And I'll see you in the next one.
You
Coming out to our Sunday morning service
It's good to see you all let's take our seats and open our green handles to page 23
We'll sing our first song this morning. There is power in the blood
Green hymn books page 23. There's power in the blood
Sing out loud on the first would you be free from your burden of sin?
There's power in the blood
power in the blood
Would you are evil a victory win there's wonderful power in the blood
There is power power wonder working power in the blood
of the lamb
There is power power
Wonder working power in the precious blood of the lamb on the second
Would you be free from your passion and pride there's power in the blood
power in the blood
Come for a cleansing to
Resign there's wonderful power in the blood
There is power power
Wonder working power in the blood
of the lamb
There is power power wonder working power in the precious blood of the lamb
Would you be wider much wider than snow there's power in the blood
power in the blood
Sin stains are lost in its life-giving flow. There's wonderful power in the blood
There is power power wonder working power in the blood
of the lamb
There is power power
Wonder working power in the precious blood of the lamb on the last
Would you do service for Jesus your king there's power in the blood
Power in the blood
Would you live daily his praises to sing there's wonderful power in the blood
There is power power
Wonder working power in the blood
of the lamb
There is power power
Wonder working power in the precious blood of the lamb
Amen, good to hear you sing this morning, uh, brother sean collin. Can you open us up the word prayer?
I think
Amen second song this morning the old rugged cross page 27 the old rugged cross page 27
So
The old rugged cross on the first on a hill far away
stood an old rugged cross the emblem of suffering and shame
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain
So i'll cherish the old rugged cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it someday for a crown
on the second
Oh that old rugged cross
so despised
by the world
as a wondrous attraction
for me
For the dear lamb of god left his glory above
to bear it to dark
calvary
So i'll cherish the old rugged cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it someday for a crown
In the old rugged cross stained with blood so divine
a
wondrous beauty I see
Me
Forts was on that old cross
jesus suffered and died
to pardon and sanctify me
So i'll cherish the old rugged cross
Us
Till my trophies at last I lay down
To the old rugged cross
And exchange it someday for a crown
on the last
to the old
rugged cross
I will ever be true
It's shame in reproach gladly bear
Then he'll call me someday
To my home far away where his glory forever i'll share
Share
So i'll cherish the old rugged cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it someday for a crown
All right, good morning everybody welcome to sure foundation baptist church
Let's take our bulletins and go through some announcements real quick
If you didn't get a bulletin when he came in just lift up your hand real quick
And one of the ushers will bring you a bulletin. Anybody need one
Right over there
All right
On our front cover we have our verse of the week it says study to show thyself approved unto god
A workman that needeth not to be ashamed
rightly dividing the word of truth
That's second timothy chapter 2 verse 15. And that is a great wonderful scripture there
and
On our inside page. There's a short message
From me to anybody that would be a first-time visitor or someone just visiting our church for the first time
Um, and it just basically states kind of what church we are what kind of type of church we are
We're independent fundamental king james-only baptist church for soul winning salvation by faith alone
Family integrated and if you have any questions after the service I set a time
Side of time for you to come talk to me about spiritual matters. So feel free to come talk to me
i'm pastor thompson the pastor of the church here and
also
If you're not 100 sure that you're saved. I also
Would
import you to come and talk to one of the ushers of the guys with the
Jackets and say usher on they have a little pin that says usher on there
Or if you need to be scripturally baptized
That you could talk to them
Anytime during the service or after the service and we'd love to baptize you
What I mean by scripturally baptized is that once you're saved
The bible teaches that you can be baptized after you're saved. We do have a baptism going to be done today
Right after the service is done
so
We have a first-time visitor that's already saved and he's going to get baptized. His name is david. So
anyway, if you get a chance to
Hang out a little bit after service he'd
Give him the right hand of fellowship for our church. He'll be getting baptized and joining our church today. So praise the lord for that
um our
You can follow us on any of these social media platforms
Below there and our bible way to heaven scan code is on the page right next to it
Our service times are 10 30 a.m. For our sunday morning service and
I've been going through the new believer series and i'll be doing lesson number four
on developing a prayer time
sunday evening service
We're normally in the book of joshua and i've only gotten to joshua chapter two
But I am going to preach a different sermon this this afternoon
and
I'm going to be preaching a sermon against a specific person. I believe is a false prophet. His name is david ward
Have you ever heard of him and he's basically this guy that's trying to get
people off the king james
And so i'll be preaching about him tonight
And I don't know if i'm gonna be able to even wipe it out in one sermon, but i'll do my best
so
I just think that he's a danger
to
People that would say that they're king james only he's very slick in the way that he presents his argument
And I watched the debate
That he debated
Against the guy that is
on the king james
Research council or dr. Stringer, you know, he's part of that. He's involved in that. So
Anyway, if you who watched that debate anybody? Okay, a couple just a few people
All right. So that's what it's in reference to so
Um, and so that'll be tonight i'm going to preach just a special
one-off tonight, so
And it's it's not going to be for the faint of heart. So
Um
Yeah, i'm bringing the i'm bringing the thunder tonight. So
Um, and then uh, let's see. We got the so many times we're listed there below we have so wanting today both
Maps for group one and two are in there. So if you're not sure what group you're going to see brother
Sean colony's right over there
And uh, let's see the praise report
You can see the salvations
and
Baptisms for this year versus last year. Um, let's see
And attendance totals from last week
And the next thing coming up on the calendar yesterday
We had a so many marathon and it was tough sled and it rained all day pretty much the whole time
We're out. It wasn't supposed to be like that, but it just kind of happened that way. So
Usually when we're in that area, there's children playing and people walking up and down the street, but uh, it was just us
even the rats weren't outside because rats have a sense enough to stay out of the rain, but
We were out and we were we were doing our best we had we only had three salvations but
The consolation prize at the end was some great german food at the end. So that place is pretty good
I'm sure that warmed everybody up at the end
So I just want to say I thank you to everybody that came out for the so many marathon yesterday
and hopefully next time
We go out there. We'll uh
it'll be a little bit more fruitful, but um
We'll um have a little bit nicer weather usually when we go there there's people just walking around you can just talk to
You know some of the younger people or just people walking up and down the street and usually we get
You know quite a few people saved that way. So
Anyway, um, so this thursday we're gonna have that chili and cornbread potluck
So who's planning on bringing some chili and coming to the potluck better be more than a couple. All right
yeah, well, maybe not everybody's coming to church, but hopefully people are bringing some chili and uh
Sent some uh cornbread
And I know my wife's gonna bring some because she does what I say, right?
