Admonition Podcast

As you can see, I am not Aaron.

uh He is traveling at this time and he's out of town, asked me to fill in for him for the
Bible class portion of service this morning.

And so please accept the poor substitute of an Aaron.

But we'll begin as per normal with a word of prayer.

If you would bow with me.

Almighty God, most holy, most righteous heavenly Father, we thank you for who you are.

We thank you for this day that you have blessed us with.

We thank you for all that you have done.

Lord, we are thankful that we have this time to gather together to praise your name, to
study from your word.

Lord, we pray that as we consider the topic of prayer, as we look at your word, at what it
describes as being prayer, that we will grow in our faith and grow in our appreciation for

the beautiful gift that we have.

be able to come before you and to talk to you, Lord.

Lord, we pray that in all things we will strive to be the Christians that you would have
us to be, strive to live for you, and we pray all these things in your Son's name, amen.

We will be discussing in Bible class today the topic of prayer and we'll also carry this
over into Wednesday night class for Lord willing.

We'll continue this topic of describing prayer and doing a study on prayer.

First and foremost, when we consider this idea of prayer, the first thing we need to
understand is, well, what is prayer?

What is this thing that we call prayer?

And it's interesting that the word itself of pray does not appear in the Old Testament
until Genesis 20 in verse 7.

Now, if you look at me, look with me in Genesis 20 in verse 7, we know something very
interesting about how prayer is used here.

The context being of course that Abraham and Sarah are in Abimelek's country and Abraham
fears Abimelek that he's going to kill him to take Sarah to be his wife.

And so he lies to Abimelek and Abimelek takes Sarah to be his wife or to do and in that in
so doing he sins against God.

Now Abimelek doesn't know this at this point but God reveals it to him and we pick up in
verse seven.

where God says, now therefore restore the man's wife, for he is a prophet and he will pray
for you and you shall live.

But if you do not restore her, you know that you shall surely die, you and all who are
yours.

So the first mention of prayer we have in scripture of the actual term pray, not to say
that there weren't prayers before this, as we'll note later, but the first use of the word

pray,

has to do with intercession.

It has to do with someone who is praying, who is going to God on another's behalf.

Abimelech is told that Abraham will go to God on his behalf to get forgiveness for him.

And when we think about this idea.

It's not just in the Old Testament.

The idea of intercession through prayer is not just in the Old Testament, but if you look
at Matthew chapter five and verse 44, which is the first mention of pray in the New

Testament, we read, but I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do
good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you.

So the first mention of pray in the Old Testament, the first mention of pray in the New
Testament, both have to do with praying for others.

So with going to God for others.

intercession.

And this hits at what prayer, a large part of prayer is, and that's going to God for
someone else.

It's this idea of looking at your fellow man and saying, you need God's help.

Or maybe even as we say, as Christians, brother, I need, I need prayers.

Sister, I need prayers.

This is going on in my life and I need you to go for God for me.

We have this idea of prayer being something we do between us and God, but that reflects on
other people.

There's a connection here between others and us and our God.

Now, the key element of prayer, course, is the fact that we are praying to God.

We're not praying to ourselves.

We're not praying to some pagan deity.

We're not praying to science.

No, we're praying to the Almighty.

We're praying to the Lord God.

He is our Father.

And there's an interesting point that's brought up in Proverbs 15.

If you would turn with me there, Proverbs 15 and verse 8.

An interesting point about prayer that I actually had not seen until studying for the new
converts class and in the book that Bobby Bates wrote, Growing in Christ, he mentions this

verse in relation to the topic of prayer.

It's very interesting to see how God views our prayers.

15 in verse 8, the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.

But notice this.

But the prayer of the upright is what?

His the lie.

Now just think about that for a moment.

Have you ever thought about the fact that prayer is a delight to God?

He delights, he is happy to hear from his faithful children.

He is happy to hear from the righteous.

We of course think about prayer as being this idea of intercession for others or even
praying to God about things that are struggles in our lives, maybe asking for forgiveness

as we'll note later.

But just stop and consider the fact that when we pray to God, He smiles.

He's happy to hear from us.

When we think about this idea of God being our Father, I can't help but think about how
with my dad, whenever he wants to hear from me, he and mom both, they want to hear from

me.

And I don't, I see you, Miss Eddie.

I know I don't always do a good job of talking to them, but they enjoy to hear from me.

The same is true with God.

He enjoys to hear from His children.

He enjoys those conversations that we have with Him.

Now, they might be painful at times.

