Asking in Jesus Name

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham later in the program will tell you that you can get Dr. Graham's message series is the first here's his message asking.

In Jesus name turmoil unstable and we wonder are there any answers there seems to be no answer. But there is one answer to the needs to the problems of the pressure of our world in your world. That is, that God chooses to work through people who have a kingdom agenda. God works through people who pray God is looking for people like you and me will so connect with him in prayer that he can engage the world empowering us and empowering the kingdom of God on earth. When we learn to pray the kingdom way when we learn to pray the Jesus way. Amazing results incredible adventures in prayer.

Jeremiah 33 free calling to me and I will answer the and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know when we connect with God in prayer we are given his very presence is power for living his promises and his very life in us. You know you wanted to learn about leadership.

Perhaps you could learn leadership from someone like Winston Churchill if you wanted to learn something about heart surgery.

Perhaps you would ask Michael DeBakey, the great heart surgeon. If you wanted to know something about athletics maybe would ask Michael Jordan or great athlete if you want to know something about evangelism. Perhaps you would want to have a conversation and learn from Billy Graham. But if you want to learn how to pray and ask Jesus because Jesus lived a life of prayer. In fact, he is life is a living prayer for the Bible says he ever live to make intercession for his saints, that is you and me continually, consistently, fervently, faithfully pray. Jesus, the God man, the son of God was a man of prayer. There are 10 recorded prayers given by Jesus in the Scripture Jesus prayed throughout his life and ministry.

He prayed at his baptism, he prayed in the desert during times of temptation, he prayed early in the morning he prayed before he chose his disciples, he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. He prayed at the cross is was a life of prayer. Is there any wonder that his disciples, his most intimate followers who observed this magnificent life of prayer said Lord, teach us to pray now, is it possible to understand everything there is to know about prayer. It will take an eternity for us to uncover and discover the full impact in the power of prayer in our lives.

But while we're here. We need to learn to pray and develop our prayer lives. And so, in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus instructs up. He invites us on this journey of prayer. So beginning in verse five of Matthew chapter 6 and when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.

Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room or your closet when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows the things you have need of before you ass and in the same message delivered on the Mount by our Lord Jesus over chapter 7 and verses seven and following. He says ask and it will be given you seek and you will find not and it will be open to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be open. Jesus is inviting you to this amazing adventure of prayer is an invitation to everyone that Jesus, not simply to the super saints of the spiritually elite but every follower of Jesus every child of the father that heavenly father is welcomed into his presence.

As we pray that in the passage that that we just read Jesus makes two assumptions regarding prayer number one.

He assumes that we do pray three times in verses 56 and seven, he says when you pray when you pray when you pray, he assumes that as believers we do pray, and this of course identifies the very simplicity and necessity of prayer. We understand that prayer is like spiritual breathing are very life is dependent upon a bed like a little child in those first moments of life and breath receives that life we in prayer receive the breath and life of God's been said that we can do more than pray after we pray, but we cannot do more than pray until we pray. No person comes to faith in Jesus Christ. Apart from believing prayer we will never make an impact upon this culture transforming impact upon the culture in which we live apart from powerful prayer.

There is no committed discipleship. There is no compelling witness. There is no effective living are no effective parenting or no effective preaching or teaching with out prayer the necessity of Jesus assumes that we know that when you pray, but there's another assumption that he makes here and that is where not there yet in our prayer life. We must learn more about prayer. Jesus assumes that we need to be taught to pray why because we have problems with prayer. We have problems with carelessness regarding prayer and prayer list. This is common among Christians.

But God desires so much more for us in the life of prayer. We can know God intimately and we can intercede for other we can make a difference in this world and yet we fail what is in a ballast that resist prayer. Even the apostle Paul noted in Romans chapter 8 and verse 26 he said we know not what we should pray for as we ought.

The great Christian. Paul struggled in the life of prayer and so the week so we cry out with the disciples, Lord, teach us to pray in Jesus welcomes us and instructs us how we pray number one we are to pray without performance.

Jesus begins his lesson on prayer here in the school of prayer by saying when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. What's the problem here Jesus said don't pray like the hypocrites, because they love to pray. Now there's nothing wrong with loving to pray. We should love to pray. Jesus said they love to pray standing so far so good. Nothing wrong in standing.

Pray. In fact, the Hebrews would often stand lifting up holy hands in prayer to God. The posture is not the point here.

They love to pray standing on the street corners and the synagogues again. That's not the problem.

Jesus is not condemning public prayer, but the hypocrisy is that these men who love to pray and love to stand and pray on the street corners that in the sanctuaries the synagogues in order to be seen of men that is the problem there is the hypocrisy pray for the applause of men rather than the applause of God.

