WEBVTT 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:04.400 We're going to start a new series together over the next four weeks, and that is on the screen. 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:07.000 Four things I wish you knew about God. 00:00:07.020 --> 00:00:14.080 And I'm just going to be up front and starting this first lesson together, you're going to think I'm playing some sort of trickery on your mind, some 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:15.100 Jedi mind tricks here. 00:00:15.120 --> 00:00:22.900 Because what we're going to talk about is something you already know in your mind, but 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:24.700 maybe not completely. 00:00:25.460 --> 00:00:26.910 Always embrace in your heart. 00:00:27.980 --> 00:00:29.070 And we're going through this series together. 00:00:29.320 --> 00:00:36.380 We're going to talk about some concepts in the way that we, engage our culture, how God is relevant to life today, where 00:00:36.380 --> 00:00:43.520 God meets us, where we are and how we should interact with him as people, and what it's important to know 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:46.820 about God as we interact with him in this world. 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:53.460 And so not to insult your intelligence, but to simply recognize as we're going through this series together. 00:00:53.580 --> 00:00:58.340 When I began to study and prepare, I asked myself this question. 00:00:58.500 --> 00:01:05.760 And knowing the topic, we're going to engage in, Nathaniel, what are some things that you really, need to refocus 00:01:05.940 --> 00:01:07.950 on as far as your walk with God goes? 00:01:09.080 --> 00:01:11.300 And I'm going with this general idea, whatever that is. 00:01:11.720 --> 00:01:13.410 We're probably all in that boat together. 00:01:14.660 --> 00:01:16.520 And so over the next four days, we're all people. 00:01:16.800 --> 00:01:18.100 We struggle with the same things. 00:01:18.240 --> 00:01:24.660 We generally tend to ask the same questions, though sometimes we might feel like we're isolated from one another and our spiritual journey together. 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:32.120 We're a lot alike when we when we begin to discuss just struggles, thoughts, questions that we ask about God and how it relates 00:01:32.260 --> 00:01:32.800 to life. 00:01:32.820 --> 00:01:40.040 And so not not to insult you this morning, but just to simply say our minds will understand this topic, but our hearts usually 00:01:40.040 --> 00:01:46.980 drag a little bit further behind from what our mind is, and this is what we're going to express to us in discussion as we dive into Scripture today. 00:01:47.020 --> 00:01:49.680 We're going to be in Luke chapter 11 as our primary place of text. 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:51.460 You can turn there, but here's what I'm going to say. 00:01:53.480 --> 00:01:54.000 One thing. 00:01:55.180 --> 00:01:56.240 I wish we knew about God. 00:01:57.900 --> 00:02:01.630 Is just how much God desires to hear from you. 00:02:03.860 --> 00:02:05.540 Intellectually within our minds. 00:02:05.560 --> 00:02:10.240 We know this, but spiritually within our hearts we can often neglect this. 00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:14.960 God desires to communicate with us. 00:02:16.260 --> 00:02:24.340 And the truth is, as people, if we understood how much God desires that relationship with you, we 00:02:24.340 --> 00:02:31.640 would spend far less time angry over issues, far less time in worry 00:02:32.060 --> 00:02:39.460 over issues, far less time stressed out over issues, far less time complaining 00:02:39.460 --> 00:02:42.800 over things, and far more time coming to God in prayer. 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:48.480 The truth is prayer for us as people. 00:02:50.760 --> 00:02:53.700 Is a reflection of the beauty of what the gospel is. 00:02:55.360 --> 00:03:02.420 You think about what the gospel communicates to us as individuals, is that God is in pursuit of a relationship 00:03:02.420 --> 00:03:03.340 with you. 00:03:03.380 --> 00:03:10.260 And when we understand what the gospel is, it magnifies the beauty of what prayer represents in the life of the believer. 00:03:12.180 --> 00:03:18.920 In Hebrews chapter four, it tells us come boldly with confidence before the throne of God. 00:03:19.160 --> 00:03:19.260 Why? 00:03:20.980 --> 00:03:23.430 Because of what Christ has done. 00:03:25.860 --> 00:03:33.460 The more our country goes towards political elections, it seems like the more hot topics began to get debated 00:03:33.460 --> 00:03:40.820 within our culture, and the more we as people become really concerned with how our opinions get expressed 00:03:40.820 --> 00:03:42.600 and that everyone knows what our opinion is. 00:03:44.920 --> 00:03:45.480 But the truth is. 00:03:47.780 --> 00:03:53.840 The more these issues are debated, the more the people of God should express their voices before the Lord. 00:03:56.720 --> 00:03:58.560 At the root of the gospel. 00:04:00.100 --> 00:04:03.140 The expression of prayer is born. 00:04:06.180 --> 00:04:13.200 Jesus has opened the door for you and I to come before our King and expression of this 00:04:13.200 --> 00:04:14.650 world. 00:04:15.780 --> 00:04:18.980 And so there's a few weeks ago for us as a body of believers. 