David Bailey - Talking With God - Class 1 - What is a Prayer

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:00

   We we all know the importance of prayer, but we constantly are reminded of that in the Bible. We have such passages as pray without ceasing, pray always and everything by prayer. And yet it’s evident, brothers and sisters, that we have problems with prayer. Most of us do have problems we we struggle with it and if we struggle with prayer then we are struggling with our relationship with God because prayer is a barometer of our relationship with the Father.

2. 0:47

   Now in the first part of this talk, I want to stop and analyse the problems that we have. I did a survey some years back now with a couple of ecclesias to try and ascertain what these problems were and that the the results of that survey were very sobering and enlightening. The predicaments that we have generally fell into two groups. I need to turn it on, as I mentioned to the brother Daniel, this is just a sample of the issues that came from the survey concentration.

3. 1:32

   It’s a big one, isn’t it? Repetition and sameness and content and language. These are people admitting to this having problems with these things, tiredness finding that we’re too busy wondering whether God answers our prayers and and so on. And most of these these problems fall into the realm of motivation. Now, I also asked respondents if they had questions about prayer and these are some of the typical questions.

4. 2:09

   Should we use through the Lord Jesus Christ or in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? And variations on that idea, should we pray or can we pray to Christ? Does Christ filter our prayers? Is he like a filter through to God as it were? Should we keep our eyes shut?

5. 2:36

   How do we know when our prayers align with God’s will? Because we know that it should be according to His will. How do we know that? I need tips on how to pray so that God will hear. These are genuine questions that people ask and can I get it wrong? And really that last question sums up all of those in the second or these these questions that people have.

6. 3:06

   Really it’s all as if prayer is some technical process that one must get right to make it work. So we find then that we have two core principle courses for our problems with PRE, a technical approach and motivation. The this is my summation of those surveys that we conducted, They did, they fell into these two categories. So let’s consider each of these.

7. 3:45

   First of all, a technical approach. When we want to get it right, we really mean that we’re looking for the thing that will make our prayers work, that will fix our prayers. But anything that’s a magic pill usually always spawns other problems. And they do. Brothers and sisters crave practical advice about prayer. That’s been my history and the truth. And that advice has been given, but unfortunately what happens is that we turn that advice into rules about prayer, and that generates formulaic prayer that disempowers prayer and our spiritual life and therefore our relationship with God. It’s a ritual.

8. 4:46

   We often hear people using this, and this is, I have to say right from the beginning, if I say something that sounds critical, it’s not meaning to be critical. It’s analysing the problems that we have. To be honest. Most of the problems I, I reflected on myself and my own prayers. So I include myself in these things. So please let that be understood. When we hear this is the kind of thing that shows ritualism in prayer, We hear expressions like saying our prayers. We’ll say a word of prayer as if prayer is a procedure that we go through.

9. 5:35

   And then there’s we’ll just give a short word of prayer. We hear these expressions, don’t we? I know I’ve used these expressions. It’s like an an apology for occupying time in something we’re obligated to do before we get on with the real stuff.

10. 5:56

    Now the telltale signs of formulate Preheat is when they’re cluttered and clogged with cliches and platitudes. Now you may recognise some of these. We ask that you guide God and direct us this dark and degenerate age. Bless both Speaker and hearer alike. We come on the way appointed, we come before thy face, we humbly approach Thee, or we humbly beseech thee. Bless these gifts or this food to our youth and us and thy service.

11. 6:33

    We hear a lot, and I’ve got a great long list, many of which are my own, that I’ve analysed. So what happens is that we use an expression that strikes us as eloquent, and so we use it again, and eventually we use it by default, and then others pick up on that and they use it too. And we find security in such expressions because they come readily to mind in our prayers.

12. 7:12

    These expressions are like the treasures that we enshrine in our homes. Pictures, plaques, photos, ornaments, quotations. And we put them in prominent places and for a while they strike us, but after a while they just merge into the background.

