0:06 thousand dollars that we are looking at
0:08 the loan is provided to in this present
0:13 time right in the area of 17,000 and
0:16 part of that of course is now in the
0:20 form of cement and the rest of but what
0:22 you see out there in terms of activity
0:25 we are some 10,000 dollars short of
0:29 meeting a matching grant from a fine
0:32 Christian foundation for an additional
0:35 40,000 so as you give in these days in
0:38 many many ways your gift is going to be
0:41 doubled because the two conditions we
0:45 needed to raise $40,000 after December
0:48 the 7th and we raised the Lauren's
0:50 faithfulness something in the area of
0:54 30,000 and the other condition is that
0:57 we we start building and we already have
0:59 pictures to prove and we have a lot of
1:02 men here that can give very ample
1:05 testimony that we have started so me
1:09 trusting God with us for maybe $10,000
1:12 in cash in this week this would enable
1:17 us then to hit me 120 thousand dollar
1:19 mark it's great to know that God still
1:22 does respond and as he responds it
1:26 humbles our hearts to realize that he
1:29 and his presence make all of the
1:33 difference we are really appreciated as
1:36 an institution the risen of the wearies
1:42 bees in 89 in 91 in 93 and I wish I
1:45 could prophesy for 95 but we are here in
1:48 93 this being the third visit and that
1:50 they're administering of our mother
1:52 where's be Oh grace and I have much
1:54 appreciated getting to know his wife
1:58 Betty and Warren one of our sons in law
2:00 took his internship under David where's
2:04 be their son and an evangelical free
2:07 church pastor and those relationships
2:10 and an in depth of appreciation for each
2:11 other and
2:14 our appreciation for their concern for
2:17 Carol and Tom Aubrey along with that of
2:20 course the many many times that all of
2:22 my hearts have been ministered to -
2:24 spirit have gone from the world have
2:27 gone through our mother where's being as
2:29 the former executive director and the
2:32 voice of back to the my mo most all of
2:34 us have heard him on many occasions and
2:36 it's a joy once again to welcome him
2:39 back to our pulpit and to open our
2:42 hearts to what God would say to us from
2:43 the Word of God
2:55 well it is a delight to be back I hope
2:57 that I don't get sunburned from these
2:59 lights up here I don't have much
3:05 protection anymore we're getting older I
3:09 tell people that I have moved into the
3:13 hereafter I go into the garage and I say
3:17 what am i here after and as I told the
3:20 congregation yesterday I've come to that
3:23 place in life where my happy hour is a nap
3:29 and I suppose some of you were there
3:34 aren't you you you bend down to tie your
3:35 shoe and you say what else can I do
3:44 while I'm down here you know and so
3:49 often I'm introduced our president did
3:51 not do that he's too kind but so often
3:56 I'm introduced as he has been he has
3:59 been director of back to the Bible he
4:01 has been pastor at Moody church so I'm a has-been
4:02 has-been
4:04 and the older I get the more I feel like
4:08 a dinosaur I don't belong to this age
4:14 it's easy to get old but the best is yet
4:19 to come the best is yet to come and we
4:21 have no regrets we're going to do
4:23 something this week the Lord willing
4:25 that I don't think I have ever done
4:31 before namely instead of having to
4:33 series one in the morning and one in the
4:35 evening which is much more convenient
4:39 and easier for the preacher we're going
4:41 to spend the entire week on a very short
4:47 portion of the Word of God so morning
4:48 and evening we will be looking at
4:52 Matthew chapter 6 verses 9 through 13
5:02 all of us believe in prayer all of us
5:05 know the Lord's Prayer or the disciples
5:07 prayer we call it the Lord's Prayer
5:10 because the Lord taught it nothing wrong
5:12 with that phrase at all the Lord taught
5:15 it twice in Scripture you find the Lord
5:19 Jesus teaching this prayer in Matthew 6
5:23 and in Luke chapter 11 we often call the
5:25 disciples prayer the Lord Himself could
5:27 not pray this prayer because it didn't
5:30 fit him he never had to pray to be
5:34 forgiven but it's the disciples prayer
5:36 I need this prayer now there were for
5:39 many years for many years there there
5:42 was a a prejudice on my part to ignore
5:45 the Lord's Prayer
5:48 I'd been taught by some Bible teachers
5:50 that it didn't apply to us today and the
5:52 more I studied scripture where I
5:55 discovered it does apply to us today I
5:57 remember a friend of mine telling me
5:58 what we're gonna people are gonna pray
6:02 this prayer during the Millennium I said
6:04 what's interesting what Kingdom are we
6:06 praying for them thy kingdom come
6:08 so I finally came to the point where I
6:11 realized that this prayer was for me and
6:14 I used to be prejudice against having it
6:19 prayed collectively in church I think
6:22 the first two churches I pastored we
6:24 never prayed the Lord's Prayer
6:29 collectively in the congregation at
6:31 Moody Church occasionally we did but it
6:33 was not a there was not a standard part
6:36 of our of our liturgy and then as I
6:38 studied church history I discovered the
6:41 early church used to use this prayer not
6:43 the Apostolic Church we have no record
6:44 of that in Scripture but the Church of
