Prayer

[0:00] Greetings and salutations, some would say. You know, I was honored and privileged to be able to bring the Bible study. The pastor asked me several weeks ago, and I said, yeah, yeah, I'll do it. Some of you may know I haven't done a Bible study in a while, but last year at this time in the Denver area, I was doing Bible studies at two nursing homes every week, and so I got into a routine. Well, I got knocked out of the routine, still waiting to see what God would have me to do here. And so when you're patient with God, He lets you know what to do. So I prayed about where to go with it, and a couple days, I knew. You start researching it. Those of you know who I'm talking about, if you ever know the class, you know the Lord gives you these things, and it just rolls. And when you run into a bump in a log, guess what?

[1:02] He stops you. He really does when you're teaching. So, I appreciate this church that we have a mid-week prayer time. You cannot believe good Bible-preaching churches that have gotten away from praying at church, whether it be group prayer or like we do it. This is great.

[1:30] This is great. I know churches, good, solid churches, soul-winning churches that got away from it. Pastors call.

[1:41] Why? I don't know. This is so great, having the prayer time. And a prayer app that we can be notified on things and instantly pray. Instantly pray.

[1:53] Before we start, let's pray. Father God, we just can't thank You enough for Your Word. We thank You for this time that we can look in Your Word. Teach us, Father.

[2:06] Let the Word speak to our hearts and our minds. And we ask it all in Jesus' name and for Your honor and glory. Amen. Prayer.

[2:16] We're talking about it. It's Bible study. Let's talk about prayer tonight. Let's get back to basics. What's prayer? What's prayer?

[2:29] It's talking to God. Communicating with God. We're talking to the Creator of the universe. Prayer. We're speaking to Him. We're asking things.

[2:40] We're requesting things. We have needs and wants. And we're taking it. We're taking all our requests to Him. And we think about prayer.

[2:51] That simple thing of just communicating with the Creator of the universe. There are some purposes for prayer, aren't there? There are some basic things.

[3:03] When you think about how you pray, how we pray, there are some basic principles about prayer. You can boil it down to four things.

[3:14] You can boil it down to worship. He's the God of creation. He is our God. Almighty God, the God of love, the God of mercy, the God of my salvation.

[3:25] Worship. The second, confession. We've got to confess to the Lord. If we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, we've got to be clean for our prayers to really get the attention of God.

[3:44] He hears all our prayers, doesn't He? Even if we're out on the wayside somewhere, instant, He still hears.

[3:55] He knows your thoughts. He knows what's in your heart. He still hears it. You may not get an answer like you like, but He's the God that can hear your thoughts and knows what's in your heart.

[4:11] Prayer. The purposes. Worship. Confession. Thanksgiving. We always got to be thankful for what He's already...

[4:23] How often we have our prayers answered and we fail to give Him the thanks that He deserves. He's God Almighty. Our Lord.

[4:33] Capital L-O-R-D. And our requests, of course. We always got to request. Father, my tires are getting a little bald. Can you help me out here?

[4:45] I don't know how I'm going to be able to pay for a new set of tires. My kids have a problem in school. Can you help them out? Little things. What about the cat?

[4:56] I pray the cat doesn't eat that cord. Simple things. The little things, the big things, and we're going to look at that. The Bible tells us in James chapter 5, the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

[5:14] We know that. Some of us can quote it. Young people, if you don't know it, learn it. It's a good one. Think about it. Think about the words. And then, in that section there where he's talking about praying for, the context there is praying for the sick.

[5:34] And he talks about the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Then he talks about Elijah. Isaiah, it says.

[5:45] It's Elijah. And how he prayed that it wouldn't rain. Three and a half years. Then he prayed again and it rained. Now, that's a simple, simple statement.

[6:01] If you look back in 1 Kings 18, when he prayed for that rain to come, it took some time. He got on, well, of course, we know the story.

[6:13] We had the miracle that drenched sacrifice with the water in the trough, in the ground around there. and the flames came down from heaven and God took that sacrifice and the stones and the dust and the water took it all.

[6:32] And the people, because it was the contest between the hundreds of Baal and Elijah, they fell on their faces and what they said, the Lord, he is God.

[6:44] And it's revival. This is what he wanted. He wanted Israel to turn back to God and they said, the Lord, he is God. And they fell down. And Elijah said, now it's time, revival's come, let's get some rain.

[6:58] He says to Ahab, hey, it's time, it's going to rain. And he goes to pray. He sends his servant out, he sends his servant out to look over the sea, to see what he could see over the sea.

