God’s Power > My Prayers

WELCOME
Pastor Chris Paavola:
Great to be with you guys today as we kick off this brand-new series called Greater Than, where We’re Discovering a life greater than the one, with a God who’s greater than. And that’s kind of the whole premise of what we’re talking about. But before we get too long into this, I need to kind of address the elephant in the room that I get that it’s kind of hard to pay attention or to care about a nomad from the Middle East, from the Stone Age 4,000 years ago. Why is this important and why would this possibly matter? I’m worrying about my kids or my grandkids. I’m worrying about my bills, I’m worrying about that blood tests from the doctor that I’m waiting on a callback about. I’ve got a lot of things on my mind. I don’t need to press pause and all of it.

JESUS MATTERS
It just takes such a mental feat to press pause and all of that and to listen and learn about this nomad from 4,000 years ago. Why would this matter to me? And I get that. So before we even get into this, we need to talk about why this is important. Why the life of a man named Isaac in this series that we’re continuing why this matters in the first place. So, the first thing I would say is that Jesus matters regardless of where you are on your faith journey. If you’re just looking into Jesus or even following him for a while, I think we could all say, I want to know more about Jesus. At the very bare minimum, he’s the most influential figure in human history. It’s good to get some more knowledge about this guy and understand him a little bit better. So that’s just one.

SCRIPTURE MATTERS
But understanding Jesus better sometimes of course means reading his biographies, Matthew, mark, Luke, and John. But it also means reading everything, the context around him and learning the history that preceded him. And this is the history that leads up to Jesus. It’s from the line of Abraham and from the line of Isaac that we get Jesus, this is his lineage. This is his great, great, great, great, great, great. You get the point. Great grandfather way back in the day. And then also just on a pure reading, Jesus in all the scripture, he’s everywhere in it. He is like the common thread. The story itself is a picture of Jesus, right? He is the faithful servant whom God, our heavenly father sends to rescue us from the dominion of darkness. And he brings us like a bride. That’s why the church is called the Bride of Christ.

He brings us like a bride back to his father’s house. And the story of Isaac and Rebecca is a snapshot, a metaphor of what it is that Jesus did on our behalf and rescuing us and bringing us to his father’s house. So, to get to know Jesus better, you get to know Isaac, you get to know Jesus better. That’s kind of the first thing I would say. The second reason I would say that, yeah, this is why this matters is because summarize. Well, it is best summarized in the words of the Apostle Paul. He’s talking to a group of Christians living in Rome, and they’re asking this kind of the same question. We are like, why does any of this matter? If it’s all about Jesus, why does all this matter? The apostle Paul is like, no, no, no. Everything that’s been written kind of helps us understand who he is.

4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
Romans 15:4

Take a look what he says in Romans 15 verse four, “everything that was written, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers, Deuteronomy, all of that, “everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope”. Hope. So what Isaac is going through and the testing in his faith and the circumstances he goes through, we read that and it gives us encouragement and hope. That’s what the apostle Paul is saying. And that’s true for all of scripture, and it’s true for the story of Isaac. And so going back to whatever it is you’re worrying about, the bills, the doctor’s tests, your kids, your grandkids, whatever you’re worrying about, when we read the life of Isaac, and in particular this story today, I believe that you’ll come away with hope and encouragement for the situation you find yourself in.

Now, that’s kind of the whole why this even matters. And that brings us then to the account for today, which is like you heard, it’s a long one. We cut out parts to make it fit into that. It’s longer than that. There’s actually this whole exchange between Rebecca’s family and the negotiation of the bride price and stuff, and we’re just like, we can only have so much of a reading before people tune out. We knew that. So, we broke it up into three parts, and it’s kind of like the three main movements of the account. But what’s kind of interesting is this is the story of Isaac, but you don’t really meet Isaac until the very ending of the story. When she comes and she sees him and covers herself with the veil and they meet one another and they get married, that’s at the very end of the story.

