Prayer and a Forgotten Pair of Air Jordans

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer prayer lushness at its root is the result of failing to grasp how much God loves you how tender he is toward you and how much he wants to hear from you. Many of you think prayer is the way to get close to God. No prayer is the result of knowing how close God has made himself there.

I'm your host Molly, but that's today on the program. Pastor Jeannie highlights the most undervalued resource of the church prayer. Would you agree discarded by many and not tried by more prayer is actually the vehicle through which the blessings of God are released in the promises of God are not in Daniel chapter 9, we not only see five principles that make for effective prayer. We also get a one-of-a-kind glimpse into what happened in heaven. As we pray is exciting.

Yeah. So let's join Pastor JD right now with a message. He creatively titled prayer and a forgotten pair of Air Jordan Bible on scroll down again about it.

That's where you are. I want talk with you today about what I believe is the most undervalued resource in the church where you all, who was a maintenance worker at Milwaukee's capital Corp. mall was cleaning up a storage facility in that mall right before the mall set to be demolished when Larry found in a trash pile, a pair of sneakers that were buried underneath some old boxes. They were obviously use they showed obvious signs of wear, but as Larry looked more closely in them. He recognized on the side Michael Jordan signature on the side of one of the size 13 shoes with the inscription below it written in hand.

My very best. It turns out they were authentic. They were a pair of the original Air Jordan's Air Jordan ones that Michael Jordan himself had worn for a while like he had been loaned into the store in Milwaukee to display in the store window is a way of attracting people in sewage that the buyer Jordan's I guess everybody eventually forgot about them and served 20 years they've been sitting in a storage closet and now they were discarded on a trash sheep ready to be thrown away.

They were found skewed at over $20,000. Prayer. Prayer is the most undervalued resource of the church is neglected by many. It is completely discarded by a lot of others. Scripture tells us, however, that many I might even say most of the blessings that God wants to give us our activated in our lives to prayer you find a promise and you pray it into existence in your life. It is always true was a promise, but it's not true for you until you embrace it.

So I've heard it said that rather than just read your way through the Bible in the course of the year, you should pray your way to the Bible because the Bible is a book of promises. It contains more than 3000 of them. If you're counting many of them sitting dormant until we claim them personally by prayer until we appropriate them. So my question is we begin is how many blessings are there for your life or for your family that remain simply on activated because you never asked for them in prayer you. It seems that whenever I hear older saints, older Christians, talking about what they would do differently in life if they could go backwards. These are people whose lives you would already want to emulate.

Most of them say. Looking back, that if the one thing they could do more of her differently as they would pray more, Billy Graham, for example, he said and and I quote prayer is the most important thing that we can ever do. And if I could do my ministry over again I would pray for that operates in the significant that the most successful preacher of I would say Christian history and in terms of the number of people that heard them and responded to it. The most significant and successful preacher of Christian history at the end of his remarkable life is convinced that prayer is the place where real power resides.

All that to say it is not surprising to me that at the end of Daniel's book. Daniel circles around one more time back to the power of prayer. This is been a running theme of his life seen it already.

In the book of Daniel, and so in the midst of all these final prophecies which were going to finish up next time Daniel gives us for action steps that we should build our prayer lives around me just wanted this passage is a basic I mean it is a one of a kind passage because it pulls back the curtains and shows us the inner workings of prayer, you better buckle up, especially if you're not your duty church and are familiar with the Bible. This passage is just coming you're about to jump into the dependable great chapter 9 verse one. Daniel says in the first year of King Darius about 538 BC I Daniel understood the books, according to the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70 to get this Daniel's reading the Bible and he comes to the book of Jeremiah, which was written right before him and Jeremiah had said that the number of years that God would send Israel into captivity for said was going to be 70 well Daniel and his friends were taken into captivity around 605 BC, the first year of King Darius that he refers to was 538 BC is up to do the math real quick in your head. That means that he's been there for around 70 years. Today knows like a God of promise and back.you said in Jeremiah the 70 years of desolation were appointed for Israel only 70 so I'm here to ask you to take us home like you promised, I'm asking you to make good on your work verse three.

So I turned my attention to the Lord God, to seek him by prayer and petition's and with that statement sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and I confess that I Lord, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands. God we have sin we have done wrong. We've acted wickedly, rebelled and turned away from your commands and ordinances. We have not listen to your prophets who spoke in your name to our kings and our leaders and our ancestors and all the people of the land not really quickly, because this is not the main point for today but I want you to notice something about Daniel as a leader because it shapes the attitude he brings in the prayer. Daniel confesses all of those things. But let me ask you, having been known Daniel for several weeks. Based on what you know about Daniel's life is that you were described in his life. Verse five you look at it I send we done wrong. I've acted wickedly, I have rebelled. I turned away from your commands and ordinances I've not listen to your prophets who spoke in your name to our team's leaders and ancestors also. That's a little bit out of sync with what we read about Daniel, especially since the prophet Ezekiel describes Daniel is one of the three most righteous people ever to live. Furthermore, in verse six, Daniel confesses the sin of his ancestors, which, clearly, he could not have been guilty of.

Since he was not even born yet now we be clear on one level, we cannot inherit guilt from our ancestors. The prophet Ezekiel makes that clear that the sons will not be held guilty of the sins of the fathers. But here's the thing was a leader makes a problem. Their responsibility even when it's not their fault, but only say that again. A leader makes a problem. Their responsibility even when it's not their fault.

My kids mistakes may not be my fault. But as their leader.

I take responsibility to help them correct them. Men do you sit around blaming your wife for all your marital issues you listen, I'm sure Samuel's issues are her fault. I mean she's a sinner to after all, but a real leader does not deflect blame, he or she takes responsibility and that what Jesus did arson was clearly not his fault but he took responsibility and he entered our world to fix it.

That's what Daniel is doing. That's what leaders always do listen this church got problems and some of those problems may not be your fault, but only a Pharisee sits around and talks about how bad everybody is one of those people to. They are like that.

A leader owns the problem even if it's not their fault, and brings the problem personally to God we language they language the same thing is true with how we see our community how we sing our nation. We had enough self-righteous Pharisee talk about problems of those people. We do have a lot leaders talk about problem must be right right back to Davis River seven Lord righteousness belongs to you and the state public shame belongs to us all.

Israel has broken your lawn turned away, refusing to obey you.

And so, just as it is written in the law of Moses. All this disasters come on us yet we still have not sought the favor the Lord our God by turning from our iniquities and paid attention to your truth which again was probably more true of the rest of Israel and was a Daniel now Lord our God who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong and major name, renowned as it is this day in keeping with all your righteous acts. May your anger and wrath turn away from your city, Jerusalem holy Mountain again because you promise that would happen. Verse 17 therefore God hear the prayer and the petitions of your servant, make your face shine upon your desolate sanctuary for the Lord say for your sake. By the way, that's a direct quote from number six. Daniel is praying God's promises back to him in his own words, do it for your sake God. Verse 18, listen closely, my God in here. Open your eyes and see our desolation's of the city that bears your name in other words, God, your reputation is at stake you said God that that that that would your children called on you that you would hear them and you would forgive them and you would come to their help and God that's me right now I'm doing it. Like you said I should do would ask you to do what you said you would do what I did what I was supposed to do for we are not presenting our petitions before you based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion. By the way, that's one of the most important things you could ever learn about prayer and will come back to that 1990 Lord here.

Lord forgive Lord listen and act by the way, that's a direct quote from Deuteronomy 34 God promised to respond to his people. If in the midst of judgment. They prayed to him for help and forgiveness.

Again Daniel is taking these words from God and praying them back to God, my God, for your own sake is now this is about your reputation for your own sake, do not delay. Is your city and your people bear your name, verse 20 while I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel. Gabriel the man that I have seen in my first vision he reached me and my extreme weariness and he gave me this explanation Daniel at the beginning of your petitions and answer went out and I have come to give that answer. When Daniel began his prayer, God issued an answer and Gabriel was sent to deliver it while Dana was praying, Gabriel, was flying and he showed up right as Daniel finished up all I have so many questions. How fast is an angel fly, why didn't God just beat him straight. There right me what kind of equipment to the use of flight of a fly the road but sadly were not given any of those answers.

So let's instead focus on what we do know. Notice how Gabriel starts the answer from God. Daniel, you are greatly loved by God. Some translations say treasured by God, how amazing is that first think about Daniel's life. He has been kidnapped and enslaved castrated. He's lived under oppression.

He's been betrayed by his coworkers. He is lived under constant danger.

He has survived several regime changes how many of you looking at his life would say that's a man who's been loved by God. Yet that is exactly how Gabriel started this you are greatly loved. Do you understand that God's love for you is not measured by your life sees Daniel's life was by no stretch easy, yet he was greatly loved and treasured by God because what God did to Daniel is greater than earthly ease. She just because you go through hard times does not mean that God has abandoned you or forgotten you. In fact, God might allow you to go through those things so that he can teach you about the things that are truly valuable. Some of you come in here interpreting God's love for you based on your circumstances, I would tell you the cross and resurrection of Jesus is a better basis. How you understand God's thoughts about you. So don't think God has abandoned you. If you were to look at Daniel. You say I think I might've been you begin your loved by God and before I jump in the Daniel's for prayer principles. I want you to understand this is very important that this confidence. This confidence that he was greatly loved that he was treasured by God. That confidence was the secret to Daniel's consistency in prayer. She sometimes we think our failure to pray is a failure of self-discipline and that today what you to do is you learn for magical principles that you get home and master them like some action list but prayer lesson is at its root is the result of failing to grasp how much God loves you how tender he is towards you and how much he wants to hear from you. Many of you think prayer is the way to get close to God. No prayer is the result of knowing how close God has made himself to you Jen welcome one of her favorite Bible teachers right here explained that for her learning to pray was a little bit like her losing her desire to eat cheetahs cheaters.

She says has always been her favorite snack as a young woman. She said I would eat them nonstop every day until I told her words they got sharp and started cutting in the my.but that was okay with me.

She said a small sacrifice for a great reward. She said that one day I made the mistake of looking at the cheaters label she said to problems that one. I literally could not even pronounce one of the chemicals that went into my favorite food. Second, she said. I realize that my cheaters were missing. Well, she's she said that knowledge created a change in me. Prior to this revelation, it would've taken. She says a Navy seal to quell my yearning for cheetahs, but after I understood what she does actually were or weren't my heart stopped craving them as much a change in belief is what change the desire in the same way she said when we learn the truth about God when we believe that God listens to us that he loves us and desires work through our prayer we instinctively begin to do what all the self-discipline in the world have been able to course us to do we pray when we know we are greatly loved when we know we are treasured by God. We will pray we were happy we will pray when were anxious we will pray when we see God at work and we will pray when we don't see God at work CLM.

This is very important as we work through this message. The point is not pray more, pray, like Daniel duty for the engineer to be five.

The point of this is that is that if you understand your greatly loved like Daniel was we learn to trust in my Daniel trusted them will pray naturally and instinctively like Daniel did so before we go any farther I just need your promise that you're going to interpret these for prayer principles, not as a to do list of getting close to God, but as a reflection of somebody who understands how close God has made himself to you deal okay deal Rigo number one Daniel four principal purpose was only one route. Your prayers are God's promises Daniel to say first and foremost. Most importantly, your prayers and God's promises like I noted Daniel's prayer was inspired by discovering a promise of God in Jeremiah and some other promises that were embedded in Deuteronomy in the book of numbers and Daniel was praying these promises of God back to God I love Martin Luther, the great reformer I love his definition of powerful prayer ready. It is exploited to his barber. He wrote a famous book to his barber in prayer puts all the cookies and the bottom shelf. This is one of power in prayer.

He said simply catching God in his words, you want power in prayer units catching God in his words.

Parents you kids do this for you not to do this for me all the time. My 11-year-old son Adnan never lets me forget a promise no matter when or how offhandedly it was made. It doesn't even need to be a promise just a casual implication. We drove by Frankie's fun park couple months ago and he said that we should go back there sometime and apparently I do remember but apparently message your son will do that one day you parents know exactly what that means, that doesn't mean anything, it means I will talk about that right now. I promise you that kid brings that up every week on the week and I thought I could do it now because I don't want him to lose confidence in me, Veronica, my wife is been redecorating a girls room. One of her girls rooms and and he said he mom or your to redecorate my room and she said again like I'm sure will do that sometime. Now it's like every time we go in there to tuck him in for the night Jesus ate you ordered that the new furniture yet, but you promised me. Now of course we parents sometimes write all parents may casual statements, they don't really mean. But the point is, God never does. He means everything he's ever said that he wants us to find every promise that he's ever made and claim it for our own.

This book is your book is a book of promises given to you. You have to read it and you have to find them and you have to pray them into existence in your life. Notice specifically how Daniel ties God's own glory to his faithfulness to his promises is a God or one of the one who said this, you said you would be merciful to us. We pray to restore us and we called so now it's your reputation it's on the line so here's my question. What has God said to you that you can pray back to him and put his reputation on the line just a few of the present example that I'm praying right now in my own life. Here's one Jesus set a premise for this church, Jesus, that all authority is given to me in heaven and on earth, so go and make disciples of all the nations some 280 says ask of me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, so when I pray for the service of my God, this is this is what you said. So I'm here asking and all the craziness that is going on with COBIT and lockdown and all the confusion and were trying to figure out what in the world is next. I'm asking you to build your church like you promised you would. You promised that you would make your name known in our generation. If we asked so I'm here asking you to do what you said you would do your reputations on the line God make your name known in this generation.

As we think about the triangle of the nations. God do it now because you said you wanted to do. Here's another one that I read in the Summit Bible reading plan recently.

I wrote it down some 112 Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, and finds great delight in his commands, his children will be mighty in the land, the generation of the upright will be blessed in Psalm 11 verse verse 21 of the children of the righteous will be delivered to my Lord, I want you to do this with my kids. I need you to make them want to make them mighty in the word in the land.

Let your faithfulness extent in them as my children. I pray that they would be delivered.

God do this with all the kids in our church make this generation who is the lighting in. In your work. God save our kids. Now these are a couple very personal promises to me right now that I'm praying and some of you you're looking you will well go little exactly a plot about a situation where I'm at right now I want to say this is nicely to you as possible, but read the Bible for yourself. I cannot mine all of these promises for you. I love teaching the Bible every weekend, but I cannot spoonfeed all this to you this book is here for you and you've got to search it like up for a pair of $20,000 air Jordans in your closet. There promises about forgiveness and restoration & about joy and suffering, putting purpose in your life. Having healed bodies and godly marriages and parenting and provision in time of need. Reading for yourself. I can't do it all. I can just guide you to and that's it okay to be another great definition of prayer.

What were talking about it. Effective prayer perceives the gap between where something is where God wants it to be effective. Prayer perceives the gap between where something is and where God wants it to be and where you learn how God wants something to be Bible, but in the Bible is a book of promises is our job to find them in claimant in the model prayer the people often sometimes referred to as the Lord's prayer. The second phrase Jesus taught us to say right as we pray, your will be done on earth like it is in heaven. I want to know what heaven once here because I know it's going to be good and when I pray God let your will be done in heaven here. I know that is going to get the power of heaven behind July. Pray for example, let it be in the summer church like it's desired in heaven. Let it be in the rear family is you one in heaven. Let it be in my marriage as it is in heaven, and of course it's got to be sent with humility because we don't always know exactly what the full will of God is his word tells us a lot of prayer perceives the gap between worsening is what God says he wants it to be.

What this means in the going is that the quality of your prayer life will be directly related to quality your knowledge of the five because the prayers and started heaven ones that are not heaven reading about it is great that nothing and actually doing rear is an essential part of the Christian life listening to Summit life with Jeannie Greer you joining us today in a teaching series through the book of Daniel called shining in Babylon and relearning how to shine how to thrive in. Yes, a very dark and hostile world. So, Pastor Janie, our new Bible study resource working through the book of Daniel follows the here method of studying the Bible. Can you explain that in a little bit more detail and what is that exactly so. We believe the Bible is God's actual words shrink, which means we want to read them. We wanted to want to know everything that's in them and the here method is that it is basically an instinct you want to develop that will teach you the principles of inductive Bible study because it showing you how to observe things, how to press enter them and how to apply them to your life. And then what to do about it here stands for highlight just highlight the things that stand out to you. E is examine your pressing and with the help of tools like the one really give you the site of the book of Daniel Laura study Bible even applies to context it to your life and then respond in prayer and obedience to really give you want to give you a new Bible study that helps work through the book of Daniel. Along with these messages to go to JD grid.com right now to help participate in this ministry. We would love to put one of these in your hands, just as a way of saying thank you in a way that will help you read and study the Bible better for the book of Daniel shining in Babylon 900 inductive Bible study. We need you to suggested a nation $35 or more today by calling 866-335-5226 520 or go online and request copy here.com I'm only minivans inviting you to join in Thursday all the details of how we continue through the Janie will give demonstrate is still important. Join us Thursday on Sunday night and sponsored by Janie