You better have some chili woman. All right
Um, and so that you can come early for the for the chili and and game night
That's from four to six pm this thursday at the church. No, it's not a halloween party
No, do not dress up in costumes. Even if it's bible characters
It's not a halloween party. Okay
So it's supposed to be I I think it's the forecast is supposed to be kind of rainy too so
Anyway, so I don't think we're going to have a soul winning time unless I don't yeah
We're not going to have a soul winning time this thursday. So we'll just plan on coming here at four o'clock
You can come early if you want
So november 6th or 10th is the faithful word baptist church missions conference and uh, that's wednesday through sunday
And then I know that dylan is going to be preaching at that conference
So if you get a chance to tune in for that, um, there's always good things to learn about missions and uh, I know that
A lot of missions were done in the south pacific and uh different places like that in africa, too
So should be a good conference. November 14th is the homeschool field trip to skyzone trampoline park. You need to let mrs. Woods know
If you're going to be attending by november 1st
So if you're not paying attention right now pay attention if you're a homescore
And you plan on going to the trampoline skyzone park it's from 11 to 12 30
That's like a strict time if you show up late, they're not going to let you jump for longer. So
Make sure that you're filling out the uh, there's a form that you have to fill out
If you've already filled it out, I think that they hold it for a certain amount of time
But you can go on the website
I think mrs
Woods posted it in the group or you can just go into the homeschool group and just click on it
And you can fill it out for you and your children
But you need to let her know by the first which is
next friday, so
and then let's see the
Pie social is november 26 the next sowing
Saturday that we're going to have is november 17th. It's not in the bulletin, but it will be in there
So we're a family integrated church. That means the children infants are welcome during the church services
Please utilize the mother baby room back there for your convenience and the dad baby room back there
um
Family integrated just means that we don't separate parents from their children for any reason
We don't have sunday school classes. We don't run bus ministries or anything like that not because
We hate people that do that. We just want to protect our children
We think that children can learn the best when they're in the service with the adults
And we don't need to dumb things down for them. They can learn just fine
I think kids from our church probably know the bible better
Than a lot of other children that do have those programs
Because they can sit there they can look at the bible they can read it for themselves
and you know if we're always putting them in some kind of uh,
you know
class where everything's always fun and then we have to bring them into big boy church and
Eventually that they're just going to not enjoy the bible and they're not going to they think that everything is just a party
They're going to go to the non-denominational church where everything is a big party all the time. So
the bible's supposed to you know be
It's it should be fun. You should enjoy it, but it's not just fun fun fun all the time cookies and kool-aid
So anyway, the tithes and offerings are down at the bottom of the page there for the month so far
And then miss chantelle's birthday is the 28th. She's not here. She's resting at home with the newborn
and uh
So i'll mention that in a second, uh, levi wood's birthday is the 29th
And so he is how old now it's gonna be
Three. All right
Levi
Hi, how you doing? Are you gonna be three?
Two days three. Yeah
We're gonna sing happy birthday to levi and miss chantelle's probably watch it on the live stream
and then uh, we'll sing happy anniversary to sean and jessica whose anniversary is
The 30th, right? So and that is what wednesday?
Okay
All right, so let's sing happy birthday
Oh, wait, hold on a second. Nia's birthday is on friday
And then ella
The fourth, all right, so all right, let's sing happy birthday
Happy birthday to you happy birthday to you
Happy birthday. God bless you. Happy birthday to you
Thank you
All right
It's sean and jessica. How long have you guys been married?
16 years. All right. Well, congratulations. Let's sing. Happy anniversary to the harrington
Happy anniversary
And many more
All right now the birth announcement
With a full head of hair weighing in at 11 pounds and two ounces
Standing at 20 inches tall. We have the birth of
Samuel leonard conlon and he was born on 10 23 24
How's uh sam young samuel doing brother sean good mom's doing good. All right
Well, congratulations to the conlon family on the birth of samuel
so
In a few short years, he'll be slashing egg eggs into pieces. So
That is awesome. Congratulations to their family
On a healthy birth. That's a big child. He's already bigger than some of the toddlers we have here. So that's
Awesome. All right, that's all I have for announcements. Go ahead and sing another song and we'll receive the offering
All right, let's turn in our bibles to psalm 126
psalm 126
Psalm 126 say it out loud with me on the first
Oh and the lord turned again the captivity
Of zion we were like them that dream
Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing
Then said they among the heathen the lord had done great things for them the lord had done great things for us
Whereof we are glad
Turn again our captivity
In our captivity
Oh lord as the streams in the south
They the so in tears shall reap in joy
Then said they among the heathen the lord had done great things for them the lord had done great things for us
Whereof we are
He that goeth forth and weepeth
bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again
Shall doubtless come again
with rejoicing
bringing his sheeps with him
Then said they among the heathen the lord had done great things for them the lord had done great things for us
Whereof we are glad
Amen great singing at this time. We're going to receive our offering
And brother jesse, can you please bless the offering for us
So
Philippians Philippians chapter four
This is our custom we'll read along the entire chapter so just follow along if you need a bible
There should be one in the seat in front of you
Philippians chapter four the bible reads
Therefore my brethren dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown so stand fast in the lord my dearly beloved
I beseech eodius and beseech syntyche that they be of the same mind in the lord
And I entreat thee also true yoke fellow
Help those women which labored with me in the gospel with clement also and with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the name of the lord
And with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life
Rejoice in the lord always and again. I say rejoice
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The lord is at hand
Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known unto god
And the peace of god which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through christ. Jesus
finally brethren
Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely
Whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things
Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and is seen in me do
And the god of peace shall be with you
But I rejoiced in the lord greatly that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again
Wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity
Not that I speak in respect of want for i've learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content
And I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound
Everywhere and in all things i'm instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need
I can do all things through christ which strengtheneth me
Notwithstanding ye have well done that you did communicate with my affliction
Now ye philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel when I departed from macedonia
No church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving but ye only
For even in thessalonika you sent once and again unto my necessity
Not because I desire a gift but I desire a fruit that may abound to your account
But I have all and abound I am full having received of apaphroditus
The things which were sent from you an odor of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to god
But my god shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by christ. Jesus
Now unto god and our father be glory forever and ever. Amen
Salute every saint in christ. Jesus the brethren which are with me greet you
All the saints salute you chiefly they that are caesar's household the grace of our lord. Jesus christ be with you all. Amen
Brother bill, can you please pray for the service?
Amen all right. Well we are in
Our new believers series and this is number four in the series and i'm preaching about developing a prayer time
and
What does it mean to pray well?
