If your prayer life feels stagnant and uninspired, Try changing your perspective. Think of prayer not as a responsibility, but as an adventure. Today, on Turning Point, Dr. David Jeremiah and special guest Sheila Walsh. Discuss David's book.
Prayer, the Great Adventure, to underscore the teaching series we just concluded. With an encore of their lively interview, here are David Jeremiah and Sheila Walsh. I am so excited to be here. If prayer is so life, in fact, the words you use in your book, you talk about thrilling. exciting and adventure.
Can prayer honestly be Thrilling? You know what, Sheila, I do believe it is because Most of our life is cause and effect. We do this and this happens. But when we pray, We do this, we pray, but we have no idea what God is going to do. It's a wide open scenario, and many times, according to the Bible, He does more than we could ask or think.
And so when we enter into that corridor of prayer, We are walking in uncertain territory and it's always for the good. Let me ask you just a very basic question. If prayer is this great adventure, which I believe, why do we find it so hard? You know, I think part of the reason for that is we're all pretty self-sufficient people. We know we should pray, but we can do it ourselves.
I hear people say things like this. You know, I tried this, I tried that. I guess the only thing I can do left now is to pray. It's their last resort. And that says a lot about prayer because it tells us.
That we are self-centered people and self-sufficient people, and sometimes it takes hard things in our lives to help us realize that's not true. There's a passage of scripture that you call a Treasure map. I love that picture of us seeking for treasure. It's Matthew 7, where it says, ask and you will be given. Seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened.
How does that guide us in how we pray? The thing about that is, it takes prayer out of the Philosophical and puts it right down. I mean, I joke with people when I say when I first read that passage, I thought ask was a special word for prayer, and I looked it up in the lexicons and found out it means ask. It's not a word for prayer. God is simply saying to us, ask.
And you will receive. And we try to make it so much more difficult than that. He's our father, we're his children, he longs to. To meet our needs, we're not called to break down a barrier of heaven. We're called to accept the willingness of heaven, and that's what prayer is.
I find it interesting, though, in your book, that you say we're called to ask, not to beg. What did you mean by that?
Well, the earlier part of that passage warns us against repetitious prayer. And I think there are some people, maybe they grew up in a different environment than most of us did. who think that in order for you to get through to God, you gotta pray certain prayers over and over and over again repetitiously. And there is a lot in the Bible about being consistent in prayer. God doesn't want us just to do a one-off.
You know, I ask him now, it's up to him. No, if you read the Bible, you discovered that prayer is a consistent practice. But it isn't begging. We don't have to persuade God to help us. God is willing to help us.
We have to accept His willingness, not persuade His reluctance. Yeah, I love that. And one of the things you say, which I just absolutely love, you said we should pray like a child. What do we miss out on when we don't pray like children?
Well, you know, a child stands at the bottom of an escalator. And doesn't ask any questions about how you use it. They just get on it and go upstairs. You know, we want to know all the answers. We want to know all of the things that are, we make prayer, as I said before, we make it so difficult.
Prayer is mysterious, but it is not difficult. It is simple. It is Jesus saying, ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you. Pretty straightforward.
One of the things I love, Jesus gave his disciples kind of a roadmap for prayer, the Lord's prayer. Why do you call it the perfect? Prayer.
Well, you know, if somebody asked who's the greatest teacher on prayer, I would say Jesus. Because when the disciples said, teach us to pray, he gave them a prayer. And we'll talk a little bit more about that, I'm sure. But that prayer wasn't just a mantra for us to learn and repeat, it was a model prayer. It was an outline.
I actually have a little outline in one of my Bibles that I made for myself with the outline for prayer. From the Lord's Prayer. And when we follow that outline, it is pretty amazing how broad the subject becomes.
So let's break that down. Let's go with the first line: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. It's a beautiful way to begin because it's beginning with praise and worship.
