1 00:00:00,717 --> 00:00:03,720 Matthew 6:9-13 2 00:00:04,437 --> 00:00:05,872 Pray then, like this. 3 00:00:05,872 --> 00:00:09,109 Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 4 00:00:09,259 --> 00:00:14,364 Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 5 00:00:14,898 --> 00:00:18,418 Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, 6 00:00:18,802 --> 00:00:21,588 as we also have forgiven our debtors. 7 00:00:21,588 --> 00:00:24,891 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us 8 00:00:25,291 --> 00:00:28,278 from evil. 9 00:00:29,996 --> 00:00:31,431 Well, good morning, and welcome 10 00:00:31,431 --> 00:00:35,752 to the weekly gathering of Christ Community Chapel, and welcome to the New Year. 11 00:00:35,785 --> 00:00:38,705 Happy 2026. 12 00:00:38,705 --> 00:00:40,540 Ugh, good, 13 00:00:40,540 --> 00:00:42,092 good grief. 14 00:00:42,092 --> 00:00:43,727 Okay, 15 00:00:43,727 --> 00:00:45,662 we'll keep moving. 16 00:00:45,662 --> 00:00:46,379 My name is Ken. 17 00:00:46,379 --> 00:00:47,514 I'm one of the pastors here, 18 00:00:47,514 --> 00:00:51,234 and it's my privilege to spend some time with you this morning. 19 00:00:51,501 --> 00:00:52,802 If you're here and you're visiting, 20 00:00:52,802 --> 00:00:54,471 I just want you to know we're really glad that you're here. 21 00:00:54,471 --> 00:00:58,007 Thanks for taking the time with us this morning. 22 00:00:58,792 --> 00:01:02,662 Today we're going to talk about prayer, and we're going to use the passage 23 00:01:02,962 --> 00:01:07,650 that you just heard read commonly referred to as the Lord's Prayer, to do it. 24 00:01:08,184 --> 00:01:09,619 And we'll get there in a moment. 25 00:01:09,619 --> 00:01:12,622 But first, I just feel I need to be honest with you. 26 00:01:13,256 --> 00:01:16,526 This was not an easy message for me to prepare, 27 00:01:17,961 --> 00:01:20,964 because prayer is not always easy for me. 28 00:01:21,347 --> 00:01:24,801 I can get stuck when it comes to prayer, and there are all sorts of reasons 29 00:01:24,801 --> 00:01:25,318 for that. 30 00:01:25,318 --> 00:01:28,371 Some of them might resonate with you. 31 00:01:30,140 --> 00:01:32,759 I can struggle to even define prayer sometimes. 32 00:01:32,759 --> 00:01:33,660 What is it? 33 00:01:33,660 --> 00:01:36,663 What is prayer? 34 00:01:37,497 --> 00:01:39,599 We're told to do it time and time again. 35 00:01:39,599 --> 00:01:41,117 Pray without ceasing. 36 00:01:41,117 --> 00:01:43,553 Be steadfast and constant in prayer. 37 00:01:43,553 --> 00:01:46,556 Well, what is prayer? 38 00:01:46,940 --> 00:01:48,925 How do we approach God in prayer? 39 00:01:48,925 --> 00:01:49,225 What? 40 00:01:49,225 --> 00:01:52,228 What should it look like and sound like? 41 00:01:52,412 --> 00:01:53,480 How do we stay disciplined? 42 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,483 How do we keep praying? 43 00:01:57,050 --> 00:01:59,152 There are other reasons this was hard for me 44 00:01:59,152 --> 00:02:01,855 that are a little bit more personal. 45 00:02:01,855 --> 00:02:04,374 Any prayer like this one that begins with 46 00:02:04,374 --> 00:02:07,877 our father is hard for me because I didn't have a good dad. 47 00:02:08,928 --> 00:02:11,147 So I got to work through that. 48 00:02:11,147 --> 00:02:14,150 I also struggle with self-sufficiency. 49 00:02:14,150 --> 00:02:15,451 I like doing things myself. 50 00:02:15,451 --> 00:02:17,604 I don't love asking for help. 51 00:02:17,604 --> 00:02:19,222 Do you know what I didn't do enough of? 52 00:02:19,222 --> 00:02:22,225 When preparing to preach on prayer. 53 00:02:22,859 --> 00:02:24,477 Pray. Yeah. 54 00:02:24,477 --> 00:02:26,095 Come on. It can. 55 00:02:26,095 --> 00:02:28,081 It can be hard. Maybe. Maybe it can be hard for you. 56 00:02:28,081 --> 00:02:29,432 It can be hard. For me. 57 00:02:29,432 --> 00:02:32,101 I just want you to know that if you're here this morning 58 00:02:32,101 --> 00:02:36,289 and any of these reasons resonate with you, this message is for you. 59 00:02:37,106 --> 00:02:37,857 And if you're here 60 00:02:37,857 --> 00:02:38,575 and you don't know 61 00:02:38,575 --> 00:02:41,578 what you think about prayer, you don't know what you think about God. 62 00:02:41,611 --> 00:02:44,030 This message is for you too. 63 00:02:44,030 --> 00:02:46,166 So with that, let's get started. 64 00:02:46,166 --> 00:02:49,219 I'm going to use three points to guide our time this morning. 65 00:02:49,219 --> 00:02:50,270 And here they are. 66 00:02:50,270 --> 00:02:54,057 The conversation, the connection and the approach. 67 00:02:54,107 --> 00:02:57,677 The conversation, the connection and the approach. 68 00:02:58,261 --> 00:02:59,979 So let's start with the conversation. 69 00:02:59,979 --> 00:03:00,780 What is prayer. 