The power of prayer

This sermon will change your life

God wants a relationship with you and until you get the idea of prayer, your relationship with God will never be what He intends it to be.

This message is for each and every one of you as individuals. This message is for me.

Start at the end.

This is the most important message

Amen. “so be it” “truth”

How not to pray

Matthew 6:5–8 NASB95

“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Matthew 6:5-

The Lords prayer

We turned it into meaningless repetition

Fatherly side note:

I don’t have a great relationship with my father and he doesn’t know me. This was a hang-up for me in my relationship with God.

Kids wont tell their parents what the problem really is.

I was bad about this.

Gripes go up

Do you complain to God?

Kids only call when they need something

Do they love you, or are they just using you? Foxhole prayer over and over again.

God knows your heart.

If your prayer life never gets deeper than you asking God for stuff, then you are missing out.

The heart of God

Matthew 7:7–11 NASB95

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Kids wont tell their parents what the problem is.

What is Good is not always what you want

God will be and enabler

James 4:3 NASB95

You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

There are things that will inhibit your prayers

Psalms66:

Psalm 66:18 NASB95

If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;

1 Peter 3:7 NASB95

You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

When my kids call

They call to tell me, “Dad, I love you and trust your judgement, can I ash your advise?”

They are acknowledging that they know I love them and have their best interest at heart.

They are acknowledging that they trust me.

They call just say hi.

When is that last time that you spent time with God just to say hi?

Close

Saved: Spend time alone with God in prayer.

Unsaved: Pray that God would reveal himself to you