What to Pray to God About

So, we are ready now to hear about God's Word. I'm just a bystander. I'm just an instrument, but I'm sitting there with you, so it's as good for myself as for all of you. We're all learning about God's Word. And it reminds me, back when I was 17 years old and I attended church for the first time here, I realized one of the things that I had gotten completely wrong was the way to pray to God. I had come from the Catholic Church, and so I was given a rosary, and I would have to use the different beads and say, our Father, and just repeat it and then you'd have the Hail Marys, which you would also do. And that was just repetitive ways of doing it. And lo and behold, when I came to the church, started looking at the Bible and what the Bible talks about, real prayer, I knew I had to learn things over again. I had gotten it wrong. And I know that learning how to properly pray has made all the difference in the world. It is something that doesn't matter what age you are, it is so vital. It's a way to renew ourselves spiritually every day. Notice in 2 Corinthians 4, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, and verse 16, it says, Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, it is wasting away. Yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, God's promises, the hope, the faith that it is based on, he says, For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. And modern science has discovered this is a temporary universe. Things are all wound up at the beginning, just like a huge clock, and everything is running down. Atoms use energy, and that energy is running down. Eventually, everything will stop spinning, and nothing of energy will remain. And so it says things are temporary, but what is eternal is not made of atoms or molecules. It's not based on energy. It's based on a different element. It's a spiritual element that doesn't wear away. And so what we have here down on this earth is temporary. And Paul, realizing as he aged that he was looking forward to having one day a spiritual body, and that he needed to renew himself spiritually every day. And the primary way of doing it is through prayer, but effective prayer, not some memorized prayer or some type of liturgy that you memorize certain words. That's not the way Jesus taught us. We see examples of his prayers. For instance, in John chapter 17, where he got down on his knees, and he prayed to the Father, and he addressed the Father, and he conversed with God. And so we should also learn to do this. I regard prayer as the single most important practice for our spiritual growth. I certainly have not been able to see anything else that compares to it. Back in the 60s, when the Marvel comics came out, they had one of those superheroes, which was called the Green Lantern. And, of course, when you started reading about these superpowers, but he had to renew his power every day. He was given a Green Lantern, and with the ring, he had to charge it every day, or else it lost power. He couldn't do much. And I always remember it's the same way spiritual strength comes from renewing ourselves every day. It's putting on spiritual armor. You have no idea how valuable it is. If we can just start the day off with our time before God the Father and Jesus Christ, and renew ourselves spiritually.

Notice in Mark chapter 9 the power of prayer. Mark chapter 9 verse 25.

Jesus mentioned this to his disciples. Mark 9.25. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you come out of him and enter him no more.

So sometimes this can happen. It can incapacitate a person. These are evil spirits and they're still here just like they were in Jesus' day.

None of them have died because they're made out of spirit. And they still hound people, molest people. And he goes on to say, verse 26, then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said he is dead.

The violent removal of that spirit caused the person to go unconscious.

But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, why could we not cast it out? Christ had given authority and power to his disciples, but there was something they had forgotten to do. That power needs to be renewed. And then he said, verse 29, so he said to them, this kind, talking about that powerful spirit can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting. So you have to draw close to God.

And, you know, it is a privilege for a minister to have to deal with some of these cases where some spirits have to be removed. And you always have to do it. First, preparing yourself through prayer and fasting. And you see the same type of things. I've seen people being convulsed in the spirit in that sense, leaving them, and they're all weakened and groggy. They come back to their normal state. But it can only be if you are close to God, close to charging your spiritual base. We do that with cell phones. You can't leave your cell phone a couple of days and think it's going to be used. They have to be charged. And yet sometimes we charge our cell phones a lot more than we pray to God. And, of course, every day the spiritual power diminishes. It's not enough. That's the way God created us, to have to go to Him. Ask Him for that power. He will grant it, but we have to do our part. And one of the most important habits a person can have is before your life gets all cluttered and you're doing so many things if you begin. After washing yourself a bit or whatever and be able to go to God first. Renew yourself spiritually before all the other clutter comes into your life and you become so busy and, yeah, I'll put it off. I'll do it later and later. And many times the whole day has passed by and we haven't gotten close to God. And how is our spiritual state? Weak. We can't really resist the world as we could. We don't overcome. We become overcome instead. Again, there are no shortcuts. Nobody has a magic wand. This is what I've learned after 44 years in the ministry and having to get this practice done and to do it effectively, not as a road or mechanical way. In my life, the prayer life has improved. I found so many more things that I can pray about and to me it's just a marvel how it changes your mind once you're in that frame, the proper frame. Notice in Mark chapter 1 verse 35. When did Jesus pray?

