In this sermon, Dr. K.P. Johannon emphasizes the importance of changing our thinking about God when we pray. He shares his personal experience of wasting time praying to a distant and judgmental God. Jesus, on the other hand, teaches us to approach God as our loving Father. The key to effective prayer is understanding and believing in God's love for us.

It's time once again to bring you The Road to Reality with Dr. K.P. Yohannan. Great to have you with us as we return to a message K.P. delivered recently all about prayer. Today we're going to find Jesus teaching his disciples and us how to pray. This prayer Jesus is about to give us really serves as a beautiful model for us. So if you would join us, Matthew chapter 6, as Jesus, the master teacher, shows us how to communicate with our Lord and get on the journey of prayer. What is the confidence we have when we pray? Please, may I beg of you, change your thinking about this God that you pray to. And I say this to you because how many tons and thousands hours have I wasted praying and crying out to a God who is no different than the gods of dead rocks and stones and far away I cannot even talk to and he's judging, criticizing, attacking, waiting to judge me, cruel, mean, but Jesus simply said this is what you should do. You want to pray? He's your father. Who is he talking to? A bunch of crazy people who actually were living in very bad shape within. They were mean people, mean to the extent they were disciples telling Jesus, Jesus, you got power. Why don't you call down fire and just kill all these rats? Wipe out the whole community. That's exactly what they did. And then he says, when you pray, first of all, confess all the evil things you thought and did and failures and then do that for 10 hours. Then you say, oh God, please do something for me now. He said, father, and then everything comes after that. There is no greater power in the universe that propel us to have faith, to believe when we ask, when we say things to God, than simple word, love. God loves me. So what is the one line theology of the whole Bible? Jesus loves me. This I know. If I did sing, he would get up and walk away and I will not do that. God loves me. He loves me knowing all the sins and dumb mistakes I made, things I should have done I didn't do, things I should have said I didn't say, and I have complete ignorance about really the holiness and the things of God. You say, well, that's strange teaching, isn't it? Well, I tell you what, I'm 64 years old. Well, no, I'm 28. This is just a made-up beard. No. Well, things I thought and I did 30 years ago that I thought was absolutely perfect, righteous, good, today I am frightened. How did I think those thoughts? Why did I say like that? What caused me to pronounce such condemnation and hurt people using Bible verses? I just can't believe that I did those things. You think when I did those things, said those things, God said, well, this dumb stupid guy, he has no clue about it. I hate him. He said, he's a little kid just falling and getting up and walking and learning. I love him so much. And he is going to figure this out. He didn't stop hearing my prayer. He didn't stop giving me all the good things in life. He protected me with angels all around me. And when I could have half a dozen car wreck, when I first came to the United States, speed limit, I had no clue about it. Within one year, I had 14 speeding tickets. And finally, I found out if I get one more, I will lose my license. I can write a book about it. And how many millions of times in your life journey, in my life journey, even today, we are breaking the speed limit. And he still got angels to watch over me when I was doing that and cutting into lanes and have horrendous car accidents and didn't kill myself. You think I was an iron steel man. I was driving in a car that no, no, the car was totaled. Who protected me? He says, whether you do the righteous thing or not, you do the dumbest, the worst sinful thing, and the right thing, I'm still the unchanging loving father. And brothers and sisters, we are called to be his sons and daughters. He tells us now, as the father sent me, so send I you. And the disciples said, well, Rabbi, Lord, we got a real problem. What is your problem? We just wanted to see God and figure this out, how he's like. He said, really? Just look at me. In flesh. The man, Jesus, who was sweating, take a shower and swim in the lake and figure out what to do. And we look at you. You really? Yeah. If you see me, you see the father. And then he says, he loves you as much, John 17, as he loves me. Who is he telling to? These fellows who are making all the troubles in the world. And then he says, I'm sending you out. Be human. Be real. Represent your father. Just us. I am here on earth. And the world around Jesus said, he is demon possessed. The guy is absolutely crazy. I mean, he's drinking too much. Jesus, well, I don't know what to tell you. John the Baptist came without eating and drinking, and people say he got demons. And I'm having a nice dinner and having fun with the people. And you say I'm a drunkard. Literally, you know, you're eating too much food and drinking too much wine. I'm not promoting any of these things to you, but I'm simply telling you, nothing Jesus could do to