Lesson # 8 - Part 2 (Fundamentals of the Faith by John MacArthur) Prayer & The Believer

So we're going to continue our study of fundamentals of the faith. This will be part two on the lesson on prayer in the believer. So before we pick up where we left off with the acrostic tulip, I said that last week.

I don't know why I say that acts ACTS. I'm used to saying a tulip as the acrostic but it's. So you see that box. I don't know what page my page numbers are different. But the box that says four important areas of prayer adoration confession Thanksgiving supplication.

That's where we left off. But before we get into that I I went back and I listened to something last week. Last week I want to clarify it.

So.

Let's turn to Isaiah 59 this was the last Question from part C. Isaiah 59 1 2. But just on this subject about God hearing our prayers I wanted to clarify one or two things. So the question does God answer our prayers?

Why I do believe that the Lord answers prayers of the believer. But last week I had said that unbelievers don't pray. Because unbelievers don't believe in God. So why would they pray? And of course, that's true for some people.

There are people who would profess to be Atheist or agnostic and they don't pray because they don't believe. That God is out there. They don't believe there's anyone to hear us. Yeah, so but this this statement that we read from Isaiah 1 and now Isaiah 59.

These are not unbelievers. These this is a different group, so let's just read the the passage. Isaiah 59 1 2 Says behold the Lord's hand is not shortened. That it cannot save nor is his ear heavy that it cannot hear.

But your iniquities have separated you from God and your sins have hidden his face from you so that what? He will not hear so this isn't actually talking about unbelievers last week. That's the comment that I made that atheists don't pray because they don't believe that there is a God.

But there are people who do pray and it says that God doesn't hear their prayers. So instead of calling them unbelievers. What would the proper term be for this group Isaiah is talking about. I think this would be apostate Believers, so these were Jews who are in covenant with God.

They may have gone to the temple or later to the synagogue they would have gone through the motions and maybe offered sacrifices and offered up their prayers to God, but because They praised God with their lips, but their hearts were far from him.

God did not answer their prayers. So the the point is there are people in church if you take this principle and bring it to today. There are people in churches. You know whether they're legitimate New Testament churches or not.

It's another story, but there are people in churches. That are living in rebellion to God. They may pray to God, but God does not hear them. So I'm just trying to take this principle. Clarify it and bring it to the modern day.

So this was common in Israel. They would have professed faith in God, but they were Workers of iniquity especially the leaders of the nation if you look in the Old Testament that some of the Kings were just Absolute scoundrels they were bloodthirsty.

They would have gone in and offered a sacrifice and and prayed but is God gonna hear them. So when they asked Lord bless Israel did God bless Israel? No, or when Judah got into a really bad place. They would have Prayed and talked about may the Lord bless his people in the nation of Judah and yet the Lord allowed Babylon to come in and capture them so I Try to think of some parallels.

So this is pretty common that we would compare the nation of Israel to our nation.

I.

Think it's I think it's safe to say there are leaders in our nation. And I'm not looking to get political or specific. But there are leaders in our nation. 90 of members of Congress profess to be Christian.

Right and Every new Congress they will open up. They'll bring a minister in and he'll open up this new session of Congress after the election with a prayer. Right you have you seen and heard this? Do you remember the prayer for this new Congress.

Remember what they did? They prayed to God, but then they prayed to Brahma who is I think a Hindu Deity with like eight arms or some grotesque looking. So obviously God's not going to hear that prayer right if you if you're praying to Brahma one second.

And then you pray to the Lord. The next moment God is not going to hear that prayer or if you have a leader whether it's a president governor. It doesn't matter who it is it could be a mayor if they are committed to doing evil if their policies are evil and.

Then they say God bless America or God bless the state of whatever. Can you really expect God to hear their prayers now? I know this is basic. This is like Christianity 101. But that's just taking what Isaiah said and bringing it to today.

Did I see a hand?

Plus when they do the oath they always put their right hand on the Bible right.

Yeah.

Right, and it's it's a display of hypocrisy is what it is because everybody this is the dirty little secret that everybody knows. But you know it's impolite to say anything, but everybody knows these people don't Care about following God's will.

