Some Things to Pray For - Part 1 of 2

The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise! The glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His grace!

This is LeSaire Bradley, Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care. And with me at my Father's throne, make all my wants and wishes known.

In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief. And all to escape the tender snare, my thy return, sweet hour of prayer. Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, my wings shall my verdict shall bear. To hear the truth and faithfulness, engage the waking soul to rest. And since He made me seek His face, believe His word and trust His grace. I'll cast on Him my every care and wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer. I'll wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer. Sweet hour of prayer. I certainly appreciate the fact that many of you take time to write and let us know that the messages from God's Word are proving to be a blessing to you.

If you're one that's never written, how about planning to do that this week? Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. You can also make a donation by going to our website at baptistbiblehour.org.

Happy to have Vishen with me today. Elder Timothy Guest, who is pastor of the Primitive Baptist Church in Collierville, Tennessee. He is the managing editor of our publication, The Baptist Witness. He has been working diligently for the last few years with some people in Nicaragua, and I want him to share with you how God is blessing that effort. Thank you for the opportunity to share about the Lord's work there in Nicaragua.

It's true that I've had the great privilege for several years. The first time I went was in the year 2014, I believe, to go to travel to Nicaragua and have had various opportunities the Lord has provided to preach in different locations. But really, the ministry that the Lord has blessed me to be a part of there, centered in the town of San Juan del Sur on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Through a man I met here in the U.S. who had previously done ministry in Nicaragua, I was able to make contact with a small group of believers who love the Lord and love the doctrines of grace, but just needed some guidance and direction. And so, over the course of several years, I've been able to minister with them and make numerous trips there and keep regular contact with them. And by God's grace, this last July, when we were there, we constituted them into a church.

It's called Iglesia Biblica Gracia Iberdad, Bautista Primitivo, which is to say, Grace and Truth, Bible Church, Primitive Baptist. Three brothers there are teaching, active in teaching the Word, Alejandro Sevilla, Eliezer Romero, and Luis Morales, and love this group so very much. The Lord has been gracious to them and blessing them to serve him, even in the midst of very difficult circumstances. They live in a very depressed economy, and of course, COVID has only exacerbated that problem.

But they also live in a country with a lot of political turmoil. And so, under some very challenging circumstances, they're walking with the Lord and serving him. They are very zealous in spreading the good news of the gospel through personal contacts and conversations, but also through a Saturday radio broadcast that the brothers engage in. So, just please pray for the Lord's work there in Nicaragua. In the September-October edition of The Baptist Witness, there's additional information that I trust you'll find enjoyable to read to learn more about the people there, some personal profiles, and also the testimony of Luis Morales, in which he shares with our readers God's saving grace in his life. Just a wonderful story of God's grace.

So, I'm just thankful for this opportunity to share about the work there and would encourage you to pray for the Lord's continued grace for the work there in Nicaragua. And longs the living God to see, and longs the living God to see. O'er from the courts of God my tears, having my food by night and day, while constantly with bitter seers, Where is thy God, the scoffers say? Where is thy God, the scoffers say? O, why art thou cast down my soul, and my soul's troubles shouldst thou be? O, thou in God and him extolled, who gives his saving help to me?

Who gives his saving help to me? You sometimes find it difficult to know what to pray for. Well, the eighth chapter of the book of Romans tells us that we know not what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

What a blessing to know that with our inability to pray even as we would like, and we're probably not fully aware of how feeble our efforts are, that the Holy Spirit intervenes for us and that he can form our prayer to become acceptable before the Father. I want to read the first verse of Psalm 143. Psalm 143 verse 1. Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications.

In thy faithfulness answer me and in thy righteousness. As I was reading this psalm, it just struck me that there were so many different things enumerated for which the psalmist was praying. So my subject for this message is some things to pray for. Now, reading the scriptures, you certainly will be confronted with the fact that prayer is important.

It's not something that really is optional for God's children. If you have had an experience of grace, you feel the urgent need of prayer. In spite of the fact you may feel at times that your prayer is shut out and God is not hearing you and you feel at best that your prayers are feeble. Yet you understand desperately the need of prayer. The Old Testament is full of rich God-honoring and experiential prayers. Go to the Psalms and how beautiful is some of that language and what depth is explored by the writers as they describe the inner struggles but their effort to approach unto the true and living God. The New Testament contains prayers by the apostles and by Jesus Christ himself. This gives us instruction in prayer along with many admonitions to pray.

