NR 2/17/13   DESIGN FOR LIFE

Think About God When You Pray

When You Pray by J. Robert Ashcroft   www.globalreach.org
    What do you expect to happen when you pray?  I know the answer we are supposed to give, but, I want you to think about this.  Do you REALLY expect something to happen?
**Do you ever wonder why some people receive such wonderful answers to prayer, while so many of your prayers seem to be unanswered?
**Do you wonder why some people talk to God so easily and you find it hard to know what to say?
**Do you wonder why you feel the presence of God only sometimes?
    The disciples had questions about prayer. They could see in Jesus’ life how important prayer was to Him and what wonderful things happened in answer to His prayers. So they asked Him:
Luke 11:1  Lord, teach us to pray.
    Jesus answered and showed them how to pray. Today, God wants us to talk with Him. He is the One who has given us the desire to pray.
    When we pray we communicate with the Lord.  An interesting communication challenge. I know you have heard this before.
Scintillate, scintillate, globule vivific, Fain would I fathom thy nature specific. Loftily poised in the ether capacious, Strongly resembling a gem carbonaceous.
-translated-
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are, Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky.
    At a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee second baseman, offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy: “Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen.”
    As we continue to look at God’s DESIGN FOR LIFE, we continue to look at prayer.  I believe that everyone wants an increase in their prayer life.  For us to accomplish our spiritual goals we must continue to pray.  Teachings, series:
Globalreach.org
Christian Life
When You Pray
        God Will Teach You To Pray
    Let’s look at God’s purpose for us in prayer.
    When God made us, He put something in us that reaches out for Him.  Every human is seeking that connection with the Creator.  We recognize that we need power greater than our own to solve our problems, protect us and meet our needs. We reach out to the supernatural for help. But our urge to pray goes beyond that. We feel the need to worship, honor, and serve some supernatural being.  It is this inborn yearning that leads people to seek.  It is the spiritual battle that deceives billions into trying all the wrong routes to God.
    How important it is to direct this worship to the right Person—the One who made us! Only then can we find the deep satisfaction that He wants us to enjoy.  A substitute, a fake never satisfies.  God made us to talk things over with Him and He will talk with us and help us. Life is not complete without this communication with Him.
    God invites us to come to Him in prayer and ask Him for whatever we need. Just think of it—the One who made the world and everything in it, the Lord and Ruler of the universe wants to talk with us. He made us, understands us, loves us, and wants to help us. Time and again in the Book He has given us He invites us to take our problems to Him, talk everything over with Him. That is what prayer is—talking with God. He said to a prophet of old:
Jeremiah 33:3 NIV
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
What an AMAZING INVITATION!!
    God will teach you as you study and practice what the Bible teaches about prayer.  An important principle:  think of God when you pray. If we follow the model He gave, we will begin our prayers recognizing who God is, honoring Him, and praying for His will to be done.
Matthew 6:9-10 NIV
9 This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
    When we talk with someone, we do not just think about ourselves and our needs. We think also about the other person. A key thought in thinking of how to pray effectively is to apply the same principle when we talk to God: Think about God when you pray. This is a basic part of worship. The word worship in English comes from worth + ship and means to recognize the worthiness of God.
    Because God is good, He wants to free us from the things that bring suffering. He wants to bless us and make us happy, healthy, and useful. Thinking about how good God is makes us join in the song of the psalmist:
Psalm 100:1-5 NKJV
1 A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
    Let’s look at what this is saying to us.

