Admonition Podcast

It is time for us to begin our Bible class portion this Wednesday night.

And a fine Wednesday night it is.

Very beautiful weather we have, though maybe a little bit less muggy would be nice, but
nevertheless, we are privileged to be in in assembly today.

As per normal, we'll begin with a word of prayer.

So if you would please bow with me.

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth.

Lord, you are truly a wonderful God, truly a holy and caring Father.

We are thankful for all that you do for us, Lord.

We are thankful for the time that we have to gather together tonight to study your word,
to learn more about prayer and the wonderful blessing that that is for us as Christians.

Lord, also to learn more about your word and about who you are, and to sing praises to
your name.

Lord, we pray that in all things we will strive to live lives that glorify you and that
lead others closer to you.

We pray that we will always seek your favor, always seek what is best for you for you and
your kingdom in this furthering of your name.

Lord, we pray that in all things our focus is on you.

We pray that you'll grant safety to those who are traveling at this time.

We pray.

Are mindful of those who are not with us tonight, and we pray that they will be able to
come back as soon as possible.

Lord, we pray all these things in your Son's most holy name.

Amen.

We began Sunday talking about the idea of prayer and what prayer is.

Specifically, our focus was in defining what prayer is and and what it looks like, who can
pray was one topic of discussion that we spent some time on.

And we noted the fact of how prayer is something that God delights in.

That it is something that He desires of us as Christians, as His children.

He wants us to pray to Him.

And so when we refrain from praying, when we refuse to give uh to speak to God in prayer,
what we are doing, in essence, is we are telling God that you don't get what you want.

And it's really uh a bad thought to have and a bad mindset to have, as God has given us so
much and asks so little in return.

And one of the things he asks is that we pray.

But we also notice this idea of

And we'll begin here with this idea of sin separates us from God.

Turn with me to Isaiah chapter fifty-nine, as we look at this idea of sin separating.

Isaiah fifty nine

Here Isaiah is writing to a heretical Israel, an Israel that has abandoned God, an Israel
that has denied the Lord, who bought them, who delivered them.

And in verse one, he starts by or he says, Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that
it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have

separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you.

That notice this.

He will not hear.

For your hands are defiled with blood, verse three, and your fingers with iniquity.

Your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

None calleth for justice nor any ple nor any pleaded for truth.

They trust in vanity and speak lies.

They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.

The point that Isaiah is making here is that God is not going to hear their prayers for
deliverance.

Israel, when that came time for Babylon to conquer Judah and Israel, and it came time for
the people to be led into bondage and into captivity, they would no doubt call out to God,

asking for him to deliver them, as he had in times past.

But Isaiah is saying, when you call out to God, he's not going to listen.

And he explains why it is that God's not going to hear their prayers.

Why it is that when they call out to the Lord in their time of need, he's going to not
answer them.

And the reason is not because God is heartless.

It's not because God has chosen arbitrarily for them to be rejected.

But rather, it's because their sin has separated between them and their God.

Sin is what separates us from God.

It's what

hinders our prayers from being heard.

It is the case that God always is aware of what we are doing, of what we are saying.

He knows all things.

But this idea of hearing, this idea of listening and answering our prayers is the idea of
God paying attention, uh, of him focusing on us.

Yes, he knows the prayers of the of the unrighteous.

He knows what a wicked man says, even when no one's around.

But the focus here is on the fact that there is a separation that exists between the
sinner and the Holy One.

We also note the idea that pro improper treatment of one's family will also hinder
prayers.

Now for this we look at first Peter chapter three and verse seven, which states husbands
likewise dwell with them, talking about their wives with understanding, giving honor to

the wife as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life that
notice this, your prayers may not be hindered.

Husbands have a responsibility to their wives, such that if they fail in their duties, if
a husband fails to be who he should be to his wife, then that hinders his relationship

with God.

That hinders his prayers.

That is sin that separates from the man and his God.

But it's not just this idea of a husband and a wife relationship, but if you also look at
First Timothy chapter 5.

Paul notes in verse eight, but if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for
those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

The picture we're that's being painted for us in Scripture is that to deny one's family,
to not care for one's family, to not be the husband, the father, the son that you are

supposed to be in the family relationship is to deny God.