For example, Luke chapter 18 verse 1, it said, speaking of Jesus, and He spake this parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint. And that was the parable of the woman that went to the unjust judge and said, Sir, avenge with my adversary. He wasn't interested in her. He didn't care about her needs but she wouldn't give up. She continued, Sir, avenge with my adversary. And Jesus said finally He granted her a request because of her importunity.

Say, that's kind of a strange lesson, is it not? Well, the good news is we're not going to an unjust judge. We're going to our Heavenly Father and know that He cares for us. And God is pleased for us to be diligent in our praying just as this woman granted her request because she didn't give up because of her importunity. We must likewise pray. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 18, the apostle writes to this church, it says, praying always. And then 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 17, he writes, pray without ceasing. So if you go to the scriptures, whether you're looking at the Old Testament or the New Testament, you're going to see a lot about prayer.

You're going to see how important it is. And just as you read and find the importance of it, you're going to see that there are many things we are told to pray for. When the disciples asked Jesus, teach us to pray, He gave that pattern for prayer, to pray, Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. So the first request is, may God's name be honored, hallowed, praised, glorified in the earth, in me, in my life, and in the life of our church, in the life of others. God's name to be hallowed. Next it says, thy kingdom come. We want to see the kingdom of God grow strong, being advanced, moving forward.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. These are things that Jesus taught His disciples to pray for. So certainly while we do not just quote the prayer as though it is just a recitation, but we pray from our hearts the essence of what Jesus taught in this example. Furthermore, He taught us to pray, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us. So one of the things we're going to be praying for is forgiveness.

And if we have a clear sight of ourself, we know that there's great need for that because we so often come short in many areas. Then Paul asked the church to pray that the gospel might have free course. I picture a river rushing madly down its course. No obstacle is able to stand in its path.

It has free course. They said pray that in like manner when the gospel is preached that though there may be opposition to it, no such opposition will be successful. That it will move rapidly forward. That there will be success.

There will be many responding to it. Then Paul also writes and says pray for all saints. Well we generally pray for those of our immediate family. We pray hopefully for those in our church. We pray for others that we know about. So how can I pray for all saints? Well you certainly don't know all saints by name and know where all of them are. But it certainly is a lesson that we're to not limit ourselves just to praying for those with whom we are personally acquainted. But knowing that there are the saints of God, there are faithful ministers of the gospel the world over that are being persecuted today because there is such growing opposition to Christianity. We're also told to pray for those that have the rule over us. That you might live a quiet and peaceable life.

Such a need in this day. And there are so many things being advocated. So many things being done that diametrically oppose the fundamental teachings of God's word. We need to pray for those that have the rule over us. And then in the book of Revelation he says pray this, Even so come quickly Lord Jesus. Surely we would pray that. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if the Lord came back today? That we would see him as he is.

The finished with all the toils, trials and snares of life and be at home with the Lord. But now I want us to look at some of the things that David prayed for in this 143rd Psalm. As I was reading the Psalm I was just struck with the fact that there are so many things that were on his mind and heart as he prayed. Well to begin with he prayed earnestly for God to hear him. He believed that God answers prayer or he wouldn't have been praying. And if you don't believe that there's no need to go through the formality of pretending to pray if you don't believe that God answers prayer.

God does. Now he doesn't pay attention to some of the little frivolous things that people might call prayer. I've had people sometimes say, well pray a little prayer for me.

That's like some cute little thing you bring out of the drawer and pray a cute little prayer. Well if you want to pray it has to be a genuine sincere prayer calling upon the sovereign God of heaven believing that he is able to answer. So he says, hear my prayer O Lord, give ear to my supplications in thy faithfulness, answer me.

He's in earnest about it. This is diligent prayer. Lord, hear me, give ear to my supplications.

I want to have your attention. I want to know that you're listening. He's eager to be heard and he pleads God's faithfulness. Oh hear me according to your faithfulness. So if you're believing that God answers prayer you believe that God keeps his promises. There are so many wonderful promises. We spoke not long ago on that text which says that the promises of God are yea and amen. That is they are yes and yes. They are absolutely reliable.

