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How To Want To Pray More

Encouraging Prayer / James Banks
The Truth Network Radio
November 16, 2024 12:00 pm

How To Want To Pray More

Encouraging Prayer / James Banks

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November 16, 2024 12:00 pm

In this episode of Encouraging Prayer, James Banks and Robby Dilmore, discuss how to want to pray more. 

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This is the Truth Network. Encouraging Prayer.

God offers an open invitation for His people to talk with Him at any time about anything. All about you is that you and your wife sometimes raise Labradoodles. How many have you had at home lately? Well, Penny, our poodle, just had a litter of 12 of them eight weeks ago, Robbie, and they're all going to their homes this week. So, we already had one Labradoodle, so I guess that makes 13.

Oh, wow. That sounds like a full house. Yeah, yeah, a dozen puppies. And it's been a fun, you know, a fun house too.

I mean, when, when I say when I was a kid, I wanted to be a vet and I've always had a soft spot for animals and that's where I wanted to go as we talk about prayer today, because as our pups have been going to their homes this week, it's brought up several thoughts that I think can really help us want to pray more. Okay, so this is going to be a very theological conversation. Yeah, not exactly, but this is just for fun. But here's the first one. You are loved regardless of your mess. Oh, man, I can imagine a dozen eight week old pups can make lots of messes. Yeah, you have no idea. We really try to stay on top of it but today I stepped out of the room for a moment and somehow they managed to reach up several feet and tear down the bag I was putting all of their poop into.

And I caught it before they could spread it everywhere but man that could have ended very badly. So here's the thing. Do I love them any less because of that?

Not at all. And it helps to remember that no matter the mess we've made of things, God still loves us and wants to be with us and wants to hear from us. And he wants us to crawl up in his lap with our prayers.

We are more deeply loved than we could possibly conceive of. Oh, I love that. And you're right.

So many Christians feel like they can't pray when they messed up because God won't hear them. But he still loves them and he wants to clean up their messes if they'll let him. Yeah, that's right.

That's right. And that takes us to the second thing which is you were chosen by God. Right now we're flying with our puppies to different homes around the country.

Carrie's up in Connecticut today and I'm flying to Boston tomorrow. All of these had homes weeks before they ever went home. Somebody loved each one and picked them out. And it helps to remember that God chose us before we chose him as well. And of course there are mysteries here. And we certainly have freedom of the will, but Ephesians 1-4 clearly tells us that he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Sure, that is a theological thought, but let's take it at face value in the way it applies to prayer. God wants us to come to him. He anticipates it and loves it when we do because after all he loved us first. That's why Jesus came and went to the cross and why he rose from the dead and why Jesus said he goes to prepare a home for us. He wants us to be with him and that can help us want to be with him more. You know that really does help. Really you think about how God has thought about us and what that means for us.

Realizing that he loves us like that really can help you look forward to talking with him because you're seeing things from his perspective. You know just a little bit more. I mean this is fun James.

What else you got? Here's one. You have a name known only to him. Oh that's good.

And it's not Rover or Spot? Right out of Revelations. Yeah that's what it says in Revelations 2-17. We're told that those who overcome who stay faithful to the end by the grace of God will receive a new name known only to them.

I wonder what that means. But I suspect it may have to do with whatever challenges we've had to overcome in our spiritual walk with Christ. He knows and you know and your name will have that kind of meaning to you maybe.

To remind you of his kindness to you and the battles that he has helped you win. But I also think that this has to do with Jesus knowing his sheep and his sheep knowing him, hearing his voice. He does know us. He knows us and loves us deeply. We don't have to try to explain ourselves to him you know.

I mean you think of how people can kind of size you up with a glance. And he doesn't do that. We can come to him and know that when others misunderstand us or even push us away you know let's say they discover something about us that's a little rough around the edges. Well Jesus doesn't treat us that way. You know we're totally received and accepted by him.

And we can go to him knowing that he wants to help us with whatever our struggle may be so that we can draw closer to him. Oh that's so cool James. Well I think we got time for one more.

What do you say? Alright well okay this one has to do with our mess again. One of the things that we do for our pups before we send them home is we give them a good bath. And that's what God is doing for us through his spirit. Cleaning us up so that we're brand new you know.

We're shining. And the pups aren't always thrilled with that let me tell you. And you know we're not either when God is scrubbing us from the inside out. But the results are always worth it. And one more thing I keep coming back to this whole matter of how much we're loved.

One of my favorite things to do is to sit down in a pile of puppies and just play with them and let them chew on me. You know all over my hands and arms and I've got the scars to prove it. But that's just where they are right now. You know they won't always be so mouthy. And God is helping me grow out of things as well. So I can come to Jesus and he even lets me chew on him a bit you know.

I mean again the rough edges. He gets me. And that's so good. Oh I love that. He chews on me.

I've been chewing on him a lot lately. And you're right. I mean thinking about these things and taking them to heart really can help us have a new attitude about prayer. And labradoodles of course.

Who would have thunk. So we're just about out of time. So let's wrap this up with a prayer about all of this. So Jesus thank you thank you thank you for labradoodles. And the obvious connection that we're like puppies. We're so enthusiastic. We want to get to know you but we make messes. And so Lord I pray that we will just with that kind of enthusiasm come to the throne of grace.

Spend time with you. Lord help us to want to see you like our master. In Jesus name I pray. 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.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-11-16 12:12:23 / 2024-11-16 12:15:42 / 3

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