Week 3 - Prayer and Meditation, Part 2

Well, we are in our series that we are calling participating in the Divine Life which really came from 2nd Peter 1:4 that verse that we read we went through Peter that we through these great and precious promises have been made to be partakers of the divine nature now sit and think on that for a moment to be partakers of the divine nature and to be called into participating in the Divine Life The Little Words there if you can't read them from where you're at God's work in you and our Pursuit Of God a great work the Great Book. I'm going to be recommending mini throughout this series a great book did that phrase came from our Pursuit Of God is the pursuit of God by aw Tozer. Wonderful wonderful book that would go great with our study over the next coming weeks or a couple of months last week and I told you how I was lamenting to our friend. Chris is not here today we met for coffee and I was telling him that how am I supposed to cover prayer? All the prayer is in a week and he very wise he said, why don't you do it in two or three weeks very wise counsel. And and so I took that and we did that the first week we talked about the idea of entering into God's presence it through meditation. Not of course Eastern meditation, but not the emptying of the mind but the feeling of your mind with God in the recognition of his presence and use an in through that entering into a time of prayer deep prayer will talk about prayer this morning in different ways. We don't always have to do that with every prayer we pray of course. We don't have to enter that that deep time of of thinking on God meditation for every prayer. We can always offer them up as we go throughout the day. We'll talk about that. But with this participating in the Divine Life, we need to be sure that our prayer is not just these little popcorn prayers throughout the day that that's our prayers to God or not. Just these small brief fleeting moments of oh God. Thank you, and I'm done or thank you for this meal. Amen. Those are important and God hears you but to participate in the Divine life means to press deeper to go deeper into God to respond to that invitation that he is giving you to know you more fully and it is we said many times that that that eternal life begins now that life of Heaven begins now, we don't have to wait to dye sand to begin to explore these things. It begins now as we enter into the deep things of God, so What about the the what's your what prayer is that the wise of the motivation learning what prayer is and so this week we can talk more about that house the doing if you will have prayer a lot of our army passage this morning will come from Matthew chapter 6 from The Sermon on the Mount but to be in it I said that I noticed a lot of things coming out from CS Lewis in my study, but I wanted to start with this one from letters to Malcolm and we have a few different collections of Cs Lewis's letters and this one is primarily on prayer. In fact, I think it just let us Malcolm chiefly on prayer and I love this because he just gets kind of right down to the nitty-gritty not about what prayer is but about maybe our struggle with it. He says well, let's Bowl. Let's now at any rate come clean prayer is irksome. How darra st. Say such great hopes that say such things of prayer but perhaps the greatest Mark of a saint is how much they identify with reality with us prayer is irksome an excuse to admit it is never unwelcome when it is over. This casts a feeling of relief and holiday over the rest of the day. We are reluctant to begin. We are delighted to finish what we are up for air but not while we are reading a novel or solving a crossword puzzle any trifle is enough to distract us and we know that we are not alone in this the fact that prayers are constantly set as Penance is tells his own tail, but the odd thing is that this reluctance to pray is not confined to periods of dryness when yesterday's prayers were full of comfort and exaltation. Today's will still be felt as in some degree of Burden. Now the disquieting thing about this is not simply that we skipping begrudge the duty of prayer. The really disquieting thing is that it should have to be numbered among duties at all for we believe that we are created to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. And if the few the very few minutes, we now spend on discourse with God are a burden to us rather than a delight what then so it was lamenting the fact that yeah prayers. Sometimes we we think it's like I got to sit down I got to do my prayers. I got to sit down and pray for a while. We like the really bad part about it is it should be such a delight? And often times it's not. And he says if we were perfected prayer would not be a duty it would be a delight and someday please God it will be. So hopefully our study today and in your own reading your own practice of prayer, you can come to a place where prayer is not a burden where you have to do it and maybe it's not at this point, but sometimes Perhaps it is but where it becomes a delight and hearing such a guy like CS Lewis to identify with us and that struggle I think means a lot at least it did to me. It's like I know I'm not alone. But yet. Yeah, he pushes us forward. And so there's another quote I wanted to reach a guy named Oswalt will get to this inside. The goal of Salvation is that people should be holy that they should share his character. The goal of Salvation is fellowship with God and that's what we've been talking about. Isn't it? Is that to be holy we talked about the very first week that called to be holy be holy as I am Holy and in doing so we can become conformed to His Image. We are transformed from Who We R Who We