70 00:03:00,780 --> 00:03:01,531 Let's just start there. 71 00:03:01,531 --> 00:03:04,284 Let's get a working definition. 72 00:03:04,284 --> 00:03:06,870 Well, if we look at how Jesus prayed here. 73 00:03:06,870 --> 00:03:11,691 And by the way, if you're using a pew Bible, you can find this passage on page 761. 74 00:03:12,825 --> 00:03:13,610 All right. 75 00:03:13,610 --> 00:03:16,613 If we look at how Jesus prayed, we can see what prayer isn't. 76 00:03:18,198 --> 00:03:21,017 Jesus didn't pray this prayer as a last ditch effort. 77 00:03:21,017 --> 00:03:22,168 I've tried everything else. 78 00:03:22,168 --> 00:03:24,120 I guess now I'll come to you. 79 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,123 God, he didn't do that. 80 00:03:27,207 --> 00:03:31,227 He didn't approach prayer as a wish list of things that he would like to have. 81 00:03:32,695 --> 00:03:36,266 Reminds me of when I was in second grade and I wanted a new pair of shoes. 82 00:03:36,266 --> 00:03:39,269 We couldn't really afford a new pair of shoes, so 83 00:03:39,269 --> 00:03:42,272 my mom told me to go talk to Jesus about it, 84 00:03:42,872 --> 00:03:44,874 hoping that it would have me come back 85 00:03:44,874 --> 00:03:48,628 more grateful for the things we did have that didn't happen. 86 00:03:49,462 --> 00:03:54,901 I came back telling your I received a vision of black Nike's with blue accents. 87 00:03:58,788 --> 00:04:01,257 But Jesus doesn't approach prayer as a wish list. 88 00:04:01,257 --> 00:04:05,161 He doesn't approach it as a mindfulness exercise or as meditation, 89 00:04:06,896 --> 00:04:09,949 and he certainly doesn't approach it as a religious performance. 90 00:04:09,949 --> 00:04:12,318 In fact, he has something to say about that. In particular. 91 00:04:12,318 --> 00:04:13,469 If you look with me, 92 00:04:13,469 --> 00:04:16,889 verse seven, just a few verses up, he says this when you pray, 93 00:04:17,123 --> 00:04:20,159 don't heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for 94 00:04:20,159 --> 00:04:24,497 they think that they will be heard for their many words. 95 00:04:26,399 --> 00:04:29,102 So don't don't pray like that. 96 00:04:29,102 --> 00:04:33,273 So if prayer isn't any of those things, then what is it? 97 00:04:33,656 --> 00:04:36,843 Well, I think the easiest, the simplest definition for us to work 98 00:04:36,843 --> 00:04:40,797 with is this prayer is a conversation. 99 00:04:42,565 --> 00:04:43,650 It's a conversation. 100 00:04:43,650 --> 00:04:45,418 And we're going to unpack that more in a minute. 101 00:04:45,418 --> 00:04:49,105 But let's just consider the implications if that is true, 102 00:04:50,657 --> 00:04:51,207 if that's the 103 00:04:51,207 --> 00:04:55,912 dynamic between us and God in prayer, then that means that we don't engage 104 00:04:55,912 --> 00:04:58,998 God like an emergency button that we just slap when we need something. 105 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:02,635 We don't approach him as a cosmic Santa Claus 106 00:05:02,635 --> 00:05:05,638 to give us the things we want. 107 00:05:07,340 --> 00:05:09,842 Means that we don't approach prayer as a graded performance, 108 00:05:09,842 --> 00:05:12,929 hoping if we get it just right, maybe then he'll 109 00:05:12,929 --> 00:05:15,932 hear us. 110 00:05:15,932 --> 00:05:18,868 No prayer is a conversation, 111 00:05:18,868 --> 00:05:21,354 and if it is a conversation, then it makes sense 112 00:05:21,354 --> 00:05:23,006 then how we're commanded to pray. 113 00:05:23,006 --> 00:05:24,657 At least to me. 114 00:05:24,657 --> 00:05:25,675 Pray without ceasing. 115 00:05:25,675 --> 00:05:28,795 Be in conversation with God constantly, without ceasing. 116 00:05:28,795 --> 00:05:31,798 That that makes more sense to me. 117 00:05:32,248 --> 00:05:36,169 I know some of you are probably thinking right now, can prayer as a conversation? 118 00:05:36,169 --> 00:05:36,536 Come on 119 00:05:37,820 --> 00:05:39,088 more like a monologue? 120 00:05:39,088 --> 00:05:40,757 Isn't it? 121 00:05:40,757 --> 00:05:42,892 Let me push back on that a little bit. 122 00:05:42,892 --> 00:05:46,829 You know, God has spoken right here in his Word, the Bible. 123 00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:50,299 God speaks in, in, through the person of the Holy Spirit 124 00:05:50,299 --> 00:05:53,603 to comfort, to convict, among other things. 125 00:05:53,603 --> 00:05:56,606 And he often does it in and through prayer. 126 00:05:57,123 --> 00:05:59,792 And then, of course, God answers prayers. 127 00:05:59,792 --> 00:06:02,779 And what is an answered prayer, if not the other side 128 00:06:02,845 --> 00:06:05,848 of a conversation? 129 00:06:06,983 --> 00:06:07,233 All right. 