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God’s desire for us (CUMC 100)
Genesis 32:9-12, John 14:12-14
October 23, 2005
Rev. Kong Namkung

Here is my cellular phone. It has many different functions such as clock, alarm, calculator, voice-mail, e-mail, sounds of ringing, volumes, languages, security system, to do list, currency exchange, and so on.  However, the primary function of the phone is to communicate with people.  I can contact people anywhere, all over the world, and anytime.

Do you know that the countless people in the Third World do not have cellular phones? But they have had the ability to contact someone anywhere, and anytime, not just anyone, but the One who is the Most powerful, steadfast loving, amazing One in the universe.  It does not take a cellular phone, but it takes prayer.  Prayer is a human communication with God, who is the Creator, Redeemer, and the Owner of all things- invisible and invisible.  

The Bible uses prayer in many different ways such as

Ø     “Beseeching the Lord” (Exodus 32:11);

Ø     “Pouring out the soul before the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:15);

Ø     “Crying to heaven” (2 Chron. 32:20);

Ø     “Seeking unto God and making supplication” (Job 8:5);

Ø     “Drawing near to God” (Psalm 73:28);

Ø     “Bowing the knees” (Ephes. 3:14)

Ø     Looking up.  Psalm 5:3

Ø     Lifting up the soul.  Psalm 25:1

Ø     Lifting up the heart.  Lament. 3:41

Ø     Calling upon the name of the Lord.  Genesis 12:8; Psalm 116:4; Acts 22:16

Ø     Crying to God.  Psalm 27:7; Psalm 34:6

Ø     Drawing near to God.  Psalm 73:28; Hebrews 10:22

Ø     Seeking to God.  Job 8:5

Ø     Seeking the face of the Lord.  Psalm 27:8

Pray is a human communication with God. There are two ways of communication.  I want you to think about what kind of communication have you engaged in when you pray to God?  One is monologue, which has one side the speaker and the others side is the receiver.  Most cases monologue carries simplified information. The speaker speaks and the receiver receives the message.  There is no interaction between the speaker and the receiver.  Monologue can be found in lectures of classrooms, preaching, the president’s address, and so on.  Monologue there is limited interactive relationship with the speaker and the receiver. Have you talked to God recently with monologue?  Have you asked God to do certain things for you, your family, and Cornerstone United Methodist Church? Do you know that you are the speaker, and God is your receiver rather than God is the Speaker and you are the receiver?  Have you put God into what you want Him to do rather than you follow God’s instruction?  Have you led God to fit into your life rather than you try to fit your life into God’s purpose?  Have you said to God, “You, be quite, God, I am talking to you.”  The people, who pray this kind of monologue, are self-centered. They focus on themselves rather than God and His righteousness.   They have some characters of being children in their spiritual journey. 

The other is dialogue, which the speaker and the receiver can be alternated to respond to the other side. The message that they share is relevant and comprehensible for both sides.  Dialogue requires an interactive relationship.  Both the receiver and the speaker are responsible for listening to each other voluntary.  The longer speaking, the more a closer relationship will be built. The effective dialogue can be seen in a good friendship, a happy marriage, healthy and vibrant companies in this country, relation based jobs, and so on.  There are accomplishments, laughs, and joyful life. 

Suppose that you do not talk to your family members for whole this week.  What would be natural result of that be?  No matter what you do, your family members cannot have a very closer relationship with you.  However, if you converse with a stranger for 7 days, what will be the natural result?  Yes.  You will have an intimate relationship with that person.  Our goal as Christians is to know Jesus Christ through the intimate relationship.

Phililippians 3:8 says, “More than that, I regard every thing as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for his sake I have suffered the loss of al thighs, and regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him.” 

The best model of dialogue communication in prayer is Jesus Christ.  Jesus, with His soul sorrowful to the point of death, prayed three times that His cup of suffering and death might pass, but He was nevertheless submissive to God’s will (Matthew 26:38-39, “I am deeply grieved, even to death remain here, an stay awake with me and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me yet not what I want but what you want.”  Jesus prayed it again in Matthew 26:42; Matthew 26:45. Both the boldness of the petition to alter God’s will and the submission to this “hard” path of suffering are significant. Thus prayer in Jesus’ name is prayer that is seeking His will and submissive to His authority (John 14:13; 1 John 5:14).

An effective prayer is the dialogue between God and people, especially His covenant partners. God will respond when we faithfully pursue this dialogue and we will have a greater understanding of His will.

Payer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability, power, and willingness to hold intercourse with us, his personal control of all things and of all his creatures and all their actions. God knows our needs, yet we must ask; God is ready to answer, yet we must patiently persist that is based on the Bible.     

Israel is a nation born of prayer. Abraham heard God’s call (Genesis 12:1-3), and God heard the cries of the Hebrew children (Exodus 3:7). Moses conversed with God (Exodus 3:1-4:17) and interceded for Israel (Exodus 32:11-13; Numbers 11:11-15). By prayer Joshua discerned sin in the conquest community (Joshua 7:6-9), but was tricked when he did not discern God’s opinion by prayer (Joshua 9). God also spoke to the Judges to deliver His people when the people called out to Him for deliverance. David’s spiritual acumen is seen in his prayers of confession (2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 51). Solomon fulfilled the promises made to David after praying for wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-9) and dedicated the Temple in prayer (1 Kings 8). God worked miracles through the prayers of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17:19-22; 1 Kings 18:20-40). The writing prophets noted that genuine prayer calls for accompanying moral and social accountability (Hosea 7:14; Amos 4:4-5). Isaiah’s call reflected the intense cleansing and commitment involved in prayer (Isaiah 6). Jeremiah’s dialogue and intercession frequently voiced reservation and frustration (Jeremiah 1; Jeremiah 20:7-18), teaching honesty in prayer. The Psalms teach variety and honesty in prayer.

