Understandingthe Old Testament: Nehemiah

NEHEMIAH SERMON FOR Sunday Sept. 6^th, 2015

 By Col. Robert Knapp (Ret.), CCQF Pastoral Intern

Today’s sermon is based upon lessons learned from the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem by the Israelites in 445BC while the Israelites were under exile in Persia.  In the 20th year of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Nehemiah was cup-bearer to the king.  Learning that the remnant in Judah were in distress and that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, Nehemia asked the king for permission to return and rebuild the city.  Artaxerxes sent him to Judah as governor of the province with a mission to rebuild, letters explaining his support for the venture, and provision for timber from the king's forest.  Once there, Nehemiah defied the opposition of Judah's enemies on all sides—Samaritans, Ammonites, Arabs and Philistines—and the Lord enabled Nehemiah to rebuild the walls within 52 days. 

Nehemiah faced incredible opposition from both within the Jewish community (many were nay sayers) and from many external enemies as well.  What was it that made Nehemiah so successful against all odds?  It was his faith, prayers and perseverance which allowed him to undertake God’s work in God’s way and not his own work in his own way.  Nehemiah 1:8-9 says: “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.” 

We too often face opposition to our plans, and this is particularly frustrating when we are trying to do something we think is good for our family, for our Church, or for our community.  We often become vexed and disappointed when our good intentions, good ideas and initiatives are rejected or fall short of our definition of success.  So why do our good intentions fall short where Nehemiah’s very difficult mission met with success?  It is usually as simple as this - our plans, our timing, our location or our team just did not fit in with God’s plan, God’s timing, God’s location or God’s team.  Given the incredible (but not always obvious) importance of seeking God Almighty’s purpose and direction, should we really be surprised when plans we put together on our own just do not bear the kind of fruit for which we were hoping?  Is it wise to make plans without seeking God’s counsel and direction?  Do we set ourselves up for failure or disappointment when we try to make plans without our Heavenly Father’s direction, advice, counsel and blessing?  In spite of all difficulties there is good news – through faith, hope and prayer God can and will guide us along His good path – the only truly good path there is in this world.

Now I’d like to share a personal story where I tried to do good, where my efforts were rejected, and how God helped me overcome that rejection and move on.  A couple years ago I prepared a class on business ethics for a privately held company that was seeking military officers with experience in the field of ethics.  When I presented the class the manager reviewing it asked me to take any reference to obedience out of the presentation in favor of the generic phrase “following rules.”  I found this requirement disturbing because the obedience we learn from and want to give to God edifies us with faith, love and humility, helps us meet God’s moral and spiritual expectations and disciplines our energies and creativity – obedience is one of the cornerstones of our relationship with God.

 I was also told that, once the class was accepted, I could not present the class to anyone outside a specific circle of business clientele, and that I could not even present the class at Church.  When I declined to comply with these restrictions the manager told me that I could not work for their company.  I was quite disappointed as I had hoped to supplement our family’s income by working part time for this company presenting the class.  Little did I know that, once again, I was about to learn that God works in ways we cannot foresee, and He often uses disappointments to teach us lessons in humility, patience, perseverance and obedience. 

Shortly after this disappointment I received a call from the Rev. and Mrs. George Brower asking me if I would be interested in the new ordination process that the Episcopal Church in CT is now undertaking.  I prayed about this call to serve God, and to serve God in His way, and I am now walking down this new path.  I do not yet know the Godly destinations or all the Godly purposes for which the Father is now preparing and directing me, but I do know I am making a walk of faith, and it brings me new joys and new spiritual discoveries every day.  Our plans quite often do not line up with God’s plan, yet God is constantly pursuing a loving relationship with us that is real and personal – a relationship where we trust, believe and obey Him, and where He can then lead us in His loving ways and in His loving work.  God has invited me into His work.  I am confident that if I listen carefully to His word, and measure it against scripture, He will then lead me further into His good work and good blessings. 

