Been a good week, hadn't it? John 17, this sermon, one more sermon, and then I'm a guest preacher. You know, they say, what do you think? Let's cross that bridge when we come to it. What did you say that was up here? Pastor, what did you say something about? Eight girls and one boy? Uh-oh, that was Joshua in the class. Eight girls, what's that? All the older single girls are going, man, what's wrong with our generation? It was always the opposite. Boys, you better live for God to get that one girl. I better not go down there. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word this morning. Pray, bless it to our hearts. Thank you for all that's going on here. Awesome, awesome message on the fruit of the spirit. Bless this to our hearts this morning. We'll thank you in Jesus' name, amen. I'm preaching a message that's gonna make you squirm. almost as much as it's making me squirm thinking about making you squirm. So now that I have your attention, John 17, chapter one. These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father. Now, the tendency for Bible students is when you read a prayer in the Bible, in this instance, the prayer of Jesus, we study the words. I mean, if you needed help in prayer and you wanted to pattern yourself after some prayers, Jesus Christ would be a pretty good place to start, wouldn't he? But I wanna go beyond words today and step out on a little bit of limb. And I wanna look at his prayer position. And I don't mean how he relates to the Father. I'm talking about his posture. Lifted up his eyes to heaven. Now, I started out thinking, who cares about your position? I mean, if you're in a bed of infirmary, you can't do anything about your position. But as I began to see a pattern, in the life of Christ and the ministry of the prophets and the writers of the Psalms and the prayers of kings, I began to second guess my conclusion and say, maybe it does matter. And so if nothing else, it's a very, very interesting study with something so practical that is liable to change your life. Especially your prayer life your prayer life changes your life changes And I don't know about you, but I need some help With the prayer. So if I could better or get closer to Bible praying by 1% I'm in I'm in now today's message warning isn't real Baptist But it's Bible We pride ourselves on the Bible, do we? Answer me later. Perhaps number one problem of prayer is, it's boring. And part of the, I'm going on a limb here, part of the potential in boring is the common position of the Baptist or the Catholic prayer. Every head bowed, every eye closed. I'm not saying that to do it now. But every head bowed, every eye closed. And I'll wake you up when it's over. Now this may shock you, but there is no mandate for the position you pray in in the Bible, but there are tons and tons of examples. So today, we're just gonna look at prayer positions in the Bible, and you can do what you want with it, and we'll have a little fun. I'll see some people I like to call on, maybe as an example. Number one, every head bowed, every eye closed is for a prayer of repentance in the Bible. Now, for most Baptists, as they say down south, the head bowed and the eyes closed is standard. but not all the time in the Bible. In the Bible, heads bowed, eyes closed, is connected with godly sorrow and repentance and shame. Psalm chapter 40, Psalm chapter 40. See, nothing really threatening today, but until we get to the truth. Psalm chapter 40, verse... 12, for innumerable evils have compassed me about, watch the next word, mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up. You know where he's looking in repentance? Down. You see it all around you in life. Junior gets his hand caught in the cookie jar. Children, ask your parents when you get home what a cookie jar was. I got that, a cookie jar. They don't know what a cookie jar is. Now we make cookies, praise the Lord. But who has a cookie, who has a cookie jar? Let me see your hands. Amy, I knew you would. Goodwill, no. You know what happens when you get caught? That head goes down. You know, when we scold, when we scold, the head goes down. And you parent the way you want, but... and a lot of parents will say, look at me! Look at me! And I'll just put this out for you. I'm not sure about that. God doesn't do that. In fact, God, when you're in that position, He said, don't look at me. He's too holy and I'm too dirty. In the year King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple, and the seraphim, and the shepherds, and they said, with twain, they covered His feet, with twain, He covered His face, and with twain, they couldn't even look on Him. They were ashamed. Dogs the same way. I had a dog, he'd get something off the counter when I got home. He's a dog! He knew. He's trying to, but he can't wag it. Luke 18. This is a publican. He's an embezzler. He's a bad man. He's a sinful man. He is equated with stealing and cheating and lying. but he's having a appointment with God. In the public in verse 13 of Luke 18, standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breath. This is a sinner's prayer right here, by the way, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. If you're here today and you're not saved, or you might respond because the Holy Ghost hits you on some sin or vice or struggle or hurdle in your life. You know what people do? They come down to the altar and they put their head down. Not like our modern day. Jesus wants to be your buddy, and he wants to be your homie, and he wants to connect. You want to go to heaven, man, in the Bible, when they came to God. And I'll say this in case I forget. By the way, when you come into the physical presence of God, there's no standing up about it. You're down. That angel of the Lord showed up in the New Testament. Listen, these charismatics come and hitting people. Everyone's falling backwards. Listen, when God shows up, they don't fall backward. They fall forward. You're here today and you're not saved, you know where you gotta start? Down. You're not right with God, you wanna make reconciliation for just the temporal and the relationship, it's down. Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. Every head bowed, every eye closed, don't do it, is for the prayer of repentance. You know Jesus Christ in Matthew 26 in that garden, you know where he fell? He fell on his face. You know why? Because he was carrying the cup and the wrath of your and my sin. Prayer of repentance face down. Now hang on, Baptist. Prayer of thanksgiving face up. John 11. John chapter 11 in verse 41. Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I what? Thank thee. Matthew 14. At the time of the giving of thanks to Savior looked up Matthew chapter 14 verse 19. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass and took the five loaves and the two fishes and what? Looking up to heaven. He blessed and prayed and gave the loaves to the... What can we learn? I know it's out of our box, but it's okay to look up. It might wake you up. when giving thanks. You know what them little birds do in the springtime when mom brings their food? They're not looking down. They're looking up. And I thought of this thought today. You know where that bird feeds them from? You know what they say, don't bite the hand that feeds you? The mouth of the bird feeds the baby birds. This is what feeds us. And you know what we do at a time of giving of thanks? It's okay to look up. Repentance, down. Giving of thanks, look up. When in need, supplication, in need of provision, Psalm 121 says, I will look unto the hills from whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the Lord. You know where he is? He's on a mountain, he's in the Mount Zion. Do we see it physically? No, but I'm looking up when I have need. Why? Because that's where he is. Mark 7, you're in the Gospels, Mark 7. Verse 34, and looking up to heaven, he sighed and saith unto him, Ephrathah, that is, be open. Why is Jesus looking up in John chapter 17, verse 1? because that's where the communicator is that he's communicating with. You say, what's the communicator? Listen, children, the communicator is the one that the communicator is communicating with. Now that's when, hey, look in my eyes. Some of you that are in love, or still in love, you like looking in those eyes. That Bible says, seeing him who is invisible. Can I give you a marriage, this is total sideline, a marriage social media tip, and guilty as charged, okay? You say, preacher, why do you preach so hard? Because I'm always preaching to myself. When a loved one is talking to you and it buzzes, never look away. Now, I know what, and let me tell you something, even if you don't look away, you're gonna be thinking, and it's disconnected. It's only natural to look at the one you're communicating with. Some of you guys, you need to borrow a 20 from Dad? You're in need, right? You don't come in mumbling, hey Dad, I think I could get a 20. Who you talking to? I'll give you the Italian 45. Four this way and five this way. I'll hit you so hard when you wake up, your shoes will be out of style. That's what I used to get. Intimacy. I know I'm in a mixed crowd, but I'm not looking at the phone. Where is He? He's up there. Send Thine hand from above. Why? Rid me and deliver me out of great waters from the hand of strange children. From above hath He sent fire into my bones. He that cometh from above is above all. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. This wisdom, though, the earthly, worldly wisdom, descendeth not from above. It's earthly and sensual and devilish, but the wisdom that's from above is first pure. I wonder if our lack of wisdom may come from, we're not looking at who we're talking to. Are you squirming as much as I'm squirming? Amen. Here in John 17, he looks up to heaven. He's talking to his Father. He's petitioning his Father to be glorified. He's petitioning to glorify the Father. That ought to be the basis of our petition, not consuming it upon our lust. He's praying for his disciples. Father, keep them from the evil. Let them be one as we are one. And look at, let's jump over there, John 17 at verse 25. And just intimacy. Look at this. Oh Righteous Father. He's looking up man The world hath not known thee but I have known thee and these have known that thou has sent me and I have declared Unto them thy name and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them That's praying like Jesus Try it in private, if nothing else. It might revive your prayer, and who doesn't need a little revival? You look down in repentance. You look up when giving thanks. They looked up when petitioning where He is. They looked up in time of praise. It's so charismatic, I can't even say it in their order. Let me say it, in worship and praise. Do you have praise and worship? Praise and worship. I, like a pastor, folks, have you come to the point where you're worshiping the praise and worship? Psalm chapter five. We're going on a new level here. I feel funny. Your flesh feels funny. That Bible will go contrary to everything your flesh says. Psalm 5 verse 3. My voice shall thou hear in the morning. It's called the quiet time. Oh Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will say the next two. You said it. I wanna pray like the psalmist. It's as close as I can get. So can I just make a practical suggestion? Maybe in the summer, leave this inside and get outside on the deck and look up. In the winter, put it on silence and do like Daniel, look out the window toward the holy city. He couldn't see the holy city from there, but in his heart he could. Solomon prayed it. Hey, if we go in a camp, pray toward this place. That's the earthly Jerusalem. Ours is the heavenly. It's where he is. Psalm 123. We having fun? Psalm 123, amen. Ain't nobody gonna outdance me. Psalm 123. Verse one, pretty much a repeat, unto thee. You wanna pray like the psalmist? Lift I up mine eyes. Why? Because that's where he is. O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Okay, we see that, it's a fact. But why, why? Well, it's where he is. But when we think about, and we've heard a lot of messages on this in the last year, The heavens, that's that, declare the glory of God. The firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no language where there voice, so when I'm looking up where he is, from the created, from the invisible things of him can be clearly seen, something's talking back to me. That's liable to be more exciting than scrolling on Facebook. And watch the results, Psalm 8. He's looking up. He's praying, Psalm 8. Verse 3. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which shall... What is man that thou art mindful of him? Uh-oh, he going on that roller coaster now. He getting ready to ride. And the son of man that thou visit... For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels. Where did all this start? Looking at the heavens, considering the heavens. Crown him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hand. We're in charge of all this. Regardless of what Peter says, thou hast put all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen, yea, the beasts of the field. This guy's looking at something. The fowls of the air, the fish of the sea, whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea. And with this in my view, oh Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth. If we could get a hold of that, we might get a little more glory in our prayers. Because, see, God is big. And the reason He's so much on creation, creation, creation, is because it puts things in perspective of how big He is. And the problem and the reason that such of our prayer is so dry like cracker juice, our God needs to get bigger. Lift up your eyes on high and behold who hath created these things. I'm little, this is big, he's the creator, he's even bigger. I think I'll stay in the closet a little bit longer. Closet with the window, it's serious, it is. Well, I like to keep my eyes closed in case of distraction. Parents, you've got five kids under seven, I would suggest you teach them to close their eyes when they're praying in a circle. Because we could have dominoes going on by the time you open your eyes. But when you're alone, you say, brother, I... I don't wanna be distracted. And maybe it's just me, but when I'm alone and I close my eyes, that's way more distracting. My imagination can go places that I couldn't see in a million years. Repenting, saved or lost, head bowed, eyes closed. Giving thanks, petition, worship and praise, look up. And now we're gonna do a little exercise. I need seven young men. If you think you're a young man, come on. I need seven young men that love God, that wanna be a sermon illustration today. You're gonna come up and you're gonna line up here. I'll wait. Perfect. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. There we go. Eric. You guys are going to turn around and face that way. Eric, here's what you're going to do. You're going to start with Stephen here. I'm going to give you a verse. You're going to open up the Bible, show him the Bible, and you are going to read the passage, okay? but here's where I know you love God. You're not just gonna read the passage, you're gonna do what the passage says. If he happens to be praying publicly and gives us an admonition, we, too, are going to do what the Bible says, okay? You ready, Eric? You're showing that Psalm 28, Psalm 28, verse 2. I hope y'all don't need glasses, Psalm 28, 2. There's a Holy Bible right there. Nice and loud, Stephen. Do what it says and we respond if need be. What's wrong with him? Did you do it? Read it again and do what he said. I got it on picture. Let me give you the... Move to the next guy, Eric. Let me give you the Baptist version. Hear the voice of my supplication, I will not lift up my hands because charismatics do. I'm not letting anyone steal my Bible. Well, we can't knock on doors, JWs do that. Well, we can't wear a shirt and tie, the Mormons do that. Well, we can't talk about the gifts, the assemblies of God do that. Well, we can't lift up the hands to our God because the full God, no man, this Bible is ours. Psalm 63, four. Psalm 119, 48. Amen. Lamentations, chapter 2, verse 19. Good, you can sit down. You know, it wasn't till the later verses that I was gonna give these guys that he tells the congregation. But you did it before being told. Now you was a little stiff. You're not being robbed in an alley. Well, I don't want to go too much. They might think you believe the Bible. Over and over in the Bible, we see that when the Lord prays, and when the prophet prays, and when the psalmist prays, and a lot of times when the king prays, they looked up to where he was and lifted up their hands. Now, you saw mommy kissing Santa Claus. Maybe some of your kids need to see your mom lifting up holy hands when she's in their prayer closet. I'll tell you what, it'll burn in their soul. They looked to where he's at and they lifted up their hands, kind of like us at the Bills game. And I'm not opposed to that. I'm for it. And I have to be careful. I don't want to hurt. I come to help, not to hurt. But to me, not cheering for the home team is like going to the Olympics and cheering for the Russians. I like Josh Allen, I like winning, I like the glory, but Josh Allen not gonna get more from me than God is. Repenting, save your loss, head bowed, eyes closed, giving thanks, petition, worship, and praise, looking up, that's where he is. Lastly, we look up because it's where we're going and where he's coming from. For our conversation is in heaven. From whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, looking for that blessed hope. Now you combine that with that prayer. Not only are you looking to where he is, not only are you petitioning and praising, But you're thinking, maybe I might go, or he might come when this is happening. Behold, he cometh with clouds. Where are they? They're up there. He already came up from the grave! And when these things, he tells about the end times. Boy, I've been thinking about the end times lately, all this stuff going on. I mean, this isn't in the... Elon Musk calling the shots? With the last Trump? Really, if you're a Bible guy, and you're reading about this kind of person making big decisions, I don't know, if it's sensational, I hope it gets you closer to God. But wow! Oh, I'm all in on crypto. Who wants to carry dollars around anyways? If I was like some of you, believe you're going through the tribulation, I wouldn't go for it, but if you want to give me a little piece of rice over here, yeah. You didn't say that! Yes, I did. Maybe I chickened out at the last minute, just in case. When these things come to pass, then look up. and lift up your heads, Christian, for your redemption draw. You ever see that? You go to the streets of New York City. Hey, everybody start looking up. Maybe that's why we can't get nobody to Jesus. We ain't looking up enough. We look up because that's where He's coming from and that's where we're going. I got a whole house full of kids, and as of late, they bring their dogs with them. And you know I'm saved, and you know I'm old when I say, yeah, bring them. And you really know I'm getting old and slow. That's why you need a new, young, energetic guy when I say, come on up, Max. And he's sitting on my couch. Nothing like a happy dog to cheer you up. You know what that dog does? You got little cameras in your house? You see what that dog does. He's watching that door. When you leave, he's watching that door. Because you know what? He knows who's coming through that door. Revelation chapter 4. Man, my dog. We used to keep him in the garage. When we left, we had the door opener, man. And we'd come around the corner from there, and I'd hit that door, and the second he heard it, he was a lab, so he would have to grab something in his mouth. I mean, you couldn't wag your tail any harder. And then, he eventually dropped off the scene, so now I just have to rely on my wife when I get home. Did you see that? Revelation chapter 4, verse 1. After this I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me and said, come up hither. and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. You know what that's a picture of? That's a picture of the apostle John and the church going up through a door in heaven, and nobody comes back down until chapter 19, and the door is open in four, and in 19, somebody comes down. Somebody goes up in four, somebody goes down in 19. It's neat. It says in Revelation 4, a door was opened in heaven. That's when someone goes up. You know what it says when someone comes down? And heaven was opened, the whole thing. We've never done yearly themes here. A lot of churches do themes. You say, why don't you do yearly themes? Because everybody else did. That was our modus operandi. That hurt us in some ways. I think it helped us in some ways. My prayer came alive in 2025. And all I did was change my position. This, don't get me wrong, there's a time for this. To this. Try it. Imagine if you started enjoying it in one of those days while looking up. See, as you start to enjoy it, time passes a little faster. Imagine doing that when that door opened up there. Giving thanks, petitioning, worshiping praise on open door. You say, Preacher, that's kind of like the football game. You can do it. Certainly alone you can do it. There's a time to fall on our faces, but there is clearly a time to look up. 1 Timothy 2, 1 Kings 8, and we'll be done. 1 Timothy 2, 1 Kings 8. What's the will of God for my life? A man talking to his son in the Lord, a preacher, you wanna know the will of God for your life? I will, verse 8, 1 Timothy 2, verse 8, I will. So that's him talking to him and it's God talking. Therefore, that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, that's important, without wrath, and doubting. I'll spare you of the next verse. First Kings chapter eight. Let's stand, let's stand. Can I do what the Bible said? Now, I would look up better, but I haven't memorized the verse. And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, and the presence of all his... You look like the pope. The pope ain't gonna steal the Bible from me. Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel and spread forth his hands toward heaven and said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven above or on earth beneath who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart. And he goes on and on and on. And you know what that is today? That's my closing prayer. Jason, would you come, let's sing a song.