Christ and Your Prayers

Title of today's sermon is Christ and Your Prayers. Christ and your prayers. I'd like you to turn over to a prayer. Second Chronicles, as we start this off.

Second Chronicles, if I can find it here, chapter 7, verse 25.

This isn't a prayer, but it's talking about prayer. Second Chronicles 7, verse 25, says, if my people, as you have heard this quite often, you will hear it in the news, you will hear it by other ministers, you will hear it by secular religious talking about the country. But it says, if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and, what's the word? Pray. Pray. Humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, and I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sins and heal their land. Very important for us, very important that we pray for our nation as we're talking about prayers. But today I want to look at something in a different way than we've done in the past, and perhaps the way you've looked at prayer. Because it's so interesting that Jesus Christ has a way of looking at prayer that none of us have even began to explore. And as he walked on this earth in human skin, he had the opportunity to look at the human condition. That's exactly how man lived, how we live. So he could have a better understanding as he was destined to be the intercessor for us, as that's actually described in Hebrew 7 and verse 25, that Jesus Christ would be the intercessor for us. Intercession. What does that mean? Well, it's actually the act of intervening on one's behalf. Whether you realize it or not, we need that. You may say, well, why? We need it for prayer. As Paul told Timothy, back in 1 Timothy 2, 5, intercessor is one who brings God and human beings together. Remember how we end our prayers? What? We asked this in Chuck Smith's name. You better not, if you want an answered prayer. Okay. We asked this in the name of our Messiah, the name of our Messiah, Savior, Jesus Christ. But it's interesting that intercessor can also be called, as it is, different places in the Bible and different translations, as an advocate. You ever needed an advocate? Yes. An advocate is a backer, a promoter, a spokesman, a supporter, even a negotiator. It's one that does things on your behalf, like a mediator, a go-between, a peacemaker. Why is that important? Is that we need Christ to go before God. To sometimes say, been there, done that, that's a tough one.

Do we really realize how important it is that Christ is that? Mediator, a high priest sitting at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us. It's something that we, I guess it came to light this week, when, a couple weeks ago, I can't remember now, a month ago, when Harry married Meghan or whatever her name is. Yeah, I didn't see it, but you couldn't miss it on Google. Took up half the page. But they had music afterwards, had a big dance and so forth. And as they were introduced, or about to introduce some get-together, there was a young singer, I don't know, I don't remember his name even, that was going to sing. He's a very popular singer now. And he was standing backstage as they were about to introduce him to come out and sing. And he looked over and they're standing right beside him as the queen. And he looked and he was shocked that, you know, she's only four foot nine or ten, she's very small. But he looked and he wanted, you know, because there's nobody else around other than our security man. And he's like, he wanted to say something. But he knew protocol. You do not talk to the queen unless she talks to you first. You have to be presented to her as it is with many kings, presidents. You just don't walk up and go, hey, I want to go see President Trump this week. You don't knock on the door of the White House. Open up. Me and Donnie's got something to talk about. Right? That's not how you get things done. Some people don't understand. I remember being in Bahamas. People were Bahamas and had a seminar. Had a lot of people there come in. And one young, young individual, I'd say young, he's younger than I was, came to me and said, afterwards, I've been wanting to talk to you after my presentation. I'm one of the two witnesses. I said, okay. And I have a message for you to take to President Barack Obama. I said, well, I don't know that he would just let me walk in. Oh, yes, yes, yes. Just go in and tell him I sent you. But in reality, that's not how it's really done, is it? I mean, there's protocol. There's like, not anyone can just go see a person. You can't even go to, imagine going to Microsoft and saying, I want to go see Bill Gates or Berkshire Hathaway and say, I want to go see Mr. Buffett. I'm here to see him. I know he wants to see me. It's not done that way. Now, when we look at God, that's what Jesus Christ is trying to set the tone. And we even see in the Old Testament as the high priest was the only one who could come before God. Jesus Christ replaced that high priest, and now he is the high priest. Right hand of God, who makes intercession for us. But Jesus Christ wants us to understand it's a big deal to come before God. God is so holy, so righteous, that, you know, even in his state, as I said, Moses wanted to see, and he said, you can't. If you saw my entire glory, in my full glory, you'd die brighter than the sun. That's God. I mean, God is so high, so pure, so righteous, and we're so puny and unrighteous that we need an advocate. Something that people will see later on. So, I bring this to you today because I think it's so important that God, Jesus Christ in the flesh, gave specific and clear instructions, admonitions, and commands about prayer. It's so important, he says, I'm going to tell you how, and I'm going to tell you how not to pray.

How to and how not to pray. Very simple, we're going to go through. Jesus Christ gives seven instructions or commands in the New Testament on how to pray, and he also gives two of how not to pray. So, I'd like to today to cover that. If you will go with me. The first one is in Matthew chapter 5. How to pray? Matthew chapter 5 and verse 43. See, I found in this study, it was very good for me because it reminded me even when I was praying this morning, what an honor and privilege it is to come before the God of the universe. And how, when you have and understand just how great God is, as David understood, what is man that thou shall mine for him. And so, I said, you are a purer eyes than to behold evil. Let's go there. Matthew chapter 5, we were reading from the New King James today. 43, you have heard it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. You notice Christ said that it wasn't written, it's just said, because that's not. That's not how the word is laid out. Verse 44, but I say to you, God is saying this to us, would you take that as a command? Instruction? I definitely will. But he said, but I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you and do good to those who hate you and, what's the next one? Excuse me. And pray, pray, pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Man, that is hard. Maybe it's not hard for you guys. It's not hard for you guys. It is for me. Those who spitefully use me, who cannot stand me, who has these issues and problems, I'm supposed to pray for them. Pray that God blesses them. Wow! That's almost bizarre. That's out of this world thinking, isn't it? Somebody stabs you in the back and then you're supposed to go, let me go pray for them. Why did he say this? Well, in verse 45, why that you may be sons of your Father in heaven? Because then we can act like God. We can be like God. We can be sons of God. Our destiny being the God family. Go over to Luke, if you will. Luke 11. All of you know this one. Luke 11. Verse 1. Verse 1. It came to pass, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, that one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to, what? Pray. As John also taught his disciples. And he said to them, if you pray. Is that what it says? It's not a matter of if you pray. When you pray, which is telling you what? You need to be praying. Need to be praying. He says, when you pray, say, our Father. Isn't that interesting? He was teaching them, not my Father, our Father, our Father. There's a relationship we have with our Father. That upon Christ's death, him opening the veil, the veil is torn, we now have access to God. We can come like Bill Gates' children. No, knock. They just walk in and say, I need to see Dad. Unless he's in a meeting, I'm sure Bill Gates' door is wide open. Our door now, Jesus Christ, said to God, our Father, his Father, now our Father, wide open to us. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name, honored. We need to, when you pray, it needs to be like, Father, not worthy to even bow before you. But you're my Dad, Abba, Father. You're so great, omnipotent, omniscient, sovereign, everything. Honor your name. Put in the right perspective. Right? It puts us in the right perspective because automatically we're showing respect. The ultimate respect. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins. Hmm. For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Do we? Have we? Will we? Forgive those who sin against us. Well, it's indebted.

Make sure he ends it with, make sure, but deliver us from the evil one. Because he walked in human skin and he knew Satan came after him and Satan would want to come after all of God's children.

He said, do this when you pray. Can you imagine the disciples sitting around discussing this afterwards? Well, boy, that's all it is. If I read this, you know, pray like this and you read it and it only took 20 seconds. You talk about grace. Boy, we're just all over this thing. All I have to do is 20 seconds in the morning. I can do that before I ever get out of bed. Is this what he's saying? No. No. This is an outline. He's telling you what our mindset should be. As a matter of fact, let's go over to Luke 18. Let's go over this way. Luke 18. Luke 18. Another instruction on how to, how to pray. Chapter 18 verse 1. He said, then he spoke a parable to them that men always ought to drink beer and watch ballgames.

Why the women the only ones that laughed? That men always ought to pray. Ought to pray and not lose heart. Well, wait a minute. If I'm praying, why would I lose heart? Because he doesn't always answer it when we would like him to. My dad didn't always give me everything I wanted when I wanted it, my physical father.

I thought at 14 I could drive a car. He didn't give me a car at 14. He got me a junkyard when I was 16 that had already wrecked, so I wouldn't have to wreck it again.

But he said, men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying there was a certain city, there was in a certain city, a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city, and she came to him saying, Avenge me of my adversary.

And he would not for a while, but afterwards he said within himself, Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her less by her continual coming. She weary me. She weary me. Interesting that phrase in the Greek is hit someone in the eye. I've been hit in the eye. I've been punched in the eye before. I actually have walked through the woods and somebody's in front of me and lets a limb come back, smack me in the eye.

It's not something you look forward to. Matter of fact, it's something you usually try to avoid. And so here it's tearing up, comparing this judge, and saying, I don't want to hear anymore. I want to avoid this. So I'm going to do what she asks. Then the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge says, And shall God not avenge his own elect, who cry out day and night to him, though he bears long with them? I tell you that he will avenge him speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth?

Which kind of seems like, wow, why was that added at the end? It requires faith in God when you pray and he doesn't answer more than it does when you pray and he answers and he gives it right to you, doesn't. It's like, oh God. But then when he says no, not yet, it's like, man, how many times I've got to pray?

And you pray and you pray and you pray and you pray and you pray and he says, don't get tired of praying. Be like the widow. Wear hell out. He wants to know. He wants to know that you really care. And if he knows you need this, but you don't need it now, he'll take care of you.

I bet everyone in here can talk about that point. Every one of us is fine. You know, said that, boy, I'm glad I didn't get it when I really wanted it. I really couldn't handle that. And then you realize, wow, that's why you waited, God. I'm glad you're God, not me. Right? So it's beautiful. Not lose heart! Because I can tell you, I've lost heart many times and I quit praying about something.

I guess it's not to be. You can't bug God. Where he says, I'm just tired of listening to him. He's not that way. He saw you before you were born. He saw you when you were born. He saw you grow up. And all he wants to do is guide you down the path and wants to have contact with you. Because that's all prayer is, contact with God, talking to God. He'd like to have you do it anywhere, anytime, any place. Just do it. That's what this, that's what Christ is trying to say.

But he's trying to give us instruction of how to, because he knew he was going to be the one to make intercession for us. Let's go back to Mark 11 as we look at these how to. Mark 11. Mark 11 and verse 25 and 26. Mark 11, which is 25 and 26. He says, and whenever you stand praying, so, you stand praying? Does that mean you can't pray on your knees? Can't pray in your bed? Praying what? But when you, he says, when you, whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against the brethren, your brother, your sister, your boss, look at that word that's put in there.

Anyone, if you have anything against anyone, that's big. There's seven billion people. I don't know how many people you have something against. I doubt it's seven billion. But it's probably more than what we need to have, right? He's saying, if you have anything against anyone, anyone, forgive them that your Father in heaven may forgive you of your trespasses. Uh-oh. Is that a condition? Sounds like it to me. Sounds like it's a condition. If you're not going to forgive them, how do you expect me to forgive you, my child, when they may not even know or have a relationship with God or know anything about it?

And we do, don't we? What's he saying? Not just do it. Let it go. Let it go. But that is so hard to do with some of the idiots we work with, right? I mean, let's be honest. And you may say, Jesus, you didn't have to deal with this person. Come on down here and you'd see. No, he did see. He didn't know. During half years, all the leaders of the religious groups were just on him all the time. Every day he'd get up. It came after him.

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive them that your Father in heaven may also forgive you of your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. I got these things hanging over my head. I don't want that. I like to be clean, pure, when I get up off my knees when I finish praying. As the blood of Christ cleans me, cleanses me. Hmm. Move back to Luke again. How to pray. Luke 11. Back where we were. Except this time I want to jump on down because this follows up as Jesus Christ was teaching his disciples how to pray as they asked him about that. And in verse 9, it says, And I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and him who knocks, it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will you give him a serpent instead of a fish? No!

If you, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? Hmm. Well, ask. First he says, Ask. Then he says, Seek. And then he says, Knock. Why? Why not just ask? Because he said, Ask before. We're to ask our Father. But now he says, To seek it. If I told you, Oh, before the church today, I threw eight $100 bills in the grass out here. Well, I don't think I'd have many people sitting here right now. Probably. But you'd be going and seeking. Right? I think we had an Easter egg hunt here. You'd be like, Huh, seek. He says, Seek him. Seek God.

