Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Pray With Purpose Pt.7

Hallelujah! Aren't you thankful that sufficient to the day is the evil thereof, amen? Scripture makes it clear that if we don't faint, in due season what's going to happen? There will be the reaping, praise God! There's a time to sow and a time to reap, and to everything there is a season. Thank God, this is a season, I believe, of preparation for the coming of the Lord. Pretty soon we're going to start a study again. It's been a while since we've talked about the blessed hope--but we're going to finish up today, probably this morning and evening, the series we'd started on prayer.

Let's turn back to Matthew Chapter 6 and read again that passage that everyone of us has memorized and teach our children. Already I know that the little babies are learning this prayer. Every time Janet prays with them at meals, she always prior to thanking the Lord for the food, leads them in the Lord's Prayer and the recognition of who our source really is in all that we have need of. Jesus, teaching us in the 7th verse of this 6th Chapter says, "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen..." Don't pray like the heathen. You know the heathen pray, there is a lot of prayers that go up to false gods, to idols. There are prayers that people say, "our thoughts, our prayers are with you," in other words, they are wanting to have good thoughts and hoping for the best and all of these things that people really mistake for prayer; and we understand, of course, what true biblical prayer is. Prayer is that ability to imbibe the promises of God and have them bring faith to our hearts and recite back to God His own Word, His own promises, and to speak to Him our absolute trust, and hope, and reliance on His immutability, His presence, and His love for us. And so the heathen do pray. The Scripture says they pray with vain repetition (Matthew 6:7). They think that they are heard for their much speaking; and He said we are not a people like that, because God, the Father you serve, isn't having to try to be convinced of anything. He says in verse 8, "Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, [even] before ye ask him."

The Scripture that was read this morning--in fact let's turn over there to Jeremiah 29 and refresh our memories in this passage. You remember as we were teaching a number of weeks ago out of this passage in Jeremiah, those verses that I think are very important for us as we conclude this study on prayer, and that's the ability to understand the Fatherhood of God, the love and the compassion that He has for us; and that Father not only knows what things you have need of, but it's His intention to get them for you. You see, prayer isn't--and I think it's important that we grab hold of this--prayer is not us trying to inflict our agenda, or our purposes onto God. Prayer isn't trying to use an external vehicle to project our desires and our agenda on others or into our own lifestyle. Prayer is that communion, that privilege of accessing God's presence to restate our dependence, our total dependence on His Lordship. "...for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). So prayer is that confidence that we have access by the Blood of Jesus into the presence of God, and that He will at that time reveal to us His eternal purposes and then empower us to be able to wait, rest, decree, to go forth, to put our hand to, whatever necessitates the affecting of the eternal purposes of God.

So Jeremiah says it this way in that 29th Chapter, the 10^th verse, talking about the captivity that Israel was in. We referred to this passage yesterday morning in the men's breakfast and we were sharing with them the fact that the Babylonian captivity that they were in was caused by their idolatry; by the fact that they were seeking something other than God's presence. If you want to destroy your prayer life, then just begin to erect idols, just begin to have idols in your heart, and begin to love things more than God. Begin to adopt the ideologies of the world, and that's the positive thinking approach, and the imaging. I just went through a class a couple of days ago, and so much of the class was built upon imaging--what you see and what you imagine in your mind and all of these different areas. And they are drawing on some principles that actually have biblical foundation in them. But what we have to have our heart set upon is what God has already revealed; it's not something we create and imagine, it's appropriating the vision of God and the purposes of God. Well, Israel was in bondage in Babylon because they had sought other gods, because of their own lusts, trusting in the arm of the flesh. And He said, in the midst of your captivity "...I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place [of promise]."

