Teach us to Pray

The Prayer of Prayers PART IX
Dr. Timothy Keller
23 November 2014

Psalms 1:1-6
1Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,

2but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who mediates on his law day and night.

3That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither--
whatever they do prospers.

4Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction


PRAYER MODELS IN THE BIBLE
--Lord's Prayer from New Testament; Psalms from Old Testament.
--Psalm1 is  a call to meditation.

Study of God's word is to learn the truth.
Meditation takes what you've learned and deliberately transforsm your mind and heart to humility, wonder, etc.

PRIORITY OF MEDITATION
--Before prayer
--Prayer is a two-way conversation (speaking and listen).
--First word is always God's word.
--Not just expressing ourselves, but answering God and listening to God.
--What does God's word say to us personally?

PROMISE OF MEDITATION
--"Blessed" means deep satisfaction and fulfillment.
--Affecting of the heart through the intense use of the mind.
--Spirit comes with what you know in your head and moves your heart.
--Our whole being can be infused with God's truth.

POWER IT CAN PRODUCE
--Are we controlled by our circumstances (blown away in v.4) or are we like steady trees whose roots are in the vitality of water regardless of what's above ground.
--Real joy isn't the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.
--Ultimate defeat of evil is when it comes into your life, it makes you wiser and humbler and able to depend on God

PRACTICE OF MEDITATION
--Object, Means, and Method of Mediation
--OBJECT is the Law of the Lord--Fill your mind with God's word.
--Treat all scripture as authoritative.
--How does God contradict you if he doesn't challenge and argue with you?
--If you only mediate on stuff you agree with, it's a one way relationship.
--Unless scripture is the word of law, it will never be a law of love.
--MEANS of mediating
--Think it Out 
analyze all aspects of its meaning - every single word
--Think it In
Psalm 42 and 103 are examples; Psalmist is talking to himself and his soul.  If this is true, why am I acting this way?
--Think it Up (METHOD)
Martin Luther's 3 questions--Rejoice, Repent, Request in response to the text.

PROBLEM OF MEDITATION
--Love to have God tell you how to live.
--Meditating on the Law of God condemns us.
--Because of Jesus, the Law of the Lord becomes a delight to please the one who did so much for us.