Chapter 4: Prayer

Well, good morning. Welcome to the fourth lesson in our series of lessons on profiting from the word by A.W.Pink. Today we're looking at profiting from the word and prayer.

And so we're going to look at the connection between those two things. And I'm sure that if we took a survey of everyone in our country, that some 95% or some other outrageous number would say that they pray.

And maybe most of them do. I don't know. But it seems to prove that there's a form of godliness that denies the power of real godliness.

Millions of people pretend to pray or say their prayers. But on the other hand, real Christians and every regenerate and saved person really does pray.

Go to that house in Damascus and look through the window. And you'll see Saul of Tarsus on his hands and knees praying.

How many times had he said his prayer? Who knows? I'm sure he said his prayers every day. But now God says to Ananias, go and heal Saul.

You'll know he's one of mine because he is praying. He's praying. It's natural for the Christian to pray. Babies cry and Christians pray.

And the sun shines and Christians pray. Rivers flow and Christians pray. It's every Christian's native tongue. It's the language that's written on his heart.

And every Christian has the law of God written on his heart and prayer engraved on his mouth. Every Christian naturally loves God's law.

The psalmist says, oh, how love I thy law. It is my meditation all the day. And every Christian naturally cries out to God day and night. Luke 18.7 says, will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night?

The word and prayer go together in the Christian life. They're like conjoined twins. They're born together and they live a mutual life together.

Everything is shared between these two. And so we shouldn't be surprised to find out that there's a real vital connection between how we profit from scripture and our prayer life.

And so in this lesson, we're going to look at five signs that we are profiting from the word. And we're going to look at how it affects our prayer life. This morning, we're going to go into the doctor's office, as it were, and have our prayer life checked out.

Have our vital signs checked out. How healthy is your prayer life? Well, we're going to try to find out today. When you go into the doctor's office for a physical, they're going to look for a number of signs.

The nurse or doctor is going to check to see your pulse and where your pulse is at, if it's within a certain range. She's going to test your blood pressure. She's going to check your weight, see how your reactions are, and do other really unpleasant things.

And it's all to see how healthy you are. All to see if your life is in danger and how healthy you are. So today, we're going to step into Dr. Pink's examining room and put our prayer life up on the table and see how well it is with us.

Just how well are we profiting from the scriptures? The first sign, the first sign that we have a healthy prayer life is that despite our weakness, despite our weakness, we see the importance of prayer.

Despite our weakness, we see the importance of prayer. How many of you have a prayer life like the one that you want? How many of you have the prayer life that you desire? Raise your hand.

No one. No one. I speak as one who knows his own weakness. And I'm sure that you know your own weakness. My prayer life is not what it should be.

It's like a wielded rose compared to what it should be. And this chapter has been very difficult to prepare because the whole time, my conscience is saying, your prayer life is not what it should be.

You're not doing what you should. But even though I'm not, I'm glad. Thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ, God loves me anyways.

Our weakness is clear to ourselves. If it's not clear to anyone else, at least we know our weakness in prayer. And so it gives me a lot of comfort and joy when I read a passage like Romans 8.26, which says, in the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

We don't know what we ought to pray. It brings me comfort to know that Paul and others like him had real weakness, and they saw that weakness in their prayer life.

They didn't know what they should pray. They weren't praying like they ought. And if Paul, who is arguably the most holy, the most godly, the most mature Christian, knew what it was to have weakness in his prayer life, then I know that I'm not a lost cause.

If he knew that weakness, then it's okay that I know that weakness as well. If we know our scripture, like Paul did, then we're going to have that feeling.

We're going to know that feeling of disappointment and limitation and weakness. The scripture teaches us through words and through pictures of what a real prayer life, a real healthy prayer life should be.

And as we mature, or as we measure ourselves up to that standard, we see that we're falling far short. If we look at our prayer life, there's some really ugly flaws.

I mean, we're covered with sores from head to toe. Our goals are wrong. Our requests are wide of the mark. We're not even asking close for the right thing.

Our thanks. We're supposed to enter the Lord's courts with thanksgiving. I mean, sometimes we don't even say thank you for the smallest things. Our words are misguided, and our hearts are like a stone within us.

We just don't care. And well do we sing that hymn, We have not loved thee as we ought, nor cared that we are loved by thee. Thy presence we have coldly sought, and feebly long thy face to see.

That's the weakness. And we know our weakness. But because we do know our weakness, we know that the Scripture is doing its work in us.

That we are profiting from the Scriptures. A person who doesn't feel any weakness in prayer isn't profiting from the Scriptures at all. The Apostle Paul knew the Scriptures, but he also knew weakness in prayer.

But it didn't move him away from praying. He didn't say, I'm so weak, so I'm not going to pray. But rather, he said, I know weakness, but I still need to pray.

The Apostle Paul still prayed. He knew its importance. And if we are profiting from the Scriptures, we're going to see, or we're going to know in our hearts, deep down in our hearts, the importance of prayer.

If we're profiting from Scripture, then the heart that was in Jesus is going to be in our heart. Jesus was the very Son of God.

He was the perfect man. And he thought that prayer was paramount. It was one of the most important things. So let's follow Jesus through his life for a minute and see exactly what he thought of prayer.

Turn to Luke chapter 5 and verse 12. Luke chapter 5 and verse 12.

Listen as I read. Luke 5, 12, we'll be reading through verse 16. While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.

When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. I am willing, he said.

Be clean. And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, don't tell anyone, but go show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them.

Yet the news about him spread all the more. So the crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

How many times do you think this story played itself out in Jesus' life? A man who is desperately sick. He is dead to the world. No one will touch him.

No one will be around him. And soon he is going to be dead for good. And he falls down before Jesus and begs for help. And Jesus heals him.

And the healing of this one man did not give our Lord more time. It instead gave him less time. Soon crowds of people were crowding around him, pressing him, seeking help, seeking healing, wanting to be taught.

I can't even really imagine what it was like. Most of us have no idea what that's like. It had to be so tiring. I know that if I have to watch my two daughters for a few hours, I get tired.

They're pretty demanding. But this is in a few hours. And it's not two little girls. It's crowds of people every day.

And they're sick people. And they're hungry people. They're demon-possessed people. They're demanding people. And they're all wanting Jesus' attention. And what is a man to do?

What is a man to do? How do you keep your sanity? And how do you stay fresh and useful in that situation? Well, what does Jesus do? In verse 16, it says, But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

All the pressure, all the needs, did not deter Jesus from prayer. He sought out lonely places, quiet places where no one could reach him, where no one could find him, and he prayed.

Jesus didn't say to himself, I need to take care of all these people. If someone comes to me, I have to heal them. If I always have to be available, I need to be constantly available.

So whenever, whenever, or whoever comes, I can help them. He doesn't say that. Jesus valued prayer even more than the needs of the sick.

Now, that's not to say that he didn't care. Obviously, he cared about those people. But he knew that those people couldn't take the first place in his heart before God.

He knew that his usefulness was dependent upon his prayer life. And so he went off by himself and he prayed. And brothers and sisters, is that the kind of prayer life that you have?

I know you're busy. I know you're busy. I know your children need attention. And I know, wives, that your husbands are helpless without you. But is prayer and time with God taking the first place in your life?

If you're profiting from the scriptures, you will see that all of your usefulness and your very sanity is dependent upon prayer. Jesus was the perfect man.

And he gave it the first place in his life. And don't you think you should too? If Jesus did, why won't you? Our author says, this is Pink, he says, whoever lived a busier life than our Savior.

Yet who found more time for prayer. If we truly yearn to be suppliants and intercessors before God and use all the available time we now have, he will so order things for us that we shall have more time.

We can't allow our busyness to become an excuse not to pray. Instead, our busyness should drive us to pray more and more like it did Jesus.

The importance of prayer was written on our Savior's heart. We see it here that despite his busy lifestyle, he thought prayer was important and he set apart large blocks of time just to pray.

And we see it in the Garden of Gethsemane as well. So now the time of busyness is over. The constant distractions, that time is gone.

The time of active ministry, of healing people and teaching people is over and Jesus is alone. The disciples are with him but we know how backward they were.

He was facing a cross. He was facing the trial of his life and he saw the sword of God's anger hanging over his head. He was going to die.

God's justice was going to come for him. and he was sensing the weakness of the human nature. He saw what was before him and everything in him said, no, I don't want anything to do with that.

He could smell God's justice coming hard on his heels and he was about to heap on his own head all the sins of his people and be damned for them.

Well, brothers and sisters, what did he do? He was facing great trial. He went to a quiet place and he told his disciples to kneel and pray and then he withdrew a stone's throw away and there he fell down and he prayed.

And he prayed like he had never prayed before. He was in anguish but he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Would he turn his back on his people? Would he turn his back on us? Would he take the easy road and say, no, I'm not going to that cross? Would he obey God?

The temptation, the great temptation had come. And so what did our Savior do? He prayed. He prayed earnestly and he prayed vehemently until he was sweating like, and his sweat was like blood falling down.

And so we can see him there. He's on his hands and knees and he's sweating and he's praying vehemently. He's pouring out his heart to the God, the God who is about to kill him.

And we can see how important prayer was to our Savior. Jesus knew the importance of prayer. So brothers and sisters, if we are profiting from the Scripture, we will see the importance of prayer.

The Scriptures testify of him, of our Lord. And it tells what he thought of prayer. In busyness and in temptation, he prayed. the very living Word of God knew the importance of prayer.

The very living Word of God knew the importance of prayer and he lived a life of prayer. And if the written Word is working in us, then we too are going to see how important prayer is.

We're going to become more like Jesus and think his thoughts. And it's funny how the further you go along in the Christian life, you become more and more aware of your weakness in prayer.

Don't you? You become more and more aware that I can't pray as I ought. But on the other hand, you see more and more that I need to pray. The hurdles that you once tried to get over as a baby Christian, you see, you can't get over those anymore without prayer.

We don't feel so confident anymore in our own strength, do we? We become older and mature in our faith, and yet we become less and less confident in ourselves. Why is that?

Why is that happening to us? Because the Scripture is working in us. We're starting to have the Scriptures profit us more and more. And as we read the Word and as we are exposed to the preaching, the Word transforms us and we see more and more our own weakness and we see more and more the great importance of prayer.

That's the first sign. The second sign that we are profiting from Scripture is that we are aware of our need for the Spirit's help.

We're more aware of our need for the Spirit's help. If we are aware of our need for the Spirit's help, then we can be sure that we are profiting from Scripture.

We have already seen that our weakness in prayer and the very importance of prayer should motivate us to seek the Spirit's help.

If we don't have the strength in and of ourselves to pray and if we're full of weakness and yet at the same time we need to pray, then we need the Spirit's help to help us.

We can't pray like we ought, but prayer is really important. What are we to do? I was on vacation this week and my wife Stephanie wanted a new sink put in our kitchen and I wish to fulfill her desires, but there is a slight problem.

Well, let me rephrase that. There's a big problem. Even though I have the desire to put in a sink, I don't have the capability to put in a sink and it's pretty funny that I, a person who works at a lumberyard that has plumbing parts and whatnot, I don't know.

I don't know what to do with them. I really can't do plumbing. So, now in theory, maybe I could follow the directions on something and put the sink in, but in reality, what would happen was my wife's kitchen would be out of commission for at least three weeks, I would say.

I've really thought about this. How long would it take? And it would be at least that. So, what did I do? Called my dad. And my dad has certain gifts that I don't possess.

He has certain, he has experience and he has confidence. He has some troubleshooting skills, et cetera. And together, we are going to put in the sink. My wife will be happy.

My kitchen will be happy. Everyone will be happy. And so, it's the same way with us. In prayer, we often have the desire to pray, but we just don't know how.

We can't do it. And we need help. We need the Spirit's help to even know what we really want or what I really need.

Sometimes I have no idea. Most of the time, I don't. Let's just take our physical health, for example. A lot of us have been really sick lately with the flu and it's been going around.

And in that situation, when you're lying there in your bed and you feel horrible, it's really easy to know what you want, right? You want to get better or you need to get better.

If I felt better, then I could get back to work. If I felt better, I wouldn't be so crabby and so short-tempered. Lord, getting better is what I need, right?

Well, not so fast. That's what we think we need. But is that what God thinks we need? Who knows? Well, the Holy Spirit knows what God thinks we need.

Who knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit? And who knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God? If that is the case, then we need the Spirit's help to pray.

Ecclesiastes 6.12 asks, Who knows what is good for a man in life? Who knows what is good for a man in life? Most of the time, we don't have the faintest idea of what we really need.

We have guesses, but that is all. Do you think Joseph thought that being stolen away from his family and sold into slavery and then thrown into an Egyptian prison was what he needed?

I wouldn't think so. Do you think Moses thought being stranded on the backside of the desert in the middle of nowhere for 40 years was what he needed? I don't think so.

Or how about Mary, the mother of our Lord? She's at the foot of the cross, and she's watching her son die and the sword is piercing her heart.

Do you think she thought, I really need this? Or the son that she had raised now is being raised up on a criminal's cross and just hanging until the life goes away.

Isn't it the truth that God knows what we need more than we do? God knows what we need more than we do. If we're profiting from the scripture, we will see that many times we don't have the faintest idea of what we need, but the spirit of God does know, and he is the one that can help us to pray.

And so if you're profiting from the scriptures, then you're going to see more and more that I need the help of the Holy Spirit to pray, to pray like I ought, to pray the right things, to pray with the right heart.

I need the Holy Spirit's help. That's the second sign. The third sign that you are profiting from scripture is this. The spirit is teaching you the right end in praying.

The spirit is teaching you the right end in praying. If we are profiting from the scriptures, the spirit will be teaching us to pray for the right reasons. The right reasons.

So let me ask you a question. Why do we pray? Why do we pray? God commands us to pray? What else?

We have needs that God, only God can help us with. What else? We pray to thank God.

Yes. To God be the glory, and it's our job to give him the glory in prayer. What else? Direction. What else?

To accomplish God's will. Yeah, we pray that thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. What else?

Why else do we pray? Right. To find, to put ourselves at his feet, to submit to him.

That's an important part of prayer. Anything else? I think we pray because we love him so much. We desire to communicate. Okay.

Prayer is how we talk to God. I mean, it's that simple. We pray because we love God, and we want to talk to him. What else? Why else do we pray? Anything else?

For the needs of others. For the needs of others. That's good. I mean, people have all kinds of needs. Spiritual needs. Physical needs. And we can pray to, to get those things.

So why do we pray? I just divide this into three different, really broad categories. One, to see God glorified. Two, to humble ourselves before God.

Three, to obtain the good things that we desire. So those are questions, are those are, that's why we're supposed to pray. Let's, let's be a little more honest now.

Okay. And I'm going to ask you another question. Why do we pray? Why do we pray? I mean, that's why we're supposed to pray. Why do we pray?

I want something. What is James? Four, three. Listen to this. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

I pray out of selfishness. Why else do I pray? How about the, oh, that.

To get yourself out of trouble. To get yourself out of trouble? Yeah. I think that's, maybe one. I don't know where that fits in. Oh, how about this?

Self-righteousness. I pray to make God happy with me. There's a lot of, the Pharisees still left in me, and it comes out in my prayer life.

What else? Why else do we pray? Yeah. Out of fear. I mean, fear can be an okay motive, but, a sinful fear.

How else do we pray? To put our desires in the world. Right. James 4, 3. So I can just get things that I can spend on myself, so it goes better with me.

Mickey, did you raise your hand? Well, I, I think that God knows best, and so I think that sometimes, you're, you're with skin, about what to do about something, or, even in your life, and so you're saying, Lord, your will, you, because you know what's best, he, alone, created everything.

So, everything he would, he, he would, finish for us, and he is the one, uh, who knows the end, so better he, make your life, what it should be, or what you mean, you know, rather than, our will.

Mm-hmm. That's, um, I'm gonna come back to that. That's actually, the end point of what, where this is all going. Um, why else do I pray?

Sinful reasons. Uh, number three, custom. I sit down at the table, and I pray with my children, and I don't even think about what I'm saying. That's happened.

Four, therapy. I pray to make myself feel better. Um, not, so much to talk to God, or justify myself before God, but, I use, prayer just as, a selfish thing to vent, um, or to appease my conscience.

If we're profiting from the scriptures, we're gonna pray for the right reasons. And, it's really easy to pray for the wrong reasons. And so, if we're gonna see God glorified, or we will, if we are profiting from the scriptures, we're gonna seek to see God glorified.

Um, we're gonna humble ourselves before God, and we will ask for the things that, we may see God glorified. All of, we're gonna pray, and as Mickey said, sometimes we're just gonna give it to God, and say, God, I don't know what I need.

I don't even care what I need, or want. I don't even care what happens to me, so long as you're glorified. And we humbly submit ourselves to God.

And, requests are very different, than demands, aren't they? I mean, when we come with the right spirit, of not, I want this, and I'm demanding this of you, God, that's very different than a request.

Many times, people have turned away from God, and Christian, the Christian faith, because God didn't meet their demands. He didn't, they prayed, and God didn't give them something.

And, it can be a real problem. I just read of Ted Turner, the media mogul, the TNT guy, and Atlanta Braves guy.

He was raised a conservative Christian. He even thought about, going to the mission field. But, when he was a young man, his daughter, or his sister, was very sick.

And, he prayed. And, he prayed that she might get better. And, she died. Despite, his prayers, she died. And, after that, Turner lost all confidence.

He just went further, and further away. And, he said, the further away I went, the better it felt. The humbling truth is, that God has never promised, to be at our beck and call.

He's never promised that. He's never, he's not a genie, that gives us unlimited wishes. He may be asked, and, he has given us, wonderful promises.

And, I'm going to talk about that, in a minute. But, he's not a servant, to do whatever, and whenever, and however we want. If, people ask with the wrong motives, certainly God is under no obligation, to answer such prayers.

And, if people ask for the wrong things, certainly God is under no obligation, to give those things. The very attitude of prayer, is submission, and humility. And, we ask, what we don't demand.

And, if we're profiting, from the scriptures, then we're going to be learning, to pray like that. We're going to present, our request to God, and let him, decide the best end.

And, that's the filter, that we're going to put, all of our prayers through. If we truly, desire to glorify God, then we're going to pray like that. And say, not my, not my will, but your will be done.

Listen to Pink at this point. We are to spread our case before God, but leave it to a superior wisdom, to prescribe how shall, how shall it be dealt with.

There must be no dictating, nor can we claim anything from God, for we are beggars, dependent upon his mere mercy. In all our praying, we must add, nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.

And, if we're profiting, from the scriptures, we're going to be praying, for the right reasons. And, the greatest reason, to pray, is, that God's name, would be hollowed.

And, that his will, would be done. And, his kingdom, would come. The fourth sign, that we are profiting, from the scriptures, is that the spirit, teaches us, how to plead, God's promises.

promises. God's promises. We're going to learn, how to plead these promises, if we're profiting, from scripture. God's book, is full of promises. How many are there?

I don't know. I started like, I just turned to the back, to Revelation chapter 22, and just started, writing down promises. And, I got to like, six in that chapter, and I said, this is crazy.

God's book, is full of promises. And, every one, of those promises, we could put our name on. And, in Christ, we can send them back to God, and put them in a prayer.

Stores, are always offering, rebates. If you buy a certain product, you get money back. Right? So, sometimes, but not very often, these rebates, are total, they're complete.

If you, send something back to them, they'll give you, a complete rebate. For example, right now, at home, I have a bottle of Listerine, in my shelf, that, I bought for three dollars, or something.

And, if I send my receipt, to the Walgreens headquarters, or whatever, they're going to refund, all my money. And, I'm going to have a free bottle, of Listerine. That's a pretty good deal. But, God's promises, are like that, in a way.

They're great deals. They cover, all of our life. They cover our life, and our death. They cover our future, and our present. They cover all my sins, and all my successes.

And, God's promises, are offered, to all those who pray. And, if I'm going to get, my fantastic deal, on my Listerine. If I'm going to get, my free bottle of Listerine. I have to send, in the receipt.

And, if I'm going to have, access to God's promises, many times, I'm going to have, to pray for them. And, so we need to pray, that God, would do, what he says. And, one sure sign, that we are profiting, from the scriptures, is that we are, pleading the promises, that are found, in the scriptures.

And, we're pleading them, back to God. That's how Jacob prayed. He was getting ready, to meet Esau. And, he didn't know, how it was going to go, with him. Would Esau kill him? Would Esau kill his wife, and his children?

Jacob was unsure. He was worried. He was afraid. But, listen to what he prayed. Save me. I pray from the, save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau.

For I am afraid, he will come and attack me, and also the mothers, and their children. But you have said, I will surely, make you prosper, and will make your descendants, like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.

Do you see the power in that? Esau has a big, or Jacob has a big problem. And, he has a promise, to go with that problem. And, we are never on sure ground, when we're praying, than when we're standing, on the promises of God.

If we're standing, on God's promises, then God, cannot refuse our request. Jacob says, God, you have to protect me. You have to protect my children.

You have to protect my family. Because, you've said this about me. You said that you would, surely prosper me. And, you would make my descendants, like the sand of the sea. And, God, if I'm dead, and if my children are dead, then you're going to be, a promise breaker.

You're going to be a liar. So, God, how can you promise me, prosperity, and then give me over to Esau? You can't do it. You have to help me.

Because, you've promised to. And, when we're standing, on the promises of God, then, that's when we can dare, to wrestle with God, like Jacob did, that very night, when he prayed.

And, if we're profiting, from the scriptures, then we will wrestle, with God. We'll take his promises. We'll do it humbly, but we'll do it persistently, and boldly.

It's, then, that we can say to God, I will not let you go, until you bless me. And, we will plead his promises, and wrestle with him, until he hears, and he answers.

But, don't get the wrong idea, from this wrestling idea. God doesn't have to be convinced, to do what he has said. God doesn't like us.

Sometimes, we make promises, and then later on, when we find the price, of the promise, we regret it. But, God's not like that. Listen to Charles Spurgeon. It's a very ungenerous thing, to offer alms to the poor, and then when they hold out, their hand for it, to mock their poverty, with the denial.

It is cruel, it is a cruel addition, to the miseries of the sick, if they were taken, to the hospital, and they are left to die, untended, and uncared for. Where God leads you to pray, he means you to receive.

End quote. When God has promised you something, he means to give it to you, whether sooner, or later, and so when we are praying, for those promises, we are praying, according to God's will, and what he wants to do.

The fifth, and final sign, that you are profiting, from scripture, is this. Prayer is a real, and deep joy. Prayer is a real, and deep joy. Why do you wake up, each morning?

Why do you get up? Why do you face the day? What gets you going? I heard someone say this, that he gets up, for two reasons. Coffee, and Jesus, and he loves them both.

And, maybe that's true for you. What gets you going, in the morning? What makes you happy? What makes your heart light? Is it prayer? Prayer, if you're profiting, from the scripture, is going to become, like manna in the desert.

You wake up to it, every morning, and it sustains you, all day long. It's going to be, a fountain of living water, to you, that when you drink of it, you're refreshed, and you can go on.

Our happiest moments, become the moments, when we're, before God, and we're, talking, to Jesus, and talking, to our heavenly father.

Those become, the best times. What is so, joy inspiring, about prayer? What's so joy inspiring, about prayer? Why do we feel, so happy, when we're praying, or after that, after we've prayed?

Well, I think it comes down, to two things. Who we're praying to, and what that person's, attitude towards us, is. Who are we talking to, when we pray?

We're talking, to our heavenly father. Father. Listen to Galatians 4, 6, and 7. Because you are sons, God sent the spirit of his son, into our hearts, the spirit who calls out, Abba, Father.

So you are no longer, a slave, but a son. And since you are a son, God has made you, also an heir. Our Lord Jesus, knew intimacy, with the father, didn't he?

