The Word of God and Prayer

My name is Hugh Morrison. I'm from Cape Breton Island. I live in Marguerite Valley.

I grew up there and in pastoring the church actually I grew up in and my wife and I and our five children have been there for 25 years now and it's a blessing to be with you and just to see the families and everybody here. Praise the Lord for what the Lord is doing in hearts and and lives and it's always a pleasure to speak about prayer and sometimes that's a difficult subject. It is a challenging subject but prayer really is fellowship with God.

You know how we look at it matters if we think biblically about it and I want to share today really about the word of God and prayer and how they go together and just encourage you in that direction and so we're going to be in the gospel of John in chapter five and I'm going to read just a couple of passages. John chapter five and before we read it we better pray. So let's pray.

Father praise your name. Lord we do want to know you and you are worthy worthy of all of our praises of everything we have in our for for all time. We bless your name for your son Jesus Christ for his death on a cross for our sins for his glorious resurrection.

Oh God praise your name and that you are seated on high this morning and one day you are coming for your own for your sheep Lord. God I pray make us a people who are ready and prepared for their God to come. Lord I pray this morning that you'll speak to us Lord.

Oh God help us. Lord just help us this morning. We need you Lord.

I need you. I need your Holy Spirit to fill me and and Lord we need your spirit to to just apply your word to our hearts and and make it known. Lord I pray our hearts would burn within us.

I pray something would happen that you would affect lives this morning. God it wouldn't be just a message but but something Lord that goes deep within us and and makes us more like Christ changes us from the inside out. Lord help us.

I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen amen. You know yesterday I spoke to the men about getting up early to seek the Lord and I want to encourage the men that so much depends upon that that it matters that you do that that you get up and seek the face of God that you lead your family in seeking God and unless you put something into practice we don't want to be men who you know talk about things.

A lot of people talk. No we want to be men who actually do what the Bible says. We want to be obedient to God and you know the Bible says he gives his spirit to those who obey him and sometimes we're waiting you know well Lord if you have you know whatever and and then I will.

No he gives his spirit to those who obey him. Do we always feel like getting up early? I mean do you always feel like going to work? I mean maybe somebody does but you still go to work. It doesn't matter if you feel like getting up early.

That has nothing to do with obedience and it doesn't matter if you're tired. I mean is there anybody here who's not tired? Anybody at all? I mean who's not tired? We're all tired. That's just the human condition especially once you have children.

You're just tired. Will you ever get a good night's sleep again? Now my children are somewhat grown and but I'm getting to the age where I just wake up in the night. So either way whether you have children you're past that generally you're going to be up at in the night at some point.

You're going to be tired but God still calls us to rise a great while before day just like Jesus Christ and go off to secluded place and pray. Pray for your wives. Pray for your children.

Pray for your neighbors. Pray for your church. Pray for your pastor.

Every direction we look needs prayer today men and I just call you by the word of God devote yourselves to prayer. Seek the face of God early. Don't waste away your early morning hours.

Get up and meet with God. Get out of your beds and meet with God. Get down on your knees and seek the face of God and you will never regret that.

At the end of your days you will thank and bless God that you got out of bed and sought his face. There is no regret in that but there is much regret in sleeping an extra hour or two. Your day will be much more enriched with an hour with God than with an hour of sleep and that is the truth.

Meet with God and go into your day with God. It matters. It matters to your marriage.

It matters to your family. It matters to everything. It absolutely matters and I just pray that you would no matter how you feel in the morning just set that alarm.

Let it go off. Get out of bed. Splash water on your face and go off to a quiet place and read the word of God and pray.

Amen. What else would you want to do? And I pray this morning you know God would speak to our hearts out of this and I want to share with that the word of God and prayer and how important the two are and actually they go together in John 5 39 and 40 and Jesus is giving or telling about the witnesses about who he is and he says you search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. It is these that testify about me and you are unwilling to come to me so that you may so that you may have life.

Just those two little scriptures. You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. It is these that testify about me.

You are unwilling to come to me so that you may have life. You know when we I just want to encourage you know the reading of scripture. You know my emphasis on prayers is not to the neglect of the word of God.

They go hand in hand together. Everything we know about God is found in this book. This book tells us about the true and living only God the creator of the heavens and the earth who made the earth in six days and rested on the seventh and this this book is about him.

You search the scriptures. Jesus said it's about him. Jesus Christ is the son of God.