How is God inviting you into His work?  God’s invitation to you will be totally unique.  His relationship with you will be totally unique.  God never changes, but because He is not limited by time or space, neither are His relationships limited in design, scope or variety.  He will call you in ways that only you will hear or recognize.  You must then measure these callings against God’s word and seek God’s will.  What does Isaiah 55:11 say about God’s word?  “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

When God calls us we are to respond immediately to His call.  His call may require immediate action or a lifetime of preparation for some future action, but we are to respond to Him just the same.  If we do not respond He may invite someone else into His work, but He will not stop seeking our love and our fellowship.  Jonah found this truth out the hard way, for it is by knowing God’s word and responding obediently to His invitations that we come to know, love, believe, trust and obey God – and like Nehemiah, King David and Jesus Christ flourish beyond human expectations. 

So who among us obeys God?  As we come to know God’s word better, and obey his commands, we show God that we love Him.  God will then reveal Himself to us in new ways and invite us into His work in new ways.  He will protect us and keep us and guide us just as a herdsman cares for his flock.  John 10: 14-16 says: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”  Let us therefore join the Lord’s flock and be of one body, one mind and one heart in Christ Jesus.  Amen.  And just a quick announcement regarding our Ministry Fair next Sunday, Sept. 13^th - where everyone is invited to have lunch with us after Church and hear from five or six of our CCQF ministry leaders about a wide variety of opportunities to serve Jesus Christ at CCQF and beyond.  Thank you.

HEALING CONFERENCE OCT. 16 -17

CCQF members and friends are invited to attend an upcoming Healing Conference.

What happens at a healing conference?

1. Teaching about healing Bible.

2. Opportunities to be prayed for by trained prayer counselors.  

3. Fellowship

To learn more, contact

 Fr. John 862-226-9197

Grace Episcopal Church, Saybrook CT 

860.388.0895 www.graceoldsaybrook.org

Welcomes

Jack & Anna Marie  are the Founders of Deep Rivers Ministry and Christ Healing Center.  Their mission is to provide a safe environment for people to receive God’s healing through Jesus Christ.  Christ Healing Center is an interdenominational ministry composed of volunteer lay and ordained ministers dedicated  to the healing of hurting people in San Antonio and the surrounding area. Jack is an ordained Episcopal Priest and Anna Marie was ordained in 2013.  

Dates:  October 16 & 17

Cost:  $15.00 (Love offering will be taken at conference)

Friday:     6:00 PM Registration

Rev. AnnaMarie Sheffield

Rev. Dr. Jack Sheffield            

    Friday      7:00 PM Session 1 

Saturday: 8:30 Coffee & Refreshments

                                                                                                                                

Session 2    9:00

Pre-R egistration & Hotel Information                                           

Contact:                                                                                              

Re v. Barbara Lachance

               

barbara@ge ne rationalsolutionsllc.com 

860.460.4716                                                                                     

Healing Conference Leaders

Understanding the Old Testament: THE PROPHET ISAIAH

Today I need a young volunteer to come up and help me.  Do you know what this is? 

Yes, it is a view master.  When you look through these holes, what do you see?  Right. Pictures.  Today we are going to play a little game.    J   I want you to pretend that this view master will actually show you  PAUSE what is going to happen   PAUSE in the future!!!!!   J J J

·       So, look in and tell me what you see? PAUSE   How about in this view master?  Okay, that concludes our game.  Thank you for your help.

Today we move towards the competition of our Old Testament sermon series, as we focus upon the Prophet Isaiah.   Prophets, in the Old Testament were people to whom God revealed what would happen in the future!!!! Isaiah has been called, “The Prince of the Prophets.”  If Matthew, Mark, Luke& John are the Gospels of the New Testament, then Isiah is the 5^th Gospel contained in the Old Testament. 

Isaiah, who lived 3000 years ago, was an unusual prophet, because he was also s priest at the temple. He was also an ambassador that was sent to represent the King to other nations.