There is that one member of Congress who said you know Senator the will of God is of no concern to this Congress. He said so I mean they're pretty open about it. The point being God does not hear the prayers of everybody.

Who does God hear the prayers of? His people and you can be in Israel or you could even be in a visible church. It doesn't actually mean You're in communion with God. I don't think this applies to just Every Christian who struggles with some sin because I don't think there's a person in the world who doesn't have Some besetting sin, so I'm not saying this applies to Everybody because I think no one would have their prayers answered.

But it has to be somebody who is walking with the Lord who's gonna have their prayers answered again. I know that's basic but This is brought out in this statement from Isaiah 59. Did I see your hand?

Well any time We have sin in our life Now we're unwilling to let go our relationship with God is broken and he won't hear us. Basically what this Isaiah 59 1 and 2 is saying as well as James 4 3. You know our motors are wrong.

Yeah.

And so I'm 66. 18 See the second thing. But holding on the sin of not willing to let go.

Yeah Yep.

It's easy to do And we can be the same or deceiving ourselves in life and Thinking we are His people or You know that he's gonna bless us.

Right, there's like the visible church which is made up of people at all stripes and denominations but within the visible church of the 2-point whatever billion people on earth who profess to be Christians only a section of those are actually Truly redeemed by the blood of Christ.

Yeah, that's the same way it was in Israel. They were all Israelites. They were all in the Covenant, but how many of them actually loved God and were obeying God? Well a small section of them.

Did I see another hand? Yeah. Okay. It's just brought first John 5 14 and 15 to mind it says now this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will.

Right.

Yeah, and you need to pray according to God's will we talked about that last time? There's another verse that just came to mind I forget the reference but it talks about your prayers being hindered basically the husband and wife.

If they're not getting along if there's strife there, it'll hinder your your prayers. So there's all sorts of things that's different from that's different from God not hearing you. But there's a lot of things that can be a hindrance.

And obviously you have to ask in faith if you pray to God and I know I've done this. Usually it's when someone else asked me to pray and I take their request. But I've prayed for things that I don't really believe that God is gonna do.

Right. I think most people have probably done that. You're praying God do in in your heart you're saying I'm saying it but I don't really believe it. Well, you have to come to God in faith. But at the same time asking according to his will knowing that there's no guarantees.

God is not a vending machine. He's not a genie. He's not Santa Claus. You don't ask and get whatever you receive. I know there's verses that seem to say that if you take them out of context, but Everything has to be according to God's will but he does hear the prayers of this people.

Okay, that's what I wanted to say about God not hearing Prayers that happened back in the Old Testament it's happening today. Ecclesiastes 1 9 says that which has been is and What will be that which is done is what will be done and there is nothing new under the Sun.

So if it's happening then it's it's happening. It's happening now. All right. So you see that box that says four important areas of prayer. Everyone got that. So this is the acrostic.

Acts.

ACTS. Now who knows the difference between an acrostic and an acronym? Does anyone know the difference? Okay. All right. So if I use the wrong term, you won't know because you don't know the difference.

I think it's an acrostic though. But an acronym is it's similar. Okay, what what is this? ACTS obviously. You will remember it because of the book of Acts the Acts of the Apostles, but this is general guidance in how to pray.

You start out with Adoration so you're you're praising God you're adoring God. It says reflect on God himself. Praise him for his attributes his majesty and his gift of Christ. So when we pray. It shouldn't be Lord.

Here's what I need right now. Can you give me this and do this for me? Oh, you should start out with praising God for who he is. And then you move into the sea, which is confession. Admit to God that you have sinned be honest and humble.

Remember he knows you and he loves you so Confession would be number two. And obviously this is something that is often missing there. There will be churches and ministries. There's no confession anymore because they've already made a decision that they're not gonna they're not gonna preach about sin.

They're not going to talk about sin. So you really can't Lead a prayer where we're confessing our sins because that decisions already been made. We don't bring that up. And then there's some people that never admit they're wrong.

