Wednesday, January 4, 2023 PM

Well, good evening. There is a there's a really Competitive chess match going on over there. And I suspect mr. DeForest is getting schooled. But I don't know that for sure. Let's open let's open with prayer father.

We thank you that you allow us to gather as brothers and sisters in Christ. Give us your word give us the Holy Spirit. You give us the ability to read and comprehend and meditate and enjoy the truth of your word.

And we just ask that this evening. You might just give us a glimpse into more of who you are and how you work through people. We ask this in Christ's name. Amen. It's morning. I want to just this evening.

I just want to spend a little bit of time. This this came into my possession just Recently it's by Martin Luther. It's a simple way to pray. If you know anything about Martin he was born in.

1483.

And he died in 1546 and for most of his life. He was a Protestant reformer. He was a priest. He was a theologian. He was an author. He was a hymn writer. He's a professor. He was an Augustinian monk. And of course, we know him probably more famously for writing the 95 thesis In 1517 but in 1535 he had a friend Who was a master barber.

I don't know what makes a difference between a you know a rookie barber and a Apprentice apprenticed or journeyman barber or master barber, but had him friend Peter Beskendorf and Peter While apparently Being a barber with mr. Luther in the chair Asked him about a simple way to prayer.

What what? What tips what? Guidance could he give to praying well and praying effectively and and and doing that in a way that was Productive and helpful. So as a result of that Martin wrote a.

Short.

Book called this a a simple way to pray just a few pages and He highlighted a few things In particular using the word using the first the Ten Commandments using the model prayer as we find in Matthew 6 and He set it up in a such a way that he used these this formula this framework this Skeleton, and I find that I'm missing some of my prayer life by using this but he started with instructions.

And I'm going to read to you an example of how that works so you can get it and obviously Thanksgiving and confession which I Don't know that I do enough of I Don't know that I spent enough time in prayer asking God to forgive me for Things I have not done or things that I did do and then prayer the actual prayer intercessory prayer for others prayer for himself.

He.

Gave instructions to prepare to meditate to find a quiet spot to and some of this is just we know right. He said you need a comfortable kneeler. Now haven't how what is a kneeler anybody know. It's a little stool with short legs.

Upholstered usually. In a Lutheran or Methodist or a Catholic Church, we have fold-down kneelers in the pews. So that you can kneel while praying. He suggested that you do that or you could just stand or you could hold your hands in prayer lift them.

He said take a few deep clearing breaths prepare yourself. And continue to breathe deeply now that doesn't mean you get to the point. You're to be breathing really deeply. Because you're falling asleep.

Thus kneeling or standing and recite the Lord's Prayer. He felt that that was a way to enter in To this awareness Acknowledgement that there is this God Who gave us through Christ the model? And it reminds it sets in stage in process our thought process.

The Lord's Prayer as a Framework for Prayer

Matthew 6 is where I find it verse 9 our Father in heaven hallowed be thy name. Your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Give us our debts as we also give our debtors and lead us not into temptation But to deliver us from the evil one.

So he said as you. Do that. Ask your quest questions like what words in that Lord's Prayer. Trouble you or encourage you or comfort you or disturb you. Consider What the text teaches you? So as an example This is one he gives in Hebrews 13 verse 17, so we're going to use an example of this for this format or this.

Framework.

In Hebrews 13 17 it says obey your leaders and submit to them for they are keeping watch over your souls as Those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning for that would be of no advantage to you.

So as part of the instruction process He suggests this Lord Christ you instruct me here that I am to listen carefully and heed the word of my pastor. When he speaks your word the pastoral office is profound and My pastor is not only charged to watch over my soul But you also call him to account for his service to me.

Finally you tell me in this text. I am to be a joy to my pastor and not a pain. This for my own spiritual benefit. So he gives instruction about the scripture, and I think I Pray that you do. You pray for your pastor often I?

Believe God answers our prayers here at Sunnyside. While we pray for our pastor because of the power and the strength and the manner in which he does pray Indicates that the Holy Spirit is teaching him and Thanksgiving he suggests you pray this way Jesus.