Well Could I ask you, don't raise your hand, don't poke your neighbor. How many of you Have prayed prayers where God never even gets mentioned because you're so full of the requests you have. Got him in trouble, and then you list all the things, and you don't even bring God into the picture. Let me tell you what I know about prayer, Sheila. If you just list your problems and leave God out of the picture in your prayer, when you get done praying, you will be more depressed than you were when you started.
Wow. Because listing your problems doesn't do anything for you. You have to bring God into the picture. And Jesus taught us that the way you pray is you begin by acknowledging God's presence and worshiping Him and acknowledging that He is worthy of our prayers. One of the things I love about your study Bible, which I use, I don't know if you guys have Dr.
Jeremiah's study Bible, but you say that it's good for us to address God by his names. Why is that important?
Well, there's so many names for God in the Bible, and you know, our names are meant to define who we are. We've kind of lost touch of that in our culture, but I often tell people, do you know how you got the name Jackson? You're the son of Jack. You know, Jefferson, you're the son of Jefferson That's really true. That's how those names came together in the beginning.
And when we use the names for God, many of which are listed in the New Testament, many in the Old Testament. We're calling out the characteristic of God. We're talking about who God is. Like at Christmastime, I always tell all of you: you know this, my favorite name for Jesus is Emmanuel. He is God with us.
All of these names bring us an awareness of the worthiness of our Lord. The next part of the prayer is, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That is a heart cry. For our priorities to be God's priorities, don't you think?
Well, you know, ultimately, that prayer will only be answered in the millennium when the king comes to the earth and puts his will into practice on the earth. But between now and then, It is our goal and our desire to learn how to live in such a way That we please God, and that what we do is what we would do if we could do everything knowing it was right. The Bible teaches us we're to pray. for God's priorities to happen in our lives. And I think I should mention here, Sheila, that that particular part of the prayer.
had more uh but to change my life than any of the other part because When I came here many years ago, I was struggling with priorities. I had a young family. I was trying to manage the church in three locations, a college, the beginning of a retirement center, a big, huge school district. I was in over my head. I didn't know what I was doing.
I was trying to learn every day and my priorities got all messed up. And I was studying that prayer and I came up with this little paradigm. I'm uh person and I have a relationship with God, priority number one. I'm a partner and I have a relationship with my wife. Priority number two.
I'm a parent. and I have a relationship with my children. Priority number three, And I'm a pastor, and I have a relationship with my church. I'll never forget when I told the church, y'all are number four. That is so good.
That is so good. Those became my priorities and they kind of guided me through the confusion. That was my way of expressing thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Those were the priorities I thought God wanted me to have. Those were the priorities I saw God using in the lives of other people, and that's what I wanted for my own life.
I'm so thankful. for that moment. I love that. I think that's a great priority for all of us. Amen.
But let me ask you. What do you do if you're in a situation where you're like, I don't know what God's will is in this situation? How do you know you're doing what God's will is? Gone. is not hiding his will from you.
He's not up in heaven saying, I'm not going to let him find out what this is. Let him see who, you know. God wants you to know his will. That's a good place to start. One of the things that happens to us along the way is we get consumed with the will of God for our lives, and we ought to be more concerned.
for what we're going to do tomorrow. You know, if we put enough God's will being done today, Together, we'll have God's will for our life. I love in the Psalms we read your words as a lamp to my feet. and the light to my path. And the lamp kind of tells you where to take just the next step.
I love that. If we move on to, we started the prayer with Praise, then seeking God's priorities. The next step is provision, where it talks about give us this day our daily bread. That to me is a clear indication that Christ is saying we are dependent on God for everything. That's true, and we should always remember.
That, whatever we need, if it's in the will of God, He has it. He's promised to provide it for us. Sheila, one of the memorable moments of my life and and Donna's in ministry was one we Left a church in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, where I was a youth pastor and went to Fort Wayne to start a church. And I was so frightened and There were seven families there, and I remember the day that Donna and I drove our car with the U-Haul it behind it and pulled into this drivewear where we had purchased a house. And I told her I was going to go in and make sure the doors were open.
