Instruments of Sanctification, Part 2 | Sunday, October 24, 2021

Welcome to Cross Connection Church online. I'm Pastor Garrett, and we at Cross Connection Church are so grateful that you are joining us for our service today. If you'd like to know more about Cross Connection Church, please check us out on our website at lifeinconnection.com, where you'll find out more about us, events coming up, and ways to get plugged in.

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I would be hopeless without Your goodness. I would be desperate without Your love, a slave to the darkness if it wasn't for the cross. You have won me with Your kindness, chased me down when I was lost. Where would I be if it wasn't for the cross?

Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus. I was a prisoner, but now I'm not. With Your blood, You bought my freedom.

Let me begin this morning by asking you a very simple question: What is keeping you awake at night? What is keeping you up at night? There's a very good possibility that you have an answer to that question right now. I'm sure that you've noticed people are fairly anxious right now. You might be anxious right now.

There may be some things that are weighing upon you every single day. You might be burdened by concerns and problems. You may be having a difficult time focusing right now because of all the things that are swirling around in your mind. You're thinking about those issues at work that you tried to leave there on Friday, and they are waiting for you tomorrow. All through the weekend, they've kind of been at the back of your mind, even though you've been trying to put them out of your mind.

You may be concerned about something facing you at school this week. You may have to step into some really difficult meetings this week—some make-or-break opportunities. You're waiting for those test results to come back from that blood test or maybe that biopsy. You're concerned about a family member or a loved one who is going through some sort of challenging situation. Perhaps they are in the midst of an illness.

Of course, we have all the swirling things happening with COVID, government restrictions, and all kinds of crazy sorts of things. There are decisions you have to make about mandates and all this sort of stuff. People are hyper-anxious right now. After 19 months of ups and downs, shutdowns and startups, fits and starts, delays and pauses, orders and mandates, and recommendations, anxiety for a lot of people is at an all-time high. We find ourselves in this weird sort of in-between moment where we feel like things might be...

Moving in a positive direction, we often find ourselves waiting for the next shoe to drop, as they say. However, Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life." He emphasized this point by asking what we will eat, what we will drink, or what we will wear. He stated, "Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"

In Matthew chapter 6, verse 31, He continues, "Do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'" He explains that the Gentiles seek after all these things. People who do not know God are consumed by these daily concerns of life. But Jesus reassures us that our heavenly Father knows the things we have need of. Therefore, we should not be anxious or worried.

This message is not only from Jesus; it is echoed by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians. In Philippians chapter 4, he writes, "Be anxious for nothing." I don't know about you, but I would like to live a life that follows these commands. I want to live without worry, concern, fear, dread, or anxiety.

I want to encourage you this morning: I believe that God never commands what He does not also enable. Let me emphasize that point again; it is really important. God never commands what He does not also enable. This is one of the key themes we have been discussing over the last several weeks in our series called "The Disciplines of a Disciple." We are exploring the equipment and help that God has given to you and me to make it more likely that we will succeed in working out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

You see, God saved you and called you to a new life in Christ Jesus. If you are a Christian today, you need to understand that God rescued you; Jesus saved you.

He called you to a new life in Jesus, and God desires that you would grow and be transformed more and more into the very thing that He called you to be. He wants you to be conformed more and more, transformed into the likeness of His kids. Paul the Apostle wrote it this way in his letter to the church at Rome in Romans chapter 8, verse 29: "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined." He knew you before the creation of the earth, before the foundations of the earth. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined; He predetermined that you would be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might transform you. That is God's determined plan for you. He has determined to make you more like His Son, Jesus.

God is working in you, and He’s working in me, and He’s working in us to desire and to do those things that are pleasing to Him—those things that are right and good before Him. He is determined to make you more like Jesus, and we can be confident of this very thing: He, God, who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it until the day that you stand before Him in eternity, until the day of Christ Jesus.

Now, God is doing this work. He’s working in you; He’s working in me to will and to do His good pleasure. We can be confident of this very thing: He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. However, I believe that we have a part to play in this work. We have a responsibility, if you will, in this work. I’ve already kind of alluded to my favorite passage in Scripture that talks about this. There in Philippians chapter 2, verse 13, we read that it is God who works in you to will and to do His good pleasure.

But just before that, right before Paul tells the church at Philippi that God is working in them, giving them new desires and the ability to do those things that are pleasing, right, and good before God, he says this in Philippians chapter 2, verse 12: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." God’s working in you, but you need to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

So, quite literally, if you are a Christian today, then you are kind of in training camp. We could call it cross-training here at Cross Connection Church. You're in training camp, and this whole period of time between the point that...