Right, you know, you know these hopefully that doesn't describe anyone here. It can seem that way sometimes probably but You you should be able to admit you're wrong to God. So we confess our sins to God.

He knows anyways, he knows he knows our sin and our shortcomings. So we we adore God we confess our sin that way now we are approaching God correctly. Putting him first his rightful place. Putting us in our rightful place as the sinner and then we're confessing that we now have a clean heart and.

Then you get into Thanksgiving and you thank God for all these things tell God how grateful you are for everything He has given you even the unpleasant things. Your thankfulness will help you see his purposes and then once you've done all that.

The last thing you do is what? Yeah, then you get into the supplication or as some people call it the petitions make Specific requests. So when you ask God for the yeah, we this is where we ended last week.

Remember, you know the general prayers. Lord healed the sick. Okay, who though like who do you want him. To heal so be specific in your requests that way when God answers your prayers. You can actually see it.

It's not some vague thing that you don't really know. So pray first for others and then for yourself and that's in line with the teachings of of Christ to put you know. Love love others. So put them first and then yourself.

Notice that the first letters of these four words. Form the word acts you can use this see it calls it an acronym here. But I like I said, I've been calling it an acrostic. If you want to correct me later explain the difference to me later.

You can as a guide to maintain balance as you pray. All right any questions on this?

All right.

All right. Let's move on to number three. The struggle of prayer is prayer struggle. Do you be willing to admit that it's a struggle or maybe it's not a struggle. See, it's it's not a struggle if it's a part of your routine if it's something you do all the time.

It becomes a struggle not to pray. But it's like it's like anything if you're used to doing it. It's easier if you Don't do it very much. Then it's a struggle. So we've talked about the nature of prayer the practice of prayer and now the struggle of prayer.

Let's see what pastor MacArthur says. Prayer can be hard work. But that should not keep us from praying even when it requires sacrifice. Then I asked the question how long did Jesus pray before he selected the twelve apostles from Luke 6 verse 12.

Oh.

Yeah, he spent the whole night in.

Prayer.

Now, why did he do that? There could be several reasons. But choosing the twelve apostles. This was a big decision. Because Jesus had a lot of followers. Sometimes we think that he just had twelve and Mary Magdalene and that was it.

No, that's not really accurate. He had a lot more. So out of that larger group of disciples Jesus chose twelve. This is a big decision before the point is before you make a big decision. You should always pray about it.

The bigger the decision the more prayer. What's our tendency though when there's a decision to be made? We just automatically know what to do. We have our instinct. We'll go off what we think and we'll make a snap or a rash decision.

Sometimes that works out a lot of most of the time. It probably doesn't Linda.

Yeah.

Yep, and you know, that's a good idea too to get counsel when making a big decision, you know, look to the word Get some advice all Good things to do. But yeah, you do want to pray when make making a big decision.

I mean, especially about ministry. Obviously, this is what you should do John.

Like.

Right, well it was so that the scriptures might be fulfilled. Jesus chose Judas not as a whoops, you know, that was a bad decision I I wish I had done that differently. No Jesus chose Judas on purpose.

So that prophecy would be fulfilled it it was part of God's will that that happened because Jesus someone had to betray him so that the soldiers would know where to find them again if fulfilled scripture.

There's all these reasons why I had to happen so it wasn't a mistake. You know, you might think that well didn't Jesus already know who the twelve were supposed to be. He's he's divine. Doesn't he already know all these things?

Not necessarily there's a lot of things during the ministry of Jesus that He knew right away. He could read people's hearts. He had certain Divine knowledge that only God could have or that the Spirit could give him but he didn't always know everything.

Right because the obvious example is that Jesus didn't know the day or the hour of his return. So there were times where he didn't know Everything right away and it would appear as though this would be another example.

So he prayed all night Before choosing the twelve, but yeah, Judas was not a mistake. Does anyone want to add to that? Okay to describe the intensity of Jesus as he prayed in anticipation of the cross.

Luke.

2244 Says being in agony. He was praying very fervently and His sweat became like drops of blood falling down upon the ground now there's some debate about this whether or not he actually did sweat blood or Like this says it became like drops of blood either way.