I went in and I went into the kitchen. And there was a big sign on the cabinet. To this day, we do not know who put it there, and this is what it said. God's commandments. are God's enablements.
I love that. I love that his mercies are new. Every morning. You say the tragedy of our day is not unanswered prayer. but unoffered prayer.
Yeah, I did a thing that's going to be in this series, Sheila, on seven reasons God doesn't answer prayer. And one of the first reasons is God doesn't answer unprayed prayers. You know, my friend Mark Batterson puts it this way: God does not answer 100% of the prayers you do not pray. And the Bible says we have not because we ask not. In fact, that's back to the request: Lord, teach us to pray.
Not how to pray, but to pray. We have not because we ask not. And we all admit to that, we all acknowledge. If I sent a card out and said, for all of you who say that you pray enough every day for all the things you need, would you please sign it and send it back to me, I would leave here empty-handed if you're an honest audience. Because that's the truth.
We all feel inadequate when it comes to prayer. True.
Now we move on to the part of the prayer that's to do with personal relationships. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. You talk in this book very strongly, very compellingly, about the joy of forgiveness.
So let me ask you a question: if somebody really hurts me, And I forgive them. How does that give me joy? It takes away The burden that you carry of unforgiveness. The two verses in the Bible, one in Matthew and one in Mark, where it says: if you have offended somebody, And you're bringing your gift to the altar, go get it right with the person you offended. Then, if you've been offended by somebody, go get it right because you can't do business with God when you have unsolved issues with one another.
And the issue there, Sheila, is that when you have something like that, it's always your turn. When you've been offended, it's your turn to get it right. If you've offended somebody, it's your turn to get it right. You say, well, I got it right last time. Never mind.
It's your turn. It's always your turn. And when we do that, God opens the way. Yeah. I have to say that understanding the power of forgiveness has been one of the most life-changing things for me because you're right, it sets you free.
And it's another way of saying, God, I trust you. I'm not going to try and fix this myself. I trust you. That's exactly right. I met a woman, we were having coffee together just an airport somewhere, we had a layover, and she said, you know, my husband left me.
And went off with a young woman. I got him all through college, and the minute he's through, and I said, When did this happen? And she said, 23 years ago. And she was caught in this place of being unable to forgive. When you don't forgive, How does that impact how God forgives us?
Well, you know, there's a lot of confusion in that passage. It almost seems to say that our relationship with God is dependent upon our relationships with each other, and we know that is not true. God does not forgive us only if we forgive others. The text seems to say that, but if you study it carefully, you realize what God is saying is this: if you want to come and seek forgiveness, You need to make sure that you're dealing with an honest hand. You know God, I want you to forgive me and love me and deal with me, but I hate this guy over here, and I hate him.
Well, wait a minute. God loves him. You see, you got a major problem if you do that. And that's what he is saying: deal with me as you want me to deal with you. And I believe that's the meaning of the text.
Yeah, that's beautiful. The next line in the Lord's Prayer I used to find confusing when I was a teenager, because we pray, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Why would we pray that? Because surely God wouldn't lead us into temptation. It's a preemptive prayer.
It's saying, Lord. It's kind of a don't do this, but do this. Don't leave me in a temptation board, but deliver me from evil. God never tempts anyone to sin. He tests us.
To see whether or not we're willing to follow him, but he never tempts anyone to sin. The Bible is very clear about that. And then he says, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us not from evil, but from the evil one. Evil one. From Satan, who goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
He's always on the prowl, always after us, and we should pray, Lord, don't lead me down that road where he's doing his thing today. Yeah. You talk about there being a connection between Trials and Temptations. What do you mean by that? What was it one man said, your soul and your body live so close together that they catch each other's diseases?