Mark 1 verse 35, it says, Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, doesn't say a short time before, it says a long while before daylight, he went out and departed to a solitary place and there he prayed and Simon and those who were with him searched for him.

When they found him, they said to him, everybody is looking or everyone is looking for you. But he said to them, let us go into the next town that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth. And he was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and casting out demons. How could he do it? Well, of course, he was given the capacity to receive God's Spirit without measure. So he had more power, but he still had to charge himself. It wasn't just automatic. He needed to draw close to God the Father, just as we do.

And it's so important to, before anything else, people say, well, I don't have the time. I'm so busy. Well, we have all kinds of things that we do schedule, because to us it's important. Our prayer life should be also scheduled in that way. To just get up a little earlier, to be able to have quality time with God the Father and Jesus Christ at his right hand. I can't overemphasize the importance of it. So, in a previous Sabbath that I spoke, I went over the first part of this message about what to pray to God about. We went over part one. And so today we're going to go over part two. So the purpose of this message is to better learn what to pray about and how we can do it.

It can make an enormous difference in our lives, in our attitudes. God is going to act far more in our lives the closer we get to Him.

And in Matthew 6 verses 8 through 13, Christ gave us a prayer outline with the categories. And there are seven main categories that he gave us to fill in. We can use it as a framework. I found it to be so useful. It covers about everything imaginable.

And so we're going to cover the second half in this message. And I like to go over, briefly, the first four categories of prayer. First of all, it says, "'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.'" That means to honor and glorify the Father, to thank Him for the new day, for the protection and rest of last night. Thank God, the Father and Jesus Christ, for what they are.

The main characteristic is love.

Their love and care for us to go before that throne of mercy and kindness. So it's a way to get charged up in the day when we realize we have the power of all this grand universe that was created by God. We have access to the Father and to Jesus Christ. They want to have quality time with us.

Have you ever had God the Father and Jesus Christ come and knock at your door? Say, hi, we haven't heard from you a long time. We'd like to talk with you. No, no, they expect us to go knocking on His door, thrown in heaven. And we have access to it. We don't need to use priests as intermediaries because Christ is our great high priest. So we can just go in just like children go before their parents with full confidence, with full assurance.

Reminds me of that old story that the Romans mentioned about one of those Roman generals that had won a great victory. And so he had come to Rome with his troops and all the captured soldiers. And this was called the Roman triumph. That was the great presentation they had. This was the parade, the victory parade.

And so they would bring in all of the riches. And the Romans were very exacting. So in order to have this type of a triumph, you had to have at least defeated 5,000 people. And you had to have a certain amount of booty. It wasn't just a little skirmish. No, they really raised a bar on this.

And them being worried or being shy of any tyrants that could show up, they were very careful about having a general come in with all his troops. And so this was a very well orchestrated parade.

And so then they would bring out all the defeated soldiers and all the defeated generals. And then they would have the general in a big chariot. And so everybody was there. The crowds were happy. And this little child was in a balcony watching all of that. And all of a sudden, here comes the general. And he sees them. And all of a sudden, he gets excited. And he runs through the crowd. And by the way, Roman soldiers had to have a certain height. They were taller than most Roman citizens. They were strong.

They were weathered for soldiering. And so this little child runs out. And he gets to the chariot. And all of a sudden, this Roman soldier grabs him, say, Sonny, what are you doing? He says, well, I want to go see the general here. He says, well, you can't do that. He's the general, the parade.

He is a great general. And the little boy says, he might be a general to you. But he's my daddy. You see, oh, oh, okay. Put him in, put him in the chariot. You see, the father wasn't going to say leave my son behind. So all of that pomp and circumstance didn't mean a thing because that was his daddy. That's the way we should feel.

We can go before that throne of God with millions of angels and everything else. That's our daddy, Abba. That's what it means. Daddy. And so it's a wonderful thing to go with a positive attitude. So thankful. And then the next part, which is so encouraging, the second category, you ask your kingdom come.

We need it more than ever before. So after addressing God and thanking him, then what is the first thing, the foremost thing on God's mind to bring his kingdom? And that's what we want. As our daddy, he's going to come back. He's going to straighten things out in this world. He's going to bring happiness and joy.

And so, of course, we start having that vision of that future kingdom. Just think how wonderful it will be. When Christ comes back, eventually all people will be keeping his wonderful laws. There won't be any more war. Notice in Isaiah chapter 2. Isaiah chapter 2. This is talking about when Christ returns, what he will do on this earth. Isaiah chapter 2.

It says in verse 2, Now he shall come to pass in the latter days. This is not for our time, but at the end of the generations, when God intervenes in the latter days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above all hills, and all nations shall flow to it. So there will be the establishment of the kingdom of God on this earth, and all nations will have to submit to it. And many people shall come and say, come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths. Very different attitude than we see today, because Satan will be removed at that time for a thousand years, and people will wake up and say, we got our lives wrong. We were following the wrong system, and now we want to learn God's ways, do things according to God's holy laws. And it says, For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. So there it is. That's the capital where Jesus Christ is going to establish. He shall judge between nations. So we won't have United Nations anymore. We won't have human judges. He will be the righteous judge and rebuke many people. He'll have to correct them. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Neither shall they learn war anymore. Because that's what is being taught today, to learn how to wage war. But that's not the case. When God's kingdom comes, there won't be any war. There won't be any stealing, lying, envy, lusts. Satan will be put out of the way. In Hebrews 8 verses 10 through 12, it shows the attitude of the people at that time. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 8 in verse 10. It says, for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be my people. That's going to happen in God's kingdom. None of them shall teach his neighbor and none his brother, saying, know the Lord, for all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their own righteousness and their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more.

So, yes, we're in the process of being transformed now. We are in the process of having God's laws being inculcated, internalized, but right now it's in a limited way. But when Christ comes, his holy laws will be incorporated fully. Nobody's going to want to do evil. Nobody's going to have envy. Nobody's going to have stealing, thinking about things to steal or to kill. All of this is that second category, thy kingdom come. That's the solution man has thought throughout the ages and never has been able to accomplish. It will be at that time. And then we go into the third category, your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. From Matthew 6 that I'm reading. And primarily, his will is being done by his church and work on this earth.

Not only us, but other church of God groups as well. And praying for those that have the highest responsibilities. The president, operation managers, beyond today, presenters, beyond today, editors and writers, all that work in the home office there in Cincinnati, Ohio. All the ministry and members, international, regional and local pastors, ministers, deacons, members, prospective members, those who are preparing to be baptized, to be integrated into the body of Christ. And also, co-workers. God calls people that just sustain the work. They send their tithes and offerings. That's as far as they go, but they're part of the work as well. Pray for God to open the doors that are appropriate and to close those that aren't, because we're not wise enough to know the difference. Also, to sustain the finances, to carry out His will. All of this is in this third category, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And then, the fourth category, give us this day our daily bread. And there are two parts to this. The physical and then the spiritual bread. The physical includes providing food on the table in all the homes of those that are following God, that nobody will have wants, that you'll provide jobs, you'll provide sustenance to be able to carry things out. Remember what it says in Psalm 37 verse 25.

David said this, Psalm 27, in verse 25.

It says, I have been young and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. God knows how to provide. We have to ask Him for that.

And also, the protection on people. To be able to come to services and return. God places His powerful and holy angels about them to give people the wisdom to drive carefully, to not take foolish risks or crossing the street, to always look both ways and be careful. Because sometimes we can be imprudent and we can pay a heavy price. And then, of course, praying for healing of God's people and name them in our prayers those that are sick who need God's intervention.

That's the one part, which is the physical bread. But then we have the spiritual bread that we need. That has to do with God's Spirit. We need to ask God to give us more of His Holy Spirit. He said that just like a father whose son asks him for bread, he doesn't give him a scorpion, right? God is a generous and abundant God, but we have to go and ask Him. And for what purpose? To produce the fruits of God's Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, meekness, goodness, temperance, and meekness. All of these fruits of God's Spirit to help us develop it in our lives.

And that takes us now to the fifth category. This is the new category that we hadn't covered in the previous sermon. Forgive us our sins as we forgive others. That's the way it says it in Luke 11 verse 4. So sins and trespasses the different words, but it has to do. Please forgive us our sins as we forgive others as they sin against us.

Here's where we ask God to help us to forgive, to have mercy on others as God has upon us.

Up to 70 times 7, if that's necessary. Notice in Matthew 18 verse 21. Matthew 18 verse 21.

It says, Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times. That's what the rabbis taught.

Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to 70 times seven.

Always be willing to forgive, to overcome bad feelings toward people. Notice in Luke 17 verse 3. Luke 17 verse 3.

It says, Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. And if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you, seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you saying, I repent, you shall forgive him.

So here we have that condition, too. It's not like just a person is just doing everything bad all the time to you, and you're supposed to just look the other way all the time. No? It has to do the person also has to ask forgiveness, to repent. And especially this applies to brethren that have somehow wronged us, offended us. If they have God's Spirit and they will come and say, I did this wrong. I made a mistake. They have the humility to accept it. Can you forgive me?

And that's where we have to extend. It doesn't matter how many times, because all of us need that spirit of forgiveness from others as we extended to others as well. The way it can be expressed is, help me, Father, to always be ready to forgive others, to walk humbly before you and man, considering them superior to ourselves, knowing we are nothing, knowing that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

We can do it if we go to God. Notice in Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2 verses 1 through 3. It says, therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love being of one accord, of one mind, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. So this is part of following Jesus. We're asking God help us to have that spirit of forgiveness.

This also includes praying for those in government positions. Notice in 1 Timothy chapter 2.

And I admit this is tough, but we can't get in a rebellious and bitter attitude because some officials are not doing what a person estimates is best. It says in 1 Timothy 2 verse 1, Therefore I exhort, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings, and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. So yes, pray for those governing the nations and for God to bless them while they have that office, to give them wisdom, to show them the right way, and that they may lead a quiet and that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life so they don't get you in a war where the children are taken and go to another place, that we live a peaceable and we are able to apply godliness and reverence.

And let us pray for us to guard our tongues and not say offensive or damaging things, but those that are edifying. Guard our tongues so easy to hurt and harm others with the words that we say. Notice in Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. In verse 29, it says, let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. What kind of world do we live? Well, where there's profanity. Can't hardly even turn the TV on without something profane being said. So let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. But what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers? So we have to pray for guarding our tongues to not say offensive and damaging things.

That takes us to the sixth category. Let us not fall into temptation and deliver us from the evil one. Because we have a spiritual battle on our hands. Notice in 2 Corinthians chapter 10.

This is one of the most important categories of all. In verse 3, it says, for though we walk in the flesh, yes, we're physical humans, but we do not war according to the flesh. We're not talking about getting into fist fights or some physical attack. No. This is a spiritual warfare. He says, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal or physical, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments in every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We've got to protect our minds from all things that attack God's way of life. So we have to take them to Christ, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. To be able to have Christ help us remove images, not get involved in things that are going to damage our minds, that are going to pollute it, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. Be ready to punish, to repel, reject, repudiate all the wrong images and all the wrong ideas that are out there. Just don't entertain them. Just don't pay attention to them. Don't give any room for them at all. And what should we have instead? Philippians 4 verse 8. This is the filter of our mind being described. Philippians 4 verse 8 says, finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure.

We're losing the purity in our society, but we have to keep focusing on those things. Whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. Have your mind focus on those things and you're going to see. It's kind of like a cleaner, a mind cleaner. It does remove any pollutions that are out there. In 1 Peter chapter 5, what does it tell us about rejecting the evil one's ideas and thoughts? 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 8 through 10. It says, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He knows the person that's weak, that is susceptible, that hasn't protected himself or herself during the day. Resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace who called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, established, strengthen and settle you. So we have spiritual battle. Every day, who's going to conquer who?

Are we going to have our spiritual life conquer what is out there or is what is out there going to conquer our minds? Take us captives. Do things that we don't need to do. And then finally, the last category, it says, for yours is the kingdom and the glory and the power forever and ever.

And then using in the name of Jesus Christ, ending it through him by his authority, we are praying that way. It is such an encouraging ending, thinking yours is a kingdom, yours is the power. Nobody can equal God at all.

And so we are on the winning side. Although sometimes we have skirmishes, sometimes we are not going to win all the battles, but we have to win the war at the end of our lives and overcome that way. So let's finish in Philippians 4, verse 6 and 7.

Brethren, I'm just sharing what I have learned as they say about a beggar who found the bread and is telling the other beggar where he found the bread. This is where I found it in God's word. This is what works for me. Philippians 4, verse 6 through 7, it says, Be anxious for nothing. All kinds of problems, anxieties out there. He says, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication. With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. God will be there for us if we are there for him.

So now we have the elements of prayer that can really strengthen and make a difference in our lives. Let's put it into practice, making it a habit, not something you just do on occasion. And let's put on the armor of God every day.