July 20, 2025 • 25 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Prayer is the contact point for the engaging of the spirit,
for the growing of the new life.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
You have in Christ.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
But doctor Tony Evans says, the real reason we communicate
with God is much deeper and much more personal.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Preyer is the heart of a child interacting with the
heart of a day.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. Many of us
think of prayer as us talking and God listening, but
there's an intimate, relational side of prayer that's often overlooked.
Let's join doctor Evans as he takes us to Hebrews
chapter four for today's message.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
God has provided a power source for our growth that's internal,
and that is the Holy Spirit. Even though you cannot
see him, just like you don't see electricity, you don't
see the wind, his effects are clear. His job is
(01:06):
to empower the believer to develop into a spiritually mature Christian.
His job is to make the parts work. However, it
is possible to have a home that's well wired, with
(01:29):
all the electricity working and still not experience its benefits.
In other words, you can have electricity and it still
be dark. You can have electricity and the appliances not
work because there is a point of contact. And the
(01:55):
job of this point of contact is to let what
is all ready there flow. If you've accepted Jesus Christ,
you've gotten the new nature, new working parts, and there
is a new resident power source, the Holy Spirit. But
(02:17):
there must be a point of contact. So important is
prayer to spiritual growth that Paul says, don't leave home
without it. He says in one Thessalonians five seventeen, pray
without what. In other words, he says, never not do
(02:39):
it now, that doesn't sound like an event to me.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Let me ask you a question. Do you schedule breathing.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
I'm a breathe now, let me spend twenty minutes breathing. No,
you don't leave home without it. You don't stay home
without it. In other it's a necessity for functioning in
this world. You have to breathe without ceasing. Prayer is
(03:09):
the contact point for the engaging of the spirit, for
the growing of the new life you have in Christ.
It is God's prescribed way to link our world with
His world. It is the access point of the New Covenant, whereby.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
The Holy Spirit is engaged for our growth.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Prayer is your passport to heavenly places.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
You know what a passport does.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
A passport gives you access to a foreign land.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Now we know we live in.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Heavenly places because God says so. We know is seated
alongside of Jesus Christ right hand because God says so.
But you must admit sometimes that seemed like a foreign land.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
I can't speak the language there.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
I don't know the customs because I'm used to living
in this world.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
But all my power is in that world.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
All my victory is in that world, all my peaces
in that world, all my joy is in that world.
Everything I need is in that world. But I don't
know how to speak the language. Guess what The job
of the Holy Spirit is to teach you the language
of that world. In fact, the Bible says in Romans
chapter eight that he intercedes, he makes sense of stuff
(04:31):
you don't understand. He's so good at being able to
interpret the language. He says that we are to pray
without ceasing because prayer is the link between the physical
world and the spiritual world. And since the spiritual world
controls the physical world, getting to the spiritual world affects.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Your functioning in the physical world.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Prayer is the link because what the Holy Spirit does
is link up with prayer in order to work in
the spiritual realm and bring about the growth and transformation.
The offer of Hebrews, who is actually unspecified, wants to
tell these saints that they have something available to them
(05:23):
in order to assist them as they move forward in
their spiritual development. Since Hebrews four fourteen says we have
a great high priest who's passed through the heavens, Jesus,
the Son of God. Let us hold fast our confession,
don't quit. We do not have a high priest who
cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, one who has been tempted
(05:44):
in all things as we have without sin. Let Us
therefore draw near that's prayer with confidence to the Throne
of Grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace
to help in time of need.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
What is this concept of prayer?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
For many people, prayer is like the national anthem before
a football game. It's nice to get started with, but
absolutely has no connection with what's happening on the field.
For others, prayer is like a rabbit's foot. It's my
lucky charm. Let me give you a very simple definition
of prayer. Prayer is relational communication with God. Please notice
(06:28):
I didn't say communicating with God. I said relationally communicating
with God. In other words, prayer is not ritualistic communication
with God talking because I'm supposed to. And when you
are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the gentiles do,
(06:50):
for they suppose that they will be heard for that
many words. Prayer has got nothing to do with whether
you know all the fancy words and have all the
sophisticated posture. In fact, he says, you do your best
prayer when nobody's around. He says, going to your secret closet.
But if that's not enough, he says, shut the door.
(07:11):
Now why I need to shut the door if I'm
already in secret, he says, because it's just you and God.