were and who we are we become transformed into the image of his son and his Holiness that we should share his character this fellowship with God. This is the goal of the study. We're doing broadly and of prayer today of what prayer is and so we have the need to be taught to to learn how to do this because we don't know how to pray right anybody else struggle with that is like, I know I don't know how to pray as I should and the Saint Paul College has the same struggle in the same way the spirit also helps our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we should but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, and he who searches the heart knows what the mind of the spirit is because he intercedes for the Saints according to the will of God. No, perhaps you you may not see immediately the significance of that but the tremendous importance of that but recognize their the spirit the spirit of God at the very end intercedes for the Saints. The holy spirit is interceding for you. The holy spirit is praying for you praying for your success course, I don't mean worldly success. He's praying for your success in the Divine Life. He's praying for your success in prayer cuz he knows we are weak. And the Holy Spirit of God is interceding for you. And of course, you know that Jesus is to Hebrew 7:25. Therefore he is able to save forever talk about Jesus being a high priest therefore he's able to stay forever those who draw near to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them then and out. Now, we knew we know this hurts, right but listen grab a couple words since he always lives to make intercession for them. Jesus lives for prayer He always is praying for you. He lives and existence of Prayer of communing. With God eternally and so when we pray guys when we pray we are doing the business of heaven. We are participating in the Divine Life. We are participating in heaven as he read in Ephesians last week chapter 4 believe it was that we are seated with Christ in the Heavenly places are currently seated with Christ in Heavenly places. When we pray we are doing the work of God we are about the business of Heaven is so far today for the how to we're going to look at the Lord's Prayer. That's why we're going to be in Matthew chapter 6 The quickly. I wanted to give you some other models. I've been wrestling with both the purpose of our entire study and the need and the importance of each part of its with waiting with meditation with prayer with reading scripture with fasting each of these could be the series to itself, but I'm not going to make it that what I'm done hoping to do is to whet your appetite. I'm not going to teach newsflash. I'm not going to teach you everything about prayer in the next half hour on a Sunday morning or wood nor would I next week or 14 weeks study on prayer? I'm not going to teach you everything there is to know about prayer at your job. I hope to whet your appetite for prayer give you some models of prayer Daniel. I like this Daniel 6 chapter 10 Daniel chapter 6 verse 10. He says now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his house and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem. He kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did a four-time. I must have grabbed this from like the King James or something is common practice. He went to his window kneel down toward Jerusalem three times a day. So Daniel is a good model for you to go to I wouldn't say kneel toward Jerusalem dope Christ comes from the East you can await his return getting in prayer facing the East feel free to but Daniel had a place where it's all about that later, but knows Daniel had a place he had set time. And again last week. This consistency the importance of being faithful and consistent in anything and learning anything but here in prayer three times a day in Psalm 55:17 the song that says evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice three times a day. I was talk about something yesterday. It was not about prayer anything but it's not doing something in Rhythm and you can get into a rhythm. It makes it easier it makes it it helps you stay faithful praying three times today. It's a great model Daniel. Here's a great model for prayer. Three times a day I pray and cry aloud and you will hear my voice or you could also do it seven times a day Psalm 119:164. Seven times a day. I praise you. Oh Lord and anniversary you two little bit before and it midnight. I shall rise and give thanks to you because of your righteous ordinances seven times a day praise you and I rise in the night watches to praise your name. This is what the monastic life is built on, you know monks in monasteries. They they work and they pray or at labora the Latin they have situated there days around these seven times of prayer. They took from the song Take Saint Benedict who wrote the rule of monks in it in the Western Europe in the 400s. He used this to say 7 times a day. We will gather together again. We will work we will come pray and they they they pray the Psalms they pray together. So how about seven times a day is actually not an unfathomable goal you wake up in the morning in prayer Pray before you go to work pray you get a break at 10 for a halfway through your morning lunchtime. Take a minute. Take some time to pray 3 break time again five before you return home preparing to meet your crazy family. We're going to be inundated with all kinds of things to take some time for prayer Pray Again in the evening with your family and then pray before you go to bed. 7 times a day you can pray very easily and that again. What is that do that's that's that's a pattern. It says that Rhythm since your Rhythm of the day, so you're never far away from God, you know, you're only 2 or 3 hours removed from being in his presence consciously know of course, we're always in his presence will being aware of that presence of God and then you become so close to practicing brother Lawrence's presence of God write 7 times a day. So you build that during the day there's also the idea of of quick prayers. These are some that a couple of these I pray I pray all is I do pray all of these Psalm 70 verse 1 and these are all taken from scripture. Oh God, come to my assistance Lord make haste to help me. I pray this one frequently. No it work. Oh my goodness when it when I'm when I'm facing these trials and it's just like the day is dragging me down with the Temptation. You're facing a Temptation. Oh God, come to my assistance Lord make haste to help me where they're facing a trial. Something's really hard. O God come to my assistance Lord make haste to help me or whether you you need to focus as you're entering and study of God's word. God come to my assistance Lord make haste to help me Psalm 70 verse 1 This is a good one. Lord have mercy on me a sinner you remember this is where the tax collector and and the de fericire on the temple and the Pharisees sitting there talking to God. I wouldn't say with God actually in scripture said he's still there speaking with himself that tells you who is audience. What was right. He standing there talking with himself faking like it's to God saying thank you that I'm so awesome. So Grand and magnificent when that Show Chorus praise should be directed to God. Thank you for me. He says and then I'm not like this stinking sinner over here. Question sidenote sidequesting you ever pray that you're ever think that thank you that I'm not like the stinky Center over here back to the topic you dwell on that. Thank you that I'm not like this guy. What did this guy do he beat his breast? Same Lord have mercy on me a sinner now in the Eastern Orthodox Church. This is their Central prayer. They have a little prayer ropes with knots all the way around it and it will constantly you'll see them fidgeting with these ropes always prank Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner is a prayer that I pray very often as well also while at work because I go through work and I want to living things you're not organized according to the way that I would prefer this person did not do that and I should have done that. That's what they need to do in order for efficiency because we know organization was that

Organization is the key to efficiency write my own phrase. I forgot it is organizational efficiency. If these guys are just trigger their bins, right if they stack their bins properly in the bunch of idiots. bunch of stinking sinners Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner. When You Face Pride when you face when you're looking down on somebody driving down the road and there's somebody there that you know, they're on drugs. Or Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner. I'm looking down on somebody else or Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy Is a great prayer to pray? And here's a great one for the morning begin your morning with this out of nice. If a type of tough Wolfie agreed that he liked that guy o'lord open my lips that my mouth shall declare your praise. What a wonderful way to start the day that you dedicate your mouth. How much do we need that right that you dedicate your mouth in your words to The Lord At the beginning of every day. So does a few examples of short prayers quick prayers hear other example, praying the song There's a book. I know I don't have it. I don't own it or it would be up here somewhere and I have some books on the back table. And where is there afterwards on prayer for you? There's a book praying the Psalms I think is what it's called. But praying the Psalms the wonderful way of prayers of Psalms. Our prayers most of them are prayers and it's a great way to get into prayer to have those lead you another one is prepared for the Anglican Church has the book of common prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours is a lot of different prepared books of prayer and sometimes you know, especially as Protestants are evangelicals. We like to do it my own way, which is cool. But sometimes truth be told we could use a little help Springs my what Chuck Smith founder of Calvary Chapel what he loves about the Psalms is he said what I love about the Psalms is that they safe for me. But I don't have the words to say if you're suffering join David in his suffering in that prayer that he prays in his suffering can speak so much to you is like yes. That's what I wanted to say. That's what I meant to say. I just didn't have the words. I didn't I didn't have the guts to pull them out. And so prepared prayers can also be very good. I think it is in Andrew Murray with Christ in the School of prayer. Is he take a look? Yes at the end of every chapter. He has a prayer to go through as well. Great book. We'll talk about this later with Christ in the School of prayer but prepared prayer. And so sometimes it's good to come along somebody else. So the songs are prepared prayer or to have some helps. So we don't know how to pray as we ought. Sometimes we can identify with somebody else's prayer when we don't know the words to say. But this morning we're going to turn to our example that Christ gave us these things all good things. Most of them often times modeled after the Lord's Prayer itself, but we're look at his prayer this morning. It was given on the sermon on during a Sermon on the Mount De Lux version might not be could be a repeat of same event. Here you see Jesus situated outside of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives and a Sermon on the Mount Jesus with his disciples and he teaches them things as quite possible. That would Matthew did is he collected a lot of teachings on Jesus put them into this handy Sermon on the Mount cuz we see a lot of these spread throughout everywhere else there in Mark and Luke. I me up three chapters of Jesus's teaching and it begins this way chapter 5 verse 1 says when Jesus saw the crowds he went up to the mountain and after we set down his disciples came to him and then he began to teach them sane, but Luke went with his version of The Lord's Prayer. It says that then you know, that's the disciples came and said Lord teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples and he said to them when you pray say so this is Jesus teaching the disciples in response to the disciples request teach us. So again, Trevor something we learn sprayer something that we are are taught and here we have the Lord's Prayer the model prayer. And so before we dive in is one thing I want you to notice again little phrases Little Words important. She knows what the disciples did. Okay? Yes. They came to the De Jesus said Lord teach us to pray you think about it. Literally they did one very very important thing before prayer before they learn to pray before they begin to pray is they came and they placed themselves in the presence of God. They came to the Lord and sat at his feet in this is again, like we talked about last week was the very first step in prayer and talk about his meditation last week. This meditative aspect is entering into the presence of God, or as we also rewarded that to become aware of the presence of God sits there. He's always with us but it is to focus and realize that he is there and to become aware of your dwelling in the presence of God. So first they come and they situate themselves in the presence of God. And then he says Matthew chapter 6 verse 5 When you pray do not be like the Hypocrites but they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corner so that they may be seen by men truly. I say to you they have their reward in full again focus on self, right, 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. There is a show-off time. It isn't like let me quote how much scripture I know during my prayer or let me speak. And if you do this, I'm not dogging you but if you do it for Pride, I'm warning you. Let me speak in King James English make my prayers more effective some prey in Ukiah and King James English when they pray that's fine. As long as it's not because it thinks makes up for more effective or more flowery to be seen by others. But praise the Lord lead, but be careful that is not a show prayer is not show off time. I love with Jesus says to do here we talked about this again last week that we talked about the situation The Sinner situation of your being sitting deep into God's presence. But Jesus says go find a place to make them like finding time. You'll find time to go make time does to make a place you have a place for prayer Andrew Murray here on page 35. I think I I put the sources of here so you can look at them yourself later. And of course the page numbers correspond to this particular printing, but I can help you find it. The secrecy of the inner chamber in the closed-door the entire separation from everything around us is an image of the inner spiritual Sanctuary The Secret of God's Tabernacle it is there within the veil that are Spirit truly comes into contact with the invisible one of your own life your own heart where God dwells it so it mirrors that going into this place and I have I have many friends who have what they call prayer corner so they have a little desk setup in it and they have you some books and Avenue candles and incense Albert a place to just create this this area of Holiness. And what is Holiness is being set apart, right? It's a it's a Sanctified place that they have in their house for prayer. It is not a four-walled closet, but it's their prayer corner and with with some help I have worked on and I have mine in my dick. Stuff keeps getting in there, but I keep getting it out. But that's my place and is going to be my place my prayer Corner as so you guys think about this set aside a play sanctify a place in your home where you meet with God has biblical precedent Jesus there tells us to do that as well and something to talk about here so briefly cuz I want to get bogged down by the posterior you're standing in the ancient practice was standing with hands raised to have in a Jewish practice kneeling to see that a scripture. A lot of it is a good way to practice that submission of the Lord and especially frustration laying out before God that sign of contriteness humility before God but a lot of books, I've read it at toggle sitting in a tin a hard back chair. So you don't well Drift Off to Sleep all good things things. You can study on your own but this here is really talking about setting the stage of time by posterior. It is. About preparing to enter Because We are not a spiritual dichotomy, but we are created as one the human being game became a human being but God bread breathed into them a spirit and it scripture says he became a nefesh a living nephesh which we often Translate to Hebrew a soul was not like a soldier dwelling in a pot. We are one unit. Our bodies were created by God. We will have our bodies for eternity glorified. I thank you very much. But yeah, so what we do with our body effects are spirits shopping center Focus On Christ come to a place of Commerce with your body and peace. It affects what your spirit does in entering as well CS Lewis and in his book again letters to Malcolm. He says the body ought to pray as well as the soul and it does it isn't just ought to but it does we enter into God's presence with our our whole being Richard Foster celebration of discipline page 28. The aim is to Center the attention of the body the emotions the mind and the spirit upon the glory of God in the face of Christ sighting 2nd Corinthians 4:6 The Amos to send her the attention of the body the emotions the mind of the spirit upon the glory of God in the face of Christ. We enter into prayer enter into his presence focus on him. Versed and he says when you are praying do not use meaningless repetition is the Gentiles do for this 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 that said the Gentiles the pagans think they will be heard because of their many words. This is manipulation. Now, there's no problem with mini worded prayers. There's no problem with repetitious prayers. His point is vain repetition. I will repeat in one of those prayers throughout train on a troubling day. I will pray all throughout train Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner or oh God come to my assistance Lord make to help me. The problem is not repetition. The problem is the vain repetition vain. If you know if you read through Ecclesiastes, you know, emptiness emptiness. All things are emptiness Vanity Vanity. All is Vanity. Vanity means emptiness So Vain prayers are empty prayers meaningless prayers. So how do you keep a repetitious prayer for being vain or meaningless? Make it meaningful mean it's it's not that hard. You can pray the same thing over we pray the Lord's Prayer once a month. On communion Sundays. We pray the Lord's Prayer and so in that sense, it's a long duration, but it's still repetitious. So how do you keep it from becoming meaningless but making sure it has meaning by praying it intently. It can become any prayer can become empty if you let it but that's a fault of the prayer not the prayer that you could always say. It's the fault of the person praying not the fault of the prayer itself as manipulation. I should have read this earlier. This is a book I had from my undergrad days at Nazarene Bible College invitation to a journey by Robert Mulholland, really good stuff in here, and I'm glad I return to it hadn't been here for a few here. But I love what he says here. We are interested in knowing what works and in developing the skills for prayer that will ensure that our prayers are affected as a result. Our pretends to be a shopping list of things to be accomplished and attempt to manipulate the symptoms of our lives without really entering into a deep vital transforming relationship with God in the midst of what we think we need Usually forgetting that your father knows what you need before you ask him. How often do our prayers to come shopping lists Lord Give Me This I need this. This person's heard anything good good president, or you can come shopping list stored to this person needs you the person you just go down the list asking asking asking without ever entering in your the father knows it says here what you need before you ask him. Prayer is not manipulation getting God to do what you want. Communication and communing with God. So then after this he then gives the model prayer verse 9 chapter 6 pray then in this way Our Father Who Art in Heaven script going to King James Our Father who art in heaven now another quote from Mulholland here. He says that prayer is primary primarily relational not functional. I love it here. He says our father. So what does that say? That's a relationship right prayer is relational not just functional. So it begin recognize this reality of relationship with God. You are you're coming to your daddy? Yes, we talked about here. Yes, he is Sovereign. He is Holy. He's in charge of big but he's a good good father as a prayer here. We see is relational. Our Father who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name and what is this it is praise it is worship. It is acknowledging what is worship acknowledging the worth of the other Hallowed be thy name is an acknowledgement of the worth of God. It is worship in this is very important is giving praise to God recognizing him and his rightful place, which of course then rourke's reflexively right where you recognize your place as well, but this is highly recommended for when you enter into prayer of Praise begin with was singing a song put on some some music and set that tone of your prayer and your worship time. And meet without acknowledging and Eddie get it at the beginning that setting of the stage and we're doing is your your situating yourself hear your situating yourself in relationship to him. He is Father you are son. Yes, he is father but he also he is in charge and this is relational. So continue with that idea verse 10 your kingdom come or die kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. so getting your your settings your your your situating yourself in the presence of God in relationship to God acknowledging his place Henry Newman says that just as prayers is the act of our new self and relationship with God prayer is the active dying to all the we consider to be our own and of being born to a new existence which is not of this world is the focus is your is your kingdom Lord your kingdom come your will be done your heaven on Earth as it should be Jesus says here this heaven on Earth this this your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven is accomplished first and primarily Through us through his action in US you want to see his will work on Earth goal of people you want to see his heart for the leper and acted on Earth. Go visit a homeless shelter go to a soup kitchen serve do something. You want to see God's will done on Earth. Do it.

