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We are continuing our study in the book of Matthew so it will great if you could have your bibles to Matthew chapter 6 as we continue this segment on Christian piety. What is true piety? What are true works of righteousness that please God? Jesus right here in Matthew 6 teaches us on true piety. We've begun by looking at the work of giving. Giving to the poor, alms-giving, another way of looking at it. We also looked at last week the teaching on fasting. I trust that this is a fresh take for many of us because maybe you have not been familiar with christian fasting but Jesus did teach about that. And this morning we're going to look at the third work of righteousness and that is on prayer. Now prayer is going to be extensively dealt with in our sermon series for the next few weeks to come. As you would be familiar, there is a passage about the Lord's prayer, or more accurately the Lord's model for prayer: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name and so on and so forth. So, for the next seven weeks we are just going to look at that prayer. So seven weeks to look at the Lord's model prayer as it were.

But today we begin looking at prayer in verses 5 to 8 of Matthew 6 because here Jesus is going to tell us how we ought not to pray. Alright? So next week we are going to see how or what we should pray but today we are going to say, going to see the negative demonstration of prayer or how we ought not to pray. So, two things you must be careful of in prayer; number one, Jesus says, don't pray like a hypocrite. Very simple. What does verse 5 teach? Don't pray like a hypocrite. He says, “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the street corners, that they might be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” (Matt 6:5) So the word hypocrite is the word that means an actor, a stage actor. He pretends to be someone he is not. And during those days, the actors, they wear a mask. So if they were to act someone angry they put on a mask that has a face that looks angry. But really behind that mask they are not angry. So, Jesus says, when you pray, don't be like an actor who put on a mask. Say, why do you want to pretend to be a person of prayer? Well, they pretend to be a person of prayer because they want to be seen by others. They love the attention. They love the focus on themselves. So they don't really love God, they are not really pious. They don't really want to pray to God. But they want to pretend, they love it when people see them as religious, pious men. So they pretend to pray when they don't really pray. And Jesus says, don't be like such a hypocrite who loves to be seen by others.

A story is told of a young lawyer. He just got his new business started. He moved into his new office, he sat behind his new shiny desk. Waiting for his very first client to come in. Soon enough there were some footsteps in the hallway and he heard the door turn. Immediately he wanted to look busy. He was not busy of course but he wanted to look busy to impress his very first client. So he picked up his office phone and he begins to say, “O yes, yes, yes, I'm going to get that ready. I'm going to get my secretary to get that for you. I'm sorry I'm really busy. I'll call you back in a a few day's time alright?” And he says, he motions his hand to the door and he says to that man, “Sorry but you can come in now.” So, the man opened the door, a stranger steps in and the lawyer asks him, “yes sir, what can I do for you? I've been really busy. I'm sorry I've kept you waiting.” The man then had a smile on his face and says, “Sir, I'm from the phone company and I'm here to connect your phone.”

You know, many of us are like that young lawyer. We pretend to be busy in prayer when we are not really connected to God. That's what Jesus is talking about. You love to be seen by men to be busy in prayer. But you don't really love me, you're not connected to me. Jesus then went on to say in Mark 12, this is another passage. Because they so love the attention of men, their prayer is a bit different. They for a pretence make long prayers. So they don't want to pray just short succinct prayers. They want to make sure their prayers go very, very long. Can you imagine? Dear heavenly God, wa, wa, wa, wa. They say very, very long prayers so that people are amazed at how devout they are. So that people are impressed with their verbosity. Well, it's all a show. It's all a pretence.

So what should you do? Don't pray like a hypocrite, but instead when you pray, go into your room and shut the door. The room here refers to a storeroom or a closet. Basically it's somewhere private. Go to your private room and pray to your Father who is in secret and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. So prayer…now by the way, this is not saying that all prayers must be in secret. There are plenty of examples in the bible where people pray in a public way. Nothing wrong with that. Actually there's nothing wrong to pray on the streets or in the synagogues. 1 Timothy 2 tells us that we are to pray everywhere. The issue is not about the place, the issue is about the purpose. Why do you want to pray in public? Well, hypocrites do it to be seen of men. So here Jesus teaches us that really prayer should be in private and I encourage you to think along this line, your private prayer should be more than your public prayer. Nothing wrong with public pray but if your life is only in public prayer, maybe there is something amiss in your heart. So number one, when you pray, don't be like a hypocrite.

