Do You Pray?...Mr. Jesus

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This is the Truth Network. Encouraging Prayer. God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything. On Encouraging Prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray.

And now, here's James. So have you ever noticed how sometimes when we pray we don't talk the same way that we do at other times? It's not that we mean to do it, but sometimes we've gotten used to it over time. In fact, sometimes we can think quite innocently that our prayers need to be that way, right, James?

Yeah, that's so true, Robby. For example, sometimes we can be used to hearing certain formalities, you know, formal expressions used to talk to God when we pray. And this often seems to happen when we hear someone praying at church or in public events, and we can feel like if we don't use those words, maybe we're not praying the way we should. Now, as we begin this, we really need to point out that we're not questioning anyone's motives when they pray the way they do. Some are used to praying a certain way.

They've been doing it so long that it really is the natural way for them to do it. But this is our goal today, to encourage our prayers to be as honest and real as possible. After all, prayer is really all about our hearts, not our words. And though we don't think of this too much, it's just true that you can come to God sounding very natural, and your heart can be far from Him. Well, that is so true. I mean, so ultimately, it's not about the words we use, right? It's about being as natural and how we really feel.

But usually our language really doesn't, you know, play a role in that. For example, if you were to insist that, you know, I call you Dr. Banks, I think that that would be a pretty formal guy, and it wouldn't be the same as just, you know, calling you James. Absolutely, Mr. Dilmore. That reminds me of something my dad said to his pastor, who was a good friend. And the pastor had just gotten his doctorate, and he was wondering what he should be called. And, you know, this was several years ago when people naturally were more formal. So the pastor said, should I go by doctor, or should I go by reverend? And my dad had just gotten his master's degree, so he said, well, Tom, I'll call you doctor if you call me master.

You know, I love that. It makes me think of some of the ways that, you know, we address God. And again, we're not being judgmental. We're just pointing out that, you know, for example, the word Christ is a title and really not a name. It's from the Greek Christos, meaning the anointed one, or the Hebrew, which is Messiah. Right, right. So it's actually a little like saying, Mr. Jesus.

He is definitely a doctor. Well, and again, the main point is our hearts. But this brings up an important thing. It's good to ask ourselves, not in a way of comparing ourselves to others, but really to ask, do I talk the same way when I talk to God that I do when I talk to others? Because what we want to guard against here is an approach to him that is only religious. We want to guard against a religious spirit, if you will. A religious spirit sounds good.

It does a lot of the right things, but does them just because that's what's supposed to be done. You know, there's this formality about it. But what we really want to do in our hearts is to draw close. What we're after, most of all, is a relationship with Jesus.

Wow, that's so true. And James, if you think about it, it's kind of formal going through the motions that Jesus was often pushing back against. He even quoted what God said through Isaiah. Basically, you honor me with your lips, but with your words, your hearts are far from me.

That's right. I mean, Jesus was all about breaking down walls, and that's what the incarnation and crucifixion is about. So it's good to ask ourselves, does my conversation with him seem natural? Now, some might think this is dishonoring to God, treating him as a pal when he is God, you know, but that's again where the answer to hearts comes into play. This is all about not how we sound, but how we sound can reflect how close our hearts are to him. So we're going deeper. And as he is God, we can be more real with him.

We can go deeper with him than anyone else. And because he was also a man, Jesus knows us. He gets us, which is a very important reason to be real with him. Remember, when Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was torn in two so that we could draw near to the presence of God, and that's the most beautiful thing about him. Oh, it really, really is. I mean, that's the very reason he came. And when you realize that, I mean, it's his heart towards us, and he wants us to come close. Really, it's everything.

Yeah, yeah. I like what John Eldridge writes about this in his book, Beautiful Outlaw, that I've been reading lately. He mentions Jesus saying, be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who were the religious professionals, and they were all about formality. And Eldridge adds, if you would know Jesus, love him, experience him, you must pay very careful attention to this warning. And then he goes on to talk about people who lose their faith at religious schools or in seminary, because they get tripped up by others. You know, that professor who knows the Bible, but doesn't know Jesus, and as a result, has the wrong heart toward others, or that other student who sounds so good, but is really just going through the motions on the outside, because, again, it looks good.

My son, John Eldridge, he's a good, my sister went on a date with a guy like that in college, and she didn't know it at the time, and it didn't end well. And she was able to get away from him, but only because she walked home. And the next day, he tells her, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. I mean, give me a break.

Wow, I know what you mean. And you have to wonder, how many people think that this is what Christians are really like? Yeah, Eldridge said, a wingnut talking about Jesus does far more damage than 50 atheists.

That's a good quote. He makes a point that when we pray, do our hearts and our words indicate that Jesus is someone we really know? And again, this is where it gets very personal and intimate, because we can know him, and knowing him is the best thing in the world.

And we need to fine-tune this with our everyday life. If I'm one way at church and another way, excuse me, out in the world, you know, if I talk one way in one place, and it's a disconnect from the way I am in another, well, Jesus wasn't like that. He isn't like that. And that's why so many sinners could relate to him, because they knew he wasn't putting anything on. He was real with them and loving the Father at the same time that he was with them. And we can do that, because he will help us to.

Yeah, I think that's a great place for us to wrap up today, James. You know, asking God, can you help us be more real? Because honestly, as I was listening, I was thinking, man, you know, sometimes when I say those prayers at dinner, that they're a little religious.

I resemble that remark. I don't know what to tell you, you know. Oh, I agree, I agree. Well, I'll pray for that. No, but I will talk to God about it, okay? So Jesus, we are so grateful that you do want to relate to us in an intimate way in our hearts, and I pray that you would just do that, help us to see that we could just be real with you and tell you how we really feel and be grateful for dinner with just like, man, this is awesome. And Lord, help us to be more real that other people will see what a delightful relationship that is with you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.