Making the Most of Your Prayer Life - Part 1

Welcome to the intense podcast with Tyler Stanley. He thanked me.

Missing something in your time of prayer today. Get help recovering vitality in your relationship with God. Here's a lesson in making the most of your prayer life. What is the most automobile and in any given day in your life.

That is what is it that seems to be first and foremost uppermost in your thinking and the one thing that you're concentrating on about everything else on that given day, plus the priority of the will of you and I had asked Jesus that we might be surprised what you said you might think will if I ask Jesus that he would problems that either wrong. He's teaching that day or he's preaching or he's going to be healing or he's going to be feeding, but one of those things certainly would be his priority. I believe if you and I had asked the Lord Jesus Christ. What is the priority in his given day. On any given day. His what he would say it's the time I spend with my father. You recall the Scripture says that he was up early in the morning out alone with the father, praying in the evening he was alone with the father, praying he said only do those things that please the father only do those things. I see the father doing odd. I take no initiative of my own Jesus Christ was in continuous fellowship with his father but that wasn't just because he was God, but simply because he took time to be alone with his heavenly father.

While you turn if you will to Colossians chapter 4 and here Paul gives us an admonition and I believe in this passage, he really deals with about every facet we need to deal with when it comes to praying will deal with one primary part of an Colossians chapter 4 verse two he says devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alerting it with an attitude of thanksgiving. Praying at the same time for us as well that God may open up to us a door for the word so that we may speak for the ministry of Christ, for which also have been imprisoned in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak to Paul in essence says here's the attitude we should have in prayer and secondly he says this is what our prayer should cover and you'll notice he says that a door might be opened up a greater ministry and that God would speak to him and show him how to speak the truth, so that everyone can understand now what I will deal with primarily in this passage is what he says when he says devote yourselves to prayer, so let's talk about our personal prayer life for a moment what he says devote yourself to prayer. He's talking about persevering in it.

That is not talking about just quick prayers on the Ron but recognizing the importance of it and making it the priority of our life devote yourself to prayer is a word that speaks of strength of stability of endurance and fact, the real issue here is the issue of time devoting yourself to prayer means giving time to talk to the father and to listen to him and so when he says to these Colossian Christians devote yourself to prayer. He's talking about making a decision to set aside time where you and God fellowship with one another. That's interesting. For example, Jesus didn't when he was talking about prayer denouncing a look get a whole bunch of folks together have big prayer meetings have great primitives is nothing wrong with that. But when Jesus talked about praying. What did he say for us to do when we pray, what going to get closet and talk to the father and what you tell them in secret he will answer publicly. Jesus was strong on personal private devotion, prayer, and so should you not be but it of course he was also for a public prayer because in the first chapter of acts it says that they were devoting themselves the prayer in the upper room in chapter 2, there were devoting themselves to prayer in chapter 6 he says there were devoting themselves to the teaching the word and to prayer. So to devote myself to prayer means that I make it a priority. I give it a necessary time to make it what it ought to be. Now what I like to do in this time is to talk about that in their own personal prayer life and that in your prayer life and all of us have the things that we pray for sometimes most of us have to admit at times there prayer is very break and find out three favorite people. We pray for our be myself and I and sometimes we don't get outside that circle. And Paul is speaking here.

Not only that circle of personal need is also talking about that greater need of the whole world when he talks about a door of opportunity. Being open and also that he may be able to share the truth and so he says we are to devote ourselves to prayer, not some quick little prayer, but some real genuine time in prayer.

So let's think about something promote we talk about your own personal prayer life keeping alert in and he says with an attitude of thanksgiving unanswered question when you start praying. Sometimes what happens to you, what happens to you once in a while when you begin to pray. For example, what's one thing your mind drifts right alright so what in the world makes your mind drift because it certainly isn't God. God is in us. They will think about something else are you talking to me.

He's not going to say that so if your mind drifts. It is strange when it drips on what you have for lunch what you had for breakfast. We can do tomorrow is the strange also.

Just something to think goodness got what I didn't think about that and in that amazing to hear you are talking to the creator of the universe.

The omnipotent, all loving God who genuinely loves you and is listing your petition because he wants answer your prayer and in the process of telling what you consider but you stripped up something what the second thing that happens is sleeping right and here we are we talking to heavenly father and admits that we wake up and we feel guilty.