And he doesn't say you and God. He says you
and your father. Because prayer is a family discussion, our father,
who are in heaven hollowed, be thy name. Prayer is
(07:31):
relational communication with God, not ritualistic conversation. You can have
devotions every day and not be prayed.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Because you're fulfilling.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
A ritual program and not a relational conversation. It's talking
to daddy. He says, it's a father child conversation. When
people say I don't have I don't know how to pray,
what they're basically saying is I don't know how to
(08:05):
talk like them Christians do. I have learned all the
right words, I haven't put all the right sentences together.
I don't know how to I don't know Christian needs yet.
Prayer is the heart of a child interacting with the
heart of a dad. That's why he describes it in
Evenings chapter four as drawing Nea. Drawing Nea has that
(08:29):
image of intimacy and relationship, not merely external performance or
fulfilling a job description or believing a prayer a day
will keep the devil away. Prayer is my expressing to
somebody I love, and to somebody who loves me how
(08:49):
I feel. And he says, I want you to do
it without season, Like breathing. Sometimes when you're breathing, you
know it because you walk fast, or something und you.
You're conscious of it. It's right there in front of you,
(09:10):
or something happens, you almost hit a car, a car
was hit you, and you go wow. You breathe and
you were conscious because because it was a crisis moment,
and so you were conscious of your breathing because something
happened that made you focus on it.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
But that's not most of our breathing.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Most of our breathing is not where it's formalized, scheduled.
Most of our breathing is the natural in and out,
inhaling and exhaling.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Watch this now, of our dependency on oxygen.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Every time you're in out, And that's how what you're
saying is oxygen.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
I can't make it without oxygen. I need you.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
In fact, I need you oxygen so much then every
second I'm gonna lean on you. Now you can get
out it and say oxygen. I ain't into you.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Right now what I'm getting too old for this.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
If I go without breathing, it's gonna show up. If
I go without breathing, I'm gonna be hurting because I
am desperately depending on half to get me the where
I need to go. Or I can walk to my
(10:46):
car hold in my breath, but I ain't gonna be
the same when I get there. He says, I want
you to treat your communication with me like you treat breathing.
I want it to be a way of life, not
an event or not only an event.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
I want you to draw mea doctor Evans will tell
us how prayer can become more than a one way
conversation when he continues our message in just a moment. First, though,
I wanted you to know that today's lesson is part
of Tony's seven part series on the power of prayer.
It's a practical look at how to move our prayers
beyond the ordinary and start experiencing real results, including spiritual breakthroughs,
(11:31):
wisdom for life's decisions, and the peace that comes from
knowing God hears you. We'll send you the full audio
series as our thank you gift when you make a
contribution to help us keep Tony's teaching on this station. Plus,
we're including Tony's new book, Anchored by Prayer, an devotional
guide designed to help you pray boldly, consistently, and in
(11:53):
alignment with God's will. It's a perfect resource to help
if you've ever felt stuck, distracted, or discouraged in prayer.
This special double offer will only be available for a
couple more days, though, so visit Tonyevans dot org right
away to get the details. You'll find a prominent link
right on the homepage, or if it's easier, you can
(12:14):
call us day or night at one eight hundred eight
hundred thirty two twenty two and let one of our
team members help you. I'll repeat that contact information later on.
Right now, let's rejoin doctor Evans for more of today's message.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Let me tell you why this prayer is so important.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
This concept of prayer relational communication with God, because when
you are communicating with God as a lifestyle, sometimes formal,
sometimes informal, sometimes verbalized, sometimes not verbalized.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
But the idea is I.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Want to maintain ongoing close contact with my Lord. When
that becomes a lifestyle prayer, you will experience what you've
be longing to experience. And that is a two way conversation.
See ritual is a one way conversation. You may be talking,
but you don't hear anything coming back. But relational prayer
(13:09):
is a two way conversation. Prayer is relational communication with God.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
And Jesus told us the safe of them. When you pray,
please know you talking to me.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
He is a unique person, so he can feel what
you feel, but he's divine, so he can fix what
you feel. He is unique in his person. He's also
unique in his position. He says, we have a great
high priest who's passed through the heavens. Now a high
priest's job was to represent the people before God. He
(13:47):
went into the tabernacle, into the tent where nobody else
could go, and he went before them on the day
of Atonement in order to bring the sins of the
people that they might be forgiven and bring back out
to the people the grace of God.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
He was a uniquely positioned person.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
To represent the people before God and represent God before
the people.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
That was the high peace.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
He was the intermediary, he was the mediator, he was.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
The in between lincl.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
There were many priests, but then there was the high priest,
chief priest in charge. It says, Jesus is our great
high Priest who has passed through the heavens.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
The Bible declares that there are three heavens.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
The first heaven is the atmospheric heaven where we live,
the heaven of gravity, the heaven of clouds, the heaven
of oxygen.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Then there is the planetary.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Heavens, the stellar heavens where the stars and the planets exist.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Then the Bible talks about.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
A third heaven, the throne room of God, God where deity.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Concentrate lives.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Now, if you living on earth, where you want to
go is the third heaven, where the throne room of
God is.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
The problem is how do I get there.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
I can't get to the clouds unless somebody take me there.
I can't get to the planets until somebody gets me there.
We have a high priest who is gone where no
plane is ever gone before, who is gone where no
shuttle is ever gone before, because he's passed through the
heavens that is the first two and he's now seated
(15:43):
at the Big Heaven, which is the third part of
the tabernacle, which is the very throne room of God.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
In other word, we can skip a lot of stuff
when you go to.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
God because you've hit the contact point of the Holy
Jesus Christ makes sure it gets to the proper location,
and that is the very presence of God. Because we
have a great high priest, Jesus, the Son of God.
(16:16):
So he's a unique person because he's man and God,
holding a unique position able to get us into the
very throne room of God. But look at this, he's
also unique in his passion verse fifteen says, for we
do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with
(16:41):
our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted or tested
in all things as we are yet without sin. As
a sermon by itself, you have a high priest, an
intercestor who's both Man, Jesus and God, who can sympathize. Oh,
(17:04):
I wish I had time to deal with the theology here.
To sympathize means to feel it with you. I mean,
I mean to feel it with you. Why do we
need a high priest who can feel it?
Speaker 2 (17:21):
It is now? God the Father knows everything.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
He knows everything actual, and he knows everything potential.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
There are no facts of which he is not fully aware.
Watch this.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
But while God the Father has full knowledge.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Of everything, watch it now, God the Father does not,
does not, does not have.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Full experience of everything. He has full infami of everything.
He can tell you about anything that was, will be,
or is. But even though he can tell you all
the facts, what the Father cannot tell you is all
the feelings. But God the Father wanted to be able
(18:19):
to relate to you and me on the feeling level.
He wanted to know by feeling it with us what
we meant when we went. He wants to know on
the feeling level. He wants to emote with you. So
what he did was sanction the second member of the trinity,
(18:43):
Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Why don't you go.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Put on a body like they had, Why don't you
get emotions like they have so that you can feel it?
Because I want to feel what they feel. And if
you feel it, I feel it. Because we are wont
we are one of our cents. And so God the
(19:06):
Son put on the body, and the Bible says, and
he was hungry. So whenever you're hungry, God, the Son says,
I know, I know what you're talking about. The Bible
says he was thirsty. Whenever you're thirsty, God the Son says, I.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Know where you at. I'm feeling with you you all.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
I'm in mcgrill. I know what you're talking about. The
Bible says he was rejected. Now, if you ask the Father,
the Father could tell you what he meant. But Jesus
can tell you how it feels because he feels it
with you. Yeah, but I got all this sin on me,
(19:52):
Jesus says, I fail you not because I have sinned.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
But because I have borne sin.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Not Oh, so I had to feel it. I had
to feel it. I wasn't feeling mine, I was feeling yours.
But I want you to know it.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Hur we have a high praise.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Who can sympathize In a hospital operating room where no
bacteria is allowed, any bacteria.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Is a problem. See, the purity of the.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Room makes anything not like the room a major emergency.
You and I don't feel the bacteria around us, So
we don't wash our hands before we do.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Any and everything because we don't feel it.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
It's there and we learn to live with it. Not
in an operating room where purity is perfect, they feel anything,
so they wash with everything, sterilize everything.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
The purer you are, the more you feel it.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
So for Jesus to sympathize, he can sympathize like nobody
else can sympathize because he can feel it like nobody
else can feel it because of its perfection. He said,
But Jesus, you've never done it. You don't have to
doctors doesn't have to have had every disease to know
(21:26):
what you're going through. He's just worked with it so long,
and then he's unique in his provision. Let us draw near.
That's prayer with confidence. Don't don't hold back, don't hold back.
Don't think you're wasting your time. Don't think what good
is this gonna do? Drawna because it's relational prayers, relational,
(21:50):
not real ritual.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
It's relational.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Draw near, Come close, Come close, Come close.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Doctor Evans will return with a final word about what
we can expect when we approach that throne. So stay
with us first, though, if you'd like to review today's
message on your own or share it with somebody you
care about, you can get the full length version by
checking with us about the title Prayer the Access of
Spiritual Growth Better Yet. This lesson is one of seven
(22:18):
messages in doctor Evans's current teaching series called The Power
of Prayer, a compilation of sermons available on digital download
as well as on either CD or USB flash drive.
And for a limited time, we're bundling Tony's brand new book,
Anchored by Prayer, along with each copy of the Power
of Prayer audio series. Requested. Both are yours with our thanks.
(22:42):
When you make a donation to help support the Alternative
Broadcast Ministry, just visit Tonyevans dot org or call one
eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two to make
your request. That's Tonyevans dot org or call one eight
hundred eight hundred three too. Prayer is often where we
(23:03):
talk to God about what we want. But tomorrow, doctor
Evans will tell us about the benefits of paying more
attention to what God wants as he conveys an important
lesson about prayer. Right now though he's been with these
closing words for today.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I like the way James for six says he giveth
more grace. I watched this.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
He gives more grace that we may receive mercy and
find grace to help in time of need. Grace is
given based on the need at the moment. God gives
us what we don't deserve, can't pay for, could never
(23:47):
earn from a throne that never runs out, tied to
the knee, based on our drawing near. In other words,
the throne has grace, but you got to draw near
to the throne to get the grace that the throne has.
So a prayer less Christian is a graceless Christian. A
(24:09):
Christian that is not praying as a lifestyle is not
growing in their life because they.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Are not hanging around the throne, which Dispenser's grace.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
But he only gives you enough grace to cover what
the need is right there. And he's not gonna give
you tomorrow's grace.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Tell tomorrow. He's gonna give you the grace you
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Need for today today, if you've drawn near
Prayer is the contact point for the engaging of the spirit,
for the growing of the new life.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
You have in Christ.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
But doctor Tony Evans says, the real reason we communicate
with God is much deeper and much more personal.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Preyer is the heart of a child interacting with the
heart of a day.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. Many of us
think of prayer as us talking and God listening, but
there's an intimate, relational side of prayer that's often overlooked.
Let's join doctor Evans as he takes us to Hebrews
chapter four for today's message.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
God has provided a power source for our growth that's internal,
and that is the Holy Spirit. Even though you cannot
see him, just like you don't see electricity, you don't
see the wind, his effects are clear. His job is
(01:06):
to empower the believer to develop into a spiritually mature Christian.
His job is to make the parts work. However, it
is possible to have a home that's well wired, with
(01:29):
all the electricity working and still not experience its benefits.
In other words, you can have electricity and it still
be dark. You can have electricity and the appliances not
work because there is a point of contact. And the
(01:55):
job of this point of contact is to let what
is all ready there flow. If you've accepted Jesus Christ,
you've gotten the new nature, new working parts, and there
is a new resident power source, the Holy Spirit. But
(02:17):
there must be a point of contact. So important is
prayer to spiritual growth that Paul says, don't leave home
without it. He says in one Thessalonians five seventeen, pray
without what. In other words, he says, never not do
(02:39):
it now, that doesn't sound like an event to me.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Let me ask you a question. Do you schedule breathing.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
I'm a breathe now, let me spend twenty minutes breathing. No,
you don't leave home without it. You don't stay home
without it. In other it's a necessity for functioning in
this world. You have to breathe without ceasing. Prayer is
(03:09):
the contact point for the engaging of the spirit, for
the growing of the new life you have in Christ.
It is God's prescribed way to link our world with
His world. It is the access point of the New Covenant, whereby.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
The Holy Spirit is engaged for our growth.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Prayer is your passport to heavenly places.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
You know what a passport does.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
A passport gives you access to a foreign land.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Now we know we live in.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Heavenly places because God says so. We know is seated
alongside of Jesus Christ right hand because God says so.
But you must admit sometimes that seemed like a foreign land.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
I can't speak the language there.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
I don't know the customs because I'm used to living
in this world.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
But all my power is in that world.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
All my victory is in that world, all my peaces
in that world, all my joy is in that world.
Everything I need is in that world. But I don't
know how to speak the language. Guess what The job
of the Holy Spirit is to teach you the language
of that world. In fact, the Bible says in Romans
chapter eight that he intercedes, he makes sense of stuff
(04:31):
you don't understand. He's so good at being able to
interpret the language. He says that we are to pray
without ceasing because prayer is the link between the physical
world and the spiritual world. And since the spiritual world
controls the physical world, getting to the spiritual world affects.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Your functioning in the physical world.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Prayer is the link because what the Holy Spirit does
is link up with prayer in order to work in
the spiritual realm and bring about the growth and transformation.
The offer of Hebrews, who is actually unspecified, wants to
tell these saints that they have something available to them
(05:23):
in order to assist them as they move forward in
their spiritual development. Since Hebrews four fourteen says we have
a great high priest who's passed through the heavens, Jesus,
the Son of God. Let us hold fast our confession,
don't quit. We do not have a high priest who
cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, one who has been tempted
(05:44):
in all things as we have without sin. Let Us
therefore draw near that's prayer with confidence to the Throne
of Grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace
to help in time of need.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
What is this concept of prayer?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
For many people, prayer is like the national anthem before
a football game. It's nice to get started with, but
absolutely has no connection with what's happening on the field.
For others, prayer is like a rabbit's foot. It's my
lucky charm. Let me give you a very simple definition
of prayer. Prayer is relational communication with God. Please notice
(06:28):
I didn't say communicating with God. I said relationally communicating
with God. In other words, prayer is not ritualistic communication
with God talking because I'm supposed to. And when you
are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the gentiles do,
(06:50):
for they suppose that they will be heard for that
many words. Prayer has got nothing to do with whether
you know all the fancy words and have all the
sophisticated posture. In fact, he says, you do your best
prayer when nobody's around. He says, going to your secret closet.
But if that's not enough, he says, shut the door.
(07:11):
Now why I need to shut the door if I'm
already in secret, he says, because it's just you and God.
And he doesn't say you and God. He says you
and your father. Because prayer is a family discussion, our father,
who are in heaven hollowed, be thy name. Prayer is
(07:31):
relational communication with God, not ritualistic conversation. You can have
devotions every day and not be prayed.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Because you're fulfilling.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
A ritual program and not a relational conversation. It's talking
to daddy. He says, it's a father child conversation. When
people say I don't have I don't know how to pray,
what they're basically saying is I don't know how to
(08:05):
talk like them Christians do. I have learned all the
right words, I haven't put all the right sentences together.
I don't know how to I don't know Christian needs yet.
Prayer is the heart of a child interacting with the
heart of a dad. That's why he describes it in
Evenings chapter four as drawing Nea. Drawing Nea has that
(08:29):
image of intimacy and relationship, not merely external performance or
fulfilling a job description or believing a prayer a day
will keep the devil away. Prayer is my expressing to
somebody I love, and to somebody who loves me how
(08:49):
I feel. And he says, I want you to do
it without season, Like breathing. Sometimes when you're breathing, you
know it because you walk fast, or something und you.
You're conscious of it. It's right there in front of you,
(09:10):
or something happens, you almost hit a car, a car
was hit you, and you go wow. You breathe and
you were conscious because because it was a crisis moment,
and so you were conscious of your breathing because something
happened that made you focus on it.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
But that's not most of our breathing.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Most of our breathing is not where it's formalized, scheduled.
Most of our breathing is the natural in and out,
inhaling and exhaling.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Watch this now, of our dependency on oxygen.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Every time you're in out, And that's how what you're
saying is oxygen.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
I can't make it without oxygen. I need you.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
In fact, I need you oxygen so much then every
second I'm gonna lean on you. Now you can get
out it and say oxygen. I ain't into you.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Right now what I'm getting too old for this.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
If I go without breathing, it's gonna show up. If
I go without breathing, I'm gonna be hurting because I
am desperately depending on half to get me the where
I need to go. Or I can walk to my
(10:46):
car hold in my breath, but I ain't gonna be
the same when I get there. He says, I want
you to treat your communication with me like you treat breathing.
I want it to be a way of life, not
an event or not only an event.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
I want you to draw mea doctor Evans will tell
us how prayer can become more than a one way
conversation when he continues our message in just a moment. First, though,
I wanted you to know that today's lesson is part
of Tony's seven part series on the power of prayer.
It's a practical look at how to move our prayers
beyond the ordinary and start experiencing real results, including spiritual breakthroughs,
(11:31):
wisdom for life's decisions, and the peace that comes from
knowing God hears you. We'll send you the full audio
series as our thank you gift when you make a
contribution to help us keep Tony's teaching on this station. Plus,
we're including Tony's new book, Anchored by Prayer, an devotional
guide designed to help you pray boldly, consistently, and in
(11:53):
alignment with God's will. It's a perfect resource to help
if you've ever felt stuck, distracted, or discouraged in prayer.
This special double offer will only be available for a
couple more days, though, so visit Tonyevans dot org right
away to get the details. You'll find a prominent link
right on the homepage, or if it's easier, you can
(12:14):
call us day or night at one eight hundred eight
hundred thirty two twenty two and let one of our
team members help you. I'll repeat that contact information later on.
Right now, let's rejoin doctor Evans for more of today's message.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Let me tell you why this prayer is so important.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
This concept of prayer relational communication with God, because when
you are communicating with God as a lifestyle, sometimes formal,
sometimes informal, sometimes verbalized, sometimes not verbalized.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
But the idea is I.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Want to maintain ongoing close contact with my Lord. When
that becomes a lifestyle prayer, you will experience what you've
be longing to experience. And that is a two way conversation.
See ritual is a one way conversation. You may be talking,
but you don't hear anything coming back. But relational prayer
(13:09):
is a two way conversation. Prayer is relational communication with God.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
And Jesus told us the safe of them. When you pray,
please know you talking to me.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
He is a unique person, so he can feel what
you feel, but he's divine, so he can fix what
you feel. He is unique in his person. He's also
unique in his position. He says, we have a great
high priest who's passed through the heavens. Now a high
priest's job was to represent the people before God. He
(13:47):
went into the tabernacle, into the tent where nobody else
could go, and he went before them on the day
of Atonement in order to bring the sins of the
people that they might be forgiven and bring back out
to the people the grace of God.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
He was a uniquely positioned person.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
To represent the people before God and represent God before
the people.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
That was the high peace.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
He was the intermediary, he was the mediator, he was.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
The in between lincl.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
There were many priests, but then there was the high priest,
chief priest in charge. It says, Jesus is our great
high Priest who has passed through the heavens.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
The Bible declares that there are three heavens.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
The first heaven is the atmospheric heaven where we live,
the heaven of gravity, the heaven of clouds, the heaven
of oxygen.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Then there is the planetary.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Heavens, the stellar heavens where the stars and the planets exist.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Then the Bible talks about.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
A third heaven, the throne room of God, God where deity.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Concentrate lives.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Now, if you living on earth, where you want to
go is the third heaven, where the throne room of
God is.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
The problem is how do I get there.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
I can't get to the clouds unless somebody take me there.
I can't get to the planets until somebody gets me there.
We have a high priest who is gone where no
plane is ever gone before, who is gone where no
shuttle is ever gone before, because he's passed through the
heavens that is the first two and he's now seated
(15:43):
at the Big Heaven, which is the third part of
the tabernacle, which is the very throne room of God.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
In other word, we can skip a lot of stuff
when you go to.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
God because you've hit the contact point of the Holy
Jesus Christ makes sure it gets to the proper location,
and that is the very presence of God. Because we
have a great high priest, Jesus, the Son of God.
(16:16):
So he's a unique person because he's man and God,
holding a unique position able to get us into the
very throne room of God. But look at this, he's
also unique in his passion verse fifteen says, for we
do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with
(16:41):
our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted or tested
in all things as we are yet without sin. As
a sermon by itself, you have a high priest, an
intercestor who's both Man, Jesus and God, who can sympathize. Oh,
(17:04):
I wish I had time to deal with the theology here.
To sympathize means to feel it with you. I mean,
I mean to feel it with you. Why do we
need a high priest who can feel it?
Speaker 2 (17:21):
It is now? God the Father knows everything.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
He knows everything actual, and he knows everything potential.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
There are no facts of which he is not fully aware.