When you're sweating if you ever You're sweating Profusely, the the drops are heavy. You have the normal sweat, but sometimes Yeah, the drops are big in their head. Jesus was what going through agony distress?

If your prayers ever been like that have you ever agonized over something in prayer. Some people just agonize, you know it's just themselves torturing themselves going over things in their mind better to put it in God's hands and Let him deal with it.

You said well, I don't want to pray that to God because it seems inappropriate or I don't want to here's one thing I've heard before. Oh, I don't want to bother God with with this I don't know. I'm trying to think of a Situation where that would be yeah, you don't want to bother God, but I can't can you bother God?

It's not like he only has a certain amount of time and this doesn't really rise to that occasion. So bring these things to the Lord in prayer. So Jesus prayed all night there are times he prayed fervently and Then three what should believers be careful to do when we devote ourselves to prayer.

Colossians chapter 4 verse 2 keep alert and have an attitude of Thanksgiving. I I'm going out on a limb here and saying this is one of the biggest. Spot talking about struggles. One of the biggest struggles is staying alert you know, we live in a day and age where people have been diagnosed having attention deficit disorder and whether people have always dealt with that or if that's I know I believe it's More of a thing with some people than others, but isn't that's a common problem in prayer is to kind of keep focused.

You know, you let your mind wander. I know that's happened to me I'll start out praying and then two minutes in I'm just Know what I'm thinking. This is here's the helpful thing. Pray out loud. That will help because if you're praying in your mind, it's much easier to go straight.

So if you find a quiet place. This is why people close their eyes to prevent distractions. But hey, whatever works, but find a quiet place away from a radio away from TV away from other people away from distractions and pray out loud and that I think will help you keep your focus and Just sometime and I don't know that this covers it but have an open Bible read and pray.

Pray the scriptures. Pray through the scriptures. Find something in the scripture read it and then talk to God about that if you run out of things to pray for all right any. This is some advice that I've found helpful.

All right, we'll move to the next one be. Even when we are frustrated or discouraged we can still approach God in prayer. Why was David discouraged in Psalm 13? 1 2. Why was David discouraged?

Okay.

Yeah, yeah and because David's prayers were not being answered at least that's how he viewed it he felt like God forgot all about him. And this is another common that people feel like God doesn't care or maybe you know in your mind.

Well, he does care but it seems like he's forgotten about me. Now is that true, you know, you you kind of know it's not true that God hasn't Forgotten about you and here's another problem. We're impatient.

You know, we pray for something. We want it done like the next day this afternoon this week. That's not the way it works. God answers prayer according to his will like Lance said the second thing it's according to his what his timing.

But that's not the way people are. So David was discouraged and we can get discouraged in prayer. And I think that's what the devil would want people to do to get discouraged in it. When you're discouraged You're more likely to do what?

Stop praying. To what. Was David's complaint in Psalm 22 verse 2? He says, oh my god, I cry by day, but you do not answer and by night, but I have No rest. So David thought that God had forsaken him. When in reality David of any man in Israel David was the man that God had his hand on and God was guiding his life.

More than anyone. I would have to say and yet there are those moments where he thought God didn't care. That kind of tells you something like David was not seeing things for the way. They really were.

But.

These are some common things and it's helpful helpful for us to see that great men of God in the scripture felt this way because it's relatable and You realize you can read it and say, okay David was wrong.

That's not true. Well, that should help you to realize that's not the case for us either. Okay, prayer is governed by God's sovereignty and his determined purpose or his purpose determines his answer to our.

Prayers.

You know, I talked about the woman last week who said I said, you know You need to pray according to God's will and she said all that ruins it then, you know. Then I can't just get whatever I pray for.

I know I I get it. I mean there are There but there are some preachers who preach like that. They'll tell you if you just believe it hard enough if you just have enough faith. No, you can get whatever you want.

So I think we have to have some sympathy because people are picking this up from pastors and in authors. Sometimes it's just a matter of being a babe in Christ. You just don't know any better. You've never got to that verse that says you should pray according to God's will.

