Sermon Outlines

By Frederick F. Schwindt, Evangelist

THE DEEPER MEANING OF PRAYER

1. These skeptical questions reveal:
   1. Stupidity and ignorance on the part of the questioner
   2. They express an atheistic outlook upon life - Ps. 15:1-5
2. They are, however, thought provoking and worthy of prayerful consideration:
   1. Not to emulate the attitudes
   2. But discover how profitable prayer is to all who sincerely and with all their hearts seek God in prayer

1. What Prayer really is:
   1. What it is not: (i) It is not a quick and easy way of getting things from God; (ii) It is not a mere form of mind culture
   2. It is rather that activity whereby a person seeks to open up the mind and heart to the promised help and guidance from God
   3. That was true in the life of King Solomon - I Kings 3:9-12; David seldom by-passed the prayer of inquiry - Ps. 27:4
   4. Prayer is, by enlarge, that activity where we seek to avail ourselves of those spiritual blessings which God has promised to all who seek Him with all their hearts - Jer. 33:3; 29:23
2. Note, further, what prayer is not:
   1. It is not a matter of bending or trying to bend the mind and will of God to give us what we seek
   2. It is not a matter of vehemently pleading and pleading as though God were unwilling to help
   3. But it is rather a matter of being still and yielded, waiting quietly and allowing Him to do for all in us that which we need
   4. "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth" - Ps. 46:10
   5. "Wait on the Lord" - Ps. 27:14; 37:34; "Wait patiently" - Ps. 37:7; "Wait only on God" - Ps. 62:5

1. Acceptable Prayer is more than seeking the material and spiritual blessing:
   1. These are included - Matt. 6:11, 32-33; 2 Peter 1:2-8
   2. Prayer is, in its deepest sense, communion, close fellowship with the Godhead
   3. "Our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ" - I John 1:3; also we have communion with the Holy Spirit - 2 Cor. 13:14
2. God's deep affections and love make such a fellowship, not only desirable, but a must:
   1. Said the Lord to Moses, "And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them" - Ex. 25:8
   2. In this the Lord foreshadowed the incarnation of His beloved Son, who partook of the nature of the seed of Abraham to forever tie Himself to the human race Heb. 2:14-17; John 1:14
   3. When spiritual love and affection are real in our lives - the fellowship of prayer will be the breath of the soul
   4. That was true in the experience of David; if that were not true - then how are we to understand such expressions of prayer as, "My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?" - Ps. 42:2; "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek Thee; my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for thee" - Ps. 63
3. My many years in evangelism have brought this feature of the prayer life to my special attention:
   1. The common idea about prayer is to come to the Lord to ask - and that is very proper - Matt. 7:7-11
   2. But true prayer includes more, it includes joyous fellowship with God as we have shown, and this special privilege is too often overlooked by the worshiper
   3. Enoch's walk with God had its roots in his personal communion with God - Gen. 5:23-24
   4. That was true of Noah - Gen. 6:9; of Daniel and many other saints
   5. Remember that those who linger long with God are influenced by His presence - Ex. 34:29; 2 Cor. 3:17-18