Jesus justified you when you believed in Jesus Christ. Immediately at that moment, you are justified. Your sin, the punishment for your sin, the penalty for your sin, is dealt with. Jesus justified you and clothed you in His own righteousness. Because of the work that Jesus did on your behalf, on my behalf, on the cross when He said, "It is finished," and your faith, your trust in Him, you are now justified.

As a result of believing in Him and being justified, you have the promise that He is going to glorify you when you come into His presence at the end of this life. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, as 1 Corinthians chapter 15 says, this corruption will put on incorruption; this mortality will put on immortality. The same power that worked in Jesus to raise Him from the dead, as Philippians chapter 3 states, is going to transform your lowly body so that it will be conformed to His glorious body.

You have been justified by trusting in Jesus, and you will be glorified when you step into His presence. When we see Him, we shall be like Him, as the Scripture says. However, we are currently in the gap, in this period of time between justification and glorification. This gap is the time of sanctification, the time of transformation in which God desires to work in you and in me to bring about the effects of salvation in our lives, to bring about the fruit of salvation in our lives.

He is working in us to will and to do His good pleasure, but He has a work for you and me to do as well. We are called to work out our own salvation, as stated in Philippians chapter 2, verses 12 and 13. I come back to these verses often here at Cross Connection Church, and I would hope that you might even consider committing them to memory: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is working in you to will and to do His good pleasure."

The Lord is working in us, and in this process of working out our salvation, He has not left us without help. He has given us the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our helper; He guides us in all truth and works in us and alongside us, calling us to walk in the Spirit so that we will not fulfill the carnal desires or lusts of our flesh. Paul talks about this in his letter to the Galatians, specifically in Galatians chapter 5, verses 16 and 17, where he says, "I say then, walk in the Spirit."

The spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. The flesh lusts or wars against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. These two are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. You don't do the good things that you want to do.

Not only is the Holy Spirit working with us and in us to call us to walk in the spirit so that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh, but the Holy Spirit is also working in us with His power to enable and empower us to walk in a way that is pleasing to God. It is God who works in you to will and do His good pleasure. He is the one that is empowering us.

Jesus said this in some of the last words He gave to His disciples before He ascended into heaven. Right as He was commissioning them to go into all the world and to do His ministry work, to make disciples, He said, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth." This is found in Acts chapter 1, verse 8.

As the Holy Spirit works with us and in us, empowering us, He begins to bring about growth—growth unto maturity in our lives. We begin to see the manifestation, the outworking of the Holy Spirit's power and influence in our lives. The way we see the Holy Spirit's power being worked out in us, the manifestation of it, is what we call, or actually what the Apostle Paul called, the fruit of the Spirit.

In Galatians chapter 5, verses 22 and 23, he says, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." God wants to work in you. I believe there are other fruits of the Spirit, but these are nine fruits of the Spirit listed there. Some people argue over whether or not it is the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, and all these are the outflow of love. That's fine; you can hold this however you want.

The manifestation that God is at work in His people includes these sorts of things, and there may be others that you could add to this as well. Some of them are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the evidences to me; these are the evidences to the people around me that God is at work in me. We want to see these things.

I started today with that question, and I want to come back to that very simple question that I began with: What is...?

Keeping you up at night. I start with that because I have a lot of conversations with people. In my conversations with people who go to church and those who don't, I know that the last 19 months have caused a lot of anxieties, fears, concerns, dreads, stress, and nervousness to come to the surface. I have some friends who are marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, and they have told me that this period of time has caused anxiety to rise. People are stressed, and you might be in that place.

So, I bring up that question today: What is keeping you up at night? You probably have an answer to that question. You likely have a thing, or maybe 20 things, that are causing you sleeplessness, restlessness, and anxiety. If I'm honest with you, I will tell you that I've had some nights where it's been hard to get to sleep because I have a lot of things running around in my mind. As I think about the state of our church, all the things that are coming against our families, the craziness happening in the economy, our political process, or just in the world, there have been some nights where it's hard for me to fall asleep because I just can't turn my brain off. I'm sure that some of you are experiencing the same thing.