00:04:19.300 --> 00:04:24.300 But you as a believer in this world are the place where heaven are you? 00:04:24.760 --> 00:04:28.520 We are the position of where heaven and earth collide. 00:04:30.520 --> 00:04:32.540 God working in you and through you. 00:04:32.540 --> 00:04:38.340 His spirit in you, indwelling you, empowering you to bear his image in this world. 00:04:38.340 --> 00:04:45.900 And so your relationship to God in your expression to him makes you the liaison, the representation of 00:04:45.900 --> 00:04:47.100 his image being born. 00:04:47.180 --> 00:04:54.360 And therefore prayer is significant and therefore prayer becomes the emblem of the gospel, which has opened 00:04:54.400 --> 00:05:01.440 up for us the avenue to express ourself to God because of what Jesus has done for us, that we may boldly 00:05:01.440 --> 00:05:02.940 approach the throne of God. 00:05:07.960 --> 00:05:09.490 When hot topics are debated today. 00:05:12.250 --> 00:05:15.580 I think they're important to discuss as far as it relates to God. 00:05:18.120 --> 00:05:19.120 But far more important. 00:05:21.100 --> 00:05:23.760 It was the way that we communicate to the Lord in those matters. 00:05:26.940 --> 00:05:31.030 Ephesians chapter two and verse four is an expression of the gospel says this. 00:05:32.400 --> 00:05:32.760 But God. 00:05:34.340 --> 00:05:41.740 Being rich in mercy because of his great love, which he loved us even when we were dead in our transgressions, made 00:05:41.740 --> 00:05:43.220 us alive together with Christ. 00:05:44.620 --> 00:05:51.680 And raise us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:58.240 he might show the surpassing riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. 00:06:03.220 --> 00:06:04.880 People who know the Lord. 00:06:06.700 --> 00:06:07.700 Should be a praying people. 00:06:09.880 --> 00:06:17.080 Knowing that God has opened the door for us to continue to express the riches of his grace towards us 00:06:17.080 --> 00:06:23.900 in Christ because of his richness and mercy which he has lavished on us. 00:06:26.780 --> 00:06:34.140 When you study the context of prayer within Scripture, you'll find that the word pray or prayer is mentioned over 365 times 00:06:34.140 --> 00:06:34.760 in the Bible. 00:06:36.740 --> 00:06:41.880 That the Bible records over 650 different prayers. 00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:48.990 In fact, if you go to our Facebook page this morning, you can see a list of those prayers and where they happen in Scripture. 00:06:49.540 --> 00:06:52.960 The Bible records over 450 answers to prayer. 00:06:54.540 --> 00:07:00.660 Jesus in the Gospels is recorded as praying over 25 different times in the Apostle Paul. 00:07:00.920 --> 00:07:08.300 Within the 13 books that he wrote of the letters within Scripture over 41 times, the Apostle Paul talks about 00:07:08.900 --> 00:07:09.520 prayer. 00:07:13.020 --> 00:07:13.610 Prayer is significant. 00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:17.740 In the context of Scripture. 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:26.680 But, as I talk about prayer this morning, one of the things that I don't want us to do as a body of believers is to feel like it's a 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:30.970 moral obligation or something that just needs to be on the checklist that I have to get done. 00:07:32.700 --> 00:07:33.060 Meaning. 00:07:33.640 --> 00:07:35.060 I don't say prayer this morning. 00:07:35.100 --> 00:07:41.840 So you walk out of here feeling like, oh, no, I got a I got to put something else on my bucket list for every day that I have to do before God. 00:07:41.840 --> 00:07:43.930 And oh, what am I going to squeeze that in? 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:52.960 But I want us to think about it as we consider prayer as the opportunity that God has given us, and the access you have before the King to enjoy 00:07:52.960 --> 00:07:58.640 what you previously didn't have apart from Christ, but because of Jesus. 00:07:58.660 --> 00:08:01.960 It's not an obligation, but now a privilege and opportunity. 00:08:02.120 --> 00:08:09.320 You have to approach God before the throne, and rather than carry the burden upon yourself, rather than act in vengeance in your own power, you have access to 00:08:09.320 --> 00:08:10.920 the King who has all power. 00:08:14.920 --> 00:08:15.920 It's amazing to me. 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:25.540 When something becomes important to people, what we will go through and endure just to make sure we get to experience 00:08:25.540 --> 00:08:26.130 it in life. 00:08:27.880 --> 00:08:29.280 We, um. 00:08:29.400 --> 00:08:36.559 When I was much younger, I remember some of my friends decided that, bored with 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:36.880 life. 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:41.799 We're just going to we're just going to try to get and meet celebrities. 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:43.080 That's what we wanted to do. 00:08:43.080 --> 00:08:43.750 We were going to meet celebrities. 00:08:44.179 --> 00:08:51.820 So the first thing that we decided to do was there was this boy band that came to our town to play, and, they 00:08:51.820 --> 00:08:55.640 were going to play some music in and we wanted to just meet them. 00:08:55.660 --> 00:08:57.100 They were the we decided this together. 