God Loves You
    God’s love led Him to provide for the forgiveness of our sins.  God loves you and me. It is His nature to love.
***The Father sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to:
tell us about His love
demonstrate this love in His life and death for us
make it possible for us to be with Him and enjoy His love forever. Jesus said:
John 3:16 NLT
16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
    Because God is good, He has set certain standards for the world He has made. He teaches us right from wrong in the Bible and helps us to do what is right. As Ruler of the universe, He must judge us for what we do, considering those who do right and punishing those who do wrong. Unfortunately, we have all done wrong and were condemned to be separated from God, unless there was some way to save us.
    And there was a way! God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to take our place. Jesus loves us too and died for our sins. He came back to life and went back to heaven. Someday He will return to the earth and put everything right.
John 10:10 NKJV
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
    If we think about how God loves us, we will want to please Him. We are sorry for the wrong we have done and ask Him to forgive us and help us do what is right.
1 John 1:9 NKJV
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
    Think about this amazing thought:  God Is Our Father
    When we accept Jesus as our Savior, God becomes our Father. He does more than just adopt us. He sends His Holy Spirit to live in us, gives us a new nature, and makes us His children. Jesus teaches us to call God Father when we pray, just as He always did. Think about what it means to call the Creator of the universe Father! We can come to Him at any time and ask for whatever we need. Jesus tells us that the Father loves us and wants to give us what we need.
Matthew 6:25-26 NKJV
25 Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Matthew 7:11 NKJV
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
    Our part is to ask God for what we need. This is an important part of prayer. We ask and He has promised to answer. We need not be afraid that we are asking for something that is too hard for God to do. He can do anything! And so we ask, knowing that God is our Father.
YOUR NEED              GOD’S SUFFICIENCY
Weakness.....................God’s Strength
Failures........................God’s Forgiveness
Loneliness....................God’s Love
Ignorance.....................God’s Knowledge
Problems......................God’s Wisdom
Sickness.......................God’s Healing

Abraham and Sarah
Genesis 18:14 NKJV
14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
    When you pray, focus on God who can do anything.
Jeremiah 32:17 NKJV
17 Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
God Is Infinite In:
Being
Wisdom
Knowledge
Goodness
Power
Love

For us to really focus on, think on God when we pray--
For us to really be stretched and see our prayer lives grow--
--- We must be willing to leave our comfort zones.  We have a place where we can pray and feel good.  Yet, the work the Lord has called us to is so far beyond where we are comfortable.  Yet, we must step out spiritually, we must step out in prayer, trusting God and growing closer to Him to see great things accomplished.

LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step DESIGN FOR LIFE

What are the key points of this message?

How can we apply this message?
Prayer of faith.  Ask God to help you identify how you can pray large prayers.

DESIGN FOR LIFE

2/24/13 Prayer - Coming to God

Continuing to take thoughts from:
    Globalreach.org
   Christian Life
   When You Pray
    Have you ever heard children arguing as they play together?
    “Give it to me, now!” one says.
    “Why?” asks the other.
    “Because I want it!” says the first.
    And on they argue, back and forth. They have not yet learned how to approach others when asking for the things they want. Some people act like that when they pray.  Although God always hears us when we pray, we need to come to Him the right way.  We need to come to God with an attitude that shows Him the respect and honor He deserves.  Then, we can have confidence when we talk with our heavenly Father.
    Attitude is always very important in everything we do.
    Joe Theismann enjoyed an illustrious 12-year career as quarterback of the Washington Redskins. He led the team to two Super Bowl appearances--winning in 1983 before losing the following year. When a leg injury forced him out of football in 1985, he was in the record books as Washington’s all-time leading passer. Still, the end of Theismann’s career taught him a bitter lesson:
    Here’s what he said -- I got stagnant. I thought the team revolved around me. I should have known it was time to go when I didn’t care whether a pass hit Art Monk in the 8 or the 1 on his uniform. When we went back to the Super Bowl, my approach had changed. I was griping about the weather, my shoes, practice times, everything.  Today I wear my two rings--the winner’s ring from Super Bowl XVII and the loser’s ring from Super Bowl XVIII. The difference in those two rings lies in applying oneself and not accepting anything but the best.
Reader’s Digest, January, 1992
     Think about your attitude when you come to God in prayer.  Come in the way that will bring glory and honor to God.
Coming To God In Prayer
    Some people will ask:  “Does it really matter how we pray?”  “Don’t all religions lead to God?  Just be sincere in your prayer.”
    Jesus answered that question with a very specific statement.
John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
    There is only one way to life, to connection with God.  It is through Jesus, the risen Savior.
    We can only go to the Father through Jesus.  This is on the basis of what He has done for us. We pray in Jesus’ name, presenting His promises. Jesus himself is there to honor the promise, to identify us as authorized to draw on His account. Suppose you went to the bank and said, “I’d like to make a withdrawal from the largest account in the bank.”  They would probably reply something like, “Do you have the account number?  Are you authorized to sign on this account?”  You would say “No, but they have so much money they won’t miss it.”  The bank would say, “Sorry, no money”.
    When we are saved we are authorized to come in prayer in Jesus’ Name.
    The Bible tells us about this for those who believe in Him:
John 14:12-14 NKJV
12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
    Think about this: greater things.  Greater?  Than Jesus?  The greater things will not happen because of anyone’s own efforts or spirituality. It is the work of Jesus, done through the power of the Holy Spirit.  We can pray in his name and a powerful response will come.
    Footnote from Fire Bible:  Ask in my name. Asking for something in Jesus’ name means being completely aware of who he is, what he is capable of doing and what his purposes are. It means acting as his representative, with his power and authority. It involves giving him honor and following his purposes in all we do. For this reason, our prayer in Jesus’ name must:
(1) reflect Jesus’ character and be consistent with his desires and purposes;
(2) demonstrate faith in him and his authority;
(3) reveal a sincere desire to honor both the Father and the Son. Prayers offered with this attitude and awareness will build faith and provide peace that God is in control and will do what is best for us. Jesus will answer any prayer that he would have prayed himself—that is perfectly in line with his purposes. There is no limit to the power of prayer when it is addressed to Jesus or the Father with sincere faith and according to his desire.
Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
    We can approach the throne of grace with confidence. We can confidently approach God because Jesus knows us and He is moved with compassion by our weaknesses, and because is able to relate to all that we experience in life.  We know that God wants us to pray. We come to the throne of grace because from it flow all of God’s wonderful blessings.  He shows us His favor, love, help, mercy, forgiveness, wisdom, spiritual power, spiritual gifts and the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus is our high priest, our mediator between God and believers.  This opens the way into God’s presence where we can always find the help we need.
    We commonly pray “in Jesus’ name”.  Let’s think about the implication of that way of praying.
**I ask, not because of my goodness but because of what Jesus did for me, making me a child of God.
**I come to ask for and receive what Jesus has promised me.
**I belong to Jesus and ask Him to help me.
**This is something that Jesus would ask for, that will advance His cause, that will please Him, so I ask for it in His name.
    Hebrews 10 tells us that we have freedom to approach God because of the:
death of Jesus on the Cross.
sincere repentance we show.
prayers of the saints.
Hebrews 10:19-22 NKJV
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
    Let us draw near. It takes faith to draw near to God through Jesus our Savior.  Faith is genuinely believing in God, entrusting life to His care while we rely on Him for help and strength.  Without drawing near to God in prayer and fellowship with Christ, there is no saving faith.
Coming to God - Attitudes for Prayer
Respect, Joy, Thankfulness, Confidence
Thinking about who God is -
Thinking of His goodness, love, and power -
--- makes it easier for us to come to Him with the right attitude.
    We must come with respect and submission to our Lord. We come with joy, thankfulness, and confidence. We know God will hear and answer our prayers because He loves us and because He has promised to give us what we need.
    An important attitude in prayer:  Forgiving and Loving Others
    Not long before she died in 1988, in a moment of surprising candor in television, Marghanita Laski, one of our best-known secular humanists and novelists, said, “What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness; I have nobody to forgive me.”
John Stott in The Contemporary Christian
    We KNOW we need forgiveness.  We not only need to be forgiven but we also need to be forgiving.  Hatred, resentment, and unwillingness to forgive those who have wronged us will close the door between God and us. Jesus said:
Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV
14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
    If we have done someone else wrong, Jesus teaches us that we should make it right and ask forgiveness.  We must also give forgiveness. We should be careful to treat others with love and kindness in our home, at work, or wherever we are. Harsh attitudes hinder prayer.

COMING TO GOD
LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step
DESIGN FOR LIFE

What are the key points of this message?

How can we apply this message?