13. 7:40

    They become part of the furniture and the well used ornaments and quotes and pictures in our prayers are just the same. They have the same effect. Now the expressions aren’t at fault, but they’ve become automatic. And if we’re honest, brothers and sisters without thought, and therefore that’s dishonouring to God with whom we speak. But the problems go deeper than stock phrases. We’ve also got stock prayers.

14. 8:17

    And at times you know precisely what a brother is going to say in his prayer because those are the things he always says. Now, that’s often a security mechanism. For some people, particularly, who struggle with communal prayer, it’s a fall back. But the problem doesn’t lie with those people with that problem alone, does it?

15. 8:46

    When I analysed my prayers, I found I have stock phrases, stock subjects, and stock order in which I say them. It’s like a default prayer that you say. The stock prayers contribute to the sense of sameness and blandness in our prayers. Lifeless and mechanical. It becomes ritualistic. Now. These stop phrases and prayers must also be a factor in that great problem that we do have of concentration and prayer.

16. 9:25

    It’s a universal problem, especially in communal prayers. Now. It doesn’t need someone or something else to blame for our lack of concentration. I experience it when I am giving the prayer. I can speak the words, but my mind is on something else.

17. 9:52

    Now how can that happen? It’s those cliches and platitudes again and what happens? They sit in the subconscious mind and they entice me into this automatic mode and outcomes what I always say, allowing my mind to dwell on something else. It’s like driving a car. And then there’s the rules that we’ve made about prayer, probably in our attempt to get it right.

18. 10:25

    Prayer should open and close with praise. Prayer should contain scripture and some people only Scripture we should use in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of our prayers. And it’s the congregation that should say Amy, not the praying brother in communal praise. I’ve heard all of these things. I, I, I don’t know whether you have, but there are things that I’ve heard.

19. 10:51

    And then there’s those that throw the book at anyone who gives longer praise, citing that incontestable clause. Let thy words be few. And there’s scriptural support for such ideas, brothers and sisters, but making them imperative is to earn. For the Lord Jesus Christ did not always abide by these rules, nor did the apostle Paul, nor did many of those whose prayers are written in the Bible.

20. 11:29

    So in our endeavours, in our obsession to get it right, we get it wrong. So what should we do about these problems with formulate prayer? What’s the answer to these things? Now that that’s the technical side, now we should move to the motivation for prayer. Now, a desire to get things right also effects motivation.

21. 11:56

    We hear that a prayer, our prayers should be sincere, so we try to sound sincere. We pray with our prayer voice. It’s a different voice to our regular voice, perhaps because we’re trying to be reverential. Some prayers are so eloquent and passionate and so dramatic, you wonder whether it was meant to be witnessed rather than consented to by the the the congregation, let alone the Father in heaven.

22. 12:38

    It’s a prayer performance. I’ve seen brethren, thankfully not many, but I have witnessed brethren aping evangelicals by laughing and crying, impressed. Not that I think that’s wrong crying, but it’s dramatic, ostensibly to show their joy or their humility. And our Lord, in the very passage we had as our reading, warned us about praying to be seen of men. Exhibitions may fill some with admiration or the person who prayed thus with himself, as the Lord said, but deflates others and it fills them with doubts.

23. 13:27

    People struggle. People that are honest people try to do the right thing. And they witnessed this. And I think, well, if that’s what’s required, I can’t do that. And they just give up because it’s so, so beyond them. It’s not their experience.

24. 13:46

    And there’s also how we talk about prayers, even how we write about prayer. Some of our writings we, and once again, I am not trying to be critical of anybody, I’m just trying to analyse what the problems are. We speak about prayer. Sometimes that’s so unhelpful. We talk about prayer in great swelling terms that enshroud prayer in a mystique. We we speak of the comfort of prayer. What do we mean by that?

25. 14:25

    As if prayer has this power to envelope us and to warm our hearts. Now, that’s not the experience of many, and it’s not found in the Bible. In that way. We know that we can see the way that they pray. It’s an open book in the Bible.

