Good to Great in God's Eyes - Pray Great Prayers, Part 1

When some people pray, nothing happens. They say sincere words to talk with God. Really, nothing happens when other people play amazing, supernatural, unexplainable things happen.

What's the difference how do you pray pray prayers. That's what will explore today. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge shipping mission of these daily programs is to intentionally disciple Christians, the Bible. This program ship continues a series good to great in God's eyes by sharing a thought-provoking message really going to challenge how you think about for. But before we begin, let me urge you to try using chips message contains outline your references and much more. Notes will help you remember what your here and maybe even share what you're learning Fidelity's message notes go to the broadcasts tab@livingontheedge.org app listeners to fill in notes will you have a Bible turned out to John chapter 16 let's join Chip for his message. Pray great prayer is 1982 and there's a professor at Dallas seminary name Walt Baker and what was a career missionary and that the seminary had been pulling on his sleeve to say, come, come teach missions at the seminary when a worldwide impact in waltz. I can't leave the field he'd been in Haiti for over 20 years. I said Walt you gotta come because you can do more good sending students and giving a world vision to these bright young people with a heart for God. He said okay I will do, I will come to Dallas seminary.

I will teach missions as long as God wants me to with this one condition. Every summer I have the entire summer off and I will take of group of students, and we will go to Haiti and we will do ministry in one of the most poor needy desperate countries. I cannot let my heart ever get disconnected from Haiti. He was my missions. Prof he was a friend of a leader in our church. I found myself with three or four pastors in three or four businessmen getting on a plane going to Haiti and we flew in we gotten jeeps we gotten buses with chickens. We rode on donkeys and we ended up in a jungle compound that was a hospital. I remember walking to the hospital and had multiple cribs and these were orphans and little babies that been abandoned that needed medical attention. It was a medical orphanage compound and they did teaching and ministry and food and I walk through and saw all these kids and if you've never been to Haiti you've never seen poverty.

The only thing that has ever come close is in the my experience and I saw these kids and I saw this need, and I was a young pastor and one of the elders was from the church and Walt and I stayed in a little part.

They had a little missionary house and a family lived there and we had a little room with a cot here and had little room with a cot herein you know is is Google man is a chip you like to join me in prayer before we go to bed I'm thinking of course. And we came over and he knelt down and I knelt down and there was a little desk. Can you not that we can have a little good night prayer in her Lord. Thanks for the day and help these orphans and it's been a long trip chips probably tired and I'm kind of tired and Lord sure would like you to do a good thing and he said Chip wanted to start so I prayed a real sincere, good night prayer probably three minutes and 35 seconds max. And there was a long silence between my prayer in his prayer, and then I heard them begin to pray as you begin to pray.

I felt almost like a huge Paul and the E he put on top of my shoulder and he began to pray and he began to pour out his heart for Haiti and these children and these people, and as he began to talk with God the way he talked to God and the passion in which he talked to God I had one of those times were my confession was.

I wouldn't pray and I just realize I was in the room with the man of God who knew God at a level in a way that I had never heard and never experienced.

I was on my knees kind of chills going up and down my spine and a man who was an intimate communion with God, who had lived with this need for now, probably three decades of ministry prayed to a God that had power prayed in a way and a depth of relationship that I had never heard and he didn't praying a three minute prayer and I begin to see why God used Walt Baker's life and I don't.

All I can say is that something happened inside that I thought Lord I don't want to pretend and imitate his prayers, and I don't act more holy and use the words the way he used the boards but God I like to know him and know you the way this man does.

I want to pray. Great prayers. I want to know you in such a way that the level of intimacy and the reality talk to God in such a way that he actually expected that God was going to do what he ask. He prayed with us since 20 interceded with a sense of authority that this is the issues that are on the table and there is unlimited resources and I'm asking that God has made these promises and I need you to do this for these orphans and this is what we need and then there was a sense of reverence and at time pauses of silence that made me very uncomfortable where there was just holy communion in the room. I want to talk about praying, great prayers are invitation are key taxes on the front of your notes. It's from Jesus what he said in the very last night for his disciples in that day, the day when I'm gone, you will no longer ask me anything.

