Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world.
so that all may know Christ. Join us now. For a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church. Located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Yeah.
James chapter 4, you have it there in your Bibles, and this is a well-known passage, and we're not necessarily going to be digging into every little part of these four verses. But I do want you to know, in verse 3, this well-known verse, it says, Ye ask. and receive not Because you ask amiss.
Now let me just say the first issue normally that Christians have is to pray at all. A lot of Christians just aren't praying. I mean, it's one thing to pray and figure out how to get answered prayer, but can I tell you, you'll never get answered prayer if you're not praying. And I believe that, on a whole, God's church needs to turn to prayer like we should be. It is literally our spiritual strength, it's our weapon, it's the offense that we have, God's word and prayer with him.
But notice this: it says, ye have not because ye ask amiss.
Now, what does this word amiss mean?
Well, I got to be honest with you, in the Greek here, it literally means badly. You're asking badly. It means diseased, grievously, miserably. There's a sickness. What he is saying here is that for some reason your prayers don't have power.
Your prayers are not getting answered because you're asking badly. You're asking Um In a wrong way. You are literally self-sabotaging. Your prayer life. And so this morning, before we begin a next series, next week, a new series, I've watched the power of prayer this week.
Um I've watched That when God answered prayer, and I've watched when God didn't seem to answer prayer. We got on the, prayed with the kids in the teen room before they left. on Thursday and And we had prayer, and I prayed, God bless this bus mechanically, protect the tires, God keep them safe. I went through just about every mechanical piece of that bus. And everything that I prayed didn't happen.
So I've watched when you pray, and it doesn't seem to happen, but I've also prayed and prayed and prayed for this missions trip, knowing what it could do for our kids, knowing what it could ultimately do for our church, knowing what it could do for our youth ministry, knowing what it could do for the leaders of the youth ministry, knowing what it could do for Providence Baptist Church and Bushnell, knowing what it could do for Brother Ricky and Miss Jessica, knowing what it could do for me as your pastor. And I've watched God answer prayer. And so today I want to ask you: how is your prayer life? Are you getting answers to prayer? Do you see something happening?
Is it part of your life? Is it part of your DNA now? Are you seeing answers? Or are you somewhat Um, we would call it apathetic about it. Are you even praying at all?
And if you are praying, what system are you using? And how given to prayer are you? What's going on in your spiritual life? And even on a Sunday morning, you say, Preacher, this sounds a little bit like a Sunday night or maybe a Wednesday night thing. Listen, we're going to dig into it this morning.
I want to give you just pure facts from the Bible because I believe all of us need a little bit of a shot in the arm when it comes to our prayer life. I want you to notice: number one, and I want you to think about it in these terms: you are asking amiss, you are asking badly when you're praying. You are self-sabotaging yourself. Notice number one: when we are not earnest in our prayers. You are asking amiss.
When you are not earnest in your prayers, let me give you some passages. Jeremiah 29, 12. Look at it here on the screen. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you, and ye shall seek me and find me. When ye shall search for me with all your heart.
How many of us know today there's a difference in praying and praying with all your heart? Let me ask you again: how many of you know there's a difference in praying and praying with all your heart? Look at this passage, Ezekiel 16:49. Behold, this. was the iniquity.
Of thy sister Sodom. We have a whole lot of people. They think they know what the problem in Sodom and Gomorrah was. No, notice what the Bible says. This was their issue: pride.
Fullness of bread and abundance of idleness was in her. Notice that pride. Fullness of bread and abundance of Idleness. Does that not sound like the average Christian in 2025? We're so blessed and we're so full and we're so prideful that we're not passionate about anything when it comes to the Lord.
I come to church, preacher, but I'm going to complain about everything in the church.
Well, I'm going to sit here and listen to preaching, but I'm going to complain about everything in the preaching. Our heart is cold, our will is stubborn, our eyes are dry, our hands are idle, our minds are preoccupied while we sit here. Our schedules are now filled, our churches are apathetic, our lifestyles are worldly, our music is even more worldly, our Bible is dusty, and our prayer closets are empty. And I'm here to tell you, it's time for Kerwin Baptist Church. I'm not here to answer for every other church.
