Lord Teach Me How to Pray

Dear Lectern, it says, asking it shall be given. I think I'm going to start asking for this down in Fort Lauderdale. This one's nice. You've got all kinds of room. Usually I have more than one book. Today I do not. So I would fit well down there. But it is nice to be back. Nice to see everyone here. I hope you had a wonderful days of Unleavened Bread and are looking forward to the Fall Feast days. I decided, after much prayer, about what to give. I have a sermon to give here, and I also have a different one I will give this afternoon. Are you giving a different sermon at this afternoon? No. No. Okay. See, I was doing this for you, so you didn't have to hear it twice. But no. I actually thought I had two different messages to give today. So we will launch into this one in case there is someone here and there is always someone out there somewhere who has to write the titles. I want to give you the title. Okay, there he is. Raise his hand. And the title is, Lord, Teach Me to Pray. We'll be a sermon about prayer. But I had a couple of acquaintances, people I knew in the past. In the past ten years, I can think that I went to their homes and they had a Steinway piano. They each had a Steinway. They were professional entertainers, so they wanted, they thought the best they could get. And in case you've never studied about the Steinway piano, it, by every professional's account, it is par excellence. It's interesting because I had to look at it after studying it and seeing the first one and then seeing another one. I just kind of walked around and even pecked on the keys just a little bit just to see it because it's so beautiful. Such a beautiful, beautiful thing to look at. And one of the men there that I knew that had one actually played a little bit for me, and he was a very good entertainer. And so I really did love the sound. I could never make it sound that way. I could only do it damage by hitting the keys. But it's so interesting because a Steinway piano, the beauty of it has 12,000 parts in it. And the average one is assembled by over 300 people, and it takes a full year from the beginning to the end of a Steinway piano. But if you hear one played, it has a beautiful, beautiful sound.

I bring that up because you have a beautiful sound to our Creator guy. And he likes to hear it, as I like to hear a Steinway piano played by someone other than myself. But it's interesting as I asked this question a few years ago. Someone could tell me the first example of prayer mentioned in the Bible. And of course, it wasn't what I had written down, but they were partially correct.

And they went back to Adam and Eve because it didn't say prayer, but they talked to God, which is technically correct, I guess you could say. But really the first time that prayer is mentioned or named in the Bible is actually in Genesis 20, where Abraham is asked or referred to as praying for Abimelech. And God actually told him, perhaps Abraham will pray for you.

The very first time. And I found that intriguing because I went back and thought about Abel and thought about Noah and thought all these, but I didn't really see the first time prayer was mentioned. But it is mentioned pretty often in the New Testament by Jesus Christ.

I'd like you to turn there as we start out today in Luke 18. Luke 18, verse 1, Luke 18. It said then, Christ spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray. Men always ought to pray and not lose heart.

Actually, the Greek in there means not become faint, not become weary. Because after you pray a long time, pray for something for a long, long time, you can become weary, can't you? Then it says, he said, saying, There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man, nor, 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 man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

Then the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge said, And shall God not avenge his own elect, who cry out day and night to him, though he bears along with them? Gives us an example that maybe we need to pray a little bit longer, a little bit more. Maybe God is waiting for us to pray a little bit more. Christ had these teachings in Matthew 6, Sermon on the Mount. He said, therefore pray, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. You know that in Luke 11, the disciples actually came to Christ and said, Would you teach us to pray as John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray?

And we can also see the example in John 17 as we did at the Passover of the High Priestly Prayer by Jesus Christ as the last night on earth. But I ask you a question, how powerful is prayer? Why do we pray and why is it important? And is there anything we can learn? Because I decided when I did this study a few years ago, that I wanted to know what the Bible said about prayer. I knew what I had been taught, but I wanted to go to the Scriptures.

And so I read various books and found things to be empowering to me about prayer. Proverbs 28 verse 9, you don't have to turn there, but I'll quote it. Because I found this very intriguing. It says, It turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination. It's kind of like God saying, if you're not going to listen to me, I don't know that I'm going to listen to you.

