100:00:00,000 –> 00:00:06,320Sooner or later everybody prays.200:00:06,320 –> 00:00:11,880Someone has put it, there are no atheists in folks holes.300:00:11,880 –> 00:00:15,880And you may think that you can get through your life without God400:00:15,880 –> 00:00:18,959but sooner or later you will come to a situation500:00:18,959 –> 00:00:22,379in which you will want to say oh God, help me.600:00:22,379 –> 00:00:26,299The first question then, of course, is going to be, which God?700:00:26,520 –> 00:00:29,260Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith,800:00:29,260 –> 00:00:32,160I’m David Pick, glad you could be with us today.900:00:32,160 –> 00:00:35,320And Colin, so today we’re talking about prayer1000:00:35,320 –> 00:00:38,820and, as you say, it’s important to know, which God we’re praying to?1100:00:38,820 –> 00:00:42,619And that’s especially important in a time where people have often1200:00:42,619 –> 00:00:46,759moved away from understanding who God is from the Bible1300:00:46,759 –> 00:00:52,860to sort of intuitively developing my own idea of God as I like to think of him.1400:00:52,860 –> 00:00:56,520And so God increasingly becomes defined by the individual,1500:00:56,520 –> 00:01:01,220which means that ideas of God are basically ideas that exist in our own head.1600:01:01,220 –> 00:01:05,080If I’ve dreamt up my own idea of God and then tried to pray,1700:01:05,080 –> 00:01:07,680I’m praying to my own head, I’m praying to my own ideas.1800:01:07,680 –> 00:01:10,019And there’s no power in my own ideas1900:01:10,019 –> 00:01:13,019to be able to respond to the need that I bring.2000:01:13,019 –> 00:01:18,580So, thank God for the reality that there is one God in Heaven.2100:01:18,580 –> 00:01:22,320And he says, I am who I am, and not whoever you want me to be.2200:01:22,320 –> 00:01:25,660I’m not whoever you think about. I am who I am,2300:01:25,660 –> 00:01:28,919and the I am exists, the I am is in Heaven,2400:01:28,919 –> 00:01:31,459and the I am extends himself towards us,2500:01:31,459 –> 00:01:33,620and we can come to him through Jesus Christ.2600:01:33,620 –> 00:01:35,400That’s what gives hope for prayer.2700:01:35,400 –> 00:01:38,559I can speak to the lifting God, the Creator,2800:01:38,559 –> 00:01:41,639and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.2900:01:41,639 –> 00:01:44,900And in the book of Jude we’re exploring that today further,3000:01:44,900 –> 00:01:48,160so join us there if you can, as we begin a message,3100:01:48,160 –> 00:01:50,059Pray in the Holy Spirit.3200:01:50,059 –> 00:01:51,739Here’s Colin.3300:01:51,800 –> 00:01:55,639Now Jude, the writer just before the Book of Revelation3400:01:55,639 –> 00:01:56,959at the end of the New Testament,3500:01:56,959 –> 00:02:01,839gives us seven workouts for a healthy Christian life,3600:02:01,839 –> 00:02:03,260and we’re following them together.3700:02:03,260 –> 00:02:05,080Last time we saw the first,3800:02:05,080 –> 00:02:08,679that we’re to build ourselves up in our most holy faith.3900:02:08,679 –> 00:02:10,699You do that by giving thanks for the faith4000:02:10,699 –> 00:02:12,399that you have, affirming your faith,4100:02:12,399 –> 00:02:14,059exercising your faith,4200:02:14,059 –> 00:02:16,479and feeding your faith on Jesus Christ.4300:02:16,479 –> 00:02:19,039Now today we’re to come to the second work out,4400:02:19,039 –> 00:02:21,080and you find it in the letter of Jude,4500:02:21,119 –> 00:02:22,880just before the Book of Revelation.4600:02:22,880 –> 00:02:26,880Just one very short letter, and there in verse 20.4700:02:26,880 –> 00:02:31,880Jude verse 20, pray in the Holy Spirit.4800:02:33,880 –> 00:02:36,619Now I think that there are many of us this morning4900:02:36,619 –> 00:02:39,720who would say, you know I’m doing okay5000:02:39,720 –> 00:02:43,360in some areas of my Christian life,5100:02:43,360 –> 00:02:46,100but when it comes to this whole business of prayer,5200:02:46,100 –> 00:02:49,660I really feel that I’m terribly out of shape.5300:02:49,699 –> 00:02:52,380I spoke last week about the value5400:02:52,380 –> 00:02:56,600of an occasional conversation with a pastor5500:02:56,600 –> 00:03:00,080about where your spiritual life is.5600:03:00,080 –> 00:03:04,139And on the many occasions, when I’ve had the opportunity5700:03:04,139 –> 00:03:08,860just to have a no agenda kind of discussion like that,5800:03:08,860 –> 00:03:12,339I