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September 25, 2019 6:00 am
I have a confession to one of the greatest challenges of having my life's prayer.
How do I not fall into the habit of just saying words really connect. That's today a living. Thanks for joining us for this Wednesday. Addition of living all the shipping Living on the Edge features the Bible teaching at your finger up on this daily discipleship program.
I gotta tell you, I'm in the same boat. Prayer is one of the toughest spiritual disciplines to maintain.
Today we continue our series.
Sacred rhythms cultivating lifestyle urine for 20 minutes. Should some light on the practice of connecting with God through prayer trips, team teaching with her son Ryan pastor in the Bay Area now with part two of this message cultivating daily connection with God hears our guest teacher Ryan Ingram. We are actually called by Jesus to pray in his name. It doesn't mean that we just add in the name of Jesus at the end of our prayers. The do that in the certainly good we do that from time to time to remind ourselves of the content of our prayer praying in the name of Jesus is this any the name of a person is signified their character and there will, and so when you pray in the name of Jesus, you're saying I'm praying in accordance with the character of Jesus and the will of Jesus.
So when I say in the name of Jesus I get done with this prayer of St. Ward everything I just said my prayer is that I long for it to be in the character of your son and according to his will that amazing also.
And that meant so much more. We say amen at the end and we don't know what that means. It just means let it be so likely to be so God, but was just prayed, according to your will. Let it be so invite you to have your way.
Let it be so. And so for us to really grow and develop NMC's first after the clutter is not a performance is not sick and you know the secret code words or secret formulas.
So how then do we develop this intimate life-giving direct connect with God is a few things here in the text we see the first is you have to view prayer as necessary, not just a nice idea yesterday you and look at prayer is unnecessary, but I can tell life not just a nice I did three different times. You'll notice in verse five when you pray in verse six when you pray verse seven.
When you pray he didn't say if you pray there is this connection and relationship like when you pray like this is an expected rhythm of a follower of Jesus we see it, even in the life of Jesus, fully God, fully man walking this planet the way Jesus lived out his life is a model for his followers to live out our lives and so we see from Jesus in Luke chapter 5 1615 and 16, says this and one of his big busy days yet. The news about them spread all the more so the crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sickness unnoticed uses rhythm, but Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed like if you want to develop intimacy with God it if you want to have a prayer life this powerful like when people in Connecticut next year ago. I want to ask her. I want to ask him to pray because like when they pray stuff happened fundamentally your view of prayer has to shift to where you go, it is unnecessary to life, not just a nice idea. Prayer is my first response. Not my last resort will tell Corrie 10 boom said it. She said his prayer, the steering will of your life or the spare tire. I can go. Okay God that issue at work instead of me trying to figure it out. I'm going to bring it to you. The relational strife future of my kids that that's an issue I'm just going to bring it to you this is Nestor. I can't go I think prayer is like to our spiritual life. What what breathing is for us and and by the way just as communication is the pathway to intimacy in any relationship. Prayer is the pathway to intimacy with God. We would never go you know what I have this amazing intimate relationship, how much do you talk to him. Never only calm when I have a need and we have to realize okay this is it the pattern were going okay got. I just want to meet with you. I want to hear from you, but how we view God and understand him is so important. See, we first have to view prayer as necessary. Not a nice idea, and then we approach our heavenly father who loves you. I'm asking this when you pray who do you pray to. I like what picture comes to mind. But, like who who are you praying you notice that Jesus said three different times, he says, pray to your father your father who sees in your father house we take this for granted in their day.
This was scandalous to call God his father. You didn't address God as father you dress God's high exalted, holy, and that is who he is and Jesus says, but when you pray there is a relational connection that he is your perfect heavenly father and so you can come with different access that other people because who you approach determines how you approach someone right like like if I'm approaching a stranger in terms I you know I'm going to approach them.
If I'm approaching a friend from approaching a good and loving heavenly father, like who are you approaching and you're invited and I'm invited and to have a conversation with your perfect heavenly father knows that you sees you see for someone you pray, you pray to an impersonal deity, that's you have to appease who knows what you need for someone you pray, you pray like you you come with this like God is wanting to withhold from you and so you like. I just have to somehow get from God and I get it I get it we'll have you know the difference images when we think of father pop up.
Based on our own earthly fathers and God is a perfect heavenly father who loves you. Who knows, like, in this moment right now I don't know if you've been walking around feeling unseen, feeling forgotten feeling left overfilling looked over many Passover on your job and guts as I see you like I see you like it hasn't gone past my my view. I am watching on you with inattentive looking care as a father does a little child. I see and I know I know your need and I'm not like so attentive to it just nobody understands me God does bring to him. See, when you pray, you come as a completely accepted, fully loved and cherished daughter or son of a good and loving heavenly father who delights to hear your voice and give you good gifts. Did you know that vision did you did you and I just paint a picture for you because I just don't think we get it and I just want us to get it and were like were like on the edge of getting Megan automates were just kind right there but were not quite there. If we run past this point you're going to miss it like the God of the universe hi and holy spoke in all things came into existence that he is the creator you the one the Jewish people. They didn't want to utter his name because it is so sacred and we are invited him into the very presence of God into the glory of glory. The holiness of holiness and instead of it and somebody says you come as a son, and so the Lord has all that God has is your are adopted and redeemed for every blessing of God is yours and you shall not as a manager but as a son, and has a daughter so you don't show up.