What that means is, how many of you know when you don't feel good spiritually, you don't feel good physically, and vice versa. That's true. If you're coming through something really, really bad and you've been sick. It's hard to be up spiritually when you're sick, and you need to be careful that you don't let The vulnerability that you have when you're physically ill. Contribute to failure spiritually.
So I'm trusting the Lord, but in the back of your mind, you're saying, God, where are you? And I don't want to be like this.
So there's temptations that are in that. matrix there.
So can temptation actually be a positive thing in the life of a believer? Temptation can be positive unless we yield to it. If we yield to it, it's always negative. You might learn something ultimately at the end of that, but there's no reason for temptation to be exalted as a way for spiritual growth. Testing, yes.
Temptation, no. You go on in the book to talk about the fact the real Lord's Prayer is actually found in John chapter 17, which you say might be one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. The 17th chapter of John contains our Lord's Prayer. to his father. It's very intimate.
I preached a whole series of messages on that prayer at one time. You cannot read that prayer without realizing how much The Lord Jesus Christ loves us. I mean, the love of God for us is so borne out in the prayer. He prays that God will keep us, he prays that God will love us. And when you read that prayer, you can't help but be blessed.
I love that last dialogue, the whole chapters, 14, 15, 16, 17. Just some of my favorite passages of scripture. Nick, you give an interesting fact, I didn't know, but you identify this high priestly prayer in John 17 as almost listening in. To heaven's conversation. What a privilege.
Because it is, it's truly what it is. We have on paper. The words that Jesus used to talk to his father during a time of great anguish and stress. and his concern was not for himself. His concern was for us.
And when you read that, it's just... It's it's a wonderful experience. I decided to do a little research and ask people, you know, what were some of the questions that you would like to ask Dr. Jeremiah, particularly on the issue of prayer.
Somebody asked, does God listen to us when we pray even when we don't feel like our prayers are going any higher than the bedroom ceiling? You won't just read the command. Pray without ceasing, except when you don't feel like your prayers are going out of the room. That's not what it says. It says Pray without ceasing.
Men ought always to pray and not to faint. You know, sometimes I think... We think that spiritual discipline is a matter of how we feel. You know, the Bible says husbands love your wives. You say, well, I don't feel like it.
Well, do it anyway, because that's what you're supposed to do. There are many things in the scripture like that, and prayer is certainly one of them. Prayer is a responsibility that God has placed upon us, whether we feel like it or not.
Somebody asked, What should I do when I pray and I don't feel anything's happening.
Well, I've always said that there's more than one answer to prayer, and there's yes, there's no, there's wait, and there's grow. You know, and God may be testing you. I've had many stories. One of my favorite stories about my professor in seminary, Dr. Hendricks, was he prayed.
for his unsaved father for 47 years. And he got saved just before he died. And I remember him saying, I'm glad I didn't stop at 20. 25 or 27, I kept on praying. A lifetime's not too long to pray.
No, that's right. I read this great quote by John Bunyan, where it said, It's better to have a heart. Than words with no heart. Exactly. Is there a right way to pray?
Are there certain words I need to use? No. Prayer is a conversation. Prayer is so much a conversation that When the Bible says pray without ceasing, What it means is, leave the receiver off the hook. Don't ever hang up.
Wow. Someone wanted to know: do you have to find like a quiet place? And should I be on my knees? I think that's a good thing. I remember reading about Susannah Wesley.
Who had so many children, she couldn't find a place to pray, and she used to pull her apron up over her head and go behind the stove. That was her prayer. That was her prayer place. We all have had places that God seems to have blessed. I've had a place like that, but I don't feel like I have to be in that place.
to have meaningful prayer. The Bible says, go into your closet. I don't think that's literal. I think that means go into a small place where you're not interrupted and pray. I want to return to something we kind of touched on earlier, and that's unanswered prayer.
You know, I'm thinking of people who might pray about something and it's just like they feel like God is not answering. What do you do in a place like that?
