“Prayer is Necessary to Keep the Lines of Communication Open Between God and Us" (Matthew 6: 5-18)

Good Morning Post Sating Lahat. This morning we will be hearing

a sermon penned by Reverend William B Slump and this

preaching was first breach in the Emmanuel Canadian Reform

Church, Edmonton, AB in 2008. Beloved congregation of our Lord

and Saviour Jesus Christ. A while ago we read about

Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 45 and that is the last section

of the Heidelberg Catechism and it deals with prayer.

However, the question is why is prayer found at the very last

part of the catechism? Hindi Cuban Ambassador Nathan

Sapphism that prayer is the most important part of our

thankfulness and yet you your prayer in NASA Dulang Catechism

and usually when we want to say something and you know nothing

should be important important is Susanna Lama.

That's why my Papa is it tile Ekuban Prayer 18 written in

Heidelberg Catechism Ornamental authors now Heidelberg Catechism

as an afterthought. Oftentimes prayer functions like

that in the life of men. Bago Tayo McCray Gagawin.

Nothing going. You're going boy.

Nothing. Hindi umbra.

That is the only time that we will pray.

Tiny Treat not in your prayer as if it is an afterthought.

Burma Chapati angry son in Heidelberg catechism Kaya

inilagay sedulo young prayer well.

In reality however, Contigo Naten prayer has already been

dealt with at the beginning of the Heidelberg Catechism Sabina

Unang section to be specific in Lord's day #3 where we are told

about the creation of men and how it is before the fall of

mankind. I'm sad be sat in the Lords day.

Three is that God made man so that he might rightly know God

his Creator, that he might heartily love him and live with

him in eternal blessedness, and to praise and to glorify him.

Brothers and sisters, that is what prayer is all about.

We are created so that we can praise and glorify God.

For what is prayer? Prayer is communication with

God. It is in prayer that we give our

praises and glories to God. It is in prayer that we made

known to God our needs. It is in prayer that we praise

Him and thank Him for all the things that He has done for our

lives and before the fall in paradise.

That is what Adam and Eve has been doing all along.

They are communicating with God. They are glorifying God.

They are having communion with God.

However, sin came and put an end on that communication and

because of sin the communication between God and man has been

totally broken and only through God it will be restored again at

and second section now Heidelberg Catechism where we

were told how we have been delivered from our sins.

In other words, we have been told how the lines of

communication have been restored through our Lord and Saviour

Jesus Christ. And so it is no wonder come back

it NASA Duluth and Heidelberg Catechism and prayer, because

the final thing that our Lord and Jesus did is to open the

doors of heaven. It's to open the lines of

communication again. And that is what the Heidelberg

Catechism is trying to remind us, that the line of

communication has been restored, that all is well and therefore

we must make use of those lines of communication.

We must thank God and we must praise His name and we can

relate to that in our everyday lives.

Mima times may dumadating wars or devastating natural

calamities is an area or is an bansa Nagano classing

devastation. The first thing that we must do

is to restore the lines of communication.

When am I? Hey you my power lines.

You wanna telephone lines? Even you TV station and radio

station and Internet. Keelan Magleby's signal.

Because unless the line of communication has been restored,

we cannot go back to the way it was.

Hindi Marathi store. Young acting.

You're acting Bansa ichura Nieto, and that is the way with

prayer as well. When we pray, we show that the

lines of communication has been restored between God and man.

Prayer is essential to the life of a Christian.

Indeed, no one can say to himself that he is a Christian

if he doesn't know how to pray at it.

Reaching out in this morning, that will be summarised in this

title, that prayer is necessary to keep the lines of

communication open between God and us.

And we must open the line of communication number one for

God's glory and #2 for man's eternal wellbeing.

But before we proceed, let us go to the Lord in prayer.

Father God, we come before You to humbly listen to the

preaching of Your Word. We pray that you educate us and

you remind us about the value and the importance of prayer in

our lives. I pray that you give us humble

hearts, that we will listen to the preaching of your word as if

we are not merely listening to the words of men, but that we

are listening to the very words of God.

And I pray that you also guide me as I deliver this sermon

manuscript to your congregation. I pray that you give me

reverence that I will not say my own opinion, but I will be

faithful to the preaching of Your word.

Please guide us. So God open our eyes and our

ears, and may we know your word and apply them in our lives.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

So sabi pun natin, we must open the line of communication first

for the glory of God. But what does it mean for man to

live for the glory of God? It means that we must live in

total harmony with Him, and He is that we must live in

accordance to the will of God. But as we all know, that is not

happening right now because man rebelled against God in

paradise, and man has been doing so since then.

And now instead of harmony, there is this harmony.

Instead of peace, there is strife.

That's why it's in having it. In Genesis chapter 3, he said

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

that there will be an enmity between the seed of the woman

and the seed of the servant. In other words, brothers and

sisters, we are in the middle of a war and parties that are at

war do not communicate with each other because their goal is to

destroy each other. For their interests is always in

conflict with each other. And though they don't have

anything to do absolutely with one another, and that is also

what we see whenever we see in the news, 2 warring nations

enter into a war between each other.

The warring parties will do everything in their own power to

bring down the lines of communication.

They will bomb the radio station, the television station,

so that no propaganda and no information and no help can go

out to the people. And any people that they can

capture, they will not allow to communicate with their own side.

They want them to be totally cut off from contact with the enemy.

And if they will feed them information, they will only feed

them false information to demoralise them.

Because those countries who enter into war, they don't want

to give even a little glance of hope, Paradise, Kanilang,

Malavan. And by cutting off all contacts

and all communication, they will also prevent any help from

coming into them. So my chapati Gustino Manali

Sanghera, the one thing that you should remember is that you must

prevent your enemy from communicating among themselves

and with others. They need to be totally cut off.

And brothers and sisters, that as well is the tactic of Satan.

He doesn't. He doesn't want you to be in

communication with God, and He will do everything in his power

to keep us from having fellowship with God.

He does not want us to have contact with God and He does not

want us to receive any help from God and he doesn't want us to

have any hope. And when he wants us to believe

that God is no longer around, Satan is bent on destroying us.

That's why he wants to demoralise us.

And if he is going to give us any information at all, he will

give us false information. And so it is important for every

Christian to have a constant communication with God, for

without communion with God, we will perish eternally.

Nothing. I don't know.

Poonam Bagai, Nagustuhan Malama, Nathan.

The first thing that God wants us to know is that Satan has

already lost the battle. Yes, there may be little ongoing

wars here and there, but and the main battle has already been won

because Satan is already in retreat.

And we have to be reminded of that over and over again, even

in the Old Testament. The believers there have to know

this. They have to know that despite

the battles going around the world in spite the existence of

sin and evil, ultimately Satan cannot touch those who belong to

God. And why is that, Anupam, while

you, my Old Testament believers, Saganum Pangako?

It is because God promised that He will send a Redeemer, that He

will send a Saviour, and this promise was given to us as early

as in the Paradise Thailand Sinabing.

God is that the seed of the woman will crush the head of the

serpent, Satan. And He made that promise because

the Lord hates war and strife. He wants the lines of

communication to be restored, to be open so that we can talk to

Him again. For He knows that only He can

help us in our battle against Satan.

And so through His Son Jesus Christ, He also opened the doors

of communication at Nancy, Jesus Christ, Paul and Lupa and Sabina

is that He is the door by which the sheep can go through the

sheep fold. He is the door of the sheep, and

no one can come to the Father except through him.

And when Christ has died and he ascended into heaven and sat at

the right hand of God, he made that access for his children a

certainty, for he laid down his life for his sheep so that this

could come about at Shinobi Mahapatra Dito.

Well, let's have it take a careful note of the way question

116 in Heidelberg Catechism was phrased a while ago.

I'm saved on why is prayer necessary for Christians so

ginami Tang Heidelberg catechism young term nutritions dahil yung

sheep. It pertains to the Christians

sat in the Lords day 12. We are called Christians because

we are members of Christ by faith.

And when Christ ascended into heaven, he sat at the right hand

of God, and He made the access of communication with God a

complete certainty. So if we really are sheep of

Christ, if we are really Christians, if we are really the

people of Christ, then we must put our faith in Christ.

Then we must believe that He has won the victory for us.

Then we must believe that He is seated at the right hand of God.

Now to intercede for you and me. That's why we can listen to the

apostle Paul in Romans 834 to 36 saying these words.

Who is he the condemns Christ Jesus who died?

More than that, who was raised to life, is at the right hand of

God and is also interceding for us.

So that is our hope, that Christ did not only die for us, but he

also rose again. He ascended into heaven and He

is interceding for us. That is why the line of

communication is always open, but she breaking demo Palos is

Heaton. Satan is always trying to engage

us, to engage us in some sort of a battle.

He wants us to rebel against God and he wants us to do whatever

that will keep us from having full fellowship with God.