Lacking confidence. You show up fully confidence. You know this is been one of those areas that I've really been trying to learn and grow in my own life over sabbatical just had a friend talk to me about this and is just an area of shifting my identity as a servant to a son. It's easy to be the servant sometimes and when I pray this is the way I pray I have a journal and I is helpful for me to write it out and some you like.
I hate Charles Gray don't Journal this just helpful for me and I used to started out good morning my King because my identity is in serving as you are the king of the universe. I don't ever want to lose that and shifting my identity as a son for you as a daughter I start out good morning. That's right. I greet God every morning to say good morning. I want to welcome you with the morning. Love and your present was me good morning and now I write my heavenly father is.
I just want to remind myself who I am approaching and that I don't approach from a deficit or that he's down on me. I don't approach because I'm somehow trying to eke and get his approval.
I am his son. I am a fruit and I'm coming as one bull loved the object of inspection and he delights to get his kids good guess. So I'm going to ask for some reality is the lack of power in our lives. As a result of the prayerless Midsummer said asked and you will receive. You have not because you asked come as a son and daughter. First we have to view prayer is necessary not just a nice idea developing intimacy with God when we approach our heavenly father who out you 30 see in the text we have to set aside a specific time and a sacred space. But when you prayand go into your room, close the door, pray dear father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what's done in secret will reward you. We lived hurried, busy rush lives. Would you set aside a specific time just like you would with a good friend maybe with your spouse, or even with your kids or something powerful about a designated time and again it doesn't have to be a lot of time. I'm brand-new to this.
I'm going to just learn on this ominous set aside five minutes a day. I went to set aside 10 minutes a day where God, you have my attention and my focus not my phone not my emails not Instagram, yet not Instagram. I said it set aside a specific time where you can't be distracted and a sacred space. So with the time it can be early. I'm an early riser, but some your like that every time I hear preacher talk about it. It's always early. I fall asleep.
That's great. Do a late judgment day just set aside time and he knows Jesus had a set aside time Mark 135 very early in the morning and that's where preachers go, what you said earlier, you should early, why was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed specific time and place not by the way, if you have like young kids, your rhythm is changed and he's got a address that there is a season where man mice my sacred space is going to be that one minutes after they fall asleep.
And before I fall asleep that's okay. Freedom. Freedom but would you set aside a time and a place might be your couch might be your car, it might be going on a walk or run. It might be at a coffee shop. I don't know where it it doesn't matter where, but is there a place where you can engage your heavenly father in a conversation without the clambering of the world around you where he can have your attention in your focus just for even if I love what Eugene Peterson says I can be active in pray I can work pray but I cannot be busy and pray I cannot be inwardly brushed, distracted or dispersed in order to pray.
I have to be paying more attention to God than what people are saying to me to God than my clambering ego. If we want to develop this life-giving intimate personal relationship with Jesus, we gotta view it as necessary. We got it then realize who were approaching that were coming to our heavenly father we have to set aside some time, but the reality is you do not learn how to pray from a sermon or reading the book we learn how to pray by what, pray just pray just pray. Richard Foster says it this way. I love it.
He says the same way a small child cannot draw a bad picture. So a child of God cannot offer bad prayers for some that's been the hesitancy in your own's soul is like. It's not right is I don't know how to do it, just pray and you'll grow CS Lewis would say it this way bring to God what's in you, not what ought to be in just just bring to him what's in and just go okay for the next 21 days. I want to get into the rhythm of pray and that's what I want to close with section is just for us to pray not to talk about it but to do it not. I just want to lead us through time maybe for some for the first time you've had a conversation with your heavenly father that I want to go through a little bit of exercise and you can do this at home and anywhere along the way but call it palms down, and palms up, get comfortable, take a breath and we think about our postures. You can be in any posture in pray, but some are helpful reminders to us and so we just want to take some postures that will be symbolic and meaningful.
Take a breath you're comfortable. Just close your eyes and with your palms.
If you would place them palms down just on your knees to simply assemble or symbolic of your desire to turn over any concerns you may have to got. I don't know what you walked in with, but would you take a moment is used talk to your heavenly father and bring them the concerns on your heart.