Some questions I want to ask you. Pastor, I'm not a hypocrite. I don't really have this problem at all. Well, I think Jesus gave this passage to say this is not just for the Pharisees. Be careful you can also pray like that. So let me ask you. Number one: are you overly concerned about others think of you when you pray? So, let's say you're at prayer meeting, you're in your care group, you're in your bible study group and when you pray you're very careful about your grammar. Usually at home, when you pray yourself, you're not so concerned about your grammar but now you're very concerned about your grammar. You're very concerned about the verses you use. You're very concerned about your eloquence and you're very concerned when you keep stumbling and, and stammering. Well, maybe we are too concerned about what others think of us when we pray. Now I think when you pray in public, you should be concerned in a sense that you pray clearly. Why? So that others may join you in prayer, that's the purpose of congregational prayer. I agree that we should be mindful we should not be too flippant and because we want others to join in. We want to encourage all of us to pray to God. But I'm concerned when we think about what others think of me when I pray. That I'm trying to impress the people around me with my theology. You know you can try to impress people in prayer? Wah, you throw in all these big words, big terms, theologically so that “Wah! Look at John, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk. Wah, he pray very well ah. Wah,…” and that's what you're aiming for. Then then  that's a hypocritical kind of prayer. Maybe some of you swing to the other extreme. You say I don't dare to pray in public. Let me ask you why? Because sometimes we're too concerned about what others think of me. If you're not afraid to pray to God, why are you afraid to pray before men? Well, because we're afraid of what others will think of me. So these are subtleties, I'm not saying that everyone who's afraid to pray in public is hypocritical but it's a question that you might want to ask yourself? Alright? So that's question number one as a check.

Don't pray like a hypocrite. Number 2: do you pray way more in public than in private? That's a great question to ask I think for oneself.

So Jesus warns, number one, don't pray like a hypocrite. Number 2, what do you think he will warn against? So when you pray, don't pretend, don't do it for the sake of yourself. Don't do it to impress others. Don't. I'd rather you don't pray. But the second danger he warns against is, don't pray like a heathen. Now you say what is a heathen? Well, the word heathen means someone who does not know God. He worships other gods. He is, he is like a pagan worshipper. Pagan again, he worships idols, other gods. Jesus said in verse 7, “When you pray do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do. For they think they will be heard of their many words.” The word Gentiles refer to people who do not know God. In general during those days the Jewish people have access to the teaching of God but the rest of the world, by and large, they do not. So Jesus says, so now that you know God, you know the bible, you know the teachings, don't pray like those who do not know God. What is the one characteristic of the prayer of those who do not know God? Jesus says they heap up empty phrases. I'd like you to think about the, I can't say these things, but I'd you to think about the religions you are familiar with today. Major religions today and how many religious practices in prayer involves empty phrases. Just repetitive phrases or actually even sounds that you don't know what it means. They just repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and your prayer is about the number of times you repeat. You know of religions like this? I'm sure you do. And that's how Gentiles pray. But for the person who knows God, He says don't pray like this. Don't go through mechanical meaningless repetitions.