have used a little discussion starter tool5900:03:12,339 –> 00:03:13,759that we’ve developed.6000:03:13,759 –> 00:03:15,479There’s half a dozen envelopes,6100:03:15,479 –> 00:03:17,580and when someone comes in and sits down6200:03:17,580 –> 00:03:19,460for a discussion like this,6300:03:19,460 –> 00:03:21,820I say to them, well now, we’ve got an hour to talk.6400:03:21,820 –> 00:03:24,559We can talk about anything you wanna talk about,6500:03:24,559 –> 00:03:26,500but if there’s nothing particularly in your mind,6600:03:26,500 –> 00:03:28,919maybe you’d like to choose one of these questions.6700:03:28,919 –> 00:03:30,460And there’s a question on the front6800:03:30,460 –> 00:03:32,619of each of these six envelopes.6900:03:32,619 –> 00:03:34,259And they’re questions about faith7000:03:34,259 –> 00:03:36,380and about spiritual growth and about prayer7100:03:36,380 –> 00:03:39,940and about worship and service, and so forth and so on.7200:03:39,940 –> 00:03:42,179Now I would say that fully half of all the people7300:03:42,179 –> 00:03:44,339that I’ve sat down and spoken with one on one7400:03:44,339 –> 00:03:47,899picks one envelope and it has a question on the front7500:03:47,899 –> 00:03:49,259that simply says this,7600:03:49,259 –> 00:03:51,899how would you describe your prayer life?7700:03:52,839 –> 00:03:55,479And about half of all the folks who’ve sat down with me,7800:03:55,479 –> 00:03:58,059I’ve had the privilege of speaking with them7900:03:58,059 –> 00:04:02,279over past months, have chosen that question8000:04:02,279 –> 00:04:04,339and said, pastor, have I got an hour to talk with you?8100:04:04,339 –> 00:04:05,559I’d like to talk about this.8200:04:05,559 –> 00:04:09,820I would like to talk about where my prayer life is.8300:04:10,839 –> 00:04:13,300Now inside the envelope, when we open it up,8400:04:13,320 –> 00:04:15,039having decided that that’s what we’re gonna spend8500:04:15,039 –> 00:04:16,100the time talking about,8600:04:17,239 –> 00:04:19,380there are a number of different cards.8700:04:19,380 –> 00:04:21,899Each card has one word on it.8800:04:21,899 –> 00:04:24,820The question is, how would you describe your prayer life?8900:04:24,820 –> 00:04:26,839And inside are various words,9000:04:26,839 –> 00:04:29,000some of them are positive, some of them are negative,9100:04:29,000 –> 00:04:30,480some a little bit in between,9200:04:30,480 –> 00:04:33,279and folks are invited just to sort out9300:04:33,279 –> 00:04:37,019which word would best describe your prayer life9400:04:37,019 –> 00:04:38,019as it is right now.9500:04:38,019 –> 00:04:41,239Tell you the two words that by far and away9600:04:41,239 –> 00:04:42,959are most often picked up9700:04:43,679 –> 00:04:44,660and folks will say,9800:04:45,459 –> 00:04:46,880I think this is where I’m at.9900:04:46,880 –> 00:04:50,119The first word is irregular10000:04:51,839 –> 00:04:54,600and the second word is aimless.10100:04:54,600 –> 00:04:56,359And it’s been my great privilege to be able10200:04:56,359 –> 00:04:59,720to sit and to talk about where you go from there10300:04:59,720 –> 00:05:03,660if you feel that that’s the reality of your prayer life.10400:05:04,839 –> 00:05:08,160So I think therefore, that there is a great hunger10500:05:08,160 –> 00:05:10,359among us in this congregation10600:05:10,359 –> 00:05:15,359to know more of what it means to pray in the Holy Spirit.10700:05:17,059 –> 00:05:20,459See, sooner or later, everybody prays.10800:05:20,459 –> 00:05:24,899Someone has put it there are no atheists in foxholes10900:05:26,519 –> 00:05:28,720and you may think that you can get through your life11000:05:28,720 –> 00:05:30,640without God, but sooner or later,11100:05:30,640 –> 00:05:33,880you will come to a situation in which you will want to say,11200:05:33,880 –> 00:05:35,799Oh God help me.11300:05:36,779 –> 00:05:38,720The first question then of course11400:05:38,720 –> 00:05:40,220is gonna be which God?11500:05:41,399 –> 00:05:44,519Well, you say, well, there’s surely only one God.11600:05:44,519 –> 00:05:46,399Yes, but who is he?11700:05:46,399 –> 00:05:47,579How can we know him?11800:05:48,799 –> 00:05:51,179Now some people say an answer to that question,11900:05:51,179 –> 00:05:53,920Well, you know, God is whoever you think him to be.12000:05:53,920 –> 00:05:56,239The trouble with that is that if God12100:05:56,239 –> 00:05:58,640is whoever you think him