WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:04.320 Hey everyone, welcome to session six of the Foundation's class. 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:12.560 I'm Pastor Mark Medley at Trinity Community Church, and we're covering prayer in the life of a believer today. 00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:26.320 And it's important that this comes after what Kelly taught in session five about the Bible, the importance of the Bible getting inside of you, because these two things are really kind of linked together. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:30.559 There's a little definition of prayer there in your booklet. 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:34.320 It says prayer is simply a lifestyle of conversing with God. 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:37.200 And I think that's a really good definition. 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:42.240 Another definition would be what Tim Keller writes in his book on prayer. 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:55.119 Prayer is a continuing conversation that God has started through his word and his grace, which eventually becomes a full encounter with him. 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:59.439 The goal of prayer is real personal connection with God. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:01.759 Just an expanded definition there. 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:07.280 But it's interesting that it says that God has started this conversation. 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:12.480 God has already spoken. 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:14.480 He's spoken to us through his word. 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:16.319 He's drawn us by his spirit. 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:17.840 He's regenerated us. 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:22.480 And by his grace, he invites us into this relationship. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:29.840 And so I want to talk about what's in your book, but first of all, I want to kind of talk a little bit about what prayer is. 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:35.120 And the first thing I want to say is that to pray is to change. 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:45.840 In 2 Corinthians 3 18, Paul says that we with unveiled face behold the glory of God, and we're transformed. 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:51.680 As we behold him, we're transformed into his image from glory to glory. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:54.239 Little by little, becoming more and more like him. 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:56.640 As we see him, we become like him. 00:01:56.640 --> 00:02:06.640 This is pretty uh important principle, actually, as the more things that we see, the whatever we're looking at, we become like. 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:09.039 And this is the same with God. 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:16.879 So uh this this comes, uh the scripture there says this comes from the Lord, from the Spirit, this transformation. 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:18.639 So to pray is to change. 00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:24.400 To see the Lord, to speak with the Lord, to encounter Him is to change. 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:33.520 It's uh it's not possible to participate in real prayer without real change happening inside of us. 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:44.719 So uh that deep change comes from reordering our lives, reordering our priorities. 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:56.560 Okay, and that and or as Tim Keller says, deep change only comes through reordering our loves, our our passion, what we long for, what our devotion is toward. 00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:00.479 That when we reorder that, change happens in our lives. 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:02.560 And this comes through prayer. 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:10.960 So um I would like to think of prayer as an invitation. 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:18.800 It's an invitation to the throne of God, the throne of grace, as it's called in scripture. 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:23.039 We are invited, we are to come boldly to the throne of grace. 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:40.639 I was in Africa, excuse me, a few years back, and uh we uh were going to this village to try to find some uh to try to get it's get some information, build connections, and get some information about the culture there. 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:50.560 And uh I went into the to the uh to the village of my friend Bright, and we asked for the chief there of the village. 00:03:50.560 --> 00:04:02.960 They said the chief is not available, and so we said, Well, we're just trying to, um, writing a book and we're trying to get some information about your history and your culture here. 00:04:02.960 --> 00:04:06.960 And then the young man said, Well, I'll I'll go see if the chief is back. 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:16.480 And so uh 20 minutes later, uh he came back and said, The chief will see you, but you have to you have to bring him a present. 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:17.839 This is the way it is in Africa. 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:20.879 You have to go get something to bring. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:24.720 You don't come into the presence of the chief without bringing something. 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:37.120 Okay, you kind of prepare yourself, and then there's a protocol when you walk in, you you look down, you don't look directly at the chief, and you don't speak directly to him, you speak through, you speak through somebody to him. 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:38.800 Very interesting. 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:44.240 My whole point here is there's a protocol, and you have to be invited. 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:47.040 You can't just go in to see the chief. 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:56.959 You have to, he has to open the doors to you to you, you know, and so this is what's important about prayer is that God has already opened the doors. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:02.560 God is accessible, God has invited us into his throne of grace. 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:11.600 This king has said, Come into my throne of grace, so that you can receive help in those times of need. 