00:08:57.400 --> 00:09:02.060 They're going to be the first group that comes into our town, which is a small town that's of anyone, of any celebrity. 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:03.840 We don't have to leave our town to meet these people. 00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:08.540 And so we decide in those moments we're going to do whatever it takes to get near these people. 00:09:08.600 --> 00:09:08.840 And so. 00:09:09.140 --> 00:09:11.100 So we camp out the night before for tickets. 00:09:12.600 --> 00:09:18.460 We get to the front of the line and we find out that tickets, even though you camp out the night before, is by random drawing. 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:23.000 You get a number and then they draw it and you are randomly selected first or not. 00:09:23.140 --> 00:09:25.180 Whether you can't that all night or not, it didn't even matter. 00:09:25.960 --> 00:09:27.740 They were going to sell out within the first day. 00:09:27.760 --> 00:09:29.250 So it was good that we camped out so we could get tickets. 00:09:29.460 --> 00:09:32.310 But here we still have this opportunity to meet these celebrities. 00:09:32.500 --> 00:09:35.500 So we were kind of disappointed at the front of the line when we got there and find that out. 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:40.280 But lo and behold, when they draw out these tickets, who is first? 00:09:41.280 --> 00:09:42.960 Well, yours truly, right? 00:09:43.680 --> 00:09:50.820 And the best part about it is this boy band, unfortunately for us and our pride as 00:09:50.940 --> 00:09:56.120 young men attracted girls between the age of 10 to 12. 00:09:56.460 --> 00:09:57.530 And so here we are celebrating. 00:09:57.880 --> 00:10:02.230 We get these first tickets in line and we're like in the faces of these ten year old girls. 00:10:02.520 --> 00:10:04.320 Oh yeah, oh yeah. 00:10:06.560 --> 00:10:09.260 The privilege of meeting these people. 00:10:11.800 --> 00:10:18.880 When we get our tickets and we get to the concert and we find out how fortunate our seats are, so much so that the opening acts that perform 00:10:18.880 --> 00:10:22.220 before this band actually have their seats right beside of us. 00:10:23.160 --> 00:10:30.200 And so throughout the concert of the main group, I get to sit beside these individuals that end up becoming popular in the music world and never got 00:10:30.200 --> 00:10:32.000 to talk to him because her bodyguard kept threatening me. 00:10:33.010 --> 00:10:33.460 But. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:36.650 But I was beside a celebrity. 00:10:38.560 --> 00:10:40.280 I'm not going to tell you on the back end of that. 00:10:40.400 --> 00:10:43.270 If there's ever someone you met that could care less if they meet a celebrity. 00:10:44.140 --> 00:10:46.780 I mean, as a kid, I made it a priority just because it sounded fun. 00:10:46.900 --> 00:10:50.660 But, they're just people. 00:10:51.350 --> 00:10:52.100 But you think about this. 00:10:55.300 --> 00:10:55.980 Who is God in comparison? 00:11:00.740 --> 00:11:02.460 God has given you access to him. 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:08.860 God calls himself and He is King of kings and Lord of lords. 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:14.480 We should have an image painted within our mind just by the vocabulary that's used there. 00:11:16.820 --> 00:11:23.740 And what peasant of the world during the time of kings was able just to randomly approach the king at will. 00:11:26.460 --> 00:11:27.580 To go before a king. 00:11:27.820 --> 00:11:31.640 Unwanted, unmerited, uninvited could warrant your death. 00:11:34.460 --> 00:11:38.710 And yet the King of Kings gives you the opportunity to approach him at any time. 00:11:41.800 --> 00:11:48.880 Hebrews ten says this therefore, brethren, since we have the confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he has inaugurated through us to the 00:11:48.980 --> 00:11:50.020 veil that is his flesh. 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:57.200 And since we have a great high priest over the house, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean 00:11:57.200 --> 00:12:00.540 from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 00:12:02.860 --> 00:12:03.820 Present an obligation. 00:12:05.820 --> 00:12:06.180 It's a privilege. 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:16.000 Jesus's life was lived in such a way that prayer was seen as a top priority to him. 00:12:16.040 --> 00:12:19.720 And he communicated that way to us about about the issue. 00:12:19.740 --> 00:12:26.140 He says in Matthew that his house in Matthew 2113, his house should be called a house of prayer. 00:12:27.980 --> 00:12:30.920 When Jesus expresses this thought, Jesus isn't. 00:12:31.620 --> 00:12:35.040 Jesus isn't saying that this church building is the house of prayer. 00:12:35.080 --> 00:12:39.120 When he was saying this, he was talking about about the temple in the Old Testament. 00:12:39.380 --> 00:12:46.620 But in the New Testament it tells us that you now are the temple of God, and therefore, being the house of God, your house should become a house of prayer, 00:12:46.620 --> 00:12:48.280 or heaven and earth collide. 00:12:51.680 --> 00:13:00.240 Had a professor in college that used to remind us of students that would say, prayer is the nerve that moves the muscle of God. 