I bring up that question because Jesus said, "Do not worry," and Paul said, "Be anxious for nothing." The Scriptures record that the fruit of the Spirit is peace. The fruit of the Spirit is peace, rest, and self-control—being able to set those things aside. We have the command of Christ: do not worry. We have the command of the Scriptures: be anxious for nothing. We have the fruit of the Spirit: peace and self-control. As a Christian, as a disciple, as a follower of Jesus, I should be at rest. I should have a life that is increasingly characterized by peace. People should be able to see it in me—the fruit of the Spirit.

So, how do I work this aspect of salvation out in my life? How do I make it a reality that there is increasing evidence in me that I'm at peace, that I'm at rest? I'm reminded of that story in the Gospels, and maybe you've read through the Gospels before, where Jesus tells his disciples, "Hey, let's get in the boat; we're going to go across the sea."

In Galilee, Jesus is asleep on the boat while His disciples are caught in the midst of a great storm. They are fearful that they are going to die, so they wake Him up and say, "Don't you even care that we are about to die?" Jesus is at rest in the storm, and I think that this is a really important illustration. This very simple picture of Jesus at rest in the midst of the storm serves as a reminder that even in the midst of trials, tribulations, and difficulties—which we are promised we will encounter in this world—Jesus said in John chapter 16, "In the world, you will have tribulation."

That is a given. It is absolutely certain that in a world that is broken, fallen, and affected by sin, you will have trials, tribulation, troubles, and difficulties. However, He also says, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. In Me, you might have peace." We want to have that peace, so how do I work this aspect of salvation into my life? How do I begin to experience rest, peace, and the fruit of the Spirit? How do I make that a reality?

We have the help of the Holy Spirit—His empowering and His encouragement. This is what we have talked about in this series as we seek to discipline ourselves in the discipleship process. We are promised the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will not leave you helpless. I will give you a helper, the Holy Spirit, who comes and empowers us and encourages us to walk in the Spirit."

As I was thinking about this question, I was reminded of the words of the Apostle Peter in the New Testament book of Second Peter. In his second and last letter, Peter opens with these words in Second Peter chapter 1, verse 2: "Grace and peace be multiplied to you." Let me stop there for a moment. Peter's encouragement, prayer, or blessing to the people he was writing to is that grace and peace would be multiplied to them.

Now, how many of you watching this today would like to have peace multiplied in your life? We should pay attention to what is going on in this passage and what the Holy Spirit is speaking through Peter. He says, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus." His divine power has given us, note this, God in Christ Jesus according to His...

Divine power has given to you and to me all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called you by glory and virtue. Listen, if you're taking notes today, this is a key thing you might want to focus on: God has given us all we need to live this life in a godly manner. According to His divine power, He has provided us with everything that pertains to life and godliness.

In the last few weeks of this series, "The Disciplines of a Disciple," I have been zeroing in on the equipment, the tools He has given us. We are focusing on all things that pertain to life and godliness. We are examining the equipment that God has provided, the tools we can use to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Knowing that God has justified us, He will glorify us, but in this transformation and sanctification period—the gap between being justified and glorified in His presence—how do we work out our salvation with fear and trembling? God has given us some tools.

We are only looking at three of them, and we will zero in on those. There are others, and maybe in the future, we will discuss some of those. If you were with us in the last message, we talked about the first tool that God has given to us: His Word, the Scriptures. This is the first tool that God has provided for you if you are a follower of Jesus. It is essential for this transformation and sanctification process.

Today, we are moving on to discuss the second tool that God has given to us. To lead us into this discussion, I asked the question: What is keeping you up at night? The reason I asked that question is that if there is something weighing on you—if you are worried, anxious, or stressed—and you are fretting, it is an indication that you need to employ this tool. I would also say you need to employ the first tool, the Word of God. You need to be getting into God's Word as well.

However, if you currently find yourself in a place where you're lacking peace, or maybe it's one of the other fruits of the Spirit—perhaps you're lacking love, joy, self-control, faithfulness, or gentleness—these are all indicators. They serve as a barometer to indicate that there is something that needs your attention.

Out of whack in your life, one of the areas that may be lacking is peace. If you are stressed, anxious, and fretting, it is an indication that you need to employ the tool we are going to talk about. We will dig into it and see the connection between this lack of peace and this tool.

Open with me, if you would, in your Bibles to the book of Philippians, specifically Philippians chapter four. For those of you who don't know, if you haven't been around for very long, Philippians is my favorite book in the Bible. I find myself going back to this passage frequently. The verses we are going to focus on today are among my favorites, and I know many people would say the same thing.

Philippians chapter four, beginning at verse four, says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice. Let your gentleness or your way of life be known to all people. Let everybody see the way that you live. The Lord is at hand."

Now, look at Philippians chapter four, verse six. Put a star next to it in your Bible, underline it, highlight it—whatever you need to do. Be anxious for nothing! Let me say it again: be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer—circle the word "prayer," underline it, put a star over it, highlight that word. Be anxious for nothing; it is a command. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

And here is the key transition: the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Listen to these words from Paul; they are inspired by God. We talked about this last week, if you were with us. Second Timothy chapter 3, verse 16 states that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it is useful for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, so that the man or woman of God would be thoroughly equipped, ready for every good work.

So, what is the good work that God wants you to walk in as a follower of Jesus, as a Christian? He wants you to walk in peace, to be at rest even in the midst of the storm. If you are not at peace and do not have rest right now, it is an indication that you are being corrected. Remember, the Word of God is doctrine inspired by God.

Be anxious for nothing. The walk along with Jesus in the Spirit is a life that is characterized by peace and rest. You're not anxious, but you probably are anxious, so your life is out of alignment with God's perfect, true standard. Remember the plumb bob from last week, if you were with us? It exposes that I am not where I ought to be, but it has the ability to correct it.

How does the Word of God correct it? Well, He tells us what we are to do: be anxious for nothing. That's doctrine. In everything, by prayer, how do I do it? Here's the correction: I need to pray. This is God's inspired Word to you and to me. This is an important tool for us as we grow in Christ's likeness. The Word of God is an important tool, but prayer is an equally important tool. We should not be afraid, anxious, stressed, or nervous. Be anxious for nothing; that is a command, and it is a command that I fail to obey frequently, and maybe you do as well. I find myself spinning up with anxiety and stress and all those sorts of things.

What's kind of ironic, or maybe even funny, is that we Americans, living at this moment in history, have about the least reason for anxiety and fear that anyone has ever had throughout human history. Yet, we still find things to freak out about. We make a sport out of anxiety. As Pastor Mark would say, we mortgage anxiety; we're like buying it. But I know that anxiety is not good for me, and I know that you know that anxiety is not good for you.

Anxiety is linked to things like headaches, stomach aches, gastrointestinal problems, breathing problems, a pounding heart, panic attacks, muscle and joint aches and pains, fatigue, and increased blood pressure. All of these things have been shown in scientific research to be connected to stress and anxiety. The Scriptures were absolutely right when they said, "Do not fret; it only causes harm." That's in Psalm 37, verse 8. Anxiety is not good for you; it is not God's ideal. God, the one who created you, knows that it's not good for you, and so He commands you and commands me: do not worry. Be anxious for nothing. Understanding.

That this anxiety is not good for you is one thing, but knowing how to get out of anxiety is an entirely different thing. I am bringing all of this up to highlight just how much you and I need this essential tool for our sanctification workout routine. The Scriptures say, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." One of the signs that you are working out salvation with fear and trembling is that you are obeying this command: "Be anxious for nothing."

I want to walk in line with this command. I don't want the headaches, the stomach aches, the breathing problems, the pounding heart, the panic attacks, the muscle and joint pains, the fatigue, or the high blood pressure. I want to have the peace of God. So, how do I have the peace of God?

Last week, I shared with you that the Word of God is an essential tool in our sanctification, and this week I want you to recognize that prayer is also an essential tool in our sanctification. Look at Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 and 7 again: "Be anxious for nothing." That's a command that we fail to obey. How do I do that? Remember I said a little bit ago that God never commands what He does not also enable.

If He is commanding, "Be anxious for nothing," and Jesus commanded in Matthew chapter 6, "Do not worry," what is the enabling ability for me to fulfill this command? It is, "But in everything by prayer." I had you circle that word "prayer." In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The command is clear: do not worry, do not be anxious for anything. The process or the pathway to begin to experience this peace is clear as well. It is evident that in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, we should let our requests be made known to God.

What is the expected outcome when we follow what the Scriptures say? When we pray and bring our supplication, thanksgiving, and requests to God, the outcome is the peace of God. Perfect peace. Isaiah 26:3 says, "He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him because he trusts in Him."

So, God's perfect peace will guard your heart and your mind, your entire inner being, what we would probably refer to as the soul. It will guard your soul through Christ Jesus. God's peace will be a guard over you.

An oversimplification, but I'm convinced that it is not. Last week, I gave you an oversimplification. The oversimplification I provided is that your spiritual health is proportionally related to your intake of God's Word. I have a little graph here: as you increase your intake of God's Word, your spiritual health will increase as well. There is a proportional relationship between your daily intake of God's Word and your spiritual growth.

Here's another oversimplification for you this week: your anxiety and worry are inversely related to how much you pray. The less you pray, the more anxious you will be. The more you pray, the less anxious you will be. It is as simple as that. I know it seems like an oversimplification, but I promise you it is not. I would have to ask you, have you tried this? This is what God's inspired Word says: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus."

Your whole internal psyche, your soul—this isn't only true for anxiety and worry, but anxiety and worry are good barometers for us. The more you pray, the less anxious you will be. The more you take in God's Word and the more you pray, the more joyful you will be. Each of these different things, as I already mentioned, are indicators of where we are in our relationship with the Spirit of God. If I don't have joy, if I don't have peace, if I'm not self-controlled, if I don't have gentleness, these things indicate to me that something is out of order. I need to go back to the Scriptures and figure out how to address this.

For anxiety and worry, the issue is prayerlessness. If you're not praying, you're going to be anxious; I promise you. The peace of God is an outcome, a byproduct, a benefit of prayer. But what are some other benefits of prayer? As you begin to look at this very simple thing, what are some benefits? I started thinking about this last week and wrote down a number of different things. What are some of the benefits of prayer? First, prayer helps you to develop a closer walk and relationship with God. Prayer helps us to grow in our understanding of God and how He works. Prayer provides...

Answers to our questions and solutions to our problems, prayer invites God's provision of the things that we have need of, even the things that we desire. Prayer helps us to find wisdom and direction from God. It provides strength against temptation and helps us to align our will with God's will. Prayer invites God's power, can bring healing and miracles, and can help us be refined and become more Christ-like. These are all some of the benefits, and I could probably go on and on with this. I could come up with a whole bunch of other things from the Scriptures that we see about prayer, but I think that this drives home the point.

There is actually a quote that sums up this whole thing about prayer. I'm not entirely sure who said it, but I read it years ago. It was probably one of two men of God: Ian Bounds or D.L. Moody. The quote is, "Where prayer is focused, power falls." You can be certain of that. When you begin to focus your attention with prayer, you will begin to see God's power at work in your life.

These are the things that we find about prayer when we begin to study the Scriptures. However, in setting this as a theological basis for prayer, it brings up some questions. I have questions, as people would say. Some of the questions that come to mind are: What is prayer? Why does prayer work? What kinds of prayer are there? How do I do this thing called prayer? And when should I pray?

As I begin to wrap this message up today, I want to talk about those questions. First, what is prayer? This is a really simple one; we don't have to go real in-depth with this. Simply put, prayer is talking to God. People have been engaged in prayer for as long as we can see back into human history. People have been a praying people for a very long time. When we pray, we talk to God, and not only do we talk to God, but we trust that He hears us.

This leads to the second question: Why does prayer work? I would say that prayer works because God exists. Not only does God exist, but He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The author of the book of Hebrews said it very clearly like this.

But without faith, it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that he is. Why does prayer work? Because God exists. He who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

So, why does prayer work? Because God exists, and He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Jesus said, "Ask, seek, and knock." If you ask, seek, and knock, it will be given to you because God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The Apostle John wrote this in First John, chapter 5, verse 14: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

So, why does prayer work? Because God hears our prayers. If we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

So, what is prayer? Simply put, it is talking to God. Why does prayer work? Because God exists, and He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Now, let's address the third question: What kinds of prayer are there? Generally, the word "prayer" is the general term for this action of talking to God, but there are different kinds of prayer. Paul alludes to those in Philippians, chapter 4, verses 6 and 7. He says, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to all, for the Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer"—there's the general term—and "supplication"—that's another kind of prayer. We'll get to that in a second. "With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

He gives the general word "prayer," but then he talks about some specifics. The general word is prayer, which means talking to God. But what kinds of prayers are there? Secondly, he mentions supplication. What is supplication? Well, supplication is a word we don't use so much today, but simply put, it means asking for God's provision and for His supply. You see, "supply" is kind of like a part of the word "supplication."

So, when you bring your needs to God, when you bring your desires to God and you pray to Him—just like your kids bring their wants, wishes, and desires to you—when you bring your prayers to God and you ask for something, you're saying, "Lord, I need this. I want this," whatever it may be. You are engaged in supplication, which falls under the broad category of prayer. Underneath that, you have supplication.

