Storyteller | Part 3 – Prayer Stories!

Matthew 13:34-35 (MSG)

All Jesus did that day was tell stories—a long storytelling afternoon. ³⁵ His storytelling fulfilled the prophecy: I will open my mouth and tell stories; I will bring out into the open things hidden since the world’s first day.

Luke 11:5-9 (MSG)

“Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. ⁶ An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’

⁷ The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’

⁸ But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.

⁹ Here’s what I’m saying: Ask and you’ll get; Seek and you’ll find; Knock and the door will open.”

Luke 18:1-8 (NLT)

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. ² “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. ³ A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ ⁴ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, ⁵ but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’

⁶ Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. ⁷ Even he rendered a just decision in the end (eventually). So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

The most effective pray-ers –

Prioritize God!

Jesus challenges us to —

Ask God for what we need!

Proverbs 15:8 (TLB)

The LORD … delights in the prayers of his people.

James 1:5 (NLT)

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

John 6:37 (TLB)

Those the Father has (called and) given me—I will never, never reject them.

Jesus challenges us to —

Continually ask God for what’s needed!

• “Asking” is our requests with God!

Philippians 4:6 (NCV)

Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.

• “Seeking” is having our requests by God!

1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

God will either give us what we ask or give us what we would have asked if we knew everything he knows.

Tim Keller

• “Knocking” is praying !

1 Kings 18:42-44 (NLT)
Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. ⁴³ Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.” Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. ⁴⁴ Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”

The most effective pray-ers –

Prioritize God!

Matthew 6:8 (NLT)

(Jesus says) — … Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!

Psalm 27:4 (MSG)
I’m asking GOD for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I’ll contemplate his beauty; I’ll study at his feet.

Philippians 3:10 (PH)

How changed are my ambitions! Now I long to know Christ and the power shown by his resurrection:

The most effective pray-ers –

Prioritize God!

Luke 18:8 (MSG)
… But how much of that kind of persistent faith (the widow’s kind) will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

When our request isn’t right … God says — “no!”

When the timing isn’t right … God says — “slow!”

When we’re not right … God says – “grow!”

When the request is right, the timing is right, and we’re right … God says – “go!”