A Better Way to Pray: Week 1, Day 3

[Music] welcome to gospel truth with Andrew Wommack a teaching ministry that focuses on God's unconditional love and grace Jesus forgave us of all sin past present and even future sin Andrew brought good news to me I could understand the Bible more the way he taught Jesus forgave you one time that's for everything and now it here's the in drew welcome to our Wednesday's broadcast of the gospel truth this week I've started a new series entitled a better way to pray I have a book on that in English and in Spanish and then we have CDs and DVDs that were taken from our television program on this and I tell you this teaching on prayer is I've said this on Monday I think it was but it's one of my most loved teachings by those who receive it and it's also one of my most hated teachings by those who can't stomach it because the very first thing I do and and this is based on the leadership of Jesus when he started talking about prayer here in Matthew chapter 6 the very first thing he did was say don't be like the hypocrites they love to pray and he showed that you could be a hundred percent hypocritical and pray these long prayers and do all of these things and he started just attacking the wrong uses of prayer and when I start teaching I do this same thing in the end this week I've been talking about how that there's so much hypocrisy and just religious stuff that's in prayer and boy this turns a lot of people off and as I get further into this series I'm gonna go to teaching against the predominant way that intercession is taught in the body of Christ today I believe it is not godly at all it actually causes a lot of problems and boy there are some people that this is like a sacred cow to them you can't talk against intercession and I'm going to be giving a lot of specifics and showing you things from Scripture that end in the New Testament we prayed currently then we braid in the Old Testament and boy this gets a lot of people upset but at the same time it sets a lot of people free and I'll tell you there's just a lot of people that are under bondage because of traditions and doctrines of men jesus said in mark chapter 7 verse 13 that your traditions and doctrines of men make the Word of God of none effect and we have a lot of religious traditions and doctrines about prayer that are not compatible with Scripture and it voids the word and it makes your prayers ineffective I tell you we should be praying for results not just praying for the sake of praying and if you are looking for results if you want prayer that works there is a better way to pray and the very first thing we're gonna have to do is come against the religious traditions and doctrines of men so let me go back and read these words of Jesus again in Matthew chapter 6 verse 5 and it says in when thou pray us thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corner of the streets that they may be seen of men verily I say unto you they have their reward but thou will now pray us to enter into that closet and when thou is shut that door pray to thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly but when you pray use not vain repetitions as the heathen do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking that's where I quit yesterday and I was just emphasizing that there are so many people that think the longer you pray the better and that's not the way that God looks at it he says it's not vain repetition it is an error to think that you will be heard more because you talk longer man that's just wrong and yet this is pretty much the way most people think at one time I thought this same thing I thought if pray in an hour a day was good pray in two hours a day would be better pray in four hours that they would be better and I used to do that I used to pray three and four hours a day and I still pray all of the time but now it's more just conversational prayer I'm in constant communion and fellowship with the Lord and praying about things certainly there are times that I have something specific that I'm dealing with and I'll focus just on that and I may be focused on something for an hour or two to the exclusion of everything else and I have those times but the vast majority of my prayer time is just constant communion with the Lord it is not thinking that I'll be heard and some are another have a better relationship with God if I pray long periods of time Jesus is saying that's not true and he said that they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking in verse 8 it says be not ye therefore like unto them for your father knoweth what things you have needa before you ask him now this is an important piece of information and this is coming from Jesus the perfect representation of God God manifest in the flesh and he's telling us how to relate to the father and he says that prayer is not an opportunity to inform poor misinformed God of your situation and I tell you I am shocked I hear the prayers of a lot of people I go into many churches and people write and tell me what they're praying and stuff and I tell you it is just nearly you know predominant that people think God doesn't know what's going on and so they have to tell him the whole thing they spread out their doctor's report Oh God the doctor says this and this is happening and and they just and it's like they're somehow or another having to impress on God how serious their situation is if you think that if you feel like you just have to tell God every single thing that's going on because otherwise he may not recognize how important it is how serious your situation is he may neglect it well then you've already started from a totally wrong place God is all-knowing God knows everything about you he knows your situation better than you know your situation prayer is not an opportunity to inform poor misinformed God about your situation you need to take the words of Jesus here and recognize that he knows what you have need of before you even ask him now let me just say some things and I'll answer this later in this series but if you are following what I'm saying it's not your long prayers it's not your mannerisms standing on the street corner praying to be seen of people it is not your you're gonna be heard more if you talk long God knows what you need before you even ask if you really understand what Jesus is saying well then this raises a question well then why even pray why even tell my problems to God why even ask God for help if God already knows everything about it well then what is the point of me praying I'm gonna answer that later I'm not gonna answer it right now