275 - Correctly Entering Your Prayer Mode#
275 - Correctly Entering Your Prayer Mode
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic we are sharing is how to correctly enter your prayer mode.
Matthew 6:5-8,
5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for preparing such a wonderful time for us to share Your words together. Please guide us to learn how to pray correctly, knowing that our prayers are heard by You. Before You, we open our prayer lives. Please You guide this time, let the Holy Spirit lead each person's heart, renewing our thoughts and intentions through these words. Thank You and praise the Lord! Bless this time, we pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord! Today I will teach you how to pray correctly.
Many people may have many definitions of prayer, but prayer is very simple. Prayer is communication with God. It can also be said that it is our expression of certain intentions to God, or expressing gratitude to God, or asking God for something. All of these are prayer. But those hypocrites elevate themselves through prayer.
Even today, many people set many procedures in prayer: to get what you ask for, you must go through several steps before achieving that result. In this case, many people lose confidence in prayer, not knowing whether their prayers align with God's will or not. This creates a lot of confusion, and many people begin to imitate those who pray a lot, thinking that God has accomplished things for them because of their many prayers.
Some say, "They have gifts, so God has accomplished things for them." But look at the hypocrites mentioned in the Bible; they use prayer to elevate themselves, enjoying standing in the synagogues, not to be heard by God. Brothers and sisters, remember: our God is not deaf. Even if you pray very softly, He can hear you. There is no need to shout loudly as if to collapse the whole building for God to hear; that is unnecessary.
Hypocrites like to stand in synagogues and on street corners, places where people come and go. Their purpose is to be seen by others. Brothers and sisters, is our prayer meant to be seen by others? What will people say when they see him pray like this? They hope people will praise them because the street corners and synagogues are public places. Their prayers are not meant for God to hear, but for people to see, to reveal themselves.
So Jesus said they have already received their reward, aiming for people to praise them. After people see them, they say, "Look how pious they are, praying more than ten hours a day." They have already received their reward. Is your prayer meant for people to praise you?
If it is not for the praise of others, we should pay attention to what prayer is for and how to pray. Today's scripture also tells us that Jesus began to speak to His disciples, "When you pray, go into your room," which means a place where no one sees you. This place is in contrast to the synagogues and street corners. We are gathering and praying here, where everyone can see, but after the meeting, when you go home, your prayer is known only to God; that is true prayer.
You shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Here, the metaphor of the inner room is that no one knows, praying solely to the Heavenly Father. You are not praying for someone to know, but simply praying to the Lord. Amen!
Now I want to share with you who our prayer object is. Some people have believed in the Lord for many years but do not understand to whom they are praying. Some say, "Sometimes I pray to the Heavenly Father, sometimes to Jesus, sometimes to the Holy Spirit." To whom should we pray? They each have different roles; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work differently. So, to whom should we pray?
Our prayer object is the Heavenly Father.
At first, we say "Heavenly Father," expressing some things to Him. Some say, "What if I don't know how to pray?" The Holy Spirit is your helper. After praying, we should use Jesus' name; all prayers are ultimately prayed in the name of Lord Jesus.
Now you should understand, right? The Trinity is one, but their roles are different. Our prayer object should be the Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit can help you pray, and the accomplishment is through praying in Jesus' name.
Romans 8:26-28,
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
This passage actually tells us that when we do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit can help us. It says the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Does this mean we do not need to pray? Many Christians say, "I have believed in the Lord for many years, but I do not know how to pray, so I seek the pastor to pray for me. When something happens, I do not know how to pray, Pastor, can you pray for me?"
After pushing this matter onto the pastor, they stop praying. Some even read this passage and say, "Since the Spirit Himself makes intercession for me with groanings which cannot be uttered, let Him pray for me, and I do not need to pray." This is incorrect. In the original text, "the Spirit makes intercession with groanings which cannot be uttered" refers to speaking in tongues. The meaning here is that the Spirit prays with us in tongues.