So if somebody makes an outlandish statement or something that's clearly wrong about prayer, you know, don't don't be too hard.

On them.

None of us have it all Figured out yet and I can say that because none of us have the prayer life of Jesus. Jesus was the man who had it. He knew how to pray and he if Jesus asked for something. He would have his prayers answered.

That's not the case for us. We asked a miss as James said. Even with Jesus that one prayer that you might think wasn't answered, you know, take this cup from me. It's a hypothetical because it didn't work out that way but Jesus said what nevertheless.

Not my will be done but thine so even Jesus conceded that even this is what I want. I would prefer to not have to go to the cross but because Lord it's your will I Will go. I I want to go because that's what you want me to do.

And that really has to be our attitude that we adopt God's will whatever God's will is. That's what I'm gonna pray for. That's what I want, even though it might be the opposite of what you want in the flesh.

So prayer does change things, you know, God would have done it differently if you didn't pray this way maybe. But it does at the very least change us it conforms us to God's purposes. So read 2nd Corinthians 12 7 through 9 and You've supposed to have done this already and so what did Paul pray for?

Okay, well that's what he was that's what he was concerned about or that's what God was concerned about with Paul that Paul would get. Too prideful remember Paul was taken up into the third heaven. Paul was given all these revelations by God and that.

The threat there was that Paul would get proud and puffed up that you know I no other man has received all this but I have so to keep Paul humble God gave him the thorn in the flesh. So Paul's prayer was that God would remove the thorn.

Now there's some debate about what Paul's thorn in the flesh was. What do you think it was? There's that we don't know so there's no real right answer, but what have you heard that his thorn in the flesh was.

Okay, one common views that Paul had bad eyesight I Think he did have bad eyesight whether that was his thorn in the flesh. We're not really sure it could have been. Anyone have any other theories? Well, I've heard all sorts of different things.

I.

I.

Personally think that it was it talks about a messenger of Satan to Buffett him so I Think the Apostle Paul had there was a man in the church at Corinth or there was somebody that was just a thorn in his Side that was just stirring up trouble And just making his life Just grief in the ministry, I we don't really know whatever it was.

Paul said Lord, would you remove it and What did God say? No, no. Yeah, because God didn't remove the thorn and it says how many times did Paul pray for this?

Three.

Well, maybe if he prayed that fourth time that God would have said yes. You know, there's my dad did a sermon a few years ago about persistent prayer. And there are passages that if you keep praying God is more likely to answer we could look at those parables.

So, you know, there's no real formula. I heard another preacher say hey if you prayed to God once he heard you the first time and Praying again shows that you're doubting. I don't think that's right. So you could pray once you could pray once a day.

Paul prayed three times though and Did he see did he receive what he asked for why or why not the answer we know. No, God did not take away his thorn in the flesh, but the Lord said my grace is Sufficient for you for power is perfected in weakness.

So if there was ever a man In the New Testament Church that had faith Just faith in God that could move mountains a man who is just sold out to the Lord and serving him. It was the Apostle Paul and yet Paul asked for something and I think it's a reasonable request.

He wasn't praying for a Lamborghini or whatever the first century equivalent was. But God said no my grace Is sufficient if you ever felt that God has said something like that to you like Paul I'm leaving this in your life for your good whether you realize that or not and we pray and ask God.

Usually we're praying To ask God to fix our problems, right? I Have this ailment Lord take it away. Heal me. I have this this person's giving me problems fix this fix that fix that and You have to acknowledge that sometimes God doesn't do it.

Maybe because you lack faith. I mean that Have to acknowledge that could be a possibility or that you don't ask that's one possibility. But sometimes you do have the faith and you do ask and he still says no and you just don't understand why?

But God knows best and he's leaving that thing or person or whatever it is in your life for a reason. Does anyone have an example? You'd like to share I know it's kind of a personal thing. But if you think of anything and you'd like to share it.

Maybe you've recognized after the fact that God didn't answer your prayers because he would get something better in store. Maybe.

Okay.