Well, I used to feel guilty about that until I learned of the greatest secrets of sermon preparation. I learned by accident back in the study have a prayer room so what I would do is oftentimes out of your study and study and study and I would go in there and pray about what I just been cramming in my mind and heart that I was working on the message owner realizes I go fast asleep and I think kind of not love you enough to stay awake. Here I masculine a message on my heart. And here I am going to sleep in the prayer room and so I would liberate myself about that until I learned the most fascinating thing listen, I would describe myself, pull my mind and going there and start praying go fast asleep. But when I realize was it when I woke up and I got back to my desk. I couldn't write fast. My mind was so sharp because I feel my mind the word of God going to then talk myself to sleep talking to him and so what happened is my mind that absent neutral in God could rearrange things in my thinking. So when I woke up I found that the one of the greatest assets. The sermon preparation is going to sleep and not only midnight, I'm talking about in the midst of studying and going fast asleep is is amazing what happens now. If you watch television for three hours and then you go to sleep that's your fault. No blame that on the devil but the devil is behind I'm sure drowsiness in our praying.

That's why you shouldn't wait till you get two thirds sleep and you yawning and you get out by the banner your lot on the bed, start praying you wake up. Next thing you know it's morning so drowsiness and sleep and can be the devil. What is the third thing that Satan will do when you're pray distractions. Alright, that is the telephone range. Now what you think about something here you are talking to God Almighty God, who is the sovereign of this universe, who has all power to do everything you ask him to do, who is genuinely personally interested in you not to listen to what you had to say telephone rings and you cannot from talking to God to go talk to somebody you don't even know. Or it may be some friend or I may just be something they want to talk about why the world would you get up from praying go answer the phone. Yes what you say it may be important important compared to what if you not talking to God.

There is anything so important once in a while I'll be praying the telephone rang as I got his answer that, not very often but answer that. And sure enough it would be something that I needed at that very moment sometimes oftentimes something that I need to pray about. But usually when the telephone rings isn't something you can wait events. I want you to think about this because you see is amazing how many messages we send it will even realize if I'm willing to get up off my knees and go answer telephone. I don't have any there was going on until the end of it may be someone trying to sell me something and I believe God in order to go answer a telephone is something wrong with them. I think what it says is I'm more interested in was going on around me that I am the God who controls what's going on around me.

So when Paul said here in this passage, he said the watchful be on the alert, keeping alert while because he knew what you not have to deal with in print.

I go to Ephesians chapter 6 am sure some Ephesians chapter 6 and all of us know what this passage says about putting on the full armor of God. For example, you recall, he says in verse 10, be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might.

Put on the full armor of God, and we know what that armor is teases the helmet of salvation to protect our thinking the breastplate of righteousness to protect their emotions that our lawns good about the girl of truth we walk in the truth believe the truth know the truth, then the truth feature with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

As we share the gospel.

He says the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, and above all, taking the shield of faith now so we know that we Sylvester protectors as we go about our life, but I want you look at this in the 18 verse what he says at the end of giving us all of this armor.

Notice what he says, with all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the spirit and with this in the what in the being on the alert with all perseverance and same word he uses in Colossians 4 devotion same record with all the only alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints in the prayer on my behalf so you know why he put that at the end.

Here's the reason because when is Satan going to attack you the most viciously. But when you are doing the one thing he hates and despises and fears above everything else.

This Satan doesn't fear anything like a man or a woman, devoted to prayer, you become Satan's prime target, and you are one of his choice enemies when you begin to devote yourself to prayer.

Why, because Satan knows that you have a relationship to God the father makes it possible you touch anybody anywhere on the face of this earth and that God can use you to impact people and nations and situations and circumstances, and families, and the one thing you gotta do is get you sleeping distracted are somehow get your mind wandering all even think evil thoughts right in the middle of a prayer now so you'll be honest, but not at first. How many never come up with something evil thought right in the middle of talking to God but your first response. Where did that come from what we know where it came from. You see, that didn't come out of your heart. You are talking to God.

He is an evil thought penetrate your mother had to come straight from the devil and what Paul is saying here is list we get ready. Pray you get dressed up. The helmet of salvation to protect your thinking. The breastplate for your emotions. The girl of truth. The sword of the Spirit, which is both defense and offense of and above all, he says, the shield of faith that weren't the shield is a Greek word used for the tub a little round shields. We talk about one of those shields. That's the form of a door that oftentimes they would set up, get down behind it be totally completely protected by what he's saying is get dressed up for the battle of faith.