Hypocrites are more interested in their own reputation that impersonal righteousness they desire the approval of God to be seen of men approved of men rather than the approval of God and so Jesus rips off the mask of phoniness says when you pray, don't pretend no just pray with words that mean nothing to be seen of men. Jesus is asking about our motivation. So how about it was your prayer life like really, what is it like not just what men see.

But what God see you given him your heart if you given him your life is your desire truly to draw near to God to know him to please him, and then not only did he warn us about the performance, but then he warned us about the pagans. He said the pagans like to pray with many words, repetitious words and he said they say the same thing over and over again repetitious routine road praying is praying like the pagans is praying with the performance of a different kind performing before God. And so Jesus says, pray without performance real disciple praise without performance with secondly, a real disciple and follower of Jesus praise with how you listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham in the message asking Jesus name there is an invisible round. That's just as real and just as active as the physical world around us is a Lenten message series called invisible pastor Jack Graham opens a window understanding into the unseen realities of the spiritual forces that affect you every day invisible as our special thanks for your gift to PowerPoint.

This meant, but we also want to ask you to help an important goal of adding 100 new monthly partners with your first monthly gift today will say thanks by sending a copy of Dr. Graham's company 7954 $0.67 one 800-7954 67, and don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional website again is Jack Graham.Margie now it's back. Today's message asking in Jesus name secret to public power power with God power with men is private prayer.

That is why look again in chapter 6 Jesus said in verse six, but when you when you pray, go into your room.

Notice the personal terms here when you pray, you go into your room and you are father who is in secret will reward you openly. Every Christian must find a place to pray privately a place of solitude to pray secretly you have a secret place the you have a quiet time when you say Lord I want to know you. I want to see your face now. Is it possible my estimation to really experience the presence of God in our lives apart from quiet, believing secret prayer, Jesus would often get up very early in the morning and find the print placed a private prayer and their engaging conversation with the father. He would go to the mountainsides to pray he would go to lonely places to pray, he would pray in the desert, he would pray in the garden of Gethsemane, which it, in particular, seem to be a special place of prayer for Jesus even prayed on the cross body pray any pray privately and the reason that we need a private place in a quiet time to pray is because the father, Jesus says, look at it. The father is in the secret place the clutter of life. The demands of life. The pressures of my day take me in directions that I can't even imagine.

Therefore, I need to be ready for the demands of life and the way that I get ready is to get in the secret place because the father is there. The NIV translates Matthew 66 as pray to your father who is unseen. In other words, when we pray in the secret place is not that God is far away out there somewhere, but he is in the room on see invisible but present your father who is on see your father who is in that secret place.

God promises his presence, but we pray like this were not always sure of his presence are, we wonder Lord, are you really there Lord, do you really hear me Lord in my prayers getting above the ceiling. What I don't have to get above the ceiling.

If God is in the and he said the father waits for us and welcomes us when we are in his presence in prayer. God sees and God hears is so prayer is not self talk or a psychological pump up prayer is actually conversing with God communing with God relating to God and he to his very presence fills the smallest place and the most secret part of our lives and that is why Jesus said look at verse six that when we pray like this he will reward you openly three times in this sermon Jesus talks about the rewarded life when he talks about giving. So when you give in the proper way you will be rewarded. He said when you fast in the proper way you will be rewarded and when you pray to Jesus way the kingdom way you will be rewarded. You know that the Christian life is greatly rewarded in the practice of spiritual disciplines. God promises a reward. What kind of reward will number one, there's the reward of heaven.

Not that we are in heaven but in heaven we will receive rewards and praying Christian make the greatest impact upon time and eternity praying Christians change the destinies of men and the histories of nations, and so when we get to heaven. Many who have prayed in their closet never preached on platform never taught in public assemblies were never identified as great believers but closeted Christians will be greatly rewarded in heaven.

But not only is there the reward of heaven, but there's the reward of answered prayer is the most profound thought that could ever enter our minds. God answers when we asked when we see when we know the Bible says you have not because you ask not.

Or because you ask wrongly, you ask amiss, but the reward of prayer is answered prayer and the reward of prayer is its own reward. Prayer is its own reward. We are empowered for living.

We are better people. We better moms and dads, better parents, better partners, better people is the bottom line, believers face, the bottom line for bona fide believers. There is great joy in prayer. That is what I'm saying today. My motivation is for you to see the great joy of prayer, the peace that God gives the that our lives can be transformed our lives can be a sanctuary of praise and prayer to God. We we human beings like you and me through Jesus Christ can enter into the holy of holy and experience his love and grace in the world won't understand what it is about you. The world just doesn't quite get it, the world looks at you and says what is it about what's so different about you.

Why do you have joy.

Why do you have such peace. Why do you have such a such a love for God and love for people.

