Pray This Way: Does God Hear Our Prayers?

Today's episode of a new beginning is brought to you by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God.

Learn more@harness.org and while you're there, browse our library of free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith is such an amazing God is given the latest Joe goal for America. We will drive her car were prayers are for her. You may be unsure today. Pastor Greg Morey points out at times we may all wonder the same thing. God did you hear me now, keep asking, usually not evident throughout God does not hear our prayer about things happening as God should know today I'm beginning.

Pastor Greg Laurie begins a short series designed to God.

How can we talk to the Lord more appropriate. See his answer. Find out for you to talk about today.

Praying how to pray effectively to be looking at the Lord's prayer. So when we start with prayer. Father, we come before you know you've given that such a great privilege to approach you, through Jesus in this thing we call prayer and not only that, but you've given us a template for prayer a model for prayer that we can follow and see our prayers answered in the affirmative. So like the disciples so many years ago we would say Lord, teach us to pray, we commit this time. Do you know in Jesus name we ask it, amen. Or I will grab your Bibles and turn to Matthew chapter 6 this is a brand-new series on the Lord's prayer in the title of my message today is pray this way. I was out a little shopping center a while back and they have one of those little coin fountains and I to my granddaughters. There Stella and Lucian so they like the broken coins in the fountain but I'm such a cheapskate I maybe I shouldn't admit this, I reach in and grab other people's going to the been thrown several know it isn't the throw their money away and besides, I probably avoided all of their wishes out right just the moment I did. So I did. I get the going to I region Graham given to the girls they could throw the coins in another smaller going to make a little with but if there's 1/4 and yes people throw quarters and fountains.

I've no idea why that's a big what were you having fun then and then I asked him a question. Do you girls know the difference between a wish and a prayer, and it was little Lucy. That said, will pop up… She calls me she said I wish we just make to ourselves a prayer we make to God that that's wrong. That's the big difference and only really get down to it everybody in some way shape or form does seem to pray and you look back historically and even the most remote tribes were found to present offerings and afraid to their God and prayed for a lot of the things we still pray for today. The ancient Incas and Aztecs even sacrifice humans to get the gods attention Muslims. Five times a day and pray Buddhas have their prayer wheels millions and AA groups will pray daily to a higher power asking for help to overcome addiction. It seems like we can help but pray according to the latest Gallup poll. More Americans will pray this week that will exercise drive a car or go to work. 9/10 of us pray regularly and three out of four of his break every day as I'm saying this billions of prayers are going up to heaven. But here's the question, are those prayers being heard and is or something or some things we can do to cause our prayers that I'll only be heard but answered in the affirmative, and River called someone in your cell phone and having the conversation, then you realize that you lost them like two or three minutes ago and you wonder why they were so quiet maybe you would offend them or something, but in reality you lost your connection member that ad campaign. The Verizon bill a while ago called can you hear me now a boasting of their great coverage at JI I have Verizon I get their bill in but I hear them when they send a bill that's a question we might as about our prayers. God can you hear me now are these birds really heard of or have I lost my connection will your prayers can be answered prayer is such an amazing privilege of God is given to each of us. If you've ever been a what seems to be an impossible situation with no way out.

You probably discover that God can intervene and change things through prayer because prayer can change, situations it can change people prayer can even change the course of nature. It's been set up your swept off your feet. It's time to get on your knees, but most of all, the thing that prayer changes as you because God will allow hardship challenge and need to come our way. Sometimes even tragedy so he can reveal himself so he can put his power and his glory on display for those who are watching really. When we pray were acknowledging our weakness and maybe that's why some people will like to pray especially men are not weak.

I don't want to pray why do men act this way will because their idiots as any guy would have her brain will know that he needs the help of God, let's talk about the man's man for a moment. Who was the strongest man who ever lived on the face of the earth. No, not Superman. It was Jesus Christ and get Jesus prayed.

He prayed often. He prayed in the morning. He prayed late at night, he prayed all the time and of Jesus prayed, certainly we should do the same.

I'll tell you that when we face the greatest crisis of our life that is our son Christopher dying in an automobile accident. We learn to pray like never before. Not just frame prayers of petition, but prayers of desperation prayers to get through the day. Three things help me as we went through and continue to go through that crisis and by the way when someone loses a child they never completely get over it so never ask them the question, are you over it yet. It's just something you go through and you adapt to, but tell three things sustained us and those two things were number one prayer number two the word of God and never through the encouragement of fellow believers, and I would find I would need to pray to get to sleep at night was very hard to sleep I pray to get up in the morning I pray to make it through another day in we showed up in church three days after it happened. It happened on the Thursday and we were in church the next Sunday morning. Some of you may have even been here that service and people would come up to fail greatly so you and your family a church you're so strong. We can't believe how strong you are, I didn't come to church because I was strong I came to church because I was weak and I needed the help of God and I needed to pray and they needed God for through a ball of that's why it's so crazy to me when I hear people who are facing hardship will withdraw and sometimes even get mad at God, that silliness you need to turn to God not turn away from God. In times of crisis. The Bible says he is a present help in times of trouble. So you might say will great. I'm not going through any hardship right now things are going reasonably well. You should still pray you to pray when things are hard and you need God's help.

You should pray when things are going well because you still need to acknowledge that is a blessing from God. James 513 says, or any among you suffering that she keep praying about it. Those were a reason to be thankful to continually sing praises to God. There's nothing wrong with calling out to God in your time of the effect God encourages you to do so. Jeremiah 33 three the Lord says: me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know the Lord, encouraging us to call Mr. Greg Moore will have the second half of his message just a moment in a new book pastor Greg Laurie recalls his friendship with Dr. Billy Graham had this ability to connect from the beginning to the middle to the end of his ministry.

Remember seeing him in New York in this final crusade in Flushing Meadows. There, and I remember he just looked at the crowd and said God loves you and then he would turn to another part of the crowd, God loves you will read somewhere that what you want me his first you will and the Bible says God loves you and grams. He was the same in private that he was in public. He was a godly man I've ever met, the new Billy Graham man I knew Greg Laurie euros for a gift of any size at harvest.or will pastor Greg is offering some practical insights on prayer based on what we commonly call the Lord's prayer must continue. Think of all the great stories in the Bible where people were facing crisis and how things change when they pray there's old Jehoshaphat that's kind of a hard thing to probably have to live with.

You know this. First, if you would a weight problem. You don't put your name Jehoshaphat that mom could you not of me. Jehoshaphat in any way. Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah that all the right things to please God.

Then, suddenly, without warning, the bottom dropped out of his life and he received frightening report seen a vast army is coming to attack you.

There was no way that Joseph Beck give me that army with his army.

His army was not nearly large enough I've ever received the threatening letter someone threatening to sue you. Someone threatening the slander you someone threatening to kill you when you know what it's like. So what did Jehoshaphat do. The Bible says he pray why did he pray because we should not worry about anything, but we should pray about everything. Philippians tells us of the peace of God that passes all human understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds and I love the prayer of Jehoshaphat.

He says to the Lord and second Chronicles 20 OR God, will you not judge them.

We have no power defaces vast army that's attacking us.

We don't know what to do, but I love this, but her eyes are upon you. All the men of Judah, with their wives and their children and their little ones stood there before the Lord. When a seniors at all these families little kids are sing God if you don't get us out of this. We are so dad but our eyes are upon you and you know what God answered that prayer and he defeated their enemy. That's all we need to do one more overwhelmed.

Some 61 two says what my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than on we read a story about a woman named Hannah who was unable to have a child. She pray she becomes pregnant she bears a child becomes one of the greatest profits in the history of Israel. We think of the mighty Samson. They came in with her. She weakness that squandered his life and ended up with his eyes gouged out a complete failure.

But he prays for God to give him strength one last time the Lord answers his prayer we think of Elijah the prophet who prays in the rain stop. He prays again in the rain comes back. He prays even another time and fire fall from heaven that we think of Paul and Silas in prison for preaching the gospel and at midnight they began to sing praises to God, and they pray that an earthquake king. The next thing they knew they were free as birds. The apostle James is arrested and he's executed.

Peter is arrested he will be executed next the church. Their secret weapon and they pray before you know it. Peter is been released so it's clear we need to pray and I mentioned that Jesus prayed giving us that example and here's an interesting thing to consider as the crucifixion approach and Jesus being God was omniscient, meaning it was all knowing he knew what was coming down he knew they were going to arrest them on false charges.

He knew they were going to be that he knew they'd rip the beard out of his face. He knew that he would be whipped 39 times. He knew he would be nailed to a cross. The worst of all he knew that he would bear the sin of all humanity and he had never committed a single sin. And so, in the garden of Gethsemane. We read he prayed father if it's possible let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done. But Hebrews gives us an insight, it says during the days of Jesus life and earth. He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who can save them from death and he was heard because of his reverent submission so wasn't like oh father if it's possible let this cup the father if it's possible let this cup pass from me he was crying out to the Lord and unnerve the disciples but there was passion in his prayer, fervency in his prayer. That's all we have to pray I mean imagine promote if your child broke your arm you took them down to the ER. Would you prayed for the doctor and those who were attending to your job will of course you would you pray, but imagine God for bid.

If your child was kidnapped, would you pray you pray you pray fervently, you would pray a storm the gates of heaven prayer you would not take no for an answer.

That's real prayer. That's the way we need to be praying for America right now because it seems like our nation is been kidnapped cry out to God, we need to pray that the Lord will send a spiritual awakening to the United States that God will send revival to the church that God will send revival was fervent prayer. So here is know the Lord telling us how to pray better qualified to tell us about talking to God then God talking to us. This is like the master class of prayer meds and if you could go to some amazing University in here from the most learned people that have ever lived. You could study music under Beethoven ticket drama class from Shakespeare political science taught by Thomas Jefferson philosophy class taught by CS Lewis about this. How about a class on prayer.

Taught by Jesus Christ the Lord's prayer is in its response to the request of the disciples teach us Lord how to pray.

There's a lot of things I could've asked Jesus to teach them about one of the said Lord Raven a big family reunion teaches how to do the whole multiplying of the loaves and fishes in order to get a girl out of date.

Teach me how to walk on water, that would really impress her and improve her some like that is the Lord. We watched you, we've observed you and we want to know how to pray and so he gives what is called the Lord's prayer. By the way, the Bible never calls this prayer the Lord's prayer, but will refer to it as such because it's known that way.

This is a prayer Jesus himself never would've pray because one of the petitions is forgive us our sins. It's a prayer for us it's a model prayer you like when you are going to buy a house at the new truck going up in the of the models you can look at him always fascinated by those models. If pictures of people that don't live there.

They have faith food in the refrigerator. They have little fake computers and fake TV sets and you will grandma just sorta get a visual like well if I were to buy one of these homes it would look something like this model so Jesus is.

Here's a model for prayer this very carefully. It's not just a prayer to pray, though, there's nothing wrong with praying the Lord's prayer verbatim but it is also a template for a model for all prayer in the future. And so Jesus is saying if you want to pray effectively another God will hear you pray this way, here's the problem with the Lord's prayer and the problem is really with the prayers with us.

It may be the single set of words spoken more often than any other words in the history of the world. But the difficulty is there so familiar. We no longer care them. You're one of sin that we say our father were in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom, I mean those beautiful words with little you know the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. McPhail, the Flintstones modern Stone Age family going to Las Vegas. I know it's true, we just words like jingles songs and so we just say these words and we sent them so many times we don't hear them anymore. So we need to slow down and break it down because every word that Jesus use was intentional. Every phrase was meaningful.

The very order of the prayer is significant. So we want to look at it very carefully. We can learn from reading this how to price a look at Matthew six organ read verses 9 to 14 when we go I just say it out loud together in this manner therefore 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 our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Now, this powerful prayer can be divided into two sections. The first three petitions Holly would be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done deal with the glory of God reminding us with the real purpose of prayer is what is the purpose of prayer, the real focus of prayer should not be on us but on God, not on what we want, but on what God wants. Really when prayer reaches its ultimate we get our wills aligned with his will, and we pray accordingly.

Having said that, it is not wrong to pray for the things you need in life.

What I'm saying is you need to understand that God's plan for you is better than your plan for yourself how many of you believe that is planned for the near job. It is so many forces no good thing, though he withhold from those I walk uprightly. It was good, God will give it to you if it's not good. God will not give it to you in other times it pray for things fervently believe that God's will and he says no more upset later in life we look back we say thank you Lord for not giving me what I prayed for years ago when I was but a young man I fell in love with some girl that happened quite a few times and does so I was probably just 18, or some like that and I thought this is the girl I'm supposed to marry and I never propose to her but she was nice to me but she really wanted nothing to do with me.

To me that very clear.

So I said, she's the one. Why didn't she know she was the one and I will see what that because he wasn't the one she was the right one for some other guy.

He was the right guy for her and then I met my wife Kathy who was the one for me and we been married 42 years now so God's plan was better practical insights today on prayer and there's a great deal yet to come as she continues this message here on a new beginning. If you missed any part of today study you can hear the presentation again online@harvest.org just look for the title pray this way match@harvest.org Pastor Greg were so glad to be talking about your new book, Billy Graham, the man I knew yes and for the last several days you been availing some surprises from Billy's life, things most of us never knew. Even though we saw him on TV so often preaching the gospel.

That's right, what's the next on your list. Okay, here it is. He didn't always make a great first impression. Let me explain. I me when we would see billing on TV always look great. He sounded great when he was starting his ministry he arranged to have a meeting with the president of the United States.

Billy was still a very young man and he was meeting with Pres. Truman. He showed up to the Oval Office and the pistachio green suit. A hand-painted sigh and white bug shoes and any dared to touch the president he went into the office and said Mr. Pres., I want to pray for you and touch them on the shoulder and prayed for Truman and then afterwords you went outside and the press swarmed around him and he told them some of the things he said to the president and then they asked him if he would kneel and pray in front of the White House, which he and his friends did in their supercool suits with white lapels double-breasted looking very stylish and this did not make Truman happy one bit of egg Billy literally went to Truman later in life after he was out of the Oval Office and apologized to Truman for being a little too forward, and Truman said well you didn't know someone should have briefed you on what you could or could not do. He didn't take it personally but but Billy learned from that. And from that moment on, whenever he spoke to a president, he did not disclose what the president said the him to other people and that he kept that in confidence, and that's why so many of them wanted to speak with Billy Graham because they knew he was a man who could be trusted.

There was a lot of amazing conversations. Billy had with presidents.

I once asked Billy you have any regrets in life and he said yes.

Then he told me the story of when he was speaking at a presidential prayer breakfast in Washington DC when Pres. Kennedy was in office, and after was over with the president said the Billy, would you drive with me back to the Oval Office or something.

I want to talk to you about Billy said Mr. Pres., I'd love to, but I'm really sick with the flu and I would hate to get you sick.

Maybe we could do it in a week I'll come to see you and the president said that's fine but tragically was only days after that meeting that Pres. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas Texas. Billy said to me, I always wondered what he wanted to talk to me about. So while but but he would speak truth to power others.

A chapter in my book were Billy meets Mr. history. Winston Churchill himself.

They had a prolonged and profound discussion about the second coming of Jesus Christ. I include a lot of stories about Billy and the presidents that I think you'll find very interesting.

Sometimes you'll find amusing and other times you'll find very moving. This is all my new book, which is simply titled Billy Graham the man I knew nothing to send you a copy of this book at no charge, but I'll give it to you for your gift of any size. So whatever you can send was here at harvest ministries here at a new beginning. We will make sure we invested back into reaching more people with the teaching of the Word of God and the message of the gospel. So get your copy of Billy Graham, the man I knew. Yes, a unique look into the life of one of our generation's true heroes of the faith, Billy Graham, the man I knew is brand-new and will send you a copy to say thank you for your investment in these daily studies we can only bring them your way as listeners invest to help cover the cost of broadcasting. So thanks for your partnership. It couldn't come at a more strategic time right us today at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime 24 seven at 1-800-821-3300 four. Go online to harvest knothole one next time more on the powerful privilege of prayer will join us for practical insight next time on a new beginning regulatory and everybody thinks or listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God