Peter Tan-Chi - The Prayer That Changes Lives
Have you ever thought about what the disciples asked Jesus to teach them? Think about this. The disciples did not ask Jesus to teach them how to preach. The disciples did not ask Jesus to teach them how to break bread and feed thousands. The only recorded request you find in the Bible that the disciples made is, Guys, let's read this together, Luke 11:1 "Jesus was in a place praying. After praying, one of the disciples said to him, (everyone read) 'Lord, please teach us to pray'". They asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Please tell me why. In your mind, why do you think that is? Think about it. Not a sermon. Not coaching. Please teach us to pray.
Let me tell you my analysis, just my own analysis. I believe they saw in Jesus the connection between His power and prayer, and in prayer they saw the intimacy between Jesus and God the Father. They saw that Jesus' ministry, His effectiveness, was always connected to prayer. Because Jesus set an example of prayer, because prayer changes many things. I tell you what prayer can do. Someone once said that prayer can change many things, but the most important thing it will change is that it will change you and it will change us. Tell me, prayer will change us. So I love that we all come to learn how to pray. Knowing how to talk to God is more important than knowing how to talk to people. Please let me repeat. Knowing how to talk to God is more important than knowing how to talk to people.
Andrew Murray said, not human ability, but God's power, is the primary thing. Let me repeat. Not human power, but God's power, is the first thing, the most important thing. That's why I want to learn how to pray. As Spurgeon once said, I would rather teach one person to pray than ten to preach. Are we all willing to learn how to pray? Folks, do you want to learn how to pray? Well, Jesus explained exactly how to pray in Luke, so you can find that in Matthew. So he told them what not to do, and he told them what to do. So how should we pray now? Matthew 6:5 When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues or on the street streets so that they may be seen. In Tagalog, these people pray to be seen. Jesus said, don't do this. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. In other words, prayer is not for people to see.
In Jesus' day, they had a habit of praying three times a day. Nine o'clock in the morning, lunch time, and three o'clock in the afternoon. But the Pharisees, these religious leaders, would purposely go to these places, to the street corners, and they would put their hands up and start praying. They want to be seen. Jesus said that prayer is never meant to be seen. Prayer is a personal communication with God that comes from the heart. So he tells you how you should pray. Matthew 6:6 When you pray, go into your closet. This means you better make it a habit. He expects us to pray often and you find a place, a favorable place, wherever it is, and I praise God that CCF is completing its prayer room. We will have some prayer rooms, and if you need a quiet place to pray, we will have rooms for you.
We have a place of prayer in Amman McQuillen, but it's too far. But you can find a place in your home. You pray with God. Close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. Your Father is watching in secret and will surely reward you. We pray because we believe God hears and responds. He then tells you to be careful not to do anything you shouldn't. Matthew 6:7 When you pray, do not use repetitive words as the pagans do. They think that if they talk too much, they will be heard. In other words, don't try to get God's attention with long prayers that you keep repeating. How many of you are familiar with the Lord's Prayer? Please raise your hand. In this country, we are all familiar with the Lord's Prayer. Now don't call it the Lord's Prayer, call it the Lord's Model Prayer. He taught us how to pray. This is a model. This is not His prayer. This is a prayer for us to learn.
But for me, as I was letting myself be a believer, the Lord's Prayer was a punishment for me because I remember, when I confessed my sin to someone, that person would tell me: Okay, go ahead and recite the Lord's Prayer 30 times. So for me, the Lord's Prayer is a chore, and I don't enjoy the Lord's Prayer because they tell me, you just keep praying that 30 times. If I commit more sins, 50 times, OK. Sometimes, it's too many passes. But I realized as I studied the Bible, I found that was completely contrary to what Jesus taught. Jesus said, don't you try to twist my arm because you've repeated something too many times, Jesus said, don't do that. Note that he was very emphatic about meaningless repetition. Anything can become meaningless when you keep repeating it without thinking about its meaning. The Lord's Prayer is beautiful. I didn't say, don't repeat it, but you have to understand its meaning and you have to pray from your heart. But that's not good: when people just repeat themselves, I know some people who have been in prayer meetings and they just repeat certain things, OK?
You have no idea what it means and they don't even know what it means. The Bible says, don't use meaningless repetition, thinking you will convince me, thinking that feeling sorry for me will answer your prayer. You keep repeating and repeating. You know God is not like many earthly fathers, so how do you pray? Well, He tells us, Matthew 6:8 You shall not be like them. For your Father knows what you need before you ask. God knows, so there's no need for you to keep repeating it. I suggest you study the prayers of Jesus. He rarely prayed very long prayers. I tell our pastors: Be careful when you are asked to pray in public. Don't pray for too long. Don't let everyone fall asleep before you finish praying. Jesus would say a short prayer. The shortest prayer is: Father, glorify your name. That's it. Father, into your hands I commit my soul. The longest recorded prayer of Jesus is John 17, and it's really not that long. So be careful that when you pray you are speaking to God and don't use meaningless repetitions and don't think you are twisting God's arm.
