Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I invite you to turn with me
this morning to Proverbs chapter 15. Our text is going to come
from Psalm 143, but I want to begin looking at Proverbs 15. Our subject this morning is the
attitude of a believer's prayer, the attitude of a believer's
prayer. Prayer, the ability to truly
pray in spirit, in honesty, in sincerity from the heart, is
a gift of God. True prayer is a gift of God. I want to show you that in Proverbs
15. Look at verse 29. It says, The
Lord is far from the wicked. But he heareth the prayer of
the righteous. Now, who are the wicked? If he's
far from the wicked, who are the wicked? It's all those who
have not been broken and bowed the knee to Christ. The Lord
is far from the wicked, but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
Now turn with me over to Proverbs chapter 28. Proverbs 28, let's look at verse
9. It says, He that turneth away
his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. He prays. He's religious. But if he does not gladly hear
every single word in God's law, his prayer shall be abomination. You know, Saul of Tarsus, he
was religious. Saul, who his name was changed
to the Apostle Paul. Saul was very religious, a Pharisee
of Pharisees. And over in Acts chapter 9, if
you want to turn with me to Acts chapter 9, verse 1 says, Saul,
yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples
of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters
to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he found any of this
way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound
unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came
near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light
from heaven. And he fell to the earth and
heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
me? And he said, who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It is
hard for thee to kick against the pricks.' And he trembling
and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And
the Lord said unto him, Arise and go into the city, and it
shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed
with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth,
And when his eyes were opened, he saw no man, but they led him
by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days
without sight, and neither did he eat nor drink. And there was
a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And to him said
the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, behold, I'm here,
Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise,
and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire
in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold,
he prayeth." He prayeth. The Lord said, now he's praying. He was religious before. He was
religious. Now he prayeth. Paul now has
seen the holiness of God, the fear of God. He's been knocked
down and blinded by God's holiness. True prayer cries out to God
for help. True help. You know that story of the Pharisee
and the publican in the temple? Saul used to pray like that Pharisee. God, I thank thee that I'm not
as other men are. I'm better than they are. Oh,
he didn't pray like that anymore. Not now. Now he prays like a
publican. He's sitting there blind. And
he's got to be thinking to himself, Lord, you're going to kill me,
aren't you? You're going to kill me. You've knocked me down. You've stopped me in my tracks.
You've shown me who you are. You've blinded me. You've humbled
me. You're going to kill me, aren't
you? God, be merciful to me, a sinner. That was the prayer
of the publican. God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Well, now let's go to our text in Psalm 143. Psalm 143, verse
1. Here's the attitude of a believer's prayer. Verse 1 says, Hear my
prayer, O Lord. Hear my prayer, oh Lord. I know I don't deserve it. I know for a fact that I'm unworthy
for you to hear my prayer. I know I don't deserve it, but
hear my prayer, oh Lord. Give ear to my supplications,
please. Lord, I come knowing that the
only way you will hear me and answer me is as verse one says,
in thy faithfulness and in thy righteousness. Thy faithfulness
is the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the true and faithful
one. Lord, thy righteousness is the
Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one who is righteous. Lord, hear me in Christ. He said, no man cometh to the
father but by me. So I pray to you. Oh Lord, I
pray to you in the Lord Jesus name. I pray to you for Christ's
sake. I'm only able and allowed to
pray to you because of Christ, because of what he did, because
he left his glorious throne in heaven and came down to this
vile and sinful place, because Christ hath regarded my helpless
estate and hath shed his own blood for my soul. Lord, would
you hear me? Lord, would you please hear me
and answer me? Verse two in our text says, enter not into judgment with
thy servant. Please enter not into judgment
with thy servant. Please don't look upon me to
judge me. I beg, I beg. It says, for in thy sight shall
no man living be justified. No man living. I cannot justify my actions. Paul said, the things that I
wish I did, I don't do. And the things that I wish I
didn't do, that's exactly what I do. I can't justify my actions. I cannot justify my words. Out of the heart, the mouth speaketh.
I've got a wicked heart. Lord, I cannot justify my thoughts. They're only evil continually. I cannot justify my deeds. In thy sight shall no man living
be justified. Turn with me over to Job chapter
14. Job 14 verse 1 says this, Man
that is born of woman is a few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower
and is cut down. He fleeth also as a shadow, and
continueth not. And dost thou open thine eyes
upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee? Who
can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one, not one. Lord, here's my attitude approaching
you. unclean, unclean. When a man or woman contracted
leprosy, they had to, by law, they had to say it out loud.
Every time they met somebody in the street, they had to cry
unclean, unclean. Don't come near me. Don't touch
me. I'm unclean. Oh, enter not into
judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living
be justified. But let me tell you this, I do
plead justification. I do. I do plead words. I do. I do plead thoughts. I plead deeds." There's a song
that says, complete in thee. No work of mine may take, dear
Lord, the place of thine. Thy blood hath pardon bought
for me, and I am now complete in thee. Yea, justified. O blessed thought, and sanctified,
salvation wrought, thy blood hath pardon bought for me, and
glorified I too shall be. O Lord, I plead words, thy word. I plead thy word. Lord, I plead thoughts, thy thoughts. Thy thoughts are not my thoughts.
I'm so thankful for that. You said, I know my thoughts
towards you. They're thoughts of peace. Lord,
I plead deeds. I plead works. I plead your works. The work of redemption accomplished
by the Lord Jesus Christ. That's all I plead. That's all
I have. Everything I've done is filthy.
All my righteousnesses are filthy rags. I only plead your work,
Lord." Turn with me over to Galatians chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2 and verse
16 says this, that a man is not justified by
the works of the law. I think that's an amazing verse.
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but
by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not
by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall
no flesh be justified." It's only by the faith of Jesus Christ. It's not even my faith. I don't
have any faith. Faith is not of myself. It's
a gift of God. It's by the faith of Jesus Christ. It's by His faith. It's by His
faithfulness. No work of mine complete in thee. Well, our text back in Psalm
143, verse 3 says, for the enemy, hath persecuted my soul. He hath
smitten my life down to the ground. He hath made me to dwell in darkness
as those that have been long dead. The enemy hath persecuted
my soul." Now, we all have many enemies. We do. But I don't need
to point my finger any farther than right here. My flesh has persecuted my own
soul. He, my flesh, hath smitten my
life down to the ground. He hath made me to dwell in darkness
as those that have been long dead. When a person gets a hold
of his sin, When a person gets a hold of his sin, you know,
we by nature think, well, you know, nobody's perfect. I don't
do everything just right. You know, I tell some white lies
every now and then. Yeah, I sin, I'm a sinner. Oh, when a person
gets a hold of his sin, when a person finally understands
his sin, what his sin is, how deep it goes, how dark it
is, how vile it is, how wretched it is, how putrefying it is. When God shows a sinner what
he really is, this is what he'll acknowledge. I'm a dead man. I'm a dead, stinking, rotting
man. What do you mean I'm a dead man?
I get up every day, I put my clothes on, I drive my car. That's
not what I'm talking about. It's not what I'm talking about.
A true sinner will say, I'm a ruined soul. I'm a ruined soul. This is how a person who believes
he's a sinner will approach the Lord God. Lord, I've ruined my
soul. There's no soundness in me. I'm
a dead man, dead. Verse three says, for the enemy
hath persecuted my soul. He hath smitten my life down
to the ground. He hath made me to dwell in darkness
as those that have been long dead. Therefore is my spirit
overwhelmed within me. My heart within me is desolate. Desolate. That means empty. Oh, that's a horrible thing to
feel. When I look within my own heart, and I'm just being honest,
When I look within my own heart, within myself, I see emptiness. I feel emptiness. When I look to me, I have no
hope. Lord, that's how I approach you.
A sinner with no hope in need of a savior. That's the only
honest way I can approach you. What will the Spirit of God lead
a sinner to do who has that attitude? What will the Spirit call a sinner
to do, instruct a sinner to do who has that attitude? Verse
5 in Psalm 143 says, I remember the days of old. That's what the Spirit will cause
a sinner to do. Remember the days of old. I remember the Word that's been
passed down from generation to generation. Turn with me over
to Jeremiah chapter 6. Jeremiah 6 verse 16 says this,
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see and ask
for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and
you shall find rest for your souls. Stand ye in the ways and
see. Don't just blindly follow the
crowd. Remember the unchanging Word
of God and you'll find rest for your souls. Verse 5 in our text
says, I remember the days of old. That's so wonderful. That's mercy of God to bring
that to my remembrance. The days of old don't give me
anything contemporary. Don't give me anything new, any
new work, any new way. Verse five says, I meditate on
all thy works. What must I do to be saved? I
can't do anything. Did you know that? I can't do
anything. Have you ever thought about that? By nature, I'm dead in my sins. That's what the Word of God says. And if I'm dead, I can't do anything. Did you know I can't even believe? I can't. Because it's not of
myself. That's what Ephesians says. The
ability to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is a gift of God. Did you know that salvation has
nothing to do with me? Have you ever thought about that? Salvation has nothing to do with
me. It has nothing to do with what
I do. Nothing to do with what I think.
Nothing to do with what I know. It has nothing to do with me.
I'm just a guilty bystander, that's all. And salvation has
everything to do with Jesus Christ. He is salvation. Salvation is totally of the Lord. That's what Jonah said, isn't
it? It's totally of His choice. It's totally through His death. It's totally by His work and
His power. Salvation is of the Lord. If I'm dead, and I am, in my
sins, by nature, I'm a dead man, then I can't even cry, Lord save
me lest I perish. If I'm dead. But listen to this. If I cry. Now if I'm dead, then
I can't even cry. But if I cry. then it means God has made me
alive. That's what it means. When a
baby's born and that doctor exhorts that child to cry, does that
baby cry in order to be alive or because it is alive? God's people do not remain dead
in their sins. They approach God saying, oh
Lord, I'm dead in my trespasses and sins. And God answers them
and says, no, you're not. You're praying, aren't you? Behold,
you prayeth. That means I've made you alive.
Let me remind you of what I've done. David said in verse five,
I remember the days of old. I meditate on all thy works. I muse on the work of thy hand. That word muse means I converse
inwardly and outwardly. It means I utter, I declare,
I speak on the work of thy hands. And verse 6 says, I stretch forth
my hands unto thee. I stretch forth my hands unto
thee. Unto thee, my Father. Unto thee,
my Savior. Unto thee, my help. Unto thee,
the one thing needful. Unto thee, my pearl of great
price. unto thee my love, unto thee
my life." That makes me think of a little child standing there
stretching forth its hands. Our Lord said in Matthew 18,
except you be converted and become his little children, you shall
not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Here's the attitude of
a believer's prayer. Lord, I'm a child. I'm a child, but I'm your child. And my soul thirsteth after thee. My soul doesn't thirst after
this world. Now my weak sinful flesh does. It thirsts for every vain thing
this world has to offer. But my soul, the soul that you
gave me, The soul that you redeemed, the soul that you called, my
soul thirsteth after thee as a thirsty lamb. Listen to what
David said in Psalm 42. He said, as the heart panteth
after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for
the living God. When shall I come and appear
before God? My tears have been my meat, day
and night, while they continually say unto me, where is thy God? When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul in me, for I had gone with the multitude.
I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy
and praise, with the multitude that kept holy day. Why art thou
cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in
me? hope thou in God, for I shall
yet praise him for the help of his countenance." David said
in our text, Psalm 143 verse 6, I stretch
forth my hands unto thee, My soul thirsteth after thee as
a thirsty land, Selah. And that word Selah means just
pause right there a minute. Just stop and think, what is
my hope of glory? What is my desire? What is my
rest? What is my comfort? Oh, Lord
God, would you put it in my heart to say, it's thee, it's thee. Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord God bless His Word. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m., and 6 o'clock
p.m. Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.