James 4: 1-10

Is Anyone Up there Listening?

Oh … let me say something about the texts I chose for this sermon … prior to me writing out what I really wanted to say:

There are times when we feel like God is not listening to us.  Maybe it’s just that we can’t hear HIM. In our text from Zechariah, he lists at least 12 reasons that might be so:

If you don’t administer TRUE justice; show mercy and compassion; if you oppress the widows, orphans, outsiders, or the poor; if you think evil of each other; if you don’t pay attention; if you turn your back on God or stop listening to him; if you harden your heart; or don’t follow the scriptures…  That’s twelve right there…

In our New Testament text in James -- he says that wanting our own way, lust, violence, being spoiled, cheating, not being humble, sin … all contribute to not being able to hear God.  Kind of like not being tuned into a radio station.

All of us fail at one of those … it is remarkable that any of our prayers are answered at all! What is a person to do?  I believe that God just wants us to bring a repentant heart to prayer.  Be humble.  Admit that all is not well.  Not one of us is perfect.  We all come broken.  God knows and expects that. 

Just remember – we may not get the answer we expect. Which usually is a good thing!

Prayer is a problem for many of us modern people.  Does God hear my prayer?  Am I really speaking to God or am I only speaking to myself? 

If I pray to God for healing and I am healed, does that mean that God would not have healed me if I had not prayed? What about unanswered prayer?

Bottom line sometimes: Is there a God or not?  If there is a God, does God really listen? Is there a God who cares for us, who hears and responds? 

Oh … let me say something about the texts I chose for this sermon … prior to me writing out what I really wanted to say:

There are times when we feel like God is not listening to us.  Maybe it’s just that we can’t hear HIM. In our text from Zechariah, he lists at least 12 reasons that might be so:

If you don’t administer TRUE justice; show mercy and compassion; if you oppress the widows, orphans, outsiders, or the poor; if you think evil of each other; if you don’t pay attention; if you turn your back on God or stop listening to him; if you harden your heart; or don’t follow the scriptures…  That’s twelve right there…

In our New Testament text in James -- he says that wanting our own way, lust, violence, being spoiled, cheating, not being humble, sin … all contribute to not being able to hear God.  Kind of like not being tuned into a radio station.

All of us fail at one of those … it is remarkable that any of our prayers are answered at all! What is a person to do?  I believe that God just wants us to bring a repentant heart to prayer.  Be humble.  Admit that all is not well.  Not one of us is perfect.  We all come broken.  God knows and expects that. 

Children believe … early conversations with God… (Tell story of Zach and his special friend Jesus – jokes, chores).

(Tell story of children and pony: 3 sisters and 3 friends … ride on Shetland pony … asked dad to get it for them … no pony … maybe can do something else… Girls talked, decided to pray – simple solution – God will bring pony in from the pasture.

Father knew girls would be disappointed … decided to interrupt them … but as he approached them … here comes the pony on the run – down the hillside, thru creek into the corral … to where girls were.

They were not even surprised … put on the bridle and had afternoon of fun.  Father, on the other hand, was shaken… undaunted faith ruled the day!)

Children, though, become disillusioned when prayer goes unanswered … true for all of us.

Unanswered prayer a problem for all of us. It is easy to lose heart.  And we eventually ask the question: Is anyone up there really listening?

I think we all have prayed for something that didn’t happen … for peace, for healing for a friend or family member that didn’t happen… Rev. George Atkinson tells this story:

I met Jenny …30 something. Cute. New mother with two little kids. Breast cancer. Found it too late. Spread all over. Absolutely going to die. 

Jenny had only one request. ‘I know I’m going to die, chaplain. I need time to finish this. It's for my kids. Pray with me that God will give me the strength to finish it.’

She showed me the needlepoint pillow she was making for her children. It was an ‘alphabet blocks and apples’ kind of thing. She knew she would not be there for them.

Would not drop them off at kindergarten, would not see baseball games, would not help her daughter pick out her first bra. No weddings, no grandkids. Nothing.

She had this fantasy that her children would cherish this thing - sleep with it, snuggle it. Someday it might be lovingly put on display at her daughter’s wedding. Perhaps there would be a moment of silence. Some part of her would be there.

