Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Prayer is to God the Father. And such a prayer, when we pray to our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, promotes the fear of the Lord, which Solomon says is the beginning of wisdom. And so we pray then like this, Our Father in heaven, Hollywood Be your name. Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe.
Prayer is an essential part of following Christ and critical to our spiritual growth. but many followers of Christ seem to struggle with prayer. Today, on the verdict, we're taking a closer look at the privilege and power of prayer as part of our relationship with our loving Heavenly Father. We're continuing our study of next steps in following Jesus.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe to get us started. What is your prayer life like? Even atheists sometimes pray in emergencies. It's the old adage, There are no atheists in foxholes. As we continue with our series, Next Steps in Following Jesus, we come to this important subject of prayer.
All of us would like to be more effective in our prayer life. Many followers of Jesus struggle. to be consistent in prayer. I know you'll be encouraged today. as we look at the teaching of Jesus on this subject.
How wonderful to know. That God is our heavenly Father and He loves to give good things to those who ask. I'm praying that your faith will grow. and that you'll spend more time on your knees in prayer. Peter Lewis tells the story of a blind boy.
Flying a kite. with the help of his father. And someone watching dares to ask the young boy, the blind boy, What do you get out of this when you can't see the kite? And the boy's answer is a simple one. I can't see it.
But I can feel the pull. Why pray to a God that we can't see? One answer might be. I can't see what is happening, but I feel The pool. It is true, God is a spirit that we can't see.
But the impact of prayer in our lives, in the lives of the world, in the lives of the church. is incalculable. When we were In Israel, we saw the Jews praying at the western Well They are committed to pray. We were in a land of prayer. a land where Jews pray.
A land where Muslims pray. They are committed to pray. I saw when we were in Jordan behind a little stall, a woman. On a carpet praying. A Muslim lady praying as they do five times a day.
And as I I thought of the prayers of the Jews and I thought of the prayers of the Muslims. I wondered why it is. That we who follow Jesus sometimes pray.
so little. In this series, the next step in following Jesus, the last time I spoke, I spoke on the church. Today, our subject is prayer. And I want particularly to focus on your personal prayer life, on what you are. On your knees before God.
You will never be a mature, authentic follower of Jesus Christ unless you have a vital prayer life. I know all of us want to be boys and girls and men and women of prayer. And I know that. You sometimes feel guilty that you don't pray as you should. That you sometimes think that your prayers are rather superficial, maybe rather mechanical, but we want to learn from the teaching of our Lord on this important subject of prayer.
The only thing recorded in the Gospels that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them was prayer. And they say in Luke 11, verse 1, Lord, teach us to pray. And we're going to think this morning very simply of what the Lord says. The Lord is going to teach us how we should pray. Let's stand and read the Word of God as it's found in Matthew chapter 6.
Verses seven. Through Fourteen. Raids. with me from Verse. Seven.
And when you pray, Do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them. For your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray then like this.
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation. but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, Your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, Neither will your father forgive your trespasses. Please be seated.
If you have your Bible, open it to that passage in Matthew chapter 6. Here is a biblical pattern for prayer. First of all, we learn that we are to pray to our Heavenly Father. This is a command. Verse 9.
Pray then like this. The command is to pray. Matthew six, verse five, and when you pray. Verse 6, but when you pray. Verse 7, and when you pray.
It is inconceivable that someone who is a follower of Jesus never follows. Praise. As those who follow Jesus, we love Jesus. And when you love someone, You love to speak to them, don't you?
So I know all of us here who are following Jesus Do pray. I'm sure there is not one person here Who never prays? But the question is, is our prayer effective? Is our prayer vervent? Is our prayer authentic?
Throughout scripture, over and over again, we're commanded to pray. Luke 18, verse 1. always to pray and not to lose heart. Many followers of Jesus are discouraged. We worry, we fret.
One of the reasons is we are not Praying. Colossians 4, verse 2, Paul says, continue steadfast in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. And then 1 Thessalonians 5, 17, pray without ceasing. That is, our life is to be a life. of prayer.
So this next step in following Jesus is not an optional extra, huh? Prayer is commanded by God. Our enemy, Satan himself, hits it when we pray. But others are blessed, we grow in our faith, others are blessed when we pray. The English Archbishop William Temple once said, People tell me.
That answers to prayer are merely coincidences. I can only reply that when I pray, coincidences happen. And when I stop praying, they stop happening. I hope you've noticed that in your life. But before dealing with the positives, Jesus gives us a couple of negatives.