Now, Pastor, is Jesus saying that Christians should not repeat their prayers? Do you repeat your prayers? Then are you guilty of this? Why not? Well, you're right in that the bible does not forbid repetition in prayer. In fact there are many good examples of how people repeat their prayers. For example apostle Paul, how many times did he pray for God to remove the thorn in the flesh? Three times. He besought the Lord thrice, three times. Please remove the thorn in the flesh. Nothing happened. Please remove the thorn in the flesh. Nothing happened. Please remove the thorn in the flesh. Nothing happened. He repeated himself. But that's not wrong. God did not say “eh you repeat you die”. God did not say that. Repetition is by itself not the problem. Moreover Jesus taught us to be persistent in prayer. You can check out this story in Luke 11 about the friend at midnight. He keeps knocking on the door until the friend will open the door. A lesson to tell us to keep persevering in prayer. Another parable that teaches about persistence in prayer is about the widow who comes to the wicked judge, Luke 18. But supremely the best example of repetition in prayer is Jesus Christ himself in the garden of Gethsemane. So I say to you, repetition in and of itself, nothing wrong. But repetition with meaningless words, that is the problem. In the King James, it is called vain repetition, empty meaningless repetition. You repeat for the sake of it. You think that the sheer mathematics of the your number of times is going to make God answer your prayer. So you keep repeating the same thing. You don't really know what it means, you don't really care what it means, you just want to nag him to death as it were. You think that your mathematics is going to do it. They think they'll be  heard of their many words. Empty words but as long as you say enough, God is going to hear you.

This again brings us back to time of the prophets of Baal. Remember that? They wanted their deities to answer their prayers. So what do they do? They danced, they shout, they screamed. And when it does not work, they take knives and they cut themselves. They think that their god would listen to them if they only tried hard enough. So Jesus says, do not heap up empty phrases.

And I want to say, I think real prayer must be thoughtful. As contrasted with meaningless repetition, real prayer must be thoughtful. And that's why I'm, I'm not so keen when people have pre-written prayers and they just read off that prayer. Now, if you mean it, and if you're thinking through that written prayer, that's great, that's fine, nothing wrong. But if you're just reading prayer without thinking it, then I think that's not what prayer is all about. Real prayer is thoughtful, real prayer is succinct. You don't think that by saying something for a long, long time makes it more effectively than coming straight and direct with God. Certainly in the Lord's model prayer, His prayer is very succinct. So, I think this teaches us a lot about prayer. And Jesus then says, do not be like them. The Gentiles have to pray meaningless prayers, keep nagging because they think that their god don't know their needs. But Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

There's a story told of Spurgeon. He was in a prayer meeting and there was a young man who was praying and he was just shooting off those flowery bible words, “oh dear God, blah, blah, blah, blah,” and he didn't ask anything .It was so long that Spurgeon couldn't take it, he stood up and said, Young man, just call Him Father and ask something.”

That's what prayer should be. Straight, thoughtful, succinct and not trying to impress people nor God with your eloquence. So I, I, I, I think this is a powerful verse to shape the way you pray. I've been in prayer meetings, I'm been so blessed with how people have prayed, they have modelled for me, I've learned much. But at the same time I've also because with praying with others realised that sometimes we need to feel like God needs to be informed of all my things before He can understand my situation. Have you heard of people who pray like this: “God, you know this morning I woke up and I was hungry, so I went to the kitchen and got myself a sandwich, and I spread some peanut butter and it was tasty and, but then I got a stomachache…”and he went on, and on, and on. It's almost like God was not there at breakfast time and you have to inform God of all that has happened until at the very end, “God please heal me of my diarrhoea”. I mean it's such a long story and I, I think that story might be helpful to the people around him. The people around him probably need to know that that's why you had diarrhoea. But maybe you don't have to do it in prayer but maybe you could have shared “I ate something wrong this morning I'm praying that God will heal me”. That's fine but in prayer you inform God, to me it just shows you don't realise who your God is.

That kind of prayer reveals a faulty kind of theology. Wrong understanding of God that's why you feel like you need to inform God all the time. I say no. Just ask. He knows. Now, I”m not saying you can't pour out your heart before God. Certainly we can. But don't tell the story if the reason why you tell the story is because you think God doesn't know. Okay? That's all. Now I really have finished the exegesis of this text. Verses 5 to 8 is as simple as that. But this last verse presents a question. If your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. This is a powerful verse right? If your Father already knows what you need and in fact He already knows what you're going to pray. Am I right? If your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him then why pray? Have you thought about that? I mean, God knows what I need then why do I bother to pray? Especially He's my Father, He knows and He will provide. Why then do Christians pray?

Is it an exercise in futility? Is it just to go through the motions? I find that this is an important question to deal with. So with the remaining time I just want to share 3 reasons why. Even if God knows all my needs before I ask Him, it is a great thing to pray.

