Dangerous Prayers

Why are These Prayers Dangerous?

• Don’t allow us to keep God in his nice little box.

Why are These Prayers Dangerous?

• Don’t allow us to keep God in his nice little box.

• Force us to see God as bigger and more powerful than we’re accustomed to seeing him.

What are These Dangerous Prayers?

• “Oh, Lord, search me”

• “Oh, Lord, stretch me”

• “Oh, Lord, lead me”

• “Oh, Lord, use me”

“Oh, Lord, Search Me”

“O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You

know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my

thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying

down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a

word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it

altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay

your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for

me; it is high; I cannot attain it” (Ps 139:1-6, ESV).

What if Others Had This Knowledge?

• “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph 4:29, ESV).

What if Others Had This Knowledge?

• “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph 4:29, ESV).

• “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires” (Js 1:19-20, ESV).

God Has Intimate Knowledge of Us

• Appointment of Judas’ replacement: “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show us which one of these two you have chosen” (Acts 1:24, ESV).

God Has Intimate Knowledge of Us

• Appointment of Judas’ replacement: “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show us which one of these two you have chosen” (Acts 1:24, ESV).

• “No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Heb 4:13, ESV).

“Oh, Lord, Stretch Me”

“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’” (Lk 17:5, ESV).

Example of Abraham

• “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Gn 12:1, ESV).

Example of Abraham

• “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Gn 12:1, ESV).

• “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Gn 22:2, ESV).

Romans 8:28

• “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV).

Romans 8:28

• “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV).

• IN CONTEXT: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Rm 8:29, ESV).

“Oh, Lord, Lead Me”

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not

want. He makes me lie down in green

pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths

of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Ps

23: 1-3).

We Can’t Lead Ourselves!

“I know, O LORD, that the way of man is

not in himself, that it is not in man who walks

to direct his steps” (Jer 10:23, ESV).

Going Where We Don’t Want to Go

• Moses

Going Where We Don’t Want to Go

• Moses

• Jeremiah

Going Where We Don’t Want to Go

• Moses

• Jeremiah

• Paul

Going Where We Don’t Want to Go

• Moses

• Jeremiah

• Paul

• Jesus

“Oh, Lord, Use Me”

Poor ol’ Samuel

• His mother promised him to the Lord (1 Sm 1:11).

Poor ol’ Samuel

• His mother promised him to the Lord (1 Sm 1:11).

• True to her word, Hannah presented Samuel to Eli (1 Sm 1:21-27).

Poor ol’ Samuel

• His mother promised him to the Lord (1 Sm 1:11).

• True to her word, Hannah presented Samuel to Eli (1 Sm 1:21-27).

• The Lord called Samuel twice, and he ran to Eli. Eli sent him back to bed (1 Sm 3:1-7).

Poor ol’ Samuel

• Third time the Lord called Samuel, Eli realized it was the Lord’s calling Samuel. Eli told Samuel: “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord for your servant hears’” (1 Sm 3:8-9).

Poor ol’ Samuel

• Third time the Lord called Samuel, Eli realized it was the Lord’s calling Samuel. Eli told Samuel: “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord for your servant hears’” (1 Sm 3:8-9).

• The Lord called Samuel and fourth time and Samuel replied as Eli had instructed.

Poor ol’ Samuel

The Lord said: “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. On that day I will I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken against his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever” (1 Sm 3:10-14, ESV).

Poor ol’ Samuel

• Samuel couldn’t sleep the rest of the night, for he “was afraid to tell the vision to Eli” (1 Sm 3:15, ESV).

Poor ol’ Samuel

• Samuel couldn’t sleep the rest of the night, for he “was afraid to tell the vision to Eli” (1 Sm 3:15, ESV).

• However, Eli instructed Samuel to tell him everything the Lord had told him (1 Sm 3:16-18).

Prayer can be Dangerous!

Mary, Queen of Scotland, “I fear John Knox’s prayers more than an army of ten thousand men.”