justify himself. And my brothers and sisters, we are today the hope of a dark and dying world, not just your family members, your neighbors, people at your workplace, people that we cannot see so far away on the other side of the globe in tribal communities, in nations where they're suffering immensely. And the tens of millions living in the red light districts and the leper colonies. We are the hope. But Pharisees never can be the hope of anyone. Only sons and daughters can be the answer. So what do you mean by all that for prayer meeting tonight? We're going to have prayer requests. So how do I want to pray? I want to tell myself, hey dude, there's never going to be a time you're going to be righteous enough or do the right things enough. But he wants you to continue the journey as a son. And just talk to him. Tell him the things on the behalf of others. And do everything you can to be loving and gracious and kind and forgiving and caring. It is not the words, no, it is the heart. Compassion is important. But when I studied in school, my teacher told me, but empathy is more important. Compassion, you can say, wow, I feel sad for you. Well, what to do? That's what I do with so many tens of thousands of children that I'm dealing with. But when it comes to my little Hannah, or Jonah, or my children, I enter into their world and fields. That's empathy. You're listening to The Road to Reality with K.P. Yohanan, who'll be right back in just a moment to talk more about prayer. K.P. has written a book on this very subject called Learning to Pray. Many Christians rarely, if ever, pray. And when asked why, some say they just don't know how or they don't have the time. This booklet can be of some help as you discover prayer and how it really does change things. You can experience wonderful growth in your prayer life and see God do the impossible in response to your prayers. Learn to pray with K.P. by ordering this booklet today through our website, roadtoreality.org. Again, roadtoreality.org. Or call us, 866-WIN-ASIA. In Canada, the phone number is 888-946-2742. Or turn to roadtoreality.ca on the web. Now let's return now to K.P. for the rest of his message. So you want to pray tonight? You say, yeah. You ask me, I want to pray. How do we do? Don't think about a lot of wonderful words or tone or this and that. Simply say, Father, thank you so much for loving me. And I just want to be your son, your daughter. And here I am on the behalf of my Lord and the people that I care about that I'm told I tell you these things. And these people and these requests, would you please grant that? So what is the key and the secret of prayer? It is simply recognize who you are. You are a son, a daughter. You cannot do anything about it. You just, you are loved by him. You say, Brother K.P., if only you knew me. Really? From the day you were born till the day you die, Heavenly Father has seen everything about you. And he says, I loved you with an everlasting love. Don't let the enemy condemn you and pull you down and make you righteous by your standard. Just I love you. And remember that and accept that. And that is the only foundation for faith. And the prayer of faith does wonders. One final little story. I never claimed, honestly never, that I have a gift of healing. So you say, really? No, I don't. I don't have any gift of healing. I never claimed it to be. I never claimed I have a gift of faith. Honestly, I don't. There are people I know, they have all that. I'm just struggling, falling down, you know, half of them crippled and walking through this life. But I do this radio broadcast. I've been doing it for 30 years. And I sit in front of the microphone and I imagine in my mind I'm talking to somebody way out there in a tiny village, in a tiny hut, at the side of a mountain, in a valley, just listening to me, just a little transistor, the radio. So I just talked to them. It so happened. One of the amazing stories they never can forget. This extreme northern part of the southern tip of India, in a tribal community, a little woman who was not a believer, never been to any church, never read the Bible, has no clue about anything about this wonderful Jesus and redemption, hell, heaven, forgiveness, and all any of those things. But she just happened to hear some stranger on the radio saying, you know what? God loves you. He cares so much about you. Whatever your problems, would you please tell Jesus, if you're sick, He's able to heal you. You're asking for something that nothing seems to work. Talk to Jesus. And by the way, I will pray for you. And if you want, just repeat after me this prayer. Oh, don't think about me. Just think about there's a God that I'm talking about right there in your kitchen, in the bedroom, in the veranda. Literally, these are words I speak. And so this young lady, illiterate, helpless, a tribal young woman, her prayer, give me a child. But the problem, her uterus was removed already with cancer. I know the hospital now where she went. I know the doctor who did it, because I didn't believe the stories. So she praised this Jesus, give me a child. I will get a letter a year later. I got a child and described the whole story. I said to myself, this is absolutely a stupid story, cannot be believed. Somebody's trying to trick me. Well, now