Understanding the True Nature of Prayer

But the reality of it is that Jesus and the whole of Scripture does not in any way refer to Christians as hypocrites. We are not hypocrites; we are repentant sinners who, even when we act hypocritically at times, repent of our hypocrisy. A hypocrite is someone who never intends to be who he pretends to be. [00:04:39]

We notice in this prayer the simplicity of it. They're not complicated words or complicated thoughts or phrases. The words are simple. Children can understand it. Everyone can understand it. Yet, the words and the phrases and the concepts and the theology have such depth. Another thing we notice in the Lord's Prayer is that there's no "I," "me," or "mine." [00:08:01]

And how much greater are the gifts He gives than the gifts that our own fathers gave? And so, it's a call to reflect on His goodness, His mercy, and His abounding grace. I think most of us, when it comes to the gifts of God and the goodness of God, we think that He's sort of holding us at arm's reach, that He's just doling out little bits of grace here and there where we deserve it. [00:11:52]

Because in truth, believing and prayer are very closely associated and praying is easier than believing. But the reason we stop praying so often is because, in one sense, in one way or another, we've stopped actually believing. Why is it that we don't pray for extraordinary things to happen? [00:13:13]

And you'll notice that some people, and I don't want to offend anybody, but some people will employ in Jesus's name throughout their prayers, as if that brings more power to their prayers. It’s as if, if they say "in Jesus's name," or "in Jesus' name," it will add power to their prayers. [00:22:44]

Praying in the Spirit, as Christians, we can know that our feeble prayers, as weak as they might be, as hard as they are sometimes to utter. And that really is the truth, isn't it? Because at certain times in our lives, when we're going through certain trials, certain difficulties with certain burdens and anxieties, it is difficult to even utter a word. [00:26:43]

The truth is, we just don't always like the answers. I think it was C.S. Lewis who said something like, "If God had answered all the silly prayers in my life, where would I be now?" Think about the prayers that you prayed when you were younger, thinking that that's what you needed. [00:28:29]

The Spirit is groaning for us. He is sighing for us. There's an empathetic tone to this language here. These sighs heavenward are taking our feeble prayers and translating them to the Father's ear. Your prayers are heard by the Lord just as much as my prayers, just as much as the most holy and godly man's prayers. [00:30:18]

We do not need to be timid in our prayers. But how often do too many of us feel timid, especially in going to confess the same sin over and over and over again? It's the devil who is telling you you don't deserve to ask forgiveness again. It is your enemy, your accuser is saying, "You don't deserve it! [00:38:54]

We can pray it and leave it with God. Cast our anxieties upon Him. Why? Because He cares for us. This is the language of Scripture, in Psalm 55, verse 22, "Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." [00:42:53]

But ultimately, friends, we don't believe in the power of prayer; we believe in the power of God. And that's precisely why we pray. We who understand who God is and God's sovereignty, know that we go to him and pray to Him, not because we are believing fundamentally in our words or in the power of those words, but rather we believe dependently on the power of God. [00:44:14]

We have differences among us, but we have the same authority. We look to the same unchangeable and infallible Word of God. And the beautiful thing that we all have in common is that we all have the same best friend. We all have the same closest companion. We all have the same God and Father and Savior praying through the Spirit. [00:45:13]