Now I think it's interesting to understand that even in the midst of all of their weakness, God said, I'm going to do this thing, I'm going to watch over my Word and perform it. Prayer isn't dependent upon your strength or your preparation. Successful prayer occurs most often when we are at our weakest, when we're less prepared, when we're defeated, when we're hurting, and we cry out and we say, "God, it's beyond me, and I depend on You!" And so in their weakness He comes and He visits them and He says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you..." (Jeremiah 29:11) we can't pray successfully, beloved, if we don't come to this understanding. Do you really believe this morning that it's your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom? How many of us still believe this circumstance that we're facing right now is really what God wants for me, and God just somehow wants to punish me and God wants me to struggle, and God just really doesn't care, and... I want you to understand something, that's the response of the flesh in everyone of us, we question God in our flesh. We have that perception of God in our flesh; because, listen to the original sin, "...hath God said..."? (Genesis 3:1) He's holding out on you! God's holding out on you, and if you'll eat this fruit, your eyes will be open and you'll be able to take care of yourself. Everything that's in our members resists God's goodness to us, and is convinced that we have to provide for ourselves.

So the Lord's speaking here and He says, look you've got to understand what My purposes are for you. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil..." When you come to God, do you believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him? Do you believe it is Father's good pleasure to give you and I the Kingdom, and all of the benefits? Do you believe that He's already given us all things that pertain to life and godliness? Do you believe what the prophet says here that He will "...give you [us] an expected end" (verse 11)? What is the expected end? That we might be raised up and seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). The expected end--that we would rule and reign in Christ. What is the expected end? Exceeding abundant above anything that you could ask or even think (Ephesians 3:20). What is the expected end? "...Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath preferred for them that love him." (I Corinthians 2:9). He has an expected end for us. Amen? And prayer allows us to access that in the midst of all of the circumstances of life and it brings into focus again the eternal purposes of God. Prayer allows us to access again the reminder of the promises of God, and the ability of God in the midst of all of our weaknesses. So He says this is My intention for you and when you are aware of that, look what the consequences are. You want to know why you don't pray? Because you don't believe God cares. You want to know why you don't pray? Because you don't believe that God answers prayer. Oh, I'm not talking about just piddling around and praying religiously, I'm talking about having an appetite for prayer, I'm talking about wanting to live in the presence of God and access Him early. Because the prophet goes on and says when you understand the thoughts of peace that He has toward us and what the expected end is, "Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29, verses 12 and 13). Why don't people pray? We don't really believe that God has an expected end and that His purpose for us is peace.

Go back to the Matthew passage again and look what He's saying when He's having to remind His followers, "don't pray like the heathen." What was it that the heathen were doing incorrectly? They believed that they were having to persuade God to do them good. Somehow, I've got to persuade God to do good on my behalf. Jesus says you are praying amiss, "...for your Father [verse 8] knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."

So prayer then isn't trying to inform God as to what's going on at this moment in our lives, He already knows, and He already has an expected end for us. Guess who doesn't know what the expected end is and what the real situation is at this time? Who is it that doesn't understand? And how many of us use prayer trying to get God to understand when we don't understand? God already has an expected end, He's already seen this thing finished. He's already planned to bring about conformity to the image of Christ in our lives. He's already preparing to prune us and purge us to bring forth more fruit. We're the ones that don't have a clue what's going on. So when you pray, Jesus says, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, [my loving Father, my all knowing Father, my Father of great intentions for me and love and peace and an expected end. My Father which art in heaven, the omniscient, omnipotent One] Hallowed be thy name [holy, separate, there's none like unto You; there's no other god, there's no other place I can go in my time of need. Father, I don't have an agenda] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." You see praying properly is believing that God knows, God cares, and He's doing something about it, and "Father, I need an attitude adjustment, I need a perception adjustment, I need to be reminded of Your love, of Your power, of Your purpose." So prayer then, as we access the presence of God through the Blood of Jesus, and we speak the Word of God out of hearts, prayer begins to bring to you and I this comfort. His Word now begins to be clear in our hearts again and faith then begins to rise because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, and we begin to now redirect what we're trusting in and it's no longer the arm of the flesh and the natural weapons of man, but we begin now to rest in the presence of God.

So the Lord is telling us that we continually pray after this manner. In Chapter 18 I think that the Lord has spoken and begins to give even more insight--Luke 18--into the proper method of praying and the purposes. What we want to look at this morning as we realize the expected end that God has for us and the goodness of our Father: we do have to come to understand how the flesh hinders this proper prayer life by the doubts and the fears and the pride and that ever continuing war to trust in ourselves. So the Scripture tells us in Luke 18, verse 1 that Jesus spoke a parable. We're all very familiar with this quote in the first verse, and it says, "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint..." Now most of us here know that passage and we talk about always praying and the Scripture, of course, tells us to pray without ceasing. So we realize that prayer then is not just articulating words or quoting Scripture--can't be because it's impossible that we would then be able to fulfill the commandment of God to pray without ceasing. Some of us do almost talk without ceasing, but... We realize that when the Lord says to pray without ceasing, He's talking about an attitude, an awareness of the presence of God. Praying without ceasing is an all encompassing awareness of the dependence, the necessary dependence upon God. I'll say that again, it's important for us to grab a hold of that. You see proper prayer, to pray without ceasing, is the conscious awareness, I'm consciously aware of my total dependence upon the presence of God. So to pray without ceasing is being aware always of His presence, my need of His working in my life, for without Him I can do nothing. So He says, "...men ought always to pray, and not to faint..." It's very obvious that what He's saying to us here is it's easy to get off track, it's easy to get our mind upon other vehicles, to trust in other things than the Word of God and the Name of Jesus, and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We ought always to pray, because if you don't always pray what's going to happen, conversely, what's going to happen? You're going to faint. The spirit is willing but the...? (Audience response: "Flesh is weak.") Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. Men ought always to pray, and if you don't, then you are in the process of fainting. Falling away from that awareness, falling back into an independence.

So in this passage the Lord is speaking to us and He gives this parable: "...There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man" (Luke 18:2). You know some people try to interpret this parable and make this unjust judge God. It doesn't work that way; number one, God is not unjust. Number two, you can't weary Him with your much speaking. So none of that parallels God, and so it's obvious that the unjust judge is a fictitious character that the Lord is speaking toward and He applies it to any carnal judge or any carnal situation. He says, "There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me" (Luke 18:2-5). Well some people would have us think that we've got to go wear God down, that's not what this parable is teaching. Importunity, as you study the subject out, is not just incessant, it is without shame, it's a coming without shame knowing that I am absolutely dependent, there is absolutely no pride involved in this, I shamelessly come and say, "if you don't do something, I'm going to die, I'm going to be destroyed. There's going to be lack in this situation unless you provide it, I have no ability to provide on my own." Well in the midst of all of this as He's giving the parable to them, it says, "And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith." (verse 6).

Even the carnal, who has no intention of blessing you, who doesn't care about you, who doesn't care about God, has no morals, has no apparent conscience that's spoken toward here, lives as an authority to himself; hear what the parable says, hear what the unjust judge says, "I don't give a rip about you, but because of your asking, because I'm just tired of you pestering me, I'll give it to you." Hear what the unjust judge says, "you've pestered me, you've worn me down, I just want you out of my hair." That's not your Heavenly Father, is what this parable says. The very next verse--"Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect...?" If an unjust judge would respond this way, shall not God avenge His own elect, His own children, "which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?" Now see this doesn't say that we don't pray night and day, it doesn't say we don't pray fervently, but it says that we pray with an expectation of a loving Heavenly Father that knows what we have need of, that knows before we ask, and whose desire it is to bless you. How do we reconcile these two things and why is it then that we would need to come and pray night and day if God is already wanting to do us good? Who is benefiting from this? We are! What's happening in this process? The flesh is dying, the flesh is being disciplined and subordinated to the spirit man, for the spirit is willing, but what? The whole teaching of the Lord there in Gethsemane had to do with the fact--we'll turn over there in just a second--that when He told them to watch and pray with Him and they couldn't do it, it's because they hadn't experienced these disciplines of praying night and day.

The Scripture tells us, as we will see in just a moment, the reason they couldn't pray, the reason they couldn't watch and pray--He said, "watch and pray, you don't understand the hour that you are in, you don't understand the jeopardy that you're in. Watch and pray!" And they slept, because they were sorrowful, the Scripture says. That word "sorrowful," means they were depressed. The circumstances had depressed them, life had beaten them down. What's the use? If God wants to do it, He'll do it. What's the use? I'm just tired, I'm weary, I pray, nothing happens. And what will happen when that kind of an attitude is found in the heart of a believer, what happens? He sleeps. So easy now not to spend time in the Word, to commune with the saints, to spend time at the better part at the feet of Jesus. We can even busy ourselves with religious things and run around helping and serving in the body, but we're sleeping spiritually. We're having fellowship, but it's not koinonia, because we're depressed, because we're weary, because we don't really believe God's going to answer. As we discern our hearts in the midst of this and we hear what Jesus is teaching, He says, listen, you don't pray as the heathen, you don't pray in the way that this widow did to the unjust judge--you're not going to wear God out, you've got to come to Him believing that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them" (verse 7)? He's going to avenge you speedily, that's an interesting aspect of this teaching. "I tell you that he will avenge them speedily [though He bears long with them]." How do you reconcile those two things. It says He's long-suffering, and in much of this process He's going to allow us to endure trials, tribulation, adversity, whatever it is that's establishing character in us. He's going to allow us in this situation to come to the place where we are undone and no longer trusting in ourselves, and when we reach that point, what does the Scripture say? "He will avenge us [what?] speedily." You will receive quick deliverance, immediate deliverance when it's best for you, when it brings the most glory to God. But if you come to Him you've got to understand that His intended end for us is good and not evil; His expected end for us is good, it's not evil. God knows what I have need of before I ask Him. He's going to give me exceeding abundant above anything I could have asked or even thought. The real question here, look at the next phrase, it's found in this, "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth" (verse 8)? Ah! Now the word "faith" here, of course, in its purest rendering is trust or reliance. Will He find a people trusting in Him, or relying upon His ability? When He tarries, and He suffers long with us, what's trying to be accomplished in this time in our lives? Men ought always to pray and not to what? Men ought always to pray and not to...? (Audience response: "Faint.") What's God trying to determine now, whether or not you're going to...? (Audience response: "Faint.") Because those that endure to the end shall be saved. Okay? Now what's having to take place here in our lives is the reaffirming of who we're trusting in.

Look back at Matthew 26 for just a second and let me show you what we're talking about in this particular instance of praying and not fainting. Why isn't God answering this prayer speedily? You see something more important than what you're wanting changed is taking place. You're wanting the circumstances changed, and God's wanting you changed; and God will never fulfill a promise that changes circumstances without changing you first. God's not going to destroy us with His promises and His blessings. And so much of what's happening then is the revealing of our hearts to us.

In Matthew 26, verse 35, "Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. [Now he gets all the flack, but look at the next phrase.] Likewise also said all the disciples." You know Peter catches most of the flack, but they all said, "Yeah, amen, praise God, preach it brother! We're with you, Lord." "Really? How do you know? I just said it." Let's begin to put a little heat on this thing, and let's begin to find out where the hearts of these professed believers really are. "Amen," said all the disciples, "we'll die with You, but we can't watch with You. We'll die with You, but stay awake an hour? Serve an hour?" Oh beloved, we need to understand that prayer is a great discipline that causes us to understand whether the flesh is still ruling in our lives or not. Prayer is that great ability to determine where the real treasures of our hearts are, by not only listening to what's coming out of our mouths, and what it is that we focus on and seem to think important, but how we respond to God when He doesn't give us what we want and when we want. I wonder how many of us would really be truthful, and it would be interesting if we would boldly declare sometimes what we think about God and the circumstances and everything that's going on around us. Things that you may not even know, things that are in your heart that you may not even know, but God's revealing them through His Word. When I talk about those things, I'm not talking about necessarily coming out and outrightly blaspheming God, but what about the times you have judged Him really not just. "It's not fair, God, this doesn't seem fair. I just don't think that's fair the way those people were treated, the way I was treated. What they have, what I don't have." Think you've ever found that taking place in your life? "How could God have allowed that to happen, how could God have allowed that child to die, how could God have allowed that to take place in that home?" All of these things that we so boldly say, "Lord, I'll die with you," and prayer determines how comfortable we are in the will of God. Jesus said, "really?" Verse 36, "...Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder." And He took with Him the inner circle. God has inner circles. God doesn't treat us all alike. Does God have favorites? I don't think favorites should be the right word, I think maybe gifts, diversity of calls and gifts and purposes. The Kingdom of God is not socialistic, communistic, everyone is not equal. We don't have equal talents, we don't have the same calls and gifts, we don't all receive the same blessings, we don't all have the same revelation. And so prayer then, when we're praying and God isn't responding the way we think He should, and He's long-suffering with us, He's bearing long, He's waiting to see how we respond so that He can then establish His character and His image in us when there's sufficient death to self.

It says, "...he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me" (verse 38). One of the greatest, I think, privileges ever offered to a man: to assist the Savior in His time of need, and they blew it. How many of you think you would have blown it? Anybody here think you would have blown it? Truthfully, let me see your hands, how many of you think you would have blown it? How many of you think you wouldn't have blown it? Right answer. All of us, we would have blown it! "Well, I just wanted to be humble, I didn't want to be the only guy in here with my hand up, but I really think I could have pulled this thing off." It's not in us! The object lesson here is to show us that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The Lord came back to them and He said, "look guys, watch and pray, you don't understand the hour!" Now we know that now we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us in a way that they didn't. After the empowering of the Holy Spirit they were able to watch and pray in those particular hours, and yet I think our response is still proper. Very likely, very likely, God would give us the grace to endure with Him at this moment, but we had the right response, because the response of Peter was, "...Lord, thou knowest..." (John 21:17). Prior to this experience, it was, "I'll die with you!" After that it was, "Lord, you know."

So we realize that prayer is that experiencing of Pentecost where the Spirit just continually fills us and the empowering of God and the absolute dependence upon His purposes and not our own. "And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (verse 39). Pray after this manner, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Is it wrong to pray for the cup to pass? There's nothing wrong with it, but listen to how we pray, "Father, if it be possible, if what you want to accomplish eternally, not only externally but internally but eternally, if you can accomplish this in a way that isn't this tough, I'd appreciate it." How many of you have prayed a prayer like that? I have, "Thy will be done as easily as it can on me, Lord." Do you ever put those words in? We don't always put those words in, but that's what we mean, don't we? And God knows before we ask, and He knows we're dust, and He knows how weak we are, He knows better than you do the condition of your heart. So when you pray those words, "not my will, but Thy will be done," search, beloved, make sure you're not just parroting words. Look and say, "am I, am I really able to look into my heart and say I have no agenda? I mess everything up when it's left to me. Father, I don't know what's best, but my eyes are on You" as Jehoshaphat said. "We look to the mountains from which comes our help. You who are our very present help in trouble, You, the Father of lights, the Giver of every good and perfect gift. You, who knows what we have need of before we even ask, a Father that's pitiful towards His children. Oh my Father, if it be possible, let the cup pass." You know the good thing with being able to pray that prayer in faith, if the cup doesn't pass, that prayer brings with it faith that receives the grace to drink the cup. "And he cometh [the Scripture says in verse 40] unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep...could ye not watch with me one hour?" Is an hour too much to ask in this time of spiritual warfare? What are some of the other things we do that takes an hour? Well, everyone in this room knows putting on make-up. Men, if you'd tell them they were beautiful more often they wouldn't take as long putting their make-up on; just a little hint. A nap takes an hour. "I'm just going to rest my eyes for a minute." Watch and pray. I asked you for an hour, and you succumb to temptation. "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (verse 41). I think we begin to understand what the Lord's saying to us here. We have great intentions, but were you asleep? Great intentions, but where is the hour? Now there's nothing magic about the 60 minutes, but what we're talking about is a discipline that says, though the flesh is wanting to do this, whatever it is, the recreation, the nap, the laundry, whatever it is that I somehow have to unburden myself with this thing and get it off of my mind, get it out of the way, or whatever it is, when there begins to be a conflict of God's call to watch and pray, and whatever it is the flesh is wanting to express at that particular moment, let me ask you, what habitually wins out?