So the first thing I want you to understand, today's sermon message, is, everyone, are you ready? Let's read this sentence together: Life-changing prayer. This is a life-changing prayer. Do you want to learn how to pray this prayer? Prayer does change things, all kinds of things, but the most important thing is this: it changes us. I like this quote from R.C. Sproul: He said: Prayer does change things, all kinds of things. But what's the most important thing it changes? It changes us. So my outline is very simple, as you study prayer that changes lives, do you want to learn how to pray that changes lives, including your life? Okay, there are three basic principles, and there is only one main point: Prayer that changes lives. This prayer changes lives. Do you know why? It changes our perspective of thinking. It changes our priorities. It changes who we trust. As you pray this prayer, the people you trust will change. Are we ready?
OK, let's start with Matthew 6:9: Read together: Matthew 6:9 "So when you pray, say this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name". Notice, the first thing He wants you to learn is this: Prayer is all about relationships. Our Father, our Father, calling God our Father is quite radical. It is not used like this in the Old Testament. In fact, God is called Father only 15 times, but in the teachings of Jesus, there are more than 170 times in the Gospels alone. Jesus alone calls God our Father (so many times?), This is radical, this is something they didn't expect, but God wants you to know that God is our Father. Turn to your neighbor and tell the person next to you: God is your Father.
Now to most of us, that doesn't mean much, and let me tell you why. In my many years of ministry, I have met many people who grew up in dysfunctional homes where you find it difficult to imagine God as your Father. Because a lot of people grow up without a father. Or if they have a father, the father is reckless, irresponsible, abusive, so he brings no comfort to your soul. When you think about God as our Father, sometimes you cringe. Because your father gave you a bad experience, well, let me tell you, God is not like that. Think about the best father in the world. He is infinitely better than that. I understood this better when I became a father myself. When I remember, when I became a father, my eyes were opened and I understood what it meant that God loves me and that God is our Father. In fact, the word used in the New Testament is: Abba, which comes from the Aramaic word: dad. Jesus is saying, God is your Father. You call him daddy. That's the Greek version.
Intimacy, this is so true, I told people in my office, when my kids were growing up, that if any of them called me anytime, you could interrupt me, because I wanted to give my kids time. I want my children to know: they come first. They can see me without any reservation, and I will be there when they need help, "We have a right"! But more than that, I want the best for my children. I remember one day, when one of my sons was sick, I looked at him, and I started crying, and I said, Lord, can you take his sickness to me? I noticed he was having trouble breathing. Then I thought, if I, as a sinful father, love my son so much that I am willing to replace his health with my own, I wonder, doesn't God love us more?
So my friends, I want you to know one thing, God is your Father and He loves you. He wants you to have what is best for you. I just want to ask you this question: Do you truly know Him as your Father? For example, also in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus used a wonderful concept, but repeated the same words, Matthew 7:11 If you, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, How much more will you who are in heaven Father, exactly the same words, how much more will our Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him? In other words, prayer should bring you confidence—if you know who you are praying to. So may I suggest that when you pray privately today, stop using those high-sounding words, don't use the King James Version, oh! thou mighty God! Thou mighty God! you knowest the need of thy children you know the need of thy children.
Can I suggest that when you pray, use plain English, actually, in Tagalog, Lord, 14:41 whatever language you use, OK, but don't try to impress Him. He is our Father. Tell the person next to you: God is our Heavenly Father. But how do you become His child? This is just a quote, my friend, not everyone can pray this prayer, and you know why? Because not everyone is a child of God. Many people don't realize this. Some of you here today, you are God's creation, but you may not be God's children. You know why? The qualifications are very clear: John 1:12 To all who received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believed in his name (Jesus). That's why sometimes your prayer life is boring. You have religion but no relationship. You need to understand, so when I preach this message today, please think about whether you are a child of God.
How do you know that you are a child of God? There will be evidence, but the first step is: humble yourself and come to Jesus, because the Bible says, Jesus is our mediator, Jesus is the mediator between God and man, and through Jesus, God becomes our Father, so Jesus commands us: When you pray, you pray in my name, pray in the name of Jesus. This is why when we pray, we always say: In the name of Jesus. Because through Jesus you become a child of God. Question: How do you know you are a child of God? Look at behavior, like father, like son. I don't judge people, but I tell others: Pay attention to your behavior and ask yourself: Am I really a child of God? Or do I just have religion? Is Jesus a passport to heaven? If Jesus is just a passport to heaven, then you don't know Jesus, you don't know God. That, my friends, brings a curse. Salvation is by grace, you cannot earn it, it comes through Christ. But once you understand God's grace, you will change.
