Christ and Your Prayers

The sermon today, let me look at my watch, is titled Christ and Your Prayers. Christ and Your Prayers. Have you ever felt that your prayers only had an eight-foot height limit? In here, this is about nine, when you say David, nine, or is it ten? Nine? Close to ten? Have you ever felt it had a ten-foot limit? I know I have a few times when I've been praying about the same thing time and time again. And it matters to God what we say, how we say it, what we do, and how we appeal to Him. The best one in the book I can find that did that, goes through Jesus Christ. And so He's intimately involved now with our prayers. So I know many of you over the years have heard sermon after sermon after prayer. About prayer. I have given many, but this one is a little different, I hope. Like you turn with the first scripture, 2 Chronicles 7, verses 14 and 15. You may know this one, you should. It was very important at that time. 2 Chronicles 14. Turn back if I can find my page here. Sorry, 1 Chronicles 14. Am I right? 2 Chronicles 7, 14. What is wrong with me? Don't tell me I'm giving you second best after my sermon this morning. 7, 14? Yeah, I moved my paper. That's what I did. 2 Chronicles 7, verses 14. If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and do what? Pray. Pray. So God is telling us, are we His people? Oh boy, some saying yes and some not saying anything. Are we His people? Yes. I hope we are. Otherwise I'm wasting my time and you're wasting a good Saturday when you could be watching football. If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and sink my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear. So He's waiting to hear from us. From heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. And our land needs to be healed in case you didn't know it. If you haven't looked out there, there's some healing that needs to be done. Okay. We may say, well, I wish all America would do this. Now, I want all of us to do that. I want all of us to humble ourselves and pray to God because it will make a difference. Do you often see people praying? See people praying as a group? No? Right? We sometimes do. It's not a real popular thing to do today, is it? It's not a real popular thing to look and say, I get my teachings from the Bible. It's becoming less and less popular to be a Christian. Matter of fact, it's a word that people are beginning to shy away from. How about us? Do you know when this nation last followed those instructions from 2 Chronicles? Do you remember it? It's coming up on the 20th anniversary. September 11th. 9-11. The churches all of a sudden, the next day, or at that next weekend, they were full again. You had people talking on talk radio saying, well, we really need to turn back to God. We had people, and I remember it well because I was conducting a service somewhere and just decided to open the floor. We just had an interactive service that day as we talked about, not only this scripture, but various things. Are we concerned that it will take this for us to get down on our knees and begin to pray as a nation again? Because that's where it will start. If we want to turn this nation around, say, well, it's too late. Really?

Didn't we go through Jonah?

In the Old Testament, the Word heard the prayers. The Word heard the prayers. In the New Testament, the Word, as it says, John 1-1, became flesh.

The Word has heard a lot of prayers, but the Word would like to hear more, and as the Father would like to hear more. But God, in the flesh, as it tells us in John, died for us and became our intercessor. Became our intercessor. So what does intercession mean? The act of intervening on one's behalf. The act of intervening on one's behalf.

I remember one time in school, I got in trouble. One of the few times, I didn't do anything wrong. But I got blamed for this because I usually did do something. And the teacher said, I did this. So back then in Tennessee, in the 70s, you went to the principal's office where he was waiting with the paddle. And it was more like an assembly line at our school at that time. And it wasn't the first time I'd ever been there, and it wouldn't be the last.

And before I received my three licks, someone else in class said he didn't do it. I did it. Someone intervened on my behalf. I'll never forget it. Didn't really like the guy. He didn't really like me. But we kind of became friends after that. So I do know what it means to intervene on one's behalf. But yet this is saying that this is what Jesus Christ is going to do for us.

He's going to intervene on our behalf. We already know He took the death penalty for us. That's pretty nice. We already know He was beaten so that by His stripes we can be healed. But there's more to it than this simple story that so many people talk about. Like you turn with me to Hebrews. Turn with me to Hebrews 7, verse 25, as I'll be reading from the New King James Version. It says, Therefore He is also able to save to the utmost those who come to God through Him.

Since He ever lives to make intercession for them. He lives forever. It's kind of phrased like we would typically. But He lives forever to make intercession for us. It's like that's His job. That's something He enjoys doing. Unlike the guy that took three licks for me, Christ is wanting to do it for everyone. Incredible! That's just an incredible statement. But it's interesting because intercession, there's also other words that are tied to that in Scripture.