So it's very important for us to understand then that the discipline of proper biblical prayer is being aware of the fact that we're not going to pray without conflict. If you determine to become a man or woman of prayer, you're going to have everything in the world arise to keep you from praying. The Scripture says, the parable that the Lord brought us, that Satan comes immediately, doesn't he, to remove the word out of our hearts (Mark 4:15). When faith comes into your heart, and you say, "I'm going to begin to pray, and I'm going to pray and I'm going to understand the purpose and power of prayer in my life, and that God is separating me unto this ministry," you're going to begin to see all kinds of things that will arise to rob you from this great call upon your life. So I would encourage you at this very moment to watch and pray. Because this Gethsemane that Jesus was experiencing, that He was wanting His disciples to experience with Him, this ultimate death of self--and it's seen in these two times that He prays this, look at the next time, verse 42, "...the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." Lord, would you consider this..., nevertheless, not My will, Thy will be done. The second time He realizes it's going to have to be partaken of, so He says, "give me the grace. If it won't pass except I drink it, give me the grace. I purpose, I resolve to drink this cup. Not My will, Thy will be done." You're not finished praying until you've reached this point.

All of the great declarations of the promises, "It is written, the Lord has said, thus said the Lord."--it's never done until you've reached this point. Until you've understood that God has made His final decree and you have made the determined purpose to trust in Him to die to self, and you've embraced this loving Heavenly Father who has an expected end for your life. So as we study this out, we go to the parables. I'd like just to take a couple more minutes, go back to Luke 11 for just a moment, let's finish up with this. In the great parables of prayer, we saw the unjust judge and we saw then that though He does bear long with us, He will avenge us speedily. Though He allows you the agony of the garden of Gethsemane, there's going to be that momentary, that instantaneous, that swift victory that occurs once you reach that purposing of "not my will but Thy will be done."

Luke 11, verse 1, the disciples of course observing the Lord in His prayer life, and it says, "...that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray..." We have the Lord's prayer given to us. "And he said unto them [in verse 5], Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not..." (verses 5 - 7). You know some people try to, again, make this the Lord, and we're coming to pray--where in the Scripture can you find God ever responding to one of His children, "trouble me not?" He said we're to come boldly, He said, we're to pray without ceasing, we're to know that it's His good pleasure, we realize that Father knows what things we have need of, and before we ask He hears us. No, this is just some friend that has some bread and you don't have any, and you go to his house and you say, "somebody's dropped by, do you have some bread?" And he says, "look, don't bother me, the kids are all in bed, I cannot rise and give to you right now; it's not convenient. What are you doing bothering me at this hour? Why weren't you prepared? Why don't you have this yourself? I'm not getting up and opening the whole house up." "...Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend..." (verse 8). I want you to understand, we have a friend that sticks closer than a brother, (Proverbs 18:24) everything God does for us is because He's our friend, because He's our loving Heavenly Father. Not because we deserve it, not because we somehow shame Him or wear Him down, it's His desire to bless us, it's His nature, it's the covenant that's been established. "...yet because of his importunity [or that unashamed approach] he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. [Why? Because] If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? [Here's what this whole teaching's about] If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more..." (verses 8 - 13)? Oh beloved, if we could learn to approach God with this thought process, what are your intentions for your children? How much more? If you being carnal, how much more? Do you want good for your children? How much more? Do you want to be able to bless your children, and have them enjoy life, and be prepared for life, and have an education and be strong in their bodies, and be able to have social skills, and to be able to know the abundance and prosperity that we have in this nation and to be prepared to raise another generation, how much more, amen, when we go to our Heavenly Father? It is His intention for you to be blessed and to be at peace, and to receive the supernatural provision, whether it's in understanding, whether it's in character, whether it's in perceptions that cause us to go ahead speedily, He in His own eternal purposes establishes these things, but there is an expected end. "... how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him" (verse 13)?

Father, make us ever aware of Your good intentions toward us. How much more... We're not heard for our much speaking. You already know what we have need of, and it's Your good pleasure to give us the Kingdom. Yet You expect us to come day and night; You expect us to pray fervently. You expect us to bring this flesh under because there's going to be opposition every time we pray to look to the arm of the flesh. There's going to be opposition to pray. So don't let us be naïve. Cause us to put on the full armor of God, the prayer armor, and having done all, to stand against the wiles, the deceits of the enemy. The enemy who would tell us, "yeah, but you have got to get this business deal taken care of first; yeah, but you've got to tend to the gutters falling off the house first. This is your only chance to go to the ball game, they'll never print another ticket ever in history again, it's your only opportunity to go." Can't you watch with Me an hour? You see He has an expected end and He is a loving Father which desires to give good gifts to you, but there is a discipline, there is an effort that is to be given in prayer, and sometimes to the point of sweating drops of blood; and many times the answer comes to a quick, "Lord, help!" But always the answer comes when we've reached the final determination, "not my will, Thy will be done." Make it real in us, Father, that we know you intend good things for us, beyond what we could ask or even think. Help us to stop second-guessing You and listening to the lie of the enemy that says, "has God said, He's holding out!" You intend to give us exceeding abundant above anything we can ask or even think, and for that, we say thank You, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let's stand before the Lord this morning. As Gary plays for us and we just rejoice in the goodness of our Father. Are you in some tough circumstances this morning? Father cares. Has it come up in your heart, "why doesn't God hear, why doesn't God answer, doesn't God care?" Yes, He cares. Tonight, we're going to talk a little bit about the contentment factor, are you really content in what God has chosen to bless you with? Do you still think that somehow you can wear Him down with your much speaking to get Him to do it your way? Surely He doesn't understand what my needs are, I've got a quota I have got to meet here, I have certain expenses, I don't think it's fair that I any longer have to bear this infirmity, it should be done now, my way, my time. I mean after all, I'm willing to die for Him. Well then why are you fainting in prayer? If you're willing to die for Him, why are you fainting in prayer, why are you giving up, why are you criticizing God for His timing and His methods in your heart? You say one thing and with your mouth, and do another. The Judge of all the earth does right. I just want to thank You, Lord, for all that you blessed me with. I want to thank You for Your good purposes in my life, I want to thank You that You've given me exceeding abundant above anything I could have asked or even thought. I don't understand the beginning to the end; You do, and my confidence is in You. I know what Your Word says, Father, and I ask You to give me clearer understanding of how You are applying that in my life. I absolutely know and understand that You are the God that heals, and I believe, and by faith I receive. And if I could understand, You would have made me understand, and since I can't understand, I hope, and I boast, and I trust in You, because You do right, and Your words are true, they are yea and amen. So I don't faint in my prayer, I don't faint, I don't waver, I don't give up, I don't second-guess You. I say what You say, and I rest, and I boast, and I hope, and I glory in You, Jesus. Help me to trust You more. For You asked the question, "when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith? Will He find a people who haven't fainted, a people that He will avenge speedily?" Oh beloved, it's going to happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and all the burdens will fall, and all the pain will cease. Don't faint.

Let's sing it together and worship Him this morning. "Jesus draw me close..." Sing it one more time, "Jesus draw me close..." Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Lord, You said, what things soever we desired when we prayed, if we believed that we received it that we would have it (Mark 11:24). And though You bear long at times in our lives, we know that You will avenge us speedily, for Your Word has declared it. What we desire when we pray, and we believe, we have it. For this is the confidence that we have in You, that if we ask anything according to Your will, You hear us, and if we know that You hear us, whatsoever we ask, then we know that we have the petitions that we have desired of You according to Your will (I John 5:14, 15). So we go to Your Word and we decree what You have spoken and we rest, and we boast, and we worship as we glory in Your name. And as You bring fruit that remains, You receive the glory, and for that we're thankful, Father, in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

Before you go, turn to somebody next to you and say, "boast in the Lord." Amen. Go in peace, God's love go with you.

Back to Top | Audio   |   Purchase Audio   |   Bible Teachings   |   Print