Well, you know, I don't have any expectations that I can explain God? And I don't know what he's up to. What I know is what I know about him. And he's good and gracious, and he cares deeply about us. And there's no way that God would withhold answers from us.
that he deemed were for our good and for his glory.
So you keep on praying, and you know what?
Some of our prayers may not be answered this side of heaven. We may get to heaven and we'll be looking at each other.
So that's what it was all about. We may be saying that kind of stuff. Yeah. I just think to keep on praying. even when you don't see the immediate answer.
is a testimony to your faith in God and your your persistence. I remember you telling me that when you were at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, they told you that they had been crying out to God for you during your illness. Has there been a time in your own life when you've cried out to God and see Him move in a mighty way?
Well, I'm going to tell you a little story. When Donna and I started our church back in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with seven couples. We had little children and I was working really hard and I was, believe it or not, I started on the radio by driving to the radio station, get there by 7.30. I had a 15-minute show, and then I'd come home, and that's when Donna and I would sit and talk. I came home one day, we were talking, and all of a sudden She went she reached across.
her chest like that and then she passed out on the floor. And I didn't know what to do. I tried everything to get her to come to. She didn't come to. I called 911, and before the ambulance got there, the sheriff arrived.
He tried to bring her to. And Finally, they took her away in an ambulance and I I was there and went and She went to the hospital. They had her for several hours and Finally, she recovered. I don't know what they did. They never did tell me exactly what happened to her.
And I don't know to this day. what took place but i'll tell you what ladies and gentlemen My prayer in that ambulance between my house and the hospital was the most intense prayer I've ever known in my life. When we are in need, we don't pray. We cry out to God. And that's what happens.
It's beautiful. Beautiful.
Well, I know that this book is going to touch millions of lives, and I want to thank you for your. your wisdom. And I wondered would you pray for us as we minister close? Lord, we feel like a little family here today, a little... congregation of people who love you.
We sure wouldn't be here if we didn't care about our own lives spiritually and about the questions we have about living that life and especially about prayer.
So I pray for my brothers and sisters today that you will encourage them. Not to accept prayer as simply an obligation, though it is that. but it's a great privilege. and a great opportunity. to stay in contact with the Lord of the universe, the God of the heavens.
and know that he cares. about each one of us more than we could ever comprehend. and He wants to answer our prayers. We are not, Lord, called upon to break down your unwillingness, to accept your love and desire. to answer our prayers.
Help us not to be among those. of whom it is said we have not because we pray not. Help us to pray and to ask. and to believe And Lord, in your great mercy, will you show us Some wonderful answers and affirm our prayers and give us encouragement as we go forward. We love you today, Lord.
And we thank you for prayer. that we have the privilege of. Communicating with the God of the universe. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.
Will you help me thank Dr. Jeremiah?
Well, you know, it's always wonderful to talk with Sheila about these biblical things and We had a great discussion about prayer. I hope it was an encouragement to you. And we'll be back again with another message on prayer tomorrow called The Warfare of Prayer.
So I hope you'll listen as we conclude this month together. I'm David Jeremiah. Thanks for listening. For more information on today's special interview with Dr. Jeremiah, please visit our website where we also offer two free ways to help you stay connected.
our monthly Turning Points magazine, and our daily email devotional. Sign up today at DavidJeremiah.org slash radio. That's DavidJeremiah.org slash radio. or call us at 800-947-1993. Ask for your copy of David's new book, Everything to God in Prayer, Guided Prayers for Your Deepest Needs and Biggest Dreams.
It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also purchase the Jeremiah Study Bible in the English Standard, New International and New King James Versions, complete with notes and articles from Dr. Jeremiah's decades of study. Get all the details when you visit our website, davidjeremiah.org slash radio. This is David Michael Jeremiah.
Join us tomorrow for a special message from Dr. David Jeremiah. right here on Turning Point.
