Right, Mr. St. tonight about a subject that's very, very intimate with our Christian life, the subject of prayer. Something that I believe is probably very neglected oftentimes in our Christian experience. A tremendous privilege, I put on the board even, is a saint's privilege. Prayer is our privilege. But I didn't put down, it is our responsibility. I want to save that, but it's still true. It is our privilege. And if we think of it in that light, It seems from the positive angle that it's a little easier to cope with than to think of responsibilities, because we have inbuilt into us in the very core of our being a resistance in a natural sense to responsibility. It's just something about us. And you say it's not in me. Well, maybe you're correct. Maybe you're not. But I'll have to confess that that's in me. And so since that I have sensed this in my own life, and feel as though it's in the lives of many of you. I'm going to go at it from that particular angle. Tonight, would you open your Bibles to the book of Matthew? We're going to the book of Matthew. I'd like for us to turn to the twenty-second chapter. I'm sorry, twenty-first chapter. I'd like to use a few key verses. Just a few key verses. And then we'll be going to the very heart of the message. Looking now to Matthew chapter twenty one and verse twenty two. And all things. Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing ye shall receive. A double L, all things. Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing ye shall receive. The other night we read from Matthew chapter eighteen. verses fifteen sixteen and seventeen we're dealing with church discipline and that's a very wonderful subject to take up you say wonderful yes it is to see how God is showing us a real exercise of love do not think of discipline as hate think of discipline as love when you think of love don't you think of the word wonderful isn't love wonderful sure it is but some of you may be wonder well how could you say Discipline is an act of love. Don't forget that in Proverbs, Thirteen, Twenty-four, God says, He that spareth his rod hatheth his son. Doesn't say He that spareth his rod, spoileth his child. It doesn't say that. Though often that's quoted as Scripture, but that isn't Scripture. The Scripture says, He that spareth his rod hath his son, but He that loveth him chastens him behind. Now over here is... Mr. Samantha Snaud-Gray. And she says, concerning little, tiny, Q-Labi-Q-Milias lady, best lady, she says, you know, I love her so much. No one by that name, is it? Did I name someone's name? I'm sorry if I did. I tried hard to pick one that wouldn't catch your name. Anyway, she says to me, Donald, I just love... little, uh, Samantha, you know, Keelabi, Camille, El Zadie, best lady. I love her so much, I cannot bring myself to whip her. Which one am I going to believe? That woman or God. You know which one I'm going to believe. God said, he that spares his rod, hates his son. He that loves him, chastens him be kind. The chastening is the evidence of the love. Is that right? You say, well, wait a minute. You're talking about God. You're using a human illustration. Good. I'm glad you mentioned that. In Hebrews chapter twelve, whom the Lord loves, he chases him and scourges every son whom he receives. Now, who would ever deny that? God says, the one I love, I'm going to chase him. And he scourges every son whom he receives. You get a weapon today? Say, I can get any weapons. You're not loved. in our love. Need a witness. Oh, you say you're getting ridiculous. Well, maybe so. Maybe I am. But I'd like to say that obviously God, for those who want to believe him, is communicating his love when he exercises his mighty hand in discipline, in case need. And so, beloved, we can find that so many times we have privileges and responsibilities And if we think about responsibilities, we're not so apt to get with it. We have built within us a resistance to responsibility. And when we do, God has to chasten us, and he's just simply showing that he loves us. But if we look at it from the area of privilege, maybe it would excite us to a deeper consideration of the subject. All things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing you shall receive. Now we took up church discipline in verses fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen of Matthew eighteen, but in verse We took up judgment, and in verse nineteen, he said, If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. That was the verse and the word that we looked at a few nights ago on prayer. And now we move over into chapter twenty-one, and the Lord says, All things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing you shall receive. Now let us go, if we will, to the book of Mark. Notice the verse there. There are many, many verses I'm not obviously going to touch on. Some of you, dear brethren, can minister on that so much better than I. You'll be able to go systematically right on through your Bibles and teach the things. And bear with me. I'm just going to be able to touch the highlights. But in Mark chapter ten, notice... I'm sorry, Mark eleven. Pardon me. Brother Don, I can appreciate you, brothers. Bless your heart. Thank you, brother. We're kindred, you know, even the same name. All right. Verse twenty-four, therefore I say unto you, what things serve you desire when you pray? Believe that you receive them and you shall have them. Or you could translate it. What things serve you desire when you pray? Believe that ye have received them and ye shall have them. Look, if you will, at John chapter fourteen. I'm going to skip over the book of Luke for a moment on purpose. I'm going to jump over to John chapter fourteen. It's a very important chapter. Get acquainted with it. John fourteen, the Lord says in verse thirteen and verse fourteen, whatsoever you chose, ask in my name, That what I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Now, when he says, in my name I do not believe, for one moment, that we necessarily have to say the word Jesus. In his name is in his authority. Do you think the first century disciples believed that? Read the book of Acts. They said, Lord, our God. I use the name of the