How to Pray

Prayer is as normal to the Christian as breathing is to the human and the reason you breathe is because of the air pressure that is exerted against your lungs. It forces your lungs to take Aryan when you're born, the family of God. You enter into God's world. The atmosphere of God's presence and grace exerts pressure on your life in the normal thing we as it's the tailors to make clothes and cobblers to make shoes so it's the business of Christians to pray.

Certainly there is no more natural response for the believer, saved by grace, then to praise and worship God in prayer. Still, for most of us probably prayer isn't quite as spontaneous as we would like.

Rather, it's a discipline we need to work on today on grace to you. John MacArthur examines the spiritual discipline of prayer as he continues his look at the fundamentals of Christian living study is called spiritual boot camp. The title of today's message simple enough, how to pray. So to begin the lesson.

Now here's John MacArthur will talk about how to pray right now. One of the very basic things about the Christian life is praying really Bible is like eating will praying is like breathing. One of the other things it's really helpful to do if you happen to be alive is brief is very redeeming value.

You exist when you come into the world in an atmosphere. One of the things that the atmosphere does is put pressure on your lungs and from the very beginning.

You breathe in. The reason you breathe is because of the air pressure that is exerted against your lungs. It forces your lungs to take Aryan. That's why it's much more difficult to hold your breath, and it is to breed you hold your breath for about a minute you turn purple and your heart starts pounding and you get sweaty because you're resisting the normal pressure against your lung well prayer is like that when you're born, the family of God when you're born again.

When you become a child of God you enter into God's world. There is a sphere in which you live. The atmosphere of God's presence and grace exerts pressure on your life and the normal thing is to breathe and we just say that's prayer responding to God's pressure and presence in your life. Prayer is as normal to the Christian as breathing is to the human you live in an atmosphere and you respond to that atmosphere of the presence of God by receiving that presence of God and by taking it in and put you back out again in response to him. Prayer really is important. We talk a lot about prayer we throw the word around. But prayer is a tremendous power. Somebody once said prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscles of omnipotence and prayer activates the power of God. That's putting the same thing. A simple term. Prayer activates the power of God. God moves in response to the prayers of his people and not only that, but prayer line you up properly with God when we are told to pray, we are told to pray in the spirit know what it means to pray in the spirit is to pray consistently with the spirit of God.

Prayer is to align us with the will and purpose of God.

When we pray in the will of God are in accord with God's will, we are lining up with his purposes, and so prayer has a definite effect of lining us up with God's purposes clearly does change things. I know I was a kid we are doing our dining rooms of prayer changes things really does prayers affect.

There was a guy doing some sculpture one time he was down pounding on the bottom of this thing on the ground and a preacher came in and said I wish I could deal.

Such changing blows on the hearts of men. The sculptor looked at him and said maybe you could if you work like me on your knees and is a lot of truth to that, if my experience has taught me anything and I say this with a very genuine feeling that what I say. You probably won't really understand totally. But from my standpoint of the ministry. I know the difference in my ministry when there is prayer. And when there is not. It is very evident to me both the prayers of people, even people I don't know, and my own faithfulness and prayer makes a very distinguishable difference in my ministry and I am very aware of it.

Prayer is very effective. We would say the prayer simply is talking to God is just conversation like you talk to anybody. It is no a lot of these in thousand holy motorists in all kinds of fancy words is not vocabulary contests. You can say the most theological words without taking a breath isn't that at all.

And prayer is not vain repetition. It's not.

Please all do this so I beg you, I beg you, I beg you please do this point, you know, you don't need to beg like that the Pharisees had endless repetition. God is deafening. Your do the first time, there isn't any need.

There isn't any need for endless repetition. That's Matthew chapter 6.