Watch this.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
But while God the Father has full knowledge.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Of everything, watch it now, God the Father does not,
does not, does not have.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Full experience of everything. He has full infami of everything.
He can tell you about anything that was, will be,
or is. But even though he can tell you all
the facts, what the Father cannot tell you is all
the feelings. But God the Father wanted to be able
(18:19):
to relate to you and me on the feeling level.
He wanted to know by feeling it with us what
we meant when we went. He wants to know on
the feeling level. He wants to emote with you. So
what he did was sanction the second member of the trinity,
(18:43):
Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Why don't you go.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Put on a body like they had, Why don't you
get emotions like they have so that you can feel it?
Because I want to feel what they feel. And if
you feel it, I feel it. Because we are wont
we are one of our cents. And so God the
(19:06):
Son put on the body, and the Bible says, and
he was hungry. So whenever you're hungry, God, the Son says,
I know, I know what you're talking about. The Bible
says he was thirsty. Whenever you're thirsty, God the Son says, I.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Know where you at. I'm feeling with you you all.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
I'm in mcgrill. I know what you're talking about. The
Bible says he was rejected. Now, if you ask the Father,
the Father could tell you what he meant. But Jesus
can tell you how it feels because he feels it
with you. Yeah, but I got all this sin on me,
(19:52):
Jesus says, I fail you not because I have sinned.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
But because I have borne sin.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Not Oh, so I had to feel it. I had
to feel it. I wasn't feeling mine, I was feeling yours.
But I want you to know it.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Hur we have a high praise.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Who can sympathize In a hospital operating room where no
bacteria is allowed, any bacteria.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Is a problem. See, the purity of the.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Room makes anything not like the room a major emergency.
You and I don't feel the bacteria around us, So
we don't wash our hands before we do.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Any and everything because we don't feel it.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
It's there and we learn to live with it. Not
in an operating room where purity is perfect, they feel anything,
so they wash with everything, sterilize everything.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
The purer you are, the more you feel it.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
So for Jesus to sympathize, he can sympathize like nobody
else can sympathize because he can feel it like nobody
else can feel it because of its perfection. He said,
But Jesus, you've never done it. You don't have to
doctors doesn't have to have had every disease to know
(21:26):
what you're going through. He's just worked with it so long,
and then he's unique in his provision. Let us draw near.
That's prayer with confidence. Don't don't hold back, don't hold back.
Don't think you're wasting your time. Don't think what good
is this gonna do? Drawna because it's relational prayers, relational,
(21:50):
not real ritual.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
It's relational.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Draw near, Come close, Come close, Come close.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Doctor Evans will return with a final word about what
we can expect when we approach that throne. So stay
with us first, though, if you'd like to review today's
message on your own or share it with somebody you
care about, you can get the full length version by
checking with us about the title Prayer the Access of
Spiritual Growth Better Yet. This lesson is one of seven
(22:18):
messages in doctor Evans's current teaching series called The Power
of Prayer, a compilation of sermons available on digital download
as well as on either CD or USB flash drive.
And for a limited time, we're bundling Tony's brand new book,
Anchored by Prayer, along with each copy of the Power
of Prayer audio series. Requested. Both are yours with our thanks.
(22:42):
When you make a donation to help support the Alternative
Broadcast Ministry, just visit Tonyevans dot org or call one
eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two to make
your request. That's Tonyevans dot org or call one eight
hundred eight hundred three too. Prayer is often where we
(23:03):
talk to God about what we want. But tomorrow, doctor
Evans will tell us about the benefits of paying more
attention to what God wants as he conveys an important
lesson about prayer. Right now though he's been with these
closing words for today.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I like the way James for six says he giveth
more grace. I watched this.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
He gives more grace that we may receive mercy and
find grace to help in time of need. Grace is
given based on the need at the moment. God gives
us what we don't deserve, can't pay for, could never
(23:47):
earn from a throne that never runs out, tied to
the knee, based on our drawing near. In other words,
the throne has grace, but you got to draw near
to the throne to get the grace that the throne has.
So a prayer less Christian is a graceless Christian. A
(24:09):
Christian that is not praying as a lifestyle is not
growing in their life because they.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Are not hanging around the throne, which Dispenser's grace.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
But he only gives you enough grace to cover what
the need is right there. And he's not gonna give
you tomorrow's grace.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Tell tomorrow. He's gonna give you the grace you
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Need for today today, if you've drawn near
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