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July 12, 2021 3:00 am
We may bring a similar hesitation to our prayers – should I pray again? Would God be irritated? Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie brings good insight on effective prayer. Download a copy of this insight by going to harvest.org.
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A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.
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You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Visit our website and learn more about harvest partners@harvest.org reversibly. Once in the wizard will know. Don't give up pressure regularly issues the Lord wants us to come to him and he wants us to keep asking, seeking, and knocking child for a long time you frame Jesus is shall be given you seek and you will find the door open to you. Don't give (put something on the website. Nothing happened and you wouldn't you know from experience, if you click a second time ordered to longwall blog.com.
We may bring a similar hesitation to work in God we today have a new beginning after Greg Laurie brings good insight, download a copy of this insight by going to harvest.org firm is not option for a believer to be a growing Christian you must have up for life. If you want God to speak to you if you want God to provide for you if you want God to help you.
Do not worry if you want to be ready for the return of Jesus. You need to pray.
There are times when God does not answer our prayers. The way that we would like will even say God doesn't answer my prayers. When the second nose as much of an answer is yes. It why don't you just say you don't like the answer, here's a way to look at it.
If the request is wrong, God says no. If the timing is wrong, God says slow.
If you are wrong, God says, grow, but if the request is right in the timing is right and you are right, God says go so how can we have our prayers answered more often in the affirmative. Here more yeses instead of nose that brings us to Luke chapter 11 and will go to read a few verses that give to us what we often refer to as the Lord's prayer.
Let's read Luke 11 verse one knocking the past. He was praying in a certain place when he sees one of his disciples the Lord teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples and he said when you pray, say, our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth doesn't is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread and forgive us our sins, for we forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. I went to the notice up before a word of personal petition is offered. I must consider who I am speaking to.
It starts with our father who art in heaven. Too often we cut to the chase and by that I mean we go straight to the grocery list okay Lord.
Here's what I need from you. There's nothing wrong with that.
There's a place for that, but it's not necessarily the first thing we should pray for.
I begin my prayer with worship, adoration and acceptance of his will and then we bow our heads and we might bring petitions before the Lord, and so forth. But the point is, is I'm contemplating the greatness of God. Have you ever noticed that when you see God in his power and his glory. You see your problems in a different way because when you have a big God, you will see that you have small problems but if you have big problems. You have a small God. Maybe you need to see God for who is so Jesus says after this manner therefore pray our father who art in heaven, would be your name. So just think of the awesomeness of God, the power of God that brings me to principle number one if you want your prayer answered in the affirmative, pray according to the will of God. If you want your prayer answered in the affirmative, pray according to the will of God. Jesus teaches us to pray by kingdom come, thy will be done by general Lord modeled this in Gethsemane. Remember when he said to the father father if it's possible let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but what yours be done. And so it's a submission to the will of God. Listen, the primary objective of prayer is to line my will up with God's will.
Prayer does not change God's mind. Prayer changes my mind.
Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance it's taking hold of his willingness by my praying I'm instructing myself more than him.
The object of our prayer is not getting my will in heaven is getting God's will on earth number two when I bring my petitions before God. This is something that I do after I've acknowledge the greatness of God. Jesus says okay no pray. Give us this day our daily bread to find it an amazing thing that this all-knowing, all-powerful, omnipresent God created the entire universe has an interest in you and me personally. The Bible says he does.
God concerned with the things that concern me. Why would he care about my daily bread. I don't know, Job even as Job 717. What is man that you make so much of him.
Why do you give them so much attention.
There's a simple answer why does God care because he loves you.
Why does he love you. That's a good question, but it us.
He does, he loves you with an ever lasting love. In fact, Jesus said or not, little flock at your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom to the father loves to bless us. Here's another secret answered prayers is really important.
You must confess your personal sin. Jesus teaches us to pray, forgive us our sins as we forgive those that sin against us and listen to this. If you have unconfessed sin in your life. Your prayers are going anywhere. I mean, you can pray piously. You can pray loudly. You can pray impressively, but if you have a sin in your life you got confess before God. Your prayer life going to come to a screeching halt because Osama said if I regard iniquity in my heart. The Lord will not hear me.
