“My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.”
1 Samuel 2.1
#churchleadership #faith #jesus #jesuschrist #Messiah #prayer #salvation
https://lightforthelastdays.co.uk/articles/moral-matters/prayer-the-christians-vital-breath/
1 Samuel 2.1
#churchleadership #faith #jesus #jesuschrist #Messiah #prayer #salvation
https://lightforthelastdays.co.uk/articles/moral-matters/prayer-the-christians-vital-breath/
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LearningTranscript
00:00amen so the talk then we're going to talk today about prayer a very vital subject for every one
00:08of us the old hymn said prayer is the vital prayer is the christian's vital breath the christian's
00:14native air his watchword at the gates of death he enters heaven with prayer and we read that the
00:21disciples asked jesus to teach us to pray so we're going to look at the passages in the scriptures
00:27first of all and then consider them so matthew chapter 6 verse 5
00:32matthew 6 verse 5 and when you pray you shall not be like the hypocrites for they love to pray
00:40standing in the synagogues on the corners of the streets that they may be seen by men
00:44assuredly i say to you they have their reward but you when you pray go into your room and when you
00:50have shut your door pray to your father who is in the secret place and your father who sees in secret
00:56will reward you openly when you pray do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do they think that
01:02they will be here heard for their many words therefore do not be like them for your father
01:07knows the things that you have need of before you ask him in this manner therefore pray our father in
01:14heaven hallowed be your name your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this
01:21day our daily bread forgive us our debts or give us our trespasses as we forget our debtors and do not
01:28lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one for yours is the kingdom and the power and the
01:35glory forever and ever we'll look in more detail at those words in a moment but before that let's just
01:41read another couple of passages from the scriptures relating to prayer uh luke chapter 18 verse 1
01:49then jesus spoke a parable to them that men ought always to pray and not lose heart
01:55saying there was in a certain city a judge who did not fear god nor regard man now there was a widow in
02:02that city and she came to him saying give get justice for me from my adversary
02:06and he would not for a little while but afterward he said within himself though i do not fear god
02:13nor regard man yet because this widow troubles me i will avenge her lest by her continual coming
02:20she weary me then the lord said hear what the unjust judge said and shall god not avenge his own elect
02:27who cry out day and night to him though he bears long with them i tell you that he will avenge them
02:33speedily nevertheless when the son of man comes he will read really really find faith on the earth
02:40and continuing in verse 9 he also spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that
02:47they were righteous and despised others two men went up to the temple to pray one a pharisee the
02:54other a tax collector the pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself god i thank you that i'm not like
03:00other men extortioners unjust adulterers and even as this tax collector i fast twice a week
03:07i give tithes of all that i possess and the tax collector standing afar off would not so much as
03:13raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast saying god be merciful to me a sinner i tell you this man
03:21went down to his house justified rather than the other for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled
03:26and he who humbles himself will be exalted and finally from james chapter 5 and verse 13 james 5
03:36and verse 13 is anyone among you suffering let him pray is anyone cheerful let him sing psalms is
03:43anyone among you sick let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him anointing
03:48him with oil in the name of the lord and the prayer of faith will save the sick and the lord will raise
03:53him up and if he has committed sins he will be forgiven confess your trespasses to one another
04:00and pray for one another that you may be healed the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man
04:05avails much elijah was a man with nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain
04:11and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months and he prayed again and the heaven gave
04:17rain and the earth produced its fruit so what is prayer why should you pray does it make any
04:25difference what does it achieve people often ask me to pray for them after the service often have
04:32legitimate needs pray for health pray for situations in their jobs and their accommodation and all these
04:39things are right to pray for but i was struck the other week when uh brother alan was praying and he
04:45said about praying for wisdom do we ask god to actually change us to make us into new people
04:54and really those are the things which god wants us to pray about to pray for god to change us in our
05:00lives when i was at the baptism last week um we had lunch with family and with a couple of sam's
05:07friends who came along one of them asked me said they found out i was a pastor and they said
05:12what as a pastor what question would you like people to ask you i thought about it well i said the
05:19first question is ask me what must i do to be saved second question how do i grow as a christian
05:26how do i grow to become more like jesus first question probably most of us here have answered to
05:33repent believe the gospel that christ died for our sins was buried and rose again from the dead
05:39through faith receive the holy spirit into our lives to make us new people in jesus maybe you've
05:45already done that like i did it over 50 years ago maybe you did it recently makes no difference jesus said
05:52you must be born again must be a point in your life where you come to repent believe the gospel
05:58and believe jesus and invite jesus to come into your life by faith
06:02next week we're going to have baptisms in which three people from the fellowship are going to
06:09testify publicly to their faith by going through the waters of baptism that in itself doesn't make
06:16you a christian but it is a statement of your faith it's a confession of faith confession publicly of
06:21what we believe romans chapter 10 it says if we confess with your mouth the lord jesus
06:27and believe in your heart that god has raised him from the dead you will be saved
06:31with the heart one believes unto righteousness but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
06:36and god wants us all to come to that point of believing in our hearts and confessing with our
06:42mouth the lord jesus so say i'm probably preaching to the converted on this one but if you haven't done
06:49that now is the day of salvation now is the day to accept jesus as savior but we're going to
06:55concentrate on the second question how to grow as a christian when i look at this passages we've just
07:03read in the light of scripture and of prayer and of course one of the ways in which we grow as a
07:09christian is through prayer there's an old chorus which says read your bible pray every day if you want
07:16to grow if you want to grow if you want to grow if you want to grow read your bible pray every day if you want to grow
07:36amen praise the lord
07:39you
07:44you
07:46you