Praying With Confidence
Luke 11:1-13[1]
When I was thinking
about the message for today, I wondered if the title, “Praying with
Confidence,” might sound strange. In fact, I wondered if it might sound “cheesy.”
I’m not sure we’re used to associating “praying” with “confidence.” I think we
tend to connect “praying” with “humility.” Truth be told, I’ve always
questioned preachers and teachers who have spoken casually about how
confidently we should all be praying. It made me wonder whether they were
paying attention to what’s going on in the world. It made me wonder if they had
ever had any real problems in life. I’ve never been comfortable with that kind
of shallow, fake-sounding prayer as a cliché!
And in the spirit of
“true confession,” I’d have to admit that I’ve always had a problem with
praying. It’s not that I think that God isn’t there, or that God isn’t
listening, or that God doesn’t care. My problem with praying has centered on
the experience of pouring out my heart—sometimes for years—and having my
prayers go unanswered. Or at least so it seemed at the time. I know the old saying:
“God always answers prayer: sometimes yes, sometimes no, and sometimes wait.”
When you’re praying like your life depends on it and nothing changes, that just
doesn’t cut it. I think I’m probably not the only one who’s had to face this
problem with prayer. And when we do, it’s natural for us to wonder “why”.
Our Gospel lesson for
today presents Luke’s version of Jesus’ teaching on prayer. The whole thing is
meant to remind us that when we pray, we can do so in the assurance that God
knows our needs, cares about us, and delights in providing what is good for us
all. You may have noticed that I always conclude my pastoral prayer with “we
thank you that we can pray in the assurance that, before we even know to ask or
a word is on our lips, you are already working in each and every life to bring
your grace and peace, and your love and mercy, and your joy and new life.” I
don’t do that because I can’t think of a different way to end my prayer. I do
that to remind us all that this is the way Jesus taught us to pray.
At the heart of this
passage is Luke’s version of the “Lord’s Prayer.” It sounds incomplete to our
ears. The fact is there are three versions of the “Lord’s Prayer”: this one,
the somewhat expanded one in Mt 6:9-13, and the one from a second century
Christian document called the “Didache” (or teaching), where we find the “full
version” of the prayer we pray today. I don’t believe the “additions” to the
prayer in Luke change its tone in any way. All forms of the Lord’s Prayer,
including the one we pray today, remind us to pray in the recognition that all
that we are depends on God, and to pray in the confident trust that God will
provide for us.
I think that’s one of
the most important reasons for us to pray in the way that Jesus instructs us: it
reminds us who God is. We’re not praying to a God who is too far above us to
hear or care about our prayers. We’re not praying to a God who disapproves not
only our actions but who we are. We’re not praying to a God who gives only
grudgingly. Jesus reminds us that when we pray, we’re praying to a loving
Father who already knows exactly what we need, who cares deeply about each and
every one of us, and who delights in providing what is good for us. So we don’t
have pray as if we’re “begging” for God’s attention. Jesus teaches us to pray
in the confidence that we’re always at the center of God’s loving care.
I think the other
reason we pray in the way that Jesus teaches us is because it makes a
difference in the kind of people we become. When we live our lives in the
humble confidence that God knows, cares, and delights in providing for our
needs, we can practice the same kind of care and generosity toward others. This
also shapes the kind of community we create. When we come together as a
community of believers who pray with this humble confidence, we shine the
warmth of God’s unfailing love through the very spirit in which we gather, as
well as through our caring for one another and for our community.
You may have found it
surprising for a pastor to admit in a sermon that I’ve had a problem with
praying. Truth be told, I’ve had problems with the Bible, problems with church,
and problems with God at various times in my life. I hope that helps me be a
better preacher and teacher. Or at least a more honest one. There was a time
years ago when I was struggling with church. I had been through some major
disruptions in my life and I wasn’t in the best place spiritually. I was
actually preaching for a friend that day, which I find highly ironic. And when
it came time to pray the Lord’s prayer, the beauty and the power of that prayer
just came over me. I’ve always loved the Lord’s prayer, but it hit me in that
moment: where else do we pray this prayer other than at church? Where else do
we pray this prayer?
I still love praying
the Lord’s prayer. It captures all the spirit of trusting in a God who like a
loving Father knows our needs, cares about us, and delights in providing all
that is good for us. I’m like most of you, though, in that I don’t always pay
attention when I’m praying the Lord’s prayer. But I love the fact that we keep
praying that prayer. To me, it demonstrates that we’re all still trying to
become people who trust God enough not only to pray with confidence, but also to
live out our trust in God through the generous and grace-filled way we relate
to one another and to our world.
[1] ©
2022 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Alan Brehm PhD on 7/24/2022 for Hickman
Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.
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