God hears us above the waves
The buoyancy jacket of a scuba diver should always have a very strong whistle attached to it. When the sea gets rough it’s loud, and it’s difficult to hear cries for help. The Bible uses stormy seas as a metaphor for trials, suffering and chaos. We’ve seen how Jesus walks on those waves and is able to calm them with His powerful word, but have you ever wondered if He hears our cries above the sound of the waves we’re experiencing in life?
Have you ever wondered if God hears your prayers, or if we’re doing something wrong and our prayers are not reaching His ears? Jesus disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, perhaps they had experienced the same thing and wanted to learn from Him how to be heard by God. Jesus answer is deep and thorough and in it we learn not just how to pray, but most importantly why we need to pray. Once we know why we pray we can understand the way we should pray and find the assurance that God hears us and that He does answer prayer, even when it seems like we’re just shouting at the waves.
Bible Study Questions
Jesus teaches us that devoting quality time to being with God is far more important than eloquence or how impressive our prayers seem to others. Prayer is not about selfish gain but about submission to God. What changes when we pray like this (on our own or with others)? Matthew 6:5-6
Job 42:8 reveals the astounding fact that God wants human beings to Participate in His work. Where in Jesus teaching on Prayer does Jesus call us to participate in His work through prayer? Matthew 6:5-13.
Spending intimate quality time with God is the way Jesus calls us to pray. What happens when we spend intimate time with someone? How do we change as our Relationship grows with another person? How can knowing that our Father knows what we need before we ask change the way we understand the purpose of Prayer? Matthew 6:7-8. How does a growing relationship with God differ from a growing relation with our earthly parents? Matthew 6:11
Are our wills normally Aligned to God’s? Do we want what He wants or is their often a difference in what we want and what He wants? In what three requests does Jesus’ way of prayer Align our wills with God’s? Matthew 6:9-10
Growing in relationship with God and Aligning our wills with God are ways in which prayer changes us. Where in Jesus lesson on prayer do we see a call to Yield ourselves to His powerful work to change us? Matthew 6:12, John 3:3, 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
In Acts 12 Peter is miraculously rescued from prison by an angel. Through this miracle Peter and the Church Experience His power and wonderful response to what? Acts 12:5 Acts 12:12. Do you think this Experience of changed circumstances changed Peter and the Church?
Jesus call us to pray in His Name (John 14:13). When we end our prayers “In Jesus Name” are we just repeating a phrase? How can this help us to Recognise Jesus and what He has done to make prayer possible? How does Jesus make it possible for us to prayer to our Father?
Prayer
Our Father Who is in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us, not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the Kingdom, the power and the Glory forever and ever. Amen.
Worship
What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms!
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms!
Oh how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms!
Oh how bright the path
Grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Service
Jesus teaching on prayer changes our focus from merely asking for a change in circumstances, to asking God to change us and deepen our obedience, faith and reliance on Him. This week as we ask Him to change us and our circumstances, let’s try to look at ways that we can make changes to ourselves to love and care for others.