the beginning of the next song? Yes. All it could do was play music. Fast forward 30 years, this tiny thing, a smart phone, a third the size of a walkman not only can play music so much better, holds not just 12 songs, but a 1200, but can make calls, works as a GPS, video player, flash light, voice recorder, game machine, and so much more. It is incredible what human beings can do when they put their minds together. But tell me why it is that we still haven’t found a cure for racism and violence? It’s 2017 in America, the most advanced in the world, and yet we are still talking about racism, hatred, violence, and basic human rights… What about drug addiction? What about obesity? What about simple decency and respect?

When Jesus said you can do nothing apart from me, He meant that nothing of consequence. Nothing that will really matter in eternity. Nothing that will make one iota of difference to truly make our human lives better. Are we better off as a human race because we have an iphone rather than a walkman? If anything, I see teenagers today who are more bored, less engaged, shorter attention spanned, ruder, with far more psychological problems than the yester years…

So, the first step? Humble ourselves and admit that we can do nothing. All the innovation, technique, technology have failed to get to where we want to go. Admit our helplessness. What we need is not getting our next “only if…” but Jesus.

2. Pray for help (Psalm 50:15).
   Ps 50:15, “and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” God wants us to come to in prayer. Prov. 15:8 The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

Yes, we are to pray at all times. Having the mind that is always mindful of God. That’s good, but also we need to set aside specific times for prayer. Mothers, you could pray while your child is taking a nap. Teachers can pray together with your other believing teachers. My next door class is a spanish class and we would pray after our 3rd period just about everyday. Now, most days I’m listening to a sermon on my commute to school which is 25 minutes, but sometimes my devotional time in the morning will not yield enough time to pray and so, I will just turn off everything in the car and pray. I will imagine Jesus sitting next to me and I will talk to him about what’s in my heart.

        Or if i am about to have a sensitive conversation with someone, it could be a quick, “Lord, help. Give me wisdom…” or on sunday mornings, i’ll kneel and pray for the holy spirit to be present during the worship. If you need to have a talk with your teenager, “God, give me wisdom and the right attitude in this confrontation.” If you are agitated with your co-worker, “God, help me be patient and not blow up. Help me love him like christ loved me” If you are contemplating your next career move: “God, let me do what honors you and not what is immediately advantageous to me.”

Pray. You only get good at praying by praying.

3. Trust a specific promise (2 Chronicles 20:20).
   2 Chron 20:20, Jehoshaphat [the king of Israel] stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”

God will not go against His word and therefore, when we repeat back to God the word He has spoken, He will gladly follow through on His word. So often, especially the young people, seeking for the will of God, “God, what is your will for my life?” is the most pressing question among young people either in college or just out of it. But the most important of His wills are already revealed through His word. So, when we remember a specific promise and trust it, we are in fact being in the will of God.

For example, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2. So, if you want to know God’ will regarding your career, marriage, where to live, what church to serve, you trust that when you do not conform to the worldly ways but be transformed by having your mind saturated in the ways of God, you will know which way to go. No, usually it’s not God rearranging the clouds to spell out exactly what to do. There’s nothing magically about knowing God’s will. When you make a decision based on the renewed mind that is about God’s kingdom and not your selfish gain, then you will be able to discern better which is the better decision

ILL: I was 28 years old. I just finished seminary and was serving at a home church in VA. I had an interview with a church in WA for the youth pastor position and I wanted to know what God’s will was. So, I looked into the word asking God to reveal His will to me. No, I didn’t play russian roulette with the Bible just opening it randomly, but I read the passage that I was supposed to read as I have done daily since I became a Christian. And this is what I read. Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you where you go.” I was scared. I was dismayed because I didn’t want to leave VA. But it was clear to me that I was supposed to. And I held onto that promise that He will be with me. Because coming to WA wasn’t easy. I didn’t know anyone here. Everything I have known and loved was in the East Coast. But because of God’s word given to me, I knew it was God’s will and I held onto His promise.

So, trust a specific promise. And yes, it will do you a lot of good if you have memorized God’s word so that you can recall in times of difficulties and despair.

– A job interview? Phil. 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything,but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

– You have a difficult teeanger at home? Or you are a teenager and you have a difficult mother at home?

Ps 55:22, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”  

– You feel like you are wasting your time helping out at church or working with young people?

Jesus said, Matt 25:40, “Whatever you did for the one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” or “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

– You feel like you are so worthless and God can’t possibly love you after what you’ve done?

Jer. 31:3, “I have loved you with an everlasting love. That is why I have continued to be faithful to you.” or 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

– If you are feeling alone and lonely, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” in Heb. 13:5.

– If you ever doubt if God is really good to you or cares for the little you: romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

– One more. You just got demoted or lost your job and you have to downsize and you are beginning to feel sorry for yourself, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13. and be content! People mis-apply that verse all the time. It doesn’t mean that I can win the superbowl. It doesn’t even mean that I can lose 50 pounds and keep it off. But it does mean that I can be content whether I am rich or poor because Jesus is my source of joy and not my wealth.

4. Act (Philippians 2:12–13).
   Phil 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Christian life is not: “God works so I don’t have to work.” Rather, “God works, so I work.” The way God works is through me. I am a body of Christ, a small part, and he does His work through me. So, after admitting that I can’t do anything without Him, praying, and trusting, I act. I do what it is God wants me to do. “But I don’t know what God wants me to!” Figure out what God is doing. And then follow Him!

ILL: God is moving at 60 mph and it’s very hard to see him when we are sitting on the sideline because he’s moving too fast. But when we are moving alongside him at the same speed, then we can see Him eye to eye.

Paul was already on the missionary journey when he got that macedonian call. Jonathan, king Saul’s son, moved with his armor bearer into the enemy line because his father would not move. And God gave him a great victory. Too many Christians sit on the sideline waiting for God to tell them what to do – something big that will be worth their lives. But God has already told us to do many things. Start doing them.

– Serve others using your gifts. That’s always God’s will.

– Go on mission. That’s always God’s will.

– Be sacrificially giving. Always God’s will.

– Give away your new car. God won’t say “idiot, that was for you. Why did you give it away?” God gave us His Son. Do we say, “Are you crazy? Why would you do that?” Actually, we do do that. But only because we are awestruck by his display of love and grace.

– Share your faith boldly – always God’s will.

– Make that call before you regret.

– Apply to that job again!

– cut off those friends that are drawing you away from God.

5. Thank God for his provision and goodness (Psalm 106:1).

Ps. 106:1, “Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

Even if it doesn’t work out the way you envisioned. You didn’t get into the school. You didn’t get the job. You thank god b/c God said no. God works all things for the good of those who love him.

 

A – Admit that you need help

P – Pray for help

T – Trust a certain promise

A – Act!

T – Thank Him.