6:48 the second century used to use the
6:50 Lord's Prayer in fact that little that
6:52 little book called the teaching of the
6:55 Twelve Apostles which was written early
6:58 in the second century admonished the
7:00 church members to pray the Lord's Prayer
7:06 three times a day but mean it I once
7:08 asked the elder of a church why why does
7:10 this church not use the Lord's Prayer
7:11 well he said if you
7:13 beat something week after week it
7:15 becomes rather trite but we had just
7:19 sung the same praise chorus six times
7:24 now if it's wrong is this thing on hello
7:27 there are you there alright if it's
7:29 wrong to pray the Lord's Prayer once a
7:30 week why is it right to sing the same
7:34 praise chorus six times in one service
7:38 that can become trite if you aren't
7:40 careful kissing your wife can become
7:43 trite if the fault does not lie with the
7:48 prayer the fault lies with me if I allow
7:53 the Lord's Prayer to become trite in
7:55 recent years I have been praying the
7:57 Lord's Prayer very slowly very
8:00 meditatively with my devotional time
8:04 each morning it's done my heart good
8:07 because I measure my prayer requests by
8:10 that prayer it's amazing what God says
8:14 to you under those circumstances Matthew
8:20 chapter 6 take heed that you do not do
8:23 your charitable deeds your alms before
8:27 men to be seen by them otherwise you
8:29 have no reward from your father in
8:32 heaven you don't get your reward twice
8:35 if you go after the praise of people
8:38 you'll get it in the church today there
8:40 are lots of people who like to praise
8:45 people I sometimes get nauseous turning
8:48 the pages of Christian magazines with
8:51 all of this press release kind of
8:54 garbage that's published in there who is
8:55 the greatest preacher and who has the
8:59 greatest this and the great who cares if
9:01 the man preaches the Word of God that's
9:02 all I'm interested in I don't care how
9:04 many countries he's visited I don't come
9:05 any books he's written
9:08 I don't these things don't bother aunt
9:10 interest me if he preaches the Word of
9:14 God if she sings the Word of God but if
9:15 you want the praise of people the church
9:18 will give it to you we have a lot of fan
9:21 clubs in the church today but Jesus says
9:24 you get that we've had it
9:28 when you stand at the judgment no reward
9:31 therefore when you do a charitable deed
9:34 and that doesn't just include giving
9:38 that can mean many things do not sound a
9:41 trumpet before you as the hypocrites do
9:42 in the synagogues and in the streets
9:45 that they may have glory for men
9:48 assuredly I say to you they have their
9:53 reward but when you do a charitable deed
9:56 do not let your left hand know what your
9:59 right hand is doing that's a good piece
10:02 of advice because maybe I'm not doing it
10:04 to get your praise maybe I haven't doing
10:08 it to praise myself and so if my left
10:09 hand knows what my right hand is doing
10:12 it'll reach right over and Pat me on the
10:17 back and say boy your spiritual that
10:19 school is certainly fortunate to have
10:24 you there your spiritual that your
10:26 charitable deed may be in secret and
10:28 your father who sees in secret will
10:33 himself reward you openly so when it
10:35 comes to giving our Lord Jesus says or
10:39 serving in some way don't do it for
10:43 people do it for God that's amazing what
10:45 the Lord will do for those who don't
10:48 care who gets the credit a leader has
10:51 been defined as a person who takes a lot
10:54 less credit a lot more blame that's true
10:57 oftentimes a pastor takes blame for
11:00 things he never did and other people get
11:02 credit for things he did what difference
11:05 does it make God did it and God gets the
11:07 glory and God gives the reward now he
11:10 applies this to prayer and when you pray
11:15 notice he does not say if you pray he
11:17 says when you pray our Lord expects us
11:23 to pray I'm amazed at people who don't
11:27 pray Jesus said without me you can do nothing
11:27 nothing
11:32 how much is nothing nothing zero nothing
11:35 is what is there when you break a soap bubble
11:40 what can we accomplish without Jesus
11:43 nothing how does the Lord Jesus help us
11:49 do things prayer will do anything but
11:52 pray we'll get on the telephone and
11:54 share our burdens with people and we
11:56 won't pray if we'd spent as much time
11:58 talking to God about them as we do
12:01 talking to other people God would do
12:03 something for us so he says when you
12:06 pray you shall not be like the
12:08 hypocrites for they love to pray
12:10 standing in the synagogues and on the
12:13 corners of the streets that they may be
12:16 seen by men assuredly I say to you they
12:18 have their reward but when you pray go
12:21 into your room
12:24 now that word room there interesting
12:26 that was a word for storage room in a
12:29 couple of places it's translated barn I
12:34 don't have a barn but everybody needs a
12:37 secret place the word storage room here
12:40 suggests go to the place where you keep
12:43 your treasures go to that place that is
12:47 safe and secure because the greatest
12:50 treasures are spiritual praying in
12:54 secret and when you've shut your door
12:56 pray to your father who is in in the
12:58 secret place in other words turn your
13:01 room into a Holy of Holies I think that