God is in a magic pony. You don't just call on him. He comes down and fixes everything he works through us. He feeds the poor. He visits the sick. He takes care of the homeless visits the orphan and the Widow in their distress through you through me. You want his will done on Earth get to work and so this idea of manipulation and and shopping list prayers right out the window. His will not mine. Mo Holland again, this book here prayer truly draws us into God's involvement in the Brokenness of the world. But on his terms not ours is so now we see all the spiritual to split Des Plaines prayer. It's transformative it transforms us all of the disciplines even prayer that would we go to God and ask for things right. Now it transforms us to transformative. Next. Jesus says there is room for request. Of course, give us this day our daily bread, but notice that this is only after placing ourselves in our proper context in our proper relationship to God. Oh then do we make requests after acknowledging his worth his greatness submitting our will to his only then do we make requests? After recognizing him to Sovereign as loving father as worthy of Praise ever situating ourselves and right relationship with them and we do and we do not command. We do not command him as as some unfortunately some Churches teach but prayer rather is it's like it's like being on a boat and using it your your rope and and tying and is throwing a rope out there throwing it to a rock or a doctor to say the rocket go on the Rock and you pull the You Pull the Rope you're not pulling the rock closer to yourself. You're pulling yourself closer to the Rock and same with prayer. It's is laying that out there for God, but you're not pulling God down on the earth. You're not making him conform to your will you are pulling in your pulling yourself closer to him. This is the work of prayer. I found this one this morning McCary is one of the desert fathers were born in 300 says our prayer. That is it once tranquil and fervent ought to be a waiting upon God for God to come in perminate perminate all its approaches all its ways all its senses. See prayer is God focused. It has a waiting on God Is Us Drawing Near and God permeating all that is welcome back that when you look macarius 4 verse 12 continuing the prayer Jesus says and forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors debts, and you also know sins transgressions. Regardless, we forgive He says they'll swear a lot of the ancient writers would say monastic writers. Someone somewhere says Jesus says do you have if your brother has something against you go and make it right with him. I'm paraphrasing now go and make it right with him and then come back and offer your offering. We have things to forgive the things that hold on baby hold onto we have forgiveness that we need because we also have forgiveness that we need to Grant. We have things weighing us down bogging us down and it may be something that we need to forgive. Not just once but a continual forgiving you you think of something that happens that that happened bad to you and your past and yeah we talked about. Yeah, I've forgiven them. And it's good. Will you realize it's a process of always forgetting every time it comes to mind. You have to reform give you have to keep that spirit of God alive in your heart that fluidity that Grace live in your heart. So when we forgive our debtors or those who have sinned against us and is often a continual forgiving Verse 13 says do not lead us into temptation. But Deliver Us from Evil Now by anyone right but when you are tempted, you're carried on by owner lost but God is always provide a way of Escape. God does not want you to send them right out of the way. So he does not set opportunities for you to send in front of the whole bit of this know God doesn't do that. God does not lead us into that sort of Temptation. So this can be taken two ways and both are proper to lead us into temptation be Lord don't allow us to go there don't allow us to even get their protect us from that. That's when you see Deliver Us from Evil, but also we talked about this a few weeks ago Temptation doesn't just mean tempted by sin with the Greek word Kairos Moss is the same exact one we use for trials and tribulations. So lead us not into trials and tribulations. I don't want to die by crucifixion at the hands of atheists pray to be spared that trial is not a bad thing to be pray to pray be preserved not Jesus in the garden three times three times in the garden Lord of if it be your will take this cup from me. We don't have to plunge headlong into that. We can pray lead us not into those trials those things that that the seat to harm us, but Deliver Us from Evil but also from Temptation Lord, keep me from Temptation or keep me through it. Temptation is not send when Temptation comes Lord help me go away from it helped me to see my way through it and away from it Deliver Us from Evil and the final Clause here for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen know I think they might be having a lot of other ones have it movie has that in Brackets is because most of the earliest and most complete Bibles for the like the first 500 years didn't have this. It actually looks like this is a prayer like sology. I just called the doxology like a doxology or benediction in a prayer in church service that they would pray after the Lord's Prayer and it worked its way into the text, but it's here. God damn that it be here and so here we go. Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. So spinal phrase I think sums up a lot of what we talked about. Yours is the kingdom we can we recognize that God is King that God has a claim on you and your obedience. God is king you are in his kingdom for his is the kingdom and the power he is Sovereign and he is able and the glory soli Gloria Dei Sully and oral only for the glory of God So all things to God's glory everything that we pray to God's glory and is entering in this drawing that pulling the rock closer to you right now that pulling yourself closer to God all for his glory.