[7:13] The servant comes back as Elijah's praying for rain, nothing. Seven times the servant was sent to look over and see what he could see because, let's face it, it's drought.

[7:24] There's no clouds in the sky. The seventh time he comes back and says, I see a cloud looks like, a little cloud looks like a man's hand.

[7:35] And Elijah said, you go tell Ahab, better get back home because we don't want to see him get stuck in the mud. And it rained. So the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man, you know, I wasn't planning to go this way, but this is how the Lord's taking it.

[7:50] The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. We think of prayer. Different people's prayer. All kind of prayers.

[8:01] There's so many prayers in the Bible. We not only think of Elijah's prayer. Hannah, look at, do you think she just prayed once for that child? That she poured out her heart and cried?

[8:15] She prayed and prayed and prayed. The Bible might not say it as such, but she prayed a lot. God answered.

[8:27] We think as how people, their habits of prayer. Daniel, three times a day he would go up and even though he was working in the administration, administration, don't know if he was Democrat or Republican, but he was working in that administration, three times a day he went and he prayed.

[8:54] Who else did that? David. David did. Psalm 55, David says, evening and morning and at noon I will pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice.

[9:11] And all the different other people that we have so much to learn from their prayers. Jesus himself, his prayers. Now I remember reading a book and the author had made a comment about, he knew a preacher that preached on prayer at a Bible time, Bible study time, like this.

[9:35] He preached on prayer for three years and not once did he start off or repeat that verse of scripture he was going to work with.

[9:47] That's 150 messages on prayer. Inexhaustible. We'll never know it all. Maybe in glory the Lord will share all these things that he has about prayer.

[10:03] Alright, I wasn't going that route, that's the way it went. Prayer. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Genuine.

[10:14] He always hears our prayers, doesn't he? Do we always get answers? Basic stuff. This is Bible study. We're on one-on-one prayer. What are the answers we get from God?

[10:26] There's only three. Yes, no, may you wait a while. I'll give you a short story. What's our time? We're good on time, aren't we? Okay, some of you know the story.

[10:38] When I came here, I knew three years ago I was coming to Nebraska. I prayed about it to get to that point saying, hey, I'm coming to Nebraska. This is where I'm going from Denver.

[10:51] It took those years to get to that place where I could move. Big, big hailstorm. Tears up my siding. Tears up my roof.

[11:02] Well, there's a delay here. Another delay there. Got to sell the home. Got to do all this stuff. There's a delay, but God put it in my heart and gave me the peace. You're coming to Nebraska. I love it here.

[11:13] This is great. This is a great church. You're a friendly church. It's a joyous church. Boy, that makes a difference. When people come in, got to go up and shake your hand.

[11:27] You know, a lot of times when I go visit a church and you knew, when I came and pastor knows because I used to come every once in a while over the years when I would come and visit in Lincoln.

[11:39] But you might have noticed when I came, I go, I like shaking hands. How are you doing today? Lord's good, isn't he? You got to be friendly. Are we a friendly church?

[11:51] Here I am, going down a rabbit hole again. Anyway, he answers those prayers. Now, when you have a general, a genuine prayer, we get those real answers.

[12:07] And we're going to talk a little bit about the basics of prayers. This prayer one-on-one, man, I can go all over the place with this. We can pray about anything at any time and anywhere.

[12:20] Isn't that amazing? You're going down O Street, there goes a fire truck. What do we say? Lord, protect those firemen, whatever they're doing.

[12:34] Help the persons they're going to help. Put out the way if it's a fire or whatever. Lord, protect them. we say those little prayers. God hears it. He knows it.

[12:45] Was it sincere? Yeah, we meant it from our heart, didn't we? Anywhere, anytime, anything. amazing, amazing, our God, that He can hear that.

[12:56] Isn't it? Amazing. I want to go to one verse of Scripture, two verses of Scripture in Philippians chapter 4. And we opened up talking about fervent prayer, effective prayer.

[13:16] This is prayer one-on-one Bible study. And these two verses of Scripture, these 40 words tell us a lot about prayer. And maybe we're going to hit on something that maybe you never even thought about before tonight.

[13:32] No heresy. Where's my brother? No heresy tonight. But I'm going to get you to think. Ephesians 4, 6, and 7. Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made and owned unto God.

[13:53] And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 40 words. A lot of stuff right there.

[14:05] A lot of stuff. But when you look at that first four words, isn't that strange, the way it's, the English comes out? Look what it says. Be careful for nothing.

[14:17] Well, we've got to care about stuff. Golly, I care about the kids getting into a fight at school. I care if I get a flat tire. I've got to put money out for a new tire.

[14:30] I've got to care about things. But the Bible says here, be careful for nothing. Doesn't it? Sounds kind of quite right.

[14:42] Well, if you look up the word careful, what does it say? Full of care. Anxious. Now, I don't know about you young people you might want to take note of this.

[14:54] You folks that do do studying and get in depth. I use Noah Webster's 1828 to look up my definitions. I love it because he uses Bible verses to define words.

[15:09] Love it. Noah Webster. Don't mix it up with Daniel Webster. He was a statesman. Noah Webster, 1828. It says, full of care, anxious.

[15:25] Be careful for nothing. This is the opponent of prayer. The opponent of prayer. There's always going to be something that we get anxious.

[15:37] Hey, it happens to me. I get worried about some. I got too much stuff going on. Golly! All of a sudden, I'm full of care. I'm careful, as the Bible says here.

[15:52] We are to care, but not to the point of worry or being anxious. We can't be overwhelmed with the things of the world, and golly, it happens.

[16:03] It happens to me. We're all there, folks. Just to back this up a little bit, let's see what Jesus had to say in a familiar story. Turn with me, if you have your Bible, Luke 10. Luke chapter 10, and we all have heard the story and messages and teaching on Mary and Martha, and Jesus came to visit.

[16:20] I'm in chapter 10 of Luke, verses 38 and onward. Now it came to pass, as they went, that he, that's Jesus, entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

[16:36] And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him and said, Lord, doth thou not care that my sister had left me to serve alone?

[17:00] Bid her, therefore, that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful, same word, and troubled about many things.

[17:18] But one thing is needful, and Mary had chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Careful, full of care.

[17:29] You see it? Troubled. Golly, did I clean those dishes and plates right? Do I have enough water for the guests?

[17:40] What's that smell? Can you imagine all the things? Ladies, you're like a massive supercomputer. You know everything that's going on.

[17:53] And that's the difference between us and guys, because guys are focused. I'm going there, and that's my goal. Right? Right? Ladies, gentlemen, right? Yeah, that's the way it goes.

[18:04] Yeah. Be careful for nothing. Not to get too busy, too distracted. You've got to care. We mentioned about Daniel, David. Hey, they had government to run, but they took the time three times a day to pray.

[18:20] Be careful not the opponent of prayer. And the next few verses there is the offering of prayer. Very easy stuff. This is prayer 101.

[18:32] But in everything, little things, cat chewing on the cord, big things, my engine just went out in the car, what am I going to do?

[18:44] Offering of a prayer. Now, for those who are still in school, we're going to stop here and we're going to do a little bit of an English kind of lesson.

[18:54] colon, you ever noticed how many colons and semicolons are in the Bible? You ever thought about that? What's a colon used for?

[19:05] What's a semicolon used for? We got one right there between the opponent of prayer and the offering of prayer. Be careful for nothing, semicolon, but in everything.

[19:17] when you see a colon or semicolon, what follows that kind of gives you more information about what was previously stated.

[19:31] We don't use it today. I mean, how many of us have ever done it on our cell phones? You ever use a colon or something, unless you're colon and this is item one, this is item two, something like that.

[19:46] We don't use it. But a colon and semicolon, what follows is more information about what was happening previous. Okay?

[19:57] So when you see that in the scripture, you know. Another thing that stands out there between the opponent of prayer and the offering of prayer is you see but, but or and.

[20:10] Conjunctions. Who's a school teacher? Anybody a school teacher? Right? Now, how many that are older than you remember the 70s Saturday morning cartoons?

[20:23] I had kids growing up. Okay. You had schoolhouse rock. How many of you remember schoolhouse rock for the kids? Oh, you know about it. Schoolhouse, it's great.

[20:34] It was great. It taught kids things like conjunctions. One of them was conjunction, junction, right? Conjunction, junction, what's your function?

[20:44] Hooking up words and phrases and things, right? Right? It's good stuff. A bill on Capitol Hill, that's always a good one too. Schoolhouse rock.

[20:56] Conjunctions, what are they used for? Hooking up words and phrases. We have the opponent of prayer and the offering of prayer and they're connected by a but.

[21:09] On the other hand, but, it's contrary, but. Let's read it. Be careful for nothing. Pause.

[21:20] But, in everything, and then it goes down by prayer and supplication and thanksgiving. Let your prayers be, your requests be made known unto God.

[21:34] We have the opponent of prayer, the offering of prayer, now the order of prayer. The scripture here gives us an order. Now, this is where I'm going to get you to think. By prayer and supplication, let's go all read it together.

[21:50] Be careful for nothing, but, in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

[22:02] Isn't that kind of strange? When we talk about prayer, we talk about all these things. We talk about worship, we talk about confession, we talk about, oh, there's other things, there's little other things that are involved with prayer, other ingredients like unity, submission, forgiveness, those are parts of it.

[22:22] But when you look at the basis, the purpose is worship, confession, thanksgiving, request. The order of prayer starts out and it says, by prayer and supplication.

[22:37] Well, now wait a minute, I thought prayer was prayer. prayer. It's one big generalized prayer. Well, all of a sudden, Scripture's taking supplication and they're putting an and between it, a conjunction.

[22:53] Prayer and supplication. What's supplication? What's supplication? Petitions, requests, right? You're asking for needs, wants, desires.

[23:07] prayers. That's a supplication, right? So if the Word of God separates it, what's left in that bubble of prayer? That prayer would be worship.

[23:21] Worship. When you search the word deep, you see prayer is worship. Prayer is worship. Have you ever thought about that? You break down and you take the prayer part.

[23:35] It's worship, it's praise to God. That's one of the purposes of prayer. By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known unto God.

[23:49] Take your Bible, Ephesians chapter 6. Ephesians chapter 6. We know chapter 6 talks about the armor of God.

[23:59] That's where we're going, folks. Oh, I love to hear the pages. Thank you very much for bringing your Bible tonight. Chapter 6 talks about the armor of God.

[24:10] We've all heard messages on it. We've all read it. Let's start at verse 17. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

[24:24] Praying always with all prayer and supplication. Hmm. Same thing. in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

[24:41] But he's saying in verse 17 right off the bat, God puts in his word, praying in general. Then he takes and he splits apart prayer and supplication.

[24:53] There's a worship part because we know what supplication is. So we take that and the word of God splits it.

[25:05] Acts chapter 1, if you would please. Acts chapter 1. Jesus is just risen into the clouds. Everybody's amazed.

[25:17] Jaws are dropped. Praise God. He's coming back. We heard the angels. Chapter 1. They go back into the city verse, and you have the 11 disciples.

[25:31] Verse 14. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brethren.

[25:45] That's the last time you're going to see Mary the mother of Jesus in the New Testament, by the way. See it? They were there in the upper room. all continued with one accord.

[25:57] There's that unity part. That's one of the ingredients in prayer. Prayer and supplication with the women. Now, in Matthew and in Luke, Jesus gives the model prayer.

[26:10] You all know the model prayer, don't we? In Matthew he says, Jesus says, after this manner, therefore, pray ye. How does he start out?

[26:22] Our Father, now, it's relationship, right? Our Father who art in heaven, first thing, hallowed be thy name.

[26:33] You're holy, Lord, you rock. Praise your name. You're holy. First thing, Jesus says, when you pray, this is the model prayer. Am I right?

[26:46] Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. It's all about him. Worship. makes you think next time you see the word prayer in the Bible.

[26:59] For example, when Jesus overturned the tables and the merchandise, when he cleaned out the, he quotes what God the Father was talking to Isaiah about.

[27:15] About this is my Father's house of prayer. prayer. I'm doing the unauthorized happy version, but you get what I'm saying. He said, this is a house of prayer.

[27:28] You've made it a house of merchandise. That term prayer kind of leads us into worship. See it?

[27:40] That's extra. That wasn't in my notes. Prayer. So we see the opponent of prayer. Be careful for nothing. Don't get anxious about things. Don't get to a point of worrying. The offering of prayer, but in everything, every little thing, every big thing, by prayer and supplication, prayer being the worship, it includes worship, the focus on God the Father, the supplication, what was the next part?

[28:08] We had three in the model prayer. It's, what are the three? Come on, I just drew a blank. Give us this day our daily bread. There's the supplications, part.

[28:19] Then it's about us. First three are about God Almighty. The next three, give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us of our debts.

[28:31] Lead us not into temptation. Then it's about our supplications. Prayer. Supplication, and then he talks about thanksgiving. So we'll get it again.

[28:41] We'll read it down through. Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God.

[28:53] Thanksgiving, the Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians, in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

[29:05] Everything give thanks. Even the bad stuff that happened, even the flat tire, the engine blowing, the cat chewing through the cord. Thanksgiving. We've seen the opponent of prayer, the order of prayer, the outcome of prayer is next.

[29:20] Verse 7. This is the outcome of prayer. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

[29:36] Peace of God. Now, when I think of peace of God, there's a place in the scripture that's actually in three gospels. Turn with me, if you would, to Mark chapter 4.