Prayer is not a missed petition. Prayer is not begging, begging, oh please oh please oh please do this if you only do this anonymous. It's not that kind of thing. Although there is petitioner's earnestness and it prayer simply conversation but there are some rights and some wrongs and some things about prayer that we need to understand. Basically, prayer is simply talking to God isn't to be sophisticated. It isn't to be formal or informal or it's just anything Paul says in Ephesians 618, praying always with all kinds of prayer any kind of prayer you be crying out all God, you know, in a terrible time of stress. We can we say what is disturbing. They are really happy at this point of noncheck and in the last prayer any kind of communion with God at any point, any level in any subject communion with God is prayer a not to close your eyes, because I grew up in a church was rather provincially whenever we prayed, you know, you sort of the distal routine you close your eyes and bow your head like a seven support teach kids do that so they don't look around the room and make little noises and for a sneak the other dinner and stuff so you begin to ignore this just to so nobody starts before usage and the oils we hold hands and just to get on the concert. I used to go out with us but you guys always to go on the road go to preach and in saying that a quartet lot of funny deals we didn't so we glide every time we go have prayer meeting on the first time I went out we went out and everybody played with her eyes open, especially the guy was driving you sister and prayer he just I we were glad for that. We were no we want to just time close his eyes commit to being the Lord could drive well with his eyes open for anyway drive along on the first time it happened I thought were the Lord hears me Dunham's iced and every time you see somebody print television. It was with her eyes wide open, but it was just a matter you know the Bible says you can probably arise lifted up to heaven. It says you can pray with her hands lifted up and says you can pray, kneeling, pray, bow you can lie down, pray can stand up and pray while you're walking, sitting you know it doesn't matter. Praying is just conversing with God, and the particular physical position. The particular mode of what you do, your eyeballs isn't the issue. That's not the issue at all the ideas communing with God. Now let me just talk about prayer very briefly.

First of all, the necessity for prayer. It is necessary. Number one because it is commanded anything that is commanded the Christian becomes necessary. Jesus said in Luke 18.

One I want everybody everywhere to pray and not to think you know most people do have a problem. Think Jesus I don't think do what, pray want to pray, but think you know Peter had problems always fall asleep prayer meeting and Jesus said to me know if you stayed awake and prayed he wouldn't be in the mess. Watch and pray, lest you enter into what temptation see.

Pray so we didn't himself girded really for the temptation. If you pray more than you sleepily better.

You know some of us go to bed at night was a general and were gone on and we wake up the next day and we bomb out all day.

Will you know we did we went to sleep, said a prayer watch and pray this letter temptation. Prayer undergirds.

This is necessary to praise necessary because it's commanded, incidentally, pray to anybody to truly want God to say over what you have to printing the Lord Jesus will talk about what that means, you pray to God in clinic Christ talk to the Holy Spirit just talked anybody in the Trinity, or you could say I want all of you to listen here, I have something to say to all of you so you can call Molineux.

Now it is commanded that we not only pray, but it is commanded that we pray a lot.

In fact, it says, praying always in Ephesians 618, and in first Thessalonians 5 it says pray without what Cici now you know iced water, pray without ceasing. How you do that, because as a child.

All I could see with your eyes closed your hand you go around the world like this may be like the bruised and bleeding Pharisees, you know they they were a group of Pharisees of the time of Jesus you thought it was a sin to look at a woman. So whenever a woman appeared they mutely close their eyes and they kept running in the walls and that's how they got their names we don't want you to be bruised and bleeding Christians going on praying running end of everything so that is the idea of praying always or praying without ceasing. It simply means that you are in an attitude of God consciousness at all times is commanded that you you see everything in relation to God leaving illustration of how that works you're going through life and just money your business.

See some good see it see a clear day seated the little child or or you hear a friend to call you on the phone you think about the love that friend Dora maybe look at your person you love and just saying that great so what you do what your first reaction.

Thank you Lord for that. You're seeing things in relation to God you don't to say is that a nice thing to say, God, you made that you made it that way and I thank you for that. You see everything in relation to God and you converse with him about you see some bad you don't say there's some bad it's too bad that things really say no God, there's something that's bad, I want to make a good father. Can you do something about situation. So you see a bad thing in relation to God.