From all, before time, it was God the father, and God the son, and God the Holy Spirit, and they loved each other, and they were intimate, with each other, but now the same spirit, that is in the son, is now in us.

And so, we with Jesus, call out, Abba, Father. Abba, is Aramaic for father, but I'm sure you've heard many times, Abba, is the familiar term, it's the term that, a little girl, or a little boy, would say, when she was talking to her daddy, when they got, when she got up on his lap, and told her, told him about his day, or her day.

So the very first thing, that I hear, when I get home, I open the door, and I hear, daddy's home, and then, what do I hear? I hear all sorts of things, that don't really make any sense, but, I get the report of the day, what, what did Aowyn do, all day?

And then, after I get some clarification, from mom, from exactly, what's going on, because Aowyn confuses, what she wanted to do, and what she actually did, and what she did yesterday. But, that's the best part of the day, when Aowyn, comes and tells me, about her day.

And, we are like little children, crawling up on her father's lap, and telling him about, what has happened, and what we like, and what we need. And that great intimacy, and prayer, is what makes it such a joy.

So, imagine a throne room. And, standing around the throne, at a distance, are servants. And, they're ready to obey the king, and do whatever he wants.

And, closer, closer in, there's some courtiers, courtiers, and, they're talking quietly, amongst themselves. They're listening, what the king's saying, but they're talking, they're being respectful.

And then, at the foot of the cross, or at the foot of the throne, excuse me, is, some people. They're kneeling down, and they're begging for mercy. They're full of fear, but asking for mercy.

And then, all of a sudden, out of the side door, you see a little boy, come tramping up, and he hops up, on the king's lap, and he pulls on his ear, and he starts babbling away. Well, who's that?

Well, that's the king's son, as he goes and talks to his daddy. And, what's so great about prayer, is that we're the king's son, and the king is sitting, on the throne, of the universe.

So, the second reason, that prayer is such a joyful experience, or that's the first reason, that we're talking to, our father in heaven. And then, the second, reason, prayer is such a joyful experience, is that, is what our father's, attitude, attitude towards us is.

grace. And, it might be simply put like this, he who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

God has already shown us, unfathomable grace, unimaginable grace. He's given us his son, and, if he's done, the most extravagant thing, what confidence should we have, for asking for little things?

If I would give my life, for my daughter, should she be afraid, to ask me for five dollars? No, I mean, it's absurd. The Lord, the Lord's attitude towards us, is generosity, and love.

And so, when we pray, we come before, a throne of grace. And he's ruling all things, graciously for us. And so we come expectantly, and hopefully, and we are, that we're going to receive grace.

And we can't help but be happy, if I went to my dad, and every time I went, and asked him for something, he gave me something, I could come expectantly, and hopefully, and it would make me happy.

And if I can come before God, and expect to receive grace, every time I pray, then I should be praying joyfully. And so we can say, with a psalmist, about this whole aspect of prayer, that, in Psalm 73, but as for me, it is good, for me to be near God.

We're near our Father, and our Father is good to us. And that's why it's such a joy to pray. And if we're profiting from Scripture, we're going to be experiencing that more and more. So, in conclusion, we've seen five signs, that you are profiting from Scripture, in regard to prayer.

One, despite our weakness, we see the importance of prayer. Two, two, we are aware of our need, for the Spirit's help. Three, the Spirit is teaching you, the right ends in praying.

Four, the Spirit teaches us, how to plead God's promises. And five, prayer is a real, and deep joy. And may God give us grace, to grow in these areas.

Let's pray. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we were once in darkness, but now we have seen a great light.

We have seen your Son. Thank you that the darkness is passing, and that we now live in the light. I pray that we would live in the light, that we would live in fellowship with you, and with one another, that we would love you more, and love our brothers and sisters more.

Father, will you help us to pray? We confess our weakness, and our frailty. We confess that we don't pray, as much as we should, or how we should.

We're far too independent, far too cold towards you. Will you give us new glimpses, of our Savior, and warm our hearts, that we might pray. Pray that you would bless us, the rest of this day, and help us to serve you, to worship you.

And we pray this, in Jesus' name, Amen.