This is a moment in our history as a nation when people are probably more open to the gospel than maybe they've been in decades. And harvest is at the right place at the right time. We've seen 1,200,000 professions of faith in the history of harvest. 10,000 people baptized through harvest since 2023.
So, this is a really good time to pour some rocket fuel on a burning fire. When you give, you're investing in this revival fire. Just go to harvest.org. You have complete access to the Creator of the universe through prayer. We may wonder if we're bothering God when we call on Him.
Pastor Greg Laurie points out today: God is eagerly waiting for you to talk with Him. You're His daughter. You're His son. He loves you. He lights up when you walk into the room.
He wants to hear from you. He wants to talk to you. He wants to spend time with you. This is your Father who will always be there. Your Father in heaven.
This is the day when. The lost are found. This is the day for a new beginning. Amazing grace can squeeze the sound. But can you hear all the angels are singing?
This is the day the day when I begin. Because of the deluge of robocalls we all get, if an unfamiliar number pops up on the phone, Many people just don't answer. Who wants those calls?
Well, do we feel like we're an unfamiliar number popping up on God's phone when we call on Him in prayer? Do we wonder if he'll pick up the phone? Today on a new beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out God not only answers the phone, He answers our requests. We're not an unfamiliar number at all. No, we're family.
Yeah. I want to talk about prayer and Having your prayers answered today in my message that is titled In Case of Emergency. And I want you to turn to Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6. In case of emergency is the title.
And God hears our prayers, and God wants to answer our prayer. Prayer is not just petition, though it includes that. Prayer is not just worship, though it includes that as well. Prayer can also be. Dare I say it?
Complaining. There are psalms in the Bible that we call psalms of lamentation, to lament, where you're crying out to God, you're not happy about something. I guess our closest form of music today might be someone singing the blues or a lot of country songs, actually. I was just watching a special last night on the history of country music and how many of those songs have the most interesting titles. They came across these actual country songs.
I'm not making any of these up. These are real songs. Here's one: She Got the Gold Mine and I Got the Shaft. Yeah. That's a modern song of lamentation right there.
How about this one? You stuck my heart in an old tin can. And shot it off a log. Yeah, not good. Here's another one: How come your dog don't bite nobody but me?
Here's another. You done tore out my heart and stomped the sucker flat. And then maybe the weirdest of all, you're the reason our kids are so ugly.
So I Hank Williams. He's a well-known person in country music. He had his song, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. And he sings, here that lonesome whipper will. He sounds too blue to fly.
The midnight train is whining low. I'm so lonesome, I could cry. Hey, if it's a country song, you gotta have a train in there somewhere, right?
Well, the psalmist had his own country song, so to speak, Psalm 44:23. He says, Wake up, O Lord. Why do you sleep? Get up. Do not reject us forever.
Why do you look the other way? Rise up and help us, Lord. I thought, wow, if that was a country song, maybe you would call it My heart is aching for you to be waken. I mean, I don't know. But here's the point I'm making.
He was being honest to God. Lord. Honestly? It seems like you're asleep right now. It seems like you're not paying attention.
Wake up, Lord. Hear our cry. It's not always a bad thing to complain to God. To bring your concerns to God, to bring your questions to God, to bring your pain and sadness to God. Even Jesus, as he hung on the cross, cried out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Some would suggest Jesus was having a crisis of faith. How ridiculous. It was the opposite. It was a moment where he was dying for the sin of the world, and he was simply describing what was happening as God the Father turned his holy face away and poured the sin of all humanity on Christ, who had never committed a single sin.
So Jesus cries out in anguish, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? But. Jesus was forsaken so I might be forgiven. But here's the point. Jesus said, my God, my God.
He was crying out to the Father, and you can do the same thing when you're in pain, when you're hurting. You should pray. You should pray when you're happy. You should pray when you're sad. You should pray when you're confused.
You should pray when you have complaints. James 5:13 says, Is any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Is any of you happy? You should sing praises.
Well, let me ask you this. Have you ever been in what appeared to be an impossible situation with no way out? Let me restate that question. Are you in, right now, an impossible situation with no way out? Or have you ever desperately needed or even wanted something, but it seemed there was no way you would ever have it?
Have you ever thought there was no future for you and for you it was just too late? If so, you need to know more about the power of God and what can take place through prayer. For one thing certainly stands out on the pages of scripture is that prayer can dramatically change situations, people, and on occasion, even the course of nature itself. But the thing that prayer changes the most is us. God will allow hardship.
