WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:04.719 Alright, uh as we begin, I want to begin with a little dad brag right here, okay? 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:06.320 A little dad brag. 00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:20.640 Um last night, my son Miles, along with teammates Liam and Matthew, saw them here, won the CCS Championship for boys basketball, Willow Glenn High School. 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:27.440 And a come from behind when against the thriller, uh St. 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:28.079 Francis. 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:30.719 Miles hit the game tying score. 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:37.280 Um, the last time Willow Glenn won was in 1969, a CCS championship. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:39.200 So this was historic. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:41.359 Thank you, thank you. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:45.920 Little dad bragg, and actually, this is their team sweatshirt, the Glenn. 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:50.399 Um, I love basketball. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:54.159 You know, I just love this game. 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:57.359 Uh I actually know a bit about it. 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:00.000 I played it, I had the joy of coaching. 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:12.400 Fun fact uh last night is one of the boys that we played against was on a team that I coached with Miles that we won a championship in junior high, and it's fun to watch them go at it together. 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:22.079 Now, the reality is, as much as I love this game, basketball, basketball doesn't love me. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:23.120 Right? 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:31.120 As much as I know about basketball, basketball, well, it really doesn't know me. 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:31.680 Why? 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:34.239 And you know this, we get this, it's just a game. 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:36.159 It's impersonal. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:45.760 And to be honest, that's kind of how we feel about our experience with God. 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:53.760 Maybe you even know about him, no stats, no stories, know the rules, but you don't actually know him. 00:01:55.359 --> 00:02:02.959 And this morning, I want you to hear something and remind your heart of something. 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:08.639 You were made to know God. 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:21.439 Not just know about him, not just abstract ideas, but to experience a personal relationship with the one who created you. 00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:31.680 In fact, the longing of your soul to ache within for something more, that thing that achievement can't satisfy, it isn't random, it's actually relational. 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:37.280 What you need isn't more information this morning. 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:40.159 What you need, what your heart longs for is intimacy. 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:49.039 And so the question, as we kick off the series, knowing God, how do you really get to know God? 00:02:52.960 --> 00:03:01.120 How do you get to know God in a personal, relational, dynamic way? 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:05.840 And if you really want to get to know God, where in the world do you start? 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:09.280 Uh the sermon today today is talking to God. 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:10.560 Would you say that with me? 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:12.240 Talking to God. 00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:23.599 Just as communication is the foundation for every relationship, prayer is the foundation for knowing who God is. 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:26.879 Now, interesting part, you get this, we know this, right? 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:35.360 Um I can't really know you simply by reading your LinkedIn bio. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:36.560 Right? 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:42.319 I can't really know you simply by following you on Instagram or TikTok. 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:44.639 I can know about you, I can know a lot of things. 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:53.280 In fact, I can feel, the problem is, I can feel like I know you, but in fact, I don't know you. 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:56.159 How do you really get to know someone? 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:00.960 Thank you. 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:04.719 It was a little delayed, I was a little nervous, but you got there. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:16.639 The moment we spend time together, and then we begin to have a conversation. 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:26.160 That is the moment that moves beyond knowing about to knowing that the other. 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:55.120 And prayer is the pathway to intimacy with God. 00:04:56.399 --> 00:05:01.759 Prayer is the pathway to intimacy with God. 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:05.600 Where we move beyond knowing about him to knowing him personally. 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:14.240 And here's something that's amazing: God loves to hear your voice, and he longs to be in relationship with you. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:20.959 The creator of the universe is not distant, he's not annoyed, he's not frustrated, he's not disinterested in you. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:24.160 He longs to be in relationship with you. 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:30.560 He's interested in your day, and he wants to be involved in your life. 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:37.519 And just like any relationship, see when we move this out of relationship, we miss it. 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:43.839 Just like any relationship, it takes time to grow together, to get to know each other. 