So a lot of it starts with us, and it can end with him. I had a book I read by Bill Heibold probably six, seven years ago. And he mentioned in his book about prayer, and he used an acrostic word of Acts, the fifth book of the New Testament, A-C-T-S. And this acrostic word he used helped people to understand their progression and their order of prayer. Because sometimes all of us get caught up, and we can go out here and out there, and that's why Christ said this way, pray.

And this was similarly based upon that. Because we can sometimes get lost in our prayer, which isn't a bad thing. But sometimes we can kind of question, Oh, where do I go? How do I start this? How do I mix it up? But how does it not become the same old stale prayer or repetitious prayer that the Scriptures tell you not to do? So it's interesting that using the word A-C-T-S, the word A represents, in this progression or order, the first in line is adoration.

Adoration. Spend time at the first adoring God. When we address Him, do we use like the Scriptures say? Do He's called the high and lofty one? He's called El Shaddai, Adonai, the ancient one, do we speak to Him in glowing terms? Why do we do this? As Bill Heibel says, it helps to purge your mindset and puts a focus on God. And where you are and where He is, it helps in that way to start your prayer. A way to do it, not telling you that's the way to do it, because we all have our ways of communicating to God.

But this can sometimes help if you can look at things various ways, and that's what I try to do with this sermon. C stands for confession. Next in line, do we confess our sins? Do we break them down, or is it kind of like before I got married and met my wife when it came to laundry that I kind of put everything in a big pile and they just put it in the washroom?

Didn't know there was a way to do it that you separated things. It's that way with our prayers, too. And our sins, do we sometimes just come to Him and say, you know all these sins I committed yesterday, last night? Please forgive me for those. Are we able to break them down one by one and talk to Him about each one and get His help as we put a magnifying glass on these things we're trying to overcome? T for thanksgiving. 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 18 said, And everything give thanks. And everything give thanks.

Oh, wow! Everything. What does that include? Everything. You can start at the toes. Go to your fingers or the top of your head. There's a lot to be thankful for, even if you have health problems. A lot to be thankful for. Luke tells the incredible story of 10 lepers who were standing by the road into a city and they cry out to Christ, Master, help us or heal us. And Christ says, go show yourself to the priests. And as they leave, they're healed.

And it's so interesting because nine of those lepers were very grateful. But only one was thankful. Only one came back, fell at Christ's feet, and thanked Him for saving His life. For giving Him life back again. Thankful. And then the S, the X stands for supplication. It's our request, and Heibos actually said that he wanted to make sure that whenever he prayed like this, he made his request last and not first.

Because boy, when you're in problems, don't you want to put it first. Oh, God, I need your help. Oh, man, I've been there so many times that... And I think about this ax and make sure that my requests aren't first on the list. Because even though I know he will hear my prayers, I know who I'm talking to. Philippians 4 and verse 6 says, In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known.

Let your requests be known. I'd like you to turn to Hebrews, if you will. Hebrews 5 and verse 7, talking about Jesus Christ. A powerful example for us, as a writer of Hebrews, which I believe was Paul, but I'm not going to stake my salvation on it. Hebrews 5 and verse 7 said, Christ, who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear.

So Christ gave us some incredible examples. Someone asked me one time, well, how should I, when I gave this, you mentioned this and so forth, but you really didn't go into it like I wanted you to go into it. So let me ask you, I see in the Bible that there's all kinds of positions to pray. Which one should I do? It was interesting because I had told him, well, that you can stand up and bow down.

That's in there. Isaiah 6 and verse 1 had its face up. There was walking in Genesis 2 and verse 8. Hands raised, and it talks about in Psalm 28 and verse 2. There was even a line down in Psalm 63 and verse 6. There was sitting in 2 Samuel 7. And then there's kneeling.