I thank you for my pastor and thank you in fact I thank you for the pastor Who may have baptized me and all pastors who have served me in my life as a Christian? Thank you for all the sermons that clearly shown me my sin and Delivered me to get the free forgiveness of the gospel Because of your sacrifice for me on the cross.

Thanking. I heard those messages. I heard those Testimonials. I had a man share scripture with me in a devotional type way. And it convicted me.

And.

As I have sat under different pastors. I have learned different things. But I have been fortunate that we have had pastors.

Who choose.

To teach as well as they could with the Holy Spirit's leading the Word of God Knowing that they are imperfect, too. But we are not to be a Stumbling block to our pastor if he is a godly man leading our congregation and so We have had a great heritage at Sunnyside Of having pastors who spent Significant time in the word trying to teach us then confession.

He suggests this Lord. I confess that often I fail to pray for my pastor. I fail to be gracious to his family. I do not pay attention to his preaching. I Have gossiped and failed to love and defend him and put the best construction on everything.

I Deserve to have my faith faithful pastor taken away. Forgive me my many sins and help me to do the better. Help me do especially be a joy to my pastor an Encouragement be encouraged being in his difficult office.

Our pastor has much Responsibility just in his own household as you do and there's sometimes it becomes Much to handle but you have us in this room. We don't also have the burden of a flock to lead.

So.

We want to be a joy to our pastor. And then prayer It's a Savior. Bless my pastor with faithfulness to your word cause him to grow in Knowledge of your word encourage and strength for his tasks. I thank you for in this case Michael and For all faithful pastors grant success to the work of our seminaries Bless our professors and students and give my pastor joy.

I ask all this for your sake alone.

Amen, I need.

I'm convicted by that. I love my pastor. I love my my brother elders. I love my deacons. I love you guys.

And.

I do know that this is a praying church.

And.

We are fortunate in that. But we need to be more. Praying. As I went through this list the one one item on here the most is confession. I pray a lot for others when I'm asked but I don't confess My sin.

My.

Shortcomings my failures my lack of faith my lack of obedience. Like I should and as I look at myself, I realize I don't deserve.

What I have I.

Don't deserve a pastor who breaks the word rightly. I don't deserve brothers and sisters in Christ like we have. But God as Starley says a lot. But God is gracious. Prayer doesn't have to be Complex. It doesn't have to be just certain times.

But it does require us to think in terms of instruction. To spend time in the word to instruct us and it sets the stage For our giving thanks and confessing and praying today in our.

Reading.

Was Isaiah 53. I Love it because it talks about The suffering of his servant his servant Christ God's servant Christ his son suffered for us Suffered to a point. We don't understand. I Still don't Comprehend that sacrifice.

I don't. The more I try to understand it the more I don't that makes sense. It becomes more of a mystery. And in Isaiah 53 he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him. Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces. He was despised and we esteemed him not. Yet surely he took up our infirmities and he carried our sorrows.

Yet we considered him stricken by God smitten by him and afflicted but he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are healed.

We like sheep have all gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of Us all some of us. Maybe maybe all of us have had a time when we felt we were treated unfairly when someone Abused us verbally or spiritually disrespected us.

Attempted to embarrass us Blame us. Maybe rightly maybe not rightly and we we got off got offended.

And got.

Self-righteous and upset and angry. And wanted to lash out and get Vengeance, but we didn't take on the sins of the world. We were not abused like our Christ. We were not nailed to a cross the ultimate Hurt.

So just as you as you pray routinely. And I know you do. Consider his word as your instruction. Consider being thankful a heart of gratitude. Consider confessing so there's nothing at all between you and Christ between you and God and then you can pray.

And pray effectively and pray. That brings joy. Knowing that you've communed with God that you spent time in his presence that the Holy Spirit has revealed more of his character to you and Your character becomes more like his and that we we come away.

Humbled and.

Satisfied in being a child of the kingdom. And I pray that for you pray that for all of you. Thoughts or comments. All right. I want us to have a plenty of time for prayer.