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:51.199 You don't build intimacy accidentally, you grow it intentionally through consistent conversations. 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:56.800 And so, how do you pray in a way that actually leads to knowing God? 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:06.800 Because if we're honest, most of us feel unsure if we're doing it right, saying the right words, or even if prayer really matters. 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:11.040 Now, uh, the disciples uh asked Jesus lots of questions. 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:14.319 Many of them we don't have recorded, some of them we do. 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:22.160 Uh, and all that we have recorded of what the disciples asked, there's only one question that they asked Jesus to teach them. 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:24.879 Like, we want to learn from you about. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:28.720 And it wasn't Jesus, teach us how to preach the way you preach. 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:30.240 Like, you're amazing. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:33.680 People flock to hear you and they hang on every word. 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:35.040 We want to preach the way you preach. 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:38.000 And it wasn't, Jesus teach us how to do those miracles. 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:39.279 That's amazing. 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:40.879 That's awesome. 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:46.959 They said, Jesus, would you would you teach us how to pray? 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:53.040 Because there's something about the way you pray that is different than the way I pray. 00:06:53.199 --> 00:07:02.399 There's something about it that's personal, that's powerful, that's transformative, and and it's the source of everything else that we see in your life. 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:04.959 And so we want to know more about that. 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:10.720 And so today we want to go to the teacher Jesus and ask the same question. 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:13.120 Lord, would you teach us to pray? 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:19.519 Would you teach us to pray in such a way that we get to know you? 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:24.800 And it changes everything about us. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:28.319 So here's what Jesus is gonna do. 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:36.480 Jesus is gonna first help us understand what prayer is not, and then he's gonna share and tell us what or how to pray. 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:40.160 If you've got your Bibles, you can open them up to Matthew chapter six. 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:45.120 Matthew chapter six is the Sermon on the Mount in verse five. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:49.120 And it begins this way, and he's gonna tell us first thing that prayer is not. 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:51.199 Prayer is not a performance. 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:52.720 Listen to what Jesus says. 00:07:52.879 --> 00:07:55.279 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:56.319 Who are the hypocrites? 00:07:56.480 --> 00:08:04.800 Well, they're the religious leaders of that day, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:25.279 Now, in the Jewish tradition, there were three times scheduled throughout the day to pray, uh, that every devout Jew would stop and pray, and uh the religious leaders, they would make sure at that time they would be in the most public, populated place so that everyone could see them praying. 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:31.600 This was not a personal relationship, this was a public demonstration. 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:35.679 This was not intimacy, this was image, management. 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:37.840 It says, Don't be like that. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:40.480 That you would turn prayer into this public performance. 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:45.519 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, pray to your father who's unseen. 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:48.879 Then your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:52.320 When you pray, it's personal, it's relational. 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:56.879 In a relationship, there's some things that are just for the two of you. 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:01.200 It's special, it's just between us. 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:07.919 First, prayer is not a performance, it wasn't about intimacy. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:14.639 Uh, and so what we do is we tend to think like this kind of performative language. 00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:17.759 We live in the Silicon Valley, everything is about performance. 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:24.320 And I have to perform for God so He'll hear and respond to me. 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:32.000 Sometimes we use um maybe like lofty language, you know, dearest Lord Jesus? 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:34.240 Like, when do you say dearest anywhere? 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:37.279 I mean, you don't even write that on emails anymore, you know? 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:40.480 Uh or you change the tone of your voice, right? 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:41.600 Have you ever heard this? 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:49.600 Uh someone's talking, and maybe you've been around someone, or maybe you showed up to a church and the pastor was talking, and then when they prayed, they're like, Lord God. 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:54.000 Like, okay, what was that? 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:56.480 Like, do I have to change my voice to pray? 00:09:56.639 --> 00:10:01.120 Like, dear Lord God, Most High, Excellent One. 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:04.559 And like, like you're like, what is going on here? 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:11.840 Somehow we begin to like subtly think that prayer is this performance. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:15.759 Like, I need to pray the right prayers. 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:20.240 Because if I perform for God, then maybe He'll perform for me. 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:25.039 Religion, fundamentally, is about a performance, friends. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:27.679 Relationship is about presence. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:32.720 Prayer is not a performance, it's about presence. 00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:35.120 A secret place. 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:38.000 It's a conversation with God. 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:39.759 So take the pressure off. 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:44.240 Next, Jesus is going to say prayer is not a secret formula. 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:45.840 Prayer is not a secret formula. 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:52.080 He says, and when you pray, don't keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they'll be heard because of their many words. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:11:01.120 Now, in the ancient day, the Greco-Roman world, there's tons of gods, and each local um locality had their own deity. 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:09.759 And part of the way they prayed was these long, repeated uh prayers. 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:19.919 It was just like keeping up words after words after words, and what they were trying to do was they're trying to evoke the gods, wake their gods to move on their behalf. 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:32.799 And so the repeated words after, after, after, after, and they build up this frenzy because if they prayed long enough and fervent enough and repeated the same things enough, then their God might move on their behalf. 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:37.120 And in fact, the word babble here is heap up meaningless words. 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:40.159 He says, Don't be like them. 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:44.960 For your father knows what you need even before you ask him. 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:51.279 Like somehow I'm trying to like get God and I'm gonna just say the right things, and then he'll do what I want him to do. 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:54.879 And he says, No, you have a father who already knows what you need. 00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:57.360 Prayer is not a secret formula. 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:02.080 There is no hidden key, certain length, perfect formula, or code word. 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:06.399 You can stand, you can sit, you can kneel. 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:12.240 Sometimes the way this looks in our prayers is we have repeated words. 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:13.840 If you do this, no shame. 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:14.399 We're learning. 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:16.080 We're all learning together, right? 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:21.679 Um, but sometimes we we pray, Lord God, Lord God, Lord God, Lord God, Lord God. 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:25.200 I'm saying Lord God, for some of those who didn't understand what I was saying. 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:35.919 But it but I've it's like, Lord God, thank you for this day, Lord God, and Lord God, we're just so grateful, Lord God, for what you're doing, Lord God, and God, you are great and good, good, good, good, Lord God. 00:12:36.080 --> 00:12:42.000 And um, and you know, if I'm talking to my buddy Eli right over here, I go, Eli, it's great to see you. 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:44.799 Eli, Eli, have a fantastic Eli day. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:45.440 Eli. 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:48.639 Um, like, like you don't do that in conversation. 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:53.840 But sometimes we think these repeated words are somehow, God hears those. 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:56.960 We gotta say them over and over. 00:12:57.600 --> 00:13:00.000 Um, mindless prayers. 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:10.399 I I one of the things that is great is we have some of these prayers, and the Lord's Prayer is one of those, that we pray and we recite and repeat. 00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:12.879 We need others' help in how to pray. 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:22.480 And there's some of these ancient prayers throughout uh the centuries that are so helpful to pray alongside, but then sometimes we pray prayers that are just mindless. 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:24.320 We just go through the function, you know. 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:30.960 It's like praying for uh before dinner, which is a good thing, but you know, Lord bless this food to our body. 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:35.200 You don't even think about it, and God's going like, no, you're eating Taco Bell. 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:37.679 I'm not gonna bless that to your body, right? 00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:40.639 I'm sorry, I'm not answering that prayer. 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:51.919 Um but but we just have these things that we don't pray, and sometimes when I'm even tired, I've caught myself doing this at the dinner table as I have a prayer that I often pray at night over my kids or over our home. 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:54.879 Lord, you guard and protect us and give us good dreams. 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:59.919 And then I one time, I a few times actually, I found myself praying this at the dinner table. 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:00.480 Right? 00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:08.240 It's just like we get into these rote habits, but then we think sometimes there's these secret words. 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:12.799 And if we say the right words, then God really moves. 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:15.679 One of those is in Jesus' name. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:16.720 Amen. 