Sunday, March 8 2020 - Prayer Part 4

If you have your Bibles with you, go ahead and be turning over to Matthew chapter 5. I will be looking at verse 21 and then we'll look at a few versus the end of chapter 5 is well.

All right, see if I can balance everything in my hands up here for the past few weeks. We have been looking at prayer in the majority vote. We looked at so far is how prayer in particular that the main purpose of Prayer in our lives is to strengthen our relationship with our creator the more time we spend in prayer with him the better off we are now we would get quite a few of the specifics of prayer. What kind of prayers should we pray? Is there a asset formula? Is there an idea are there certain attitude? Of course, there's not a formula Jesus did give us a sample prayer that we've looked at in detail at this point, but it was about the attitude behind the prayer in the primary attitude that's going to pull over into today's talk a little bit is that at our prayer life shouldn't just be about us. Write prayer isn't just about of course going to God like we said before what their Amazon wishlist. Hey God hears all the things. I think I need in life right now prayer is about submitting to him about trying to get on the same wavelength as guide to get to see your life. The way God sees your life to lay your cares in your burdens before him certainly, but also simply to go to him and recognize God. I know you got me. I know you're taking care of me. So help me be the person you called me to be in the last week. We look at the idea that when we pray instead of always asking God to fix our problems a better attitude is God help me use whatever situation I'm in to your glory. Let it be for your kingdom. I know you've got me guy. I know you're taking care of me. Help me be the person you created me to be when we really start praying like that and praying like that regularly, it truly ships our relationship with God because we stopped focusing on ourselves and we start focusing on him now here Matthew chapter 5. Got to get my eyeballs on here. We're going to take this one step farther, right? This is the last sermon in this series before we and why don't want us to look at is the idea that a strong prayer life a healthy prayer life a spiritual prayer life. Not only helps your relationship with God, but it actually helps every other relationship in your life. All right beside a relationship with God. I think most of us would say the more important things in our lives or our relationships with those we're closest to it. Maybe not even just family. I mean of course family counts in there, but how much is a relationship with our bosses or coworkers are employees play into our life is no we can't get along with her boss makes Lobster to the drag at least we're at work, right and then we tend to bring that home and it hurts our relationships at home as well. This is a good thing about prayer a healthy prayer life can help us through all those areas. So let's begin this morning looking to God's word Matthew chapter 5. And we're going to start up and verse 21. Matthew 5 starting at verse 21

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, you shall not murder and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment, but I'll tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment again anyone who says to his sister. Rocca is answerable to the court. And anyone who says you fool will be in danger of the fires of Hell. Therefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and their remember that your brother or sister has something against you leave your gift there in front of the altar first go and be reconciled to them then come and offer your gift 43.

You have heard that it was said love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be children of your father in Heaven. He causes his son to to rise on the evil in the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous if you love those, who love you what reward will you get, are you are not even the tax collectors doing that and if you only breathe your own people, what are you doing more than others do not even pagans do that be perfect there for as your heavenly father is perfect two different ideas going on here one the first part we raised his look. Course, he's talking to Jews who still had to go to the temple make their sacrifice it is if you're bringing an offering to God, but you know your brother or sister have something against you and my brother or sister. He mean anybody in the community. All right, all Jews considered each other brothers and sisters. They were all children of Abraham. So Christians, we all consider each other brothers and sisters. In fact, you could take this is that further anybody you come across your neighbor whoever you have a responsibility to them. He says if you're going to worship God And you realize this relationship is broken. Stop. What you doing, go take care of that relationship and then come back and worship. Now. The reason I wanted to start there is for us to understand God takes our relationships very seriously, and we've talked about this a lot. So I'm not going to belabor the idea this morning, but you cannot God you have not seen Dakota verse if you do not love the brother or sister you have seen. But that's hard. All right. Does the problem with that is we're not always all easy to love. Are we? I mean, we all think that we are I think that I am I have enough on his family. They let me know just how wrong that is sometimes. Right. I bet you some honest people in your life that let you know when you're not being really easy to love to it's difficult. It's difficult to keep relationship going because the send that messes up her own life also messes up our relationships. This may be one of the biggest struggles we have in life. How do we handle all the damage? We do through the dumb stuff that we do. And the answer to that is we have to learn to forgive and that's hard. All right learning to forgive is a difficult thing to do. Here's the good news though. Prayer is one of the best ways to increase your capacity for forgiveness. You wouldn't be able to forgive more pray more pray those God prayers. We've been talking about pray those prayers that are given in submission to God pray those prayers that are all about you, but they're all about him. And why you'll start to find is it gets easier to forgive by the first off? I mean, we're talking about getting along with others when somebody wrong says it's not always easy to let it go especially depending on what they did. Let's be honest. Write how many of us in our lives have been hurt by somebody else? Auto Sales that do not go up. I know you already fell asleep. Because we all have right. So, how do we forget? How do we get past that? One in prayer as we thank God for who he is as we remember who the person is. We're talking to in prayer. One thing we should remember is how often he's forgiven us.

If we remember how often we've been forgiven and makes it a whole lot easier to forgive other people that in it. When we forget how often we've been forgiven, it can get a little easier to get self-righteous in her anger. I can't believe they didn't know I never heard of anybody doing what they did. I would never dream of doing what they did to me. Course, I dreamed up a lot of other ways to hurt other people apparently. If I remember those other ways that makes a big difference.

Also in our prayers when we pray we were praying for the person that hurt it. Here's a great thing to ask for. God help me see them the way you see them. Because how do you think God sees them? Diseases you think he sees them as second-class compared to you.

Even though they hurt you, even though they've done dumb things even though they made your life difficult. Do you write really think God loves them any less? And there's an easy answer to that. Do you think God loves you any less because of all the dumb things you've done.

Let's go beyond dumb. All the mean things we've done in our lives all the sinful rebellious things. We've done a lot. Does God love us any less because of all that. They're not saying he likes it. You don't like it. But he doesn't love us any lamps. So if I'm praying to God God this person that's giving me such a hard time. This boss-employee family member who ever? God help me see them the way you see them. Help me understand them better. What do you think is going to do for you? You know, this is a problem in our culture right now, isn't it? We don't know how to tolerate each other anymore. Whatever is happening. I can get on a soapbox for that for hours. I won't but whatever is happening in our culture One symptom of it. We are not tolerate each other anymore. If we had if we had different beliefs different ideas different opinion than we're basically told we're supposed to hate each other. the people who disagree with me or evil no, but if you back up and look at what we're talking about. So am I. So what makes their evil worse than my evil did God not forgive their evil cousin forget. My evil is God not wanting them to have the same blessings. He wants me to have You're one of the worst things we do to each other as humans is dehumanize each other. Make each other seem like less, but if you go before your God and prayer if you're down on your knees or however you want to pray it doesn't matter the Foster. But if you're spiritually at least on your knees before God and you're praying about somebody who's wronged you been beds you they're making bad choices, you're being hurt because of their choices and you are honestly drawing before his throne and submission. You going to find a real hard. date that person because the person you're talking to does not hate that person. My God becomes a great reality. Check Forest you want an attitude check spend a few hours in prayer. Not because we talked before just doesn't think of our prayers matter is guide impressed with the long-winded prayer. No, so why should we maybe spend a few hours in prayer sometime? Cuz I'm going to suggest that's a good thing to do in certain circumstances. Lexie has nothing to do with getting God to listen has everything was getting yourself to listen. Sometimes I need to spend that time and God's presence submitting to him to my attitude checks. So I can see myself my own resentments my own bad attitude my own self-righteousness, whatever it is. And realize that I'm not helping the relationship either.

We're told we talked about this. That one of the reasons Our Father gave us his Spirit the Holy Spirit to live individually inside of each and every one of them. He Marxist as a child of God, he intercedes. This is a big one for this morning. Anyway intercedes in our prayers or say that more plainly he helps his prey but we don't know how more than that. He gives our prayers meaning cuz he takes the very thoughts and feelings and emotions in our hearts two things that there probably aren't even words for And he takes those directly to God's throne. But he does something else. He also brings God's presence because he is part of the father directly in.

So you want an attitude check spend time with your creator? Let his Spirit live in you as you pray. And probably the hardest part of the prayer is coming to grips with your own flies and arrogance and pride and whatever else. But when we can do that.

Then we can step back and be a lot more proactive and helping are helping the relationships we have strengthened. Or maybe just helping us like we started with this forgive them.

Everybody knows this woman asked anyway when you failed to forgive somebody who loses. dimmer you You right. Cuz does your resentment really hurt them that much.

Probably not. especially if they were acting in a way where they just didn't value you. What's your resentment going to mean to them? Absolutely nothing. But if you can give your resentment up one they can't hurt you the same to you can actually demonstrate grace and mercy back to them. And I love the way God does this didn't do what Jesus says, you know, I forgive those who hurt you if nothing else you going to Heap coals of fire on their head. I love that he gives us that little one that's not what we do it. That's not what we forgive. But if all else fails and they just don't respond you're going to irritate him and that's sort of fun if you're doing it Godly.

true Do you give this a little one there? If you do the right thing, you will get something back because when we submit to our father and live the way he wants us to live in the end. It doesn't matter how those around us lid will find his Blessing to his present his peace in our life anyway, and we will have an effect on those around us. Hopefully I could affect to draw them closer to God, but if all else fails you don't show them how their life isn't working correctly and sometimes initial response to that is negative. They don't like it when you when they're called out like that not verbally but spiritually

back in the the model that Jesus gave us one of the keys we talked about is forgive us our debts as we forgiven others that this is the reason I wanted to die forgiveness and prayer together for us as we ended the series.

You can't be forgiven. Unless you're willing to forgive.

I want to say that again cuz this is huge. You cannot be forgiven unless you're willing to forgive. God ties how we treat each other. How we treat him? That's one reason. Just to be blunt about it. We have this idea has been popular for years. Now. It's getting more popular. I don't need other people. I don't need the church. I don't need to go do religious stuff like that. I am worship god with a fishing pole out on the lake with nobody around me, and I'm not near as Disturbed. They don't get me wrong. I love being out on the lake with a fishing pole with nobody around me. You can you see God up there. Absolutely, you see is fingerprinting all crazy and there is a time for that. But if you want to love God and love the way God loves as in service as in giving to him can't do it by yourself. Catching a fish while fun. Doesn't actually honor God that much. Loving your fellow man that are created in His image. does that's one reason you told us to do this thing is not just about going out somewhere and feel it on music about God. Now. You should feel music about God sometimes if you don't something wrong with you cuz he's awesome it it should stir you at time. But you want to serve him you want to show your love for him Hugo serve his creation, you know serve the people that are walking around in His image. They don't know it put on back like it, but that's what they were created to be. You want to love God love his creation. That's why he ties his forgiveness of us. the our forgiveness of others

How can we really claim to love God and hate his image? Does it matter who it is or how poorly they reflect him? We're still to see them as His Image and it's a challenge, okay? It's a challenge to see people the way God sees them. That's what we have to do this in prayer. That's why when you're having a lot of trouble with a relationship. The best thing you could do is go get by yourself for a little bit and pray pray God help me with this. I don't want you to pray. Or everybody wait for second way back up.

You're faking it. I'll take it.

Do not pray. God please fix this idiot.

Cuz they are so messed up. Make them stop what they're doing. Would you please just make them behave?

What would I say? Don't pray that prayer.

Because it's the completely wrong attitude now, they may need to stop what they're doing. They may need to have a better attitude who may need to grow a brain.

But that's not up to you.

What is Somebody Prayed About You God, please? Make them change. Would you appreciate that? If God just made you be what somebody else wanted you to be? He's giving you free will to let you choose but here's the thing since he's giving you free. Will he's giving everybody free. Well, he is not going to force somebody to do what they do not want to do. So don't waste your prayers saying God change that person. How about Focus your prayer back and what he can help you do. God help me forgive them. Help me not hold a grudge. Yes. They need to change. Help me be an influence on them. See if you if you just deal with the guy in the head God, will you fix this problem? Like any good parent guys? Probably can go. No, but I'll tell you how. Send my boys come to me and that they're doing something Noah loves creating stuff and doing all that kind of stuff and he'll come say that I'm thinking about doing this and I've got this this this and this would you make this for me? He's old enough now, I'm like no. But I'll tell you how. Why because I don't want to do it with him. bucatini

developing skills how to use the different Tools in it ginger kid a power saw and you just start watching in your brain appendages fall off. And it scares you but yet, you know as a parent, what do you have to do teach him how to use it safely. Cuz it's the same thing in a relationship. He's not going to fix them for his but he's going to give us the tools we need. To be a good influence. It would have to understand. Relationship may never fully be fixed because you can't control the other person and God refuses to control the other person. Guess he's giving them the same Freedom out of love that he's giving you.

So to help us with this. You want to pray about somebody else's sins first Confessor on?

Acknowledge your faults if you're dealing with a relationship that's messed up sit down before God and acknowledge how you messed it up cuz any relationship. takes two takes two to make it work and on the whole it takes two to mess it up. And if you honestly say to yourself while couldn't have done anything different spend a lot of time in prayer and you'll probably figure it out. It's none of us are perfect. All right, but as we confess our sins to God. It helps put other people's sins into perspective. Because it's too easy as humans. For me to say what what they did to me is far worse than anything I've ever done to them.

Are you sure? It's a funny thing. When you look at your own sins just from your own perspective. How big are your own sins usually?

tiny you look at somebody else's it's like a giant magnifying glass gets put in front of your face and you can see they're sitting in their sensing shoes. soldier's perspective

So what are we do we confess to God God here is my sin against you my arrogance my pride my lust my greed whatever it is and I'll lay it out in detail in front of God and all of a sudden I start to realize my sins aren't actually quite that small. In fact, they're similar to everybody else's that I see. but when I do that makes me much more sympathetic for the sins that are committed against me.

Go to God and ask him to help you realize that that other person's soul is as valuable as mine. Cod loves them just as much. Any of us who have kids I hope this is true. It is not true. Please keep it to yourself. But most of us that have multiple children. Do you love one child more than the other? Usually I do but only in that I tell the one I'm talking to that. I love the other one more just so you know. Mess with them. Don't want him getting too arrogant, you know. I know you love them the same they're different. You may love them in different ways. They both rent or for me. I got to they both bring different things to the table that they both have different strengths different weaknesses. But if you told me to choose between my two boys, I did just shoot me please cuz that choice is never being made.

Feels about us the same way. He's not going to choose one above the other he chooses all and you cannot say to yourself. Oh, but I'm a faithful Christian this person that he then took out obviously loves me more. Oh, no God glad he has you. But he's dying that he doesn't have them. He literally died to have them.

Prayer helps us check that attitude, right? It's it's the power of submission when you submit before God and accept your place as unworthy. Is there by Grace & Mercy alone? Makes it much easier to see the value of those around you.

If God can love me anyway, he can love the person I'm having trouble with anyway. right If God can help me be the person I'm supposed to be you know, what he can help that person and maybe God needs to use me to help that person get to where they need to be. So instead of prolonging a fight. I look for ways to be a good influence to demonstrate grace and mercy and patience and kindness. Let them see God in Me so that they can learn to develop God in themselves.

I hope through the course of this series. You got something. I know I have but that's the benefit of being a preacher. I get 10 times what you do because it never comes out, right so you got to get what comes out. If you haven't gotten anything else get this. You want to be a faithful Christian you want to be more faithful than you are now you want to be stronger spiritually than you are now increase your prayer life. Pray more don't just pray before you eat. I mean you can pray before you eat. Don't get me wrong, but that better not be the only time don't just braids are going to bed at night. Don't just have little moments dads. You don't have to think about.

Make time in your life to put God first at different times change it up every week. Give yourself a different time to pray schedule sometime this week Tuesday night. I don't have much going on. I'm going to get myself an extra 20 minutes. I'm just going to go somewhere and pray.

Don't have an agenda don't have anything pressing. I just want to spend some time with God. And then when you have conflict troubles relationship issues. Spend even more time in prayer and watch what God does in your life to do something. You can't go before God.

And not be changed. You can't take selfish anger before God and God not burn it away. You want help with that relationship you go to God and you'll find all of a sudden you're not near as mad as that person as you thought you were. You may still be a little irritated. You may still be bothered by what they did with all the sudden. They're not Public Enemy Number One. In fact, I'm worried about him. God loves them like he loves me. What can I do for them? Add prayer into your life and see what happens.

That's it. You got all four sermons. I'd encourage you this morning. If you are struggling in your life and you need prayer. The good thing is we don't just pray by ourselves. We can also pray for each other this and I'm that can help us get over the burden. So if you hear this morning and you need help getting over something let us pray for you here in a moment as we stand and sing some of our Shepherd to be at the back. You can go talk to them privately then pray for you right then and there or maybe it's something you want to pray for publicly because you just you think that will help you will come forward and we'll help you do that as well. Whatever needs you have this morning. Let us serve you in whatever way we can cuz we staying in same together.