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February 11, 2020 11:32 am
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The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. If you would like to know how you can become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org that's harvest.org for the search of the amazing religion. God is given to each of us according to the latest Gallup poll. More Americans will pray this week that will exercise driving the car go to war prayers are going up to heaven. But here's the question, are those words being her. We may be unsure, make God's throne today. Pastor Greg Morey points out at times we may all wonder the same thing. God can you hear me now and in our pray to the Lord in heaven open our eyes again. Everything looks the same. Everything seems the same. The prayer make it all the way to heaven taken off ramp somewhere on the intersectional superhighway today on a new beginning after Greg Laurie begins a short series designed to improve argumentation with God. See how to talk to the Lord more appropriately more powerfully. His answer prayer that talked about today. Praying how to pray effectively to be looking at the Lord's prayer. So when we start with prayer. Father, we come before you.
Now you've given that such a great privilege to approach you, through Jesus in this thing we call prayer and not only that, but you've given us a template for prayer a model for prayer we can follow see our prayers answered in the affirmative. So like the disciples so many years ago we would say Lord, teach us to pray, we commit this time. You know, in Jesus name we ask it, amen. Or I will grab your Bibles and turn to Matthew chapter 6 this is a brand-new series on the Lord's prayer in the title of my message today is pray this way. I was at a little shopping center a while back and they have one of those little coin fountains and I two of my granddaughters. There Stella and Lucian so they like the broken coins in the fountain but I'm such a cheapskate I maybe I shouldn't admit this, I reach in and grab other people's going to the been thrown that wrong. So it isn't the throw their money away and besides, I'm probably avoiding all of their wishes.
Outright just the moment I did so I thought I get the coins I I reach and grab given to the girls.
They said throw the coins in another smaller going to make a little ways but if there's 1/4 and yes, people throw corridors and fountains. I've no idea why that's a big way. So were you having fun then and then I asked him a question. Do you girls know the difference between a wish and a prayer, and it was a Lucy that said will pop up.
That's what she calls me she said I wish we just make to ourselves but a prayer we make to God that that's right. That's the big difference in only really get down to it everybody in some way shape or form does seem to pray and you look back historically and even the most remote tribes were found to present offerings and afraid to their God and prayed for a lot of the things we still pray for today. The ancient Incas and Aztecs even sacrificed humans to get the gods attention Muslims. Five times a day and pray Buddhas have their prayer wheels millions and AA groups will pray daily to a higher power asking for help to overcome addiction. It seems like we can't help but pray according to the latest Gallup poll. More Americans will pray this week that will exercise driver car or go to work. 9/10 of us pray regularly and three out of four of his break every day as I'm saying this billions of prayers are going up to heaven. But here's the question, are those prayers being her and is there something or some things we can do to cause our prayers.
The normally be heard but answered in the affirmative and never called someone in your cell phone and having the conversation, then you realize that you lost them like two or three minutes ago and you wonder why they were so quiet maybe you would offend them or something, but in reality you lost your connection member that ad campaign. The Verizon did a while ago called can you hear me now a boasting of their great coverage at daylight. I have Verizon I get their bill in but I hear them when they send a bill, but that's a question we might ask about our prayers. God can you hear me now are these birds really heard of or have I lost my connection will your prayers can be answered prayer is such an amazing privilege and God is given to each of us. If you've ever been a what seems to be an impossible situation with no way out.
You probably discover that God can intervene and change things through prayer because prayer can change, situations it can change people prayer can even change the course of nature. It's been set up your swept off your feet. It's time to get on your knees, but most of all, the thing that prayer changes as you because God will allow hardship challenge and need to come our way.
Sometimes even tragedy so we can reveal himself so he can put his power and his glory on display for those who are watching really. When we pray were acknowledging our weakness and maybe that's why some people will like to pray, especially men. I'm not weak. I don't want to pray why do men act this way will because their idiots because any guy with half a brain will know that he needs the help of God, let's talk about the man's man for a moment.
Who was the strongest man whoever lived on the face of the earth. No, not Superman. It was Jesus Christ and get Jesus prayed. He prayed often. He prayed in the morning.
He prayed late at night, he prayed all the time and of Jesus prayed, certainly we should do the same.
I'll tell you that when we face the greatest crisis of our life that is our son Christopher dying in an automobile accident. We learn to pray like never before.