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:24.480 We don't know why we say it after the end of every prayer, but you have to say it, and if you don't say it, then God doesn't hear it and he won't move and he won't work. 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:29.200 Well, and here's the reason why Jesus actually said, pray in my name. 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:34.720 Now, he didn't say, close all of your prayers in Jesus' name. 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:37.279 It's not a bad thing to do, it's a good thing to do. 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:45.759 But in the ancient day, the name was consistent with a person's character, who they are, and their and the who they are to be. 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:59.200 So, this reality of when you pray in the name of Jesus, I'm praying in alignment with the character of Jesus, with his heart and will for what he wants to happen in every situation. 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:02.879 That's what we're meaning when we're praying in the name of Jesus. 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:04.159 And amen. 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:06.960 It just simply means let it be so. 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:15.279 So when we say in the name of Jesus, may we remind ourselves that what we're saying is what I long for is all that I just spoke. 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:27.039 May it be in alignment with your heart, Jesus, with your character, and with what you would have done in my life and around me. 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:28.159 Prayer. 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:33.600 Prayer is not a uh performance, and prayer is not a secret formula. 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:37.840 In fact, prayer is not informing God, it's involving God. 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:47.840 I love how Richard Foster says it the same way a child cannot draw a bad picture, so a child cannot offer a bad prayer. 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:53.360 So take the pressure off. 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:56.720 Prayer is the pathway to intimacy with God. 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:59.519 It's simply keeping company with him. 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:17.039 It's just beginning to invite God into your day, keeping company, allowing him to meet with you and bringing him to the him the needs and concerns and thoughts and what's going on in your life. 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:25.600 And so then Jesus is gonna go, like, okay, if that's what prayer is not, how in the world do we pray? 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:29.440 And he says, this then is how you should pray. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:34.799 And what he's gonna give us is just five movements, five conversations. 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:43.919 And down through the centuries, Christians have just prayed this uh verbatim, very powerful, encourage you to continue to do that. 00:16:44.159 --> 00:16:51.919 But what I want to do is get to the heart behind of what he was praying, uh, because this will help you like in how do you get to know God? 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:57.600 Um, so my wife is one of the most amazing question askers on the planet. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:01.600 In fact, if you ever like talk to her, she just asks questions. 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:04.240 She gets to know you so well. 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:15.200 In fact, if we're out to dinner with another couple, we have like a little like code now uh connection because she asks so many good questions right away, and I'm a little slow. 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:20.799 Um, I can't get a question in, and so I'm like, just give a breath so I can try to get one in there. 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:25.359 No, I'm not a very good question asker. 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:32.160 I've grown in it, and what I used to do is I used to have just a list of questions. 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:41.440 So as I meet you, I'd have this backlog of questions that I could ask you and I could get to know you and build off of that. 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:44.400 This is a little bit of what Jesus is doing for us here. 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:50.720 He's building a framework for us in a way that we can get to know God on a deeper level. 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:56.000 Because we often just stay at this, Lord help me, Lord help me, Lord help me. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:59.440 And you're like, Brian, I've prayed, but I don't really know God. 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:00.960 Well, here we go. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:05.920 First thing Jesus says in really getting to know God is it begins with worship. 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:11.200 Worship is simply recognizing and responding to the greatness of who God is. 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:13.119 He begins this way, our Father. 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:14.400 Would you say that with me? 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:15.519 Our Father. 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:17.599 This is revolutionary. 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:21.920 We hear this and we think it's just common. 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:28.559 The first hearers of this would go, that is scandalous. 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:36.720 God, to speak of him as Father, he is high, he is holy, he is other, and which is all true. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:50.079 And yet, Jesus' invitation is to speak to the creator of the universe in such a personal, intimate way, the way a child responds to their dad, Abba, Daddy, Papa. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:19:00.240 Like your relationship with someone determines not only the conversation, but your confidence in approaching them. 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:05.519 Like your relationship, it determines like what you're going to talk about and the confidence. 