I'm not here to answer for any other church in this county, in this city, or in this state. But I believe it's time for Kerwin Baptist Church to return to praying earnestly.
Now, some of you listen to me. I know that. You agree with that statement and we just say amen. But listen, Corwin, I'm very serious about this. I believe the time has come for us to pray.
Like never before. When people do not pay attention to what God speaks to them in His Word. God does not pay attention to what they say to him in prayer. Thomas Watson said this: You all know the story about how Peter was in prison and the angel came. He said this: the angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel.
Do you know Christ went more willingly to the cross than most of us go willingly to the prayer closet? Can I give you a couple of instances here? I want you to notice how earnest Paul was. Romans chapter 9, look at this, verse 1. This is what Paul said: I say the truth in Christ.
In other words, what I'm getting ready to say, you're gonna say, really, Paul? And Paul's saying, this is the truth. I say the truth in Christ, I lie not. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost.
Now, I don't know what he's getting ready to say, but whatever he's getting ready to say, he has taken three things to tell us that I am telling you the truth. Notice what he says, that I have great heaviness. And continual sorrow in my heart, continual, for I could wish that myself were accursed. From Christ. For my brethren.
My kinsman. According to the flesh. Did you hear that? Paul said, I literally am telling you the truth. I would go to hell.
So that my people could go to heaven.
Now folks, I'm not there. Maybe you are, I'm not there. But let me tell you why Paul was one of the greatest missionaries. And church planters that ever lived, and I think one of the greatest Christians. Because he was this serious.
Can I give you another one? Look at Romans chapter 10, verse 1. Notice what Paul says: Brethren, my heart's desire. My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is this. that they might be saved.
My heart's Desire. What's your heart's desire? May I say this? Whatever your heart's desire is, that's what you're going to spend time on. Whatever your harsh desire is, that's what you're going to give yourself to.
How many of us actually give ourselves To prayer. You know what Oliver B. Green said? What right have we to call God's attention? to that which we ourselves are not sincerely concerned about.
Did you hear that? Oliver B. Green says, what right do we have to call God's attention to something that we're not even serious about? Listen to me, you and I are asking amiss. when we are not earnest.
About what we're praying for. Number two. You and I ask amiss when our prayers are influenced by Unworthy motives.
Now James chapter 4 actually deals with this specifically. It says ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss. And notice this, that ye may consume it. upon your lusts. In other words, you're not going to get answers to prayer because the very prayers that you're asking are not even based on what God wants or God's will.
You're asking based on your flesh.
Now, this word lust, we always think of it in a sexual manner. But can I say something? I want you to understand the biblical definition of this Greek word lust. It's in regard to anything which becomes an overmastering desire for that which appeals to the flesh or bodily appetite. It's anything that your flesh wants or that your body wants that becomes an overmastering desire.
It literally trumps everything else in your life. And, dear friend, it is possible to overlook God's glory when we pray. And unless we have the glory of God supremely in view, we are praying amiss. If our prayer is about anything other than God getting the glory, then we are praying amiss. We can get to the point that we're praying for what we want, praying for what we desire, praying for what we think is best, praying for something that will fulfill us.
You know what the Bible says? Thy kingdom come, thy will be. Done. What are you praying for? And why are you praying it?
What are you asking for? And why are you asking for that? What's the motive? behind that. Yes.
Amiss. Notice number three: we ask amiss when we are unwilling to give up known sin. We are sabotaging our own prayer life when we are unwilling. to give up. known sin.
Psalm 66, look at these verses, verse 17. I cried unto him with my mouth. and he was extolled with my tongue.
Something's wrong here. Why is he not listening? If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear me. But verily God hath heard me and hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God which hath not turned away my prayer.
nor his mercy. from me. Let me tell you something. You deal with sin, God will hear your prayers. You deal with your sin, God will start answering prayers.
Isaiah 59, look at verse 1. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear. What does it mean? It's not God's fault. This isn't that God has an issue, that God can't, God doesn't have the ability.
It's not because God's not listening, it's not because God doesn't like you, it's not because God's just decided He's not gonna answer your prayer for some unknown reason. Notice what it says: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you. then he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood. and your fingers with iniquity.
Your lips have spoken lies. Your tongue. hath muttered perverseness. I say, well, preacher, how do I deal with this? Psalm 139, 23, search.
Me, oh God. and know my heart. You know what's interesting, this passage didn't tell you to search your own heart. It tells you to allow God to search your heart. How many of you know if you search your own heart, you're probably not going to find a lot?
Hey, it looks pretty good to me. But what it says here is, you search my heart, O God. And you let me know what you find. Notice what it says. Try me.
And know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me. Starts with the thoughts. ends with actions. and lead me in the way everlasting.
We pray amiss when we are unwilling to give up known sin. May I ask you something today? Is that present in your life? You know, it's amazing, many times we're the ones. that prevent answered prayer in our life, but we blame God for it.
Number four. We ask amiss when we are unwilling to put feet to our prayers. We ask amiss. when we are unwilling to put feet to our prayers. I don't know if you've thought about this, but I want to show you biblically here in just a minute.
What this means is, Kirwan Baptist Church, we must be willing to do what we can to promote the objective for which we pray. It means if I'm going to pray and ask God to do something, I need to do everything in my power. to help that.
Now it means I'm going to God because I can't make it happen. But prayer is not me going to God, then sitting back doing nothing, waiting on Him to do something. Let me explain. If you ask him to make you a better Christian, well, then you got to do what it takes to get closer to him. Get in his word.
Spend time in prayer. Apply God's word to your life. Don't say, God, make me a better Christian, and then you make no effort for that. If we pray for salvation of sinners, then we need to start laboring for souls. We need to start handing out tracts.
We need to start talking to people. Don't sit back and say, God, save people, and we're never involved in the process. Are you with me this morning? Say amen. I'm just telling you the truth.
If we pray for missions. We must be willing to give. and support missions. and be missionaries where we are. You know, just think about this.
Imagine what God sees every day. People that sit in Kernsville, North Carolina. And hey, Lord, I pray you'd bless missions all around the world. And he says, well, that's great. I'll try to, but why don't we start next door to you?
Look at all the people you've never said one word to.
Sometimes, listen to me, Kerwin, sometimes praying is all we can do. But God knows and we know. when that is. You know, there's some situations you can't Do anything, can't put feet to it. It's just going to have to be a God thing.
And listen, I'm not saying that's not. But God knows when there's nothing we can do. But let me tell you what. Breaks the heart of God, and when we pray amiss, is when we ask God to do something that we're not even willing to do. ourselves.
I want to give you some verses. James chapter 2, verse 17. Even so, faith. If it hath not works. is dead.
You know where the answer to prayer comes from? It comes from faith. You know what the Bible says, you know what kind of faith is dead? is when there's no works. Proverbs 16, 3, commit thy Prayers unto the Lord.
No, no, no. Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. Nehemiah 4:9. Here's Nehemiah trying to rebuild a wall. Notice this.
Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our God and set a watch against them day and night because of them. Notice that. Here, Nehemiah says, We prayed to God, asked for protection, but then what did we do about it? What did they do after that? Then they set guards on the walls.
They didn't just pray and sit and do nothing. Here Nehemiah says, we pray, God, we're going to need your protection. But in the meantime, we're going to do everything we can to protect it. Notice Matthew 7, verse 7: Ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock. And it shall be opened unto you.
Can I give you some Bible examples of prayer and then acting? Prayer and then doing something about it. Nehemiah fasted and prayed when he heard Jerusalem's walls were broken. But then he didn't just fast and pray. He asked the king for permission.
He went to the king for resources. He began to rebuild. He organized workers and he defended the work. He didn't just pray and do nothing. David prayed to ask God to help them defeat the Amalekites.
But then David got up, acted immediately, pursued them, fought them, recorded everything, organized everything. He prayed and asked God for help, but then he went and did. Eleazar, we've been dealing with this on our Wednesday night series of seeing Jesus in the Old Testament. Eleazar, here he is, Abraham's servant. He prays and he asked God for guidance to find Isaac's wife.
But then he went. Then he took the wagons. He traveled to the country. He looked for Rebecca. He confirmed her identity.
He took action, met with the family, everything, organized a proposal. He did it all. He said, God, I need your help. But then he went and did what he could. Kerwin, you and I need to pray.
As if everything depends on God, and then we need to work as if everything depends on us. Esther fasted and prayed with her people. But she didn't stop there. Then she went uninvited into the king. She risked her very life.
She went to the king on behalf of her people. And God said, literally, about her. that for such a time as this, Because she was bold, because she acted on her praying. Number five. We ask amiss.
when we pray with an unbelieving spirit. We ask amiss when we pray with an unbelieving spirit. Let me just tell you: let me take a little quick commercial, a little time out here. There might be some of you that don't really care about anything that I'm talking to you about right now, but can I tell you this?
Some of you do.
Some of you have some very serious things going on in your life.
Some of you are facing some serious issues.
Some of you have children that are wayward, grandchildren that are wayward, mates that are wayward.
Some of you have some situations. And can I say something today? Listen, this is your answer. You need to get into this. You need to listen to it.
You need to understand that if I'm going to have power when I pray, then I better listen to what the Word of God says about answered prayer. When we pray with an unbelieving spirit, look at James chapter 1, verse 5 on the screen. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that give it to all men liberally. And it abradeth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith.
Nothing wavering. Full belief. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything. of the Lord.
Double-minded man. Is unstable in all his ways. Notice according to this: lacking wisdom leads to asking for wisdom. Asking for wisdom leads to faith that God's gonna provide it. Having faith that God is going to provide wisdom leads to certainty.
In God's provision. Certainty in God's provision leads to trusting in God's provision. Trusting leads to dependency. If I totally trust God, I'm going to be totally dependent upon God. And when I totally trust God and I have total faith in God and I have total dependency on God, guess what's going to happen?
You're going to start having answered prayer. It is by faith that we're saved. It is by faith that we overcome the world. It is by faith that our prayers are answered. And without faith, it is impossible to please God.
It means I believe that the love of God wants the best for me. I believe that the wisdom of God knows what is best for me. And I believe the power of God can make that happen. 1 John 5, 13 says, These things have I written unto you, that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence, confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
And if we know that he hearth, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions. that we desired of him. What's that simply mean? If I ask for what God wants, I know God's going to answer it. Matthew 9, 28.
And when he has come into the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus saith unto him, Believe ye that I'm able to do this. They said unto him. Yea, Lord. Then touched he Their eyes Have you thought about this? I mean, do we have a do we have a typo here?
A blind Man And blind men. Get this. This isn't just one person. This is a group of people. that believed.
and miracles happen. Can I tell you something? I believe there are individuals here that believe. But what I'm asking is when the entire Kerwin Baptist Church starts believing that God can and that God will, we're going to start seeing things. Amen.
Amen. When he touched their eyes. Number six. We ask amiss when we do not pray in the name of Christ. And we're almost done this morning.
John chapter 14, verse 6. Listen, if you don't know that this is serious and you don't know this is important, you need to listen to me this morning. If nothing else, God might have you here to hear this. Listen, when you pray, you need to pray in Jesus' name. And you want to start dividing?
Start praying in Jesus' name. You pray in Jesus' name.
Now you probably can in the White House.
Now you probably can in the Senate. But there was a time they wouldn't let you. Let me tell you why. Look at this. John 14:6.
Jesus saith unto them, Jesus, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Listen to this. No man cometh unto the Father. But by me.
So, I can't come to God except through Jesus Christ. And I am not to come to God without praying in Jesus' name. Notice 2 Timothy 2, verse 5. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men. Who is it?
Jesus Christ.
So, when I go to God the Father, I must acknowledge my mediator, Jesus Christ. This means we're to recognize Jesus as the crucified, risen, and redeeming Lord. We're to recognize him as seated on the right hand of God. We are to recognize that he is ever living to make intercession for us. It means that we are truly solely relying upon his mediation for our acceptance to the throne of God, believing that no prayer can or will be answered except through Jesus Christ.
Look at me, dear friend. You have no chance of a prayer being answered if it's not prayed through Jesus Christ. Because he's our only mediator. You're only able to go to God the Father because of what Jesus did for you. Number seven, last.
Say, this seems odd for a Sunday morning.
Well, I'm glad. It's been an odd week. Might as well have an odd Sunday morning, right? Notice number seven: we ask amiss when we are unwilling to forgive others. We ask badly.