Look back in verse 5, Matthew 6, verse 5. He says, and when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly I say to you. They have received the reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door.
Pray to your father who is in secret. And your father who sees in secret will. Reward you. Because prayer is a spiritual activity, there is always a possibility. That we become a bit hypocritical when we're praying.
We pray to show off, we pray to impress others. Here, the Pharisees are accused of praying, verse 5, that they may be seen by others. They stand in the synagogue, they stand at the junction in the street, and they are praying. And they're praying not so much to pray to God. But to impress.
others. And that can happen to us, can't it? As we pray, we can pray with long and flowery language. We can adopt a very pious look, we can adopt an ecclesiastical voice. We often hear, I'm not sure why people do it, quoting chapter and verse to God.
I always find that very curious.
Someone's praying to God and saying, You know, as Paul says in Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9, by grace are we saved? Doesn't God know that? And sometimes I forget, sometimes I think that we forget that we're praying to God. And sometimes prayer can be an excuse to show our knowledge of Scripture. Or how spiritual we are.
Jesus is saying, don't be hypocritical when you pray. Remember, you're praying to God. How tragic it is when we use our prayer to impress others. No, when you pray, Pray. in secret.
If you want to pray long, Do that at home. Don't pray. That you may be seen by others. And then there's another negative in verse seven as we read, When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. No, prayer is not a mechanical recitation.
God isn't impressed by mindless repetition. Not just going over and over pious platitudes and repeating something.
Sometimes people constantly say the name Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, or God, God, God, or Father, Father, Father, or just, just, just, as if a sign of spirituality is used by constant repetition. Jesus says, don't do that. Don't heap up empty phrases. The Gentiles do that. They think they'll be heard for their many...
Words.
So two negatives. Don't be like the hypocrites. Secondly, When you pray, don't engage in mindless repetition. But now the positive. Jesus gives us a pattern for prayer.
Verse 9, pray then like this.
Now this is not a prayer that we repeat mindlessly, but here is a pattern of prayer. Notice the first thing that Jesus says: pray then, like this: our Father in Have a Isn't that incredible? That God, the Almighty God, the God that we were singing about, who's able to do all things, that God is my heavenly Father, our Father. As the old King James says, who art in Heaven. Here is the privilege of prayer.
That through faith in my Lord Jesus Christ, I become part of the family of God. John says, as many as received him, to them he gave the authority to become. Children of God. And so now, through faith in Christ, I am part of the family of God. And God now is my heavenly Father.
What a privilege, Paul says, of children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. This is the incredible privilege of praying. The God of the universe is my heavenly Father, and at any time I can go before Him. That is an incalculable privilege with the trip To Israel, we went to Shiloh. which is in the so-called a West Bank.
And there in Shiloh was the first place where the tabernacle was pitched. By Joshua. Shiloh. It was the center of the nation. Geographically, it's about in the center of Israel.
It was there that Hannah went and prayed for a little boy, and God graciously answered her prayer. And there was the tabernacle. We also stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Where the dome of the rock is, but where Solomon's temple was, where Herod's temple was, the second temple was. And we thought.
That there was the Holy of Holies. There's the outer court of the tabernacle, the outer court of the Temple. And then there's the holy place, and then there is the holy of holies into which the high priest could only go how many times? Once a A year. Could you think of that?
What a day. To go in before the Ark of the Covenant. The symbol of the very presence of God. That God was there, that God was dwelling with his people, symbolized in the Ark of the Covenant with the mercy seat over it. And the high priest representing the nation went in once a year, but now.
That curtain, that veil between the holy place and the holy of holies is now rent. There is this new covenant, and one of the great privileges of the new covenant is this. that at any time Because God is my Father. I can go. Into His presence.
We take that almost for granted, don't we? This Is the privilege of praying to her Heavenly Father. And then this is a privilege of love. The concept of praying to God as Father implies an intimate and loving relationship. Yes, He is the great God.
He is God Almighty, he is El Sharai. He is the Alpha and the Omega. But now, with this concept that this great eternal God, who in the beginning created the heavens and the earth, that this God is now my Father, implies, doesn't it, this very loving and intimate relationship, just as. A child comes to a father. who loves her and is welcomed with open hands.
So we come in prayer to our loving Father. Did you grasp the When you're praying, You're praying to someone who Who loves you? We've all had the experience of going to someone in a time of trouble, perhaps with a request, perhaps with a favor, to ask them for help. And as we're speaking to the person, we have that dreadful experience that they're not really interested in us. And we think, well, I've come to the wrong person.