to be,12200:05:58,640 –> 00:06:02,119then when in your foxhole you pray,12300:06:02,160 –> 00:06:06,200you’re actually praying only to whoever you think about12400:06:06,200 –> 00:06:07,299in your own mind.12500:06:07,299 –> 00:06:09,140In other words, who you have made up,12600:06:09,140 –> 00:06:10,760a figment of your imagination12700:06:10,760 –> 00:06:13,179and there is therefore no objective reality12800:06:13,179 –> 00:06:16,440to correspond to the one to whom you call.12900:06:17,579 –> 00:06:22,579What we are saying, what the Bible is saying13000:06:22,820 –> 00:06:26,820is that there is indeed one God and you can know him13100:06:27,739 –> 00:06:31,279because he has made himself known13200:06:31,279 –> 00:06:34,160to Abraham and to Moses and to the prophets13300:06:34,160 –> 00:06:37,859and supremely in Jesus Christ.13400:06:37,859 –> 00:06:41,559You can come to know him and you can speak13500:06:41,559 –> 00:06:44,140not to some figment of your imagination,13600:06:44,140 –> 00:06:47,040but God as he is,13700:06:47,980 –> 00:06:50,839and there is no greater privilege13800:06:50,839 –> 00:06:53,459that a man or woman can know in this life.13900:06:55,140 –> 00:06:57,380Let me make three foundational statements14000:06:57,380 –> 00:06:58,899about Christian prayer14100:06:58,920 –> 00:07:01,320and then we’re gonna get into the second workout14200:07:01,320 –> 00:07:04,640with some practical steps as to how you can grow14300:07:04,640 –> 00:07:09,619in what it means to pray in the Holy Spirit.14400:07:09,619 –> 00:07:12,859First, true prayer, if we’re to understand it are right14500:07:12,859 –> 00:07:17,859from the Bible is prayer directed to God the Father.14600:07:19,100 –> 00:07:21,399Now someone sent me quite unsolicited just this week,14700:07:21,399 –> 00:07:22,299I don’t know who it was,14800:07:22,299 –> 00:07:23,600but I was grateful for it.14900:07:23,600 –> 00:07:25,500Someone sent me a magazine15000:07:25,500 –> 00:07:29,299from a famous and wonderful hospital.15100:07:29,299 –> 00:07:31,299It had an article on the front page15200:07:31,299 –> 00:07:35,140about spirituality and healing.15300:07:35,140 –> 00:07:38,019And the hospital chaplain wrote about the value of15400:07:38,880 –> 00:07:43,880prayer to God or to a higher power.15500:07:46,220 –> 00:07:47,799Now we hear that kind of language.15600:07:47,799 –> 00:07:49,179You must have heard that phrase many times,15700:07:49,179 –> 00:07:51,980prayer to God, or to a higher power.15800:07:51,980 –> 00:07:54,700I heard it Larry King several times in the last month,15900:07:54,700 –> 00:07:58,019it’s almost universal language in our culture.16000:07:58,019 –> 00:08:01,100To God or to a higher power.16100:08:01,100 –> 00:08:04,299What I want you to understand from the Bible today16200:08:04,299 –> 00:08:07,739is that there is all the difference in the world16300:08:07,739 –> 00:08:09,500between these two things.16400:08:10,540 –> 00:08:14,679You see there are many higher powers in the spirit world,16500:08:14,679 –> 00:08:17,019the Bible makes that very clear.16600:08:17,019 –> 00:08:20,920Jesus Christ we are told is seated above16700:08:20,940 –> 00:08:25,940the angel’s authorities with Powers in submission to him.16800:08:27,299 –> 00:08:31,200In fact, the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament16900:08:31,200 –> 00:08:34,559tells us about a day when God will deal17000:08:34,559 –> 00:08:37,140with the higher powers.17100:08:37,140 –> 00:08:41,619Look at this verse from Isaiah chapter 24 in verse 21.17200:08:41,619 –> 00:08:46,039In that day the Lord, four capital letters17300:08:46,039 –> 00:08:48,000because this is the name of the God17400:08:48,000 –> 00:08:50,039who reveals Himself in the Bible,17500:08:50,039 –> 00:08:54,820the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens.17600:08:55,659 –> 00:08:57,719He’ll punish the powers in the heavens above17700:08:57,719 –> 00:08:59,820and the kings on the earth below.17800:08:59,820 –> 00:09:02,419Now that’s a very clear statement, isn’t it?17900:09:02,419 –> 00:09:04,440There are other higher powers18000:09:04,440 –> 00:09:06,099and one day God will punish them.18100:09:07,059 –> 00:09:09,000And to read on Isaiah’s words, he says18200:09:09,000 –> 00:09:11,900they, the powers will be herded like prisoners18300:09:11,900 –> 00:09:14,580bound in a dungeon, they’ll be shut up in a