The Shortest Prayer

The Shortest Prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New King James Version)
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I’m finding so many sermons of interest which were written in the 18 and even 17 hundreds. This increases my awareness of how universal and timeless the Word of God continues to be.

One of these sermons popped up this morning when I was searching for articles on the power of prayer.

C. H. Spurgeon gave a sermon on Thursday Evening, October 2nd, 1873, at The Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, an Evangelical Reformed Church in central London on today’s topic….the shortest prayer in the bible
http://bible.org/seriespage/peters-shortest-prayer-no-3186

I can’t imagine anyone who could be more different from me yet we are both serving as instruments of God in placing a word about this important topic in the hands of others. How awesome that I could feel the urgency in this man when he encouraged all to make time to spend time with God in prayer.

For those who manage to feel that they don’t have time to pray, or that they don’t know what to pray, the wonderful prayer of Peter serves as a great model.

“Lord, save me.”
Matthew 14:30

About Peter’s prayer, Spurgeon wrote:

1. “It was a very brief prayer”
Just three words which conveyed all that Peter needed at that time.

2. “It was wonderfully comprehensive and adapted for use on many different occasions.”
Is there a time or situation where it is not appropriate to ask “Lord, save me”? Save me from poor decisions. Save me from the slings and arrows of the world. Lord save me.

Have; you been growing rich lately? Then, you will be tempted to become proud and worldly;
so pray, “Lord, save me from the evils that, so often go, with riches; thou art giving me this wealth, help me to be a good steward of it, and not to make, an idol of it.”
Or are you getting poor? Is your business proving a failure? Are your little savings almost gone? Well, there are perils connected with poverty;
so pray, “Lord, save me from becoming envious or discontented; let me be willing to be poor rather than do anything wrong in order to get money"

3. “It was very direct.”
There was no room for misunderstanding in this prayer. He asked for exactly what he wanted.

4. “It was a very sound-doctrine prayer.”
Peter did not presume to tell Jesus HOW to save him. He acknowledged in these simple words the fact that he could not save himself.

5. “Peter’s prayer was a very personal one"
This prayer was focused on a personal need at a specific time. This is a prayer we can say all through the day, every day. Lord, save my child. Lord, save my friend. Lord save my church. Lord, save my nation. Lord, save me.

6. "Peter’s prayer was a very urgent one”
Satan tries to convince us that “its too late” many times. He would love for us to believe that we are too far outside of God’s mercy to be heard.
We need to know, first, that God’s mercy is renewed every morning and that no one’s situation is too hard for God.
Luke 18:9-14 (New International Version)
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:
10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' (emphasis added)
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Luke 23:39-43 (New International Version) 39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence?
41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

We must never, ever, let Satan convince us that we are too lost to be found by God. How could anyone feel more lost than this man who was in the process of dying?

Jeremiah 32:27 (New International Version)
27 "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?

7. “Peter’s prayer was an effectual one”
When our prayers are real we need not worry about God understanding our needs. We need not worry about getting the “right” words. Remember that He has promised us the help of the Holy Spirit in our prayer life.
Romans 8:26 New International Version
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Remember that He knows our needs.

Father, God, I thank you for Your Word. I thank you for encouragement every day. I thank you for a teacher who brings light to Your Word in ways that make it plain for every-day living. I thank you for the comfort of prayer. I ask your continued blessings in my life.

Ephesians 3 (English Standard Version)
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

"Lord, save me!"

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!