Learning From Your Mother To Pray! James 1:22-27

Rogate, The Sixth Sunday of Easter                                 9-May-2021

Sermon Text: James 1:22-27

Sermon Theme: “Learning From Your Mother To Pray”

I.N.R.I. “Alleluia! Christ Is Risen!....” “Rogate” comes from the Latin “rogare” which means “to ask,” a reference to the strong theme of prayer in the Scripture lessons appointed for this Sunday. Today our victorious King Jesus encourages us ask boldly and confidently of our Heavenly Father as dear children beg their dear father. John 16:23-24 "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. (24) Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

      Joe was blessed with a Christian mother and father. Born the second child of his family in Ireland, he was reborn the same day in the waters of Holy Baptism - September 10th, 1819. His Dad served in the Royal Marines as a captain in Canada during the War of 1812. Joe had wanted to follow his father’s footsteps, but his poor health prevented him. He earned a BA and found a teaching job as a tutor. Joe wanted to marry a Christian woman like his mother. In 1843 the day before his wedding, Joe waited anxiously by a bridge on the Bann river. His fiancee came riding across the bridge on horseback. Then he saw his love tragically fall from her horse into the raging river below. His rescue attempt was in vain and she drown.  

    The Christ centered faith instilled in Joe by his mother comforted him in his grief. Embracing the fundamentalist teachings of the Plymouth Brethren, he immigrated to Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. He found work there as a tutor. Joe fell in love with another Christian woman in Canada and planned to marry. It was not to be, she would die of pneumonia after being rebaptized in the icy April waters of Rice Lake to be admitted into the “Plymouth Brethren” congregation. Crushed by grief, Joe supported himself with odd jobs to help the poor. He tell all who would listen the Good News of Jesus.

      Receiving news from overseas, in 1855, that his mother had fallen ill, Joe wrote her a poem - a gift to comfort her - he entitled it, “Pray Without Ceasing.”   This poem reflected the treasure she had given him from his infant years in Christ. You know this poem well. Open your hymnal - LSB #770:1.

      Like Joseph Scriven, thank God for the blessing of a Christian mother, and listening to your Mother - The Christian Church - rejoice to be “Learning From Your Mother To Pray!”

      St. Augustine wrote, “He who has not the Church for his Mother, has not God for His Father.” Last Sunday God the Holy Spirit through the pen of St. James called us to, “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. “ We were birthed by our Mother, Christ’s Church with water and the Word in Holy Baptism. In the delivery room a Mom waits to hear noise, if after all her painful labor it is silent something is wrong with her baby. Born of water and the Spirit we cry out. Gal 4:4-6 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (6) And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

      Too many of us spend all our time talking about prayer, but never take the time to pray. (James 1:22-24) “Mom, I love you!” many say today, but do they put their love into action - are they “doers” of the words written in the Hallmark cards they give? Love done humbles. It honors its mother as God’s gift and cheerfully obeys. It seeks to serve and care for one another in the family, not to compete. Your Spiritual Mother calls you to remember Whose you are? Don’t look into the perfect law of liberty - the Gospel and then walk away forgetting Whose you are.

        The children of Israel had forgotten Whose they were - so after nearly four decades wandering in the wilderness they complain against God and Moses. They call “angel’s food” “bread from heaven” worthless food. Accuse God of bringing them out to die. Much like a toddler throwing a tantrum and refusing to eat the nutritious meal prepared by her mother. God gives them what they wanted - death by fiery serpents. Only facing death do they pray - calling upon the Lord God who had rescued them from slavery, saved them from the mightiest army in the world, and had faithfully led and fed them though they constantly rebelled. The Lord didn’t take away the snakes, instead He gave them a sign of His Love. A bronze snake lifted up on a pole - those bitten were to trust His promise and do His Word - look to it and live. Here was the promise of the cross - Jesus teaches, Joh 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (15) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.       Remember who you are! Remember your Mother - The Church! (LSB #770:1 - sing together

1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear–
All because we do not carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!)

You have a Friend in Jesus! He has borne all your sins, all your sorrows, all your grief in His own innocent heart. He has paid your price in His suffering - Look to Him and live! Carry everything to Him in prayer! On the night He would give Himself to be sacrificed for us sinners upon the cross - He calls us to pray - “Ask” He commands. “You will receive” He promises. “That your joy may be full.” - is His gift of love to you. Pray as dear children begging their loving Father - for in Christ Jesus’ holy wounds - you are perfectly loved. A mother’s love for her children is great. Isaiah, the prophet preached, “Isa 49:15-16 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. (16) See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. God’s love for you is perfect. He has written your name in the nail holes in His hands. He will never leave or forsake you.