So when someone says, "Brother, I do not know what to do about this matter; can you pray for me?" You must encourage them: "Let us pray together." Never let others develop a bad habit: "Okay! I will pray for you." As a result, that person stops praying. If that matter does not come to pass, they will say, "You are not capable!" In fact, the issue lies in the method. We should know: it is the Heavenly Father who accomplishes our prayers. The Holy Spirit knows our weaknesses, but that does not mean we do not need to pray after we are weak. When we do not know how to pray, we can use tongues; the Holy Spirit knows God's intentions.
Verse 27 says, "He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is." He who searches the hearts refers to our Heavenly Father. The Father knows the mind of the Spirit. Even if you do not know what tongues are or what you are praying about, God knows. Do not say that tongues are useless; they are very effective.
Last time I shared a testimony about casting out demons; you should know that tongues are powerful. Because the Spirit makes intercession for the saints according to God's will, when we do not know how to pray, we can pray in tongues. At that time, the Spirit translates what you want to say to the Father, praying according to your original intention. This does not mean you do not need to pray; you need to pray with the Holy Spirit.
Verse 28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God."
This means that when you do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit can help you; if you do not know how to pray, your brothers and sisters can accompany you in prayer. This is what it means for all things to work together. Why do we need to intercede for one another? Because everyone has a different level of understanding of Jesus, and faith varies.
The Holy Spirit's guidance on the same matter is not completely the same for us. Do you understand this? Even if you say, "I do not know what to do," for example, if you are sick, do not ask the pastor, "Should I take medicine or pray? Or should I see a doctor?" You are putting the pastor in a difficult position; no one can give you an answer.
If it were according to my faith, I would say, "No need to go to the hospital; just pray." If you follow my current way and pray at home, struggling hard, and end up dying, whose responsibility is that? Brothers and sisters, indeed, there are confused people who have lost their lives. Everyone's faith is different; the Holy Spirit will guide you according to your faith.
In the matter of healing, there are three methods: taking medicine, going to the hospital, and praying at home. It depends on each person's faith.
People's faith is different. Some hear such teachings and say, "I believe my Lord can do all things; God will definitely heal me." After praying, they find there is still no effect and say, "Maybe taking some medicine is better." Their faith is now in the medicine, and after praying, they go take the medicine.
Here is a suggestion: bless the medicine in the name of the Lord Jesus before taking it. The reason I say this is that not everyone will get better after taking medicine. Those whose faith is in medicine can bless the medicine in the name of the Lord Jesus before taking it.
Some people, after praying, feel the need to go to the hospital. How should they pray? The Holy Spirit's guidance is: "Lord, prepare the best doctor for me, who can see where my illness is." You can pray like this on your way to the hospital, entrusting everything to the Lord.
Some believe "God will definitely heal me," and do not use the first two methods, just praying at home and letting God heal them. These are three different levels of faith, and it should be based on individual circumstances; do not imitate others. In this matter, do not be influenced by others.
Some say, "If you take medicine or see a doctor, it means you have no faith; only praying at home and being healed by God counts as faith." This is incorrect. Faith is where the Holy Spirit will personally guide you; it is about what your first feeling is after praying. If you do not know how the Holy Spirit guides you, after praying, you will always have a feeling, right? Just act according to that feeling.
Your Father who sees in secret will reward you. In places where your eyes cannot see, God is real there. You must believe in God's promises and not rely on feelings. After praying, if you feel you are not better, relying on feelings will cause problems; you believe in God's promises. Many people rely on feelings when praying, especially when a certain denomination says, "I feel all tingly when I pray; I am healed." This feeling sometimes exists, sometimes does not. Is prayer for finding feelings? No.
Prayer, whether or not there are feelings, is within God's promises, and that is enough. For example, if you just received a marriage certificate today, is there any difference in feeling between today and tomorrow? The mood at that moment is different, but the world remains the same. Even if you do not feel anything, the matter is still accomplished. God's words are written in the Bible; do not rely on feelings to receive. Relying on feelings will cause problems; rely on faith.