13:04 every one of us needs a special place
13:09 for prayer and a special time for prayer
13:11 you see like becomes a routine it's a
13:13 good routine brushing my teeth is a good
13:17 routine when I go to the dentist every
13:21 six months for my oral autopsy and he
13:23 checks me out and I've got some rather
13:25 complicated bridge work in there and he
13:27 checks me out and you say well whatever
13:28 you're doing you're doing right keep it
13:30 up have you thought of eating a lot more
13:33 candy I mean he needs business like
13:36 anybody else and and nothing wrong with
13:39 the routine of brushing your teeth or
13:42 taking a shower I'm sure your friends
13:44 and neighbors appreciate the fact that
13:46 you take a shower nothing wrong with
13:48 these they eating three meals a day some
13:49 have six
13:52 meals a day now if these routines are
13:55 good for us why not a regular schedule
13:56 of Prayer
14:01 I don't think about brushing my teeth I
14:05 do it it's become a habit we don't think
14:06 about these things we just do them
14:10 they're good healthy habits and so when
14:12 the alarm goes off in the morning or if
14:14 I wake awaken before the alarm goes off
14:16 I don't say my host should I get up or
14:18 should make it up no I'm not feeling
14:21 well I mean I get up but it's just the
14:22 kind of thing you want to do you've done
14:24 it and you want to do it so you have a
14:26 special place this special time that's
14:28 what our Lord is talking about and when
14:31 you pray do not use vain repetitions as
14:33 the heathen do you see the problem in
14:36 verses 5 & 6 is what the hypocrites do
14:38 and the problem in verses 7 and 8 is
14:40 what the heathen do by heathen of course
14:42 he means the nation's the Gentile
14:45 nations with their religion for they
14:46 think that they will be heard for their
14:50 many words I think with Spurgeon who
14:53 said it's not the length of your prayers
14:55 but the strength of your prayers that
14:58 makes the difference Betty and I were in
15:04 a morning service over in Europe and I
15:06 had preached that morning they were
15:08 going to have the communion service and
15:10 they said would someone pray for the
15:12 bread and the man stood up and began to
15:16 pray and he prayed and he prayed and he
15:18 prayed and he prayed and he prayed
15:20 around the world and having finished
15:21 praying around the world he prayed
15:23 through the Bible and when he was
15:25 through finishing praying I don't think
15:30 he ever did pray for the bread and the
15:32 longer he prayed I'm sorry if I'm if I'm
15:34 wicked and sinning forgive me but the
15:37 longer he prayed the less my spirit bore
15:40 witness to his spirit I found myself
15:43 sensing that there was a display going
15:47 around I can recall one prayer meaning
15:49 service at Moody Church a Wednesday
15:51 night meeting we had a motley crew that
15:53 used to attend several hundred people it
15:55 was a mixture off the streets and from
16:00 everywhere and and one student stood up
16:01 now students don't always do this but
16:02 this student did once
16:03 students stood up to pray about
16:06 something and he gave an oration I'm
16:08 sorry he just gave an oration and he sat
16:11 down there were no amens there was you
16:12 know and we had a little lady used to
16:14 come to our church she was an immigrant
16:16 she didn't speak too good English bless
16:18 her heart she was just a sweet person
16:21 and she stood up and she stammered out
16:23 her prayer and our hearts were broken
16:26 and our eyes were filled with tears
16:29 because she got ahold of the throne and
16:31 so Jesus said your words don't mean a
16:35 lot in fact why why should you use many
16:38 words because therefore do not be like
16:40 them for your father knows the things
16:42 that you have need up before you ask him
16:48 don't start
16:52 theologizing about prayer it'll ruin
17:00 your prayer life I'm serious I've read
17:02 some marvelous books on the theology of
17:06 prayer marvelous theology and marvelous
17:10 books but they've turned me off I would
17:12 much rather pick up Andrew Murray or one
17:13 of these fellows who really knew how to
17:16 pray nothing wrong with the theology of
17:19 Prayer but sort of like the Beadle who
17:22 said to the centipede how do you know
17:25 what leg to move next
17:28 and the centipede said I never thought
17:30 about that and the more he thought about
17:32 it the more paralyzed he became until
17:35 finally he just stood still what used to
17:38 be a very normal natural thing he began
17:41 to theologizing out and it paralyzed him
17:44 my father knows what I need in fact my
17:49 father has ordained what I need that
17:52 doesn't stop me from praying because the
17:54 same God who ordains the and ordains the
17:56 means to the end and the means to the
18:01 end is prayer he's commanded me to pray
18:05 and I've discovered if I don't pray my
18:10 life is not what it ought to be and so
18:13 he tells us not to be like the heathen
18:17 and not to be like the hypocrites in
18:19 this manner therefore pray notice that
18:22 in this manner here is a pattern I'm
18:25 giving you now in Luke 11 the Lord Jesus
18:29 says when you pray say and so he gives
18:31 us the words to say it would appear that
18:34 from Luke 11 there's nothing wrong with