prison18400:09:14,580 –> 00:09:16,119and punished after many days18500:09:16,119 –> 00:09:18,719for the Lord Almighty will reign on Mount Zion18600:09:18,799 –> 00:09:22,340and in Jerusalem and before its elders gloriously.18700:09:22,340 –> 00:09:25,679Now, if that is the ultimate destiny18800:09:25,679 –> 00:09:30,679of the higher powers, we have no business praying to them18900:09:32,200 –> 00:09:33,640or associating with them.19000:09:33,640 –> 00:09:36,119Why would you want to pray to a power19100:09:36,119 –> 00:09:37,760that God will one day judge?19200:09:39,239 –> 00:09:43,640Whatever temporary help the higher powers19300:09:43,640 –> 00:09:46,260may be able to give to you now,19400:09:46,260 –> 00:09:50,460they are under the condemnation of God the Bible says,19500:09:50,460 –> 00:09:54,260and you do not want to be identified with them in any way.19600:09:55,859 –> 00:09:58,020Now, that will be something worth your while remembering19700:09:58,020 –> 00:10:00,419next time someone talks to you about praying to God19800:10:00,419 –> 00:10:02,859or a higher power.19900:10:02,859 –> 00:10:07,859True prayer is directed to God the father.20000:10:09,719 –> 00:10:12,500You’re listening to Open The Bible with Pastor Colin Smith20100:10:12,500 –> 00:10:15,299and we have to pause the message briefly there.20200:10:15,340 –> 00:10:19,020We’ve seen how prayer is directed to God the father.20300:10:19,020 –> 00:10:20,400And when we come back in a moment,20400:10:20,400 –> 00:10:23,460we’ll see how prayer is offered through the sun20500:10:23,460 –> 00:10:26,419and empowered by the Holy Spirit.20600:10:26,419 –> 00:10:29,020Our message is called Pray in the Holy Spirit20700:10:29,020 –> 00:10:30,400and it’s part of our series,20800:10:30,400 –> 00:10:33,219Keeping Yourself in Spiritual Shape20900:10:33,219 –> 00:10:34,820based on The Book of Jude21000:10:34,820 –> 00:10:37,859and it contains seven spiritual workouts21100:10:37,859 –> 00:10:40,880for living a healthy Christian life.21200:10:40,880 –> 00:10:42,900If you’ve missed any of the series so far21300:10:42,900 –> 00:10:45,099or if you want to go back and listen again,21400:10:45,919 –> 00:10:47,859you can do that by coming online to our website,21500:10:47,859 –> 00:10:48,280openthebible.org.uk21600:10:48,280 –> 00:10:53,280or find us as a podcast on all the main podcast sites,21700:10:54,000 –> 00:10:56,340search for Open the Bible UK21800:10:56,340 –> 00:10:59,020or follow the link from our website.21900:10:59,020 –> 00:11:00,340Back to the message now.22000:11:00,340 –> 00:11:01,619Here again is Colin.22100:11:01,619 –> 00:11:06,619True prayer is directed to God the father.22200:11:08,599 –> 00:11:13,599Secondly, true prayer is offered through God, the son,22300:11:14,239 –> 00:11:16,400our Lord Jesus Christ.22400:11:16,400 –> 00:11:19,900Now, once we’ve grasped that there is one God22500:11:19,900 –> 00:11:21,799that he’s not whoever we want him to be22600:11:21,799 –> 00:11:23,119or imagine him to be,22700:11:23,119 –> 00:11:26,739but he is who he is as he’s revealed himself to us,22800:11:26,739 –> 00:11:31,739the next question is how do we come then to him?22900:11:33,440 –> 00:11:37,419Now, when you ask the question, how do I come to God?23000:11:38,520 –> 00:11:42,400The answer is it all depends23100:11:42,400 –> 00:11:45,739on what you want to receive from him.23200:11:47,580 –> 00:11:52,500You see, the Bible uses a very powerful picture23300:11:52,500 –> 00:11:54,599to make this clear to us.23400:11:55,760 –> 00:12:00,760There is one God, but he has more than one throne.23500:12:05,200 –> 00:12:07,380Now, that is something that is very easy23600:12:07,380 –> 00:12:10,000for a person from Britain to understand.23700:12:10,880 –> 00:12:13,979There is one Queen in Britain,23800:12:13,979 –> 00:12:17,539but she has more than one throne.23900:12:17,539 –> 00:12:19,299There’s a throne in the palace,24000:12:19,299 –> 00:12:21,679actually there’s probably several.24100:12:21,679 –> 00:12:25,299There is a throne in the House of Lords.24200:12:25,299 –> 00:12:28,719The different thrones that the Queen has in Great Britain24300:12:28,719 –> 00:12:33,719relate to different functions that she performs.24400:12:33,719 –> 00:12:37,640She uses the throne in the House of Lords, for example,24500:12:37,640 –> 00:12:40,340when she reads the government program24600:12:40,340 –> 00:12:42,119for the