130 00:06:07,233 --> 00:06:11,220 So if prayer is a conversation, what kind of a conversation is it? 131 00:06:11,237 --> 00:06:14,240 Well, that's my next point. 132 00:06:14,457 --> 00:06:16,759 The connection. 133 00:06:16,759 --> 00:06:18,327 See, conversation can come 134 00:06:18,327 --> 00:06:21,564 in all shapes and sizes, right? 135 00:06:21,564 --> 00:06:24,984 If you're gifted with the ability to small talk with total strangers, 136 00:06:24,984 --> 00:06:27,987 you can have conversations with people you've never met before. 137 00:06:28,020 --> 00:06:30,957 Like for instance, at the grocery store. 138 00:06:30,957 --> 00:06:34,260 And then you might, hypothetically speaking, congratulate them 139 00:06:34,260 --> 00:06:37,380 on being pregnant, only to find out they're not pregnant. 140 00:06:39,415 --> 00:06:40,433 And that's why I don't small 141 00:06:40,433 --> 00:06:43,436 talk at the grocery store anymore. 142 00:06:44,487 --> 00:06:46,439 All sorts of conversations we can have. 143 00:06:46,439 --> 00:06:49,559 But when you have a conversation driven by connection, 144 00:06:49,559 --> 00:06:53,463 meaning there's relationship that's different, isn't it? 145 00:06:54,897 --> 00:06:56,149 It's a different kind of conversation. 146 00:06:56,149 --> 00:06:58,584 It runs deeper, it's fuller, it's richer. 147 00:06:58,584 --> 00:07:00,386 There's there's vulnerability. 148 00:07:00,386 --> 00:07:02,221 You can be raw. You don't have to be buttoned up 149 00:07:02,221 --> 00:07:05,208 or dressed up to different kind of conversation. 150 00:07:07,410 --> 00:07:10,413 A few years ago, I lost my oldest sister. 151 00:07:11,214 --> 00:07:12,748 Suddenly and violently. 152 00:07:12,748 --> 00:07:15,751 She was shot to death. 153 00:07:17,186 --> 00:07:20,123 And in the weeks following her death, 154 00:07:20,123 --> 00:07:22,341 I was a zombie 155 00:07:22,341 --> 00:07:25,344 just trying to make it through the day 156 00:07:25,761 --> 00:07:28,281 and every night for those first few weeks, 157 00:07:28,281 --> 00:07:31,284 once the kids were in bed, 158 00:07:31,517 --> 00:07:34,053 Jamie, my wife and I would just sit on the couch. 159 00:07:34,053 --> 00:07:35,154 I'd collapse on the couch 160 00:07:36,239 --> 00:07:39,292 and I would cry and I would question, 161 00:07:39,592 --> 00:07:43,463 and I would remember her and I would repeat myself. 162 00:07:43,463 --> 00:07:46,732 And there were times when I didn't even make sense. 163 00:07:50,369 --> 00:07:53,573 And I don't actually remember what Jamie said in response. 164 00:07:53,573 --> 00:07:56,192 I know she said things in response, but you know what? 165 00:07:56,192 --> 00:07:59,128 I do remember? 166 00:07:59,128 --> 00:08:00,596 I remember that I've never felt 167 00:08:00,596 --> 00:08:04,800 as loved by her than I did then. 168 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,787 Just being in her presence. 169 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:13,309 Because when you're in the presence of someone 170 00:08:13,309 --> 00:08:16,312 who you know loves you. 171 00:08:17,363 --> 00:08:20,366 You don't worry about how you say things. 172 00:08:20,733 --> 00:08:22,435 You don't worry about getting it right. 173 00:08:22,435 --> 00:08:25,438 You just bring it all. 174 00:08:26,756 --> 00:08:29,458 And that's the kind of conversation 175 00:08:29,458 --> 00:08:33,179 God invites us to have to be connected with. 176 00:08:33,179 --> 00:08:36,115 God means that the conversation that we have can be raw. 177 00:08:37,233 --> 00:08:39,418 We don't be buttoned up or dressed up. 178 00:08:39,418 --> 00:08:42,989 We don't have to say it just so God invites us to just bring all of it. 179 00:08:42,989 --> 00:08:47,543 And if you don't believe me, look at the Psalms 150 songs 180 00:08:47,543 --> 00:08:50,546 that run the spectrum of human emotion. 181 00:08:51,347 --> 00:08:54,150 I mean, you could look at Jesus himself 182 00:08:54,150 --> 00:08:59,488 as connected to God as anybody, always in conversation with God. 183 00:08:59,488 --> 00:09:02,842 And some of those conversations got pretty raw. 184 00:09:04,410 --> 00:09:07,413 Father, if possible, take this cup from me. 185 00:09:07,430 --> 00:09:10,816 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 186 00:09:14,837 --> 00:09:17,807 If you struggle with prayer, 187 00:09:17,807 --> 00:09:20,810 might it be. 188 00:09:21,711 --> 00:09:23,613 That you struggle with the idea 189 00:09:23,613 --> 00:09:26,933 that you can bring it all to God and He can take it? 190 00:09:27,083 --> 00:09:30,987 You don't have to say it just so you don't have to be buttoned up or dressed up. 191 00:09:30,987 --> 00:09:31,621 You can be raw. 192 00:09:31,621 --> 00:09:33,990 You can be real. You can be vulnerable. He can handle it 193 00:09:35,308 --> 00:09:35,575 because 194 00:09:35,575 --> 00:09:38,578 prayer is a conversation with God that is driven 195 00:09:38,728 --> 00:09:42,531 by it is arising from connection with God. 196 00:09:45,351 --> 00:09:46,052 And if you're here 197 00:09:46,052 --> 00:09:49,589 and you're saying to yourself, I don't have that kind of connection 198 00:09:49,789 --> 00:09:54,410 with God, I don't know how to have that kind of connection with God. 199 00:09:54,660 --> 00:09:57,630 First of all, I'm really glad that you're here, 200 00:09:57,630 --> 00:09:59,181 and I want to talk to you in just a minute. 