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:06.100 In Luke chapter 11, looking at the significance and prayer in the life of Jesus. 00:13:06.180 --> 00:13:07.120 This is what his disciples say. 00:13:09.040 --> 00:13:16.660 It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach 00:13:16.660 --> 00:13:17.700 us to pray. 00:13:18.940 --> 00:13:21.310 Just as John also taught his disciples. 00:13:23.640 --> 00:13:24.780 When it comes to prayer. 00:13:24.860 --> 00:13:26.440 What is prayer all about? 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:30.640 How do we as individuals begin to interact with God? 00:13:30.680 --> 00:13:38.260 Whatever Jesus was doing in his life, one of the things that became crystal clear in the way that he was living it before his disciples is that prayer took 00:13:38.260 --> 00:13:40.510 priority in the life of Jesus. 00:13:42.620 --> 00:13:47.920 So much so that in verse two, I'm not working in verse two, who goes on a little further and says, Us. 00:13:47.920 --> 00:13:48.860 And Jesus said to them. 00:13:50.580 --> 00:13:51.140 When you pray. 00:13:52.780 --> 00:13:53.500 Say, father. 00:13:54.900 --> 00:13:56.860 Hallowed be your name. 00:13:57.740 --> 00:13:58.560 Your kingdom come. 00:14:00.520 --> 00:14:08.100 In verse two to verse four, Jesus is simply laying out for us a simple foundation to 00:14:08.100 --> 00:14:12.480 the access we have to God and how we should approach him in prayer. 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:18.820 When Jesus begins this prayer, he addresses prayer in the common way in which it's mentioned in Scripture. 00:14:19.140 --> 00:14:24.790 He begins to speak to the father in reverence, and all hallowed be your name, meaning sacred, be your name. 00:14:24.880 --> 00:14:26.540 Jesus prays to the father. 00:14:28.300 --> 00:14:34.580 When you study the context of the way prayer is laid out within Scripture, it works this way for us as believers. 00:14:36.060 --> 00:14:38.160 The general way in which prayer is known. 00:14:39.300 --> 00:14:39.480 It's. 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:41.960 It's to the father through the son. 00:14:43.140 --> 00:14:44.290 By the power of the spirit. 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:47.780 Prayer engages the Triune God. 00:14:49.820 --> 00:14:53.400 To the father through the son, by the spirit. 00:14:55.440 --> 00:15:02.220 When you look at prayer in Scripture, you can find places where different persons within the Trinity are prayed to. 00:15:03.520 --> 00:15:10.410 In fact, in acts chapter seven, I believe it's in 59 when Stephen is stoned, he says, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 00:15:12.260 --> 00:15:15.410 His last prayer was to Christ or directed to Christ. 00:15:16.640 --> 00:15:21.060 But the general way in which we pray is to the father through the son, by the spirit. 00:15:21.060 --> 00:15:22.340 And here's how it comes through the son. 00:15:22.340 --> 00:15:27.920 We pray through the son because of what the son has done for us, to give us access to God the Father. 00:15:29.420 --> 00:15:36.500 In fact, in John chapter 15 and verse 16, and in John 16 and verse 23, Jesus tells us that if we pray anything 00:15:36.500 --> 00:15:39.430 in his name, we shall receive it. 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:44.640 The word name isn't a magic trick when it comes to prayer. 00:15:46.540 --> 00:15:47.100 When you pray. 00:15:47.100 --> 00:15:53.060 Maybe you've even practiced this common thought within your life, where at the end you say, in Jesus name, Amen. 00:15:55.320 --> 00:15:58.080 Maybe you've even heard someone get worried before when they close a prayer. 00:15:58.080 --> 00:15:59.780 They didn't say that phrase in Jesus name. 00:15:59.780 --> 00:16:00.040 Amen. 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:01.180 And they sent it off. 00:16:01.180 --> 00:16:03.300 And you're thinking, oh no, it didn't get higher than the ceiling. 00:16:03.340 --> 00:16:05.360 They didn't close it with the magic word in Jesus name. 00:16:06.820 --> 00:16:07.710 Why do we do that? 00:16:10.040 --> 00:16:16.960 Well, the word name within Scripture, as it's listed in relationship to Christ, has to do with authority and power. 00:16:18.880 --> 00:16:26.300 It's as if God the Father is saying, and what right do you have to access before me to communicate to me King 00:16:26.300 --> 00:16:28.040 of kings and Lord of lords? 00:16:28.100 --> 00:16:33.220 And our answer to that is by the authority of Jesus, because of what Jesus has done on my behalf. 00:16:35.800 --> 00:16:37.120 So the power of his name. 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:43.140 Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence. 00:16:46.040 --> 00:16:51.960 When Jesus is saying in John chapter 15 and John chapter 16, whatever you pray in my name. 00:16:53.340 --> 00:16:58.390 When Jesus makes that statement, he's making that statement in the context of the coming of the Holy Spirit. 00:17:01.100 --> 00:17:01.660 In Romans eight. 00:17:01.760 --> 00:17:06.980 The Bible reminds us in verse 26, we do not know how to pray as we should. 