26. 14:52

    The language discourages. It’s as if people are really striving to have this feeling with God because this is the closest we get and we’ve got to have this feeling so we feel close to God. I, I, I tend to think that we often borrow some of this language about prayer from Christian writers. Here’s one who is a prominent, he’s, I think it was in the 1800s and EM Bounds and much of his work is quoted by Christians today.

27. 15:35

    This is what he said. Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed. That’s OK, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty. So while arguing against being technical, Bound speaks as if prayer is something mystical, something almost magical, a power that causes us to revel in delight, as if prayer is all about what we get out of it.

28. 16:17

    But we find no such mystical magic in the Bible, in people’s prayers. Our brethren have also spread warm and fuzzy sayings about prayer. This is one that that I happen to see. When you make prayer a habit, miracles become your lifestyle. Now many Christadelphians are centred to this and gave it a like, but it’s the same true? Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by habit and what you mean by miracles.

29. 17:00

    But where’s the substance? We can’t rely on platitudes for spiritual sustenance. I think a lot of this lofty language arises, as I mentioned before, out of this desire for some kind of feeling with God that we know he’s there, that he’s with us. We desire this confirmation of God’s presence that he’s hearing us.

30. 17:36

    And the problem is we can’t see him and he doesn’t talk back to us with words. We don’t receive direct answers from him. But it begs the question then, how can we be assured of God’s acceptance of us and our prayers? Another problem with motivation was that the business many of the people surveyed admitted to this that even the Internet took up far too much time in their lives. They admitted that that got on the road of their time with God and prayed.

31. 18:14

    But a lot of it was life is so busy, there’s just not enough time and so on so that our world Lords efficiency, time management, multitasking to do lists and and so it goes on. And so we’ve we’ve got to be the very best we can be. Success requires and all the jargon that our world is filled up with and we get caught up in it.

32. 18:39

    And so there’s fascinating technologies that that absorb our attention and that allow us to be available 24/7. And employers, customers, friends, family, everyone expects your availability. And it has impacted on us personally in our family and collegial lives, let alone with our relationship with God. So how do we fit all this in?

33. 19:16

    Brothers, sisters, how do we fit God into our lives? What’s the answer to this? And that’s what we want to look at God willing, through our series answers to these things. And we’re going to go to the Bible for those answers. I spent five years analysing this and, and going to the Bible. And I’m not saying I’m any kind of guru, but let’s go together and look at these passages and the answers are there. And it’s very, very powerful because we can see in the Bible people that prayed and we, we, we can learn the secret that enabled them to have a relationship with God and speak to him like he is real and that he is there working in their lives.

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    We can see this. So let’s begin with some foundations. We need to answer the question, why do we need to pray? Does God need our prayers?

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    Does he need our prayers? Without our prayers God can’t act well. A God that needs renders him impotent is something he is not. His word reveals that it is God who is in control and that is we who need him. So is it because God won’t act without our friends? James does say, doesn’t he, that you don’t receive because you ask not so It all depends on us to pray for things to happen.

36. 21:12

    So if someone leaves the truth or someone who is sick dies, it’s because they didn’t pray enough or didn’t pray the the right way, or it was the right people didn’t pray for them.

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    How does that work? That too makes God impotent. And it’s very, very legalistic, isn’t it? God becomes like a genie. If we don’t rub the lamp, he won’t or can’t come out to grant our wish.

38. 21:50

    So is prayer solely for our benefit? We sort of touched on this and there is quite a substantial argument put forward that this is the reason for prayer, not necessarily in the brotherhood. So is the reason solely for of prayer for our benefit. Prayer comforts, calms, invigorates, strengthens faith, much like modern meditation.

39. 22:22

    And they say this is the sole reason for prayer, so that we get this feeling and these good responses and and so on. Well, if, if, why pray at all? If all we get is some inward edification, we all we need is the word for that. I’m not belittling the Word. And why pray to God the other party in this act of communication if it’s all about us? And why pray thy Kingdom come if it’s all about personal edification?

40. 23:07

    You see, that’s God’s purpose and His work. And that back begs another question, why pray when God is in control Now in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 8, if you have that open, it said there in verse 8, your Father knows what things he had need of before you ask him. So why pray if God already knows?

