Sunday, February 23 2020-Ask, Seek, Knock, Part 2

Wonderful to hear all the fellowship going on. If you have your Bibles turn to Matthew chapter 6 Matthew chapter 6. That's we're going to start here in just a moment last week. We started a new series and that series was about is about prayer. How should we pray? Why should we pray? What should our prayers sound like last week? If you were here, we talked a little bit about the fact that dope rare is so basic to the Christian faith is something all of us struggle with prayer is not easy prayer is not something that honestly comes naturally prayer is something we have to work at because prayer is a conversation right and like any conversation like any communication between two people if you don't work at it, it's going to go wrong in it. Now. The the good news is the more you communicate with someone normally the better you're going to get at it. Yeah, that the more you develop that relationship the easier Communications going to become a life the more we commit ourselves to prayer the more we pray the easier time we're going to have praying but it takes effort or I didn't really never actually get to the point where I don't have to think about it cuz the second stop thinking about it. Well, then you back slit alright prayer like conversation between any two people that care about each other has to be sincere. It has to be in and we talked last week about how prayer is difficult because unlike a normal conversation. We can't simply look God in the face. We don't hear his voice in the same way. We hear the voice of our spouse or children or friends or neighbors room or employer-employee, whoever. Alright, so prayer takes effort in this morning. What I want to do is talk to us a little bit about how should I pray now if prayer doesn't come naturally if there isn't something we could just do without thinking within there should be some guidance somewhere. So when it's time for me to pray, how should I pray? What if you have your Bibles? Like I said turn over to Matthew chapter 6 Matthew chapter 6 And we are going to start. Me find my place here. I believe up in verse 5 Matthew chapter 6 up in verse 5.

Let's read this together. This is Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount. It's one of the longest sections of teaching we have recorded and he spend some serious time in this message telling people how they're supposed to pray because even in Jesus's day, they struggled with it and he knew it right to Matthew chapter 6, verse 5 And when you pray do not be like the Hypocrites for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others truly. I tell you they have received their reward in full, but when you pray go into your room close the door pray to your father who is insane then your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you pray do not keep babbling like the pagans where they think that they will be heard because of their many words do not be like them for your father knows what you need before you ask him. Does pause right there for a second? Your father knows what you need. Before you ask him notice that in this Jesus actually gives us. seducing don'ts What we do naturally sometimes our things we shouldn't do what we should do in our prayer. We often don't finish it and gives us an example of how we should pray. This thing is how you should pray. Our Father in heaven Hallowed Be Your Name Your Kingdom Come your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but Deliver Us from the evil one for if you forgive other people when they sinned against you your heavenly father will also forgive you but if you do not forgive others their sins your father will not forgive you your sins. All right, let's pause there for a second.

How do I pray to Jesus actually began with some donuts and the donuts are pretty basic. He said don't pray simply to be seen by others. We don't pray for show. now I know not many of us in here. We're going to walk out onto the square in front of the Alamo and start praying at the top of our lungs. So people see it. I have a couple guys do that. I don't think it's any of y'all. All right. I heard one guy preaching a sermon out there once with a bullhorn and everybody doing their best to pretend he was in there. That's not what this world. That's what about this is talking about. That's not the only thing this is talking about when we pray. What's her motives? What's her motivation? This could even be true in the family when you are praying with your family with your wife or your husband and your children or whoever it is. Are you actually stopping to talk to God or are you going through a ritual? So they see you doing it?

Are you really stopping to pray to God or do you just want to set a good example for your kids and then hear you pray? But the truth is you're thinking about everything else. You've got to get done. No, I think we're all guilty of that at one point or another aren't we? but that's actually praying to be seen by others and that's not how prayer works pretty as not a ritual that guy just automatically responds to You know what? I like computers and that kind of stuff when one principle with computers is what you put in is what you get out. If you push the right buttons at the right time the computer is going to do what you wanted to do. If you push the wrong buttons at the wrong time, you're going to break it. I've done that too. God's not a computer God doesn't simply answer because we've gone through the formula or gone through the paces for instance. This is what I struggle with when I was younger. I was taught pray before you eat, right? Why because if you choke you want to go to heaven

y'all laughing. I know you thought that yourself when you were younger.

How many of us it to pray and ask God please bless this food. Thank you. You can we go to the same prayer. We say it so fast and the truth is what's in our head is how good that's about to taste.

