2ND SUNDAY IN LENT

The grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the love of God the heavenly Father, and the communion of God; the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Dear friends in Christ Jesus!

To be a true Christian and to pray are so inseparably connected with each other that the one cannot be thought of without the other. As crying is the first sign of life of every newborn child, so is praying the first sign of life in a reborn Christian. The moment Saul the persecutor of Christians had been converted we read, "Behold, he prayeth!" And when those 3,000 let Peter's Pentecostal sermon pierce their hearts, we not only read, "They continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread," but also, "and in prayer." Acts 2:42.

It can be no other way. Through the fall into sin man is in the state where by nature he lives without God. By nature men act as though they need no God; by nature men swear allegiance to the principle ofttimes expressed especially here, Help yourself. They think that the person is the maker of his own luck, if he were to expect everything from God, he could wait a long time; he who wants something is a fool if he despairs of himself and looks toward heaven; he must rather strain his mind and powers and use his abilities skilfully and "daringly venture his fortune to capture;" that is the right way; thus will everything be found. It is thought that if people would stop being concerned about a heaven and be concerned alone for their life on earth, things would soon be better for everyone and happiness would indeed be found. Hence, most people begin the day without prayer; go to work without prayer; begin even their most important undertakings without prayer; eat and drink without praying; lay down to sleep without praying; in short, go out and come in without praying. That is the state of man by nature.

And now what is conversion? This simply is nothing else but that the person who previously had turned away from God again turns his whole heart and his whole mind to God. Therefore, the moment a person has turned to God he has also entered into a secret, hidden relationship with God. If a person is converted, God is absolutely necessary for all his undertakings; he does not attempt to begin even the smallest thing without God; he not only considers every day without prayer as a day without blessing, but he considers everything, everything without prayer as unblessed. Praying to God the converted Christian leaves his bed in the morning, praying he goes to his labors, praying he begins and ends his mealtime, in short, praying he goes out and comes in.

Whilst a natural man regards the command of the Lord that one should pray at all times, and the apostle's admonition, "Pray without ceasing," impractical, on the other hand, the person actually converted to God knows from his own experience and practice how entirely possible this is. Indeed, a converted Christian does not always fold his hands, nor always bend his knees, nor always move his lips to say a prayer, for he knows that in this world he still has the double command: Pray and work! but his heart is always filled with sighs, or with a secret longing for God, for his fellowship, for his grace, his help, his guidance and direction, and that is what it means to pray at all times and without ceasing.

However, my friends, there are people who have not turned to God from their heart and who seem to pray much; it is, therefore, necessary to know what kind

of a prayer is really a proper prayer and the sign of a true Christian. And that we learn to know from our today's Gospel; according to this Gospel it is the prayer of faith. Yes, that, that is the correct prayer, and such a prayer alone is, therefore, the true sign of a converted Christian. So permit me to speak to you in more detail about this.

The text. Matthew 15:21-28.

In the Gospel just read we clearly see a believing woman in prayer, a woman seldom found today. In her wonderful example permit me to show you:

THE PRAYER IN FAITH

Hear:

I. Which Prayer is a Prayer in Faith.

II. That Only the Prayer in Faith is Pleasing to and Heard by God, and finally,

III. What Makes it Possible to Pray in Faith.

Oh Lord God! How great is your grace, that you have not only permitted us sinners to pray to you but that you have also so earnestly commanded us to pray and have so lovingly promised to hear! Sad to say, we must complain that most know little of this great grace and use it faithfully even less. We, therefore, beseech you, use the preaching of your Word in this hour as a means by which the Spirit of grace and prayer is poured out over us and that we be kindled to pray unceasingly to you in faith and ardor and thus take grace upon grace from your fullness. Hear us for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I.

That the Syro-Phoenecian woman, of whom our text speaks, prayed in faith is beyond doubt, for Christ himself testifies this of her, "O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt." The way in which she prayed is described to us in such detail that we can clearly see from her example what a prayer in faith really is.

What do we hear about her? Matthew tells us, that first she cried after Christ, "O Lord, thou son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil." V. 22. Even though her distress was very great (for which distress can be greater than when one's own child is not only burdened with a serious illness and many pains but is even terribly vexed by the devil?) she is not long-winded. Briefly she presents her great distress to Christ and cries loudly to him for help.