He is the jewel of heaven the centerpiece of all that God is doing his eternal plan to bring about the salvation of men and women and young people. It is through Jesus Christ. As we search the scriptures we are going to come into contact with we're going to be come face to face face with God our creator and his son and the holy spirit.

God three in one. Everything this bible says about God and everything else is the absolute truth. We need to be in this book.

We cannot follow God or you know do what he says apart from knowing what it is and who he is. Everything comes from the scripture. So you search the scriptures.

This is about a person who is God. It's not so much about us. It's or whatever else we might think or you know I'm just reading the bible.

Well I read my two chapters today and and that's good to do to read two chapters or four chapters or six or whatever it is. But there's something that the bible is to lead us to and Jesus said you search the scriptures you think in them you have eternal life. These testify about me.

The bible is going to testify to us about God himself about God. It's going to bring us face to face with God with his son with the holy spirit. This is what the the word of God is going to do.

It's not just to learn information. It's going to bring us face to face with a person who is the creator of the heavens and the earth who made you. This is what the bible will do and not just at the beginning but all along.

Every page of it is going to bring us to God. That's what it's intended to do and Jesus said it testifies about me but you are unwilling to come to me so that you may have life. As we read the scriptures we're going to be pulled toward God to come to him and not only for life but for breath and everything else.

For help in a time of trouble, for wisdom that we need, for strength for the day, for grace for a situation, for whatever it is. The bible will tell us of all that God is and that will move and pull at our hearts to come to this God and seek his blessed face. That is what the word of God you know one of its great purposes is to bring us to God himself.

Why do you read the scripture? You know is it you know sometimes people say yeah I read this morning you know but did you meet with God? You know did you read the bible this morning? That's wonderful. Did you meet with God? Because the bible intends for you to meet with the God that you find within these pages and it's to lead us to God in prayer. So that I want to suggest to you this morning and prove it that the bible that if someone is a great reader and student of the word of God the bible will make you a man or woman of prayer.

They go hand in hand together. One feeds the other. You cannot say or otherwise you're doing something you know tragically wrong.

You're not getting the point of it that I'm oh yeah I've read I'm reading the bible I read it every day two hours in the word but you know prayer that's just not really for me and you're missing the whole point. You're studying about this God but you have no relish or taste or thirst for him. You're learning about God who is a God a great God of love who sent his son to dine across for our sins but that doesn't pull your heart to come and actually bow down before him.

Something is tragically wrong with your devotions. This this word will compel us and move us to get on our knees and seek the face of the God that we're reading about. It would be like if you know let's say in the early days of my marriage there was a a book or a letter written about my you know spouse to be or wife to be and and I read it and it was in glowing terms about who she was and and I felt my heart you know pull toward that and I just kept studying the letter and yet here she was available to meet with me and and I could speak with her and and you know feel her embrace or whatever but I was just caught up with the letter it was so well written and I divided it into chapters and and I begin to study it and and meanwhile I neglect you know the the door that leads into the place where she is.