Not just frame prayers of petition, but prayers of desperation prayers to get through the day. Three things help me as we went through and continue to go through the crisis and by the way when someone loses a child they never completely get over it so never ask them the question, are you over it yet. It's just something you go through and you adapt to, but tell three things sustained us in those three things were number one prayer number two the word of God and never through the encouragement of fellow believers, and I would find I would need to pray to get to sleep at night was very hard to sleep I pray to get up in the morning I pray to make it through another day in we showed up in church three days after it happened. It happened on the Thursday and we were in church the next Sunday morning. Some of you may have even been here that service and people would come up with sale greatly, so you and your family a church you're so strong. We can't believe how strong your hiding come to church because of his strong hiking the church because I was weak and I needed the help of God and I needed to pray and they needed God for that through a ball of that's why it's so crazy to me when I hear people were facing hardship will withdraw and sometimes even get mad at God, that silliness you need to turn to God not turn away from God. In times of crisis. The Bible says he is a present help in times of trouble. So you might civil great. I'm not going through any hardship right now things are going reasonably well.
You should still pray you should pray when things are hard and you need God's help. You should pray when things are going well because you still need to acknowledge that is a blessing from God. James 513 says, or any among you suffering that she keep praying about it.
Those were reason to be thankful to continually sing praises to God. There's nothing wrong with calling out to God and your time would be that God encourages you to do so. Jeremiah 33 three the Lord says: me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know the Lord, encouraging us to call out Mr. Greg Moore will have the second half of his message in just a moment.
We love hearing stories about how God's Word touches lives. I've always believed in God, but I guess I never understood or was a skeptic my life was pretty good that something inside was telling me that there's more stagnant struggle with stress and anxiety just started reading the Bible for the first time in 40 years, finally starting to make sense in my anxiety since last I realize my problems were connected to the lack of purpose in my life no more.
I surrendered my heart to the Lord would encouragement his gun word impacted your life would you let us know tell us your story by calling 1-866-871-1144. That's a special number 1-866-871-1144 Pastor Greg is offering some practical insights on prayer based on what we commonly call the Lord's prayer must continue.
Think of all the great stories in the Bible where people were facing crisis and how things change when they pray there's old Jehoshaphat that's kind of a hard name to probably have to live with. You know this person viewing a weight problem which are named Joseph that mom could you not a baby Jehoshaphat in any way. Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah to all the right things to please God. Then, suddenly, without warning, the bottom dropped out of his life and he received frightening report seen a vast army is coming to attack you. There was no way that Joe was a bed give me that army with his army's army was not nearly large enough. Have you ever received the threatening letter someone threatening to sue you. Someone threatening the slander you someone threatening to kill you when you know what it's like. So what did Jehoshaphat do.
The Bible says he pray why did he pray because we should not worry about anything. What we should pray about everything. Philippians tells us of the peace of God that passes all human understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds and I love the prayer of Jehoshaphat.
He says to the Lord and second Chronicles 20 OR God, will you not judge them.
We have no power defaces vast army that's attacking us. We don't know what to do, but I love this, but her eyes are upon you. All the men of Judah, with their wives and their children and their little ones stood there before the Lord.
When a seniors at all these families little kids are sing God if you don't get us out of this. We are so dad but our eyes are upon you and you know what God answered that prayer and he defeated their enemy. That's all we need to do one more overwhelmed.
Some 61 two says what my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I we read a story about a woman named Hannah who was unable to have a child.
She pray she becomes pregnant she bears the child becomes one of the greatest profits in the history of Israel. We think of the mighty Samson. They came in with her.
She weakness that squandered his life and ended up with his eyes gouged out a complete failure.
But he prays for God to give him strength one last time the Lord answers his prayer we think of Elijah the prophet who prays in the rain stop. He prays again in the rain comes back. He prays even another time and fire fall from heaven that we think of Paul and Silas in prison for preaching the gospel and at midnight they began to sing praises to God, and they prayed in an earthquake. King the next thing they knew they were free as birds. The apostle James is arrested and he's executed. Peter is arrested he will be executed next the church. Their secret weapon and they pray before you know it. Peter is been released so it's clear we need to pray and I mentioned that Jesus prayed giving us that example ensures an interesting thing to consider as the crucifixion approach and Jesus being God was omniscient, meaning it was all knowing he knew what was coming down he knew they were going to arrest them on false charges. He knew they were going to be that he knew then ripped the beard out of his face. He knew that he would be whipped 39 times.
He knew he would be nailed to a cross.