People would say well, it's always
Where you're talking to god, but that's not actually true the there's a couple definitions for praying
or pray or to pray and
The one of the definitions would be used as a preface to
be polite
on asking a request or
Asking for instructions on something if you notice in the bible if you've read the bible a lot
People will say that you know
I pray that you do this or pray that you would help me with this or or whatever from one person to another
So praying simply is asking or requesting something from somebody
so
the second definition would be
Address a solemn request or expression of thanks to a deity or other object of worship. That's the modern definition
But we know that there's only one god and so when people are asking something from some deity
You know other than the god of heaven
That they're really actually asking for that from a devil or a demon of some sort if it's an object of worship
That's probably an idol and that is also
in connection to an idol or a demon so we know of course because we're christians that
You know anytime that you ask anything in prayer to some kind of deity other than god himself
That it is idolatry it is to some sort of a devil so
but to ask someone or ask a request of someone is
Pray is to pray so the word pray simply means to ask or to request something
now
um when it comes to new believers, this is you know, i'm going through this series so
That new believers can have something to go to
And when they first start out in the faith that they can go to these
Sermons and learn what they what they need to do next and
So this is the fourth like I said the fourth one in the series in the old testament
Going and asking requests of god was a little different now, of course the individual could pray to god and they did pray to god
But there was a priesthood that was set up where they had to make sacrifices
And you know, even david would have to
inquire
By prophets and seers to to go to god, but of course he did pray to god so it's kind of a little you know
Different sometimes they would have to ask by umen and thuman or erm and thuman
You know that you couldn't just necessarily go right to to the throne room of god you had to do it sometimes through sacrifice
Sometimes through the priests and through the prophets so today is different though
We live in the new testament and that wall of partition has been broken down
And jesus christ has been made the intercessor for us
And we can go straight to god. We can go straight to the throne room of god and pray to the father
Through jesus christ the son he has become our high priest
There is no more need for an earthly high priest or go between between god and man
Um, you know except for the man christ jesus, which is our high priest, but he is also
God manifests in the flesh. Jesus christ is god and man
So we have that access that people did not have in the past
We have a very special privilege that we can go to prayer in a special way
Whereas they couldn't do that necessarily in times past so as a new believer you have us, you know in this time
We have a special unction with the holy one. We have a special way
Anointing that people didn't have in the past where we can just directly access god
So we are very privileged to be able to do that
but yet a lot of people don't use that privilege and go to god and I would say as a new believer and as
Someone that's been a believer for a long time, you know, don't don't neglect the fact that you have that access with god
You know, sometimes people are just downtrodden and and going through hard times
It's like the one thing that could help you you don't access
And so we have to learn as new christians and as christians have been saved for a long time
Don't don't cut off your access
To the one thing that can actually help you your prayer to god your request to god look down at your bible
In verse number six in philippians chapter four, it says be careful for nothing
But in everything does it say some things no it says in everything by prayer
So prayer is what asking for stuff right by prayer and supplication
And supplication just means humbly asking for things right and supplication
With thanksgiving so be thankful for the things that you get when you do get them or be thankful that god
Even is going to hear your prayers. It says let your requests
Be made known unto god
So if you don't make your requests known unto god, what why is he going to give you something when you don't even ask?
You know if there's something that you need
You know, it's funny because there's just all kinds of situations in life and it's like how come you never help me
It's like why didn't you ask?
You know, there's i'm sure there's plenty of times where someone says well, why didn't you help me with this?
It's like why should I even have to ask?
Well, you know sometimes people are you know, just don't know
You have to ask people for help sometimes people just think that you're like a mind reader or something
You know god is a mind reader, but he still wants you to make that request known
So it says let your request be made known unto god he wants you to ask him he wants you to talk to him
and as new believers
You should talk to god you have the access you have the access to the most powerful
Being in all the world in all crea- you know, he is the one that created everything and we have access
We have an actual direct link
To god that made everything he's the most I mean he's more powerful than the president
You know any most people are right now
But he you know, we have access to the most powerful more powerful than anybody in this world right now
More powerful than the devil more powerful than all the angels more powerful than the richest man on the war in the world right now
It's more powerful than starlink and elon musk, okay
It's more powerful than and than bill gates and all of his little weird stuff that he's into
God is the most powerful being and we have direct access. He is our father
He loves us. We're his children by faith in christ. Jesus the bible says
so
We need to be asking
God for our request, you know, if you don't have requests then apparently all your needs are met
But I don't think that's really true. I think we all have needs and god's going to give you your basic needs
But if there's something over the top that you want that you want more you want more ask him
You have to ask him turn to james chapter 4
See a lot of people get into mischief because they want things
And sometimes people want things for the wrong reasons
Sometimes people ask for things that they shouldn't be asking for you know, it's like the the people that like to ask for
extravagant things
They like to ask to be rich
They like to ask for like oh, I want I need this new brand new car
This lamborghini or whatever
And it's like well, why don't you just get a honda accord or something?
Why don't you ask for a honda accord that just gets you back and forth to work?
You know, you don't need a lamborghini. You're going to wrap it around a telephone pole
You won't even get out of second gear because you're gonna be too scared to shift the gears after that. All right
Most people are not gonna handle a lamborghini. What about the car insurance alone?
I mean have you thought about how much it's gonna cost for you to ensure that vehicle?
And then the the first person that you try to merge on the freeway with is gonna hit you
I mean, have you seen how people try to merge around this area?
Like they just don't know how to merge
Like it's just this is why traffic is backed up for miles in this in this area just because people just don't know how to merge
so
And then they don't also don't know how to travel in the far left lane
slower
Traffic move right have you seen those signs?
Most people don't seem to see those signs here
Slower traffic. No, not slower traffic move to the left lane immediately when we get on the freeway. It's slower traffic. Keep right
So but you never see those people pulled over. It's always the people that are going faster
And they're weaving in and out of the lanes trying to get
You know past those people that are moving slow and they're the ones that get pulled over
anyway, maybe i'm just telling myself a little bit here, but
Look at verse 2 in james chapter 4. It says you lust and have not you kill and desire to have and cannot obtain
You fight in war
Yet you have not because you ask not you know why you don't have things because you don't ask
That's what god that's what the bible is saying here
You ask and receive not because you ask amiss what does amiss mean you're asking for things you shouldn't be asking for you're asking
For things that you shouldn't that that you don't need
That you may consume it upon your lust you're asking for the wrong things
You're asking for things because you want it for your own desires, but they're not necessarily the things that god desires for you
They're not things that are good for you
It's just like if you're if you're a parent
And your child is asking you for ice cream for breakfast every morning
You know mommy. Can I have some ice cream?
No, you can have some oatmeal
I don't want oatmeal mommy. I want ice cream. I mean you can that's asking a miss, isn't it?
Isn't that I mean no parent in their right mind is going to give their child ice cream for breakfast unless it's their birthday or something
And even then it's like that's kind of ridiculous. You can have ice cream tonight
For for you know with your cake or something, but you're not going to have ice cream for breakfast. That's asking a miss
So, you know when when you're asking god amiss when you're asking god for ice cream for breakfast
That's a dumb thing to ask him for he's not going to grant those requests. So look at verse four it says
He adulterous and adulterous is know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with god
Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of god
If you're asking god to give you things to help you be more worldly and to be more friends with the world
He's not going to get grant you those things
It's like god make me rich
He's not going to grant you that request
You know and some people are rich in this world that are christians, but most people he knows
That if he makes those christians rich, they're going to stop serving him. They're going to stop going to church
They're going to stop, you know, loving or caring about the things of god
And you know the bible says we shouldn't desire to be rich anyway
You know if god blesses you, you know, having like a medium income is probably the best thing for you
Obviously, we don't want to be super poor
So we're always struggling but sometimes god allows us to struggle so that we can know what it's like to struggle
And so later on when you actually have enough to be a little bit comfortable
Then you're thankful for those things that you have and you know where you came from
but if you get rich
And then you're just like looking down on other people because you have a lot of money
And you never know what it's like to struggle then you're always going to look down your nose at other people
And not have care for those that are poor
So it says do you think that the scripture saith in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
So god is just saying like, you know, don't ask for things
Amiss don't ask for things to feed your own lustful desires. He's not going to answer those kind of prayers
You know you have not because you ask not
Though you should ask for things that you don't have the you know, god's gonna be like, yeah
You know, I get it. You need a car to get back and forth to work
I need a car to get back and forth to church
I need to get a job so I can support my family
Those are the types of things that god's going to grant the request for
I need to get a job that I can make it to church three times a week. God will you grant that request?
Those are things he will grant. I know that because I prayed those prayers and god's granted those requests for me
but
To say god, I need this job and then i'm going to miss three times a week. I don't think that's god's will
Oh, yeah
Hey pastor pray for me that I get this job that I moved to some
Timbuktu town out in the middle of nowhere where there's no good church
Oh, I think that and then you get that job. You thought that was god's will for your life
I'm, sorry, but I don't believe that so
Just because you've got that job doesn't mean you should have took it and that's god's blessing on your life
You know, I mean don't beat down doors
that
Were not meant to be opened
So sometimes people think that those are prayers that god granted their request
Maybe that was the opposite. Maybe he's testing you to see are you going to be faithful?
Are you going to stay in a good church?
You know, I I don't think you have to stay at this church
But you should go to a place if you're going to move someplace move to a place that has a good church
You shouldn't move for a job and then find out when you get there whether it's a good church
That's just a dumb move every time anybody i've ever seen do that has always gotten out of the christian life
Look at romans chapter 8 verse 26. Romans 8 26
The great thing about god too is that
When we don't know what to pray for because we are filled with the holy spirit
Because god has poured out his spirit upon us when we got saved
That we have the holy spirit residing within us and sometimes we don't know what to pray for
Have you ever went to pray and you're just like I don't even know what to pray
Like you're just maybe just so exhausted or you're so heartbroken or you just don't can't find the words
Well god kicks in for you at that point. It says in romans 8 26. It says likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities
For we know not what we should pray for as we ought
But the spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered
And he that searches the hearts knoweth. What is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the saints
According to the will of god
So even though you don't even know what the will of god is for you the spirit will make intercession for you
The spirit will utter things for the will of god in your life
And so that's a pretty cool thing also in the new testament is that we have the spirit of god
Poured upon us where in the times past
The spirit of god would come upon people in the old testament, but it would also leave
And so it was given to them for special purposes in the old testament
David kept the spirit of god his whole life. But of course he was picturing christ. He was picturing the new testament
But not all of the old testament saints. Was that the case but in the new testament once you get saved the holy spirit comes
in inside you and then
Never leaves you and never will
So we get the promise of the spirit and that spirit helps us to pray when we don't know what to pray for
Turn to first thessalonians chapter 5 or 17 first thessalonians chapter 5 verse 17
And you know once you start your prayer life
Don't stop
so one of the things about
Beginning to have a prayer life as a christian or continuing to have a prayer life as you grow as a christian
It's not like you just pray once and then never pray again
Or you pray only once every once in a while
You should have a habit of praying on a regular basis
And this is really kind of what what this sermon is about
It's what it's designed for is to help you to develop a prayer
time a prayer
life
Look at first thessalonians 5 17. It says
pray without ceasing
Pray without ceasing a lot of people take this and say see you're supposed to be praying all the time 24 7 365
That's just impossible. Okay, that's not what this verse is teaching. I don't believe that i've heard people say this
I've heard people preach this but I don't think that's what it's saying
When do you have smoking cessation? What is that saying you quit smoking, right?
What I think it's saying here is that you you're not supposed to quit praying. You're not supposed to stop your prayer life
Now, you know, you could pray you can try to your best to pray without ceasing but eventually you fall asleep
So you're still ceasing to pray when you fall asleep, right?
You can say well, I just want to dream that i'm i'm praying
while i'm asleep or whatever and yeah, I mean, maybe you could bring your prayers into your sleep or whatever, but
I don't again. I don't think that's what this is talking about. I think this is saying don't stop your prayer life
Continue to pray make it a habit in your life
Because look what verse 18 says it says in everything
Give thanks. So for the things that you have in your life for the things that god blesses you with hey
Don't not only not pray, you know, don't cease your prayer life
But don't stop giving thanks for the things that god blesses you with see prayer and thanks go hand in hand
When you're speaking to god, you're asking them for your request those requests get granted, you know
But are you thankful for the things that he's granting the request for?
You know a lot of people have prayer requests, but are you thankful for the things that you get?
You know, are you thankful for the prayers that get answered? Do you actually thank god and say thank you lord for answering my prayer?
Thank you lord for answering that brother's prayer that got answered because a lot of prayers do get answered
But do you thank him for him and we should have an attitude of giving thanks
We're about to have thanksgiving here pretty soon. Are you thankful for the things that you have?
Are you thankful for your family? Are you thankful for the blessings in your life?
because as
As human beings we tend to get a little unthankful for for things and we start to get where we complain about the things we have
We complain about things that really are a great blessing if we would stop and look at just how blessed our lives really are
Then we would probably feel ashamed for the fact that we complain
About the things that we actually do have
And if you if all those things were taken away from you
You'd be really sad about the fact that you didn't give thanks to god for those things
If everything you had was taken away like job
You you'd probably feel different about the things that you're upset about
So it says for in everything give thanks for this is the will of god in christ. Jesus concerning you
And when it says you that's talking that's a plural term, isn't it?
Was speaking to everybody, right?
It's the it's the will of god in christ. Jesus concerning you
And look at uh, hebrew chapter 4 verse 14, like I was talking about the beginning of the sermon. We have a direct
line straight to god hebrew chapter 4 verse 14
I realize
Sermons on prayer aren't always the the most exciting
most uh
clicked on sermons ever
And and i'm not preaching towards towards the internet necessarily except for people that would be a new believer that wants
You know to understand, you know, how how do I how do I get this prayer life that I need to have?