So there needs to be that confession. There's another secret of answered prayer is much as possible. Stay out of the way and the place of temptation first for lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one, you can completely remove yourself from temptation. Even if you left the planet, you would still get tempted. There's a were saying, Lord Ptolemy be tempted above my capacity to resist that we've all seen the bumper sticker that says leave me not into temptation, I can find it myself right we do a pretty good job that only the problem of course would temptation is how we can rationalize how we make it seem okay and life have you ever noticed that it's easier to find sin in other people's lives than in your life. All they should know that that's wrong but somehow in my life I rationalize it in other people's life. That sin looks so stupid and foolish, but in my life. It's a little bit different and you know what that is. That is exactly what Jesus was talking about when he said, how can you pick out a speck in your brother's eye. When you have a telephone pole and yours that be a modern update like you're so quick to nitpick in somebody else's life. Maybe there's something worse in your own life. Here's what I think. I think the people that are the most nitpicky there always harping on things and coming down another's are usually struggling with greater sin in their own life. So I'm not surprised when I hear somebody that's always condemning others and jumping down the throat of others and putting others down there when they had turned out there guilty of some crazy sin. Yeah, that's why they were doing it.
Don't you understand, so let's be very careful about these things because these things can trip us up. Here's a little test to apply for. Not really sure, but an enticement to evil. Pray about it in the clear light of the presence of God to listen you gonna do, pray about. I don't know if I should go to that thing okay just pray about it, you'll know really quick. Lord bless us as we go to this party did get drunk. He and I can pray for you already have the answer. Lord is going good, I would.
That's not a believer in yeah yeah you know what Yorty have the answer because it doesn't present basic litmus test. Here's another thing asked how would it seem, if you saw somebody else doing that you know you say it's okay for you what is on another Christian brother or sister doing that thing here something.
Remember, if you can't write hollow would be thy name over what you're doing.
Don't do it. So would you knew we would go to dinner.
Can you write hollow would be thy name over that you go for joy, self don't go to church anyway. Hollow would be thy name. Over that absolutely there we go to this other thing can you write hollow would be thy name over it. Yes, I can then go for it. Why don't know if I can write hollow would be thy name.
Over going to that movie, then don't go to it. I don't know if I can write hollow would be thy name over that music then don't listen that using your great glory will have the second half of his message in just a moment, everybody great glory here encouraging you to join us as we give her what we call harvesting that home is worse in the message of the word of God can watch it with your family, your front room where you can watch it on the go on your tablet on your phone or your computer.
Take it with you.
Take the word of God with you. Join us for harvested home harvest. Pastor Greg continues now with message what every Christian needs to know about prayer and in a moment will talk to author Sally Lloyd Jones about her brand-new children's book of hers or get details now@harvest.org. This is the last secret of answered prayer. If you will don't give up.
Let's read a few more verses of a close first five said which of you. If you have a friend go to him and midnights a friend, lend me three loaves for a friend of mine is coming from his journey have nothing to separate forum they will not answer from within. If they don't trouble me. The doors don't shut my children are with me in bed. I can't rise and give it to you I say to you, though he will not rise and give it to them because it's his friend, yet because of his persistence will rise and give him as much as he needs.
So here's the real kicker so I say to you, ask and it shall be given you seek and you will find knock and the door will be open to you. Don't give up in prayer. This is really important. Sometimes we pray for something once and nothing happens and we say, well, God said no Lord save the world amen covers it. That's a worthless prayer to great I been praying for my nonbelieving husband for 10 years and nothing this happened will keep praying about it and I'm afraid for my prodigal child for a long time and I don't see them coming back. It will you keep praying for them. Diving frame for a revival to come be the United States of America and it hasn't come yet you keep praying about that violent praying that the Lord would heal me of this problem. This sickness is illness and I'm not healed yet will you keep praying about that, that's okay. Asking that shall be given seeking you shall find, knock and the door shall be open no, this is going to a hard scene first understand but back in this culture, you know, everybody lived in one house.