I was totally hooked. We prayed. We believed…this was the kind of prayer you could believe in. We were like idiots and fools.

A couple of days later I went to see her only to find the room filled with doctors and nurses. She was having violent convulsions and terrible pain. I watched while she died hard. Real hard.

As the door shut, the last thing I saw was the unfinished needlepoint lying on the floor. …Ping. The hammer fell and [my faith] came tumbling after.

That experience would affect anyone’s faith … the truth is prayer doesn’t always work. 

Despite our best efforts … that job is still just around the corner; world peace is still just a dream; and people we love still die too early.

You’ve heard that there are three answers to prayer:  Yes, no and not now.  And I guess that is true.  But, nobody likes to hear no.  And “not now” isn’t very comforting either.

So why pray … when we often don’t hear anything and when we do two out of the three possible answers are unsatisfactory? 

It is all about relationship.  I was hoping that this series on prayer would be transformational … and maybe it has been for some of you. 

I was hoping that this series would change me in remarkable and miraculous ways.  Maybe that has happened for some of you … but not me.

I was reflecting on that …realized that it didn’t need to be.  God rarely uses a sledge hammer.  God through this series just wanted to remind me that a relationship with him is important. 

He wants me to be closer to him.  He wants me to experience his love at a deeper level. 

That only happens when I make time for him.  Prayer.  Daily, intentional, mostly unscripted, open and honest. It’s not rocket science.  We are just asked to talk to him. SHARE.

God reminded me that in taking time for him, as importantly, that I need to include time for him to respond. 

I am not very good at silence … I want to do what I need to do and move on. Silence for me is filled with distractions.  I don’t do silence well.

That’s why I have started to use the time I walk the dog as prayer time. 

I have been amazed at how just a half an hour in conversation with God … is so enlightening.  Now, I have to be honest – I don’t hear voices … but God comes to me in my thoughts and reflections.

How do I know it just isn’t me?  Two things… First – God is in me and often if it is me, it is still a reflection of him. And secondly, if it is something that brings me to a closer love relationship with God or others … it probably is him … if not … guilty as charged.

We need to be reminded that prayer is the foundation of our faith.  Without prayer our faith is stunted – it can’t grow because we haven’t cultivated our relationship with God.

You want to have God be a greater part of your life?  Pray … have an attitude of prayer throughout the day. You aren’t hearing anything you don’t already know, right?  WE JUST NEED TO BE REMINDED.

The danger in prayer (for some of us) is that we say the same thing over and over. I have gotten in the habit at home that in my prayers with DeLynn … you can just about guess what my prayer will be:

First I thank God for the good things of the day and then I pray for the kids, for DeLynn, for me, my extended family, the church, anyone in the hospital or in need of special prayer.  That’s it. 

God could just tape one of my prayers and then replay it … I am sure he gets bored … because although I am sincere – I am not being vulnerable or real with God.  He wants more … he deserves more.

Life is hard enough – trying to go it alone … is almost impossible.  God loves us and wants to be involved … wants us to come to him, to talk things over with him, to be included in our decisions …  That takes prayer.

We all pray differently.  What works for me may not work for you. But find something that works.  Praying while walking my dog is working for me.  Prayer in conversation on the computer works for me.  Find something and go with it.

I work out fairly faithfully four or five mornings a week.  I make myself get up and exercise.  That is because my health is important to me.  Shouldn’t I have the same commitment to my spiritual life?  YES!

I needed to make exercise a habit … I had to do it over and over until now I feel bad when I don’t exercise.  I need to do the same for my prayer life.  If I am consistent enough – if I have a plan – AND do it … it will become second nature.

Is God worth it?  You bet. Will I always feel like he is listening? Nope.  Do I occasionally need to reassess my life and my actions and make sure I am in line with what I say I believe? OF COURSE

Will God still say NO sometimes and NOT YET sometimes?  CERTAINLY…And will my spirit be strengthened, my soul expanded, and my life enriched if I never give up on prayer? DEFINITELY.

Trust me … prayer does a body good!  As they used to tell Mikey: “Try it, you’ll like it!”

AMEN