Andrew teaches on how prayer is something that every Christian knows they need to do, but very few Christians feel like they do it successfully. In this series, Andrew counters many modern religious traditions about prayer and establishes a foundation upon which a rewarding and effective prayer life can be built upon.

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 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 can be a hundred

percent hypocritical and pray these long

prayers and do all these things and he

started just attacking the wrong uses of

prayer and when I start teaching I do

the same thing and 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 going to 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 in the New Testament we

pray differently than we prayed 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 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 going to 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 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

corners of the streets that they may be

seen of men verily I say unto you they

have their reward but thou when thou

prayest enter into thy 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 a day would be better and I

used to do that I used to pray three and

four hours a day and I still pray all

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

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 eight 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

going to be heard more if you talk along

God knows what you need

for you even as 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 going to

answer that later I’m not going to

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 going to 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 going to 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 going to 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 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 pray 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 terrified a

fine

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 going to 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 New Covenant we are 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 Psalms 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 see 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 thy 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 going to die and 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 I

follow it to 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 is 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 going to die but

you know you’ve in your word you raised

people from the dead

all things are possible to him that

believes if I will speak to this

mountain and doubt not in my heart it’ll

be cast into the sea 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 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 going to

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

that 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 going to bow every

tongue is going to 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 delivers 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 it 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 of

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 end

it with saying for thine is the kingdom

and the power and the glory forever you

started by talking about hallowed 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 going to bring it into their

relationship and they’re going to 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

years 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 ministered 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 and 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 saying 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 man 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 the 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

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because of the many lives that have been

changed by this teaching we’re excited

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right right going into he said what

you’re doing wrong is that you’re not

praying right you need to pray

differently now for the very first time

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