but let me just say that if you are truly tracking with me and if you are following what Jesus said that should be a logical question it comes up well that if God already knows everything if it's not the length of my prayers is gonna gain the extra credit and stuff like this well then what is the point of praying there's there's still a lot of benefit to prayer and I'm gonna be talking about this as we go through the series but I'm saying that that should be a place that every person watching this program comes to alright if God is already all-knowing if God already loves me if I don't have to convince him and stuff well then why do I have to pray why do we have to go through all of this keep that question because I'm gonna answer that later but that is a logical question you are not trying to inform poor misinformed God and I tell you I just get I mean it's nearly amusing if it wasn't pathetic it would be amusing too you know when you listen to some of the prayers of people in the way that they pray in a way that they talked to God you know we've got a song that I used to sing and it to me is just the epitome of an unscriptural songs catchy tune but it's one day at a time sweet Jesus and it starts by saying Lord you know if you're looking below it's worse now than then what a stupid statement like if if God is looking below if God is paying attention I mean to think things like that are completely an insult against God as if God isn't paying attention what's going on and but we sing things like that we pray like this we praise stupid stuff I know that some of you think well man you're making me so self-conscious about the way I pray now I'm not sure that I'll feel free to go in and just pray to the Lord well I know that this has the potential to unsettle you but sometimes you got a terrifying a define you got to tear down the junk in their life that is hindering their relationship with the Lord and get down to just the bare rock so that you can put in a good foundation and build the proper things this is exactly what Jesus did I feel a hundred percent secure in approaching prayer from this perspective because before he talked about what prayer was he talked about what prayer was not he countered the religious traditions and doctrines of man and I tell you what we are as religious and is messed up today as the Jewish system that Jesus came into and he was walking here on this earth the so-called Christian Church today is just full of religious traditions and I tell you it is is dominant in prayer as in any place else so this may not have felt good but it's the truth and it'll set you free so Jesus goes on to say in Matthew chapter 6 verse 9 after this manner therefore pray ye our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name I'm gonna go through this prayer but let me just say that some people think that this is a prayer that you just have to recite that these are the exact words that you need to pray let me just make a couple of comments I'm not going to spend a lot of time I could defend this more but this isn't a New Testament prayer the New Testament did not really go into effect until after the death and the resurrection of Jesus and Jesus told us that in the nuke we're supposed to pray in his name whatsoever will you ask the Father in his name the father will grant it for us this prayer is not prayed in the name of Jesus this isn't a New Testament prayer this is not a prayer that we are supposed to recite these words but I believe that this is more like a model prayer it gives us the elements of prayer that we are supposed to use just as over in the Old Testament in the book of Psalm you know it says enter into his gates with Thanksgiving and into his courts with praise be thankful unto Him and bless His name for the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever that's telling you how you're supposed to approach him and this does the same thing in verse 9 here's how you start your prayer our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name now say I think it's good that when you enter in instead of just coming out with your need with your problem you first of all you glorify God and you say you know that our Father which art in heaven hallowed be that name and then the second thing here in verse ten Duyck kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven you start talking about how awesome God is instead of talking about how terrible your problem is start talking about how God is how awesome he is now see I believe that this is the point that's being made not that you're supposed to say these exact words but instead of coming with your problem like you you've got this thing the doctor says you're gonna die in so you're just so focused oh god here's my problem and you spend 30 minutes talking about your problem all that's done is discourage you to rehash all of these negative things but instead what you should do is come and say father our Father which art in heaven you come in and you say father you are in heaven you are above everything else you are the one that created everything nothing's impossible with you your kingdom come your will be done I believe that your will is coming to pass and by the time you get through glorifying God then you come to your need and oh yeah the doctor said I was gonna die but you no use in your word you raised people from the dead all things are possible to him that believes if I will speak to this mountain doubt not in my heart it'll be cast into the city and by the time you have praised God well then it shrinks your problem down to where instead of you speaking all of your fear and unbelief you now have already praised God and praised the answer more than the problem and then he ends it you know down here with saying for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever so you start with praise unto God you end with praise unto God and if you would approach God in this manner this method not necessarily using these exact words but if you would approach him in this method where you start with praise you in with praise you slip your request in between well then you know what it would keep you from being overwhelmed with the impossibility of your situation it would put it into its proper context into its proper perspective and it would keep you built up instead of discouraged but see there's a lot of people that when they come to God they just Oh God and they talk about their problems and they just talk about how horrendous it is and this is impossible the doctor says I'm gonna die you never even mention what God says you don't quote the scripture in Psalms 118 I will not die but live and declare the works of the Lord and you just spew forth your doubt in your fear in your unbelief that's not what God is telling us to do this is telling you the way to pray not the exact words but you were supposed to come in and start saying our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name that's talking about praising him talking about how holy how great he is above everything Philippians chapter 2 that he has been given a name which is above every name and at the name of Jesus every knee is gonna bow every tongue is gonna confess anything that's got a name has to bow the need of Jesus if it's cancer if it's leukemia if it's AIDS if it's anything it's got a name it's got a bow the name to need of Jesus see if you would start worshiping him and remind yourself of these things before you slip your request in then you'd be so much better and this is what the Lord is talking about so you enter into his gates with praise you thank him you pray for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven you know there's lots of people that recite this and say these words hundreds of times but then they'll sit there and say well it's not God's will for us to be well it's not God's will for us to prosper we have to suffer it's our pain it's our suffering that makes us better and they will be praying these words and yet living something contrary to it it says we are supposed to pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven in heaven there isn't sickness there's not pain there's not sorrow there's not depression there's not all of these things if you really believe the words that we were saying we should believe for Supernatural results in this life as it says in galatians chapter 1 verse 4 that jesus gave himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil world not just the one to come not just hell but he gave himself to deliver us from this present evil world God's will is to be done on earth as it is in heaven in verse 11 give us this day our daily bread you know this isn't a request in the sense that Lord will you give me my bread but it's a demand it is a request but it's a request that's a demand it just says give us this day our daily bread and you know this shows a familiarity it shows first of all the grace of God the goodness of God towards us that hears Almighty God that we can come up and just say give us this day our daily bread that's not because we're arrogant and thinking that you know somehow or another we can force God to do it but it's similar to a little child a little child just comes running into the kitchen and says mom I'm hungry give me something to eat and that's familiarity that's not disrespect it's actually it's a recognition that that parent loves the child so much that the child can come and just make a demand like that if if I was at your house and your child came in and then they fell on the floor and they just laid before you and said I know I'm not worthy and I know I didn't make my bed and I know I didn't take out the trash and I know I haven't been kind to my brother or sister the way I should have been but please I'm hungry could you please spare me just a little bit of something if that's the way that your child approached you I would think there is something seriously wrong in this house your relationship with that child is not good it's really good when the child just come jumps up on your lap and tells you what they want and stuff it's a familiarity it's it's love and this is the way that he's saying right here he didn't say Oh God we're unworthy but could you please spare us a little piece of bread today no you just come and say give us this day our daily bread father we know that you want to do it see this is this is in faith this is in trust that God is for us and not against us he's already provided our needs and all you got to do just reach out and take what is yours you just are boldly coming in and saying father I'm receiving what is mine today so you say give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors in other words you need to operate in love towards others you need to receive God's cleansing for yourself but you need to expend extend it towards others there's a place for that in prayer and in verse 13 and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil in other words this is praying for guidance that God will will lead you around obstacles and around problems keep you from making stupid mistakes you're spending time asking God for His wisdom that's what this is talking about and then you ended was saying for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever you started by talking about how it would be your name that he's in heaven he's above all you ended by saying yours is the kingdom the power and the glory forever if you will sandwich your request in between praise to God for how awesome he is you know it's like a slice of bread you have to have a slice of bread on the bottom and on the top and then you stick the meat or whatever on the inside well you need to sandwich your request in between praise start and praise talking about how awesome he is he's higher than anything and you ended with his is the kingdom the power and the glory forever this is the way that you're supposed to pray and so these things right here this is just so against religion and I love the way that Jesus introduced this rather than just talking about prayer and leaving all of these wrong conceptions about prayer out there that people are gonna bring it into their relationship and they're gonna mix the way the Pharisees did it and think you have to pray long periods of time and you got to explain everything to God instead God just eradicate all those things he gets rid of it and then teaches them the correct way to pray that's what I'm trying to do here is before I get into the heart of talking about what prayer is we're talking about what prayer is not and I know that some of the things I've said may have been offensive to people you may feel like that I'm criticizing the way that you've always done it but let me just present it to you this way how is prayer working for you the vast majority of people that I minister to their prayers are not working very well they believe God can heal but they struggle to be healed they believe that you are supposed to have joy and peace but they don't walk in it very often they believe that you're supposed to be prosperous but they aren't experiencing it they're praying for it they're asking for it and yet they aren't seeing their prayers work and yet when I come out against it and start challenging