Isn't that silly? Wouldn't that be crazy that I'm reading this book about this incredible God the great God and yet my heart is not pulled to get down on my knees and to seek his face? Brothers and sisters this book is about God and it's to lead us to prayer to God and with God to commune with him to praise him in prayer to confess to him to wait upon him to plead for his help and strength this is what the word of God will do on every page and I and I want to prove that to you this morning I want to read something about prayer and then go to another passage for a moment this is Ian Bounce he says prayer always carries us back to God and so the word of God carries us to God and prayer carries us to God it recognizes God and brings God into the world to work and save and bless the most efficient agents in disseminating the knowledge of God in doing his work upon the earth and in standing as a breakwater against the billows of evil have always been praying people prayer cannot be retired as a secondary force in this world to do so is to retire God from the movement it is to make God secondary the prayer ministry is an all engaging force it must be so to be a force at all prayer is the sense of the need of God and the call for God's help to supply that need the esteem and place of prayer is the esteem in place of God isn't that a good phrase the steam in place of prayer is the esteem in place of God well I love God I read his word that's wonderful do you love him enough to speak with him to get on your knees and commune with him and that is exactly where the bible will take you and so I want to read another passage in the gospel of Luke and on the two that were on the road to Emmaus when Jesus came in Luke chapter 24 and I believe this is kind of a little you know picture for us of what the Holy Spirit will do for us now here it is Jesus unfolding the scriptures and as he did their eyes you know and at the table are opened and their hearts are burning and I want to suggest to you that now the Holy Spirit will do this very thing as we read the word of God in Luke 24 and in verse 27 then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets he explained to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures it's all about him and they approached the village where they were going and he acted as though he were going further but they urged him saying stay with us for it's going toward evening it's getting toward evening and the day is now nearly over so he went in to stay with them when he had reclined at the table with them he took the bread and blessed it and breaking it he began giving it to them then their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he vanished from their sight they said to one another were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us on the road while he was explaining the scriptures to us do you see what happens here is that you know as the scriptures are being explained by Jesus Christ something is happening in the hearts of those men on the road it's not just hearing information reading information and no Jesus is communicating something spiritually their eyes and hearts are being opened they're being nourished by the word of God and spiritually they're affected their hearts are burning they leave from that place to go back and proclaim they've met the risen Christ something happened in their hearts and brothers and sisters i want to share as you're reading the word of God the work of the Holy Spirit is to show us Christ in the scriptures to bring us face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ to show us the father to to magnify the the work of God in the scripture of who he is of the greatness of God of his wisdom of his the beauty of his attributes of the greatness of his power all of these things are going to be unfolded to us as we read the bible the spirit of God is going to unfold open our eyes to see the greatness of our God in so many ways and as he does and ministers to us that word our hearts are going to be burning we're going to be confronted with God we're going to be feeding upon the Lord Jesus Christ and we're going to be spiritually affected and it's going to draw us to get on our knees like Jesus said you search the scriptures but they're about me but you're not willing to come to me and when the spirit of God shows us Christ we're going to be compelled to get on our knees and seek the face of this God that we're being shown our hearts will be burning is it not true that when you meet with God something inside you is just filling you up your soul is satisfied this is what the work of the spirit of God does but he does it in and through the word of God and I want to say that's where it begins doesn't it let's go to first peter one and I want to show you that the bible says by the word of God we've been born again that the word of God the spirit of God takes the word of God and you know plunges it into the heart of a man or a woman and brings them to spiritual life raises them from the dead by the word of God through the gospel which is the power of God something happens in human hearts even here this morning this could happen the spirit of God applied the word of God to your heart and you come in here and you're dead to God you're kind of indifferent but somehow you're here and all of a sudden a word enters your heart and you're never the same again and this is what the truth purified your souls for sincere love of the brothers fervently loved one another from the heart for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable that is through the living and enduring word of God for all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of the grass the grass withers the flower falls off but the word of the Lord endures forever and this is the word which was preached to you do you see that the word of God is not an end in itself it's meant to accomplish something it's meant to bring us initially to God you know as the word of God is preached this morning what the spirit of God will want to do is through this word to bring you to God himself that this morning if you're not born again God's desire and heart for you is that you would be born again that you would see your sinfulness in the sight of God and that you would turn from it you would change your mind you would repent and you would realize your utter need of the Savior Jesus Christ and he would do it by the gospel by the word of truth that you hear about God and about