Or maybe you see a problem when you say Lord is a problem literacy problem solve a problem getting glory for the probably sooner was. Everything is good, bad or different. Whatever it is you see it in the light of God become something for which you can talk to God, that's praying without ceasing is just mumbling all through the day, some little words of our praying some special prayer.

It's just relating everything that goes on in your life through the day to the presence of God is there, you can all think of the best friend you have a richer husband or wife or orphaned girlfriend a little but think of the best friend. Imagine your best friend was with you today all day by your side, you had a whole daily restaurant or the person you love most. The person never left your side. This entire day and you talked to that person today just as many times as you talk to Christ today how much conversation did you ever did. You prayed all day. How would your friend feel if he spent the whole day with you in university work and was there the whole time will be little ridiculous when it would probably be the start of the end of your friendship. You would least acknowledge that they were there and you would begin to see things in the light of the presence of different it's a he isn't that terrific to see that is not too bad, you know, we had a decent bet that you relating everything to the presence of your friend that's how it is in prayer.

All you're doing is relating everything to the presence of God. That's a God conscious attitude and that's praying without ceasing.

I so with the necessity of prayer is predicated. First of all, the fact that it's commanded. Secondly, it brings glory to God. You know, when you pray God gets glorified because then he can answer and when he answers then you praise him. John 1413 says that we are to pray and he will answer for his own glory, whatever you ask in my name, I'll do it that the father may be glorified God's as I answer prayer to get the glory. So prayer is a way in which God can display his power and gain glory.

And that's very important right.

Thirdly, we are to pray because prayer blesses us when we say the word blessing means make you happy when you pray get happy praying people are happy people know either talking to God and it's great to talk to God and then God answers what we ask and that makes us happy fourth prayer is important because it works I'm like you all do what works right and I can waste my time doing something.

Have any effect.

Prayer works.

James 516 says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man does what avails much. It works effectual fervent prayer from a righteous heart works. It actually activates God. It makes a difference.

It works sometimes he answers no, what he answers yes enough for us to know the prayer works. First John 515 says, and we know that if we know that he hear us whatever we ask, we know we have the petitions we desired of him.

If God hears John says, then we know he answers prayer really works. It really does have an effect. How does it work, good question. First, under that sometimes it works immediately.

There are no set. Sometimes you can hardly believe how fast it works sometimes. Prayer works immediately. Isaiah 6524 says great statement and it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking, I will hear God's already send in the answer for even gotten the prayer off it works immediately something. Secondly, sometimes it's delayed. Sometimes we may pray for something and we have to wait, because God knows a lot more than we know and he knows it's better to come later than become now Luke 18 seven and shall not God avenge his own elect to cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them. In other words, sometimes you have to go through a lot of things and sometimes God's chosen people had to suffer and suffer and suffer and suffering seemed like goes on and on and on but God will answer even though it takes them a long time to get his answer. And that's because he has a purpose. So sometimes it's immediate sometimes it's delayed. Sometimes it's different than we asked for.

Sometimes he gives us even more than we asked for under forget this guy name Pappy revealed it was really a character.

His legs were paraplegics and so he couldn't stand up.

He had a wheelchair and had tremendously strong hours for an 85-year-old man and he would come and he would preach by home on the pulpit and hang on the Pope and his legs dangled behind the pulp. He just hang on their lean over there and he could really prayer mean the guy had the gift of faith and he could pray and it was incredible. He would tell a story with times he would talk to the top of his voice was. He has a big mission in the Midwest and he was all I needed station wagon. He was going on about the station ways as I got down on my knee and God. You know I need a station wagon and he was telling God a blue one.

You know with the thing and this was before this whole prayer the station wagon is so you say that you know what that within one week. We got three new station wagon only dollar relay man amen amen say amen about five times every I have when there was a case where God gave him more than he has for you know God knew we needed more than he thought he needed. I guess that's biblical Jeremiah 33 three don't always count on it so that when it comes your surprise. Jeremiah 33 three says they call on me and I will answer the and show the great and mighty things, which thou knowest not even beyond what you know great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. It's kind like Ephesians 320 now and him is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask you can do more than we can ask.