But the entire story leading up to it is about this nameless servant of Abraham and what he goes through. And if I’m looking through the lens of like, okay, where’s the encouragement in the story? Where’s the hope for us? For me, it comes in this prayer that this servant prays and there’s some really fascinating stuff going on. That’s what we’re going to look at. So having said all that, let’s go back in time now 4,000 years or 1,790,460 days ago to the other side of the planet, and this is the Middle East. And this is where this all takes part, particularly on the western side of this map. We’ve got, okay, so I’ll give you a context of what this looks like. We overlaid kind of a current country. So, you got Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Turkey, they’re all part of this story. And this begins down there in South Israel, very rugged, rocky desert.

It is the harshest terrain you can imagine. It is not even really sandy, it’s just hard rock. And down there at that place called Beer Lahai Roi. And it’s a strange name, but it means the God who sees me. Why is it named that? Well, glad you would ask Abraham who is giving this command to send a servant Abraham with promise that the child that comes from him would be the father. He was going to be the father of many nations and that the Messiah would come through him. This was the promise. God spoke to him, but he was really old and his wife Sarah was really old. So in a moment of indiscretion, he sleeps with his servant Hagar, and she bears him a son, Ishmael. But God’s like, no, the promise is going to come through Sarah. And so eventually Sarah becomes pregnant and gives birth to Isaac.

Ishmael would go on to become the father of the Muslim nation. They trace their lineage back to Ishmael, and eventually Abraham Jews trace their lineage through Isaac and that Jesus comes through the line of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. So what’s going on in Palestine and Israel right now, these hostages that just got rescued a couple days ago, this war that’s going on can all be traced back 4,000 years ago to this moment of indiscretion between Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. But when Hagar and Ishmael, or when Ishmael and Isaac begin to grow, they start to fight with one another. So, Sarah sends Ishmael and Hagar away. Hagar eventually finds water in the desert at a place. And so, she names the place Beer Lahai Roi. So that’s the place where Abraham eventually settles is this place that has a spring water in the middle of the desert and it’s called the one who sees me.

AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE
Fascinating, fascinating stuff. Then he’s going to send his servant to go find a bride for his son Isaac, from among his people and his family up in, which is in Southern Turkey, just north of the border of Syria today. And it’s about a 650-mile trip, 650 miles through treacherous terrain by camel. Okay? There’re no road signs. There’re no maps, there’s no city signs letting you know where you are. It’s a very, very difficult journey and not just because it’s hard to navigate, but it’s treacherous terrain. And there could be robbers and bandits at any moment realize he can’t pack his pockets with a credit card and make his trip. When you and I take a trip, he has to have all the money he needs to make the 650 miles. That’s like from here, Battle Creek to Kansas City. That’s the distance we’re talking.

So, he has to pack all the money he needs for the trip up there, all the money he needs to negotiate the bride price when he gets there and all the money he needs to navigate all the way back, it’s a lot of dough to be carrying on you. And so, he brings with him soldiers to help protect him. Hence the reason they go with 10 camels. It’s this huge caravan going through the desert up to Nahor. He’s trying. I mean, it’s a long trip and he needs a lot of things to get there. He eventually gets to Nahor and he prays this prayer. And again, this is what I want to look at because this is where I think the encouragement and the hope for you and whatever it is you’re going through is found in this servant’s prayer. It’s just a remarkable prayer.

THE PRAYER
It comes to us in Genesis, Genesis 24, beginning in verse 12, and he prays, “Lord God of my master Abraham” right away. There’s something super interesting there. Notice he doesn’t say, oh Lord my God, he says, “Lord God of my master Abraham.” That’s fascinating. Most likely this servant grew up in a very polytheistic community, and that’s what pretty much everybody was. He had gods of the harvest, God of war, God of fertility, whatever it might be. And so, all his life, he’s praying to these different gods and he kind of needs to clarify who he’s talking to, but he doesn’t know his name. Nobody knows God’s name. Until later on a couple generations later, Moses would ask him, what is your name? And his name is, I am Yahweh. But up to this point, nobody knows his name. All he knows about God is what Abraham has told him.