We won't spend uh more time on this, but there are many passages in Scripture which tell
us our duties as as sons, as daughters, as husbands, as wives.

God has given us what we are to do.

And when we do not do those things, when we deny what Scripture plainly says, we are in
sin.

And that sin separates us from God.

And so there's an importance here of

Not letting our sin separate us from God, not dwelling in sin such that God does not hear
our prayers, such that there is a separation between us.

But we also note this idea of an unforgiving heart.

Now, for this, let's look at Matthew chapter 6.

Matthew chapter 6 and verse 15, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is giving his disciples
some instruction regarding prayer.

And really, in all, it's instruction regarding life, of how to live.

And in verse

Number twelve, in in what we term the model prayer, the outline of how to pray that God
that Christ gives, in verse twelve he says, And forgive us our debts as we forgive our

debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen.

And notice verse fourteen.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Great news.

If you're a forgiving person, then God will forgive you.

As you are walking in the light, as you are striving to be who God would have you to be,
he is forgiving of you.

But there's a contrast that Jesus paints.

In verse 15, but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive
your trespasses.

One of the most common prayers that I would argue we pray in the church is that of,
Father, forgive me for I've sinned.

Lord, I've done I have done wrong, I have sinned, I've I've been in error, and I want
forgiveness.

I desire forgiveness at your hand.

But what is Jesus saying?

Is he saying that those prayers of forgiveness by one who is unforgiving, is he saying
those will be heard?

No, he's saying that if we harbor hatred in our hearts, if we harbor hatred such that we
will not forgive a brother who trespasses against us, then when we ask for forgiveness

from the Father, he says, you still have something wrong in your life.

I'm not going to forgive you as long as you are not forgiving yourself.

An example of this would be, uh I didn't tell Parker I was going to do this to him, but it
happens.

If Parker does does wrong against me, and I and I harbor hatred in my heart towards him,
such that when he comes to me and he says, Hey, Jacob, I messed up.

I shouldn't have said what I said, I shouldn't have done what I did, and I I want your
forgiveness.

And I say, hmm, that's hilarious.

I'm not forgiving you.

You think you're gonna get forgiveness for what you did to me?

And then maybe later that night or the next day I do something that is a sin and I
realize, you know, I I've done wrong and I pray to God and I say, Lord, forgive me for my

sin.

Is he going to forgive me after I just told Parker that he's not going to be forgiven?

According to Jesus, no.

So what we're learning from this is the fact that as Christians, we need to be people who
are willing and ready to forgive.

Because if we do not, then there is a divide that forms between us and God.

Our prayers for forgiveness are not heard.

But we also note the idea of that prayer of empty words and mindless repetition is also
not heard.

For this we look at Matthew chapter four.

Matthew chapter four.

I have written down the wrong verse and I apologize.

See.

One of the beautiful things about Bible software is that you are able to look up things on
the spot when you have forgotten which is the right verse.

Matthew chapter six going back to Matthew Chapter six, apologies for that.

Matthew six and verse seven.

Here Jesus says, But when we when ye pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for
they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Now what's the point here?

What is Jesus saying here when it comes to this idea of vain repetition?

Exactly.

Speak when you have something to say.

Our prayers are not meant to just be, well, uh our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be
your name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Going down the list of the model prayer.

Which really we shouldn't even be praying the idea of thy kingdom come because it already
has come.

Christ's kingdom is established on earth and we're all privileged to be a part of it.

But regardless of that, when we pray the same prayer over and over and over and over and
over again without thinking about what we're saying, then it's vain repetition.

It's empty.

We don't mean what we're saying.

And so when we look at this idea of prayer, it

Our hearts have to be in what we're doing.

We can't be flippant in our prayers of just absent-mindedly saying things.

Have you ever caught yourself before as maybe it's a late-night prayer and you're kind of
sleepy and you're trying to you're trying to say a prayer to God, you're try you're going

through maybe the list of of of prayer requests, persons who are sick or or whatever, and
you kinda

You catch yourself waking up and saying, Lord, I don't know what I just prayed to you.

But I've been praying for the past five minutes, and I don't remember anything I just
said.

