How to Pray B

How my prayers expect the sovereign God is a mystery, but I do know that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avail with much somehow in some way the sovereignty of God and the will of man in prayer. Connect, it's a mystery. I just accept the fact says answering questions from members of his own church on the topic of prayer. These are perhaps questions you've wrestled with in your own life and now if you'd like more resources on prayer. I would also encourage you to visit our website after the lesson, you'll find it@tty.org we have numerous sermons and blog articles there that will explain what prayer is and how you can pray effectively, but for now, stay right here as John MacArthur continues his series titled spiritual boot camp and here's the first question from today's Q&A session. You also hear John's response on the asking the will of God you can attack that went on like this in Jesus name.

Is that what you're saying or you like some people every time they pray they go lower if it's your will and can get the idea that they really don't think it is.

But the freight anyways.

Would you explain what you mean by asking the will of God by asking the will of God.

I think you are acknowledging that whatever God would want to do would be best now in a very practical sense.

There may be some times when God gives you what you asked for.

Even though it is in the best illustration number one would be Saul the people kept begging God over and over and over and over for a king.

And they got one and he was a bummer and it was God's way of saying you're better off to do it my way to start with, so it may be that one way God to teach us a lesson would be to give us what we want, but really don't want that in your prayer honestly and objectively. You really do want God's will because God's will is the best thing I think that's the idea.

Okay, at the first point you ask.

He said that prayer mode moves God to act. Would you explain how I can move God to act well I'm only responding to Scripture just exactly how that works.

In other words how my prayers effect sovereign God is a mystery, but I do know that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. I do know for example in the Old Testament that God says I am to wipe out Israel and then what happened. Moses starts brand know know God don't do that. Don't do that and what God do God spared other words somehow in some way the sovereignty of God and the will of man in prayer. Nick, that's a mystery, and I don't how to do it I just accept the fact the Scripture says it. Incidentally, the mysteries are important because they let God be God. Two things that I like you to explain that I hear people using prayer very often pleading the blood of Christ, and praying to bind Satan, the common practice to comment well. Both of those are ridiculous and pleading the blood of Christ. II don't even understand what that means. Some people say to me. Well boy we were afraid of demons, so we went in this room and played the blood of Christ in the bedroom and then we played the good blood of Christ in the dining room. That's ridiculous.

You reduced yourself to magical formulas. You're acting like a witch or a warlock you reducing these to a formula.

You don't need to beg the blood of Christ into your house. If you're Christian the blood of crisis covered your sin in your life you know going around saying I plead the blood of Christ.

You know that little verbosity that those words coming out of your mouth has zero effect on Satan have any effect on him. What has an effect on what he does is your own holiness right of the practical righteousness of your life, your salvation, saying that doesn't mean anything. So the idea of running around and pleading the blood.

Here there and everywhere is his ridiculous people get into conflict with demons, they think they've got it all figured out, and they forget the demons are so much more intelligent than they are that they're dealing with demons who are infinitely wiser than they are and who are liars. You know so you can't believe anything the safe. There are even demons that claim to have the name Jesus. So the idea that you could go around and say little formulas and clean Satan out of your house for demons is ridiculous.

The way to eliminate them is simply by having a pure life and confessing sin before God and that takes care of so the idea pleading the blood is not even a biblical concept, the blood of Christ is Artie been played in your behalf.

It's washed away your sins and made you a child of God, your cleanse forever. There's nothing left to plead in addition to that, the idea of praying to bind Satan is again ridiculous. What is that means that means if you say little formulas going to happen.

Listen if you live a holy life.

Satan is already bound because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. The Bible simply says, resist the devil and he will do what will flee from you.

He can handle you. Incidentally, the binding and loosing of Matthew 18 has nothing to do with the devil has to do a discipline in the church and God's agreement with what's being done in the church, so don't reduce your prayer to formulas. That's not the issue.

When you train. How do you know thank you. Praying earnestly for something over and over and over again. Hey now you not going to get something like selling your life. You don't that's a good question.

You probably would have to really search your motives and I think that would be to keep. I think it in this case of Israel. It was clearly a pride motive they were seeking a king, and this is what they said.

Everybody else has a king. We should have a king LSI praying for a Cadillac because everybody in your block as one. There's a selfish motive there, but I would say that if you have examined your motives and your motives are pure, but you have nothing to fear.

Okay, I understand that idols don't have to be graven images that would bow down to the can you help us understand what sin could be in our lives now. Anything that substitutes for God in your life is an idol is anything that takes precedence over God is an idol or some people.

I suppose it could be a girlfriend, and I've seen some people totally abandon all their Christian testimony for the sake of some girl that they follow love and vice versa.

I've seen girls you know going in the church in active and aggressive in the word of God and they get attracted to some guy and all of a sudden knowing the other gone, long gone, just set your goals forgot anything it diverts you to another thing on the throat, boyfriends, girlfriends, that's all right at work for that, but the perspective is to be proper to be money.

Some people bow down to try to money and they worship money. The biggest thing in their life is to make money not so much for the money, sake, usually but for the sake of being able to show the other people that they have the money.

It's always a pride thing much more than it is a materialistic thing in most cases isn't that they really want a different car, house close if they want everybody else to know they have a different one is better than the other. So to be materialism, it can be even humanism.

You can worship the mind.

Some people go to college and all they want is degrees.

After degrees. After degrees so they can write them all down and looks favorably think they're bright, you can worship education can be anything, it could be sexy could be booze, it could be anything. Anything that dominates and and diverts you from the total goal of submitting yourself in worship to God to be even a hobby could be a good thing. Golf is a good thing logical like golfing out there and you better little white ball. It's terrific, but for some people becomes God. You know it's as if there they were worshiping the little white ball. He can't do anything else that's that's their whole life. Like the guy was playing golfing on funeral Woodbine took his hat off and he bowed his head. Funeral Woodbine silicosis and the funerals got to like that he so they don't normally was my wife so you can get to the place with any good get to the place where where even a good thing a good thing can become a very evil thing that help when we pray to Satan, here are prayers or can you listen to us. Yes, and pray audibly. I think you can buy don't think it matters a lot. Not only does making this my life. I was just curious if I think you can hear what you say out loud, but I'm not convinced he can hear the prayers of your heart before God. I don't think he's omniscient as we've covered in our series and that I don't think Satan knows the secret prayer of your heart, but I think here's what you say but frankly, the best time for him to hear he would be when you pray, and since you're really in the right contact there so I don't think it makes any difference of years.

I hope here's a lot of things I said you comment on fleeces. But what fleeces fleeces yes that a herd of fleas OIC fleeces okay I got zoning putting out a fleece yeah well it's a good course.

People say well I I told the Lord that if it rained on Tuesday. Then I would take that as a sign from him bad news don't do that to God, you know, don't put God in a in a situation where you force the issue.

That's just exactly what Jesus was tempted to do by Satan. Satan says now you dive off the temple and if he catches you will all know you're the Messiah. So you're forcing God into a corner and so what did Jesus say thou shalt not, what tempt the Lord thy God, don't put God in neck of the MPL people say that all the time.

Well I put out a fleece and I said I God is a phone call comes in between two and 40 afternoon all know that that's your will. That's ridiculous because you're forcing God into a corner and that might not be his timing don't ever do that and don't make a judgment on the basis of some whimsical desire to have something happen in a certain way. This I understand why God might not answer prayer for 240 C but I don't understand if families praying for a safe trip and on the way back. The heifer killed.

I and it stated it's God's will. I don't understand what the point of prayer with being or even constant prayer closet was can write God's will for the family to split in the first place.

While the point was that the we have to learn to let God say no that's all. And true faith in God will let him say no, you know, we pray for the safety of our children. But some of our children die, that doesn't cause us to lose faith in God that just causes us to say God is sovereign and he makes the choice so prayer is still useful because prayer is communing with him and prayer, then, must be offered in his will. We pray father give us a safe trip in your will. Jesus prayed father, save me from this hour and yet he said nevertheless not my will but thine be done. Would you say his prayer did no good notes because his prayer was if I don't have to go through this. That's what I would prefer, but if you want me to I will and I think that's the kind of prayer which says God all we can pray as human beings is that you would keep us safe. But if you choose to take us home. Then, your God, and that's, that's your plan site is make a petition. He makes a decision that's it that's it. When you are talking about prayer. You made the comment that it was wrong for us to ask for more love or more peace because we already have this and I assume that you are referring to us positionally. We we have it off, but then there's the other side and don't you think that often when people pray for more love and more peace of any of these things that are ours positionally that there actually asking that it would be more of a part of their experience.

Without denying the fact that it is their position in that it wouldn't be irrelevant to pray that way only thing I'm saying is that kind of prayer often assumes that you need something that you don't have when all you're really talking about is appropriation that the prayer should be framed. Lord help me to exercise that which you have given you know if I just react negatively to the idea that a Christian is incapable of anything and that he has to say God I can't do this until you do this for me. He's done it all for you. It's a question of your willingness to appropriate what is yours, the average Christian thinks that there are things that he still needs but there aren't really there. All ours if we will only be obedient to appropriate know it's like going to your closet and have an unending supply of everything you need is no census in the living pray about it.

You must go to the closet and use it so it's that kind of idea. Lord help me to appropriate what you've given me just the recognition that you have everything and it's not wrong to ask him for the strength to do you use it right. I have a question concerning the gospel where it talking about, to practice free of praying aloud versus praying in the closet and praying the Lord's prayer. Well, you see, when Jesus was talking to the Pharisees and to the Jewish leaders. They wanted to pray in public because that's how they display their spirituality when it came to pray they would always put on real pretty close and flashes all over their head and would come down very spiritual with the ashes over their head and this was their format and Jesus was saying oh that's despicable because that's pride if there was anything legitimate position going to closet pray between you and God. He wasn't saying that always when you pray going your closet in some places there have closets know the point and that sometimes there is one around.

The point is, he simply saying, as opposed to that public display of pride there ought to be the private reality of real conversing with God is God answer unsaved people's prayers. God is not obligated to answer the prayers of unsafe people can understand. Is he may choose on some occasion to do that but normally you would be doing what he would be doing anyway. They would maybe hit on the head once in a while but if he's driving them if he's driving them to himself. He may bring the sequence of events. God is not obligated to answer the prayers of unbelievers will because he says if I regard iniquity in my heart. The Lord will hear me. My mother-in-law always says that she pray for kids and everything seemed to turn on which you know my husband said you know it. Undoubtedly, her prayers were answered in many planes purchasing the just as many people who prayed in their kids didn't turn out alright so you see it's just a matter of it on the radio turn out good or bad and you 50-50 shot even of God is listening, since alerts will just this is just an unbeliever has no claim on God. None at all. As I say, some things may happen that appear to be what they prayed for, but you can't say that that's because God is working in their behalf might know what to say I dislike taking good question and it's it's an important question because people often ask that now. I believe one prayer that's always answered in the heart of unbelievers. The prayer of salvation, prayer, faith seeks to know God or Christ. I just want to ask what suggestions you would have to teaching children to pray.

I think the really great thing to use to teach child. Pray would be just the Lord's prayer, which really should have been called the disciples prayer but it's a beautiful thing to talk about things to pray about our father. God is our father who art in heaven, that's where he is. Give us this day our daily bread. We pray to God for the food that we the things we need every day in this forgiveness and in the kingdom of God to come.

I think to use the Lord's prayer is kind of a beautiful way to start to teach child just one of the basic ingredients in prayer. I was raised Catholic and my have collectively think prayers before meals. He still says the Catholic prayer and it's like this just words to the children and as many think he's the one that leads the prayer so should I just what is it say what what is how does this put all Lord which we are about to receive from these that bounty through Christ our Lord. That's good for that.

I know it's just repetitious what you say I am likely to say didn't know you like this, knowing when and if anything I want to do nice moments with his got his armor and you just say hey you know I was thinking about our father here tonight will work. Nice hotel, to say nothing about her prayers. I wonder if the kids you know, put on the end of it, Lord. Thank you for helping us through the day or just a little. Just make a suggestion and maybe could add little thing on the under make a suggestion that maybe would be nice if we take turns bringing naked. Pray maybe some of things are on their mind prayer. I don't know how you can suggest those things but I think without telling them this is how to do it. You can make the suggestions at the right time and maybe he'll respond. I was wondering regarding the area of pray for God's will, once Lisa's line.

I guess did okay like you know you talked about in your book about you know you through the. The aspect of make sure you show the spirit in your Christian going through all these things you know and then you follow your desire to know what other times when you honestly trying to follow a pattern like I'm looking in the word and things like that and you just can't figure out what you what will you want to do. You know, and you're faced with decisions and because I know I was asserted out several times in my life where I've been facing something and I've an effect on the situation. An hour and turn it preferred growing awareness was begun a life you know and what exactly Ministry one going to and I think a lot of us face that is just wondering can you elaborate on your principles for knowing exactly where God wants us in some patterns may we can follow to to find out for sure I get a it goes back to this idea of desire. What is the thing you most want to do you know if you had your choice which would you do if you don't know what you would do just do something just don't do nothing to know make any choice at that point. Let God lead unit personally, I think I would probably choose whichever of the two appeared to be the more difficult is just a personal feeling, believing that that the greater the challenge the more it will demand of me and the more it demands me, the better success can be.

III find it. Usually when I choose the easiest of two things that I've chosen for the wrong reasons.

That's not always true. But the most difficult thing I don't how to answer than to say that I don't believe the Holy Spirit was a Christian in limbo and I believe that the Holy Spirit will show you the right thing. You feel that perhaps he would be leading you through through creative indecision, perhaps, to test your faith surely should just arrest him for times like that.

Sure, no question about different CNN God helps those who help themselves and like to mention it's you do something you shouldn't just be in limbo. How do you draw the line between the point where you are doing something that God can work on and where you doing so much that it shows that you really don't have faith that he's going to answer your prayer. That's a very difficult question because like I think it would be different in the life of every individual you again.

We go back to the simple things. The only thing you can do in your life and you can get to analytical. I say this so often we all get analytical am I doing too much of this is this the Holy Spirit is this me was doing this is that the devil is this God all the stuff if we would just walk in the spirit of the word of God, commune with the father and just do not analyze would be a lot better off just accept what's happening don't don't you chastise yourself over the idea that all it's probably me and not God doing this just be doing this and as long as your conscience is clear, your heart is pure before God. Don't be concerned with that.

You know it's like losing yourself in the pursuit of Christ and let everything else take its place. I was speaking of data place where they trained psychologists and the was talking about the fact that to the student body that one of the things that really disturbs me is that psychology so often just takes a person inside and leaves them there and their whole life is absorbed with themselves and the debilitating aspects of their own's self destroys the possibility of ever growing out of it and you gotta turn people outside focus on on an external thing.

The reality of Christ over here. Just follow that in. Don't be analytical because your own mind is not regenerated fully.

You still have a mind it's confused by sin and you can't really make those evaluations so don't let that be a struggle that may sound vague but maybe it answers what you think in praying for a brother that is in some sin in this brother continues to be in sin, should it come to a point where we should discontinue our prayers are what should be a along that line. I wouldn't say so I would say we can continue to pray for him until such time as first John five you know where where he's taken away. But even in that case I don't think first John five is saying stop praying for him is just saying it won't do any good if you do what you don't know that that's for God to decide.

So I think it definitely should pray for well this been good practical things and let's have prayer and electrical. Thank your father for bringing us together. Thank you for these. Many of the new Christians eager to desirous of knowing the basics. We thank you for what you going to do in their lives because they have been faithful to acknowledge this need and to submit themselves to some instructions from sharing in this area. Pray that you use the praise and glory for all that is been done will be done in their lives.

Christ meant just heard John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary answering a broad range of questions about prayer.

Today's Q&A was part of John's current series on grace to you, titled spiritual boot camp so we covered a lot of ground today answering some of the key questions people always ask about prayer in John one of things I love when we do these questions and answers is the way you always go straight to Scripture to bring out the answer.

The answer is there in Scripture at all the we all love hearing you answer questions. One of the goals of grace to you is to teach people to be as self-sufficient as possible so that they learn to find their own answers in Scripture yeah and that is pretty much how we live and move and have our being in your part of that as well fill because you're a teacher of the word of God. We think biblically. So our first instinct when the question a spiritual question is asked her a question about life is asked immediately versus pop into our heads mean this is just this is our life as a man thinks in his heart so he speaks with his mouth so you don't think about that recently when I when I see Christian leaders sometimes caught in terrible sin. And I think back. It's amazing how many times my comments about them have been why don't they use the Bible they give answers it might be reasonable, rational, thoughtful answers, but where is the word of God and the psalmist said your word of a hit in my heart that I might not sin Scripture controlling our thinking therefore prevents are sinning so it's it's absolutely critical that we think biblically and that is true with regard to prayer. It's true with every aspect of our lives. Everything should be controlled by divine thoughts and that's what Paul said when he said we want to bring every thought captive to Christ. I'm excited about this series were doing on on spiritual boot camp because it lays the foundations of thinking biblically and I want to let you know we have a brand-new study guide.

We haven't produced study guides and 40 years but were re-doing them. The first new study guide is the original study guide spiritual boot camp goes right along with the series wearing the southbound book that will help you dig deeply into the issues were looking at in this study, how to pray how to study God's word. How to function in the church and how to witness a suggestion get a few copies of the study guide to use with your discipleship group in your home Bible study about 100 pages long and has questions and answers associated with it right in the booklet itself. You can order the new spiritual boot camp study guide today. Available exclusively from Grace to you and shipping is free on orders placed in the US. That's right, and the disciplines. John looks at in this study guide are really the heart of Christian living and growth is always more. You can learn about them so to order your copy of the spiritual boot camp study guide. Contact us today our number here 855 grace and our website Jide TY.org. Both new and veteran saints will benefit from the spiritual boot camp study guide. It answers practical questions like what should I do if I don't desire to read the Bible.

Why do I need to join a church and how can I teach my children to place your order. Call 855 grace or go to Jide TY.org and if you'd like to download every message in John spiritual boot camp series get those@thewebsitejidety.org. There you will also find previous studies that we've aired hundreds of lessons that we've yet to put on the radio effect. All of John's sermons from 52 years of his public ministry are free to download an audio or transcript format at Jide TY.the website is also the place to find and purchase John's many books, including his New Testament commentaries. MacArthur study Bible. The systematic theology title biblical doctrine and much much more. Our website again.

Jide TY.org now for John MacArthur and the staff. Thanks for tuning in today and invite a friend to join you tomorrow for another half hour of unleashing God's true one verse at a time on grace to