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    And why does Paul the apostle several times ask brothers and sisters in various eccleses to pray for him in his work if it’s God’s work? And for that matter, why did the apostles in Acts chapter 6 verse four say it’s not meant for us to serve at tables, but our job is to minister in the word and prayer. Those are the two things they singled out, that their work was not to be impinged upon, and prayer was one of them. Why on earth was prayer needed by the apostles when they were guided by the Spirit and doing God’s work? And of course that leads us to the question, why did Christ need to pray, which he did often? Wasn’t God working through him with him in His purpose? Here’s another passage about God’s purpose. I’d like you to turn Isaiah 62 in a verse 6. I have set Watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night. Ye that make mention of Yahweh, keep not silence, and give him no rest till he establish, until he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

42. 25:12

    Now I’ve heard brethren say that we can bring the Kingdom. We should be praying harder, really. We’ve already shown that that is not right, that God needs us to do something for Him to do His work. It can’t be right, can it? Psalm 102 and verse 13 says thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her.

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    Yeah, the set time is come. There’s a set time in God’s purpose to favour Zion. God has these things all in hand, in His hands. It’s not as if our prayers alter His purpose or His mind or His timing of things. God has predestinated everything according to His purpose and works all things after the counsel of His own will.

44. 26:19

    Ephesians one, verse 11. It’s all in His hands. So what’s the answer to this? Well, the answer lies in why God’s own Son needed to pray. Come with me to Hebrews in chapter 5. Hebrews 5, verse seven. Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplication, with strong crying and tears unto Him, that was able to save him from death, and was heard, and that He feared, though He were a Son, yet learnt He obedience by the things which He suffered. I want you to know just two things. First of all, his need in that Christ revered God, crying unto him to save him, shows his need for the Father. And secondly, that in Christ obeyed his Father through all these sufferings that required His prayers, shows us that Christ involved himself in God’s purpose, which happened to be in him.

45. 27:37

    Two things, his need, and he involved himself in God’s purpose. Christ was dependent upon his Father and Christ worked with God in His purpose. Those are the reasons that he prayed. You think that I’ve come up with something. How do I get that? Well, it’s there in those in in those that verse, but isn’t you’ll find either or both elements in everyone of Christ’s prayers.

46. 28:18

    For example, in the garden, Christ says in Matthew 26, verse 39, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. So the two elements are there. His dependence upon God. He asked God to take the cup away. Only God could do that.

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    And secondly, He was working with God’s will or purpose, not as I will, but as thou wilt. And the apostles prayed for the same reasons. They were involved in God’s work, but they were dependent upon God to accomplish Him.

48. 29:07

    And this is the twofold reason for prayer for us as well. It shows our dependence upon God, our need, and it involves us in God’s work. It’s our involvement with him. Now we, we mentioned we and we read Matthew chapter 6 and the Lord’s Prayer. It’s a model of prayer, isn’t it? Christ gave it as a model prayer. It contains those two elements.

49. 29:41

    Look here it is. Here it’s in reverse. The Lord’s Prayer is basically two sets of three petitions. That’s the prayer it’s got. It opens and it closes, but that’s the prayer. Two sets of petitions. Hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done. That’s all about God’s purpose. We’re involving ourselves with Him, wanting to do what he’s accomplishing.

50. 30:17

    We desire it. We’ve evolved ourselves with him. Now the second set of three petitions. Give us this day, Our Daily Bread. Forgive us our sins and as we forgive others and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. That’s all about our a disciples need for God. And there it is this.

51. 30:40

    Is why we pray. And you know, being able to see this helps us with so many things about prayer. In the first three petitions, the disciple involves themselves in God’s purpose by praying for his purpose to come. For the same reason we pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And the second three. Petitions expresses our need for God. A father.

52. 31:10

    Knows what his child needs before they ask, but they he loves to hear them say it. Because it. Expresses their need for him. It’s part of their development

53. 31:30

    and so these two principles. Show the purpose. Of prayer, our need and involvement with God. It motivates prayer, why we pray, what we pray for, and even how we pray. And as a basis of. How God answers prayers. So the next question we should ask is what is prayer? And it’s a bigger question that we may have first thought certainly was for me.

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    What makes when we commune with God a prayer? Does it require us to be kneeling with our hands clasped or like this or flat on our? What makes a prayer?

55. 32:31

    Does it require a certain? Pattern of words or certain words. We have the special. Word we use for speaking with God called prayer. We don’t simply speak to God, we pray to God.

56. 32:49

    Do we pray to other? People no. We pray to God. So this makes prayer somewhat mystical. There’s something different to what we normally do. And of course, anything we do with God is different and the God is holy, He is totally different from all of us. So it sort of makes sense. But is it real? But when we look at the Bible, we find that that, that that concept of a different way of speaking to God or whatever it is that we call pray, that mystical element is not there. Now, I, I want to show you this because in Bible times, particularly in the Old Testament times, but also in the new, people did pray to one another. There are two primary words for prayer in the Old Testament. Is Palau.

57. 33:46

    And tefilla. Tefilla actually comes from the verb. The verb is is the root word Palau, and these words are used as I say they’re the predominant words. And the verb is. Used of speaking to other people in Isaiah 45. I’m just going to read it out just at the same time toward the end of verse 14, it says concerning Israel, They shall fall down unto thee Israel. They shall make supplication unto thee Israel. It’s Palau saying, surely God is with thee, so Palau is correctly rendered supplication there.

58. 34:39

    But it’s to. People so the word can apply to humans and immediately some of the mystique about a special word for speaking with God diminishes. Also, while this this word is the most useful prayer, it’s it’s not the only one. In fact, there are at. Least seven others that have the same idea as this word Palau, which basically has the idea of asking and so we have all these words that mean the same thing. There’s Palau, tufila, paga, nathar and Canaan, khanan, tukina, and so on.

59. 35:22

    All of these words, so there are eleven of these, and then we can add to this list of words all the words that mean to call, because that’s also these words are used for prayer as well eight times. And then we can add the words for weeping or tears. It says in Job 16 verse 20, my friends scorn me, but my eye pours out tears unto God.

60. 35:56

    So even tears can be a prayer. So all of these words, 22 of them imply asking and need. Hear the echo. They all refer to our need. Well, there’s another side to prayer, isn’t there? And that’s. Praise. And what do we praise God for?

61. 36:29

    Well, for him. For His purpose, His will, everything about him that’s involving ourselves with God and His purpose. There it is. There’s two sides to this thing we call prayer. And so we’ve got all the words for praise. Now that we can add, there’s ten of those. And we can also add the words for rejoicing because they’re also used for prayers. And there’s eight of those.

62. 36:51

    And we can add to that sing. There are two of those. So that’s 20 words used for prayers of praise. So the Bible uses all these words for what we style prayer.

63. 37:08

    So the Old Testament. Especially is especially rich. The Greek has its equivalent, but far less words to use them to use, but they it definitely the Greek has their equivalence of these words that we’ve just looked at. But the point is this. There are lots of words for prayer, and there are common words for other things used for other things, not a special word.

64. 37:35

    And immediately what that says is there is no particular word for prayer in the Bible. And that fact ought. To reduce the mystique surrounding prayer. That’s and acknowledging that fact does not diminish either God or prayer. In fact, having so many words, surely that’s telling us how wonderful it is, how expensive it is. It’s special.

65. 38:12

    So look how rich prayer is. But the fact is, brothers. And Sisters at its base, it’s very simple. Do you know what the? Most common word for communication with God is in in the Old Testament, it’s the word said. The word Amar. Is the most common word. In the end, brothers and. Sisters, prayer is simply talking with God.

66. 38:53

    And what an amazing. Thing that is for us just to talk with God, that’s an incredible thing that’s. What you do in a? Relationship isn’t it? It’s not a ceremony. It’s not prescribed words or a set sort of position or a special place.

