Address—J. Hyland
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And on thy care depend to thee in every trouble flee our safe, unfailing friend. 243 Will summon Please start it.
Yes, I'd like to begin this evening by reading several portions. The first one is in Luke, Chapter 18.
Luke, chapter 18 and verse 10.
Two men went up to the temple to pray the 1A Pharisee and the other a publican, and then in Hebrews 13.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15 By him therefore.
Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. And then in Philippians chapter 4.
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Philippians chapter 4 and verse 6. Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
Well, these may seem like strange scriptures to connect at the beginning of a meeting like this.
But I'd like what the Lords help this evening to speak a little bit of the privilege we have and the resource that we have in prayer. We spoke the other night of the resource that we have in God's Word and how God speaks to us through His Word, and how we need to let Him speak and apply it to every aspect of our lives. And so, very simply, when we open and read the Word of God, God speaks to us, but then we have the privilege of coming and speaking to Him in prayer.
But when I take up a subject in the word of God, I like to go back to the beginning.
And what is the beginning for us as Christians? It's that time when we recognize two things, when we recognize our own needs, and then God's provision for us. And that's what this man in the 18th chapter of Luke where we began he, that's what he recognized these two things. We didn't read the verses here. They're well known to us. But we find that these two men went up to the temple to pray.
One man thought he was a pretty good fellow, and it's interesting what it says of him. He prayed thus with himself. His prayer never got above the temple roof as he tried to tell God that all the things that he could he had done that he felt merited him favor before God.
He said I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess and so on.
But there was another man there, and he recognized his need before God. He wouldn't so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but he smote himself on his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a Sinner. And aren't we thankful as we sit here tonight as we look back, some of us over a few years, some perhaps over many years? But doesn't it rejoice our hearts to look back to that time when we came as guilty sinners, realizing that there was nothing we could do?
To merit favor before God. Nothing we could do to rid ourselves of our sins. But we came as this man here, and we owned our guilt. But then we realized that God had made full provision for us. I say this is the beginning because the things that we're going to speak of tonight have no application to those who have never come to this point, like this publican, to confess their needs.
And it says, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. And so this is the beginning, because when the children of Israel were redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb, and delivered from the land of Egypt, and from Pharaoh, who is a picture of Satan, Egypt a picture of this world, the Lord said to them, this month shall be unto you the beginning of months. It was a new beginning for the people of God.
As they came under the blood of the Passover Lamb and were redeemed and delivered from *******. And so it was indeed the beginning for us as we came and that burden of sins was taken away and we were justified before God and brought into a place of favor and blessing with the Lord Jesus Christ. And so I say this is the beginning and I would say if there's someone here and that you have never prayed the prayer of the public and.
The things we're going to speak up tonight, I say, have no application to you because if we haven't come in this way, then we cannot come and address God in prayer. I believe it that you find in First Timothy four. I think it's the fifth verse, that if you read it in Mr. Darby's translation, it speaks a prayer. There it says it's freely addressing God and isn't it a wonderful thing that we can come and we can speak to God?
We can freely address him now. The hindrance has been removed. We're brought right into the presence of God.
And we can come, as it says in Hebrews, boldly under a throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. I say the barriers are removed, the hindrances are removed, and we can come in a far closer relationship than any have enjoyed in any past dispensation. And so I want to make this very practical tonight in connection with prayer, and I want to show how it applies to every part of our Christian lives.
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You know, Christianity is not just a theology or a philosophy or something mystical. Christianity is a reality. And you find that those who had faith in the Old Testament, it says that faith is the evidence of things hoped for from the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Some of us were Speaking of this today, and I used to think that that was a definition of faith, but I don't believe that's what you have there.
What he's really saying is that it was faith that gave substance to their lives. And so as we walked by faith, as we listened to him speak to us, as we speak to him in prayer, then our lives have meaning. It's a reality if there's substance to our lives. And So what a wonderful thing to be brought into this relationship where we can freely address God in prayer. But as I say, I want to make this very, very practical this evening.
That's why I said this verse in Hebrews chapter 13. Because here we read that we can come and offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, because this is the first thing after we're saved. You know, if someone has done a great deal for you, what is the initial reaction? You want to come and thank them. Perhaps they paid a great debt. Perhaps they've even saved your life and you come and you thank them.
For what they have done, and we have the privilege, after we're saved, of coming and thanking God.
For the gift of his son, and for reaching out to us in all our need. Because, brethren, it was all a work of grace in our souls.
If the choice had been left to us, we never would have come. But he in his grace has departed, imparted.