Lord Jesus, but I'm not going to condemn anyone that just says, Lord. Because the Lord gave me, in the book of Acts, a tremendous prayer. Read it. Acts four, won't have time. Won't have time. Lord, they said, thou God, which made heaven and earth. Who's the God who did it? The Lord Jesus. He is not only our blessed Lord, he is the Creator. And many, many verses testify to that effect. As a matter of fact, in the book of Isaiah... It is clearly attested that he's the Creator as well as Amos, as well as many passages in the New Testament, and I think it's implied even in the Psalms. Okay, in John, verses thirteen and fourteen, what things shall ever you desire, or whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. Now, I love his name, and I don't believe I can mention it too much if I mention his name, thinking about his name. When I hear someone say the name of Jesus, it does something down inside. It really does. It just seems to be a little message to me. They're announcing that precious name of my blessed Lord, and I like to hear it. Paul could say even when someone preaching Christ of envy and strife and contention and whatever else they were using in their getting out their message, Paul says, even though that was wrong, he said he rejoiced. Rejoice in what? The wrong? That people did something insincerely? No. He said he rejoiced in that Christ was announced. So if I just mention my Lord's name, once more I get to hear it. Because someday I'm going to see him. I'm going to see the man that loved me so much. He was made sin for me. Whatsoever you shall ask in my name. Now that's in his authority. Obviously. In his authority. It doesn't mean you couldn't mention his name. As a matter of fact, I think that's one of our real privileges. So I always like to name his name. Then, if you will, in John chapter sixteen, verse twenty-four, hitherto have you asked nothing in my name? Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full. Up to this point, he says, you've asked nothing in my name. You haven't been praying in my authority. I'm saying, now, you pray in my authority. You pray in my name. And you shall receive in order that your joy may be full. Because I'm going to link up every blessing in your life with me. We're blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavens and the Christ Jesus. It's all linked with Christ. He's the center. He's our life. He's our everything. So he says, even in prayer, that's the way it's going to be. Now, if you will, go with me to the letters or the epistles. Let us go this time to the book of First Thessalonians. First Thessalonians. Chapter five. Verse seventeen. Pray. Period. Well, that'd be a good verse, wouldn't it? That would be the shortest if it just says that. Just pray. And that would be good. But he says, Pray without ceasing. Pray without ceasing. Look at what Brother Paul wrote Timothy. Turn to First Timothy. Chapter two. Verse eight. I will, therefore, that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. Men have a sphere of prayer everywhere. Everywhere men can pray. Lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. Without a doubt. Now, we can see that the Lord gave us a similar statement in his earthly ministry. He said men ought always to pray and not to faint. We're going to come to that in a moment when we get to the book of Luke. But I want to go to Philippians now. Back up to Philippians. I'd like to make a little fine line distinction for us tonight, if I may. Since the Spirit gives us two different words, it might be well just to distinguish between these two different words. Philippians four. And we'll look specifically at verses six and seven. Let me give you the message on peace right quick. This is my own message on peace. Number one, it's three dimensions. Peace with God, God of peace, peace of God. All Christians have peace with God and the God of peace. But all Christians do not have the peace of God. Here's our birthright. The moment we're saved, we have peace with God. Therefore, having been justified, out of faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. As far as God is concerned, the war is over. The white flag of surrender has gone up, and we're at peace with God. No longer are we at war. However, that's not the end of it. The God of peace comes into our life. Christ is our peace, we're told. He is our peace, Ephesians two. And Christ comes into our life. So we have the God of peace, but peace of God. You'll see it in Philippians four, six, and seven. It's had by perhaps a few Christians. We'll read them. Be careful for nothing or be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God. Now notice prayer and supplication. We'll define those in a moment, but let's go on through the verse. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Three requirements for having the peace of God. Here they are. Number one, worry about nothing. Number two, pray about everything. Number three, give thanks for all things. And as you know, That particular idea is stressed as one of the evidences of being filled with the Holy Spirit, not babbling in some tongue you don't know. Very clear. Ephesians chapter five, be not drunk with wine, where does it exist, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in songs and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we're filled with the Spirit, we will give thanks for all things. Mark it down. Mark it down. Therefore, if we're going to have the peace of God, that is the very tranquility which is characteristic in the very person of God himself, when we can, he says the three requirements are, pray about, or worry about nothing, pray about everything, and give thanks for all things. And God indicates we'll have that peace. He says, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall, and the word chief here is a military term, and the Greek language means a guard, shall guard your heart's and mine through Christ Jesus. That is, God's peace itself will guard two areas of our being, our hearts and our minds, beloved. I'm confident God means them. He says it, and I'm convinced he means it. All right. Now, finite distinction between prayer and supplication. What's the