Would you want to try? What the 3 reasons might be? God loves to hear my prayer. Yes, God is delighted in prayer but why? Is it because you ngam, ngam, cham, cham (dialect: nag) God? Early in the morning I wake up, He loves to hear your old stories? Very good. How so? Ok. Aunty Linda is absolutely right. The first reason I want to share is that of relationship. Now, He knows all our needs before we ask Him. But He wants us to ask Him because that's to help us build a healthy relationship with God. Can you imagine your life without prayer? Never call on God. God says I know your needs, don't ever talk to me. It's like your son. Son, I'm your dad. I know everything you need and I will give you everything you need, don't ever knock on my door. Or that. You know your son is going to grow up weird. He's going to grow up weird. He's going to grow up thinking that my dad is like a vending machine that I don't have to press. He will dispense any time I want. But I've never ever spoken with him I don't know him. I think prayer works like that. It allows us to cultivate a healthy relationship with God. I see that in various verses. For example in Psalms 119, it says I love the Lord because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. You see that? My relationship with God is experienced in the way I pray and He responds to my prayer. Ok? So Psalms 119 is one verse. Psalms 145 verse 18. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. The Lord is near to all who call on Him. There is a relational element in the place of prayer. Alright. This is a bit misaligned but look at what Moses says: For but what great nation is there who has a God so near to it as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call upon Him. So the nearness of God the proximity of God is experienced in the way they prayed and how God answers their prayers. Relational.

I think that's why it is a blessing from God that your children are born to cry. You know that? Your babies. Why does God make babies cry? Why don't God make children delivered full sized? For one the women cannot take it. OK, I understand that. But certainly He can make you come out, pop, and then, vwwooop. Like you know the styrofoam ah? Vwwooop, grow big size. Can lah why not? Well, because for all this fifteen, sixteen, twenty years it's meant for you to develop a relationship. It's something beautiful when the baby cries, “weeh ah weeh ah weeh” and the mother says “come, come, come, come I feed you”. There's something magical in that you know? The more a parent. Actually it works the same for me, if my son is born and I've never been involved in his life, I don't think I'll have the love and relationship with him. But because he has all his poo-poo and pee-pee and those rubbish that I have to deal with, somehow those rubbish makes me love him more. Love them more. Because there is a cry for help and there is a meeting of that need, there is a dependence and there is a bridge on which you build your relationship.

So, your Father knows all your needs. But He has chosen to say, pray and ask of me, Why? Because He wants you to have a healthy relationship with Him. In fact I say probably more important than the answers you seek for, the relationship is of paramount importance. Alright? So very good. One reason why I should pray even though God already knows all my needs is I want to have a great relationship with my Father. I want to ask of Him. I want to learn that He is a prayer-answering God, a faithful God, a loving God. And God loves to hear prayers like that, ok?

Second reason, rest. The second reason I want to say is rest. What do you mean by rest? Rest is as opposed to unrest. Which is worries and fears and anxieties. Prayer brings peace. Prayer brings rest. Let me explain this. “Do not be anxious about anything 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 hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:6-7) So the bible says, even though my Father knows all my needs before I ask them, it is good to pray because number one, it allows me to have a great relationship with Him, number two it allows me to have peace. Now I want you to notice, God in this verse is not guaranteeing that every time you pray for something it's exactly going to turn out the way you want. In fact sometimes when you pray for something it doesn't turn out the way you want. But what is promising is even if that thing you ask for doesn't turn out the way you want it to be, there will still be a peace. Now this peace is not just psychological, a self-talk. There's a real peace from God. Alright? This is a peace of God. Why does it surpass all understanding? Because it doesn't make sense that you should have peace. For example, I'm sick. “God, heal me.” You don't get healed. What you ask for did not come to pass. But strangely you have peace. That even if I am not healed, it's okay. It's all going to be fine. I'm destined for glory. Where did that peace come from? From God and how did you get it? Through prayer. There's this song that we sing. Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. What's this song? What a Friend we have in Jesus. But these are classic words. You know that if you don't pray, you forfeit peace. You lose out on peace. So, we become very anxious people, edgy people, worrisome people. Now I'm not saying that your life is going to be a bed of roses all the time when you pray. God may give you a very difficult life. But you can have the peace in your heart that surpasses all understanding.

Years ago when I was in Gospel Light serving full time, every Monday morning I will meet with Dr. Mark for prayer. He'll come to 360 Dunearn Road, that's where we meet for prayer. At that time I'm the only guy there. He'll be the other guy who's there. And he comes also in a position that he's a, at those, in those days, he's the chairman of the church committee. So the 2 of us will meet, we'll talk and we'll pray. And almost every Monday he will tell me that funds not enough. I mean, as the chairman he know the finances, maybe not every Monday but enough times. Because he, he, he, I need to know something. I can't be don't know anything, so he wants me to know the situation, the health of a church in a sense so. The both of us will look at each other and say, ya, it is bad. And none of us. The both of us, we do not know what to do. I mean, we're not here to, I think over the course of all these years, you know that we're not here to, to, to fleece people and so on. We said, let's just, let's just pray. Now, there were times when we were, some of you who were with us years ago, there were times when we were going towards the red zone, right? The trajectory was going down. And in those days, I will say, “Dr Mark?” and  he will say to me, “Jason, let's just pray.” And it is so amazing that, now I'm not saying that God answers our prayers only and He provided all the needs all these years. But the both of us we can always walk out of that prayer room and feel it's ok. We've a peace. I've never walked around in ministry with a chip on my shoulder and say jialat lah, we're going to die tonight. I've never had that once. I've never had that once. I'm concerned, I think about it. I say, I'm more concerned about the spiritual life of the church that result in the lack of giving, not so much the lack of money per say. But I've never walked around with a chip on the shoulder and even in those days when we were having fund-raising for the Punggol building. It was right down to the wire and people all around say, what do we do? What do we do? I say I don't know what to do. But let's all just pray. And those were great times when I, I really could say, em, there's a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Now please don't think that I'm irresponsible and boh chup lah ah. I think there're necessary things to do, there're sermons to preach to teach people. But fundamentally, if not for the privilege of prayer that we will be stressed out people. I will have no hair now, I will have white hair. So now it's still okay because of prayer, alright? And that has been the joyful ministry philosophy I've had. I think serving God, when you're clear that you're serving God, one of the great joys is: Why don't we carry everything to God in prayer? I think that's a beautiful thing.

Even in my own personal life when, when we had difficulties at home. When Shawn had a, had a diagnosis that we were not prepared for. We prayed and I did not how that was going to work. I did not know why he should have this issue. But whilst we struggled with it, emotionally in a sense, I think both my wife and I, we had peace. All these years. Because of God's promise in Philippians 4. So I want to encourage you. Now your Father knows all your needs. You may have a family situation, your marriage is not healthy. Your kids are rebellious. You might lose your job. I'm not saying that when you pray, automatically you'll retain your job. I'm not saying that when you pray, you will automatically guaranteed have healing from your sickness. But I'm saying to you, you do not need to live a worrisome, anxious life. You don't have to. Go to your Father in prayer. He knows all your needs. Ask Him. Cultivate a great relationship with your Father, experience the joy of rest.

The third reason, anyone wants to try? The last one. So the last R is…you pray because prayer brings results. Orrrrr, wah lau, this one so obvious, you say Pastor come on lah. But that's the best I can do. Results. You say, what kind of results? This is the acid test alright? This is the test. Let me ask you and you tell me, what is the best answer? My son is going through his semestral assessment exams, also a lot of MCQs so you test ok? I test you. Results. When I pray I get this result, what? Choose the best answer. Number one, prayer changes things. When I pray, even though my Father knows everything I need before I ask, prayer changes things. Or prayer doesn't change things but changes us. Choose the best answer.

Think ah, think ah, use your head ah, think ah. This is not straightforward alright. This is not so straightforward, I will I will try to explain. And if you're confused at the end of the sermon it's ok, you can come and speak with me alright. So, choose the best answer alright? How many of you think it's option one? One. Now more ah, double, maybe 10 of you. How many of you think it's option 2? OK, so, I will say 90 percent option 2, 10 percent option 1. When I first came to faith in Jesus Christ, I didn't know a lot but I knew one thing. I knew that it only makes sense that when we pray, prayer changes things. Doesn't it make sense? I mean, that's, that has to be the reason why people pray. So when I was a young Christian, answer is number 1. But story not over. The 10 of you don't be so happy yet. But as I went on in my Christian life, I learnt one thing about God. I learnt that God is sovereign. And He is all wise, in fact, just now the song. He is omniscient. In other words, He knows all things. God is so wise, so sovereign, so loving, so good that really He doesn't, and you must be thankful, He doesn't change His mind. Agree? God is perfect and He doesn't change His will. Because if you change His will and if He does change His will, it's not going to be the best. Right? So, when I grew further in my Christian life, I began to shift from option 1 to option 2. Prayer doesn't change things but changes us. Because if prayer doesn't change God's will, then the only reason for prayer is that it helps me understand God better, aligns me to God's will and that's what I believed, when I was later on my Christian life. You know what happened? I said, I'm not going to pray much any more. Because if prayer is going to inform me how much I need God. I say I don't need to inform myself, I already know. So that dried up my prayer life. So for those who think you're option 2 also don't be too happy.

Wah lau, Pastor, you trick us ah? No. The plain…, let me just develop this further alright. Then I realised, actually the bible is very clear. It's not confusing. I have made it confusing. The bible is very clear that prayer makes a difference. For example the plain reading of the bible, don't try to do gymnastics with it, acrobatics with it, the plain reading of the bible is very clear. Ask, and it shall be given you. Prayer changes things. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. And indeed if you read on the next verse it's the same thing, God repeats 6 times in 2 verses to tell you that prayers really works. What do you mean, work? Brings results, changes things. Pastor, but if I don't pray, God will still give me what? My Father knows all I need before I ask them what? Well, James 4 says “you do not have because you didn't ask”. So what does this say? Prayer changes things. You don't pray, it doesn't change anything. And just in case you're not convinced. The bible says Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. And he prayed fervently that it might not rain and you know what? It did not rain for 3 and a half years. Wah, imagine that it happened in Singapore, die. And then the bible says that he prayed again and heaven gave rain. Wow! You mean the, you mean the whole atmosphere was influenced by one man's prayer. Yea, you better believe that prayer, the effectual prayer of a righteous man is very powerful. That's what the bible teaches all along. So prayer changes things. I think that is the, that is the right answer. But I understand why you are so reluctant to choose number one because you think that prayer changes God's will and God's will is not changed by us. So let me clarify this answer better.

So prayer changes things but it doesn't change God's will. Eh, Pastor, you're so confusing. What are you saying? Well, let me do some mathematical formula, not, not math formula, just some simple diagram here. Prayer changes things. How do I know that? James 4:2, Matthew 7:7, James 5:17, 18 and a whole host of verses in the bible teaches us prayer changes things. But if your mental model is that prayer changes God's will in order to change God's, in order to change things, then I say that's the wrong idea. That's where it goes wrong.

This one is correct. This one is wrong. Are you all with me so far? So you say which one is correct? I think this is what it is. It begins with God's will and if it is God's will for us to receive something you know what? God's will will lead us to. If it's God's will for us to have something then God's will will lead us to pray. And when we pray in response to prayer it changes things. Now, this is what's interesting. James quoted the story of Elijah and we said, oh ya, he prayed and God stopped the rain and he prayed and God gave the rain as if it was Elijah's idea. You know something? It wasn't Elijah's idea. It was God's idea. “After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab and I will send rain upon the earth.” (I Kings 18:1) And you know what Elijah did after that? He went to pray. It was God's will that led to Elijah's prayer that led to the answer to that prayer. So, I want to say this. Prayer changes things but it doesn't change God's will, it comes after God's will. You get that? And it is God's will to use secondary causes, to use man's prayer to change things. Now God could have done it all without using our prayer. He could have. But because He wants us to realise that relationship, He wants us to understand what it means to trust in Him, depend upon Him, experience that peace through Him, He has chosen to use the power of prayer. I hope that clarifies for you. So what is the result? I think it is this: prayer changes things but not God's will. Or put it in another way again, it's God's will to use prayer to change things. So then it makes sense to read: you do not have because you do not ask. Eh, but if, but if, God's will is for me to have, He will always give right? Even if I don't ask, then I say, if you did not pray, you do not receive. You cannot say, ah, I want to presume on God's will. You do not know God's will, we don't know God's will all the time. But this is what we know, that if we pray we get but if we do not pray we do not get. Pastor, but so many times I pray but I do not get. Bey jun leh (dialect: not accurate) Aiyah, because you did not read verse 3. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your own passions. No more excuses alright? No excuses. And that's why I think we can understand, ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

I think this is exciting that when I believe this, a lot of things will be changed if I just go to the Lord in my prayer life. Because I think prayer changes things. According to the will of God, I did not change God's will, I dare not change God's will, I do not want to change God's will. But if he places that burden in my heart and as I align it with scriptural principles and I'm careful that this is not for my selfish ambitions then I say I want to pray because prayer brings results. I know that you know all my needs, but I know that these needs will not be met until I'm willing to come to you in prayer. So why should you pray today? Why pray if God knows everything? Number one, it is for you to have a healthy relationship with God. Many people today don't have an intimate walk with God because they have never asked. Many sons today do not have a great relationship with their parents because the sons are always locking themselves in the room by themselves. And all Mummy does is to take the plate of rice outside the door wait for you to open the door, like prison you take the food inside and eat. What kind of relationship would you have? Well, God wants you to pray. Wonderful relationship with Him. Number 2, you can experience a peace that surpasses all understanding. Number 3, ask and you shall, it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened unto you. Wonderful blessings in the world of prayer. That's why today, when you understand who your Father is, you need not pray. You won't want to pray like a hypocrite and you won't pray like a heathen. As if God doesn't know.

I hope this simple, well, not that simple, but, but ok. Simple , not so simple message will encourage you to think this through. At the end of it all, may we have a wonderful, meaningful prayer life that honours God. Let's bow for a prayer together.

Father, it is a joy this morning, to be reminded in Your word that You are our omniscient, sovereign, gracious, loving, heavenly Father. And we do not need to pretend because there is no value in pretence, but there is great value in coming to you. We thank you that this morning you have desired relationship and intimacy with us. We who were enemies, now You draw near. We rejoice in Your love toward us and I pray that each and every follower of Christ in this room would endeavour and would have a hunger that says, God I want to have intimacy with You in the place of prayer. Father, we thank You today that there can be a peace that surpasses all understanding. Some of us here might be struggling, worried, anxious. And there's no peace and no rest. I pray today by Your word, bring us, pick us up and bring us to that throne room of grace. That throne room of prayer. That in those seasons, we can testify of the reality of that peace that surpasses all understanding. Oh God, teach us to believe in the power of prayer so that we are not dead, we're not fatalistic in our approach towards You. Lord, this morning make us a house of prayer. I pray Gospel Light Christian Church will not be a church that is filled with people with resources and capabilities but it will be a church where people will know how weak we are and how much we need to depend on You. Teach us to pray, O God. Maybe this morning you're here and you do not know Jesus as your Saviour. I want to tell you that the Christian faith reveals a loving God. This loving God is so amazing in that He does not expect you to do good to get back to Him. He knows that you're too bad like I am. We are all too ruined and damaged by sin, we will not be able to come to God by ourselves. But this loving God is so gracious He chose to give His only Son to die and pay for your sins. And He says to you, whosoever repents, turns from his sins, and believes in Jesus can be saved, will be saved. This morning I invite you to pray to God. Right where you are. Lord, you know my sins and You know my needs, I can't save myself. Would You be gracious to save me today? I think that prayer from a sincere heart will be beautifully responded to. I think it is true that if you ask, it shall be given you. Ask God today for this new life, for forgiveness, for salvation. May God bless you richly. Father, thank You again for this time, bless everyone gathered here, we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

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