The Old Testament Book of Isaiah is the 2^nd largest book in the Bible.  God spoke to Isaiah, inspiring Him to speak God’s Word to God’s people, calling them:

(1) To repent of their sins

  (2) To foretell the eventual defeat and exile of God’s people, as a consequence of their sins

 (3) To foretell of a time of hope in the future --- when God’s people would be reconciled with Him. PAUSE

Last Sunday, we spoke of the defeat of Israel & Judah,   and the destruction of Jerusalem, by the Babylonian empire. Isaiah and other prophets proclaimed that this was a result of the faithlessness of the people and their religious and governmental leaders.  Not only that, but God’s people were sent into exile BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON FOR 70 YEARS.

·       Not in order for us to better empathize with this  history,   SLOW we need to imagine how we would feel if our nation was invaded and defeated; PAUSE how we would feel if we lost our homes, and were exiled to Brazil. PAUSE And there we lived in tents not by the rivers of Babylon, but by the Amazon River.  Think how HEARTBROKEN we would feel for ourselves, our loved ones, and our nation. PAUSE

·       Now, the fact is that you and I do not have to be defeated and exiled to feel despair.  One psychiatrist puts it this way: We have ALL felt despair during difficult periods in our lives. We may occasionally despair about our job, marriage, love life, family, finances, world events, etc. But typically this despair dissipates in time, and life goes on. When despair doesn't dissipate but rather deepens, it may take control and become CHRONIC, diminishing quality of life, impairing functioning, and keeping us from moving toward our goals, dreams and desires. Then our despair may become pathological or clinical despair. Clinical despair can be conceptualized as a profound and existential hopelessness, helplessness, powerlessness and pessimism about life and the future. Despair is a deep discouragement and loss of faith about one's ability to find meaning, fulfillment and happiness, to create a satisfactory future for oneself. PAUSE

·       I wonder if you can think of people you know who are currently experiencing such darkness? PAUSE  I wonder how many of us in this room are in such a state now?

·       PAUSE    L   I remember long times of despair in my life, where my depression just would not lift. God seemed very far away…and discouragement and depression were my constant companions. All my thoughts were negative and self-condemnatory.

However, while God’s people cried in Babylon, the prophet Isaiah received a word from God—a word of hope for them and for us.  Please open your bulletins to page 4, looking at verse one, where God speaks and says, “Comfort, comfort for my people says the Lord. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim  to her that her punishment is over, that her sin has been paid for , that she will receive from the Lord’s hand double for sins”—meaning that God will  pardon, reconcile and give double blessings in proportion   for the amount of trouble that they endured.  And God sums up his promises, in one of the most beautiful and inspiring promises that God makes to us in all of Holy Scripture.  Let us read responsively verse 31: 

For those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

THEY WILL SOAR ON WINGS LIKE EAGLES; THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GROW WEARY, THEY WILL WALK AND NOT BE FAINT.

Now, this word of hope speaks on two levels:

1.    It was intended to bring hope to the ancient people of Israel—to serve as a light at the end of the tunnel. Indeed, as God’s people heard and meditated on this word 3000 years ago, they found God’s promised strength, power and encouragement to help sustain them through the exile, with an ANTICIPATION of their RETURN TO THEIR HOMELAND and the RETURN OF GOD’S FAVOR.  As people read this word, they began to understand that God was speaking to them; and that comfort began a positive turn around, so that his people did wait upon the Lord who renewed their strength, just as God promised.  PAUSE / SLOW…..And such hope is available to us. PAUSE

·       So in my case, these words were especially meaningful to me.   While I was in the darkness….I prayed these words…and I grew to comprehend that these were not just words printed on the page of my bible-----for through these words, I heard God speak personally to me—John Donnelly. I was encouraged to seek help from my loved ones, and then a counselor.  I grew to understand, in a new way, that I could accept God’s promise and to choose to believe that He was renewing me day by day…and slowly, but surely, I began to emerge into the light, as I replaced my negativity with encouragement from Jesus Christ. PAUSE

