SPEAKER_00: Very thankful to be with y'all again this morning.
SPEAKER_00: We are we have been studying through the topic of prayer, and this morning I want to uh with the Lord's help get out of the way, and we want to talk about in the Bible, there are at least five categories of prayer that are talked about.
SPEAKER_00: And before we dive into that, I want to just remind that you know, we mentioned last Sunday that the purpose of prayer is not so that you and I get stuff, the purpose of prayer is so that God transforms us and makes us more like Christ.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, He wants to bring us in line with His will and His Word and His Kingdom.
SPEAKER_00: So keep in mind that the purpose of prayer is not so that you and I get things, instead, it's so that God changes us and makes us more like Christ.
SPEAKER_00: That is the purpose of prayer.
SPEAKER_00: So if I were to ask you what is the most famous prayer in the Bible or the most known prayer in the Bible, well, y'all would say most likely, Brother Josh, that would have to be the Lord's Prayer, that is actually a model prayer found in Matthew chapter 6 in the Sermon on the Mount, and we've already covered that.
SPEAKER_00: We've already talked about that, but I want to point one thing out to you before we dive into these categories of prayer, that when the Lord Jesus Christ taught us to pray, He taught what are the first words of what he taught us to pray?
SPEAKER_00: He says in Matthew 6 9, after this manner, therefore pray ye, our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
SPEAKER_00: Now, so when we dive into these, and the reason why I read that for you, is here is the Son of God teaching us the absolute manner in which we are to pray.
SPEAKER_00: And when he says, Christian, when you start out your prayer and you call out to God, the first thing on your mind or out of your mouth is our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
SPEAKER_00: So he's number one recognizing God as the Father.
SPEAKER_00: He's number one recognizing the position of God, i.e., he's in heaven.
SPEAKER_00: That's his authority, his position.
SPEAKER_00: He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
SPEAKER_00: And he says, hallowed be thy name, holy is your name.
SPEAKER_00: Now, so the first thing I want to point out to you is the categories of prayer that are mentioned in the Bible.
SPEAKER_00: I want to give you a quick summary of that, and then we're gonna dive into them.
SPEAKER_00: So there's at least five categories of prayer in the Bible, and I want to give them to you in what I believe would be a biblical order.
SPEAKER_00: The first category of prayer in the Bible is either adoration or praise.
SPEAKER_00: Adoration or praise.
SPEAKER_00: That's what Christ is doing here, our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be your name.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, holy is your name.
SPEAKER_00: Christ is calling out and saying, Look, God the Father is holy.
SPEAKER_00: He is to be praised.
SPEAKER_00: So that first category of praise or adoration is praising God for who he is.
SPEAKER_00: Now, this is different than thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_00: Thanksgiving is thanking God for what he's given us or done for us.
SPEAKER_00: That's different than praise or adoration.
SPEAKER_00: Adoration is saying, God, you're worthy to be praised because you're God, because you're creator, because you're holy, because you're above all.
SPEAKER_00: And so you're just we're just praising him for who he is, because he's Almighty God.
SPEAKER_00: So that's the first category of prayer is the category of praise or also adoration or adoring him for who he is.
SPEAKER_00: That's the first category.
SPEAKER_00: The second category would be confession.
SPEAKER_00: Would be confession.
SPEAKER_00: That's where you and I actually confess our sins.
SPEAKER_00: Where we are telling God, God, I agree with you that I am a sinner, that I have broken your word, that I have violated the things you've told me to do.
SPEAKER_00: The second category of prayer would be confession.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, in the Lord's prayer, that would be, Lord, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, we're the sinner.
SPEAKER_00: I'm the problem.
SPEAKER_00: Second category of prayer is the category of confession.
SPEAKER_00: The third category of prayer would be thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_00: Again, thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_00: And that that category of prayer is you and I are thanking God for what He has done for us.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I am so thankful that you are merciful to me, a sinner.
SPEAKER_00: I don't deserve your mercy, but you have shown me mercy.
SPEAKER_00: I'm so thankful for my salvation.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, I wasn't able to earn that on my own.
SPEAKER_00: You had to do that for me.
SPEAKER_00: I'm thankful that I am I have been forgiven for my sin.
SPEAKER_00: So that is the category of thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I'm thankful for my health.
SPEAKER_00: I'm thankful for my family.
SPEAKER_00: I'm thankful for my country.
SPEAKER_00: I'm thankful that I woke up today and can work with my hands and see with my eyes and walk under the power of my own two feet.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I'm thankful for my health.
SPEAKER_00: So that is the category of thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_00: The final category, again, I told you there were five.
SPEAKER_00: The final category would be the category of supplication.
SPEAKER_00: Well, what is that?
SPEAKER_00: That is a petition where you and I are actually asking God for something.
SPEAKER_00: Now you've noticed in these categories, we had adoration or praise.
SPEAKER_00: We had confession, confessing our sins.
SPEAKER_00: We had thanksgiving, and then the last category of prayer is us actually asking God for something.
SPEAKER_00: Well, most of the time when you and I come in prayer, I know that I've made this mistake.
SPEAKER_00: I come to the Lord first off asking him for what I want.
SPEAKER_00: No, that's actually the last category of prayer.
SPEAKER_00: Supplication.
SPEAKER_00: Well, that supplication or the request is divided into two things.
SPEAKER_00: Let's not get too complicated here.
SPEAKER_00: But we can ask for things for other people.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, help my son, help my daughter, help my mother, help my father, help my neighbor, help my church member.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, you and I can intercede and pray for others, but we're still asking God to intervene and do something.
SPEAKER_00: That's supplication.
SPEAKER_00: So we can divide supplication into two things interceding for others, and very finally, we can actually ask God for something for ourselves.
SPEAKER_00: That is our request or our petition.
SPEAKER_00: So five categories of prayer.
SPEAKER_00: Number one, praise and adoration.
SPEAKER_00: Number two, confession.
SPEAKER_00: Number three, thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_00: Number four is supplication, but divided into either asking for uh uh for others or asking for ourselves.
SPEAKER_00: So that's the five categories of prayer.
SPEAKER_00: Now, I want to give you a little acronym, and y'all may know this, but I have actually practiced this my whole life, or since I found out about it, rather, is the word axe, A-C-T-S.
SPEAKER_00: Y'all may have heard this.
SPEAKER_00: But the word acts, A-C T S, but use it as an acronym.
SPEAKER_00: A representing adoration, C representing confession, T representing Thanksgiving, and S representing supplication, and that supplication is divided into two, praying for others or praying for ourselves.
SPEAKER_00: So that little acronym gives you those categories of prayer.
SPEAKER_00: And I believe, according to the Bible, that all of those categories of prayer are found in the Bible, and that's actually what you and I want to talk about this morning.
SPEAKER_00: We're going to spend a little time looking at all of those categories of prayer in order.
SPEAKER_00: But so I'll tell you that that uh guide or that acronym, Acts A C T S, it's not some rigid structure that you and I must abide by, but I will tell you that when I'm praying personally, I remind myself of that word Acts because it reminds me that I should adore God first.
SPEAKER_00: I should confess my sins second.
SPEAKER_00: And once I've got the, you know, God, you are holy, and God, I'm a sinner out of the way, then that puts me in a mindset, Lord, I'm thankful.
SPEAKER_00: I want to tell you what I'm thankful for, and very lastly, very lastly, I ask for things for others or things for myself.
SPEAKER_00: So I have practiced that acronym of Acts, A C T S in my own prayer life to help remind me to not just go and jump in God's presence by prayer and say, Hey, Lord, I want you to do this for me.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I need you to fix this problem I have.
SPEAKER_00: So I use that acronym to remind me that God is not the great waiter in the sky to meet my every need.
SPEAKER_00: Now let's dive into it.
SPEAKER_00: First category of prayer is the category of praise, also of adoration.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, we're praising God, we're adoring him, we're worshiping him for who he is, his character, his person, the fact that he is God.
SPEAKER_00: And if y'all will turn with me to Psalm 95.
SPEAKER_00: Psalm 95.
SPEAKER_00: This is absolutely amazing.
SPEAKER_00: You know, there are so many beautiful scriptures in the Bible, but this is a very short little chapter.
SPEAKER_00: We're going to be looking at Psalm 95 verses 1 through 6.
SPEAKER_00: Psalm 95, verses 1 through 6.
SPEAKER_00: This is under the category of praise or adoration of God.
SPEAKER_00: So, in Psalm 95, we read in verse 1.
SPEAKER_00: Oh come, let us sing unto the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: By the way, that word Lord in your Bible is probably capitalized.
SPEAKER_00: That is the proper name of God in the Old Testament.
SPEAKER_00: Capital L, capital O, Capital R, Capital D.
SPEAKER_00: That is the proper name of God, Yahweh.