Because you've asked. Now you may need to seek him. We're seeking him to me sometimes when I've asked. Sometimes my seeking involves fasting. Sometimes my seeking involves meditation. Sometimes it's a lot more prayer as I'm trying to find, God, I need to make sure I'm doing my stuff right. And then finally knock. If you ask and then you seek, and you're going, I'm not leaving here till you leave. I'm not leaving here till you come to the door. Like going to Neal's house. Sometimes I may have to bang on the door and bang on the door. Neal won't come and answer, so he sends Joseph. Thinking I'll turn around and run. But no. All right. But this is what he said. Ask, seek, and knock. Don't stop. Be vigilant. If you want something from God, just don't pass it out there. Well, God, I know you want me to have that new car. I know you want me to win the lottery.

Ask him. Seek his will. Seek him. And don't stop knocking. Let's go back to Luke 9. A couple pages back. Luke 9, as we're coming to the end of How To. Luke 9 and verse 16. How to pray. Look at Luke 9 and verse 16. Then he took five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven, he did what? He blessed them. It means he had a good word. He asked for the food to be blessed. Who did he ask to bless it? Yes, Father! God blessed this food! Is there a place where he broke bread that it said that with people and he didn't? Ask God to bless him? I can't find it. It was something he did, right? Do we? Every meal? Well, yeah, but we don't like to say that, and I just don't want to make a scene of it in front of people. Well, of course. I'm not going into Applebee's and going, Hey, everybody shut up! I'm about to say prayer. Right? I mean, that's not what this is about, right? But do I say if I'm eating an Applebee's, I bow my head and I say prayer. You know, somebody looks at me, oh, I'm afraid of that guy. He's a religious nut. What are you doing down in South Florida? Well, there are a few of us, you know, but this is Christ is teaching us how is we thank God for even the food that he provides for us. Most of us eat, you know, two or three times a day. Some of you may eat five. I don't know. I thought he might. Somebody pointed at someone. You have anything against someone?

She wasn't standing, though. But, brethren, this is, to me, very important. How to pray? And he blessed and broke them and gave them to the disciples who set before all the multitudes. So they ate all and baskets and fragments were taken up. I need to make sure that I follow Christ's example. He knew what needed to be done. He knows what needs to be done. Do we? When it comes to prayer. One last one on how to the seventh. The seventh is, let's go to Luke 21. Luke 21.

Luke 21 and verse 36. How to pray? Watch, therefore, and pray always. Always. You know, the Greek word is actually three different words in Greek. And it actually, because I won't make you go through all those, how you pronounce it, how you spell it, but you can look it up. But it means, not only always, it means in all times. It actually means all the time. And it's actually used in other places. Same word, constantly. Pray constantly. Oh, wait a minute, I got to work. You're not getting it. Well, we're praying three times a day if we eat, right? You should pray in the morning. I always pray before my feet hit the bed. Thanks for a good night's sleep. Sometimes I have to pray while I'm lying in bed that you help me to pray when I get up. Okay? But then you pray. And during the day, if you drive in Miami traffic and you're not praying, there's something wrong with you. Right? Ninety-five? You've lost your mind if you don't. So praying isn't, you know, someone, how many times do you pray three times a day like David? No, I probably pray 20, 25 times a day. At different times, it's a short prayer. Sometimes it's like this, but I, you know, spend time on my knees. This is what it is to pray constantly. Always pray. There's a connection. I have even prayed a short prayer. Thank you, God. When I pulled up and there was a parking space. Yeah? I'm not the only one. So I'm not special. He gave you prayer. He answers yours, too. I thought it was just because I was a pastor that I got special privileges. No, but it is. That should be our mindset. If anything good happens to me, I kind of go, thank you, God. And sometimes when it's bad, I go, help me, God. I'm going to need this one. I got to go see Neil. Just kidding. He knows that. But no, I mean, there's a relationship between God and you that Christ, it was with the Father all the time. He just spoke and it just, He had that relationship and He wants us to have that, too. And He knows we won't naturally have it, so He wants us to naturally pray, which isn't a natural thing to do. To be relying on someone else? Not natural. Not natural. We'll do this ourselves. And what did Christ say? I can do nothing of myself. It's only by the Father I can do all these things. This is what He wants to create in us. And He says, watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man. Why? Yeah, there's going to be some troubles come at the end time, but there are also troubles that are going to come next week that you need this. Guess what? It's coming tomorrow! It may not be anything big to some people, but to you it's probably pretty big. And guess what? Your Father wants to hear about it. You know how much better it feels when you've kind of laid this off and it's no longer a big worry? Brother, He taught us how. He teaches us how. He instructs us how to pray. It should fire us up. It should get us to a wow. Now, yes, you're going to walk a little taller. You're going to walk a little more confident because He's got your back.