Maybe it's the concern that you want to give God your anxiety or anger. There's hurt or pain that you walked in with. Take a moment give God the concerns. If you would turn your hands, palms up, after giving God your concerns to this desire for God to receive from him may say what I like to receive divine love for that person. That's really hard to love one receive your piece receive your patience in this area over your joy. Have your palms open to save the symbol of God.
I want to receive from you what you have for me talk to your heavenly father.
After turning over your concerns and asking God to fill in receive from him which you just take the next moment and just be silent before him to praise a conversation. There's talking and then there's listening. Don't ask for anything.
Just allow God heavenly father to be with joy the signs you're listening to Living on the Edge with your finger if you just joining us, and his son Ryan will be back in a minute to talk more about this sacred rhythm of prayer.
Ryan's message cultivating daily connection with God is from our series. Sacred rhythms if the pressures of life are taking their toll. What you learned in sacred rhythms provides the wise counsel you may be missing in sacred rhythms.
You'll discover how to develop a few of the key spiritual practices that can release the floodgates of relationship with God to order your copy of sacred rhythms or to send this out to her friend. Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org you'll find that the CDs are discounted and the MP3s are absolutely free. Or if you prefer to order over the phone. Just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 will trip you want to jump in here, I want to take just a few minutes to talk about something really important and I hope especially for those of you that are regular listeners you will agree God is been using the ministry of Living on the Edge in incredible ways that we been growing and reaching folks like never before and you're an important part of that. Your gifts to Living on the Edge make it possible for us to be present in places that without you.
We simply couldn't be many of these places are extremely dangerous to proclaim the name of Christ in your gifts make it possible for us to reach people in desperate situations, you know right here in the United States. I can't tell you how many emails and letters I receive it somewhere in that letter or email. It's like I was on my way to the abortion clinic or I was planning to end my life, for I was about to give up on my married your I was giving up on God because of something terrible that happened to me but then I started listening to my drive to work or my neighbor gave me this book or I found your ad and you know this series on overcoming emotions or whatever it was God's catalyst to begin a total transformation my life. These things aren't happening because of Chip Ingram or even Living on the Edge there happening because God is working in and through those who by faith respond and obey him. You know we can't do anything alone is because it's not God's plan for any of us. We are in this together and Living on the Edge as God's ministry is about you and me doing exactly what God calls us to do and so I would ask you first. Would you really pray for the ministry.
And second, would you pray specifically about partnering at a deeper level and partnering with us financially. Do whatever God leads you to do and let me say in advance. Let's keep pressing ahead and thank you very much as you prayerfully consider your role with this ministry I will remind you that when you partner with Living on the Edge. Every gift is significant ministering together, our efforts and our resources are multiplied in ways that only God can do to send a gift call us at 1-888-333-6003, or if you prefer to give online just go to LivingontheEdge.org your partnership is a great encouragement now with some final thoughts. Here's Chip and Ryan Ingram as we close today's program.
It's great to be with you today, son, and you spoke about three specific ways that in prayer that we build intimacy with God.
I know a lot of people are probably working out or in the car. Could you review those forests and maybe talk about how you put those in the practice.
Yeah, absolutely. First is viewing prayer as necessary, not just a nice idea.
Not having prayer be this like we talked about last resort.
What is my first response. The second is what fuels that for me is your view of God who you're approaching that when we pray were approaching a perfect good loving heavenly father and then finally it setting aside a specific time and a sacred space. It's actually being intentional about your day and carving out time to meet with Jesus. It is like that idea of a habit is it's exactly right.
It's a rhythm we have to put it into practice. Of those three things. If you had to say the one that's the biggest challenge for you, what would it be and why I think it's getting back to prayer, being an unnecessary, not just a nice idea. Often I'll find that my independent self dependence actually leads me to do be an activator try to get stuff done. Instead of going to Jesus first.
I'll give you an example.
We meet in the high school and so I work with the district and we had some tension with the district and my first response was to drive straight over and deal with the issue and so as I'm driving I get this prompting of the spirit. Did you pray about it. I literally pulled my car over while stopped and prayed and said God might need you. I can't go into that room without you going ahead of me and what was amazing is when I went in there that just opened up the doors nodded in incredible work of our relationship there with the district and so for me that's my greatest challenge, while I want to say a word to many, many people listening right now you have a decision you got a relationship at home.
It's something with your boss and man you feel like you've got to address this. Are you ready here's your application, literally or metaphorically want you to pull over. I want you to talk with God and once you surrender your agenda and say Lord I want you to go before me, and regardless of how much I want something come out a certain way. I want your will, not mine. Now give me wisdom okay God's can honor that. Now go do it.
Just before we close.
I will remind you that we ask the Lord to use this teaching to strengthen your faith and we ask him to help you confidently take whatever your next faith step is. We'd love to hear how it's going.
Would you take a minute to send a note door give us a call either one is easy. Just send a quick note to chip@livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003. While I hope will be with us again tomorrow when we continue our series. Sacred rhythms told them this is Dave really saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge