Why Do Feel So Blah?

Why Do I Feel So Blah?

Everyday life can be pretty mundane can’t it? You wake up, go to work, come home, watch tv, fall asleep. Wake up, go to work, come home, watch tv, fall asleep. After doing this for months and months and years and years you begin to just get this blah feeling about life. You feel grey on the inside as if my soul is dying this slow death. My life is just blah,

What is this all about? Is there more to life then just this 9-5 job with a bunch of people I really don’t even like, with a company that honestly could really care less about me. Everyone is just going through the motions trying to pretend for their bosses that they really care about what they are doing.

Why? Why do I feel so blah about life? Have you ever felt that way? Some of you are thinking, that is my life you’re talking about, you don’t have to convince me. Nothing really excites me any more. I’m just going through the motions and I really don’t know how to get out of this rut that I’m in.

Many of you might say, when I was younger things seemed to be different. Have you ever thought that way? Back in my college days and through seminary God gave me a big vision to be the next Billy Graham of Russia. These thoughts were something that consumed my mind and my prayers that God would use me to win thousands and thousands of people for Christ in Russia. At seminary we had to write down our vision and make a plan as to how this was going to happen and wow, it was like I couldn’t write fast enough. This was something that got my motor running, I felt so alive.

I had big plans but what got in the way of those plans? Life set in along the way. The things of this world started distracted me more and more away from that vision until it was a distant memory. Life sets in on all of us doesn’t it at times. We get so wrapped up in ‘living life’ that we get distracted away from those big things God called us to in our youth. Many of us had big plans and visions of what we were going to do for Christ. But life gets in the way doesn’t it?

I had a friend ask me this great question recently and I want to ask you all the same thing today. What are you working on and praying for that is BIG? You have to do all the normal stuff of life but what are you working on that is big? Are you willing to push back from your life and do something that matters? It’s a great question. If we’re not careful we’ll just go day to day and never push back and look at the big picture. Perhaps there is something bigger and grander God has for your life.

This question is for you not someone else. This forces us to look in the mirror and ask the question, what am I working on that matters?

Jesus actually said the same thing in Matt 6:31…
31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

You spend all your time worrying about the day to day activities of life and they’ll probably just take care of themselves anyway. You’re just like the pagans. Be consumed with Him.

Here is the question…what are you praying for? Are your prayers consumed with the minutiae of life? Your at a big mall and in a hurry, Lord, Help me to find a parking spot, or you just sped past a cop with a radar gun and you cry out, God, help me to not get a ticket, or you come to a test unprepared, God help me to pass the test, … would this all get taken care of any way. Do you really want to spend another year with just that stuff? Isn’t something bigger and grander?

What have you been praying for that is big? Is there anything so big that when you pray you know it won’t happen if God doesn’t intervene? Let me ask you, what are you praying for big? I want you to commit this year to latch on to something big this year and not let go until He moves.

Are you asking God anything that honors His size and His magnitude? You know God can move the mountains. Do we believe that? One thing I learned at seminary was that God is a BIG God. God is limitless and all powerful and we bring His name no glory when we only ask him for the mundane things of life. God help me to find just the right kind of outfit for that party next week. God help me to get up on time this morning. God help me to find a good mechanic for my car. Are these things unimportant, no, but God says those things he will take care of. He will take care of you, stop worrying about all that minor stuff of life and focus on something BIGGER.

If you’re a family that prays together? The size of your prayers determines the size of your God. Is He bigger then just the next test or the next

Have you ever noticed this in a prayer group? I’m as guilty as the next guy but it’s just an observation. What prayer requests do we have? People sit there and try and think up something. If you’re actually praying for something that will be right on the top of your head, you won’t have to search your brain.

What are you asking for that it consumes your mind and you are regularly crying out to God.

Luke 11. The disciples ask a great question, teach us how to pray. These were guys that have been around him for quit a while and saw him praying.

1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

Jesus launches into this discussion about prayer…When you pray...

Before Jesus teaches them how to pray he teaches them what they should be praying for and we looked at this in a previous sermon but in the prayer we call the Lord’s prayer the main point is that we should be praying for the things that are important to God. Making Him known and personally knowing Him.

So the first thing we see as to why we feel so blah about life is that we’re focused on the wrong things. We’re focused on all the stuff of life we’re trying to get for ourselves rather then the things that are important to God, making Him known.

Let’s go back to the story about my vision for Russia and when I was writing out that vision I couldn’t write fast enough. My heart was racing, my face felt flush. Why? When we’re focused on something that excites God and something he’s created us for we come alive inside.

The next part I’m going to focus the majority of our time on goes beyond the what we should be praying for but the how.

Luke 11:5-
In these days and in this culture hospitality was a crucial obligation. The host must feed the traveler who has come to someone’s home. And what is going on here is normally you would buy enough bread for the day.

5Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

So one late night a certain home has some surprise guests show up at their house. The custom was to give them, not just a piece from your loaf but an entire loaf of bread for their travels. This certain home didn’t have any full loaves left so they went knocking on their neighbor’s door late at night because they knew this certain neighbor had a stash of loaves.
7"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.'
So this neighbor comes knocking late at night, please give me some bread for my guests. Now, the neighbor is completely asleep with his family and kids all in the same room and the same bed which was customary. The doors of these days had a huge bar across them with all kinds of noisy rings and to unbolt the door would have caused a huge noise and awaken the entire family. So he refuses and sends the friend away empty handed.