18:39 saying this prayer if we mean it but
18:42 from Matthew chapter 6 the suggestion is
18:45 it's a pattern for us to follow that's
18:47 why we're going to take it phrase by
18:50 phrase and try to see how it all fits
18:54 together in such a beautiful way our
18:58 Father in heaven Hallowed be your name
19:04 now there's the invocation your kingdom
19:06 come your will be done on earth as it is
19:10 in heaven give us this day our daily
19:14 bread and forgive us our debts as we
19:18 forgive our debtors and do not lead us
19:22 into temptation but deliver us from the
19:24 evil one for yours is the kingdom and
19:27 the power and the glory forever amen
19:31 and he adds a footnote for if you
19:34 forgive men their trespasses your
19:38 heavenly Father will also forgive you
19:40 but if you do not forgive men their
19:43 trespasses neither will your Father
19:46 forgive your trespasses it's interesting
19:48 that out of the seven requests that are
19:51 in the disciples prayer our Lord saw fit
19:56 to emphasize only one forgiveness
19:58 probably because that's the one we have
20:02 the most trouble with now why do we need
20:05 this prayer our Lord taught us this
20:08 prayer so I would not pray like the
20:10 hypocrites what was wrong with them
20:14 their motive their motive for praying
20:17 like their motive for giving was to get praise
20:18 praise
20:22 I seriously doubt if in most churches
20:26 today after prayer meeting anyone goes
20:29 away saying did you hear the way she
20:31 prayed tonight wasn't that beautiful
20:34 we aren't that kind of people now there
20:37 are churches were that this is important
20:40 to have a beautiful prayer but we're the
20:42 kind that when we stand we trust the
20:45 Holy Spirit to to guide us in our
20:46 praying and we're not interested in
20:50 poetic language or or beautiful oratory
20:53 but we got to watch our motive you see
20:56 it may be that when I'm praying my
20:59 motive might not be that you'll praise
21:02 me my motive might be that you'll praise
21:05 me when I get the answer isn't he a man
21:11 of Prayer now that's not good it's good
21:13 when the answer comes for God to get all
21:16 the glory it's not good when somebody
21:19 says oh he must really be a woman of
21:22 Prayer we got to be careful about that
21:24 and so our Lord gave us this prayer so
21:26 we wouldn't be like the hypocrites our
21:29 motive would be wrong I'm praying
21:32 because I have to I'm praying because I
21:34 need to I'm praying because I want
21:36 people to praise me I'm praying because
21:38 I want to praise myself I'm praying
21:39 because when I get the answer I want
21:41 people to know how spiritual I am we got
21:43 to be careful of that but I'm sure most
21:45 of us don't worry too much about that
21:48 our praying too often is like soldiers
21:51 in the in the battle we're crying out to
21:53 God like like Peter walking on the water
21:55 he didn't have time for the entire
21:57 Lord's Prayer he just Lord saved me
22:01 that's all right nothing wrong with that
22:04 but my Lord does not want me to pray
22:08 like the heathen how'd the heathen pray
22:10 with a lot of words the word here is
22:16 babble just babbling just talking have
22:17 you ever been praying and suddenly
22:19 stopped and said to yourself what have I
22:22 been praying about we say no I don't
22:24 have that problem I do sometimes I find
22:27 my mind wandering Bob cook used to teach
22:28 us and Youth for Christ when your mind
22:30 wanders while you're praying start
22:34 praying about that and it works then it
22:35 pulls you right back to where it's like
22:37 kind of a retro rocket pulls you right
22:41 back on course again we got to be very
22:44 careful in our praying our Lord gave us
22:46 a pattern for prayer did you notice the
22:50 pattern it begins with our Father
22:55 that's relationship our my relationship
23:00 to you father my relationship to God and
23:02 if my relationship to you is not what it
23:05 ought to be my relationship to God won't
23:09 be what it ought to be I can't talk to
23:16 our Father relationship our Father who
23:19 art in heaven hallowed be thy name
23:26 worship thy kingdom come kingship thy
23:29 will be done on earth as it is in heaven
23:32 partnership did you notice that these
23:35 first requests all relate to God I
23:38 haven't even told God about my arthritis
23:41 I've told him about the bills on the
23:43 desk I haven't told him about the
23:45 problems were trying to solve I haven't
23:48 said one word about my needs our Lord
23:50 says here's a pattern for prayer when
23:54 you pray start with what my concerns are
23:59 start with hallowed be thy name if I
24:01 answer your request will my name be
24:05 glorified your kingdom come if I answer
24:15 if I do what you want me to do will it
24:18 be the accomplishment of my will I tell
24:22 you in my devotional time as I pray the
24:24 Lord's Prayer when I pray those first
24:27 three requests
24:30 it causes me to re-examine what I want
24:34 to talk to him about see the heathen
24:36 don't do that the heathen just bable
24:38 bable bable a religious prayer is just
24:41 babble babble babble but a true
24:45 spiritual prayer is orderly it starts
24:53 with God worship our Father in heaven
24:55 Hallowed be your name
24:58 you know why God answers prayer they say
24:59 to meet the needs of his children that's