What do we read next? Matthew says, "But he (namely Christ) answered her not a word." V.23a. We can indeed imagine what might have gone through the mind of this poor woman. Undoubtedly Christ's silence fell like a heavy burden upon her mother's heart. Yet what did she do? She did not let that disconcert her. She continued to cry; we see that the disciples who finally interposed, interceding for the wretched woman, said, "Send her away, for she crieth after us." V.23b. And how did Christ respond? He said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." V. 24. So Christ contemptuously remarks that she does not have the least right to his grace. Yet what did this Canaanite woman do? In spite of this she once more approaches Christ, falls down once more before him and says, "Lord, help me." And as Christ says even to this, "It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs,"

v.26, therefore, when he scornfully holds up her complete unworthiness of any grace, she admits Christ is right and says, "Truth, Lord;11 but she immediately adds, "Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." V. 27. In spite of her insight into her unworthiness she clings to Christ's word. Christ had reviled her as a dog; well, then, she says, I will be that and nothing more; but if you grant me this, you have at the same time conceded that at least I should share in a few crumbs of your grace; nor do I desire more; grant me this and I am satisfied; for if you give me but a crumb of your grace, my child is helped, I am helped,

According to this, which prayer is a prayer in faith? Is it being able to say many words and speaking with God with such fluency that the words flow from one's lips like a stream? No, the example of the Syro-Phoenecian woman teaches us that a prayer can be a true prayer in faith even though a depressed person may be able to stammer only a few words; yes, from the example of Moses we see that a person can be in a state in which he simply cannot find any words and groans in secret and God accepts his silent groans as a powerful prayer of faith; for Moses had only silently and inwardly longed for help and yet God called to him, "Wherefore criest thou unto me?" Ex 14:15.

Is perhaps having at least the sweet feeling of devotion, of worthiness, and the certainty of having one's prayer heard a part of a prayer in faith? No, neither is this; for certainly no one had less of a sweet feeling in her prayer than this; poor deeply depressed woman; first of all, none from the very beginning when she left her daughter being grievously vexed by the devil and hurried to Christ, and then certainly still less when the Lord was silent to her prayer, and finally gave her only a hard, rough, and wrathful answer; she actually felt that she had no claim to God's grace and that she was not worthy of having her prayer heard but deserved nothing but wrath. Hence, it is very well possible that a person could still pray in faith, even though he may feel nothing but his misery and unworthiness, yes, nothing but God's displeasure, wrath, and complete condemnation.

So really, when dare we call a prayer a prayer of faith? According to the example of our Syro-Phoenecian woman, when in spite of the feeling or the consciousness of his unworthiness one simply does not doubt that his prayer pleases God and confidently holds that God will certainly hear it, and also that one firmly basis his prayer on God's Word, that is, on God's command to pray and upon God's promise to hear our prayer. Whoever quashes all hesitation in regard to this divine command and this divine promise; whoever does not let himself doubt that his prayer will be heard,that he does not see how God could hear him, yes, that according to. his reason it seems to be completely unreasonable; and finally, whoever does not cast away the faith that God will hear him when in answer to his prayer for help God is not only silent but the distress seems to grow; then whoever, as the Syro-Phoenecian woman did, continues to cry, "Lord, help me!" and thinks: if God does not help me as I think and wish now, he will help me anyhow, yes, certainly better and more gloriously than I think, his prayer is a prayer in faith.

II.

And only such a prayer in faith is pleasing to and heard by God. Secondly, permit me to speak to you more on this point.

To be sure, expecting the hearing of your prayers seems to many to be a completely vain thing. They say, what is going to happen has been decided on in eternity; who would dare imagine that through prayer he is able to make a change

in the plan of God's government? Who would are hope of being able to shake the unchangeable God through prayer and move him to change his will? However, they do not take into consideration that God can hear all our prayers without having to act against his eternal decrees; since God is omniscient and all-wise, he not only knew from eternity that and what we would pray, but he has also ordered all things from eternity and woven into the plan of his government that the very thing must happen which we ask of him.

Moreover, it is indeed true: it is something big that a poor mortal person, a sinner, dares to believe that God, the Most High and Most Holy, could be moved by his prayer to do or leave something undone; indeed, faith is the great boldness that that which we ask on earth will,yes, must certainly happen in heaven. Yes, this faith seems to be great arrogance, whereas it seems to be in keeping with humility to have doubts that his prayer will be heard. But no, that is a false humility, for it takes honor away not only from men but also from God himself.

Whoever prays and still does not believe that he will be heard makes God a liar; whenever he prays he says by his disbelief to God: You indeed say in your Word, "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me," Ps 50:15; "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you," Mt 7:7; you indeed say, "All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing ye shall receive," Mt 21:22, however, I cannot accept this as the truth; I cannot believe you. Whoever speaks thus, what else is he doing but turning God's promises into lies and thus making a liar out of God? Should his prayers be pleasing to and heard by God? No, rather, it is certain that whoever prays in doubt completely nullifies his prayer, yes, makes it a sin and an abomination. James, therefore, says of one who prays, "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." Jas 1:6,7. Oh, how many must there be who will receive nothing for all their prayers! for how seldom is the person found who actually believes that all his prayers are Yea and Amen in God's eyes!

Yet, blessed are all who pray in faith! Their prayers are acceptable to God and are heard at all times. For whoever believes that God does what he asks gives God the honor which is due him; he thus declares that God's Word is the never failing, reliable truth; he thus declares that God's promises are an irrefutable foundation upon which one can safely build and trust; he thus declares that even if all men are liars God is and remains truthful and that he certainly does what he has promised.

