I'M THANKFUL TODAY, THAT WHEN GOD PUT THIS CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE TOGETHER, THAT HE DESIGNED IT AS SUCH THAT WE COULD FEEL HIS PRESENCE THERE WITH US, IN THE MIDST OF ALL THAT WE GO THROUGH. REPEATEDLY THROUGH THIS SERVICE TODAY, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF PRAYER. AND I'M COMING BACK TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT, ONCE AGAIN TODAY, THOUGH I KNOW WE BEGAN LAST WEEK TO TALK ABOUT IT. AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT MANY TIMES IN THE HISTORY OF THIS MINISTRY. BUT I BELIEVE TODAY IN THE POWER OF PRAYER. IN FACT, I BELIEVE IF YOU'LL CALL ON THE LORD TODAY, THE LORD WILL HEAR YOUR PRAYER AND HE WILL COME, RIGHT THERE BY YOUR SIDE, TO HELP YOU. SO TODAY, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND SEE IF WE CAN'T GAIN SOME MORE KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL HELP US. TO REINFORCE THE THOUGHT THAT PRAYER DOES CHANGE THINGS. IN THE BOOK OF LUKE, CHAPTER 11, I WANT US TO TURN TO THAT FIRST VERSE OF SCRIPTURE. I WON'T HAVE TIME AGAIN TODAY TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE RAMIFICATIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE AS A RESULT OF WHAT IS BEING SAID HERE. BUT I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO A FEW CONCLUSIONS THAT I'VE COME TO, AS I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT PRAYER. IN LUKE CHAPTER 11 AND VERSE 1, IT SAYS, "AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT AS HE WAS PRAYING IN A CERTAIN PLACE, WHEN HE CEASED, ONE OF HIS DISCIPLES SAID UNTO HIM, LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY AS JOHN ALSO TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES." THE PART OF THAT VERSE OF SCRIPTURE THAT I'M FOCUSING ON TODAY, IS THAT PART THAT SAYS, LORD TEACH US TO PRAY." NOW I KNOW THAT THE LORD COMES BACK TO GIVE US, WHAT WE HAVE COME TO CALL, THE LORD'S PRAYER. THAT IS THE MODEL PRAYER FOR YOU AND I. IF WE WILL FOLLOW THE PATTERN, NOW, I NEED TO EMPHASIZE THIS BECAUSE, IT ISN'T JUST REPEATING THE WORDS THAT JESUS GIVES TO US, THOUGH MANY TIMES WE DO THAT. AND I'M NOT FINDING FAULT IF YOU DO THAT. I DO THAT MYSELF A TIME OR TWO. BUT WE NEED TO MOVE BEYOND JUST THE WORDS THAT JESUS GIVES TO US TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A PRAYER LIFE AND A PRAYER LANGUAGE THAT WE CAN DEVELOP, IN AND THROUGH OUR CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE AS WE MATURE IN THE LORD. MANY TIMES AS NEWBORN CHRISTIANS WE TURN TO THE MODEL OF PRAYER THAT JESUS GIVES TO US, BECAUSE IT'S ALL WE KNOW. BUT AS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD DEVELOPS IT OUGHT TO BE AS WE MATURE IN THE LORD, WE CAN COME TO A PLACE, WHERE WE CAN TALK TO THE LORD JUST AS WE WOULD TALK TO A FRIEND OR A FAMILY MEMBER. THAT WE CAN CARRY ON A CONVERSATION WITH GOD. AND I REMIND YOU THAT IN A CONVERSATION, IT IS AS MUCH LISTENING AS IT IS TALKING. HERE'S THE FIRST THING I WANT TO RECOMMEND. WHEN YOU CALL ON GOD'S NAME, WHY DON'T YOU BE QUIET JUST LONG ENOUGH TO GIVE GOD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK SOMETHING BACK TO YOU. I KNOW WE LIVE IN A VERY FAST PACED WORLD. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO GET EVERYTHING DONE WE WANT TO DO. SO WE HAVE A TENDENCY TO RUSH THROUGH THINGS. IT'S KIND OF LIKE GOING TO THE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT, WE PULL UP TO THE WINDOW, WE GIVE THEM THE ORDER, AND WE EXPECT TO HAVE THAT BAG OF FOOD IN OUR HAND IN LESS THAN A MINUTES TIME, BECAUSE WE GOT THINGS TO DO, WE GOT PLACES TO GO, PEOPLE TO SEE AND THERE'S JUST NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO GET IT ALL DONE. WE TREAT OUR PRAYER LIFE THE SAME WAY. WE KIND OF DRIVE UP TO HEAVEN'S PRAYER WINDOW, GIVE OUR ORDER, EXPECT THE ANSWER JUST AS QUICKLY AS WE GAVE THE ORDER SO THAT WE CAN GO ON WITH SOMETHING ELSE. MANY TIMES, WHAT WE NEED TO DO, IS TO SLOW DOWN, SO WE CAN TALK TO GOD AND GOD CAN TALK TO US. IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE LORD TEACH US TO PRAY, I BELIEVE THIS IS ONE OF THE LESSONS THAT GOD WOULD TEACH US. TO NOT BE IN A HURRY WITH HIM. HOW CAN WE DEVELOP A LONG LASTING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IF WE'RE ALWAYS SHOUTING COMMANDS AT HIM AND THEN MOVING ON TO THE NEXT THING? JUST AS A HUSBAND AND WIFE DEVELOP A LASTING RELATIONSHIP, THEY SPEND TIME WITH ONE ANOTHER. THEY CONVERSE WITH ONE ANOTHER. THEY SHARE WITH ONE ANOTHER. AND AS THEY DO THAT, THAT BOND IS CREATED. AND THROUGH THAT BOND, THERE IS A STRENGTH, THAT WILL CARRY THEM THROUGH THE THICK AND THE THIN OF THEIR LIVES, AS THEY FACE LIFE TOGETHER. MY GRANDPARENTS WERE MARRIED OVER 70 YEARS. MY MOTHER AND FATHER HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 54 YEARS. WHEN I LOOK AT SOME OF THE LONGEVITY OF SOME OF MY FAMILY I HAVE TO STOP AND RECOGNIZE, WHAT HELPED THEM TO STAY TOGETHER THAT LONG. I'VE PERFORMED A LOT OF MARRIAGES IN MY MINISTRY. I DON'T KNOW, SOMEWHERE AROUND 60, 70 COUPLES THAT I HAVE HELPED TO START THEIR LIFE TOGETHER, AS WE HAVE PERFORMED THOSE VOWS. SADLY, SOME OF THOSE MARRIAGES DIDN'T LAST AS LONG AS THE WEDDING CEREMONY LASTED. IT ALWAYS BOTHERED ME WHEN A GROOM WOULD WALK TO THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH TO MAKE HIS VOWS TO HIS BRIDE. AND HE WAS ALREADY WORKING OUT PLAN B. IN FACT, I REMEMBER ONE WEDDING I PERFORMED WHERE I HEARD THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE GROOM AND THE BEST MAN, AS THE BEST MAN SAID, "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IF THIS DON'T WORK?" AND THE GROOM SAID, "I'VE ALREADY GOT SOMEBODY PICKED OUT." I TURNED TO THE GROOM AND I SAID, "IS THAT TRUE?" HE SAID, "YES." I SAID, "THEN I'M NOT GOING TO DO THIS CEREMONY." NOW THAT'S KIND OF A BOLD THING FOR A PREACHER TO SAY, RIGHT? WELL, I WASN'T THERE FOR THE MONEY THAT THEY WERE GOING TO GIVE ME FOR DOING THE CEREMONY. AND AS IT TURNED OUT THEY DIDN'T GIVE ME ANY AND MAYBE THIS IS WHY, BECAUSE I CHALLENGED HIM. YOU SEE, WITH THAT KIND OF AN ATTITUDE, I COULD TELL HIM, EVEN BEFORE THE BRIDE CAME TO THE DOOR AT THE BACK OF THE CHURCH TO WALK DOWN THAT AISLE, I COULD TELL HIM, IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. HE WAS ALREADY LOOKING TO ANOTHER SOLUTION. HE HAD NO INTENTION OF GIVING WHATEVER IT WAS GOING TO TAKE TO MAKE THAT RELATIONSHIP WORK. ONE MIGHT SAY, THAT HE WAS IN IT FOR THE WEAKNESS OF HIS FLESH AND NOT TO HAVE THAT BOND THAT WOULD LAST FOR DECADES TO COME. CAN I TELL YOU TODAY, THAT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD IS THE SAME WAY. THAT IF THE ONLY TIME YOU TALK TO GOD IS BECAUSE OF A NEED WITHIN YOUR FLESHLY LIFE, THAT IF THE ONLY TIME THAT GOD HAS A CONVERSATION WITH YOU IS WHEN YOU'RE IN TROUBLE, YOUR GOING TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP THAT'S GOING TO FAIL SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY. BECAUSE IN THE GOOD TIMES YOU'LL FORGET THAT YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP THE LORD. NOW I KNOW THIS IS STRONG PREACHING. BUT WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME OF STRONG ADVERSITY. AND THE ONLY THING THAT'S GOING TO HELP US, IS TO HAVE A STRONGER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. SO THAT'S WHY I'VE COME TODAY TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU. BECAUSE, YOUR GOING TO NEED GOD'S HELP, IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'RE FACING. AND THE THING THAT WE OUGHT TO GIVE OURSELVES TO, IS JUST AS WE WOULD DO IN THE NATURAL, WITH A SPOUSE AND WITH FAMILY. WE NEED TO TALK TO GOD SO THAT IN THAT CONVERSATION, A STRONG BOND CAN BE CREATED. THEN, WHENEVER WE CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD, THERE IS GOING TO BE AN IMMEDIATE REACTION. AND THAT REACTION IS GOING TO BE BECAUSE WE HAVE TALKED TO THE LORD. JUST AS THAT OLD SONG SAYS, "JUST A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS WILL MAKE IT ALRIGHT." YOU'LL FIND A WAY TO GET THROUGH THOSE THINGS THAT ARE COMING AGAINST YOU TODAY. SO WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PRAY. AND ONE OF THOSE FIRST LESSONS WE NEED TO LEARN, IS THAT NEED TO LISTEN TO GOD, AS MUCH IF NOT MORE, THAN OUR TALKING TO GOD. YOU SEE, PRAYER IS WHAT UNLEASHES THE POWER OF GOD IN OUR LIFE. HOW MANY TIMES, HAVE WE NOT HAD ANY POWER UNTIL WE PRAYED. IN FACT, I'M JUST GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE A BOLD ADMISSION TO YOU, THAT IT'S NOT UNTIL WE PRAY THAT WE EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF GOD. WE'VE GOT TO CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD. BECAUSE WHEN WE CALL UPON HIS NAME, HE COMES, HE RESPONDS, HE REACTS TO OUR HEART'S CRY. BUT WE FIRST GOT TO PRAY. WE FIRST HAVE TO CALL UPON HIM. AND WHEN WE DO, THANK THE LORD, THERE IS A RELEASE OF POWER INTO OUR LIVES. NOW, IT'S AS IF WE CAN SAY, WE CAN'T GET HELP UNTIL WE ASK FOR HELP. HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED IT'S HARD TO HELP SOMEBODY UNTIL THEY WANT HELP? MANY TIMES THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE COME ACROSS THAT NEEDED HELP, BUT WE COULDN'T DO A THING FOR THEM BECAUSE, THEY DIDN'T WANT OUR HELP. THEY WERE SO INDEPENDENTLY MINDED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO IT THEMSELVES AND SUFFER WHATEVER CONSEQUENCE AS A RESULT, BUT THEY WERE GOING TO DO IT ALL ON THEIR OWN. NOW, THERE ARE SOME TIMES IN LIFE, WHEN YOU CAN'T DO IT ON YOUR OWN AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ADMITTING THAT. THERE ARE SOME TIMES WE DO NEED THE HELP OF OTHERS. PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL THINGS OF OUR LIVES. BECAUSE THOSE ARE AREAS THAT QUITE OFTEN WE CANNOT HELP OURSELVES IN. THERE ARE JUST SOME PROBLEMS THAT COME OUR WAY THAT A POSITIVE MIND CANNOT CAUSE YOU TO RISE ABOVE THE SITUATION. YOU CAN BE AS POSITIVE AS ANYBODY CAN BE POSITIVE, BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE THE SITUATION GO AWAY. AND IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU A SOLUTION TO THE SITUATION. YOU JUST TRY YOUR BEST TO ENDURE THE SITUATION UNTIL A BETTER TIME COMES. WELL, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT TODAY, IF I COULD GIVE TO YOU A SOLUTION THAT'LL WORK EVERY TIME? NOW I KNOW YOU'VE ALREADY ANTICIPATED MY RESPONSE. AND THAT IS, IF WE TALK TO GOD, GOD CAN HELP US WITH THINGS THAT WE CANNOT FIND A SOLUTION WITHIN OURSELVES TO OVERCOME THAT SITUATION WE'RE FACING. THAT'S WHY WE TALK TO GOD. SO WHEN WE PRAY THERE IS A RELEASE OF GOD'S POWER INTO OUR LIVES. THAT BRINGS ME TO THE NEXT POINT. AS THAT POWER IS RELEASED, IT WILL CULTIVATE MIRACLES. WHAT IS A MIRACLE? A MIRACLE IS SOMETHING THAT TAKES PLACE, THAT WE REALLY, COULDN'T DO FOR OURSELVES. I KNOW SOMETIMES, IT IS A MIRACLE THAT WE CAN DO SOME THINGS. BUT, THAT'S THE MIRACLE. WE DIDN'T THINK WE COULD, WE DIDN'T THINK WE HAD IT WITHIN US, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN WE FOUND OURSELVES BEING ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS TASK. MIRACLES, A MIRACLE IS SOMETHING THAT WE NORMALLY ATTRIBUTE TO GOD, BECAUSE GOD IS THE GIVER OF MIRACLES. IF YOU'RE FACED WITH AN INCURABLE DISEASE TODAY, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU RETURN TO THE DOCTOR AND THE DOCTOR SAYS, "I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, WE TOLD YOU, YOU HAD THE DISEASE, BUT WE CAN'T FIND A TRACE OF IT TODAY. THERE WAS NO CURE FOR THAT DISEASE. HOW DID THAT DISEASE GO AWAY? IT WAS A MIRACLE, IT WAS THE HAND OF GOD. HAVING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY TODAY? A MIRACLE IS WHAT YOU NEED. YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GO TO THE BANK, THE BANKER MAY HAVE TURNED YOU DOWN. BUT IF YOU'LL DO TO THE ONE WHO OWNS THE CATTLE ON A THOUSAND HILLS, HE CAN PERFORM A MIRACLE. FOR THE LORD KNOWS HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. OH, I COULD GO ON AND ON TALKING ABOUT THAT. BUT AS WE THINK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A MIRACLE, WHAT'S THE EFFECT OF THAT? IT'S THE EFFECT OF HOPE. AS WE PRAY AND POWER IS RELEASED AND MIRACLES ARE PERFORMED, IT BRINGS HOPE TO OUR LIVES. AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED TODAY. WE NEED HOPE. HOPE HAS SUCH AN AMAZING EFFECT UPON OUR LIVES. AS LONG AS WE HAVE HOPE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO ON. BECAUSE MANY TIMES, HOPE WILL DRIVE US ONWARD, KEEP US MOVING FORWARD, WHEN THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND FACING MAY SEEM TO STALL US IN OUR TRACKS. IF WE JUST TOOK IT AT FACE VALUE, THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO TAKE CARE OF. WE WOULD JUST LOSE HOPE AND IN LOSING HOPE, GIVE UP, SIT DOWN AND DIE. BUT HOPE DRIVES US ONWARD. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT I HAVE COME ACROSS OF LATE, THAT, THAT'S THE ONE THING I WOULD GIVE THEM, IF I COULD GIVE IT TO THEM, WAS HOPE. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO TALK IN POSITIVE TERMS. SOMETIME YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM SCRIPTURES THAT WILL HELP TO BUILD THEIR FAITH AND THEIR HOPE. BECAUSE FAITH AND HOPE WORK HAND IN HAND. AND IF WE CAN GIVE HOPE, THEN WE KNOW THAT SOMEHOW ALONG THE WAY, GOD IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF US. THE MIRACLE IS GOING TO BE RELEASED AND WE ARE GOING TO FIND VICTORY IN JESUS. NOW, THE OTHER THING THAT PRAYER DOES AND THIS IS THE THING THAT I WANT TO FINISH WITH TODAY. PRAYER BRINGS RENEWAL. HOW? BECAUSE AS I SAID EARLIER, PRAYER IS THAT WAY THAT WE CREATE THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THAT WE HAVE. NO MAN HAS A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD UNTIL HE PRAYS. THE MORE YOU PRAY, THE GREATER YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD IS. THEREBY, BRING YOU RENEWAL. YOU'RE KIND OF LIKE THAT CAR THAT SITS OUT THERE IN THE DRIVEWAY. IF YOU DON'T PUT GAS IN IT, THERE'S GOING TO COME A POINT WHERE THE CAR IS NOT GOING TO MOVE. IF YOU BOUGHT A CAR THAT HAD A LITTLE GAS IN IT AND YOU NEVER PUT ANOTHER DROP IN IT, THERE'S GOING TO COME A POINT WHERE THAT CAR IS GOING TO LEAVE YOU STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY. PRAYER IS THE SAME AS THAT PRINCIPLE. IF YOU DON'T PRAY, YOU'RE GOING TO COME TO A PLACE, WHERE ALONG THE ROAD OF LIFE YOU'RE GOING TO BE STRANDED. BUT IF YOU'LL TALK TO GOD, IT WILL FUEL THAT INNER MAN. IT WILL CAUSE THAT INNER MAN TO GO PLACES THAT YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU COULD GO. TO DO THINGS THAT YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU COULD DO. AND WHEN LIFE COMES AT YOU FULL FORCE AND IT'S DRAINING YOU OF EVERY RESOURCE THAT YOU HAVE, PRAYER WILL BE THE WAY THAT YOU RENEW AND REFRESH YOUR SPIRIT. SO THAT YOU CAN CONTEND WITH THE THINGS THAT LIFE HAS BROUGHT TO YOUR DOORSTEP. I WANT TO CLOSE IN A WORD OF PRAYER. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PRAY ALONG WITH ME. AND TOGETHER, LET'S ASK GOD FOR SOME MIRACLES TODAY. PRECIOUS LORD, HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN OUR LIVES, WE THANK YOU FOR THE MIRACLES THAT YOU CAN WORK. AND LORD, I PRAY THAT AS WE CALL UPON YOUR NAME TODAY, THOSE MIRACLES WILL COME. BUT MOST OF ALL, TEACH US TO PRAY. THAT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU MIGHT GROW STRONGER. IN JESUS' NAME WE ASK IT, AMEN.