There's kneeling. Why kneel? Why do you think we need to kneel? I think the biggest benefit in kneeling reminds us who's in the dialogue. Who's in the dialogue? Because prayer is not a couple of fellows chatting about the Dallas Cowboys and what Tony Romo's going to do this year. And we see that Christ spent time. He showed he kneeled at times. He showed he walked by the water. He spent time in the mountains. Location, location, location can sometimes help your prayers, too. As I took mine out to the ocean this morning and walked.

But I also came back and hit my knees in my hotel room just because I feel that's necessary for me to let him know that he's still way up there and I'm way down here. But one of the biggest things is, do you communicate? Is there a communication? Is there a voice? It teaches me that one's in charge and one's not. One's a master and one's a servant. It teaches me I'm not worth anything and he's worth everything. That's why I think it's so important. Is there power in prayer? You betcha. Prayers are important. Brethren, your prayers are very, very important.

Each and every one of us has a direct communication to God through Jesus Christ made it possible, as we heard about, hopefully, during the days of Unleavened Bread when the veil was torn. But I think about during the last 10 to 15 years of my life when something was tragic or I needed prayers by other people, I would think of some of the women that I called, some of the widows, spiritual widows, physical widows in the church, because I knew God hears them.

I'd seen it happen in the past and I could read the book and know how important it is that this communication, because I knew, even in business, like I tell, like I've told people in the past, don't be stupid! Take care of the widow! The Bible says that. It's good for you. They have a special place in God's heart. The Bible tells us that people prayed. People like you, people like me, but people that I read about and I look up to. I do not believe, even though it does not say that in the book, where Abraham took his 318 shepherds or farmers, men working for him, and took them up against an army, a combination of armies, actually, that took his nephew, Lot, and the family.

And I believe that before, according to history, whether you believe there were 10,000 men in that army or 100,000, they've talked either way in your history books, or he took 318 of those men who were not warriors, the shepherds, he took them and went and fought that large army of either 10,000 to 100,000 men. I believe, because knowing Abraham's character, I believe he prayed before he went, don't you?

That's big odds. 318 to 10,000? I'm going to pray. I believe he did. Moses prayed, and his prayer brought forth man and water. Joseph's prayers brought him to power in Egypt. Jacob prayed and became a reluctant leader in the father of many nations.

Elisha prayed and spared a widow's son. Isaiah and Hezekiah prayed and saved an entire nation. Daniel prayed, and God closed the mouths of some lions. Jonah prayed in the belly of a fish and was preserved and used by God. Hannah prayed, and God granted Israel's greatest judge into existence. Hezekiah prayed, and God granted him 15 more years of his life. Solomon prayed and became the wisest man to ever live. And Stephen prayed, and he saw the glory of God. Elijah prayed and called fire down from heaven. And Jesus Christ thought it was so important that he prayed all night.

All night. What about your prayers? Would they be in the top 10 in the church? I looked and thought, the greatest human prayers that I read in the Bible. And I went through and read each one of them and took it apart. Word for word. Because they're an example. I looked at Psalm 51, which was 1. I looked at Solomon's prayer. As dedication of the temple, I looked at Hannah's. I looked at Elijah's little short prayer, as he called fire down from heaven. I looked at Samson's last words to God, because that was a prayer.

But I'd like you to turn to Ephesians 6. Ephesians 6 and verse 18. Read from a different translation. Ephesians 6 and verse 18. He tells us, pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayer and requests. He says, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. I need your prayers. Chug Z need your prayers. Many men here, women, need your prayers. It's been said, when we work, we work. But when we pray, God works. God works. Skeptics may argue that answered prayers are coincidences. But it's amazing how many coincidences occur when one begins to pray, isn't it? I have a question.

If Jesus needed to leave his men alone and pray long to keep his ministry on track, is it possible that we require less? He said, well, wait a minute. I don't have a ministry. Yes, you do. Yes, you do. Why do you think he says you are a light of the world?