SPEAKER_00: O come, let us sing unto the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Now, I want y'all to put on some glasses with me as you and I are looking at Psalm 95.
SPEAKER_00: So again, we're talking about the first category of prayer, and that's praise or adoration.
SPEAKER_00: And so when you and I come to God in prayer, and our when we're you and I are actually praying to Him, I want us to remember for a minute who you and I are actually coming to.
SPEAKER_00: You and I are not coming to the great waiter in the sky, okay?
SPEAKER_00: Lord, just give me what I want and give me what I want right now.
SPEAKER_00: And if you don't give me what I want in the next day or week or in the next hour or two, then you must not really be up there.
SPEAKER_00: You must not really be God.
SPEAKER_00: God, why have you left me?
SPEAKER_00: Why have you forsaken me?
SPEAKER_00: Lord help us to not think like that or not act like that.
SPEAKER_00: Instead, what I want y'all to see in this first category of prayer of praise is who you and I are talking to.
SPEAKER_00: Are you and I gonna stroll up in Donald Trump's office and say, hey man, I need you to fix X, Y, and Z in Bay Springs, Mississippi.
SPEAKER_00: Well, number one, you and I don't even get to scroll up in his office, right?
SPEAKER_00: You and I would be uh tackled, probably put in jail by the Secret Service if you and I were able even to get into the White House.
SPEAKER_00: We're certainly not gonna be able to scroll up in the Oval Office of our own free will and accord.
SPEAKER_00: You and I don't have the right to do that.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because we don't have the privilege of speaking with such a man of high rank and position who's protected by the security of our country.
SPEAKER_00: Now, oh, and by the way, he doesn't hold a candle to the Lord Jesus Christ and Almighty God, right?
SPEAKER_00: But you and I do have the great privilege of strolling up into the presence of Almighty God, whether we're driving down the road or we're in our closet at our house or we're mowing the grass or we're at the grocery store, you and I can call on the name of God in a moment.
SPEAKER_00: Aren't you thankful that you and I have that kind of direct access to the most powerful creator in the universe, right?
SPEAKER_00: So why do you and I stroll up in his presence and say, hey Lord, I need you to fix this and do this, and Lord, I want you to hop to and get right at it and fix something.
SPEAKER_00: No, friend.
SPEAKER_00: You and I don't talk to him like that.
SPEAKER_00: You and I need to remember who we are.
SPEAKER_00: We're there to be changed by prayer, to burn the sin out of our lives, and to make us more like Christ, and to get us on board with his kingdom and his will.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, not my will be done, but thy will be done.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I want you to change me from the terrible heathen sinner that I am.
SPEAKER_00: By your grace I've been miraculously saved and didn't deserve it.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, help me to get on board with your will, not you submit to my will, but help me to submit to your will.
SPEAKER_00: I don't get to talk to you like that.
SPEAKER_00: So let me come into your presence with praise and adoration out of the gate.
SPEAKER_00: Oh, come, let us sing unto the Lord, let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Who are you and I talking to?
SPEAKER_00: The very foundation of our salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: You and I are talking to the creator of the universe, you and I are talking to our rock.
SPEAKER_00: You and I don't get to talk to him like that.
SPEAKER_00: God hop to and fix all my problems.
SPEAKER_00: No, sir.
SPEAKER_00: You come, you and I come to him as a servant.
SPEAKER_00: Bowing down, Lord, help me.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, you are nothing and less than nothing.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: You and I don't get to talk to him like that.
SPEAKER_00: You and I are coming to the rock that is higher than I.
SPEAKER_00: That's who you and I are talking to.
SPEAKER_00: So we come to his presence bowing down as the servant and talking to our King and our Savior.
SPEAKER_00: We come into the great throne room of the Almighty King as the lowly servant who doesn't even deserve to be there.
SPEAKER_00: And you and I, you and I don't stroll up in his presence like some man demanding for something to be done.
SPEAKER_00: No.
SPEAKER_00: You and I slink and crawl and kneel.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I just need your help.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know what to do.
SPEAKER_00: I'm a sinner.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I need your intervention in my life.
SPEAKER_00: You and I don't get to talk to the king like that.
SPEAKER_00: Make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I come singing to you.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, you've done everything.
SPEAKER_00: You've done it all right.
SPEAKER_00: You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
SPEAKER_00: I'm talking to the great and high king of the earth.
SPEAKER_00: Everyone bows down to you.
SPEAKER_00: And Lord, I come as your meek and lowly servant.
SPEAKER_00: Look at the next verse.
SPEAKER_00: For the capital L O R D is a great God and a great king above all, that's the lowercase G, above all gods.
SPEAKER_00: There is one true and living God.
SPEAKER_00: And when you and I are talking to him in Walmart, that's who you and I are talking to him.
SPEAKER_00: When you and I are praying to him in a car, that's who you and I are talking to.
SPEAKER_00: You and I don't get to demand anything of him.
SPEAKER_00: Instead, you and I get the privilege to even be able to call on his name.
SPEAKER_00: Is this is our position sinking in a little bit more?
SPEAKER_00: Verse 4.
SPEAKER_00: In his hand are the deep places of the earth.
SPEAKER_00: The strength of the hills is his also.
SPEAKER_00: He knows everything.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 5.
SPEAKER_00: The sea is his, and he made it.
SPEAKER_00: And his hands formed the dry land.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 6, this is the verse that I wanted to get to.
SPEAKER_00: Oh, come, let us worship and bow down.
SPEAKER_00: Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
SPEAKER_00: If you don't learn anything else today, and by the way, when I was studying this, this is one of the verses that hit me like a ton of bricks.
SPEAKER_00: That if you and I don't remember anything else about our study in prayer, you and I need to remember this: that when you and I come before the Lord, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: He is the creator of the universe.
SPEAKER_00: You and I do not get to come into his presence and demand, Lord, you fix this.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, you do this and you do it today.
SPEAKER_00: And if you don't do it today, then you're my God.
SPEAKER_00: Shame on me and strain on you when you and I think like that.
SPEAKER_00: Let us move before the Lord, our Maker.
SPEAKER_00: He is the Almighty Sovereign God of the universe.
SPEAKER_00: And you and I get the great privilege to be in his presence and to call on his name.
SPEAKER_00: And that right there should humble you and I and throw you and I low to the ground, where you and I are literally crawling on the ground with our face.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I don't even I can't even fathom that I even get to speak to you.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: That is our position.
SPEAKER_00: So when you and I come to the Lord in prayer, you and I come out of the gate with adoration and with praise to our Maker.
SPEAKER_00: Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker, the rock of our salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Second category.
SPEAKER_00: Confession.
SPEAKER_00: Turn, if you will, to Psalm 51.
SPEAKER_00: Psalm 51.
SPEAKER_00: So after you and I have come approaching the Lord in the right way, as the Almighty God of the universe, when you and I are kneeling in his presence, and when you and I are seeing him in a proper way, that he is the holy king of the universe, then very quickly you and I realize that not only are you and I the servant, we don't demand anything, but you and I very quickly, if we're in a right mindset with the Lord, you and I remember that, Lord, I failed you.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I don't deserve to be here.
SPEAKER_00: Not only do I not deserve to be here, Lord, I don't even deserve, you know, y'all remember in the Old Testament that when uh Moses was before the burning bush, the Lord told him to do what?
SPEAKER_00: Take off thy shoes because you are standing on holy ground.
SPEAKER_00: Real quick, you and I realize that you and I are sinful people.
SPEAKER_00: That Isaiah, when he had a vision of the Lord, that that Lord, he told the Lord, Lord, I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, we we speak bad words, we think bad thoughts, we do bad things.
SPEAKER_00: And Lord, I don't even deserve to be talking to you, and I don't know how I'm talking to you, because they're literally uh six-winged seraphims that are covering their face and covering their feet, and they're flying in your presence, and they're crying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.
SPEAKER_00: And how do I even get to speak to you because I'm an unclean thing?
SPEAKER_00: And that's when the angel took a coal from the altar and went and purged the lips of the prophet with it to burn the sin out of his life so that he could even speak to God Almighty.
SPEAKER_00: So once you and I recognize whose presence we are in, then real quick, you and I realize that we don't deserve to be there and we're thankful to be there, but then because he is so holy, you and I realize just how sinful we are.
SPEAKER_00: Because have y'all ever I used to work in a print shop years ago, and I didn't realize there were so many versions of white.
SPEAKER_00: Talking about paper, okay.
SPEAKER_00: You know, like on a piece of paper, like a pack of paper at Walmart, y'all will see a number, it'll be like a 94 or 95 or 97 or something like that.
SPEAKER_00: That's how bright the paper is.
