Prayer, Thanksgiving, Praise and Worship — Zac Poonen

The Bible’s Promises and Commands for Christians

We first want to sing a chorus here and since we all need a little exercise I'm going to ask you to lift up your Bible with your right hand and we'll just see the words. First of all read. See the words on the every can you put that up now.

In the original it was every promise in the book is mine we just changed it so that refers to the Bible. Every promise in the Bible is mine. Every chapter every verse every line all our blessings of his love divine.

Every promise in the Bible is mine. It's no use singing it. You don't believe it. But if you believe it you say Lord I want to claim it every one of those. So it's a very good thing to tell the devil and to remind ourselves.

So if you don't have a Bible what shall you do. Don't hold up your cell phone. Cell phone has got many things which are not from God and receives many things which are not from God. Okay. Every promise in the Bible is mine every chapter every verse every line all our blessings of his love divine every promise in the Bible is my once again every promise in the Bible is my every chapter every verse every line all our blessings of his love divine every promise in the Bible is thank you please put it down.

I hope you believe that. It's a wonderful thing. You heard me say perhaps more than once that one of the prayers I have prayed many times Lord before I leave this earth I want to obey every commandment given for Christians.

There are some commandments given for Israel keeping the Sabbath not eating pork and things like that. But every commandment given for Christians I want to obey before I leave this earth. And every promise given for Christians not to the Jews given for Christians I want to claim before I leave this earth.

And if you are serious Christian I would encourage you to follow me in that those two things Lord every commandment that you have given in your word I want to obey it. And every promise that you have given I want to claim it before I leave this earth.

I believe it'll make a lot of difference in your life if you're serious about it and you study the Bible seriously to see if there are commandments given for Christians that you have not obeyed and if there are promises given for Christians that you have not claimed I often use the example of getting a check.

If you get five checks one day in the mail you will deposit all five in the bank. Otherwise you won't get any money. So if there's a promise in the Bible that you don't claim in the name of Jesus Christ you will not get it.

Prayer Requires a Clear Conscience

So when we go to God in prayer we I told you in the last session there are four things in our relationship with God prayer Thanksgiving praise and worship. So when you go to God in prayer if you have a bad conscience I want to mention this Jesus said if you come with your offering and remember somebody's got something against you before you settle that don't pray.

Just don't pray. And I believe there are many Christians I would say they should not pray. They should not pray because they have hurt somebody and they have not settled it. And until it is settled it's no use praying.

It's a waste of time doesn't go beyond the roof. And I want you to see this verse in Psalm 66 Psalm 66 Psalm 66 and verse 18 if I regard sin in my heart the Lord will not hear me. So if there is sin in your heart which you have not confessed and forsaken as I say the Lord will not even pick up the phone he will not hear you.

It's no use praying. And that is another reason why many Christians should not pray. I'm teaching people not to pray when there's sin in your heart not to pray when you've got a grudge against somebody's what Jesus said and don't say that God is not answering my prayer.

There's a reason why he's not answering your prayer. He's not even hearing it. So it's very important when we come prayer we first clear things that are obstructions. The line has been disconnected because of sin.

The line has been disconnected because you've not settled matters with somebody. So you pick up and the phone and talk and talk. It's like children talking on the phone. There's nobody at the other end.

Listening a lot of prayer is like that. A lot of all-night prayer is like that God is not listening. And why you what are you talking to. You're talking to thin air. The other thing I want to say is Jesus said don't think that you'll be hurt because you're praying a long time see Matthew chapter 6.

Meaningful Prayer Rather Than Empty Repetition

I just want to say a few things about this four things I mentioned about prayer Thanksgiving praise and worship. In Matthew chapter 6 we read how the non-christian praise verse 7 don't use meaningless repetition.

As the non-christians do they think they will be heard for their many words. There are some you know I've seen this in some CFC churches where they feel a bit ashamed because they say hey we are not.

Some Pentecostal said hey you guys are not allowed in your praise. So some CFC churches try to artificially make a lot of noise and say hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah as if that is the mark of being full to the Holy Spirit.

