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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTbwPwLb21w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rKWwyuzYUw Our church is starting a new series called Practicing the Way…a guide to developing spiritual rhythms in our lives. Rhythms are not something we’re born with…rather, rhythms are learned skills that eventually become habits and customs to us in our daily lives. Some of you are aware that I coached at the collegiate level. As an Assistant coach, I coached catchers in baseball, and the kickers/punters in football. In addition to that, I gave some individual lessons to some middle schoolers in our community. My specialty was teaching correct technique to beginners. It might surprise you, but there were times when I coached beginners in their positions even at the collegiate level. Either way, I loved getting them early in their endeavor. Watching them develop and implement what I taught them brought me great joy. But it had to start with their desire to want to adopt these techniques and make them part of their practicing – a part of their rhythms. These were learned skills that became habits for them. This is also our goal with this series…that each of us would develop and or improve upon spiritual rhythms in our lives. The rhythm that we’re going to explore this morning and throughout this week in our small groups…is the rhythm of prayer. A Prayer life isn’t something we’re born with…A Prayer life is something that we learn from others.
Why is that important? There are many people in this world who would love to be your Prayer Coach / Prayer Teacher. In discernment, one must ask, – are their practices in alignment with God’s word? Just like there are some who are really good teachers, there are also some who have the capability of taking you down the wrong path. This is why James warns us in
So yes, when it comes to a prayer life, there are good and bad teachers. This morning I’d like to introduce you to both…the bad teachers – bad examples, along with the good. And be thinking to yourself…
Jesus says in verse 5 and following that, “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. VERSE 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. Can you identify which type of teachers we just read about? Bad ones, right? Jesus takes prayer seriously, and in these few verses He’s making it very clear what prayer should not look like – what bad teaching looks like. First Group – The Hypocrites. He says in verse 5, “you MUST NOT BE LIKE,” well, there ya go. He’s addressing a group of people that are bad examples when it comes to prayer. This group of people is called hypocrites.
That’s right, the Gentiles. He says in verse 8, “don’t be like them” when you pray.
The answer is Jesus.
The Way…Practicing The Way. His Way. For He is The Way – The Teacher, The Example we’re to model our prayers after. Matthew chapters 5-7 records for us a time when Jesus invested in His disciples, by doing what? Look at Chapter 5 verses 1-2 (CSB). We read that…
Look at Matthew 6:6, 9-15 (CSB) with me…Jesus, The Way, The Teacher, instructs us how to pray. Beginning in verse 6.
Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 14 “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses. Notice the assumption…you can even go back to verses 5-8 for this. Just notice how Jesus says, “When” and “Whenever.” He doesn’t use the word “if.” The When and Whenever are assumptions that you will and are frequently praying. And as followers of The Way we should be praying…
Prayer is about the heart…it’s about communicating with Him, much like you would with your best friend in life. Listen, Jesus is The Way…The best teacher and best example ever. But keep in mind that He does equip His followers to teach others as well. What does that look like for you? Who could be that example in your life that you could follow after? Who is that example who is aligning their prayer life with the Lord’s? Who is it that you could then come alongside and teach them how to pray? At this time…
and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen.”
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Message Notes: Welcome…I’m Nate Smith, one of the pastors here at Faith Fellowship. Have you ever heard the beginning of the phrase… “I feel the need…”?
There are two ladies mentioned in today’s passage that we’ll be focusing on. I want to help draw our attention to what each felt they needed. So please turn with me to Genesis chapter 16…page 7 in the Bible under the seat in front of you. While you’re turning there… Just quickly…a little backdrop. In the previous chapter, Genesis 15…God had just told childless Abram that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and Abram believed Him. Now, Genesis 16, please follow along as I read aloud… Genesis 16 (CSB) Hagar and Ishmael 16 Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. 2 Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering! I put my slave in your arms, and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.” 6 Abram replied to Sarai, “Here, your slave is in your power; do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her. 7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority.” 10 The angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too many to count.” 11 The angel of the Lord said to her, “You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction. 12 This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives.” 13 So she named the Lord who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,” for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?” 14 That is why the well is called Beer-lahai-roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, and Abram named his son (whom Hagar bore) Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him. So, two ladies are mentioned, to begin with… What was it that Sarai felt the need for? She thought she needed…
In Contrast… What was it that Hagar felt the need for? She thought she needed…
Today, it is my goal to shift our thinking from asking the question, “Does God see me?” to a factual statement…“God sees me.” It’s who He is…He can’t be anything other than El Roi (THE God Who sees, notices, cares about me). Maybe you’ll continue to question whether or not He truly sees you, but hopefully this name of God will be a reminder to you about who He truly is.
Everything that I keep missin' Give me Your love for humanity Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted The ones that are far beyond my reach Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten Give me Your eyes so I can see
Or does anybody even know she's going down today? Under the shadow of our steeple With all the lost and lonely people Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see? I’d like to close this morning by reading a good portion of Psalm 139. If you want to turn there and follow along it’s on page 349. Psalm 139:1-18, 23-24 (CSB) Maybe this is a chapter you go back and study this week…But I’d like to read it to you at this time. The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God..For the choir director. A psalm of David. 1 Lord, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. 3 You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. 5 You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. 6 This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. 7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I fly on the wings of the dawn and settle down on the western horizon, 10 even there your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night”-- 12 even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you. 13 For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began. 17 God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is! 18 If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you… 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. I feel the need, the need to be SEEN! What’s the name for God that means “He sees me”? El-Roi…God Sees Me!!! Let’s Pray…(step off to the right) Additional Notes:
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AuthorNate Smith is a husband, a father of 6 girls, grandpa to 3 granddaughters and one grandson, a police and fire chaplain, a pastor, and has a passion to see men grow in Christ. #girldad including granddaughter
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