This is what the sermon is designed for this is designed for people in our church
That maybe
Even aren't new believers, but our believers are just struggling in this area
If if pastors can struggle in this area if you know spiritual men can struggle in this area
Then people that aren't very spiritual
Really probably struggle in this area
Everybody probably struggles in this area. And so this is something that we need to have touched on from time to time
this this this uh
This preaching about prayer look at hebrews 4 14. It says seen then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens
Jesus the son of god, let us hold fast our profession
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities
But was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin
So it's not like jesus is some like robot that has no feelings
He he can't understand how we feel he's lived this life on earth as a human being he's been a man of sorrows
He's acquainted with grief
He understands exactly how I how we feel he knows how I feel in every infirmity that I have
He understands how you all feel in every infirmity that you have
Except for the difference between us and him is that he just never sinned
So he understands where we're tempted. He understands how weak we are
And he had moments of weakness, but yet he didn't sin
He fasted for 40 days
And 40 nights and was tempted of the devil
To to make some bread to just make a stone into a piece of bread and then he just rebuked the devil with scripture
He could have made the stone bread couldn't he?
He was hungry
I'm sure he was really hungry
You know, but he didn't do it
so
It's not like he doesn't understand us. It's not like he doesn't feel what we feel he does
But then it says in verse 16
Let us therefore for this reason let us because he feels what we feel
We can we can get on he can get on our level
And that means that he he's not looking down his nose at us
It's kind of what this these verses are trying to tell us. He doesn't just you know, oh
He's asking me again
Oh, he's just got all these problems. I don't even understand why he's got all these problems. That's that he's that's not what he's saying
He's saying he does understand our problems. He does understand where we're weak
It says let us therefore
Come boldly onto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy
See god is full of mercy. He's full of of forgiveness
And it says and find grace to help in time of need
Look, we need a lot of mercy in our lives because we're sinful people
We need a lot of help because
We're people that are sinful and and we need constant correction. We need constant mercy because we sin
I know that there's a lot of churches out there that teach well if you sin then you're not even saved
well, you're not saved either then bozo because
everybody sins
I was literally talking to this lady yesterday and she said that she's saved because she believes in jesus and
And she keeps all the commandments
It's like all 602 of them, huh
That must be pretty hard
Well, she goes well, no, I don't I mean
You know, nobody's perfect
But I said what you just said that you have to keep all of them. Like how does that work?
but what she means is that
When she breaks them
She loses her salvation and then she repents and then gets saved again
So I said you just get saved like in unsaved every day and then saved again
So it's like not every day
I mean what a terrible way to live
See, we're not we don't lose our salvation
But it's just like if you do something wrong you break your parents rules
When you're growing up when you're a kid you break your parents rules and it disappoints them
and maybe you're have some kind of a friction between your you and your parents because you didn't clean your room when you were supposed to
Or you know, you did something you broke some rule that you have to get spanked for
but when you have
That feeling where you're like, hey mom dad. I'm sorry that I did that
Then things are restored between you
And they understand that you're a kid and foolishness is bound in the heart of a child
You know
But the rod of correction will drive it from them, right?
But then there's that that love that you have after the correction happens and the mercy that they give you
You know and parents should extend mercy to their children because this is what we see
The picture of god showing, you know, he gives us grace
We obtain mercy we find grace in the help of need because we can go right to god and say god help us
God forgive us god give us mercy and he understands because he understands our infirmities
so we have that direct access that direct line to god because
God loves us and he wants us to reach out to him
And restore that connection we should but we're tempted to just hide stop reading this book
Adam and eve
What do they do? They hid from god in the garden didn't they like you can just hide from god
they're like
What they're fig leaves, you know, you can't hide from god
god
everything's naked unto you know, you
God can see everything you can't hide behind a tree and think he's just not going to see you or something
That's just funny that they thought that turn to first john chapter two verse one
first john chapter two verse one
It says my little children
These things write I unto you
That you sin not
And if any man sin
We have an advocate with the father
Jesus christ the righteous
So when jesus died
You know, of course, he became our savior and when we sin
We have an advocate. What's what's an advocate? Well, I mean, it's it's essentially like if you think of a courtroom situation
The judge would represent god the father. He's going to judge rightly. He's going to judge judge truthfully
He's going to judge the right thing but jesus christ paid our fine
And he advocates in our behalf. He paid our fine and his blood covers our sins
And so when it says we have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous see he intercedes on our behalf
He's our go-between between god the father. And so when god has to drop the hammer
Then jesus christ, he's like hey, this one's been covered. This one's been paid for
You know and and in this life, yes, we're going to get we're going to have some punishments in this life for things that we do
But god's never going to throw us in the fire. God's never going to throw us into hell
Because we're his children
Look at uh, first john
one nine first john one nine
See, you know when we you know part of prayer is confessing our sins to god
See, we're not we're not the catholic church
Here I hope you all realize that you don't have to come confess your sins to me
You don't have to confess your sins to people in this church. You don't have to confess your sins to any man
But when we do sin after salvation when we go to god
We can go to god the father and say god forgive me for the things i've done
Forgive me for this specific whatever specific sin it was
You know because we are going to sin
hiding from that
Continuing to do those things and act like it doesn't matter and it's not a big deal
You know if you're just committing adultery against your spouse or something and you just think that you can just get away with that
And that's okay. You're actually praying you don't get caught you think that praying you're going to get caught is is is a worthy prayer
It's actually going to have probably the very opposite effect
First john 1 9 says
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us
Our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
So god will you know, we have that pipeline to go right to god the father and confess those sins and jesus christ
Will be that go-between for us
And he's it says he if if we confess our sins though if we confess
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
It's not it's not saying he might do that. It says
He's faithful. See god's faithful. We tend to not be faithful. We tend to backslide we tend
to minimize our sins
But god says he'll forgive him
And he'll cleanse us from those things and so we can be in right standing with god
For the things that we do even as christians
See, I don't want to ever have to live like that lady that I talked to yesterday where she just thinks that every day
She's losing her salvation having to get it back again
I mean the conversation ended with
You know, I was trying to show her. Hey, you're not saved. I was being nice. I was being gentle
And then she's like, oh i'm already saved
and I was just like
Well, you know based on what you said when I first got here
I don't think you were
And she's like, oh no, that's not what I said
I mean I had a witness there brother valentine was there. Is that what she said? It's like yeah you did
But I wasn't going to be mean I just said, you know, well here's here's the card, you know
She's like I speak seven different languages and like english isn't my first language. She seemed to be speaking it just fine. But like
Okay
Well, here's seven. There's probably all your languages are on this card check this out
But like I don't want to ever have to live my life or i'm just wondering whether i'm saved or not
I mean that that's a horrible existence if you know, you're saved today
You're saved today
We have an advocate with the father
Jesus christ the righteous and we can pray to him and make things right with him anytime we want to
You can't hide from what you're doing
You can't hide your sins. So the best thing to do is confess what you've done to him
Or what you've done
In his sight and just make things right because you can't hide
So you might as well just confess
Uh, let's go to luke chapter 11 verse 1
So we need to make the bible model for prayer our model for prayer now a lot of people take the lord's prayer
And they repeat it
Like a parrot
Over and over again. This is what the catholic church likes to do
They like to just repeat the lord's prayer or they repeat hail mary
Full of grace swing those beads all over the place swing them high swing them low swing them mary go go go
whatever I don't know the real prayer or whatever but
It's something like that, right?