Well, okay, and really that’s all anybody knows. There’s no church building, there’s no synagogue, there’s no temple, there’s no priests reading from a Bible, there’s no Bible, there’s none of that. It’s just how God has interacted with Abraham. That’s it. That’s all we know. That’s all humanity knows of God up to this point. And Abraham’s like He made this covenant with me. He performed a few signs and wonders and he’s like, okay, there you go. And what he hears from Abraham is all he knows, you’re the God of my master Abraham. Just a quick side note to give you guys some good news. Can you imagine not knowing God’s name, not knowing who like Lord out in the ether, divine power of the universe, but he’s so personable to you. He’s told you, his name.

You can call him your heavenly Father. He is I am Yahweh, and you can call on his name. That’s remarkable. And then he gives you the name of his son that you may call on him when you pray, you pray in the name of, with the authority of and the power of and with the favor of his precious, beloved son. You pray in the name of Jesus, not your name. You don’t come to him on your own merit, by your own name, by your own accord. No, no. You come to him in the name of Jesus and call on his name for yourself. Wow! This is why scripture later on says, “let us boldly approach the throne of grace.” So, then we get to the rest of his prayer, then he prays, “make me successful today and show kindness to my master Abraham.” There’s some boldness right there. I don’t know if I’ve ever actually seen in writing this message, I tried to think, have I ever prayed, make me successful? I’ve prayed, help me pass this math test, but I dunno if I’ve ever prayed, make me successful. Give me that promotion. Give me that new house. This is like Janice Joplin in her prayer. Lord, won’t you buy me?

Response: A Mercedes-Benz

Pastor Chris Paavola:
Yeah, some of y’all didn’t want to date yourself, but Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz? And it is like the equivalent of what he’s praying right here, make me successful, God of my master Abraham. And it’s just so bold, but it’s this boldness again that I was saying earlier. Scripture encourages. This is why Jesus tells us when he is talking about prayer, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, jump into the seed. So have boldness when you pray, let us approach the throne of grace boldly that we receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. So, he prays this bold prayer for a Mercedes-Benz. And then verse 13, see, “I’m standing beside the spring and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.” I think this is hilarious.

and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
Genesis 24

This is like a Where’s Waldo prayer? He doesn’t know. I mean, I think he’s trying to explain to God who he is. And I know as you look down from the clouds, there’s a lot of little people that look like ants. I’m one, he’s like God of, no not that God who I’ve prayed to before. Not that God, no God of my master Abraham, I’m right here. You see me? It’s kind of like the people. You see him on their phone at baseball games behind home plate and they’re like waving and they’re like, can you see me? Or in the background of the Today Show or whatever, can you see me? It’s really annoying, but it’s kind of what he’s doing. He’s like over here by spring he’s like, I’m right here. I’m wearing a brown turban. Here’s the spring I’m in. All these young ladies are coming out to draw water. That’s me. I’m the one talking to you right now. That’s the image we get from this prayer, isn’t it? I just think that’s so remarkable. And how amazing is it that you know, can call on God at any moment anywhere and he hears you? That’s just so remarkable. And we take it for granted, but it wasn’t always this case.

PRAYING SPECIFIC PRAYER
And then, okay, so because he is got this boldness, we get to the actual prayer. So, he’s bold and then he gets to this prayer and this prayer, it is startling. Take a look at it starting in verse 14. “May it be that when I say to a young woman, please let down your jar that I may have a drink. And she says, drink and I’ll water your camels too. Let her be the one you have chosen for your servant, Isaac. By this, I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” And when I look at that prayer, what is staggering about it is how specific it is. He’s so absolutely specific, I’m going to do this, and when I do this, let the one who you’ve chosen for me say this and then feed all 10 camels. You know how much water, 10 camels drink, right?

