FBC Marshallville
October 4, 2026 Clay Burdette
  • Bless His Holy Name
  • Sweet Hour Of Prayer (Hour Of Prayer)
  • Take Time To Be Holy

  • Prayer: The Avenue to God’s Desires

    2 Chronicles 7:14
    Just how important is prayer to God?
    Prayer is the second command in this statement from God.
    If My people who are called by My name...
    Humble themselves and...
    Pray...
    Prayer is the the second most important desire for His people.
    God longs for us to humble ourselves, to see who we really are compared to Him.
    He wants us to illustrate our humility by praying to Him.
    Over the past few weeks we have looked at this particular passage of Scripture, God speaking to Solomon.
    Solomon had asked God to fill the new Temple and God had.
    As a feast was offered to God, God spoke
    When there is calamity in the land
    I expect my people to respond.
    Who are my people?
    We are,
    The Church who believes the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way of Salvation.
    Humble themselves.
    Jesus is our example of humility
    The Disciples are examples of humility
    Walked away from a way of life.
    Left the tax booth behind.
    Today we see: Prayer is the Avenue to God’s Heart.
    Pray

    What is prayer?

    Verb- address a solemn request or expression of thanks to a deity or other object of worship.
    Jesus used these verses to teach his disciples to pray Mat 6:7-13
    Matthew 6:7–8 NASB 95
    7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
    Jesus began teaching how to pray by first teaching how not to pray
    Do not use meaningless repetition
    This is how the godless pray.
    The Gentiles say words over and over in hopes of being heard.
    Kind of like the Catholics and their hail Mary prayer for penance
    “Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.”
    Muslims recite a portion of the Quran as a prayer 5 times daily
    Jesus said, do not be like them.
    Have you ever wanted to pray as eloquently as someone else?
    We have to be careful about that, because sometimes that eloquence is repetition.
    Tell about Henry Blackaby praying.
    Prayer begins with humility, not praying like someone else but praying like God is leading.
    Matthew 6:9 NASB 95
    9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
    “Our Father …”: “Thank you, Father, that you are our Father—that you have adopted us as children of God, sons and daughters of yours.
    Thank you for the believers of the world who make up the family of God.
    Thank you for the church, the body of Christ that gives us the family of God.
    Thank you for loving us that much.” And on and on the believer is to pray.
    “… who is in heaven”: “Thank you for heaven—that you are in heaven—that you have chosen us to be with you in heaven.
    Thank you, Father, for the hope and anticipation of heaven.”
    And on and on the believer prays.
    “...Hallowed by Your Name.”
    Father, hallowed is your Name. Your Name is holy, set apart, different from all other names.
    There is none but you … you and you alone. You are above, before, over all.…
    The first thing prayer should do is glorify God.
    Our Father who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name.
    Matthew 6:10 NASB 95
    10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
    The kingdom should be the focus of every Christian but often it is not.
    We think of the church throughout 2 millennia and realize the church, too often, focused on itself rather than the kingdom of God.
    Perhaps that is the case even to this day
    The believer’s focus ought always to be on the kingdom, as God desires to be our guide.
    Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
    As we humble ourselves by hallowing the name of God, He reveals His will to us to pray.
    This is not done quickly.
    Preparation is required.
    Out spirit must be available to hear the heart of God.
    We cannot know His will without a humble heart and the exalted Lord.
    Are you willing to take the time to prepare for entering into God’s presence?
    Matthew 6:11 NASB 95
    11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
    Bread not only represents food but is symbolic of all of our physical needs.
    This part of the prayer is in the form of a petition,
    but it is also an affirmation—
    which is why it is as appropriate for those who are well-fed as for those who have little to eat.
    Above all it is an affirmation that every good thing we have comes from the gracious hand of God (James 1:17).
    In this nation this is truly an act of humility.
    It is so easy to provide for ourselves what we need.
    But when we include this statement as we pray we are affirming that even though there is plenty in this nation it is only because God has provided it.
    So I ask how often do we ask God to give us our Daily Bread?
    Matthew 6:12 NASB 95
    12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    Jesus instructed us to ask for forgiveness.
    He meant for us to forgive as we have been forgiven.
    When calamity strikes God’s people must humble themselves and pray.
    Jesus said pray like this
    Forgive our debts as, like, similar to the way we have forgiven our debtors.
    How confident are we when we pray these words?
    Have we forgiven those who have hurt us?
    Have we forgiven those who long to bring harm to us, our family or friends?
    If not then this prayer is very dangerous.
    I want God to forgive me completely, not necessarily the way I have forgiven others.
    Yet this is the way Jesus taught us to pray. Forgive us as we have forgiven others.
    Humility in prayer means recognizing when we need to forgive those around us.
    God’s people are to pray.
    Matthew 6:13 NASB 95
    13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’
    Finally we get to the crux of the problem
    Who is in charge.
    Jesus told his disciples to pray to the one who is in charge.
    God can keep us from temptation and deliver us from evil.
    Prayer reiterates God’s power and position as God.