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:16.399 So prayer is an invitation into this throne of grace. 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:25.519 Um, as I needed an intermediary there, I couldn't speak directly to the to the the chief. 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:29.439 I needed someone to speak through, and he would speak through someone to me. 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:33.360 At least he did that for a little while, and then things changed. 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:36.319 But uh we have an intermediary. 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:43.040 This throne of grace we approach because of the blood of Jesus, the book of Hebrews tells us. 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:53.839 So we come boldly to the throne of grace to get help when we need it through our intermediary, the who is Jesus. 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:56.399 So in that's why we pray in Jesus' name. 00:05:56.399 --> 00:05:59.600 We pray to to the Father in Jesus' name. 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:09.120 Uh also, this is an invitation into relationship because if you if you think about what prayer is, um, it's really about relationship. 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:12.399 It's not really about duty, it's about devotion. 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:16.639 And it's not about law, it's about love. 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:22.480 It's not about the performance and uh and how you do it and how often you do it. 00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:24.240 It's really about love. 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:36.639 When the disciples came to Jesus and they saw that he prayed often, and they heard him pray, and they also knew another form of prayer from the Pharisees. 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:45.360 So they came to him, and I imagine they would they were in this place of Lord, we've seen you pray, we've seen them pray, we like yours better. 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:47.120 Lord, teach us to pray. 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:49.439 Obviously, this is important to you. 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:52.639 So, so Rabbi, teach us to pray. 00:06:52.639 --> 00:07:05.519 So Jesus was glad to do that, and Jesus said, When you pray, say, and maybe you know the first words of the Lord's Prayer, our Father. 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:08.399 Our Father. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:13.759 Father is the first word of prayer because relationship is the priority of prayer. 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:16.079 Relationship is what prayer is about. 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:31.439 Before you ask, before you even worship, before you ask for your needs, for your daily bread, before you ask for protection from the evil one, before you ask for forgiveness of your sins, all of those things are part of prayer. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:38.000 But the first thing is father, relationship with him. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:40.560 So prayer is about relationship. 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:54.480 He invites us to his throne of grace, he invites us into this relationship to know him as a father who wants to provide and protect for his children, protect his children. 00:07:54.480 --> 00:08:03.839 And then I think we can see prayer as an invitation into the heart of God and the mission of God. 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:08.399 So the heart of God, that that relationship, knowing him first. 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:14.639 Jesus said, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, then you will ask whatever you will. 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:16.079 It'll be done for you. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:18.399 That's those are heavy words. 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:23.439 That those are words that help build your and challenge your faith at the same time. 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:27.680 But he said, This relationship has to happen. 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:29.120 Abide in me. 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:31.839 You can't bear fruit unless the you abide. 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:34.879 The branch can't bear fruit unless it abides in the vine. 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:37.600 It's only possible when you're connected to him. 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:39.840 There's a vital relationship with him. 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:54.159 And what happens in prayer is we're we're our vital relationship with Jesus, the the branch, us to the vine, Jesus, um continues to develop. 00:08:54.159 --> 00:09:01.360 And as it does, our mind becomes like his mind, our burdens become his burdens. 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:05.279 Uh, what burdens his heart, burdens our heart, is what I mean. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:15.679 And so when we come in prayer to him, our prayer, our heart has already been sort of preconditioned or pre-informed by this relationship. 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:18.320 I know what he's like, I know what he wants. 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:26.080 My prayers become less like my will be done, more like his will be done, more like what he would want to pray. 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:29.759 So the things that break his heart are the things that break my heart. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:32.960 The things that joy his heart joy my heart. 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:35.360 So you see, this prayer is a relationship. 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:45.440 First, he and God invites us into his heart, and then also into his mission, that your kingdom would come and your will would be done. 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:51.919 And your kingdom uh uh is your kingdom expand, your rule would expand. 00:09:51.919 --> 00:10:03.440 And I want to see what you want happen and your desires and your authority and kingdom happen, come right now, right here on earth as it is in heaven. 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:13.039 So prayer, the invitation to the throne of grace, the invitation to relationship, and an invitation into the heart of God and into the mission of God. 