Keeping It Simple

Hello, this is Matt Slick from the Matt Slick Live Podcast, where I defend the Christian faith and lay out our foundations of the truth of God's Word. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just a few seconds.

Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing the Truth Podcast Network. And now, here's James. Well, today on Encouraging Prayer, we're going to be talking about keeping it simple. James, I know you like that.

I really do, Robbie. I mean, if you think about it, some of the most brilliant things are also the most simple. Just look at Thomas Edison when he invented the light bulb. You know, after trying hundreds, maybe thousands of things, he finally landed on carbon filament for what would make them shine the brightest.

So you know, you could say that if you really want to shine, just keep it simple. Yeah. So you were telling me before we went on that this is all about a prayer that Jesus prayed.

Yeah, that's right. Just listen to this prayer he prayed in Matthew 11 25, right after he'd been rejected in several cities. And he says, woe to them, you know, and then verse 25. At that time, Jesus said, I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. And then just a verse later, he says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest, take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I'm gentle and humble in heart and you'll find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Now notice here what Jesus says about revealing these things to little children. It's really a reference to everyday simple people as well as children.

He had been to these cities that had these erudite people in them, and yet it was the simple people, the country folk who received his message. And as I was looking at this, as I was reading a book on prayer at the same time, that was really all about methodology. And that methodology, you know, I just I thought about some of the things we've discussed before, you know, like looking at your feet when you're dancing.

Yeah, that's one of my favorites, which, you know, then we're not dancing at all. Exactly. I mean, there's so many books on prayer. And you think about it so often, they say, Well, do this and do this. It's almost like a cookbook.

No, I don't think so. I mean, here's another analogy, even though it's a little rough, but it comes from Mark Twain. Mark Twain had a colorful vocabulary, and it really used to upset his wife.

And one day she tried to shock him out of it by looking straight in his eye and swearing a blue streak at him. And he looked at her with surprise and said, Libby, you've got the word, but you ain't got the music. If you'll allow it, I think we could say the same thing about our prayers sometimes. If we're just going through the motions, you know, this sort of step by step thing, just praying our method, whatever that may be, you know, a list, a prayer book, whatever. We have to be careful not to miss out on the music. And the music is a heartfelt loving relationship with our Savior and the Spirit and the Heavenly Father that is free to express itself in the simplest, most childlike, down to earth ways.

You know, like, I just love you, Abba Father. Oh, I'm not sure how you got there from Mark Twain, but I'm right with you. And simplicity really does matter so much because it's then that we can, you know, just be ourselves. Exactly. And that doesn't mean a lack of reverence, by the way, because actually it's the greatest reverence of all for God, because we're humbling ourselves beforehand, just being open, not putting on airs in any way. We're being honest.

We're holding nothing back. And that's when we're really praying. And if you think about it, that's why I think Jesus goes so quickly to talking about our burdens and our problems right after he praises God for revealing his truth to simple people. You know, it's then he says, Come to me, all you who are weary in burden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Learn from me, for I'm gentle and humble in heart. And then he says, And you will find rest for your souls.

Wow. You know, I've never made that connection before, and it's beautiful. I mean, it shows us that we really can come to him with whatever is on our heart. You know, I hadn't really made that connection until I looked at that again this morning and realized, I mean, Jesus doesn't specify which burdens. He just says you who are burdened.

So that means all of us. He wants us to come to him warts and all, just giving him the whole. And then he promises that following him will be better than going our own way, which is, of course, what happens when we get too busy to pray. And that's what he means by saying, Take my yoke upon you. You know, if you've been going your own way, you're burdened.

And his way is just so much better. No, I love that. So, James, you don't think this also helps us when we're bored with prayer?

Oh, and does it? You know, I'm so glad you bring that up because I was just feeling that way again just yesterday. And again, here I was reading this book with all this methodology on prayer. And I realized I was trying to make prayer too complex instead of the relationship that it's intended to be. And this is the kind of thing that each of us has to find out for ourselves.

You know, we can't learn it in the book. And yet again, so many books have been written about prayer telling us to just do it this way or that way, you know, but God isn't concerned about the words we use. He just wants our hearts. He wants us to come to him like little children.

And for someone like me who never really grew up, you know, I just love that. But seriously, I mean, in the context of eternity, we are all so very young. And that's why we can come to God with the simplicity and openness of children. And we really want to because we don't want to miss what Jesus is offering us. And think about what David says about him in Psalm 18 25, to the faithful, you show yourself faithful. And then he goes on in verse 27, you rescue the humble. So God promises his goodness to us when we just come to him like this. Oh, you're so right. If we make it too complex, it's not natural in our relationship with him has to be real, has to be natural, or we really don't really have a relationship at all. Exactly. And remember that Jesus said God reveals his truth to simple people. So that brings us back to where we started. Really, you know, if you really want to be profound, be simple, stay with him in the moment, talk to him about whatever is on your heart, and then listen, and he will show up.

He has a way of doing that in the most surprising places. That is awesome, James. So would you wrap us up today with a prayer that we could just live like that?

Yeah, let's do it. Lord, we need your help every moment. And we ask that you would help us to live more and more in the moment, honest with you about whatever is on our hearts, and most of all, seeking to serve you and to be faithful to you. Just being your humble servants, Lord, thank you that you love us, that you want us just where we are. Help us, Lord, to live with you there in Jesus' name, amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.