    How important is prayer to you?

    I’m not talking about the prayer we do when we get a text or phone call about something happening.
    No, I’m talking about the daily or continual prayer of daily life in the Christian?
    The prayer time you plan for, set an alarm for, prepare a place to pray, important time with the One you love.
    Do you miss your time with the Lord when you miss it?
    I know we miss it sometimes because other things prevent us from our usual time alone with Him.
    So is there a longing for that time?
    Tell about being in Haiti and missing Dawn.
    This is what determines how important prayer really is to you.

    What Hinders our Prayers? Sin

    Isaiah 59:2 NASB 95
    2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
    Sin separates because God is a holy God in whom no impurity lies.
    The reason we must humble ourselves is because of this sin, this iniquity.
    God does not hear us if we have compromised with the world.
    So only those have been forgiven can go to the Lord in prayer.
    Psalm 24:3–4 NASB 95
    3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully.
    God accepts nothing less than clean hands and a pure heart.
    Sin hinders our prayers but so does...

    What Hinders our Prayers? Ill Treatment of the Wife

    1 Peter 3:7 NASB 95
    7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
    The way we live our lives affects everything.
    If we mistreat the wife I am certain we mistreat others as well.
    Peter mentions the relationship that should be guarded closely.
    To mar that relationship hinders our prayers before God.
    This passage of scripture is not giving us a list of what must be done but is representative of how a life lived for Christ looks.
    We humble ourselves
    We pray as Jesus prayed.
    We treat others the way we want to be treated
    Maybe you’re thinking, What Sin?
    Do you allow God to search your heart?
    Do you listen to God as you pray?
    Do you repent when sin is made known to you?

    Conclusion

    Let us then put aside obstacles to Prayer
    Does your life look like what God describes to Solomon?
    Solomon asked God to fill the temple
    God told Solomon when calamity came his people should look like this.
    Humble themselves and pray
    Are you taking Jesus as your example?
    Have you chosen to become a man or woman of prayer?
    Do you follow the model prayer in the way you pray?
    This nation is facing calamity.
    This church is facing calamity.
    God has given us this standard as to how his people look when he hears our prayer, forgives our sin and heals our land.
    Evil is in our land.
    How do we stand up to it?
    We humble ourselves and pray.
    Then we act as God leads us.

    281 Speak to my Heart

    Verse 1 Speak to my heart Lord Jesus Speak that my soul may hear Speak to my heart Lord Jesus Calm every doubt and fear
    Chorus Speak to my heart Oh speak to my heart Speak to my heart I pray Yielded and still seeking Thy will Oh speak to my heart today
    Verse 2 Speak to my heart Lord Jesus Purge me from every sin Speak to my heart Lord Jesus Help me the lost to win
    Verse 3 Speak to my heart Lord Jesus It is no longer mine Speak to my heart Lord Jesus I would be wholly Thine

      • Matthew 6:7–8NASB95PARA

      • Matthew 6:9NASB95PARA

      • Matthew 6:10NASB95PARA

      • Matthew 6:11NASB95PARA

      • Matthew 6:12NASB95PARA

      • Matthew 6:13NASB95PARA

      • Isaiah 59:2NASB95PARA

      • Psalm 24:3–4NASB95PARA

      • 1 Peter 3:7NASB95PARA

  • Speak To My Heart
  • Praise God From Whom All Blessing Flow
FBC Marshallville
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