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:14.180 But the spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:24.359 The Bible is acknowledging that there are even times in our lives when we come before God and the soul wants to connect to God so much. 00:17:24.460 --> 00:17:31.760 And maybe the grieving is so deep that there aren't even words to express the way you feel, but you understand that God knows 00:17:31.760 --> 00:17:39.050 your heart, and sitting before his presence, when there aren't words to even express the Spirit of God can grown on your behalf. 00:17:40.820 --> 00:17:44.590 Have you been there? 00:17:45.340 --> 00:17:47.560 Going through such difficulty within your life. 00:17:48.300 --> 00:17:55.440 You want to come before God, but even coming before God, you feel as if you don't even have the strength to express the 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:58.220 need that you have before his throne. 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:05.800 And it tells us when we come on our knees and the power of Christ, the groanings of the spirit, 00:18:05.980 --> 00:18:08.180 that God hears our cry. 00:18:13.300 --> 00:18:14.460 When Jesus gives us the answer. 00:18:14.560 --> 00:18:14.910 How to pray. 00:18:18.100 --> 00:18:23.980 It's through the permission of him dying on our behalf that we can come before the father. 00:18:25.800 --> 00:18:29.240 And Jesus engages this idea of prayer as something significant. 00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:33.480 Here at the very last phrase, it says your Kingdom come. 00:18:35.940 --> 00:18:41.500 The idea of prayer expressed within the life of the believer is not to get God to bend to my will. 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:45.510 But for me to live for his. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:49.360 It's not about my kingdom. 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:58.380 But it's about his second chronicles, chapter seven and verse 14. 00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:05.420 We'll look at the whole verse in just a few minutes, but the very beginning of it says this if my people will humble themselves and pray. 00:19:07.880 --> 00:19:15.040 Find the significant word to the attitude of prayer in Second Chronicles chapter seven isn't that the people of God are 00:19:15.040 --> 00:19:19.000 praying, but the attitude in which they are carrying into prayer itself. 00:19:20.380 --> 00:19:27.420 If my people will humble themselves and pray. 00:19:27.820 --> 00:19:34.840 It's expressing that when we engage into prayer, it's not about me, it's not about my wants, but it's about the Lord and what 00:19:34.840 --> 00:19:36.770 his kingdom desires in this world. 00:19:38.340 --> 00:19:45.580 And first John five and verse 13 it says, this is the confidence which we have before him, that if we ask anything according to his will, 00:19:46.200 --> 00:19:47.720 he hears us. 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:55.480 Again, emphasizing that the attitude of prayer is not about my will, but his will being done. 00:19:58.660 --> 00:20:00.380 And so we engage God. 00:20:02.760 --> 00:20:07.360 It's not about making him bend to us and our needs. 00:20:08.800 --> 00:20:09.300 But to his desires. 00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:18.040 Now, if you read the rest of Luke and you'll see if you as you journey on past Jesus expressing the prayer, God begins to say how much? 00:20:18.340 --> 00:20:19.040 How much? 00:20:19.040 --> 00:20:21.350 God wants to lavish his goodness upon his children. 00:20:21.380 --> 00:20:23.540 And so God cares about your needs. 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:30.580 But God's priority in this world is his kingdom and his desire and us aligning ourselves with him. 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:36.660 And so the thought of prayer, expressed in a biblical way, transforms the people of God more than anything. 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:43.460 Ephesians chapter six and verse 19 and 20. 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:49.820 Paul asks the Ephesians to pray for me. 00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:53.900 That I may boldly open my mouth and proclaim the gospel. 00:20:55.840 --> 00:21:00.440 He sees prayer as a way to change and challenge and strengthen and encourage him. 00:21:02.660 --> 00:21:09.940 David, when you read the Psalms, he says this in particularly in Psalm 139 and verse 23, it says, search me, oh God, 00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:11.400 and know my heart. 00:21:11.540 --> 00:21:14.500 Try me and know my ways. 00:21:18.460 --> 00:21:21.230 God is my heart about your kingdom. 00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:28.300 When I think of the reasons and excuses within our lives why sometimes we don't pray. 00:21:31.820 --> 00:21:32.340 Sometimes. 00:21:32.360 --> 00:21:37.420 Maybe within our lives we don't pray because we feel like we may overburden God. 00:21:40.020 --> 00:21:45.440 In first Peter five tells us, cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 00:21:46.800 --> 00:21:48.920 You can't overburden God. 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:51.380 In fact, if you feel that way this morning, I would just tell you this. 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:52.060 Try it. 00:21:55.460 --> 00:21:59.240 And God in creating prayer didn't make prayer for himself. 