The Precautions of Prayer, Part 1

Is James with Dr. Tony Evans's prayer should be more like talking with someone you love, like calling 9110 is not just the one, the relationship. This is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans father speaker, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative. God always hears our prayers, but that doesn't mean he always likes what he hears today Dr. Evans offer some precautions we need to keep in mind as we talk to the Lord. Let's join him a couple were on their way to another country and then arrived at the airport as a line was getting closer and closer to get the ticket, the husband of the wife and said she said was wrong. I forgot the piano and we need to piano while we need the piano we going to another country of the passports are on the piano. He didn't have what he needed to get to the place he was trying to go.

We have a place that we are trying to go with trying to get heaven to meet us here on earth but to get to that following location need a passport you just can't wall something that happened without a passport, but by God, but Hebrews 1019 says that we cannot enter the holy place through the blood of Christ, the blood of Christ has given believers a sport to enter into a round that is close to the general public general public can go there because they don't have a passport. The mechanism that God has given us the dominant mechanism for the use of the passport that is been granted to every believer by Jesus Christ to enter into what Hebrews 1019 calls the holy place heavenly places. The very presence of God's prayer. Prayer is how you show your passport. The disciples never asked Jesus to teach them to preach to teach them to do miracles to teach them to heal the sick to teach them that have the blind see the teach them how to make the lame walk, but the one thing they did ask him is will you teach us to pray in Luke chapter 11 where verse one you teach us to pray because they saw every time that Jesus prayed something happened. Something supernatural took place every time he prayed, and so they was saying show us how to do. How do you make that contact with God that makes things happen on earth. And so as we had to the series on the Lord's prayer we want to set the table today. Through the guidance and precautions that God gives us before we get to the details of the prayer itself because what I must share with you today will set the table, it will establish the concept for prayer hopefully at a level that will turn it from a boring exercise for many into an exciting opportunity for most. He starts off in verse five, and says and when you pray not.

And if you pray there is an assumption as Jesus talks to his disciples that if you are a follower of Christ. You are a praying follower of Christ is when you pray. So let's start with an assumption.

The assumption of Jesus is that if you are a Christian you are following of Christ prayers, your lifestyle is not something you considering whether you do or not it when you pray, and were introduced to this dominant word called prayer. So what we all use of the word we all reference.

Let's get to a basic understanding of the term biblical prayer is simply defined as relational communication with God. Simply stated it is relational communication with God. I need to say that again it is relational communication with God. Why am I saying that over and over again because it's not just communication with God is not just talking to God. It is relational communication with God, which is why the press thoughts with our father who art in heaven because he's establishing that prayer is connected to a family relationship.

A lot of people pray to God without a family connection when you go to God and there is not a relational connection. You are not connecting with the person you think you talking to so prayer is relational communication with God. Therefore he's called father even in these passages we go over the day relational committee get.so the goal of prayer is not just the thing you want, but the relationship you are pursuing. When people go to God for what they want without a concern about the cultivation of the father child relationship then they want to use God not related to God, and nobody likes being used so prayer is relational communication with God. Why do I have relational munication with God because I believe there to do something down. I need each attorney to enter time. I need to enter history I need God to come into the context of me, but God does not want to do that outside of a relationship. Prayer is relational communication with God. So when you pray, you talking to God.

He says I don't want you to be like the hypocrites because the hypocrites pray in public. The Greek word for hypocrite is a word that was use of Greek you see it on television where the act would take a mask on a stick and put in the front of his face to play upon them when they switch parts they put down this man's put up this mask to play another product then they would put that down they would go get so you can have one person think five or six part by just picking up a mask and putting it over the face. In other words, it was to camouflage reality because were playing upon many people come the church wearing a mask they come to church, playing upon, they want to look the part they use crispy needs to sound the part they want to apply. He says why you may play the part would follow. Don't play the part with me. He said don't be like the hypocrites who plays a part in public. He said in the synagogues us to church with him on the street corner at the work on the job whenever he said don't be like them because you're wearing a mask. He says no when you pray when you communicate your communication with God.