This person doesn't really care. It's a frightful experience, isn't it, that we've all had. That never ever happens when you come to God in this privilege of prayer. Do you understand? You're praying to someone who loves you.
You're praying to someone who always, always. in your best interest, who wants the very best for you. who's planning all things for good. To those who Love him. This is the privilege of prayer.
This is a loving relationship. And we come with boldness. You see boldness, really? Isn't that a little presumptuous? That you'd come.
to your heavenly father with boldness? But that's it. This boldness flows from the relationship we have with God as our Father. As a boy, I was never afraid to run to my Father with some request. No, other children couldn't do that.
It would be thought of as inappropriate for other children to go to my father, but he's my father. He loves me. He cares for me. He knows me, he loved me, he welcomed me. And I came.
with boldness. that another child might think is inappropriate, but no, this is my dad's. I know this man. He loves me, and I come to him with boldness. For a request.
Just as now My three grandchildren, when they see me. What do they do? They run. to me, they fling themselves at me. They're forgetting how old their granddad is.
And there is a boldness. There's a spontaneity. There is a warmth, isn't there? Why? Because of the relationship.
I have with them What does the writer of Hebrews say in Hebrews 4, verse 16? Let us then with confidence Or with boldness draw near to the throne of grace. that we may receive Mercy and find grace in a time of need. That this throne is not a throne of condemnation. This is not a throne of judgment.
This is a throne of grace. That when I need help, I go to my heavenly Father. I pray, my Father who is in heaven. It is with confidence and I receive mercy, I find grace in my time of need. Why then, brother, do you not pray more?
Why? Are we so casual? and lacks the desical in our prayer life. It's a privilege, it's a loving relationship, it's One that we come to God with boldness, and also there is security. My father Some of you ha were raised in very insecure Families Well, your father was very distant from you.
For some of you you never even knew your father. Perhaps your father was hardly ever there for you.
Some of you come from even worse situations where you're Father was cruel, who was abusive. Who was a bad? Father. But our Heavenly Father is different. He's better than the best earthly father.
And when I come To my Father in prayer, I never need to wonder if he'll listen to me. I never need to wonder if he's too busy for me. He never says, John, go away and come back. I've got other things on my mind. I'll deal with this later.
I don't want to hear from you at this point. He never does that. He never rejects me. I'm accepted in his son. Paul says that in Ephesians 1.
I'm accepted in the beloved. That I'm an ear of God, I'm a jointer with Christ, I'm blessed with every spiritual blessing, and my Heavenly Father loves it when I come. Yeah What a security day. For security. Do you know there's nothing in this world?
That can stop that. This is one of the greatest, greatest privileges. We have and also it reminds us, doesn't it, that we are Part of a family of God. We have a family. He is a perfect father.
My earthly father was a good father. He was a godly man, but he wasn't able to give me everything I asked him. I sometimes disagreed with his Judgment. He sometimes misunderstood me.
Sometimes Being part of a large family, when they wanted to speak to him, he wasn't available. That was all true. What a difference our Heavenly Father the Did you know this? Verse eight. Jesus says Your father That's your Heavenly Father.
knows what you need. before you ask him. I like that. Before I come and articulate to my Heavenly Father. What I need, he already knows that.
You know that sometimes with your children, or sometimes with your grandchildren. Before they come and ask you, you already know what they need, you know their needs better than they do. My Heavenly Father, always knows what I need. before I ask him. And he loves it.
Loves. When we ask him for good things. Look at chapter 7, verse 7, as Jesus continues on what we call the Sermon on the Mount. He says in verse seven of chapter seven, ask. And it will be given to you.
Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be open to you. ASK. Ask, seek, knock. Why don't you ask God for that good thing?
Why don't you seek that? Why don't you knock? For everyone who asks receives. The one who seeks finds. The one who knocks, it will be opened.
Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent. If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, Don't you? How much more? Will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?
That's something to think about, isn't it? Could it be? That you've not received a blessing from God. Because you've never asked it. We Should never ever be afraid to ask our Heavenly Father for that which is good.
This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World.
Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at the verdict. org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry. Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? The more you know God as your heavenly and loving Father, the more you will desire to pray. Remember. that you're praying to a God who knows you, who loves you. and who always seeks your best interests.
And he's a God who is all-powerful.
So Open up your heart to Him and pray. This week, make sure that each day you spend some time on your knees. What a privilege for those of us who are following Jesus.
Next time, we'll continue this important subject of prayer. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