They don't understand it but you will know why because you been in prayer you been in his presence and in prayer in his presence there is fullness of joy in his right hand pleasures for evermore.

And so we pray in a way to pray with power is to pray with confidence. Number one. Pray with confidence. If you want to pray with power like little children talking to a caring father we pray with confidence because he is our the father of our dear father some fathers.

Of course today are absent there other fathers who are apathetic and weak. Do not leave their family spiritually. Some of grown up in homes with fathers who are angry others who are affectionate and less but our heavenly father is compassionate and caring, loving and embracing. I know there are some who read of God being father and say well if God's a father like my father.

I don't want anything to do with God's not a father like any human father.

This father will never fail you if your father is failed you.

You have a heavenly father who will never fail you and we come into his presence. Therefore, with confidence, we come boldly to the throne of grace to many people have experienced fathers who are distant and detached. One of the most important things that you can learn in life father is to be a man of God and to be a man of prayer and to love your family starting your children's mother. If you want to love your children start by loving their mother unconditionally. God loves us perfectly and invites us into his arms welcomes us into his presence. Pray with confidence then Jesus says, not only would pray with confidence but we are to pray with reverence. Psalm 103 verse 13 says the Lord has compassion upon those who fear him. There is a reverence and respect. There is a holy fear that brings us into his presence, that doesn't drive us from his presence, but breezes into his presence. Pray with confidence. Pray with reverence and then finally pray with obedience when Jesus in verse seven of chapter 7 says that we are to ask and seek and knock. If you ever discovered that that is an acrostic asking, seeking, knocking a ask K. S. Keep on asking people and seeking keep on knocking, not babbling like the pagans, not with long speeches, not with the pretension of an actor of the performance of an actor, but praying, asking, seeking, and knocking that we are not heard. The logic of our prayers are the links of our prayers are the language of our prayers because the Lord of our prayers. When we ask when we seek when we not in obedience to him and when we pray like that cattle it that God answers prayer. What ever you need.

Listen to me beauty guidance you need a job you need a helper to help meet in life do you need help getting healing the unique strength you need grace. What ever you need child of God you can bring it and ask your father will hear you and most likely as you keep on asking keep on sinking people not to know that the answers already on the way. When we pray in obedience to we will discover off amazing adventure of pray not praying for praying for Jesus you're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message asking in Jesus name the devil.

Nothing to control your mind through lines, doubts and fears that enslave you to sin and rob you of life. You can experience freedom and victory. When you let Jesus renew your thoughts with his truth, Dr. Jack Graham will teach you how it is necessary and visible.

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You can also text PowerPoint to 313131. And don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email website again is Jack Graham.Margie Hester what is your PowerPoint. There is power, and provision in prayer.

There was a man by the name of Buckner. He was known as daddy Buckner father Buckner to those who knew him because he founded the Buckner's children home right here in the city of Dallas.

Father Buckner was a very dedicated man committed to prayer and early on in the ministry of this children's home. It was then known as an orphans home they were out of money. They couldn't pay the bills. They were absolutely at wits end and it looked as though this burgeoning new ministry was going to be shut down so father Buckner tells one day of getting down on his knees and the little dining room of that house where the children were staying and he began to pray. He said oh God, you promised your provision, you promise that if we took these children that you would enable us you would help us to take care of the soul Lord I'm asking you we got bills to pay, or else were going to shut this place down.

Oh God, please provide for us. Please meet this need, and he prayed and he begged that he prayed again.

He ask he sought.

He knocked and as he got up, you begin thinking about his prayers. He looked out of the backyard of that orphans home and he saw big pecan trees out of the backyard right then God prompted him to do something. He got the children together. They went out and they shipped those trees for all that they were worth.

And because began falling off the limbs of those trees and then they got big bushel baskets and begin collecting the pecans and then of course they took those baskets full of pecans down the farmers market and they sold those pecans and guess what they sold them for. It was exactly the price they needed to get out of debt and later on when father Buckner daddy Buckner would tell this story about God's provision. He would say.

Now when I think about it, even when I was down on my knees praying God, we need your provision God. Are you ever going to come through God. When you go answer my prayer.

God, please, even as I was saying these words I now remember the pecans were hitting on the roof as if God was saying here I am here I am here I am. You see, God is at work when we pray and when we walk in obedience to him.

We discover the awesome amazing adventure of praying with power and experiencing God's provision today make prayer the vital part of your daily life. Take time to pray with power and ask for God's provision and watch God do great and mighty things to your life and that is today's remember when you give a gift to PowerPoint will send you powerful message series invisible: one 800 795, 1-800-795-4627 also text the word PowerPoint 31313 PowerPoint 313131 on the next PowerPoint. Dr. Graham brings a message about how seeking God's glory is your greatest Time on PowerPoint PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint ministries