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:28.240 And if I approach a scary God, if I approach a distant God, if I approach a God that's just like uh kind of aloof, you're like, I'm trying to figure out, walk on eggshells, and just but when you approach Father, and not Father, even in the way we think of Father, perfect, heavenly father, all good, all-wise, all-loving, all-knowing. 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:33.440 Father, whoo, that changes the way you pray. 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:45.200 If you really got this, this would change the way you pray, that you walk and you call, and you're invited to step into that relationship. 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:49.599 Because I'm not somehow trying to get God's attention. 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:51.839 I already have his affection. 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:56.720 I'm not somehow trying to get God to hear me. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:19:59.440 He delights in my voice. 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:20.960 When you pray, you come to a perfect heavenly father as a daughter and son of the King Most High, who delights to hear your voice and give you good gifts. 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:25.119 Our Father in heaven. 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:26.799 Hallowed be your name. 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:31.039 That word hallowed means let your name be sacred or set apart. 00:20:31.359 --> 00:20:34.240 I don't want to bring you down to me. 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:37.519 I actually want to bring my thoughts up to you. 00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:40.400 Worship. 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:45.759 Describing worth, recognizing who you are talking to. 00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:50.880 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:54.799 It moves from worship then to surrender. 00:20:56.079 --> 00:21:02.160 Surrender is giving God complete control over every area of your life. 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:05.759 And you're like, Ryan, that sucks. 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:08.559 I don't want to do that. 00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:09.680 That's scary. 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:10.319 What do you mean? 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:14.559 Give God complete control over every area of your life? 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:16.319 Think about this, take a sec. 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:30.160 If God is your perfect heavenly Father who is all-loving, all-wise, all good, has all power, stop acting like a teenager and thinking you know better than God. 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:34.880 He has his best, your best. 00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:43.279 You'll experience his loving, kindness, goodwill in your life, but it requires us to surrender the way Jesus says it. 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:56.880 The kingdom is just simply the range of one's effective will, the range upon which your will is taken place. 00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:59.759 And said, God, we long for your kingdom to come. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:09.920 Come and your will to be done, which means not my will, but your will, because your will and your way are so much better than mine. 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:12.480 You can see farther, you know more. 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:17.599 And even though I can't see it all, I trust you as my good, loving, and heavenly Father. 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:19.359 Loving, heavenly father. 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:23.119 You know, um, we begin this way. 00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:26.400 This morning, we pray every morning as a team. 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:30.240 We circle up in the back, and we started just right here with surrender. 00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:36.400 Um, and we started just simply praying this prayer globally. 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:41.039 Your kingdom come and your will be done, Father, in Iran. 00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:48.319 God, your kingdom come and your will be done in Israel. 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:51.839 Your kingdom come and your will be done in Nigeria. 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:56.240 Your kingdom come and your will be done in the United States. 00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:01.680 As it is in heaven. 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:13.519 We get sucked in. 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:16.640 Caught up. 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:20.640 The church is most powerful when we pray. 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:24.079 Wherever prayer focuses, the power of God falls. 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:30.400 The interesting part is so we started there and then we started in this moment. 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:32.160 We began to pray over awakening. 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:37.200 Your kingdom come and your will be done right here in this moment, as it is in heaven. 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:47.680 But then would you take it one step further and say, Your kingdom come and your will be done in my life? 00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:53.359 And is there any areas that you go that whole surrendered living? 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:55.119 Like I need to give this to you. 00:23:55.279 --> 00:24:02.559 Maybe it's your sexuality, maybe it's your finances, maybe it's a longing of your heart where you just go, God, I just give it to you. 00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:03.279 I trust it. 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:10.160 In fact, maybe I've given it to you and I have taken it back, and I need to give it back to you. 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:18.960 I believe one of the reasons we don't experience the power and presence of God in the Silicon Valley is we are not surrendered. 