And difficulty in our life, so he can reveal himself. And put his power and glory on display for those who are watching. Because when we pray, we're acknowledging our weakness and we're acknowledging our need for the help of God. Maybe that's why we don't pray as much as we ought to. I mean, I don't know about you.
I need to pray more. How many of you feel you need to pray more? Yeah. How many of you feel you pray enough? Just don't raise your hand.
There might be someone. There might be someone, but I think we all know we could pray more. But prayer is an admission of weakness on our part. And some people don't like to admit they have need. Especially men.
And why is that? Simple answer. They're stupid.
Well, let me restate that. We're stupid at times if we don't think. We need God. I mean, after all, who was the strongest man who ever lived? Don't give me a superhero name.
Uh maybe Samson?
Well, the real answer is the strongest man who ever lived was Jesus Christ Himself. And we read repeatedly in the Gospels that Jesus prayed and he prayed a lot. He would spend the night in prayer. He would rise up early while the disciples were still sleeping and pray as well. And as the crucifixion approached, he turned to the Father in prayer and the garden of Gethsemane and said, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.
Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.
Now, I don't think anyone has ever gotten this right in the film. Because usually when they show Jesus in Gethsemane, He's just saying, Father, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me. It's not the way it was. He was in English. He was crying out in pain as he said these words over in Hebrews 5:7.
It says, During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and pleadings. Listen, with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverend submission. Loud cries and tears. There's a place for that too in prayer. And it's implied in the original language.
He said it over and over.
So in other words, he didn't just pray one time, Father, if it's possible, let this cup pass. But it was more like, Father, if it's possible, let this cup pass. Father! If it's possible, let this cup pass. Father, if it's possible, let this cup pass for me.
Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.
And Dr. Luke adds a detail that he sweat, as it were, great drops of blood.
So Jesus prayed a lot. And if Jesus, who was God, Prayed a lot. You and I need to pray a lot too. And in this passage before us, He gives us a prayer. We often call it the Lord's Prayer.
Now imagine if you could go to an elite university and have a class taught by The finest person in that field from all of history. For instance, you could study music under Beethoven. Or a tiny tin. I just threw that in to see if you're listening. How many of you have ever heard of Tiny Tim?
Google them. Don't. But. That was a joke. Or how about this?
Have a drama class taught by Shakespeare. He taught political science by Thomas Jefferson. How about a philosophy class taught by C.S. Lewis?
Well, we would like that because they're experts in the field. How about this? A class on prayer taught by Jesus Christ. That sounds good to me. I'd be in that class.
Who knows more about prayer than Jesus? And so that's what we're going to look at here in just a moment. The disciples came to him. They said, Lord, we have a question. Would you teach us?
How to pray.
Now, there's a lot of things they could have asked Jesus. One of them could have said, Lord, I'm having a big family reunion. Can you show me how to do the multiplying of the loaves and fish miracle? that would really make my life easier and I wouldn't have to go to Costco and buy all that food. Another might say, Lord, I'm taking a girl out on a date.
Could you show me how to walk on water? That would really impress her. Yeah. They come and say, Lord, we've watched you. We've observed you.
And we're asking you if you would teach us how to pray. And the fact is that Jesus gave them this prayer, which shows prayer is something that can be taught. You need to be taught how to pray. And sometimes you are taught by watching others do it. And you're taught, of course, by reading Scripture, and there's certain principles that you can engage when you pray.
Now, we call this the Lord's Prayer, and there's nothing wrong with calling it that. The Bible never addresses it as such. I don't think it really was a prayer. Jesus himself prayed. You say, well, of course he did.
No, actually, he didn't. Because Jesus would never need to pray. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who've sinned against us, because Jesus never sinned. If you want to read the real Lord's Prayer, the prayer that only Christ could pray. Later on, this is for extra credit.
I'll give you a little gold star if you do it. Remember Gold Star from School? That's a long time ago. But John 17. That is the Lord's Prayer.
It's rather long. It's a prayer only Christ could pray. This could better be described as the disciples' prayer or maybe the template for prayer, but call it what you like. We think of it as the Lord's Prayer. It's a model for all prayer.
Sort of like when you want to buy a home and maybe you go to a track and the homes aren't built yet and they have those model homes. You ever walk into those model homes and you go and there's pictures of people that don't live there and you know it's supposed to feel like this is a home of a person?