201 00:09:59,181 --> 00:10:02,184 So hang in, please. 202 00:10:03,269 --> 00:10:05,221 But just to hammer this home prayer, 203 00:10:05,221 --> 00:10:09,025 it is a conversation, but it is driven by connection. 204 00:10:11,510 --> 00:10:13,012 And if that's true, then. 205 00:10:13,012 --> 00:10:14,880 Then how should we approach prayer? 206 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,985 Practically speaking, what does it look like to approach God in prayer? 207 00:10:18,985 --> 00:10:21,988 That's my third point. 208 00:10:22,488 --> 00:10:25,891 And again, just to emphasize this, there is no special source. 209 00:10:26,242 --> 00:10:27,927 There's no equation. 210 00:10:29,328 --> 00:10:30,329 But it is true that if 211 00:10:30,329 --> 00:10:33,332 we understand who God is and we understand who we are, 212 00:10:33,332 --> 00:10:38,337 then it should absolutely shape and form our approach to God in prayer, 213 00:10:38,337 --> 00:10:41,641 just as it did for Jesus in his prayer here. 214 00:10:43,709 --> 00:10:46,762 So here's my spoiler alert for this for this point. 215 00:10:47,279 --> 00:10:50,099 One sentence that we'll unpack when we approach God. 216 00:10:50,099 --> 00:10:54,120 We approach God in prayer as sinners saved by grace 217 00:10:55,287 --> 00:10:57,857 turned sons and daughters 218 00:10:57,857 --> 00:11:01,794 seeking God's kingdom, sinners saved by grace 219 00:11:02,311 --> 00:11:05,097 turned sons and daughters seeking 220 00:11:05,097 --> 00:11:08,067 God's kingdom. 221 00:11:08,067 --> 00:11:10,436 Let's start with that first piece, Sinners Saved by Grace. 222 00:11:10,436 --> 00:11:13,189 Look with me at verse nine. I think it'll be on the screen behind me. 223 00:11:13,189 --> 00:11:14,957 This is how Jesus opens the prayer. 224 00:11:14,957 --> 00:11:18,828 Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 225 00:11:20,546 --> 00:11:24,417 That word hallowed, it means holy, consecrated, set apart, 226 00:11:24,650 --> 00:11:26,936 other, distinct, unique. 227 00:11:26,936 --> 00:11:29,271 Because that is who God is. 228 00:11:30,589 --> 00:11:33,592 Simply put, there is no one like him. 229 00:11:34,860 --> 00:11:35,728 And to say hallowed 230 00:11:35,728 --> 00:11:39,231 be your name carries more significance than it does today. 231 00:11:39,231 --> 00:11:43,169 When we use names as labels for people, when this was written, 232 00:11:43,169 --> 00:11:48,357 somebody's name was indistinguishable from the very nature from their character. 233 00:11:49,458 --> 00:11:52,128 So to pray, Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 234 00:11:52,128 --> 00:11:54,497 Say God, you are holy, you are set apart. 235 00:11:54,497 --> 00:11:57,450 You are Almighty, supreme, sovereign. 236 00:11:57,450 --> 00:11:58,517 You are all of those things. 237 00:11:58,517 --> 00:12:01,737 You are what my kids sometimes refer to because of a song that they like to sing. 238 00:12:01,921 --> 00:12:04,907 You are the God of wow, 239 00:12:05,458 --> 00:12:08,461 the God of wow. 240 00:12:08,661 --> 00:12:11,247 The truth is, we have no business 241 00:12:11,247 --> 00:12:13,399 approaching the God of war on our own terms. 242 00:12:13,399 --> 00:12:15,718 Can't do it, 243 00:12:15,718 --> 00:12:18,721 but we don't have to. 244 00:12:20,089 --> 00:12:20,339 Because 245 00:12:20,339 --> 00:12:23,459 Jesus in his life and his death and his resurrection, 246 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:27,680 he made it possible for us to be in relationship with God, 247 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:33,119 to enter into a conversation driven by connection with this God of wow, 248 00:12:33,119 --> 00:12:37,440 Jesus did that for us so that when God looks at us, he doesn't see our sin. 249 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:40,526 He sees his sinless son, Jesus. 250 00:12:41,477 --> 00:12:42,294 We are sinners. 251 00:12:42,294 --> 00:12:45,898 Yes, we are sinners saved by grace. 