There are times when that happens.

of course there are, but when we're praying to God, we need to understand that we're going
before the Almighty.

We're going before the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords.

We're going before the Father who's in heaven.

And we need to be thinking about what we're saying.

Our minds need to be paying attention.

And this also goes for the prayers that we le that we pray in church during the worship
service.

There are times when the the individual who is coming up, the faithful brother who is
starting the prayer is leading the prayer, where maybe our minds zone out.

He's still praying, he's still talking, but our minds are on, well, what's for dinner?

I forgot.

I I think I might have left the stove on.

Oh, I think I need to go get gas.

Man, gas is so expensive right now.

Our minds start drifting.

We need to make sure that we keep in mind what we're doing.

When we pray to God, we're talking to the Father.

We're talking to the Lord, and we need to be meaning words that we're saying.

We also look at this idea of praying with a haughty or an arrogant spirit as a hindrance
to prayer.

Look with me at Luke chapter eighteen.

Luke eighteen.

And I know we're going a little speedy, if you will, on this, but if anyone has a comment
or a question they would like to ask, please raise your hand.

This isn't a uh a sermon where there's no interaction.

Uh but Luke 18, starting in verse nine, Jesus tells this parable, and he spake this
parable unto the unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and

despised others.

Two men went up into the temple to pray.

The one a Pharisee and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other
men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven.

But smote his breast, saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner.

Jesus goes on to say, verse 14, I tell you, this man, talking about this publican, this
man who approached the Lord with a humble spirit, who wouldn't even look up to heaven, but

beat his chest, saying, Be merciful to me, a sinner.

Jesus says, This man went down to his house.

Justified rather than the other.

For every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, shall be humbled, and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted.

What's Jesus saying here?

As it pertains to our prayers, he's saying we don't approach God with a mindset of, God,
look how good I am.

God, aren't I just one of your favorite servants?

You know, I I'm d I just do so good for you.

I you know, I I I do all these things, every everything that's in your word, you know, I
do that.

I I'm so much better than these brothers over here.

Well, you know not not to brag or anything, but you know, there's never been a better
Christian than me.

That's the mindset that this Pharisee has.

And when you have a mindset like that.

Your prayers aren't heard.

Justin.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Because what do we know about this Pharisee?

He thinks that in this prayer he's being heard by God.

He thinks that he is even showing forth more of his righteousness.

But there's a fall waiting for him because of his pride.

And so as Christians, when we bow before when we bow our heads and we pray to God, and we
go before his throne and talk to him, we need to understand that we're going before a

king.

And not just any king, but the Almighty, the King of Kings.

And as such, we need to have a humble heart that says, Lord, I don't deserve to be saved.

But you allow it.

I don't deserve to be on the road to heaven, but you paved the way.

Your son taught me what to do.

You've left your word to guide my steps.

The whole mindset of a Christian is to be one of intentional steps and actions and words.

The mindset of a Christian is one that is humble enough to recognize I'm a half a step
away from hell.

But God saved me.

Through obedience to his word, he saved me, delivered me from the danger I was in.

It's kind of hard to be proud when you realize that it's not about you, but it's all about
God.

It's all about your brothers and sisters in Christ.

This next hindrance to prayer i is almost set a little tongue in cheek, but look over at
James chapter four.

James chapter four.

The next hindrance to prayer the thing that can stop our prayers from being heard

Is if we don't pray.

James 4 and verse 2.

Ye lust and have not, ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain.

Ye fight in war, yet ye have not.

Why, James?

Why don't you have what you want?

Why why in writing to these Christians is he saying, You don't have what you're desiring?

He says, You have not because you ask not.

But he doesn't stop there.

Verse three he says, Ye ask and receive not.

Why?

Because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your own lusts.

Again, when we look at this idea of prayer, a glaring hindrance is if we don't pray.

A glaring reason why our prayers aren't heard is if we never take the time to pray to the
Lord.

It's kind of hard for him to answer a prayer when we don't ever ask it.

We don't ever pray it.

But James 4:3 is also explaining for us and reminding us of what we are to be praying.

We're not praying, asking for our lusts, asking for our earthly desires.

It's not time to get your list out and pretend like.

God is a genie in the bottle who's just going to give you a million dollars.