In other words, Satan wants to separate us from God.

However, the apostle Paul also says, who shall separate us from

the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or

persecution or famine, or nakedness or danger or sword for

us? It is written for your sake.

We face that all day long. We are considered a sheep to be

slaughtered. That's why, brothers and

sisters, we must believe. We must believe in our Lord and

Saviour Jesus Christ. However, when I talk about

belief or when I talk about faith, it does not mean a

passive faith. It should be an active fate

because faith is not only about trusting the Lord with all of

our hearts, but faith involves doing something as well.

Someone who has faith does not just sit back and do nothing,

but he acts in accordance with his faith.

In Luther, we are saved by faith alone, but we are not saved by a

faith that is alone, because a living faith, a true saving

faith, is always coupled with action.

And if we believe that our Father exist in heaven and that

He deeply cares for you and me, and that He loves us so much,

and that He provides for all our needs, and that He fights all of

our battles for us, then we will want to talk with Him.

We would want to talk to Him. When Christ gave up his life for

us, He did not do it so that his children will be left passive.

Gagawin. But actually Christ also showed

his children how they are to keep the lines of communication

with God open and that, brothers and sisters, is through prayer.

Prayer is very necessary and integral part of our

relationship with God. And for that reason, the basa

nothingness Karina Samachu 6 that Jesus Christ left his

disciples and all of the believers with the Lord's

Prayer. He gave us the Lord's Prayer

because he wants us to pray. Because prayer is a command,

it's not an option. Indeed, I operating making

Christian Christian prayers adding is an optional thing.

No, a prayerless Christian is a contradiction of terms because

no Christian will ever not pray to God.

However, there is a problem. Kita Benegas attend the cries

Young Lord's Prayer kidnapping Rumania Tayu Manalangin.

Because of sin, we have lost our ability to speak to God and that

is why we must be taught how to pray over and over again.

So chapati, there's a lot of praying that is going on in this

world. People pray for this and that

and for everything else, but much of it, however, are

worthless prayers. Kyanas and Abbas Anakin said

James chapter 4 I'm sabadito, you ask and you do not receive

James 4 · chapter mention

because you ask wrongly. Papadi, there is such a thing as

a wrong prayer. What nothing is happening now

clashing and prayer I valid and that is our problem.

They even with us among Reformed Christians, we do not always

pray for the right things and we do not always pray in the right

manner. Unang barina dapat nothing

Malaman about prayer did is that prayer must be based on an

intimate knowledge of who God is.

That is why in answer 117, it tells us that we must from our

heart call upon the one true God only.

Who has revealed himself in his word?

Mbata owner in Egypt Mila as long as all OK neon despite no

marapatti. The only true prayer is a prayer

that is directed directed to the only one true God.

So we can confidently say Kait number sound tired Mayabang that

those who are praying to Buddha, those who are praying to Allah,

or those who are praying to other gods, no one is hearing

their prayers because those idols are lifeless.

They are not the one true God. That's why sinabihan Kanina that

there are many prayers that are going on in this world, but much

of them are worthless because they are not directed to the one

through God. And another problem that we have

in prayer is that a lot of us are having difficulty in praying

la Lola Luna po in public prayer.

Some of us, we don't know what to say.

Your task? No prayers about Magaling

Magsalita or Samantha Alamilla in prayer.

There are even parents who cannot leave their prayers in

front of the table. Sahani langa anak.

And there are men in the congregation who will not pray

in public. Dial silapho.

I need an Airbus. It's a problem of the nerves.

Well, that is understandable brothers and sisters, but one

thing that we must ask ourselves is why are we nervous?

Bucket batayo kinakabahan ka tayo in in public about one

possible reason is that probably we are comparing ourselves to

those smooth tongue cannot compare Nathaniel McCray haha

Alam nila Yuma right words in my right phrases Kapila

inappropriate. But prayer is not just heaping

of empty worn out phrases and words.

You know rebuked the Jesus among the Pharisees Hindi to pagaling

in Hindi ito oration Hindi ito declamation.

But prayer is communication with God.

And those people who only pray in public, even though how good

they are in prayer, if they are not praying in private, it only

shows that they don't really know their maker and they don't

have an intimate relationship with God.

For what is prayer? Magkapatid prayer is the

expression of our covenant relationship with God.

And if you know what it means to live within that covenant

relationship, then you will not have any problem about prayer.

You will not be at loss for words because if you really know

God then alamona Hindi Japanese facilita alamana Primo there is

you are just saying or you are just groaning.

