How many of you have had trouble communicating? (if married you should have your hand way high) It doesn't really matter who it is – w/ people we have a hard time communicating. We can be saying the words right, pronouncing properly, have our syllable count correct, actual sounds coming out of our mouths, but there's just no way we'll be heard, IF there is not the right attitude and right approach in the communication process.
So what I want to do today is deal w/ the attitude & approach we need to be heard by God.
So I'd like us to walk out what are the right attitudes that we can come to the communication process w/ in terms of our relationship w/ God so that we can be heard b/c He wants to hear us.
1st off - “’When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.’” Matthew 6:5
They weren't all-together real, a little fake, a little hypocritical.
First attitude to bring to the table in our communication w/ God is we must
BE REAL. The 1st thing about prayer is, 'don't try to impress' – like Pharisees – who would look up to heaven in a crowd and shake & wave hands and get louder and louder. Have you ever seen anything like that? “Look at me - how spiritual I am” God wants us to be ourselves – we cant impress Him like that – He knows our thoughts and hearts already – so be real.
BE RELAXED - “’But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’” Matthew 6:6
Be by yourself, remove obstacles, remove distractions – solitude.
Top reasons why people say they don't pray more:
1.Time – we spend a lot of time TV/ computer/ activities
2.No place to go – take a walk, in drive or sit in car, 'Susanna Wesley had 19 kids – put apron over head.
If it's important, you find the time – you make it a priority – you make it happen – none of us are that busy or that burdened.
BE REVEALING - “’Don't recite the same prayer over and over as the heathen do, who think prayers are answered only by repeating them again and again. Remember, your Father knows exactly what you need before you ask Him!’” Matthew 6:7-8
Just talk – it's a convo. between 2 people who love each other. (when I talk to Cathleen I dont say, – 'Oh thou most honored of women, shall thee bless thy withest the car keys”) Often time people change their tone, their wording, get louder or softer... just a convo. between friends.
It all starts w/ the right attitude – now let's take a look at the approach -
“Jesus said, ‘This is how you should pray’” Matthew 6:9
Notice here that Jesus says how to pray, not what to pray. This is not an actual prayer to recite word for word. It's known as the Lord's Prayer. How many of you have this memorized? This is sort of a schematic, an outline, a guide.
1st: Begin by EXPRESSING my love for and to God (PRAISE)
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Matthew 6:9
Begin prayer by expressing your love towards God – for God. Say,
“I'm here right now b/c I want to focus on you and you alone.” If I go into my quiet time focused strictly on me and my needs I'm gonna leave depressed. That's why a lot of human convo. is off b/c we come into convo. just thinking about what we can get out of it.
Jesus tells us Begin w/ God in mind – not yourself.
Kinds of Praise:
ADORATION
(Praising God for who He is, His character)
What are some characteristics of God?
Start w/ those or something similar – what prompts in your mind?
THANKSGIVING
(Praising God for what He has done)
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4
Write down right now some thing you know you are thankful for that God provided or has done in your life. (diff. for everyone)
It's easy to remember what to be thankful for and just as easy to forget – so it's good to spend time giving thanx.
2nd: COMMIT to God’s will and PURPOSE for my life (PURPOSE)
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10
Do you think there's some good stuff happening in Heaven? Pray for that here ,for God's will on Earth. We're still focusing on God – we need to be at the place where we say, “You're God & I'm not.” We are making a commitment to God's plan & purpose for our lives - each day – in all areas:
Pray for God's will to be done…
In my life
In my family
In my church
Among my friends
In my city
Here's what we can do, ask God, “Where is my character not like yours?” Then the next step is to commit to do or to improve in whatever area our character lacks. Where it's not like God's.
Write some down now:
“Offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.” Romans 12:2
Where ever I'm out of alignment – get it straight. You know how to tell? I see there's too much Joe and not enough God
3rd: ASK God to PROVIDE for my needs (PROVISION)
“Give us today our daily bread” Matthew 6:11
What needs can we pray for? All of them. There's nothing too big that He cant handle, & nothing too small he doesn't care about.
“God will supply all of my needs from His riches in glory because of what Christ Jesus has done for us.” Philippians 4:19
“Since God did not spare even his own son for us but gave him up for us, won't he also surely give us everything else?” Romans 8:32
Hardest thing for God was to die on the cross for all humanity –
He can handle what you've got.
There seems no way out – It seems far too big – It appears to be too late – we feel the despair, it's no problem for the Almighty God – just give it to Him in the right attitude and approach.
“You do not have because you don't ask of God.” James 4:2(be spec.)
Wishing and hoping for it is not the same as asking.
“Don't worry about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
Why petition if He already knows?
We are declaring our dependence upon Him.
It's submitting, remember to His will – that's a good place to be. So often we try to figure it out on our own – Take it to God.
Jot down some personal needs & other categories:
Personal needs
Family needs
Financial needs
Career needs
Physical needs
Emotional needs
4th: ASK God to FORGIVE my sins (PARDON)
“Forgive us our debts (trespasses, sins)” Matthew 6:12
Steps to forgiveness
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal EVERY SIN in my life
“Examine me, O God, and know my mind; test me, and discover my
thoughts. Find out if there is any evil in me.” Psalm 139
Be quiet, listen. Here's the neat thing - if quiet before Him He will reveal. Reveal what? What is Sin? To know the right thing to do and not do it. James 4:17 – Ask God that '?'
Confess each sin SPECIFICALLY
We often do the broad sweep confession right? Be specific – call them out individually – maybe write them out.
“You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up. Then God will show mercy to you.” Proverbs 28:13
Make RESTITUTION to others when necessary
“When you remember your brother has something against you, go at
once to make peace with him, then come back and offer your gift to
God.” Matthew 5:23-24
(In Family - “God I dot want to do that – she started it) This is what is so cool about quit time (prayer time) Yeah He hears you and reveals
By faith ACCEPT God's forgiveness
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Once you've gone thru the process of confession – if you still feel guilty, that's not God. That's Satan condemning – God says, once you ask for forgiveness, it's GONE!
5th: PRAY for other people (PEOPLE)
“As we also have forgiven our debtors (those who have trespassed or sinned against us)” Matthew 6:12
“Pray much for others; plead for God's mercy upon them, give thanks for all he is going to do for them.” 1 Timothy 2:1
An important part of prayer is to remember that God is working in and thru the lives of the people you associate with, or live around, or are near. If there's someone you've been praying for a long time & dot see any evidence of God working (2 wks. Ago - "passionate, persistant prayer") and you want to give up and say “forget it, prayer doesn't work, I'm just wasting my breath”
Be assured God is working – you just cant see it.
Keep praying until one of three things change: either God has changed me –
the situation – or person, so keep praying!
How do I pray for others? Look at the prayers of Paul.
What should you pray for these others – write down a couple.
6th: REQUEST spiritual protection from God (PROTECTION)
“And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”
Matthew 6:13
For those who have claimed Christ – those who are Christ-followers – everyday we face a battle, Satan is real, the devil is real – He wants to defeat us thru temptation and fear. If I spend time daily w/ God praying for protection – putting on the spiritual armor – when walking out onto the battlefield (which is our 'day') – it makes me aware of the evil I will encounter, that will come my way. If we're not aware we often get caught in a trap, in a snare. But if you ask the Lord to make you aware of it – if you ask for His protection, your mind is ready & you wont go down the wrong path as easy.
This is just an outline we can use – do it daily. This is the only way we can communicate w/God. He has a # of ways, Bible, Holy Spirit w/in us, and more. So hang out w/ Him daily. This is a guideline HOW
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