But I mean Paul here in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11. I mean you hear a lot on the radio or television from some Prosperity your best life now you're supposed to have. You know be healthy and prosperous and everything.

But Paul here in 2nd Corinthians 11 starting in verse 24 Says from the Jews five times. I received 40 stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods once I was stoned three times I was shipwrecked a night in a day.

In journeys often in perils of water in perils of robbers and perils of my own countrymen and perils of the Gentiles. And perils in the city and perils in the wilderness and perils in the sea and perils among false brethren in weariness and toil in sleeplessness sleepless Sleeplessness In hunger and thirst in fastings often and cold and nakedness Besides other things what come upon me daily.

My deep concern is for the churches. So I mean.

Politics of abuse right and.

So I don't see where the name of the claimant guys. How they're just avoiding this passage. And telling everybody, you know, no you shouldn't go through hard times. Right. I don't see anything in Scripture that says we won't be kept from trouble.

But I do see that God says He will be with us through it. Whatever it is. Yeah.

Yeah, did you have a hand up?

That's Confusing to me with a prayer about is he saying no or is he saying wait. So that you know how Paul knew after three times, you know, don't talk praying anymore, right?

All right.

Yeah, well, I you know Paul is different. Here's a man who received Visions and direct. I realize people today claim to receive visions and direct revelation from God.

I don't believe them, you know, I.

Maybe that's happening to somebody somewhere. But usually when you hear that, I don't buy it. Paul though was receiving Direct revelation from God so for God to tell him No, my grace is sufficient that could have been God doing it in a clear way.

Where. Okay? That's an answer where you're not gonna get that same type of thing. It's just different we. I could do a whole sermon on why it's different, but Well, God isn't speaking to us in the same way that he spoke and gave revelation to his Apostles.

But I don't know if that helps. Jen.

To go away. Those are the times that By going through the hard thing God will grow you in a way you have grown and he gives you Understanding in such a way that you would have never have gotten it unless you've gone through that.

There's such a deepness To the lesson that you learn After going through something hard like that and a blessing when you get to help someone else go through that.

Right.

Yeah, thank you. That's a good insight. We don't grow unless we go through difficulty. I Mean the illustration I like to use is, you know the gym. I mean, you got to work hard at the gym to get those results in your body, right?

This is how the Lord grows his people through adversity. Romans 5 talks about Romans 5 3 through 5 and not only that we also glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance.

Perseverance. Character in character. Hope and hope does not disappoint because we have the love of God Which has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. So, you know people that really have character.

They've been through some things right, so Sometimes God will allow us To shape and mold us into the image of Christ because Christ is what the man of sorrows? Christ suffered like no other man suffered so as his followers.

We're gonna go through some difficult times too so that we become more like him. One comment about Larry. And you know the prosperity preachers and I only bring up the Lamborghini thing because it's some name it and claim it people have.

Have.

Said things like that. But obviously God blessed certain people throughout scripture with great wealth. There's nothing wrong with that. So I don't want to make it sound like if somebody's well-off that there's there's a problem but usually the prosperity preachers will have to go into the Old Testament with men like Abraham or David or Solomon who were very wealthy.

Job.

They have to go into the Old Testament to get their doctrine because they're not getting it on the pages of the New Testament. And the Old Testament, this is a different covenant if you obeyed the Commandments you were promised blessing here on this earth.

So.

It's not it's just not the same. Again, that could go on and on about it, but that's not really what we're talking about. All. Right, the last thing read mark 14 3 35 through 36 and Mentioned this briefly.

What did Jesus ask of the father concerning his hour? Of suffering. What did Jesus ask? Yeah that God would remove.

This.

Cup, but what was he willing to do? His his father's will. Now what was the cup? Jesus refers to it as the cup. Remove this cup from me. The cross. Now, why would the cross be called a cup? Well think about in the Lord's Supper the bread represents the body the cup represents his his shed blood.

So yes, it is speaking of the cross. And What was the cross? What was God doing to Christ on the cross? Right, he was punishing him For the sins of the world in the book of Revelation when it talks about a cup There's the cup of what God's indignation, right?