You cannot find the right words to say.

God is still understands your prayer.

So He understands our struggles. He knows that we are being

chased and we are being the target of Satan.

So you can tell those things to God, Puddicombe, Magsumbong,

Sanya, and He will answer you and He will encourage you and He

will comfort you. And if we really understand that

we are in a covenant relationship with our Lord and

Saviour, then we will also know when to pray.

Chapati tradition of Christians who maintain a rigorous schedule

of prayer numeracy long definite period of the day where they

pray that Liam is strictly umaga tanghale happen Gabe neprisla.

But most of us are not like that, I said.

Don't customary usual prayer. Nothing not that long basis is

an arrow at your prayer. Bago Matulog schedule young set

of rules starting prayer at an excuse not in for having that

practice practice is that alumni managing that we can pray at any

place and at anytime Tamapa. However, experience tells us

that those things that are not done in a specific time will be

done in no time at all. Kya chilling and una poonami

pinapa assignments amima counselling schedule kayo nang

regular prayer time cause Alam namin from regular scheduled and

prayer time Hindi talaga tayo Meridian Sabina independent

practice. Could you presence the God

throughout the whole day? My friends were nothing.

If indeed Pata laga specific time to meet God, it will also

be. It will also be impossible for

us to maintain the presence of God in our everyday lives and as

Christians. Brothers and sisters, prayers,

prayer must be as natural as breathing.

Indeed, to dapat Philippe Coutinho Balague, you go in.

That is why the Apostle Paul urges his readers in first Test

Solonians 517 to pray continually.

Paul says that you should be praying at all times, that we

should be giving God thanks in all circumstances.

Keen on Mapati is that we should be praying to Him during times

that there is much rejoicing and times where there is much

adversity and affliction, because the Lord, if we will

only pray to Him, will give us our needs.

But let's listen further to what the Catechism is saying to us

about prayer. It says that she will only give

to those who ask, that God will only give to those who ask.

But then we will wonder, is that really the case?

Talagang, Jos. In B in the 1st place Hindutva,

God already knows what we need even before we tell Him that

into Sam's 139 verse 4 before a word is on my tongue, you know

it completely. Ohh Lord, I think it is true

that there are people who do not pray but receive the same things

that we receive tamapa. There are people who receive

their bread, they receive their drinks, their shelter and their

clothing, even though they don't pray to God.

And sometimes they receive even more Tamapa.

Yeah, Changu baby million million.

But such statements, brothers and sisters, is not made out of

faith. Such statement is not made by

someone who knows the way of the Lord.

Because in the 1st place, God requires that we ask Him for His

gifts. Therefore you need nothing.

Playing on it is a matter of obedience.

Hindi. Ito a matter of cause and

effect. Hindi Tanghali and Onanga Behan

wanna play again tight Manipuri nakatanga.

But the problem is we are commanded to pray.

So it's a matter of obedience. And sure, there are these people

who, though they do not pray, they receive more than us, but

they are disobedient and they are receiving this blessing to

their own condemnation. So we must not envy them,

because the things that they receive becomes judgment of God

upon them. Indeed God gives us.

Indeed, God gives to all men, but He gives only so that the

recipient may acknowledge him as the supplier of all good things.

I kept my receipt. Then you are missing the point.

You are missing the true blessing behind the giving.

And God gives us whatever we needs, whatever we need so that

we may have a 40s of what is heaven like.

Imagine those who are not praying, those who are not

putting their faith in Christ. They are receiving things that

are supposed to be the 4th taste of heaven, but then at the end

of their life they will not go to heaven.

That's why we should not envy them because they are receiving

these blessings to their own condemnation in prayer.

Beloved, it's not only for receiving things, but prayer is

an expression of our faith. If you truly believe that God

exists and that He created all things and that He provides

every single thing in your life, then you cannot help but talk to

Him about it and thank Him for all of these gifts.

Deepu basic rise cabinas Anakin and gospels languishing.

Nawala laggy Shanique withdraw Napabi Sunila andaming Tao, and

then suddenly Bolana cries. Young Pala, he slipped away so

that he can pray better be praying me.

Christ is. Is that always parameterization

something? No, but Christ is always

slipping away because she loves God the Father and he cannot

wait but tell God the Father all the wonderful things that he has

done through him, and he wants to love God the Father.

He wants to thank him, He wants to spend time with him.