Well, this is a model prayer. This is a template for all prayer. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment.
So many listeners have commented on the encouragement they receive from these daily messages. I appreciate that God has never left my side, even when I wasn't living for Christ. I would still call out to God in times of need. After living in my own strength for many years, I found Pastor Gregg's podcasts. God obviously gave Greg a gift by helping draw his listeners to the Word of God.
I am so thankful that Pastor Greg has now helped me to find my way back home to God. Thank you. How have Pastor Greg's studies touched your life? Would you let him know? Send him an email.
Greg at harvest.org. That's Greg at harvest.org.
Well, we're considering the importance of prayer today and how to follow Jesus' model for effective prayer laid out in what we call the Lord's Prayer. And a special word of thanks to our Harvest partners for making today's study possible. I'm going to be reading from Matthew 6 verses 9 to 14. And I'll tell you what, I want us all to do this out loud together. This is the New King James Version.
Let's read it together. In this manner, therefore, pray. Our Father in heaven. Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done.
on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever.
Amen. That a beautiful prayer. I love that. The Lord's Prayer.
Now we think of this maybe as the big gun. In case of emergency. Break glass and pray this prayer. There's nothing wrong with that. If you're in a moment of crisis, And you just say, Our Father who art in heaven, that's okay.
You pray that prayer. You're having a hard time getting to sleep at night, just go through that prayer. Think about that prayer, ponder that prayer. That's all good. But it's not just the big gun, so to speak.
It's not just the in case of emergency prayer. As I said, it's a model for prayer.
So here's point number one: if you're taking notes. You have complete access to the creator of the universe through prayer. You have complete and total access, and all stage pass, if you will. To the Creator of the universe through prayer. Let's start at the beginning.
Our Father, who art in heaven. Let's apply this to the presidency. You could say our president in Washington, DC.
Now let's say you wanted to talk to the president. You wanted to talk to him about something he said or did or whatever it might be. And so you called the White House and you said, hello, I'm an American citizen and I want to speak to the president. I doubt you're going to get through to the Oval Office.
Now, let's just say you are the daughter or the son or maybe the grandchild of the president. You don't need to go to the White House operator. You probably have his personal digits.
So you just call him and you say, Dad, I need to ask you a question. That's called access. That's a relationship we're talking about here. This is God Almighty, but I have. I have them on speed dial.
I have his private number. I can access him any time I want. I remember when I first I was getting to know Billy Graham, and he invited me to his home in Montreat, North Carolina. Montreat's outside of Asheville. And it was a beautiful Humble log home decorated by His wife Ruth.
And she was cooking something on the stove, and I just walked in. And to me, he was, you know, the greatest evangelist who ever lived. And as a young evangelist, I was just so impressed by everything. And I would just take it all in. And I remember I'd be talking with him, and I'd say, well, Dr.
Graham, and he'd say, don't call me Dr. Graham, call me Billy. And I'd say, right.
So, Dr. Graham, you know, it was hard for me to call him Billy. I had too much respect. And Billy, you know, that's kind of that's southern. They're Billy, Johnny, you know.
They put Y's and IEs on a lot of their names. And so it just felt too personal to call a man named William Billy. Like, really? No, he said, call me Billy.
So I finally got around to calling him that. But his family, they had an even more intimate name. It was daddy. In the South, it's daddy. and mama, not father, mother, or even dad and mom, daddy.
And his grandkids call him Daddy Bill. And that's what I used to call my grandfather, not Daddy Bill, but Daddy Charles. And my grandmother was Mama Stella, because they were from Arkansas.
So this is an intimacy.
Now, I don't have the right to call him Daddy Bill, but I did have the right to call him Billy. That is relationship.
Now we have relationship with God and we have access to God. You know, the other day my son Jonathan was saying something before I spoke, and he said, Well, you know, Pastor Greg, I said, afterwards, why are you calling me Pastor Greg? I mean, you'll get, oh, I want to be respectful. Just say dad. It's okay.
You can say that. And you know, my grandkids, if I'm in a room and I'm talking to someone and my grandkids come running up to me, sorry, our conversation is going to be put on pause and I'm going to talk to my grandchild. That's a relationship.
Okay, you have a relationship with God. You're his daughter, you're his son, he loves you, he lights up when you walk into the room, he wants to hear from you, he wants to talk to you, he wants to spend time with you. It's never a drudgery, it's always a delight, and the same should be true. For us, our Father who art in heaven.