1 Kings 19:11-12,
11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
This is the situation where Elijah meets God. Many people actually expect our sensory perception to have strong stimulation, saying, "This is great." When our God told Elijah to come out, a great wind passed by, and we think this is God. But what did God say? He was not there. The Lord was not in the wind; after the wind, there was an earthquake, and we think God speaks and the earth shakes; how magnificent! But what does the Bible say? God was not in it. God does not want you to rely on sight and feelings; you may feel God is in it, but He is not there.
After the earthquake, there was fire, and the fire seemed very large, but God was not in it. God was not in any of these; after all that, there was a still small voice. How do you know that voice? Brothers and sisters, has God spoken to you? That voice does not come from the outside; it comes from within. Has God spoken to you? He is not influenced by external circumstances; the outside may be very noisy, but when a voice comes from within, you will clearly know that it is the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Amen!
Let us share a small topic: Prayer is not about the number of times, but about faith.
Do not ask whether your prayer has faith; faith comes from the words of Christ. It depends on how much we understand God's words. Continuously listening to Christ's words will naturally produce faith.
Do not focus on whether you have faith; just keep listening to Christ's words, and faith will arise, just like you eat food continuously until you are full. How many people think about how many bites it will take to be full when they take the first bite of food? You eat because you enjoy the food or are hungry; during the process of enjoying the food, you do not know how many bites it takes to be full. Faith is produced in the same way; keep listening to God's words, and one day you will find you have faith; faith has already arisen.
If you focus on when you will be full, you will deviate from the reason you eat. So, brothers and sisters, let us focus on continuously listening to God's words. When Jesus spoke about prayer, the society at that time had a lot of religions, each with its own way of praying. Therefore, when Jesus taught His disciples, He said, "You shall not pray like the Gentiles." What did the Gentiles do? Let us take a look.
"You shall not pray like the Gentiles, using many repetitions. They think that they will be heard for their many words. You shall not imitate them."
Brothers and sisters, our Lord is different from them. The Gentiles use many repetitions; why do they use many repetitions? Do they think they can move God by their actions? "I have been praying there for forty days..." This sounds familiar. They rely on these to try to move our God because they have nothing else to say, so they keep repeating, "Save me, save me, save me," not knowing when God will hear their prayers, so they keep repeating.
The repetition used here, in Greek, is like a stutterer speaking, producing a monotonous and repetitive sound. Their prayers are always monotonous and repetitive, and this kind of prayer has only sound but no meaning. Listening to them pray is like hearing the monotonous, repetitive sound of water rushing over stones.
The Greek language uses this metaphor to tell us that the prayers of the Gentiles are actually monotonous and repetitive, and even they feel that these are meaningless words, trying to move their gods with this behavior, thinking that saying it many times will definitely have an effect and will be heard. But this kind of prayer is useless and should not be imitated. Amen!
Jesus reminds the disciples why the Gentiles use repetitive words in prayer. "They think that their many words will be heard." This is the thinking of the Gentiles. Brothers and sisters, I do not know if you have had this thought since believing in the Lord: that if you pray for a long time, God will definitely listen? You are using the method of Gentiles worshiping false gods, thinking that many words will be heard. This is not worth imitating. It is not that praying a lot is bad, but if you keep repeating, that is useless.
Do not learn this method from the Gentiles; their attitude reflects the attributes of their gods and their understanding of their gods. In their minds, their gods are high above and not easily approachable, so they use many repetitions to try to move their gods. The world calls this "sincerity moves the spirit." Worshiping false gods often uses these four words, and this matter has not been accomplished because your heart is not sincere.
What does it mean to be sincere? You must go on the first and fifteenth days, and you must persist for a year; is that still relying on actions? After going, you do not know what to do; you just sit there, thinking, "Today I came, and I have already spent an hour," and then you go back. This is the worship method of foreign gods. Our Lord does not want us to do this. Some even use self-affliction to gain sympathy from their gods.
The Bible once recorded a passage about Elijah battling the false prophets of Baal.
1 Kings 18:27-28,
27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28 So they cried aloud and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances until the blood gushed out on them.
The disciples of Baal prayed like this. Do we think these people worshiping false gods are obsessed and foolish? Looking back, have we ever used this method: fasting to threaten God? I do not know if you have done this; in the past, I have. When a prayer did not come to pass, I heard the pastor say that if ordinary prayer does not work, then fast. Fast for one day; if that does not work, then three days; if that does not work, then seven days.
