How to and How Not to Pray: Being Consistent in Your Prayer Life

Everybody you're listening to a new beginning, which is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. If this program is impacted you, I love to hear from you. So just send an email to me at greg@harvest.org again it's greg@harvest.org you can learn more about becoming harvest partner by going to harvest.org. The Lord wants us to pray to him.

Greg Laurie says we see in the Lord's prayer how God wants to hear from us daily father in heaven give me this day my daily bread he didn't teach us to pray for me this year my yearly rent. You know why God provided everything you need all in one fell swoop once a year just so often, you would pray dearly. So give me this day my daily bread and fire extinguish spare tire.

One of those things we put away out of site until emergency prayer should be something we would use much more often. Prayer is more like a spiritual smart phone. How many of us won't even walk into the next room without that today on a new beginning after Greg Laurie continues her look at the Lord see how the Lord I want to talk regularly to life a lot easier when you pray about the that's over looking at the Lord's prayer. It shows us how to pray how to bring your needs before God and you have leads I have the wheel problems we have questions. This is why we need to pray because prayer, among other things, is God's appointed way for us to obtain thing. There are things you need in life and God will provide them for you through prayer. James for two says you have the because he was not maybe wonder why no one wanted to life never knowing the will of God question. Have you prayed about it, you have not because you asked that they why is it that I have this illness that I gone. The doctors and no one is been able to help me. Eight have you prayed about it, maybe you have not because you us not wide-awake of this financial problem, and I can't seem to get on top of it. I've tried everything. Have you actually prayed about it, you have not because you ask God I think you know me well enough to realize that I'm nothing. God will always heal your God will always give you all the money you think you need, but I am saying that there's a place for asking the Lord to provide for our needs and so pray about it. So let's talk about how to pray. Look at Matthew six. Starting in verse nine. Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread. Now we know that this part can be divided into two sections. I pointed out the first three statements your kingdom come, your will be done deal with the glory of God. The final statements deal with the need of man and that's, or focusing on now our needs regarding discovered that we should pray our father who art in heaven hollow would be your name. What is that even mean that means honored beer name set apart is your name.

It's acknowledging the greatness of God to pray how would be your name is to say, Lord, I want to send you a part of my life in character. I want to live a life that honors you.

So periodically I need to ask myself as I look at my interests my ambitions my pursuits.

Is this for the glory of God. Can I write how would be your name over this over your career. Whatever it is you do can you write how it would be his name over it. Or maybe the friends you hang out with Jenny Wright, would be his name over your close circle of friends about the TV programs you want to the movies you see or the music you listen to.

Can you write how would be his name over and listen if you can ask the Lord to bless it, then don't do it you should be able to ask the blessing of God what you're about to do so. He says we should pray your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This reminds us that the primary objective of prayer is the first lineup. My will with the will of God to pray and is not overcoming God's reluctance it's taking hold of his willingness listen. Prayer is not about getting my will in heaven. It's about getting God's will on earth. If you want to see her prayers answered in the affirmative. That's a secret. That's the key. Find out with the will of God is and start praying that way you say how do you know the will of God right here in this book. It's right here in the Scripture, the more you read it, the more you understand it, the more you will discover what God's will is for you. Listen to this amazing promise of Jesus and John 15. He says if you abide in me and my words abide in you shall ask what you will and it shall be done on the a better translation would put it this way, Jesus speaking. If you maintain a living communion with me. My words are at home with you. You can ask at once for yourself. Whatever your heart desires and it's yours who all I want this. I want that hold on now go back to the conditions Jesus is that you maintain a living communion with me and my word is at home in you see that's going to change the way that you pray to God wants us to discover his will is sort of like I'm in a boat to get to the document though my little boat cook toward the dog to my pulling the dog toward me for my pulling myself toward the top on pulling myself toward the.and the same way in prayer. My pulling God my way here God do what I wanted to do. Knowing pulling myself God's way. So, we should pray by kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven is a personal petition verse three.

Give us this day our daily bread. It's an amazing thing.

But God Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth cares about you and he cares about me Job rights in Job 717.

Why do you make so much of man and give them so much attention, why would God care about me a lot or nobody does.

He loves me he loves you and so when you come to him with the need. He's interested even earthly parents do that.

Jesus said you parents of your child with us for a loaf of bread.

It'll give them a stone instead of the us for a piece of fish you don't give them a snake if you sinful parents know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. This is showing that God wants to give you this day.

Your daily bread they'll only talk about bread in the first century. It was a staple of the diet of an average person then read with all of their meals there.

Whatever bread morning noon and night. We remember many occasions where Jesus broke bread with people. Jesus would multiply the bread. The loaves and the fishes and then Jesus broke bread in the upper room with his disciples and use the bread as a symbol of his body. After he was resurrected again from the dead. Jesus sat down. He had bread with everyone so clearly no one was on the Atkins diet in the first century you know if you have your company view of God on the Atkins diet.

Don't be embarrassed. I have the best day of the Atkins diet is day one the worst day is day two day one is like, what can I eat you don't need any carbs, no bread, no bread, but you can eat steak and chicken mission. You can have cheese and you can have eggs and you can begin and when you get to the locked in the morning. You don't get a low-fat milk you get it with half-and-half fiscal gravity lot.

When I gone that the effort says that this is the greatest Diana earth. This is a man's diet.

They never do.

I find for carbs right now. I want pizza so that I would be happy for wanted a piece of Wonder Bread right now.

I'll take anything.

I don't know about you but if you were in a restaurant and they are for dessert I can say no to dessert, but I cannot say no to freshly baked bread.

I love it took a lot about food in this message. Gemini almost pathetic really, really, what we think it is this day our daily bread were not just talking about bread were talking about everything to back in the 60s.

We used to call money bread.

How many of you remember that payment. Good knee bread yeah them and that I have money from you so were saying God provide everything here's a loose paraphrase, Lord Jimmy three square meals a day. Lord put a roof over my head up, provide the needs that I have a like give me this day my daily bread. By the way, it's interesting that phrasing. Give us this day when he was someone to give you something you're acknowledging they own it. You're also acknowledging you need it. They don't owe it to you and you don't deserve it. This verse is not say pay us says give us pay me my daily bread but doesn't know you any money.

It is know you anything. So Lord give me it's a different position to demand payment. Now it's more like you have it.

I don't have it. Could you give it to me. I'm dependent your independent but I need this from you so father in heaven who loves me. Would you give me this day my daily bread master Greg Laurie will have the second half just a moment, everybody Greg Laurie here.

You know my uncle Fred Jordan at one of the first Christian TV programs out there.

It was called church in the home. I remember watching it as a little boy when I was living with my grandparents we have church in the home for you every weekend is called harvest@homeinvitedharvest.org we have worship in a message of God's word. So join us this weekend for harvested home harvest.overlearning today just how much insight there is in the Lord's prayer. Pastor Greg continues now with his message how to and how not to pray. So this prayer not only tells us to ask God for our daily needs. But it's an affirmation that everything I have ultimately comes from him James chapter 1 verse 17 says every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes from the father of light everything you have been given to you by God: no Greg were very hard to buy this shirt. I worked very hard to amass a fortune.

I have been the great things I've accomplished. I've done at all. You know maybe you worked hard. Maybe you were very clever in the way you invested your money and that's fantastic, but just remember it still came from God.

Deuteronomy 818 says remember the Lord your God, for it is he that gives you the ability to produce well so I'm thinking him for his provision in the past that I'm asking for his provision in the future. Listen to this, God promises to provide your needs not necessarily your ingredients is not give us this day our daily pie or cake or whatever it is you know just Lord give me what I need know God often gives us above and beyond that which we could ask or think he's very generous.

Your father in heaven, but my point is we need to ask him.

Now that doesn't mean you sit around like a lazy bum. It's a Lord provide Lord and was going to sit down to my big fat lazy boy on my big fat cushion which a thing is the same pressure in church. Please and I just pray will provide for me, Lord, I just read the story of Elijah and the ravens in how they brought food to him Lord just have the ravens cruise through In-N-Out Burger give me that burger.

Greg was talking about animal style with chopped jalapenos if they have time they could go through Krispy Kreme that would be nice to make sure the sign is on. I like them hot. Make the birds hurry, please, and I'll just be waiting here, you can win only one.

The birds are, buddy is you need to get up and go get a job looks good, very sensitive, toxic biblical. The Bible says a man doesn't work he should knee. Second Thessalonians 310 look if you're able to work go to work was not the job I want will do something else until you find the job that you won't be responsible really resourceful and don't be lazy.

That doesn't honor the Lord and then be a good steward that means take the resources God has given you, and invest them back into his kingdom for his use for his glory. So more people can hear the gospel. Notice it says give me this day my daily bread he didn't teach us to pray, give me this year my yearly bread or give me this month my monthly bread, or even give me this week my weekly bread. To me this day my daily bread.

You know why God provided everything you need all in one fell swoop once a year just so often, you would pray yearly.