our attitudes towards prayer people just swell up like a toad they get offended and start saying you're critical of me well how is the way you're praying working for you if it's not working then maybe you ought to consider that there is a better way to pray I mean that's just as simple as it can be I know that the vast majority of people watching this program do not feel like that you really have an effective effective effectual prayer life you know that there's lots of things you've been praying for that you haven't seen come to pass and yet when I start countering some of the things that Jesus said were the problem and that we've got to get rid of this kind of stuff people get offended because I'm countering their traditions and that's just crazy if what you're doing isn't working that well for you you should be open to at least listen to something that's different and you know it may be that that the way you're praying is just fine but I mean you ought to be open to what the word says you ought to go in and consider these things do you really love the praise of men do you pray to get attention do you brag about how much time you spend in prayer do you think that the longer you pray that more God is prone to listen to you do you go in and have to explain to God what your situation is because you think he doesn't know I mean are you guilty of these things that the Lord is talking about if you are then you need to humble yourself you need to change if you have to change your whole personality in your voice when you go to praying and you can't just be real with God and talk to him like you talk to me or talk to anybody else then you need to consider these things that we're talking about you need to make some adjustments and so the very first thing that we're doing is before we can get into what prayer is and how to effectively pray we got to get rid of some of these religious concepts that have been crammed down our throat and get back to what the Word of God teaches well this is just really really simple I'm out of time today but I do have this book entitled a better way to pray I also have it in Spanish and we would love to send this book to you we also have it in CD and in DVD form if you'll listen our announcer will give you information about how to receive these products and also when you call you can get someone to pray with you we have effective trained prayer ministers on our phones that can pray with you and help you so please call or write today and receive these materials I'd like to encourage you to call in and I know that God is speaking to many many people and you may have had the Lord touch you today and if you just need somebody to touch and agree with you the scripture says if any two of you agree touching anything that they ask it shall be done for the my father so we have these people I mean powerful people who love God and are equipped in the Word of God they're there to pray with you and help you the number is seven one nine six three five eleven eleven at seven one nine six three five one one one one entry is complete teaching titled a better way to pray is available as a book in either English or Spanish today Andrew would like to offer this book as his free gift to you go to a WMI dotnet to get your copy today I'd like to encourage you to get this free book that we're offering on prayer I've got other product here study guide DVD CDs but we're offering this book to you as our gift and I tell you this is a powerful teaching especially during this time you know we're just going through this virus that hit the world actually a pandemic and man people are praying but many times are praying wrong out of desperation begging God they don't know the rights and privileges that God has given us and I promise you this would transform your prayer life we are offering this as a free gift to you so listen to our announcer as he gives you the details and please call or write today to receive our free book on a better way to pray get Andrews a better way to pray book absolutely free by going to a WMI dotnet today this offer is limited to one free book per household and is only available in the US UK Canada and Australia a better way to pray is also available as a CD or DVD album made from our daily television broadcast and as a companion study guide each of these valuable resources is available for a gift of any amount when you contact us this entire series is also available for audio download absolutely free from our website go to a WMI dotnet to see all the ways you can get this teaching we want to say a special thank you to the grace partners of Andrew Wommack ministries your gifts make it possible to put free ministry materials into the hands of many people in need if you're not already a grace partner we ask you to pray about becoming one today you can become a grace partner or order resources through our website and a WMI net while there you can discover more product details and download additional free resources or call our helpline monday through friday from 4:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. mountain time at seven one nine six three five eleven eleven I'd like to invite you to join me on June the fifth and the sixth for our truth and Liberty coalition conference this is going to be specifically to motivate and equip people how to get involved in their political realm in the government and get make a difference how to vote how to motivate people to vote to equip them to give them tools we've got James Robinson who's going to be our speaker on Friday night that's gonna be powerful and then we got a whole day Saturday of great speakers lined up some practical things we are specifically focusing on pastors and I believe it's really gonna be a powerful thing so I encourage you to come join us on the 5th and the 6th of June for our truth and Liberty coalition conference right here in Woodland Park I wanted to let you know that we have now teamed up with a ministry called I'd donate so that we can receive cars and boats and stocks and jewelry we have only done this as a very short period of time and already we've had tens of thousands of dollars worth of things donated people you know that don't have cash but they have something that they want to donate so if you're interested in that you can follow the information on the screen and participate and we would love to help you give these assets to the ministry [Music]

Channel: Andrew Wommack

Views: 30,674

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Id: IBL3ApzsgEE

Length: 28min 30sec (1710 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 08 2020