Honest Asking

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Series: Praying Under Pressure

Description

Praying Under Pressure #3 “Honest Asking” Mark 14:36

Intro: In Ft. Worth at Seminary while Preparing this Message, I
Remembered an appointment with a Professor…Scheduled.
• I was certain He had made a mistake in grading a paper.
• Nervous…talked about my children, his children, my church, his church, Cowboys….wandered into the Weather
• “You didn’t schedule this appointment to talk to me about the weather, did you? What do you want?!”

t/s – At times, our praying can be like that…idle religious expressions,
words we only use in church…trying to say the right thing, instead of saying what is really on our Hearts

I wonder if our Father ever says, “What do you Want?”

Today, Asking…Asking Under pressure.

Review: Praying Under Pressure
• Learning to Prayer under the Heaviness of Life
Anxiety, Anger, Burdens
• Jesus, in the Garden, Fell to the ground under pressure
Prayed in Hearing of Three…Same Words…

Intimacy = Dear Father (Simple speech of Household)
An Address == Access, Attention, Affection
Confidence = All Power You
My trouble is not beyond the Father’s Power
HONESTY

Mark 14:36

Thesis: When Praying Under Pressure, ASK Father to Help You.
Jesus’ Request Is the Heart of this Prayer
“Remove this Cup from Me”
 Suffering….The Wrath of God

Thesis: When Praying Under Pressure, ASK Father to Help You.
Notice Two things about Jesus’ Request
a) Honest – Not what He “should” say… what was on His Heart
He knew the Father’s Purpose

b) Specific – More than, “Help Me” “Bless Me”
(Specific in all prayer…Praise, thanks, confession)
• Take this Task from Me! Let Me serve in some other way!

ILL – Blind Bartimaeus by the road in Jericho
Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me (general request)
• What do you want Me to do for you?
I want to regain my sight!

Thesis: When Praying Under Pressure, ASK Father to Help You.

Philippians 4: 6-7

Honest, Specific ASKING serves a number of Purposes under Pressure

1. Our Father Delights to Give what is Good to those Who Ask! (Many testimonies of answered Prayer)

2. Asking Creates Clarity in Our Walk through Life.
Vs. 42 – Arise, Let us be going….Betrayal!

ILL – Last time I flew….fussy child on plane..
• What is wrong with him? (hungry, sleepy, ears…)
• Oh, He doesn’t know…Just Dissatisfied

App – Some suffer from a very General Dissatisfaction
 What specifically do you want?
--- what you want is NOT Best! (honor God)


3. Asking Creates Intimacy in Our Walk with the Lord.
ILL – Hannah praying at Shiloh
I am a woman oppressed in spirit…I have poured out
My soul before the LORD.