In the end, I said, "God, please accomplish this quickly; if You do not accomplish it, I will starve myself." Is there any difference between this and worshiping false gods? Moreover, some people fear that God cannot hear them, so they come to church and shout loudly, "Heavenly Father! Can You hear me?" Using a particularly loud voice to pray to God, our God is not deaf. Even if you pray silently, He can hear you. Many people treat Jesus as another idol to worship, using the wrong method of idol worship.
Jesus prayed loudly to the Heavenly Father only once, on the cross, when He prayed loudly, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Then He breathed His last. This was the only time Jesus prayed loudly to the Heavenly Father in three and a half years.
Do we need to pray loudly to the Heavenly Father? No, whether in a loud or soft voice or silently, my Heavenly Father can hear. Jesus warned the disciples: do not imitate the chaotic prayer methods of the Gentiles; our Heavenly Father is different from their gods.
"Before you pray, your Father already knows what you need." Everyone must correctly understand this sentence. Many people say, "Then I understand, before I pray, my Father already knows what I need, so why should I pray?" Such people are going to extremes. Just because the Father knows does not mean you do not need to pray. Do you understand?
I will give you the simplest example. I have two children, and I bought a bag of candy prepared for both of them. Whenever they say, "Daddy, I want to eat candy," I will give it to them. Do you understand? If they do not ask, I will not force it on them. Our Lord respects your choice very much. The Heavenly Father knows when you need it, but He hopes you will open your mouth and ask Him. We really need to pray, not because we pray that we are loved by God, but because you are loved by God, you pray to the Heavenly Father.
Just like a couple, do we talk to each other because we are husband and wife? Isn't that problematic? It is because we are willing to talk that we talk. Our prayer to the Heavenly Father is the same; we pray to Him because we want to, not because it is prayer time, and we must pray.
It is like two people making a pact: every morning from eight to nine is talking time. Do you think their relationship is close? But many times we set our relationship with God like this: at five in the morning is prayer time, no matter what, we must get up and pray to God until six o'clock, and then go to work, and not pray at other times; that time is enough.
Between us and the Heavenly Father, we can pray whenever we want. This reflects your relationship with the Heavenly Father. The more you pray, the closer your relationship with the Heavenly Father is, and you are willing to talk to Him; it is that simple, with no other reason. Many people are influenced by others and find it hard to break free from religious influences, especially in prayer, where they may intentionally or unintentionally imitate others' methods, such as using specific language, thinking that is what God likes; or specific postures, thinking that praying while kneeling is faster than standing or lying down. Does posture matter? Many people say, "When you pray, kneel down and say, 'Lord, have mercy on me.'" Is that posture pious enough? Who told you that kneeling is necessarily pious? If you are kneeling there but do not know what you are thinking, what use is that? It is of no use at all.
There is a person in the Bible whose prayer is indeed very unique, which is Peter. When Peter prayed, he was flat on the ground, his whole body lying down. Peter liked this way of praying. Do you think, "I have not been answered in prayer for so many years because I did not lie flat"? Does that matter? It does not matter.
There are also specific locations; some say, "Go pray under the Mark's house; it will definitely be accomplished because the Holy Spirit descended there at the beginning; that place is different." So many people go to Israel just to pray under Mark's house. Is that necessary? Many people say, "Praying in church will definitely be answered."
None of these things matter. We should not be influenced by those foreign religious practices. They think, "Talking about these practical things is good; let me pray anywhere by faith; I cannot accept that." They think relying on faith is too abstract and not practical enough.
In fact, whether your prayer receives God's response does not depend on how many words you say, how loud or soft your voice is, or whether you are in a certain place or posture; none of these things matter at all. The key is how much you believe in God's promises. Whether you believe in God's promises is the most important condition for your prayers to be answered. This is the correct way; you must believe in God. How can you believe in God? It is actually believing in God's words. Let us look at a passage of scripture.
Romans 8:31-32,
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Many people have read this passage, right? Let me ask a question: Why does Paul say, "What then shall we say to these things?" It means there is nothing more to say. If God is for us, who can be against us? Does God want to help you? Yes, why does He want to help you? The reason is simple: you are loved by Him. How do you know you are loved by God?
Look at this passage: "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all." If you replace this passage with yourself, "He who did not spare Jesus, but delivered Him for me," in other words, does God really not love Jesus? Then why did He deliver Him? Because God loves you. He had to give up His Son to save you; this is the only way to pour His love unconditionally upon you. If you accept this, all blessings are yours, isn't that right? The evidence of the Bible is already here. Can you believe it? What others say is not important; what matters is whether you believe it aligns with the Bible.
Did God give His Son for you? Yes. You know God loves Jesus, and God loves you. He has already given Jesus for your sins; He has already died on the cross. The blessing that follows is also for you: "How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Brothers and sisters, has God saved your life? When you encounter problems today, will God care? Yes, for example, your child, you have the ability to give birth to the child; will you not be able to raise him? No.
Now that our lives are saved by God, He will also take care of our lives. He will not let you live alone; He is willing to help you. You look to Him, let Him give you wisdom to understand these matters, and you can rest in Him. The latter part says, "How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" God has given Jesus to you, and at the same time, He has also freely given you all things, which means He is willing to give you without you paying a price.
Is this a fact? You must first believe this. It does not matter if you do not see it yet; just believe that He is willing to give it to you. Which is more important? If you had to choose between all things and Jesus, which would you choose? You should ask yourself this question. Peter was a smart man. When Jesus told Peter to launch out into the deep and let down his nets for a catch, he caught so many fish that two boats were filled. Peter did not want the fish anymore; he recognized that there was someone more important than the fish. This young man (Jesus) has extraordinary power and can produce an infinite number of fish.
At that moment, Peter's eyes were opened, and he said, "Lord, I am a sinful man; please depart from me." Did he really want Jesus to leave? He realized he had been blind: how he viewed Jesus before was wrong. He was a sinful man; please depart from me; I am truly unworthy of Your care.
Jesus said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Peter knew that following Jesus meant he would have fish to eat. Even children know that following Jesus means having fish to eat. This means that when you follow Jesus, all things will follow you. Amen!
Do not focus on the fish; focus on Jesus. Now, when you encounter problems in life, do not always focus on the problem itself, but ask whether Jesus can solve it. When you see Jesus, you will know there is nothing to worry about. Even if today is the least suitable day for fishing, as long as Jesus is there, His words are there, I do not need to worry. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord!
Let us share the second point: Use your authority to pray.
Mark 11:23-24,
23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
This passage is very important. You all know Pastor Gan Jianxin; he used this passage to save his life and his livelihood. He has been pastoring for sixty years without taking medicine. When he was a teenager, he had a blood disease and heart disease, and the doctor said, "You will not live for a month."
At that time, someone gave him a Bible and said, "Look at this book; it might help you." They did not tell him who Jesus was. He read the Old and New Testaments, thinking the Old Testament was so thick that he could not finish it in a month; he might die, so he started with the New Testament. He read here, "He who does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." At that time, he was a teenager, almost unable to get out of bed. He used all his strength to crawl out of bed, holding onto the bed, and said, "I believe I am healed." Instantly, his illness disappeared.
Brothers and sisters, the scripture depends on how you use it. Do you have authority? You have read this passage, right? But how many problems in your life has this verse solved? You know so many scriptures; how many verses have truly solved your problems? Even if you grasp one, that is enough. The fear is that you know too much, can recite thousands of verses, but do not use any; that does not help you much.
Here it says, "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart." Brothers and sisters, what makes your prayers ineffective? Doubt. How do we know whether we are in doubt or not? It is very simple: after you pray, are you worried or not? You know.
For example, many people have been healed after listening to my preaching; this is a fact. Once, I went to a church and shared a testimony that had just happened not long ago. After they heard it, they said it was great. An old lady said to me, "Can you pray for me? My illness is similar to that person's." I said, "Okay, do you believe? I will heal you in the name of Lord Jesus." She said, "I completely believe." I said, "In the name of Lord Jesus, I command this illness to leave your body now." When I was about to leave, the old lady followed me and said, "Brother Ren, do not forget to continue praying for my illness." Did she really believe? She said she believed, but in reality, she had not let it go in her heart.
How many people find this pastor to pray, then find another pastor, and finally say, "Why is there no effect?" Because you have never truly believed in God's words; you have always been looking at whether people can do something for you, so doubt is the problem. If you do not doubt, but believe that what you say will be done, it will be done for you. Here it says, "Only believe what he says will be done." Who is saying this? Is it the Lord?
Look at the grammar; whoever says to this mountain, it is the one praying who is speaking, not saying, "Lord, please speak to this mountain and let it disappear." God does not do such things; God says, "You speak!" Do you understand? You must speak to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea.' If you do not doubt, but believe what you say will be done, it refers to the words you speak, when you place your hand on yourself and say, "In the name of Lord Jesus, I command this illness to leave my body now."
If you believe this sentence and do not doubt, God will surely accomplish it for you. Amen! I specifically checked the Greek original text because I was afraid I might misinterpret this passage, thinking it was God speaking. In Greek, it is stated that only believe what he says will be done; here, "he" is in the indirect object form, meaning it is not God actively speaking; it is connected to what was said before. Only believe what he says will be done means what he himself says will be done, which is still our own words. Amen!
You must be sure of what you say. If you are someone who often jokes, you will not believe what you say. If you often curse others, you will not believe what you say. You must often use your mouth to speak God's words. Amen!
2 Corinthians 4:13, "And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, 'I believed, and therefore I spoke,' we also believe and therefore speak."
Everyone expresses what we believe. The words you often say are actually what you believe in your heart. "Oh, it is so hot; why is the world like this? This life is unbearable." This is what you believe; you are just expressing what you believe.
When in such an environment, what should you do? You should speak out the results you want, rather than describing the current terrible state. Some will say, "If we believe in everything Jesus accomplished on the cross, then when we pray now, how many times should we pray?" This passage has already given everyone the answer. The mountain here can be understood as the huge problems you encounter or the insurmountable difficulties. When you encounter these, do not complain about your environment or others; instead, turn to God in prayer. The way to pray is not to beg and plead, but to declare.
Let me give you an example; let us look at Exodus 14:15-16,
15 And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea."
Is the difficulty real? There is the Red Sea in front and the pursuing army behind; what should we do? Everyone comes to God and says, "Lord, please open a way for me!" hoping God will act. But here, who does God tell to act? "Why do you cry out? Tell the children of Israel to go forward."
Moses hoped God would act: "Please say a word to the Israelites and divide the waters." God said, "You do it." Now can you understand this meaning? Many times we say, "Lord, You do this." God says, "You do it." How does God want you to do it? Command; just speak, and it will be fine. "Tell the children of Israel to go forward; lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it." All of this is for Moses to do, and this point is very important.
Why do some people's prayers have no effect? They always want the Lord to do it: "Lord, please change my wretched husband; Lord, please change my rebellious son; Lord, You do it." God says, "Why do you not go?" He wants you to command; He wants you to stretch out your rod, and you will see the results. Hallelujah!
When Moses truly stretched out his rod toward the Red Sea, the waters divided. If he still knelt there, saying, "Lord, have mercy on me; please come down from heaven and divide the waters," nothing would happen. God wants you to act. God has given you authority; He hopes you will act. The authority is to declare against your problems, to speak out the results you want; you must speak to your mountain, not plead with God. How many Christians come to God when they encounter problems: "Lord, have mercy on me! Lord, please help me." God says, "You get up and do it!" You must speak, not let God speak.
If he does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will be done, it will be done for him. So what should we do when we doubt? When you doubt, do not condemn yourself, saying, "I have little faith; the Lord will surely not answer my prayer..." When you doubt, continue to listen to the Word and continue to declare.
Now do not ask me, "Should I declare once or ten times?" It does not depend on the number of times; it depends on whether you have doubt after praying and declaring. If you have doubt, continue to declare and continue to listen to the Word. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord! Therefore, imitating others in prayer does not work; you must believe in God's promises, continuously listen to the Word, and then speak out what you believe. Amen! You believe that what you say will be done, and God will accomplish it for you.
Last week, I shared a testimony in our group. A person who listened to my sermon on communion was healed of uremia, and someone asked me, "Teacher Ren, please quickly send me that sermon on communion so I can listen to it too." Have you encountered such people? They hear a certain sermon and get results; some have financial turnarounds, some are healed, and some have harmonious families, and they want you to quickly find that sermon for them to listen to.
Brothers and sisters, this is being picky; it is like saying, "I have ten loaves of bread, and I say, 'After eating this mouse-shaped bread, I will be full.'" They say, "Quickly give me that bread." If you give it to them, can they be full? No, they still will not be full. The person is the result of continuously listening to the Word; they just want to pick one sermon, thinking they can take a shortcut.
Is there a shortcut to faith? At that moment, you may feel you have faith, but when you go home, you quickly lose that faith. There is no shortcut to this matter. However, some people insist on finding such sermons to listen to. After listening, they say, "I have also listened to the Word; I have also declared; why is there no effect?" Is it because they have no faith?
If you say they have no faith, they will immediately feel condemned. It is because they have too much doubt inside. Such people have doubt and do not have certainty about God's promises. What the Bible says, they do not know; how can they have faith and assurance? This person is told this, and they say yes; tomorrow someone tells them that, and they say yes. They do not have certain faith, so such people will still worry after praying, wondering whether God will accomplish it. The reason is that they know too little about God's words, which leads to constant doubt.
Let me illustrate with an example to deepen your impression. Never blame the problem on whether they have faith; it is because their understanding of God is too little and their doubts are too many. Suppose two people are planting apple trees at the same time. One person often waters, fertilizes, and weeds. When harvest time approaches, he knows that this year there will definitely be many fruits. He also knows that it is not about asking the tree to bear fruit every day that will result in fruit because the time has come. I continuously supply this tree; it will surely bear fruit, and it indeed bears many fruits as he hoped.
The other person believes that the apple tree will definitely bear many fruits because the seed of the tree is very good; there is no problem. However, he does nothing. When he sees that someone else's tree bears many fruits, he asks, "Can you tell me what brand of fertilizer you used? I will also buy that fertilizer and apply it to my tree so that it will bear the same fruit as yours tomorrow."
Brothers and sisters, will he be able to bear fruit like that person? No, is it a problem with the fertilizer? This person has great faith, believing that God has accomplished everything. Just tell me which sermon to listen to, and I will listen to that one, and tomorrow I will get the same result. Can it work?
He is full of hope that tomorrow there will be abundant fruit. When he looks the next day, nothing has happened. Is it because the tree is ungrateful? Is there a problem with the God we believe in? No. Brothers and sisters, can you understand the meaning of this story now? Faith does not suddenly grow and bear abundant fruit through a certain sermon. It is not like that; it is the accumulation of daily life, where faith continuously grows. Perhaps one of your prayers will come to pass. Amen!
Does it seem particularly simple? It is a very easy thing, but if you just imitate others without knowing that they have been continuously nourished and filled with God's words inside, that is the difference. I advise everyone not to be that kind of person. Many people always ask, "I have this problem now; which sermon should I listen to? What kind of declaration should I make?"
I see that person declaring like this; why is it that when I declare in the same way, nothing happens? In fact, it is about continuously listening to the Word. The more you know about Jesus, the more your declarations will reach what this article says today: believe that what you say will be done, and God will surely accomplish it for you. Amen!
If you are imitating others, after imitating, you will still have doubts and ask, "Should I declare once or continuously?" Brothers and sisters, if someone next to you asks, "Which sermon should I listen to? How many times should I declare?" it is because they have doubts inside. If there are no doubts inside, one prayer is already enough.
I often suggest to everyone, when listening to sermons, you must listen in order, especially my series of sermons, such as Romans, Ephesians, Philippians, etc. These series of sermons must be listened to repeatedly. This way, you can comprehensively understand the power of our Lord Jesus because one sermon cannot cover all of God's attributes. In one hour of gathering, only a little bit of God's attributes can be discussed. However, listening in order and repeatedly will lead to an increasing understanding of Jesus Christ's power, authority, and love. However, none of these can be fully covered or explained in one sermon.
Today, I am talking about prayer; time is limited, and I have not mentioned other things. However, when we read the Bible, pray, and gather, continuously getting to know our Lord Jesus, when you pray, you will be filled with faith. This faith is not something you just have now; it is something you have accumulated before. The more you know about Jesus, the more you will bear the fruit of believing correctly.
In the four Gospels, Jesus always preached first and then healed people. He hopes people focus on prayer, not on the person. If you focus on a certain pastor who has power and go find him, you should listen to what he says about Jesus. This way, wherever you go, you can use Jesus' power. Hallelujah!
If you have such faith, perhaps one prayer will yield results. This is not a trade-off. You ask, "Is it not by our prayers that we trade for results?" It is about how much you know Jesus Christ. If you still have doubts after praying, do not condemn yourself or say, "Is my prayer not in line with God's will?" Put all these aside; it may just be doubt. When you have doubts, continue to listen to the Word, continue to pray until you no longer have doubts. Amen! Just believe that what you prayed has already been accomplished; if you believe, that is enough.
1 Samuel 1:12-18,
12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!" 15 But Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now."
17 Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him." 18 And she said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Did this matter come to pass? She prayed, "Lord, give me a child." Did this matter come to pass? It came to pass. Did Hannah become pregnant now? Not yet; she gave birth to Samuel a year later. This means that even when everything has not yet seen fulfillment, she believed that God had heard her. Now I ask you, does Hannah still need to come to the temple and say, "Lord, have mercy on me"? Does she need to pray like that anymore? No, this matter has already been accomplished. Hallelujah! Once is enough. If you pray once and still feel uneasy, continue to pray until you no longer have sorrow; this matter has already been accomplished.
Did Hannah pray loudly? No, she only prayed silently, but she believed God had already heard her, especially after Eli spoke, "May the Lord bless you; you may go in peace." She believed that God had already heard her prayer and had promised her. Hallelujah!
I advise everyone not to focus on yourself, wondering whether you have faith or how many times you need to pray...
You should develop the habit of praying, reading the Bible, and listening to sermons regularly, and faith will arise, resting in peace. No matter what you encounter, you will not carry worries; God's peace will always fill you.
Let us look at a passage of scripture that you can meditate on this week: 2 Peter 1:2-4,
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
May grace and peace be multiplied to you; how is it added to you? Because you know God and our Lord Jesus. In other words, if you want to receive more grace and peace from God, you must know our Lord Jesus more. Hallelujah! It is not about asking yourself, "Why do I have no faith? Why do I receive so little grace from God?" It is very simple; you know too little about God. What you need to do is to get to know God more, not to ask, "Is it because my prayer is not good?" Do not look for reasons within yourself; go and know God more. Hallelujah!
God's divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Why does God give us all these things? It is because we know Him who called us by His glory and virtue. Peter is telling us a central point here: the more we know our Lord, the more grace and peace will be filled in you. Hallelujah!
When you know God's promises and His words more, you will escape the corruption that is in the world through lust and partake of the divine nature of God. This means that God's nature has power, authority, and glory, and these will be manifested in you. Hallelujah!
This week, you can meditate on this passage. Say, "Lord, I want to know You more through listening to sermons, gathering, and reading the Bible, continuously getting to know Lord Jesus." Faith will naturally arise, and you will possess God's nature in all things in life, just like Jesus, filled with power, and will stretch out your rod to solve your mountain problems. Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for helping every brother and sister through these words. Our prayers are heard by God, not because our actions are good, or our prayers are many, or our words are sufficient, but because we believe in God's promises, which will surely be accomplished in our lives.
Lord, You give me a heart that is willing to draw near to Your words every day. Please help me, as a new week begins, to believe that Your grace is with me. I am willing to experience Your grace more, experience Your peace, and experience Your great power. Thank You and praise the Lord! All glory be to You. We pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!