difference? Prayer is a word that's to God only. A word of sacred character, having an element of devotion. Supplication is the idea of wanting or lacking something, a desire, begging for or asking for something. This word is petitionary. This word can be used as an address or request to man, also an expression of personal need. Supplication can be used to God or man. Prayer is the word used to God, as best I can find. Now, if you will, let us go back to the book of Luke. Very interesting book. Luke chapter eleven. Luke chapter eleven. Verse one. And it came to pass that as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when he sees one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins. And we also may forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And then, of course, the portion in Matthew would say, For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory, forever. Amen. Now, here he indicates a little illustration. He said unto them, verse five, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight? That's the kind of friend you want to have, the kind you can go at midnight. Isn't that right? Don't you have an easy midnight sometimes? Oh, yes, you do. I tell you one at midnight, I needed a friend. My wife was in, oh, oh, I think the time is now. And I said, what? What am I going to do? So I rushed over madly to a neighbor. I said, friend. My wife says the time is now. Will you come take care of our babies? I got to take her to the hospital. She doesn't want to stay here at home and do it, so we'll go down to the hospital and take care of it. You need those kind of friends, you know. All right. Which of you shall have a friend and shall go into him at midnight and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves? For a friend of mine in his journey has come to me, and I have nothing to say before him. Why didn't he say three? Delivered, would you believe that in prayer all three persons of the Godhead are involved? All three. The Lord Jesus said, we read it a moment ago in John chapter fourteen, and we'll repeat that. Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. The Father is to be glorified. The Son is to do it, and the Spirit will exercise it. The Spirit helps our infirmities, for we know now what we should pray for as we ought. Romans eight. So there the Spirit of God is helping us in our infirmities and stirring us up and exercising us. And so often we quench the Spirit. The Spirit would really communicate to us. We need to get in prayer. And the telephone rang. Do you believe the devil could get into a telephone? I believe that. I believe that. You think the devil could cause a baby to scream? I believe that. The devil well knows if we ever get out before God in our earnest need and calling on God, something's going to happen, and he doesn't want you to pray. You can read Scripture, you can witness, you can do every kind of thing on earth, but to pray. Let me tell you, the devil's going to fight you over it. He's going to fight you over it. You're paralyzed. He is going to paralyze you. If you allow him, and if I allow him, teach us to pray. Well, he says, okay, I'll give you an illustration. Certain man, and here's where the situation is going to be, which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight and say unto him, friend, let me in three loath. And he... Or he says, For a friend of mine is in a journey, it's come to me, and I have nothing to say before him, and he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not. The door is now shut. My children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give thee. Kind of a strange thing. They're with him in bed. But anyway, it shows the real unity of the family. That would be a disaster if all eight of us tried to get in one bed. Even these great big, what do you call them, the Kingside. That wouldn't even accommodate my family. But anyway, then I got some friends in the state of Minnesota who have thirteen kids. That would be a circus to try to... see all of them. I think we get the point, don't we? The real unity of the heavenly beings. And so he says, a friend of mine, and his journey has come, and I have nothing to say before him, lend me three loaves. And he from within shall answer and say, trouble me not. The door is now shut. My children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give thee. And I say unto you, though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend. Yet because of his impotuity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. So picture this in a everyday life situation. You go to your friend at midnight and you knock on the door. Friend, I've got a need. Say, how about getting up and loaning me three loaves? I've got some visitors. They've come and I haven't got any bread in my cupboard. And he says, don't bother me. It's time to be sleeping. Come see me some other time. And you know what we usually do? We go back home. Isn't that right? I think that's right. I think that's what we usually do. You know, that's what pray without ceasing means. It doesn't mean walking around in an attitude of prayer, as you've heard, though that's not a bad thing to do. That's a wonderful thing. I'm not condemning that. I'm just saying that's not what the verse says. That verse is saying when it says pray without ceasing, when you pray, you keep on praying until God gives the answer. Yes or no, or wait or whatever it is, but keep on praying. And that's what this illustration is given for. He is saying you're to keep on knocking. So you go to your friend at midnight, you say, look, let me some bread, give me some food, I've got some friends, I want to have a little party tonight, I need to serve some food, I'm in a real straight situation, how about getting up and giving me some food, he says, nothing doing, it's time to go to bed, and we leave. But suppose we said, look, friends, how about learning this to me? And after a while, the friend inside says, you know, that neighbor of mine, Oh, my soul, he's not going to let me sleep all night long. I've got to get up and give him something. I won't get a ounce of sleep at all. So what does he do? He rises up, not because he's his friend, but