Yes, to our reason it seemingly is an insignificant things to take God, firmly and immovably at his word; but as once the state of innocence in Paradise consisted chiefly in this that man had perfect trust in God and in his infinite goodness, and as thereafter the fall of men from God consists in this, that they no longer want to trust God any more, and as a result all men by nature have a slavish fear of and flee from God, so the return to God consists in this that man again begins to trust God. Whoever again trusts God makes God his God again, he again enters into a relationship with God as the child with his father, he again offers God true service and is again renewed to the image of God for which he was once created.

A prayer of faith is, therefore, in God's eyes like lovely incense, which is kindled on the altar of the heart and whose odor ascends to heaven. The prayer in faith is a key with which man can open heaven, yes, God's heart. No misfortune or sorrow is so great that prayer in faith cannot give rich comfort,

or that one cannot receive help and deliverance from it by prayer in faith. As Christ once let himself be conquered by the believing prayer of a poor heathen woman and by the "I will not let thee go," Gen 32:26, of a Jacob, so God will let himself be conquered even now by the prayer in faith of all Christians.

That is why we are also so often encouraged and admonished in God's Word to pray in faith; therefore, Christ also teaches us to begin our daily prayer with the words of faith, "Our Father," and to close with the word of triumph, "Amen."

III.

Who is he who does not wish he were able to pray thus in faith in a manner pleasingto and heard by God? Finally, let me add something on the point of how one can pray in faith.

It is clear that three things are necessary for being able to pray in faith, first, One must no longer willingly live in sin; second, one must know that he has a gracious God; and third, one must no. longer build on himself, on his works, his virtues, piety, and righteousness but alone on grace.

He who wilfully lives in sin, and if it were seemingly only a single one, cannot possibly believe from his heart that God will do what he asks; his conscience will constantly contradict him; his heart will always say: What do you mean by praying to God, you who still wilfully insult him with the one or the other sin! David, therefore, says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Ps 66:18. And the Prophet Isaiah says, "When ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yes, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well....Come now, and let us reason together." Is 1:15-18. The same thing is expressed briefly in the New. Testament, "We know that God heareth not sinners." Jn 9:31.

From this it necessarily follows that also he who still does not know that he has a gracious God in heaven cannot possibly believe from his heart that God will let himself be pleased by his prayer and hear it. Whoever does not know that he is in grace before God will constantly think: What do you expect from God? He still is your foe and you are his! ;

The situation is the same if a person builds upon his works and righteousness. In good days he can indeed think that his prayer is acceptable to and heard by God, but in the time of great distress, in the time when all the storms of anguish and tribulation overwhelm him, in the time when he feels God's silence in his heart, yes, God's wrath, hence in the time when he needs the prayer in faith the most, he who wants to build upon his works must despair; he will then see that he cannot stand before God; he will then perceive that his prayer is riot worthy to be heard by God.

From this it follows that by nature no person can pray in faith, for first of all, by nature all men live in knowing and wilful sins; secondly, by nature no one knows with certainty whether he has a gracious God; and thirdly, by nature everyone builds on his works, righteousness, and respectability. Therefore, if one is to learn to pray in faith, a great change must take place in him; first he must become an entirely different person who is free from the dominion of sin, who is certain of his state of grace before God, and who relies alone on God's grace.

If you, my dear hearers, want to become such a new person, then this is my brief counsel: Use God's Word to become intimately acquainted with your sins; therefore, fall on your knees and cry to God that he .will enlighten you about yourself. If you will do that, you will soon perceive what a great sinner you are in God's eyes, even though in the past men have perhaps considered you pious and upright. The more you will know your sinfulness, the greater will be your anguish and fear before God. But blessed are you when you come to this point! For your sorrow and anguish over sin is the true and only way of attaining true joy.

Then you must turn to Christ your Savior with your shattered and broken heart; that is, you must hear the Gospel which tells how Christ has won grace for all sinners, also for you. Then you must cling in faith to this; in it you must comfort yourself and pray God that he will raise up and refresh your depressed heart through his Holy Spirit and seal the comfort of the Gospel in it.

My dear hearer, if you will go this way, you will experience a great change within you; in this way you will become an entirely new person; you will cease being a slave of your sins; you will become certain that you have found grace with God; and his grace will be your only comfort, your only hope. Then, yes, then you will also be able to pray in faith as did the Syro-Phoenecian woman. Then you will be able to say to God from your heart: Abba, my dear Father! And at the close of your prayer you will be able to exclaim confidently: Amen, amen, that is, yea, yea, it shall be so.

Oh, blessed people who can pray thus! Up! you who hitherto still have not been able to take my advice and go the way pointed out. And you who already can speak with God as dear children with their dear Father, know what great mercy has been shown you; do not be lazy in using this grace diligently and above all guard yourself against those things whereby you would again lose this incomparable right as children of God.

Stamp the example of this Canaanite woman deeply on your souls, and in all temptation and trouble quickly take your refuge in believing prayer, as she did, persevere as she did, and you will also with joy win every time. Amen.