25:03 true but you know why God answers prayer
25:07 and meets the needs of his children to
25:13 glorify his name that's right if what I
25:15 asked him for does not glorify his name
25:18 he's not going to be too interested who
25:21 is that selfish no it isn't the highest
25:25 being in the universe is God and the
25:27 highest privilege we have is to glorify
25:32 God so I made us God created us to
25:35 glorify Him and to enjoy him forever
25:41 says the Catechism and so God's Jesus
25:43 says don't don't pray like the religious
25:47 pagans who just bable bable bable kind
25:48 of whatever comes with their mind they
25:50 talk about no should be orderly in your
25:54 praying come to your father we pray to
25:57 the Father through the son in the Holy
26:01 Spirit now there are prayers to Jesus in
26:06 the New Testament I have not yet found
26:09 one to the Holy Spirit I'm not saying it
26:12 isn't there it's possible than in first
26:14 Thessalonians chapter 3 Paul's prayer
26:18 there may be directed to the Holy Spirit
26:20 but generally speaking our Lord is
26:23 saying be orderly in your praying
26:29 address the father our Father and deal
26:31 with his concerns first then bring your
26:35 burdens notice what he says verse 11
26:38 give us this day our daily bread that's
26:40 the prayer for
26:44 sustenance forgive us our debts as we
26:47 forgive our debtors lead us not into
26:49 temptation deliver us from the evil one
26:53 rather interesting verse 11 of Matthew 6
26:56 deals with today give us this day our
26:57 daily bread
26:59 verse 12 deals with yesterday I sinned
27:03 forgive me verse 13 deals with tomorrow
27:05 don't lead us into temptation I can come
27:12 when you pray for daily bread you're
27:14 praying about things isn't wrong pray
27:15 about things
27:18 bread blocks cars doesn't it wrong to
27:20 pray about things when you pray about
27:24 forgiveness you're praying about people
27:27 when you pray about Lord deliver me from
27:28 the evil when you're praying about
27:33 circumstances now what our Lord has done
27:35 here is put together a common outline
27:39 and he says this is the kind of pattern
27:42 I'd like you to follow when you pray now
27:45 we don't always do this sometimes
27:47 there's an emergency I mean sometimes
27:52 even praying words in Nebraska when the
27:53 ice storms come and you're skidding
27:55 across the highway you haven't got time
27:58 to old father you go that's your prayer
28:06 and there's some prayers according to
28:08 romans chapter 8 they're so deep only
28:12 the Holy Spirit knows about them some
28:15 prayers are word-lists but they're down
28:21 in your heart would you mark Matthews
28:23 sakes just put a marker in there turn
28:26 back to the Book of Psalms Psalm 5
28:31 rather interesting statement there psalm
28:36 5 David is praying aren't you glad your
28:38 prayers aren't written down for the
28:39 whole world to read though David's
28:45 written down Psalm 5 give ear to my
28:48 words O Lord
28:53 consider my meditation word is groaning
28:58 consider my groaning my words and and my
29:00 feelings isn't it good to know that when
29:02 you come to pray God hears your words
29:06 and God sees your heart sometimes our
29:08 words in our heart don't agree we just
29:10 can't express ourselves but God knows
29:13 about it give heed to the voice of my
29:17 cry my king and my god for to you I will
29:21 pray now verse three is the key my voice
29:25 you shall hear in the morning O Lord let
29:27 me pause to say I know we all have
29:31 different clocks I'm a morning person I
29:33 really am I I like to get a head start
29:37 on the day and I'm up early and I but
29:40 about 12:30 the light goes out so I take
29:42 a little nap and then get started for
29:44 the rest of the day some people are not
29:45 morning people they're they're better
29:47 evening people and they can have their
29:50 devotional time their prayer time in the evening
29:51 evening
29:53 I'm not telling people what to do I've
29:57 just simply say that Jesus and Abraham
30:01 and David were up early in the morning
30:15 my voice you shall hear in the morning
30:19 Oh Lord down in the morning I will
30:23 direct it to you and I will look up I
30:26 prefer the translation that reads in the
30:29 morning I will direct my prayer to you
30:32 but my prayer comes in my voice so it
30:34 amounts to the same thing the word
30:37 direct in the Hebrew language there is
30:40 most interesting it's the same word that
30:44 was used when the priests came in the
30:47 morning and put the burnt offering on
30:50 the altar and he arranged the pieces of
30:55 the sacrifice the word means to arrange
30:59 in order it's also used in Leviticus of
31:02 the high priest when he brought the 12
31:06 loaves of bread and laid them in order
31:10 on the table our God is a God of order
31:13 now the priest could bring the burnt
31:16 offering and throw it on the altar well
31:18 it would burn up but God wouldn't be
31:21 pleased the priest could bring the bread
31:23 and just throw it on the table
31:25 they would be there but God wouldn't be
31:28 pleased our God's a God of order and
31:31 David is saying when I come in the
31:33 morning with my prayer I want to be like
31:37 the priest I want to lay my sacrifice in
31:41 order on the altar I don't want to be
31:43 sloppy in my praying I want to be