yourself about what sin is and the need of yourself to be forgiven by this God and that's why he sent Jesus Christ if I would ask you this morning are you born again it's one of the greatest questions you will ever answer are you born again are you born again Jesus said you must be born again are you born again can you say yes I'm born again there was this moment in my life when I heard the gospel the truth about myself and the Savior and I turned from my sin and I cried out to the Savior and he saved me my sins were forgiven I received Christ I have eternal life I'm on my way to heaven can you say that this morning it doesn't matter if this is the first time you're in church or you've been here many times some people come to church all their life and they can never answer that question it's the most important question you will ever answer and and let there be no uncertain sound to it you must be born again you must be born again before you stand before God in your sins there is a day coming when you will give an account to God and all of us have sinned there is no way it will go well with you you have sinned again and again with your mouth with your eyes with your mind with your hands with your feet you've sinned you've grieved God and you will give an account to him and yet he has sent his son Jesus Christ into this world and laid the sins of the world upon him and his wrath fell upon him taking your punishment for your sins so that you could be forgiven in a moment of time before God of settling things with God that can happen this morning right where you are to turn your heart toward God and say oh God I'm not born again I'm not sure what's going to happen I don't think it's going to go well with me you can settle things with God this morning he is willing he is able to save you no matter who you are or what you have done God is more forgiving than you imagine we can't imagine the sins that God has already forgiven amongst people who have come to him and he has forgiven every kind of sin yes the same sins that you've committed he has already forgiven probably most of them are right in this room and yet he has saved them will he not save you if he will save a thief hanging on a cross next to him in a moment of time who only has a few minutes to live nothing to offer but he would turn to him and say remember me when you come into your kingdom and Jesus would immediately respond and say I assure you today you a thief will be with me though forgiven and washed changed you will be with me in paradise I wonder is that you this morning can you not turn to him the spirit of God would use the word of God to bring you to life this morning repent put your faith in Christ and live live this morning you need Jesus Christ and do we not believe it this morning in what I'm talking about that when we hear the gospel where does it turn us it brings us to Christ all of us here who have been born again there was a moment when we heard and we began to seek and search after this savior to find out about what he would do what he would do for me and there was a moment where we came to him we bowed our knees and we called out to him and he responded to us in a moment of time and we were changed all things passed away everything became new and we rose and went forth and followed Jesus Christ isn't it good that the word of God brought you to God brought you to his son Jesus but is that the end of it or is there more is there a continual coming to the word of God now feeding upon it and yet be coming face to face with who he is I believe it come with me to the book of Romans chapter 11 you know as we read the scriptures I want to suggest that the passages that tell us of the greatness of our God of the greatness of his salvation always lead us back to God to praise to adoration Romans is one of those great books probably one of the deepest books in the scriptures so much in it and it kind of unfolds what God has done through Christ it's a great you know theological work and you know Paul is unfolding what God has done through Christ and he gets to chapter 11 and you know the the greatness of the wisdom of God but at the end of chapter 11 look at what he does in verse 33 he has been dwelling upon the things of God in Christ his great salvation and he breaks out in verse 33 oh the depths of the richest both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways for who has known the mind of the Lord or who became his counselor or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him for from him through him and to him are all things to him be the glory forever amen what does he do he's been dwelling upon Christ and all of a sudden he turns to God and breaks out in praise he's been dwelling upon the salvation that God has wrought through Christ that God has brought about and he can't help it leads him to God it leads him to burst out in praise brothers and sisters as we are confronted in the scriptures we read a passage on the greatness of God's power of how marvelous is his wisdom in creation and salvation or of his you know of his omnipresence where where he's everywhere do you ever read psalm 139 and the psalmist says you know if i go up to the mountains he's there if i go into the depths of the sea even the darkness can't hide him i can't get away from this God are we ever just a little bit in awe and wonder at who God is at his sovereignty like that verse from him through him and to him are all things that God is over all that his power extends to all things that nothing is outside of him that God is infinite that God's majestic that he has splendor and glory do you ever read some of those passages and ones in revelation and does it move you like Paul to all of a sudden your heart is being stirred and you have to get down on your knees and begin to bless God do you ever need to just draw aside and say oh God hallelujah praise your name who you are Lord you're far beyond me you know I was I lived in Toronto my wife and I for a few years and and I was an associate pastor there and one day in my living room I was reading the scriptures and and something of the holiness of God but all of a sudden as the scripture was sharing with me you know about that the spirit of God was opening my eyes allowing me to just see and taste a little bit of the holiness of God what did it cause I fell on the floor and all I can say is I wanted to bury my face through the the boards of that were on the floor to hide myself I felt the