When you keep on saying hallelujah you know what you're doing. Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah. You're just disobeying Matthew 6 verse 7. Let me tell you honestly whoever keeps on doing that is disobeying Matthew chapter 6 verse 7.

So you get up in a church and you disobey Matthew 6 verse 7 and say hallelujah just to sound Pentecostal to impress the Pentecostals that we also say hallelujah. We also make noise in our church. What nonsense.

Whom are you trying to impress. Whose honor are you trying to get. I don't want to impress any human being in the world. And last of all the Pentecostals I don't want that type of thing. I will not make a meaningless repetition.

If you look in the Bible you take a concordance and see where hallelujah is mentioned. Nowhere in the 26 books of the New Testament. In the last book of the New Testament Revelation towards the end of Revelation it says hallelujah.

Babylon is destroyed. Yeah that I'm ready to say hallelujah. For so always there's a hallelujah because hallelujah. Because the Lord our God reigns hallelujah because Babylon is destroyed. That is the right way to say hallelujah not just hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah.

This is meaningless repetition with the Pentecostal. Teach people to say in order to make them speak in tongues. You never see that in the New Testament. Don't use meaningless repetition because that is a non.

Christians think that if they repeat something so many times God will hear them. Don't be like them. Don't disobey what Jesus taught. God can hear very clearly. You can say it once. But when Jesus said we must pray again and again for something it's not just repeating like that.

You pray and then pray again later during the day or pray the next day. Very often we had to pray for something again and again again before we get it like victory over sin. You can't just ask one day for victory over sin and get it.

It didn't happen like that for me. I persisted persisted persisted. I persisted for seeking the Holy Spirit. So in prayer there's an asking with meaningful less from our heart with not with blind repetition.

Prayer as a Burden Given by God

Very important. The second second thing I want to say is that when you pray it must come out of a burden that God has given you a burden that you know we can pray for anything. My child is sick. I can pray.

Definitely you can pray. You must pray if your child is sick at home your mother or father you must lay hands on that child. And in Jesus name mother or father pray for that child that claim the promise they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.

That'll be that's the way your children will learn to have some faith. So but otherwise when you are praying in general for some particular thing it's I mean a lot of people tell me pray for this pray for that pray for all types of things.

I'm not saying way if somebody asked you to pray for their sickness or for a job of a marriage by all means I will always pray. But other than that general requests when our general things we must have a burden in our heart.

When there's a burden in our heart and faith in our heart prayer is answered. So I think of prayer like a circle. It starts from heaven. God gives me a burden in my heart. I pray that prayer with faith back to God and the circle is complete and that prayer is answered.

But a lot of prayers we pray which are not necessarily a burden given by God. We can definitely pray for them which is earthly needs that people ask for. Definitely we must pray for them. But there are prayers which come out of a burden for something a burden for revival in your church or a burden for the Spirit of God to move among the young people in your church or some type of burden like that that God puts on your heart.

You have to lift it up in faith to God. And that's what completes the circle of prayer. So think of prayer like that a burden that God gives. And if you pray it back to God in faith it's not a question of how long you pray more than how much faith you have.

We read in the Old Testament that the prophets of Baal prayed for maybe six hours. Nothing happened when the Elijah was there challenging them who is the true God. And Elijah prayed for one minute and the fire came.

The important thing is not whether you prayed. The important thing is did God answer that prayer. See it says about Elijah in James chapter 5. James chapter 5 verse 17. He was a man with the same nature like ours Elijah.

And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain. And it did not rain for three years in six months. That was like a punishment. I'm not talking about our asking God to stop the rain or rain in this type of situation.

The rain that Elijah prayed against and for was a time when God was judging Israel by stopping the rain. And then when they repented when the fire fell Elijah said okay they have now repented. You can send the rain.

That is the context of that. But he prayed earnestly that it might not rain as a judgment upon Israel. And God answered it because God. It was a burden God gave Elijah from heaven. He prayed it back in faith to God.