Divine life to us. He opened our eyes to see beauty in Christ. He, by the Spirit, worked in our hearts and in our consciences so that we realized our need and so that we came. Like the man in Luke's gospel, I say it was all a work of grace that drew us to the Savior and opened our eyes to see beauty in that blessed one. And so we come now after we're saved and we pour out our hearts in praise.
Thanksgiving. You have to see that with the 10 lepers, how that they were all cleansed, but only one returned to give him thanks. And I just hear the sadness in the voice of the Lord Jesus as he said to that man where they're not ten cleansed, but where the nine. He valued the response of that man's heart, but he wondered why there was only one out of the 10 that had returned to give him thanks.
And so we can give him the sacrifice of praise. In the 116th Psalm, David raises a question. He says, What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? And a few verses later, in that same song, he answers the question. I will offer to him the sacrifice of Thanksgiving. And brother, that's what he wants from our hearts. He wants that praise. And I realize that if there is any response in our hearts by grace.
That he has put that response there. David said all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. But all he delights in that response from your heart and mind. And so we can come and it says in everything give thanks. And isn't he worthy as we think of what he has done for us in connection with salvation, and then what he has done for us since we are, we've been saved.
You know, when we get into a difficulty, the tendency is to forget how he has undertaken for us in the past. And you know, it's wonderful to come and make requests and to ask his help in a situation. But when he does take care of the situation and there is a victory in our lives, do we forget to return and to give him thanks, to thank him for that which he has done in the past, I say it is so easy.
When we face a new trial, a new difficulty to forget his undertaking for us in the circumstance and the circumstances that we have already passed through. And there's something precious in this verse here in Hebrews because it speaks of the sacrifice of praise. You know, brethren, so much does the Lord Jesus, and so much does God the Father value the response of your heart and mind.
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That he counts it as a sacrifice. As I say, it's very wonderful when we think of how he has put that response in our hearts. And then he turns around and he says now I count it as a sacrifice. That's how much it means to his heart to have his own praise him and thank him. And it's the sacrifice of praise to God continually. Because as I say, if someone has done a great deal for you, you don't just thank them once.
But perhaps every time you see them, you say thank you for what you've done. I appreciate it. And wouldn't you think it's strange if you had done something for someone, got them out of a bad situation, and they didn't return to thank you for what they had done? And I just say to my own heart tonight before we pass on, when is the last time that I thank the Lord Jesus for dying for me? When is the last time that I actually stopped? And thank God for sending his Son. Oh, he's so worthy of the response of our hearts.
But I'd just like to apply this too, in a collective sense, because as I've often said, when you have the individual side of the truth, then there's a comparable truth in connection with the collective sense of things. And Lord's Day Morning, when we were gathered together to remember the Lord Jesus in his death, we came not to get, but we came to give. We came to give the sacrifice of praise to God to pour out our hearts collectively.
Because it's true that individually he loved us and gave himself for us, as Paul said in Galatians. But then collectively, Christ also loved the church.
And gave himself for it. And so we have the privilege of coming to the worship meeting to thank him collectively for what he has done for us. And, you know, I think this is, there's a nice encouragement in Mary in connection with the sisters because it's true on Lord's day morning that the brothers take part audibly. But, you know, when Mary poured out her ointment at the feet of the Lord Jesus, it says the whole house was filled with the odor of the ointment. You know, I'm thankful that it was Mary that poured out an ointment there and not Lazarus.
Because if it had been Lazarus, you'd say, well, of course the brothers can take pirate, but it was married. It was, shall I say, a sister. And I really believe that a sister on Lord's Day morning, whose heart is full of praise and worship, is a tremendous blessing to the assembly. And perhaps some of the brothers have experienced this. How that a sister has said to you after that for him she had on her heart, are the scriptures that were brought before her.
With a very scriptures that you had read or the hymn that you had given out. And so I believe when a sister comes and her heart is full of praise, I believe it can sometimes even set the whole tone for the worship meeting. And so her as she poured out the ointment, the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. But I want to just say a little word for my own conscience, because sometimes I come on Lord's Day morning. And if I say we come to give on Lord's Day morning.
But if I don't bring something, I don't have anything to give. And sometimes I have to confess that I come on Wednesday morning and there isn't much response from my heart. There isn't much praise in my heart. Why? Because I haven't been enjoying Christ during the week. I'd like to, just, without turning to it, make a little application concerning the marriage in Canaan of Galilee. And I realize that there we have a prophetic picture with the third day of Israel. No doubt a millennial scene.
