Message Notes

YAG 11th RETREAT
Session #6
Saturday, 29 May 2010
Theme: “CALL TO ME”

A. STRUGGLES IN PRAYER

1. Emotional struggles

a) Tears
b) Despair
c) Anger
d) Frustration
e) Fear

2. Intellectual struggles

a) Promises of God (Scripture)
b) Problems of Israel/Judah (history)
c) Revelation of the Word

i) Destruction of Jerusalem
ii) Deportation of inhabitants
iii) Deliverance

3. Spiritual struggles

a) Faith
b) Prayer
c) Knowledge of God’s will

B. DISCERNIBLE PROGRESS

1. In greater knowledge of God’s will revealed

a) Present knowledge
b) Greater knowledge
c) Increase of knowledge
d) In search of knowledge

i) In prayer
ii) In studying
iii) In application

2. In deeper understanding of the fulfillment of His will

a) God’s will revealed
b) God’s will written in the Scriptures
c) God’s will to be pieced together
d) God’s will to be fulfilled

3. In deeper faith with reference to the future

a) Past- insight
b) Present- struggles
c) Future- difficult to apply

i) Seeing things differently
ii) Marching to a different tune
iii) Potentially far more powerful

4. In greater clarity of thought in prayer

a) Fixed ideas
b) Wrong ideas
c) Weak ideas
d) Clear and correct teachings

5. In humbler submission to the will of God

a) Seeking comprehension
b) Wrong thoughts given up
c) Correct new thoughts to replace wrong ones
d) Ultimately- submission to the truth

6. In sustained faith in God

a) Initial faith
b) Deeper faith
c) Renewed faith

7. In faithful ministry for the Lord

a) Against many odds
b) Faithfulness is to be measured over many years

8. In teaching God’s Word

a) Diligence
b) Authority
c) Clarity

9. In preparedness to suffer for the Lord

a) Ministry is never easy
b) Teaching people how to appreciate God’s word/ will is immensely difficult
c) Opposition to be expected

i) Evil plots of enemies
ii) Imprisonment
iii) Death

C. SOME PERSONAL CHALLENGES

1. To re-examine our prayer life

a) Honestly
b) Deeply

2. To begin afresh

a) Stirred by the Spirit
b) Challenged by the Scriptures
c) Moved by the possibilities

3. To begin on a new platform

a) Identifying where that platform is
b) Building on it

4. To cultivate a more meaningful prayer life

a) A tired prayer life must go
b) An invigorated prayer life to be ushered in

5. To ultimately speak of having a “prayer ministry”

a) Perhaps not initially but in time to come
b) A strong personal in-depth prayer life
c) A meaningful intercessory ministry

APPENDICES: PRAYERS OF JEREMIAH

1. Personal Adoration of God            Jeremiah 10:6-10

a) Jeremiah maintains a close personal relationship with God
b) He affirms that there is none like the Lord
c) He rejects idolatrous worship

2. Prayer concerning Correction from the Lord            Jeremiah 10:23-25

a) Confession

The way of man is not in himself

b) Correction

In (gentle) justice

c) Consumption of the all who do not call on the Lord (Gentiles)

3. Jeremiah’s angry prayer against his enemies            Jeremiah 11:18-23

a) Men of Anathoth plotted his death
b) Jeremiah’s prayer for God’s vengeance to be unleashed against them
c) Enemies would be punished in due course

4. Jeremiah’s query concerning the prosperity of the wicked            Jeremiah 12:1-4

a) Query as to why God has allowed them to prosper
b) Prayer for the destruction of the wicked
c) God’s answer            (Jeremiah 12:5-16)

i) Personal word to Jeremiah

He needs to be far stronger (he cannot pray in an imprecatory manner all the time)

ii) The wicked will indeed be punished… all in good time

5. Pleading the Name of God            Jeremiah 14:7-9

a) Confession of iniquity
b) Pleading for pardon for God’s own name’s sake
c) Reminder: Do not pray for this people

i) First word Jeremiah 7:16
ii) Second word Jeremiah 11:14
iii) Third word Jeremiah 14:11

d) Prayer of the people will also be refused            Jeremiah 14:12

i) Prayer of the people            Jeremiah 14:19-22
ii) Pleading the name of God

e) God’s answer as to why He would not relent            Jeremiah 15:1-9

i) Not even Moses could intercede for them            Jeremiah 15:1a
ii) Nor even Samuel            Jeremiah 15:1b

6. Jeremiah’s Personal Welfare            Jeremiah 15:10-21

a) Jeremiah fears the worst            Jeremiah 15:10
b) God’s promise to Jeremiah to protect him            Jeremiah 15:11
c) Jeremiah expresses self-pity            Jeremiah 15:13-18
d) God delivers a firm word of admonition to him            Jeremiah 15:19-21

i) Jeremiah must return to the Lord’s side
ii) He must distinguish between the vile and the precious
iii) God will deliver him
iv) He must be strong

7. Jeremiah’s Prayer for punishment of his enemies            Jeremiah 18:18-23

a) Anger
b) Fear
c) Imprecatory

8. Jeremiah’s Anguished Prayer under severe persecution            Jeremiah 20:7-18

a) Lament            Jeremiah 20:14-18
b) Despair (almost gave up speaking for the Lord)            Jeremiah 20:9
c) Pleading a just cause            Jeremiah 20:12
d) Drawing strength from God’s Presence            Jeremiah 20:11
e) Praising the Lord            Jeremiah 20:13

(The original structure of thought in Jeremiah’s prayer suggests great anguish of heart
and mind)