And another one is advocate. He is our advocate, the Scripture says. He is our mediator. So this incredible being, known as a word, He's a multi-tasker. He can do a lot of stuff. Advocate. The dictionary says a backer, a promoter. Isn't it nice to have a promoter? Perhaps you've been on a job somewhere, and someone's wanting you to get promoted so they push you forward and say, Hey, this is a great person. You should hire this woman. You should give this woman a rate.

I remember going out to a job on time. Some of my guys were working there, and I had this really incredible worker at the time. And this man comes out to me because they were finishing up the job, and he said, You see that guy over there? I said, Yeah. He goes, I don't know what you pay him, but you need to double it. Now that's a promoter. He didn't have to tell me the guy was good, but he wanted to because he never saw good like this before. It's great to have a promoter. And another word for advocate is a spokesman.

It means somebody to speak up for you. So this is one of the descriptions of what our Savior does. Not only is He a high priest and a coming king, but He's a spokesman for us. Who does He speak to but one being? His father. He's a spokesman for us. That's incredible. It really is. And then it says He's a mediator. Well, we know what mediation is if you've ever been involved in various things, business. But a mediator, the definition says it's a go-between. Sometimes we need that. And another set, a peacemaker. Mmm. Peacemaker. And we could always use one of those. So I'd like you to go with me to 1 Timothy 2.

1 Timothy 2 and verse 5. 1 Timothy 2 and verse 5. It says, For there is one God, one mediator, between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. So He's our mediator. Isn't that incredible that a God being is willing to be the spokesman, a promoter, and a mediator for you to His Father? Were you talking about mediating and promoting for Him? What did Christ say are our main focus and goal?

Seek first what? Kingdom of God. Can't tell me that the Son and the Father aren't talking about what Jesus Christ was here three and a half years ago. He was obsessed. He was a fanatic. All He did was talk about His kingdom, His Father's kingdom. He can't tell me. He went up there and said, No, Dad, we're not going to talk about this. So He goes back up there and He goes, No, I'll just wait until you send me down there. No! You know they have to be talking about it. He said, Am I Father's house or many mansions?

You think they're not talking about, wow, you know when His kingdom comes? Look, Maria will fit just perfect there. Kathy, look, Father, I know, I think I can work with Kathy and we have these positions. You think that doesn't happen? I can't say it does. I'm not up there. But it sure points that way.

I call filling in for a purpose. And that's that kingdom. Man, are they going to work perfect over here. Maybe the Father says, Yeah, are you sure? Oh, yes! Because He's a promoter. That's what this says. He's our advocate. He's our mediator. He wants us to succeed. And they even have to say, Father, saying, Man, do you realize how many times they prayed to me today? How much sin they have in their life? Yes! But I walked that earth. I know. It's not easy. Actually, one definition said, an intercessor is one who brings God and human beings together.

One who brings God and human beings together. Well, the beauty of that is our advocate, our mediator, our intercessor, our Savior, our God and our King left us with certain instructions. And so, with the time I have left today, I want to go through those instructions He gave us. Because it's very important because He's the one that's having to double check, come behind, and maybe have to clean up some stuff for us. Now, I'm putting this in human terms because Christ understood. He was a carpenter for many years before He became a preacher.

Well, I was too. The only difference between Christ and myself was He was smart enough to get out of it by the time He was 30. It took me 20 more years to get out of construction. But Christ walked. He knew. He knew what it was. He knew what it was to walk in these human shoes. And boy, do we ever need that sometimes. So what I want to talk today is Christ's very instructions. Nobody else, nothing else in the Bible except we're going to finish today with Christ's perfect instructions for us about prayer.

Nothing what Paul said, nothing what Peter said, nothing what just what Christ said because I think we all need it. Because I don't know about you, but some days prayer goes great.

And you know, some days I duck because I think it's bouncing off the seal. Maybe I'm the only one here. And sometimes I have to go in two or three times to get it right.

So I use this for myself.

So let's look at the first avenue here, as I call it, of what our advocate left is.

How to pray. How to pray. And now, if you've got this all down pat and you say, I don't need, I know how to pray, I got this, then good. You'll get to sleep for the next few minutes. Okay? But me reading through this again, I need you to be reminded.

But it says, I do not have the best prayer life in this room.

And I should. And I should. And that's something I have to work at.

So let's look at very first how to pray. And there's one person, one writer that wrote about it was inspired by Christ more than any of the others. And we will look at that today because he had a unique way of writing. He had a unique way of putting this out. So if you will join me, I'll read from the New King James Version today. And that book is the book of Luke, Luke, chapter 11. Luke, chapter 11. Let's start with 1 through 4. Okay? And it came to pass as he was praying. Who? Christ. So he did it. He did it as an example.