67. 39:16

    It’s just talking with him. And we have that privilege. Now I I want to. Illustrate Now my wife is going to go get mad at me now because I’m going to ask. What time I have to? Finish because we got under way that I got held up and I I’m really lost as far as the time is. I did check my watch, but my a few minutes before a second would be fine.

68. 39:43

    OK, so I’ve got 20 minutes, about a bit less than that. OK, that’s fine. Yeah. Thank you. I’ll just adjust. Accordingly, that’s all. All right.

69. 39:59

    I want to illustrate this talking with God, and we’re just going to use Moses for as an example. Come back to Exodus chapter 3. Exodus 3 and. Moses is at the burning Bush, and he sees this wonder, and he goes to look. And in verse four it says, And when Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the Bush and said, Moses, Moses.

70. 40:31

    And he said Here am I. And he said draw not. My thither hit her, put thy shoes off from thy feet. And then he goes on to say that he had heard the cries of the children of Israel, and that he was come down to to respond to their needs. And then in verse 10, it says, Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt. And Moses said to God, Who am I that that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

71. 41:10

    And he said, Certainly I will be with thee, and this shall be the token unto thee that I’ve sent thee. When there has brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, The God of your Father’s had sent me unto you, and and they shall say unto me, What is his name? And what shall I say unto them?

72. 41:34

    And shall I come to news? Now can we say that? Most people are talking to him at the fourth verse one. And Moses answered and said, But behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice, but they will say, Yahweh have not appeared unto thee. And Yahweh said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, Rob.

73. 41:55

    And he said, Cast it on the ground, and he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses fled from before it. So the conversation continues. And Moses.

74. 42:10

    Is highly. Reluctant, isn’t he? And then we read in verse 10. And Moses said unto Yahweh, Oh my Lord. I am not eloquent. Neither heretofore nor since thou has spoken unto thy servant that I am slow as speeching of a slow tongue. Well, that sounds very sort of similar to a prayer. You know, it’s got the, the title of God, what we would normally find in our prayer. And there’s the humility and so on. And Yahweh said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth, or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I Yahweh?

75. 42:49

    And now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth. And verse 13 And he said, Oh my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him with whom thou wolves in him. And the anger of Yahweh was it was against Moses. And he told him he was going to send his brother to be with him.

76. 43:03

    And so off they go into Egypt and they appear before Pharaoh. And of course we we know the results of that. And Pharaoh increases their burdens and the the officials. Are very upset. By this and so they make this appeal unto to Pharaoh and in in chapter 5 and verse 20. They come. Out from an enraged Pharaoh.

77. 43:31

    And they see Moses and Aaron standing there. Verse 20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh. And they said unto them, Yahweh, look upon you, and judge, because you have made our savour to to be appalled in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

78. 43:54

    And Moses returned unto Yahweh, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil, and treated this people? And why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people, neither hast thou delivered thy people at all. Where did Moses go?

79. 44:21

    It says He returned unto Yahweh. Well, he didn’t go back down to Mount Sinai. He didn’t go into the Tabernacle because it hadn’t yet been formed, or a temple, or a special room. Where did he go and does that sound? Like what we would call a prayer? Well, it sort of sounds like what we would call a prayer. But it’s not brothers and.

80. 44:44

    Sisters, he returned back to talk with God. That’s all it is. It’s a continuation of the same discussion. He’s just talking, and that’s what prayer is. Talking with God.

81. 45:04

    And when we. Look at it like that, brothers and sisters. It not only removes the mystical elements, but it also brings the reality of what we’re doing.

82. 45:19

    Just the thought. Of simply talking with God can fill us with all and humility and an enormous sense of privilege talking with the Creator.

83. 45:37

    The Lord Jesus Christ. Enables us to come into the presence of God. To. Talk with him. That’s a relationship. But this is no ordinary relationship, is it, brothers and sisters? It’s not. 5050 your give and take like we usually describe a relationship.

84. 46:02

    He’s the high and the. Lofty one who inhabits eternity. He’s in the high and lofty place, and he humbles himself to behold the things in heaven, let alone the things on the earth.