The next one after supplication is thanksgiving. He says, "In everything by prayer, with supplication and thanksgiving." What is...

Thanksgiving is expressing your gratitude and thanks to God. If you bring your needs to God in supplication, saying, "God, I need the provision, the money for this next semester of school. I need the provision for this unexpected bill that I wasn't planning on," and God answers your prayer by providing what you need, what should you do? You should go to God and thank Him for what He has done.

I think this is one of the areas of prayer that we sometimes forget. God answers our prayers, and we forget to bring Him thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is simply expressing your gratitude and thanks to God. This leads right into another kind of prayer. If God provides for your needs or answers your prayer, you give Him thanks. The third kind of prayer I would mention is praise, or you could call it adoration. Praise and adoration involve giving glory to God and worshiping Him.

I come to God with my general prayers. Sometimes those prayers are supplication, where I say, "God, I need you to provide for this bill I didn't expect. I need you to help this person over there." Whatever it is, I want you to provide something, so I bring my wants, desires, and needs to God. When He provides, I give thanks to God, I adore Him, and I praise Him. This leads into another kind of prayer.

So far, we have supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, and praise. The next one is intercession. What is intercession? It's simply a big word that means praying for other people or praying on behalf of other people. Every single week, we receive our prayer cards. A lot of people turn in the prayer cards, and you can go on our website to the web address linked down below here to send us your prayer requests. One thing you can be certain of is that if you send us your prayer requests, we have people who will intercede. They will engage in intercession, praying for you or on your behalf—praying for healing, praying for a job opening, or praying for you to get through this next semester of school, whatever it is, including getting through midterms.

So, we have supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, praise, and intercession. The next is confession. What is confession? It's a form of prayer where you acknowledge your failures and your sin before God. You might come before God and say, "Lord, I have not been following that command that says, 'Be anxious for nothing.' I have been stressed, upset, and impatient with people." You come to God and pray, confessing your impatience with your spouse.

That was sin; it was wrong and outside of your will and desire for life. Confession is acknowledging your wrongdoing, your sin, before God. This leads to another kind of prayer: repentance.

What is repentance? It's turning away from your sin and asking for God's forgiveness. You might say, "Lord, would you forgive me of my sin of being impatient? Would you enable me to walk in the Spirit and to be patient with other people?" These are just some of the forms of prayer. You could probably come up with more. In fact, if you went on Google and searched for "what kinds of prayer are there," you would find pages listing various types, such as seven kinds of prayer, nine kinds of prayer, and six kinds of prayer.

We have supplication, thanksgiving, adoration and praise, intercession, confession, and repentance—many different ways that we pray.

This brings us to the next question: How do I pray? What do I do? I would say that this is the right and proper question for a disciple. "God, how do I pray?" This is exactly what some of Jesus's disciples did in the Gospel of Luke. In Luke chapter 11, verse 1, it says, "Now it came to pass, as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He stopped, when He was done praying, that one of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray in the same way that John the Baptist taught his disciples.'"

Jesus desires that we pray, and He teaches us how to do it. This is really important. It is God's desire that you would pray, that you talk to Him in prayer, and He will teach you how to do it.

One of Jesus's disciples came to Him in Luke chapter 11. Jesus had been praying; that was His model and the example He left for His disciples. They came to Him and said, "Lord, you're done praying. Teach us to pray the same way John taught his disciples."

So Jesus said this in Luke chapter 11, verse 2: "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

This is possibly a familiar prayer to you, especially if you grew up going to a more traditional church, like a Catholic church or an Episcopalian church.

Maybe in some Presbyterian churches, you may have found that in the church you grew up in, they would pray this prayer on a regular basis. Sometimes it's referred to as the Our Father because it begins with "Our Father who is in heaven." Sometimes we call it the Lord's Prayer; that's kind of the traditional title for this prayer.

I would say that this is a model prayer and also a model for how we ought to pray. What do I mean by that? Well, it is a model prayer, and a prayer that you can, and maybe you should, pray. I know sometimes people, especially Protestant Christians, kind of get weirded out by that because they think that if they just pray this prayer on a regular basis, then they are engaged in what is called vain and redundant prayer. I don't think that that's really what is meant by not getting involved in vain and repetitious prayer, as Jesus talks about in the Sermon on the Mount.

So yes, I do think that this is a model—a model prayer, a prayer that you can, and maybe should, pray from time to time. To pray, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," and so forth. It's okay to pray this prayer.

I will also say it is a model for prayer in that it approaches God in reverence and adoration. "Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name." So Jesus is teaching His disciples to come before God in reverence and adoration, with praise and adoration. It aligns our will with God's will: "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." That's one of the things that the prayer models for us.

It asks God for His provision: "Give us this day our daily bread." Notice Jesus saying, "Give us today our daily bread." What's implied by that? You should be coming before God asking for His provision and supply regularly, like every single day. So it's asking for God's provision and supply.

It is seeking God's forgiveness: "Forgive us our sins." It is also seeking God's empowering for us to forgive other people. Have you ever had a hard time forgiving others? Maybe you should pray, "God, would you help me to forgive others who are indebted to me or who have wronged me?" This asks for God's empowering and deliverance from temptation and evil. Are you finding yourself on a regular basis falling into temptation, being ensnared by the temptations of your flesh, the world, or the enemy? Maybe you should pray, "God, deliver me."

From temptation, deliver me from evil. This is a model prayer, perhaps a prayer that you can and should pray from time to time. Pray this Lord's Prayer, but it serves as a model for prayer because it teaches us to come to God in reverence, praise, and adoration. It teaches us to ask for forgiveness, to seek God's empowerment against sin, and to ask for God's provision. These are all important elements that we should incorporate into our regular prayers.

So, how do we pray? Consider this model, or specifically this prayer, known as the Lord's Prayer, which we find in Luke chapter 11 and also in Matthew chapter 6. This prayer somewhat follows another simple model for prayer that is sometimes referred to as the ACTS model for prayer.

The question is, how do I pray? One way is to pray this prayer or a prayer like it from Luke chapter 11 or Matthew chapter 6. Another way is to use the ACTS model of prayer. The ACTS model is an acronym: A-C-T-S. Adoration is the "A," confession is the "C," thanksgiving is the "T," and supplication is the "S."

When you pray and come before God, you might start with adoration and praise: "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name." You acknowledge how good, awesome, glorious, and majestic God is. You are adoring and praising Him in prayer.

Next is confession. You might say, "Lord, I was impatient with that person just a few minutes ago. That co-worker who came to my cubicle distracted me while I was in the midst of something, and I lost my cool. I didn't have self-control, so I confess to You that I've been impatient."

Then comes thanksgiving. You can express, "Lord, I thank You for Your grace and mercy. I thank You for Your forgiveness and for how good You are."

Finally, there is supplication. You might pray, "I ask that You would help me to be gracious, forgiving, and kind. Give me Your patience and self-control with that person."

This does not have to be a five-hour long process. You can employ the ACTS model of prayer anytime, anywhere.

This leads to my final question: When should I pray? This is a tough question because the Bible does not provide an explicit standard for when you should pray. However, we have examples, such as Jesus. Jesus prayed regularly; He prayed at night, in the morning, and in the afternoon. He prayed throughout the day.

Daniel, the prophet in the Old Testament, prayed three times a day with direct, specific prayer. Many Christians traditionally pray before they eat a meal; it's a good tradition, not a bad thing. The psalmist exemplified a routine of prayer, saying, "O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer." I believe it's Psalm 5 that talks about this. The psalmist also mentions praying in the night season, as he lays down upon his bed. So, the psalmist demonstrated a routine of praying in the morning and at night.

Paul the Apostle called us to pray always. He told the church at Philippi in Philippians chapter 1, verse 3, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." Every single time the people of Philippi came to his mind, he offered a prayer. He was praying without ceasing; he was praying continually.

So, when should we pray? How about any time? How about all the time? How about every time you have an issue, a problem, a need, or a want? Prayer should be a regular and consistent part of your life as a believer. Why? Because where prayer is focused, power falls, and your experience of peace and rest increases as you pray. Conversely, your experience of anxiety and stress increases the less you pray.

With that in mind, maybe we should just stop here and pray. Would you pray with me?

Dear God, thank you that you have given us a tool to help us gain perspective, to bring our will into alignment with your will, and to spend time with you. We have fellowship and commune with you, growing in our relationship through simply talking. Because you are omniscient and omnipresent, we can trust that you hear us. Because you are omnibenevolent, you love to bless and give. And because you are omnipotent, you are all-powerful and have the ability to answer our prayers and desire to do so.

So, Lord, hear our prayer. God, I want to pray specifically right now for those who are either listening to this message or those who are connected with our church and are wrestling with anxiety, fear, and doubt. Lord, for those who are in a difficult situation...