Now I'll give you props that you stop to pray. But that kind of prayer isn't what God looking for and God doesn't wait to bless what he gives you until you ask him to you have it because he blessed you in the first place. If you're going to stop and pray be sincere. Don't just do it to be seen next. Don't use meaningless repetition. Don't just say the words you think God wants to hear it don't think because you say it over and over and over that he's going to pay more attention to you. Because he's not.

They gave us some dudes as well. Keep it intimate.

What is it? We probably don't know somebody like this. You are trying to have a conversation with somebody. And you know good and well they were not listening to a word you said. Anybody ever had that conversation?

There's five honest people in this room.

Then we've all had those conversations, right? How many of us have been the person that their jogging and was doing the mouth? Bissell healthy communication is it I member when I was in early high school there was a lady who live back up on the hill behind us. She had a special needs child that I loved. He was awesome this lady. She was a mess and I'm going to be nice cuz I'm a preacher and his church on Sunday, but she was a mess. And she would call my mom because Mom wasn't rude. My mom wouldn't be mean to her. So she brought that out and most people and she would just start talking and the lady would talk and talk and talk and mom my mom. She's a talker to she likes to talk. That's who I get it from. She try to get a word in edgewise just to be fair and communicate and you'll participate but that lady wouldn't listen to anything and it didn't matter what you think. Your mom should be cooking supper. She had three boys. We like to eat as you can imagine two separate was always pressing in our house. Fushimi cooking should be working. Okay. Okay. I need to go finish supper for my boys. It wouldn't slow the lady down. My mom several times take the phone and just set it on the little countertop dare walk away make the mac and cheese whatever she was making she come back every few minutes pick it up.

50 down go do her Thang the lady never knew. Because it wasn't communication. It was simply talking at somebody. How often can we be guilty of talking at God? Cuz you something with prayer prayers about two way communication know God doesn't speak audibly for us to hear. Sometimes. I really wish you did but that's not the way he works. He speaks through his Spirit. He speaks through his word. But if you want to hear God, you have to be listening to block that person. You probably know that that they'll come up and talk to you but you talk so softly that you think I need hearing aids did this isn't working. That's sort of the way God works in the Old Testament had one of his profits and he was wanting to hear God and there was a giant earthquake God wasn't in the noise the earthquake. There was a violent storm in the storm passes at know God's voice wasn't in the storm. There was a raging fire know God's voice wasn't in the Raging Fire. Then there was the still small whisper. And that's where God's voice was found. Part of prayer is that intimate moment for we not only for our hearts to God, but we sit and we listen for him to speak back to us to give us guidance to give us Comfort along the way. Who is to be intimate? Is it go into your in a room your bathroom? If you want to call it that your bedroom someplace other people aren't keep it between you and God cuz it's a private conversation and then This is the one I love. Trust he already knows. Now we said all along communicating with God can be difficult because he's not a person we can look at he doesn't speak audibly so that we can hear but he is communicating and he is listening but this is where it gets good. He doesn't actually depend on what we say. Because what we say often, is it good enough is it? When we pray how many times have you been in prayer to God over something that's really bothering you and you couldn't really put it into words you tried but you knew the words weren't good enough. Something is didn't slow God down one bit. He knew before you asked. In fact, we're told we're giving his Spirit the Holy Spirit. The one that lives within is one of the key things the spirit does for us. It's translate our prayers beyond words. Trust me as a preacher. I know this really well words only go so far. I can't even begin to tell you and I'm giving no specific examples, but how many times are preacher sermon and somebody comes up to me afterwards that I really like the point you made about whatever and I'm kind of scratching head thinking that make that point. I don't think I made that point whatever they were listening to think maybe got the earbuds in while I'm preaching they got somebody else on their phone or something know the truth is vocal communication only go so far. It's easy to be misunderstood, but we talked about last week. Sometimes we say something if people don't hear what we say. We say it wrong and they hear something we didn't intend to but was God I bet is never a problem. God knows what you need what you want what you're trying to say before you even say it. That doesn't mean we don't stop to pray because prayer isn't about listing our again Amazon wish list. prayers about intimate time with God and when we go into it knowing he's going to be able to here we go into it with more confidence. We go into it realizing. This prayer has already worked and now I simply get to be with my guide through this time. Now. Jesus doesn't stop there or right there in the last part that we read he