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:17.840 But also, I like to say that uh prayer is expected. 00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:31.039 When Jesus spoke to uh his Sermon on the Mount and he spoke of prayer there, he said, When you pray, don't pray like the Pharisees who do it out in the open and they're all waiting for people to come and see them. 00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:37.200 But but rather uh do it secretly in your closet. 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:42.320 But but you notice he said he didn't say if you pray or I I suggest you pray. 00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:47.600 If you find yourself praying, no, he's a when you pray, it's an expectation. 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:56.879 Because uh, for example, my wife and I, um it's an expectation that we communicate. 00:10:56.879 --> 00:10:59.840 Uh, it's not a burden, it's not a duty. 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:02.720 It's like, oh, I gotta go talk to her again. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:04.960 It's because I I mean I really love it. 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:05.840 I love to do it. 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:10.879 I want to know her uh more deeply and more intimately. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:16.639 And you know, so so it's something I long to do, but it's an expectation of the relationship. 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:21.120 This is part of it, and it's an expectation when you pray, Jesus said. 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:27.120 So as expected, Paul said, uh pray continually, pray without ceasing. 00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:30.399 So why don't we pray? 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:44.320 Sometimes, well, uh maybe the most convicting thing to talk about is a prayer life because we know we need to be doing it, and we all often have a sneaking suspicion that we're not doing enough of it. 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:46.879 So why don't we pray? 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:55.679 Uh maybe because we don't value it, we don't believe it's gonna do anything, but it doesn't change, but we don't plan for it sometimes. 00:11:55.679 --> 00:11:58.159 It's just simply a matter of time management. 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:01.200 We just need to put prayer time in our day. 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:05.200 There's a lot of different things, but it's expected, it's expected of us. 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:08.639 And then prayer is learned. 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:10.399 This is the good news. 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:15.360 Though they had been with Jesus so long, they said, Lord, teach us to pray. 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:20.720 This is something that we learn as we go on in our walk with Jesus. 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:23.120 Mostly it's learned by doing it. 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:25.360 It's like on-the-job training mostly. 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:28.879 We learn by doing it with others as well. 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:35.519 So, one of the first things we learn is our spiritual emptiness, and this is what drives us to prayer. 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:40.639 Then we learn how to hear his voice more carefully or more accurately. 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:50.559 We discern his voice, we read his word, we see what his interests are and what he desires, and we pray toward those things. 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:58.639 One of the greatest things to do is to take the last lesson and this lesson and merge them together and pray the scriptures over people. 00:12:58.639 --> 00:12:59.759 Just pray. 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:02.879 Hey, we Lord, your scripture says this. 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:04.639 I pray this for that person. 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:10.000 Just go write down the psalm or write down a passage of scripture and pray for them. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:13.120 And maybe we'll do that before we finish here. 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.600 Maybe I'll pull the Bible out and we'll do that. 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:19.279 Another thing we need to know is that prayer is answered. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:22.639 This is why we pray to see results, right? 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:25.360 This is why we pray. 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:29.840 Jesus said he gave promises about answered prayer. 00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:32.480 There are there are stipulations in the Bible. 00:13:32.480 --> 00:13:34.399 Why do we not get answered prayer? 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:41.519 Sometimes we have asked wrongly according to our the lust of our own flesh, as James said it. 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:43.600 Sometimes it's timing. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:46.559 God knows everything. 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:47.679 We know little. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:51.840 We pray for something, and maybe it's not quite time yet. 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:58.000 Maybe other things need to line up in order for that prayer request to be answered. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:00.159 And so God knows the right time to answer. 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:03.360 It's not only about what he does, it's also about when he does it. 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:05.440 That's part of the wisdom of God. 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:09.279 Uh, sometimes he wants us to press in and persevere. 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:13.039 Sometimes we don't get it the first time we ask. 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:20.480 But there's a longing and a hunger that comes from ask, from, from that is a part of prayer. 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:40.879 And this is the parable that Jesus told about the man or the or the uh the woman uh with the judge, the unjust judge, and she was asking him to hear her case and to judge righteously or to judge her case, and he wouldn't do it, and she kept talking and she kept bugging him and she kept nagging until he did it. 