SPEAKER_00: Like if if the the closer toward a hundred is, the more that is toward a pure white, and and then you see, but but you can hold up different sheets of paper one to another.
SPEAKER_00: You might look over here, that piece of paper, Josh.
SPEAKER_00: This is why.
SPEAKER_00: As it can be.
SPEAKER_00: Well, it might be a 89 or 94.
SPEAKER_00: Then you hold out against the 97.
SPEAKER_00: Well, compared to that, that just ain't near as white as that other sheet.
SPEAKER_00: And then in my work, I deal with cabinets and I deal with all manner from mica and countertop materials.
SPEAKER_00: I didn't know there were that many colors or shades of white in the world.
SPEAKER_00: Bright white and super white and brilliant white and antique white and all these different colors.
SPEAKER_00: The point is, brothers and sisters, is that when you and I as sinful creatures are standing in the presence of a holy God out there in the real world, compared to, well, brother Josh, compared to him, I'm doing okay.
SPEAKER_00: Compared to the Lord, you and I are sinful black creatures.
SPEAKER_00: That is Charles Purgeon said one time, the mine and your hearts are black as a wolf rat.
SPEAKER_00: And then actually Charles Spurgeon talked about the man who quoted that and said, That man actually deserves to apologize to the wolf rat because his heart is blacker than that.
SPEAKER_00: That's how sinful you and I are.
SPEAKER_00: And so when you and I come in the presence of a holy God, the next thing that needs to come out of our mouth is, Lord, forgive me, because I am a sinner.
SPEAKER_00: I don't even deserve to be here.
SPEAKER_00: In Psalm 51, King David, who was a man after God's own heart, he was crying out to God after he had sinned with Bathsheba, after he had committed adultery.
SPEAKER_00: He said in Psalm 51, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from mine sin, for I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
SPEAKER_00: Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
SPEAKER_00: Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
SPEAKER_00: Behold, thou thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part, thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
SPEAKER_00: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean.
SPEAKER_00: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
SPEAKER_00: Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
SPEAKER_00: Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities.
SPEAKER_00: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
SPEAKER_00: Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
SPEAKER_00: Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit.
SPEAKER_00: There's so many times in that pastor of scripture that David said, I did it.
SPEAKER_00: It's me, it's mine iniquity.
SPEAKER_00: I did evil, I was wrong.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, please forgive me.
SPEAKER_00: In mind and your Christian walk, you and I personally are the main problems with our lives.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: I know that I am.
SPEAKER_00: Brothers and sisters, I don't have a whole lot of problems with other people.
SPEAKER_00: Well, that man did this to me, and that man's affecting my family, and you know, and no.
SPEAKER_00: You and I are the problem.
SPEAKER_00: You and I are our own worst enemy.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I look at President Donald Trump and say, sometimes that man would just be quiet.
SPEAKER_00: Look, I like President Trump, but sometimes he can put his foot in his mouth, and I know I do the same all the time.
SPEAKER_00: I am my own worst problem.
SPEAKER_00: But there's a little verse in this passage, so we get the idea that you and I need to confess, that you and I are the sinners, that you and I need to be right with God.
SPEAKER_00: We get that.
SPEAKER_00: I want to show you one little verse in this passage of Psalm 51 that I quickly read over, but I want to circle back around to it.
SPEAKER_00: It's verse 6.
SPEAKER_00: King David wrote, Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts.
SPEAKER_00: And in the inward and in the hidden part, thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
SPEAKER_00: I want to talk about for just a minute, thou desirest truth in the inward parts.
SPEAKER_00: What does that mean?
SPEAKER_00: I want to tell you real quick, I believe that's at least showing us four things.
SPEAKER_00: When King David said of Father God that thou desirest truth in the inward parts, he's talking about that he desires truth in us.
SPEAKER_00: Well, what does that mean?
SPEAKER_00: First and foremost, in John chapter 14, verse 6, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
SPEAKER_00: So when God says that he desires truth in our inward parts, the Lord is saying, I desire Christ in you, because he is the truth.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, the Lord wants you and I to be more like Christ and less like us.
SPEAKER_00: Because Christ is the perfect example of a man.
SPEAKER_00: And that is the model.
SPEAKER_00: Again, you and I will never be perfect this side of heaven.
SPEAKER_00: We all know that.
SPEAKER_00: We're all sinners.
SPEAKER_00: However, Jesus Christ is our benchmark.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus Christ is our Savior.
SPEAKER_00: So when the Bible says that I desire truth in the inward parts, I desire, the Lord desires us to follow Christ, to be Christ is our model, Christ is our example, Christ in you.
SPEAKER_00: That's the first thing.
SPEAKER_00: Secondly, when the Lord says, I desire truth in your inward parts, I believe he's also talking about his word.
SPEAKER_00: Because his word is truth.
SPEAKER_00: In Psalm 119, we read in verse 10, Psalm 119, verse 10, with my whole heart have I sought thee, oh let me not wonder from thy commandments.
SPEAKER_00: Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, when the Lord says that he is desiring truth in our inward parts, he's saying that I desire that you, Christian, your life, your behavior, your thought process would be conformed to the word of God, i.e.
SPEAKER_00: the Bible?
SPEAKER_00: The Lord wants us to live like Christ, act like Christ, think like Christ.
SPEAKER_00: He wants us to memorize the word of God and literally put his commandments in us.
SPEAKER_00: Can anybody here today quote the Ten Commandments?
SPEAKER_00: Can anybody here today list all the twelve apostles?
SPEAKER_00: Can anybody here today quote a verse of Scripture, like let's say five verses of Scripture out of the Old Testament, five verses of Scripture out of the New Testament?
SPEAKER_00: And I'm not saying that to put you on the spot.
SPEAKER_00: I'm just saying that if you ever were put on the spot, would you be able to do that?
SPEAKER_00: What are the great tenets of the faith?
SPEAKER_00: Well, Brother Joshua, it might take me a minute.
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
SPEAKER_00: It might take me a minute.
SPEAKER_00: Shouldn't you and I apply ourselves to know and memorize and put those things in our heart?
SPEAKER_00: Psalm 119 verse 11.
SPEAKER_00: Thy word, the word of God, have I hid in mine heart.
SPEAKER_00: What?
SPEAKER_00: What does it do for me?
SPEAKER_00: That I might not sin against thee.
SPEAKER_00: So when I'm tempted to sin, instead I'm reminded in my mind of the word of God that I've memorized or the commandment of God that I memorize, therefore the Holy Spirit has extra ammunition, as it were, to prick my conscience to say, don't do that.
SPEAKER_00: So when he says I desire truth in the inward parts, he desires us to be like Christ.
SPEAKER_00: He desires us to hide God's word in our hearts.
SPEAKER_00: The third thing that he mentions is that I believe he's talking about confession.
SPEAKER_00: What do you mean?
SPEAKER_00: Y'all remember in Psalm 51 when King David was confessing his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba, he owned up to the evil in his own heart.
SPEAKER_00: Anybody here ever not been honest with yourself?
SPEAKER_00: Well, bro Josh, I really don't have a problem.
SPEAKER_00: You know, I really don't have a gambling problem or a drinking problem or an eating problem or a gossip problem or a bitterness problem or a cursing problem.
SPEAKER_00: Again, in other words, you fill in the blank.
SPEAKER_00: My question to you, when the Bible says God desires truth in our inward parts.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, are you being honest with yourself about the things in life that you are struggling with?
SPEAKER_00: Or are you, well, Lord, I really don't have a problem.
SPEAKER_00: Even though I'm broke and$200,000 in debt, I don't have a credit card problem.
SPEAKER_00: Again, I'm not trying to point out particular sins.
SPEAKER_00: I'm just giving you examples.
SPEAKER_00: The point is, is that when the Lord desires truth in our inward parts, he wants you and I to be honest with ourselves.
SPEAKER_00: To say, yes, Lord, I'm the problem.
SPEAKER_00: Yes, Lord, I did that.
SPEAKER_00: Personally, me, not my wife, not my son, not my neighbor, not my coworker, not the government, nobody else, not Satan.
SPEAKER_00: I did that.
SPEAKER_00: I am the problem.
SPEAKER_00: That is confession.
SPEAKER_00: When we own up, when we say, Lord, by the way, when we say amen, are we we are agreeing with the Lord, Lord, amen, that yes, I did that, and yes, I need to change, and give me strength to walk out those doors and do different tomorrow than I did today.
SPEAKER_00: Confession.
SPEAKER_00: The Lord desires truth in our inward parts.
SPEAKER_00: We need to be like Christ, we need to hide his word in our hearts, and we need to be honest with ourselves.
SPEAKER_00: The last thing when he says that he desires truth in our inward parts, he's talking about living a holy life.
SPEAKER_00: If the Lord wants us, the Lord actually wants us to live and think and act and do like Christians.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, I desire truth, in other words, what good if I leave this church as a Christian and go out there in the world and act like other fallen heathen men and go do everything they do, uh curse and cheat on my wife and get drunk and run the bills on all the fun.
SPEAKER_00: If I go and act like the world, then y'all tell me, am I living a Christian life?
SPEAKER_00: Am I being obedient according to God's word?
SPEAKER_00: Am I following the example of the Lord Jesus Christ and how am I walking in how and how I am walking in the world?
SPEAKER_00: No, I'm not.
SPEAKER_00: If I go act like that.
SPEAKER_00: So when the Bible says he desires truth in my inward parts, he's saying, I actually want you to go and live like a Christian.
SPEAKER_00: Walk like a Christian, think like a Christian, spend your money like a Christian, vote like a Christian, speak like a Christian.
SPEAKER_00: Don't just say you're a Christian and go to church on Sunday and another six days a week going out like the devil and everybody else.
SPEAKER_00: He's saying, I actually want you to do that.
SPEAKER_00: King David is talking about serious matters, and he's saying that God desires truth in our inward parts.
SPEAKER_00: And God, brothers and sisters, sees straight through me, and he knows if I'm a liar and a hypocrite.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: He knows that.
SPEAKER_00: 100% he knows that.
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter if you and I pull the wool over our wife, our children, our co-workers, our church members, everybody else.
SPEAKER_00: God knows.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: And God desires truth in our inward parts.
SPEAKER_00: So, be like Christ, hide his word in your heart, be genuine in confession, and we need to live a holy life, a God-onoring life.
SPEAKER_00: Be ye holy as I am holy, the Bible says in 1 Peter and in the Old Testament.
SPEAKER_00: Now, for time's sake, I gotta hurry.
SPEAKER_00: So, first category of prayer is praise or adoration.
SPEAKER_00: Second category of prayer is confession.
SPEAKER_00: Third category of prayer is thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_00: Now that we recognize who God is and recognize who we are, and the fact that we even get to speak to him, Lord, I'm just so thankful just to be able to be living and breathing and talking to you and even have a knowledge of your word.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I'm just so thankful.
SPEAKER_00: Now it starts to change.
SPEAKER_00: Now, Psalm 100.
SPEAKER_00: I've quoted this many times before.
SPEAKER_00: It's my one of my favorite Psalms in the whole Bible.
SPEAKER_00: Real, real five verses.
SPEAKER_00: A psalm of praise, Psalm 100.
SPEAKER_00: Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands, serve the Lord with gladness, come before his presence with singing.
SPEAKER_00: Know ye that the Lord He is God.
SPEAKER_00: It is He that has made us, and not we ourselves.
SPEAKER_00: We are His people, He's not ours.
SPEAKER_00: We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
SPEAKER_00: Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.
SPEAKER_00: Be thankful unto Him and bless His name.
SPEAKER_00: For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: When I came to the church house today, did I enter into His courts with praise?
SPEAKER_00: When I went to work on Monday morning, anybody else here have I struggle on Mondays.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know about y'all.
SPEAKER_00: How did you and I start out our Monday?
SPEAKER_00: Do you know sometimes when I'm driving to work on Monday morning and I'm tired and I don't want to be going there, I've had a good weekend and I just don't want to go back to that place.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes in my prayer to say, Lord, thank you that I can see to drive my truck.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, thank you that I have hands that work to steer my steering wheel.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, thank you that I have the ability to be able to drive to work and then hop out of my vehicle on my own two feet and go and actually work a long day that even though I know it may be a hard day, I'm thankful just to be breathing and have the ability to do that because some people don't.
SPEAKER_00: And I actually do pray that in my prayer life.
SPEAKER_00: That Lord, I'm thankful just to be living and breathing and walking and moving and working, and that's a blessing.
SPEAKER_00: The fact that y'all came here today.
SPEAKER_00: And the fact that this fat preacher who's here up here yelling at y'all, the fact that y'all actually understand the things that I'm talking about, means that you have the mind of Christ, that you've been born again, that you feel pricked in your conscience.
SPEAKER_00: Well, Brother Josh, I just want to leave here and go do more.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: That you and I both want to leave this place and go do better because that means that Christ lives in you.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: That you and I want to leave this place and go serve him better this week.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm thankful that you have that regenerate mind.
SPEAKER_00: You've been saved by grace, and you want to go do that better, that means you're one of his.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm thankful for that.
