And turn, if you will, to Matthew chapter 6, Matthew chapter 6, verses 5 to 13. Matthew 6, which is on page 811 in your church.
!
So, we are in a series where we're looking at one of the different practices that we do Sunday by Sunday, when we get together in gathered worship.
Why do we do what we do?
And thinking that these practices, they're not something that just we do each Sunday, but they are things that God is doing to us as we gather to worship.
That as we pray, as we sing, as we hear God's word proclaimed, as we confess our sin, as we eat of the bread and drink of the wine, these practices become habits which shape us.
They shape what we love in life, what it is we value, and what it is we desire.
And it is really important, isn't it, what you love in life, because actually what you love in life determines how you view reality.
How you view life in general.
What you love shows what you hold to be the good life, and the life that you want, that we are pursuing and striving for.
And so we thought of, what does it mean to be called to worship by God?
We thought about confession of sin and assurance, things we've already done.
We will be thinking about the reading of scripture and preaching.
We thought about singing last week.
And today we come to what we've done numerous times already this morning in our service.
We've done it at least twice.
We're going to think about prayer.
Prayer in gathered worship.
In his book on gathered worship, Jamie Smith occasionally raises the question of what an imaginary visitor from another world, from another planet, would make of our practices on earth.
Something secular, something religious.
And he mentions these imaginary Martian visitors.
As he considers we come to corporate worship and what we do.
Here's what he says.
We should perhaps try to appreciate how strange corporate worship might look to Martian anthropologists.
For here is a group of what seem to be otherwise relatively normal people engaged in a conversation with someone who seems to be absent.
And this isn't like just listening to half a conversation on a mobile phone, where we can from experience postulate that there is another human being holding up the other end of the conversation.
Rather than the practice of prayer to particularly cynical Martians, it seems more like the scruffy bearded guy on the underground platform who's carrying on an animated conversation with himself.
It seems like that.
That we are not a person who's carrying on a person who's carrying on a person who's carrying on a person.
The gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel of the gospel
For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues
And then tweet about it
And other street corners
So they may be seen by others
Truly I say to you they've received their reward
But when you pray
Go into your room, shut the door, pray to your Father in heaven
Who is in secret
And your Father who sees in secret will reward you
And when you pray do not heap up empty phrases
As the Gentiles do
For they think that they will be heard
By their many words
Do not be like them
For your Father knows what you need before you ask him
Pray like this
Our Father in heaven
Whenever you or I approach someone
We make assumptions about them
We make assumptions about them as we go up to them
About what kind of conversation we can have with them
How are we going to interact with this person
So after the service you will go up to somebody
Hopefully you will have a conversation
And you will make an assumption
About the kind of conversation that you have
Let's say you've just moved to Ealing
And you go to the farmer's market in West Ealing
On a Sunday morning
It's a good place to visit
I want to say to you
That's quite a friendly place
That farmer's market
You could stop someone at that farmer's market
And ask them for directions
For Southall or to Ealing Broadway
Or to Hanwell
They will be okay with that
That won't freak them out
If you ask them for directions
At that farmer's market
They can handle that kind of interaction
There's a basis for that interaction
I don't know what it is
But is it basic humanity?
But it's a pretty slim basis
Isn't it?
To have an exchange
You don't know them
But you assume you can have this interaction
And you really can't go much beyond
Can you ask them for directions?
Or the time?
Or something similar like that
You can't go up to a stranger
In Eden Broadway
And excuse me
And say
Listen my rucksack has got a hole in it
Do you mind if I take yours?
You can't do that
Or if it's checking it down with rain
You say
Do you mind if I just take your umbrella
And see you later?
You can't do that
Can you?
With a stranger
You don't have that basis
For that kind of interaction
You know you can't do that
Because the foundation of relationship
Does not exist
If you want to have a deeper relationship
With this person
You need to build it
Don't you?
It takes time
So as Jesus is introducing
The subject of prayer
He is showing really
That there are two basic ways
That you can go to God
And they are similar
To the two main ways
That we deal with each other
Recognising that there are differences too
So the two options
You and I have
Is that you can basically
Have a business relationship
With someone
Or you can have a family relationship
With someone
In a business relationship
The bottom line is
You are saying
I have something for you
I've got something for you
In a family relationship
The bottom line is
I am someone to you
I'm someone to you
In the business relationship
It is all performance
Here is what I can do for you
Here is the service
That I offer you
Here is what will happen
If I perform for you
But in a family relationship
That basis is a commitment
Think about it too
In terms of a house
There are two ways
You can live in a house
Aren't there?
Many of you are tenants
You live in a house
That you rent
Or you can be a family member
So as a tenant
If you are renting a house
You live in that house
The person who owns that house
Is your landlord
You can have a pretty good relationship
With your landlord
Hopefully you do
As long as you pay the rent
And you respect the property
And as long as the landlord
Does what he is supposed to do
As long as he does
Maintaining the property
And that is a good basis
For mutual approach
But your exchanges
With your landlord
Well that would be
Pretty mechanical
Wouldn't they?
That would be ones of goods
And services
I pay my money
You do this
Because I pay my money
But imagine you
Are not living in the house
As a tenant
But you are living in the house
As a child
That paradigm
Becomes very very different
Doesn't it?
In the business paradigm
If you perform
You do what you are supposed to do
You pay your money
You are accepted
You pay the rent
You take care of the property
The landlord accepts you
In the family paradigm
You are accepted already
Because of that bottom line
Fundamental relationship
You know I am accepted
I belong
And you perform because of that
It's two isn't it?
Very very different ways
Of doing things
All of that is to say this
Jesus makes the revolutionary observation
Here that prayer
For the Christian
Is not on a business basis
It's on a family business
That you and I
Come to God
As those who are
In Christ this morning
In prayer
And we address him
As
Father
Our father in heaven
We talk to him
As family
Now one question
That raises right at the front
Right at the front
In the light of the Bible's verdict
On how you and I
Have treated God
This week
And in our lives
How can that be?
How can you and I
Address
The sovereign God
Of the universe
The creator
God of the universe
As father
When your track record
And my track record
Is one of
Scorning him
Of rebelling against his ways
Of going our own way
Wanting to make other things
The centre of our lives
How can you call him father?
And the reason we can pray to God
As father
Has everything to do with
Secondly
Who we pray with
Who we pray to
Is determined by
Who we pray with
So look again
What Jesus says
In verse 9
Our father
In heaven
Every now and then
In church life
You come across somebody
Who wants to be pretty smart
About this prayer
And they would say to you
You do know
That it is wrong
To call it
The Lord's Prayer
Do you know that?
Have you met those people?
Maybe you've said it
I used to say it
It's not the Lord's Prayer
It's really
The disciples' prayer
Because Jesus could never
Have prayed these words
And I know that those people
Are trying to say
And that they're trying to be smart
Because I used to be one of them
But here's part of the objection
Jesus could never have prayed
This prayer himself
Because it would have been
Inappropriate for him
To pray the fifth petition
Do you see that?
Verse 12
Forgive us our debts
Jesus did not really sense
To be forgiven
He is the perfect son of God
So you cannot call this
The Lord's Prayer
In the end however
It doesn't really matter
What you call this prayer
But you need to grasp this
It is
The Lord's Prayer
It is
And what I mean by that
Is that this prayer
Covers the kind of petitions
That you hear Jesus praying
Over and over and over again
Throughout his life and ministry
As we read them in the Gospels
As you read through the Gospels
You find Jesus praying
For God's will
To be done
You find Jesus praying
That God's name
Would be hallowed
And praised
You find him praying
For daily bread
You find him praying
For protection
From temptation
But the most fundamental thing
We see
Why this is Jesus' prayer
This is the Lord's Prayer
It is in the opening
Two words
Can you see that?
Our Father
With those two words
Jesus is introducing
A whole new way
To relate to God
As family
The Old Testament
Certainly had the idea
Of the Fatherhood of God
It is there
Occasionally you read
That God is the Father of Israel
But you will not find
God referred to directly
In prayer as Father
It is Jesus
Who makes this
Fatherhood of God
Absolutely central
To prayer
Jesus calls God
Father
About 60 times
In the Gospels
Here is the mind
Blowing thing
This is what Jesus
Has called God
From all eternity
And think about this
Before God
Ever created
Anything
Before he was
A creator
Before he ruled
Over anything
Before he was
The ruler of the universe
God was a Father
Loving his Son
Jesus himself says it
Doesn't he
In John 17
Verse 24
Father you loved me
Before the creation
Of the world
And I think that is
Really really important
For you and I
To get our heads around
Before all things
God is a Father
He's not primarily
Creator
Not primarily ruler
But Father
And so implicit in that
All his ways
Are Fatherly
It's not that God
Does this kind of thing
In his day job
He's a Father
But then he kicks back
And says well I'm just
Just plain old God
Tonight
You know that's like
He was a dad
I am a dad
But tonight
I'm just
My own
I'm back to being
The single man
I was before
I'm going to sit
In front of the sofa
And watch the telly
I'm not dad tonight
God never does that
I'll do the father
Again thing tomorrow
It's not that he is
God
With a nice blob
Of fatherly
I sing on top
No
He is Father
All the way down
And that is all
That Jesus has ever
Known
In terms of his
Relationship with the
Father
With God
And so he starts
The Lord's Prayer
Calling God
Father
Because he's never
Known God any other
Way
From all eternity
He doesn't say
To his disciples
Though
Do you see it
Here is how I pray
Here is my
Father
No he begins
Our Father
And the question is
How can he include
Other people
In this prayer
We have not
Been in an eternal
Relationship with God
As Jesus has
In fact
Our natural state
According to the Bible
Our natural state
Is that of being orphans
That we are like
The younger prodigal
Said in that story
We have run away
From the Father
We have essentially
Wished our Father
Dead
So we don't have to
Deal with him
Or answer to him
And Jesus knows
Our nature
We are orphans
But as he
Prays this prayer
He is anticipating
Isn't he
What he has come
To do in his
Mission on earth
That he came
Into this world
On a rescue mission
So that you and I
Could be reconciled
To the Father
So that we would
Be adopted
Into his family
So there is one
Time isn't there
There is one time
Recorded in the
Gospels
Where Jesus
Does not use
The language
Of Father
In prayer
You read it
Of course
On the cross
When Jesus
Cries out
My God
Why have you
Forsaken me
And that is
Hugely significant
Earth
And heaven
Echo
As Jesus
Cries out
Those words
My God
That Jesus
There
Is undergoing
Isn't he
The wrath of the
Father
We need to be
Very careful
But I think
We can say
There is a
Sense
There is a
Sense
In which
Jesus
Loses a
Sense
Of the
Fatherhood
Of God
The first
Time
In the
Only
Time
But at
That very
Moment
When Jesus
Is bearing
All our
Guilt
All our
Sin
Every
Last
Ounce
Taking
The just
Punishment
For what
We deserve
Ourselves
And in
So
In doing
So
There is
A sense
His
Relationship
With God
Is not
Ruptured
In any
Way
But he
Loses
That sense
Of the
Fatherly
Care
That eternal
Relationship
That he's
Had
With the
One he's
Known
From all
Eternity
With the
One he has
Called
Father
From all
Eternity
But the
Whole thing
Is this
That he
Did that
For you
And for
Me
I can be
So bold
As to
Say this
He lost
The
Father
So you
And I
Could
Gain
The
Father
So that
You and
I
Could be
Adopted
He was
Forsaken
So we
Could be
Forgiven
And adopted
Into his
Family
So I
Think there
Is a
Sense in
Which this
Prayer
The Lord's
Prayer
Jesus does
Include himself
In the
Petition
And forgive
Us our
Debt
Jesus of
Course
He had
No sins
Of his
Own
But the
Reason
Jesus came
Into the
World
Was to
Assume
Our
Debt
God
Made him
Who knew
No sin
To be
Sin for
Us
So that
When Jesus
Christ died
On the
Cross
Was he
Not asking
The
Father
At least
In his
Actions
If not
With his
Words
He is
Crying
On the
Cross
Forgive
Us
Our
Debt
That's
Exactly
What he's
Doing
He was
Not seeking
Forgiveness
For his
Own
Sins
But for
Our
Sins
That he
Has
Taken
Upon
Himself
That have
Been
Imputed
To his
Account
Forsaken
So that
You and
I can
Be
Forgiven
And
Restored
And
Adopted
So that
In these
First two
Words
Of the
Lord's
Prayer
We have
This
Monumental
Implication
Of how
We pray
Our
Father
And the
Lord's
Prayer
Becomes
Our
Prayer
I
Hear
How
Hard
It
Is
For
Naturally
Born
Children
In a
Family
When the
Family
Adopts
A
New
Child
You can
Imagine it
Being said
You know
That you
Were
Born
To
Your
Parents
But
This
New
Person
In
The
Family
They
Were
Born
To
Someone
Else
And
They
Been
Brought
Into
Your
Family
And
They
Be
Given
The
Same
Rights
And
The
Same
Privileges
As
You
Have
And
Perhaps
There's
That
Feeling
In the
Back
Of
Your
Head
To
Say
To
That
Person
Who
Has
Been
Adopted
Yeah
Well
I
Know
You're
Part
Of
The
Family
But
You're
You
Can't
Say
That
But
There's
None
Of
That
In
Jesus
Attitude
To
Us
There's
None
Of
That
In
Jesus
Attitude
In
As
Being
Adopted
Into
His
Family
There's
None
Of
Jesus
Saying
Or
Thinking
Yeah
You
Can
Call
God
Father
But
Do
Know
I've
Been
Calling
Father
For
All
Eternity
You're
Coming
In
Very
Late
In
The
Game
Or
I
Hope
You're
Feeling
Indebted
To
Me
That
You
Have
The
Privilege
Of
Calling
Him
Father
There's
None
Of
That
The
Whole
Reason
That
Jesus
Went
To
The
Cross
Was
To
Make
Our
Adoption
Possible
So
That
Jesus
Delights
Sunday
By
Sunday
To
Lead
Us
In
Prayer
And
So
Sunday
By
Sunday
Not
Only
In
The
Lord's
Prayer
But
In
Our
Prayer
We
Are
Being
Led
By
The
Praying
!
Savior
Jesus
Is
Very
!
So far
We've
Seen
That
He
Is
The
Calling
Savior
That
Jesus
Stands
At
The
Forefront
Of
Our
Worship
And
He
Calls
You
To
Worship
Him
And
To
Worship
His
Father
And
We
Saw
Last
Week
That
Jesus
Is
The
Singing
Savior
That
As
We
Sing
Praises
To
The
Father
We
See
Jesus
In
The
Midst
Of
Us
By
His
Spirit
Singing
!
We
Will
See
In
A
Few
Weeks
That
And
At
The
Benediction
At
The
End
Of
The
Service
We
See
That
Jesus
Is
The
Blessing
Savior
That
As
The
Elder
Gives
The
Benediction
He
Speaks
On
Behalf
Of
Christ
And
Says
The
Lord
Bless
You
And
Keep
You
And
Now
We
Find
That
Jesus
Is
The
Praying
Savior
That
He's
Leading
Us
In
Prayer
Can
We
Read
Hebrews
Chapter
8
Verse
!
1
Hebrews
Chapter
8
1
So
Page
Hebrews
Chapter
8
Verse
1
I'm
Going to
Blow my
nose
So
Let me
Take
My
Microphone
off
Alright
Is
That
Okay
Sorry
That's
The
Problem
With
This
Mic
Hebrews
Chapter
8
Verse
1
Hebrews
Chapter
8
Verse
1
Now
The
Point
Of
What
We
Are
Saying
Is
This
We
Have
Such
A
High
Priest
One
Who
Is
Seated
At
The
Right
Hand
Of
The
Throne
Of
The
Majesty
In
Heaven
And
Minister
In
The
Holy
Places
The
True
Tent
So
Remember
Hebrews
2
Told
Us
Last
Week
He
Is
The
Singing
Saviour
He
Is
The
Preaching
Saviour
And
Now
He
Invites
Us
To
See
That
Right
Now
Right
This
Morning
Jesus
Is
Serving
In
The
Holy
Place
The
True
Tent
In
Heaven
Where
It
Says
The
Worship
Leader
Jesus
Is
The
Worship
Leader
Who
Is
Our
High
Priest
Who
Is
Interceding
For
Us
Who
Is
Praying
For
Us
which is such a beautiful thought
isn't it?
that there is not a moment of any
day where Jesus
is not interceding
I'm praying to the Father for you and for me
you young people
when you're in French
and you're despairing of French
like I used to despair of French
the Lord Jesus
is interceding
I'm praying to the Father for you
when you're in the office
he is praying for us
but the point of Hebrews 8
is not just that he is praying for us
but he is praying with us
he is our worship leader
he is the liturgist every time we gather together
it's like we are swept up into this heavenly sanctuary
we are lifted up to the saints in heaven
and Jesus invites us to join with him in prayer
and he says
ok, let's all say it together
our Father in heaven
that's what happens on Sunday morning
our Father
and we join with the saints
around the world
so the reason we can pray to God as Father
is everything we do with the one we pray with
we pray with the one who has made it possible
we pray with Jesus
but we've also got to see that we pray with one another
but when Jesus is asked by his disciples
how to pray
his default is not
to personal private prayer
his default is to corporate
gathered prayer with the people of God
he assumes that you and I are going to pray together
so let me just say that
as a Christian
who are you praying with?
pray with us
come Sunday
by Sunday
I hope you come to pray with Jesus
who are you praying with?
of course he's not ruling out
personal prayer
not at all
Jesus prayed on his own
he expects us to pray on our own
to the Father
that relationship
individually
but also
he expects us to pray
in gathered worship
prayer that is frequent
and ongoing
but surely the fact that Jesus
as he gives us a model for prayer here
and he begins it
indicates that prayer is not just to be
a private thing
no Jesus says
my people are to pray together
our Father
here's a poem that I read this week
from rugged individuals
you cannot pray the Lord's Prayer
and even once say I
you cannot say the Lord's Prayer
and even once say my
nor can you pray the Lord's Prayer
and not pray for one another
for when you ask for daily bread
you must include your brother
for others are included
in each and every plea
from the beginning to the end of it
it never not once
says me
it's that profound poetry
Sunday by Sunday
we gather together
and one of the things we do
is we pray corporately
we pray with Jesus
and we pray
with each other
and we pray for one another
now the corporate prayers
on Sundays tend to be led
by one person
but these prayers
are in a sense
somebody said to me this week
they are in a sense
training for the rest of the week
so football players
they train six days
to perform on one day
as Christians
we gather to worship
on one day
to train
to perform on the other six days
in other words
these practices
in gathered worship
train us
how we are going to live
in our scattered worship
they give us a model
for how we are going to live
when we leave this place
and knowing that
that relationship with God
is not based on a performance
it's not based on what I do
but it's based on Jesus' death
and on the cross in my place
that gives me
unbelievable freedom
in how we pray
we are praying
to our heavenly father
and Jesus wants us
to be without pretense
when we can
instead we often come
don't we
wanting to be something
that we're not
the problem of trying
to be spiritual
we don't need
to clean up our act
in order to become a Christian
but when it comes to
praying with each other
we certainly think we need to
if we try to fix ourselves up
well in contrast
Jesus wants us to come like
well look
verse 9
like little children
to our father
now that's the bulk of the sermon
and we carry two words
alright
Jesus says
when you pray
pray our father
now what do you pray for?
what do you pray for?
let's look at the rest of that line
our father in heaven
let's face two words
in the Lord's Prayer
they highlight intimacy
the security
of a relationship
with God as father
the delight
of a relationship
that we now enjoy
with God
because of Jesus
but the second two words
of that first line
of the Lord's Prayer
tell us
indicate to us
that we are coming to a father
who is almighty
who is sovereign
who is powerful
who's got the resources
beyond our wildest imaginations
at his disposal
that this God
is holy
and majestic
he is the God
of heaven
he is the almighty
he is God
over heaven
and earth
and there's nothing
we can ask of this God
that is beyond
his capabilities
there is nothing
impossible
with God
and those four words
set up
everything
that is to come
in the Lord's Prayer
they set up
the context
for every time
you come to God
in prayer
because every time
we pray
we are praying
to the all loving
father
and the all powerful
Lord
he has the power
to do all things
and yet
he constrains
his power
he only uses it
in the loving way
that the greatest
father possibly could
so as you pray
the Lord's Prayer
you pray with complete
confidence
and trust
we say
your kingdom
come
your will be done
because we completely
trust that the
father in heaven
his will is going
to be perfect
his kingdom
is going to be
glorious
we come to him
with complete
dependence
as we pray
for our daily bread
because we know
that the almighty
father is the one
that supplies
all our needs
and we pray
for forgiveness
and protection
from temptation
because he is
more than able
and he is more
than willing
and through all
the prayer
we pray to God
who is father
who is almighty
with great boldness
and because of who
we are praying to
we will increasingly
pray
what one writer
calls frontline
prayers
as opposed
to maintenance
prayers
maintenance prayers
are the more
mechanical things
they are focused
on our physical
needs
on the physical
needs of the
church
and of course
God wants you
to pray for those
things
it's why he gives
us the petition
give us our
daily bread
but in a sense
as you look at
the Lord's Prayer
you see the balance
but what Jesus
does is he front
loads the Lord's
Prayer
with frontline
prayers
for his kingdom
to come
pleading with God
that his will
would be done
on earth
praying that his
church would
flourish
that our friends
and neighbours
would come into
the kingdom
and that the
gospel would go
deeper into our
lives
so that we would
live increasingly
radically
transformed
lives
you read Paul's
letters
and that's where
you find Paul
praying about
you
you find that
they are the
great examples
of frontline
prayers
that the gospel
would bear more
and more fruit
in our lives
and in the lives
of others
that we want
God to work
miraculously
to bring people
to faith
and we see the
gospel going
deeper and deeper
frontline prayer
works
but then it
realised the
gospel is so
powerful
that this
loving father
is so almighty
that God
is so gracious
he is so
caring
that there is
no marriage
that is beyond
God's ability
to save it
there is no
addict who is
in too deep
that God
cannot rescue
there is no
resentment
or bitterness
that is in our
heart that cannot
be dealt with
by the loving
father
and no person
no person
is unreachable
by the grace
of God
and why can
we pray
with such
confidence
because of
who we are
praying to
our father
in heaven
lastly all
through this
series I've
been trying
to say
what we do
on Sundays
shapes us
it forms
us
it moulds
our identities
and we just
need to think
for a moment
how does
prayer do
that
as we pray
together each
Sunday
speaking the
language of
our father
in heaven
the almighty
God who
reigns and
rules
in a sense
what we're
doing is we
are pressing
the reset
button
on how we
do God
because through
the week we
are bombarding
aren't we
we are tested
our hearts
so wicked
so corrupt
think wrong