31:46 orderly I'm coming to a holy God who
31:48 says let all things be done decently and
31:51 in order and I want to be like the
31:53 priests I want to lay the bread on the
31:55 table in order this word is also used
31:58 for soldiers when a soldier shows up and
32:04 he is in waiting for orders for from his
32:07 commanding officer and so when we come
32:10 to pray in the morning we we join ranks
32:13 and we stand there waiting for our
32:16 officer our captain of our salvation to
32:19 tell us what he wants us to do the main
32:21 point of course is that
32:26 orderly in our praying now I didn't say
32:28 routine nothing wrong with a routine
32:32 nothing wrong with a schedule we have to
32:34 be honest in ministry I can't stand here
32:37 and pretend I keep a little devotional
32:41 notebook and I have a list of things I
32:45 pray about every day because at my stage
32:46 in life I forget
32:50 I just know you remember I don't and
32:53 then I have a Monday and a list and a
32:54 Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
32:58 Saturday list and then I have my
33:01 missionary prayer list that we get we we
33:05 receive one from rgbi and i have a one
33:08 for team I'm on the board of team and
33:10 various missions that we're concerned
33:12 about and missionaries so that I can
33:17 pray in an orderly way and I'm not you
33:18 should brag about that and say well boy
33:20 just prayed for twenty missionaries no
33:25 no but rejoice that you can see and you
33:26 can follow your little prayer list and
33:29 you can pray in an orderly way I think
33:32 it's a good thing otherwise we don't get
33:34 it done people stop me and say what you
33:36 pray about something as well what is it
33:39 and they tell me and I write it down
33:40 I'll sit on the Lord do you want me to
33:42 pray about this and if I get a burden
33:43 for it I'll put it on one of my little
33:45 lists and start praying about it and
33:49 seeing what the Lord will do so our Lord
33:52 is giving us an orderly approach to
33:56 prayer and he's asking us to be like
33:59 priests who put our sacrifice on the
34:02 altar in an orderly way while you're in
34:03 the Book of Psalms look at the book of
34:11 Ecclesiastes chapter 5 Ecclesiastes
34:18 walk prudently when you go to the house
34:25 of God watch your step when you go to a
34:30 meeting and draw near to here rather
34:33 than to give the sacrifice of fools for
34:35 they do not know that they do evil
34:37 what's the sacrifice of fools in a
34:39 meeting like this you see we come with a
34:43 sacrifice of praise as we were singing
34:45 we were singing to the Lord we bring our
34:49 prayer as a sacrifice Psalm 141 David
34:52 said I'm gonna lift up my hands to you
34:55 that's my morning sacrifice I'm gonna
34:58 offer incense to you by praying so
35:02 prayer is a sacrifice in a meeting like
35:03 this how could I offer the sacrifice of
35:08 fools by not watching my mouth do not be
35:10 rash with your mouth and let not your
35:15 heart honor anything hastily before God
35:21 for God is in heaven and you on earth
35:24 our Father who art in heaven therefore
35:31 let your words be few our Lord says to
35:33 us here's a pattern to follow its
35:38 orderly it's simple covers everything
35:42 don't sin in your praying by talking too much
35:47 now some folks perhaps don't talk enough
35:50 perhaps we are neglecting our Prague
35:54 well let's go back to Matthew chapter 6
35:56 and just take a minute or two to get
36:04 started on relationship relationship our
36:07 Father in Heaven that's relationship our
36:10 my relationship to you father my
36:14 relationship to him hallowed be your
36:17 name worship Oh
36:19 worship the Lord in the beauty of
36:21 holiness do you ever pause and you're
36:27 praying just to worship your kingdom come
36:27 come
36:30 kingship did you know that when you pray
36:35 you come to a throne a throne of grace
36:45 your will be done partnership how does
36:48 he get his will done on earth through us
36:51 if God wants a building built he'll use
36:58 us give us this day our daily bread
37:00 stewardship what do I do with what God
37:03 gives me everything you've got God gave
37:07 you everything what do we do with it
37:13 stewardship forgive us our trespasses
37:19 our debts fellowship I sinned and break
37:23 fellowship with God and with you I've
37:26 got to do something about that do not
37:28 lead us into temptation deliver us from
37:32 the evil one hardship wait a minute if I
37:34 pray these things won't happen oh no you
37:40 pray and they will happen in the last
37:42 several years some television preachers
37:44 have done untold damage to God's people
37:47 by telling them if you tithe and if you
37:49 prayed if you read your Bible you'll be wealthy
37:49 wealthy
37:52 you'll never be sick there won't be any
37:56 hardship in your family
38:01 I had lunch with our pastor on Friday I
38:03 keep close touch with my pastor and he's
38:06 a great help to me and I need to be
38:09 accountable his heart was broken because
38:14 a family in our church one of their
38:20 children committed suicide heartbreak
38:24 heartbreak you know you don't know
38:26 what's gonna happen that phone could
38:28 ring today we don't know what the news
38:33 is going to be and when this news comes
38:36 is it going to build me or break me
38:39 am I going to like Joel bless the Lord
