1 00:00:00,900 --> 00:00:04,260 There is a story about Charles Spurgeon, who 2 00:00:04,260 --> 00:00:08,460 before the Sunday service at the Metropolitan Tabernacle 3 00:00:08,460 --> 00:00:11,480 was giving a young pastor a tour of 4 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:13,880 the church, and he asked the young visitor 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,580 if he'd like to see the engine of 6 00:00:16,580 --> 00:00:17,220 the church. 7 00:00:17,700 --> 00:00:20,020 The young man thought he meant the boiler 8 00:00:20,020 --> 00:00:20,560 room. 9 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:24,280 Down some stairs they went, but Spurgeon opened 10 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,420 a double door to the basement, and there 11 00:00:27,420 --> 00:00:30,420 on their knees were 300 of his choicest 12 00:00:30,420 --> 00:00:32,520 deacons, bowed in prayer. 13 00:00:32,980 --> 00:00:36,040 The whole time Spurgeon preached upstairs to his 14 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:41,420 congregation, those 300 deacons interceded with God downstairs. 15 00:00:42,060 --> 00:00:45,760 That's why Charles Spurgeon had such power when 16 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:46,520 he preached. 17 00:00:46,940 --> 00:00:50,160 If prayer is the engine of the church, 18 00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:53,540 then a prayerless church has no power. 19 00:00:54,140 --> 00:00:56,900 The modern church is not fit for the 20 00:00:56,900 --> 00:00:59,400 work before it, and in the words of 21 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,320 Alan Redpath, we see the reason why. 22 00:01:02,900 --> 00:01:07,160 Today, the Christian church is helpless, behind the 23 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:10,000 scenes and away from the public arena. 24 00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:13,980 We are facing powers of darkness too strong 25 00:01:13,980 --> 00:01:17,920 for us, because somewhere in our personal lives 26 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,220 we have forfeited our right to the Spirit's 27 00:01:21,220 --> 00:01:24,920 anointing, His authority, and His power. 28 00:01:25,780 --> 00:01:29,280 In His absence, all we can do is 29 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,660 substitute planning and organization, schemes and techniques. 30 00:01:34,540 --> 00:01:37,700 Well, Redpath was right, friends, for our inability 31 00:01:37,700 --> 00:01:41,080 to have power with God because of compromise 32 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,320 in our church or personal lives gives way 33 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:48,040 to an atmosphere of sinful praying. 34 00:01:48,540 --> 00:01:52,520 My message today, friends, is entitled Sinful Praying, 35 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,680 and I fear many fall into this trap 36 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,360 through either ignorance or spiritual dullness. 37 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:04,100 There is very little effectual prayer that lays 38 00:02:04,100 --> 00:02:06,060 hold of the horns of the altar in 39 00:02:06,060 --> 00:02:09,080 glory and gains the ear of the Almighty, 40 00:02:09,580 --> 00:02:12,540 but there is much sinful praying by the 41 00:02:12,540 --> 00:02:13,560 people of God. 42 00:02:14,060 --> 00:02:17,580 In James 4.3 we read, Ye ask 43 00:02:17,580 --> 00:02:21,900 and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that 44 00:02:21,900 --> 00:02:24,480 ye may consume it upon your lusts. 45 00:02:25,260 --> 00:02:29,300 Sinful praying falls into the following categories. 46 00:02:30,260 --> 00:02:32,520 If you are aware of a need of 47 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,060 a brother or sister in Christ and you 48 00:02:36,060 --> 00:02:38,980 tell them you will pray for them when 49 00:02:38,980 --> 00:02:42,200 you yourself have the means to alleviate that 50 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,200 need, it is selfish sinful praying. 51 00:02:45,860 --> 00:02:49,060 Self-preservation and the love of money are 52 00:02:49,060 --> 00:02:51,960 the banes of the American church, but the 53 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,660 early church had a spirit of brotherly love 54 00:02:54,660 --> 00:02:58,340 as seen in Acts 2.44 and 45, 55 00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:02,600 and all that believed were together and had 56 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,760 all things in common, and sold their possessions 57 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,280 and goods and parted them to all men 58 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:11,260 as every man had need. 59 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,600 Another example of sinful praying occurs when you 60 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,080 pray for the gospel to spread and have 61 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,660 the means to promote it, but you yourself 62 00:03:21,660 --> 00:03:24,560 don't give financially for the spread of it 63 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,580 that is sinful, hypocritical praying. 64 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:32,400 You lay up treasures and investment portfolios to 65 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:34,880 leave to your heirs, who will squander it 66 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,200 upon themselves when hell fills by the hour 67 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,800 by those who did not come under the 68 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,580 sound of a gospel witness that you could 69 00:03:43,580 --> 00:03:46,780 have provided had you not been a selfish 70 00:03:46,780 --> 00:03:47,560 hoarder. 71 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:52,420 Sinful praying rises no higher than the ceiling, 72 00:03:52,780 --> 00:03:54,600 and it mocks Almighty God. 73 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:58,980 The Pharisees were religious men who prayed to 74 00:03:58,980 --> 00:04:01,240 be heard of men, and it was their 75 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,780 sinful praying that blinded them to God in 76 00:04:04,780 --> 00:04:05,460 their midst. 77 00:04:06,020 --> 00:04:09,540 Sinful praying was all they engaged in, and 78 00:04:09,540 --> 00:04:12,340 when they crucified the Lord of glory, they 79 00:04:12,340 --> 00:04:14,140 committed a grievous sin. 80 00:04:14,540 --> 00:04:17,240 When you stand in a church to lead 81 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,079 in prayer, and you pray not to God, 82 00:04:20,380 --> 00:04:23,140 but to impress the ears of men, it 83 00:04:23,140 --> 00:04:26,160 is sinful praying that dishonors God. 84 00:04:26,860 --> 00:04:30,280 Sinful praying is maintaining a high opinion of 85 00:04:30,280 --> 00:04:30,840 yourself. 86 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,600 When you pray like a Pharisee, the Pharisee 87 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:39,000 stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I 88 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,680 thank thee that I am not as other 89 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:47,120 men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as 90 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:48,160 this publican. 91 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:53,700 Sinful praying is praying casually without any thought 92 00:04:53,700 --> 00:04:56,960 to follow up to see if God answered 93 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:57,800 that prayer. 94 00:04:58,260 --> 00:05:01,200 Sinful praying is praying without faith. 95 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:05,500 Sinful praying is self-centered praying, Lord bless 96 00:05:05,500 --> 00:05:08,480 me, mine, and all I have. 97 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:13,100 Sinful praying is self-centered praying, giving little 98 00:05:13,100 --> 00:05:15,500 thought to the needs of others. 99 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,120 Sinful praying gives little thought to God and 100 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:19,800 his glory. 101 00:05:20,380 --> 00:05:22,980 It's indifferent to the kingdom of God and 102 00:05:22,980 --> 00:05:25,960 has no burden for the souls of men. 103 00:05:26,420 --> 00:05:30,800 Sinful praying is mere empty words strung together 104 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,400 out of duty to pray that have no 105 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,740 power with God and are ineffectual for men. 106 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:41,240 The church is full of sinful praying that 107 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,400 fails to intercede on behalf of the sins 108 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,400 of a nation while the country grows more 109 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:48,920 wicked every day. 110 00:05:49,540 --> 00:05:54,040 Lastly, sinful praying is to keep confessing a 111 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:58,340 pet sin you indulge in without any intention 112 00:05:58,340 --> 00:06:01,820 of breaking off that sin by true repentance. 113 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:04,920 So you mock God as you sin all 114 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:05,820 you want to. 115 00:06:06,500 --> 00:06:09,940 Sinful praying is an insult to the glory 116 00:06:09,940 --> 00:06:10,660 of God. 117 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,720 May we repent immediately before it's too late.