Bible Study - How to Pray - A Prayer of Surrender - Matthew 6:10-11 and James 4:6-10' 13-17 - October 28, 2018

Bible Study – How to Pray (3) – A Prayer of Surrender – October 28, 2018

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled “How to Pray.”

Our focus scripture is Matthew 6:10-11a and James 4:6-10, 13-17.

Approach prayer with humble submission to the will of GOD.

What is humility? Some think of humility as weakness but true humility is having the power and ability to do something but not using it. Humility is knowing you have the power but trusting GOD to lead you or waiting for GOD’S instructions. The key to living the obedient Christian life is allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you. But we live in a time when most of us are in a hurry. We want instant answers. We ask “google.” (I do.)

Let’s read Matthew 6:10-11:

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

11 Give us today our daily bread. 

JESUS instructed HIS disciples to pray for GOD’S kingdom to come.

JESUS established GOD’S kingdom upon earth. The establishing of GOD’S Kingdom upon earth took GOD allowing HIS only Son, JESUS, to come to earth to be born in the flesh. HE lived upon earth as 100% human, yet HE was 100% GOD. HE chose to leave HIS Glory in Heaven.

 (John 17:5 - 5 Now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with that glory I had with You before the world existed.) HE had the capability to sin as a human. In order for JESUS to qualify as the perfect sacrifice for sin, HE had to have the ability to sin but the freedom to choose to live a sinless life. HE had to give HIS perfect life as a sacrifices for sin, which HE did. HE willingly gave HIS perfect physical life to death upon the cross, as the perfect sacrifice for sin. JESUS died where you and I should have died and the good news is we did. When JESUS died, in essence, every person who places their faith in JESUS died with HIM. JESUS substituted Himself for every Christian. But the Good News is that GOD raised HIM from the physically dead and gave HIM eternal life. When JESUS ascended into Heaven and took HIS seat at the right-hand of GOD, HIS Father, HIS Glory was restored. (JESUS’ restored Glory – Revelation 1:12-18)

GOD resurrected JESUS in HIS Glorified Body to demonstrate to all who will place their faith in JESUS what awaits them.  How do we know that? The resurrection of JESUS by GOD from the physically dead to the eternally alive but absent the Glory JESUS had before the world was created. The resurrection of JESUS is GOD’S example to all who place their faith in JESUS. Awesome! JESUS walked upon earth for 40 days after HIS resurrection demonstrating the capability of HIS Glorified body in the physical world.

This is GOD’S guarantee to every human, who places his or her faith in JESUS, he or she is instantly born into GOD’S family and has eternal life. The shed blood of JESUS paid, in full, for all of our sins – past, present and future.

The passion of JESUS established GOD’S Kingdom upon earth. GOD’S Kingdom will be permanently and eternally established upon earth. There will be a new heaven and a new earth where GOD reigns and all born into the family of GOD will obediently and joyfully serve HIM.

As recorded in the scripture, JESUS instructed HIS disciples to pray that GOD’S will be done upon earth as it is in Heaven.

As the people of earth obediently serve GOD, HE provides them with that which is needed to live as they carry out the will of their Heavenly Father. Without being in right relationship with GOD, through faith in JESUS, many Christians struggle to trust as we obediently serve.

Let’s read James 4:6-10:

6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore, He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 

GOD’S Grace is vital to all who place their faith in JESUS. Why? It is because, Christians sin. Oh? I thought Christians were perfect? Yes, they are because those who have paced their faith in JESUS, GOD placed their sin upon JESUS so they can become the righteousness of GOD. Consider 2 Corinthians 5:20-21:

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead on Christ's behalf, "Be reconciled to God." 

21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Do you recall 1 John 1:7-10? Yes, even though Christians are righteous before GOD, they still sin. 1 John 1:7-10:

7 But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 

8 If we say, "We have no sin," we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

10 If we say, "We have not sinned," we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

A Christian’s part is to acknowledge his or her sin, confess it and stop doing it (Repent). Confessing is agreeing with GOD that he or she has sinned. Confessing is a form of humility. When a Christian tries to hide his or her sin, it gives Satan a hold on them. It is like a festering sore that will not heal. It is a constant reminder. Confession opens that festering sore so that it can heal from the inside out and become a healthy part of the body of CHRIST.

James, the half-brother of JESUS, continued to enlighten us through the written Word -----

7 Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 

8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! 

9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. 

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. 

Yes. Christians are in spiritual warfare as they live upon earth. What does James reveal to us?

The adversary of GOD and JESUS seeks to destroy all who submit to the will of GOD. The Apostle Peter recorded his experience with Satan in 1 Peter 5: 8 Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

James revealed his dealing with Satan as a recorded in verse 7.

Then James tells us what to do. When Christians encounter Satan, they are to immediately draw near to GOD. JESUS defeated Satan and his angels but Satan still tries to come between Christians and their obediently serving GOD. Christians are under attack. Our shelter is the fact that we eternally belong to GOD and nothing will ever change that fact. Our relationship to GOD through faith in JESUS is sealed, guaranteed and secured by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

When Christians do not realize and understand their eternal relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS, they are double minded. Every Christian is in Spiritual warfare. They are on the battlefield of life 24/7. Christians must realize and acknowledge that the only way to fight Spiritually is to stop trying to fight Satan in their strength but to humble themselves and let GOD and JESUS fight for them. The Apostle Paul captures such spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:10-18.

What does Proverbs 3:5-7 reveal to us:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 

6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths. 

7 Don't consider yourself to be wise; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 

True wisdom comes from GOD. That is why Christians must build and maintain the right relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS, as empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Christians must humble themselves before GOD. Many of us take life for granted but James reminds every human about physical life ----

Let’s read James 4:13-17:

13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit." 

14You don't even know what tomorrow will bring-what your life will be! For you are a bit of smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes. 

15 Instead, you should say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." 

16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 

17 So, for the person who knows to do good and doesn't do it, it is a sin.

Every human must acknowledge that life in eternity is but one heartbeat away. We all make plans but making plans never assures that our plans will be realized. That does not mean that we are not to plan but to maintain the proper perspective. Life is fragile.

Truly life is but a vapor which appears and then soon disappears. What is constant? Eternity. Satan’s lie is that you have plenty of time to get things in order. You have so much to accomplish. This is true but are the things you desire to accomplish your things or GOD’S?

Talk to GOD in prayer. Evaluate the content of your prayer. Is it more about you or what GOD desires for you to do for HIM? Ask GOD to reveal areas in your life that you have not given or surrendered to HIM.

JESUS taught HIS disciples that they should have faith. How much “faith?” They then and we today need to have faith the size of a “mustard seed.” Is it our faith or is it our faith in GOD? Is our GOD big enough to accomplish that which needs to be accomplished? JESUS said our faith needs to be only the size of a mustard seed. But the potential of the mustard seed is huge when planted in fertile, well-watered soil, sunshine and nourished. The mustard seed has potential to motivate us, as GOD’S Children, to enlarge our confidence that there is nothing impossible with GOD. Blessings!!!