38:43 or am I going to curse the Lord our
38:49 Father let me drop a bomb into your
38:51 thinking just now would you notice
38:58 please in this prayer that all of the
39:01 pronouns referring to God's people are
39:06 plural you see if we had written this
39:09 prayer it would read like this my Father
39:15 who art in heaven give me this day my
39:19 daily bread and forgive me my debts and
39:20 helped me to forgive other people and
39:29 lead me and deliver me me me me it's not
39:31 an individual kind of a thing it's a
39:35 family kind of a thing I pray in
39:40 solitude but I never pray alone I'm a
39:43 part of a big family it's also praying
39:45 that's why I kind of like for the prayer
39:48 to be used by God's people collectively
39:54 it reminds us that we are together one
39:56 of the curses of the church in America
40:02 today is individualism so many of the
40:04 seminars that are presented in the books
40:07 that are written and the videotapes and
40:09 the audio tapes how
40:12 you can do this huh wait a minute wait
40:17 I'm a part of a family and you know I
40:19 don't have any right to pray anything
40:25 sometimes wonder how these Christian
40:34 Athletes pray now I'm not an athlete but
40:38 here are two Christian schools on the
40:41 football field their men are all lined
40:45 up there how did they pray before the
40:48 game lord help us to bash their heads in
40:51 no did they pray well may the best team
40:53 win well they know who the best team is
40:56 I mean how do you pray and some of the I
40:58 once asked my pastor some years ago
41:00 asked my pastor I said do you ever pray
41:05 publicly for any other church in town he
41:09 said no I said why I don't know nobody's
41:12 ever asked me I didn't think about it
41:14 next Sunday morning he prayed for
41:15 another church in town people were
41:19 shocked because after all we're all in
41:23 competition or are we see how can a
41:28 pastor pray our and be angry or jealous
41:34 or envious of some other ministry how
41:36 could missionaries on the field
41:42 pray our daily bread our Father our debts
41:51 and be selfish the thing that's killing
41:58 how you can be a great witness well the
42:00 whole church is supposed to be a great
42:02 witness how you can have answers to
42:04 prayer well the whole church is supposed
42:08 to pray you ever read in the book of
42:10 Acts the the prayer meetings they had
42:17 thanked some great prayer meetings our
42:25 Father now when I pray our oh you are
42:30 one in my solitude in my study early in
42:32 the morning I'm praying and I'm praying
42:37 our it reminds me that I'm a part of a
42:40 big praying family
42:42 look at Ephesians just a moment the
42:49 Ephesians chapter 3 Ephesians chapter 3
42:56 here's Paul's prayer verse 14 for this
43:02 reason we started back in verse 1 you
43:06 notice that for this reason I Paul and
43:07 he often a detour you know what got him
43:11 off on the detour the word Gentiles for
43:13 this reason I Paul the prisoner of
43:16 Christ Jesus for you Gentiles - off he
43:19 goes talking about his missionary zeal a
43:23 missionary concern for the Gentiles get
43:24 your concordance out and you'll find out
43:26 whenever Paul mentions the word Gentile
43:27 he goes off in the detour or he gets
43:31 interrupted that's right in the temple
43:34 when he was talking to that Jewish mob
43:37 and they said the Lord said to me I'm
43:39 gonna send you far hence to the Gentiles
43:41 oh that's all he had to say they said
43:44 kill him kill him kill him when Paul was
43:46 witnessing to Agrippa he talked about
43:48 the Gentiles and he was interrupted said
43:51 you're mad when Paul is out throwing
43:52 people in prison nobody said he was a
43:56 man when he was voting for the death of
43:58 Steve and nobody said he was mad but
43:59 night goes out try to win souls and
44:02 build churches he's crazy
44:05 for this reason what reason the building
44:07 of the church you see this reason verse
44:11 1 goes back to verse 22 of chapter 2 in
44:13 whom you also are being built together
44:15 for a dwelling place of God in the
44:17 spirit terrific
44:19 God is building his church in this world
44:22 and as we pray we're a part of that
44:24 for this reason what do I do I bow my
44:27 knees to the father of our Lord Jesus
44:32 Christ from whom the whole family in
44:34 heaven and earth is named hey we're a
44:36 part of the whole family doesn't say it
44:39 the whole independent church family
44:41 doesn't say the whole dispensational
44:43 family doesn't say the whole Baptist
44:47 family says the whole family how about
44:50 chapter 2 verse 21 in whom the whole building
44:57 how about chapter 4 verse 16 from whom
45:06 the whole body are you a whole Christian
45:09 do you realize that that there are other
45:11 schools we sought our GBI and other
45:15 missions beside team and other preachers
45:17 beside where's be and other writers and
45:21 other singers and oh when did that happen
45:23 happen
45:27 dr. Ironside I heard many tales about
45:29 dr. Ironside when I was at Moody Church
45:32 and he used to tell about a group of
45:36 people who met in a hall I assumed they
45:39 were probably of the Brethren believe
45:40 because that's what's his background and
45:43 he loved them and they loved him they
45:44 met in this hall and had a sign out in
45:47 front the hall that said Jesus only and