Well, okay, our Father, Father. What kind of a father is he?
Well... He's a good, good father. And why is he a good, good father? Because we read about it in Scripture. If you want to know what the Father in heaven is like, just look at Jesus.
Jesus said in John 14, 9, he that has seen me has seen the Father. All right, what was Jesus like?
Well, Jesus was approachable. Little children were drawn to him. He blessed them. Look at the tears streaming down his face as he's at the grave of his friend Lazarus. Look at him getting down on his hands and knees and washing the feet of the disciples, including Judas's in the upper room.
Look at that picture that Jesus gave us of the father and the story of the prodigal son. where God the Father is presented as a dad. A father who misses his wayward son and longs for his return. And then when the boy makes his way back home, the father can't wait to see him and bolts from his chair and runs to his son and throws his arms around him. And shows deep affection to him and says, This, my son, was dead, but he's alive again.
This is your father in heaven, a father who will always be there, a father who listens, a father who loves us, your father in heaven. He said, but that's a problem in heaven. Heaven is so far away. I need someone here on earth.
Well, for starters, God is omnipresent. Which means present everywhere, so he isn't heaven in here. But is heaven really that far away? I think we think, you know, here's the sky and now here's the solar system and now here's the third heaven and it's just so, so far. And maybe in a sense that's true, but in another sense, heaven is closer than you realize.
Heaven is another dimension. It's a supernatural realm.
So, for the Father in heaven to step into your world is nothing to him. He's here. My Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
So God is deeply involved and deeply concerned about what you're facing right now. If it concerns you, it concerns him. Um Some practical encouragement today from Pastor Greg Laurie about the way God the Father responds to our prayers. And there's much more to come from this study here on a new beginning called In Case of Emergency. You know, prayer is such a vital component of a healthy Christian life.
And really, prayer actually helps us begin the Christian life. Have you ever prayed and asked the Lord to be your Savior, to forgive your sins and to give you an eternity in heaven? Pastor Greg has some further thoughts to share.
So, as you've been listening today, maybe you've thought to yourself, man, I wish I had this relationship with God that. Is being talked about?
Well, you can. He is only a prayer away. You see, becoming a Christian, it doesn't take years, it doesn't take months, it doesn't take weeks, it doesn't even take hours, it can happen in a moment. The Bible describes it as turning from darkness to light. And from the power of Satan to God.
But before that happens, the Bible says you need to have your eyes open. And here's the amazing thing. It's just like in a flash, a light goes on, and you say, This is all true. That's how it happened for me. I just heard the gospel, and all of a sudden, I realized this is all true.
And maybe you've realized that as well. Let me ask you. Would you like Jesus Christ to come into your life? Would you like Him to forgive you of your sin? Would you like this relationship with God we've been talking about today?
If so, why don't you just pray a simple prayer with me? You could pray it out loud if you like, but Say this to God, Lord Jesus. I know that I'm a sinner. But I know that you're the Saviour. who died on the cross for my sin.
and rose again from the dead. Jesus, I turn from my sin. and I choose to follow you from this moment forward as my Saviour and Lord, as my God and Friend. Thank you for hearing this prayer. And I ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen. Hey, did you just pray that prayer? If so I want to send you at no charge. what we call a New Believer's Bible. Here's Dave to tell you more, and let me just say Congratulations.
You've made the right decision. Yeah, that's right. And to help you begin to live this new life walking with the Lord, let us send you Pastor Gregg's New Believer's Bible. It's the perfect resource for someone who's new to the faith. We'll send it free of charge if you'll just contact us and request it.
Call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300. or go online to harvest.org and click Know God. Yeah. And then thank you for partnering with us to help these daily studies continue.
Your investments have eternal benefits. Why not make this a part of your personal ministry to partner in an effort that's making a real difference with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Thank you for your prayers and for prayerfully considering how God might lead you to help tangibly. Online, you'll find us at harvest.org. And there you'll see the way we'd like to thank you for your donation right now.
That's harvest.org. Or write us at a new beginning box 4000. Riverside, California, 92514. or call us at 1-800-821-3300. We're here around the clock to take your call again at 1-800-821-3300.
Well, next time, more insight drawn from the Lord's Prayer and how we can maximize our petitions before the Father. Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie. Is today, the day when life begins.