That's not what prayer is about.

It's not your wish list to Santa Claus.

A prayer to God is meant to have humility.

And yes, we can ask for things that are going on in our lives.

Yes, we can ask for the health of others.

Yes, we can we can pray to God casting our burdens, as we already talked about in first
Peter chapter five, casting our burdens on God.

What do those include?

No doubt our financial struggles, our health struggles, maybe our interrelational
struggles.

But the focus of our prayers is not to be on me, me, me, I, I, I, Lord, it's all about me,
and you better do exactly what I ask you for.

That's not a prayer to God.

At least not one that's going to be heard.

The focus is on in our prayers is to be like what Jesus prayed.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, what was Jesus doing?

He was praying to the Father.

And what was he praying?

It wasn't, well, this is, you know, this is the greatest thing ever, and I'm so looking
forward to being beaten and scourged and crucified.

It's just, it's so fantastic.

This is a holiday weekend for me.

That's not what he was praying.

In agony, the text says.

He prayed, if there be any other way, let this cup pass from me.

But what we need to clue in on and focus in on is the fact that Jesus doesn't leave it at
if there be any other way, let this cup pass from me.

He concludes his prayer by saying, Nevertheless, regardless of the fact that I desire to
not have this burden laid on me, I desire not to go to the cross.

Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou will.

When we're praying to God, our focus is not on what we want, but on what the will of God
is.

And that's how our prayer should be.

A praying to God, look, this is the option that's in front of me.

This is what I think would probably be best.

And I hope and I I ask you that this is what happens, but nevertheless, not as I will, but
as thou wilt.

Regardless of what happens, Lord, I'm going to trust in you.

I'm going to praise you.

I'm going to focus on you and do your work.

Those are the prayers of a righteous man.

Those are the prayers of a righteous Christian.

So we understand then this idea of what hinders our prayers, of what stands between us and
God.

But a study on prayer is not really complete until we look at some examples of prayer.

Now, unfortunately, we won't be able to get into all the examples that there are of
prayer, because there are there are many.

But we'll begin tonight by looking at Abraham and a prayer that he prayed in Genesis
seventeen.

Genesis seventeen.

Here we have a record of Abraham praying for his son Ishmael.

But to set the stage as we before we look at this prayer, we need to understand and go
back to the idea, or not to the idea, but rather to the history of what was going on up to

this point.

And Genesis 16, Sarah tells Abraham, look, I can't have children.

But God says we're going to have many descendants.

So here, take my handmaid, Hagar.

This is God's plan.

This is how we're going to do this.

We're going to help God out a little.

And Abraham, rather than being the man of the house that he should be, the faithful leader
of God that he was supposed to be, he says, sure, why not?

And thus a child is born, Ishmael.

And we read of his being named in Genesis 16, 15.

But in the beginning of Genesis 17, God reminds Abraham that they kind of went out of
bounds, if you will.

They stepped out of line.

And he reminds them of what, or rather reminds Abraham, of what the promise was.

The promise was that through Abraham and Sarah, of course, at the time it was uh Sarai and
Abram.

He would change their names in Genesis 17.

But he says, between you two will a son be born, and many generations will come.

Not between you and someone else.

And so having reminded Abraham of what's going on, uh of what the promise really is, we
pick up in verse number sixteen.

Where God says, And I will bless her and give thee a son also of her, yea I will bless
her, and she shall be a mother of nations, kings of people shall be of her, affirming his

promise.

But then looking at seventeen, then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed.

And said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old?

And shall Sarah that is 90 years old bear?

Abraham doubts God.

He looks at the God who made the universe.

He looks at the God that had taken care of him up to this point.

And he says, I don't think you're powerful enough for this.

Lord, can this be done?

I I'm unsure.

And in verse 18, he says, And Abra and Abraham said unto the unto God.

Oh that Ishmael might live before thee.

Abraham looks at God and and in his doubt and his questioning of God he says, Well, here's
my son.

Yes, he he's born not of my wife, but of my wife's handmaid.

But he's still my son.

And so surely the seed promise can be fulfilled in him.

Surely that will be acceptable to you, right?

But as per God's character, he doesn't accept just anything that man says he should
accept.

He didn't accept the sacrifice of Cain because it wasn't according to the method, the
order in which God had given them to worship him.

And he's not going to accept Ishmael as the promised son when Ishmael wasn't born from
Sarah.

And so in this prayer of a man that is widely recognized as a man of great faith, as even
the Bible the Bible calls him the father of the faithful, a man who the Jews held up as

this great bastion of what it means to be a follower of God, God looks at him and says,
No.

Look at verse 18.

Or verse 19, rather.

And God said, Sarah, thy wife, shall bear thee a son indeed.

And thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I will establish my covenant with him, for an
everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

Abraham praised, Lord, let Ishmael be the one.

But God says no.

He says, there is only one way this goes, and it's the way that I promised you.

You don't get to rewrite the contract, in other words.

So what do we learn from this?

What do we learn from this, what can we take away from this prayer of Abraham?

Well, number one, what we can take away is the fact that sometimes we think we know better
than God.

Humanity can at times be a very arrogant people.

I mean just look at Genesis eleven with the Tower of Babel, where they said, We'll build a
tower up to God, when God said disperse, and multiply and f and fill the earth.

There are times when we as human beings think, Well God, surely this is the best way.

Well well God there there's no other way than the way that I think this should go, as we
term it, my way or the highway.

That might work of a father to a son, but it's not going to work to God.

We don't get to, in our prayers, direct God and tell him what he's going to do.

That's something we learn from this.

What we also learn is the fact that God is in control.

And as such, we need to give the reins to him.

Rather than trying to buck against what he says, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel
and find something new and to say, well, this has never been before taught in the

churches.

I found this new theology.

I found this new philosophy that that is exactly what we've been missing.

Maybe you just need to read the Bible a little bit more and keep it in its context.

But nevertheless, what we understand from God's word is that He's in control and we don't
get to rewrite the Bible.

We don't get to override God's commands and say, eh, not today.

But but I don't like that as much, God.

I I know you you say to sing with a heart, make melody in in your hearts to the Lord, but
you know that band just sounds really good.

Lord, I I pray that this is a a wholesome and a good doctrine to teach that instrumental
music is acceptable to you.

Brethren, there was once a faithful church that said that very thing.

Whose eldership said to its congregation, This is a most wholesome doctrine.

Th this is an acceptable and this will be pleasing to God for us to have a contemporary
service.

as well as an occupella.

But we don't get to tell God what to do.

We don't get to tell God how things will be.

He is in control.

We ought to trust in him.

But a third thing we learn from this prayer of Abraham to God is this fact that sometimes
the answer to our prayers are no.

Sometimes we pray for things and God looks at the prayer and knowing as much as he knows
because he has infinite knowledge and knowing what it is that we need in our lives, he

says, You don't know what you're asking for.

No, I'm not giving it to you.

This goes back to the idea of trusting in God.

Do we as Christians have a faith that is able to remain with God, that is able to still
place our trust in Him even when He says no to our prayers?

What if he says no when you pray for your sickness to go away?

What if he says no when you pray for some trouble or trial in your life to go away?

Will you still trust in him?

What if he says no when you're praying that your unfaithful loved ones will be saved?

We need to trust in God.

We need to have a faith that does not wane even when God looks at our prayers and says,
No.

There's another prayer of Abraham, which is really more of a conversation, but we want to
take a look at it nonetheless.

It's in Genesis chapter nineteen, ch rather the end of eighteen, leading up into nineteen.

To set the stage again, to have the context in mind, there has been a division, if you
will, a separation between Lot and Abraham.

The plains where they were dwelling were both herds of cattle to dwell, and so they
separated.

And Abraham looked at uh Lot and he says, You pick which direction you want to go.

You pick where you want to dwell.

And he said he looked over at the plains of Jordan, the how they were fertile and well
watered.

Near Sodom and Gomorrah, and he says, I'll make that my home.

So Abraham takes the other, and they part ways as family, having no issue between the two.

Of course, later on we know that there were some issues that were that had happened in
Lot's life as he went closer and closer to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and became

more ingrained into their culture and into their livelihood.

Until there comes a day when three men appear to Abraham.

He invites them in, they have a meal, and it's revealed to Abraham that this is two
messengers, two angels of God.

And a very or and and a physical manifestation of deity itself.

Before Christ came to earth we know that there were times when he would appear in the form
of a man to different individuals.

The second person of the Godhead, that being the word, would appear.

And this is one such occasion where Abraham is talking to the Lord.

He is talking to deity.

And what happens here?

When we pick up in verse twenty-three.

And Abraham drew near and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

After the plans have been revealed that Sodom and Gomorrah are going to be destroyed for
their wickedness.

Abraham in verse twenty-four says, Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city.

Wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

That be far from thee to do after this manner.

To slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked,
that be far from thee.

Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?

And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare
all the place for their sakes.

On and on this goes until we pick up in verse twice thirty-two.

And he said, that being Abraham, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but

This once.

Peradventure ten shall be found there.

And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

And the Lord went his way as soon as he had left communing with Abraham, and Abraham
returned into his place.

In this conversation, in this prayer, if you will, Abraham is haggling for lack of a
better term.

He's trying to plead with God that he spare the cities of Saw and Gomorrah and Gomorrah.

No doubt in Abraham's mind is the thought of my family's there.

Lot and his children are there.

What a sad testament it is.

That he got him so low as as ten souls.

All he needed to find was ten righteous souls.

But there weren't it there weren't even ten in the city.

Nevertheless, what we have here is a a record of

Prayer which appeals to God's justice.

A plead that the judge of all the earth will do right.

Notice also that Abraham speaks with humility.

Though he is speaking to deity, though he is what some would say maybe being a little
arrogant and even questioning deity, he approaches it with humility.

And he says with humbleness.

Verse 27 notes the fact that, behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord,
which am but dust and ashes.

Abraham knew his place.

Nevertheless, he wanted to help those people of Sog and Morah.

He wanted to spare them if possible.

He speaks with reverence.

But what do we find with the answer that God gives?

The answer to Abraham's plea is no.

Because there were not ten righteous souls.

The cities of Sangamora they were laid to waste.

Lot o and his two daughters alone were able to escape.

And what we learn from this.

What we learned from this moment in history.

Is that we need to be people of compassion.

We like Abraham should pray for those who we know are lost.

Those that we know are in danger.

We should be people who genuinely and truly care for others, regardless of whether or not
they've done something wrong.

Abraham prayed for the righteous, that they might be spared from the fate of the wicked.

Ought we not to do the same?

What happens when there's wars overseas?

Should we not pray that those who are righteous in those nations be spared?

Our brethren in Ukraine, I know, have suffered greatly during this time of conflict.

Should we not s pray that those brethren are s are spared from violence and from harm?

When was the last time?

That you prayed for God to open a door for you to teach the wicked.

Now Abraham's not directly praying that that he will be able to go and teach that he will
be able to go and try to to bring souls to God.

But as Christians, that is the prayer we should be having.

We should be praying.

We sing the song Lead Me to Some Soul today, O teach me, Lord, just what to say.

Friends of mine are lost in sin and cannot find their way.

We sing it, but do we pray it?

Do we pray that we can follow what we have been given through the the School of Evangelism
training?

Do we pray that Justin and Megan will have good success when they get over into Japan and
as they work here?

Do we pray that we can be of service to the Lord and leading those who are lost to the
saving knowledge of who Christ is and of what He has told us to do?

Brethren, pra prayer is a powerful, powerful tool.

And it is one that Satan fears.

That's why we seem to find so many excuses not to pray.

But when we look at prayer, when we look at what it is and the beautiful blessing that it
is in our lives, we need to remind ourselves.

That as righteous souls, as Christians serving our Lord when we pray, the very ear of the
Almighty is inclined to hear our prayers.

He's listening.

And he is there for us, even in our most dire moments.

Unfortunately, we did not have time to look at some of the more uplifting aspects of
prayer, examples of prayer.

But I hope that as you go into your life as and continue your lives as Christians, that
you will study prayer.

And you'll study examples of those who prayed to God.

And note how God was working in the Old Testament.

Note how he was working in the New Testament.

And appreciate the fact that though not miraculously, and though we may not see how he's
working today, he is still working.

He still blesses those who serve him.

Thank you for your kind attention.