Notice how you pray, it changes your priorities: Matthew 6:9 So when you pray, say this, Our Father who is in heaven, Now listen: That is important, God is not just any father, He is In heaven, meaning, the Supreme, the Almighty, the Almighty God, He can provide, if it's good for us, He may not provide, if it's not good for us. He knows. Why is it important that I say "the one in heaven"? Listen: I have a friend who is the eldest son and the obvious leader. When his father passed away, he was given the authority to handle the estate and clear out the paperwork. He read his father's diary, and you see he never liked his father. He never had a good relationship with his father. As he read the diary, he began to cry. Because he found out that his father had mortgaged the house so they could go to school. He never understood what his father had gone through to give them a good education. Because his father was not expressive, when he found out what his father had done, he said, Peter, it's too late, I wanted to express love to my father, but I never had the chance, he had passed away.
My friend, your Father in heaven loves you. He doesn't need to mortgage His house to provide for you, but He loves you. So if you know He loves you, what must you do? Watch, it changes your priorities: Hallowed be your name. It changes your perspective. When I prayed, I realized: God is my Father and He loves me. Does this change my priorities, what are the priorities? What does the word Hallowed mean? The word Hallowed comes from the Greek word Hagetso, which means: Lord! May your name be glorified. May your name be sanctified. You are supreme, you are the most important being, and I value you most. This is what the word Hallowed means. If you hallow something, if you make it primary, if you make it supreme, if it is not God, you will inevitably be disappointed. I have met many families who value their children most. They regard their children as the center of the universe. This is called child-centered parenting.
Let me tell you what will happen? You will definitely be disappointed. I remember this mother, "After everything I've done," this mother said, "After everything we've done for our children, how can they treat us like this now"? Very simple, anyone, anyone Things that you treat as gods, that are the most important, that you pour your heart and soul into, because they become the most important people in your life, you are bound to be disappointed, and you know why? In this story, the child feels so Sargar, Sarcar means suffocated. You know some parents who dote on their kids, but you don't know that you're destroying your kids because you're loving them the wrong way. It's called helicopter parenting, where you try to do everything for them, you try to prevent them from having any problems. You're always around them and they feel so suffocated, in Tagalog, they feel sarcar. When they become teenagers, their dream is to escape from you, and then you're in for a surprise.
What happened to my child? After college, they left. Your exaltation of anything but God is bound to disappoint you. So this pain changes your life. What is my highest priority? It brings glory to God. That's what I pray for. Now if you pray this prayer: hallowed be your name, hallowed be your name throughout the earth, now that's your priority. How would that affect your life? You will glorify Him. I remember this Christian leader asked me to counsel him. He was not from the CCF church, so don't guess that he was someone from the CCF. I say when you make that decision to leave your organization, I want to warn you: If you leave your organization like this, at this moment, will you bring glory to God? I praised God for this leader, who thought for a moment: If I leave this organization, if I make this decision, will it bring glory to God? I said, your answer is right here.
Do you want to know the path God has ordained for your life? Ask yourself: Will this bring glory to God? Whatever you do, husbands and wives, when you make a decision, ask yourself, will this bring glory to God? If you can't, then don't do it. Whatever you do, bring glory to God. Be aware that your priorities will change. Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. What does it mean for your kingdom come? The Bible is very clear about the Kingdom of God and that our Father is more than just a loving Father. Our Father is King. He will come again. You see, the Kingdom of God, many people have not received clear teachings about the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is indeed among us, within us, and that's right. When Jesus becomes your Lord and Savior, He is the King, so the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God, is among us, yes, He is the King.
In any kingdom, there is a king, a supreme being, subjects, a king, and followers. that's right. But the Bible also talks about a physical kingdom, in the future tense. You need to understand that when you pray this prayer, Jesus is saying that you are to pray that the Kingdom of God will be ushered in soon. Let's look at what the Bible says: Revelation 12:10 Now has come salvation, and power, and the kingdom of my God, and the authority of his Christ. These things will come. For the accuser of our brothers has been cast down, who accuses them day and night before our God. Who is the accuser of the brothers? It's the devil.
The Bible tells us that there are now two kingdoms side by side: the kingdom of darkness, Satan, because of his influence, so this world is evil, so all of you will experience suffering and pain; and the Kingdom of God, but that day There will come a time when the Kingdom of God will be fully revealed. The devil will be completely removed. But that day is not today. You have to pray for that kingdom to be ushered in. We have a role to play in this. The Bible tells us very clearly in the Book of Revelation, please read this scripture: Revelation 11:15 The kingdoms of the world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever. You need to understand that your values cannot be based on the world. Do you know how this changed my life? It changed my priorities, my values.