It was all just sitting in a room all the food you would need all the money you would be all the everything you would need to walk and get it.

Would you think the Lord every time I doubt it. So he keeps us dependent upon them. He gives us what we need when we need it not usually before, never after but he provides grace to help in time of need. So give me this day my daily bread's amazing relationship I could: God and that God would listen that God wants to be my father know when we come back to one final thought before we close you know some of you may say well I don't know God. This way I do say my prayers but I don't really feel as though God is listening listen he's listening.

But if you want God to answer your prayer. You need to get rid of a problem that's hanging things up and the problem is called sin and were all born with that we all do it some more than others. Granted, but one sin is enough to keep you out of heaven. This big giant wall that I cannot scale called sin.

As I in while I'm a good person. Greg, I'm sure you are but you know what you're actually not good enough to get to heaven because all of us in the Bible says and fallen short of the glory of God.

That's where Jesus comes. It because there was no way to get rid of this barrier that separates me from God. Jesus came and died on the cross for our sin. The Bible says that some of the gods. Here is heavy worry can't hear you where his arm is too short, we can save you, but your sins have separated you from him, but because Jesus died and paid the price for my sin if I will turn from that sin. I believe in Jesus. Communication is open to your father and have only the Christian can call him father, a nonbeliever can call them deputies, not the father. So how does God become your father when you become his son or daughter will. How does that happen you have to be born again.

Jesus said you must be born again, born spiritually. The Bible says, for as many as received him, to give them the power to become children of God, so you might say Lord I I've been on the center and I receive you, I ask you to forgive me and Christ will come and live inside of you, and you can start this wonderful relationship with God. I talked about those two guys went to pray. One guy had all of this eloquence. All of this posting and talk about how wonderful he was. Jesus said God didn't hear his prayer within the other guy would even lift his eyes. The company was so embarrassed by the wrongs he had done and he just prayed this God be merciful to me a sinner. Jesus that got her temper see if yields come. It's a God I'm sorry I have no excuses, but have mercy on me, forgive me, a sinner. God will hear their prayer and you can go from being a sinner to being a saint by the way I'm up total saint probably didn't know that about me Greg how many miracles of you perform your never perform miracles to BSA seen as just another word for a believer when you become a believer in Jesus you're a saint. That doesn't mean you're perfect. We still sin.

That's all we always need Jesus but you are forgiven, and right before God and before we close. I want to just extend this invitation. If you've never believed in Jesus wanted to do it right now so you can walk out of here a saint instead of a sinner, a believer, instead of a nonbeliever, headed to heaven instead of to hell.

What you say that because it's real and God doesn't want you to go there and we don't want you to go there but ultimately it's up to you. We pray that you will believe in Jesus but you have to say I want this for myself. Do you work in a closing prayer right now. I'm going to extend an invitation to any of you here that have never believed in Jesus and not sure that is your father in heaven but you want them to be. You're not sure you go to heaven when you die, but you want to be sure you don't know if you're ready for the Lord's return what you want to be ready if so respond to this invitation as we pray together.