00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:22.640 Because we still want my will. 00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:30.400 We buy into the God of self-sufficiency rather than experiencing the sufficiency of God. 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:33.440 Worship. 00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:35.119 Surrender. 00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:37.119 Request. 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:41.839 Request is just asking God to give you what you need to make it through the day. 00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:44.480 How amazing. 00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:51.039 Think about this that the God of the universe wants you to bring request to him. 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:56.319 Jesus said, give us this day our daily bread. 00:24:57.119 --> 00:24:59.279 Not our yearly bread, by the way. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:06.240 God, if you could just show me the next three years, your five-year plan for my life. 00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:08.720 And he says, No, I want to meet you today. 00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:10.799 I want to provide for you today. 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:16.640 I want you to experience my provision, and prayer develops a dependency of heart. 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:18.559 God, today I need you. 00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:23.920 I need, I don't know how I'm gonna make it through this day. 00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:26.799 I'm struggling with my anxiety and my depression. 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:28.640 I'm struggling with that relationship. 00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:31.440 I'm struggling over that wayward child. 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:35.039 I'm struggling with my roommates, my boss, my coworkers. 00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:39.279 God, I bring to you the needs of this day. 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:46.880 And there's nothing too small to bring to God, nothing too insignificant. 00:25:47.039 --> 00:25:49.119 I gotta tell you, I'm not gonna lie. 00:25:49.759 --> 00:25:53.200 I was praying for a basketball game yesterday. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:25:57.279 We won. 00:25:57.359 --> 00:25:58.079 Um, it's just good. 00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:07.759 Sorry, that's nothing too big. 00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:13.200 Too overwhelming, too hard. 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:17.920 Bring your request to God. 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:22.640 Worship, surrender, request, confession. 00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:28.319 Confession is simply to own up to a condition of the soul. 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:37.119 Jesus says, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. 00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:44.559 Confession is simply to agree with God about our current condition. 00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:53.519 God, I'm messy and broken, and I've made a mess and created brokenness. 00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:55.039 It's called sin. 00:26:56.400 --> 00:26:59.839 Would you please forgive me? 00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:07.200 And there's people, because I've experienced your forgiveness, I now need to forgive. 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:18.480 Confession looks something like this, it's just specific, be specific with God, where you just go, God, I'm this is an area where you go, Holy Spirit, if there's anything in me that's not of you, would you show me? 00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:19.920 And he will. 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:24.160 Oh, that attitude, that response, that habit. 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:30.799 He's showing you because it's not best for you, and he longs for your very best. 00:27:33.599 --> 00:27:35.279 Oh God, I'm sorry. 00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:37.440 I'm sorry for the way I responded. 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:40.400 I lied there, and I need to make that right. 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:44.880 I I I gossiped there, I I spoke there. 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:49.519 Would you please forgive me? 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:52.000 And then thank God. 00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:59.279 1 John 1 9 says, if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just and will forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness. 00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:04.079 God, thank you for your forgiveness, sweet forgiveness found in Jesus. 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:09.279 So many of us walk around with a load that Jesus has already paid for. 00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:13.359 And where you simply go to him and go, Here I am. 00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:15.279 All of me. 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:18.160 And Jesus says, I've already covered it. 00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:21.759 And finally, protection. 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:25.680 Asking God to guard you from temptation and evil. 00:28:25.839 --> 00:28:44.480 Have you ever noticed, by the way, that when you really want to get to know God, when you're really trying to follow God, like life seems to get way busier, starts to fall apart, and like, or some something that you've been struggling with, that maybe you had like some victory and all of a sudden rages its head again. 00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:46.559 You're like, what in the world's going on? 00:28:47.279 --> 00:28:53.039 Jesus said this, and lead us not into temptation, but to deliver us from the evil one. 00:28:53.200 --> 00:28:55.279 Like you have a real spiritual enemy. 00:28:55.599 --> 00:28:57.839 He would say it this way in John 10. 00:28:58.079 --> 00:29:01.200 The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. 00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:07.599 Like there's an active working against you to kill, steal, and destroy in your life. 00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:11.279 But Jesus says, I've come that you might have life and life to the full. 00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:13.519 God, would you bring protection? 