[29:49] Mark chapter 4. I've got to find it myself. Mark, Mark, Mark. Do I have it marked? And we know this story. Do I'm in 4? No, that's Mark 6. What am I doing there?

[30:00] We've all heard messages on this story. Let's try to relate this into prayer. Excuse me. chapter, what did I say?

[30:12] 4 of Mark, chapter 4, verses 35 and onward. All right, they just got done, there was preaching on the hill, and they're all done.

[30:22] Jesus said, let's go on the other side of this water. Let's head out here. Verse 35, in the same day when the evening was come, he said unto them, let us pass over unto the other side.

[30:37] And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship, and there were also with him other little ships.

[30:49] And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow.

[31:06] And they awake him and said unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? We perish as in all three gospel accounts. And he arose and rebuked the wind and said to the seas, peace, be still.

[31:25] The peace of God, which passes all understanding. When I read that, it's like it's like God giving us through whatever storm we're in, we're on the boat, and he's on the boat with us, but a lot of times we're on the boat and things get too busy, things get too anxious, too full of care, and we're going along, but we're in a boat, we're in a boat with Jesus, and we're going, and things are going fine, and sails look fine, hey, we're back at the rudder, I'm steering this thing, I know where I'm going, let me get my spyglass, I see the lights along the shore, and here we're going to the other side, and Jesus is on board, all of a sudden, hey, it's getting a little windy, oh, they've got to trim themselves, wind, oh, the waves get a little high, batten down them hatches, I better get back, we're off course here, let me get back to the helm, get on that rudder, and Jesus is in the back of the boat, we get busy with things, overly busy with things, and all of a sudden, prayer's not part of life, and Jesus is in the boat with us, asleep, and then when it gets too bad,

[32:41] I've been there, folks, when it gets too bad, all of a sudden, we say, we perish, all of a sudden, we're waking Jesus up, and Jesus comes along when we pray, and the Lord says, peace, be still, doesn't he?

[32:59] He says, peace, be still, and it's all taken care of. Verse 7 here, the outcome of prayer and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, Jesus said in John 14, peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world give I unto you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

[33:28] The peace of God. Also, we have a peace protection from God, of God. It says there, if we continue on, verse 7, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds.

[33:47] You ever think about God's shall promise? That's a promise. when he says shall, that's a promise.

[33:58] There's a promise there. Shall keep. When we talk about the word keep, you look up in the dictionary, to hold, it says, to retain in one's power of possession, not to lose or part with.

[34:14] And Bible scholars tell us the word is actually a military word. It's like a guard. We've heard this preaching before. I see Miss Phyllis back there. Amen, amen, amen.

[34:25] Thank you, Miss Phyllis. It's like a guard. So, when we are having the effectual fervent prayer, we get a peace from God, and that peace from God, the God of peace is protecting us, keeping us, shall keep the promise of a guard there.

[34:48] He shall promise, the shall promise to keep and guard it. Our hearts and mind, our thoughts issue from the hearts and to our minds and our mind and our hearts are connected and they're guarded at this point.

[35:08] The peace of God, the peace protection of God. We all know Proverbs chapter 3, 5, and 6. We all learned it. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.

[35:21] Lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall, there's the promised word, he shall, he shall, he shall direct thy paths.

[35:37] Oh, we know that verse of scripture. But when we slow down a little bit and do a one-on-one on it, a one-on-one study, boy, that is really powerful, isn't it?

[35:50] Our hearts and minds, the peace protection that we have, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

[36:01] And we have that peace provision through Jesus Christ. Are you saved today? It's Christ in you, the hope of glory, Colossians 127 tells us.

[36:13] Amen? Is it good to be saved? Amen! It's good to be saved. Boy, I love to hear those amens. Yes, sir, yes, ma'am.

[36:26] Through Jesus Christ, through, from end to end and side to side, through that peace of God which passes all understanding, the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

[36:49] You've heard the saying, no Jesus, no peace. It's all about our relationship. It's all about our relationship. When we claim that peace of God, I mean, we can do it anywhere, anytime, no matter what, but when you really get into the effectual fervent prayer, oh man, things happen.

[37:13] Genuine prayer gets genuine results. It's real, folks. We know it, don't we? If you've experienced it, you know it. God hears us because it's Christ in you, the hope of glory.

[37:25] What a friend of Jesus. There's a line in there. You coming down, brother? Hello. Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what peace needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

[37:46] We know the song. It's what a friend we have in Jesus. We're going to be singing it. Think about that. Oh, what a peace we often forfeit. Oh, what a needless pain we bear.

[37:58] All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Let's pray. Father, for