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:46.799 I'm like, I'm gonna, I don't even want to do this, but I'm gonna do this because she's gonna drive me crazy by keeping on asking. 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:53.360 Okay, and so Jesus wasn't saying this is the way God is, he was saying this is the way man is. 00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:58.240 How much more is God gonna hear you when you cry out to him? 00:14:58.240 --> 00:14:59.600 So that's important. 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:07.200 And then sometimes we don't get the answer we're expecting because God is wanting to answer it in a different way than we are expecting. 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:19.039 So sometimes the answer to the prayer is yes now, sometimes it's yes later, sometimes it's not in that way, but I will show you. 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:26.559 And sometimes the answer is no, because all of those answers come from the heart of a loving father, though. 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:34.159 It's really important to understand that it all it all comes from the the heart of kindness. 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:39.600 So there's a there's a dance with prayer. 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:48.320 There's a we are partnering together with the Holy Spirit to know the heart of the Father. 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:58.399 And we are hearing his voice and we're praying, and he's moving, and we're moving along with him, and we're we're he's following, he's he's leading, and we're following. 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:01.200 And that's that's part of what prayer is about. 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:09.519 So um let's look at your your booklet, session six, prayer in the life of the of a believer. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:14.080 I do want to spend some time talking about these scriptures here. 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:17.360 Matthew chapter 26, verse 36 through 39. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:25.039 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to the disciples, Sit here while I go and pray over there. 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:32.480 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:37.039 Then he said to them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:38.879 Stay here and watch with me. 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:48.879 Then he went a little further and fell on his face and prayed, Oh, my father, it is possible that this cup passed from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:55.679 So we see Jesus in extreme sorrow and and ang and agony here. 00:16:55.679 --> 00:17:16.559 And we see, as we have talked earlier, um lesson three, I think it was, we see that this cup he was talking about was the cup of the wrath of God that he was going to be drinking undeservedly. 00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:23.279 He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us that we might know his righteousness. 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:31.519 And so in this time of difficulty, he was consecrating himself, submitting himself. 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:33.599 This is part of what prayer is. 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:36.880 Consecration means I'm set apart to you. 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:45.279 It means it's not so much about what I want, but I believe that what you want is greater. 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:48.480 I believe that what you want is based out of your love for me. 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:50.640 And so I'm going to submit. 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:53.279 Submit means to come underneath. 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:55.519 To come underneath. 00:17:55.519 --> 00:18:02.480 There's two words in the Greek for submit, and one of them is hopakuo, one is hopataso. 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:05.519 Hupakuo means hupo means under. 00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:10.640 Coming up under the authority of something, the authority of someone. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:18.240 Out of law, out of because I have to. 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:21.200 This is this is uh in the military. 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:29.759 When I'm the private and you're the sergeant, and I have to salute you, and I have to do what you say, and I may hate you. 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:36.480 I may I may uh spit in your direction when you walk away, but I have to do it. 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:40.559 I'm coming up and under under your authority, out of duty. 00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:50.319 But the idea of hopatasso is to come up underneath someone's authority out of devotion, because of love, because I long to. 00:18:50.319 --> 00:19:00.799 This is what the scripture says when it says, wives, submit to your husbands, hopatasso, because I love you, because there's a relationship, there's a dynamic here that is important. 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:08.880 It's not just my duty, it is my love, my devotion, my devotion to you. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:10.160 And I submit. 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:16.880 This is what we're talking about when we say consecration and submission out of devotion to God. 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:20.240 We lay aside what we want. 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:23.920 And we say, Not my will, but your will be done. 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:26.480 This is part of prayer, an important part of prayer. 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:34.960 Humbling ourselves under God because he is God and we are not, and he knows best, and we don't. 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:38.400 Then there's the prayer of faith, 1 John 5, 14. 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:46.000 Now, this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us, and we know that he hears us. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:53.119 And if we know that he hears us, we whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him. 