·       Whether or not you have faced prolonged despair, you can be an instrument of God by encouraging your friends & family.  Bring a smile...a hug…a prayer...a listening ear, and your will be a ray of light. PAUSE

2.    So, our first reading today was meant to encourage God’s people then, and us in the future.  Secondly, today’s passage on the reconciliation between God and men and women is elaborated on in Isaiah’s prophecies, which followed today’s readings…that the final reconciliation with God would be accomplished by a suffering servant—an innocent, who would take our punishment upon himself…one, whom Isaiah called ,”

 Wonderful... PAUSE Counselor…. PAUSE Almighty God… PAUSE Everlasting Father… PAUSE the Prince of Peace.”   

Now,J J J  of whom is Isaiah speaking? PAUSE He is speaking of Jesus. PAUSE Now, Jesus was a great reader of scripture, and he learned of his mission on earth by reading Isaiah.   PAUSE  Indeed, in his first public sermon, as we hear in today’s Gospel, he quoted Isaiah to proclaim his identity.  Would you all please turn to page 5 in your bulletins, and let us read the portion of the Gospel highlighted in bold face italic print?

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,    because he has anointed me    to proclaim good news to the poor.    He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners    and recovery of sight for the blind,   to set the oppressed free, ¹⁹     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

MY FRIENDS, THE YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOR IS NOW!  We, right here at Christ Church, are the ones so fortunate to see the prophecy of the past fulfilled in the present. 

·       Aren’t we blessed by hearing the good news of God’s word explained & proclaimed PAUSE  & studied in Small Groups???

·       Aren’t we blessed as God the Holy Spirit opens up our spiritual eyes to see His hand at work in our families, church and in the world?

·       Aren’t we blessed by the forgiveness of sin, won for us at the cross by Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe?

You see, the prophet Isaiah could only the future through fuzzy pictures, like one peering through a view master.

We, however, are able to witness in our own time PAUSE  that which prophets could only dream of, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Understanding the Old Testament: Exile

Camelot is the name of the legendary place in England, where King Arthur is said to have ruled the land in collaboration with the Knights of the Round Table; perhaps in the time after the Roman Empire left England. However, the peace and good will of Camelot was short lived, when Arthur was betrayed by his wife and best friend.

Camelot defended as an idyllic time of happiness and peace, could also be ascribed to the time of King David, who ruled from 961 to 1000 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. For much of David’s reign, this was a perfect time for God’s people.

• They were ruled by a benevolent King, anointed by God, to whom God gave many victories in battle.
• David ruled in accordance with God’s covenantal law; and facilitated a time of spiritual revival among the people—that they might have a personal relationship with God.
• Indeed, this was a time of prosperity as well, which continued during the reign of David’s heir and son, King Solomon.
• If there was any time in the history of the Jewish which could be considered a time of Shalom—of peace, well-being, & spiritual comfort—it was during David’s reign, and during the first part of Solomon’s reign.

However, David was a horrible father, whose son, Absalom, instituted an unsuccessful revolution to claim his father’s throne.

After David, his son, Solomon was made king.  During much of his reign, the time of Camelot continued.  However, like many kings to succeed him,  Solomon turned  his back on God, his covenant,  and began practicing pagan religions. In response, God condemned Solomon, saying, quote, “…Since this is your attitude and you have not kept My covenant and My decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you.” unquote

                                                                                                    

Accordingly, shortly after Solomon died, the nation of Israel was torn in half.  The 10 northern tribes formed their own nation, which they called Israel; and the southern 2 tribes formed the kingdom of Judah.

Would you please take out the yellow insert in your bulletin, and you will see the centuries that we have covered in our summer sermon series. Please look down to pint # 7—which begins in 933 BC.  From that time on, up until 536 BC, spiritual and often social & political chaos reigned.