you know I'm a sinner. Now you know why I said I don't have gift of healing, no miracles or faith. But now my question is, how did God hear the prayer of someone who had no clue, didn't read any Bible verse? Is this God, my father, who know Greek and Hebrew and theology and doctrines and memorize the Bible? Is he also the God of a tribal woman who has no clue about anything? If she came to me and told me the story and said, would you pray for me? I would say, well, you know what? I'll pray for you. I'll talk to you later. I wouldn't have the sanity or common sense to do something like that when she tells me my uterus was taken out. I wonder how long it takes for us to wake up and realize God is on the side of the helpless, the failing, the sinful, and the weak and the ignorant. That he's desperately wanting to show that he cares. Maybe my prayers often never been answered because I am not helpless. I'm strong and I know how to pray. I know my theology. And God says, yeah, you figure it out. I am on the side of the nobody and the helpless and the sinners. So when we pray for whatever we are praying for tonight, let us identify our life for the need and the struggles and let's not pretend we are holy, you know, prophets to rescue the people. No, we are part of this suffering humanity and the lost. And Christ always walks himself into the worst situations. And he tried his best to teach the students, his disciples to be like him. And may the Lord help all of us. And I'm in this journey of learning and I wish I was 18 again and know what I know now. I would be a much better person. And many of you are young. I envy you. And I pray that you will learn the earliest possible, the love and the grace and the mercy of your father so that you will not live in hurt and condemnation and defeat and not investing your life for things that are important. And our Lord, thank you for this evening, the incredible joy that we have knowing that we are here on earth as dear Jesus, as you lived here on earth for you send us to the hurting, the lost, the suffering, the unwanted, the rejected, the subhumans. Oh Lord, pray tonight that you will free us from ourselves and help us somehow that we will once again recover from guilt and aloneness and being aloof. But Lord, we can come to you and embraced by you and talk to you because you long to accomplish your purpose as on earth through your love and your mercy. And we are the means tonight as we go in this time of prayer. Lord, I pray you will please help all of us, all of us here in this prayer meeting and all the dear watching us, being part of us throughout the world. Please dear Lord, help us to embrace you, allow you to embrace us and tell you the things that you put upon our hearts because we know you are a loving father who answers prayer. And our Lord, if there be someone, even one individual here tonight and being part of this prayer meeting tonight in their personal life journey, they failed, they're hurting, they're scared, they don't know what to do, don't even have any faith to pray and any hope, living in pretense, trying to figure out. Please, dear Master, would you please reach down and touch them deep within. Please bring healing and help them to know, Lord, you are not asking for any accounts. You are not waiting for them to make a list of all the stuff they did wrong or didn't do. But Lord, you're waiting just for them to recognize you as the father. Lord, we know that enemy don't want us to know this truth. I pray that our faith will be strengthened tonight, not based on our theology or righteousness, but rather your mercy and love being our father who only think and want the best for us and through us. May the healing grace of our Lord be real for those that are longing Please, Lord, let your grace and love flow freely into the hearts and life and memories and make lives whole. And in the name of this loving Heavenly Father and his Holy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who is with us, I say to you, your father loves you. He's embracing you. Your sins are forgiven. You are made whole. Trust him. You are loved. And now and always. Thank you, Father, for hearing our prayer, answering us. We give you all the praise and honor for such a loving father you are. And we say all this in the name of our Lord and blessed Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen to that. Thanks, KP. And friend, thank you for joining us here today on The Road to Reality. We've been listening to a message on prayer from KP O'Hannon. We'd like to tell you about a book that can help you learn to pray more effectively and consistently. Remember Elijah? He prayed and rain ceased for more than three years. Or how about the early church when they prayed Peter was released from prison? You see, our prayers can move heaven and earth as well. In this book, KP shows how significant a role our prayers play on this earth. Order a copy or two of Learning to Pray online at roadtoreality.org. That's roadtoreality.org. Or call us toll free at 866-WIN-ASIA. For our friends in Canada, you can reach us at 888-946-2742. Or go online to our Canadian website roadtoreality.ca. Start reading and praying today and then join us for the next Road to Reality with Brother KP O'Hannon. Until then, God bless.