And it didn't rain for three and a half years. And then he prayed again verse 18 after the Israel had repented and the sky poured the rain. And in that context it says in the last part of verse 16. Listen to this the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

If you are a righteous person you're seeking to be free from sin in your life. And you pray fervently to God. There's much that you can accomplish. Those of you who preach the Word of God. It's very important to pray that God will give you an anointing and utterance and clarity of mind and thinking and an understanding of the burden people have to the people you are speaking that way your prayer will be effective so and you'll get a result from it a burden.

And you must pray particularly when sharing the Word of God. Every time I seek to share the Word of God I pray that God will give me the gift of prophecy and anoint me every time I don't care how many years I've been preaching.

I say Lord if I go up there with depending on my past experience I'll fail. So these are some little bits of advice I can give you in the matter of prayer. Okay the next thing I want to speak about is Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving for Answered Prayer

So that's the second step. We go beyond prayer to Thanksgiving. And then we think of the story of the ten lepers. Charles can you give me that bottle of water. Thank you. Luke chapter 17. Jesus spoke about the ten lepers.

You know. And he they all got healed and only one of them came back to give thanks. Luke chapter 17 and verse 11 onwards the ten lepers came and raised their voice in verse 13 and said have mercy on us.

And Jesus had go and show yourself to the priest. And when they're all cleansed one came back. Is it important to give thanks to God. That is the answer question we want to ask here. He came back and Jesus didn't take it lightly.

He asked the question. Weren't there ten people who got an answer to prayer. Where are the nine. Where are they. And you know that the Lord is asking the same question today about many many believers who claim to be his children.

Didn't that person come to me and pray for a long time to heal his child or to pass in an examination or do well in something or get a job. And they got it. Did they come back and thank me. No they forgot about it.

Or they gave the credit to something else. I worked hard and I got good result. Or this medicine healed my child. But then why did you pray. There's no need to pray if your medicine was enough. The Lord is asking that question about many many prayers that you have prayed in the past for different situations in your workplace in your home with your family.

Can you think back to times when you prayed fervently for something and the Lord says well what happened. Where are these people who I whose prayers I answered. Is the Lord interested in that. Of course he is.

That's why he asked them where are the nine. The only one person came verse 18 to give glory to God. How can I glorify God. Here's the answer. Very simple way of glorifying God. When some prayer of yours is answered learn to give thanks.

It has to be a discipline. You don't need to have the discipline of praying when you're in trouble. You don't need any discipline there automatically it'll come. But you do need the discipline after God has answered your prayer to say now I have to discipline myself to go and thank God for it.

That's a discipline because there it was one out of ten who came back. I think today one out of a hundred will come to the Lord and thank him. So you'll examine your own life. Look back over your life and think of times when you desperately cried to God for some difficult situation and God answered.

And ask yourself. Did you humble yourself and go to God and say Lord thank you for answering my prayer. Thank you so much. I prayed to you with the Lord voice. I will thank you with the Lord voice now and if you ask the church to pray and the prayer was answered I think it's right to ask the church to thank God for the prayer was answered.

But usually never happens. Usually we have many many prayer requests in a church. Think of your own church. Many people say please pray for this prayer. But it's good very good to ask the church to pray when you're a problem any type of problem sick child examination time or any time you need a house you need this.

So many problems there are in this world. You ask the church to pray fine. Many of you have sent prayer requests to your churches. My question is after the prayer is answered how many of you send another note.

Please church please thank God with me. Because that prayer I asked you to pray for two weeks ago has been answered. You can see in your own life I've seen in my own life it does not come naturally. Crying out to God for help comes naturally.

That's step one. Thanksgiving is the second step. It does not come naturally. So what does not come naturally. We have to discipline ourselves. See if you are overweight and you find the doctor says you should reduce your weight.

If you want to be healthy you have to discipline yourself to do some exercise or some walking or something like that. And that does not come naturally. Going to sleep comes naturally. But to do some exercise to reduce the weight does not come naturally.