1. During that time, the people of Judah and Israel fought and lost battles and wars against many empires, which surrounded them:

1. The  Ancient empire of Egypt to the south;
2. The Assyrian Empire to the North, where Syria is today
3. The Babylonians from the north west, where Iraq is today;
4. The Phoenicians, from modern day Lebanon
5. And finally the Persians, from modern day Iran.

These nations exacted tribute, and defeated armies the armies of Israel & Judah, and placed their own puppet kings on the throne.

 God could have intervened and the enemies of Israel & Judah, but God chose not to do so. As we heard in today’s reading from 2^nd Kings, since God’s people repeatedly broke the Mosaic covenant, which God had initiated to protect and love His people.

• Going back to Solomon, the Kings did not turn to God for help, but they made alliances with foreign nations, which was forbidden in covenantal law.
• The national leadership and the wealthy oppressed the poor and the needy through self-serving regulations and horrendous taxes.
• At one time, the northern nation of Israel actually invaded southern Judah, though they were unsuccessful.
• God’s people started intermarrying with foreigners, and that unleashed a whole host of pagan religions, which led God’s people astray.

1. “The Mother goddess religion, which was popular in the Middle East, competed for Jewish converts, as did the nature religion of Baalism, the cult of the dead, divination, idolatry,  astrology, séances, and the cults of black magic.  Some of these religions called for human sacrifices of both unborn and older children, who were thrown into the sacrificial fires.

• Finally, the religious leadership became a clique of proud, arrogant, self-serving autocrats, who valued gold and silver more than God. Oh, they continued doing the regular sacrifices at the temple. Unfortunately, their heart wasn’t in it.   They were simply going through the motions, just like the Pharisees and religious leaders during Jesus time, as described in today’s Gospel. As the Bible says, “Man looks at outward appearances, but God looked at the heart.”
  
  

So, going back to shalom machine----the leaders and people rejected God’s law, and God let them go on their own way.  But to tell the truth, God was furious with his people, and sometimes intervened in battles to let pagan nations defeat them.

Essentially the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah began to rot from the inside out, which resulted in their own self destruction.

• Looking to # 7 C in your outline, the nation of northern Israel was defeated around 733 BC by the Assyrian Empires.  These 10 tribes went into exile, but they were never heard of again. 
• Then looking to # 8, one hundred and fifty years later, the southern nation of Judah was defeated by the Babylonians, who exiled elite and wealthy people, leaving the rest to fend for themselves in a waste land with no protection at all.
  
  

During the time preceding these exiles, there were some small groups of holy men and women, who remained faithful to God’s covenant.  These people gathered around unofficial spiritual leaders known as Prophets.  Prophets were faithful people, whom God raised up to speak His word to the people and leaders of his people, whose hearts had hardened against Him.

 

One such man was the prophet Jeremiah.  He received many words of judgement from God, who called his leaders and people to repent.  Jeremiah hated his job much of the time, because either people refused to listen, or they did not believe him. Eventually, Jeremiah stirred up so much trouble, that the King of Judah imprisoned him at the bottom of a dry well.  Once the Babylonians defeated Jerusalem, the conquering emperor released Jeremiah.

Being exiled—losing the Promised Land—losing God’s favor—really broke the backs of the people of God.  They began to repent, as we heard in today’s psalm, and to call upon the mercy of the Lord.  However, simultaneously as God judged his people, He also offered them so me faithful encouragement.   You see, with God, judgement is never the last word.  Mercy and hope are the last words. Thus, through Jeremiah, God proclaimed this word to all of God’s people, both those in ancient times, and to all of us here today.  This word of prophecy is fulfilled through the King of heaven and earth, who is Jesus Christ our Lord:

“A new day is coming,” announces the Lord.    “At that time I will raise up from David’s royal line
    a godly heir to the throne.  He will be a King who will rule wisely.
    He will do what is fair and right in the land.⁶ in his days, God’s people will live in safety.
And this one will be named, The God Who reconciles us to Himself.

--The Rev. John Donnelly    8/23/15

Undesrtanding the Old Testament: King David

This morning I would like to begin out discussion with an informal poll. Here is the question:  How active is God in making all good things happen in our world? …………..How active is God in making all good things happen?

• Now for our poll, 5 is highest—that means that God is responsible for every single good thing that happens everywhere—
• And one is the lowest. God is totally remote, not at all involved in making good things happen.  All god things happen because of human efforts, or by chance.
• So 5 is the highest, and one is the lowest.

 How active is God in making all good things happen

• One—no activity?____________
• Two—low activity?___________
• Three—medium activity or you are not sure?__________
• 4—high activity in providing good things?___________
• 5—God is the sources of all good things?____________

Analysis:

Total of ones and twos_____Total of 3s_______  Total of 4s & 5s______

Well, today we are going to reflect on a man, who in terms of the world, was widely successful----and He would have voted number 5.  King David of ancient Israel ruled from for 39 years, and his descendants ruled for another 50. Considering the savage warfare and the surrounding evil empires, like the Egyptian and the Babylonians, that was remarkable !!!!  J      Beginning as a teenager, he became a famous military hero.  As he continued to win small skirmishes, then battles, and miraculous victories, his fame spread throughout the 12 tribes of Israel; indeed, his popularity was so high, that Saul, the first king of Israel, became furiously jealous; and he put a reward on David’s head.

David fled from Saul, and soon his own army of volunteers gathered around him.  At that time, the land that we know as modern day Israel was filled with warring Canaanite tribes, who made war on the 12 tribes of Israel.  After all, through God’s covenant with their ancestor Abraham, they had been awarded this was their “Promised Land.’  Not infrequently, David and his army, when they were not running away from the King, defended the 12 tribes.  Once the King was slain in battle, David was made the king.  As King, David unified he kingdom of Israel, which grew into a small, but prosperous empire, governed by God’s law.  And David, on his part, gave all the glory to God.

Two things I want you to remember about King David of Israel.

First, while upon David’s death bed, God spoke to David and made a new Covenant, or promise to David.   As some of you have heard, our God is a god who has historically chosen to relate to people by promises and agreements, which the Bible calls a covenant.   Please look at your insert under the first reading, where God describes His new covenant with David and his descendants.  Looking at the end of the 11^th verse, I am going to some of what is written where God says, “‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house (or a dynasty) for you: ¹² When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He is the one who will build a house (or everlasting temple) for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be his father, and he will be my son…¹⁵ but my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ Your house/dynasty and your kingdom will endure forever before me^[b]; your throne will be established forever.’”

Tell me, of whom is God speaking when He speaks about a descendent of David, who will rule forever?        Yes, Jesus Christ…first prophesized here.  So, in today’s Gospel, Jesus was called the Son of David.  God, in His love for his people, promises us a leader who will be even better than David—

One who will rule both heaven and earth!!!  One who would teach us, comfort us, lead us, heal us, forgive us, and bless us one and all.  So, it seems to me that God is modeling the Messiah on the person of King David.  Why was David so great?  He was horrible father, and adulterer, and an ambitious politician. PAUSE  J I could say that that wounds like a lot of guys in Washington, but the bishop might not like that. J PAUSE

What made David great?  In my opinion, David was great because he was the first, in Holy Scripture, to model a personal relationship with God.

• Up until that time in the scriptures, we hear of God primarily relating to the leaders of his people—like Abraham & Sarah, Moses, the priesthood that Moses ordained, and   Deborah and the other judges.
• To me, it looks like regular people related to God only through a mediator---so that people were at a distance & God was remote.

As many of you know, David wrote, collected, and commissioned the Book of Psalms in the Bible.  There are 150 psalms, which are actually songs—sung and chanted in the ancient Hebrew temple, accompanied by strings, horns, drums, and instruments that historians cannot even describe. 

But these psalms are the first prayers of the people.  You see, David had this rich relationship with God, and wrote down his own personal prayers, so that we might learn to pray to God.

Now, if you have a personal relationship with someone, one thing you might do is to thank her when she does o you a favor. Likewise, in the psalms, David acknowledges that all good things come from God, and he thanks God.  Please open your prayer books to Psalm 95 found on page 82 of your Red Prayer Books.  [Ps. 95 is an example of Thanksgiving]

Next,  if you have a personal relationship with someone, you might ask  him to help you.  Please look at today’s Psalm on your insert:    Verse 6: The poor man called, and the Lord heard him.  He saved him from his troubles. PAUSE We CAN turn to God with our own personal needs. This type of prayer is called supplication.  Some people erroneously believe that it would be selfish to pray for their own needs.  But that opinion is unbiblical. Look at verse 17, and let us read that together, saying, “THE RIGHEOUS CRY OUT, AND THE LORD HEARS THEM; HE DELIVERS THEM FROM ALL THEIR TROUBLES.”

So, we give thanks and make requests of God, just as we do to the people we love.

Thirdly, when you have a personal relationship with someone, you tell her that you love her, and you praise her on a regular basis. That’s what David does in the psalms, and that type of prayer is called ADORATION.   Let’s hear from Psalm 31:23, please repeat after me,” O love the Lord your God, because he hears your voice and punishes the wicked.”  We can love the Lord because He promise to bring justice to evil doers, of which there is an oversupply.

Finally, when you have a personal relationship with someone, you tell him that you are sorry when you have done something wrong.  When you do that to God, it is called confession--. Pls open your red prayer books to Psalm 32, verses 5 & 6.  Let us read those together.

Now for those of you who have not heard this before, we have just described the way that Christians, who want a personal relationship with God, pray:

A>C>T>S—“ ACTS”  

• A is for adoration.   C is for Confession    T is for thanksgiving
• And S is for supplication, or for seeking God’s help.

To learn more about this prayer method, I now ask the Ushers to please pass out a description of this Prayer method from the Billy Graham Association. PAUSE

But here is the power point of the Day.  David modeled how to have a personal relationship with God; and Jesus invites us to have a personal relationship with God through Him.

  Begin, or grow that relationship—and see how more good things will begin to happen in your life and in the lives of those for whom you pray.  

From the Billy Graham Association w/ edits by J. Donnelly

Q: How does one pray? I’ve never been taught how to say a personal prayer or really talk to God.

A: There is no formula to prayer—it is simply conversing with God. It is essentially talking with God as you would talk with an earthly parent who loves you and wants the best for you. God is your heavenly Father who loves you perfectly.

The ACTS model will be helpful to you as you learn how to pray. ACTS stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.

• ADORATION means worship. We encourage you to begin your time of prayer by adoring and praising God. Praise Him for who He is and for all that He has done for you.  Tell Him why you love him. God delights in your praises!

• CONFESSION, the next component, means agreeing with God about the things that you have done wrong. It’s a time to express sorrow about what you have said, thought, or done that is not pleasing to Him. Ask God to forgive you for these things, and then believe that He does so freely. When you confess your sins, you receive God’s cleansing and this helps to remove any barrier in your communication with Him (read 1 John 1:9).

• THANKSGIVING basically means being thankful to God. Thank Him for His love, protection, and provision just to name a few things.

• SUPPLICATION is the final component, and this means praying for your needs and for the needs of others, such as friends, family, your pastor, missionaries, government leaders, and persecuted Christians around the world. You may want to pray for such things as God’s guidance, wisdom, and opportunities to serve.

Keep in mind that the ACTS model serves as a guide to help you, not a rigid formula to follow. There is no “canned” approach that you need to take; just talk from your heart. There are additional steps that will help. Set aside a specific time to pray each day.

Pick a quiet place where you can be alone with God. You will also find a special blessing if you begin your time by reading the Bible. Select a passage to read (download a Bible reading plan) and spend some time thinking about it deeply. Reflect on what God is impressing on your heart to you through the passage.

Ask God to help you apply what you are learning. God wants you to share your heart with Him, and He wants to share His heart with you—this can take place anytime, day or night!