The worst of all he knew that he would bear the sin of all humanity and he had never committed a single sin. And so, in the garden of Gethsemane.
We read he prayed father if it's possible let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done. But Hebrews gives us an insight, it says during the days of Jesus life and earth.
He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who can save them from death and he was heard because of his reverent submission so wasn't like oh father if it's possible let this cup the father if it's possible let this cup pass from me he was crying out to the Lord and unnerve the disciples but there was passion in his prayer, fervency in his prayer.
That's all we have to pray I mean imagine promote if your child broke your arm you took them down to the ER. Would you pray for the doctor and those who were attending to your job will of course she would you pray, but imagine God for bid. If your child was kidnapped, would you pray oh yeah good.
Pray you pray fervently, you would pray a storm the gates of heaven prayer and you would not take no for an answer.
That's real prayer. That's the way we need to be praying for America right now because it seems that our nation is been kidnapped cry out to God, we need to pray that the Lord will send a spiritual awakening to the United States that God will send revival to the church that God will send revival was fervent prayer. So here is know the Lord telling us how to pray better qualified to tell us about talking to God then God talking to us. This is like the master class of prayer meds and if you could go to some amazing University in here from the most learned people that have ever lived.
You could study music under Beethoven ticket drama class from Shakespeare political science taught by Thomas Jefferson about a philosophy class taught by CS Lewis about this.
How about a class on prayer.
Taught by Jesus Christ. That's of the Lord's prayer is in its response to the request of the disciples teach us Lord how to pray.
There's a lot of things that could've asked Jesus to teach them about one of them to the said Lord Raven a big family reunion teaches how to do the whole multiplying of the loaves and fishes in order to get a girl out of date.
Teach me how to walk on water, that would really impress her and improve her some like that is the Lord. We watched you, we've observed you and we want to know how to pray and so he gives what is called the Lord's prayer. By the way, the Bible never calls this prayer the Lord's prayer, but will refer to it as such because it's known that way.
This is a prayer Jesus himself never would've pray because one of the petitions is forgive us our sins. It's a prayer for us it's a model prayer you like when you are going to buy a house at the new truck going up and they of the models you can look at him always fascinated by those models. If pictures of people that don't live there.
They have faith food in the refrigerator. They have little fake computers and fake TV sets and you will grandma just sorta get a visual like well if I were to buy one of these homes it would look something like this model so Jesus says here's a model for prayer look at this very carefully.
It's not just a prayer to pray, though, there's nothing wrong with praying the Lord's prayer verbatim but it is also a template for a model for all prayer in the future. And so Jesus is saying if you want to pray effectively another God will hear you pray this way, here's the problem with the Lord's prayer and the problem is really with the prayers with us. It may be the single set of words spoken more often than any other words in the history of the world. But the difficulty is there so familiar.
We no longer care them.
Human & let me say our father were in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom. Having those beautiful words with little you know the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want anything the Flintstones modern Stone Age family going after K yes I know it's true, we just works right jingles, songs, and so we just say these words and we said so many times we don't hear them anymore. So we need to slow down and break it down because every word that Jesus use was intentional.
Every phrase was meaningful. The very order of the prayer is significant. So we want to look at it very carefully and we can learn from reading this how to pray. So look at Matthew six organ reverses 9 to 14 when we go I just say it out loud 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. Now, this powerful prayer can be divided into two sections.
The first three petitions Holly would be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done deal with the glory of God reminding us what the real purpose of prayer is what is the purpose of prayer, the real focus of prayer should not be on us but on God, not on what we want, but on what God wants.
Really when prayer reaches its ultimate we get our wills aligned with his will, and we pray accordingly. Having said that, it is not wrong to pray for the things you need in life. What I'm saying is you need to understand that God's plan for you is better than your plan for yourself how many of you believe that is plan for the ninja. It is so many forces no good thing, though he withhold from those a walk uprightly. If it's good, God will give it to you if it's not good. God will not give it to you in other times it pray for things fervently believe that God's will and he says no more upset later in life we look back we say thank you Lord for not giving me what I prayed for years ago when I was but a young man I fell in love with some girl that happened quite a few times and does so I was probably the just 18, or some like that and I thought this is the girl I'm supposed to marry and I never propose to her but she was nice to me but she really wanted nothing to do with me.