The city set up on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and what? Glorify your Father, not you, your Father. See, because one of the strongest statements I ever heard made was, you may be the only Bible some people will ever read. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read. I think it's important. I think it's very important. See, the power is not in the prayer. It's in the one who hears it. That's what we must understand. He has the power. We're just asking access to it.

See, I need help in my prayer life. It can get better. It has gotten better over the years, but there are times when I need to kick it in gear a little more. There are times that I need to be a little closer to God. That only happens by longer prayers. Meditation, prayer, fasting. Most of that's on me, 99.9%. I can do something about it. To love God is to please Him.

It's about Him, not me, not you. Remember the First Commandment? It doesn't say, you shall love yourself with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your mind, does it? Now, if you turn on TV, you can see a lot of people who believe that. Movies and TV. And they're even told that by the people who they employ. In prayer, I want to do my part, then let God do His, His way and His time. Because He doesn't always say, yes, right away. And I always say, no, right away. Sometimes He says, Chuck, just wait.

Wait. And that's hard to do. Are you heard when you pray? Every time are you heard? Have you ever had any wasted prayers? Ever had your prayer hindered? Is there such a thing as hindered prayer? Is there a way that it could be hindered? Exactly what does hindered mean? This is actually mentioned in the Scriptures. It means to interfere, to obstruct, block, impede, avert, turn aside, deter, stop, hamper, prevent.

What's interesting is the Bible actually gives the seven things which hinder our prayers to God. The seven things which hinder our prayer to God. And they're going to be straight from God's Word. So I want to cover that. Let me get my watch off. It starts at 10.30. That means we have to end at 12, right? Okay. And we will do it. So let's go, if you can, to the first time, as mentioned, like you turn to James. James 4. James 4 and verse 3. James 4 and verse 3. The half-brother of Jesus Christ, head disciple in Jerusalem. That's time.

James 4 and verse 3. He says, You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Hmmm. Spend it on your pleasure. Brethren, a selfish purpose in prayer robs prayer of its power. The true purpose in prayer is that God may be glorified. You go back and you read all those examples, and when He granted these things to our forefathers, our spiritual forefathers, look who was glorified.

Not them. Samson had a hard time figuring that out. He took him, having his eyes gouged out, as they actually said. They actually, at that time, they took burning rods and stuck it in his eyes, and burned out his eyes. It took him quite a few years pushing grain like an animal, before he really, after losing his eyesight, began to truly see God. See, God threw him away and why he was there. The whole time, do you think God wanted him to run around with prostitutes and do all the things that he did?

He wanted him to stir up the people, but was there another way? We have to ask God that. Something else you need me to do that I haven't been doing? So make sure that God is glorified and pray, Oh! There's a 400 million dollar giveaway. God, I really need that. Your eyes and thighs would be 40 million. Your eyes would have another 40 million for second thigh. Couldn't I have a good time at feast with that?

Make sure what we pray for is glorified as him. I'm sure Aaron Dean, the treasurer of the church, would like you to do that too. But what's important is that God be glorified. Number two, the second way you will turn to Isaiah 59. Isaiah 59, verse 1 through 2. Something we need to think about. Isaiah 59. Verse 1, it says, Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, nor his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.

But your iniquities, your sins, your sins have separated you from your God. And your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear you. Can't hear you. Amazing. How many men cry to God in vain?

In vain simply because of their sins and their lives. They don't want to change their life. And repentance means 180 degrees to turn! Some people just want to say, well, I'll pray. I pray just when I need it.

Pray when I need his help. That's what the world thinks. Will not hear. Real repentance. We were talking about in Psalms 51, didn't we? With David. Reason to pray. Reason to stay close to God. Help to purge and cleanse those sins out of our lives. So we come to him, yes, we're coming to him, a sinful person.