45:49 the wind blew some of the letters away
45:55 that said us only and dr. Ironside said
45:59 that was right that was right o friend
46:03 don't have that attitude please we're a
46:05 part of the whole body the whole
46:08 building the whole family and so we can
46:14 when I pray our it takes care of the
46:17 narrowness of my outlook oh we could get
46:24 so narrow so narrow and we base our
46:27 fellowship on such crazy thing
46:31 music Vernon McGee said to me one day so
46:33 I tell you war he said when Satan fell
46:47 eland in the choir loft music I've been
46:50 in church services where the choir was a
46:51 little bit up-tempo they were feeling
46:53 good you know they were marching around
46:56 Sian and I looked at some of the folks
46:58 never their knuckles were Hawaii just
47:00 you know just couldn't take it
47:03 translations I was preaching in a church
47:06 one one time for a conference and I'm
47:09 using the new King James because it I
47:10 used it in the radio it helped me so
47:13 much when I was reading Scripture and in
47:15 explaining it but I don't make this a
47:17 test of any a man came up after what
47:20 translation you using what difference it
47:23 make well I said it's not the Word of
47:25 God he never came back to the meeting so
47:28 the devil had a victory well we make
47:30 these things attest to fellowship how
47:56 $8 at $6 to find it in $2 to cut it but
47:59 I don't make the length of hair to test
48:04 a fellowship our Father takes care of my
48:07 narrowness takes care of my selfishness
48:10 you know James and James chapter 4 tells
48:15 us not to pray selfishly he said what
48:18 causes Wars and Fighting's among you
48:20 Christians here's what it is
48:24 it's the desires down inside of you you
48:27 lust a desire said you're at war with
48:30 yourself so you're at war with each
48:33 other and you're at war with yourself as
48:35 you're at war with God you adulterers
48:37 and adulteresses don't you know that the
48:39 friendship of this world is enmity with
48:41 God so here are three wars is going on
48:45 I'm at war with God cuz I want my way so
48:46 I'm at war with myself cuz all my
48:48 desires are fighting so I can't get
48:52 along with you and I blame you
48:54 he says now the answer this is prayer
48:57 you have not because you ask not and
49:00 when you do ask you ask selfishly
49:02 selfish praying will reconcile fish
49:06 bring more wreckage wreck your life so
49:09 when I pray our I'm saying father don't
49:12 give me this if it's gonna hurt my wife
49:14 don't give me this if it's gonna hurt
49:19 the church oh I've lived long enough to
49:23 be thankful for unanswered prayer have you
49:24 you
49:27 he gave them their request and he sent
49:31 what leanness to their souls so it takes
49:33 care of my narrowness it takes care of
49:41 it also takes care of my sinfulness you
49:43 know if I'm not getting along with my
49:45 wife God won't answer my prayers did you
49:48 know that you read 1st peter 3
49:51 that your prayers be not hindered I like
49:53 that word hindered it's a Greek word
49:55 that means the roads all torn up so you
49:58 you get mad at your wife and sulk and
50:00 carry a grudge and you're putting a
50:02 roadblock on the answer to prayer
50:06 if husbands and wives are not getting along
50:06 along
50:10 they can't pray and I said I assume that
50:13 would apply to parents and children and
50:16 church members jesus said if you're
50:18 heading for the altar and you discover
50:19 your brothers got something against you
50:21 forget about the sacrifice I don't want
50:24 the sacrifice I want your heart and go
50:27 get straight now your brother then
50:29 coming off for your sacrifice so when I
50:31 pray our I'm saying just a minute now is
50:35 there anybody in my circle that I've got
50:37 to straighten some things out with
50:42 before God can answer my prayer our
50:45 Father it's great to be a part of the
50:49 Christian family oh we've got our faults
50:50 st. Augustine used to say that the
50:53 church is something like Noah's Ark if
50:55 it weren't for the danger on the outside
50:56 you couldn't stand the smell on the
50:59 inside well there may be some truth to
51:01 that churches aren't perfect people
51:05 aren't perfect okay see some things
51:07 happening on our fellowship I'm not too
51:10 crazy about but that's all right you
51:13 know what I die and go to heaven the
51:19 Trinity will not become a quartet I've
51:22 made mistakes and I'll make more but
51:27 when I pray our our God is saying to me
51:30 look you're a part of a big family and
51:32 some of them are are ministering in
51:35 Venezuela and some are in Colombia and
51:37 some are in Japan and some are sneaking
51:39 into China and we're part of a big
51:45 family and let's just remember that when
51:50 we pray relationship to one another
51:52 next time Lord willing we'll talk about father
51:54 father
51:59 my relationship to my father and what
52:05 fatherhood means in prayer o our Father
52:07 so often we need to pray about our
52:12 praying become selfishly and carelessly
52:19 and we lay on the altar that which is
52:24 really not thought through forgive us
52:27 but thank you for listening to us thank
52:30 you that even the stuttering of your
52:37 children is precious to you deep in our
52:40 prayer life not only individually but