The times when we go to God saying, I've failed you, Lord.

I need your help.

There are times when we are deeply concerned and troubled for others and there's a pain in
our prayer, yes, but in the end, God loves to hear from you, from every one of you.

Everyone who is righteous, God loves to hear from you.

But we also consider prayer as it is a casting of our burdens upon God.

In 1 Peter 5 and verse 7 tells us to cast all your cares upon Him.

Why?

where he cares for you.

When we cast our burdens on God, it takes the form of a prayer often, where we look to God
and we say, Lord, I can't handle this.

This is above my pay grade.

I need you to take care of this.

One of the instructors at school talks about how there are times when he'll be restlessly
sleep, or trying to sleep, I should say, heavy burden on his mind, and he'll just stop and

say a prayer to God and say, Lord, you take over.

I can't do any more with this.

I've done what I can do.

It's all up to you now.

I said, you know, those are the sweetest nights of rest for him.

And truthfully, that is the case when we cast our burdens on God in prayer, when we say to
the Lord, you've got this, I don't.

There's a peace there.

There's a comfort.

Along these lines of comfort, along these lines of thanksgiving even, look at me at
Philippians chapter four.

Philippians chapter 4, where Paul writing to the church in Philippi gives them some
information about how to, as verse 4 says, rejoice in the Lord always.

In verse 6 he says, and notice this, peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

How is it that the peace of God guards our hearts and minds?

How is it that the peace of God that passes understanding keeps us and gives us comfort?

Well, it's because we pray to God.

We cast our cares on Him.

When the struggles of our lives become over burdensome, too much for us to bear, we throw
them on God.

We cast them to God because guess what?

He's got shoulders that can bear the load.

He can bear the weight of our struggles.

He can bear the weight of our burdens, but it's up to us to cast them on him.

We often have a mindset in this nation and it's not a bad mindset, but it's one that says,
I can do it myself.

I don't need anybody else.

I can handle this problem on my own.

There are some problems we can handle by ourselves.

Yes, absolutely.

And God does expect us to do what we can do.

Absolutely.

But what about the times when we can't do anymore?

What about those burdens that we cannot, we just simply cannot bear alone?

Well, those are the ones that we cast on God.

Those are the ones that we lay at His feet for Him to pick up and carry, because we can't
carry it alone.

And through this, through this casting our cares on Him, through this avenue of prayer, we
can have peace.

We don't have to be over worried or as the new King James says, anxious about the things
in this life because we know who can bear our burdens.

We know in whom we trust.

And so prayer is how we cast our burdens on God, but it's also part of how we thank our
Lord.

Now, we notice this a little bit in Philippians 4 and verse 6, but look at me at Psalm 91.

Psalm 92, if I could read my notes that would be great.

Psalm 92.

Here we're going to notice how that David describes, the psalmist describes this idea of
thanksgiving through Psalm and prayer and worship.

Read with me.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to your name, O Most High.

to declare your loving kindness in the morning and your faithfulness every night on an
instrument of ten strings on the lute on the harp with harmonious sound.

For you, Lord, have made me glad through your work.

I will triumph in the work of your hands.

O Lord, how great are your works!

Your thoughts are very deep.

A senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand this.

When the wicked spring up like grass,

and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed forever.

But you, Lord, are on high forevermore.

For behold your enemies, O Lord, for behold your enemies shall perish.

All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

But my horn you have exalted, you have exalted like a wild ox.

I have been anointed with fresh oil.

My eyes have also have seen my desires on my enemies.

My ears hear my desire on the wicked who rise up against me.

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree.

He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.

They shall they shall still bear fruit in old age.

They shall be fresh.

and flourishing to declare that the Lord is upright.

He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in him." When we think about this idea of
prayer, part of our prayer should be exactly what's expressed in this song.

The idea of giving thanks to God for who He is, for what He has done.

Have you ever thought about the fact that without God, we wouldn't exist?

Without God, we would be nothing but a pile of dirt.

Without God, we are nothing but with God.

We have value.

We have purpose.

We have a family that goes beyond biological family.

We have a relationship with the Almighty Himself.

Does he not deserve our praise?

Does he not deserve our thanks?

There are times when we get caught up in this world, and we get caught up in the struggles
and the trials of this world, and every prayer, it seems like, is either a prayer for

forgiveness or a prayer asking for help.

But is it not beneficial to take a step back?

and to just thank God.

When was the last time you spent an entire prayer doing nothing but thanking God for what
He's done, for who He is?

It's a sobering thought.