holiness of God in the room this is God scriptures bringing me to God and I was just there I mean does that happen is this true did that happen in scripture as people came face to face with God as Isaiah in Isaiah 6 when he saw the Lord high and lifted up and the train of his robe filled the temple didn't he have a glimpse of God and all of a sudden he saw himself he saw God and he saw what he was and he was just struck I mean what about John on the isle of Patmos and all of a sudden his eyes are opened and and the risen ascended Christ appears and he sees a bit of his glory and he falls on his face as though dead does God not give us glimpses and open our eyes and our hearts burn at the greatness of our God and it leads to praise brothers and sisters the the passages about God's greatness are to are to fill our hearts with wonder and to lead us to bow before him and adore him isn't that right are Christians not the people you know where Jesus said if you don't cry the rocks will cry out are we not to be the ones that praise him are we not to be the ones to sing to him and say praise the Lord you know those Christians are always saying praise the Lord well is it because we just have a little bit of of sight of who God is you know that little word awe I think sometimes has kind of been pulled away from our churches where we're in awe of God not in awe of you know that was a good worship time oh that was a good message but in awe of God you know in Spurgeon's day himself and another preacher became well-known preachers Charles Spurgeon in the 18 middle 1800s and there was a man who heard about these two preachers this other guy and Spurgeon and he said I'm going to go hear them for myself you know I've heard enough or so he went to the the first man and he heard him preach and he came out and he said what a what a great message and then he went to the next Sunday he went to Spurgeon's church and and heard him preach and he said he testified he came out and said what a great God there's a real difference there brothers and sisters there's a world of difference you can have good good singing a good sermon and you can miss God you can read the Bible every morning in this God you search the scriptures but these testify of me and you're not coming to me you see God will lead us to himself as we read the scriptures and when we see the greatness of who he is are we left without awe or is there a little bit of awe the Spirit will show us these things praise the Lord look at Psalm 63 go with me Psalm 63 and you'll see this little of the psalmist David David was a worshiper of God Oh God you are my God Psalm 63 1 I shall seek you earnestly or early my soul thirsts for you my flesh yearns for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water and here it is thus I have seen you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory something of the greatness of God because your loving kindness is better than life my lips will praise you you see that he saw something of God of his power of his glory he felt his loving kindness and what my lips will praise you I will bless you as long as I live I will lift up my hands in your name my soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness my mouth offers praises with joyful lips it moves us brothers and sisters it's not just bare words on a page it's not just information about God the Spirit of God is communicating this to our hearts and we the curtain is pulled back we see a little bit of the glory of God and we're moved to praise him we're moved our hearts burn my soul is satisfied I've been fed by God Lord let me praise you if no one else is Lord my lips will bless your name from the rising of the Sun to its setting let the name of the Lord be praised I will bless the Lord as long as I live as long as he gives me breath have we lost the sight of God and the greatness of who he is but you know not only so in Galatians 5 we all know this the fruit of the Spirit you know the attributes of God you know the Bible expresses these and I want to say when we read something of God's attributes in his character his love his joy his peace his patience you know it says Galatians 5 and verse 22 the fruit of the Spirit that is you know what what comes out of the Spirit what is the character of the Spirit of God of who God is God is love and that fruit is going to be born in the lives of his people that he indwells God is joyful he's peaceful he's patient he's kind he's good he's faithful he's gentle he's self-controlled against such things there is no law now brothers and sisters as we read about these things that God is you know a God of peace do you have peace in your life I mean does it move you to you know the Bible talks about in Philippians 4 it talks about a peace that passes all understanding that it's a supernatural peace from God no matter the circumstances my heart can be at rest my mind can be still why the peace of God is filling me but you know circumstances can unsettle us things can be unfolding in anyone's life here this morning and you're here and you're unsettled and your mind is going in every direction and yet we read about peace when you come up across that passage are you stirred at all it's the Spirit of God saying oh here's something for you of God it's not of a man or humanity it's not of circumstances or how much money you have in the bank or how things are going at work or it's a supernatural peace from God and it's your heart stirred and says Lord I need that and the scripture because you've read it and the Spirit is showing it to you you're moved to get on your knees and say oh God I need this peace my heart is anxious Lord I need peace I can tell you as a pastor countless times in the night I've woken up and my mind is racing because of one circumstance or another that's unfolding in the church and I pull myself out of bed going to my living room get down on my knees and seek the face of God and this verse in Philippians 4 you know be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer you see the things go together and then you know the next verse and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds and I get down on my knees before God Lord I've read of peace your scripture tells me that you're a God of peace that you offer peace in the midst of troubled circumstances and I'm coming to God for it the scripture is moving me I've been fed I've been offered something and I want it do you have peace this morning peace of heart