Good morning, everyone. It's good to be here again. I invite you to open your Bibles with me to the Gospel of Luke. Luke chapter 11.
Before we begin, let's bow our heads and ask that the Lord would guide His word home to every one of our hearts. God has demonstrated that He wants to speak to us, that His desires to communicate to each one of us. And He does that in different ways. And one of the primary ways is He speaks to us through His word.
And so as we pray, I invite you to pray as well that God would speak to your heart as well. And not only that He would speak, because communication is a two-way thing. It has to be received. And so you pray as well that God would not only speak to you, but that you would hear and that you would be able to apply what you hear this morning.
So shall we pray? Lord God, we come before You this morning. Father, I pray in the name of Your Son, the Lord Jesus. And thank You, O God, that we can come boldly before You because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And Father, we know that You have sent Him into the Son to save us, O God, from our sin, so that we could have a relationship with You. O God, this morning I pray that as we look into Your word that You would speak to us, O God, that ultimately we might be conformed and transformed into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. O God, I pray that You would remove the things that would distract us from hearing and help us to be able to hear You speaking this morning. And then by Your grace to go out and live those things that we see in Your word, Father, to a lost and dying world.
And we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. This is something that's been on my heart for a while, and it's one of the few things that I've repeated in a various assembly. So I'd like you to consider this because I think it's one of the most fundamental things historically in the Church.
And that is the matter of prayer. Because if the Church will not pray together, generally nothing else will function correctly. And I remember there's a little meeting, a guy had come to Canada, and it used to be that the Dutch farmers in Holland used to send their men here to work. And they'd work on the farm, so they'd go back to Holland again.
And the Dutch farmers all threw here, my parents were Dutch, by the way. They would put them to work. So as one young man came to Canada and he worked and he went back to Holland and they had started a meeting there. And it was flourishing and really growing.
And what they would do was they would have their evening meeting and then they'd go out in the streets and start evangelizing. And one, as things happened, there were struggles that arose in the Church. And this was a young meeting. They didn't have a lot of experience.
They didn't have a lot of people to tell them what they should or shouldn't do. And yet when they encountered a problem, what they did is they shut everything down and they went to prayer. And the things were taken care of. And you know, I'd like to begin here in Luke chapter 11 of verse 1.
And it says there came to pass as he, Jesus was praying in a certain place when he had finished or ceased that one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And it's interesting that the Lord Jesus would leave that impression on his disciples that they would come to him and they would say to him, of all the things to teach them, they would ask him to teach them to pray. You know, they could have said, you know, they'd watched his life and they'd seen him teaching. They could have said, teach us to teach or teach us to preach or teach us to go and do it like you do with all the crowds.
But they didn't ask him to do that. The thing they asked him was teach us to pray. And it's remarkable because they had been watching the life of the Lord Jesus and they'd seen the importance of prayer in the life of the Lord Jesus. And if prayer was important to the Lord Jesus, it absolutely should be important to everyone of us.
You see, the Lord Jesus, if you were looking in Luke chapter 11 verse, Luke chapter 6 verse 12, you'd find out the Lord Jesus, it says, went out and he prayed all night. They'd seen him going out and they'd seen him and it says in March after 1, there were he'd gone out a long time before day. See, the Lord Jesus have it was to spend time in prayer. And they'd seen that.
And when they came asking him specifically to teach them something, they said, would you teach us to pray? And when you begin to read the book of Acts, you see that they learned how to pray. And it's demonstrating life in the church. Now, that brings it to you and I.
And the question really is this is, there's many things in our life individually and then corporately as a church that we need to pray about. And the question is, what do we do when we need, when we encounter those times of need? And not just when we're in county times of need, but in our life is prayer a key and central part of our life, or is it not? Now, I'd like to go through a few points on prayer and some it's very basic.
And I know we know these things, but sometimes it's like the Bible says, you're happy if you do them. And so the first thing I'd like to start off is what is prayer and prayer is communication. It's communication with God and communication by his very nature is a two way thing. If I stand there and do all the talking and you don't respond to me, you're just going to stand like a stone face, that's not communication.
Communication is your response. Yeah, no, I can tell by your face something. There's something happening there, right? And so communication is there's actually something going on between us.
And when you watch in even in our world, prayer is really an instinctive response to God. I mean, somebody jumps out of the airplane with their prayers, you know, it doesn't open. Guess what they do? God help.
I mean, nobody needs to teach him that. Right? He was like, help. They start praying and some of these prayers can be very short.
And it says in Psalm 65 verse 2, oh, thou are you who hears prayer to thee, all flesh shall come, even in the darkest jungles, people soul cries out to God. And so he says to thee, you that hear prayer to thee, all flesh shall come. And as you look through on scripture, there are numerous examples of prayer in the Bible and of people who prayed. I mean, you think of Daniel three times a day, he would go and he would set aside time to pray.
And now you might say, well, you know, America's fine for Daniel, though it's not in prayer, but I'm a busy man. Daniel was, I don't know what you'd call him. He would be vice president of the empire of Persia or Babylon. Like if anybody was busy, Daniel was busy.
Like I can't imagine all the things that came across his desk and run over a week. Three times a day, he sat aside time to go and pray. And that was part of the Jewish culture. They would do that.
But I discovered that if you can separate a little bit your prayer life, it's amazing how the different things you can focus on it. And Daniel did that three times a pray. And we spoke about the Lord Jesus. Think of it.
The Lord Jesus himself, the time he would spend with his father and turn back on the idea of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 50. And look what it says there, what the Lord Jesus would do. Isaiah chapter 50 and verse four and five. And it says there, the Lord has given me the tongue of the learner of the disciple that I should know how to speak a word and season to him.
It was weary. He says, he awakens me morning by morning. He awakens my ear to hear as the learned. So the Lord Jesus morning by morning would go to his father and he would spend time with his father to receive instructions for the day.
Because the Lord Jesus would say, I'm not doing this on my own. Think of that. The Son of God would say, I'm not here doing my own thing. I'm not kind of as we're making up my mind up on the spurt moment.
What I'll do morning by morning, he would go to his father and he'd receive instructions so that he would say, he'd say everything that I've done and everything that I said comes from God. He would start his day with the father so that his life would demonstrate who and what God is. But really what is prayer? And prayer in fact is us recognizing how completely and utterly we depend on God.
That our very soul needs that, desires that communication with God and that time with God. And it's not just the fact that I need things. I need God. And in fact, I desire God and I want to spend time with God.
And prayer is what that is all about. And when you look into the scriptures, I prayer the different aspects of prayer that are concluded. If you were to go from one in the scripture, just a few things you'd encounter, thanksgiving is one of the things you find as part of prayer. You give thanks to God.
Everything that we have we've received from God. That breath you feel going in your lungs right now, take a deep breath and let it out. God gave you that. Your heart beating one after another after you don't stop and think about these things.
When's the last time you said, Lord, thank you, my heart is beating. Probably when it stops. You thought it stopped. You go, Lord, thank you my heart's beating.
Isn't that the reality? We don't really thank him for something until we don't have it. There's so many things like when's the last time you thank God for a country we live in? I'll be honest.
And this is not a political side-tracking like that. I sometimes complain about our government. And yet God has given us a country we can live peaceably that we can go and proclaim the gospel. Thanksgiving.
And then there's praise that we can do just like we were singing to praise God. And then, and praise is not just telling God how wonderful it is, but it's telling everyone else. Do you realize how wonderful God is? And then to come to him and say to God, you are just amazing.
And then to worship God. Prayer is worship, isn't it? It's coming before God and just bringing up to him all he is and all that we've found is through the Lord Jesus Christ. It's all about him, isn't it?
And then confession. Confession is an important part of prayer. Unfortunately, it can often be neglected. But confession is important that I come before God and I acknowledge I sinned.
And David himself in the Psalmist would say, search me, oh God. And know me, try my God. You see if there's any wicked way in me and lead me in the way of last time. Why would he ask God to search him so he could confess his sin?
And then there's the area that often we think of when prayer is the aspect of asking God or petitioning God. And that includes so much more than just asking for my daily needs, but includes interceding on behalf of others, supplicating God for different things. And then finally, I think probably the most important part of prayer is that actual communion with God. Just taking time to talk to God and to allow God to talk to us.
And we can only do that when we spend time in prayer in his word. And so these are just a few, but six main aspects you'll find in prayer. But I'd like to look at a few things about how to pray. Because since prayer is communication, in order to communicate with someone, you have to have some sort of relationship with them.
Now, turn with me the first John chapter one. And you'll see what John wanted us to know so we could have that communion or that fellowship with God. In first John chapter one, you see John there, he's telling these, he's writing this book and we can start in verse one. He says that which was from the beginning, which we've heard, we've seen with our eyes, we've looked upon our hands up handled, concerning the word of life about Jesus.
And then he goes on to say the life was manifested. We've seen it. We've heard and bear witness declared to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was manifest to us. And then he goes on to say what we've seen and heard we declared to you.
So you also may have fellowship with us. Now, in essence, what John is doing there is he's saying, well, you know what, I spent all this time with Jesus. I saw him do this. I heard his teaching.
I actually, I touched him and I saw that Lazarus raised and I touched Lazarus and he says, I want to tell you about it. You see, it's like, if you saw something very spectacular, whatever it might be, something whether it's good or bad, maybe you've seen like you maybe were an auto on sword, the tornadoes go by and you tell me, Mark, you would not believe it. It was terrifying. And so you'd want to tell me about it.
Well, John saw something that was so amazing that he wanted us to know about it. And so he begins to tell us about it and why so that we as well could have this fellowship with God because that's what he goes on to say. He says, truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his son. So first and foremost, our fellowship with God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
And then based on that, I can have fellowship with you. And so John says, I've had that and I want to share it with you. Now, just a side note, do you ever do that? Have you ever had such wonderful fellowship with the Lord and with the Lord Jesus Christ?
He just, I got to tell somebody about this. This is so good. I got to tell this with, I got to share it with you. Well, that's what John was doing.
And so he says, he does that so we could have fellowship with him. And the result of that fellowship with God is going to be reflected in our prayers. Now, just for an example, it turns me to Ephesians chapter three. Ephesians chapter three.
See, as I get to know someone, I'm going to come to them based on who or what they are. Well, as you get to know God, you're going to come and pray to him based on who he is. Now, look what he says here in Ephesians chapter three. Paul is praying here.
And he begins to pray there in verse 16. Well, actually in verse 14, it says, I bound my knee to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then look what he says in verse 16, that he would grant you. This is his prayer for the Church of Epheses.
And he says, I pray that God would grant you that according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith so that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the width and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. When is the last time you prayed something like that for someone? And yet this is what Paul did. Whatever caused Paul, whatever gave him the idea to pray something like that.
Well, the only reason he would pray that is because obviously he had been spending time with God and he saw just the enormous, the greatness of God's love. And he says, I want to pray that for you, the Ephesians. And the same, I can pray that for you that God would cause you to know the length and the depth and the height of his love and that you would be filled with all the fullness of God. How is that possible?
Well, as Paul spent time with the Lord, he saw the greatness of who he was. And he says, oh, that you would be filled with that. Just filled to overflowing. And that's only possible by spending time in that relationship with God and with the Lord Jesus Christ.
And if you spend time with him and as you get to know him, then your prayers are going to begin to reflect that. You know, it's one thing to come up. You see little child come up to their dad and perhaps their dad is very wealthy. And they said, you know, daddy, can I have a dollar to go get to candy?
You think, wow, that child doesn't understand that. A dollar to him is nothing. You know, we come to God. God is so overwhelmingly gracious and generous and abundant.
And we should come based on who he is, not for ourselves, but ultimately to glorify him. And so Paul had captured that by spending time with the Lord. And now if you just turn back on me to John 8, John 8, and I've already touched on this, but I just want you to see that. John 8, verse 28 and 29.
And the point that says there is, and said, Jesus to them, when you've lift up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing of myself. But as my father taught me, I speak these things. And he who sent me is with me, the Father has not let me long for I always do those things that please him. See, as we spend time with God and in his presence, we are going to seek those things that please him that glorify him.
Just like he would say of the Lord Jesus, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, our desires to see God please, and how can we know that except by spending time with him. And then we can reflect that in our prayers. And so the first thing about praying is that we need to pray abiding in him. Turn to John chapter 15.
See prayer is not something isolated in our life. It's widely connected to the rest of our life. And you can't separate that. It's because it's really based on our spending time with God and it just flows out of that.
And so John chapter 15, and look what it says in verse 7. He says, if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you will and it will be done for you. And now you know to something that it says here, there's a condition there. As we abide in him, we will pray.
You know, there's a lot of prayers that go out that are very self-centered, aren't they? It's very easy for me to be selfish about things. But when we take the example of Lord Jesus in the garden, gazimini, at the point of the greatest, you could say, agony of his life, on the very eve of going to the cross, think about this. Him, the Son of God, perfect, holy, unimpakable, the idea is never touched by sin.
And he's there in the garden. And he's down on the ground. And he's calling out to God and he said, oh God, you can almost hear the agony just flowing out from us. He says, if it is possible, take this cup from me.
You can see how much he hated the thought of having to bear that sin and yet he would do it for you and for me, because he finished his prayer by saying what? Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you want. And he would go to the cross. He would go to the cross and bear our sins to do God's will.
And so he says, if you abide in me seeking God's will, and there's a little story about the young lady who she had put her trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and had begun to live a very faithful Christian life. And then friends and different influences began to take her away and she began to do just get involved in different things and that were not really glorifying to the Lord. And it was around this point in time that her dad got sick. And he was quite seriously ill, so much so to the point that he had to go and have an operation.
And she was quite concerned about that and she actually began to pray very much for her dad. And he came out of surgery and seemed to do it right and then shortly afterwards he passed away. And the girl was just completely devastated. She kind of as it were gave everything up and just seemed to go completely downhill.
And it was shortly after that that iron side encountered her and he talked with her and asked her what happened. And she says, I took the Bible and I took this verse, John 15 verse 7, and it says her, if you will ask what you desire and it will be done for you. I took this in my room and I put it on my bid and I prayed and I asked God, I asked him to heal my dad and he didn't. Oh, he says, well, he says, what do you call it?
If you take a check that's not made out to you and you sign it. Oh, well, she said that would be fraud. He says, you're right. He says, you are committing fraud.
What do you mean? Well, it says there, the first part of the verse says, if you abide in me, and he says, were you abiding in Christ when you came and were praying like that? She started to think about how she'd been living. And her head dropped further and further and she says, no, no, I wasn't.
He says, you couldn't pray that. And she started to think and then she started to cry and she says, my dad died because of me. If I had been living for Lord, he wouldn't have died like that. And then he said, no, no, no.
He says, hold it. He says, now you're going to the other extreme. He would have been living close to God and seeking his will. He would have showed you that your dad's work was finished here, that everything that God had for him to do was done and it was time for him to go home.
And God would have given you the grace to face that. You see, that's the reality, folks, is that when we pray, we are to pray abiding in him. Because as we abide in him, we will see God's will fulfilled. You see, it's us coming there and praying that God's will will be accomplished here in the earth.
Isn't that what he taught us as disciples to pray? Thy will be done in heaven and in earth, in earth as it is in heaven. That just as God's will is completely fulfilled there, that we as well would see God's will fulfill here in the earth. Second thing is this, so we're to pray abiding in him.
Secondly, we're to pray according to his will. Turn to me to 1 John chapter 5, 1 John chapter 5. We've been touching on this a little bit already, but 1 John chapter 5 verse 14, it says there, now this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we ask of him.
And so we're told here that we are to pray that God's will will will be fulfilled. In Romans chapter 12 and verse 2, it tells us that God's will is good and acceptable. Sometimes we have the idea, well, if I pray for God's will, man, I don't really know if I want that. It's almost like God is just waiting to get you.
I don't know if you had that idea, but I remember when I was young, it's kind of like, I don't really want to pray for God's will because God's kind of got the worst out for me and it's going to be a horrible life if I do it pray that way. But Romans chapter 12 verse 2 tells us that God's will is a good and acceptable and perfect will of God. And we can trust God that he has the very best for us. And that's why the Lord Jesus would pray, not my will, but thy will be done.
However, if we are going to pray and ask God for his will, God is not going to reveal his will to us if we are unwilling to do it. Did you catch that? Why would I suggest you to do something if I know you won't do it? Or maybe there's something you haven't done already.
Why would God show you more if you're not even doing what he's revealed? And so God is not going to reveal his will to us if we're unwilling to do it. And so when we come and pray to God, we need to be ready to do his will. And then the third thing is this, that when we pray, we need to pray according to God's word.
If we want to pray and see God's will done, we must know that this is his will. That's according to his word. Think of Daniel, Daniel chapter 9, the book of Daniel chapter 9, the children of Israel, they have been, or Judah have been carried away in their captive in the land of Babylon. And they've been there, it was almost 70 years.
And Daniel, it says, was reading the book of Jeremiah and he understood that God said that Israel or Judah was going to be in captivity for 70 years. And when Daniel read that and understood it, it says he set his face to pray. He began to pray because God said it was for 70 years, well, it was almost 70 years and so he started to pray. And the amazing thing is, is that God would shortly afterwards send some of the people of Judah back again.
Another example, you remember the story of Elijah. Elijah didn't just wake up one day and decide, you know what, it shouldn't rain today, I guess we don't want it to rain. No, Elijah had been reading the word of God in the book of Deuteronomy and said that if the children of Israel were to go into idolatry, that God would stop the heavens from giving the rain. And so Elijah saw that because it says in James, James chapter 5, he says Elijah was just like you and I and it says he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain.
Why did he do that? Because God had said that he would withhold the rain and the purpose was so that the people would come back to God. And so Elijah prayed that God would hold the rain and he did for three and a half years. And then you remember how they went, the Mount Carmel there and they had that show down there where the prophets of Baal and Elijah would each prepare their sacrifice and then in God sent fire down.
And he consumed not only the sacrifice but he consumed the altar and the water that was below it. And what did the people say afterwards? Do you remember? They said, the Lord he is God.
The Lord he is God. And that was the purpose all along is that the people would return to God. No, unfortunately, it was not a national revival there but the people recognized it. And so what did Elijah do?
He went and he prayed and God sent rain. It was according to the word of God. Elijah searched the word of God and he prayed accordingly. And that's what God wants us to do is that we pray according to God's will, according to his word.
So that our prayers are consistent with what God wants. And the scripture is just full of different things that we can pray because for example, I've sometimes heard people pray praying for the loss and say, Lord, if you will, that they would be saved. Well, the Bible is very clear that God is not willing to any parish. I don't have to pray that God wants this person to be saved.
God wants every person to come to the knowledge of the truth. He wants everyone in heaven. He wants no one to reject him. However, he does give everyone a free will.
So we don't need to pray if it's your will at this person. He's saying it is God's will. He says that in 2nd Peter, chapter 3 verse 9, God is not willing to any ship parish. So we can pray according to the word of God.
And so we need to be in the word of God to know these things. And so lastly, what then are we to pray? And I would like to suggest that when we pray, we need to pray intelligently. We need to pray intelligently.
You know, forgive me for saying this, but I've heard a lot of prayers that are kind of just, it's like somebody wrote them out and it just keeps repeating them. And they really have lost most of their meaning. And I'll be honest with you, I've prayed prayers like that. I'll be praying for whomever.
And my Lord bless this person. What am I really asking for? What would be a blessing in this person's life? It really what it is is beginning to engage the mind and through the word of God and to seeking that this person would receive what God has for them.
You know, to begin to pray intelligently. I'll give you an example. Turn to me to 1st John, 1st Thessalonians, 1st Thessalonians, chapter 5 verse 23. So we work with the college and career up in Moncton.
My wife and I with another couple. And this verse just really stuck out to me for the college and career. Good prayer for me to pray for these people because it's good to pray according to the word of God, obviously. And actually, some of these verses are just perfect to pray.
1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 23. Look what it says. It says, now may God of peace sanctify you completely or holy. And may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, I was thinking of these college and career here. They are going to university, some starting a career. And they're getting, they're being asked to make decisions about things that affect the very foundation of all of their life. And they're being attacked and drawn in so many different ways.
It's like, Lord, keep them. And this prayer is just perfect, isn't it? Lord, keep them, sanctify them, holy. Keep their spirit, their soul and body until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Don't let them weaver. And as I was thinking about that, well, that's great for my kids too. It just fits perfectly. And so we can take the scripture because these things are from the word, they're from God.
And we can bring them back to God. God won't you do this in this case for our children. Just another example here, 3rd John. Just give you one example more.
3rd John chapter, well, it's chapter one. There's only one chapter in 3rd John. Look what it says in verse three and four. He says there, I rejoice greatly when the brethren came and testified to the truth that is in you just as you walk in the truth.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Another thing we can pray. Pray for our children, pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ that they walk in the truth. You know, you can look at this later.
Look at Colossians chapter one, verses 9 to 12. Paul is praying there for the Church of Colossae. And it's quite an amazing prayer. And these are all things that we can pray for each other.
When is the last time you prayed for the local body? Not for yourself, not just for individual, but prayed for this local body of believers. That God would unite you. This is something that every local church needs to be united together.
And there's so many things. So check out Colossians chapter one and read Paul's prayer. And I encourage you to begin if you're not already to pray for one another. And so finally look at Ephesians chapter six and verse 18.
Ephesians chapter six and verse 18. It says there, and this comes right after Paul is instructing them to put on the whole armor of God and he finishes it talking about prayer. And he says there praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. And watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
Paul, you can't help but see that Paul's talking over and over and over again about being persevering or persisting. But right in the middle there he says praying always all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. So we are to pray in the Spirit that the Holy Spirit is there showing us through the word of God what God is like so that we can pray what is right and true. But this is just think about this from this is so amazing because it says here I'm to pray in the Spirit.
But that's not the end of it. So as I pray in the Spirit shows me how to pray, then it says in Romans chapter eight, it says the Holy Spirit is actually interceding on my behalf. So it's like, yeah, yeah Lord, this is really what he really means. So he's trying to show me what to pray and I'm just a little thick sometimes.
And so he says Lord this is really what he means. But just so we don't get the wrong idea. It's not like God is up there with his arms crossed watch and doesn't go man, I'd like to nothing better than to squash that guy. You know God's not up there with that attitude and you know the Holy Spirit's please don't do that to him and the Lord Jesus has to no, no, no.
No, the idea is that the Trinity is working together. You see it says for God so love the world. Did you get that? It's God himself the Father loves you and me.
And so the Lord Jesus came down to demonstrate us that love and now the Holy Spirit is bringing that right into our hearts and showing us. So here's the whole Trinity working together. It's not like they're working against each other. They're working together.
They're united. Look at John chapter 17. That was his desire is that you and I would be united like a father and a son are united. And so as we pray according to the will of God, there's the Holy Spirit.
It says he's interceding on our behalf and God himself in John chapter 16 is Jesus would tell us the cycles. He says that they were to ask. He says and he says the Father himself will answer you because he loves you. You see, God is working this together ultimately that he would be glorified through you and through me.
And you know, it says in one place you have not James says you have not because you ask not. And then unfortunately, when we do ask so many times we ask because of something I want. Brothers and sisters in Christ, you know, God has given us this avenue of communion with him. And as we spend time with God, like seriously, when is the last time you actually came to God and said, God, what does it you really want?
Like what's in your heart? For example, for this assembly? What's in your heart? And how Lord could I help to see that fulfilled?
And what about this brother over here? Lord, he's so wonderful in this Lord. Would you use him to see his part fulfilled in this assembly? Like think of that actually spending time with God to see what God wants and in searching through scripture to see what he wants to be glorified in my life, in the life of my family and in my assembly, in my community and in my country.
What does God want for our country? Have you thought about it? God has a purpose. Can we pray that God's purpose will be fulfilled in our country?
So start at home, start at home and begin to pray and ask God, what is your will? And as you spend time with him in the Word and in prayer with him, in communion with that, then begin to pray accordingly. And ultimately, you'll see God answering prayer. You know, in some of the littlest prayers, you see them answered and they can bring the greatest joy.
And about the simplest thing, I just give you an example. So last week I had to go to P.E.I. Thursday and Wednesday my washer broke. This has been an ongoing saga.
And so I was like, oh, I don't really have time to fix this, but we had a bunch of laundry, always the laundry is right there. And so I was like, Lord, what do I do? I started to gg, I got to get to use the washer. And I saw him down the same chon.
Maybe I'll run down the same chon quick, but I really didn't have time to run the same chon. I'm like, Lord, what do I do? So next morning I get up and I knew I had to prepare some first and then I thought, well, I'll spend an hour, go look at the washers if I can fix it. And you know, the Lord is so good.
My wife comes in and says, oh, it turns out that the laundry somehow got wrapped around the auger in the middle there and he was just so tight in there. She says, that was the problem. I was like, oh, thank you, Lord. I really didn't need that burden right now.
Just a little thing like that. That God just answers prayer. And to be able to say, thank you, Lord, for doing that. You know, there's so many greater things that God has in store for us.
If we'll come to him and pray and spend that time with him and then to see him ultimately glorified. That's what God has for you. And so to finish off then, are you praying? Are you praying?
Because that's what God has for us. He wants us to be a praying people. Shall we pray? Lord God, thank you for each person here this morning.
Lord, I thank you that you know them intimately. No God, I ask for each one here today that you would bring the truth at home to them of who you are. And, Lord, that they would understand what your will is. And, Lord, that they would come alongside of Father and begin to see your will and pray that your will be fulfilled in their lives, in the lives of family, in the lives of local church and community, Lord.
And, Lord, I pray that everyone here will begin to see how great you are and then to pray according to your greatness. Oh, Lord, and the rejoicing and the praise that will come from that. And so come in them to you, Lord, and ask that they would be encouraged, Father, in their walk. We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.