Sermon Summary

2nd May Speaker: Keith Harrington

Prayer 1: Prayerlessness

We know that we are meant to pray: It is a core practice of the Christian faith
We read books and hear stories of people who have great prayer lives. Jesus told us to pray. We know we ought to pray.
So if we are not praying, we are told we are living in sin. So we are told we need to confess this and then start to pray,
attend prayer groups, start praying for others

Result of all this is we feel Guilt Yet it doesn’t seem to fix the issue. We feel a shame that we struggle with this issue. Easy
to create a culture of shame within the church. Don’t want to appear unspiritual. Don’t want to be judged by others.
Don’t want to be seen as unspiritual. Esp. if we have a position of responsibility. Issue becomes hidden.

Prayerlessness is common. If struggling with prayer you are not alone. Most believers try to pray. In crisis it is easy.
But often our prayer life drifts towards prayerlessness. The reason is often a result of disillusionment with prayer.
Told it should be easy. Yet we find it hard
Told that prayer will draw as close to God. Yet often we feel our prayers are hitting the ceiling
We are told that God answers prayer. Yet we don’t see the answers that others seem to
We feel our spiritual life is going nowhere. Meaningless
We say we are too busy to pray but in reality we don’t sense God’s presence.
Fearful God is not there. Not there for me.

If we are to look at this issue, we need to name the reality. Prayerlessness. Not to bring great condemnation. Name it.
See it as a call to an adventure. Call to press into God. Call to discovery. Deep honesty about where we are at.
Starting with this today. Many of us need to name the reality. Pray life is limited crisis prayers. 5 minutes now and then.

Why might we be in such a state. 5 reasons.

We are exhausted.
Simply put, we are living a lifestyle that makes prayer almost impossible. Adopted a hectic lifestyle, many living a lifestyle
just one step below burnout. Little time to be still. Little time to foster our inner world. Mantra of our day. Cram as
much in as possible. Western lifestyle is one of deadlines, constantly being available, media, stress. “Be still and know that
I am God” Many hate this. Don’t know how.
Very few take Sabbath’s. Day of rest is filled with activity. Not activity that draws us close to God or activity that
emotionally refreshes us. The first step for many to reigniting our prayer life is to examine lifestyle, make some hard
decisions, say NO, restore Sabbath to your life. Unless you deal with this issue, a rich prayer life will be impossible. Simply a
duty, one more thing to fit in, only add to depleted state.

We’ve used a formula for prayer

At some point we have heard some teaching on prayer. Read a book. Person has said this is how you should do prayer. It
looks like this. So we have tried it. Hasn’t worked for us. Give up.
Prayer is not a formula. Jesus gave some clear guidelines on prayer. But he did not prescribe a formula. We are
all different. Wired differently. Temperament and personality. Some people find prayer journals helpful. Others find
prayer easier outside, walking, Some liturgical prayer helpful. Some with find kneeling best. Silence is great for some.
Music help for others. Church history and the Bible tells us no one set formula on how right style of prayer.
Not an excuse to not study what Jesus said about prayer. Esp. Lord’s prayer. 6 key topics of prayer. Not an excuse
to say. Don’t’ have a prayer time. Happens as I go along. Not an excuse for lack of discipline. Just we must not get
locked into other people’s formulas. Made to feel guilty because our prayer life is different from others.

We’ve treated prayer as a slot machine

Prayer without relationship becomes a duty. All religions have prayer. Heaps of religious prayer in world. Religious prayer
is dry and boring. Often treated prayer as sort of magical way to get what we want. Based around my desires. My wants.
If that doesn’t happen we give up on it. Or we pray but we don’t have any real expectation of an answer. God addresses the
Israelites ritual Isaiah 1: 11-17.
Heaps of religious activity. But that was all it was. It was not based around relationship with God. The evidence for that
was their lifestyle. Did what they wanted the other 6 days. God was Esp. concerned for the lack of concern for the poor,
justice.
Jesus. Matthew 6:5 Religious prayer is all show. Want to be seen. Not heart based.
John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Branch does not do anything. It just is, and receives Not about
activity or seeing things happen. (Western accomplishment focused.) Prayerlessness can be an invitation to come back
into relationship. Heart relationship. Share the deep concerns of our heart. Listen, Hear the deep concerns of the heart of
God. Just be in his presence.

We’re sinful; 3 issues in particular that sig when it comes to prayerlessness

pride, we are self sufficient. We don’t see the need for God. We have not grasped the fact that we are
dependent on God. Fail to give thanks to God. Fail to see that every good thing comes from God. James 4:6 God
resists the proud Resist is a Military term. God sets himself in military opposition to those who are proud
Pride is when we say. It’s my money and I can do what I want with it
Pride is when we say. This is what I am going to do know. See James. 4:13-15
Pride is when we say. Well, I am better than that person
Tax collector. Pharisee. Praying. Tax collector compared himself to God. Knew fell he short. Pharisee compared himself
with tax collector. Felt good. Jesus said tax collector was the one whose prayers were heard. Luke 18:10
self centeredness, James 4:3 If we are disillusioned with prayer maybe seeking own desires. Our prayers have
not been about God’s glory, God’s kingdom, God’s desires. It’s been about God blessing our plans and our ideas. It’s been
about God rescuing us from a hole when we have ignored the wisdom of the word of God.
broken relationships 1 Peter 3:7 Prayers are hindered when our relationships are strained. Prayer and personal
relationships are deeply interconnected. Prayer affects our relationships and our relationships affect our prayer. Quality
of our human relationships is a reflection of our quality of relationship with God. The quality our relationship with God is a
reflection of our quality relationship with others.

We’re lazy
Idea around that prayer should be easy because it is just talking to God. So it should just come naturally. This is a rather
simplistic sort of idea. It’s similar to the idea that well if you are in love then you don’t need to work at your relationship. It
will just happen. Any of us that have been married for any time know this is a fallacy. We have to work at it. If been a
Christian for many years, easy to become lazy. Sometimes our prayerlessness comes about just because we are too lazy to
be disciplined and organized. We would prefer it just happen with no effort and now work. Yet nothing else of value
comes like this.
Prov. 24:33-34 can apply. Easy to become spiritually poor. Rest on a time when we were spiritually active in our 20’s .
Now a few decades later. And the disciplines have slipped. We remember the good old days. But no longer continued to
grow. Prayer life stagnated. Spiritual poverty has come upon us. Crept up on us

Application.
Step 1. Honestly assess your prayer life at the moment. Own prayerlessness if this is true
Step 2. Explore the reasons why you are where you are.
Do you need to reorder your life to slow down
Do you need to explore different types of prayer to find your style?
Do you need to come into relationship afresh with Jesus Christ?
Do you need to examine yourself concerning pride, self centeredness and broken relationships
Do you need to own your laziness, and put some disciplines and accountability in place

Take 2 minutes now to answer these 2 questions.

Step 3. Take 15-30 minutes today to address the issues raised this afternoon and put in place an action plan.

Group Discussion Questions

Have you been through seasons of prayerlessness? Have we a climate of shame when it comes to prayer? I.e. you ought
to… Does this motivate?

Which if any of the five reasons is hindering your prayer life currently? Talk about ways to address the reason.

What is your current pattern of prayer? Are there elements that need changing?

How can we help each other when it comes to prayer?

Why do you think so few attend church prayer meetings? Do you see this as a problem? If so, how could it be addressed? If
not, why not? ( I would love some feedback from group leaders on this one)