We as Christians have a a beautiful blessing of being able to talk to God at any time and
yet so many times we squander that.

Isn't it wonderful to be able to thank our Lord?

Isn't it wonderful to stop and as the song says, count your blessings, name them one by
one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Prayer is not only this idea of thanksgiving, but it is also, as we've noted, supplication
on the behalf of others.

Well, let me backtrack on that.

We've noticed this idea of intercession on behalf of others, but now we're looking at
supplication on behalf of others.

And there is a slight difference in these two.

But what we're considering with this idea of supplication is found in 1 Timothy chapter
two.

1st Timothy chapter 2.

Well, Reed versus one and two.

Paul writes to the preacher Timothy, Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for, notice this, all men, for kings

and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness
and reverence.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be
saved and to come to the knowledge.

of the truth.

part of this idea of prayer is going before God on behalf of others.

We've already noticed this to an extent, yes, but I want you to notice specifically this
idea of all men.

Now, Paul, are you saying that I need to pray for those who I don't really like?

Now, Paul, surely you're not saying I need to pray for those who voted against the guy I
wanted to run for president.

Now, surely, Paul, you're not saying I need to pray for those who are in denominations and
those who are attacking the church.

Surely I don't need to pray for those, right?

Now Paul, you're not saying I need to pray for those politicians that are making a mess of
Washington.

He says, all men.

It doesn't matter if you like who it is or not.

We as Christians ought to have a mindset that says, I'm going to pray.

There are times when we find people who grind our gears, so to speak.

They're hard to get along with.

But have you ever tried praying for...

Have you ever taken the time to maybe in your morning prayers or before you go to bed at
night, you just stop and say, Lord, you know this guy gets on my nerves, but be with him.

Lord, help him with whatever he's going through and help me to have a good mindset when I
encounter him.

Help me to show your light in the way that I live and the way I conduct myself.

Admittedly, I've had to pray that prayer a couple times myself, but it makes a difference.

It's kind of hard to be rude and ugly towards an individual that you're constantly praying
for.

And that's what Paul is saying.

We are to lead a quiet and peaceable life.

And he'll later say, or he also says, and I believe it's in Romans, he mentions the fact
that as much as lies within us, we ought to live peaceably with all men.

And part of that is involved in praying for them and going to God on their behalf.

A lot of these people that get on our nerves that are hard to get along with, they have a
lot of struggles in them.

they're irritable because they're constantly facing things that they don't know how to
deal with.

And if you know that that's the case, maybe try to help.

Maybe try praying for that situation.

That's what Paul tells us to do.

The goal is to not get one over on them, is not to win the argument.

The goal is to have peace.

And if the person is a lost individual, the goal is to bring them to Christ.

The goal is to show them what they're missing.

But we also know that prayer is our access to the throne of grace.

In Hebrews 4 and verse 15.

We are shown something that's very important for us to note when we look at this idea of
prayer.

In Hebrews, really the whole book of Hebrews addresses to us the fact that we have
something better.

The old law served its purpose.

The law of Moses was effective for what its need was to be a schoolmaster to bring us to
Christ.

But now that we are in Christ, now that we have the new covenant, now that we have the New
Testament, we have something better.

That's the whole point of the book of Hebrews is don't turn back because you have that for
which these people fought and died to even get a glimpse of.

So in chapter four, we specifically note the comparison between the old high priest and
that of Christ.

In verse 14, seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the
heavens, Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.

but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." Now this sets the stage for
verse 16.

He says, us therefore, because of who our high priest is, because he has faced all these
trials, because he knows what it means to be human, and because he has delivered us from

sin, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,

and find grace to help in time of need.

Brethren, there are times when we need mercy.

Well, maybe y'all don't, but I know I do.

There are often times when the majority of my prayers in a week are just praying to God,
forgive me.

I've messed up.

I've done wrong.

But what we have as Christians is a direct line to the Father.

We don't have to go before a priest and say, I need you to offer a sin offering for me.

We don't have to go to the high priest and say, could you inquire at God's hand?

Could you go before God for me?

Because I can't go to him myself.

at any moment that we realize what we have done is wrong, we can stop and pray to God and
ask him for forgiveness, for mercy and no granted.

But not only that, we also can be given grace to help in times of need.

There are times when we face the great struggles in our lives.

There are times when Satan's temptations are hard to resist.

But in those times of need, when we reach out to God, when we pray to Him, we can have
strength.

We can have what we need to resist the devil.

And truthfully, he's given us what we need in his word.

