Keeping It Simple

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This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything, and encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks path of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to mom and now James about keeping it simple James. I know you like that really do brilliant things are all simple. Just look at, when even a delightful after trying hundreds, maybe thousands, of things he finally landed on carbon filament for what would make them shine the brightest, so that you could say that if you really want to shine. Just keep your tell me before we went on this is all about a prayer that Jesus prayed yeah that's right just listen to this Prairie. Matthew 1125 right after he been backdated in several cities and has a load of them. You know, and then verse 25.

At that time Jesus said, I praise you father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes father. This is what you were pleased to do just a verse later he says come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from a friend gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest sold for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Notice here what Jesus says about revealing these things to little children. It's really referenced every day. Simple people as as well as children. He'd been to the cities that these erudite people in them and yet it was the simple people of the country folk who received this message and I was looking at this as I was reading a book on prayer at the same time that was really all about methodology and that methodology you know I just I thought about some of the things we've discussed before, you know, like looking at your feet when you're dancing and favorites which you know are not dancing at all. Exactly.

There's so many books on prayer and you think about it so often they say will do this and do this with some of like a cookbook.

I don't think so. Here is another analogy, even though it's a little rough but it comes from Mark Twain and Mark Twain had a colorful vocabulary really used upset his wife and one day she tried to shock them out of it by looking straight. As I wearing the street. Yet in many he looked at her with surprise and said Libby you got the word but you ain't got the music. If you allow it. I think we could say the same thing about our prayer. Sometimes if were just going through the motions. You know the sort of step-by-step thing to Springer method. Whatever that may be a list of prayer book. Whatever we have to be careful not to miss out on the music and the music is a heartfelt, loving relationship with our Savior in the spirit in the heavenly father is free to express itself in the simplest, most childlike, down to earth ways you know like I just love you father sure how you got there from Mark Twain that I'm right with simplicity really does matter so much because then that we can just be ourselves exactly and that doesn't mean a lack of reverence. By the way, because actually it's the greatest reverence of all God because were humbling ourselves before him just being open, not putting on airs in any way. Being honest were holding nothing back. And that's when were really praying and and if you think about it that that's why I think Jesus go so quickly talking about our our burdens and our problems right after he praises God for revealing his truth to simple people. Then he says come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you learn from a friend gentle and humble in heart, and then he says and you will find rest for your souls. I mean I've never made that connection before and it's beautiful and it shows us that we really can come to him with whatever is on you know I hadn't really made that connection and until I looked at that again this morning and realized Jesus doesn't specify which burdens you just says you cooler burden so that means all of us. He wants us to come to him, warts and all, just given him the whole and any promises that following him will be better than going our own way, which is of course what happens when we get to get busy to pray and that's what he means by it by saying take my yoke upon you, if you going your own way your burden and his way is just so much better now. I love that. So James, you don't think this also helps us when we are born with prayer and that you know I'm glad you forgot because I are you feeling that way. Just yes. I was reading this book with others, methodology, prayer, and I realize I was trying to make prayer too complex instead of the relationship and it's intended to be and this is the kind of thing that each of us has to find out for ourselves. We can learn it in the book and yet again so many books have been written about prayer telling us to just do it this way.

That way, but God isn't concerned about the words we use, he just wants our hearts. He wants us to come to him like little children, and for someone like me who never really grew. You know I love that. Seriously, in the context of eternity.

We are all so very that's why we can come to God with this list of the openness of children really want to because we don't want to miss what Jesus is offering and think about what David says about in Psalm 1825 to the faithful.

You show yourself faithful many. He goes on in verse 27 to rescue the humble. God promises his goodness to us. We just come to him like that your sunrise if we make it too complex. It's not natural in our relationship with MS to be real nasty natural really don't have a relationship exactly and and remember that Jesus said God reveals his truth to simple people so so that brings us back to where we started really and if you really want to be profoundly simple. Stay with him in the moment. Talk to them about whatever is on your heart and and then listen and he will show he has a way of doing that in the most surprising place that is awesome James and so would you wrap this up today with a prayer that we could just live like that. Yeah, let's do it. Lord we need your help. Every moment only ask that you would help us to live more and more in the moment honest with you about whatever his heart was seeking to serve you faithful you think you will are helpless to hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website. James bank.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray. This is the Truth Network