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:57.839 So this is not like the prayer of consecration. 00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:09.519 This is a prayer we pray when we know what God's will is, when we're sure of it, when we're sure he wants to move in the lives of our loved ones and he wants to bring them to salvation. 00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:27.519 We when we're sure uh that he wants to bring righteousness and his glory to a situation, and we have a feeling in our heart, a stirring and an uh an assurance in our heart by the Holy Spirit, this is what God's will is, and we're pushing into that thing. 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:33.200 So you pray a prayer of faith because I know this is what God wants. 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:42.160 I'm praying this thing with boldness and assurance and expectation that He is going to bring the answer. 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:51.119 So it's not something you think God spoke to you or someone erroneous, some erroneous desire that's not in line with the scriptures. 00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:56.559 Of course, all of the things that are his will will be in line and be informed by the scriptures. 00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:00.000 Of course, the word of God is his will, right? 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:02.319 And so we're praying according to that. 00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:06.160 That's why praying the scriptures are very powerful. 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:10.559 Because you're praying directly from what the Word of God, what the will of God is. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:14.400 Then there's the prayer of agreement, Matthew 18, 19. 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:22.480 Again, I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:35.440 And the word agree there means to harmonize, it means to come together, you know, like we are singing together the same song, the same words, in the same rhythm with a different note, but we're harmonizing. 00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:44.240 So a metaphor we would understand is one of the a number of musical instruments set in the same key, playing the same tune. 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:52.240 This scripture refers to perfect agreement of hearts, desires, wishes, and voices of two or more persons praying to God. 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:56.720 That is so powerful when you pray together with people. 00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:58.240 So this is important. 00:21:58.240 --> 00:22:04.079 This Implies that personal prayer is not the only kind of prayer. 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:08.319 Me by myself in a room with God is not the only kind of prayer. 00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:11.359 There's another kind of prayer that I need to be involved with. 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:16.720 I need to pray with other people, pulling together and agreeing on these things. 00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:20.079 Then there's the prayer of personal edification, Jude. 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:26.480 Beloved, but you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:33.920 So they were, so the believers here are told to edify or build up each other. 00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:38.640 Edify means to encourage, to strengthen, to build up something. 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:49.119 And they're saying in this scripture is saying you can do this yourself by praying in the Spirit, by praying in leadership, in the leadership of the Spirit. 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:52.319 And as the Spirit leads, you are praying. 00:22:52.319 --> 00:23:02.319 And sometimes it also is Romans 8, where we don't know how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit helps us with groanings that are too deep for words. 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:06.240 We don't even know what to pray, but our heart is groaning. 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:07.440 That's part of it. 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:27.839 Also in 1 Corinthians 14, it Paul speaks about praying with understanding or in the language you know and praying in the Spirit with your spirit language, a language of the Holy Spirit, praying in tongues, so that you are praying perfect prayers unto God and building up yourself. 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:30.720 So praying in the spirit is such a powerful thing. 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:39.759 Praying in tongues, and I know some of you probably have uh prayed for that uh gift of tongues, a prayer language, and you haven't, and some of you maybe don't. 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:40.799 And it's okay. 00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:45.039 Your prayers are powerful no matter what language you're praying them in. 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:54.079 But there's something about allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through you in a prayer language that is uh something you don't understand. 00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:59.279 So you are you're uh praying, the Holy Spirit is praying the perfect will of God. 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:05.599 Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14, perfect will of God for you, through you. 00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:10.799 God is He is praying perfect prayers through you and encouraging your giving thanks well. 00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:12.079 It also says there. 00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:22.319 So praying in our own language is prompted by the Holy Spirit, praying with groanings that can be cannot be uttered in Romans 8, praying in an unknown tongue in 1 Corinthians 14. 00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:25.279 And then there's a prayer of supplication. 00:24:25.279 --> 00:24:32.720 And uh Romans 6, verse 18, Paul says, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit. 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:35.920 It also says all kinds of prayer, one version. 00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:49.039 And if you read that in the Greek, it's it's speaking of different types of prayer, but a prayer of supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for the saints. 00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:50.480 What is supplication? 