Hear me, everyone, if you are ignorant of this truth, if you don't know that such a kingdom is coming, you will place all your hope and all your hopes on the temporary things of this world. Because for you, that's all you have to gain, everything is of this life. But my friend, the Bible tells us the opposite: Everything in this world is subject to change and destruction. What is forever? The Kingdom of God, it will come. Whether you like it or not, whether you are part of the kingdom or not, it doesn't matter, the kingdom is coming. Jesus said, you must pray this prayer often. So you remind yourself: Lord, my values cannot be things of this world. Do you know why I like you to think about that kingdom?
The Bible tells us that it is a beautiful country. Everyone reads this scripture. Some of you are in pain, I know. But read this scripture: God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. No more death, no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain... All of you over 60 years old, you will appreciate this verse, no more pain, no more pain in your back, no more pain in your shoulders, no more pain in your heart, Hehehe, praise God, no more pain. Anything else? Because the things of the past are in the past. Behold, I make all things new. I am Alpha and Omega. The truth, my friends, is that there will be pain in this world, and there will be injustice in this world, but you have a good shield of protection. The Bible is very clear that people accuse Christians of dreaming, that our minds are always thinking about the future, and that we are useless in the world.
My friends, if those dreams are just dreams, then I agree with them that Christianity is the opium of the mind, it is like opium. But if those dreams are right and real, then it's the most logical thing for us to do. You have to set your hearts and minds on things that are real and eternal. I don't know about you, but I'm excited because Jesus is coming soon. Yes or no? You know what Isaiah describes... Yeah, you can clap your hands and praise God, I don't know about you, but I'm going to a wonderful place. You know the book of Isaiah tells us, I don't have time to read all the scriptures. Isaiah talks about He's going to create a New Heaven and a new earth, and then He talks about what's going to happen, and you know what's going to happen?
Look at this, when the Kingdom of God comes, Isaiah 11:6, 8 The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid. Young lions, calves, and fattened animals flock together. Children should lead them. The suckling child will play in the entrance of the adder's den... A very beautiful sight, please note: Isaiah 11:9-10 "They will do no harm or harm in any part of my holy mountain. For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. In that day, the root of Jesse will be set up as a standard for the nations..". Who is the root of Jesse? Jesus, the grandson of Jesse. The Bible tells us, ladies and gentlemen, that day is approaching when lions and tigers and cheetahs will become vegetarians, and they will no longer eat us. If you have children, they will play, there is no need to worry, no harm will come, "it does no harm, no harm", because righteousness dwells in the Kingdom of God, which is a wonderful place. Hallelujah! Praise God!
What is your duty now? This is your portion: Matthew 24:14 This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come. In other words, the Kingdom of God has not yet come because of God's kindness. God is saying that this gospel must be preached to the ends of the earth. Why do you think CCF has the CCF Beyond department? Why do you think we invest money and resources into places where the gospel is not yet preached? Why? My friends, because it is my duty to help fulfill the conditions for the coming of the Kingdom of God, for the coming of the Kingdom of God, I want to preach the gospel. You ask yourself, will this change your life? If you pray this prayer: Lord, your kingdom come. Ask yourself, are you leading people into His kingdom? How can you pray for your kingdom to come and yet you don't care about expanding His kingdom? How can you pray this prayer: Your kingdom come when you don't share the gospel?
So this prayer will change your priorities. Notice how powerful this prayer is. It says: Your will be done, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Do you know why this message is so liberating? No longer my will, no longer your will, but God's will. You will realize the problem that many Christians have. Do you know why you don't have joy? Because you want to be in charge. You want to control people. Friends, you better realize that you are not in control. The sooner you surrender control of your life to our Father in heaven, the happier you will be. You no longer fight with people, you say: Lord, this is what I want. But that's okay, not what I mean, for example, Jesus, look at his prayer: Mark 14:36: Abba, Father, Daddy, Daddy, wow, look at his prayer : All things are possible with you. Please remove this cup from me. Yet not my will, but yours. It's beautiful, I love this prayer. Most of us don't pray this way.
Do you know what you are arguing with other Christians? Do you know why you argue with people? Because I can't do it your way, I found that this is not the way I want. My ways are not important, His ways are more important. If God's Word is most important, I surrender to Him and I do my best. But sometimes, what I want isn't necessarily what He wants. Sometimes the board may overturn my decision, and that's okay. I tell women, I tell children, you have to tell your father, you tell your father, but if your father says: No, then so be it. You ask God. You see, this prayer will change your life. What are my priorities? Your glory, your kingdom, and your will. Very beautiful. Can I tell you, why this will change your life? Because it's all about Him. There are six prayer requests in the Lord's Prayer. The first three are related to God, your glory, your kingdom, and your will.