NR 2/10/13  DESIGN FOR LIFE

God’s Word and Powerful Prayer - The Way It Gets Done

    The world, God’s work – they are filled with challenges.  When something looks difficult, when something IS difficult, how do we deal with it?  How can we see things happen?
    Many years ago a young Midwestern lawyer suffered from such deep depression that his friends thought it best to keep all knives and razors out of his reach. He questioned his life’s calling and the wisdom of even attempting to follow it through. During this time he wrote, “I am now the most miserable man living. Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell. I awfully forebode I shall not.” But somehow, from somewhere, Abraham Lincoln received the encouragement he needed, and the achievements of his life thoroughly absolved his bout with discouragement.
Today in the Word, MBI, December, 1989, p. 20, Swindoll, You and Your Problems Transformed by Thorns, p. 58.
    How is it possible to see ANYTHING positive happen in these crazy days we live in?  It is the power of God.  I am reminded of
Philippians 4:13 NLT
13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
    Empowered by God’s strength flowing through us we can help people find the satisfaction they desperately seek.  They will discover the power of God’s Word to break the darkness and bondage people live in.
    Because of what God is doing in the very difficult places, we can be encouraged and challenged to believe for Him to do the same here.  Look at what your prayers accomplished in the past few weeks.  What will happen when we continue to be just as focused on prayer for the work of the ministry in western Wisconsin?  This is one of the key challenges I want to give to you today.
    An important question to ponder:  What desires has God put in your heart?  Do you think they will make any difference in the lives of others?  We often believe the lie that we can’t make any real difference in life.  Let me share some responses from believers in Malta about my recent teaching there.
    This seminar was a success! Many were blessed as they now have in their hands an excellent Study Bible that will help Christians study the Word of God diligently and mature in their walk with God. Thank you to all those who have contributed in one way or another to supply such an essential tool in the hands of the local believers. God bless you!
    Another response:  We were so blessed to meet together from different churches with ONE purpose in mind, i.e. to learn to use the Fire Study Bible so that we can make the best use of it. This excellent Bible Study tool was much needed in the hands of the local believers to grow and mature in the Holy Faith. Thank you to all those who played a part in providing this much needed resource.
    An e mail:
Dear Joe,
    Thank you for organising yesterdays seminar I believe it was a great success and many were blessed. I know for one my own daughter was so happy to get her hands on the Fire Bible, Global Study Edition: and she is determined to use it for her devotional time. That has blessed me because as a working-professional and mother it has been difficult for her to discipline herself to spend time in the Word. She told me with gleaming eyes that this will help her greatly.
    Greet your church for us please and thank them for making it possible for you to come to Malta.
Joe
    What do you want to accomplish for the Lord?  As He has given you a burden, a desire, He will give you the ability and provision.
DESIGN FOR LIFE
God’s Word and Powerful Prayer - The Way It Gets Done
1.  God’s design is that we will be people of prayer.
This is why we had the prayer calendar for the trip.
This is why we have prayer meetings.
This is why we have an e mail prayer chain.
This is why we have the weekly prayer cards to take home.
    Prayer is God’s plan for His people.
    His house is a house of prayer.  This is what God calls it.
Isaiah 56:7 NKJV
7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Matthew 21:12-13 NKJV
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.
    So, we must keep on praying, we must keep on praying together.  There is great strength is praying together.  Our prayer must not be limited to just special events or occasions.  Note that Jesus didn’t say His house is a house of worship, or of singing, or of fellowship, but house of prayer.
    There must be no hindrances to prayer in God’s house.  At that time they were turning the temple into everything but a house of prayer.  They were profaning God’s house.
2.  God’s design also includes generous use of the Bible, God’s Word.
    Do you sense a pressure to not use or quote the Bible these days?  Do you sense that people are offended by the Bible? Do you see misuse of scriptures?  Misapplication of what the Bible really says?
    This is why we must read it, study it, learn it. This is why we emphasize Sunday School.  This is why I encourage you to come out on Wednesday night for Bible Study.  We must read it and know what it says and learn how to properly use it.
II Timothy 2:15 AMP
Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.
PHILLIPS
For yourself, concentrate on winning God’s approval, on being a workman with nothing to be ashamed of, and who knows how to use the word of truth to the best advantage.
NASB
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
    We must make the effort to read and learn.  We must learn how to accurately understand what the Bible is really saying, not what we want it to say.  What does God’s love really mean?  What does the Bible say about judgement?  What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?
    Strive to cultivate and improve your heart and mind so you won’t be a reproach to God.
Rightly dividing the word of truth -- to cut straight, to walk in the right way.
    By rightly dividing the word of truth, we continue in true doctrine.
    We must make the commitment to spend our lives learning and applying what the Bible says.
Romans 1:16 NLT
16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.
    The longest Psalm in the book, the 119th, is an expression of love for God’s Word.  It is a acrostic poem in Hebrew of 176 verses.  Let’s look at one section of it and dig into it. Look at the Psalmist’s desires.
Psalm 119:33-40 NIV
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. 34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. 35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. 38 Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. 39 Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. 40 How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.
    This is a great prayer.  This is something that should be the desire for all believers.
LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step
DESIGN FOR LIFE

What are the key points of this message?

How can we apply this message?

Together, now, we are going to PRAY: