Mountainview International Church

As I began to reflect on the ideas of teaching and prayer, to be completely honest, I drew a blank. I thought, oh no, what will I say? But as I began to meditate on the subject, pray and think about the importance of God’s Word in our lives, a verse from Psalms came to mind:

Psalm 119:9,11
9 How can a young man (anyone) keep his (their) way pure?
By living according to your word.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.

This verse reminded me of what we called Discipleship Encounters in Coruña. So I found the notes that I have from those Discipleship Encounters and many different verses, teachings, pieces of information, wisdom and knowledge that had been shared with me began to flood my mind. One of the most useful and significant teachings I was able to recall is this wheel illustration. And if you take a good look, you’ll notice that the verse associated with the Word is Psalms 119:9, 11.

Let’s look at this wheel for a moment, shall we?

1 CHRIST--the axle, the center of life--Phil 2:9-11
2 >HOLY SPIRIT--the hub--Eph 5:18; John 16:13,14; Luke 3:16
3 The VERTICAL SPOKES (God speaks to us through his Word and we speak with God
through prayer).
THE WORD--Psalm 119:9,11; Matt 4:4
PRAYER--Phil 4:6,7; John 15:7
4 The HORIZONTAL SPOKES (We reach out to Christians in fellowship and to non- Christians through our witness). FELLOWSHIP--I John 1:7 WITNESS --I John 1:3
5 OBEDIENCE--John 14:21; Luke 6:46-49 - the tire or rim -- that which holds everything together.

Look at Christ’s place and then look at our place. He is the center, he is what we lean on, attach to, spin around, we are the outside with the spokes as our support and connection, our relationship to Jesus. As Christians, we will not roll properly, if you will, if we rearrange the order. It goes something like this – CD and pen.
Focusing in on the Word, apart from the fact hiding it in our hearts keeps us from sinning against the Lord, which is reason in and of itself to meditate on the Word, what else makes God’s Word so important? Why does the Bible take such a significant and central role in our lives as Christians?

Look at 2 Timothy 3:16,17 16
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

It teaches us the truth, shows us our errors and points us in the right direction. The psalmist says “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path.” God’s Word shows us how to and prepares us to live lives that are pleasing to him, in His service and for His glory.

The Bible is the eternal and enduring Word of God, it stands forever -1 Pet 1:23-25 23
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. 24 As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
25 But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.
And because it does not fade away, because it does not wither, it provides stable sustenance and genuine nourishment not only for our minds, but our spirits.

As humans we recognize the need to provide our bodies with food, with some source of fuel. As Christians, we must also eat spiritual food to provide our spirits with nourishment. Jer 15:16 (Amplified Bible)
16Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.

Jesus himself gives the example of true sustenance deriving from the Word in Matt 4:4

‘People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
Peter advises the Christians that have been scattered throughout Asia Minor in 1 Peter 2 1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.

And Paul admonishes the Hebrews saying Heb 5:12-14.

12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

This nourishment that is provided for us in scripture is meant to help us develop and grow strong in our faith. Just as our physical bodies do not remain infants, so our spiritual lives must be cultivated and mature in faith and that is exactly what those first Christians did. They clung to the scripture, continuously devoting themselves to these teachings and therefore matured in their faith.
They learned to use the Word when seeking direction. It gives direction, Light for our way--Psalm 119:105

A. It shows us how to approach God:
1. Through Jesus for salvation -- Jn 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
2. Confidently through Jesus our high priest -- Heb 4:14;16
3. In the name of Jesus when we pray -- Jn 14: 13,14

The early Christians would have understood this because they had just spent the last 3 years with Jesus. Jesus had gone back to heaven and they are involving him in the building and establishing of that church. They proclaim that he’s still alive and building his church on earth and they are connecting with him and the work he’s doing.

B. It shows us God's desires and purposes:
1. The Great Commission -- Jn 3:16; Mt 28:18-20
2. The cultural mandate - care for all of creation -- Gen 1:26

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

3.The law of love -- Mt 5:43-47; Jn 13:34,35 34

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

They learned to use the God’s Word as their vital weapon in Eph 6: 12-17 we see the example of the armor of God. The Word was Jesus' defense against Satan -- Mt 4:4,7,10 It is the sword of the Spirit -- Eph 6:17 and how powerfully it works in human lives -- Heb 4:12

12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

But as humans, we all know that 99% (if not 100%) of the time we do things because there is some type of benefit in it for us. And the truth is that God is just that good to us. He knows how we work, he knows how we think and what we need and therefore this is not just a one-sided study of his word, but our dwelling and meditating on the word also has many benefits, assurances and promises for believers.
So what does the Bible do for Christians?

As we see in Heb 4:12, Discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart, Psalm 119:11 it protects from sin, Psalm 19:7 it Gives wisdom

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.;

It Gladdens the heart -- Psalm 19:8

The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

Like we saw earlier in 2 Tim 3:16,17 (Good News Bible), it serves "...for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living...."

And it is full of promises that assure us of the following:

A. Forgiveness of sins -- 1 Jn 1:9; Acts 26:18
B. A new nature (life) -- 2 Cor 5:17; 2 Pet 1:4
C. The Lord's guidance -- Ps 32:8; Acts 16:6-10
D. The Lord's presence -- Mt 28:20
E. Victory over temptation -- 1 Cor 10:13
F. Provision of all our needs -- Jn 16:24; Phil 4:19
G. Eternal life -- 1 Jn 5:11,12; Jn 5:24
H. Jesus' second coming -- 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thes 4:16,17

But how do we remember this, how do we cling to these truths and teachings and devote ourselves continually to God’s Word so that we too may grow up and mature in our faith?

Yet another illustration. I find that they help me tremendously in any type of learning and I’ve discovered this hand illustration is quite practical. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve returned to the Word only to find something new or hear something fresh that I missed or hadn’t been aware of before. God can and will continually open our physical and spiritual eyes as we delve deeper into his word. Let’s start with the pinky.

Pinky - Hear
Rom 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Ring finger - Read
1 Tim 4:13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. – This is given as an individual instruction to Timothy from Paul, but also has corporate implications.

Middle finger - Study
2 Tim 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Index finger - Memorize
Deut 11:18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

Thumb - Meditate
Josh 1:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Palm - Apply
James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Look at the percentage of retention. Look at what happens when we individually and corporately not only hear, but read, or take it to the next level and study or finally get to a point where we are meditating on, memorizing and applying God’s word to our everyday lives.

If we dwell on the word we are like the tree planted by the stream in Psalm 1:2-3

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Or like the good soil in the parable of the sower that goes on to give 100, 60 or 30 times what was sown. Matt 13:23

23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

It’s a matter of consistency in the little things. Continuously devoting themselves to the teachings of the apostles– they had developed a discipline. The early church challenged and encouraged one another to be consistent in their reading and study of the scripture. It formed an essential part of who they were and defined in whom they believed and how they expressed their faith. And what was the result? They had favor with all the people, and the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

How much more then are we called to do the same and add daily to the number of people being saved in Madrid, in Spain and in the world. Richard will extend a formal challenge at a later date, but I encourage each one of you get into your Bibles and find a way, a method, a means to read them from cover to cover.

Let’s take a look at the other vertical spoke on the wheel. Interestingly enough, when I started thinking about prayer, the verse that came to mind was also the verse you see on the screen.

Phil 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So what is prayer anyway? A monologue, a dialogue, when you get other people involved does it mean it’s a group-ologue? When it comes down to it, prayer is talking with God, a two way street, a conversation, a partnership, an opening up to Him, a talking to and listening to Him. You can pray anywhere, at any time.

In the fall of last year I read a book called Walking with God by John Eldridge. It was quite an intense read, but it opened up my eyes to how prayer doesn’t always have to be this sacred moment where I bow my head and close my eyes and create a prayer bubble. Prayer can be something I do while I’m getting ready in the morning or walking down the street or riding on the train because it’s a dialogue that I can have with God at any moment of the day. And I started to see how that simple change, those simple moments of easy, straightforward dialogue with God allowed me to hear him more readily and in new ways. It was quite amazing and beautiful. That said, I still set aside times of more intense prayer and connecting with the Lord as well as sharing in corporate prayer.

There are many models for prayer that are used throughout the world, but I’d like to touch on two briefly. One came directly from God’s own mouth through Jesus – what we commonly refer to as the Lord’s Prayer. But I’d like to look at the context a bit before examining the prayer structure put forth. We read in Matt 6

5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Before we even begin, we are invited to have an authentic, non-wordy, straightforward, genuine encounter with our Creator. We do not have to devise some master prayer plan, but we can come humbly before our Father, no big show required, who already knows our needs, but longs to hear them from us, and pray the following:

9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven, - An endearing term of relationship coupled with a recognition of who he is and who we are
hallowed be your name, - Praising and honoring Him for his holiness, who he is
10your kingdom come, - Bring heaven to earth
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven. – Allow me to work together with you to accomplish your will here
11Give us today our daily bread. – provide for our daily needs
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors. – remind me of my true state as a sinner and thank you for your free gift of forgiveness. Help me to extend the same grace you’ve given me to others.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.' – keep me alert to strong resist the evil one

And we are reminded as well in vs. 14-15 to truly, 100% forgive as we have been freed from our state as debtors unreservedly.