Let's all pray father our father in heaven. Thank you that you hear us right now and now we pray for friends and loved ones and others that are listening and watching who don't know you yet. Lord, we pray right now with them actually open their spiritual eyes and help them to see their need for Jesus is no words or we can say to make them believe that you can touch Greg Lord important word prayer and if you'd like to make a change in your relationship with the Lord today. Pastor Greg will come back in just a moment to help you do that before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes but to hear this message again or recommend it to someone else is waiting for you online right now@harvest.org just look for the study how to and how not to pray. Again that's at harvest.org yesterday one of our station managers has really been enjoying hearing about your friendship with Billy Graham. His name is Rick McClary and Zach is probably listening right now hi Rick hey Rick, he's general manager of 91.5 and 102.7 the word in St. Cloud and Pequot lakes. Minnesota what he texted me yesterday and let me let me read to his text he wrote I've been enjoying hearing Greg talk about Billy Graham. I surrendered my life to the Lord while watching Billy on the TV broadcast. While living in Ventura, California. I was 18. It was during the Jesus people revival that swept through the country. I thought you could pass this on to Greg and thanked him for sharing his stories well you know Billy, that's an amazing thing because so in the 70s when the Jesus movement was happening. Some people thought that it was some kind of weird religious cult. But you know who got it. It was Billy Graham. I was a brand-new Christian and I remember picking up a book in a Christian bookstore. I think the title was the Jesus generation and Billy fully embraced it and because he was at that moment the face of evangelicalism and probably the most respected Christian in the world that Willie was a great shot in the arm. If you will, for all of us because we really were coming to Christ in our lives are being changed and of course, and Billy went on to speak at the Expo event there in Texas working with Campus Crusade in and that was one of the biggest things that happened in the Jesus movement in the early phases, so yes there are so many stories of lives that have been impacted by Billy Graham going back so many years in his ministry still continues on to this day, but the reason I wrote this book Billy Graham, the man I knew was because I wanted to show what he was like personally and I'm happy to say that he was the same man privately that you saw publicly. You know David's been my privilege to meet a lot of famous people want a famous preacher's I've shook the hands of four US presidents I've been in the Oval Office and prayed for the president two times I've met movie stars and rock stars and and no one ever impressed me more than Billy Graham and I think it was because he was just so humble and so down to earth but yet his fame in many ways eclipsed all of them and but it never went to his head, or do his heart and any was always as he would describe himself a country preacher. It wasn't speak humility. That's always some something when you think the Billy Graham story and I must remind you of a Bible story you know he read of Gideon hiding from the Midianites of threshing this week when an angel of the Lord calls them to lead a mighty army you look at David, keeping watch over his flock. When the prophet comes to town and anoint him as the next king of Israel and you think of Billy, a farmboy with aspirations to become a professional baseball player it just a normal red blooded American southern boy who God hand-picked to become the greatest evangelist in human history. And I think one of his secrets was he never lost sight of where he came from.

He still was rooted as that simple boy Billy Frank who used to milk his dad's cows very early in the morning and had this humility about him that he carried to his last dying breath while he was a man we all wish we knew personally and you get to know them and Pastor Greg's new book.

It's an inspiring journey to walk through his story and Billy Graham, the man I knew exact n-gram lots, Billy's daughter commented about the book. She said this in this page turner of a book I learned things about my father that I never knew is not something Greg Laurie has been a masterly job of setting my father's life in historical and cultural context. I pray that Billy Graham, the man I knew will draw readers to the gospel where they'll find the love of God that he preached so fervently and faithfully.

So can we send a copy your way. Pastor Greg is making it available to thank you for your donation of any size.

Please know there are no churches or large organizations covering all the broadcast expenses was only through the investments of listeners that these insights can come your way.

Each day, so thanks for being a partner with us with your donation today. Be sure to ask for Billy Graham, the man I knew and we hope you'll contact us soon will only be able to mention this. A short time longer. You can write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300 call anytime. That's a 24 hour phone number 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org or Pastor Greg or somebody listening right now knows that they need to make a change in the relationship with God. They can do that right now They really cannot. I think some people might say what what, pray what the why listening to the radio, absolutely because guess what Jesus Christ is with you right where you are right now if you want Jesus Christ to come in your life and forgive you of your sin if you want to invite them in your life, why don't you pray this prayer after me right now. In fact, I would even encourage you to pray it out loud. Let's pray Lord Jesus, I want you to come into my life and forgive me of my sin. I think you for dying for me on the cross and then rising again from the dead.

I choose to follow you from this moment forward be my Savior be my Lord be my God, and be my friend.

Thank you for loving me and calling me and forgiving me in Jesus name I pray, amen. The lesson is you just pray that prayer maybe you felt something emotional.

I've had people write me and tell me of how they prayed with me at the end of our radio broadcasting. Tears came down their cheeks or they felt a great joy to be one of those things happen you are and then again maybe you felt nothing lesson irregardless of how you feel right now I want you to know a fact if you prayed that prayer and minute Jesus Christ has come into your life. Why no I say that because the Bible says these things we write to you that believe on the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, that verse doesn't say so you can think you have eternal life. For hope of God's in a really good mood.

You may have eternal life notes as you can know it. And if you just pray that prayer and minute prices, near life. So let me say to you, welcome to God's family and would like to help you get started in living your new life with the Lord would like to send you some free follow-up materials called our new believers] just get in touch and will send that packet right out to you as I said, it's free of charge and a special thanks for harvest partners and others who support this ministry for helping us to make these available and here's her mailing address, a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 and again you'll be asking for the new believers] you can call us at 1-800-821-3300.

We can take your call anytime 24 seven at 1-800-821-3300 or go to harvest.org and click on know God. The next time Pastor Greg offer some secrets to answer prayer. Ever wondered how to make your prayers more effective. Good counsel.

Next time you beginning and things really to a new beginning. Greg Laurie podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for daily devotions and learn how to become a harvest partner@harvest.org