And He's on speed dial, right? He's on speed dial. All you got to do is call out. Now, we've talked about how-to. Let's go to how not to. You know what's interesting? There are seven instructions of how-to and how not to. There's only two. Only two verses that tell us how not to pray. And so I want to make sure that we know why we don't pray like some other people. And He tells us how not to. So if you will, go with me. How not to pray! Let's go back to Matthew 6. A Sermon on the Mount.

Most of you know this verse. Matthew 6 and verse 5. He says, And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, the actors, the frauds, the religious leaders of the day. You shall not pray like them. Don't be like them. Please don't be like them. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and on the corners of the streets. Oh, God, I'm so righteous! You ever seen anybody do like that? And they, you know, they make you feel kind of, you know, because they're just like, oh, brother, oh! You may say, oh, that's a little, no. I haven't actually seen that. Kind of reminds me of back at biblical times, you would hire mourners, okay? At a funeral, you would hire people that came and cried. They were professional mourners. That's how they, you know, you paid them, and they would come in and mourn. Well, you, it's almost like you have some of these professional prayers. They just think I can make these, oh! Oh! Bless you, brother! Bless you, brother! See, God doesn't, Christ didn't make these big deals. Otherwise, they would all have known who He was, and He couldn't escape right through them when He needed to flee. If He was the one standing on the corner, hey, hey, brother, hey, sister. I am Jesus. I am a mighty man. No, He didn't do that. And we're not to be that way. Like kind of the immigrants, because the Sadducees and the Pharisees, what did they do? Oh, man, did they ever love this? Because they were on the corners of the streets that they may be seen by men. Surely, unto you, they have their reward. See, the Pharisees, the Pharisees were more known than the others to do this, even more than the Sadducees, or many more Pharisees at the time. But the Pharisees, it was, and you can go back and check different Josephus and various historical accounts, but the Pharisees had a specific time. Now, they had mourning and prayers and afternumbers, but the Pharisees had one better. They had specific times that they would pray on the street corners, that they would pray in front of the synagogue, and it was six in the morning, nine in the morning, 12 o'clock noon, and three o'clock in the afternoon. They would set their sundials by it. You can get that, but okay. Didn't have watches. Okay. They would just like, oh, here it is! And so now, everybody that's busy and doing things, they see this man, oh, this pious man just praying, praying, praying.

Most people had to work, but here they wanted to look and appear religious. Anything wrong with praying? They prayed, you know, no. Wouldn't be bad at six in the morning, one of these times, but do you have to stand on a corner? No. He said, don't be like that. Don't do it to be seen. But then he said, but you, verse six, but you, when you, and this is an interesting verse, one of the most interesting verses in the entire Bible. Okay, look at it. This short little verse, eight pronouns, eight pronouns, which is a distinctive way, an emphatic way, because a lot of them are emphatic pronouns, which means he's saying it so they would set it for effect. Okay? That's why there's so many. So he's saying, don't be like them, but you, when you pray, go to your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your father, who is in the secret place, that your father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly. See the power of that verse? And there's many commentaries that say Jesus Christ was emphatic because of the way this sentence is structured. They didn't change it because this was unlike any in the New Testament. So he was emphatic of how not to pray. Don't be like them. Verse seven, but when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathens do.

Isn't it amazing that then he says, this is a model prayer, here's how you pray, and he says, don't use vain repetition. Don't just say the same thing over and over again, and then what do people do in churches? Over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Oh, do you know the Lord's prayer? Right? Or if you've ever seen that on TV, this woman's amazing. I see her on television. She's a nun, and she's on the Catholic channel, whatever that channel is. Yeah, a sister something or whatever, and she has this thing. And so then she will go to her Hail Mary's. Okay? And she will stand there, and it's for like 15 minutes she will say the same thing over and over again. Oh, Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us in our sins, why we live, and then after we die. And she says that, Hail Mary, other than I. Says it like 20 times in a row. I kept the channel on thinking, how long can she do this? Longer than I could stay watching. You know, I'm like, this is exactly what Christ is saying. Why do you say the same thing? In other religions, you have channers that do these chants and so forth like this. Even in the Islamic religion, you know, they have their prayers five times a day, especially on Friday, that they have these certain things. And go and read it. I mean, it's a script. Basically, you learn to do this. They give a little variation, but basically, you say this, and say this, and say this, and you know, and you're supposed to say it in Arabic. Okay. I had a friend that ran a restaurant that I would go to, and he closed every Friday at a certain time and so forth. I guess so he and I would discuss it and so forth. I said, tell me about the prayers. I said, you know, he has a little rug there that he'd pull out, you know, do this. And so I asked him, but I said, well, you know, we're going to do that. And he knew. And I said, you know, do you get? Well, no, he said, no, I had to learn all these sayings and then you say them and so forth like this. And he said, I had to be taught. You're taught. And then each of them have different names. I won't go through that sometime. They make a good Bible study sometime so you can understand. But I said, well, does that draw you closer to Allah? And he said, yes, it gives me free relationship with him. But if I don't say him, I'm in trouble. And I said, saying the same thing, basically, well, it's easier that way.