I can think about my own ministry coming to Grace Church and in praying in the early years. Lord, I want you to use me here and I want you to bless this church and I never even dreamed what would happen if I had absolutely not the slightest inclination was going and nobody is more surprised than me that what God's chosen to do far beyond what I ever could ask are the conditions of prayer. Now we go to pray Hagan pray any asking in Christ name and this needs to be explained as more people to get this oversimplified.

They think that at the end of every précis. In Jesus name Amen that guarantees it.

Pray in Christ day off and then you get some Presbytery to praise, and says amen as a whole. He didn't say in Jesus name, amen. I'll never get beyond the ceiling.

I guess it was time. That's like sending a letter to God without a stamp we got have this little formula zapped on the end. You know it doesn't get there that's really ridiculous you read the person, the Scripture unifies very few of the end. In Jesus name, amen know that is not what it means in John 1413 where it says if you ask anything in my name what the word name means is all that Jesus is so praying. His name is asking consistently with who he is.

That's all it is saying this I asked as if Christ was asking it another way, the idea of name means all that is the name of Christ is all that is the totality of his person in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

What that means that mean that the little name had a trick thing to formula know it meant because of who use because of his power, his person walk so the name means all the years so when I ask in Jesus name a mask and consistent with who is illustration father. This I ask because I know this is what Jesus would want got it right out the next prayer Lord all the stuff I've been asking for a mask because I know that's hard to say this is what Jesus would want. That's how to pray in his name to clean up a lot of the junk right right there you get rid of a lot of stuff but the little kid. He said Lord bless mommy and was standing at the top was voices in God like a new bicycle. All his dances and God's endeavors.

I know the grandmas in the next room. It is hard of hearing. Now elderly printed a little selfish there. Like James says you asked it a miss to consume it on your own lust and that's why you don't get it received not so asking. In Christ name is saying this is what I ask because this is what I believe Jesus would want you pray about the one you love and say I pray for their salvation because this is what I believe Jesus would want your can you pray for your own spiritual welfare because you know this is what Jesus would want sure there are some things that you know he wants you know he would pray for that's what it means to ask in his name right. Secondly, we not only asking Christ name we ask in faith, we ask, believing God wants you to believe him and then when he does respond to your give him praise Matthew 2122 and all things whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive first condition ask consistent with Christ.

The second condition asked believe he really believe God does answer prayer. Your heart, that's a condition what he means by that is well God, if she really up there do a trick and then I'll believe in you know God is not doing tricks to make people believe he is responding to the prayers of those who do leaving facts as of yet, the faith of grain of mustard seed, you could do what move a mountain of the story. The little lady who said she had a mountain or backyards want to get rid of the subsidy to put a garden so she got that a nation plain old Lord, I know that you can remove mountains, and I believe she got in the morning. Mount still there. She says I know it well less than that's not exactly asking in faith. She knew all along that would do that. There's another Scripture comes to mind.

James 515 per facial save the second the Lord to raise him up there again you have applied in the idea of praying the IDSA asking, believing thirdly asking in God's will, consistently with God's will. You always have to say father. This I ask you will first John 514. This is the confidence that we have in him. If we ask anything according to his what will he hears and does it. So in Christ name asking in faith and in God's will. If we say God do this with you like it or not to do that God is not up there whimsically responding to everything we ask for whether he wants to do or not prayer.

As I said is lining us up with God's will. Another thing prayer must come from a pure heart pure heart. James 516. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man if there's garbage in your life in the channel of prayers really closed off and then the last thing is weird asked with earnestness, God really wants what is called by the old English word importunity over the guy in Luke 11, who wanted to get the bread so he goes and he starts banging on the door and the guys asleep, and he says get out here and the guy keeps banging and banging and banging and the guy says get out bang bang bang guy finally comes down and he says I want some bread, and the Lord says you see he got the bread for his much knocking social you for your much asking.