Okay and usually they all slept in one room so getting everyone to sleep was a big ordeal.
So here's mom and dad and grandma and grandpa, and uncle Harry and aunt Matilda and the brothers and the sisters and the cousins and a dog or two in your old laying on this floor here and you're all you know, tucked in for the night and some crazy guy starts banging on your door. What what I need some bread. Someone came to visit me go get Gen. Brett but he keeps pounding on the door. If this guy doesn't get what he wants. He's not gonna leave you alone so you you step over uncle Harry and step on your cousin and you know when you step on the dog's tail, and you give him his bread so he'll go away. Now Jesus ain't if you would do that for a persistent person how much more will the father do it for you because he wants to do it for you. By the way, the Lord's languages and usually compelling because of three verbs that he uses as seek and not as seek and knock. There is an ascending intensity. First of all ask implies a request for assistance. We realize or need we ask for help to locate father would bring this to me before you right now. Where were asking for the sin. Jesus thing so like when you're in a restaurant. You want some more coffee and you're looking for a server what one of the disappear. One of the go in a certain point that there is there everywhere constantly. You know they're wiping your mouth so I'm good I'm good. You know it in their interrupting and and and so okay and they'll know when you need him there gone during the leave left and we don't know where they've gone to and so you're looking for some excuse me. Excuse me, I calculable coffee to the good. So you're asking you're being polite about it so that's the idea here, you ask, but seek is different. It denotes asking, but adds action so this doesn't just mean I'm asking but I'm asking pretty aggressively. Okay now we come to not this includes asking plus acting close persevering.
It's like the person pounding on the closed door, sort of a I'm not going to take no for an answer.
So go back for restaurant analogy pressurizing. Choosing is the known answers that he finds on cook I get some work because I did summer company and they'll finally get is going to go get coffee porch or something like it when you do that, that's the idea here. I'm taking matters into my own hands. Okay I'm not suggesting with God were taking matters into our own hands.
But what I'm saying is, when we believe something is the will of God. We don't give up and listen to me when you're praying for the salvation of a loved one.
Don't give up.
I'm telling you, you don't give up. As long as they're alive on this earth and I pray for my mom for years and years and years I came to Christ in tried to bring her to faith and she didn't want to have anything to do with it and she was hard against God. For almost her entire life and then at the end of her life. She finally made the commitment to Christ.
To me, and I pray for her for well over 40 years. That was a long time to pray for something, but God answered my prayer and there's other people your print boat. They just responded to. It's great that you know, don't give up only look at our country right now we know we need a spiritual awakening in America. That's a whole message unto itself but we just look at the state of our country right now what to can it take to wake this nation up to its need for God so we shouldn't give up on American that's over so committed to doing these evangelistic events because we believe that America needs to hear the gospel so ask, seek and knock and you show receive much of our prayer has no power in it because there is no heart and it said don't back down. Okay so let's wrap this up. We talked about praying you know how to pray when you say your prayers. Sometimes parents will say to their kids don't say your prayers before you go to sleep.
Say your prayers. I know that we want to teach our children to say their prayers as much as we want to teach them how to pray as you can see little prayers and never be heard by the Jesus told the story of a Pharisee and the public, not a Republican or public both went to visit the temple to pray in the Pharisee pray God. I think you, I'm not like other men and I fast twice a week and get ties of everything that I possess and I don't like this guy here. You know, your prayers are messed up when you say stuff like that the God and then the publican would even lift his eyes up to heaven. Each is that God be merciful to me a sinner.
Jesus said, just whose prayer was heard by God with all the Pharisee, the religious got no no no, God didn't hear his prayers. The other guy because it was an honest heart filled prayer and the other guy effectively was just praying to himself so you can bring your little prayers and never have your personal anywhere we can learn how to pray.
That only comes a relationship with God because you'll never be able to pray effectively. As long as there sin in your life and every one of us of sin and every one of us continue to sin, and that is why God took such drastic measures and sent Jesus Christ to come to this earth and walked this planet and he breathed.
Our error and he lived our life and then he died our death, and he paid the price for all the sin that we've committed in the will tell God were sorry for our sin and ask Christ to come. A door like he will forgive us and we can start this wonderful prayer life and know that were heard by God our father who art in heaven, the only way you can come into this relationship with God is by becoming his son or his daughter and the only way to become a child of God is through adoption.
I was adopted by many Oscar Lori gave me his name Oscar note, Lori.
But the point is, he adopted me and were adopted into God's family and he will adopt you right now you'll know that you of a father in heaven. If you will turn from your sin and ask him to forgive you if you haven't done that yet.
I'm in a give you an opportunity to do it.
As we close in prayer. Okay, let's all bow our heads and father I pray for everyone here. Everyone listening everyone hearing if they don't know you yet Lord, help them to see their need for Jesus and help them to come to you now and believe some work. The power of your Holy Spirit in the hearts of each one. In Jesus name I pray, amen, Greg Lord important word prayer from today's studies it's all about prayer.
And if you like to make a change in your relationship with the Lord.
Pastor Greg will help you with that before today's addition of a new beginning.
Concludes now perhaps you missed a portion of today's message called what every Christian needs to know about prayer where you can catch up by going to our website harvest.org stream it while you're online or downloaded MP3 for later. That's harvest.org and they were excited to have Sally Lloyd Jones with us today.
We are making available.
Her books called near and babies carry along Bible pestering Sally think should be in on with this again. It's always a joy to talk to you and I love these resources that you produced, especially this new book called near what inspired you to write a book really about the omnipresence of God damn well it seems as if it came out in the middle of the pandemics that you would think I wrote it because everyone wants to know that God isn't socially distant from us, but I actually wrote it several years before because I thought, what's the most comforting thing to know is that wherever we got is with us. If it's a happy day if it's a sad day if we feel lonely. If we extend Fulani and I thought the children. It such a beautiful way to express God's love because you can show them one of the world they could be climbing a mountain. They could be going down deep into the ocean sufficiently.
It's a very good Psalm for children because it's a visual in concrete and for child to know that the Neverland and I think a child is so small and vulnerable to know that the Neverland this is, it may be even more important for a tiny one. Tonight we want to send that come for your way is Sally's new book called near and will also send a second resource babies carry along Bible.
It's a sturdy board book a young child can carry with them just like mom and dad do on the way to church with comforting truths told in rhyme and Sally's own special way.
So letter sent both of these children's resources to you to thank you for your investment. So Pastor Greg's teaching can continue to come your way. Each day we so much appreciate your partnership. You can write us at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org will Pastor Greg as we get close to the end of today's program we want to give an opportunity for those who'd like to make a change in the relationship with the Lord. Okay, can you help them with that, I'd be delighted to listen if you would like to accept Jesus Christ into your life right now. By that I mean if you would like your sin forgiven and have the assurance that you will go to heaven when you die. Would you pray this prayer with me, Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I think you for dying on the cross for my sin and rising again from the dead. I'm sorry for my sin, Lord, and I turn from it now and I put my faith in you to be my Savior, my Lord, my God, my friend. Thank you for loving me and calling me and accepting me in Jesus name I pray, amen. Listen if you just pray that prayer in minutes. I want you to know on the authority of God's word that Jesus Christ has just come to take residence in your heart. The Bible says these things we write to the believe in the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. Listen we want to send you some resources that will help you grow spiritually. So here's David some details and let me say God bless you and welcome to the family of God's Pastor Greg said we have some resources would like to send your way to help you as you begin to live the Christian life. We call this resource collection are new believers growth packet and will send it to you free of charge. Just write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300.
That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click the words know God well next time Pastor Greg explains to us what happens when heaven comes to earth more insight from his essential share joint next time your new beginning and everybody thinks or listening to an beginning this is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. So for more content can help you know God and equip you to make him known to others or to learn more about how you can become a harvest partner. Just go to harvest.org