85. 46:21

    He demands respect. From anyone who speaks with him. Now I I want to. Just conclude with showing a little bit of grammar. Boring. It’s not really because it describes a a a wonderful word picture and and I’m I promise I’m not going to get too technical. In fact to some that may be to truncate it. But anyway this is what I want to show is the picture. The word Palau.

86. 46:58

    Which is the most common word in the Hebrew has two stems and a stem is something that makes the word do something. And and that’s as far as I’m going to, as technical as I’m going to get. Oops. I missed a whole. Edition there of other words that we could have added to our pile of words, and that was about talking with God Palau. It comes in peel and in pit pal.

87. 47:28

    In fact, the root idea of the word is in peel. It makes the meaning of the word meaning to judge, to assess, evaluate, to interpose. So it doesn’t sound like. Prayer. What makes it? Prayer is the hit pal stem. That’s it. That’s what how? Does how does then does hit pal turn the word which means to assess, to evaluate, to judge into prayer? Well, hit pal does a lot of things, but one of the things that it can do is this it vests in a word. I just want, I want you to hear what this says. Invest the sense of putting oneself into the position of receiving the action from someone else. It sounds like the passive, but it’s more than that. You are actually doing something. Passive is when you receive something from someone else. You know the ball was hit.

88. 48:35

    That’s passive. This is more than that. It’s you putting yourself into a position so you’re active that someone may do this to you. This is what hip pal does. Well, here it is. It. Means to place one’s request before another to be assessed by them. That’s prayer, isn’t it? We put our petition before the Father for Him to assess whether he will act on it or not. That is prayer.

89. 49:13

    And isn’t that powerful? If we think about that, it’s putting out issues before him and he decides that’s exactly what prayer is. Now there are other Hebrew words for prayer that use the hit pale in the same way. It changes the meaning of the word into this. It’s how it’s used now. You know, the grammar presents this picture of someone who’s superior assessing another’s needs or desires, and you. Know there are many.

90. 49:56

    Vast reliefs. And engravings and. So on of slaves and subjects, and so on, pleading the mercy of of a superior. And they’ve generally got. Their hands outstretched and they’re in various postures. They are the standing, kneeling or even flat on on their knees or even on their faces, but often with their hands in the ear. And there are lots of other pictures of people praying which bar it is.

91. 50:26

    I believe that this picture here of the Lord. Taking. Slaves and then pleading the mercy of that Lord is burrowed from prayer, and it’s because they try to stand in the place of God, these Lords. Now, the Bible often has pictures of people standing with or even kneeling with their arms outstretched in this appealing way. Now I’m going to.

92. 51:03

    Leave out one. I was going to look at an expression in the Hebrew. Well, it’s in several places in the Bible, which actually literally means that to throw down your petition before God as if you’re throwing yourself down before Him. And it’s showing us the humility that’s required. And you imagine prostrating yourself before a powerful Lord. To appeal for your.

93. 51:38

    Life. Well, that’s prayer and supplication. Realising this brings humility. Would you put on an? Affected manner. Using flowery. Language. Put on a prayer. Show.

94. 52:06

    Would you have? A a good old yarn with like as if he’s your mate. I don’t think so, brothers. And sisters, you may be impassioned, but you’d be very reverential, direct and plain. Because no royal likes affected people, not any with any any sense of decency and power and and and intelligence. They can see straight through it

95. 52:51

    and. It’s the same with us. Brothers and sisters, it’s just a simple request. And it’s done in a. Certain spirit. Now I’m going to finish with. I take it that there’s. There’s a link to. This morning’s excitation, I didn’t hear the exhort, I’m afraid, but about walking with God and I, I take it from the prayer that there was some connection there. This is Micah 6 and.

96. 53:26

    Verse 8. Heath showed thee O. Man, what is good, and what doth Yahweh require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? You know you could find no more act a description of a relationship than walking with a companion.

97. 53:49

    To walk with. God is to be in His company, to walk on the same path that He is on. That’s His purpose and to be involved in the same things that He is involved with, that He’s interested in Him, to listen to Him and to talk with Him. None.