because he says I'm not going to get any sleep. Isn't that right? That's what that says. You read it. He said, my children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give me. It's time for sleep. It's not the ordinary time for getting up and getting bread. But the man says, lay me free loaves. I've got to have it. I must have it. Of course, you remember another story that our Lord was telling. He was telling about a certain judge. And a woman came and said, avenge me. Avenge me. And this judge said, well, you know, I don't really fear God or man. But said, if I don't do something for this woman, she's going to wear me out. I'm going to avenge her. Now, those two little stories that the Lord Jesus told us illustrate so vividly what God wants us to do in prayer. He says, do you have a burden? Keep on praying. Pray without ceasing until you get the answer. And so often we halt short of the real victory in prayer. We run the football up to the two-yard line, and then we lay it down and walk off the field and don't punch over the touchdown. God wants us to pray in prevailing prayer so that he will be able to give the answer in the right way. Because if He gives the answer when we're not in earnest, it would be conducive to adding to our delinquency. We all have plenty of this. Jesus said in this passage, And I say unto you, verse nine, Ask and it should be given you, seek, and you shall find knocking, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that receives, he that seeks, finds unto him the knock. It shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? If he asks the fish, will he... For if it's give him a serpent, he asked, an egg, will he offer him a scorpion. Ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children. How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that asked him? And then you parallel that with Matthew, and I think you'll get a real understanding of the context. Now notice in our passage, He says in verse eight, though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his opportunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needs. And verse nine, we must understand how to be in keeping with all the illustrations that the Lord has given us when he says, ask, it is the present tense Greek verb, meaning to ask and keep on asking. So literally translated, he would say, ask and keep on asking, and it shall be given you. Seek and keep on seeking, and you shall find. knock and keep on knocking, and it shall be opened unto you. Another illustration from the Old Testament that parallels that is in the book of Isaiah. If you'll notice back there with me, the Lord says something about this in Isaiah chapter sixty-two. And if you don't like to turn to it, I'll just read it for you. That's in verses six and seven. God says, I have set watchmen upon thy walls of Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day to night. They won't do it. What are they going to do? Look what he says. You that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest. The picture is, there is God. He should be resting at that hour, but you don't give him any rest. You keep on calling. You keep on crying out, and God's going to hear you. Give him no rest until he establishes and makes gruesome a praise in the earth. If I'm permitted, we'll cut the message off at the right time. But I have a little something I'm going to share tonight, and I may have to squeeze over a little into your time, hoping I can get by with it tonight. I want you to turn with me to the Old Testament, Book of First Kings. Do you remember in the Book of James? The writer in the fifth chapter tells us something about prayer. And it's there... that he mentions this dear man, Elijah, a most unusual place to find Elijah in the New Testament. But I'll tell you, that's exactly where he puts him in the book of James. He had said the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. That's James, one, five and sixteen. But he goes on to say, Elijah, Elias, there is Elijah, was a man subject to life passions as we are. And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain. Now James five chronologically is before first King seventeen. First King seventeen says, and Elijah the Tish-like, who was the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab. But James chapter five and verse seventeen takes us back to a time prior to that time. Now I know James five was written many, many years later than first King. But I'm saying the chronological times of the man's life in his prayer life, when he was praying, God, I close up the windows of heaven, precedes First King Seventeen. So if you go to First King Seventeen, you'll notice there something of the historical character of this man, Elijah. Elijah the Tishbite, who was the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I sin, there shall not be dune or rain these years, but according to my word. He had been before God. He had prayed. He got the answer from God. And he made the declaration. Now go with me quickly, if you will, to the second Kings. And let's just see if we can see something about this man, Elijah. Elijah has been instructed of God to have a follower and one to take his place. And that happens to be Elisha. And so we'll pick it up in second Kings chapter two and verse one. And we'll read several verses in this chapter. And it came to pass when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by whirlwind that Elijah went with Elijah. Elijah said unto Elijah, Say unto Elijah, said unto Elijah, Carry here I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel. Elijah said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elijah, and said unto him, Knoweth thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today. And he said, Ye, I know it, hold ye your peace. Be quiet. I know what God's going to do. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, Terry, here I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. And he said, as the Lord liveth and as I so liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went, they came to Jericho. Now watch where they're going from and to. They're going down the hill east toward Jordan. And that's the descent all the way from the highest area all the way down to the Jordan River, which really gets down the mouth of Jordan River is below sea level. And the sons of the prophets that were Jericho, came to Elijah, and said unto him, Knoweth thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today. And then amazing all these prophets knew what God was going to do with Elijah. And Elijah knew it too. And he said, Yea, I know it, hold ye your peace. And Elijah said, Verse six, carry I pray thee here, Elijah, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth and as I so liveth, I will not leave thee. And they too went on. And fifty men of the sons of the province went and stood the few far off, and they too stood in the Jordan. Now, can't you get... Here are the preachers over there. They got the binoculars and a telescope, and they're watching, and there those men proceeded. Right on down the Jordan. This is going to be a tremendous thing. And Elijah took his mantle, and he wrapped it together, and he smote the water, and they were divided hither and thither, so they two went over and dragged on. So Elijah just takes his mantle, and he just does it like that, and old Jordan just moves back. Dry ground. Get it. They too went over on dry ground. And it came to pass when they were gone over that Elijah said, And Elijah asked what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee. And Elijah said, I pray thee, let a double portion of, not God's spirit, thy spirit. That's very important. You can never get a double portion of the Holy Spirit. Everybody has the same portion. All right. Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon thee. And he said, thou shalt's a hard thing. Nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee... It shall be so unto thee, and it's not. It shall not be so. It came to pass as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and part of them both asunder. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven, chariot of fire, horses of fire, and a whirlwind, a tornado, and thus he goes. And Elijah saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes, and tore them in two pieces. And he took up the mantle of Elijah and went back. So he reached down and got it. Scripture says that he went back and stood before the bank of the Jordan. And he took the mantle of Elijah. Now I just imagine the preacher boys over there on the other bank are really scrutinizingly watching what's going to happen. They saw what Elijah did. They saw that Elijah's gone. They see that Elijah's left. And Elijah steps up to the Jordan. And he doesn't just do like that. He says, where is the Lord caught Elijah? Get it like that. And like that, Jordan rolled back. Now, beloved, here's what I want to say tonight. That's not your question. That's not my question. It is not our question. Where is the Lord God of Elijah? Every Christian in this room knows where the Lord is. Beloved, he was seen going back into the heavenly. Some watched him ascend right up into the glory. And those who stood by him, why the Pharaoh said, you men of Galilee, why send you gazing up into heaven? This name Jesus, which is taken up from you, shall so come in like manner as you've seen him go. We know where he is. He's seated at the right hand of the majesty. Does it be his name? He's the very God that wrote Jordan back. Elijah could say, where is the Lord God of Elijah? God manifested himself. The Lord God made it clear where he was. He was there in power. But tonight we know where he is. That's not our question. Our question tonight is this. And get a hold of it, if you will, brother and sister. Where are the Elijahs of the Lord God? Where are those that defying all thought and concept are willing to pray and trust God? And things happen. Can you imagine anything more disastrous to Israel as they say, Lord, stop the heavens and sin, no rain. And then Elijah stood out in front of Ahab and said, according to my word, there's not going to be a travel rain until I say so. Where are the Elijahs of the Lord God that pray in the will of God and get the answer from God? Where are the Elijahs of the Lord God that seek on the judgment of God and judgment fall? Here's what I'm saying. You say, that's the Old Testament. Yes, but here's what I'm saying. We have New Testament counterparts. Absolutely. When you turn to the Book of Acts, you cannot help but see how that prayer was answered over and over and over again. Now, bear with me. I'm confident dispensationally we're beyond the point of signed gifts. No one in this room believes that more than me. You may believe it as much, but no more. But it doesn't stop the hand of God. The Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither is ear-heavy, that he cannot hear. God is more than willing to hear us. And he wants to answer prayer, but he's still looking for those that will pray like Elijah did. Look, if you will, in the book of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel's day, decline had come. It had moved in until... It seemed there were so few left to stand for God, and judgment was on the way. They were right for judgment. Ezekiel chapter twenty-two, verses twenty-three, twenty-three, on down through a part of the rest. Well, maybe on down here to the end of the chapter. Ezekiel twenty-two, twenty-three, and the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto her, that is the land of Israel, that thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor reigned upon in the day of indignation. There is a conspiracy of her prophet in the midst thereof. Like a roaring lion ravening the praise, lived of our souls, has taken the treasure in precious things. They have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priest. Watch this one. Have violated my law and have profaned my holy things. I've choose and prefer the marginal rendering. I think it's more accurate to what I've been able to dig up on the Hebrew language. Here's how it stated in verse twenty-six, and that's the marginal reading in my Bible. Her priests have offered violence to my law. That's much worse. So give me an illustration. All right, I will. It's one thing for a person to be going down the highway, a citizen, the United States of America, going down the highway and in conversation with someone that he or she is traveling with and in absence and neglect does not notice that the seatometer is reading at sixty-five miles an hour. Is that a transgression? Sure is. No question about that. All right. That is a transgression. I would say that somewhat carelessness and accidental, something you didn't really plan to do, but you did. All right. But now it's quite another thing for a person to get on the highway and see that sign, it says, fifty-five miles an hour speed limit, and say, I don't like that law. I'm going sixty-five. Isn't there a difference? You say, wait a minute. Both translations. Yes, but look at the intent behind it. Much worse. Look how law they have become. Her priest have offered violence to my law. They said, God, we don't want your law. They put no difference between holy and profane. Neither have they showed difference between unclean and the queen, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbath, and I am profane among them. Her princes, in the midst thereof, are like wolves, raving the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls and get this on. James, look what the prophets did. Her prophets have doled them with untempered mortar, put it together with mortar that won't hold. Seen vanity, divining lies into them, saying, Thus says the Lord God, when the Lord has not spoken. The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery. the poor and needy. Yea, they've oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And God says, I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand on the gout before me for the land that I should destroy it. But I found none. You know my thought of this passage? Here's a little expression that comes to my mind. God's looking for a man. Can he find it that you and I? God's still looking for a man. Tonight he's looking for someone that will believe him about prayer. Elijah was a man that prayed in the will of God, a man that exercised himself in the judgment of God, declared and preached the judgment of God, a man that acted on the word of God. God said, look, I'm going to command the raising of the feet of you. Go down here to the creek. What did he do? Went down there and the red and said, he brought meat and bread, a man that depended on God. That's what we've got to do if we're going to pray and get anything out of our prayer life. Well, we could go to many passages. many places and get illustrations of prayer, but here's what I want to share with you tonight in closing. Three things that prayer will do for you and I as a Christian. Three things. Let's get it. Number one, prayer will give you a love for the Word of God. You cannot pray without bringing in the Word of God. Anytime you pray, you're going to bring in the Word of God. And the more you pray, the more precious this book is going to become to you. Turn in your Bible, if you will, to the book of Psalm, Division, One hundred and nineteen, verse forty-seven. Look at two verses there. Verses forty-seven and forty-eight. And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. My hands also will I lift up under thy commandments. And lifting up hands so often in the Old Testament was the symbol of prayer. My hands also will I lift up under thy commandments, which I have loved, and I will meditate in thy statutes. Look at verse ninety-seven. Psalm one hundred and nineteen, verse ninety-seven. Oh, how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Look at you, verse one thirteen. I hate vain thoughts, but thy law do I love. Look at verse one hundred and nineteen. Now put us away all the wicked of the earth, like draughts. Therefore I love thy testimonies. Verse one hundred twenty seven. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold. Ye above fine gold. Verse one hundred forty. Thy word is very pure. Therefore thy servant love of this. Verse one hundred fifty nine. Consider how I love thy precepts quicken me, O Lord, according to thy loving kindness. Verse one hundred sixty three. I hate and abhor a lying, but thy law do I love. And then verse one hundred sixty-five, great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. Now, beloved, there are hindrances to our prayer life. Obviously, you could see it in the book of first Peter chapter three. Husband, dwell with them that is your wife, according to knowledge, getting honor under the wife as under the weaker vessels, and being heirs together to the grace of life that your prayers be not hindered. First Peter three seven, things that could hinder our prayers. Listen to the psalmist. He said in Psalm sixty-six. He said, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Is there uncomfessed, unlimited, unrepentant of sin in our life? God says, forget it. Don't pray to me. Go fishing. I noticed the pole's up here. He just said, well, too. If you're not going to deal with a sin question, don't pray. Don't ask God for something. The proverb writer in Proverbs twenty-eight said, He that turns away is here from hearing the law. Even his prayer shall be abomination. God said, if you not going to listen to my word, don't you come around praying to me. It's that simple. Beloved, prayer will give us a love for the word of God. You remember Jeremiah said, Thy word were found, and I did eat them. Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. Oh, he said, I ate the word of God. It was food for my soul. And at the time that Jeremiah came through in his life, when he was ready to quit, he had the towel, so to speak. You know, I mean, I think that's the way we are many times. He said, Lord, I'm throwing the towel in. I'm through. What do you mean, Jeremiah? I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name. But he said, his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones. And I was weary of farbearing, and I couldn't hold out any longer. Couldn't say. I tell you, beloved, if we really pray, the word of God is going to become so precious to us because you see the word of God tells us how to pray and how to get an answer from God, that God wants to give an answer more than we want one. If we just knew somehow, if we just knew how much God wants to answer our prayer line, He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. He tells us in Ephesians. God wants to give answers to our prayers, and here we are in poverty. God says, why are you in poverty? I've told you to come and keep me awake. Give me no rest. Keep knocking at my door. Believe that I want to do this. You know, our concept of God will determine our kind of prayer. If we think of God as austere and judgmental and cruel and hard, we're not going to pay much. If we think of God as a loving Father who has a storehouse full that he wants to pour out on us, maybe we'll meet him at the throne of grace on our knees. Yes, prayer will give you love for the Word of God. Do you remember it is Job who said, I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. That is, the Word of God is to me more than the food it takes to say a life. And the psalmist could say, Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name. How precious the Word of God he comes to the person who really prays. Number two, prayer will not only give you a love of the Word of God, but prayer will give you, my beloved brother and sister, a loathing of sin. You ever really get in the closet, really alone with God? I mean no one around, physically no one around. And pray out loud, you know, where you hear your own voice. You can name those dark, ugly things, can't you? You know, good and well, there's some dark things that have surged through your soul, things that are so defiling you don't dare tell somebody else. But you know, a loving Father says, I want you to name those sins to me. I want you to name them. You confess them. If we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins. He said, I want you to agree with me. I know what it was. I watched you do it. I watched you think it. I watched you fail to do what you should have done. I'm aware of the whole thing. I simply want you to agree with me about it. You take my position. You take my attitude. You take my perspective about that thing. Agree with me in this matter. And I'll be gracious to forgive you and cleanse you. Prayer will give you a loathing of sin. Listen to David as he cries out, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. I tell you what, when he got in prayer, God reminded him of what a wretch he's been and helped him to confess it all and come clean. One little look, one little look started a chain of events that brought on horror and heartache to the home and life of David that didn't stop, didn't stop. Oh, the consequential results of sin, brethren, sister, as here old brother Otis Strickland used to say to you years ago, brethren, just don't do it. It's going to bring consequences in your life. Don't do it. But I'll tell you, if we really pray, it'll give us a loathing of sin. We'll begin to hate sin and see sin like God does. It was Job who said, I abhor myself, and I repent and dust and ashes. He had been so self-righteous. And I'll tell you, when he got in the presence of God, he began to see what sin was like. It was Isaiah when he got a glimpse of the Lord in glory, said, Woe is me, for I'm undone. For mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Prayer will give you a loathing of sin. But listen, brother and sister, there's a third one. And this is the one that I'd like us to really focus on for a few minutes. Prayer will give us a longing for souls. Do you realize there are people out here dying in their skin? They're going to hell faster than I can snap my finger. They're plunging off into eternity without any reversal, and they're going to be in the everlasting burning. And if you and I really will pray, God will give us a passion for souls. The psalmist could say, They that sow in tears shall reap in joy, he that go forth and weep us, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his seeds with him. I remember years ago I was concerned about an old man that lived across the street from the Baptist church where I was serving as Baptist pastor at that time. I tried to win it, old man. He was somewhat of an invalid because of a bad heart. And he had to be wheeled around the wheelchair. One day a friend of mine, a preacher friend of mine, kind of an independent, came over. He was a brother that was kind of, I believe it's connected, what we'd call commonly today a Pentecostal group, but he didn't know the gospel. He understood the gospel clearly. His name was John Webb. John came over one day to the study where I was, there at the building, the church building, knocked on the door, and I went to the door, and it was my friend John. I said, come in, John, what you got on your mind today? Or he said, John, I've got a soul on my heart. I want you to pray with me about it. I said, well, good, John, let's just get on our knees and start praying. And I said, before we start praying, would you mind telling me who it is, John? Yeah, he said, it's an old man that lives right across the street from the building here. I said, oh, is that right? I said, I've prayed for that man. I've witnessed to him. I don't know what to do for him. He said, let's pray. And we got on our faces, and I'll tell you what, it must have been nearly an hour before we could get up. And the old wood floor in my little office there was literally, not figuratively, literally wet with our tears. God seemed to pull the cover back and show me that soon that man was going to step into eternity. He had a bad heart, and at any time they were expecting him to go. And God began to reveal the reality of eternity. And I thought, oh God, here's a man that sits under the shadow of this building where the gospel is preached and he's not saved. And God broke my heart about it. John and I went before the Lord. We got up, off our knees, went across the street together, and I had the joy of opening gifts. two or three little simple passages of Scripture, and the men drank it in. And God saved him like that. Just that quick, saved him. And within about two weeks, he was in eternity. He saved. Coincidence. I don't think so. My brother was connected with the group. I won't use the name. I don't usually name names like that publicly. I myself was connected, and I'm not trying to use it in a bad sense. I'm just saying what I was connected with. Well, my brother was connected with a religious group that thought they were the only ones going to heaven. Incidentally, they taught that water baptism was necessary to be saved. My wife and I were kind of broke about that time. I was trying to go down and see my brother and talk to him about it. And I'll never forget. A friend of mine, a real friend, said, Don, you're wasting your time and your money going down to Fort Worth to talk to your brother. You know, he's connected with that group and they think they're the only ones going to heaven and you never can reach them. And I'll never forget what God put on my heart. I said to him, I said, but, sir, he's my brother and he's lost. And God broke my heart over my brother that he was dying in his sins, religious but lost. And I got on my face and said, Lord, tell me to witness to him and tell him the story of love. And I was completely out of money, had no gas, so I hitchhiked to Fort Worth in Louis, Texas. His wife hated the ground I walked on. She hated me worse than a snake, a rattlesnake at that. When I came through the door, She knew good and well what was going to happen. I was going to get in the Bible, and here we was going at it one more time. He'd argue one side, and I'd argue the other. But I wasn't going to give up. One night we went into about two-thirty or three in the morning. We finally went to bed. We were so exhausted we could hardly talk. Shortly after that, my brother came in. Short time after that. He said, you know what, Donald? He said, I've been saved. I've consolidated both the aircraft. We're working in engineering. on the fifty-foot aisle said there's some people out there preaching the gospel and one night God helped me to see I was lost even though I had baptism had religion the Lord suffered membership the whole thing said I was lost and I saw it and God saved me I thought hallelujah Then my sister was lost. He was a two-time loser too. My brother had been the same religion I was. He'd been that kind of group that I won't mention. And then he was still lost. And then God saved him. My sister had been with me in the Baptist. She was lost and she was lost. And she had joined up with the Methodist and she was still lost. And so I began to witness to her. And I drive about seventy miles to see her. We were having home Bible classes. She was still lost. Just religious as she could be. She invited. Had three preachers in. And those Bible studies were three preachers and all kinds of Bibles didn't save her. One night. She saw that she was condemned before Almighty God, and God caused her to tremble in her soul. And just a short time after that, she received Christ as her Lord and Savior. Now she's saved. What are you getting at? I'm saying prayer will give you a passion for souls. If we really pray, like God wants us to pray, we begin to see people in their sins, and we begin to see the eternal consequences. And I read the story years ago of a man in England who was an infidel who said there's no God. He said, if I could believe in hell like Christians say they believe in hell, I'd crawl across England, Great Britain, on my hands and knees to warn one soul from going to that place. I close out tonight saying, dear Christian friend, do we believe in hell? Or we say we do. Do we really believe it? If you remember, Jesus said there was a certain man named Lazarus, and he told a story about the rich man in Lazarus. And Jesus said that he was in hell. And just think, since that time, nearly two thousand years ago, that man's still in hell. I don't care what you believe about hell, he's still there. Still in hell. Crying out, Lazarus, I want you to dip the tip of your finger and want to prove a tongue. What a tragedy. He was so incensed by his suffering, he didn't realize he didn't have a tongue. Don't forget that's before the resurrection. Lazarus had no finger. The horrors and sufferings of hell are more than we'll ever know. But I think the worst yet, he said, Son, remember. Remember. They're going to remember in hell. They do remember in hell. But I wonder about us. Do we remember? Have we remembered our neighbors, our friends? Have we witnessed to them? Are our hands clean? Are they full of blood? May God help us to really pray. And if we do, I think we're going to get a love for the Word, a loathing of sin, and a longing for souls. May God help us to get after the lost. There's so many. We can't save them, but we can tell them. That's what their favor said, do you know? Shall we pray? Our Father, we thank thee for thy word. Lord, sometimes we just wonder how you could ever love us. We fail so much. We come so short of the will of God, and yet thou bid us to pray. We come confessing tonight, Father, first of all, and foremost, we've really neglected prayer. All of us, to some extent, some more than others. I would say, Lord, I have really neglected prayer. I feel that in the depth of my soul that I've really neglected one of the greatest privileges I have. Lord, something else we've neglected. We've neglected the word and we've gotten too friendly with sin and how we've neglected the loss. Father, help us to be a soul-winning assembly, reaching the loss with a passion for souls, remembering the Savior that said to a dear man many years ago, the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Oh God, we want to be out there seeking after the loss with the gospel. Every dear brother and sister in this assembly, we especially are thankful for the leaders, for the elders who take oversight, continue to encourage them, Lord, and all these dear saints, everyone that takes any part at all in the assembly, in any way, do bless and encourage for the real consciousness of the Lord's presence, who said, Lo, I'm with you all way. This evening, our thanks for our little time together. Trust that you'll take your word and really apply it to our hearts and lives. Cause us to be receptive to it. And, Father, where I've been so stumbling and failing, overrule for good, and bless thy dear saints in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you, and God bless you.