Now in these parables often somebody in the story represents us and somebody represents God the Father. The guy sleeping represents God, strange huh? Jesus represents God the Father this way not me.

v. 8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

The only thing that makes the guy get up and give him what he asks was his boldness.

Boldness-means shameless, inappropriateness, persistence. His shameless asking. Surely you don’t mean God is like that? Luke 18 says a similar thing about the judge not being bothered. This widow just keeps coming and the judge says just to get the woman out of his hair. Alright enough already.

What is Jesus talking about? Are we supposed to just bug God to death until He gives us what we want? Actually yes. This is pretty much what this story Jesus teaches is saying. That if we go to God with boldness, shameless persistence, even inappropriate persistence He will give us what we ask.

Our way of praying is much more tame isn’t it. “Lord I have this friend who isn’t a Christian, if it’s your will would you speak to him. If not, no problem I won’t bug you about it again.” We see this kind of begging and pleading and inappropriate and rude don’t we? Jesus is talking about begging and pleading.

Story of Natalie’s shameless pleading.

v. 9 keep seeking, keep knocking, keep asking…in other words you keep coming at God until He gives you what you’re asking for. If that makes you a little more uncomfortable you’re not alone. God is not annoyed by that but he is honored by that.

But, surprisingly, if you look at the prayers of the OT these guys came after God with persistence and boldness. God I am coming after you and I’m not going away.

One of the most unusual stories is the story of Jacob wrestling with God and would not stop until God blessed Him. We look at that story as pretty unusual but in light of this context it makes perfect sense. Jacob was not going to give up until he got what He wanted from God, His blessing. Jacob wanted more then anything else to be a part of God’s plan for this world.

Now, he’s not talking about coming after God for that new car you’ve always wanted. Just before this Jesus teaching us what we should be praying for.

When was the last time you cried out to God, God use me for your purposes. I am not going to stop asking until you use me to bring the world to you. I am going to be so persistent that you are going to get tired of me. I’m sick and tired of just going through the motions of this boring life. God I want to be a part of something BIG you are doing and I’m not going to go away until you answer my prayer. Keep seeking, keep knocking, keep asking because God is honored by that. God honors those who pray in this way.

v. 10 for everyone who asks receives. You may have to ask for years not just once. I know you hear me God. The door will be opened.

Do you pray like that? Is it any wonder that our lives are so powerless and boring? Is it any wonder that our churches are so feeble?

Some of you are a result of your mom or dad asking seeking and knocking for years and years and years and now you are here. Some of you are in the faith or in this position of life because someone who loved you understood this principle.

When you ask in this way God realizes that this is something big and serious and passionate to you. This isn’t just, God help it not to rain for the mothers day picnic. God wants us to ask of Him something BIG. And when he finally answers it takes our faith to new levels its never been.

Don’t spend another year asking for things that will be taken care of anyway.

Sometimes God wants to know if this is just a passing fad or if we’re really serious about this. We’ve all had those friends we commit to pray for then after the 2nd or 3rd day we’ve totally forgot. Why do we do this? Because ultimately its just not that important to us. And God wants to know, is this really important to you?

Bill Bright. He was a businessman, things were going well but God began to come into his life. Spread out a map on their kitchen table and he and his wife asked, God give us this world. God answered that prayer with campus crusade for Christ. Why because he prayed big.

I went to Sam recently and told him, yea, maybe after this starting point class we can do three a year. Sam wrote back and said, why not have multiple classes going on at the same time, not just 2 or 3 a year. Sam is thinking big.

What’s your vision for this church? What’s my vision? As I worked on this sermon I kept asking God what’s my vision for this church? After Friday night when we had met one on one with each other in discipleship and prayer for one another, I was reminded how incredibly important those kinds of relationships are for spiritual growth. Getting with someone who knows you so specifically that they are praying for you is such a fertile place for spiritual growth to happen. And my vision for this church is to see a thousand people involved in these kinds of providential relationships.

Ask and seek and knock. You are not going away. What is it? What are we going to ask God for that is big. If you have nothing, ask God to give you a vision for something big. Or pray this, God I’m not going to go away until you make me a part of something BIG you are doing.

It may be 10 years, 5 years, or a year before you see any movement on this issue but would you be willing to pray for something big, something outside of your day to day life, something outside of the minutiae of life, something BIG.

Jesus loves when we keep asking, he loves relentlessly people, and He’s moved by this because he is moved by people that won’t go away. If you’ve never been gripped like that then maybe you haven’t been praying like God wants you to pray.

If you pray like this it will change your life, change your heart, and change your perspective. It will change your thoughts about God. When you pray for months and months and years and years for something and God begins to move it will change you like nothing else. You will be changed forever.

What are you going to pray for this year? When we pray like this for something bigger then ourselves God gives us purpose and meaning and direction and excitement we’ve never felt before and that blah of life will go away.