That's why he said, don't do this. But he actually won't. That's why we don't I got it. We're recording this. I went somewhere one time and it was in one of our teachings. And there was a guy that got called up of all the pastors to say a prayer. And we're called up there. We're just to say what you're inspired to say. And God just liked the closing man, opening man. That's what David did. And you'll do and so forth like this. There's no key in prayer. I mean, you're to be inspired by God. It's a relationship. We're talking, but you're also standing in front of people. So it's not just about you. And this man carries up. He's been a minister for 20-some years. He had it on a three by five card.

I was like, what? This is not what Christ is about. We have to make sure what we're about. Let's finish this up before I get too much in trouble here. Let's go to the last place. Luke, Luke 18. Luke 18. Luke 18 verse 9.

He said, Also, we spoke this parable in some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Any of you? Can you describe any of you? I hope not.

He said, Two men went up to the temple to pray. One a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. He wasn't praying to God. He was praying to himself. God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust adulterers, and even as this tax collector, Jeff Newell, who works for the government. He's corrupt. Right? I mean, don't be like this because two men went up to pray. One of them was like, oh, and the other did what? He was a tax collector. He was a sinner. He knew he was a sinner, as we all are sinners, hopefully overcoming those sins. He said that the Pharisee goes on, I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all I possess. And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house, justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Had a situation one time in the Caribbean, and had a problem with a couple of ladies that couldn't get along. And so I asked both of them to be praying about it, because they just, no matter what it is, and I said, good, then we're not going to leave this room until we pray this thing out, get this thing. And so I said, I'm going to lead off with prayer. So I led off with prayer and thanked God for all these things, and then thanked him for both the ladies being there, and for the talents and gifts and abilities that he had given them. And then said, you know, I want you, Father, through your spirit, to stir them up so that they can have peace in their life, so they can learn to work together, so they can love it. And I gave each one of their credits of what they were, you know, good at and so forth. So then after I got done, I said, okay, now it's you. And the one woman went through and basically did the same thing. We got to the other woman. What'd she do? She spent the whole time just telling God how bad the other woman was. I said, okay, now we're going to start this again. We may be here until midnight. I quit about an hour later. Some things you just can't work out. No, they won't change. It's the matter of the heart. The heart has to be changed, not just the words and not just what's in your head, but this is what we have to do. And prayer is something sacred, is something special, and it's something, brethren, that we all need to do a better job of. Feel more at home with and make it such a part of our lives and make it a part of other people's lives because almost I can think, other than some I didn't know here, I think I mentioned every one of you in my prayers this morning because I wanted the Sabbath to be special. I wanted it to be. I mean, that's part of it. I want you to have a special Sabbath. I want you to have a relationship, and I want it to be a blessing to everyone. So one last scripture is, I'll leave. You don't have to turn there. You may look at this in different translations. No matter what, I will. I'll turn there. Proverbs 28. Proverbs 28. Different translations lay this out so beautifully. Proverbs 28 and verse 9, in the message translation, it says, God has no use for the prayers of people who won't listen to Him. You want God to listen to your prayers? You want to answer prayers? I love the one in the New King James that says, one who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination. Brethren, we do not want our prayers to be an abomination. We want to, you know, look towards His law, but we need to have that close relationship, and that comes from prayer. No matter how many prayer sermons you hear, because I've given quite a few here, this one really affected me, because I need to make sure not only to pray, but how to pray, and more importantly, how not to pray.