Secrets to Answered Prayer: How to Get the Most Out of Your Prayers

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All prayers are answered effectively right yes no way I will know generally we usually are happy with you. We don't really know my way. Is there anything we can do this year. Prayers answered more often in the affirmative, I believe.

So I want to talk to you about secrets to having your prayers answered in the affirmative and most powerful yet many of us don't feel like we've maximized their lives today on a new beginning hopefully will step forward Greg Laurie look to the Lord's model brings practical counsel, we can all work today. He's on the island of Maui, having just visited one of the satellite campuses is a restaurant and someone is seated at a table near you in a conversation, you may not even be noticing. But one of them says I want to tell you a secret, no matter what. I don't want you to share this with anyone question.

Do you listen in. Of course you do. Even if you know the people you want to know secret you know again well from my grandkids is what were going somewhere, maybe in a restaurant or hear their Athena we can go the regular way we can go this secret way which way do you want to go. They always say we want to go the secret way. I just taken the side door something but we all like secret monthly of three psychiatrists that were at a convention in they were hanging out together and one of them said you know the problem is we hear everybody else's problems, but we don't have anyone that we can discuss our problems with and one of you guys we can all just share what were struggling with the hip. We can trust each other. Who can we trust.

They all agree. So the first guy said, you know, here's my problem. I have a real issue with overspending so I'm always clinging to a 20 so now I overbuild my patients and they pay for the second. I set out below. I have a problem with drugs. In fact, I actually have my patients go out and buy me a legal drug concert guy said oh my problem is I can't keep secrets, and I can't wait to get out of this place.

Guess what God has some secrets to event the Bible says this secret of the Lord is with those that fear him know in a way they're not really secret because they're playing in the pages of the Bible, but I think for some they might seem like a secret because it never occurred these things before, so I wanted to talk to you in this message about secrets to having your prayers answered. Listen in the affirmative and are all all prayers are answered effectively right yes no way I will like to know generally we usually are happy with.

Yes, we definitely don't like the way but is there anything we can do to see our prayers answered more often in the normative. I believe there is. So I want to talk to you about secrets they having your prayers answered in the affirmative. Jesus said after this manner therefore you should pray our father who art 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 sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil or the evil one, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. I love that prayer as I pointed out, it's not just a great bird of prey.

It's a template for all prayer the story of a father and his little boy or frame before bed and in the that sits on go ahead and pray in the little guy prayed our father who art in heaven how would be your name that sums up what why did you call got Howard was dead.

That's of the call done at church a little guy said the brothers that what you talking about the little boy said they they pray our father who art in heaven, Howard beer name.

No it's not Howard, it's hollow, it wouldn't send me the means set apart honored and glorified be the name of the Lord for us. As followers of Jesus we need to understand that when we come in the God's presence. We need to just stop in rugged guys were speaking to the all-powerful and all-knowing and all loving Creator of the universe.

I think we will do that it will change the way that we pray our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Just let it sink in for a moment and then we pray your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven effectively were saying the Lord if what I'm about to pray violate your will in any way shape or form. I ask you to overrule it.

One thing you'll discover after you walk with the Lord. For a time is God's plans are better than your plans in his will is better than your will remember Jesus there in the garden of Gethsemane, praying, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.

He was submitting to the will of the father is to become a great then he was beaten, crucified, just and all the sins of the world were paid for. Sometimes the will of God doesn't look good in the moment but in the big picture, you'll see that it really was good. I'm convinced we get to heaven look back on the events of earth from me eternal perspective will see everything differently. I think perhaps things we thought were good on earth will determine later may not of been as good as we thought and think that we were sure were really bad under ultimately work together for God's good will never feel, pray to commit your purpose in your future to God. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Then Jesus taught us to break. Give us this day our daily bread. Basically when we pray that prayer were acknowledging that everything that we have come from God and everything that we need in the future must continue to come from God. But now we come to the first secret answered prayer. If you don't get this one right. Nothing else really matters. It teaches us to pray, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

If I have unconfessed sin in my life.

All of the prayers in the world will really accomplish nothing God says is on the money here is happy that I can't hear is under my arm assured that I can save but your sins have separated you from me. The summer set up. I regard her hang onto iniquity in my heart. The Lord will not hear me if you confess your sins it's like you just hung your phone up on God. There still may be relationship that doesn't go away because that's given to you as a result of your believing in Jesus, but fellowship and communication can be severed temporarily, but it can be reconnected to the confession of sin, something will.

I don't really know that I have any since the confess all we had to go back to the first part of the Lord prayer our father who art in heaven, the more we see God in his glory, the more will see ourselves and our sinfulness. So here's the point we have to come and admit our sin and we have sin not, light colored pants on today and I was noticed whenever I wear like that's I spill myself more. But you know what I realize is I am always spilling myself. I just wore dark jeans normally and I don't see the same. I think you send more than you think you said because there sins of commission and omission ascent of commission of courses doing what you should not do a sin of omission is not doing what you should do just trust me when I tell you it's a good thing on a regular basis on a daily basis and maybe even on an hourly basis to say forgive us our sin as we forgive those who sin against us coming up on a new beginning master Greg explains there's an principal to answered prayer found in the famous Broadway show the connoted is that's coming up.

I want you to know tonight.

One thing God loves you and a new pastor Greg Laurie brings us a deeper appreciation for the man and his message.

No matter how you live, is there no matter what no matter what languages you God loves you a new beginning Ridge is people. Anyhow, we shared the gospel and he always emulated Christ and I think we can learn from his example. So I write about that a lot more this new book I've written called Billy Graham the man I need is an evangelist in the life of history's greatest event in your copy of the new biography Billy Graham is a man I knew to harvest on or we caught up with Pastor Greg today in Hawaii. He offered preachers at the satellite campus of harvest Christian Fellowship on the island of Maui and today he's bringing us insights on prayer. Okay, no principle number two for having your prayer answered in the affirmative. Another secret. This is a big one.

You must forgive others go back to the Lord's prayer again.

Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against and I think were okay with the part about being forgiven by God, here's the big one are we willing to forgive other people listen forgiven. People need to be forgiving people see it, you're not forgiven by God, then you're racked with guilt. But if you don't forgive others you're consumed by bitterness unforgiving people are bitter people.

No one wants to hang around them because are always upset. They're always renting they they dine out alone, you know when the announcement is made dinner party of one you need to forgive his or someone right now that you need to forgive that has sinned against you.

Here's a Jesus says if you come and you bring your gift in the temple and you remember that someone has something against you, go to that person and seek reconciliation with them then bring your gift to the altar and interesting you say that they have something against you, you might say well that's no problem actually know it's coming.

Your problem to you need to deal with it and we need to go to that person and you need to forgive them what CS Lewis once said, forgiveness is a lovely idea until we have someone to forgive you know another way that verse is translated.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us is forgive us our debt as we forgive those who are indebted to us announcing that's accurate because the word divisions are present also implies that and that's why it's often translated that way. First, we have to be forgiven up our debts listen. Your debt is so high, there's no way you could ever pay it back the debt of sin.

That's all we all have to just basically go Chapter 11 spiritually and declare complete bankruptcy and common total dependence to God who will forgive us in Colossians 3 it says that Christ canceled the debts that were against this taking them out of the way nailing them to the crossing the 10 Commandments condemns you and condemns me.

We all fall short.

And so Jesus took that debt that we owed and he paid it for us. He came to pay a debt he did not. Oh, because we owed a debt we could not pay some, forgive us our debts our sins as we forgive those who are indebted to us or have sinned against us in one of my favorite stories is called Les Miserables written by Victor Hugo many years ago. Actually, it was me know. Broadway show and then later into a movie. So the main character of Les Miserables is John Valjean in. He's a good man and he has a sister who starving along with their children, so he steals a loaf of bread to feed them. He's arrested and he sent to prison and eventually he's released from prison, but he can't find employment anywhere and so he stopped communicating with them.

He violates Perot and arresting officer names you bear is sent after him in the most recent films, a bear was played by Russell Crowe, John Valjean, played by Hugh Jackman and so John goes on find shelter in a monastery and their very generous to him to give him a warm meal they give him a bed and and the priest takes has compassion on John Valjean well in the night John Valjean sees these valuable candlesticks. He decides to steal them, and he's arrested immediately brought back to the monastery and the priest seizes the lame appears a goes back to prison.

He may never get out again in the present know I gave those to John Valjean. Once the police leave the priest gives John Valjean. The two candlesticks he stole, that are made out of silver and says they can view been spared by God not going make an honest man out of yourself and if you go's book, the priest says. John goes on, my brother, you no longer belong the evil, but the good it is your soul. I buy from you and I give it to God.

So John Valjean is violated parole and is being hunted by Joubert played by Russell Crowe. So Hugh Jackman is running problem.

So basically we have gladiator chasing the wolverine right and we come to a point where John goes on, could have killed Russell Crowe i.e. Joubert but he chooses not to do it. John Valjean establishes a new identity as the mayor of a town girl that worked for him name on teen is fired and she turns to prostitution. She has a child as well just rise up for this child. The child's name is because that so there in her deathbed, John Valjean promises to take care of because that child up on teen the prostitute in the raises rep to be wonderful young woman. But here's the thing though. I love the story so much is a story of a man who was forgiven. So he for gave them not to think if we know anything about God's forgiveness. We should be forgiving people, and yet there are people today Christians even that are harboring this anger toward other people and cures the problem it's eating you up more than it's eating them up. You know harboring unforgiveness is like drinking rat poison and hoping the rat will die.

It's killing you it's eating you up inside, so Jesus says, say to the father, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.

Listen to this. When you forgive someone you set a prisoner free yourself, you know, there's actually a new field of research that's been developed on the subject of forgiveness and recent studies suggest that those who do not forgive are more likely to experience high blood pressure, bouts of depression problems in Bangor, stress and anxiety. One expert said there's robots psychological differences between non-forgiving and forgiving people. They said forgiveness isn't giving into another person is getting free of that person you know after the Civil War president Abraham Lincoln was asked why he made friends of his enemies. Someone said you should not make friends of your enemies, you should destroy them in Lincoln responded am I not destroying my enemies when I make them my friends see this is about being free of it yourself. Just letting it go." The great theologian Elsa from the film, frozen, let it go.

Just let it go and put it in God's hands.

The Bible says avenge not yourself. Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord Scripture also reminds us to be tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you say, but Greg they don't deserve forgiveness.

Okay, maybe that's actually true.

But here's my response to you, deserve forgiveness do I answer no, we don't know because I've been forgiven. I want to bring in forgiven people are giving people forgiveness from Pastor Greg Laurie and there's more insight yet to come on the subject here on a new beginning. Hopefully you're able to hear all of today's insight.

But if you missed anything you can hear what you missed online@harvest.org just look for the title secrets to answered prayer. Pastor Greg were talking about Billy Graham. Yes course, many of our listeners are reading your new book, Billy Graham, the man I knew and you been revealing some surprises to us based on the content of the book yeah one of them is that he knew how to use media like few other people of his time he used it not only to help spread the gospel but to build a platform for his ministry yeah and that started early on in his ministry when he was having a short stint as a pastor he was on a radio program that was simply called songs in the night. That's where he met George Beverly Shea who went on to become his song leader at his crusades and in they were a team of Billy Bevis.

They called him George Beverly Shea Bev and Cliff Barrows, but Billy understood the power of media you know Howard Stern likes to call himself the King of all media.

The fact is Billy was the first king of all media as his ministry was taking off. He went on radio know were used to hearing Christian radio.

There were no Christian radio station for the most part. Back then, but he was going on in major radio stations with his a program called the hour of decision.

Some of our listeners. They even remember it. This is what his show sounded like the hour of decision. Let's go back in time. Listen to this are all the world is forget you for giving you sure are you certain that God has forgiven you, but then he also was one of the pioneers of Christian television, but I don't even know if you would call it Christian television. He was a Christian on television, but he would buy time in the major networks are locally, nationally and broadcast the gospel and so many of us remember watching Billy Graham on TV. I remember I was living with my grandparents and Southgate in California and we would watch Billy Graham and our black and white television set and if that wasn't enough.

He also started a film studio in Hollywood called worldwide pictures and they made films that they released in theaters send and they were beautiful films that always had an evangelistic message.

In addition to that, he wrote a column called my answer that rent six days a week in newspapers across the United States and reached 20 million people. He founded two monthly magazines Christianity today and decision magazine, and he also was an early adopter of sunlight tech in the Internet. I remember I was with them in Puerto Rico for an event that they called mission the world and they took the satellite dishes and being done all around the planet so really utilize all forms of media to reach as many people as he possibly could so that just one of the many things I bring out in this book that I wrote about Billy called Billy Graham the men I knew. I also tell a lot of personal stories conversations we had things that he said to me impressions I got from watching him up close and personal, and I want to share that with you I feel after you read this book, you'll feel like you kind of knew Billy Graham as well. So if you want to order a copy were offering it right now for your gift of any size whatever you can send the support harvest ministries will then send you and return a copy of Billy Graham, the man I knew that some of you can send a lot and that's appreciated because wool invested in teaching the Bible in getting the gospel out turn a new beginning but some of you maybe can only send a little will send you a copy as well so order your copy of my brand-new book, Billy Graham, the man I knew. Yes, a landmark overview of village life with exhaustive painstaking research that literally took years in spite of how well Pastor Greg knew Billy personally. He found out so much more. During that in-depth research and you will benefit from these deep insights so we hope you get in touch for your own copy of Billy Graham, the man I knew as Pastor Rick said will send it to you to say thank you for your donation of any size. Thanks for your investment right now and to thank you tangibly will send you a copy of the new book, 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 just write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300 were here to take your call around the clock at 1-800-821-3300 or just go online to harvest.org ever start your day off wrong, you know, things started badly and just kept going downhill. A lot of it has to do with your focus where your mind is centered as the day starts want to plug into Pastor Greg's daily devotions there free of charge.

It's good encouragement to keep your eyes fixed on Christ. You can read each day's devotion or listen to the audio version. Your choice. Sign up today free of charge@harvest.org everybody Greg Laurie here encouraging you to join us as we give her what we call harvest that home is worse in the message of the word of God and watch it with your family and your front room or you can watch it on the go on your tablet on your phone or your computer. Take it with you think the word of God with you. Join us Harvest at Home harvest will next time Maura Pastor Greg's and lights on seeing our prayers answered.

Join us next time. As we present the finale Pastor Greg series on the Lord's prayer and thanks for letting 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