When Jesus faced off against Satan in Matthew 4, what did he use?

The words of God.

He used the Bible, the Scriptures to defeat Satan.

to drive him away and that's what we have today.

We have the completed Word of God in the palms of our hands.

but we also have the power of prayer on our side.

And truly it is a powerful, powerful tool.

But one final note on this idea of what is prayer.

Welcome me at John 16 and verse 23.

John 16 23, Jesus tells us that prayer is not through anyone else but him.

That our prayers are to be through him.

John 16 23, and in that day you will ask me nothing.

But assuredly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.

Why is it that we end almost all of our prayers with, Jesus' name, amen?

By his authority, he's our mediator.

What we are doing when we're saying those words, if we truly mean them, is we're saying
that this prayer is by Christ's authority.

It is through Jesus that we pray.

It is through His blood and His saving as we have become Christians and have been washed
in the blood of Christ, it is through that means that we can go before God in prayer.

Enter his throne and talk to him.

But it also means that the prayers that we pray need to be in accordance with Jesus's
authority, with the Father's will.

Meaning we're not going to pray for a sin to take place.

That prayer's not going to be heard.

But a prayer asking God for help in times of struggle, a prayer asking for forgiveness
when we've done wrong, a prayer asking for blessings on those who are

down on their luck, a prayer for help to those who are sick, those prayers are heard.

What we understand when it comes to prayer is that it is something that's far more
powerful than we often give it credit for.

but only if it's truly through Christ.

But next we ask the question, well then who can pray?

So we understand now a better picture of what is prayer, but now we need to ask the
question, well, who is it that can go before God in prayer?

Prayer is a conversation between God and His children.

Now, let me preface this term conversation by saying God is not directly talking to us
today.

When you sit down or get on your knees or stand in prayer, whatever posture you take when
praying,

God is not going to part the clouds and directly speak to you.

That's not how this works nowadays.

But what we mean by conversation is that we are conversing with God.

are talking to the Father.

We are speaking to Him and by His Word and by His providence we hear Him.

But when we think about this idea of father-son relationship, father-daughter
relationship, Matthew 6 and verse 9 gives us a record of how Christ was teaching his

apostles, his disciples, how to pray.

And how did he begin?

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

but don't run over the fact that he says, our father.

God is not some distant figure.

disembodied voice that we just blindly follow because we're afraid of Him.

Yes, there are times to be afraid of God, absolutely.

But as Christians, we have a closeness to Him, where He's near at hand.

He is our Father wanting to hear from us, desiring to hear our voices and wanting to aid
us when He can and when it fits His will.

But what's important is the fact that we have to make sure our relationship with Him is
right.

If we are not a child of God, how can we go before the Lord and say, Father?

you can make the argument, well, he created the universe.

So in that sense, he's our father.

You can say that.

But Paul had something a little bit more different to say.

Second Corinthians, chapter six.

2 Corinthians 6 in verse 18.

Paul in quoting the prophecies of old said, I will, he's referring to God, I will be a
father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters says the Lord Almighty.

Now how does this happen?

How do we become the sons and daughters of God?

How do we become his children?

Well in verse 17 he says, therefore come out from among them and be separate says the
Lord.

Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you.

How is it that we can become sons and daughters of God?

How is it that we can be called children of God?

How is it that we can call God our Father?

He says it in the text.

We have to separate ourselves from the world.

We have to be different than the world.

And how do we do that?

By becoming a Christian.

By following in the plan that God has laid forth for us to be saved.

Romans 12, verses 1 2 tells us that we are giving ourselves as a living sacrifice to God.

As Christians, we're offering ourselves up to God to say we're not following the world.

We're not remaining in the world as those who seek after the worldly pleasures whose only
drive is for the things of this world.

But no, we live for the Lord.

We live as living sacrifices saying not my will,

But yours be done.

And when we are Christians, when we are faithfully living for God, we can pray to Him and
He hears our prayers.

Truly prayer is a beautiful thing.

to think about the Almighty as powerful as He is, to think about the One who knows all
things.

stopping to listen to us.

to hear our prayer.

beautiful thought.

It truly is a wonderful thing that we have.

And when we think about this idea of prayer, of course, this idea of the prayer of
children, of his children, of those who belong to him.

Look with me at James, or rather at 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 12.

First Peter 3, 12.

Peter writes, for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous.

His ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

There's an important contrast here.

An important contrast between those who are doing what's right, those who are living for
the Lord, and those who are serving Satan.