14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”
Genesis 24

That’s a remarkable, I mean, it’s a very, very detailed and specific request, and what’s so staggering to me about it is how specific it is. And this is where I think we can get to a word of encouragement for you this morning. I, I’ve been a Christian, I’ve hung around for about four plus decades I’ve hung around Christians. I’ve heard the way we pray. And I don’t think we would pray a prayer like that. Sorry. I think when I hear the way we pray, if we were in this circumstance, we would pray prayers that would be far more general, and vague. My wife says that, I say the word vague wrong, but I think you know what I mean. Vague. I can’t say it. It’s like Minnesota in me or something vague.

Someone say it. Someone say the word for me.

Response: Vague!

Pastor Chris Paavola:
Thank you. I can’t do that. I’m trying in this moment. I’m trying and I can’t do it. Whatever you said, general prayers, right? We would pray more general prayers, right? We would pray, Lord, please be with me. Please bless me. Please help me. We would. I’ve heard us, and here’s the problem with those prayers, okay, Lord, please be with me lords, please bless me. Lord, please help me. Are those prayers? This is not a trick question. Are those prayers?

Response: Yes.

Pastor Chris Paavola:
Yes. Can God use those prayers? Yes. Can God answer those prayers? Absolutely. But it’s hard. The problem with general prayers is it’s hard to know how God answered them specifically. It’s hard to know when you received God’s answer. The problem with general prayers is it’s hard to know how God answered them specifically. For instance, Lord, please be with me.

SPECIFIC PRAYER REJOICES IN SPECIFIC ANSWERS
How do you know He answered that? Isn’t he already with you? This is not a trick question. Is God with you right now? Yes. Yes. So how do you know He answered it? Lord, please help me. Please guide me. Is God already guiding you? He’s given you his word to know his son and guide you in life. Lord, please bless me. Has God already blessed you? Yes, yes. You woke up. You’ve got breath in your lungs. You have a roof over your head. You are abundantly blessed right now, abundantly. And so, the problem with general prayers is it’s hard to know how God answered them specifically, but not when you pray a specific prayer.

Specific prayers lead to rejoicing, specific prayers, rejoice at specific answers. I mean, think about it in the story. What happens after he praises the prayer? Rebecca does the thing that he’s praying about and he has a conversation with her, and then he pauses the conversation and breaks out and prays, and he’s just like, praise the Lord God of my master Abraham. He has heard my prayer specific prayers rejoice in specific answers and don’t you think? Now think about this prayer. This servant just prayed this prayer. Don’t you think he was inspired to pray more to the God of his master Abraham? Yeah. And don’t you think his faith in this God increased and that begets more prayer and that begets more answers and that begets more faith? On and on it goes. It’s this compounding growth in his faith because he dared to boldly pray a specific prayer and specific prayers, rejoice in specific answers.

And I think this is where most of us can grow. I’ve done this a few times in my life. I try to be specific when I pray, when I prayed, but where I learned it was when I was about 16, 17 years ago, 16, 17 years old, there was a girl. There’s always a girl. That’s how all stories start, right? We weren’t dating, it was a situationship. I wasn’t in the friend zone either. It was something else. It was, we weren’t quite sure what it was yet. And she invited me to her church youth group, and I was like, I like God. Yeah, let’s go. And when I got there, I started listening to their youth pastor, their youth pastors talking, and it wasn’t something felt off the way he was talking and what he was saying about God didn’t match up with what I grew up with at all.

And I was confused. I’m like, wait a minute, this sounds different than what I’ve heard growing up. And so I went up to the youth pastor afterward when the youth and I got done and I started asking him some questions. And I think it’s not usual questions of a 16, 17-year-old kid. It’s just like at that age, I cared deeply about my faith and doctrine and I knew I wanted to be a pastor, all that stuff. And he was like, man, I’m going to have to do some research to get some answers back to you. Can we meet next week? Why don’t you come back next week? We’ll have youth night. And then afterwards, I can answer your questions. I was like, sure. The next week, it was the night before, I just felt so unsettled by it and I started reading some more trying, and this is pre-internet age, so I couldn’t look up stuff. I had go to my books and try it anyway, and I’m like, this just doesn’t sit right. There’s something off and his theology and what I’m thinking. And so, I prayed a specific prayer the night before I prayed, and I don’t know where I got this from, but I prayed, Lord, if this is not from you, confuse his speech.

I’ve never prayed that before. But I was like, Lord, if this is not from you, confuse his speech, like Tower of Babel kind of stuff. It just kind of came out. Next day I go to the youth night, do the thing or having a youth group and we get done and I come to him with my questions. And I’m telling you, this guy started stuttering, stammering and struggling to even put together sentences to the point at which he stopped the conversation. And he said to me, I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m having a hard time finding the words. And I was like, I’m out.

I’m done. Because I heard the answer from God. I mean, it could not have been a more specific request, have it when I asked for a drink, have her lower, give me a drink and then offer to water my camels down to that kind of a detail. And God answered the prayer, and I rejoice to this day and to this answer to specific prayers, rejoice in specific answers. I rejoice in that answer. And that was a long time ago. But I’ve seen it recently here at St. Mark, about a year ago, we were in a series taught called The Four Steps to Experience. And we talked about how here everyone, we want to experience Jesus. That’s our mission statement. And we experienced Jesus in four ways. See Jesus, hear Jesus, speak with Jesus, touch Jesus all in the ways that he’s promised for us to do so. And so, it was the week where I was preaching about touching Jesus and that we touch Jesus in the bread and wine of communion when he says, this is my body, this is my blood.

CHRIS AND ROSIE’S PRAYER
And we also touch Jesus in the waters of baptism. He doesn’t say, Hey, pray a prayer or do a rain dance and you’re in my kingdom. No, he has this moment where he touches us with his grace. I preached on this idea of touching Jesus in the congregation that day was Chris and Rosie Simmons. They had just started coming to our church. And Chris heard that, and I was greeting at the door, and as he was walking out, he was trying to hide his face. He was crying, but he’s like, yeah, he had tears in his eyes and he’s like, man, we’re just so glad that we’re here. But it hasn’t always been like this. We kind of got away from church for a while and we used to go, but then when our kids were born, we just kind of stopped going and it was real sporadic in our attendance. And now I regret that my kids aren’t baptized, and now I think they’re too old for me to say, this is what you’re doing. They’re almost out of high school that they’re seniors, and I dunno what to do. I said, well, we know what to pray for, don’t we, Chris? And for an entire year, Chris and Rosie Simmons prayed a very specific prayer, not God, be with my kids, not God. Show yourself to my kids. He shows himself every day, right? A very specific prayer. God let my kids be baptized at St. Mark, before they go off to college or whatever.

So, this week, God answered that prayer, and those four amazing teenagers were baptized into the family of God this week. Awesome, awesome kids, awesome story. And they’re going off to college and blazing new trails, their own trails in the world, but they’re baptized. And while I’m baptizing them, I look up and there’s Chris standing in the background crying again, just tears of joy because specific prayers, rejoice and specific answers.

YOUR PRAYER
So, what is it for you guys now that we’ve learned about a stone age nomad from the Middle East? Go back to what you’re worrying about, your bills, that you’re worrying about your kids or your grandkids that you’re worrying about, that blood tests that you’re worrying about. This is an opportunity for you to pray differently and to pray a specific prayer. What is it you want? And that’s what Jesus asked when there was a blind man, and he looked at the blind man. He says, what do you want me to do for you? And he says the same thing to you today. He is poised and ready to answer your prayer. What do you specifically want him to do? What is your request? Describe it. Describe what deliverance looks like. Describe what freedom or healing looks like. Describe it.