It's like the type of food that you know we want to teach our children to eat vegetables or something. And that's not something they like very much there to do it as a discipline because it's good for them.

So there are certain disciplines we must have and one of those disciplines is to learn to thank God. When a prayer is answered it starts as a discipline. It will become a habit if you keep on doing it it'll become a habit.

If you don't keep on doing it it'll never become a habit. You know I learned something from Jesus where Jesus said if you give a cup of cold water to one of my disciples you will not lose your reward.

And what I learned from that is Jesus remembers even a cup of cold water. So I can imagine when Christ comes again and he decides to give out his rewards he calls some totally unknown person from the crowd and says I remember 2 ,000 years ago you gave a glass of water to Peter when he was thirsty after he finished preaching somewhere.

And here's your reward. And you say what. 2 ,000 years ago somebody gave a glass of water to Peter and the Lord remembers that. I say Lord please help me to be like that help me to be like Jesus. That years ago somebody did something for me.

Let me not forget it. I've sometimes written to people said brother I remember 25 years ago when I came to your place and I needed to go somewhere some distance away and I could not get a taxi. You took me in your car.

I'm very grateful for that. And you wouldn't even take any money for the petrol. Thank you so much. I'm very grateful 25 years ago where did I learn it from that Jesus said if you give a cup of cold water he'll not lose his reward.

That means he'll at least get a thank you from the Lord. We are very slow in giving thanks to God. We are very slow in thanking God's people also very it's I don't know whether it's particularly Indian habit of not being grateful now.

I'm not saying that. You know Westerners they teach their children from childhood to say thank you. Sorry. You know. Sorry sorry uncle. Thank you auntie. But it's pretty meaningless. It becomes a ritual after some time.

So I'm not asking you to do it as a ritual but meaningful thank you. Be thankful for your wife who brings you a cup of tea or coffee in the morning. I'm not saying you have to say loudly. She may get a shock.

This chap is now what happened now. 20 years. He never said anything all of a sudden he's the main thing is have an attitude of thankfulness. That's the main thing. You don't have to be formal with your wife but have an attitude of thankfulness for cooking your food and washing up the dishes and cleaning up the house.

And you children I'll tell you you children if you learn to be thankful to your parents for the hundred and one things or a thousand and one things they do for you it'll go extremely well with you. Remember all your children even older people if your parents are alive learn to appreciate them and thank them.

Because it says here that this man or the ten people got healing from leprosy. But this man got healing plus salvation. How did he get a little more. It says here your faith has saved you. Verse 19 your faith has saved you before he got only healing.

Now he got salvation. And that was because he came back to give thanks. Do you know what you have missed in your life by not coming back and giving thanks. So even if I can provoke you to give thanks for a selfish reason that is you'll get something more from God.

A bonus that you didn't expect. At least start like that. Learn to give thanks. It's a very good habit to men and to God. And Jesus taught that very clearly here. Then I want to go further. We're talking about Thanksgiving.

Being Filled with the Holy Spirit Through Thanksgiving

You've seen a little bit about prayer Thanksgiving. It says in Ephesians in chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5. And it says in verse 20 this is an amazing thing always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

Now this is much more than what we are thinking of. In fact this is one of the marks of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Many of many of us are seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And Ephesians 5 18 it says be filled with the Holy Spirit.

And one of the results will be verse 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. So I take that as I say Lord I will know I'm filled with the Spirit. One evidence of it is that I will always give thanks not necessarily in other tongues but in my mother tongue.

I can begin with that now you know when God gives us the gift of unknown languages where we express syllables from our heart with our mouth to God it is because we don't know what else to say in English.

Or we don't know how to give thanks to God in English or whatever language you use. But if you're not even giving thanks in English then the Lord will say why do you need another language with English itself.

You're not giving thanks. So why do you need another language. You don't need it. Do you know in what atmosphere the first hundred and twenty people on the day of Pentecost got the gift of tongues. I'll show you please turn to Luke's gospel in chapter 24.