00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:04.480 God didn't create prayer because he needs to hear from you. 00:22:07.840 --> 00:22:09.320 God created prayer for you. 00:22:11.640 --> 00:22:15.160 And as you pray to him, he receives the glory. 00:22:17.380 --> 00:22:22.300 An understanding that the expression of her prayer acknowledges that he is Lord in control. 00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:26.880 You can't overburden him with prayer. 00:22:27.180 --> 00:22:30.660 He's created it for you so that you can engage him. 00:22:30.700 --> 00:22:33.980 In fact, acts chapter 17 and verse 25 says this. 00:22:34.460 --> 00:22:41.700 Nor is God served by human hands as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all people life and breath and all things. 00:22:44.180 --> 00:22:47.420 And sometimes we don't pray because we feel like we might overburden God. 00:22:47.420 --> 00:22:51.820 But maybe some other times we don't pray because we get this defeatist mentality and we think, what is? 00:22:52.040 --> 00:22:52.650 What's the use? 00:22:54.660 --> 00:23:01.320 When you when you read about the life of Jeremiah in the book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah is often referred to as he's the weeping prophet. 00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:03.420 That is the tum dub for him. 00:23:03.420 --> 00:23:07.400 But within the book of Jeremiah, he endured tremendous hardship. 00:23:10.140 --> 00:23:12.960 To the point that I would say if anyone had a defeated mentality. 00:23:14.900 --> 00:23:20.380 Looking at the impossibility of a circumstance and not even wanting to have the energy to pray. 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:22.660 It's Jeremiah. 00:23:24.740 --> 00:23:31.720 But God in Jeremiah chapter 32 and verse 27 says this behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. 00:23:32.220 --> 00:23:36.840 Is anything too difficult for me? 00:23:38.820 --> 00:23:47.000 And looking at the needs of the world and looking at the time, specifically of Jeremiah, when the nation of Israel was being conquered, God 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:53.120 acknowledges to Jeremiah, in the midst of hardship, there is nothing too difficult for God to do. 00:23:54.820 --> 00:24:02.060 Saying to you, having access to God before his very throne, the place where heaven and earth interact as you come before 00:24:02.060 --> 00:24:03.000 your King. 00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:05.040 Dream big in the Lord. 00:24:08.660 --> 00:24:15.680 When you think about the areas of life where you want to see God work, and it feels like you're cramming your head against the wall, there is nothing 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:17.080 too big for God. 00:24:20.620 --> 00:24:24.200 God desires to hear from his people. 00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:30.160 Jesus goes on further in Luke chapter 11. 00:24:31.980 --> 00:24:35.340 He says in verse three, give us each day our daily bread. 00:24:35.420 --> 00:24:39.360 I'm going to position that against a verse and just talk about both of these for a moment. 00:24:39.960 --> 00:24:42.440 Jesus says, give us each day our daily bread. 00:24:42.460 --> 00:24:43.620 And first Thessalonians five. 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:46.200 The Apostle Paul says this pray without ceasing. 00:24:49.520 --> 00:24:50.980 Give us each day our daily bread. 00:24:50.980 --> 00:24:53.140 What Jesus is saying here is he's answering this question. 00:24:55.080 --> 00:24:57.820 God, how much do we need to pray for everything that we go through in life? 00:24:59.940 --> 00:25:04.560 I remember when I first became a believer, I started asking that question in regards to prayer life. 00:25:04.560 --> 00:25:07.600 God, when I get up in the morning, do I need to ask you what kind of shoes to wear? 00:25:08.500 --> 00:25:10.180 I mean, how detailed does prayer need to be? 00:25:11.140 --> 00:25:12.870 And you look at Paul and he says, pray without ceasing. 00:25:13.060 --> 00:25:14.390 So does that mean pray about everything? 00:25:16.420 --> 00:25:18.280 God, how many steps should I take to get to the front door? 00:25:19.040 --> 00:25:21.120 I'll skip if I have to cut back, but. 00:25:23.380 --> 00:25:25.420 And how specific does prayer need to be? 00:25:25.460 --> 00:25:30.160 And when Jesus is teaching the disciples to pray, he generalizes the day in which you interact. 00:25:31.320 --> 00:25:32.780 He says, give us each day our daily bread. 00:25:32.780 --> 00:25:34.440 What Jesus is teaching the disciples here is God. 00:25:35.400 --> 00:25:39.030 The needs that I have within the present be there to meet them. 00:25:40.760 --> 00:25:44.540 Jesus isn't teaching his disciples to pray about every specific thing. 00:25:46.620 --> 00:25:52.500 But what Jesus is teaching his disciples is to recognize how God is involved in everything. 00:25:56.020 --> 00:25:57.720 Disciples when you wake up in the morning. 00:25:59.620 --> 00:26:03.220 Acknowledge before God that he is the one that provides. 00:26:05.040 --> 00:26:06.310 And for that day. 00:26:07.660 --> 00:26:10.740 Pray that his hand meet you to give you what's needed. 00:26:12.820 --> 00:26:14.910 When the Apostle Paul says, pray without ceasing. 