The message that I want to talk about this morning is not anything new, it is not some great revelation, it is not going to change the world overnight, but it may just change who you are, it just might change where you are and it might just change everything you have been told or taught. This morning I want to talk to you about prayer.
There is no special formula for prayer, there is no special language or special words needed for prayer, there are no college courses or text books needed for prayer. All that is needed is for you to open your heart to our Lord and Savior, invite him into your life and start your personal one on one relationship with Jesus Christ.
There is a prayer that many of us may have learned as a child or growing up. It is probably the most popular of all prayers and without question the most recited of all the scriptures in the Bible, in the book of Matthew. But before we recite this prayer I would like you to read the scripture leading up to this prayer. You see, even in the Bible, it tells us to simply pray, not so others hear us, or not so people see that we pray and not to use big fancy words, because none of that is needed. All that is needed is you and God. He hears your every word, he hears your every thought, he feels your every emotion, he knows your every need, even before your speak it.
After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive tho who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
For ever and ever, Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13
There are different versions of this prayer, different translations of the wording, but the meaning of the prayer is the same, whether from King James Version or the New International Version or any of the other 50 versions that have been translated into english, or the over 2900 translations into different languages. I am not here to discuss which version is better than the other or which is the most accurate. That is for the Biblical Scholars and Theology majors to debate. I am simply stating that no matter the version you read or have memorized or recite, the meaning is the same.
There is a statement that God placed on my heart over a year ago that I recite every single day and you have and will hear me say often. I would like to share it with you again and explain what it means to me and hopefully to you as well.
"Keep your Faith strong, your Hope alive and your Prayers never ending."
Faith is truly believing in God and glorifying Him for what we can not see or feel or touch, but knowing He is our father in heaven and has great and amazing things planned for each of us. Faith is believing in our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ and opening our hearts to him and giving our lives to him to lead us and to save us. Faith is the very foundation of your personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Through Christ you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
1 Peter 21
Hope is defined as an optimistic attitude of mind, based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to events and or circumstances in our life or the world as a whole. Basically, it is our attitude towards today and tomorrow and everyday forward and what we are expecting to happen or are anticipating to become true. Hope is what gives us a reason to continue to believe in tomorrow, to believe that the world will become a better place, to believe that God will fulfill each and every promise, each and every dream he has placed in your hearts. Hope is essential to survive in today's world.
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Finally...Prayers never ending. I am pretty confident in saying that we all pray. Some of us in the morning, some of us throughout the day, some of us in the evenings, and all of us when we get into situations we have difficulty handling alone. There is never a bad time to pray or a wrong time to pray. I find myself praying throughout everyday. In the mornings when I wake up for me and my family; driving to work in bumper to bumper traffic; at work, for myself, my coworkers, and my patients; and at night before calling it a day. God hears every one of your prayers. They don't have to be elaborate or well thought out. Just speak to God normally and ask him for what you need and he will answer.
"Keep your Faith strong, your Hope alive and your Prayers never ending."
Memorize that phrase, write it down, do what you must to remember it, recite it and use it in your life everyday. It was a thought God had spoken to me, and now I am speaking it to you. A gift from God to you, through me.
As I speak a blessing over each of you, always remember, I am here for you if you ever need to talk or get something off your chest or if you need prayer for yourselves, your family or your friends. Please do not hesitate to contact me.
May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Dear Father God, thank you for blessing us with this day and loving us as Your children. Watch over each and every one of us as we start each day, as we go through this week, keeping us in the palm of Your hand. Guide us in our daily lives, directing us on the path You have planned for us, bringing forth the dreams you have planted in each of our hearts. For we know who we are and whose we are, children of the most high God. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
"Keep your Faith strong, your Hope alive and your Prayers never ending."
God Bless
Pastor Mark
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