They do the prayer bead thing or whatever and then what what's the uh, what's the uh, the orthodox?
Prayer that they repeat. Does anybody know?
Huh, it's the same one, but don't they do like uh, it's like jesus
Yeah
Yeah, the yeah jesus christ have mercy on me a sinner or something like that
They don't they don't read to where he goes don't justify
Oh, yeah, okay
so they just repeat prayers over and over and over again chanting them like some kind of a
Buddhist monk or something
That's not what god wants us to do in our prayers
It says it specifically i'll get to that here in just a minute, but let's look at luke 11 verse 1
It says and it came to pass that he was praying in a certain place and he see and and he ceased
One of the disciples one of his disciples said unto him lord teach us to pray as john also taught his disciples
So one of his one of the disciples are they want to know how to pray?
And so they're asking him to teach and look what he says and he said unto them when you pray
Say our father which art in heaven. So
One of the things is that we're who are we praying to we're praying to the father, right?
Which art in heaven hallowed be thy name
So when we pray to god, we should say things in reverence to him
thy kingdom come
Whose kingdom or should we be praying for the not our kingdom but his kingdom?
Thy will be done. So whose will should we be praying for god's will not our own will
as in heaven
so in earth
Give us day by day our daily bread. So, you know the things that we need we need we need to eat every day, right?
For the most part we need to eat every day to sustain on daily bread, you know, those are carbs, right?
So carbs aren't necessarily bad for you
Well, it wasn't the same bread today. Shut up with that stuff. I'm sure that we could still get the same ingredients today
But bread was if we had to live off of bread only we could survive
Okay
I'm not saying all bread is good for you. Of course wonder bread is probably really bad for you
All right, but we could get the ingredients today if we needed to to make bread to survive
all right, I know I just exploded all the heads of
all the garlic droppers but um
It says and forgive us our sins for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us and lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from
Evil, so I mean this isn't he's not saying pray this exact prayer every time
He's just saying this is a model for you to pray, you know, forgive
Us our sins isn't that part that's part of confession
Hey help, you know, give us the things that we need lord and then for you know, forgive us
Forgive the people that are are coming after us
You know, that's part of loving your enemies
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Hey lord help us
From our enemies help us be delivered from our enemies
Now let's go to matthew chapter 6 and this is the more famous of this teaching of the lord's prayer. It's longer
Longer and has more specific things in it
Matthew 6 5 it says and when thou prayest notice it says when
So should we be praying? Yes
When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are
So, how are the hypocrites? Well, it says for they love to pray
standing in the synagogues
And in the corners of the streets
That they may be seen of men
Verily I say unto you they have their reward
So our point of praying shouldn't be so that other people see us doing it. That's what hypocrites do
But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet
And when thou has shut thy door pray to thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth thee
Seeth in secret shall reward thee
openly, so
When it comes to your closet, it's just basically saying you should have a private prayer life or it's just you and god
Whether that's in a closet or in your bedroom with the door closed or whatever it is
It's it's not talking about putting your prayer shawl over the top of your head
And you know like your coat over the top
I mean i've seen people teach that but
That's you're still if people are seeing you do that. They're seeing you
Pray openly in front of them, right? So make you in the person in verse five. All right
Verse seven it says but when you pray use not vain repetitions
What is that where you're just?
Empty prayer saying it over and over again multiple times hail mary full of grace blah blah blah blah
That's what a vain repetition is just repeating the same prayer over and over again as the heathen do
The unbelievers do as the buddhist monks do as the catholics do as the orthodox do
As anybody's just repeating prayers in any religion on the face of the planet. That's what he's talking about. They're called the heathen
They're the unbelievers
For they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking
like the prophets of bale
It says be not you therefore like unto them for your father knoweth what things you have need of before you ask
him
So does god know what you need?
The bible says yes
He does know
After this manner therefore pray our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name
So we're who we praying to we're praying to the father
And his name is holy, okay?
Thy kingdom come but did he say does he say say yahova or yahweh or yahuda?
No, he says our father
So people go
Father's not a name. It's a title. Well, why did jesus say say our father?
I mean it is a ti it is a title but it also is his you know a name that we can call him our father
Which art in heaven because do you call your dad by his first name?
Most people don't
Most people would find that disrespectful. I don't call my dad dave
Hey dave, how's it going?