I tell you the truth, my father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Imagine if we believe that to even a small degree. My father will give you what ever you ask in my name. Up until now you've not ask for anything in my name, my name my merit on the basis of my relationship on the basis of my work. Little did they know his name would be what would occur at the cross and his resurrection and in his name and his authority, in its you can come to the father based on all the crisis done and you can ask the father to do what you know. The sun's will is. It's like he was saying.

I want to give you a spiritual MasterCard that it has my name on it and when you bring this card to the father. He recognizes words come from and is unlimited supply, but you can only charge things that are according to my will and ask and you will receive and your joy will be made complete never to talk about praying, great prayers and, as we do.

I'm not in any way of telling you that this is the only way to pray. I'm not going to give you the basics of prayer. This is not a overview of this is how prayer works in general. This is one man's observation okay just one guy's observation after walking with God for about 30 years and after studying the Scriptures and after being around people that I've seen God use their life and answer their prayers so unscientific data before you.

This is not a systematic.

This is the way all prayers are to be prayed, but if you want to move from praying as a Christian to praying. What I believe are great prayers in God's eyes. I think there's six characteristics characteristic number one of great prayers. Great prayers are deeply personal. Great prayers are deeply personal great prayers begin and end with God himself great prayers flow from a passion to know God to meet with God to enjoy God and to be known by God. Great prayers are not rote, and they are not routine. They are not perfunctory and they are not about performance. Great prayers are intimate and personal and relational and heartfelt. Let me give you some examples of great prayers survey of old and New Testament when you want to hear and Moses greatest prayer I believe is in Exodus 3318 and 19 and he seen great things. I mean he seen miracle after miracle after miracle yet when he comes before God. What's his prayer. Yahweh God of God's God of heaven. Show me your glory to realize what is asking I've seen your works. I've seen your miracles. I've seen your power you share with me your covenant name I am but I am I want to see all of who you are to court. Scott says Chino Moses you don't know what you're asking if you saw all of me you would be toast because you have no idea of the unapproachable light, and the absolute holiness and the unlimited power of who the God created all that there is good Moses.

What I will do is I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and I will place my hand over you and I will pass by, and I will let you see the manifestation of my presence and then to remember that God speaks as he passes by and talks about the very characteristics of who he is full of goodness and mercy, slow to anger filled with lovingkindness.

What's Moses prayer he wants to know God. He wants to see God. Great prayers are deeply personal.

You go from Moses to David. Here's a man who wrote what Cano a good section of all the Scripture in the Psalms, a great warrior a great musician. What you really want me. Here's a king that has you like 700 wives 300 concubines great warrior army. What would you really like a life. This is a man that has probably more than everything, probably a lot more than he should've had in Psalm 27 says one thing I desire right. One thing I want this is what I would desire of you that I might behold the beauty of the Lord and that I might worship you. I might see you.

I want to know you. I want to come into your temple. This is the thing that I desire that I might really taste and see who you are.

Great prayers are deeply deeply personal there about not getting something from God. There about being with God himself. Paul for all the success in ministry. When you zip open his heart. What does he want forgetting what lies behind and pressing forward to what lies ahead. What's he want.

I press ahead. I charge ahead.

I leaned forward.

I want to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering, he says, more than all these things after giving his pedigree more than all these things knowing him. That's what I want. I want to know him and the power of his resurrection. All the other he uses the word is like dung or rubbish compared to knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, and even Jesus in the final prayer John 17 three-member what was this is eternal life that you might know him and his beloved son. See great prayers. Don't start with technique.

It's not about how long it's not about the actual word you say great prayers first and foremost are deeply personal and that's why when the disciples wanted to learn to pray came to Jesus and you get the picture. If you study there were kind of over, overhearing his prayers, and you know they watch this pattern. Any go up in the mountains and actually when they wanted to kill and hot.

How did how did Judas know where eBay Judas know where eBay because he had a pattern there's a certain time on the day he would go to the garden and he prayed and so they came to him and settle alertly teach us to pray and member you know we we learned as kids. Most of us, our father literally. Bob Abba, father, and we take that for granted like oh yeah that's kind of the we call the Lord's prayer. It was a radical notion in the day.

By that point Judaism God was so transcendent they were all these rules and there's all the written rules and all the verbal rules and all this stuff in all this religion in here this radical teacher comes and does his miracles and teaches like no one else will you teach us to pray the Pharisees, you know they keep their disciples to pray John the Baptist. He teaches theirs give us a prayer. How should we pray and he says this is how you ought to pray, say, our father Abba met that word but was a what would a little tiny boy or little tiny girl would say to their daddy. It's a term of endearment. It's a term of access it's it's what a little kid says when I actually saw it happen. We were visiting Israel. We were by a pool and and you and I don't remember a lot Hebron I praise God for all the guys I took the years, but today what I got through it.

Thank God for it.

I could remember a whole lot but I do remember as I studied Hebrew, and then they talked about the Aramaic in this little word but what it meant.

Any unit made sense and I wrote my notes son sit next to the pool and there is a man there in Israel and he's talking with his wife and he has a drinking his bathing suit and and there's this little boy. That's about three and he wants his dad and he wants his dad and his dad is busy and finally he goes over on his swimming shorts and he pulls and he pulls a ghost of a Abba Abba and his dad just reached out with one arm and lifted him up and put them on his lap and I learned that's what Jesus was saying he is the Almighty powerful God of the universe who invites you to call him Abba to come with childlike dependency to come without an agenda to come to know that you are deeply loved to come.

Knowing he is a good God these for you, but he cares that there's nothing that ever can come between you that he loves you and in every time of need. The way you come to God first is as Abba father great prayers first and foremost are deeply personal facet characteristics of great prayers are there birth in brokenness, they are birthed in brokenness prayers that get God's attention and that he calls greater free of self-confidence. There characterized by desperate dependency in an overwhelming sense of need. Brokenness it's it's when you pour out your heart to God. It's when you know it's you don't always have the right words but because of a time of fear at time of crisis or time of remorse or time of grief or time of sorrow or perplexity new don't know what to do you come before God and there is a sense of bankruptcy and you can't work it out and in your brokenness. You pour out your heart before God and and and underlying the sense of what you say is I need you I need you.

God I need you all got I really need you great prayers are birthed out of brokenness. Examples are Moses in Exodus chapter 40 member. You know he's he's he's the superstar when he is 40 years old. He can handle it that he gets a 40 year education then God meets him in the burning bush and he has the burning bush experiencing God is holy, takes off his shoes and then God says Moses I got a job for you.

He gives him the job. In Exodus 40 member Moses I can do that I'm inadequate. I'm slow speech and slow of tongue, and you can use a guy like me and you know there's other people more qualified and there's no way you and I just can't and he he just and then you listen to the dialogue with he and the father and his his prayers that he learns to pray are out of not someone that has a together that's indispensable to God but someone who recognizes after 40 years, the distance between God and him is a big gap. And so he prays out of his brokenness, but it's a pattern.

All through the old New Testament.

You know when you hear David's prayer in Psalm 51 here's a man that is godly. Who knows God in a weak moment. He ends up doing what committing adultery and then later murder and then he lives with that guilt that's piling up for almost a year until Nathan comes and confronts him and says David let me tell you little story gives him a word picture you're the man. And then he's broken from within, and he realizes the depth of his sin and you open up Psalm 51 and we get to overhear David praying his prayer of confession of restoration to the father and you know you get to about verses 13 or 14 and David Ito. He's an Old Testament Satan. You know he's the king and he's got bull's-eyes at Calvin. He's got goats and he can make sacrifices until literally the cows come in and he says to God you help is by your grace.

I'd been forgiven and any says you know if offerings were really what you wanted. I mean I would bring them, but out of his brokenness.

He says the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.

A broken spirit and a contrite heart, O God, that I will not despise the great prayers are birthed out of brokenness and when you come to the point where you're spiritually bankrupt.

I don't mean just saying words where you have desperate dependency in great need and you recognize it. God promises who always meet you and when you meet God, which is the whole point of prayer things happen in you and then through you, so you have Moses you have David Nehemiah. Another great example just hope here's a man who was at the pivotal point of all Jewish history and Jerusalem is burned down. The walls are falling apart. The gates are burned with fire. God's agenda is going south. The people were exiled and he's it is a businessman with a great position and he hears about the sad news and it says and when I heard the news from Hanan I my brother.

I sat down and I wept and I mourned and I fasted for some days.

If you pick it up and not in Nehemiah chapter 1 verses four through 11 you will hear one of the most phenomenal great prayers and all of Scripture, not from a profit, not from a pro not from a Bible teacher from a layman position with high capacity, high leadership in this area were God has placed in his right hand man to the Persian king, and in those 11 or so verses.

He will have 44 references to God either by personal pronoun or adjective he has God centered prayers. See what you can see when prayers are birthed out of brokenness. There is this thing that happens there in brokenness because these people see the holiness of God and where they really are with God. And it's the distance between God's holiness and where they are and where we are, that produces this thing called brokenness in the clearest picture of course is Isaiah 6 and he sees God in all his glory and was he say woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and woe is me and the whole room. The angel comes and touches his lips and he first gets a high view of God an accurate view of himself and that brokenness then leads to a commitment to God's agenda here, my Lord, send me great prayers are birthed in brokenness and so when Jesus was teaching his disciples. He started deeply personal our father then what did he teach him, who art in heaven.

Holy or hollow would be that nine he is holy and compared to we are, that produces a sense of righteous brokenness for God will be back in just the application you've been listening to the first part of his message. Pray great prayers series, good to great in God's eyes you may be thinking isn't wanting to be great a bad thing in this 10 part series trip assures us that our ambition to be the best Christian we can be isn't a prideful thing at all infected comes from God himself. Stay with us as we better understand the specific practices that will help ensure our faith and delight the heart of God. If you missed any part of this series. The chipping roadmap is a great way to catch up anytime with chips and studio with me now in chip before we go any further. Would you take just a few minutes to talk to those who feel stuck spiritually. I mean, they listen to what you've been sharing in the series and they want to change, but they just can't seem to keep a consistent relationship with God.

Going with Dave, I be glad to and and the fact the matter is you're not a bad Christian because you get stuck.

I mean, I read the apostle Paul in the second Corinthians, and he sure sounded like he got stuck in and David when he was, pondering you know I can't go on with life.

You got stuck, so we all get stuck. But what you need is a is a game plan.

You need a way out. You need to know so what specific things can I do. And so in the in the book good to great in God's eyes.

What we do is we give people a pathway wheat we help them learn to think great thoughts and pray great prayers and enjoy great moments and pursue great people and I don't hurry, there's a lot to put into practice. You know, I think there is little poem that unit talks about, you know, so I thought reconnection, so an action, you know, Reba habit, so habit, reap a destiny and that's what I would encourage people if you're stuck good to great in God's eyes. And if there's any way you can get your roommate or your husband or your wife or another guy or another gal to go through it with you the benefit will more than double click strip will to order your copy of good to great in God's eyes go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003. This is the perfect tool to jumpstart your faith and help you live a more authentic purpose filled life. During the series chips book good to great in God's eyes is discounted so let me encourage you to order yours today. Simply go to LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at AAA 333-6003 app listeners type special offers chip to do you emphasize the power of personalizing our prayers. One of these types of prayers reveal about our relationship with God.

Well, we spend time with the people that matter most. When we spend time with God were communicating. He matters he matters the most. The second thing the prayer reveals about our hearts is that we are either depending on ourselves, are depending on him and I think the third thing I learned about about prayer, even Jesus, we can't do it alone there. There is a time to pray only alone, but to be motivated and to be refreshed. There's just times where I don't have it in me.

Everyone needs either a prayer partner or a group of people that you can pray deep with and seriously with if you don't learn to pray you'll never see God's power. If you don't learn to pray you'll never hear God's voice and you'll never learn to pray just by yourself. Get with some other people and learn to pray great prayers, great worship as we wrap up I want to thank those of you who make this program possible through your generous financial support.

Your gifts help us create programs. Purchaser time and develop additional resources to help Christians live like Christians you've been blessed by the ministry of Living on the Edge. Would you consider sending a gift today go to LivingontheEdge.org or text the word donate 741 41. That's the word donate 27 4141 or visit LivingontheEdge.org app listeners stepped on a little this is Dave Drury saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge