(This message series is inspired and excerpted from He Loves Me! by Wayne Jacobsen.)
The Prayer God Always Answers (Final message in the series)
“Grace does not exist to make us successful. God’s grace exists to point people to a love like no other love they have ever known; a love outside the lines.” – Mike Yaconelli in Dangerous Wonder
“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. (John 12:27 ESV)
“What should he do? Would he trust his Father’s love and continue the journey, or would he cut it short in a moment of weakness and beckon angels to set him free? Perhaps the most powerful lesson he taught his disciples about prayer began by polling how they thought he should pray: ‘What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’’
Perhaps there were nods around the circle as they all acknowledged how good that sounded to them. That’s how we’re used to praying. In moments of trial and pain, it is natural even for the unbeliever to cry out for help. Save me, God! If you get me out of this I will serve you forever.” (p. 175)
Give examples from Scripture and from your own life of “save me” prayers?
[28] Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” [29] The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” [30] Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. [31] Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. [32] And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” [33] He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. [34] So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” [35] So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. [36] While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. (John 12:28-36 ESV)
Now give examples of “Father, glorify your name” prayers.
“His disciples understood that prayer well enough, but Jesus wanted them to learn a better way. Even when it was his life at stake, Jesus was tuned to a better frequency. ‘No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.’ What he wanted personally wasn’t in the picture. He was focused elsewhere—on the purpose that transcended his personal happiness.
Then he prayed the prayer he wanted them to hear, ‘Father, glorify your name’ (John 12:27)
In this brief exchange we learn everything we will need to know about prayer and what it means to follow God in this life. For every situation you’ll ever encounter will offer you two options in prayer: ‘Father, save me’ or ‘Father, glorify your name!’ One will lead you to frustration and disillusionment; the other to the greatest wonders in God’s heart.
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14 ESV)
“Jesus teaching about prayer seemed to be incredibly simple: Ask for whatever they wish and be assured that the Father will give it to you. It only gets complicated when our experience with prayer falls short of this ideal. Why would he tantalize us with such outlandish promises only to leave us disappointed in so many of the things we ask? It’s not so difficult to understand why he would ignore our more selfish requests.
…Jesus never intended prayer to be the way we manipulate God to do what we think is best. If you look carefully at Jesus’ simple statements about prayer you will see that they are set in the midst of us participating in what God is doing. While we are invited to make any request of God we like, the prayers that move God’s hand are those that grow out of our trust in who he is and what he is doing.
I wonder what my life would be like now if God had given me half the things for which I’ve asked him. I know I would have been giddy with delight in the short-term, but I would have had no idea of the hurt my selfish requests would have caused. And how would I have come to know him as my loving Father if I treated him like my genie in a bottle?” (p.177)
What are some of the prayers you are now glad God did not answer?
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. [22] And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” [23] But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:21-23 ESV)
“It’s far more difficult to understand why our prayers for other people in pain and misery go unanswered. Was Peter responding in any way less than love when he forbid Jesus to go to Jerusalem to face his executioners? I think not. Yet his entreaty was met with the harshest rebuke, as Satan’s words to keep Jesus from his mission.
Peter didn’t understand God’s higher purpose in the cross Jesus would suffer. For God to have answered his prayer he would have aborted the very act that would save Peter from himself. ‘You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men’ (Matt. 16:23) Because Peter didn’t understand that his concern simply gave voice to Satan’s attempt to discourage Jesus in his obedience to his Father. It was a ‘save me’ prayer, rising more out of fear than God’s love and like most ‘save me’ prayers, they usually resist God’s purpose rather than serve it.” (p. 177)
“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. (John 12:27 ESV)
“Faced with two choices, ‘Father, save me!’ or ‘Father, glorify your name,’ he chose the latter. He knew the only real glory existed in fulfilling the Father’s purpose in his life regardless of the circumstances. As much as he might have dreaded the agony of the cross, he knew he had come into the world for that moment. ‘Father glorify your name.’
This is the prayer that the Father always answers. “Father, may the purpose for which you have created me and placed me where you have in the world be fulfilled completely.” It is the prayer that disarms our self-interest and asserts our trust that the Father who made us and who loves us so deeply knows us better than we know ourselves.
We make this choice not one time for our entire life; but in the immediacy of each situation we face. When I didn’t get the job I wanted, the raise I deserved, or the medical report I hoped for: “Father, save me!” or “Father, glorify your name.”We face it when we’re the subject of malicious gossip or the object of someone’s selfish act. “Father, save me!” or “Father, glorify your name.” We confront it when we face people in need, the opportunity to speak the truth where it will cost us, or when we can take up the cause of the powerless. Father, save me!” or “Father, glorify your name.” We engage it when the dark storm surrounds us, and when trials overwhelm us. “Father, save me!” or “Father, glorify your name.”
God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. (Ephesians 1:9-14 NLT)
“If you came into a room where a two-year-old child was playing and wanted to have a relationship with that child, who would have to make that happen? Would it be the child? Of course not. To forge a relationship with that toddler, you must be the one to do it. He’ll have to respond of course; but you would take the initiative. You would find a way to meet him at his level and you would engage him with things that interest him as you draw him into a relationship.
The same is true with God. He is higher above you than you are above a two-year-old. He will take the initiative at your invitation. Simply ask him to begin to reveal to you how much he loves you and he will ably take it from there.
“Glorify your name.”
In all of us, now until the end of the age.
And for eternity beyond.
Amen.” (p. 179)
Leave a Reply