But Scripture always has a present application and I thought of those six water pots that stood there at that marriage. And when they took those six water pots, they were told to fill them to the brim with water. And I thought of those six water pots of six days of the week. And brother, we need to fill the water pot 6 days of the week and we need to fill them to the brim. Scriptures tremendously accurate. They didn't say they were just to fill them, but they were to fill them to the brim.
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Because when you fill something to the brim, there's not no room for anything else. And so we need to have our lives filled with Christ. We need to seek to read His word, let Him speak to us, speak to Him in prayer, fill up the water pot 6 days of the week, and then we can come, as it were, on the 7th day, and we can pour out to the true governor of the feast. If they hadn't filled the water parts, there wouldn't have been anything for the Lord to turn into wine, because I believe wine speaks to us of joy or praise.
And so we can come as we have filled the water pots, and he can turn it into praise.
So that we will have something to pour out to him when we come on Lord's Day Morning. And so I just say it to exercise my own heart. I cannot expect to come on Lords Day morning with a heart full of praise if I haven't enjoyed the person of Christ throughout the week. But I believe as we enjoy the person of Christ, then there will be that fitting response for him on Wednesday morning. And again, He counts it as a sacrifice.
We sometimes think of the effort that is put forth to be in His presence, those of us who have families. Sometimes it does take effort, it takes diligence, but all it means so much to His heart to have us come together in that way with that response in our hearts. And the Lord Jesus said to the woman at the well, they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such.
To worship Him. You know, it's not the greatness of the response that matters, although he does want our appreciation of the person and work of Christ to grow so that there ought there will be a greater response. But you know, if you notice carefully there in John Four, it wasn't worshipped so much that the Lord was looking for but worshippers. Now it's true that worship is the fruit of it, but He wanted worshippers because it's not the greatness of the response.
If any little response to him that he counts as a sacrifice, and I think you have this brought out in Leviticus in connection with the burnt offering, which was the free will offering. It wasn't the greatness of the offering that counted, it was the fact that there was a response in that Israelite heart.
And when he brought something from the herd, or something from the flock, or something, even those birds, every one of those offerings, when they were offered in the proper way, they rose as a sweet smelling savor to God. It wasn't the greatness of the offering, the one who brought those birds he might have looked at, the one who brought something from the flock, or something from the herd, and he might have said, well, my offerings, not very great.
In comparison to his offering. But that's not what counted. It was the response of the heart that God valued.
And I say, when those offerings were offered in the proper way, God got all the Savior. He found joy and delight in those offerings. And I believe that true worship springs from a heart overflowing with Christ. And when our hearts are overflowing with Christ, when there's that spirit of praise and Thanksgiving, then we come. And as we offer up Christ to the Father, then it rises as a sweet, smelling savour.
To him. And so we can offer the sacrifice of praise. But you say I have requests, I have needs, and those needs are very real. And I believe this is true particularly in the day in which we live. The people of God have always had needs. There's always been difficulties, and trials just follow through from the book of Genesis. You see this because Satan is always opposed to that which God has established.
And those who have sought to walk in the truth in any age have always found themselves in the minority.
Rather than in the majority. They've always found opposition both individually and collectively. And so there are real needs. And that's why I read this verse in Philippians 4 because he says here be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God and brother, while we have real needs, he reminds us here again.
That as we come, and we make those needs known to Him, and we pour out our hearts in connection with our situations, yet we are to come with Thanksgiving. You know, the difficulty with Israel when they were in the wilderness was that they only looked at the present circumstance. They only looked at their situation, and they failed to see the hand of the Lord behind it all. And they when they did that, they murmured in their tenants. When they when they saw the hand of the Lord, then they sang His praise.
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But when they only looked at the situation, it brought discouragement and brethren, If we only look at the situation, we're going to be discouraged. But if we look to him and realize how he has undertaken for us in the past, it will cultivate the spirit of Thanksgiving and praise in our lives. And brethren, it's very easy to cultivate a critical, grumbling spirit to only look at the circumstance, but we need to look above the circumstance.
To look to him that there might be that Thanksgiving. And so as we come and make requests, let's not forget to thank him for past answers. To prayer for all that he has done for us, for all that he is doing for us. And let's not forget to thank him for all that's ahead in that coming day of glory, when we will be beyond the need and the resource of prayer. And so here we're told not to worry or to be careful for nothing, not to be full of care.
You know, this speaks to my own heart because as some of us have already been saying, I worry about things that I think are going to happen tomorrow. And, you know, when tomorrow comes, God has already taken care of the situation. I think that's the thrust of that verse that's in the end of Matthew 6. It says there take no thought for the moral, for the moral shall take thought for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Very simply, he's saying there that we worry about things that we think are going to happen tomorrow.
And when tomorrow comes, they never happen. And even if they do happen, the Lord hasn't changed.
He's the same yesterday, today and forever. You'll bear a little repetition just in that connection.
Because I thought, of the women that came early to the sepulchre, what was the subject of their conversation?
Who of us shall roll away the stone? They were concerned about a difficulty that they thought was going to present itself when they got to the sepulchre. But they needn't have worried when they got to the sepulchre. The Lord had taken care of the difficulty. That stone, it says, was very great, but it was already rolled away. Why was it rolled away? I don't believe it was rolled away So the Lord could come out in resurrection, because in resurrection He had a body that wasn't subject to physical hindrances.
That's why later on, when the doors were shut for fear of the Jews, he came and stood in the midst of them. Those walls didn't have a weren't a hindrance to him in resurrection. Why was the stone removed? It was removed so they could look in and see that empty tomb and hear those glorious words.
He is not here. He is risen. And so he says here to be careful for nothing, or not to be full of care, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, Let your requests be made known unto God. And so we have those requests that we can bring to Him and brother. He knows our needs even before we ask, but He wants us to come independent and express those needs.
I've often said that I believe God withholds an answer to prayer until there's that spirit of dependence with us, and then when we have come in prayer and expressed our need. Because I believe that prayer is the expression of dependence and confidence. It's the that is, when I pray, I'm really telling the Lord I don't have any might for the situation, but I'm expressing confidence that he is able. And so when we come and express that need, then he's got the answer right with him. It's just like he withholds it until there's that.
Expression with his children.
And then he comes in, and he delivers in a very wonderful way. It says, call upon me in the day of trouble, and I shall deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Well, as I said, like to make this very practical. I like to speak first of all of individual prayers. And so let's turn over to Matthew chapter 6, Matthew chapter 6, and verse 6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet.
And when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father, which is in secret, and thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Well, as I say, what we have brought before us here is closet or individual prayers, those times when we get along with the Lord, and we just pour out our hearts and tell them everything. You know, it's very few people that you can tell that you know that you can tell them everything. You know. If you told them all about you and told them everything, maybe they wouldn't want to be around you.
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How many people, if they knew all about me, they wouldn't want to be around me. But here's one that we can come.
And we can talk to him in our closet. There are things you can't say in the family prayer time. There are things you can't say in the assembly prayer meeting, but you can say them when you're alone with the Lord. And I'm sure many of us can look back to those victories that were won upon our knees, the little poem says.
And in blessing to the Saints, they were men and women of prayer. We're going to mention some of them as we go along, but there are many. I think of Epifras. You know, he labored in prayer, and little did he know that it would be written down in God's eternal record to abide for eternity. Because I I believe we can serve the Saints on our knees. We can pray for one another. Paul expressed on several occasions how he prayed for the Saints, and he also expressed on many occasions.
How he appreciated the prayers of the Saints for him, and so we need to.
Pray for one another. We can bring one another to the throne of grace to bear them up as to those needs, and that we might be preserved too in the path of faith. You know, sometimes we pray for folks when they're in trouble, and that's good, brethren. But you know, we need to use prayer as a preventative measure too, because we appalled, delighted to pray for the Saints when they were going on well notice in Philippians and I think in Thessalonica.
Defined in both those assemblies there was a freshness, There was a fervor there. And yet Paul spoke of how he prayed for the Saints there continually. He prayed for the Brethren when they were going on well, that they may be that they would be preserved. And I just picture dear Epifrast as he labored in prayer. Maybe he wasn't a brother that took much part in the assembly, but he went home, and he saw those needs that the Saints had, and he got along with the Lord, and he brought the Saints before the Lord, and he prayed too, for his brethren who were going on.
And so, Brandon, this is what we need. Sometimes we feel helpless, perhaps, in a situation.
But we can always pray for a brother or for a sister. Doesn't take any special gift to pray for one another. Will we find that Daniel was a man of prayer? We find that three, three times a day he got along with the Lord. And you know what's interesting? What it says there in connection with Daniel, Because when Daniel got into a situation that was very difficult in connection with the lion's den and praying to his God.
He knew where to turn. He wasn't overwhelmed by the difficulties, but it's nice what it says there. When the petition was signed, he went into his room. He opened his window towards Jerusalem, he kneeled down and he prayed three times a day, as he did a four times. I think that's very instructive and encouraging, because if you notice for some time, it seems that under the new king, Daniel had really prospered.
