Praye Focus
Matthew 6 v 24-34
I wonder do you ever have the sort of discussion I have with the Lord.
It used to be yes Lord I can, with your help, lead prayers in church because everyone has their eyes shut and won’t be looking at me!
Then when I came here it was yes I can do a children’s talk because for so many years I taught children.
Then the inner nudge became that I should be trying to preach. And the discussion has been very much don’t ask me to do this. I am a shy person and God says let me clothe you in confidence. It might be that you are frightened of some things and God says let me clothe you in bravery.
Then it was well people at my age don’t do new things. God says yes they do.
You know how it goes and you think well one day I might do that.
Last Sunday I was unwell with a virus of some sort so was sitting in bed and listening to the service on the radio. The reading was Matthew 6 v 25 to 34. I came downstairs and was praying and I felt I should look at the sacred space website. This is a sight I haven’t used for months. The reading was Matthew 6 v 25 – 34.
Then I looked at the church notices and no prize for guessing what the reading was going to be for this week Matthew 6 v 25- 34.
So I thought I would do something I had meant to do for a long time I would try to write, not just a short talk, but a sermon – a proper sermon with 3 points! I sat and did that and sent it to Andrew saying- to cover myself- this has just been good exercise for me, please would you comment on it and I am not expecting to preach it.
The answer came back- I’ve read your notes for next Sunday and think you should preach!
So that is how this has come about!
I may be saying things you don’t agree with but that is alright, as I hope it is going to generate discussion.
So let’s consider firstly God’s provision.
Last weekend quite unusually we bought a weekend paper with all those supplements.Picture the scene- Vernon is sat there deep in thought about the latest camera he has bought and how he is going to restore it. I am with this glossy supplement- you won’t believe this I said, flip flops for £180, a travel clock for £350 and the most amazing of all a suitcase for £2195 plus £55 for a calf luggage label.
Imagine going on holiday and we need a new suitcase would we go into a charity shop and buy one if we saw what we needed or would we have to buy something expensive and flashy so we could impress other travellers. Are we concerned about what others think of our possessions, our clothes, our shoes etc?
I am not saying we have to look scruffy but we do need to be aware that what is most important, is our perception of how God sees us and for us to know His loving acceptance of us, His joy that we are his children.
To trust that God does provide for our needs.
We may all have known times when God has provided for us in an exceptional/ unusual way.
Some years ago before we moved here we would travel from Westcott in Surrey to Honiton, often via Wincanton, and we would be buying furniture that was in need of restoration. Then we would take it home we would make it look smart and Vernon would sell it in an antique centre.
One day we had arrived home after a very long day out and Vernon decided to leave the furniture in the car overnight as we were just too tired to carry it up the road and take it indoors. In the morning a neighbour knocked to say our car had been broken into and when we went to look everything had been stolen. I prayed for the furniture to be returned but it wasn’t but what happened instead was that over the next few days we had cheques in the post of money we were not expecting , I can’t remember the details of that now but we had all but £40 of the value of the furniture returned to us. That Friday I went to the Vicarage to pray with a group of women and as I was leaving the Vicar’s wife gave me an envelope and said I feel that God wants me to give you this. When I reached home and opened it there was £40 in the envelope! I expect that you too have had these experiences.
We know that we are so privileged to live in our comfortable homes and to know there will be food each day and money to provide not only for our needs but for treats as well.
God is good and provides for us.
What does this passage say to us about stewardship. Money we give to our church, to charities and to others.
Should we save for a ‘rainy day’ not only in our own lives but in our church life?
Should we have lots of money in our church account or should we be using it to bring our buildings up to scratch? What do our buildings say about our God who we say cares for us?
Should we be looking to employ other people in spheres of work where we don’t have enough people to do the work?
I know of some people who leave money to their church in their will. Have we ever thought about doing this? If people have done this would they be happy to know that the money given to the work for increasing God’s kingdom is sat in the Bank?
Much to think and pray about as we consider God’s provision and our responsibility in using the money.
Someone was telling me of some churches who at the end of the year give away whatever is left in their account knowing and trusting that God will provide in the coming year.
I think it was the late David Watson who said the money is there in churches and people‘s accounts but it is a question of people releasing the money for God’s kingdom.
We need to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness.
Let’s think now about God’s creation.
When Patti and I went to Carrington a couple of weeks ago we read the passage we have heard today. We talked about Spring coming and Patti brought some leaves from Stourhead for the residents to feel. Those present like to tell us about the birds that come to their garden and the pleasure it gives them to look at them.
Here we are encouraged to look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?A small part of a poem by William Langland inspired me.
A Dream of Nature by William Langland.
Birds I saw in bushes made nests.