Reminded of the story of the man who was pregnant yet all this bad English, fixing up verbs and adjectives and adverbs getting all the sentences all wrong and somebody overheard him and said I don't understand why do I just say the man looked up the gun for About one talking to you. Prayer is communication with God's revelation only driven the reason why this is critical as you see in a moment is if there is no communication. Many things that you want to happen will happen or if there is communication but relationship is not a concern only getting your prayers answered is the concern you still may not get what you're asking to happen because God is after a relationship, not a temporary hookup prayer is out 800 number toll-free connection into heavenly places, in order to draw heaven down in Joshua chapter 9 verse 14 it said that God's people made all their plans with businesses. They did not consult. They came out with their plans, but they didn't consult the Lord and as a result habit broke out in that situation when you leave God out of your planning that you wind up on your own and the problem with that is you don't know all of the potentialities of a decision. Only God. Prayer is relational communication with God, with the goal if the divinely authorized means to access heaven. In order for intervention order so the first thing is I don't want you to pray as a religious performance as fulfilling a duty as getting something done that you know you're supposed to do because it's the thing to do, that we do that all the time. In fact, for many people.

The only reason they play is because it is the appropriate thing to do with Dr. Evans will share more significant reason to pray when he returns in just a moment to continue this first message from his current series, the Lord's prayer. This eight part collection will teach you how to develop the same kind of intimacy Jesus had with the father when he prayed it'll undo common misconceptions about what people think prayer is like and help you discover why the Lord's example of how to pray is also an example of how to live. Would like to send you a copy of this powerful series is our gift so you can review it on your own or share it with your family or Bible study group.

All we ask is that you make a donation to help us keep Tony's teaching on the station and if you do that right now as a special bonus will include a copy of his very popular book God is more than enough in it. Dr. Evans takes a close look at the 23rd Psalm realizing that it's much more than just a charming poem. It's a call to let God handle any distress or anxiety, fear, or an certainty that you may be facing. But this offer is only available for limited time, so be sure to contact us right away. All the details are waiting for you@tonyevans.org or you can give us a call, day or night at 1-800-800-3222 and let one of our team members help you with your resource request I'll have that information again for you right after part two of today's message and this makes it clear that you know when God is alive when it's fathers all the way to Dr. Tony Evans says that what becomes of the next generation of men depends on what happens with this kind of man. In my down with the help of the Tony Evans training centers three course called the man teaching seen past the moaning images of manhood society surrounds us with and become the loving leader. I don't like the family would want to follow. As with all of our courses. There's an in-depth study material. You can work through at your own pace. Lots of exclusive content from Tony tightly focused Q&A videos and an online forum. You can collaborate with other students.

It's almost like having a seminary on your smart phone, check out the free course called kingdom man, and the growing list of other subjects waiting for you visit Tony Evans.org today link to the Tony heaven's training center. We say grace because it's the prelude to a meal. I remember growing up in Baltimore and Sunday was guaranteed.

There would be fried chicken on Sunday. My mother was a fried chicken cook and genius.

She would cook some chicken Debbie potato salad Bibby green beans baby roles of cornbread and of course my father would call us to the table and he would say. Now let us pray. Supposedly, before we I my brother always prayed with one eye open one eye open because me and my brother both liked size. My favorite piece of the chicken is the chicken thigh so we both love thighs and thighs would typically be at the top of the big plate of chicken. So while in close one. I would be closed and another would be open and we saw all the getting toward beginning the prayer week when he was a man would rise up off the table in order to be the first one to grab the time to ask. We liberated Paris, it wasn't me to introduce what we were really going. Many Christians tolerate prayer we do it because we've been taught to do it. Mama dated you supposed to do it without any real relational meaning with fulfilling the role a job description but not pursuing a relationship through communication. He says when you pray, don't be like. Don't be like the Jews will play a role.

Verse six but you talk about his followers.

Christians disliked when you pray because I'm assuming you do he says, go into your room like a closet. Not only do I want you to go inside your inner room.

I also want you to shut the door. Prayer in the Bible is a partnership. Can we say that again prayer in the Bible is a partnership. In other words, God has entered an agreement with me that we will have a communication relationship with one another and in this sacred closet communication relationship that we are going to partner on to hear from you. What I also want you to hear from me.

