“Please” God

-Introduction

-Parents and Grandparents, tell the truth:  It’s more difficult to tell a child or grandchild

 no when he/she says “please,” isn’t it?

            -There’s just something about that word – especially from a young child.

-Well, not too long ago, during some of my reading, I came across a passage where a

 person was saying “please” to God.

            -I thought it might be interesting to do some study regarding times when people asked

             God “please.”  Here’s a sampling of what I found.

-“I Beseech Thee” and “Please”

-Let me first say that when I looked at the word “please” (and forms of it) in the KJV, I

 found it being used in the sense of “pleasing” another (i.e. God, fellow man, etc.)

            -John 8:29, Heb. 11:6

            -Obviously, we want to please God.  Yet, for this lesson, let’s focus on times that

             people asked God “please.”

-In the KJV (unless I missed something) you do not find the word “please” utilized in this

 manner. 

            -For example, consider 2 Kings 20:3 – “I beseech thee” (KJV, NASB); “Please” (ESV)

            -“'anna' or 'annah - Ah now! I/we beseech you! Oh now! Pray now! (a participle of

             entreaty usually followed by an imperative verb)” (The Online Bible Thayer's Greek

             Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, © 1993, Woodside Bible

             Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.)

                        -In the ESV, the word “please” is translated from other words as well.

                        -And, at times, this word , “anna,” is translated differently – not as please.

-Yet, for the purpose of the lesson this morning, I want to focus on this particular word.

            -It occurs 13 times in the O.T. 

-Please God…Remember – 2 Kings 20:3

-“Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a

 whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight” (2 Kings 20:3)  (See also Isa. 38:3.)

-To me, this is an amazing passage.

            -Upon hearing that he had a terminal illness, Hezekiah’s first thought was “O Lord,

             remember.”

            -How many others would want God to forget certain things?

                        -And, that is a wonderful attribute of God – the willingness and ability to forget.

                        -Ps. 25:7; Isa. 43:25; Heb. 8:10-12

                        -The blood of Christ was shed so that our sins could be washed away – removed –

                         gone – forgotten.

                                    -I am glad that God is willing and able to forget!

-Yet, Hezekiah’s first reaction was remember - how he walked in faithfulness with his

 whole heart.

            -As children of God, it should be very comforting to know that God also remembers.

            -He knows who His children are.  He knows the efforts we put forth.  He knows what

             we are doing in our efforts to live according to His will.

                        -Gen 8:1 – Amongst a sea of sinful people, “God remembered Noah…”

                        -Gal. 6:9; 2 Kings 20:4-6

-Please God…Hear – Nehemiah 1

-vs 1-3 – While serving at Shushan during the Babylonian captivity, Nehemiah received a

                             report from Judah.

-vs 4-11 – Nehemiah prays to God.

            -vs 5 – “I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven” (KJV), “O Lord God of heaven” (ESV)

            -vs 11 – same

            -Nehemiah is pleading to God – Please, God, hear my prayer.  He’s basically saying,

             “Even though we have sinned and fallen short, please listen to my prayer.”

-Isn’t this the type of attitude that we should exhibit in prayer to our Father?  We, too, have

 sinned.  Yet, as His children, we have the open ear of God available.

            -2 Chron. 7:14; Matt. 7:7-11

            -This is available to us through the blood of Jesus – 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 4:16.

-Please God…Save – Psalm 118:25

-“Save us, we pray, O Lord!...” (Psalm 118:25)

-Notice that this Psalm opens and closes with a focus on God’s mercy (KJV), love (ESV) -

             -vs 1-4, 29.

-Since God is merciful and loves us, we can ask Him to save us.

            -This could be a request for physical safety.  The psalmist references “distress” (vs 5) and

             being “surrounded” by other nations (vs 10-12). 

            -read vs 13&14

-Yet, this portion of the Psalm containing vs 25 is definitely Messianic.

            -vs 22 - 1 Peter 2:6, Acts 4:8-12

            -vs 24 - a very popular and well-known verse - Yet, notice that it is within a Messianic

                                     context.  “This is the day” is a reference to the time of the Gospel of Christ.

            -vs 25 - “save us” - This is where the word “hosanna” comes from.

                        -This word, along with the message of verse 26, was utilized during Jesus’ triumphal

                         entry - Matt. 21:9, Mark 11:9-10, Luke 19:38, John 12:13.

-Therefore, when the Psalmist pleads, “Save us, please, O Lord!” he is doing so in view of

 Jesus.

-Summary and Invitation

-Acts 4:8-12 - Thanks to Jesus we can plead with God - Please hear my prayers.  Please forget

 my sins.  Please remember my good deeds.  Please save me.

            -Psalm 118:28-29

-For His faithful children, God:  hears their prayers, forgives and forgets their sins,

 remembers their good deeds and promises salvation to them.  Are you a faithful child of God?

            -If not, become one by obeying the Gospel:  believe in Jesus (John 3:16, 8:24), confess

             your faith (Matt. 10:23, Rom. 10:9-10) repent of sin (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 17:30), be

             baptized into Christ (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Gal. 3:26-29), live faithfully (Rom. 6:4, Eph

             4:22-24).

-If you’ve obeyed the Gospel but haven’t remained faithful, confess your shortcomings, repent

 and pray to God for forgiveness (1 John 1:7-9, Acts 8:22-24).