It gives us an example of how to pray which I love I like when the Bible says. Okay, I want you to do this and then it goes so far as to tell you and this is how I want you to do it. He doesn't just simply leave it up to our imagination. Now, let me qualify this he gives us an example. He doesn't simply tell us what to say right? Sometimes we look at the the prayers in the Bible and we think we'll if I can just repeat the prayer that guy I prayed then I'll have the same results that person had. And again, that's not how it works cuz it's not a formula it's relationship, but I will also say sometimes I pray these prayers. Like the one right here that Jesus gives as an example prayer. There are times when I don't know what else to say when it's just a feeling and I don't know how to express my feelings. But this prayer seems to do it. I will pray this prayer as my own words. Because I know. It communicates what I needed to communicate. Philip back Matthew chapter 6 I'm going to be in verse 9 to 13. Again. This is how you should pray 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. Come on, let's work. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven our debtors. Remotes being slow and lead us not into temptation, but Deliver Us from the evil one. Our Father who is in heaven

May your name be holy ever you want Jesus wants to several different ideas. in this prayer he starts with let's get over here. praising God where do our prayers usually start? God I need what do you think it would be better to start guide?

Hallowed be your name You Are Holy You are great. Here's the funny part. You're not buttering. Got up. Okay. God doesn't need to be buttered up before he hears. Whatever it is. You want him to hear this is actually in my prayers I need

God is King above all Kings. He is the Lord of all creation. He is the I am there is no one there is nothing in all the universe and Beyond. That compares to him. So it's good to start my prayer reminding myself who I'm talking to. It also helps me remember that whatever it is. I think I'm struggling with right now. The one I'm talking to is far far far far bigger than my problem.

so our father in Heaven How would be your name? Holy be your name revered be your name because you're worthy of that. the next your kingdom come The next thing Jesus prayed for his is not just a God's greater than all. Is that his kingdom is the center of everything? He stops to pray about. God's reign He stops to think about the fact that God is in control and that Jesus himself actually had a part to play in that Kingdom a very pivotal part, but here's the deal. So do you

So instead of starting with hey God, I don't know what to do about the bumper in my truck. But yeah, I do. I just don't like what I'm going to have to do, right? Instead God. You're holy. And God your kingdom. That's what matters most all these other things that are boiling up inside of me all of these other things that I'm struggling with those or secondary. the following you this is not just your kingdom come but it's your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. What's most important in my life? Prayer will help you discover that. if all you were praying for is for God to make your life easier.

Then it's telling you your focus is in the wrong place. Cuz is the ease in which I go through life. Should that be what's most important to God? Hold on. I don't pray for God to make my life easier over don't we? What do we ask for most of the time? God made me feel better. I feel like The Walking Dead right now.

Isn't that going to make my life easier? God help me with this relationship that I'm having cuz this relationship is difficult and it's causing ulcers and migraines and everything else. Why isn't that going to make my life easier?

even God please help my loved one that I'm worried about.

Actually won't even that make my life. easier because then I won't have to worry anymore.

What are we most concerned about?

Our own lives or his kingdom cuz I can tell you what Jesus was most concerned about.

God's Kingdom he was worried about God's will being done in his own Comfort his own. He's that the ease with which he could go through life was not his concern. He still struggled and he still braided time in the garden. He said father. Take this cup from me. I don't know if I can do this, but then what did he immediately say? But it's not about me. It's about you. There is an incredible prayer. No, does that mean it's wrong to say God? Help me get over this flu. God be with my loved one who struggling. No, it's not wrong. What's wrong is to think? That's the most important thing in your life. Because it's not supposed to be. It supposed to be our father in his kingdom and sometimes we have to face hard times. To come to grips with that. This might be the hardest lesson. We have to learn as Christians. There were two times in my life. where

I really struggled with prayer one. I was really young. I don't know a 9 years old and nobody laughs between eight or nine-year-old. This was a big deal. We had moved to a new house new state new place. The house was sort of a dump to be honest, but it had lots of fruit trees a big Garden in a little shed the back where Dad had bought me and my brothers are rabbit. Just a little white silly rabbit while we were in Oklahoma and in Oklahoma storms roll through right high wind storms all of that. Well Storm roll through and apparently the gate on the little shed that we kept the rabbit in got knocked open and the rabbit try to run out, but then it closed. No broke the rabbits back in for a nine year old that was hard to take and I remember sitting with that little white rabbit in that yard because under the pear tree. Praying like I had never prayed in my life. God please heal my rabbit. They may say that was silly. That was just a kid. See what that nine-year-old kid. I still believe probably had more faith in this fifty-year-old us.