Luke 24 the Lord said to them before he went up to heaven. Verse 49. Luke 24 49 I am sending forth the promise of my father that is the Holy Spirit on you. But you must stay in the city until you're clothed with power from on high.

And then he lifted up his hands and he blessed them and departed from them. And they went back to Jerusalem. And what did they do for the next ten days. Listen. They were continually in the temple praising God.

And they went into the upper room and they were praising God. Lord we thank you. We praise you thank you for all that you've done for us. And we exalt you and we praise you. And they ran out of words.

Of course they were praying in Aramaic or whatever language they were using and they ran out of words. How can we praise God. And God says don't worry I'll give you another language to continue praising me.

That's exactly it. And a desire to thank the Lord and praise him. And you don't know what else to say. Then the Lord gives you another language. But if you're not using whatever you already have why should he give you another language.

Not at all. Now if you want to know how difficult it is to thank and praise God in your mother tongue in English even for one minute 60 seconds. Try sometime when you're alone in your room to thank God for 60 seconds to pray thank and praise him.

Okay. See how long you'll continue. You'll find it even difficult to say for 60 seconds. What do you say. Hallelujah. Thank you Lord. Praise you Lord. We exalt you. It's only about 20 seconds. What do I say next.

You're stuck. You try it. See if you can go one minute without repeating yourself. You'll find in 20 seconds you are repeating yourself and we leave it at that. And the Lord says why do you need another language.

If you're English itself you're not using it to thank me. So there's no need for you. But these people were continually praising God and in the midst of that atmosphere they began to speak in other tongues.

But if you are complaining and grumbling and criticizing and finding fault with this that and the other why in the world do you need a gift of tongues. You don't need that. You got the English language to complain and criticize this that the other I decided to finish with all this long ago I said Lord I want to what we read in Ephesians 5 always give thanks for all things.

Be filled with the Holy Spirit and give thanks always for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. You try doing that. Try obeying Ephesians 5 18 be filled with the Spirit. And verse 20 always for everything give thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That means even if something appeared to go wrong you say Lord I don't know why you allowed this in my life. But I want to give you thanks. This is to teach me to humble me. I want to give you thanks.

It says give thanks for everything. And the reason why we can give thanks for everything is because the Bible says in Romans 8 28 that God makes everything work for my good. Now if something is definitely for your good will you give thanks.

For example you took a medicine and it healed you of a terrible sickness that you were suffering with for one year. Would you give thanks. Sure because something good happened to you. Or you one day went to the bar office and the boss said I'm doubling your salary today.

Oh is it difficult to give thanks. Then why is not difficult then because it is good that was good. I was sick for one year and now I'm completely free of that sickness. Or I got an unexpected reward from my boss he gave me double a salary.

Do you believe that every single thing God will make to work for your good. Then you'll give thanks for everything. It's not just doubling salary that we give thanks for not just for healing from sickness.

Romans 8 28 says God makes everything work together for good. Now if it is written in Romans 28 God makes 90 of the things that happen to you work for your good. Then Ephesians 5 20 will say give thanks for 90 of things.

Yeah because the other 10 is not working for my good. Connect Romans 8 28 with Ephesians 5 20 and you learn something because God makes everything work for my good. Therefore I give thanks for everything.

And when you don't give thanks for everything but you complain about something your problem is not Ephesians 5 20. Your problem is Romans 8 28. You don't believe Romans 8 28. Or the condition in Romans 8 28 is not fulfilled in your life.

Because Romans 8 28 is not for every person. It says those who love God and who are called according to his purpose. That means you love Jesus more than you love everybody else which is a condition of discipleship.

And you want to fulfill his purpose in your life. There is a true Christian will only want to fulfill God's purpose in my in his life. Say Lord I only want to fulfill your purpose in my life. That's all I want.

And I want to love you with all my heart. I don't want to love a single thing on earth. I want to love you with all my heart. Then God says I will ensure that every single thing that happens to you works for your good works for your good.