He prospered in his business. Things were going very well, but he prayed not just when he got in trouble, but as he did a four time. It was the habit of Daniels life, even when things went well, to get a loan and talk to his God. That's what prayer is.
It's just talking to God, you know. If you have a friend and you feel you can turn to that friend in difficulty, maybe you only call them when there's a problem. Pretty soon they get tired of talking to you. They say you only call when there's a problem or a difficulty. We never just enjoy those happy times of fellowship together. Well, you know, while it's true, we can call on the Lord in difficulty, yet he wants us to come and just enjoy fellowship and communion with himself.
It says truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
And I can just picture Daniel as things were going well and yet he took that time to commune with his God, just to enter into the heart of his God, just to speak to his God, to tell him everything, just to talk and to enjoy that communion. And then when the problem came, he knew where to turn. Isn't it nice if you have a friend and you enjoy those happy times of fellowship and communion, and you enter into the heart of one another? You say we understand one another.
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Then when a problem arises, you know where to turn. You say we understand one another, and so you can turn to that friend when the difficulty does arise. And So what a wonderful thing to take time in our closet alone with the Lord. And if we have a problem, brethren, we can come to him. And if it takes five hours, he's still willing to listen. If not, very many people will listen to us for all night. But you know, we read of those who pray all night.
Samuel spent all night in prayer concerning the condition of the people of God. Paul said he prayed for the Saints day and night. Lord Jesus, before he chose his disciples, those who would be closest to him in his public ministry, he spent all night in prayer. In fact, I would just say that we have a beautiful example in the Lord Jesus because in Luke's gospel where he brought before us as the dependent man.
Seven times you have him in prayer to his Father, and he's left us an example that we should follow in his footsteps. And I realized that he was the sinless, the spotless Son of God. But if he as a man could feel in his pathway the need of lifting up his eyes to heaven and praying to his Father, independence, how much more you and I, what an example we have for our pathway. And as I say, we can come at any time.
I speak reverently. He doesn't keep office hours like some folks. How often have you called the doctor or the lawyer or an accountant or somebody you needed in a situation and you've got a machine? That said, well, the doctors out till Monday call back, the lawyer's not in today. And you say how frustrating. I know they could help me if I could get a hold of them, but, you know, there's always an open mind between you and the Lord.
You can turn to him at any time of the day or night. And I like what it says in the 46th Psalm. It says he's a very present health in time of trouble. You know, I might offer to help you if you're ever in a situation, but you know, when the situation arises, maybe I'm not available and you can't get a hold of me. And you say he wasn't a present. Hell, the Lord is always available. But more than that, perhaps you do get a hold of me.
And I listen to the problem.
And I shake my head and say I can't help you on this one. And so not only is he willing to listen.
But it says in Isaiah 40, he giveth power to the faith and to them that have no strength. The increase of might that is, he's not only he only listens to it all because it's good to have someone who's a good listener, but then he's able to help no matter what the situation. There's nothing too difficult for him. There's no situation that's beyond his control or beyond his health, and so he can help us to mount up with wings of Eagles.
To run and not be weary and to walk and not faint, and So what a privilege. And it's interesting here in Matthew 6 that the Lord Jesus makes a contrast because there were those in his day prescribed from the Pharisees who would make long prayers in the marketplace. They wanted to be heard for their eloquent prayers and for their words. But the Lord said that's not what he was looking for. He was looking for a response from the heart.
He was looking for prayers that came as a result of a felt need, and so he rebuked them here. And you know, it's interesting that you never find long prayers enumerated in the Scripture. It's true, there were those, as I say, who spent all night in prayer. But you know, the longest prayer that's given to us in the Old Testament is Solomon's prayer, the dedication of the Temple. And if you read it slowly, it might take you 3 minutes.
The longest prayer in the New Testament is the Lord's High Priestly Prayer in the 17th of John. And if you read it slowly it might take you 2 minutes. And so we never have long prayers enumerated for us. Sometimes there are long prayers perhaps, and I don't take away from that. But I say what the Lord is looking for is a response from our heart and a response to a felt need in our lives. And so isn't it wonderful Brandon that we can turn to him?
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Get it? Go into our closet. Just shut our door and to talk to the Lord. And He knows all about us. He knows all about the situation before we act, but He wants us to speak to him. Now let's turn over to Acts Chapter 2.
Acts chapter 2 and verse 42.
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles, doctrine and fellowship.
And in breaking of bread and in prayers, well, here we have what we might say are the assembly meetings.
The meeting up for breaking of bread, the worship meeting, the meetings where we have the word of God before us, ministry in the assembly and then we have prayers and they're brought together here. And we're told that the early believers who were first gathered to the Lords name, they valued this privilege of collective prayer, it says when he takes up the subject of the administration of the local assembly in Matthew 18.
That one of the things that is to characterize those who are gathered to the Lords name, is dependence in prayer, collective prayer. And it says there two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, It shall be done for them of my Father, which is in heaven.
Because while we have needs individually, we also have needs collectively. And I believe that that's what assembly prayer is for. It's to bring before the Lord those needs that we have as assemblies and as an assembly, and as those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what a resource this is. I said that prayer was the powerhouse of our lives individually, but I also believe it's the powerhouse of the assembly.
And brethren, why is it that sometimes the prayer meeting is the most poorly attended? Well, I believe there are perhaps two reasons. One, we don't really recognize that the Lord is there. Because if we really believe the Lord was there on Wednesday night, just as he is on Lords Day morning, wouldn't we desire to be in His presence collectively? And I suppose the other thing is, we don't really recognize the power there is in collective prayer. We have some examples of collective prayer. I'll just cite a couple of.
In the Old Testament, we find again with Daniel. You know, Daniel was a wonderful man of prayer. That's why he had such blessing and power in his life. That's why it was used in such a wonderful way. But we find there that there was an occasion where there was a situation that didn't just affect Daniel, but it affected his three friends as well. The king was angry because no one could interpret the dream or even tell him the dream that he had, and he said that all the wise men of Babylon were going to perish.
If the dream wasn't revealed and interpreted, and again, was Daniel overwhelmed by the situation? No. He gathered his three friends together and they had a prayer meeting and the Lord came in and answered their prayer in a wonderful way. We find the most beautiful example of assembly prayer in Acts 12, where again there was a difficulty and a burden that affected the people of God as a whole. Peter was in prison. The Saints were concerned because it seemed like Peter was going to be.
Put to death for the testimony of Jesus.
And so they came together to have a prayer meeting, and God came in and answered their prayer. It was a tremendous request to think that the Lord would deliver Peter in that way. And you know, it's interesting there that as they came together to pray, they really didn't have much faith because when Peter came and knocked at the door, they didn't even believe that he was there. But God honored that exercise and answered their collective prayers. And haven't we seen that in the assembly where we came with a felt need and we poured out our hearts before the Lord?
We came, as it were, to the end of ourselves as an assembly, and then we brought that need and that burden, and the Lord came in and answered our prayers. But again, I think there's something nice for the sisters there in Acts 12 because Rhoda was at the assembly prayer meeting and Rhoda was a damsel or a young girl. And Rhoda might have said, well, the brothers can pray at the prayer meeting and I can pray just as well at home. Well, she could have prayed just as well at home.
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But you know, I believe that the Lord gave Rhoda a special blessing that night as she was there with her brethren. He allowed it. So she was the one who went to the door and saw first hand the power of God to answer assembly prayers. If she hadn't been there on that occasion, she would have heard about it. She would have rejoiced with the Saints, but it wouldn't have been the same. And as she saw the power of God to answer prayer in the assembly.
I wonder if Rhoda missed very many prayer meetings after that. I'm sure her desire and her exercise was to be there. And if we want to see God answer prayer in the assembly, we need to be at the assembly prayer meeting. I know the assembly wasn't formed in the first chapter of Acts, but I think there's a principle there. It says of those ones who were waiting in obedience at Jerusalem. It says they continued with one according prayer.
With the women also that were with them, you find when they came to Philippi, there they went out where there was a prayer meeting and there were sisters gathered together for prayer. And I realized there again, it's not the assembly, but I've often wondered if that wasn't the beginning of that work in Philippi.
If that wasn't the beginning of the assembly there, and if God didn't honor the collective prayers of those dear sisters as they came together in that way. And so again I say to the sisters, your presence at the prayer meeting, your silent prayers are a tremendous blessing, and we need to avail ourselves of the resource that we have in collective prayer. And Brother and I feel a special burden in connection with collective or assembly prayer in the day in which we live.
Because I believe we would see more power and blessing in the assembly if we would be at the assembly prayer meeting and if we would avail ourselves of the resource in the way that God has established. I want to say just a couple of practical remarks in that connection. Because as we come together for collective prayer, first of all it is to bring those needs that affect the people of God as a whole. And brethren, I don't believe there's an assembly on the face of the earth tonight that isn't going through some real trial or difficulties.
The Lord's people have tremendous needs. The assemblies gathered to the Lord's name have tremendous and real needs and so we can come and bring those needs before Him and brother. Let's be specific in our assembly prayers that I believe if we were more specific we would see more answer to prayer. Now I don't want to be misunderstood because I believe that the assembly prayer meeting it's good to embrace the whole household of faith.
And it's good to pray for the gospel work worldwide. But we need to be specific as we bring the needs of the local brethren and the local assembly before the Throne of Grace. Now, I will grant you, there are some things you cannot pray for in the assembly, and we need to use discretion and wisdom in our collective prayers. But, you know, I want to just say this too. But why is it sometimes we're afraid to pray for a brother?
Or a sister by name, and to pray concerning a need that they have that is known in the assembly.
Because that brother and son or sister is kneeling on the other side of the room, Brethren, I believe as we bring one another to the throne of grace in our collective prayers and pray for those needs that are already known and have been expressed in the assembly and that burden the Saints, I don't believe it would tear us apart. It would draw us closer together as we saw and heard the heartfelt prayers of our brethren who pray for us by name and brother. As I said, I believe it would draw us closer together because we cannot really pray for one another from the heart.
If there's malice or bitterness one to another in our hearts, and so we need to pray for one another in this way in the assembly. Now when a brother prays audibly in the assembly, he's the mouthpiece of the assembly. I think this is one of the wonderful things about collective prayer, because if I forget to pray for something that is a need amongst the Saints, then another by the spirit of God can pray for that same thing.
We all have to say the same thing. Maybe we do. Maybe we come together. And like in Daniel's day, I'm sure that everyone of those four men prayed for the same thing because it was a real burden and a real need at the time. When they came together in Acts 12, they all prayed for Peters Deliverance. And so there are times when there's such a felt need and a burden that perhaps we, each one who, each one who prays, audibly prays for the same thing. Maybe not much else is prayed for that night because it's such a burden.
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But if I forget to pray for something, then the Lord can use another to bring that out and to pray. And I think that's why it's good, Brethren, And I want to be very careful, but I do want to be practical, because at the end of a brother's prayer, as he prays audibly on behalf of the Saints, I believe it's good to say Amen. You know, in Ezra's day, it's after Ezra prayed. It says this, and all the people said Amen.
And you know, it encourages a brother to. When a brother prays, there's nothing more discouraging than a few weak men's. At the end of the prayer, if we agree with the brother, if he has spoken and expressed those things that are that our needs amongst us, let's say Amen to his prayers. Because Amen is the expression that we give in connection with consent to a brother's prayer. Of course, I would just say that we need to pray.
Clearly in the assembly, so that our brethren hear us, because you can hardly say Amen to a brother's prayer if you don't hear what the brother prays for. And you know, I believe it's proper to kneel at the assembly of prayer meetings. I have no problem with those who cannot do it, but it's nice to kneel. But I would just say to the brothers, when we pray, let's raise our heads so that our brother can hear, because we're speaking on behalf of the assembly.
And if a brother does that, then I just say to us again, let's say a nice, clear Amen.
At the end of the brothers prayer, I believe too it will encourage the younger brothers to pray.
If we say Amen at the end of their prayers, well, now let's turn over to 1St Thessalonians Chapter 5.
First Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 17.
Pray without ceasing. Well, we've spoken of first of all how we come as sinners, and we pray that prayer of the publican. God be merciful to me, a Sinner. Then we've spoken of how we come with praise and Thanksgiving in our hearts. Then we've spoken of individual prayer and those times we get along with the Lord. Then there's collective prayer in the assembly. But here's something a little different.
Here's what we might say is instantaneous prayer because, you know, sometimes we're faced with a situation.
Perhaps at school or at work, Oregon, at home. And we don't have time to like Daniel.
Go into his room and bring the matter before the Lord. We don't have time like Daniel together.
Others together and to bring the matter before the Lord. Maybe we don't have time to bring it to the assembly.
But we can pray to Him wherever we are, to have that spirit of dependence so that we can turn to him and brother. Let's keep that open line between himself and between ourselves and him. Let's keep it open so that we can turn to Him. If a cloud comes between, let's get before him and confess it so that we can turn to him in any situation and pray without ceasing. You have a nice example of this in connection with Nehemiah.
In the second chapter, because Nehemiah faced a very difficult decision in his work, he was the kings cup bearer, and he his countenance was sad in the presence of the king. And we find that the kings in those days had the power of life and death. Whom they would they slew, and whom they would they kept alive. And it was wrong for the cup there to be sad in the countenance in the presence of the king. And so the king noticed this.
And he he spoke to Nehemiah, and he said, for what do you make requests? And Nehemiah knew that it was a question that had to be answered wisely.
That if he said the wrong thing, he might even lose his life, or at least lose his job.
And he didn't have time to go and pray about the matter in his room. He had to give an immediate answer. And I like what it says there. It says. So I pray to the God of heaven. And I said, under the king, between the time the king asked the question and Nehemiah had to give an immediate answer, there was a swift little prayer went up. And haven't you experienced that? Sometimes maybe somebody asked you a question at work and you know, if you say the wrong thing, that is just too bad. Someone asks you to go somewhere. Someone at school asks you something.
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And you need to answer wisely. Just send up a swift little prayer. It says if any man lack wisdom, let him ask. Have you ever lacked wisdom in a situation? Have you ever known, not known how to answer someone? Just ask. If you lost wisdom, let him ask. And what does it say to give us to all men, liberally and upbraideth not. And you find there in the story of Nehemiah, that the Lord came in in a wonderful way. Again, it was a tremendous request.
To think that the Lord would answer that request, and even more than he asked. And so it says, The King's heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water. He turneth it whithersoever he will you find too. When Peter walked on the water, he began to sink. And what did he do? He cried out, saying, Lord, save me just three words in a prayer. But when there was that expression of dependence, when there was that felt need, then immediately Jesus reached out his hands and took him up. And so how often?
We've turned to the Lord in those situations. And so it says pray without ceasing.
Well, just in closing, we won't take time to turn to some scriptures, but just in closing, let's lift up our eyes and look to the right hand of God and let's see that one there rather than who's praying for us every hour of every day. We've spoke to the privilege of addressing him in prayer, but then to realize there's one as our great High priest, whoever liveth to make intercession for us. You know, sometimes I forget to pray for my brethren who have needs. Maybe I'm not even aware of their needs.
Sometimes I'm not even aware of my own needs and so I don't bring them in that way.
But there's one who's praying for us every hour of every day, and he knows every need of each of his own, and he brings each need before the Father. And so we need to avail ourselves of that resource that we have in him. We can come boldly to a throne of grace. Why? Because there's one there who's living for us. It says we have not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are.
Yet without sin. And so he's there. Not only does he know our needs, but we find that he enters in fully to what we pass through. Because he walked through this world as a man. He knew what it was to be hungry. He knew what it was to be thirsty. He knew what it was to be weary with his journey, he could say to reproach, has broken my heart. He felt all these things as a man, and sometimes we sing that him.
In the days of feeble flesh poured out his cries and tears, and though ascended fields of fresh what every member bears, he feels what we pass through. Not only knows, but he enters into it, and I think it's illustrated very nicely in the 14th of Matthew. I wish we had time to turn to it, but just read it. Sometimes he compels the disciples to get into a ship and to go to the other side across the sea, what we might say is the sea of life.
And there they find that it's night, The wind is contrary, the waves are high, but we find that there was one the Lord Jesus.
And he was gone up on the mountain. And what was he doing there? He was praying, brother. Maybe the circumstances do seem difficult, but there's one up on high and he's praying for you, and he's praying for me. And there's a little comment made about that incident in Mark's Gospel that you don't find there in Matthew. It says while he was there on the mountain, he saw them toiling and rolling. Maybe we say, no one knows about my situation. No one knows what we're going through in the assembly.
One who does, He sees us toiling and rowing, but more than that, you find that then the Lord Jesus comes to them walking on the water, because you know, not only was there one who knew the situation, but there was one who was above the storm. He walked on the water, and Peter learned a very wonderful lesson that night too. He learned that he that not only was there one who was above the storm, but that he could walk on the water with Jesus.
And so we can, as we go on independence, Brethren, as we look to him in prayer.
Individually and collectively, we can go on. There's a resource, brethren, even for these dark, difficult days. The storms are are great, The waves are high. Often situations that we have to say we've not passed this way heretofore. But the resource that we have in prayer is still the same. May we turn to him in every situation. I believe he allows circumstances in our lives to make us feel our need.
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So that we will walk independence before him. And I would just say in closing again, as we bring those needs before the Lord, let's not forget that He's done so much for us in the past. And let's not forget to thank him and praise him for all the way that He has LED us, and then to trust him as long as we're left here. Shall we, Sir?