Jesus’ example and teaching inspire prayer. Jesus prayed in crucial moments such as the disciples’ appointment (Mark 3:13), their mission (Mark 6:30-32), and the transfiguration (Mark 9:2). Jesus displayed a regular and intense prayer life (Matthew 6:5; Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35). Jesus was guided by the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:22; Luke 4:1; Luke 4:14; Luke 4:18; Luke 10:21; Acts 10:38). John reported that Jesus sometimes prayed aloud for the benefit of those present (John 11:41-42). He also reported Jesus’ prayer of intercession for the first disciples and future believers (John 17). Both prayers display Jesus’ unity with the Father and desire to give Him glory (John 11:4; John 17:1).

Jesus taught his disciples how to pray in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4).  In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus was emphasizing how to pray, not what to pray.

The church remembered Jesus’ teaching regarding the Spirit, prayer, and the kingdom mission. The disciples prayed awaiting the Holy Spirit’s outpouring (Acts 1:14). The early church is characterized by prayer (Acts 2:42). They prayed regarding selection of leaders (Acts 1:24; Acts 6:6; Acts 13:3), during persecution (Acts 4:24-30; Acts 12:5; Acts 12:12), and in preparing to heal (Acts 9:40; Acts 28:8). Calling upon God’s name—prayer—is the first act and true mark of a believer (Acts 2:21; Acts 9:14; Acts 9:21; Acts 22:16).

Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 25-36); Jacob’s prayer (Genesis 32:9-12) Jacob’s prayer (Genesis 32:9-12). After 20 years with his father-in-law, Laban, Jacob took his wives and children and flocks to return to the Promised Land. God told him to return, but Jacob was frightened. The remembrance of the wrong he had done Esau 20 years before as well as of Esau’s hatred combined to produce guilt and terror.

Now Jacob was about to meet his brother. Driven to the Lord, he prayed the longest recorded prayer up to this time. It is fascinating to see what Jacob said. He reminded God of His covenant promise (Genesis 32:9). Then he denied any personal merit as a possible basis for God’s favor and reminded God (and himself) of the blessings from God he had enjoyed (Genesis 32:10). Then he honestly admitted his fear of Esau and begged God’s help (Genesis 32:11). Finally Jacob reminded God of His personal promise to him that his descendants would be the chosen people (Genesis 32:12).

In many ways this prayer of Jacob’s is a model for us. We have to give up all notion of personal merit as a basis for claiming God’s favor. We can and must rely on the character of God as a covenant-keeping God, one who keeps all His promises to His people. We need to be honest in expressing our fears and doubts and uncertainties to God, to face our own deep need of Him and Him alone for strength and provision. Also we need to remember God’s personal promises as one of the “whosoever” for whom Christ died. Because in Jesus God has freely given all things, we can know that He seeks only to do us good. Because of who God is, we can abandon everything to Him, and rest.

My beloved, brothers and sisters, listen to what the Bible tells us about our ancestors’ prayers.

“Abraham's servant prayed to God, and God directed him to the person who should be wife to his master's son and heir (Genesis 24:10-20).

“Jacob prayed to God, and God inclined the heart of his irritated brother, so that they met in peace and friendship (Genesis 32:24-30; Genesis 33:1-4).

“Samson prayed to God, and God showed him a well where he quenched his burning thirst, and so lived to judge Israel (Judges 15:18-20).

“David prayed, and God defeated the counsel of Ahithophel (2 Samuel 15:31; 2 Samuel 16:20-23; 2 Samuel 17:14-23).

“Daniel prayed, and God enabled him both to tell Nebuchadnezzar his dream and to give the interpretation of it (Daniel 2:16-23).

“Nehemiah prayed, and God inclined the heart of the king of Persia to grant him leave of absence to visit and rebuild Jerusalem (Neh. 1:11; Neh. 2:1-6).

“Esther and Mordecai prayed, and God defeated the purpose of Haman, and saved the Jews from destruction (Esther 4:15-17; Esther 6:7-8).

“The believers in Jerusalem prayed, and God opened the prison doors and set Peter at liberty, when Herod had resolved upon his death (Acts 12:1-12).

“Paul prayed that the thorn in the flesh might be removed, and his prayer brought a large increase of spiritual strength, while the thorn perhaps remained (2 Cor. 12:7-10).

In conclusion, in these advertisements it says, “$39, 99 per month.  $79.00” You will get a great phone and service, but you have to pay price.  It is not free.  It costs you.  What is the cost to you if you want to have an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ? It costs you time and energy. 

God wants you nothing more than to have an intimate relationship with you, but it does not come for free.  Jeremiah 29:13 says, “If you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me.”  And Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”  The intimate relationship comes to the person who is willing to work at it.  It comes to the person who is willing to say NO to other things in life in order to say YES to communicate with God. It comes to the person who is willing to expend that extra bit of energy to concentrate and develop mental discipline.  It comes to the person who is hungry and thirsty for it.  I believe God wants us to have a new level of spiritual maturity as individual and a church. We have been asking God to send us new families to Cornerstone UMC and to reach out to people.  And we believe that God will do what God promises, when we are willing to do our part and seek after Him in prayers.

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Genesis 32:9-12

9 Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord Who said to me, Return to your country and to your people and I will do you good,

10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercy and loving-kindness and all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant, for with [only] my staff I passed over this Jordan [long ago], and now I have become two companies.

11 Deliver me, I pray You, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and smite [us all], the mothers with the children.

12 And You said, I will surely do you good and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. AMP

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John 14:12-14

12 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.

13 And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son. [Exodus 3:14.]

14[Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]. AMP

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