But we're not living in sin. We all sin, but hopefully we're not living in sin. And then we're trying to strive for righteousness. Third way, you will turn to Ezekiel. Turn to Ezekiel. A lot of people have never thought about this one. That it can be a hindrance.

Ezekiel 14. Ezekiel 14. Verse 3. It says, It says, So idols in the heart can cause God to refuse to listen to our prayers. You say, well, yes, but it was talking about those men back in Jerusalem. They were evil and this. Is that talking to me? It's talking to me. It's talking to me. What is an idol? An idol is anything that takes the place of God. Anything that is a supreme object of your affection.

See, God alone, when you said you would follow Him, when you said you were His, God alone has the right to that supreme place in your heart. Wife, children, grandchildren, job, money, prestige, look around you. That's how the world lives. God just asked to be first. Can you imagine if you have a child? You do have a child. You had this child. This may seem as my parents would probably say that's not a real child. But you had a child that grew up and at home, he took care of the yard, and he mowed the yard, and he took out the trash.

He made the bed. He'd wash dishes. Do all this you never had to tell him to. It's just he did it. Yeah, you think it's funny, too, so would my mother. Those of you who might know my mother know, well, that wasn't you. But what about...and he made mistakes, but he was always trying to help around the house. He was always trying to do whatever needed to be done. And he never really asked for much, but occasionally, I mean, here, he's been doing this for three or four years, and so here at 12 years old, he comes to you and asks you, could I get a bike, and if I go out and earn enough money, and I have half of it, would you pay the other half and help me get that bike?

Are you going to say no? What parent in the right mind would say no? What God in his right mind will say no to you if we're like that child? Because he's our Father. Think about that. It's pretty important. Fourth way, what if I can jump back to number 3 one thing? I just have one comment. Ask yourself this question, is God absolutely first? Is he absolutely first? Number 4, might you turn back to Proverbs?

Proverbs 21, to be exact. Proverbs 21, another way in which your prayers could be hindered to God. It may be selfish, but I'm counting on your prayers. I don't want them to be hindered. And some people are counting on mine, like the anointings who do. Boy, that's a burden. I want to make sure when these people need help that God hears my prayers and my prayers are not hindered.

I pray over those people. Proverbs 21, verse 13, Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard. Hmm, that's strong. Are we stingy? It's a word my mother used to use all the time. Stingy, share that with your sister. So I break off a little piece instead of half of it. Stingy! Actually, good news, translation says, Give to others. Did we do that? You know, when you look at it and you think about it, God owns everything. My wife even told me last night, Stop worrying about things.

Your father's rich. And God owns it all, and so then he gives it to all his children on the earth. And so here, what do you think he does? He's just like my mother wanting me to give this half of a candy bar to my sister. What did I do? Break her off the smallest piece I could possibly break off. My mother was not impressed. My father was not impressed. Next time they gave the candy bar to my sister and let her break it off.

Well, I wonder sometimes if God isn't that way with us. And see people in need, or you see this or something. And so we're just holding on to our little stuff when it's not our stuff anyway, is it? That's what he's trying to teach us. Luke 6 and verse 38, you don't have to turn there because you know it. You should know it. Christ talks, he says, Give, and it shall be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

God says, Prove him. Try me. Actually, good news translation says, The measure you use for others, God will use for you.

God will use for you. That's why it's important to teach kids at a very young age, share, share, give. Nothing's worth that much that you develop a nature that you're not going to give anything. It can hinder our prayers. Make sure, because we're not giving our stuff anyway, we're giving God's stuff to other people. Like a quote that was given, I couldn't even find it as anonymous. It's a quote that said, People are drawn to prayer because they know that God's power flows primarily to people who pray. Strong words. People are drawn to prayer because they know that God's power flows primarily to people who pray. It's in the book. Look at praying and look at the answers. I'd like you to turn now on the fifth way to Mark.

Could we possibly be done before 12 o'clock? Would you tell my boss Chuck on me? Has he ever quit early?

No, not even close. I'll tell him that. I'm telling you he said it. Mark 11. Mark 11, verse 25. Mark 11, verse 25. It says, Whenever you stand... What? Whenever you stand... What? Praying. Praying. If you have anything against anyone, forgive him. That your Father in heaven may also... What? Forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. Ooh! And I have some trespasses. I need him forgiven. I want to make sure that I look at this and make sure that it's not entered. Prayer is answered on the basis that our sins are forgiven, but God cannot deal with us on the basis of forgiveness while we are still harboring ill will against those who have wronged us. Can we do it? Can we really forgive people? Christ did forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. Stephen? Look at Max? Greatest deacon I've ever met. I never met him, but I feel like I know him. After reading about him, he said, They were pelting him with rocks to hold us against him. Hmm. I think his prayers were heard. I think that's why he got a chance to see God. Vision of God in the throne, where Jesus Christ standing at His right hand, not sitting. Incredible vision that he was given. 1 Peter 3. 1 Peter 3 and verse 7 says, Likewise, you husbands dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. So it's crystal clear here. It says, A wrong relationship between a husband and wife is a hindrance to our prayers. He said that last night on earth, he says, you know, Father, that you and I are one, and we're one, and I want my people to be one with you. I and you, and you and me, and they and me, and they and you. You and them. That's why the marriage relationship is so important. If you're married, take it serious.

I went to a woman this week that we went to meet for the first time. She'd been watching the program, getting our booklets, sending in ties, according to the home office. I went to visit her. She's been married 54 years. Her husband lives in one room, and she lives in another, and they just share a house. She's been that way all those years. For a long time, she said, you'll imagine she needed love. She needed agape. We spent time with her, and hopefully she'll call again, or we'll call her, because she's living in a loveless house.

It's very important our mates are loved by us and God, that our prayers be not hindered. Last one, 7. Turn back to James, if you will. Number 7.

James 1.

James 1, verse 5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally, and without approach, it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind, for let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. Prayers can be hindered by our unbelief, by our lack of faith, by our lack of relationship with God. God demands that we believe his word absolutely. Requires faith. How many of our prayers have not been answered because of unbelief? One person, Christ, said, just believe, and at least he was humble enough to say, God, Christ, help my unbelief. Maybe we need to say that a few times. Maybe we need to say that a few times.

We always ought to pray. So I wrap this up. Ambrose Bierce had this saying, he's very strong, and sometimes I felt the weight and the gravity of the same upon me because of what I've asked. Maybe you have too. Maybe you've got a relative or a family member, or you've got someone dying in your family, or you've got real problems to confront. Ambrose Bierce said, to pray is to ask the laws of the universe be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner, confessedly unworthy.

Asking that the laws of the universe be changed for us, held back. If we call upon God, He has promised in His Word to answer. If we don't call upon God, He has promised absolutely nothing. It's as simple as that. A prayerless Christian, brethren, is a powerless Christian. I don't want to be powerless. I have a wonderful Father who loves me. He loves you too. I love the bumper sticker that says, Life is fragile, handled with prayer. We need to do more of that. It's interesting as I think about that Steinway piano again, because I went and I read about it, and I'd love to take a tour of the Steinway manufacturing plant, because they still make them. But Henry Steinway, back in the early to mid-1800s, when he first built the factory to build these wonderful pianos, as he came from Germany, and he was such a perfectionist that everything had to be just so perfect. So he would spend 12 hours a day right there where they were being built. In his office, he was doing this, and he was selling, trying to do everything. But the one thing as they finished a piano, that he made sure that they did, was that no piano left there without him stopping by. And he had a man there, and his employee, that worked for him that could play the piano beautifully.

And Henry Steinway never let a piano leave his building without him listening to it. So before it left, he would stay up just outside and let the man play it, so he could hear the beautiful music coming from that beautiful Steinway piano. He listened to his greatest creation, brethren our Father, the God of this universe. He's listening for his greatest creation. Pray.