You can depend on them. So when you're praying come before the Lord and bring to him one of his promises. Lord I'm reading this right here in your word. This is what you have said, this is what you have promised. And I'm claiming that and I'm believing that.

And I'm turning to you asking earnestly that you will hear me. Well the next thing we notice is that he acknowledged he was a sinner. His confession is not quite as specific here as elsewhere in the Psalms. But he declared that no man can be justified by pleading his own righteousness. He says at the end of verse 1, In thy righteousness and enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. He's saying, Lord don't deal with me on the basis of my own status, on the basis of judgment. Because no man can be justified in your sight.

Well he's including himself in that when he says no man. So while he doesn't specify particular sins for which he needs to be forgiven, he's acknowledging that as a sinner he needs God's mercy. Not his justice, although there is justice from the standpoint if we're looking to what Jesus Christ has done for us. Because we're told in the first epistle of John, If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. How can, in fact Paul raises this question in the book of Romans, How can God be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus? It's because justice was meted out at the cross.

When Jesus Christ died the sins of all those that will ultimately believe on him were put on him and he paid the price in full. In the third chapter of the book of Romans verse 19 he says, Now we know that what things soever the law sayeth it sayeth to them that are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. Now somebody might want to say, I'm the exception. You may be a sinner and other people may be a sinner but I'm the exception. God says there's no exceptions.

Every mouth is to be stopped. All the world has become guilty before God. The whole human family was represented by Adam as he stood at the head of the human race and when he sinned he plunged not only himself but all of his posterity into a state of guilt, corruption and alienation from God. Therefore he says, By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin. By the deeds of the law.

Somebody says, I think I can make it. I believe given it my best effort I can keep the law. Well God's work says you can't.

You've already failed with point one. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy mind, heart, soul and strength. And the second part, thy neighbor's thyself. You might say, well I love God.

Not one of us comes close to being able to say, I have all of my life in every action, in every detail, in every thought, I have loved God supremely with all of my mind, all of my heart, all of my soul. We are violators of his law. So he says, do not deal with me according to strict judgment. He is looking to the righteous promises of gospel truth, not the righteous threatening to the law. The law was good.

It was perfect and demanding perfection. But if you go there, you're only going to be condemned. So he is thinking of the righteous promises that are given us through the gospel. Back in Romans once again chapter 3, this time verse 24, it says, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. So when you're by faith, believe in Jesus Christ. He says the sins are remitted. It's by his grace. Even the faith by which you believe is given you by grace.

And so he's acknowledging he was a sinner. And we're talking about some things to pray about. This is something to pray about. If you're going to pray, you need to come acknowledging I am a sinner.

I'm not worthy of the least of your mercies. I'm praying for forgiveness, not because I'm entitled to it, not because I deserve anything, but I'm praying it on the basis of the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ that he died for sinners and my faith is in him. And then he expressed his great desire for God himself. Sometimes we pray for so many things, specific things that we want, things for our comfort and convenience, we forget about the greatest thing we can pray for is to have involvement with fellowship with God himself. In verse 6 he says, I stretch forth my hands unto thee and my soul thirsteth after thee as a thirsty lamb. And you say that's your experience, that you thirst after God.

Sometimes you can pray for numerous things, some of these things that are so clearly recommended in Scripture, some of the things that have been upon your heart, burdens that you're carrying, you're asking for God's help. And when you've covered all of that, you say, but Lord, there's something lacking yet. I feel an anguish of soul. I feel an emptiness.

I feel a thirst. I need thee. I need God. I need the Lord himself. So while he describes various needs and makes various petitions, nothing can satisfy that deep thirst but God himself.

I love the quietness of the morning, the peaceful beauty of the day. I love to go there to find the Word. As I mentioned in the introductory remarks of this message, it was very interesting to me not long ago when I was reading Psalm 143 to see how many specific things the psalmist was praying for. I think it can be a guide for us and hope that our consideration of this passage today will encourage all of us to be more diligent in our prayer life, earnestly seeking the Lord that we may honor Him in all that we do. I hope that you'll take time to write us and until next week at this same time, may the Lord richly bless you all. And when it's finished, I can say, When the evening sun is setting, I have walked with God today. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley Jr. Address all mail to The Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. That's The Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. That when it's finished, I can say, When the evening sun is setting, I have walked with God today.