As he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased that one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. So he said to them, what?

When you pray. Not if, not when you feel like it. When you pray should be when. Well, we're going to look at that too. We're going to look at the wind, but here's how. So here's how you do it. You shall say, Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins. And also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Okay, that's how we need to pray, but just breaking that down in verses 2 through 4. That's a load. I've spent a whole sermon, two sermons, on just those two verses there. It's an outline. Should we pray this all the time? Oh, I'll just pray this, because some people do, don't they? You hear them, they just, oh, okay, let us pray. Our Father, Lord in heaven, hallowed be thy name. No, that's not what He's talking about. He's given us, I would say, as many people said, a model prayer. Let's go over to Luke, stay in Luke 11. Go down to verse 9. Still talking about prayer. And He said, I say to you, ask. Ask what? When are you supposed to ask when you pray? So when you pray, He's expecting you to ask. And I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened. So it's time to ask. You know, if your father was Warren Buffett, and you needed a quarter, you'd think he'd go, and you'd get it. Well, that's not even close, because God's so much richer than Buffett. You think it's anything hard for God? Is anything too big? Is anything too small, as the Scriptures say? Anything too hard? No. But He's telling us here is, half the time you don't have because you don't ask.

Will you get everything you ask for? Jeannie, does your daughter get everything she asks for? No. See? Jeannie's like God. She's not going to give you everything you ask for because... Alright, way to ruin my sermon. But we do need to look and ask. Ask more because He's... I'm telling you, well, He's saying how we need to pray. And I think it's important because when He...

You have never had anyone love you as much as God. You have never had anyone in your life come close to wanting to give and help you like God. So why should you feel bad or guilty or... I don't know that I need to ask for that. You think He doesn't have enough? Oh, God may run out of blessings. God may run out of miracles.

Right? No, He can't. It's an endless, endless, endless place of blessings. We need to ask more. Let's go to Luke 18. Luke 18. This is a really good one. Luke 18 verse 1. Love this one. And then He spoke a parable. To them the men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying there was 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 afterward He said within Himself, Though I do not fear God, or nor regard man, Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

Weary me, which is the Greek word hypo. You know what hypo means? Hit me in the eye. So He was feeling like this felt like He was getting hit in the eye. But Christ is giving this now. Right? Verse 6, Hmm. You feel like not asking now? He even gives a simple parable telling that this woman was bugging the judge to death. And He said through this example, Maybe you need to do that. God, I've asked You for this so many times. I feel guilty of even asking.

This is an incredible statement. Go with me over to Mark 11, though. Mark 11. Mark 11, verse 25. Mark 11, verse 25. So He said, And whenever, Who's saying this? Who's? And when you stand praying, If you have anything against anyone, forgive Him 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.

There's some how, isn't it? How to pray. If you're going up there and you're... But, of course, you can put in there for all of us men here. It should make you feel good. That it means mankind, so women can also be included in that verse. So you can forgive her. You understand? If you're standing there praying and you have anything against anyone, He didn't say, Brethren, He didn't say, This bad person or this really good person.

Anyone has anyone. Look at that. Anyone, anyone. That covers everyone, doesn't it? And that's what I got from this, this time. After reading these verses, probably 50 times, 100 times in my lifetime, I just read that and I'm going, Anyone, if you have anything against anyone, I have no escape from that.

I have no excuse from that now. Yeah, but that guy's a scoundrel. That woman's just a liar. If you have anything against anyone. This is how He's telling us how to pray. Forgive him that your Father in Heaven may also forgive your trespasses. Does that sound conditional to you? Ooh. So how we pray right here is pretty big stuff.

We ask God anything it says we don't ask enough. Well here He's telling us, When you ask, there's a certain condition here. You asked me to forgive you. How many times a day? And then you won't, you stand praying and you won't forgive the other person. If we want a solid church here, this has to be it. If we want a church God can bring people into, this has to be it. We have to forgive people. I'm your pastor. Guess what? I don't know how long I'm going to be here, but I'm going to disappoint you. I'm going to upset you.

I'm going to say something. I'm liable to say something wrong, not that I intend to, but if I do. Are you going to forgive me? Because I have to forgive every one of you. Anyone that's out there, according to the Scripture, and I don't think Christ lied about it. It's impossible.

