The Sunday Sermon

Teach Us to Pray ( Part 1)

by Billy Sunday 

Edited by R.P. Woitowitz Sr.  

“And so it was, that as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” 

The Gospel of Luke Chapter 11 Verse 1

We live and develop physically by exercise. We are saved by faith, but we must work out our salvation by doing the things God wills. The more we do for God, the more God will do through us. Faith will increase by experience.

If you are a stranger to prayer you are a stranger to the greatest test source of power known to human beings. If we cared for our physical life in the same lackadaisical way that we care for,our spiritual, we would be as weak physically as we are spiritually. You go week in and week out without prayer. I want to be a giant for God. You don't even sing; you let the choir do it. You go to prayer-meeting and offer no testimony.

You are a stranger to the great privilege that is offered to human beings. Some of the greatest blessings that people enjoy come from prayer. In earnest prayer you think as the Lord directs, and lose yourself in him. 

 

Some people say: "It's no use to pray. The Lord knows everything, anyway." That's true. He does. He is not limited, as I am limited. He knows everything and has known it since before the world was. [For what God knows, doesn't know, and chooses not to know, see omniscience]. We don't know everybody who is going to be converted at this revival, but that doesn't relieve us of our duty. We don't know, and we must do the work he has commanded us to do.

Others say: "But I don't get what I pray for." Well, there's a cause for everything. Get at the cause and you'll be all right. If you are sick and send for the doctor, he pays no attention to the disease, but looks at what produced it. If you have a headache, don't rub your forehead. In Matthew it is written, "Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7). If your prayers are not answered you may not be right with God. If you have no faith, if your motive is wrong, then your prayers will be in vain. Many times when people pray they are selfish. They are not gripping the word. I believe that when many a wife prays for the conversion of her husband it isn't because she really desires the salvation of his soul, but because she thinks if he were converted things would be easier for her personally. Pray for your neighbors as well as your own family.  Oh, the curse of selfishness! The Church is dying for religion, for religion pure and undefiled. Pure religion and undefiled is visiting the widow and the fatherless (James 1:27) and doing the will of God without so much thought of yourself. I tell you, a lot of people are fooling themselves these days. 

Isaiah says the hand of God is not shortened and his ear is not deaf (Isaiah 59:1). No, his hand is not shortened so that it cannot save. He has provided agencies by which we can be saved. If he had made no provision for your salvation, then the trouble would be with God; but he has provided, so trouble is with you.

In Ezekiel we read that men have taken idols into their hearts and put stumbling-blocks before their faces (Ezekiel 14:3). God is not going to hear you if you place clothes, money, pride of relationship before him. You know there is sin in your life. Many people know there is sin in their lives, yet ask God to bless them. They ought first to get down on their knees and pray, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13).

Some people are too contemptibly stingy for God to hear them. When you stand praying, forgive if you have aught against anyone. (Matthew 6:12-15; Matthew 18:21, 25; Luke 6:37; 2 Corinthians 2:7,10; 1John 1:9;) It's no use to pray if you have a mean, miserable disposition, if you are grouchy, if you quarrel in your home or with your neighbors. It's no use to pray for a blessing when you have a fuss on with your neighbors. ( Ephesians 4:26;)The spirit of God flees from strife and discord. (Proverbs 6:14, 19; Proverbs 29:22; Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 3:3; 1 Timothy 6:2-6; James 3:14-16;)

Prayer draws you nearer to God. ( Psalm 73:28; Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 10:22; Hebrews 13:6; )