state opening of parliament24700:12:42,119 –> 00:12:43,520that you may have seen on television.24800:12:43,520 –> 00:12:47,520It’s a marvelous, marvelous occasion of pageantry.24900:12:47,520 –> 00:12:51,419Now, using that picture, the Bible also makes it clear25000:12:51,419 –> 00:12:56,419that there is one God, but he has more than one throne.25100:12:57,320 –> 00:13:01,520The Bible speaks, for example, of a great, white throne25200:13:01,520 –> 00:13:05,039from which God on the last day will dispense justice25300:13:05,239 –> 00:13:08,239and judgment to every person who has ever lived.25400:13:09,159 –> 00:13:14,159But the Bible also speaks about a throne of grace,25500:13:15,119 –> 00:13:20,119a throne of grace, where God gives mercy to sinners,25600:13:21,400 –> 00:13:24,820where God gives strength to weak people,25700:13:24,820 –> 00:13:29,820where God reaches out and embraces us in his covenant love.25800:13:29,820 –> 00:13:32,859Now, very simply, if you want to come25900:13:36,219 –> 00:13:39,260to the great white throne, you can come any way you want26000:13:39,260 –> 00:13:41,659and you will get the justice of God.26100:13:41,659 –> 00:13:46,659But if you want to come to the throne of grace,26200:13:47,260 –> 00:13:50,539you have to come through the Lord Jesus Christ.26300:13:50,539 –> 00:13:52,859This is made very clear right throughout the Bible.26400:13:52,859 –> 00:13:55,580Not only in the New Testament, but even in the Old,26500:13:55,580 –> 00:13:58,260where those who sought the grace of God26600:13:58,580 –> 00:14:00,859had to come with a sacrifice.26700:14:00,859 –> 00:14:03,659So for example, we’re told in Hebrews chapter four,26800:14:03,659 –> 00:14:07,500since we have a great high priest, Jesus, the Son of God,26900:14:07,500 –> 00:14:10,039who’s gone through the heavens, we should do two things.27000:14:10,039 –> 00:14:11,739Hebrews four in verse 14,27100:14:11,739 –> 00:14:14,099hold firmly to the faith we profess.27200:14:14,099 –> 00:14:17,059Hebrews four in verse 16, come boldly,27300:14:17,059 –> 00:14:21,020come with confidence to the throne of grace.27400:14:21,020 –> 00:14:24,239Because of Jesus, we should come to this throne of grace27500:14:24,239 –> 00:14:26,400that we may receive grace and mercy27600:14:26,400 –> 00:14:28,580to help us in our time of need.27700:14:28,580 –> 00:14:31,580So there is one God, but there is more than one throne.27800:14:31,580 –> 00:14:35,739And if you want access to grace,27900:14:35,739 –> 00:14:37,739access into that room,28000:14:37,739 –> 00:14:41,140access to that throne is opened28100:14:41,140 –> 00:14:44,140by Jesus Christ.28200:14:44,140 –> 00:14:48,900Grace and truth have come in Jesus Christ.28300:14:48,900 –> 00:14:50,780So, if we’re to understand true prayer,28400:14:50,780 –> 00:14:53,940here are the first things that we need to understand.28500:14:53,960 –> 00:14:56,239That it’s directed to God the Father28600:14:57,219 –> 00:14:59,239and that it is offered through God the Son.28700:14:59,239 –> 00:15:00,080You will remember28800:15:00,080 –> 00:15:02,739that there was a great storm of controversy28900:15:02,739 –> 00:15:06,520after Franklin Graham, at the presidential inauguration,29000:15:06,520 –> 00:15:08,859ended his prayer by saying the words,29100:15:08,859 –> 00:15:12,919in the name of Jesus Christ.29200:15:12,919 –> 00:15:15,840Now, that is not just a tagline29300:15:15,840 –> 00:15:19,520that Christians like to use as a convention,29400:15:19,520 –> 00:15:23,140it is a statement of our fundamental conviction29500:15:24,299 –> 00:15:28,400that grace is released through Jesus Christ,29600:15:28,400 –> 00:15:30,320this is why he came into the world,29700:15:30,320 –> 00:15:32,840it is fundamental to our whole position.29800:15:34,940 –> 00:15:37,760For if that were not true, he need not have come.29900:15:39,719 –> 00:15:43,000Grace and truth come through Jesus Christ.30000:15:43,000 –> 00:15:45,840So true prayer is then directed to the Father,30100:15:45,840 –> 00:15:47,299it is offered through the Son,30200:15:47,299 –> 00:15:51,239and then thirdly it is empowered by the Holy Spirit.30300:15:51,239 –> 00:15:52,859Now, this is one of the most marvelous30400:15:52,940 –> 00:15:55,940and least understood teachings of the whole of the Bible.30500:15:56,859 –> 00:16:00,619When you come to faith in Jesus Christ,30600:16:00,619 –> 00:16:05,619the Holy