Prayer was never meant to be a monologue but a dialogue.

Most people think of prayer as me talking to God. But if that is your only definition of prayer, relationship of being cultivated become your relationship, you get a two way communication. God wants to talk to but when they want to talk in secret. He says when it comes to talking to me. First of all, if you go closet and you shut the door so nobody else can hear now, you can be honest with you I'm probably prayer you in July, sand stop, that's acceptable everybody else and you know with listening.

But if you go in the closet you're free to now tell me the good the bad and ugly you really able to come clean because nobody else is listening in the closet and shut the door. In other words I see in secret. The reason he was a private conversation to dominate development of your print relationship to me because he was the talk to prayer is a dialogue. It is not a monologue, and he has something that he wants to say to you, but you will not hear his voice around a lot of noise. You will hear his voice in the midst of distraction. You will hear his voice, if you're doing two and three other things at the same time that at times when you pray when you do into everything, but he's talking about the die where father wants to talk to you when you say when I'm in this quiet room. I don't hear any voices I don't see anybody. God's invisible. How in the world is he talking to me in this quiet atmosphere because he speaks to your spirit within and again you and I speak to my ears.

We speak audibly to our external ears and we hear it in our minds and our brain that's not where God starts speaking in Rome he speaks to the inner man in a person you are composed of three parts, spirit, soul and body the way God meant it to work like with Adam and Eve in the garden. The Bible says and they walked with God during the cool of the day they communicated with God as they walked with God in the garden of the he says it is in that walking and privacy with me that I will bring into the spirit man my thoughts for you to pick up all window spirit man gets God's thoughts permeating inside of the inner man flows to the soul when it flows to the so get your brain into your mind. That's why first Corinthians chapter 2 verses nine and following say what I did not see is not heard and you have not thought about has not entered into the heart of man, God has revealed them to by his spirit. So God wants to talk to you about the figure dealing with the struggle you happy the fears that you're addressing the crisis that you're in. He wants to bring thoughts and ideas and perspective, but he was quite he wants no competition because he wants to speak in terms of your spirit so he says shut out the distractions you commenting you be honest with me and give me some space. That's why when you read the book of Psalms you will regularly read the office most of the time. David talk about how he is dictating in prayer, meditating in prayer.

See, God wants to talk to you. He speaks objectively through his Bible. He speaks subjectively through his spirit, and when the Bible and the spirit come to gather as you think through what you are talking to God. David Smith spoke to him in the night in the night I met with what was quiet in the room would lay back on his bed. He was just meditating and thinking through talking to God and rolling the stuff over God brought thoughts and ideas and perspectives into you because God is not being done driven to come back in a moment with a final comment to wrap up today's message. In the meantime, if you'd like to review today's lesson on your own or shared with somebody else. The title to ask about is the precautions for prayer that includes a lot more material than we were able to present on the air. Or better yet, get it is a part of Tony's current series, the Lord's prayer. You can get this compilation of messages on CD and digital download is or thank you gift when you make a contribution to help support Tony's ministry and as I mentioned earlier will also include a copy of God is more than enough. Tony's book, it is already helped thousands of others find the strength they need to overcome inadequacy worries and hardship with the Lord as their guide, just get in touch with us today and make a request before the special offer runs out you can get all the information and make your donation online@20ofus.org or call us at 1-800-800-3222 our resource center is open 24 seven so there's no need to wait again that's 1-800-800-3222 tomorrow. Dr. Evans will point out more precautions for prayer including a look at why sometimes when we pray we only think we are talking to God right now though his back with his final thought for today try to have a serious conversation with somebody and other folk interrupted you have to say specialty kids. I'm not talking to you like the boy who was print out loud and screaming God. God I still get made by Christmas. Greg mother screams the boy got no hearing you scream like that boy's grandmother is down we not talking to God.

We talk to the people using God's name God said I want to conversation with me with no competition because you want to be with me as the alternative with Dr. Tony is made possible by the generous contributions of listeners