thoughts about
God
we hear other
people say
stuff
and this prayer
is like the
reset button
where we come
and we say
no this is
who I'm
praying to
this is who
I worship
and every time
you pray to
God using
this kind
of language
and that is
important isn't
it because
your view of
God
determines how
you are going
to live your
life this
week
if you go
into this
week
banking your
life on the
God who has
revealed himself
as father
almighty
it's going to
change how
you live
it's going to
change how
you deal with
pressure
and anxiety
and fear
and it's going
to change you
the better
I've stolen
this phrase
but I can't
remember where
I've stolen
it from
in our prayers
we worship
God with
pendulum
prayers
pendulum
prayers
until we
are humble
and bold
at the same
time
we will not
know the joy
of prayer
what do I
mean by
pendulum
prayers
think about
the opening
line in
this Lord's
prayer
our praise
really operates
like a
pendulum
if you know
what a
pendulum is
it's a
weight on
a rope
it swings
from one
side of the
back
you got it
so our
praise operates
like a
pendulum
we are
praying our
father on
the one
hand
aren't we
we are
thinking
we are
praying
we are
meditating
we are
rejoicing
how loving
God is
how merciful
God is
how gracious
God is
how sacrificial
God was
in giving up
his son
so that we
could become
sons and
daughters
but then the
pendulum
swings to the
other side
and we think
about our
father who is
in heaven
and we're
thinking about
how majestic
how holy
how high
how lofty
how powerful
how other
he is
and the thing
is about
pendulum
praise
is it's
constantly
swinging
from one
side to
the other
and back
again
and every
single one
of us has
got a tendency
to tie the
pendulum out
to one
side
you either
want to
think of
God as
more loving
more than
holy
or you want
to think
he is more
holy than
loving
but the thing
about pendulum
praise is you've
got to let it
swing back
and forth
back and
forth
and the
beauty of
this is that
the further
you let it
go on the
one side
the further
it swings
to the
other side
and so the
more that you
are able to
see the love
of God
the father
and what he's
done for you
out of that
love
the more
then that his
might and his
holiness and his
justice and his
power they
come into
greater for you
and the more
that you pray
and meditate
and reflect
and praise him
for his might
and his holiness
and his justice
and his righteousness
the more beautiful
appears his love
back and forth
that prayer will
change you
because as you
reflect on his
might and holiness
it humbles you
you realise how
undeserving you are
face to face
with this glorious
God
and yet it gives you
incredible boldness
that you are
cherished
and you are
delighted in
by the God
of this universe
and we are
changed
we are changed
by how we
pray
and that
change is
then how we
pray
it takes us
deeper
into the
gospel
there's a
story of
Alexander the
Great
it's probably
apocryphal
and it goes
like this
Alexander the
Great was
once asked
by one of
his generals
for an
enormous sum
of money
that's what
the general
wanted
an enormous
sum of
money
so that
he can
marry
his daughter
off
and Alexander
the Great
says
ok
I'll give
it to you
his treasurer
gets wind
of it
as treasurers
do
and the
treasurer
isn't too
happy
and he
comes to
Alexander
the Great
and he
says
why on earth
are you
giving this
man so
much money
don't you
realise
it's
ten times
more
than anyone
has ever
paid to
marry
someone
off
this is
ridiculous
Alexander
the Great
says
don't you
understand
this man
asks for
this
ridiculous
sum of
money
and as
he does
so he
gives me
great honour
what are you
talking about
Alexander
says
by asking
for such
a ridiculous
amount
of money
the general
shows that
I am both
rich
and generous
and so it
is that
John Newton
wrote this
you are
coming
to a
king
large
petitions
would you
bring
for his
grace
and power
are such
no one
can ever
ask too
much
Amen