00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:16.559 Would you guard my heart and mind? 00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:18.880 Would you expose the enemy's lies? 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:28.240 Prayer is the pathway to intimacy with God. 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:40.480 Jesus gives us five conversation pieces that help develop where you move from knowing about God to truly knowing him. 00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:45.759 I don't want us just to talk about prayer, but to pray together. 00:29:47.039 --> 00:29:48.960 Lead us through the Lord's prayer. 00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:57.359 Before we do, the reality is, is there's some in this room like you do not know God as your heavenly father. 00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:01.440 You may know about him, but you don't know him personally. 00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:10.079 And I want to give you the opportunity to know God as your heavenly father before we pray our Father. 00:30:13.920 --> 00:30:19.039 Only through the finished work of Jesus that you can have a personal relationship with God. 00:30:19.839 --> 00:30:23.759 You're made to know God, but sin fractured the relationship. 00:30:24.720 --> 00:30:28.640 Not just mistakes, not just flaws, rebellion, self-rule. 00:30:29.200 --> 00:30:30.640 Living independent of Him. 00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:34.559 Jesus came to do what we could never do for ourselves. 00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:36.480 He lived the life we couldn't live. 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:38.480 He died the death we deserved. 00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:45.279 And he rose again so that we could be forgiven, restored, adopted into the family of God. 00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:50.160 So he's not a distant God, but your perfect Heavenly Father. 00:30:50.880 --> 00:31:01.440 And today, in this moment, if you want to know God as your Heavenly Father, I want to invite you just to pray after me, prayer just a conversation with God. 00:31:02.079 --> 00:31:04.720 And would you join me all in just praying together? 00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:11.359 And if that's where you're at, you can just pray along in the quiet of your heart. 00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:17.440 Jesus, I want to know you personally. 00:31:18.880 --> 00:31:22.640 I want to experience you, God, as my heavenly Father. 00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:26.240 Today I give you my life. 00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:30.559 I confess I've sinned and lived my own way. 00:31:31.279 --> 00:31:37.119 I believe you love me, you came for me, you died for me, and you rose again. 00:31:37.839 --> 00:31:41.039 Would you please forgive me and make me new? 00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:50.240 Thank you for saving me, forgiving me, making me a part of your family. 00:31:51.759 --> 00:31:58.880 And if you prayed that prayer, you are now a part of God's forever family, adopted, forgiven, made new. 00:32:01.839 --> 00:32:13.759 And just with eyes still closed, head bowed, if you prayed that, if you made a step to know God, would you just raise your hand so I could see and pray for you? 00:32:14.079 --> 00:32:15.599 Just raise an up high amen. 00:32:16.400 --> 00:32:17.119 Very cool. 00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:26.960 We're gonna continue and pray the Lord's Prayer together. 00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:31.039 I'm gonna begin with worship. 00:32:32.319 --> 00:32:35.759 Our Father in heaven. 00:32:37.359 --> 00:32:39.200 Hallowed be your name. 00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:45.839 Just begin to talk to God about Him. 00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:49.039 Thank Him. 00:32:52.960 --> 00:32:57.599 Remind your heart and soul that you have a perfect heavenly Father. 00:33:06.720 --> 00:33:08.720 And then we move to surrender. 00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:16.079 Your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in mine. 00:33:19.920 --> 00:33:25.440 First, would you pray his kingdom and come and will be done? 00:33:26.319 --> 00:33:34.640 Iran, peace, freedom, healing, persecuted church. 00:33:41.440 --> 00:33:45.119 For this country, his kingdom come, your will be done. 00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:54.640 And even if you're comfortable, you can even open your hands. 00:33:56.079 --> 00:33:57.519 It's a sign of surrender. 00:33:57.759 --> 00:34:01.599 Say, your kingdom comes, your will be done in life. 00:34:09.360 --> 00:34:13.599 Is there anything you're holding tightly that he's inviting you to hand to him? 00:34:17.039 --> 00:34:18.239 You can trust him. 00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:22.880 And then request. 00:34:23.519 --> 00:34:25.599 Give us this day our daily prayer. 00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:30.800 What are the anxious thoughts, the worries? 00:34:34.079 --> 00:34:40.880 The doubt, the struggle, the tangible needs. 00:34:41.360 --> 00:34:42.000 Bring those. 00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:43.199 Nothing too small. 00:34:44.079 --> 00:34:46.159 Or insignificant, nothing too big. 00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:48.159 Overwhelming. 00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:01.760 And then confession. 00:35:02.639 --> 00:35:04.320 Forgive us our debts. 00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:06.960 As we also forgive our debtors. 00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:12.719 Holy Spirit, would you search me and show me anything in me that's not of you? 00:35:18.159 --> 00:35:20.639 Is there anyone you need to forgive? 00:35:31.280 --> 00:35:32.880 And finally, protection. 00:35:38.239 --> 00:35:40.559 Lead us not into temptation. 00:35:42.320 --> 00:35:44.480 But deliver us from evil. 00:35:47.039 --> 00:35:51.679 God would you guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. 00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:57.599 May your voice be louder than any other voice in our lives. 00:36:01.360 --> 00:36:10.159 I pray for my friends right now that the step of knowing you would you stand guard over their lives. 00:36:11.280 --> 00:36:13.519 Protect them from the skins of enemy. 00:36:24.559 --> 00:36:25.199 Forever.