          We must view the blessing of motherhood through God’s Word. The world perverts the blessing of motherhood treating pregnancy and childbirth as a disease. Our Creator calls children a blessing to every Christian home. Dr. Luther wrote, (4th Cmdt L.C.) “To this estate of fatherhood and motherhood God has given the special distinction above all estates that are beneath it that He not simply commands us to love our parents, but to honor them. For with respect to brothers, sisters, and our neighbors in general He commands nothing higher than that we love them, so that He separates and distinguishes father and mother above all other persons upon earth, and places them at His side.”

        Dear redeemed sinner, baptized child of God, beloved of God the Father in Christ Jesus and made new every morning by the Holy Spirit. Daily look into the mirror waters of your baptism. (James 1:25) Wash and be cleansed in Christ’s blood. Wash and drown your old sinful lusts and desires and rise to a new Christ like life. Live your Faith - pray! (LSB #770:2 - sing together

2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged–
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev'ry weakness–
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

). Mothers are the heart of the home. They see, feel, and often bear the pain of their children. Christ Jesus knows your struggles. He knows your sins and doesn’t turn His back on you. Closer than a mother is to her daughter - Christ Jesus is close to you. Call upon His Name in every trouble. Pray to Him in the trials you face. Praise Him for the blessing of your Christian mother - or at least for a mother who gave you life. Give thanks to Him for all things - even those trials and crosses that flood into your life. Joseph Scriven lived his life under the cross. His suffering drove him to cling to Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit Word breathed faith that lived in his mother’s heart lived in his also. He echoed back to her what she had taught him - “take it to the Lord in prayer.” No trial or temptation is beyond Jesus’ ability to understand and strengthen us by His Holy Spirit to find comfort in our loving Heavenly Father’s good and gracious will.

          What is in your heart will be on your tongue. Many will call their moms today to wish them a happy mothers day. Others will miss hearing their mother’s voice. Christ’s resurrection assures us that all our moms who have fallen asleep in Jesus we shall hear, see, and hug again in the life of the world to come.

      Mom’s often taught us to “watch our mouths.” Some of us even discovered what soap tasted like after cursing. Moms loved us enough to discipline us in the home. They didn’t want corrupt communication or lies coming out of our mouths. They wanted us to use our tongues to speak the truth in love. To praise Christ and pray to our Father through Him. Mom’s knew how we talked would effect how we acted. They knew the wisdom of St. James (James 1:26) Bridle your tongue, instead of speaking evil - pray for one another. Instead of complaining about those in authority - pray for the Lord to give them wisdom. Instead of speaking fear - use the newspaper, or news feed as God calling you to pray. Throw all your worries upon Him for He cares for you.   (LSB #770:3 - sing together

3 Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge–
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He'll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.).

In prayer our Lord Jesus is by our side. He has even given us His Words to pray. As you pray the Lord’s prayer He is by your side, breathing His Word and Spirit out through your vocal chords into your ears. God the Father wraps His loving arms around you in Christ Jesus the Savior of sinners.

        God the Holy Spirit puts our prayers into action. (James1:27) He sanctifies us to live our faith in loving service towards those in need. Not only to pray for widows and orphans, but to care for them in their trouble. To speak up for the unborn and elderly and defend their right to live and be treated with respect and dignity. Prayer is a shield against Satan’s constant attacks and our fleshly weakness. We pray for God’s Name - His Word to be made holy in our teaching and lives by His Holy Spirit keeping us in Christ Jesus. We pray the Father to break our stubborn sinful will and keep us in His Word and faith. We thank God for our mothers as we pray for daily bread. We pray for a Christ centered faith that lives in forgiveness covering us and freeing us to forgive all who have wronged us. We pray for protection in temptation knowing that Jesus lives and He has won the victory for us. We pray to be delivered from the evil one - no evil will ever separate us from the love of God which is ours in Jesus.

        Joseph Scriven never intended for the poem he wrote to comfort his mother to be published. It was only to comfort her in trials with the comfort she had taught him from early childhood on in taking everything to our Friend, our Lord, our God - Jesus in prayer. Dear Christian - your spiritual Mother the church teaches you to pray - pray often - pray daily - pray without ceasing - pray as you laugh - pray as you cry - pray for and with your mother today - thank God for the blessings He has given you through her. Amen.