252 00:12:46,198 --> 00:12:47,900 And if you're stuck when it comes to prayer, 253 00:12:47,900 --> 00:12:50,903 might it be that you've forgotten that God is the God of wow? 254 00:12:52,888 --> 00:12:55,074 And to remember that means that our prayers 255 00:12:55,074 --> 00:12:59,028 will be shaped by awe and wonder at who this God is. 256 00:12:59,428 --> 00:13:02,431 Hallowed be your name. God. 257 00:13:03,349 --> 00:13:05,217 Maybe you're stuck because you've forgotten 258 00:13:05,217 --> 00:13:09,738 what it took for you to approach that God of wow, 259 00:13:10,339 --> 00:13:13,108 nothing less 260 00:13:13,108 --> 00:13:14,460 than the life of His Son Jesus? 261 00:13:15,678 --> 00:13:16,862 And if that's true, then 262 00:13:16,862 --> 00:13:22,551 then our prayer should be shaped and formed by gratitude, by humility, 263 00:13:22,551 --> 00:13:27,273 knowing we could never have done this in our own strength, by confession, 264 00:13:28,107 --> 00:13:31,577 knowing that the blood of Jesus is sufficient to cover our sins. 265 00:13:33,813 --> 00:13:36,799 Maybe you're stuck because you think your sin is too big. 266 00:13:38,033 --> 00:13:41,036 It's not. 267 00:13:41,086 --> 00:13:44,390 There is no sin that the blood of Jesus cannot cover. 268 00:13:44,807 --> 00:13:47,810 Full stop. 269 00:13:49,795 --> 00:13:51,630 Or maybe you're here. 270 00:13:51,630 --> 00:13:55,067 And this idea of being a sinner saved by grace, trusting in Jesus. 271 00:13:55,067 --> 00:13:56,635 This is new to you, 272 00:13:56,635 --> 00:13:59,989 or you've considered it 100 times, but you can't quite let it go. 273 00:13:59,989 --> 00:14:02,992 Can I talk to you for a moment? 274 00:14:03,843 --> 00:14:06,829 We're talking about prayer this morning. 275 00:14:07,463 --> 00:14:09,715 There's a prayer that you're invited to pray. 276 00:14:09,715 --> 00:14:11,250 Very simple, very straightforward. 277 00:14:11,250 --> 00:14:13,652 It goes something like this. And you can use your own words. 278 00:14:13,652 --> 00:14:15,437 But this is what God invites you to pray. 279 00:14:15,437 --> 00:14:18,440 Jesus, I know I am a sinner. 280 00:14:18,741 --> 00:14:23,996 I know I deserve judgment, and I can never be in relationship with God on my own. 281 00:14:23,996 --> 00:14:26,549 But Jesus, you lived in my place. 282 00:14:26,549 --> 00:14:29,969 You died in my place, and you rose from the dead to show me 283 00:14:30,152 --> 00:14:33,138 that the price has been paid for my sin. 284 00:14:33,289 --> 00:14:34,523 Jesus, I trust you. 285 00:14:35,875 --> 00:14:38,727 You're the King and Lord of my life, and your way is best. 286 00:14:38,727 --> 00:14:41,146 I want to follow you, Jesus. 287 00:14:41,146 --> 00:14:43,165 You're invited to pray that prayer. 288 00:14:43,165 --> 00:14:44,333 I hope you pray that. 289 00:14:44,333 --> 00:14:45,351 I hope you pray right now. 290 00:14:45,351 --> 00:14:48,354 You can tune me out for the rest of this message to pray that prayer. 291 00:14:48,504 --> 00:14:51,206 I hope you do. 292 00:14:51,206 --> 00:14:51,991 Because we are sinners. 293 00:14:51,991 --> 00:14:57,713 Yes, we are sinners saved by grace, but because of Jesus, 294 00:14:57,713 --> 00:15:02,167 our status before God, it changes to sons and daughters. 295 00:15:02,167 --> 00:15:05,871 So we approach God as sons and daughters just like 296 00:15:05,871 --> 00:15:08,874 Jesus did. 297 00:15:10,559 --> 00:15:11,844 Verse nine again, 298 00:15:11,844 --> 00:15:16,799 our Father in heaven, verses 11 through 13 give us this day our daily bread. 299 00:15:16,799 --> 00:15:19,668 Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. 300 00:15:19,668 --> 00:15:23,839 Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 301 00:15:26,058 --> 00:15:27,092 You know, in healthy 302 00:15:27,092 --> 00:15:30,479 families, kids run to their fathers. 303 00:15:31,013 --> 00:15:34,016 No fear, no hesitation. 304 00:15:35,551 --> 00:15:36,952 I didn't have that growing up. 305 00:15:36,952 --> 00:15:40,406 When my dad was around, I was absolutely terrified of him. 306 00:15:42,658 --> 00:15:44,009 So if I wanted something, 307 00:15:44,009 --> 00:15:47,012 go outside, play with the toy. 308 00:15:47,479 --> 00:15:50,482 I waited till he was out of the room. 309 00:15:50,783 --> 00:15:53,786 I'd go to my mom and I'd whisper in her ear, 310 00:15:55,638 --> 00:15:58,157 can I play outside now? 311 00:15:58,157 --> 00:16:01,160 Can I go play with that toy? 312 00:16:02,461 --> 00:16:05,447 And I know that's messed up. 313 00:16:05,881 --> 00:16:08,867 But that's not who God is. 314 00:16:11,337 --> 00:16:14,340 He is a good father. 315 00:16:15,324 --> 00:16:18,327 And he welcomes us as sons and daughters. 316 00:16:21,030 --> 00:16:22,398 You know, we just had Christmas. 317 00:16:22,398 --> 00:16:25,250 And so I have three little girls. 