So it's not just about receiving brothers and sisters, but it is

an expression of our faith. That's why when we see the

sunrise, when we see the grass growing, when we see the animals

being looked after in the field, in the forest, in the air, in

the sea, and whenever we see food in our table, Kapino

providing, what we have to do is to go to God and to thank Him

and to talk to Him about this. Then we have to pour out our

hearts to Him and to give things to Him.

Someone who has studied God's Word realises fully well that

whatever he receives, he receives out of grace alone.

Humanity received that in Sepang in on Hindi Dahil deserved

nothing. But on the other hand, the only

thing that we deserve is condemnation because of our sin.

And it's only through God's grace that we are the recipients

of so many wonderful things. And someone who truly knows the

Lord also knows deep in their heart that whatever He receives

or not receive is for their own good.

Sometimes not be pretty tile to God.

Not some bargain talagang feeling nothing young gustong

gusto and indignation might imagine bakit we withhold sat in

megaton bagnato and yet we need withhold in Dalby Hindi naging

masaya tayo dahlby Hindi Guzman josna tayo.

Brothers and sisters, that is foolishness to think that way

because if God the Father who is in heaven sends his Son to shed

blood for our sins, then anupam good things you will hold satin.

Talabani. Is it Nathan then is to cause us

harm? And as the Lord Jesus says in

the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7, what earthly father

would give his own son a serpent instead of a fish?

What earthly father will give his own son a stone instead of a

piece of bread? If it's if that is how with our

earthly fathers, who are usually not usually who are 100% of the

times sinners, evil, then what? What does it look like with our

Heavenly Father? The Lord God will never give you

anything in order to harm you. If you are truly a Christian,

then everything that comes your way will always be for your own

good, even if sometimes not perceive not in the things

adding I forms of evil indivisible.

You know not pinapadala naa man, for he cannot do that, said

Romans 828. For all things work together for

those who love Him and are called according to His own

purpose. That's why illuminating that

everything happens for our own good.

Cameraman Winnie withhold and just hating it's for our own

good. That's why when we pray, we must

acknowledge Him as our faithful and our loving Father.

And as we read from the letter of James, God gives to all men

generously, yet we must ask in faith.

We must not doubt. For he who doubt is like a wave

of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

The Lord your God is concerned about you.

He is concerned about our eternal will be.

And that leads us to the second point of our preaching.

As we saw a while ago, prayer is only for Christians and prayer

for indeed para semana unbeliever.

But it's only for Christian. It is only for those who know

the will of the Lord and who are willing to do the will of the

Lord. And if you know God, then you

also know that you are to fight against your skin with all your

might. And those who lie and cheat

habitually without remorse, and who then lift up their hands in

prayer to God and in worship, as it is said in Isaiah 115, they

will not be able to see the face of God because it will be hidden

from them in those who refuse to forgive.

Those who sin against them will not expect to receive

forgiveness from God, even though they pray for it.

And those who do not want to put a good fight when Satan tempts

them will not receive any health benefit if they pray for

protection from temptation. And it also does not make any

sense for us to ask riches from God when God says in Matthew

1924 that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of

the needle for than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of

God. My point, brothers and sisters,

is that it is supposed to be pray and work.

It must be Ora et labora. 1 does not come without the other.

You will not receive something from God if you are not willing

to fight for it yourself. Even our children's magkapatid,

they know that they are something that they cannot ask

from their parents. Kya Misan Marina minion game

mummy and daddy can say Hindi naman B gay sahim you might

parents nila. And that should be the same way

with us. We should also know our Heavenly

Father. We ought to know what we can ask

and what we can ask for. We ought to know what is a

legitimate request and what is a non legitimate requests.

As Paul says, inefficiency 5/17 Do not be foolish, but

understand what the Lord's will is and the Lord said in the

Sermon on the Mount. Your father knows what you need

before you ask him. Peron Ibiza be known I they'll

Alanna palam Panini before Nathan Sabihin So Sabihin.

No, that is not the meaning of that.

But the meaning of that is that you cannot lead him astray.

Kahit normally and prayer more pama and ebb Guinea Sayo Ganon

class in Angus. Cameron Taylor At one point of

the ministry of Jesus, there were people who brought a

paralytic to him, aching paralytic.

And yes, I cannot stand up even parasite young personal needs

and personal wants. And why while this paralytic is

in the feet, is at the feet of Jesus, the people around him

they knew fully well, at least they think that they knew what

the greatest need of that paralytic is.

Chevron Isabella and greatest Magneto I gumaling.

Ohh, I think I can Yang Sarili, but that is not how the story

goes, Mahapit. If we were if we are going to

read that account and then give me Jesus Christ and Sabina Jesus

Christ don't paralytic son, your sins are forgiven because even

though Akala natin Alam natin jupina importantly need nothing

must Alam nang Jose and Christ does not only know the deepest

need of the man, but he also provides for the the deepest

need of that man. And so we must know what is

really good for us, Alan style without ceasing diva dependency

Now because we want to prolong our prayer Since I've been doing

nothing nothing to begin Mahaba people in freestyle starting

prayer at an in a sasabihin atienza dios.

One case, 90% being but Pindhiba, Sabini, King Solomon.

We are on earth and God is in is in.

We are on earth and God is in heaven.

Therefore our words must be few. Indigo now 5 minutes and I'm

playing in Nagano in. Is that 19 normal SAB Modiba

indeed MOSAB ohh and that is that should be the same way with

God because they could spend more on sasabihin more then how

much more when you are standing face to face and you are

communicating with the God of the universe.

So we are on earth and God is in heaven.

So our words must be you meaning to say we must think about it

and that includes that we must know what is good for us.

What tayong healing and healing. I was on an iPad Lord was on a

iPad iguana known girlfriend. I love you son and girlfriend

and believe your girlfriend. There is such thing as

legitimate request and unlegit imate requests.

That's why in answer 116 the Heidelberg Catechism mentioned

to us the most important prayer needs that we have the two most

important prayer items. The Hindi Dapat Nawawala sat in

prayer list and it speaks about two things God's grace and the

Holy Spirit. Aduana, Thomas.

Import Antipa, Sadela One Prayer Items.

NATO Biddle, Balika Natin. When was the last time we

prayed? And when was the last time that

we prayed for God's grace? And when was the last time that

we prayed for the Holy Spirit? Napapijri pub inattention.

They allow you people in Athens ideal prayer important thing

prayer items. And why do we need first of all,

God's grace so desperately in our lives?

We need God's grace because we fell into sin.

We are all sinners. Without God's grace in our

lives, we will perish eternally. For God's grace refers to his

mercy. God's grace refers to His

compassion. And there is even an old Hebrew

word that connects the word grace to the womb of the mother,

Bangalore. He always, she always wants what

is the best for the baby and she doesn't want anything harm to

happen to that baby and that is the same as well between God and

his children. That's why we should always ask

for the grace of God. And for that reason we also must

pray for the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit will dwell in

our hearts if we are truly desirous to live close to our

God. For what does the Holy Spirit

do? Anubha and main ministry in the

Holy Spirits acting the Holy Spirit sanctifies us.

That is the majority of the activity of the Holy Spirit in

the life of a Christian. That means He makes us wholly,

He makes us pure, He makes us righteous, and He makes us

acceptable in the sight of God. And the Holy Spirit does that by

burning away all of our impurities.

And the Holy Spirit also guides us.

The Holy Spirit reminds us time and again of the law of God and

what it takes for us to show our thankfulness to him.

And the Holy Spirit reminds us of the will of God.

And most of all, Mahatid. The Holy Spirit reminds us that

our obedience ultimately depends on the obedience of Christ

alone. That's why it's only through the

Holy Spirit that we can be called children of God.

They are brothers and sisters. We are at war, but in that war

let us not forget that God is on our side.

That's why we should always call Him to our side.

And it's only through Him that we can win this battle against

Satan. And it's only through him that

the lines of communication has been restored.

That's why we should keep those lines open.

We must always pray continually. Amen.

Let us all pray. Father God, we thank you for

reminding us over and over again that the lines of communication

that has been destroyed by sin is now restored in our Lord and

Saviour Jesus Christ. That we do not only served as

the door, He did not only serve as the way to heaven, our way to

you, but it's also now seated at the right hand of the power and

He is now providing certainty for our access to you.

Ohh God. So Father, please remind us that

we cannot live our lives alone, especially when Satan is out to

destroy us, that we need our greatest ally in our lives, and

that is You. Ohh God, we pray that you teach

us to always keep the lines of communication, that we will

practice prayer as natural as breathing.

Father, we pray that as we grow in our knowledge of the world

that we will also grow in our prayer lives.

And that we do not only pray in public.

That we are not only good in speaking the right words when we

are praying in the presence of our brothers and sisters, but

that we are continually praying to You even though no one is

looking us. So Father, help us realise our

great need for you and always help us to come to you, to pray

to you and to always keep the lines of communication open.

All of this we pray in Jesus name, Amen.