Even a simple one no man
Could ever make. And when and where
I wonder did the magpie learn
To weave sticks one with another
To make her nest? Carpenters
Couldn’t do anything as good.
No designer makes a blueprint
For it either.
Look at the lilies of the fields even Solomon in all his splendour was not clothed like one of these.
Is it fanciful to think of creation singing to the Heavenly Father in the same way as we do,?
We can become more aware of God’s Kingdom in his creation.
I would like us to watch and listen to this DVD by
Stuart Townend Loved before the dawn of time.
And to notice especially the words.
‘And I’ll join the chorus of creation
Giving praise to Christ alone.’
If you know the song please do join in.
‘Strive first for God’s kingdom and his righteousness’.
How do we become more aware of God’s kingdom and His righteousness in our lives.
I would suggest by becoming more and more people of prayer and people of the Word.
Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus and keeping before us the way of life, to love God and to love our neighbour as our self.
Prayer and Bible reading- have we considered how much our personalities affect the way we pray and use God‘s word in prayer
. If we haven’t it would be good to do that for sometimes these activities can become so much a ritual that we always do, in the same way every day. Might we even sometimes become bored and be tempted to give up.
Books have been written on personality and prayer and if anyone would like to explore that more with me please say and we will meet up, maybe as a group if there are enough of us.
For now I would just like to encourage us if we always use vocal prayer to explore where silent prayer might lead us. If we are always silent, listen to those who use vocal prayer, learn from them and for me the easiest way I started to move into vocal prayer was to think of just pouring out my heart to Jesus.
How do we come to those times we set aside for prayer.
Do we rush in with our list. When we have finished we then move on with what we have planned to do. Sometimes this rushing in and pouring out is all we can do for the need to pray for someone else or for ourselves in so urgent.
But we should also think about having times of praise and thanksgiving, times of confession.
I wonder why it is that when it could be times for us to pray in a group with other members of our church family here, hardly anyone comes.
Prayers at 10 before church see anything from 2 to maybe 6 of us. It might be a sacrifice we have to make to get up earlier to come and pray for those taking part in the service, to pray for all of us who attend and to pray for any visitors.
Friday prayers at 10 again this could be a time for those who don’t work to join with us.
I have thought about why I find group praying hard sometimes and I think for me it is different expectations.
When someone says it was a good prayer meeting I wonder what do we think they mean?
Does it mean there was constant vocal prayer and no what seem like embarrassing silences?
Does it mean we all sat there quietly and waited on the Lord?
Again some of this may be to do with personality but it might also be an opportunity to learn from each other. To learn that prayer is coming into God’s presence, a relationship of Love and a seeking of His will and His desires.
Time of prayer
Listening prayer Play CD We have come to seek you oh Lord. Or use Julian bookmark.
Time of silence and maybe then sharing of anything we have heard.
Spoken prayer.
When we pray in groups or in church it is helpful to keep to the point, making sure everyone else can have a chance to pray.
Building on each others prayers e.g. if someone prays for the health centre in our town someone else might then pray for the hospital or the care homes.
Using other people’s prayers
Write your own prayers when just starting out.
Do we sometimes read a Psalm and then pray through that Psalm either on our own or in a group.
We can use Bible notes and pray about what comes out of those.
We can meditate, ponder on a phrase or a word that comes to us. We might be reading a Psalm or a passage from the Bible and it is one word or phrase that stays with us and we spend time ‘chewing’ on that and letting it go deep into our hearts and lives.
Out of both of these ways of praying we might keep a journal and write in it what Jesus is teaching us. This writing might be every day or more spasmodically.
What are we doing with all that the Holy Spirit is teaching us, as we pray and meditate on His word?
Actually as I wrote this a 4th point came to mind. God’s gifts to us. Do we know the gifts He has given us and are we developing them with the help and encouragement of others. But I think that is something to discuss with our friends and not for me to say more now.
How are we using the gifts He has given us to love our neighbours to go out into the community to serve Him and to bring others to come to know and love Jesus and to extend his kingdom?.
Conclusion.
I would like you to read this passage again on your own and to think about how our use of resources, our attitude to creation , our Spiritual life and using our gifts all come together in this seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
For further consideration and discusion
How much are you influenced by other’s opinions of you as a person?
Your home? Your clothes?
Should we save for a ‘rainy day’ in our personal finances/ our church finances?
Has God ever provided for you in a surprising way?
How do you respond to God’s Creation?
Has it ever inspired you to paint? Write poetry? Write a song? Any other way?
Discuss together what do you find easy/hard in your individual prayer life.
What encourages/ discourages you in a group prayer meeting ?
What would you remember as the best prayer meeting you have ever attended?
Be honest with each other!
What you do you see as the gifts of each member of your group?
If we are on a learning curve with these gifts, how can we encourage each other to grow more in the use of the gifts we have been given?
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