00:26:15.140 --> 00:26:20.360 What he's saying to us isn't just wake up, start praying, and then don't stop. 00:26:20.360 --> 00:26:25.620 In fact, if someone starts to try to have a conversation with you, stop for two seconds and tell them, sorry, you can't interrupt me. 00:26:26.100 --> 00:26:28.360 I'm going to pray all day because this verse says, pray without ceasing. 00:26:28.520 --> 00:26:29.780 That's not what this verse means. 00:26:31.180 --> 00:26:36.750 Well, this verse means, is to keep God at the center of your day through prayer. 00:26:38.380 --> 00:26:39.440 This word for ceasing. 00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:40.100 If I could give it. 00:26:40.100 --> 00:26:47.200 Maybe an example for us is if you ever get sick, especially in the winter time, and you get that whooping cough or that repetitious cough that interacts with you throughout 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:49.350 the day that you wish you wish would go away. 00:26:49.880 --> 00:26:50.860 Well, prayer is the opposite of that. 00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:55.370 It's not the nagging solution to the day, but it's the positive solution in your day. 00:26:57.540 --> 00:27:00.530 As you're going throughout your day, just keep Jesus at the center. 00:27:02.440 --> 00:27:08.420 Prayer helps you to remind yourself, as you engage within this world, that God should be at the forefront of all that you're doing. 00:27:10.300 --> 00:27:16.590 Rather than find out how your friends feel about every issue, whether make sure you interact with God on the issue first. 00:27:20.140 --> 00:27:21.540 Give us each day our daily bread. 00:27:24.060 --> 00:27:25.000 Pray without ceasing. 00:27:27.500 --> 00:27:28.880 God is rich in his mercy. 00:27:32.860 --> 00:27:38.080 Sometimes as Christians we get a defeatist mentality and we like to complain about the way things are going. 00:27:38.100 --> 00:27:41.100 But can I tell you when things aren't going the way that you would desire for them to go? 00:27:41.100 --> 00:27:48.120 More than anything, what we should be is people on our knees expressing our voices to God rather than people on our 00:27:48.120 --> 00:27:50.370 feet expressing hatred within this world. 00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:59.880 Jesus goes on further in verse four and he says, give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins. 00:28:00.020 --> 00:28:05.380 For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us, and lead us not into temptation. 00:28:08.120 --> 00:28:14.580 Jesus is teaching the disciples the totality of the Christian life and how God is engaged in all of it through prayer. 00:28:16.020 --> 00:28:20.000 Give us each day our daily bread is dealing with the present God. 00:28:20.260 --> 00:28:27.500 Provide for what I need today and forgive us our sins is talking about the past as we also forgive everyone who is indebted 00:28:27.580 --> 00:28:27.900 to us. 00:28:28.400 --> 00:28:30.500 God's hand takes care of your past. 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:32.800 He manifests his grace. 00:28:32.900 --> 00:28:34.870 He lavishes his mercy upon it. 00:28:34.920 --> 00:28:36.320 And who is indebted to us? 00:28:36.320 --> 00:28:38.060 And lead us not into temptation. 00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:42.150 God is thinking about your future, and God is already in your future. 00:28:42.200 --> 00:28:49.240 And Jesus is teaching us to not worry about the past, turning into to God's hands and not be concerned with 00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:56.680 the future, but give it over into God's hands and look for God's hand working in the present by meeting you where you 00:28:56.680 --> 00:28:58.470 have needs for his Kingdom. 00:29:01.400 --> 00:29:03.840 God takes care of her past, present and future. 00:29:05.640 --> 00:29:08.820 Relieving us of our concerns. 00:29:08.860 --> 00:29:10.560 And this is why this is important this morning. 00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:20.120 This is one of the things I, as a believer, I think about often and want to safeguard myself 00:29:20.120 --> 00:29:20.240 from. 00:29:23.240 --> 00:29:24.380 Christians are good at christianese. 00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:35.920 When you walk with Jesus long enough, and especially I'll say me and going to Bible college, you 00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:42.440 learn the lingo to share that masks what lies within the heart. 00:29:45.300 --> 00:29:49.600 We get really good at sounding godly without living godly. 00:29:53.260 --> 00:29:55.880 That's not a statement to judge other people. 00:29:57.700 --> 00:29:59.420 It's a statement I make just to judge me. 00:30:02.460 --> 00:30:04.020 Here's how you know if you really care. 00:30:05.460 --> 00:30:09.300 If you're really walking with Jesus, if you're living a godly life. 00:30:11.640 --> 00:30:14.820 I think it can be measured by the amount of time you pray. 00:30:18.080 --> 00:30:24.560 If you really cared about it the way God cared about it, you'd be talking to God with him or in it. 00:30:28.680 --> 00:30:36.580 I'll say it again to just remind us I don't talk about prayer this morning to make us walk out and feel guilty about it, as 00:30:36.580 --> 00:30:38.620 if it's something you've got to put on your bucket list. 00:30:41.040 --> 00:30:45.570 I talk about prayer this morning to recognize what the privilege is for us as people. 