Let me give you a test. How many of you are students? Please raise your hand. Students, please raise your hands. That means you're still in school, or homeschooled, please raise your hand. Lift it higher, lift it higher, I'm watching you. Now let me ask you, when you are in school, are you bringing glory to God in your studies? Are your actions drawing others into the Kingdom of God? Are you determined to do God's will? You see, this affects your life. How many of you are in business? Please raise your hand. Those of you who are professionals, please raise your hands, raise them higher, raise your hands higher. Those of you who are sitting in offices, let me ask you, are you glorifying the name of God in your work? Does the way you do business, the way you interact with people, bring glory to God? Will you draw people into the Kingdom of Heaven? Enter the Kingdom of God? Are you doing God's will?
Let me tell you a true story about a pastor who worked so hard, he had no time for his children. One day his wife asked him: I want to talk to you. His wife said: Your children grew up without you involvement. I can't tell you what to do. But I just want to tell you one thing: you need to know your priorities. You have a responsibility to this family. And she left. Ladies, this is how you talk to your husbands, simply and to the point, you have a responsibility. This man, by the way, this man is a world-famous pastor, and I met him. He said he was so taken aback that he started to sit down. What is God's will? He discovered that he could delegate many things to others, but he could never delegate the responsibility of fatherhood to others. He cannot delegate the responsibility of husband to others.
You know, it helped him that one day, in his church, he promised his son to play a ball game, so around four o'clock, 4:30, he was leaving the office, and the secretary said, Sir! Someone here wants to see you, and he says: No, I don't have time to see that person. I have four other pastors who can receive him. "But what do I tell him? He wants to see you"! "Please tell him: I promised my son that I would play a game of ball with him". "You mean I tell him this"? You know, this The man walked down and saw the man from his office. The man stopped him: Sir, I really need to see you. He said: I'm really sorry I can't see you, there are four other people who can help you. "Sir, you don't know what's happening to me. My family is falling apart and I need to talk to you". You know what this man of God said? "I have four other pastors who can help you, but my son only has one father and I need to spend time with him".
Friends, you need to know God's will for your life. You can only know God by studying the Bible. the will of. So this prayer: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It means: you are determined to know God's will, and you are determined to surrender to God's will. God will not always respond to you the way you want. This mother prayed for her son, please don't let my son leave home. The son left home at the age of 16, and his mother was heartbroken: Lord, why don't you answer my prayer? Can I tell you this story? A few years later, the son came back. This son came back as a new man because this son met the Lord Jesus in Rome. Who was this man who ran away from home and met Jesus? Who was this man who once lived a rebellious life?
It was none other than the famous St. Augustine. God answered Augustine's mother's prayer, not in the way she wanted, but in the way she really wanted, that is, her son would love the Lord. God allowed this son to leave home because God knew that when he left home, he would meet the best man on earth, Jesus. When he returned home, he was a changed man. My friend, have you had an answered prayer? Do you have? That's OK. What would you say? Not what I will, but what you will. "Give us this day our daily bread". Notice that after you pray for God's will, God's kingdom, God's priorities, it is OK to then ask: "Give us this day our daily bread. Give it to us". What does daily bread mean? You know, they like... They looked at this phrase, daily bread, and it doesn't appear anywhere else in the New Testament except here.
Do you know what this means? This word is used to describe a woman going to the market with a list of what she needs for the day. God tells you to come to Him every day. Can I tell you what our problem is? We don't want to go to God every day. We want God to provide for our needs, for the next 100 years. Most of us, especially business people, have a negative reaction to relying on the Lord every day because we want to be independent. Businessman, I don't mean to blame you. Why is prayer contrary to our intuition? Because prayer is a declaration of dependence. Let me repeat, prayer is a declaration of your dependence on God. Prayer is the antidote to self-sufficiency. That's why Jesus said, you have to pray every day.
You know, I was talking to one of our members who is a volunteer. I asked his permission to share his story. As a volunteer, he works with G-men, you know, helping government workers, soldiers and police. I asked him, how are you doing? He said, Pastor, it's amazing, God provides for my needs. He said, for example, this man is amazing, he lives by faith, and he does not receive a salary from CCF. But he was working for the Lord. He said, one day I went to Gessino city, the miracle office, and I needed to pay my electricity bill. I felt embarrassed, so I was expecting them to go easy on me, and when I got there, the girl looked at the computer and said, Sir, I don't know, your bill has already been paid. Someone paid for you. He said, Pastor, to this day I don't know who paid the bill. And it's happened more than once.
What I'm saying is: Is God faithful? Yes, I tell you, one of my hosts, who took care of me when I was in Sydney, he told me: Pastor! I was asking him: How is your life? What is your financial situation? He said: God provides! He said: Have you seen this car? Have you seen the car I'm driving now? I said: Yes... "You know how I got this car? I am a volunteer, and I live by faith. A female doctor in our church came up to me one day, and she said: You know what? The Lord told I said, you need this new car, here are the details, go to the car shop, go to the car dealer, buy this car, pastor! New car"! Isn't God amazing? Now, listen, I'm not saying, when you walk out of here, you're going to get an envelope, you're going to get a new car, no, no, I'm not talking about that. Please listen to what I'm saying. I'm saying, our Heavenly Father knows our needs. It's OK to tell Him what you need.
Notice Matthew 6:12 Forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. Your greatest need, whether you believe it or not, is a spiritual need, forgiveness. Did you know that forgiveness is so important that Jesus told us: You must learn to forgive others. In fact, if you read this prayer, at the end of this prayer, there are two verses, and there are two verses that also talk about forgiveness and forgiveness of our debts. The word "debt" is not debt as we understand it today. In Jesus' day, sin, transgression, was called debt. When you sin against God, you owe Him something, so this word refers to sin. Forgive us our debts and forgive those who have sinned against us.
Notice, he adds, in verses 14-15, he adds: Matthew 6:14, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive your transgression. If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive your trespasses". In other words, forgiveness is what you need, and you need to forgive others. Many Christians do not experience life change because they violate this scripture. How many of you have experienced God's forgiveness in your life? Please raise your hand, raise it high! good! If we have experienced God's forgiveness, forgiving others is not an option. I have seen unforgiving Christians who lie to themselves. They say, No, I forgive them. Do you understand the process of forgiveness? It's okay to feel heartache and hurt first, and that's okay. It's OK for the consequences to make you feel painful and hurt. And then you forgive. Once you forgive, the next stage is you have to come together. You need to be willing to come together with the person you forgive.
If you are not willing to come together with the person you forgive, you have not forgiven. There are a lot of Christians out there today, you know what they tell me? Yes, I have forgiven them, I forgive, but I don't want to spend time with them. I'm talking to ladies, have you forgiven each other? Yes. OK, shall we have a meal together? No, no, no, no, I don't want anything to do with that guy. That, my friend, is not forgiveness. That is self-deception. Please imagine that one day you go to heaven, and God will say: I forgive you, but I don't want to see you. very scary! I love this scripture: Matthew 6:13 Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
You know, a lot of people don't understand this word: temptation. This is a preventive prayer to prevent us from encountering temptation. What does it mean? The word temptation comes from the Greek word Peirasmos. The word Peirasmos can be translated in two ways, one is temptation and the other is trial. What do I mean? For example, James 1:2 Consider it all joy whenever you face trials (Peirasmos) of many kinds. The same word is used, Peirasmos. Prevent us from encountering Peirasmos, trials, because trials ultimately lead to temptations, is the same word, and based on the context, when is it used as "temptation"? When is it used as a "trial"? It depends on the context. For example, in James 1, the same chapter, James 1:13 When a man is tempted (Peirasmos, same word), let him not say, I am tempted by God (Peirasmos). For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt men.
So don't think of God as the one who tempts us to sin, but what does this prayer mean? Lord, do not lead us into Peirasmos. The meaning is this: Lord, I am weak, I am not strong, and I need you to guide me so that I do not succumb to temptations that come with trials that I cannot bear. Do you understand? We all face temptation, the only question is whether you have the strength to overcome the temptation (temptation) that comes after the trial. Because when you face a trial, you have two options: deal with it God's way, or do it your way. This is why Jesus told us, Matthew 26:41, to watch and pray, lest you fall into temptation. (Watch and pray) Your spirit is willing, but your flesh is weak. You know, I want to praise God for a sister who has gone through trials and temptations, but because she understands the power of prayer, she can share with us what God is doing. Let's welcome Malu Ortiz.
Malu Ortiz: Good morning, my name is Malu Ortiz. When I was growing up, religiously I went to church every Sunday and I prayed every night before I slept. Ironically, these rituals did nothing to prevent me from disobeying God's will. My parents were very strict, and I ignored and disobeyed them. I learned to lie and secretly meet with my boyfriend, whom I had been dating for three years. In ignorance, my boyfriend and I got married at the age of 19. Because we were not emotionally ready to handle conflict and responsibility, problems began to arise in our marital relationships. We went through a painful separation and reconciliation and had two sons. In 1987, I gave birth to a daughter with Down syndrome. She also had hearing, speech and physical disabilities. I stayed in my marriage and worked hard to be submissive to my husband. No matter how hard I tried, the fights continued.
Finally, in desperation to save my failing marriage, I consulted a friend who invited me to a Bible study group. She brought me to CCF where I met some wonderful women who welcomed me into their group. There was a pastor's wife who taught godly wisdom that I had never heard before. She taught me to look at my marriage from a different perspective and helped me realize my shortcomings as a wife. After only two months, my husband commented, He saw a change in me, and he encouraged me to attend regular Bible studies. He was pleased to see the transformation in my life. I began to enjoy being a housewife and enjoying the close connection with my family. This is exactly what I wanted to experience in my marriage in the past—the Lord answered my prayer.
In 2003, another couple, who also had a child with Down syndrome, invited me to join a book group while they were reading the book The Purpose Driven Life. This group is led by Pastor Peter and Vionna. Only then did I fully understand what Jesus had done for me. Because of His death on the cross, I received forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ. I rejoiced in the good news that I had been forgiven and I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. From that day on, my life was never the same. I continued to grow in my understanding of God's Word. I looked forward to reading the Bible every day. I began to develop a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus.
But in 2007, my marriage failed again. I experienced excruciating physical pain and the overwhelming sadness of losing my husband. But this situation prompted me to return to the roots of my faith in God. I only had two options available to me: I could curse God and give up; or I could trust God and draw strength from Him to keep going. I had to surrender my husband completely to the Lord and I needed to forgive him because I was guilty too. Realizing that I had no control over either him or my own situation, I tried to continue fulfilling my role as a wife, and I prayed for him often. The pain was as painful as ever and I had to completely let go of my husband and give it to God. Sometimes life doesn't turn the way we want it to. God gave me a husband, but I didn't have a successful marriage. He gave me a daughter, but she was disabled.
I think of Job, who was blameless before God, but who experienced great losses and trials. Even though I'm not like him and I've made bad decisions in the past, I take comfort in the fact that my Heavenly Father has given me the strength to carry me through all this pain. By God's grace, these trials have prepared me to be a channel of blessing to others. I am currently a fourth-level graduate of GLC (Global Leadership Center), and I am leading a Bible study group called "Praying Wives". I am also a volunteer in CCF's special needs ministry and pastoral care ministry. As I serve, God continues to equip me to learn so that I can help others through coaching and discipleship. God inspired me to write five inspirational books about God's purpose for creating people with disabilities, about the purpose of women going through marital problems, and about inner beauty.
The Lord continues to expand my realm and use me to become a speaker in various churches, schools and organizations to encourage PWD families and women from all walks of life to bring hope through Jesus Christ. Now, I am one of the hosts of a radio show and will soon become the host of a TV show called: God is able. Through this show, we give voice to people with disabilities. The Bible says, We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) God allows me to experience trials in my marriage and family so that His purpose for my life can be accomplished. God may not have given me what I asked for on my terms, but He has been faithful to keep me through it all and strengthen my faith. Life on earth is not about our happiness or comfort or personal agenda. It is all about God. My life on earth is preparation and training for me to spend the rest of eternity with Heavenly Father. In His perfect time, He will make me shine from the ashes. All glory and praise to God!
Finally, in desperation to save my failing marriage, I consulted a friend who invited me to a Bible study group. She brought me to CCF where I met some wonderful women who welcomed me into their group. There was a pastor's wife who taught godly wisdom that I had never heard before. She taught me to look at my marriage from a different perspective and helped me realize my shortcomings as a wife. After only two months, my husband commented, He saw a change in me, and he encouraged me to attend regular Bible studies. He was pleased to see the transformation in my life. I began to enjoy being a housewife and enjoying the close connection with my family. This is exactly what I wanted to experience in my marriage in the past—the Lord answered my prayer.
In 2003, another couple, who also had a child with Down syndrome, invited me to join a book group while they were reading the book The Purpose Driven Life. This group is led by Pastor Peter and Vionna. Only then did I fully understand what Jesus had done for me. Because of His death on the cross, I received forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ. I rejoiced in the good news that I had been forgiven and I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. From that day on, my life was never the same. I continued to grow in my understanding of God's Word. I looked forward to reading the Bible every day. I began to develop a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus.
But in 2007, my marriage failed again. I experienced excruciating physical pain and the overwhelming sadness of losing my husband. But this situation prompted me to return to the roots of my faith in God. I only had two options available to me: I could curse God and give up; or I could trust God and draw strength from Him to keep going. I had to surrender my husband completely to the Lord and I needed to forgive him because I was guilty too. Realizing that I had no control over either him or my own situation, I tried to continue fulfilling my role as a wife, and I prayed for him often. The pain was as painful as ever and I had to completely let go of my husband and give it to God. Sometimes life doesn't turn the way we want it to. God gave me a husband, but I didn't have a successful marriage. He gave me a daughter, but she was disabled.
I think of Job, who was blameless before God, but who experienced great losses and trials. Even though I'm not like him and I've made bad decisions in the past, I take comfort in the fact that my Heavenly Father has given me the strength to carry me through all this pain. By God's grace, these trials have prepared me to be a channel of blessing to others. I am currently a fourth-level graduate of GLC (Global Leadership Center), and I am leading a Bible study group called "Praying Wives". I am also a volunteer in CCF's special needs ministry and pastoral care ministry. As I serve, God continues to equip me to learn so that I can help others through coaching and discipleship. God inspired me to write five inspirational books about God's purpose for creating people with disabilities, about the purpose of women going through marital problems, and about inner beauty.
The Lord continues to expand my realm and use me to become a speaker in various churches, schools and organizations to encourage PWD families and women from all walks of life to bring hope through Jesus Christ. Now, I am one of the hosts of a radio show and will soon become the host of a TV show called: God is able. Through this show, we give voice to people with disabilities. The Bible says, We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) God allows me to experience trials in my marriage and family so that His purpose for my life can be accomplished. God may not have given me what I asked for on my terms, but He has been faithful to keep me through it all and strengthen my faith. Life on earth is not about our happiness or comfort or personal agenda. It is all about God. My life on earth is preparation and training for me to spend the rest of eternity with Heavenly Father. In His perfect time, He will make me shine from the ashes. All glory and praise to God!
Peter Tan-Chi: Praise God! We are almost finished, let us read this scripture together: Matthew 6:13 Lead us not into temptation, but save us... Do you know the word deliver? Do you know what it means? To be precise, he took me through it. You know, sometimes we are weak. Note the pronouns, all are plural. Don't tell us...save us... In other words, when you pray, you don't pray for yourself, you pray for each other. The pronouns in this prayer are all about "us", our daily bread, given to us today. So, do you care about other people? "Give us" If you are lazy, you cannot pray this prayer. Those who do not work, who do not put God first, how can you say, "Give us this day our daily bread"? But you don't work? When you are dishonest, "Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors". How can you pray this prayer if you are bitter? How can you pray, "Lead us not into temptation (temptation), but deliver us..". How can you pray this prayer when you have put yourself in a place of temptation? So this prayer really changes our lives, it changes your perspective, it changes your priorities, it changes the source of your confidence and security. I love that last sentence, I want you, I want us all to pray for each other: Save us...
Let me end with a true story. An OMF missionary doctor was once in Africa. One of his jobs was to go to the town twice a month. Every two weeks he would go to the town to buy daily necessities and then return to the tribal areas. He is a doctor. One day on his way to the city to do some shopping, he saw two men fighting, one of whom was seriously injured. So he took care of the man, and when the man recovered a few weeks later, the man said, you know what? We wanted to kill you because we knew you had money. But when we went to your camp, we saw 27 guards protecting your house. The doctor said, we don't have guards, we don't have money to hire guards.
Now he's back in America giving this testimony, and as he's telling this story, a man stands up from the congregation, and the man says, Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt you, when did that happen? So he gave the date. The man said, on that same day, it was night in your house and day in America. He said, I was getting ready to play golf and I put my golf bag in the car. Along the way, the Lord gave me a burden. The Lord gave me a burden to pray for you. So I sent a message to the church that we are going to have a prayer meeting, just for you. Then he asked the church members: How many of you attended the prayer meeting for this doctor? How many men do you know who stood up? Exactly 27 men. Here's the story, the spiritual world is as real as the physical world, and prayer changes things. Never neglect prayer.
Let us bow our heads in prayer. Some of you, I know some of you need prayer, but maybe some of you here, you've never had that relationship, God is not your Father, and you can't actually pray and say, Our Father... because you don't know that God is your Father. If you want me to pray for you right now, if you want God to be your Father, a close Father, please raise your hands. I want to pray for you. Remember, you are raising your hands because you are not yet convinced that God is your Father and you want to be a child of God. I want you to put your hands up if this is your wish. Lift higher. Praise God, today you want to be sure that you will belong to... You will be a child of God, lift high, please lift high. Okay, those of you who have raised your hands, please continue to raise your hands and pray with me, okay? Wherever you are, please raise your hands and pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am not sure if I belong to you. Today I surrender my life to you. Lord Jesus, I invite you to be my Lord and mine Savior. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Today I humble myself and acknowledge You, asking You not only to be my Savior, but to be my King, to be my Lord, to change my heart, and thank You for your forgiveness of my sins.
Father God in heaven, I thank you for all the men and women who have raised their hands. I pray for them today. Please remind them: This is a prayer that will change our lives because we have a relationship with you. Please help all of us in the congregation here, and those watching us online, to pray this prayer, this model prayer, and realize: Lord! You are our Father, Lord, and our priorities should be Your Kingdom, Your glory, and Your will. Finally, Lord, trust in You to provide for us and meet our needs—spiritual, physical protection, spiritual protection. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen! Amen!