To me that very clear. So I said, she's the one. Why didn't she know she was the one and I will see what that because she wasn't the one she was the right one for some other guy. He was the right guy for her and then I met my wife Kathy who was the one for me and we've been married 42 years now so God's plan was better for Greg Ward practical insights today on prayer and there's a great deal yet to come as he continues this message here on a new beginning now to hear a replay of today's insight just go online to harvest.org look for the study titled pray this way find is often a few more minutes of insight waiting for you when you listen online or to get a permanent copy of the presentation sent to you on CD. Call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 you know we all face challenges in life. Sometimes those challenges bring us right to the end of ourselves and we wonder how will manage enough strength to go on while Jeremy Camp was brought to one of those moments you know Jeremy is a singer-songwriter. He wrote that powerful song. I still believe Willie authored a book by the same title that explores the story behind that song. In fact, that story will be released as a movie and just a few weeks.
Jeremy faced unspeakable tragedy when his new bride died of cancer just weeks after they were married yesterday spoke with him about his experience and what the Lord has taught him. The Bible says give thanks to the Lord for he is good and his mercy endures forever. Name doesn't say give thanks to the Lord. When you feel good right.
Sometimes we do feel good. Know the times we don't and you offered to the Lord a sacrifice of praise, not unlike what Job did right when he heard the devastating news of the death of his family and all the problems that befell him and no similar experience happen to me after I heard that our son you knew, Christopher died in an automobile accident. My home immediately filled with all these well-wishers I went to a little apartment above my garage and I just fell on the floor and I just said Lord I give them to you and I literally worship God. Yeah, and in it's not because I'm some wonderful spiritual person is because I was weak. I was devastated and I was a father who lost a son speaking to a father who gave his son Ryan and I knew that the Lord understood what I was facing the and you can ask God why You may not give you an answer evening even if he did give us an answer.
Who knows, that would be satisfied with that one day the "why" questions will be answered exactly right but you know until the day it's more the who question is, and who will I turn to.
And I think what you've done is so important as you've not wasted your pain. You taken the painful story and it can't be easy to retelling the story over and over. I so I'm watching a movie and I'm watching the scene where she passes. This is your movie really aliens telling your layout so I remember watching that and it was hard wrote down had to leave the room. It was almost like reliving it. Or could you be objective LCDs or actors is like reliving all my good yes and so I remember sitting there had to leave because I felt like it was there and I got done greeting and discounted on was all about. I step back and I look to my family from your emotional is my feminine side, but God is this what it is but got in and out.
My family and how he's been so faithful and what is done and now I'm watching this movie been portrayed in my life of how he's been faithful in the midst of this pain and so I tell people like what Jesus did on the cross we sent one. He didn't get stuck there is my God my God why you forsaken me but he goes by surrender ice furniture will I turn it on your ways. I think for me that's we have to do. We can get stuck if you're stuck, you'll never move on. Don't get stuck. Thanks Jeremy for those words to everyone. We want to get you a copy of Jeremy Camp's book, I still believe Lori talks about his life. The challenges he faced all that he went through with Melissa the lessons he learned the victory he found the Hopi found in Christ.
And it's all in a book titled, I still believe, which by the way, is also the title of a new film coming out just days about the powerful story of Jeremy and Melissa, You want to read the book before you see the movie and that's why we want to rush you a copy of Jeremy's book, I still believe it will inspire you.
It'll help you and it will certainly be of help to someone that you know that may be going through a very hard time right now. I will send you this book for your gift of any size and by that I mean whatever you consent it will be put to good use. Where does your money go when you send it to harvest ministries. It goes right back into ministry so we can bring this broadcast to you so we can continue to teach God's word so we can throw the net if you will and invite people to believe in Jesus Christ. I know you believe in that because you're one of our listeners and were thankful for that.
So get your copy of I still believe will send it to you for whatever you can invest in our ministry and thanks for being a listener to a new beginning. Yet we hope you let us get a copy of this book to you quickly so you can read it before you see the movie again. It's called I still believe, and resending it to say thank you to those who can partner with us to help us reach out with the gospel each day here on a new beginning.
It's only through our partners that we can be here and we hope you might consider becoming a harvest partner. One of the close friends who believes so strongly in the importance of evangelism and the effectiveness of harvest ministries that they're willing to invest in amount each month and that amount is up to you to get in touch today and ask about becoming a harvest partner you can call us at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or send your first gift as a harvest partner to a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or look for the words harvest partner when you go online to harvest God for next time. More on the powerful privilege of prayer. Join us next time you're on a new beginning regulatory Greg Lori was made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor grades free daily email, devotions at harvest data work