and peace of mind do you do you really it's offered to you it's one of the fruits of the Spirit it's who God is the God of peace he's called again and again Jesus was the Prince of Peace what about his love we just read the psalmist said his loving-kindness is better than life in Romans 5 I just listened to a sermon by John Piper on Romans 5 and the love of God being poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit and he says though it's based upon the cross of Christ and the demonstration of God's love that verse verse 5 is an experiential verse do you know the love of God have you tasted something of the love of God that it's been poured out it's not just words on a page oh that's nice the love of God's been poured out do you know it and does it move you and say oh God I just don't feel that love Lord I want to be filled up with your love that the scripture is moving you to an experience of God it's not just to be words and information I could say God is this he's this he's this but I want something of it what about his joy first Peter tells us it's inexpressible in God in his presence the psalmist says is fullness of joy right at any given moment we could say is everybody full of joy here this morning we can be robbed of joy brothers and sisters can't we and yet in the in the Word of God the fruit of the Spirit's joy God's a joyful God there's inexpressible joy in Christ doesn't the Bible say rejoice always in the Lord oh there's joy for me well yeah I see that but right now I'm not too joyful and I read it this morning yeah rejoice always okay yeah no Lord does it move you to get down on your knees and seek the face of God say oh God I've been robbed of joy I see that you're a joyful God I see that the fruit of your spirit's joy you call me to rejoice always but Lord I'm not rejoicing this morning so what what should we do is the Spirit open set up says there's joy for you there's joy in Christ always but we allow other things to take their place you know this morning actually Thomas and Shelley and had a wonderful time with them and thank you so much for your hospitality they offered me an apple this morning and actually there was four apples in a bowl and I actually didn't think they were real they looked so perfect and so they said you want an apple and I was kind of like I didn't know they meant those apples or not or if they had an apple in the fridge or something and I was like like those apples like those real apples and so they said yes so I reached out and took one now if I had it here this morning but it looked so good I had to eat it I ate it on the way over you know I had breakfast ate the apple and but if I could place it here this morning and just tell you about this apple you know that it's honey crisp apple it's sweet to the taste it was full of flavor it was crisp it was satisfying and I could tell you and I could lay it right there now I can tell you you can you know oh that's good you take that information in and but does it move you at all brothers and sisters are we moved by the Word of God the descript descriptions of God and his attributes he's loving he's joyful he's peaceful he's patient he's faithful are we moved by it at all does the arm of faith reach out and take the apple I want to taste it so that the psalmist says taste and see that the Lord is good Oh God is good you know God is good all the time we quote that phrase are you tasting it are you tasting it are you tasting the goodness of God in the morning you're getting up and going into the day with your heart burning of the goodness of God because you read it and you get down your knees saying Oh God fill me with your goodness that's not just words we're not just reading a book we're meeting God in these pages and it moves us to pray I don't want to just hear that God is good I want to taste and see that he's good don't you we've had enough with form and emptiness and words the church has been full of that kind of thing of people talking about God and they're hypocrites they say these things but the reality is not in their lives and everybody else knows it that's why in many churches we don't see people under 50 years old because you've talked about God but I don't see him in the home I don't see my daddy comes out and you know he comes home and yeah he's he's not a nice person did he taste and see the goodness of God oh we talked about God a loving God oh we have enough of that men women what we read in the scripture we want to taste we want to take this God in we want to know him and when we do Christianity is alive because God is alive he's a living God the joy of God the peace of God when people walk in these things what else is there if I had that apple this morning all right would anyone get up and come and grab it if I described it well enough and how good it was would your heart be moved enough to get up and grab that apple right it's like Peter in the boat all the disciples in the boat and Jesus walking on the water well he saw something of Christ and his power and his heart was moved Lord bid me to come to you on the water I want to do this myself what I want a taste of your power myself but only one out of all the disciples I mean I don't know who you picture yourself to be in the boat looking at Peter going over the bar over the side of the boat and stepping out in the water but I'm telling you I would have been right behind Peter Lord not just Peter me too I want to know something of your power Lord to hold me up that I can walk on water I want to have my own story of God don't you I don't want to be just talking we get back to the shore and you know Peter walked on the water good for Peter I want to walk on the water I want to know that the Lord is good I want to share out of my own experience not just bring somebody a Bible verse but a Bible verse that I've experienced and know myself so that I'm speaking out of reality not out of empty words because you know what that comes across to people the attributes of God they're to be tasted and so when we read in our devotional time of who God is it leads us to seek his face for them praise the Lord turn with me to Psalm 46 Psalm 46 very familiar verse to many of us and then we'll go to Psalm 30 34 a blessed verse and these are just verses again you know there's all kinds of things in life there's troubles there's fears there's anxieties there's burdens there there's sorrows in Psalm 46 1 we have an incredible verse it's a beautiful verse