When we are unwilling. to forgive others.
Now, I'm going to be honest with you, I'm going to give you the passages, I'm going to give it to you. But do I even need to? Is this not something that we all already know? Mark eleven, twenty-five, and when ye stand praying. Forgive.
Well, I guess the Word of God just knew what life's going to be like. You know what I have found life is me forgiving others and others forgiving me. Because I'm not perfect and you're not perfect. And if you and I hung out long enough, I would need to ask forgiveness from you, and you would need to ask forgiveness from me. Can I have an amen right there?
Well, there's only about 10 of you, I guess, that would forgive me, I guess, something like that. Let me tell you something. We just spent an entire week in Florida without air conditioning with 52 people. I've never watched kids get along better in my life. Usually you have one or two that are just bent on causing Chaos.
Causing drama, causing this whatever. I watched our kids get along this week, but can I tell you something? You sit at a rest area four hours waiting on a tire, and then you sit 10 hours. at a truck stop. Let me tell you something.
When ye stand praying. Forgive.
If ye have aught against any. That your Father also, which is in heaven, may forgive you. your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, Neither will your Father which is in heaven. Forgive your trespasses.
Did y'all know bitterness and unforgiveness. can obstruct answered prayer. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 31 says this. Bitterness. and wrath and anger and clamour evil speaking, be put away from you.
And be ye kind. One to another, tender-hearted. forgiving One another. Notice this. even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
God forgave you for Christ's sake. Did you understand that? God loved you. God loved me. God loved the world, but he also watched the world kill his only son.
But he forgave us for Christ's sake. It means this: you and I are to forgive others, number one, because Jesus forgave us. Number two, because Jesus has asked us to. And if he's the one that died for me and saved me, he has a right to ask for what he wants. And he asked us to forgive.
Number three, because we're in his family and we don't want his family to look bad. Number four, because we want Jesus. to answer our prayers. We are to forgive. May I ask you today, who have you not forgiven?
I didn't say who have you not forgotten. Listen, now you're looking at one preacher. I am not a proponent that forgiving means forgetting. I've said this before. If I'm walking around here and all of a sudden Nick Tharrington just comes up to me, punches me right in the face.
And he asked forgiveness. After I punch him back, I'll forgive him. No, if he asks me forgiveness, let's just say, I forgive him, I've forgiven him. But I'm never going to forget that. If I tried, I would never forget that.
How do you forget that?
Some of you have been hurt. and wounded by people, by family, by a husband, by a wife, by children, by parents. You're never gonna forget it. But Jesus said, when you stand and you pray and you come to God the Father, remember, you're only coming to God the Father because I was willing to forgive you. Remember, you're only coming.
The only reason you even have the chance to pray is because I was willing to forgive you, and He is willing to forgive you because of what I've done.
So I'm asking you: when you stand and pray, forgive. Listen to me this morning. Bitterness could have kept Jesus from the cross. I mean, after he was being scourged and beaten and spit on for what he didn't do, he could have just stopped and said, enough. Bitterness could have kept Jesus from the cross, which would have kept us from salvation, which would have kept us from restoration, which would have kept us in hell.
Ye ask. Amiss. Here's what I'm asking from you this morning. What is heavy on your heart? And if you are a Christian, And you don't have some heavy prayer requests, something's wrong.
in your life. You and I should be so in tune with God that there are constantly things and burdens on our heart. People that we're praying for, circumstances that we're praying for. I have things on my mind. I believe you have things on your mind.
I'm asking you today: what is on your heart? What is on your mind? Are you praying amiss? Are we praying? badly.
Are we praying diseased. Where we believe that we're, and yet all the obvious biblical principles we're not following. And I want to ask you something today. Would you make an effort with me? This morning.
Going to be a little different. In a minute, we're going to stand, and I'm going to ask someone to pray. Play and listen, if I'm the only one, I'm the only one. It won't be the first time. That I'm the only one.
But I'm going to go over there and I'm going to pray. I got some things on my heart. I got some things on my mind. Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast.
The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192. or via the web. at Kerwin Baptist Church.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app.
Thank you for listening to the Kerwin Broadcast today. God bless you.
