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Objective:

To begin praying with a desire for God to cultivate within me . . .

1. Purity

2. Praise

3. Participation

“Much time spent with God is the secret of all successful praying.”

E. M. Bounds

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step.”

The Chinese sage Lao-tze

As you have asked the Lord to search your heart, what problematical or deficient areas has He revealed to you?

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Oliver Wendell Holmes observed, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Let us begin this process of a renewed prayer experience by learning from various scriptures how we need to pray for ourselves. First, let us pray with the psalmist David...

1. “Search Me”

Psalm 139

David Dickson wrote, “David being wickedly slandered and persecuted by his adversaries, finds his zeal kindled against them; and lest his own heart’s corruption should deceive him... he presents his heart to God, the all-seeing and everywhere present judge of the secrets of all hearts.”

In his very public, visible role as king, David would certainly have been subjected to scrutiny and criticism. David prefers to subject himself to the scrutiny and honest assessment of God as he prays, “Search me” (Psalm 139:23). For David, this divine searching of the heart has been an ongoing process...

(Psalms 139:1) O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

David begins to discuss the areas of his life that God has searched and therefore known.

A. He Knows My Ways

(Psalm 139:3) Thou ... art acquainted with all my ways.

1. God Knows The Way Of My Mind vs. 2

2. God Knows The Way Of My Movements vs. 3

3. God Knows The Way Of My Mouth vs. 4

O God, search us in these areas and “see if there be any wicked way in me” (Ps 139:24).

B. He Knows My Whereabouts

(Psalms 139:7) Whither shall I go from thy spirit?

or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

1. If I Am In A Distant Place vs. 8-10

2. If I Am In A Dark Place vs. 11-12

3. If I Am In A Place Of Development vs. 13-16

C. He Knows My Warfare

(Psalms 139:19-24)

1. The Battles Without vs. 19-20

2. The Battles Within vs. 21-22

3. The Battles Withal* vs. 23-24

*In addition to or besides - all the other battles we face.

What do we find ourselves asking God to “shew” us?

What should we be asking God to “shew” us?

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Next, let us pray with Moses...

2. “Shew Me”

Exodus 33:18

As Moses communed with God within the Tabernacle of the Congregation, the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary called this: “One of the most solemn and mysterious scenes described in the Bible.” Exodus 33:11 tells us that “the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend,” and in this time of intimate communion with God, Moses has a special petition.

A. Consider The Request For Glory

(Exodus 33:18) And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

“That was a large request for Moses to make. He could not have asked for more. Why, it is the greatest petition that man ever asked of God.” (Spurgeon)

This request seems almost presumptuous for Moses has seen things that other men could only dream about; yet now he asks for a further revelation. What is Moses going through that prompts him to make this request?

1. The Failure Of The People Prompted This Desire (See 32:19, 30-32)

2. The Future Of The Project Prompted This Desire

For seven chapters, and forty days and nights, God has been giving Moses the specifications of this project. Now Moses seems to say, “Lord, before we proceed in this ministry - give me a glimpse of the reality of what we’re laboring for.”

(We’ve seen what prompted his request; note also the progression of his request.)

1. He Seems Almost To Be Bargaining 33:12-16

2. He Is Certainly Begging I beseech thee

B. Consider The Response Of God

(Exodus 33:19)

1. God Would Manifest His Glory In Terms Of His Goodness

“God’s goodness is His glory; and He will have us to know Him by the glory of His mercy more than by the glory of His majesty.” (Matthew Henry)

2. God Would Manifest His Glory In Terms Of His Graciousness

(In terms of His meekness and His mercy - not His might.)

Note: “Proclaim the name” - proclaim the manifested character of God.

(We’ve seen how God defined His glory; note also how God would display His glory.)

1. He Prescribed A Limitation 33:20

2. He Permitted A Look 33:21-23

C. Consider The Results Of A Glimpse

(Exodus 34:9)

1. This Glimpse Prompted A Worshipful Pursuit Of God “go among us”

2. This Glimpse Prompted A Worshipful Penitence For Guilt “pardon ...”

(The result was not only worship, but also a sense of wonder.)

1. The Wonder Of A New Countenance 34:29

2. The Wonder Of A Nervous Crowd 34:30

“See God upon his throne, and that throne high and lifted up, not only above other thrones, as it transcends them, but over other thrones, as it rules and commands them.” (Matthew Henry)

For further study, you might also consider the personal prayer of Samson:

(Judges 16:28) And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

And the personal prayer of Simon Peter:

(Matthew 14:30) But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Finally, let us pray with Isaiah...

3. “Send Me”

Isaiah 6:8

We're looking at different prayers in the Bible that have a personal and individual relevance to them. In Psalm 139, David said, “Search Me!”

In Exodus 33, Moses said, “Shew Me!”

From the great Old Testament book of Isaiah we find our text in chapter 6, where Isaiah said, “Send Me!” This is a key chapter in Isaiah's experience with God and in his service for the Lord. Let’s think about three things that Isaiah has in this chapter.

A. Isaiah Has A Revelation

(Isaiah 6:1-5)

1. He Has A Revelation Of The Holy Sovereign vs. 1-4

The word “Lord” in Isaiah 6:1 is not the word “Jehovah” which would suggest the essence of His divinity, but it is the word “Adonai” which suggests the essence of His dominion. The “throne” in verse 1 and the word “King” in verse 5 reinforces this point as does the image of the flowing train, which according to the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, was a badge of dignity in the East. Isaiah saw His Royal Highness and he saw His Repeated Holiness in verse 3.

2. He Has A Revelation Of The Human Situation vs. 5

There is a sense of sorrow as he says, “Woe is me.” He is rendered speechless in God's presence, for the word “undone” is a Hebrew word meaning to be dumb or silent. He could offer no word of protest, no word of pride; the only acceptable word would have been a word of praise and Isaiah felt too unclean to offer so noble a word. Then there is a sensitivity of his condition and the condition of the world around him. It seems that in God's presence there is a clear perception unclouded by pretense, unaffected by our preferences and personalities!

B. Isaiah Has A Restoration

(Isaiah 6:6-7)

1. There Is An Altar Of Consecration “altar”

This altar was the altar of burnt offering, which stood in the court of the priests, in front of the temple.

2. There Is An Awareness Of Correction “Lo”

The word “lo” is equivalent to the word behold. The seraph draws attention to what has taken place.

C. Isaiah Has A Responsibility

(Isaiah 6:8)

1. There Is An Opportunity For Service “who will go ...?”

2. There Is An Offering Of Self “Here am I, send me!”

The situation in Isaiah 6 is the capstone for the other two prayers we have considered. You see, before Isaiah could ask the Lord to use him, he experienced a renewed manifestation of God’s glory just as if he had prayed, “Shew me thy glory!” Then before he could go forth with the divinely appointed message he was forced to confront his personal deficiencies just as if he had prayed, “Search me.” Then, he was ready to pray, “Send me.” May God help us as we pray these three personal prayers!

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Personal Praying

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Men’s Prayer Retreat ~ Fairview Baptist Church ~ Pastor Tony Shubert

August 18, 2001

Speaker: David E. Owen

Session 1 - Candidly Praying About My Own Needs

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