And I promise you one of two things will happen. You’ll either rejoice in his answer or you’ll rejoice in how it makes your faith grow to trust him. But specific prayers, rejoice and specific answers. Now,

There are a lot of ways to grow in prayer. One of the best ways is to get around people who pray specific prayers. It’s kind of like learning any language, becoming fluent in any language. It’s getting around kids who, for instance, kids watching mom and dad talk. And then a kid says, I throwed the ball, and dad, you’re like, no, I threw the ball. And they’re like, oh, okay. And they learn how to by repetition, by making mistakes in an environment where it’s okay to make mistakes and modeling and then hearing from adults who are talking to one another. That’s how kids learn language. And it’s the same with prayer. It’s like learning a language. Get around people who pray, who are fluent in prayer, and it will start to change the way you pray. And one by observation, but then two, by you repeating it and trying it and praying it right.

PRAYERWALKING
And it is just providential coincidence. But it just so happens as we begin this series Wednesday is an amazing opportunity for you to get around people who pray very specific prayers. Because this Wednesday we are kicking off our summer prayer walks. And for the next eight Wednesdays, we are going to be walking different parts of Battle Creek praying over our community. And it’s an opportunity for you to grow in prayer as one of our vision statements as a church, to be a church growing in prayer, but for you to hear specific prayers and maybe you just listen or to begin praying specific prayers as you prayer walk. Now maybe you’ve never heard of what this is and why we’re doing this and all that kind of stuff, or what is prayer walking? We made a video two years ago when we started this, I guess two, three summers ago now, and it’s like a time capsule seeing this video.

You’ll see some very familiar faces in there. But what you’ll see is people learning how to pray specifically. And as you do, it kind of describes what prayer walking is and what this thing we’re going to be doing this summer is. So, take a look. And so there you see the very beginning of the map that’s out in our lobby. And everywhere we walk, we trace it with a blue marker. And that map has grown over the years. Our vision, our goal is to fill up that map and then we’re not going to be able to do it this summer. We’re going to need a couple more summers to do it, but we will pray over every piece of concrete in Battle Creek. And I would love for you guys to be a part of that. If you’ve never done a prayer walk, just come and check it out. So, this Wednesday at 6:30 pm, June 12th, we’re going to start here at St. Mark because you all know where this place is.

You’re here, okay? So, you know where you know it is. But we’re going to hand out maps. You go off with groups, we go pray, we come back, we have ice cream, great time, honestly, just a lot of fun. And I hope that each and every one of you are here at our next prayer walk on the 12th, but we’re going to be doing this for the next eight weeks. You should have gotten inside your bulletin a little insert. Wave it around if you got one. Yep, there you go. That goes on your fridge, okay? It’s like your summer camp calendar, and then your other calendars, grocery list or whatever. I put this right next to that. So you know what and where we’re going to be walking. We’re meeting at parks this year. We’re going to be meeting in business parking lots, waddles Park, all that kind of stuff.

Walk in some great neighborhoods that need our prayer. So hope to see you guys this Wednesday. Now, I’ve talked about prayer. We’ve talked about praying specific prayer. I have a very specific prayer. I’d like to pray for you as we wrap up our time together. So will you pray with me?

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I pray that you would encourage each person in this room to take a step forward in prayer, to be more specific in their prayers, and to be more bold in their prayers and approaching your throne of grace, God. And we thank you that we can call on your name and you’ve given us your son’s name to pray in his name, that we may approach your throne with confidence. And so, God, I just pray for each person listening to the sound of my voice, whether in this room, online or listening later on to the podcast, just God that you would help them grow in prayer. Because really, Lord, we can’t tell the story of baptisms at St. Mark or growth of St. Mark, apart from the remarkable prayer that preceded it. And so God continued to make us a people of prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.