God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble now there's a verse about God who is he he's a refuge he's a strength you know in my margin it says abundantly available for help in time of trouble is it true is this the God who will help in time of trouble this is what I mean brothers and sisters the Jesus said in this world you'll have trouble I have no doubt in this room there are troubles there are troubles probably some deep troubles maybe some of your marriages are in trouble maybe with a child or a wayward child or we all face troubles oh but so I'm reading an ever-present help in time of trouble I'm going through it Lord and so when I read that scripture is the Spirit saying here he is the God who helps in trouble and what does that do for me oh that's nice and I just keep reading no the Spirit of God's gonna move me my heart is gonna be drawn out to that verse Oh God you're a God who helps in trouble and I get down to my face and seek and say oh God I need your help my marriage needs your help Lord my child needs your help and don't you cry out to God doesn't it move you to pray to the God who helps in trouble don't you want to prove these things brothers and sisters or do we want to talk about other stories look at Psalm 34 and this is a song that reveals these things and we sing this song the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir you know Psalm 34 6 this poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles David had some troubles look at verse 17 the righteous cried the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles is that true is it true it what scripture tell me about God God is willing to deliver me out of all my troubles what I mean is this who God is this is the God who made the heavens and the earth this is the God who was invited me into relationship through Jesus Christ he's willing to step into the midst of my troubles like Shadrach Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace they were in trouble but lo and behold the Son of Man stepped into that fiery furnace who met Daniel in the lion's den who was there with him did he shut the nose of the lions or God came by his angel and shut the mouths of those lions God is a present help in time of trouble brothers and sisters and so when I read of that oh I'm moved to get on my knees in times of trouble and guess what that's fairly often and if not my troubles somebody else's troubles you see this scriptures bringing us when we read certain passages to get down on our knees and to praise him for his greatness at other times Oh troubles oh that's sending me to this God look in verse look in verse 4 I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears now there's fears oh he's a God who will deliver from fears oh there I go again Lord I'm actually kind of fearful I'm starting a new job and I don't know what to do oh but he delivers from fears God I'm fearful or I'm going on a trip and I have to fly in a plane and you know what I'd rather stay on the ground to get there but I can't and I'm just fear so do we get on the plane in fear and trembling or do we get on the plane have been been delivered from that fear by the power of God how did that happen I read that he delivers from fears I got on my face and said oh God I have to fly tomorrow Lord I'm scared to death will you not deliver me and the peace of God floods into my soul and all of a sudden you know it's like that word in the seas hush be still and everything in my heart becomes still is this real this is real is this the living God who delivers us out of our troubles out of our fears what about afflictions right does God come and comfort us in affliction 2nd Corinthians 1 the God of all comfort who comforts us in all of our afflictions and the end of the chapter as you help us by your prayers are you in need of comfort this morning oh well bless God he's a God of comfort the Bible tells you so so where do you go in when you're you know facing sorrow you come to God constantly the Bible is sending us again and again to our God as we come face to face with who he is in this book God is much larger than we imagine he's more vast the things he has for his people have no end they meet everything the Bible says everything we need for life and godliness is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ do you believe it and so as I read about these things again and again I'm sent to him I read in the Psalms that he's he's a God who daily bears my burdens God you'll bear my burdens is anybody burdened here this morning did you wake up burdened do you have a burden of sin that you need to get rid of well bless God Jesus is willing to take your burden of sin he took it at the cross 2,000 years ago so that you could be free but what about other burdens often I'm burdened and I come to God I come to him in prayer and learn to pray bless the Lord you know Christian we have a God and we have a book that he has given us that we can't imagine all that God says for us and we can read it and let it kind of stay on the page and we read it kind of like as a book and and we know about it we learn this book and yet does it lead us to God himself I want to say to you that the Bible intends that you and I should become men and women who are continually have a worn path to our God again and again the promises of God someone has said there's over 7,000 promises think as you're reading the pages of Scripture you come across one promise after another after another have you ever proven some of them Philippians 419 my God shall supply every need of yours I mean that sounds good is it really true no I have to take the burden on myself you know I have to you know get an extra job another job and and that burden right or will God supply my need yes we need to work the Bible says if you don't work don't eat no we're to work we're to work hard we're to work unto the Lord but sometimes you know bills come in and that we don't we need the finances all right you know in our we started Christian school by the Lord about 10 11 years ago and you know where we live the finances you know maybe aren't as great so we can't charge that much we only charge $175 for a student per month and and so as we do that it actually doesn't cover the cost of our teachers so we're cast on the Lord but I knew the Lord was leading in it but let's say after a year in our teacher our main teacher she said Huey I know that's what you guys are doing and if there's a week you can't pay me it's okay and I said to the Lord I said Lord may it be that we will never not pay Natalie may she be paid every single week for the work that she is doing unto you and so about a year and a half in we came to a week and we had no more money to pay Natalie I remembered vividly I was carrying a burden oh but God is a God who daily bears our burdens God has given a promise he will supply every need of yours Lord you begin this school God I'm coming to you I have a burden I can't carry this one second more I got down on my knees by the couch so the Word of God is leading me to God because it tells me he's a God who will supply my needs I get on my knees I cry out I hand my burden over to God and I get up light I'm trusting you and about I don't know how long it was an hour later I get an email from my sister-in-law who was treasurer in the church and it's the picture of a check that came in that day for $10,000 how did that where did that check come from largest check we'd ever received in our church to that time where did it come from a year before this is how incredible our God is a year before a man died who doesn't live in our community he lives he's a doctor he lives away from our community but he has a cottage in our community that man didn't come to our church when he died in his will he left us $10,000 why I have no idea except for God a year it was in the system his will being worked out and guess what day that fell upon you know in the mind and will and purposes of God that that came into the little post office in Marguerite Valley for Marguerite Valley Baptist Church to cover the need that was in that moment of time our God will supply every need of yours can you imagine when I saw that do you think I said oh well does that actually true that I then got down on my knees in awe of God and blessed his name that you are faithful you are exactly who your word says and where did I find that spot in prayer to God but the Word of God led me to pray to this God again and again and again the Bible is pulling me to this God as I read of who he is in his pages isn't that right brothers and sisters you ever read some of the experiences in the Bible and men who met with God Jacob wrestling with God Isaiah seen God Elijah you know in the cave and God shows himself to him John on the olive paten has like these experiences and encounters with God and you ever think Lord Lord come near to me and you ever find in the promise you know James 4 draw near to God and he will draw near to you does that ever move your heart or do you just read it yeah God's willing to draw near and you will go about your day or you read verse 9 verse 10 verse 11 that's good doesn't it strike your heart that the Bible says God is willing to draw near to you when when you pray when you call upon him a God who will come near to those who pray to him in Psalm 145 17 so do you ever are moved then to get on your knees when's the last time in prayer that you could say God drew near to you you had the promise in your hand in your heart and you said Oh God your Bible tells me something Lord that you're a God who's willing to draw near anyone who seeks to draw near to you in and through Christ and so because of that you get on your knees and you're not just so well I have my prayer list here I am I'm going through my list Lord this Lord that that's great but do you ever get down on your knees according to that promise say God I'm here because your word says something and Lord I'm asking drawn near to me drawn near to me Lord I mean have you experienced that is that real is that true anybody ever read of David Brainerd our brother somebody's told me this yesterday that they were reading the journal of David Brainerd he was a missionary in the States in the 1740s he only lived to the age of 29 but he says this had a sweet season in secret prayer the Lord drew near to my soul and fill me with peace and divine consolation my soul tasted of the sweetness of heaven and I was drawn out in prayer for the world that it might come home to Christ had much comfort and in thoughts and the hopes of the in gathering of the heathen and was greatly assisted in prayer for Christian friends God drew near to that man who's David Brainerd he's just like you and me but he found he read in the Word of God that God will draw near to those who draw near to him and that compelled him to get on his knees and say Lord you've promised come near my soul fill me with your sweetness Lord is that you this morning did you wake up this morning with maybe that little word in your heart and you said oh God what a promise no wonder your word says precious and magnificent the living God the creator of the heavens and the earth will draw near near near to me who am I I'm nothing but Lord I have Christ and you're willing to draw near to me God drawn near to me isn't it wonderful I'm telling you prayer comes to a whole other level when you're meeting with God communing with him worshipping him because the word has taken you there brothers and sisters I give you this you know a little scripture and I believe it's for every one of us in John 5 that the scriptures testify of Christ and he says that you think that in them the scriptures not an end in themselves there are means that we would come into contact with the living God and not just at conversion not just when we're born again but they're continuously to take us to who God is it's beautiful it's beautiful I pray that God would you know bring that into your hearts and that this church would become a praying church that the more you read the Bible the more you'd find yourself on your knees because of all that it says of God how can we not be drawn to this God amen let's pray Lord thank you for your word Oh God you've said and magnified your son and Lord how can we not be drawn to him the lily of the valley the bright and morning star you are all that you say you are Lord every promise you have made you fulfill there's not one word that will ever fail and I bless and praise your name I pray Oh God this morning that you would pull out pull at our hearts I pray as your people read your scripture God that they would fall on their faces before you and seek your face bless this congregation thank you for it Lord praise your name that so many are born again hallelujah Lord keep working magnify yourself in this place spread all over Fredericton Lord reach into every home and bring people to Christ we pray this in Jesus name amen