Living in wickedness, living in unrighteousness.

those who are doing evil.

And what we see is a God who looks at those who are doing righteous, who are living for
Him, who are serving as Christians, and He says, my ears are open to your prayers.

My eyes are looking on you, keeping you safe, caring for you, watching over you as the
Father does His children.

But when we think about those who are against God, those who are living in wickedness,
those who are serving the devil, you almost see as it were his back is turned to them.

he's listening.

He hears what they're saying.

but what they're saying is not being truly heard.

because there's a separation.

And that brings us to something we must understand is that sin separates us from God.

When think about those who are lost in sin praying to God, it's often been described that
their prayer doesn't go above the ceiling.

And that's true.

God does not forgive those in sin just simply because they pray.

We look at Acts chapter 9 and what was Paul doing?

After being confronted with the weight of the fact that he had been persecuting the very
Lord he thought he was serving.

When he's confronted with the fact that he was kicking against and biting against and
fighting against the church that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, deity himself died for.

When he's confronted with this truth, he's in mourning.

He's in agony.

He's fasting.

And notice what the text says he was doing.

He was praying.

Now when God sends Ananias to Paul, does he say, so Ananias, I need you to go and give
some comfort to your brother Paul?

As a fellow Christian, he needs a little comfort because he's still in mourning.

Is that what God tells Ananias to do?

No.

He says that there is one who needs to know how to be saved and you're going to preach the
gospel to him.

and by the way, you'll know him because he's the one that's praying.

If prayer alone saves an individual, then why did it not save the Apostle Paul?

If all one has to do is say a quote, sinner's prayer to be saved and in a right
relationship with God, then why did God not save Paul?

But rather when Ananias comes to Paul he says, why are you waiting?

Arise and be baptized and what?

Wash away your sins.

because I hadn't been forgiven yet.

So while prayer is powerful, sin separates us from God in prayer.

He's not hearing the prayer of those who are lost, but he's listening.

His ears are turned towards the one, the ones who are righteous, who are Christians, those
who are living for him.

Now does that mean that God will never hear the prayer of an individual who's saying,
Lord, I don't know what I'm doing, but I know I'm doing something wrong.

I need your help to find the truth.

Well, Jesus says that the one who's seeking, the one who's knocking is going to be
answered.

He's going to find what he's looking for.

And we look at a man like Cornelius in Acts chapter 10.

He was one who

was righteous in the sense of living a worldly, considered good life.

He was trying to do what was right, but he still had some things wrong.

Specifically, the fact that he was not a Christian.

That didn't know how to become one.

So what does God do?

Does he just ignore Cornelius?

No, he sends him Peter to preach to him the gospel, to teach him the truth.

And so there is a case to be made that God does hear the prayer of a soul who's seeking
the truth in the sense of allowing them opportunity, opening doors before them to hear the

word of God proclaim.

but it is not to the extent that he hears the prayers of the righteous, that he hears the
prayers of help and strength that the child of God offers to him.

And so sin separates us from God.

But when we think about this idea of sin separating and we think about this idea of being
a Christian, what does 1 John 1 tell us about what happens when we sin as Christian?

1 John 1.

There's great comfort given in the text of 1 John as he writes to Christians, helping them
to know how they can know that they are saved, that they don't have to fear the judgment

day but can look on it with a hope and a comfort knowing that they're right with God.

And picking up in verse 9,

John writes, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Now keep in mind, to whom is John writing?

He's writing to Christians.

And as he's writing to Christians, he tells them, if you stumble and fall, if you have sin
in your life, go to God and He'll forgive you.

Repent of your sin and confess it to the Lord and He'll forgive you.

What a beautiful picture that is for those of us who are Christians.

That when we fall short, when we stumble and fall, when sin is in our lives, we can look
at the Lord and pray to him and say, Father, I've sinned.

I've wronged you.

And just like that prodigal son, the Lord welcomes us with open arms.

Happy that a lost soul, a son of his who was lost is found again.

A son of his who was dead is alive again.

Sin separates the child of God from his father, but prayer is the means by which we can be
restored.

and what a beautiful thing that is.

What a beautiful blessing we have in this idea of prayer.

And we'll study this again more on Wednesday night.

But as we face the week, take some time to pray.

I'm sure many of you already are, but maybe throw in an extra prayer here and there.

Watch if it doesn't change your life.

How you think about things.

How you trust in the Father.

Brothers and sisters, we as Christians are to be people of prayer because God wants to
hear from His children.

Thank you for your kind attention.

You're dismissed.