I don't call my grandpa max
Or layer my other grandpa larry. Hey larry. What's going on? I call him grandpa. I call my dad dad
Father is like the more proper term. Does anybody call their dad by their first name? I mean don't raise your hand, please
We'll have a talk after church
about respect but
If he's your father if you're saved he is your father and that's a proper name for you to call him. That's all i'm saying
All right, so it says
Our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name so it's set apart. It's holy
thy kingdom come
Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive our debts
It's you know our sins as we forget our forgive our debtors
I I think that you know, it could be debts of money or it could be debts of sin
but in luke it said sin specifically and then it said debtors, so I think it's
It's in you know, it's interchangeable there
And it says and lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
And evil is harmful things happening to you
For thine is the kingdom
And the power and the glory forever. Amen
We have to understand this is god's world
And we are parts of his plan in this world. It's not our world. It's not our plan
And so the things that we pray for we should put just like jesus said, you know, he didn't want to go to the cross
But he said nevertheless thy will be done when he prayed in the garden. He wasn't praying for his own will he said
You know, he was just it's obvious. He didn't want to go to the cross
Because he is agonizing over it because he knew how rough it was going to be
But he said nevertheless thy will be done his will
Was always
To to do the will of what his father wanted even though he didn't really want to go through who in their right mind
Would want to be crucified
Nobody nobody wanted to have to go through what he went through
But he still did it because his will ultimately was to do with the will of the father was and that should be our plan
Too so when we're praying to god, you know always keep in mind that it's his plan. It's his world
It's his kingdom and we want to do our best to be part of that kingdom and to pray for the things that he wants
You know his will to be done in our lives and in this world
It says but if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses
So now this is not talking about your salvation overall. This is talking about in this life
Okay
So if you're the type of person that just holds people's feet to the fire over every mistake that they make
Then god's going to be the same way with you in this life
So if you're not easy to forgive people for the things that they do
God's going to be the same way with you
So just keep that in mind if you're just overly judgmental to people all the time
Then when it comes time for god to judge you or other people to judge you in those similar situations
Then people are going to judge you harshly. God's going to judge you more harshly. So those are things to keep in mind
now another thing is that
Prayer times should be generally short when you are in public
Now there are like instances where solomon kind of makes a long prayer when he's dedicating the temple
There are times when there's long prayers that are read that you know that are in the bible
But in general most prayers are short turn to matthew chapter 23 verse 14
Jesus even
Mentions this about the pharisees when he's ripping their faces off in matthew chapter 23
So
I'm sure you've been in a church before
Where someone's asked to pray and it's like they go to genesis
Mention every book of the bible
The stories that happen along in and you're just like please brother. We just want to get to lunch, please, you know
and they just some people just have really eloquent prayers that they
That they just you know, it's like a 10-minute dismissal prayer
Look at what look what jesus says about it though
It says won't you scribes and pharisees hypocrites for you devour widows houses and for a pretense make long prayer
This is he's saying that they're pretending
To be spiritual but they're but they're doing this with a long prayer. It says therefore you shall receive the greater damnation
I'm, not saying that everybody that's made a long prayer at a church service is a is a
Pharisee headed for hell. Okay. I'm not saying that but i'm saying that if people do that
Because they're great orators and able to give these great
closing prayers
You know, I mean i'm not saying that they're all like these these damnable heretics or something
But it is, you know a bad attribute for you to do this because you want
To sound like that so that people admire your prayers. Okay
so
When can we pray?
Well whenever we want we can pray whenever we want there's no like
Set time in the bible where it says you will pray at this time
You must do this, you know, the muslims have to pray how many times a day they have to pray
Is it five really?
So they have in the countries that they have they have like these, you know calls to prayer
These buildings that they have to go on and then
Whatever
And they have to do it as part of their religion or they won't go to heaven or whatever right the five pillars of islam
And we don't have that in the christian religion because that would just be weird
but
I mean, I don't think there's anything wrong with you
Setting up some sort of a system where it helps remind you
but I mean
We don't want to get we don't want to get into the letter of the law necessarily
but to set up some sort of a
You know like a habit where you just have a habit of prayer
I don't think that that's a problem, but we just don't want to get too crazy into the the letter of the law
versus the spirit of the law type of situation, but
you know we can pray whenever we want and
you know
We don't have to have
Our eyes closed. We don't have to be necessarily bowing down on the floor
But there is times when I think that that's something you should do
I mean the ultimate
Bowing down on your hands and knees with your face to the ground
I think that that is you know, the ultimate submission to god
But I mean there's times when you can't do that
If you're driving to work in the car, that might be a little bit difficult of a situation to do that
Can you still pray with your eyes open while you're driving to work in your car? Yes, of course you can
You know if you're at the dinner table, it's kind of hard to do that, too
But I mean, I guess you could all get up get out of your seats
Bow down on the ground close your eyes and pray like that
But um, most people don't do that. I don't think you have to do that every time you pray
But um, I think there should be times when you do your private prayer time might be a good time or just kneeling next to your bed
something along those lines but
You know, there's there's instances in the bible where you can see that people clearly got on their knees
And bow themselves before the lord and I think that's a proper
Way to prayer pray but I don't think you always have to do that. You can pray into your in your heart
quietly god still hears
Your voice on the inside
And you can pray with your eyes open or closed. I think people we say bow your heads and close your eyes
Because it's kind of weird if everybody's just like looking at each other while you're praying
I think it's just kind of like a you know
Wouldn't that be weird if like we're just hey, let's pray
Then you're just like praying all these prayers and like everybody's looking at you I don't know it'd just be kind of weird
Wouldn't it but I think that's probably why it's just awkward
And it just helps you concentrate more especially if everybody's just like looking at you. So
But uh, how often should we pray? Well, I mean, I think the bible has a couple different examples that we can use
Let's look at psalm chapter 55
verse 16 psalm 55 16
So
Let's do great men in the bible
that
Have some examples here of how often they prayed and of course
This is just examples, right?
Psalm 55 16, of course you have david here
He says as for me, I will call upon god and the lord
Shall save me evening and morning and at noon
Will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice so
David is saying here that in the evening he prays in the morning. He prays and at noon
Three so that's three times a day, right?
now of course
Again, there's that's just his personal times that he says that he's going to pray
It says he had delivered my soul and peace from the battle that was against me for there was there were many with me
God shall hear and afflict them even he shall about he that abideth of old sila because they have no changes
Therefore they fear not god. He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him. He hath broken his covenant
The words of his mouth were smoother than buddy butter
But war was in his heart
His words were softer than oil yet where they drawn swords cast thy burden upon the lord and he shall sustain thee
He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved
And when you have a good prayer life, you know, david
David's proof was in the pudding the way he lived his life, you know his prayers
You know were an important part of his life
He says but thou o god shall bring them down into the pit of destruction bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half
Their days, but I will trust in thee
you know, there's another aspect of prayer time and it's not something i'm going to spend a lot of time on but
There are imprecatory prayers in the bible and when there are really evil and wicked people that are vexing your life
It is appropriate at times to prayer to pray in precatory prayers and that's just kind of a fancy word of praying for people's destruction
Praying for people's death and you're like, well that doesn't sound very christian
Well, you've probably just been going to a church that never preaches on that topic
but
The psalms are filled with imprecatory psalms
Where david just like break their teeth out
And let them melt like a snail
I mean
So again, i'm not going to preach too much on that
But you know if somebody's like and obviously we're supposed to love our enemies bless them to curse you our personal enemies
But when someone hates the lord
And is just a hater of god
Then that's a different story. Just read psalm
139
Where david is a man after god's own heart and he's literally saying he hates people that hate god
So anyway, i'm not going to preach any more about that. But that is
A fact of scripture. So now let's look at daniel chapter 6. I gotta hurry up. I'm almost done here
I just got one more place after this to turn to and we'll be done
Daniel chapter 6 now daniel was a great man of god and he has like a long prayer recorded in scripture
And
You know, he was a eunuch in babylon. He was taken from his home
hometown and he was a teenager or young, you know, maybe a little maybe
You know like a teen in babylon
he he had his uh
his stuff cut off down below and he was a eunuch and
He was uh, but he was a great man of god
and
They passed the law basically they when the means and persons take took over they passed the law that nobody could pray to any god
For I I can't I can't remember it was 30 days or whatever whatever it was
But they were trying to do this so they could get daniel killed because they knew that daniel was a man of prayer
They knew he prayed three times a day
And they wanted to try to kill him and get him out of the way
So we'll pick it up pick up the story in daniel chapter 6 verse 10
It says and when daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his house
And his windows being open in his chamber toward jerusalem. He kneeled upon his knees three times a day
So see you have him kneeling upon his knees there three times a day
And prayed and gave thanks before his god as he did a four time
so
What was his habit to do? Well his habit to do was to kneel upon his knees three times a day and give thanks before his god
This is something he was always in the habit of doing it's not like they passed along he's like well
I'm gonna you know, i'm gonna spite these guys. I'm just gonna start kneeling and praying three times a day
No, he was already doing this
And it says these men assembled
Then then these men assembled and found daniel praying to make its supplication before his god
Then they came near and spake before the king concerning the king's decree hast thou not signed a decree
That every man that shall ask a petition of any god or man within 30 days save of thee
Oh king shall be cast into the lion den of lions
the king answered and said
The thing is true according to the law of the meads and persians which alterth not then answered
They and said before the king that daniel which is of the children of the captivity of judah regardeth not thee o king
Nor the decree that thou has signed but maketh his petition three times a day
so
daniel
Being a you know a man of habit
There's nothing wrong with being in the habit of having a prayer time
This is really essentially what the sermon is about is to develop a prayer life develop a prayer time
And you know to have an example like daniel
to see what daniel is like as a man of god is that his
Habit in his life was to get on his knees and to pray before his god as he did a four time
And to be like david who said in the morning in the in the noontime in the evening
He's going to get down and pray to his god and that god was going to bless his life
And sustain his life and to destroy his enemies and look that's what we want as new believers
As longtime believers we want god to bless our lives and you know, obviously I couldn't cover everything about about prayer
And all the different things about prayer today, but I just kind of wanted to give you know new believers
You know, this is why we pray, you know, we want to we have access to god
We have the ability to go to him and you know, if we're lacking that thing in our lives
Then we're just we're chopping out a huge advantage to us in our daily lives
We're chopping out a huge advantage to us
In the christian life and if you're not praying to god on a regular basis
Then why not?
If the government came to your house
Would there be evidence that you have a prayer life?
Could you be if they said tomorrow nobody is able to pray to any god for 30 days?
Would you get convicted in a court of law for praying to god?
And that is a good question to ask yourself could you be convicted and if not then maybe you should start working
on getting guilty of that of that crime
all right, so
You know your private prayer time. Yes, you should have a closet or some place where you have time along with god
and you know, obviously you should have
um, you know, you can have long or short time and that time you're you're
Public prayer should be fairly short
Men, you should lead your home in prayer teach your children to pray
And you should you know be praying for things at your house with your spouse or if you're single obviously pray with yourself
And new christians, of course start a habit of prayer
As a christian you have the holy spirit of god and you are saved and as a child of god
You have the right and the privilege to ask your heavenly father
For anything and he's not always going to say yes. Sometimes he's going to say maybe sometimes he's going to say no
Sometimes he's going to say wait for a little while longer
But you he's always going to answer you
So he's always going to answer he's not going to do it in an audible voice where he's like no
But I mean he's going to make it pretty obvious sometimes turn to john chapter 14 will be the last place we turn to
You
And just remember you can ask him for things
Just make sure to thank him for those things. You can confess your sins to him ask him for help and mercy
And you know, there's things that nobody else knows
But you
Those things you can take to god
And you can unburden yourself
You know, there's just some things that
You know
Nobody else knows but you
And you know, jesus knows your infirmities. He knows
What your biggest problems are?
And you do too and though, you know, at least you know, you can go to someone who?
You know, he might judge you
But he's not going to tell everybody else
you know
So which is good because there's some things you just should never repeat to people, you know
So john chapter 14 verse 12
Says verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do
Shall he do also the greater works?
Than these shall he do because I go unto my father and whatsoever yet you shall ask in my name that will I do
That the father may be glorified in the son if he shall ask anything in my name I will
Do it
Now, of course, he's relating that to things concerning the work of god
so when you go out someone he's like and I mean
When you're serving god and you're asking him to do great things
For so that you can do great things for god for god's kingdom. He's going to do those things
He's going to give it to you. Isn't that what it says?
If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it
God make me a great soul winner, you know god, you know
Bless my life so that I can you know work for you. He's going to do those things
The lord loves you. He wants to hear from you. So
You know again don't get caught up in the letter of the law
I must pray at this time this time and this time, you know, you can start that as a foundation
And set some alarms for yourself or whatever, but you know
You need to find some time to talk to your dad
You need to find some time to talk to your father
Because if you never talk to your dad
Now, you know and i'm just saying this in a generalized statement if you never
If you the only time you ever talk to your dad is when you're in deep trouble
And you need money
Or you're in jail
or you're you know
That's the only time you ever communicate. It'd kind of be like a
A strained relationship, wouldn't it?
If you're never talking to him to say thank you or you know, I appreciate those blessings or I love you
It's just like
Dad I need money
Dad I screwed up again, you know, I mean he wants to hear that too and he's okay with that too
But like if that's all it is then it's kind of like a not the greatest of relationships. So
And if you're just yeah, so if you're just demanding things, it's an unbalanced, you know, you know relationship there. So
I would just say go and apply these principles with your heavenly father
And you pray to him through jesus christ so when he's prayed it to your heavenly father it's in jesus name we pray
amen, so
Let's pray. We're going to have the baptism right afterwards
So we'll come up have brandon come up and lead us in a couple songs or at least one song
and
We'll have the baptism but we'll be dismissed
Let's pray your heavenly father lord. We thank you so much for the privilege and honor that we can come to you in jesus name
Lord we thank you for that lord. I pray that you'd help us all to be
Men and women and children hear of prayer
Lord, I pray that you just bless
our church and lord help us to
Just zero in on our prayer life lord. Help us where we're failing
Help us to develop a prayer life and lord. I know that everyone in here probably has
Some failures in one way shape or form lord that we're not praying as much as we should or could
And lord, it's just something that i'm sure that every christian is lacking in in some way
I pray lord you help us to work on those things help us to take these things to heart
I pray that you would lord help us to reach out to you not just when we're in trouble or when we've done wrong
but lord in love
and in thankfulness
and thanksgiving
And lord, we'll give you the praise honor
We thank you lord for the spiritual blessings of this church and for all the people here
For all the children that are being born here for all the salvations that are being wrought through this church
And we thank you for our new believers that we have here
And we thank you for the great families the great singles that we have here the great men
The great ladies that all the wonderful children that we have here lord the great mix of of old and young pray that you just continue
to bless
sure foundation baptist church
And our church plants we pray that you just bless the rest of our afternoon in jesus name
We pray. Amen
So
You