318 00:16:25,250 --> 00:16:26,969 We got them gifts, of course, 319 00:16:26,969 --> 00:16:29,972 which they played with for about seven minutes, 320 00:16:29,972 --> 00:16:33,242 then thought over what someone else had and then discarded everything. 321 00:16:33,409 --> 00:16:34,877 But it was fun. 322 00:16:34,877 --> 00:16:36,445 It's a good time. Merry Christmas. 323 00:16:38,998 --> 00:16:42,001 But I love giving gifts to my kids, right? 324 00:16:42,151 --> 00:16:43,502 I love giving gifts to my kids. 325 00:16:43,502 --> 00:16:47,723 You know, Jesus says something about who God is and how he loves giving good gifts. 326 00:16:47,723 --> 00:16:49,458 Look with me at chapter seven. 327 00:16:49,458 --> 00:16:51,593 This is verses nine through 11. 328 00:16:51,593 --> 00:16:52,111 He says this 329 00:16:52,111 --> 00:16:55,614 which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 330 00:16:56,065 --> 00:16:58,217 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 331 00:16:58,217 --> 00:17:01,737 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts 332 00:17:01,737 --> 00:17:05,124 to your children, how much more will your father who is in heaven, 333 00:17:05,307 --> 00:17:08,427 give good things to those who ask him? 334 00:17:10,763 --> 00:17:13,766 I actually got my middle daughter a fish 335 00:17:13,882 --> 00:17:16,885 and then when it died overnight, I got her another one. 336 00:17:17,069 --> 00:17:18,320 I hope this one takes. We'll see. 337 00:17:19,772 --> 00:17:21,240 But like, imagine 338 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:24,243 if she asks for a fish and I said, or 339 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:27,563 how about a cobra like that, right? 340 00:17:27,563 --> 00:17:29,181 That's weird. That doesn't even make sense. 341 00:17:29,181 --> 00:17:32,451 And we're not God if we love giving good gifts, 342 00:17:32,451 --> 00:17:37,523 if we love giving good gifts to our kids, how much more so does God, our Heavenly 343 00:17:37,523 --> 00:17:40,859 Father, love when we come running to him and asking, 344 00:17:40,859 --> 00:17:46,081 so ask, ask in prayer as a son or daughter running into the arms of your dad. 345 00:17:46,081 --> 00:17:49,201 Ask for provision. Ask for forgiveness. 346 00:17:49,201 --> 00:17:51,687 Ask for strength. Ask for endurance. 347 00:17:51,687 --> 00:17:55,908 Ask because you are welcomed in the presence of God the Father. 348 00:17:57,259 --> 00:17:59,845 Because of Jesus, we are sons and daughters and we can 349 00:17:59,845 --> 00:18:02,848 and should approach God that way. 350 00:18:04,099 --> 00:18:05,818 And if you're stuck in prayer, maybe that's why. 351 00:18:05,818 --> 00:18:08,821 Maybe you've forgotten that he's a good father. 352 00:18:08,937 --> 00:18:12,841 He's inviting you to run right into that throne room, jump right into his lap, 353 00:18:13,041 --> 00:18:13,609 and ask. 354 00:18:17,362 --> 00:18:20,282 So we pray as sinners saved by grace. 355 00:18:20,282 --> 00:18:22,584 Yes, turn to sons and daughters. 356 00:18:22,584 --> 00:18:24,620 But this is this last piece and this. 357 00:18:24,620 --> 00:18:25,938 Honestly, for me, 358 00:18:25,938 --> 00:18:28,757 this was what resonated the most where God is doing the most work. 359 00:18:28,757 --> 00:18:33,445 As I was preparing this, we pray seeking God's kingdom. 360 00:18:34,580 --> 00:18:36,148 Look with me at verse ten. 361 00:18:36,148 --> 00:18:40,018 Jesus prays this your kingdom come, your will be done on earth 362 00:18:40,352 --> 00:18:43,338 as it is in heaven. 363 00:18:43,639 --> 00:18:47,576 You know, the Kingdom of God was absolutely central to Jesus's ministry. 364 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,497 The Kingdom of God is is really central in the narrative of the Bible. 365 00:18:51,897 --> 00:18:55,667 Because when God created this, this world, he created everything. 366 00:18:55,667 --> 00:18:56,485 It was good. 367 00:18:56,485 --> 00:18:58,887 His kingdom was firmly established here. 368 00:18:58,887 --> 00:19:02,307 And that lasted for all of a couple of chapters of Genesis 369 00:19:03,392 --> 00:19:05,577 until Adam and Eve screwed it up. 370 00:19:05,577 --> 00:19:08,180 Broke relationship with God, broke the world. 371 00:19:08,180 --> 00:19:10,082 But Jesus, 372 00:19:10,082 --> 00:19:14,786 Jesus, who was God's promised deliverer and rescuer, he came to restore. 373 00:19:14,786 --> 00:19:17,039 He came to reconcile us to God. 374 00:19:17,039 --> 00:19:21,627 He came to reestablish God's kingdom here on earth. 375 00:19:22,528 --> 00:19:25,831 And at the end of this story, in the book of Revelation, we are given 376 00:19:25,831 --> 00:19:28,884 a sneak peek of what that looks like when the kingdom is reestablished, 377 00:19:28,917 --> 00:19:31,920 a new heaven and a new earth. 