SPEAKER_00: So the third aspect of prayer is thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_00: The fourth aspect of prayer is supplication, that's request.
SPEAKER_00: That's when you and I actually ask God for something.
SPEAKER_00: So now that you and I have come into the presence of the Creator and the King of Kings, and you and I have bowed low, and that you and I have just literally had truth in our inward parts, and you and I have rightly looked at ourselves, and we have confessed our sins, and then we're just so thankful to be born again, and so thankful to know Him, and so thankful to literally be walking and breathing.
SPEAKER_00: Now, you and I are positioned to ask the Lord for things.
SPEAKER_00: And then we pray about others.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, help my wife, help my children, help my family, help my church, help those that are in my community that are in need.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, help me to see the needs of so we're first praying about other folks.
SPEAKER_00: That's called intercession.
SPEAKER_00: Praying on behalf of others.
SPEAKER_00: For time's sake, if that's 1 Timothy chapter 2, verse 1.
SPEAKER_00: I'll turn over there.
SPEAKER_00: The scriptures always, always, always say it better than I do.
SPEAKER_00: 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 1.
SPEAKER_00: I exhort you therefore that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.
SPEAKER_00: And in the next verse, he actually lists Kings.
SPEAKER_00: You and I are supposed to pray for other folks.
SPEAKER_00: You know, have y'all ever come the Lord angry?
SPEAKER_00: Lord, why didn't you answer my prayer and why didn't you do this?
SPEAKER_00: And if you ever stop, and if you and I ever stop and say, Lord, I'm gonna stop being mad about that thing that I keep asking about, and I'm actually gonna focus on what other people need, and then when I think about what other people need, and then I think about what I need, mine kind of seems less and not quite as important as it did before.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm not saying it's not important, but it just I don't get mad about it anymore.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, when you help the little girl who Alexis, who's Ivy's age, who literally died this week of stomach cancer.
SPEAKER_00: She's the same age as my daughter.
SPEAKER_00: And now her family is grieving her loss.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, what what do I have to be thankful for than the fact that all of my children are healthy and in this church house is sometimes you and I just need perspective.
SPEAKER_00: Finally, a personal request.
SPEAKER_00: A petition to ask God, we're gonna close in Philippians chapter 4.
SPEAKER_00: Philippians chapter 4.
SPEAKER_00: Because by the way, the Bible does say that you and I are supposed to pray about things.
SPEAKER_00: In Philippians chapter 4, we read beginning in verse 6.
SPEAKER_00: Be careful for nothing.
SPEAKER_00: The word careful in the King James means anxious.
SPEAKER_00: It means worried about.
SPEAKER_00: Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God.
SPEAKER_00: And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep.
SPEAKER_00: The word keep means to guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: So God is saying, look, call on me and pray to me.
SPEAKER_00: And diligently pray to me.
SPEAKER_00: Make your request known to God.
SPEAKER_00: And when you do that, you and I need to walk in faith and say, God, I know you're able.
SPEAKER_00: I know you can do something about this.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I don't know what you're gonna do about this.
SPEAKER_00: Don't know when you're gonna do something about this.
SPEAKER_00: You know, God is never late, but he may not be a minute early.
SPEAKER_00: Y'all ever thought about that?
SPEAKER_00: God is always right on time.
SPEAKER_00: He is never late, but he may not be one minute early.
SPEAKER_00: Because he's God.
SPEAKER_00: He knows the future, and you and I don't.
SPEAKER_00: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report.
SPEAKER_00: If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.
SPEAKER_00: Next Sunday we'll hopefully finish up prayer, and I got one more important topic about prayer we want to talk about, but five different categories of prayer.
SPEAKER_00: Praise or adoration, confession, confessing our sins.
SPEAKER_00: Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_00: Thanking God for everything he's done.
SPEAKER_00: Interceding on the behalf of others and asking him our own request.
SPEAKER_00: Remember that he is the creator and he is our maker.
SPEAKER_00: We come before the throne room of the king.
SPEAKER_00: The purpose of prayer is not so that you and I get stuff, but so that God transforms us and makes us more like Christ and gets us on board with his will, not so that he bows to our will.
SPEAKER_00: That's the purpose of prayer.
SPEAKER_00: I hope this has been an encouragement to you.
SPEAKER_00: We love you all very much.
SPEAKER_00: I'm going to ask Brother Don if he would come up and help us close in a word of song.
SPEAKER_00: The church doors are always open if you desire to unite with a membership of our church.