Remember the two men in the temple
praying? The Lord gives us an example
of the two men. There's one who's a Pharisee
who thinks more of himself than he should, who thinks of himself
to be righteous in his own ways, in his own words. And he comes
into the temple of God, and he prays out, Lord, I thank you
that I'm not like other men. I'm not like this one, this beggar,
this publican who's over here inside. Thank you, Lord, for
making me who I am. Full of Himself. And then the
Lord gives us the other example of that beggar who's over there
who can't even lift up his head. Folks, do you know why this is
important to consider on an occasion? I mean, I talked about this a
couple of years ago. I went back through my records
to look and see the last time I talked about prayers. It was
back in 2020, about four years ago. But do you see the importance
of it? Do you know there's folks who
are teaching those in places like churches like this, that
if you come down here, you can walk away and hold your head
high. And they do. They come down.
Oh, I turn myself over to God in such and such a day. Now see
how righteous I am. Don't tell me they don't because
I grew up with folks like that. I've seen it. Even after the
Lord called me out of darkness, I was conned into going to a
church and I've seen it for myself there as well. It was, you know,
it's really strange how after the Lord called us, and he shined
his light of truth in our hearts, and we go to a church where there
is no truth, where it's all lies, and men are dancing across the
stage, supposedly filled with some kind of a spirit, speaking
in what they call tongues, others crawling on the floor and raising
their hands above their heads so much like they're worshiping
something, and all they're doing is worshiping the euphoric of
themselves, If you'll just turn yourself over to Christ today,
you can be so much better. And then they walk away thinking
that very same thing. See how much better I am? I don't
smoke anymore. Every grace preacher and church
that I've ever been to, the saints of God have always been the same. I see it in you. I see it in the people right
here in this building today. Oh, how unworthy we are. Oh, how desperate in need we
are of a savior. Lord, will you have mercy on
me? Talking about a believer's prayer? What are the great desires? of
a believer's heart. What are the great needs? We
looked at that last week, what was most needful. What is it that we have that
causes us to wait in utter helplessness before God? That statement, our brother Mike
Loveless made this morning. We were sitting out here, and
he says, I'm just waiting for the call. You know what that was? That
was a prayer. That was a petition. As soon
as I get up, I'm ready. That's what my every day is now. My petition to my Lord. Take
me from this ugly world. Pastor Gene, the same thing.
Him and Judy. Every day they get up and pray
together. And they pray that very same thing. Lord, I'm just
waiting. Thy will be done. Isn't that what we just read
a moment ago? Thy kingdom come, thy will be
done, as in heaven, so in earth. What is it we pray for the most?
What is it that causes us to wait and utter helplessness before
God? I want to look at these few verses
by which our Lord teaches us how to pray line by line. First, I want to make this statement.
There are those who teach that we can pray to the angels, that
we can pray to our lost ones who have gone on before us. Hogwash. We do not pray to saints or to
angels. We pray but to God our Father.
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of all
glory, who is in heaven. Our God and Father is the Father
of all men, yes, as our Creator, and as pointed out in Acts chapter
17 verse 28. You can turn there and read that
on your own time. But because He is the God and Father of all
men by creation, it is proper for all men to praise Him and
to pray to Him. So I want to be very clear about
something. We never want to detour anybody from praying. We don't
know who they're praying to. We don't know if the Spirit of
God is working in them or not. Maybe the Spirit of God is working
somebody who has never really prayed in truth to God, who's
never worshipped God in spirit and truth. I don't remember now
what the thoughts were going through my head, but there was
a time when I sat in the pew thinking the very thing that
the man was talking about up here was pointing a finger at
me. And I remember my thoughts going
through my mind. Will this Lord have mercy on me? Will he be
gracious to me? Folks, that's praying. Now, somebody might look at me
and say, you can't be doing that. They've been wrong. You can't
be doing that. You don't know God yet. They'd
have been wrong We don't know how God works in people's hearts
never ever ever deter anybody from praying But God is the father
of his elect in a very very special way He doesn't call he doesn't In
scriptures, he doesn't use the word father to describe himself
to the world. When he uses the description
as father, he's talking about his son, the Lord Jesus, and
all of those who are in him. All of those whose names were
written in the book of life before the world ever began. Folks,
there's a people. Do you ever get tired of hearing
about that? There's a people who God saved from the death
and the wrath that they deserve. Maybe that's us. Hold your spot there in Luke.
Well, actually, you know what? I don't know if we'll be coming
back to that or not. You can if you want. Turn over to Colossians chapter
1. God has a special distinct and
very special sense about being the father of those who belong
to him. Those for whom he sent his only
begotten son. Look at verse 22 and 20. Actually,
I'm sorry, verse 20 through 22. Colossians 1, beginning at verse
20, and having made peace, this is that special sense We're talking about praying this
way. Father, you who sit on your throne, Lord
of all, creator of everything about me and everything around
me, sovereign God, and having made peace through the blood
of His cross, By Him to reconcile all things
unto Himself, by Him I say whether they be things in earth or things
in heaven, verse 21, and you that were sometimes alienated
in enemies in your own mind by wicked works, yet now hath He
reconciled. We've been reconciled to God
the Father. We can call Him Father. Sin no
longer separates His people. from their father. Verse 22, in the body of his
flesh, meaning, yet now after he reconciled in the body of
his flesh through death to present you holy and unblamable and unapprovable
in his sight. We are the children of God by
adoption. by election, by regeneration,
and by faith. Do you trust the Lord Jesus Christ?
Well, if you do, it's right for you to call God Almighty your
Father and to come to Him in such prayer. It says in Hebrews
4.16, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in a time of need.
What was that publican crying out? Lord, have mercy on me,
a sinner. That's approaching the throne
of grace boldly. I got nothing to offer you. I'm
nothing but a sinner undeserving of your wrath. Yet God has made
a way for us to come before Him with boldness. Folks, if Jesus
Christ, the Righteous One, is your God, you've got nothing bolder to
come before His throne with. Nothing more perfect. They talk
about progressive sanctification. Oh, if you'll come down and give
yourself over to the Lord Jesus, you're going to be better right
off, and you'll get better as you go about through the world,
taking care of the needy, walking the straight line. You'll get
better each day. God's people tell you that's
not true. It never gets any better in this flesh. In this flesh
you will battle sin till the day the Lord takes you out of
it. But it's conquered. He's won
the battle for you. Have peace as you walk this world
today. Come boldly unto the throne of
grace that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help in a time
of need. We have the right, the privilege,
the freedom, and the confidence of faith to pray to God Almighty
in Heaven as our Father. That's what the Lord Jesus is
telling you. You can call Him Father. You can call Him that
because He has loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore,
with loving kindness, He has drawn you unto Him. When we pray privately, maybe
in our closets, when we pray with our families, or when we
pray in a collective group in the house of God, we pray as
children of God, being taught and led by God our Father and
the Holy Spirit to lift our hearts to heaven and call upon Him,
the God of glory. Nothing unites hearts like mutual
prayer, collectively worshiping and praying to God our Father.
When a man is leading us in prayer, do you think of the prayer yourself? Do you listen to him and follow
along, say amen to that in your own mind? Do you have a prayer
going of your own? Lord, I'm struggling with this
sin. Help me. Do you know we're worshiping
God in prayer? It says next, it says, Hallowed
be thy name. The name of God represents all
of His attributes by which He reveals Himself to us. His name
represents His being. It represents all that He is. When we say, Hallowed be thy
name, we're simply praying like the Lord Jesus did when He said
in John 12, 28, Father, glorify thy name. God created the universe, you
know, for His glory. Did you know that? Listen to
the words of Revelation 11, Revelation 4 verse 11, Thou art worthy,
O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast
created all things. For Thy pleasure they are and
were created. Proverbs 16, 4, the Lord hath
made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked for the
day of evil. All things of providence work out for His glory. Romans
11, 36. For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things
to whom be glory and forever, Amen. God created everything
for His glory. Even the wicked. Listen to this.
God's object in saving sinners is for His glory. Psalms 106,
verse 8. Nevertheless, He saved them for
His namesake, that He might make His mighty power to be known.
The object of his death was above all else the glory of God. As
we read in John 12, 28, Father, glorify thy name, which I quoted
a moment ago. Then he says this, then there
came a voice from heaven saying, I have been glorified, or I have
both glorified it and will glorify it again, speaking of the Lord's
death. It is the heart's desire of every believer above all else,
above all else, Let God's name be honored and magnified and
glorified in our world. Psalms 35 verse 27, let them
shout for joy and be glad. What are they shouting for? That
there's a Savior. What's their joy in their hearts
for? That He did it perfectly and effectually. That it's done. That it's finished. They shout
for joy and be glad that favor my righteous cause. Yea, let
them say continually, let the Lord be magnified, which hath
pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. In Psalms 40 verse
16, let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee.
Let such as love thy salvation say continually, the Lord be
magnified. Isn't that your greatest desire?
Do we not all have loved ones who don't know the Lord? We'd
love to. We would just be so blessed if the Lord would call
them unto Him, if the Lord would be glorified in their hearts
as He is in ours. Let all those that seek Thee
rejoice and be glad in Thee, and let such as love Thy salvation
and say continually, let God be magnified. 1 Corinthians 10.31,
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do
all for the glory of God. Oh, how I wish I could live that
way. 1 Peter 4.11, the Lord tells us this, He says, If any man
speak, let him speak as the oracles of God. If any man minister,
let him do it as of the ability which God giveth. that God in
all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise
and dominion forever. Amen and amen. Therefore, the
Lord teaches us to pray in this way, Our Father, which art in
heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Turn, if you will, to John chapter
1. Oh, to be called the sons and
daughters of God. What graciousness in belonging
to him. Gracious because we know we did
not come into this world that way. We came as all men and women
come, deserving his wrath because of our rebellion. Who makes us
to differ from another? We know who does, don't we? We
know we didn't. We know that we didn't get smart
one day and just say, you know, I've been walking through this
world in foolishness long enough. It's time I smartened up. It's
time I started acting intelligent. No, God's people know this. We
were foolish in our nature. We were foolish in the way we
were, because that's what we naturally are, sinners. We couldn't
understand the truths of God's word, because in our natural
state, it's enmity with God. It didn't make sense. Oh, my
friend has told me this several times. Everybody's gotta have
something to hang on to. You hanging on to your God, I'm
hanging on to my money. That was quite some time ago,
and I'm not sure he's got that money anymore. My God is still
where he's always been. On his throne. Taking care of
me like he has all my life. Taking care of me like he has
from the beginning of creation. Did you know that? Did you know
that everything God has created, everything that has happened
from this moment on past is because God has loved this people? And
He's loved us with an everlasting love. And all things are for
our good. And for the good of them who
are to come after us. The love of God is more than
just what people of this world want to think. Oh, God loves
everybody. He's trying to save y'all. My
God has saved his people. There's nothing left to do but
sit down and rest in heaven. Oh, to be called the sons and
daughters of God. What graciousness. Gracious because
we knew We know now that we did not come into this world that
way. Who makes us to differ one from
another? Did you make yourself to differ?
Was it your works that made you a child of the Most High? Not
according to God's word, it wasn't. Look at John chapter 10, or chapter
1. Look at verses 10 through 13.
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the
world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not. But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to what? To become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God." Isn't that wonderful? That's what makes us to differ.
God. And He makes us to differ through
grace. By being gracious to us. Folks,
there's nothing more gracious than sending your only begotten
Son to lay down His life for an undeserving were, as Paul
puts it. Remember John chapter 3, according
to the word of truth, our Lord says in verse 3 of John chapter
3, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God. And then we see in verse
4, Nicodemus answers with a question to that, and he said unto him,
How can a man be born when he is old? How can he enter a second
time into a mother's womb and be born again? That really wasn't
a foolish question. I had once called it foolish,
but it really wasn't, even though we know it's impossible. How
can that be? What's the Lord's answer? Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is
born of the flesh is flesh. And that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. What is praying? What was it
I told you praying was a little bit ago? At the beginning? It's
worshiping. How do we worship? In spirit
and in truth. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel
not that I said unto thee ye must be born again. The wind
bloweth. where it listeth. And thou hearest
the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and
whither it goeth. So is every one that is born
of the Spirit. Turn over to Romans chapter 8,
and I'll bring this to a close. Oh, John's going to refer to
that one again. He uses that verse every time.
No, we're going to look at something a little different in Romans
8. But before I join you there, I want to quote from Ephesians
chapter 1, verses 5 through 7. In love, our Lord says, having
predestinated us unto the kingdom, unto the adoption of children. Did you catch that? We call Him
Father. Why? Who maketh us to deliver? The Lord Jesus. In love. Everlasting love, love that draws
us unto Him. In love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace. Isn't it getting good? Isn't
it getting good? And He hath made us accepted
in the Beloved. in whom we have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace. Look at verse 14 of Romans, chapter
8. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the
spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. We cry in the name of our Savior,
the name of His Son, the Lord Jesus. Go on, the Spirit itself
beareth witness with our spirit. That we are the children of God,
and if the children then heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified
together. Turn to one more place if you
would, John chapter 17. Are you getting the picture of
oneness being in Christ? Turn over to John 17. Are you getting the picture of
our oneness with Christ? Our boldness to call upon Him
as our Father in Heaven? Hallowed, holy, perfect is thy
name. Glory to thy name. Look here
at John chapter 17, beginning at verse 13. And now come I to
thee. This is the Lord's prayer. And
these things I speak in the world that they might have my joy fulfilled
in themselves. I have given them thy word, and
the world hath hated them. Because they are not of the world,
even as I am not of the world. This is the oneness that we have
with Christ. Does Christ call His Father,
Father? Absolutely. So can you. Because
of Christ. Not because of anything that
you've done, but because of our Savior. We call Him Father. Go on. I pray not that thou shouldest
take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them
from the evil. They are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. Sanctify them. Set them apart.
Make them holy through thy truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast
sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into
the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify
myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Now I pray. Now pray I for those
alone, neither pray I for those alone, but for them which shall
believe on me through their word." We looked at Friday night and
our Friday night study in the book of Luke, no Matthew, the
message that goes out Paul puts it this way, when you
ask that question, who maketh us to differ? He says, oh, wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? And then he answers his own question.
I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who gives me the boldness to
call on my creator, this sinner, this one who is worthy of nothing
but the wrath of God, who gives me, who gives me the right to
call upon him as my father, my savior, the Lord Jesus. What is the believer's prayer?
My Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Amen.