Let's go to the book of Colossians, Colossians chapter 4. to Newark and then supposed to be in to Greenville at noon yesterday. If you were watching the weather, I flew right into a blizzard in Newark and landed. My first flight to Greenville got canceled. They put me on a second flight. That got canceled. I'm scrambling, trying to figure out how I can get here. And I said, I'll take a flight to Charlotte. Got on the plane. Mechanical issues. Sat there for three hours. A nice lady came on twice and said, if you want to deplane, you can, but we will not rebook you if you leave this flight. And so I got into Charlotte, and they said, your luggage isn't here, but it's on the next flight from Chicago, which I have no clue how my luggage took more air miles than I have. It did not show up at 5 o'clock, but that allowed me to walk right into rush hour traffic in Charlotte, which was a huge blessing. And so I still do not have my luggage. And so I feel like a first day freshman, tired but excited, running to Walmart and Kohl's to get things you didn't know you're going to need. wearing clothes you don't normally wear, and trying to break in a new pair of dress shoes. But I am excited to be here. I'm excited about this week. Unfortunately, I have to leave in the morning, but I love this lineup of speakers. We have all of these speakers speak at our college. And I love hearing them preach, and I'm excited about the opportunity I'm going to have to hear everyone that's on this lineup this week. But if you're here in Colossians chapter 4, I want to look at the area of prayer. In Colossians chapter 4, If you begin in verse 2, the Bible says, Go over to 2 Thessalonians, you're right there in Colossians, 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. Paul writes, finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for all men have not faith, but the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and keep you from evil. Eight times in the New Testament, Paul asked people to pray for him. We've just read two of them. And I think prayer is vital. If you ask any missionary, what's the most important thing they ask when they go out to a church? They need financial support, and they need what? Prayer support. When they write a report, every month, what do they call that report? Usually they call it a prayer letter. When they give you a card with their family on it, what do they call that? It's a prayer card. And what are all missionaries understanding, and clearly even from these passages, Paul understood it's important that we pray that the gospel goes out. How important is that to you this morning? Do you do that? If it's true that this is needed, then it's important that we have a dynamic, powerful prayer life. Bible says in James, the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. There's some people that say they're praying for me and I'm like, big deal, you are a train wreck. That's not super helpful. Then you meet those godly people who just come to you with a tear in their eye and they just say, I just want you to know I'm praying for you and I know God's gonna hear those prayers. Three years ago, I got a letter in the mail and I opened it up and it was just a three by five card and every month, January, February, March, and then just ticks like you're just in groups of five, one, two, three, slash through five, one, two, three, four, five. On the back, I flipped it over and this person said, I made it a personal challenge to pray for you every single day this year, and this was my card of accountability, and I just wanted to mail it to you to let you know that I prayed for you personally every day this year. You're like, wow, that makes a difference. Do you agree with me that the source of power, God, it's always there, but we're kind of like a dimmer? If you know anything about a dimming switch, if it's all the way up, then the power is high and the light is bright. But if you bring the dimmer down, the power is still the same, but we're limiting it. And I want to look this morning at eight hindrances to answered prayer. Eight things that the Bible says, and I believe it's a comprehensive list. These are the eight things the Bible says will hinder your prayer life. I personally believe that missions are suffering, evangelism is suffering. You know, when I pastored for 18 years in Edmonton, I didn't know what was going on in other ministries, but as I travel almost every weekend, I would just challenge you, most places are not evangelistic. Most Wednesday night prayer meeting, don't raise your hand, but when's the last time you went to a Wednesday night prayer meeting and all the prayer requests for people to get saved? In fact, to be honest, most prayer lists don't even have one. We pray for a lot of people's health issues, and not that that's wrong. We pray for a lot of other things. But when's the last time you just saw people putting their hand up, I need my neighbor Joe to get saved. I'm working on Joe. Can't tell you how many baptismals I see that are storage areas. And I personally believe this is really important. I believe if we would stop dimming God's power and God's glory, we'd be seeing what God wants to have done. In fact, you'll never find in scripture that the field is too hard. That's not the reason why people aren't getting saved. That's what people will tell you. You know why no one's getting saved? Everyone told me when I went to Canada, they're gonna bury you up there. It's a graveyard of preachers. Hey, thanks for the encouragement. That's really wonderful. Why people say weird stuff like that, I have no idea. But we saw more people come to Christ. It wasn't that the field is too hard. You know what the Bible says the problem is? The labors are too few. But I also believe that part of our problem in prayer is that it's not as powerful as it could be. And the problem is not the source. The problem is we're limiting what God wants to do in and through us in this area of prayer. Let's open a word of prayer as we get started this morning. The only Father, I pray that as you speak to our hearts, I pray that we would respond. God, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the clear teaching of it. And Lord, I pray that if you speak to our hearts this morning, we'd not leave the service stirred, but God, we would be willing to repent and change. And God, I pray that you would do a work that only you can do. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. If I asked you this morning, what's been the greatest answer to prayer you've ever seen in your life so far? If you're taking notes, you can just put that on the side. What's the greatest answer to prayer you've seen so far? Secondly, how long ago was this? Why does God answer prayer? Take your Bible and go to John 14, if you would. John 14, Jesus is speaking. In John 14, 13, the Bible says, And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. The number one reason God answers prayer is so that he gets glory. Prayer is God wants to be glorified. Does God want to see lost people saved? The Bible says this is why he came. He came to seek and to save those who are lost. This is what the angels announced to the shepherds. Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, goodwill to men. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a what? Savior, which is Christ the Lord. God wants to see people saved. and he wants to be glorified. And I would challenge you that if it's a true answer to prayer, if you really pray and you see something happen, you will automatically give God glory. You won't think you're lucky. You won't think it just worked out that way. Every time you talk about it, you're gonna be like, you won't believe what just happened. Man, I really prayed for that. I've been praying for that for weeks or months or sometimes years. And God did that. And when God answers prayer, this automatically happens. Every time you talk about it, you'll give God the credit. You'll always say, I just gotta tell you what God has done. And the second reason God answers prayer is in chapter 16. Go to John 16, verse 24. Again, Jesus speaking, hitherto you've asked nothing in my name, ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full. Number one reason God answers prayer is so that he gets the glory. Second reason is so that your joy is full automatically happens. When it's a true answer to prayer, when you see God do something that there's no explanation except God did it, your joy is full. I've had the privilege of seeing a lot of this in my lifetime. I don't have time to talk you through all those amazing experiences, but I would just challenge you, what happened in Canada, what's happening at Faith, and what's happening in my personal life, there's no explanation except God answers prayer. The source is always there. Have I dimmed the resources at times? Absolutely. I'm not preaching this message because I'm a perfect example in these eight areas, but I can tell you I work on these eight areas because these are eight areas the Bible says hinder your prayer life. And so does God answer prayer theologically? Yes. The question this morning is, does God answer your prayers? Not all prayers, not prayers, but prayers, not all prayers are equal. It's so fascinating when you read in James, Elijah was a man of like passions as we are, and he prayed that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain for three months. Don't raise your hand, but how many of you are in this room, and I'm not putting my hand up, how many of you say, man, I have a prayer life like that? But I wonder, do you think a prayer life like that is possible? I would challenge you, it is. You can see God do some amazing things. Students, don't go through life and see what you can do. Go through life and see what God can do in and through you. and it will be the most exciting life you'll ever live. Let's quickly look at these hindrances to answered prayer. Number one, we don't pray. James 4.2, the Bible says we have not because we what? We ask not. What prayer is to your spiritual life is what error is to your physical life, and many of us are dying for lack of breath. Again, has someone ever come to you and said, hey, would you pray for this? And you said yes, and you never did. And then isn't it worse when God answers that prayer and they come back to you and say, thank you so much for praying. And you didn't have the guts or the courage to say, actually, I didn't. But somebody did. In fact, I've done this. I've had people come and say, hey, would you pray for this? And I've said yes and didn't pray. I can honestly say as God's worked in my heart, I try really very carefully not to do that. So I don't always say yes when someone says, will you pray for this? But if I say to someone, I'm gonna pray, then I need to pray, because we have not, because we ask not. What if this had proved to be the true diagnosis of the ills and disabilities of the church and the Christian today? We will never pray as we should until we see it as a necessity, indispensable to the life we've undertaken to live. And when I say prayer, if your prayer life this morning is just before you eat your food and a Wednesday night prayer list, that's not a prayer life. Your prayer life better be better than a hurdle to eat your food. And if there's a lot of people, that's my prayer life. I pray for my meal and maybe I make a quick prayer as I'm falling asleep at night. But do you really talk to God? I moved to Iowa in August from the Canadian Rockies. I was up in Alberta. And in Alberta, you always know where you are because the Rockies are on your right. I moved to Iowa in August. Corn is 10 feet tall. Every state has a slogan. You ever come to Iowa, our slogan is fields of opportunities. I've never seen this until I moved to Iowa in August, but it's a sea of corn. I mean, you don't see a tree. I mean, as far as you can see, all you can see is corn 10 feet tall. I had a meeting when I first got there, and Faith was kind of in some trouble, and so I'm doing all kinds of crazy things, and I had a meeting in Minnesota. I took I-35 up, I-94 across, had my meeting, came home. I thought I was almost home. And I saw a sign on the side of the interstate I was driving on that said, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 30 miles. That means that instead of turning south on I-35, I drove all the way across the state of Minnesota. And you know when you see a sign like that, you think the sign is wrong. You know what I'm talking about? I took the first exit, I said, where am I? They said, you're in South Dakota. I called my wife, honey, I will not be home for supper tonight. She's like, where are you? I know you won't believe it, but I'm in South Dakota. You're in a sea of corn, you don't have a clue where you are. And some of you are wondering, why is he a college president? And I want to tell you, you went to a farmer in Iowa and said, you got to plant a field of corn that big without a tractor. You know what a farmer in Iowa would tell you? That's Impossible. It's impossible. You can't possibly plant a field that big without a tractor. And you know what you and I should say about living a Christian life without prayer? That's impossible. But do you know how many Christians are doing it? And I promise you it's affecting the cause of Christ. Why did Paul beg people, pray for me as I'm giving the gospel? Why are missionaries sending prayer letters and prayer cards? because they need people who pray. We have not because we ask not. We're able to take into account our losses in the realm of spiritual things as we're able to do in things financial material, but I'd undoubtedly be surprised and shocked to discover what tremendous losses we're suffering, losses traceably solely and directly to a lack of prayer. Number two, hindrance to answer prayer, unconfessed, unrepentant sin. Go to Isaiah 59. Isaiah 59, verses one and two. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is it your heavy that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. It's not the fact of sin, we're all sinners, but it's the love for sin, a willingness to sin, an excusing of sin, a hiding of sin. You must take God's side regarding your sin. Many a good prayer cannot be answered by a holy God because of sin in the heart and the life of the one who prays. The Bible's saying in Isaiah, it's not that I can't audibly hear you, but I'm not responding because you have sin in your life. Students, are you dealing with pornography? You know, we're great compartmentalizers, and we think, well, this is just this compartment, and then we come over and we pray in public. We pray, God, I need you to do all these things, and God's like, but what about this over here? Are you bitter? Are you angry? Are you a liar? I mean, fill in the blank. The Bible says whatever sin that you're not willing to repent of. When you hear me, are you giving the gospel? God, that's a great commission. I'm sorry I missed the message last night, but from everything I've heard this morning, it was pretty powerful and it was a good challenge out of John 4. And did you sit there last night and go, hey, that's for other people. Or is God touching you and going, man, when's the last time you shared the gospel? When's the last time you interacted with a lost person? When's the last time you really prayed for someone to get saved? And if you know God's speaking to you and you ignore it and you say, I'm not dealing with that, your sin is separating between you and your God and your prayer life is hindered. I work with college students where I'm at, and a huge challenge for college students is pornography. If you're drinking, I can tell. Costs you money and I can tell. Drugs, costs you money and I can tell. Gambling, costs you money and I can tell. Pornography, it's free and I can't tell for a long time. In fact, I personally think it's one of the things that's keeping people out of ministry. Because they're so caught up in sin, they can't feel the call of God in their life. I tell our students, you can tell us anything in the first two weeks, we will not kick you out. If we catch you later, you're going to be dismissed. I preach a message of moral purity. We have lots of students respond. I usually end up working with a few of those guys personally. You know, a lot of college students, they think people can quit drinking because they've never had to do it. They think people can quit doing drugs because they never had to do it. You know, when you ask a college student, do you think you can quit looking at pornography and never look at it again? They're not so sure. But students, I'm here to tell you, you can. You know what I often hear as I start working with guys through this and they start having a victory and they haven't looked at porn in a month and two months is what I often hear. Dr. Jim, my prayer life is amazing. I've never seen answered prayer like this before. Well, that's because the Bible says when you're hiding sin, the Lord's not listening. I can take you to Psalm 66, 18. If you regard iniquity in your heart, the Lord will not hear you. This has never happened, but could you imagine if I got up in the morning and yelled and screamed at my wife, slammed, by the way, happy Valentine's Day to everyone here. Especially if my wife is watching this right now. But you can imagine if I yelled, screamed, called her name, slammed the door, went off to work, didn't text her, didn't call, spent the whole day at work, walk in the door at the end of the day and walk in the door and go, hey honey, how are you? You don't know my wife, but my wife would go, don't hey honey me. I don't want to hear anything out of your mouth until you make that right from this morning. And when you get married, you'll understand this. And yet we have sin in our life and then we come to God and we want to make this great prayer, oh God, and God's like, hey, if you regard iniquity in your heart, I will not hear you. It doesn't mean he's not hearing you audibly, it means he's not responding. Students, are you right with God? If you're hiding sin, you will never have a powerful prayer life. You'll never see what God wants to do in and through you until you repent. And I would just encourage, I tell our students, don't get good at hiding sin, get good at confessing sin. We're all sinners. It's a bad culture when we can't admit we're sinners. It's okay to admit we're sinners and we gotta work on it. Don't go through your college years getting good at hiding sin and go out into a ministry someday and blow it up. Or get married someday and blow it up. because you didn't deal with what God was speaking to you about 18 to 22. Number three, not in the word of God. Look at John 15, seven. John chapter 15, verse seven, Jesus is speaking. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you. Go back to Proverbs 28, nine. Proverbs 28 verse nine. The Bible says, he that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination. I didn't put that in your Bible last night. That word abomination is God's strongest word of hate. I could take it to Proverbs six. These six things that the Lord hates, seven are an abomination. The Bible says when you turn your ear away from the hearing of the word of God, your prayer is an abomination. I think there's lots of ways we do this. I think we turn our ear away when we know God spoke to us and we don't respond. When we hear a sermon and we know God puts, I don't know if you ever go to a mall, I hate malls. If I go to a mall, I only wanna go to one store. So when I go in a mall, I'm finding the directory, and what am I looking for when I find the directory? See that red dot, and the red dot's gonna say what? You are here. I've never argued with that. And sometimes you're gonna be in a sermon and God's gonna put his finger on your heart and say, you are here and no one else knows, but you and God know and you know God spoke to you and you walk out of that service and don't respond. You walk it out of service, you don't work on changing, you know that you were wrong, you know that God spoke to you and you're just like, I'm not doing that. Then God says your prayer life is hindered. If you turn your ear away from hearing the word of God, your prayer life is hindered. Secondly, if you're not reading the Bible, This is college students, none of you are lacking the ability to read. I wonder how many of you could put your hand up and said, I've read my Bible every day for the last month. I wonder how many could put your hand and say, I've read my Bible every day for the last year. I'm passionate about this and I remember my church in Canada, I was letting it rip and I just said, if you're not reading the Bible every day, you're in sin. Someone came up to me after the service and said, Pastor, what did Paul do when he was in the water for 24 hours? That's a good question. I think he skipped his devotions that day. And I think that was okay. I understand there may be some reasons why you miss a day or two, but is that a pattern? Is the pattern of your life that you read your Bible every day or do you turn your ear away from it? You could hear what God's having to say, but you don't read your Bible. You're not having your devotions. Your prayer life is hindered. I think you turn your ear away from hearing the law when you sleep in church. My dad worked in construction. My dad got saved when I was five years old. He'd work hard on a Wednesday night, come into a warm building and sit down and he'd do the head bop. You know what I'm talking about? He was trying hard. I gave our guys tons of grace on Wednesday night. I just said, if you fall asleep, keep your mouth closed. All right, don't be back. That's way too distracting. But I don't feel the same way on Sunday morning. And if you're up gaming till two in the morning or watching movies till two in the morning, so you sleep through church, I think you're turning your ear away from the law. You need to go to bed early enough to pay attention. You need to turn your cell phones off and your Bible on when you're in a church service. And when you turn your ear away from hearing the law, the Bible says, if you're hearing Proverbs, it's an abomination. John, if my words abide in you and you abide in me, ask what you will. And I hear this often. You know, Dr. Jim, I don't read my Bible, but I pray all the time. Like that's a good thing. You know what's wrong with that? The wrong person's doing all the talking. That's not good. You need to be in the word of God so you know the will of God. Bible study and prayer should go hand in hand. If all you do is pray, it's a one-sided relationship. You're not in the word of God, you're turning your ear away from the hearing of the law, your prayer is hindered. Number four, wrong motives. Go over to James 4 verse 3. James chapter 4 verse 3, you ask and receive not because you ask amiss that you may consume it on your own lust. Why do you pray for a husband, a wife, a job, a car? Is it just for you? You know how often our prayers, if we analyze them, are selfish? Next time you pray, think through your prayer and just say, how much was it all about me? God do this for me, God do this for me, do this for me. And God says, if it's just for you, I'm not answering that prayer, you're asking amiss. You ask and receive not because you ask amiss. When I grew up on a farm, I asked my dad for a horse, never got a horse. Didn't understand that till I was the dad, right? Horses only cost you money. As a college president, I've asked my board for horsepower, right? Give me a Ford Mustang, I can get to my meetings so fast. and they have not heard my prayer. That's just asking a myth. And I, as a pastor, I always did the pre-marriage counseling and I always loved that, you know, they come in and like, why do you want to get married? Well, we can just serve the Lord better together. That's true, but you're such a liar. I was just waiting for the guy to come in. Why do you want to get married? Cause she's hot. Finally, an honest guy. But you know what is true? You can serve the Lord better together. And you say, you know what? We both have a heart for ministry. I can tell you this goes both ways. I've seen people that, a girl and a guy, God called them to ministry, but then they married someone who took them out of ministry. And when you're praying for a husband, a wife, a job, a car, are you praying so that God can use you? That God can use your car? God, give me a car so that I can get out in the community and reach lost people. God, give me a car so I can bring people to church. God, give me a house so we can invite people into our home and share the gospel with them. Or is it just for you? If it's just for you, your prayer life is hindered, wrong motives. Number five, failure to forgive others. Go over to Mark chapter 11. I know I'm going fast this morning, but I think they're putting the notes up there. Mark chapter 11, verse 24 and 25. Jesus speaking, therefore I say to you, what things soever you desire when you pray, believe you'll receive them and you shall have them. When you stand praying, forgive. If you have ought against any, that your father also which is in heaven may forgive you trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Bitterness is harbored hurt. Students, you're all gonna get hurt. Luke 17 three, offenses will come. And when we get hurt, we have to decide, are we going to forgive or are we going to get bitter? Are we going to hang on to it? I grew up playing hockey, and if you know the game of hockey, you have pads. Every good hockey player knows where the pads are and where they're not. If you're a hockey player, you wear a shin pad. It covers the front of your lower leg, but there's nothing behind your lower leg. Your shoulder pads only go about here. So if you get poke checked, if you're a dirty player, where are you going to hit people? You'll be slashing behind the back of the leg, and you're going to be poking him in here because there's no pads there. And if you've had enough, there's a thing in hockey called drop the gloves. That means we're going to go into education situation. I'm going to educate you, and then I'm going to spend two minutes in the sin bin. And if this guy has really been irritating you, and he then wants to crush you into the boards, and he's coming full speed, if you get low enough, you see a guy who's coming full speed at you, and he's gonna smash you into the boards, and this is a great trick, and it's really fun if you've had enough, and you see him coming. If you go low enough, you can go low and flip him right over your shoulder. That feels awesome. But you know what your coach wants? You do know that the goal of hockey is not to go in the sin bin? The coach never says, guys, let's cover how to get in the penalty box. That's the goal. You know what the goal of hockey is? Score goals. And when you've had enough, that guy's been just bugging you and irritating you, and your coach says, and he's coming at you, you know what your coach wants you to do? He doesn't want you to do this. He wants you to do this. And get out of the way and let him go, and then you've got a one-man advantage the other way. But too many of us, we want to get even. The Bible says, vengeance is mine, I will repay. God doesn't say it doesn't matter. God says, let me take care of it. And some of you are carrying bitterness and anger from family issues, college issues, roommate issues. And the Bible says, if you won't forgive, then God can't forgive you. And some of you need to let it go. And you know why forgiveness, forgiveness is a great concept when you have to do it. I hate forgiveness when I have to do it. And you know why we don't like it? Because it's not fair. Because if it was fair, I wouldn't have to forgive, right? The reason I have to forgive is something happened to me that wasn't right and it wasn't fair. Do you remember this story in Matthew 18 that Peter comes to Jesus and says, Lord, how many times do we have to forgive? Seven times? I mean, he's like, if someone does something against me seven times, is that enough? And remember what Jesus says? No, 70 times seven. If you're good enough at math, that's 490 times. How many of you think that God's intent with that was for you to keep track? I've been married 33 years. I promise you I've sinned against my wife more than 490 times. I'm super thankful she didn't come at me at 487. Just so you know, you got three left. No, the point is after 490 times, it's a habit. And then Jesus says, let me tell you a story. A man owed a king eight countries worth of debt. And he comes to the king and he says, king, be patient with me and I'll pay you all. The king is probably a king because he's smart enough to know this guy in 10 lifetimes can't pay eight countries worth of debt. But the text says, I forgive you. And he goes out and he finds someone that owes him 400 bucks. And he, I mean, something in his little brain should have gone off because the guy says the exact same thing word for word. Look it up later. I mean, the exact same thing. Please be patient with me and I'll tell you all. Something in his little brain should have been, man, where did I hear that before? Oh yeah, I said that. And the text says, but he would not. And he put his hands around his throat and he threw him into prison. And the king's servants came back and said, hey, you know that guy you forgave eight countries worth of debt? He just chucked a guy in jail for 400 bucks. The king said, bring that guy back in here. He comes back and the king's like, by the way, this isn't all in the text, all right? So this is my interpretation of this. He's like, I just heard the craziest story. I mean, I know this isn't true, but I just had to ask. I heard that after I forgave you eight countries' worth of debt, that you threw someone in prison for 400 bucks. I mean, that is not true, is it? The guy's like, yeah. And in the story, Jesus says, take him away. Students, what's the point? If you're saved this morning, God forgave every sin you've ever done, and he's gonna forgive every sin you'll ever do. That's eight countries' worth of debt. And God says, when someone sins against you, if you won't forgive them, you're ignoring that you've been forgiven. And what a wonderful blessing it is to be forgiven, one of the great benefits of the gospel. I mean, do you know how few people know for sure when they die they're going to wake up in heaven? I hope everyone in this room knows that. And if you don't, I hope you get that settled by the end of this week. But if you're a Christian this morning, every sin you've ever done, every sin you'll ever do, it's been forgiven. It's under the blood of Christ. And God says, because I've forgiven you so much, you need to forgive others. Bitterness is a sneaky sin, students. It snuck up on me several times in ministry. I was preaching through Hebrews. I made a promise to my wife that I won't purposely be a hypocrite. I can't possibly do everything that I preach on perfectly, but I promised her that I would not stand in the pulpit and she would not sit in the audience and know that what I'm preaching on, I'm not willing to work on. I was preaching through the book of Hebrews. I preached the books of the Bible when I was a pastor and I came to the text, beware of bitterness, a spring of trouble, you may be defiled. And I thought, hmm, I should get my counseling notes out. And I started going through my counseling notes, questions that tell if you're bitter. When you think of that event, does your heart beat faster and your teeth grind, or does the peace of God flood your soul? I failed. When you pray for that person, do you pray that God gets them or that God blesses them? I had imprecatory psalms memorized. You know what I'm talking about? Lord, smite him. I failed. I realized I was bitter. I had a guy in my church that treated my family poorly, just treated me poorly. I had done everything I could to resolve that issue. He was not willing to let it reconcile. And he would come every Sunday and sit right over here and give me the look of love every Sunday and just glare at me. And I was like, dude, I have to be here. I'm the pastor. You have options. Why do you come and hate on me every Sunday? And some of the things that he had done to our family just had really irked me. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday night. I finally broke, but I didn't break nice. On Saturday night, it was either I have to forgive or I can't preach tomorrow. I'm sitting at my kitchen table. I can remember this like yesterday, and I was like, all right, God, I'll forgive him. And then as God just kept working my heart that night, I was like, OK, God, I'm done. And I came the next morning, and he sat in the same spot, gave me the same look of love, but I was good. Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. And when you won't forgive, I didn't put this in the Bible last night, God says, I can't forgive you. When I've forgiven you eight countries worth of debt, and you're going to throw someone in prison. Now what he did was wrong. And students, let me just give you this little tip that I think will help you understand if you're bitter or not this morning. And I know I'm supposed to stay in the center, but I'm going to just come out here. I taught all my three kids to downhill ski. And you get into the mountains, and it's amazing. And if you get out skiing in the mountains, you cannot go straight down. You have to slalom back and forth. It's just too big and too steep. If you know anything about skiing, you ski to the bottom. A chairlift comes down, catches you, and takes you up to the top of the mountain. Well, my three kids were with me, and my oldest daughter had skied down ahead of me, and she'd skied down, and usually there's a large line in the mountains, and so she skied down, and she's at the back of the line all by herself. And every good dad who knows anything about skiing, at least once in your lifetime, you have to bury your kids in snow. And if you come down super fast and go sideways like this, you will shoot a fantail of snow. And at this moment, in my little dad brain, it went, this is my chance. And so she was not paying attention. She did not see me coming. I came from the top. I did not slalom. I went straight down. I was in the tuck position. I'm going so fast, tears are streaming out of my eyes like this. And the whole time in my brain, it's like, this is awesome! I came down at Mach 3. I went sideways. I am burying her. I mean, an avalanche of snow. I mean, it's just piling up around her. And I'm like, this is awesome! And she's like, dad! And I realize at this moment that I'm going to kill my oldest daughter. I am doing Mach 3 sideways. I'm going to take her right out. I have two options, kill her or go in the woods. I went in the woods and crashed. I broke my wrist. And I came out. I didn't say anything. We skied the rest of the day. I got in the room with my wife that night. As soon as the door was closed, it was just her and I. I'm like, oh my word, this hurts. And we were skiing in Montana. Our vacation was in Montana. And she's like, well, why don't we go to the hospital? I said, I'm not paying American prices for that. She says, well, why don't we go back to Canada? I said, I don't want to spoil our vacation because I was an idiot. So for three days, I toughed it out. Have you ever been on vacation with your kids? You wake up in the morning, the kid's like, hey, dad, let's go do this. Oh, yeah, let's go do that. And every night when it's just my wife and I'm like, oh, my word, this hurts. We crossed back into Canada. We did not go home first. We went right to the emergency room. They x-rayed my wrist. They said, sir, you've broken your wrist. Like, no kidding, doc. I know that. So we're going to cast it. And when it heals, it's going to be stronger in that spot than it was before. And it's true. I can do everything with this wrist. Weather change doesn't bother me at all. I have a little tiny scar. And I want to challenge you, students. You know how you can tell if you're forgiven? Is it a wound, or is it a scar? If it hurts like fire today, you haven't forgiven yet. But when you can remember without the pain, you've forgiven. And God says, if you won't do that, I can't forgive you. And some of you, you think about it, your heart starts beating faster, your teeth grind, and you need to let it go. Because it's hindering your prayer life. You say, well, it's not fair. Of course it's not. If it was fair, you wouldn't have to forgive. You're forgiving something that wasn't fair. And God says, let me take care of it. Forgiveness, forgive and forget, only God does that. Praise God. Tells us that multiple times in the Old Testament. Your sins are to be remembered no more, buried in the depths of the sea. There's no sonar, there's no radar when that was written. Something went over the ship, it was gone forever. God's the only one who can forget. It doesn't mean you didn't forgive because you remember. You haven't forgiven if you remember and it still hurts like fire. But when it heals, I still remember a day I was an idiot, but it doesn't hurt anymore. Have you forgiven this morning? Number six, a poor marriage relationship. 1 Peter 3. I'll just go quickly in our last few and we'll be done. 1 Peter 3, verse 7. The Bible says, Success in marriage is more than finding the right person, it's being the right person. I tell our students, always beware if you're dating Mr. Right, especially if his first name is always. And a husband is to be an expert on his wife. It's fascinating, as I travel, I ask this question as I'm in marriage counseling. If someone was to break into your home, and they were gonna hurt you or your wife or your family, most men would say, it's that guy or me, I'm taking him out. Most men would say, I would lay down my life for my family, as it should be. I'm a hunter, I have weapons in our bedroom. I have home court advantage. Someone breaks into my house, they just made a huge mistake. But you know, I've been married 33 years, that has never happened. Not one time has someone broken into my home and tried to kill my family. But if they ever do, I'm going to lay my life down. And then my wife says, hey, can you take out the trash? Right now? How are you going to kill me when the game is on? Isn't it weird that I'm willing to make the ultimate sacrifice I'll probably never have to make, but I won't make the daily sacrifices I need to make? My wife comes to me and says, hey, the light bulb burned out in the refrigerator. And I tell her, hey, I'll take care of that. And she learns Braille before I put a new light bulb in there. You know what I'm talking about? She can reach in the dark and find anything in there. And then she says, hey, are you going to change the light? Told you I was going to do it. That's great. That was three months ago, honey. Thanks. Guys, you've got to be an expert on your wife. There's no verse like this to women because most women don't need it. Within one year, they know everything about their man. But man, you've got to be an expert if you get married. You've got to be an expert on your wife. Dr. McLaughlin said this, God must be as insensitive to a husband's needs uttered in his prayers as a husband is insensitive to the needs of his wife whispered in his ears. The size of an injured wife come between God and the husband. Again, why pornography is so damaging. For the married men in the room, could you go home tonight and look your wife in the eye and say, do you feel loved by me? And it's Valentine's Day, right? I did a lot of marriage counseling. You know how often the wife comes in and says, I don't feel loved. You know what every guy says? Well, I love her. Well, that's wonderful, sir. How do you show that? I provide for her. Well, that's great. She could do that on her own. She wanted a relationship. She thought you were gonna be like Valentine's Day all the time. If you only date your wife after you're married three times a year, her birthday, your anniversary, Valentine's Day, you need to be more romantic. And I would just encourage you, the Bible says if you don't dwell with your wife according to knowledge and give honor to her as the weaker vessel, your prayers will be hindered. I wonder how many husbands have hindered prayer life because they're not treating their wife like they should. Fascinating when a God says there's two ways to love a wife in Ephesians. Love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. And secondly, love your wife like you love who? Like you love yourself. Was God lowering the bar or raising the bar? I think God's saying you're really good at loving you. If you could just love your wife like you love you, it'd be amazing. And guys, could you ask her tonight? No one around, just the two of you, and if you look her in the eye and say, do you feel loved, and she doesn't say anything, or she tears up, you got a problem. Not only do you have a problem in your marriage, but you have a problem in your prayer life. And of all days, on Valentine's Day, should you be able to look at your wife and say, do you feel loved by me? Do you know I love you? And could she immediately look you right back in the eye and say, oh yeah, I know you love me. If not, your prayer life is cindered. Vain or unthinking repetition, number seven. Go over to Matthew chapter six. Matthew chapter six, Jesus speaking in verse seven. But when you pray, use not vain repetition as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore likened to them, for your father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him. We get on the Catholics for the rosary. If you understand the rosary, it's a beads and you count how many Hail Marys and how many Our Fathers you have to say. We go, oh, that's terrible. But how many of us do the same thing, especially if your prayer life is just to eat your food on a Wednesday night? How many times do you say, God bless this food in my body? Do you even know what that means anymore? I love it. One Christian comedian said, you know, God, I don't know how you're gonna do it, but turn this Cheeto into a carrot stick on the way down. That's what I mean by bless this food or bless the hands that prepared it. Why just the hands? Or how many times have we said, God, be with so-and-so. You do realize you don't have to pray that, right? God already is with so-and-so. And we just, you know, little kids. Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord. We don't want repetitious prayers. Again, I grew up in northern Minnesota, and in northern Minnesota we didn't have mountains. We had small hills, but they'd turn them into ski hills, and they'd make snow. If you understand the system in skiing, there's green, very easy, blue, intermediate, black diamond, somewhat dangerous, double black diamond, you might meet the Lord today. And when I was in high school, I wanted to ski what? I want double black diamond, right? And so I went off of a hill that actually curved under like this, and there were hills on the hill called moguls. And if you understand how that works, as you ski down and come down, you got a cut in between, which works if there's snow. But because they had made snow and it had melted, there wasn't one flake. And I'm in the lead. I go off the hill. I come down. I go to make my first cut. There's no snow. And I launch. I'm on a hill this steep. I'm launching. I mean, I landed, jumped, landed, jumped. On my third jump, I'm so high, people look small. You know what I'm talking about? And I wiped. I crashed. Parts went everywhere. I started walking down the hill, and my friend's like, hey, what are you doing? Get your stuff on. I'm like, did I wipe out or what? Oh, Jim, crazy, wipe out. Got my stuff on, skied to the bottom of the hill. Did I wipe out or what? Oh, Jim, crazy, wipe out. Halfway up the ski lift, did I wipe out or what? Oh, Jim, crazy, wipe out. Got to the top of the ski lift. Did I wipe out or what? Let's go see Ski Patrol. Something's wrong. I had a second-degree concussion. I couldn't remember how old I was. I was dating a girl. It was Valentine's. I bought her stuff. I thought it was stuff she gave me, so I'm opening up the stuff I gave her. If you've ever been in a youth group, you know they let that happen. They thought it was great. I was out of my mind. I went to the hospital two days before I could remember anything. You know what everyone knows when you say the same thing in the same tone of voice over and over and over again? Everyone knows something's wrong. You know what a lot of people call it? Prayer. We say the same thing over and over and God says, don't use vain repetition. When you go to lunch today, will you think about what you're gonna say? Are you just saying words like you always do? Why even do it? If you're not gonna think before you eat your food, then why even say it? I mean, Jesus says, according to this text, don't use vain repetition as the heathen do. They think just because they're saying words, it counts for something. And when you go to lunch today and you just throw things out because it's what you always throw out, God says it doesn't even count. You're not talking to me. You know, when I first got married, I took my wife out on a date early in our marriage, and I don't know where I was. I was not locked in. And she said that terrible statement, what did I just say? And when I was newly married, I guessed. That is not a good idea, guys. If she says, what did I just say, she already knows you weren't paying attention. And she's not sitting there going, man, this is so great. He's like a million miles away. I'm so blessed just to be with his presence. Because that's kind of what I was thinking was going on, right? Not really. And when you're praying and you're not thinking, God is not impressed, and your prayer life is hindered. Lastly, James 1, verses 5 to 8, we must have faith. James 1, verses 5 to 8. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God that giveth all men liberally, and abreath not, and shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Hebrews 11.6, without faith it is what? Impossible to please him. You must believe that he is and that he's a reward of those that diligently seek him. Do you believe God answers prayer this morning? Maybe you prayed for something that really mattered to you and it never happened and you got super discouraged and you just quit praying. Students, if you pray long enough, you're gonna find out that God doesn't always say yes. But students, let me promise you, God doesn't always say no. And if you're here this morning and you say, I just quit praying because I really wanted that to happen and it didn't happen. By the way, some of you are going to live long enough to look back and say, God, thank you for not answering that prayer. And the rest of you will say that the day you enter heaven. Because if God said no, there was a good reason. And God comes to us and says, but do you believe? Do you pray in faith? I don't know if God spoke to your heart this morning to say, I'm not having my devotions. I'm not praying. I've turned my ear away from hearing the law. I'm bitter. I use vain repetition all the time. I don't know if God spoke to your heart, but I want to challenge you as we started when Paul said, pray for us. Missionaries are counting on you to pray for them. There's people on this campus that have said, would you pray for me? Your prayers are not going to be as powerful as they could be if they're hindered in these ways. Wouldn't it be great, though, to take care of these things in that you are that effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous person that availeth much? There are a lot of people who need us to be men and women of prayer. You're not all going to go into full-time ministry, but you should all care about the ministry. And every person in this room should be a man and woman of prayer. And I do believe that the advance of the gospel has helped, and we are the people of prayer that we should be. Power is always there. Don't dim it. Let's close in prayer. Heavenly Father, I thank you for these students. Thank you for their great attention. I pray you bless our conference. Be with the other speakers. We'll be preaching throughout this week. But God, burden our hearts to be men and women of prayer. God, the next time we have a missionary who asks us to pray for them, the next time we have a roommate that asks us to pray for them, the next time we have a personal burden that's crushing our heart, God, may we have a powerful prayer life. May we be the men and women of prayer that you've called us to be. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.