14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Another option is using the acronym ACTS, which I find quite appropriate considering our current series. It’s a style that’s broken into 4 sections, supported by scripture and includes the following:

Adoration/praise – You can use psalms or music if you like or simply shout or whisper praises. Psalm 86:12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever

Confession -- The Bible is full of promises. This being one of the most beautiful and revealing of God’s unending faithfulness and love for us. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness “

Besides being good theology, confession makes for good psychology.” – don’t let things fester

Thanksgiving –with thankful and grateful hearts we approach the throne Eph 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.; Phil 4:6,7 in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Supplication (asking):

A. For others - Intercession -- Col 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.;

Eph 6:18-19 Paul tells the Ephesians to pray in the spirit and asks for prayer that he would be bold in his witness

18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel

B.For the Lord to send workers into His harvest field -- Mt 9:37-38

37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

C.For ourselves - petition -- Matt 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.; 7:7,8 7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Now, before we get all caught up in techniques, or sink into guilt over inadequate prayers, or feel disappointment when a prayer goes unanswered, let’s remind ourselves that prayer means keeping company with God. Just like we long to keep company with our friends, spouses, children and loved ones, so God longs to spend time with us. responses

But, if God already knows what we need, if he knows what’s best, why pray? Right? What’s the point of having the conversation?

Let me offer the following from Philip Yancey’s book Prayer

“To such questions, I have no better answer than the example of Jesus, who knew above any of us the wisdom of the Father and yet who felt a strong need to flood the heavens with requests.”

Jesus clung to prayer like a lifeline, because it gave him both the guidance and the energy to know and do the Father’s will – it was his spiritual nourishment and can be ours too along with God’s Word.
We pray because Jesus commands it – in Luke 18:1-8 he tells the parable of the widow that continually hounds the judge for justice, and eventually gets it because of her persistence. He ends the parable by saying 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. We are told to pray without ceasing"--1 Thess 5:17,
to follow the example of Jesus Mark 1:35 " ...went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed."

We pray because we are in a battle and through prayer we can gain spiritual victory over principalities and powers. --Eph 6:12,13,18

12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. …18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

We pray to receive mercy and grace in our time of need Heb 4:16 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

And even when we don’t know how to pray, when we are just plum out of prayers, the Spirit intercedes for us. Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Prayer changes things. The answer we receive may not always be the one we want or may be completely different from what we expected. But in the end, it changes things. But the change may be in us, not the situation or circumstances. Prayer is a declaration of dependence on God, and it invites us to rest in the fact that God is in control, and the world’s problems are ultimately God’s, not ours. If I spend enough time with God, I will inevitably begin to look at the world through God’s eyes and not my own.

And those first disciples, those early believers prayed because they had been in the presence of the Holy One, witnessing first hand the glory of God in his Son Jesus. They were accustomed to presenting their questions, complaints and requests to Jesus in person and now had to fall back on a different approach: prayer. Because Jesus went away for our sakes, to give us the Holy Spirit, the helper, to invite all of us, not just the 12, into direct communion with God and to give us a crucial role in the building of his church and the expansion of the kingdom here on earth.

We pray alone and we pray corporately, as a community, as they did in the Acts passage we are focusing on. We have yet another promise in regards to prayer in Mt 18:19-20 19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

When we are regularly in the Word, drinking from the spring of life and we engage in consistent regular prayer, we are maintaining, feeding and allowing our relationship and connection to God to flourish, which in turn allows him to continue the good work that he started in us, conforming us to his image, and bringing it to completion and bring his kingdom here to earth.

The early church showed consistency and discipline in their study of the word and times of prayer. They connected to the source and the work that God was already doing. Drawing strength from times in the word and prayer, and as such, the they matured and the church grew.

One of the ways that we can participate in praying for the expansion of the kingdom is by praying monthly for Spain. We are planning weekly prayer gatherings, with the small groups that already exist to pray for Spain and the expansion of God’s Kingdom here. It will be once a month in each small group, but each group would take a different week so that a portion of the church will be praying weekly.

What does living for Christ today look like when we talk about his word and prayer? Devoting ourselves to nourishing our spirits with his Word and working toward the expansion of the Kingdom by praying. So, let’s pray.