Spirit comes to live with you and in you.30700:16:07,419 –> 00:16:09,059And one of the many things that he30800:16:09,059 –> 00:16:12,700will help you to do is to pray.30900:16:12,700 –> 00:16:15,780Paul tells us in Romans chapter eight in verse 26,31000:16:15,780 –> 00:16:20,419as we read, that the Spirit helps us in our weakness.31100:16:20,440 –> 00:16:24,299See, we do not know what to pray for, Paul says.31200:16:24,299 –> 00:16:26,979But the Spirit himself intercedes for us31300:16:26,979 –> 00:16:31,840with groans that words cannot express.31400:16:33,900 –> 00:16:36,260To try and make this a little clearer,31500:16:36,260 –> 00:16:38,020I want you to imagine with me for a moment31600:16:38,020 –> 00:16:40,659a computer geek at high school.31700:16:41,640 –> 00:16:44,619And he works away every evening in his basement31800:16:44,619 –> 00:16:46,419and he is writing software.31900:16:47,359 –> 00:16:48,919And he thinks to himself,32000:16:50,000 –> 00:16:54,320if only I could get this into the hands32100:16:54,320 –> 00:16:57,739of those good folks at Microsoft.32200:16:58,719 –> 00:17:01,280So he writes to Microsoft.32300:17:01,280 –> 00:17:06,280He’s full of ideas, and he never hears a solitary thing.32400:17:06,760 –> 00:17:08,719He’s disappointed, but he’s not surprised.32500:17:08,719 –> 00:17:10,699After all, he knows nobody at Microsoft,32600:17:10,699 –> 00:17:13,640he has no idea how to introduce a new idea to Microsoft,32700:17:13,640 –> 00:17:15,359and who knows how many suggestions32800:17:15,380 –> 00:17:18,260these folks at Microsoft receive in a single day.32900:17:19,579 –> 00:17:23,260Then one day, while the kid is working away33000:17:23,260 –> 00:17:25,680on his computer writing software in the basement33100:17:25,680 –> 00:17:27,319there is a knock at the door.33200:17:28,540 –> 00:17:32,119And there stands to his absolute astonishment33300:17:32,119 –> 00:17:35,619a rather short, middle-aged guy33400:17:35,619 –> 00:17:39,199with reddish hair and glasses.33500:17:39,199 –> 00:17:41,339Hi, he says.33600:17:41,339 –> 00:17:43,920I’m Bill Gates.33700:17:43,959 –> 00:17:46,380The kid nearly falls over.33800:17:46,380 –> 00:17:49,380But the next thing, he’s sitting in his basement33900:17:49,380 –> 00:17:51,199working away on his computer34000:17:51,199 –> 00:17:55,599with Bill Gates sitting right there at his elbow.34100:17:56,500 –> 00:17:58,880Listen, says Bill.34200:17:58,880 –> 00:18:03,880Let me tell you where Microsoft is heading right now.34300:18:05,300 –> 00:18:07,500You see, if you can move your work34400:18:07,500 –> 00:18:09,500in the direction that we’re going34500:18:09,500 –> 00:18:12,300maybe we can become partners together.34600:18:12,359 –> 00:18:14,979The kid’s eyes are boggling wide open.34700:18:16,160 –> 00:18:20,400The kid begins to work on what Bill has told him.34800:18:20,400 –> 00:18:23,180Then he sends a new proposal to Microsoft34900:18:23,180 –> 00:18:24,959just as Bill had described,35000:18:24,959 –> 00:18:27,300and now the kid sends it35100:18:27,300 –> 00:18:31,680not with a kind of hopeless shot in the dark attitude35200:18:31,680 –> 00:18:33,260but with great confidence.35300:18:33,260 –> 00:18:34,099Why?35400:18:34,099 –> 00:18:38,680Because he knows that what Bill Gates has prompted35500:18:38,680 –> 00:18:40,900Bill Gates will receive.35600:18:42,699 –> 00:18:45,339Now, if that illustration is stretching the boundaries35700:18:45,339 –> 00:18:47,180of your imagination, as it does mine,35800:18:47,180 –> 00:18:51,319here’s something far greater to completely blow your mind.35900:18:52,300 –> 00:18:56,339You see almighty God comes to every believer36000:18:56,339 –> 00:19:01,339by his Holy Spirit to teach us how to pray.36100:19:01,560 –> 00:19:05,300To prompt us of the direction in which God himself36200:19:05,300 –> 00:19:10,300is moving so that we may come into alignment with that36300:19:10,300 –> 00:19:13,500and enter into his purpose so that my prayer36400:19:13,500 –> 00:19:15,839is not some kind of vague shot in the dark,36500:19:15,839 –> 00:19:20,839but is a reflection of what God himself is doing,36600:19:21,339 –> 00:19:25,319it is an entering into partnership with the living God,36700:19:26,579 –> 00:19:28,660and that’s why John says in his letter,36800:19:28,660 –> 00:19:31,339this is the confidence that we have in approaching God,36900:19:31,339 –> 00:19:35,020if we ask for anything in his will, he hears us.37000:19:35,900 –> 00:19:37,319And we know that if he hears us,37100:19:37,319 –> 00:19:40,339whatever we ask, we have what we have asked of him.37200:19:40,339 –> 00:19:41,439We read a verse like that37300:19:41,439 –> 00:19:43,839and say I’m not sure I really understand that.37400:19:45,520 –> 00:19:47,400And the reason we find it hard to understand37500:19:47,400 –> 00:19:48,959is that we sometimes do not know much37600:19:48,959 –> 00:19:50,439about praying in the spirit,37700:19:51,800 –> 00:19:56,020we’re like the geek alone in the basement.37800:19:57,680 –> 00:19:59,619No, true prayer is a partnership,37900:19:59,619 –> 00:20:02,400that is a sense in which you never truly pray alone,38000:20:02,400 –> 00:20:05,680it is a partnership involving father and son38100:20:05,719 –> 00:20:07,699and Holy Spirit.38200:20:09,780 –> 00:20:10,819Now, that sounds marvelous,38300:20:10,819 –> 00:20:13,319but the obvious question is, okay,38400:20:13,319 –> 00:20:15,280but where do I begin in practice?38500:20:16,359 –> 00:20:18,239I feel right now that my prayer life38600:20:18,239 –> 00:20:20,459is just irregular and aimless38700:20:20,459 –> 00:20:23,060and you’re talking about something from the Bible38800:20:23,060 –> 00:20:24,680that sounds very wonderful,38900:20:24,680 –> 00:20:28,459how do I begin to move in that direction?39000:20:29,500 –> 00:20:30,800Number one, if you want to learn39100:20:30,800 –> 00:20:32,900what it is to pray in the spirit,39200:20:33,880 –> 00:20:38,880then soak yourself in the Spirit’s prayers.39300:20:39,079 –> 00:20:40,359The Spirit’s prayers.39400:20:40,359 –> 00:20:44,319You see, the Bible contains some marvelous prayers39500:20:44,319 –> 00:20:45,520which, if you think about it,39600:20:45,520 –> 00:20:49,599were actually breathed out by the Spirit of God himself.39700:20:50,520 –> 00:20:53,579You’ll find them in the book of Psalms.39800:20:53,579 –> 00:20:55,300The whole Bible was written39900:20:55,300 –> 00:20:59,020as men were carried along by the Holy Spirit.40000:20:59,859 –> 00:21:05,300And as you fill your mind with the word of God,40100:21:05,859 –> 00:21:10,500as you fill your soul with the prayers of the Spirit,40200:21:11,339 –> 00:21:13,619you will find that you begin40300:21:13,619 –> 00:21:16,380to think God’s thoughts after him.40400:21:17,180 –> 00:21:21,500And if you can learn to form your prayers40500:21:21,500 –> 00:21:23,739in a way that reflects the Bible,40600:21:23,739 –> 00:21:26,979you will be praying in the Spirit40700:21:26,979 –> 00:21:28,339because you are praying in a way40800:21:28,339 –> 00:21:31,579that reflects the mind and the heart of God.40900:21:31,579 –> 00:21:33,939One of the greatest pieces of spiritual counselling41000:21:33,939 –> 00:21:37,739I ever received was keep the tight connection Colin,41100:21:37,739 –> 00:21:40,420between your reading of the Bible and your praying.41200:21:40,420 –> 00:21:42,060Relate the two together.41300:21:43,060 –> 00:21:43,979You’ve been listening to41400:21:43,979 –> 00:21:46,180Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith41500:21:46,180 –> 00:21:49,180and a message called, Pray in the Holy Spirit,41600:21:49,180 –> 00:21:53,300part of our series, Keeping Yourself in Spiritual Shape,41700:21:53,300 –> 00:21:55,020based on the Book of Jude.41800:21:55,020 –> 00:21:56,579If you ever missed one of our messages,41900:21:56,579 –> 00:21:59,300it’s easy to catch up or go back and listen again.42000:21:59,300 –> 00:22:03,979Online at our website, openthebible.org.uk.42100:22:04,939 –> 00:22:07,099I know many of you listen to podcasts42200:22:07,099 –> 00:22:10,060and we’re excited to tell you about a new podcast42300:22:10,060 –> 00:22:11,459for Open the Bible.42400:22:11,459 –> 00:22:14,339It’s a companion to Pastor Colin’s book,42500:22:14,339 –> 00:22:15,900Hike Through the Bible.42600:22:15,900 –> 00:22:18,859Yeah, and each week, I’ll read a chapter from the book42700:22:18,859 –> 00:22:21,500and then I get to discuss it with some friends.42800:22:21,500 –> 00:22:24,719So if you join us on the podcast in 50 weeks,42900:22:24,719 –> 00:22:27,560we’ll cover 50 chapters of the Bible together43000:22:27,560 –> 00:22:29,920and in a year, you’ll have hiked43100:22:29,920 –> 00:22:32,300through the entire Bible story.43200:22:32,300 –> 00:22:34,920Now, if you think hiking sounds like hard work,43300:22:34,920 –> 00:22:35,739don’t worry.43400:22:35,739 –> 00:22:39,780I promise you this hike will be an easy, gentle pace.43500:22:39,780 –> 00:22:41,319There’s a link to the podcast43600:22:41,319 –> 00:22:44,180and lots more information on our website43700:22:44,180 –> 00:22:47,959at openthebible.org.uk.43800:22:47,959 –> 00:22:50,520Open the Bible is able to stay on this station43900:22:50,520 –> 00:22:53,479and the internet and available as a podcast44000:22:53,500 –> 00:22:55,560because of the generous financial support44100:22:55,560 –> 00:22:58,439of our listeners, that’s people like you,44200:22:58,439 –> 00:23:00,920and if you already give to support the work,44300:23:00,920 –> 00:23:02,739thank you so much.44400:23:02,739 –> 00:23:04,060If supporting Open the Bible44500:23:04,060 –> 00:23:06,160is something you’d like to start doing,44600:23:06,160 –> 00:23:09,479this month we’re delighted to offer a free gift.44700:23:09,479 –> 00:23:11,739When you set up a new direct debit44800:23:11,739 –> 00:23:13,380to the work of Open the Bible44900:23:13,380 –> 00:23:16,160in the amount of five pounds per month or more,45000:23:16,160 –> 00:23:18,900or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more,45100:23:18,900 –> 00:23:20,300we’d love to say thank you45200:23:20,300 –> 00:23:22,619by sending you a free copy45300:23:22,680 –> 00:23:24,680of Pastor Colin’s new book,45400:23:24,680 –> 00:23:26,060Hike Through the Bible.45500:23:26,060 –> 00:23:29,619Colin, where did the idea for this book come from?45600:23:29,619 –> 00:23:32,420Well, we have Fly Through the Bible45700:23:32,420 –> 00:23:35,459for those who are looking for a place to begin,45800:23:35,459 –> 00:23:37,020then Drive Through the Bible45900:23:37,020 –> 00:23:39,099obviously takes people a bit further,46000:23:39,099 –> 00:23:41,540but for everyone that wants to get serious46100:23:41,540 –> 00:23:43,219about the Bible story,46200:23:43,219 –> 00:23:45,459Hike Through the Bible is for you.46300:23:45,459 –> 00:23:48,079I mean, this is where you get your boots on the ground46400:23:48,079 –> 00:23:50,160and really get to grips46500:23:50,160 –> 00:23:52,339with what the Bible is all about46600:23:52,339 –> 00:23:55,160and you’ll discover that the whole Bible is one story,46700:23:55,160 –> 00:23:56,459that the whole of it46800:23:56,459 –> 00:24:00,199points to our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ46900:24:00,199 –> 00:24:01,660and I wrote this for people47000:24:01,660 –> 00:24:04,760who want to have a better grasp of the Bible.47100:24:04,760 –> 00:24:05,680I wrote it for people47200:24:05,680 –> 00:24:08,920who want to have a deeper love for the Lord Jesus Christ47300:24:08,920 –> 00:24:10,680and just by way of encouragement,47400:24:10,680 –> 00:24:13,160if you think that hiking sounds like hard work,47500:24:13,160 –> 00:24:15,900well you can hike at a gentle pace,47600:24:15,900 –> 00:24:18,079this is 50 chapters47700:24:18,079 –> 00:24:20,760and that’s designed so that you could do one a week,47800:24:20,800 –> 00:24:22,719a nice gentle hike through the Bible47900:24:22,719 –> 00:24:24,719so that at the end of the year,48000:24:24,719 –> 00:24:27,819you really have grasped the Bible as a whole48100:24:27,819 –> 00:24:29,400and you’ve got a clearer grip48200:24:29,400 –> 00:24:32,579on what it is that God’s saying into your life.48300:24:32,579 –> 00:24:35,099Well, we’d love to send you Colin’s new book48400:24:35,099 –> 00:24:37,319when you set up and a new direct debit48500:24:37,319 –> 00:24:39,839of £5 per month or more48600:24:39,839 –> 00:24:43,579or a one-off gift of £50 or more this month,48700:24:43,579 –> 00:24:46,599full terms and conditions online at our website,48800:24:46,920 –> 00:24:49,380Openthebible.org.uk48900:24:49,380 –> 00:24:51,439and you can give online.49000:24:51,439 –> 00:24:53,739Don’t forget to leave your name and address49100:24:53,739 –> 00:24:56,319so we can send you your gift.49200:24:56,319 –> 00:24:59,000For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith49300:24:59,000 –> 00:25:00,219I’m David Pick49400:25:00,219 –> 00:25:03,020and I look forward to being with you again next time.49500:25:11,859 –> 00:25:13,359When you pray in the Spirit,49600:25:13,359 –> 00:25:16,119you’re not the same person afterwards.49700:25:16,119 –> 00:25:19,079Find out why next time on Open the Bible.