And we're done. It's time to go. There's prayer got it. Nailed got it all figured out now good. Right. Here's the thing. Here's why I have these years. Why have those back their prayers a lifelong Adventure? We need learning in these guys. They've been there. They're still probably struggling with her like we are but they have wise things to teach us we go learn about practice here and tell you about intercessory prayer what it means to be praying for others or or Thanksgiving prayers of Thanksgiving prayers of Supplication. I could do this forever, but it's time for us to take an investment ourselves read if you can or listen to people find a podcast YouTube videos things like that, but continued learning cuz I can't do it for you. I can't I can't I can teach you a little bit but I can't even make you learn sitting right here and Sunday mornings for half an hour 40 minutes is nothing to something that you need to be involved and you need to pursue. This is what was this this song? I thought that at the end, but they're your participation is something that you need to participate in here is a great helps though. This is Andrew Murray's with pricing to school prayer. This is set up as a 30-day devotional there there 30 chapters in it and let me talk about the Steve Martin playing the banjo last week play 20 minutes a day and became one of the great we won Grammys learning does devote himself to 20 minutes a day without what if you devoted yourself to prayer for 20 minutes a day. What if you would have you did this starting on well start now if you want to or August 1st One chapter small chapters a day. What if you spent 30 days devoting yourself to a month of Prayer? What if we is a fellowship did that I have the time to think through these things and organize months of prayers. I'm sorry. Maybe we should maybe we will maybe I'll come back to this halfway through our Old Testament study will do like 6 weeks on for I don't know but what if we prayed? We devoted 30 days to prayer is a congregation but individually so I can't take you and hold you by the hand. I can try to give you everything that I can but this is insufficient. It requires your participation. But if you did this if you really enter into prayer you will be transformed. So, where do you begin the begin where you are going to Saints for 60 years or 60 Minutes 60 minutes and then you got saved during the service. So come see me after look pray. But you begin where you are giants of the faith have only become Giants of the faith after much work and what persistence faithfulness consistency. Continually doing it so I can't do it for you. I'm calling you would like I said this whole series join me in this I am transforming my life during this process as well. I am setting up like two weeks ago. I set up my prayer corner. I am taking these steps myself. So I'm inviting you invitation to a journey. I'm inviting you on this journey, and we're doing this together so you can be as investors you want but the Christian life is not just found here on Sunday mornings. This is not the Christian Life that is out there and how and when and where you meet with God being a disciple of God is a way of life. Not a fleeting moment. A Sunday morning. It's a way of life and it requires your participation. So as we leave this place today this week participate with me go with me diving deeper with me pick things up read them or exercise prayer. Studying scripture pursue God draw him closer to yourself now draw yourself closer to God and with his help. The holy spirit is praying for you. Jesus is praying for you. Everybody's praying for you draw deep.

Lord again this invitation. We thank you so much for inviting us in. We thank you Lord for calling us and say come here. Come here. Come here be holy as I am Holy. We thank you for that call but more importantly thank you for the ability to do. So. We thank you that you equip us that you strengthen us you provide for us. The means to do that, which we have been called to do the Lord draws and help us draw in. Lord we want to meet with you want to be better people. We want to we want to look like Jesus on Earth want to be excellent to each other. We can't do it on our own we're so screwed up or help us transform us into the image of your son that our lives might radiate Your Glory Am I ready at your goodness in your love in our homes in our in our community in our workplace Lord? Help us be more like you so we might transform this world to your image Lord help us in this work. We need it desperately. We love you Lord. We think in your name we pray. Amen.