I pray, God, for those who are in a difficult financial situation right now, for those who are having a hard time finding the right job, or for those who don't have enough time to get their work done. Whatever it is, they find themselves anxious, stressed, and without rest, often sleepless. I ask that you would guard their hearts and their minds in You, Jesus. Give them Your peace that surpasses understanding, and instill in them a desire to spend time with You daily and throughout the day.

As they prepare to go to bed at night, may they spend time with You in prayer, simply talking to You, confessing their fears and uncertainties. Your Word says to cast our cares upon You, for You care for us. You want us to roll those burdens off to You, Jesus. You said that Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light, and that You give us rest.

I pray for those who are going through challenging situations right now, where they just don't have rest. Would You give them Your peace that surpasses understanding? Lord, draw us into a place where we begin to engage in adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication.

Help us to pray the Lord's Prayer that You taught Your disciples 2,000 years ago. Teach us, Your disciples, to pray now and help us to be diligent in prayer. God, pour out Your Spirit upon Your church. We thank You for Your Word, which is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, able to bring about sanctification and transformation in our lives.

We thank You for the tool of prayer, which is a direct connection to the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of all things. God, I pray that You would help us not to take for granted the treasure that You have given us in prayer. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those who agreed said, "Amen."

Hallelujah! The power of sin is overcome. Thank you, Jesus. I was a prisoner, but now I'm not. With Your blood, You bought my freedom. Hallelujah! Oh, hallelujah! Thank You, Jesus. I was a prisoner, but now I'm not. Whoa! Hallelujah! Thank You.

Jesus, I was a prisoner. Hallelujah! Thanks for joining us for our broadcast today. I pray that you were greatly encouraged by it. We here at Cross Connection Church would love to invite you to join us in person next week on Sunday at 8:30 and 10:30 services. If you can make it, again, 8:30 and 10:30 services here at Cross Connection Church in Escondido, California. We'd love to see you there. Of course, if you want any more information about Cross Connection Church, check us out on our website, lifeinconnection.com. God bless you guys and have a wonderful week!

Hey, Cross Connection! It's the most wonderful time of the year—almost. We are looking forward to Christmas here at Cross Connection Church. As we look forward to Christmas, we are getting ready to launch our Operation Christmas Child boxes outreach. As you're exiting the sanctuary, you're going to see a table with a bunch of boxes. There are a couple of different ways you can be involved with this particular outreach.

First, grab a box, fill it up, or grab a couple of boxes if you have a family, and take them out shopping to fill those boxes. All the instructions are in the box. These boxes are getting sent all around the world to kids, orphans, and people in need. It's just a wonderful experience—not just to give them probably the only Christmas present that they're going to receive this year, but also for those who are handing out the boxes to these kids to share the Gospel with them.

You can also partner with us in this mission and outreach, Operation Christmas Child, through prayer. Praying is incredibly important, and I can't explain enough how much prayer is involved. So many people are dedicated to pray for each box that's going out, for each team that's sending these boxes around the world and hand-delivering them to these kids. There are so many moving parts in this organization coming up to Christmas, so just be praying for all of it.

It is such a blessing around the world. These kids are getting their one Christmas present in the name of Jesus, and there is just no better outreach than that to share the love of Christ with these kids in need. So please, as you're...

As you exit the sanctuary, consider grabbing a box. They are due back here at Cross Connection Church on November 7th, so you better bring them back by that date or earlier. That's a Sunday, or we will track you down. I'm just kidding, but we really do need them back by November 7th, so remember that date. November 7th. Write it down. What is it? Okay, you got it—November 7th.

Another thing coming up with Christmas is that we have a lot of missionaries we support here at Cross Connection Church around the world. We want you to help us write Christmas cards to them. This is a card of encouragement, and this is something that you and your whole family, including your kids, can get involved with.

If you would like to sign up to send a card to a missionary, have your whole family write something encouraging and fun to send out to our missionaries around the world. Please go ahead and visit events.lifeinconnection.com on our website to sign up. You can send as many as you want, really, but let us know when you bring them back to the church all signed up. Pastor Nicholl will get you all squared away, but please leave the cards open; don't seal them up.

We need to read through the cards—not because we need to ensure you're saying something encouraging, but because they are being sent around the world. We have to make sure that no sensitive information is shared on those cards. Please bring those back; we would love to do that. It's just an awesome opportunity for you to bless our missionaries with a Christmas card of encouragement this year. Check that out; we would love for you to be part of it as well.