And I believe God could do it. I had no doubt God could do it and the fact that the rabbit was dying made no sense to me. Why?

Garden answer that prayer rabbit died cuz facts don't kill themselves.

the next one Was 20-something years later? Sitting at a Bible study. I got the phone call. Your brother's been hit by a car get to Havoline as fast as you can because he's not going to last long.

And through that drive three hours, I believe it was. I prayed Non-Stop.

Got to the hospital when just me praying over people. I didn't know praying there were dozens and dozens and dozens of people from the college friends professors. The church have been attending the elders. Everybody was praying. Everybody had face. Everybody wanted him to be well.

He what? which made me stop and think why pray?

Seriously, why pray? if the most sincere prayer that you want the deepest is seemingly ignored.

Why pray?

And I struggled with that for a long time. Do sometimes still makes me pause on occasion? What am I asking God for? part of the problem in both of the situations wasn't that God didn't care what I was going through wasn't that God didn't care what I wanted in that end part of it was my number one concern actually wasn't gods. Here's the thing life and death to God. Is neither here nor there?

My brother did not cease to exist today. He died. In fact, he exists more than I do now. He overcame he's better off. I'm the one left hurting. My mom is the one left hurting. My brother other one are the ones left hurting. He's not hurting.

What do we put first? We put our own desires first or do we put God first now don't misunderstand me here. Does that mean we don't pray for stuff like that? Yeah, we do. Who when we kneel before God before we ask we say God you are King You Are Holy you come first here's what I'm struggling with. But God, it's not my will it's yours, but here's what we can pray. God help me through it. Help me make the most of it. Help me use this situation whatever it is to glorify you. And sometimes that Glory will come in the response that the one we're praying for with ourselves or somebody else will be healed. It does happen. but the healing isn't The biggest part of that the Gloria brings to God is the biggest part of that. Sometimes they will not be healing. So why do we pray we pray that in the midst of pain and Chaos we glorify God. Cuz that's what matters.

Vacu notice here is the first one praise God the second one pray for his kingdom first. You have to get on down here and it all Jesus says when it came to me. Give us today what we need. It was no Amazon wish list in this prayer God. I acknowledge you were going to provide.

And that's the end of that part. He didn't dwell on it anymore. Then he goes on.

This is God forgive me. This should be a part of every prayer we pray. Cuz I don't care who you are. I don't care. How good you think you are. You're not that good. You saying I know you saying because we all send it may not be murder and theft and whatever else that sits high up on that list the way we look at it, but I guarantee arrogance Pride selfishness we all suffer. So we ask God God. Forgive us that should be part of our prayer part of our prayer If part of our prayer is not confessing our failures to our father. We're wasting our prayer life. Cuz the good thing is when we confess them to him. He forgives them. In fact, we find out. He's already forgiven them. Even the confessing is actually for us. God doesn't need to hear it. He wants to hear it because it's going to help us when we say it out loud. But notice this one there's an ass trick. That's really smart. Maybe you can't see it. Jesus qualified this one, didn't he? He said forgive us. as or like we've forgiven those who heard us.

Alright, here's a big part of her life.

We confess our own sins. Are we willing to confess the sins? We don't want to forgive do we spend time in our prayer forgiving those who have hurt us? Poor is her attitude. God forgive me, but that dude don't.

That person doesn't deserve it. I know we never actually say that to God, but I know we think it in the problem is God hears our thoughts to dudney. He knows what her attitude is. So forgive me Father, but only forgive me. lockout forgiving others Again, that's for me to make me do a reality check. That's where I am right now. lemon, finally Can you pray for protection but look at the protection he prayed for too often what we pray for exclusively is the physical stuff.

but the physical stuff Will always catch up with this in the end this life listen to me very carefully. I don't want you to misunderstand me. This life is meant to end. Now my prayer for each and everyone of you my hope. For myself to not going to lie. Did you have a long good life?

But that life will end. You can't take enough vitamins. You can't exercise enough. You can't eat well enough. You can't go to the doctor unless you can't do anything enough that one day that life is not going to end physically. So Jesus didn't even pray for that. He said lead us not into temptation, but Deliver Us from the evil one. You know what our prayer life should be more concerned with our spiritual lives. Got the physicals going to happen. I trust you in that member last week. We looked a little bit earlier on or after before after I get confused sometimes right here in the same sermon. He says not worrying about tomorrow. What you going to eat? What you going to wear where you going to live? He's as your father in Heaven Knows, you need those things. He'll take care of that you seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all this other will be given to you the physical stuff. God will handle we don't need to worry about that. What we need to worry about is the spiritual God help me avoid Temptation God deliver me from the evil ones that are pursuing me. The spiritual forces were talking about this and on Wednesday night at Auditorium Flats the spiritual powers in this universe then want nothing more than to separate me from my Creator. God deliver me from them. Because physical death because of Jesus I can handle that. spiritual death you can't So God protect me, but protect me where it matters most cuz I know you've already got the other part.

One more thing this morning.

Like I said, I love the example prayers. We find in scripture. I want us to look at 1. Set a group of people prayed and God answered immediately. He answered in a very

knock your socks off weigh Take every Bibles turn over to the book of Acts chapter 4. Acts chapter 4

and we're going to be in versus 23 Andre Down 2 verse 31. Alright what's happening here early on. Early on in Christianity. I mean all the Christians were basically still in Jerusalem and hadn't been that long since Jesus had ascended into heaven but persecution is already starting and Peter and some other Apostles have been arrested. They been persecuted there been people praying for them because of that looks like and what happens here after Peter and John have been before the council. They've been threatened. They've been abused their let go they go back to all the other Christians and then this is the same starting a verse 23 on their release Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders has said to them which is basically quit talking about Jesus or else When they heard this, they raise their voices together in prayer to God and I want you to listen to this prayer. Sovereign Lord, they said you made the heavens and the Earth in the sea and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouths of your servant Our Father David, why do the nation's rage in the people plot in vain the kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles in the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed they did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen now Lord consider their threats.

What would you pray next? What you stop for second. They've been threatened. They've been abused. It feels like the whole world's turning against them. Now the Lord consider their threats. What would come next for you?

And make them go away.

Keep them from hurting. Stop them in their plans. But is that what they prayed? What is look at what they pray?

consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness stretch out your hand and heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

Didn't pray God. Please make them be nice to us. did the They were looking at their government the ones who held the most power.

And they said no. They're going to raid they're going to do what they do. God help us be louder. Help us speak Boulder do more things that honestly is going to irritate them.

This wasn't about God make my life easier. This was God help me be Boulder. When they stand against you help me get loud. when they threaten us help me step it up.

in modern Texan the way I would translate this is simply this. Bring it. That was early Christian attitude. You're going to persecute as you're going to be mean to us. You're going to threaten us you're going to take our lives and that's going to happen very shortly in this story. Steven is going to go out and he's going to get bold and he's going to bring it and they're going to kill him for it. You know what Stephen prices are killing him. God forgive them same thing Jesus pray. They have no clue what they're doing. Don't hold this against them. how God responds Try to do this without my glasses 31, I think. After they prayed the place where they were meeting was shaken. When are we cool of God always answered immediately in a way you knew he answered. I think they knew the answer. Vape raid guide Help us. Bring it. And God shook the house.

Maybe you can look at.

Your life right now.

I'm not going to sit through all this I've already said it.

I forget where I am sometimes.

You feel like God shaking the house. You don't feel like he's answering. Maybe you're praying the wrong thing. Maybe you're too worried about yourself. Not that you're not important, but God's Got You. You taking care of you. You don't have to worry. He knows the problems. He has the answers and he's with you each step of the way. Beyond this life even That's the Christian. Hope the Christian. Hope has never been God. I'm going to be a Christian. So my life in this world will be easy. That's not it. Never happened. Are hoping this world is God. Give me through this life to the next one. This one is better with you. The next one is going to be beyond belief.

But our prayers have to reflect that our prayers should be a time to remember that. So what are you what what are you struggling with right now?

I did this in another sermon I had too much.

Go get all that.

Sometimes I have too much to freeze. That's a good thing. What are you praying? Are you praying with early Christians? Bring it? You're the one part. I will bring out on the part that you skipped when the Apostle Paul struggled. It's a God, please help me. I can't handle what's happening. You are God's answer was.

My grace is enough for you. My grace can handle it God's grace can handle whatever it is you're struggling with but do you trust him in that breaks? I have a challenge for you this week.

Do not pray for yourself all week long.

Pray to God about how great he is. Pray for his kingdom. Pray, if you're going to pray for yourself pray for boldness to be the person he calls you to be but don't worry about the other stuff this week. Spend as many minutes as you can praying those prayers and see where you are a week from now. I promise you your outlook will change. Because you spend that time type of time with God he will change you. That's a guarantee.