378 00:19:33,172 --> 00:19:36,658 Which means then that God's kingdom is advancing. 379 00:19:36,658 --> 00:19:40,279 His will is being done right here and right now. 380 00:19:41,663 --> 00:19:44,867 Means that God's kingdom is advancing in your heart and in my heart, 381 00:19:46,318 --> 00:19:48,203 in here and out there. 382 00:19:48,203 --> 00:19:50,973 And it means then, that when we pray, we ought to pray. 383 00:19:50,973 --> 00:19:52,741 Seeking God's kingdom, 384 00:19:54,593 --> 00:19:57,596 knowing how the story ends. 385 00:19:58,380 --> 00:20:00,899 And it might mean we pray for some of the same things, 386 00:20:00,899 --> 00:20:03,902 but how we pray might change 387 00:20:04,219 --> 00:20:08,240 so we can and should go to God asking for him to meet basic needs. 388 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,193 God, would you provide for me? I need you, God. 389 00:20:11,193 --> 00:20:14,012 God, would you repair this relationship? 390 00:20:14,012 --> 00:20:16,615 God, would you change this diagnosis? 391 00:20:16,615 --> 00:20:18,951 Because I know who you are. I know what you've done. 392 00:20:18,951 --> 00:20:21,470 I know what you're capable of. You are sovereign. 393 00:20:21,470 --> 00:20:22,671 You are almighty. 394 00:20:22,671 --> 00:20:25,674 There's nothing you can't do. God. 395 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,163 But if you choose not to. 396 00:20:32,064 --> 00:20:35,417 You've already met my biggest need in Jesus Christ. 397 00:20:35,701 --> 00:20:38,670 You have already repaired my relationship with you. 398 00:20:38,670 --> 00:20:40,555 And I know because you've promised it 399 00:20:40,555 --> 00:20:43,558 that there is a kingdom being reestablished right here. 400 00:20:44,309 --> 00:20:47,429 I know the end of the story, and I know that I can look forward 401 00:20:47,429 --> 00:20:50,882 to a time where there is no sickness, there is no death, there is no brokenness. 402 00:20:50,882 --> 00:20:52,951 Every tear will be wiped away. 403 00:20:52,951 --> 00:20:57,122 I believe that God, your kingdom come, your will be done. 404 00:21:01,493 --> 00:21:04,579 We pray seeking God's kingdom, knowing it's advancing. 405 00:21:04,579 --> 00:21:06,198 This notice also means in this. 406 00:21:06,198 --> 00:21:09,201 I'd never considered this before. 407 00:21:09,268 --> 00:21:12,421 Every single answered prayer, every time God says yes, 408 00:21:13,522 --> 00:21:16,525 his kingdom moves forward. 409 00:21:18,010 --> 00:21:19,828 This is when it really started to resonate for me. 410 00:21:19,828 --> 00:21:22,831 I thought about in my own life when God has answered prayers. 411 00:21:24,383 --> 00:21:27,386 When we didn't have food on the table after my dad left, 412 00:21:27,753 --> 00:21:30,739 when we prayed that God would put food on the table and he did 413 00:21:31,890 --> 00:21:34,893 the Kingdom of God move forward. 414 00:21:35,661 --> 00:21:38,480 Means that when my wife and I 415 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:42,451 didn't get the answer we were hoping for in terms of getting pregnant, and prayed 416 00:21:42,768 --> 00:21:47,422 that God would open our hearts and open her home to adoption, and he did. 417 00:21:48,090 --> 00:21:50,659 The Kingdom of God moved forward. 418 00:21:53,395 --> 00:21:56,748 That means that when I asked God to give me the supernatural strength 419 00:21:56,748 --> 00:21:59,751 because it would have to be from him, I could never do it. 420 00:21:59,968 --> 00:22:02,971 Give me the strength, God, to forgive my father 421 00:22:03,055 --> 00:22:07,826 for walking out on our family Thanksgiving night 31 years ago, 422 00:22:08,193 --> 00:22:11,363 and he answered that prayer and I forgave my dad. 423 00:22:12,180 --> 00:22:15,167 The kingdom of God moved forward. 424 00:22:19,971 --> 00:22:22,157 Don't tell me God doesn't answer prayer. 425 00:22:22,157 --> 00:22:23,842 I know he does. 426 00:22:23,842 --> 00:22:26,845 I've witnessed it. 427 00:22:31,650 --> 00:22:32,367 We are to pray, 428 00:22:32,367 --> 00:22:35,904 seeking God's kingdom, believing, knowing the end of the story, 429 00:22:36,138 --> 00:22:40,342 asking but knowing, knowing his kingdom come, 430 00:22:40,342 --> 00:22:43,345 his will be done. 431 00:22:46,381 --> 00:22:49,368 Also, when we pray, seeking God's kingdom, 432 00:22:50,786 --> 00:22:53,221 we better be ready to be part of the answer 433 00:22:53,221 --> 00:22:56,208 to that prayer. 434 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:00,362 Because we are invited, commanded, really 435 00:23:00,712 --> 00:23:03,348 to be part of his kingdom coming, part of his will being done. 436 00:23:03,348 --> 00:23:06,051 Because it's happening in here and it's happening in here. 437 00:23:06,051 --> 00:23:08,603 It's happening out there too. There are people. 