So now we have looked at how to pray. I think we have a pretty good picture here of how to pray. I mean, just the verses and parts of Scripture, it's enough for us. But now I need to go to the second part. When to pray? When to pray? Do you know when to pray? It said, and we just looked at Luke 18, verse 1, Man always ought to pray.

Now I know I'm never supposed to add to Scripture. It says don't add or take away, but can I add? Man always ought to pray more, more. I need to pray more. Isn't there times in your life when you prayed more? More? Why did you pray more? Anybody care to... A crisis? Absolutely. Anybody else? When you prayed more? Lillian? Sickness? Yes, which can also be a crisis, but it could be a different kind. So yes, we have crisis. We have health issues that happen. Bill, you have...

People in here have had things, and it's easy to pray then. But can we pray when it's not a crisis? Isn't that the hard part? When things are going well, I've seen my prayers, and I say, well, thank you, God. I really feel good. But am I really searching myself at those times?

I have to question myself there. I want to make sure, because he said... What was that? Always. Men always ought to pray. So when we get in to win, I think everybody in here understands. Sometimes it's real easy, and isn't it great that you can feel like you can? That's powerful. When you know you're praying because you're desperate, hanging out. What do you think Daniel did when he was thrown into the lions den? You think he's on... Oh, well, no big deal. God will take care of me. When he was so high up in the government at that time that he knew that those lions weren't fed for days.

So that they would make short order of whatever food was thrown in. The spiritual ancestors before us, they have given us such incredible examples about prayer. Elijah, how about a 15 second prayer? Go all fire down. You know? I mean, we... Christ has given us such incredible instructions here. Matter of fact, let's go look at this. When to pray?

We've always said, always, ought to. But let's go back to Luke. Since Luke... I hung out in Luke quite a bit. I said to my wife this week. Luke 9? It's kind of nice sharing and sometimes looking at the same book with someone that you care about, that you can share scripture. It doesn't have to be husband and wife. It can be a friend. But it's something unique about sharing, knowing what they're studying and you're studying.

Sometimes you go, wow! Did you get that? Luke 9. This may be a strange one to you. It shouldn't be. Luke 9 and verse 16. Christ is about to feed 5,000 people. If I had to feed 50 people tonight at my house, I'd have to do some praying before I got home. Don't think we've got enough food for that. Well, He didn't have any hardly. Okay? Verse 16.

Then He, Jesus Christ, took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven He did what? What does that mean? You thank God for it. You give thanks. We say, bless. Why don't you bless the food? And we give thanks for what we got. He gave thanks and He blessed and broke them and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.

Okay? Go with me back to Matthew 15. I don't usually have you turn this many scriptures, but I guess this was exciting to me as I just saw example after example. Christ telling us how to pray, when to pray. Matthew 15. Verse 36. Then He took the seven loaves of fish and He did what? He gave thanks. He gave thanks. How many times? Have you ever looked at that?

He fed four thousand. He fed five thousand. Another time He fed three thousand. And He had all these things, and even with His disciples. You know what it says? Every time? I couldn't find it. If I'm wrong, correct me. Wrong. Next week I'll be here, hanging out here with you guys. Show me. But every time I saw that Christ stopped to eat, it says He gave thanks. He blessed the food. Is any less required of us, brethren? Well, you know, we don't like to make a big scene. We're in a restaurant. We don't need to make a show out of it. That's what I used to be told in church.

We didn't pray out in restaurants. Sorry. I do. Right, Dale? We do. We do. If you go out with me and have lunch, you'll pray. One of us is. Why? Because that's the example He showed. When to pray? I didn't until, because I kind of went, it can be embarrassing in a restaurant, until this older man that I eventually had the privilege of doing his funeral when he passed away. David, you didn't happen to know E.B. Scott, did you? Did you know E.B. Scott? He went to Nashville a long time, and got sick and so forth. I would occasionally go pick him up, or try to pick him up, after his wife died to come to our service. It was an hour or so out of our way, but he was just such a saint. That's all I could say. He was such a beautiful man, just kind and compassionate. He was getting older. We went out to eat one time after services. He sat there, and I'm about ready to chow down. He goes, shouldn't we pray? I just gave the message. He bowed his head and said one of the most sincere prayers. Was it long? Did it take up all this time? Did everybody look and go, shhh? No. What did it do? It humbled me. And what did it do? It didn't affect anybody else around. We don't have to say a quiet prayer and then be in a restaurant at the end and go, Amen! Right? That's not. That's what Christ is talking about. He doesn't need that, but we have this relationship with Him. We can even talk quiet and say those prayers. My wife remembers Him so well. What an example He was to me. Let's go on. When to pray? Matthew 5. Let's go to Matthew 5. Let's go to that Sermon on the Mount, that powerful, powerful sermon. Matthew 5 and verse 43. Matthew 5 and verse 43. He said, You have heard it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray. Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of the Father. So when? When do we pray? When those who spitefully use us and persecute us. That's when we pray. And what do you think God expects us to pray? Get Him! Get Him! Curse her! No, He's expecting us to pray for the mercy. Because He's like our defender. He's going to take up for us. We need to pray that God be merciful to that person. This is what's so important to us. Finally, let's go to Luke. Luke 21. Let's go back to Luke. Luke 21. Luke 21 and verse 36. Luke 21 verse 36. Watch, therefore, and pray always. Here he is again. Watch, therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass. Do we? We read some of these things? We're like, well, wait a minute. That's talking about the end time. And we're not there yet. I'm not in a place of safety. I'm not in a tribulation. Does He say that? Watch, therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy. Because we're basically not worthy. So, God's told us, Jesus, Messiah, the Savior, He's told us how to pray and when to pray. Is there anything left? Do you feel pretty confident in Him? Do you feel like I've given you enough food for today? You feel that's the end of it? No. I want to do one more. How not to pray. How not to pray. Because He gives us how to pray, when to pray, and then He tells us how not to pray.

See, I want these because these are Christ's words. We're staying in Luke, and let's go to Luke 18. Let's go to Luke 18, verse 9. Luke 18 and verse 9. And then Christ spoke this parable to some who trusted in them themselves that they were righteous and despised others. He didn't put any of our names down there, thankfully. Do you know anybody like that?

He said, two men went up to pray. We're talking about prayer, and God's all about prayer. The men always ought to pray. The temple to pray won a Pharisee on the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. Did he get that dying? With himself? Not to God? With himself? God, I thank You that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust adulterers, Republicans, Democrats, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all I possess, and I make a lot of money. And the tax collector standing afar off would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but he 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 themselves will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. That's an incredible set of scriptures. They should make us all, because I could go. Two men went up to pray. One was the pastor of the United Church of God, and the other was a sinner, a doe-pede, a low life.

We need to take this personally. We're just so blessed God called us, and now He's given us instructions on how to pray, when to pray, and how not to pray. We should be so thankful. Let's go to one more. One more. Matthew 6. For those of you who are smelling food or getting hungry, your deliverance is near.

Matthew 6. Matthew 6, verse 5. Matthew 6, verse 5. And when you pray, I thought we already did that one. No? It's a different way. And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. You know what hypocrites? My margin says pretenders. You know what the Greek word for hypocrite means? Actor. Actor. An actor, because they're acting apart. Don't be an actor when you pray. For they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the street, that they may be seen by men, assuredly I say unto you, they have their reward.

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret, will reward you. And then verse 7, But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathens do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Don't say the same thing over and over again. But you know what happens? I pray for this woman sitting right here every day. I pray for my mother.

I pray for all of you. I pray for all the ten churches. I pray for people who are sick. I pray for all that. And you keep doing it. I pray for Jeff Newell this week. I pray for all these people. And you feel like, because I do it every day, is it getting repetitious? Is it getting like, no. Sometimes I have on a pray in a different place.

Sometimes there's nothing like praying on the beach in the morning. The sun is coming up, talking to God. Sometimes it's in my room. Sometimes it's out in my backyard. And sometimes I have to reverse the order sometimes, so it doesn't get repetitious. Sometimes I have to separate my prayer. I do this part of the care being this day and another one the other day. Is it repetitious? Maybe to us, but not to God. He loves to hear us pray for other people, not just, God, I feel so righteous today. Make me more righteous. It has to be about others.

And that's what Christ is showing, not praying repetitions like the heathen do. They do it to make it sound good. That's not us. That's not what we're about. That's not what Christ is about. So brethren, I'd like you to look at one other verse. You don't have to turn there. It's going to be right up here. And it's Proverbs 28 and verse 9.

Proverbs 28 and verse 9, it says, One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer, is an abomination. It's in with the last one, but I want to give you, I want to finish with this last thing. Because I look, and I very seldom use this translation of the Bible. It's a message Bible. But occasionally it will actually write something that really hits the home. And this one says, God has no use for the prayers of people who won't listen to Him.

Let's make sure we listen to Him, read His Word, and turn towards Him. Brethren, the sermon has been about Christ and your prayers. It's a big deal to Him. Is it a big deal to you?