00:30:47.220 --> 00:30:51.210 We know it in our head, but do you know it in your heart? 00:30:53.700 --> 00:30:59.780 Second Chronicles, chapter seven is a popular verse on prayer, and it's some that theologians say that Christians abuse greatly. 00:31:01.760 --> 00:31:04.380 But Second Chronicles chapter seven says this for people. 00:31:04.380 --> 00:31:06.630 And I'll give you, I'll tell you what the abuse is in just a minute. 00:31:06.720 --> 00:31:09.300 But the concept of this prayer is beautiful for us. 00:31:09.340 --> 00:31:17.200 And it says, my people who are called by my name, humble themselves and 00:31:17.240 --> 00:31:21.360 pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. 00:31:21.500 --> 00:31:25.800 Then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sins, and will heal their land. 00:31:28.140 --> 00:31:32.940 In Second Chronicles chapter seven, Israel going, going into captivity. 00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:37.440 God's reminding the people of Israel as they walk with him. 00:31:37.600 --> 00:31:40.540 God will keep them, bless them, and keep them within the land. 00:31:40.540 --> 00:31:44.890 And when they're disobedient to them and he doesn't listen to them, they will go into judgment and exile. 00:31:47.040 --> 00:31:53.180 And so by following the concept of this prayer, this is what I'm not going to say is going to happen, that God's going to take you to Israel for you to live. 00:31:53.400 --> 00:31:53.500 Okay. 00:31:53.720 --> 00:31:54.320 That's not going to happen. 00:31:57.060 --> 00:31:58.300 Boy, I got a saying in this verse. 00:32:00.180 --> 00:32:04.160 The concepts behind this verse are exactly what God desires from his people. 00:32:06.060 --> 00:32:07.150 Now before you respond. 00:32:08.320 --> 00:32:14.940 For God in this world that you're talking to your King about what his heart is for this world. 00:32:17.640 --> 00:32:22.680 If you really care and Jesus knows from you before anyone else does. 00:32:26.380 --> 00:32:28.390 Sometimes as a pastor, I feel like this is what happens. 00:32:29.780 --> 00:32:31.240 I don't know why we do this. 00:32:32.300 --> 00:32:39.740 Well, maybe I do, but I feel like sometimes when there's gatherings together as people of God, when 00:32:39.740 --> 00:32:44.710 the pastor's there, we kind of just look to that person to be the one to initiate prayer. 00:32:46.760 --> 00:32:53.680 But can I tell you guys, just from a place of humility, I'm just a person. 00:32:56.040 --> 00:32:58.910 There's nothing more special about the way I pray than the way that you pray. 00:33:01.460 --> 00:33:08.460 And in fact, if you wait for me to pray at that function when we're gathered together, I may not be in a place even thinking about prayer. 00:33:08.500 --> 00:33:08.840 You may. 00:33:09.140 --> 00:33:12.780 You may be in a place that you're more connected to God in those moments than I am. 00:33:14.940 --> 00:33:15.620 And don't wait. 00:33:15.760 --> 00:33:19.400 Don't wait for anybody to initiate the need to come before your king. 00:33:21.220 --> 00:33:22.930 I mean, when you see the need to do it. 00:33:24.700 --> 00:33:26.920 And to me, to the people around you. 00:33:26.980 --> 00:33:27.640 It's convicting. 00:33:27.640 --> 00:33:29.580 It's challenging, it's honoring, it's uplifting. 00:33:29.600 --> 00:33:30.990 It's everything at one time. 00:33:32.460 --> 00:33:35.400 God has given us all the opportunity to approach his throne. 00:33:36.780 --> 00:33:42.370 God has given us all the privilege to lift up our voices and pray to him. 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:44.940 And what a beautiful thing for us to think about. 00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:46.600 Second Chronicles chapter seven. 00:33:46.600 --> 00:33:51.180 We consider our world and its desire to connect God. 00:33:51.180 --> 00:33:52.360 Got. 00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:52.640 Really? 00:33:52.640 --> 00:33:53.410 I want your heart. 00:33:55.340 --> 00:33:58.320 I want my heart to break for this world. 00:33:58.320 --> 00:34:00.320 The way your heart breaks for this world. 00:34:01.360 --> 00:34:03.220 I want to see this world. 00:34:03.260 --> 00:34:04.800 The way that you see this world. 00:34:05.780 --> 00:34:07.280 I want to engage this world. 00:34:07.280 --> 00:34:10.080 As you have called me to engage this world. 00:34:10.080 --> 00:34:14.239 God, I want your power behind everything that we do as a church. 00:34:14.300 --> 00:34:15.600 And this is the way it's going to be measured. 00:34:15.739 --> 00:34:20.560 And this is the way it's going to happen by the people of God, first going on their knees and praying before the Lord. 00:34:23.219 --> 00:34:26.500 If two people walk out of our church this morning, this is what I would desire for to happen. 00:34:27.739 --> 00:34:33.900 Someone to say something powerful is going to happen from those people of God. 00:34:35.420 --> 00:34:37.650 And the other person was to respond, oh, why do you say that? 00:34:38.980 --> 00:34:44.000 I hope the answer isn't because they're complaining so much about this issue. 00:34:46.260 --> 00:34:53.380 But rather because they're on their knees talking to the Lord about this need, 00:34:54.840 --> 00:35:01.460 and their heart is aligning with his heart and that becomes dangerous. 00:35:02.840 --> 00:35:03.390 Frisking.