438 00:23:08,603 --> 00:23:11,723 There are people who don't know, who can't approach God like this in prayer. 439 00:23:11,723 --> 00:23:13,492 They don't have the connection yet. 440 00:23:13,492 --> 00:23:16,578 Your friends, my friends, neighbors, families, 441 00:23:16,578 --> 00:23:20,298 coworkers to pray your kingdom come means God. 442 00:23:20,332 --> 00:23:23,485 Would your kingdom advance in here and out there 443 00:23:23,485 --> 00:23:26,488 and however you want to use me to do it, I'm in. 444 00:23:26,605 --> 00:23:26,938 I'm in. 445 00:23:31,660 --> 00:23:34,663 If you're stuck with prayer. 446 00:23:35,180 --> 00:23:39,234 Maybe you've forgotten that God is reestablishing his kingdom. 447 00:23:39,234 --> 00:23:41,486 It is advancing right here and right now. 448 00:23:41,486 --> 00:23:44,606 Maybe you've forgotten that he is inviting you to be a part 449 00:23:44,606 --> 00:23:47,909 of how he advances his kingdom, right here and right now. 450 00:23:53,298 --> 00:23:56,301 You know, it being 2026, 451 00:23:56,635 --> 00:23:57,686 in the new year, what do we do? 452 00:23:57,686 --> 00:24:00,839 We make New Year's resolutions right? 453 00:24:02,357 --> 00:24:05,360 Lose that 10 pounds you picked up over the holidays. 454 00:24:07,379 --> 00:24:10,549 If you're in Ohio State, maybe you resolve to show up for next year's playoffs. 455 00:24:10,732 --> 00:24:12,167 I don't know. 456 00:24:12,167 --> 00:24:15,170 Oh, I'm an Irish fan, so sorry. 457 00:24:17,539 --> 00:24:20,358 What would it look like for us as a church 458 00:24:20,358 --> 00:24:23,361 to resolve to pray like this? 459 00:24:24,296 --> 00:24:26,214 To pray 460 00:24:26,214 --> 00:24:30,535 as sinners saved by grace turned sons and daughters, seeking God's kingdom 461 00:24:30,535 --> 00:24:34,739 and asking God to show us how we can be a part of the answer to that prayer. 462 00:24:36,892 --> 00:24:38,760 Well, that's a step that you want to take. 463 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,179 Have a great opportunity for you. 464 00:24:41,179 --> 00:24:43,832 You know, month from now we're going to, as a church, 465 00:24:43,832 --> 00:24:47,219 have 24 hours of continuous prayer right here in the building. 466 00:24:48,153 --> 00:24:49,104 I think the slide will go up there. 467 00:24:49,104 --> 00:24:53,308 It is 24 hours of prayer, divided into 30 minute segments, 468 00:24:53,492 --> 00:24:56,912 guided prayer opportunities to pray for specific things. 469 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:00,048 I'd love it if you just put your phones up. 470 00:25:00,048 --> 00:25:02,517 Captured the you're not going to distract me. 471 00:25:02,517 --> 00:25:05,120 You'll get better slots now if you want to and wait a while. 472 00:25:05,120 --> 00:25:06,087 That's fine. 473 00:25:06,087 --> 00:25:08,940 It's up to you. 474 00:25:08,940 --> 00:25:11,927 But what an opportunity for us as a church 475 00:25:11,927 --> 00:25:14,930 to pray that God's kingdom would come, his will be done, 476 00:25:15,597 --> 00:25:20,335 and to anticipate that he's going to answer that prayer in amazing ways. 477 00:25:20,335 --> 00:25:23,238 And he's going to have us be a part of the answer. 478 00:25:26,725 --> 00:25:28,793 Prayer is a conversation. 479 00:25:28,793 --> 00:25:32,664 It's a conversation driven by connection with the God of the universe. 480 00:25:34,282 --> 00:25:36,601 When we as sinners saved by grace, 481 00:25:36,601 --> 00:25:39,588 turn to sons and daughters, seek God's kingdom. 482 00:25:40,038 --> 00:25:42,958 Let's pray that way. This year, 483 00:25:42,958 --> 00:25:46,711 and let's be ready to be part of the answer that he gives. 484 00:25:46,711 --> 00:25:49,698 Amen. 485 00:25:50,699 --> 00:25:51,032 All right. 486 00:25:51,032 --> 00:25:53,485 As I close this part of the service in prayer, 487 00:25:53,485 --> 00:25:55,620 I'm going to invite you all to pray with me 488 00:25:55,620 --> 00:25:57,589 because we just unpacked the Lord's Prayer. 489 00:25:57,589 --> 00:25:59,608 So I'd love it if we prayed it together. 490 00:25:59,608 --> 00:26:01,226 All right, so it should. 491 00:26:01,226 --> 00:26:02,627 There it is, up behind me. 492 00:26:02,627 --> 00:26:05,630 Let's pray the Lord's Prayer together to close this section. 493 00:26:05,897 --> 00:26:09,384 Our father in Heaven, hallowed be your name. 494 00:26:10,352 --> 00:26:15,407 Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 495 00:26:16,458 --> 00:26:19,261 Give us this day our daily bread, 496 00:26:19,261 --> 00:26:23,548 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 497 00:26:24,266 --> 00:26:28,737 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 498 00:26:29,187 --> 00:26:29,654 Amen.