Does not mean that you'll get more money. If you lost one job. No he'll give you a better salary job. No. It does not mean if you couldn't marry one girl that God will help you to marry a better girl.

No that's not the thing what is the good towards which God is working. The greatest good that God can do to us is mentioned in the next verse 29 to make us like Jesus Christ. So when it says God makes everything to work together for good we can interpret it in a wrong way.

We can say oh I went for that interview I didn't get that job. That means God has got a better job for me. Who told you you may you may finally get a job with half that salary. But you'll become like Jesus.

If you believe that is the greatest good that God can do to you you'll be happy he'll give thanks and everything. But if you think the greatest good God can do to you is to give you a high-salary job and help you to marry a very pretty girl then you haven't understood Christianity at all.

You're like the heathen because they're also looking for those things. And very often Jesus said don't be like the heathen don't be like the heathen. So the good is defined in verse 29 as the good which God is destined for us to become like Jesus Christ.

Becoming Like Christ as the Christian Destination

So what are the things God. One of the things God has taught us in these years is what is the Christians destination. Whenever you get into your motorcycle or scooter or car to drive you don't drive without a destination.

You got always you got a destination. This is where I'm planning to go and so whatever route I take I'm planning to finally reach here. So the Christian life has also got a destination and that destination is mentioned here in verse 29 predestined that means destined.

It has been decided beforehand what your destination is. Just like you know when you get a train ticket you got it 60 days in advance. It's written there Bangalore. That's it's already decided. So you go to the station and get into the train that goes to Bangalore.

This is predestined. That is the meaning of predestination. So we also got a ticket predestined to become like Jesus Christ. That is why I say go to a church that will lead you to become like Jesus Christ.

You don't go to a station and say I like green trains. But a green train may not be going to Bangalore wherever you end up. You choose. You know if it's a rusted old train is going to Bangalore. Let's get into that.

So don't choose a church which is according to size and beauty. And no no no ill will this church like a train take me to my destination. My destination is not clapping and singing and shouting hallelujah.

No no no no. My destination is to become like Jesus Christ. I want to be in a church that will help me to become like Jesus Christ. And if you're not in such a church you should go and find a church like that.

That will help you that every time you go there it helps you to become a little more like Jesus Christ. Today there's there are thousands of preachers on the Internet and thousands of sermons. And you must listen to sermons that will help you to become like Jesus Christ.

Because that's your destination. Why do you want somebody to push you in the wrong direction. Going in some other direction you'll waste your time. You must have a clear goal supposing you're taking a ride.

You know there are people sometimes who stand on the roadside and say can you give me a ride in that direction. And their cars going by some of them will stop and give you a lift. But if that car is not going where you wanted to go why you're sitting in it.

Why are you sitting in a car which is not taking you a little further towards your destination. They are turning off in some other direction. Why are you sitting in a church which is not leading you towards becoming like Jesus Christ.

Why are you listening to messages on the Internet which are not helping you to become more like Jesus Christ. Why are you wasting your time. You get into that car. You want to go in this direction. You would get into a car which is a nice Mercedes-Benz.

I like Mercedes-Benz. This is great. I say it's better to get into a motorcycle that's going the right direction than to get this car going somewhere else. But people are taken up with these things. They go here wander over here and there waste time which well other people are pressing on towards the mark.

Paul said there's one thing I do. I press towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. What is that to become like Christ. He said that's the only thing I do. He said that in Philippians 3 one thing I do now if you can be a Christian like that you see your goal and then you say everything that happens along the way will work to make you like Jesus Christ will help to push you a little further in that direction.

That's why we give thanks Lord. Thank you for that problem you created for me. It's helped me to become a little more like Christ. And that financial difficulty you brought me into. Wow. When I go through it finally I say it really made me a little more Christlike.

So I learned over a period of time to give thanks for everything. I can tell you numerous things in my life which at the moment looked pretty bad but I said Romans 8 28. I live in Romans 8 28 first of all because I've decided to love Jesus more than everything and everyone on this earth.