00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:55.519 It's pressing in and asking for what you need. 00:24:55.519 --> 00:24:58.240 The context here is spiritual warfare. 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:02.640 We're battling not with flesh and blood, but we're battling in the spirit. 00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:10.960 And so, according to historians, it was customary for Greek armies to offer prayers for success to their gods before they went to war. 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:16.240 In this scripture, Paul's telling believers how to succeed in battle. 00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:17.119 Pray. 00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:22.079 Always be in a spirit of prayer in every season, in every situation. 00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:25.759 Receive that invitation. 00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:27.839 Send your RSVP. 00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:37.200 I hear you inviting me into the throne room, into relationship with you, into your heart and into your mission. 00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:38.960 Lord, I hear these things. 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:39.920 I hear you. 00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:43.119 Let's be ready to engage in prayer at all times. 00:25:43.119 --> 00:25:48.240 And then there's a prayer in Philippians 4 where it says that prayer brings peace. 00:25:48.240 --> 00:26:00.240 And Paul writes this from prison, by the way, he's writing this be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:09.039 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 00:26:09.039 --> 00:26:15.599 Paul is saying, Don't give any place to anxiety. 00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:18.400 He's saying give place to prayer. 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:25.359 Replace the fear with faith, with trust, and believing God. 00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:39.759 And from that comes this peace, knowing that God cares, that God is able, that he's strong, and he wants to intervene on your uh behalf. 00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:43.920 So I'm gonna close out this session today, actually praying from the scriptures. 00:26:43.920 --> 00:26:49.039 Okay, I want to pray a prayer for you from Ephesians. 00:26:49.039 --> 00:27:00.319 It's a prayer that Paul is actually praying for the believers there at Ephesians, but I want to do this because I'd like to show you what I mean by praying the scriptures. 00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:09.519 And I'm reading the scripture here, but I'm taking the scripture and I'm just turning it into a prayer for uh for you as you're listening here. 00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:12.559 So, Father, I thank you. 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:37.119 I come before you on behalf of my brothers and sisters who may be watching this video, and I bow my knees to you, Father, because you are the Lord of heaven and earth, and because you invite us into this relationship, you're the king of all, and you invite us into your throne room, Lord, and that we can ask boldly for what we need. 00:27:37.119 --> 00:28:36.799 And so, you, who every family in heaven and earth is named, after every family whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, and according to your riches and according to your glory, Lord, I want to pray that you would grant my friends strength, that you would fill them up, that you would fortify them and edify them and strengthen them in their inner man, God, that you would give them power, your power of your Holy Spirit, your presence there, God, in their lives, power to hear your voice, power to pray in your direction, power to speak your words to other people, power for witness, power to live their lives free from sin, Lord, through your spirit and their inner being, Lord, and inside them, they would know this power working. 00:28:36.799 --> 00:28:45.920 So that Jesus, you would dwell in their hearts through faith, and that they would be rooted and grounded in love. 00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:51.519 Lord, the bedrock of their life would be you and who and your heart for them. 00:28:51.519 --> 00:29:04.960 Lord, that their roots would go down deep into the soil of your love and they would get their nourishment, everything they need to live and bear fruit from the love of Christ that's within them. 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:07.279 Let them be rooted and grounded in your love, Lord. 00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:23.920 Let them be strengthened to understand with all the saints what is the breadth and the length and the height and the depth and to know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge. 00:29:23.920 --> 00:29:36.240 Lord, I pray that you would stretch them in their spirits, that you would expand their hearts to be able to understand and know this love which is beyond understanding. 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:38.880 But Lord, take them deeper into a place. 00:29:38.880 --> 00:29:43.279 Let them be rooted in this love and then take them deeper in their understanding of it. 00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:53.039 God, let them see the fullness of your love for them, Lord, that they would be filled with all the fullness of God. 00:29:53.039 --> 00:30:21.599 And I say now to him who's able to do far more abundantly than everything that we can ask or think, according to your power that works inside of them, to you be glory in the church and in Jesus Christ throughout every generation, in their lives, in their families, in their sons and daughters, in their fathers and mothers, throughout every generation, forever and forever, Lord. 00:30:21.599 --> 00:30:24.079 Thank you for your kingdom that has no end. 00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:26.240 Bless them in the name of Jesus. 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:27.200 Amen. 00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:30.799 So it's really pretty simple to pray the scriptures. 00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:35.440 The scriptures not only speak to us, they give us words to speak back to God. 00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:40.160 And so this is this is God's invitation. 00:30:40.160 --> 00:30:46.240 Come into my heart, come into my mission, be a part of who I am and what I want to happen on this earth. 00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:47.759 That's what prayer is about. 00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:49.039 God bless.