When you not come to pray in her personal prayer life. We are going to be attacked with all kinds of things in the telephone to wandering my sleepiness evil thoughts, you name it. Why because Satan hates, praying people.

He hates them because there is greatest enemy. You see he doesn't hate preaching nearly as bad as he hates pray and so therefore when you and I think in terms of devoting ourselves to prayer because of the awesome potential of a single person devoted to prayer.

Expect to be attacked because he's going to attack you one where they'll so as you think about what he says here he says the only alert he says the only alert when you begin to pray.

Persevere devote yourself.

Set aside time devote yourself to it and he says the only alert now. Then he says with thanksgiving.

If you notice in the third chapter he says here three times in three verses right together. Verse 15 1617 he speaks, he says in verse 15. Be thankful we back in Colossians 3 now verse 16 says thankfulness in your hearts to God. Verse 17 giving thanks through him to God the father. While this emphasis on Thanksgiving. And while this emphasis in thanksgiving and prayer, and I watched this no matter what you are not asking God for this doesn't always come quickly notice a come easy, but he says the only alert with thanksgiving. Watch this if I can bring my petition to God and in bringing my petition.

I can genuinely thank him for answering my prayer what I have done is I have expressed faith right up front.

God I want to thank you for hearing and answering my petition and so Thanksgiving is a beautiful mix of petition with Thanksgiving which ultimately results in FA that is that is an expression of faith when I'm able to thank him for that.

Now if you don't have a prayer like that really makes a difference is going to have any impact having impact on your life, the lives of the people. Therefore, things I believe are essential. Number one, and that is to set a definite time if you know you won't devote yourself to prayer. It doesn't happen the reason I know this because since Satan hates that about every other activity you not engage ourselves in. He's going to do everything in his power to keep you busy.

They keep you busy so you can say I don't have time to pray and think about this.

This God of ours. He's given us 24 hours everyday could take us out just in the split second to be chosen for me to tell God I don't have time to talk to him. None of us would think that's a reasonable we don't have time to talk to God, who is the source of every second every heartbeat and if Jesus spent his mornings and his evenings in prayer and all of us have enough problems and heartaches and birds in trials and tribulations in life and friends who have been the whole world out there is hurt all of us have enough to need to go to him often and talk to set aside time if you don't, it won't happen number one time. Secondly, a place, a place for you and God get together where you battle it out with those things that you and he just need to deal with privately in your life is something about a place.

Here's what it is. Once you have a place somehow when you get to that place. You are more ready to pray that if you just praying hindering Jan the new displays that place the other because that's what you do there. My mom made me a number of African swing when she was alive and one of the sheet. The person she gave me and I brought it in putting this prayer in back is been there ever since I've been the associate pastor this church and I have one at home I walk in my sense first thing I see is there is a security blanket, brother. You better believe it is because it keeps me reminded of where my security is and can only be found in this world. One place that's Jesus. The third thing is a purpose. If you have a purpose. You will pray you just pray here in Jan things things arise in this.

At the other your present bit here and there, but you will pray much. What's the purpose that he is the purpose.

The purpose ultimately is not to get something from God animal when I discovered this amount like that I can remember thinking this and think, dear God, how can I miss this. Most people's primary purpose for praying is getting something in what God sees their primary purpose for praying developing an intimate wall personal intimacy with him. You see guiltless in this giving you anything is no big deal with God, but this is a big deal, bringing us from the distractions of the world into warm, intimate, personal relationship with him so that we want to talk to him he see what happens is it's in those times you not get to know and you don't get to know God very well.

Just asking them for this. Give me that help that one. Bless this one.

Bless this and provide this and provide the other something about spending time alone with him and the purpose needs to be to get to knowing how does he operate. Who is this God alone who is this God I serve. What is he like Lord to show me his will have when you not turn our hearts to him. He begins to unveil himself.

We begin to see and understand the ways of God that we never understood you missing the 10,000 and you never can. What you get on your face. You need in your chair sitting on the Lord's listening because that's just you and him as you and got thank you for listening to part one and making the most of your prayer life. If you like to know more about Charles Stanley in touch ministries in TextEdit OIG podcast that the presentation of InTouch ministries Atlanta, Georgia