In other words, this is seeking. This is being so intense and so desire is that you continue to seek the Lord, not endless repetition but earnestness right.

Thirdly, the content of prayer were moving pretty quick, but we want to wrap it up.

The content of prayer what is prayer to be about. Well first of all, the kind of prayer we mentioned that earlier. Ephesians 618, all kinds annual cut standup sit down crying out whispering, praying in a closet, praying in public supplication which is asking for things, interceding, which is praying for somebody else's needs Thanksgiving which is thanking God for what he's done. Praise, which is just extolling his virtues anytime all, now what is the be the subject of your prayers who you pray about two things yourself and others have sit there for yourself.

Pray for others to be an interesting study for sometimes trace in the Bible who you're told to pray for you never do that.

You can find a whole long list of about 15 different specific groups you're told to pray for your spouse to pray to the Lord will send forth laborers into his harvest was to pray for new missionaries and teachers and preachers here prefer that you told to pray for that giver. Pray for your president. You're told to pray for those in authority over you. Your pray for the governor and policeman your pray for your local police should pray for local police. The governor is a lot of people you're supposed to be praying for and they're all there and in many places in your test. You're listening to Grace to you with John MacArthur along with teaching on the radio.

John also serves as Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary in Southern California.

His lesson today show you how to cultivate the spiritual discipline of prayer.

It's part of John series titled spiritual boot camp. John, I'm a very practical question for you about prayer. What do you think is the greatest source of discouragement when it comes to praying the way we know we should.

Why think there are two things that are always a challenge in prayer.

Number one is to know precisely what to pray for, and I think you know, we know that if we pray according to the will of God. He hears and answers our prayers. So being sure were praying according to his will is that the first challenge in the second thing is being patient to continue to pray when we don't necessarily see a response immediately. It can be discouraging to be praying and not be sure exactly what you should pray for a certain setting, and it can be discouraging to be waiting and waiting and not seeing an answer and that's where the work part of prayer comes in because we want to be faithful, pray without ceasing, even when you're not sure exactly what the will of God is and even when you don't see something happen immediately. Continue to pray, if nothing else.

Of course, prayer is sweet fellowship and communion with the Lord. Prayer has so many benefits and obviously were talking about those in our series on spiritual boot camp but let me mention to you a book called alone with God. That is a book that helps you rediscover the power and passion of prayer.

Title of the book alone with God. Prayer is work but it's worth the effort because you get to live in the joy of answered prayer directly from heaven alone with God will help you increase your prayer, fervency, and effectiveness includes a detailed study on the master prayer that Jesus taught his disciples in there so many rich lessons in that prayer chapters like seeking the Lord in secret. A heart set on God, praying for the right things and praying for the lost. If you've never been in touch with us before that is with grace to you make contact today and request the book titled alone with God.

Here's the good news will send it to you with our compliments free to anyone contacting us for the first time it's a couple hundred pages long, and it'll make a difference in your prayer life for sure. Yes, that is for sure, this is a great resource for developing a deeper communion with the Lord, and friend.

Remember, alone with God. The book is our gift to you. If you have never contacted us before request your free copy of the book today. You can call our toll-free number 855 grace or go to our website TTY.org alone with God is an ideal book to give to a friend or a new believer who needs encouragement on how to pray and again will send you a copy for free if it's your first time contacting us. Just request your copy@ourwebsitetty.org or call our customer service team at 855 grace and while you're on the website TTY.org. Make sure you download the study Bible app.

If you haven't got it already. It gives you the text of Scripture and quick access to thousands of resources that will help you understand what you're reading, including sermons, blog articles, questions and answer and for reasonable price. You can add the notes from the MacArthur study Bible that gives you 25,000 detailed explanations that can help you see Scriptures life-changing truth like you never seen it before. To download the study Bible app visit TTY.org now for John MacArthur on Phil Johnson. Remember to watch grace to you television this Sunday. Check your local listings for channel times and then be back here tomorrow for another half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time here on