Divine initiative creates human response as the first connection in the heavenly realm. After this, there's a line of connection through which a sinner approaches God. Prayer is the Christian's most important communication with God, the creator. Now, it is difficult to picture anyone truly in Christ who is without prayer. Prayer isn't the topic which is being extensively taught Although much could be said about it. Any other holy performance is elevated in the church. Music, singing, even the service to others by love. The church has many programs, but does she know how to pray? Follow with me. Prayer is the most spiritual action. wherein we have nearer communion with God than we do in any other holy performance, and whereby it pleases God to convey us all good to us, their performance whereof Christians find most backwardness and indisposedness, and from thence most dejection of spirit. In these times, this is almost most necessary, wherein unless we fetch help from heaven, this way we see the church and the cause of God likely to be trampled underfoot. What Puritan Richard Sibis is saying is that the prayer constitutes an intimate relationship with God. In other words, there's no other holy activity such like prayer. Christians like prayer, and this is a prayer, because of the lack of prayer, there's a disinclined spirit. The attention is on the church, which depends on prayer. As much as the individual believer, at the lack of prayer, the church is in danger. The believer is in danger and the cause of God is undermined. Now, a praying Christian is a dangerous Christian and an asset in the hand of God. By prayers, spiritual or even physical battles won. Holiness is cultivated. Purity is upheld. Sin is defeated. There is victory over sin. By prayerful labor, families in trouble may reunite. Sickness is overcome. Life is enriched. A soul is strengthened. All this by the grace of God, who allows prayer to be effective in due course. On the contrary, prayerlessness is what the enemy looks for. Satan's goal is to alienate his enemies from God, to separate believers from their divine source of life. Satan opposes God in every way. His desire is contrary to God's plans. Therefore, his disposition is to dry out the Christian, to ward him off of living waters. If it is possible to force Satan to permanently snatch away a Christian, he would do it. false churches where Christ is not held on high, where biblical doctrines are unknown, where prayerlessness thrives. A lack of theology, a lack of biblical understanding thrives. Their ungodliness runs rampant because sin runs rampant. Their lack of awareness of God thrives whilst scripture is viewed as errant. Now, we're going to look at three observations. The one is on prayerlessness and what true prayer is. The second one is on the causes or the reasons of prayerlessness and its consequences. And the third is observation on what the remedy is. Now let's look at the first one, observation on prayerlessness and what true prayer is. Prayerlessness is a disease to the soul. It is not a stagnating issue. It worsens over time, sometimes even rapidly. The soul is in danger because there's no communion with the living God. There's no motivation. There's no desire to seek God in prayer. There's no words to express to God. We are unable to come to God in prayer and we are unable to commune with Him. Now, the Book of Psalms reminds us about what prayer is. This is in the life of the righteous and the one who seeks God and walks with Him even throughout all seasons of life. The Psalms often teach us how to approach the throne of God in prayer. We see different intercourses of prayer between the believer and God. The psalms show us how to process different life experiences and how to go across them with the help of God. The first type of prayer that the psalmist shows us is praise. This is called the psalm of praise. These type of psalms are all about glorifying God and praise the works of God. They praise God as good, mighty and righteous. Now, in Psalm 19, look in verse one. The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Verse seven, the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Verse eight, the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Verse nine, the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Look how David praises God. He starts out with marveling what Yahweh has done. Yahweh is good because his creation is good. All that he created is appraised and reflects divine majesty. In verse 7, his law is perfect. Yahweh gives a holy law. The law is in the heart of the righteous, causes deep rejoicing. He not only creates physical objects in creation, but he also gives us moral guidance. Yahweh is holy, and he expresses that in his holy law. He will always be known the same way. It will change the wicked. In verse 8, again, divine precepts are right and cause the heart to rejoice. Yahweh's fear endures forever. And in verse 9, his rules are true and command admiration because they are righteous. The second type of psalm is hymns. These type of prayers rejoice of God's providence and grace given in circumstances. They usually begin individually, but they invite the community to join in the praise. Psalm 88, verse 1, all sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. Verse 2, the Lord has made known his salvation. He has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. Verses four to six. Make joyful noise to the Lord all the earth. Break forth into joyous song and sing in praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn, make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. Well, the psalmist rejoices in Yahweh's desiring to sing a new song to him because Yahweh is strong and his arms works divine salvation. The object is the glory of Yahweh. But when in verse 2 he makes his salvation known, we see that his righteousness is not hidden but is in plain sight. In verses four and six, we as hearers now are invited to join in the praise. Let your heart rejoice and express with your mouth. Break forth into singing like David when he praises God with a lyre. We should know how to express our joy bountifully to God in prayer. Well, let's move on. The third is a psalm of lament. Lament. These are laments which are expressed individually or communally. These are prayers which are poured out to God because of severe life circumstances. A yearning heart, a hurting soul in the midst of an emotional or spiritual turmoil. Believers should be encouraged because, like here the Psalms of Korah, the Psalmist teach how they ought to wrestle with God in prayer. In Psalm 88 verses 1 to 2, O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you day and night before you. Let my prayer come before you. Incline your ear to my cry. Look at me. Look at verse 3. For my soul is full of troubles and my life draws near to Sheol. Verse 6 to 7. You have put me in depth of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me. And you overwhelm me with all your ways." Selah. Verses 14. Oh Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? Verse 18. You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me. My companions have become darkness. Well, in verses 1 and 2, there is a cry to Yahweh. My God, the God of my salvation. And this is going on day and night. I cry to you. Look at the pleading with Yahweh. Here, me and my prayer. Verse 3, do you see the confession? My soul is full of troubles. I am near destruction. God's heavy hand is on the psalmist. And verses 6 and 7, the reality of God allowed me to suffer. I am broken under your wrath. It crushes me. And here in verse 14 onwards, That's a deeper desperation. Now, what the Psalms of Korah teach is not heard often in churches. This is perhaps because of a lack of understanding of what the Book of Psalms teach, but the lesson here is to wrestle with God in prayer. Why do you do this, O God? Why do you hide from me? Why do you cast my soul away from your holy presence? In desperation, the psalmist claims, Yahweh has caused my circumstances where even friends have become darkness. We got to imitate the psalmist and honestly wrestle with God, question him and plead with him to come through. That is honest pleading, that is honest prayer. The fourth is imprecatory psalms. It is closely connected with the lament psalms that after calling out to Yahweh, imprecatory psalms call on God's wrath, particularly, to come upon the wicked or the psalmist's enemies. But imprecatory psalms, however, as stark as they seem in their nature, they do not express personal wrath. This is very important. Rather than personal wrath, they're asking for Yahweh to respond in wrath, because they know that vengeance belongs to Yahweh alone. In Psalm 69, let's look at this example. Verse 3, I am weary with my crying out, my throat is parched, my eyes grow dim with waiting for God. Verses 7, for it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face. Verses 24 to 25, pour out your indignation upon them and let your burning anger overtake them. May their camp be desolation. Let no one dwell in their tents. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living. Let them not be enrolled among the righteous. David is crying out so much he becomes weary. In verses three and onward, his body is strained in crying out to God and waiting on him. In verses 7, the psalm is directed towards God. David suffers because of God's glory itself is dishonored. He's concerned with God's glory, not personal reputation. Not personal reputation. In verses 24 to 25, we can see that God's wrath is called upon and asked to come upon those who shame God's glory. Let no one follow them because of what God's wrath will do to them in verse 25. In verse 28, the worst is claimed upon the wicked. What is it? That they would never know the way of the righteous. That is scary. What worse can be prayed upon those who disgrace and shame the name of Yahweh? Well, let's get on to the thanksgiving psalms as a fifth element. These are psalms that are defined by joy, deep joy. Thanksgiving psalms highlight and celebrate the reason for their happiness. God's provision is plentiful blessings, highlight God's unending faithfulness. In Psalm, verses 107, look with me in verses eight and nine. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man, for he satisfies the longing soul and the hungry soul he fills with good things. Verses 29 to 31. He made the storm be still and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet. and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men. Yahweh is to be thanked for all his wondrous works to the children of men because Yahweh is in his faithfulness, always satisfies the longing and hungry souls. He's dependable, he's faithful. In verses 29 to 31, he's a God of protection. Yahweh quiets the waters and brings the psalmist to safety. He gives thanks to Yahweh for his steadfast love and his wondrous love. The psalm of remembrance has a fixed element. These type of psalms are prayers to God which reflect back on the works and promises of God. These are answered prayer the psalmist brings to remembrance. For instance, the psalmist encourages the people to strengthen themselves that they would return to their faith. Psalm 139, verses 7 and 8. Where shall I go from your spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? I ascend to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. In verses 17 to 18. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake and I am still with you. Verses 14, I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. My soul knows it very well. Now in verse seven and eight, who can hide himself from the creator God? Yahweh is present everywhere. He is even there present in hell. David worships God in verses 17 and 18. And then we see Yahweh is is omnipresent and are known in all creation. These are divine thoughts. Yahweh never leaves his people. He never leaves his covenant with the righteous. His promises are permanent and dependent. But look in verse 14, David remembers that God is his creator and he ought to rejoice. Yahweh, in fact, and his works are worthy to be remembered. But let's look at the seventh, which is Wisdom Psalms. Wisdom Psalms take part in the wisdom literature, and it encourage and instruct humanity how to live a life well. Wisdom Psalms give guidance and warnings how to live God with a desire. In Psalm 119, verses nine to 10, how can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you. Let me not wander from your commandments. Verse 12, blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your statutes. Verse 15, I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. In verses 19 to 20, here we can see that the psalmist acknowledges how the word of God guards the soul and guards the soul of a young man for purity. He exalts God and his commandments because they are divine wisdom. And that is particular for men to follow. In verses 12, God's statutes is appraised, and the psalmist pleads with Yahweh to teach him. In verses 12, it is a verbal promise to God to keep God's ways. The righteous desire is to meditate on God's ways and uphold them, embrace them, to unite with them. Now, at last, getting through this, the eighth is the Royal Psalms. These are psalms which make use of the bold, regal imagery of thrones, coronations, and processions. The aim of the royal prayer is to seek to describe God and his majesty. In Psalm 21, look with me in verse 1, O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exalts. Verse four, he asked life of you, you gave it to him. Length of days forever and ever. Verses six and seven, for you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High, he shall not be moved. Verse one, David ascribes to God the strength of the king as he rejoices in God's salvation. In verse four, we can see that God enjoys lengths of days or a long life. In verses six, seven, Yahweh's blessing is forever, for he provides gladness with his presence. Now, David ascribes to God in prayer what is due unto him. Yahweh's love is forever and is not to be moved. It is a permanent love. Now let's look at a second observation on causes for prayerlessness and consequences. Let's look at some of the consequences for prayerlessness. The first one is when there is ongoing sin. Prayer is the most natural and most stimulated line of connection between a true believer and God. Perhaps one of the greatest reasons for which prayer can be paralyzed is because a guilty conscience before God that is unsettled to a person. Sin paralyzes the soul which longs for God. An unrepentant ongoing sin in the soul can cause shame and regret, which more often than not distances the believer from God. Prayer becomes useless and heavy. It becomes easier to hide from God than to confess and repent the ongoing sin. The guilty conscience stops the believer to reach out to the mercy seat of God. The second reason, when there is worldliness, when there is worldliness. The worldliness takes root in a believer, and we can see that because it's quickly growing in the heart of the believer. It chokes the believer, and the godliness of the faithful Christian. Social media, which is in and of itself may be useful, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube. and the likes mindlessly scrolling through, dictating worldly trends that we have. how to dress, how to act, what things to buy. These are worldly philosophies, all sorts. Let's say, adding to this the LGBTQ, BLM, feminism, what we deserve. These gain wide popularity on social media. They clearly oppose scripture and the holiness of God. They easily influence our minds and hearts and drift us away from God. from the direction that is opposite of God. They overtake one's mind and are almost unnoticed. So this is a subtle snatching away of the believer from the truth. Next, there is a subtle agreement with what we watch. As our minds are full of the world, soon there is a subtle agreement, an exchange for the truth. Prayer is left behind and all falsehood is being embraced. The next is when there is a low view of God. When there is prayerlessness, there is a low view of the majesty of God. Where there is no holy communion, there is no vision, and where there is no vision, there is only omission. There is indifference which offends the Holy God. It is being lukewarm. There is no desire to see God because He is not relevant. He is not in an elevated position. He is not on this elevated position that a believer ought to have in his life. God is worthy of that, but it is put in a way. God does not take the most important position. His majesty becomes unimportant, distant, almost reduced and unappealing. The next is when there is erroneous theology. When there is erroneous theology. Much of peerlessness has to do with our lack of knowledge of God. Apart from the biblical reformed theology, there is no other theological system which would satisfactorily depict a biblical image of God. There is no other theology that would elevate Christ to his rightful place. There is no other theology which would halt the inerrancy of scripture. It is because no other theology would satisfactorily understand who the biblical God is. A superficial knowledge of God will not result in prayerfulness. Admittedly, God is indeed the author of salvation, but he is not taking up all the life of the person who claims Christ. Rather, he is an addition to a mildly influenced life. This type of God gives only suggestions to stir up one's life without any major reality to it. It is enough to claim Christ, but without expecting a difference in one's life. So confessing Christ is enough, but without the showing of repentance. A Christian prayer may decide one's fate, but after there is little evidence to a transformed life. Let's look at the consequences of prayerlessness. Increasing unbelief. Increasing unbelief. Disobedience in seeking God in prayer will result in consequences To continue in an ongoing avoidance of prayer is contrary to Ephesians 6.18a, which says, praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication. In Luke 21.36, it's the same. Denying the power of prayer is not only ongoing sin, but it will draw the consequence of increasing unbelief. We are not to be mistaken here, because where there is a prayerlessness, there is sure unbelief. But where there is a continual prayerlessness, the consequences are severe. God not only becomes distant, but powerless, unknown, unreachable. The mind and the will will be paralyzed with unbelief. God will seem further and further away, but brethren, we are called to a better hope. A true regenerate person who knows Christ will only go on so long in his sin of prayerlessness. What we see in Hebrews 12, 5, 6 is that divine interaction of discipline will happen and the disobedient Christian will be halted in his prayerlessness. Let's look at the next one, increasing coldness towards God. A prayer life that has grown cold will not be not behold the glory of Christ. The majesty of God is shielded from those who are away from God. A prayerless person is a person who walks in darkness. The more he does not see God in prayer, the more darkness grows. This is the revelation of the heart that is called toward God, indifferent, uncaring, unmotivated. But look at with me, Isaiah 55, verse six. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. The believer experiences incentives from God to pray. It sends the call to pray, the necessity to pray. Yet if we reject the call and rather train our hearts for a comfort which excludes the presence of God, the coldness will increase. Our difference indifference will increase. The Lord will no longer be precious to us. The preciousness of the Lord will be unfamiliar to us. And our first love for Christ will be lost. The next is increasing sin towards God. Increasing sin towards God. A prayerless life results in a life that is unchecked, secret, not transparent. The believer who comes to nurture a life that is far from God is like a man who walks on hot coals but expects his feet not to be scorched. Can a true believer walk in open sin and not have consequences from the Lord? Can he walk in unconfessed sin and hide from the presence of God? A prayerless life is a dangerous life. Unrepentant prayerlessness will only increase the possibility of more sin. In James 1.14-15, But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. Well, unrepentant, unconfessed sin only grows until it reaches its fullness and brings forth death. But brethren, God is gracious. Where there is unconfessed sin, consequences and disaster crouched at the door, but there is the possibility of bountiful grace for divinely enabled repentance. This is what it says in Romans 5 20. And the last one, unregenerate heart and unregenerate heart. This is the saddest part of the consequences of prayerlessness. Is prayerlessness ever justified? According to the inerrant scriptures, prayerlessness is never justified. Disobedience cannot be justified. In Calvin's comment, I'll read it up to you. Prayerlessness, it's in the Institutes. It says, he, God, could not give more precise commands to that which is contained in the Psalms. Call upon me in a day of trouble. But as there is no office of piety for frequently enjoyed by scripture, there is no occasion for here dwelling longer upon it. Ask, says our divine master, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you. Here, indeed, a promise is added to the precept, and it is necessary. Calvin states that the precept is a call upon God. In other words, a practice of calling upon God is divine command. How can a regenerate heart that yields to its creator independence for life and vitality not have spiritual interaction with him? Can a branch be sustained apart from its vine? A Christian who is indwelled by the Holy Spirit is sealed by him forever. Prayer is a line of connection which inception is divine. Prayer intercepts every human emotion and distress, then channels it into divine audience. A believer who claims to have known Christ but is unbothered and can peacefully persist in unrepentant prayerlessness proves that the divine initiative of regeneration has never happened in his life. This is severe. But let's go on and let's see of the remedies now. Observations on the remedy of prayerlessness. The first one is cultivate a heavenly mindset. Cultivate a heavenly mindset. Your life should be a reflection of a pursuit of God on a journey to heaven. Colossians chapter three, verse one. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Paul reminds the Colossians that life is not to be determined by anything else but a mindset that dwells in the reality of the Savior Christ. In the context is being done with earthly things and false teachings. But your reality should not be what you already have left behind. If Christ raised you, Colossians 2.12, then remember you have been buried with him and raised with him. So cultivate your new identity. The Ephesians, the emphasis here is the with or together with Christ. Together with Him we've been raised. Do not let earthly things then dominate your mind. Do not let menial passing things dominate your mind. Realize what dominates your mind. If social media, worldly trends, worldly desires, buying things or hobbies, which in and of themselves are not bad, and I want to emphasize, they are not bad necessarily, but if these dominate your mind and rob your attention away from Christ, then turn. If you are prayerless, then these things most certainly dominate your attention. We must realize that they rob us from our time with God, so repent and cut it off. That simple. yet difficult sometimes. But find your joy in the beauty of the divine Savior. Let that dominate. The beauty of Christ is far more precious, far more fulfilling, far more infinite than anything you've ever known. You have been chosen in God's predetermined plan to know Him, to dwell with Him. So direct all your thoughts to meditate on the beauty of Christ. The next one is cultivate having godly fellowship. Cultivate having godly fellowship. The godly life is not lived in isolation. A Christian life is corporately lived out. This is not a single suggestion in scripture. It's a principle throughout the Old Testament, where, for instance, we see corporate worship, the corporate worship of Yahweh. And similarly, in the New Testament, where the new church forms, And then the life, the Christian life, is also lived in companionship of other Christians, communion. In fact, this is a command. So if you look with me to Hebrew 10, verses 24 and 25, it says, and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near. In verse 25, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, well, fellowship is vital for a Christian, but watch if this is a prohibition, because if it's a prohibition, it is a command. In verse 24, the implication of fellowship is a stimulant for godly living. Ephesians 3.18 says that, we cannot find out what is the breadth and the length and the height and the depth of a surpassing knowledge of Christ alone without godly fellowship. We must seek out fellowship, especially when there is a severe discouragement, which drives us to prayerlessness. We need help with our unbelief, and we desperately need help to root out pride from our hearts. We need godly example, godly prayers that we may be strengthened. We need encouragement. We need accountability. We need oversight. We need time with our family in Christ. Cultivate a heart of love toward Christ, toward God. Cultivate a heart of love toward God. Well, prayerlessness is caused by unbelief, a cold heart, and something maybe even more severe, indifference towards Christ. How can Christ be treated other than precious? Well, the indication is that there is a greater problem. Turn with me to Revelations chapter 2, verse 5, 4 and 5. I believe it's printed out. It says, but I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had first. Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen. Repent and do the works you did at first. The church in Ephesus is warned by Christ. They began focusing on their toil and labor of Christ. their toil against evil, they exerted patience in the midst of this corporate body, but they forgot their first love for the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a divine warning against corporate body, but it can also be applied to individual members. A regenerate heart seeks to know Christ deeper, more intimately, more closely, never ending unsatisfied heart. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in greased pastures. He leads me beside still waters. Psalm 23, verses 1 and 2. Don't you know He leads us to living waters? Have you ever experienced what living waters are? Have you tasted it? He gives us security and safety. In other words, He leads you to His divine dwelling. He's able to satisfy alone a thirsty soul. Christ is our satisfaction. Our souls will never be satisfied. Your longing for him will never end. Do you know that drinking from his well you will never be satisfied again? That you will be thirsty again? Nothing will ever be able to satisfy you anymore. Only him. Only divine majesty. We must search for him earnestly, seeking him, know that he is, even despite your sin, even in our prayerlessness, God is sovereign. He rules and subdues his enemies. Isaiah 55 verse six, seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he's near. You must not toy with him who is the living and unquenchable fire. He declares, I am near, so we must remember what He has done. Christ died for us in Romans 5.8. God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. It is a personal choice of love for you and I. who have been crucified with Christ. It is predetermined love. It is predestined love to save us from our own sin and own depravity and to save us from His wrath. Therefore, we must say from an acknowledged heart, remembering, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Cultivate diligence in prayer. cultivate diligence in prayer. This is a part of what we call the spiritual disciplines. Prayer is the most natural communication with God. It is also developed by time, so maturity is showing how you pray. There is more frequent, deeper communication. As believers, our free access to the presence of God is atoned for. The main approach to prayer in the New Testament is a call, an encouragement to always be praying. Ephesians 6.18, praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. The believer is ought to focus on persevering prayer. Notice that it's not assumed that there is prayerlessness. Paul's instruction is for persevering supplication, a reminder to pray for all the saints. Jeremiah 29, verses 13 to 14. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes. The promise for the one who is truly seeking is to find the Lord. This is divine declaration when one seeks God with his whole heart. In Thessalonians 5, verse 17, pray without ceasing. According to Calvin, the text assumes that we tend to have sloth and do not understand our true need for prayer. Well, we are to seek continuous communion with the Lord. We must press on before the presence of God to commune with him. Prayerlessness can be halted when in repentance there is prayer to God. Prayerlessness can be halted when in repentance there is prayer to God. Prayer is not based on conditions we create, some feelings to motivate us to pray. It is not based on condition of what time of the day or what life circumstance we have. Prayer is not based on the condition of having enough remorse. The believer is to pray at all times, all times. You object and you say, why force prayer? It is a response to God in obedient prayer. It is a crying out to God for help. Help my unbelief. There is no prayer of the Christian others that would not be heard. We are commanded to unceasing, continuous prayer to the Lord. The promise in Matthew 7, 7 confirms this. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. Can a man hide himself that God would not see him? Can a man pray and God would not hear him? Surely God hears all the prayers of His children, and according to His will and His timing, He responds. When we can feel that we can pray, that's when we should pray the most. When we feel that our prayers only reach the roof, we must pray for unction. God will answer with a Holy Spirit wrought prayer. An honest heart, a longing heart with true prayer that cries out to God will be heard. The call of a redeemed is fervent prayer, thankful prayer, diligent prayer, confident prayer, expectant prayer, patient prayer, and a prayer which is holy adoration. Last one, cultivate scripture reading. Cultivate scripture reading. The next spiritual discipline is scripture reading. God has made himself known to many in the written word. God was known by public reading and declarations in the Old Testament, in the New Testament. God was to be known by what was written about him. David's proclamation is Psalm 119 verses 105. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it to keep your righteous rules. Yahweh's word are the path of righteousness. It causes profound changes in its reader. But reading isn't merely enough. The believer is instructed here by the psalmist to follow in his footsteps, in God's footsteps. The believer is to believe Yahweh through his word. All of Yahweh's righteous rules are to be kept, like in Matthew 4.4. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. The Word of God is more an element for the soul than mere food for the body. But in Matthew, the Christian desires the Word. It is not a mere intellectual exercise which ought to be practiced. It is the heart's response of a profound desire to know God. Ask yourself, if you struggle in your prayer life, how much time actually do you spend in the Word? The two is often interconnected. Much of the danger of becoming prayerless is caused by a lack of time spent in a word. The lack of pursuit of God in spending time in his word slowly results in all spiritual disciplines to decline, becoming less important. There will be gradual drifting from the truth. The Christian is inherently dependent on the word of God because his faith depends on it. In Romans 10 verse 17, so faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. The existence of your faith comes by hearing the word which passes through your mind into the heart so that it may bear fruit to God's glory. We must expose ourselves to the truth daily that God would do his work in us, that we may have communion with him. Let the words of Christ richly dwell within you, Colossians 3.16. Let it dwell richly in you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. So the command is to dwell in the presence of God, to know him through his inerrant divine word. A heart which regularly seeks the treasures of the living word will multiply in blessings. A heart richly blessed close to the Lord will manifest in wisdom, hymns, and spiritual songs. We must know that God has revealed himself through his inerrant word. There is not another way, only through the inerrant word. Divine revelation can only be known through scripture. A true prayer can only spring forth from the knowledge that was received through the word of God. A few words on scripture meditation. The word of God can only be effective in our lives when we meditate on actually what we read. We often tend to have a passing, passing through a passage lightly and go about our day. But we should make our minds captive by what we read. We must direct our thoughts on the passage, whatever captures our attention in it. We would do well to periodically bring to mind what we read, or to remember the works of the Lord and dwell on it. Remember His love for us, what He has done on the cross. The command is to dwell in the presence of the Almighty. Dwelling is a forced word. We must make effort. Psalm 91, verse 1. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. How can we expect knowing God if we are not actively pursuing to be with Him during our day? Meditate on His Word day and night. Rejoice in His law. Know it. Love it. Catch yourself pondering on it. Fill your mind with the truth. Fill your mind with God's Word. Think on the grandness of God, the majesty which has been revealed to you in the Word. You will have peace and a rest of mind in the Lord. Nothing else can impart that to you. In Isaiah 26, verse 3, you keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you. Meditation on God's word is a wonderful protection for believers. But even more so, it is the manifestation of love and trust. This is acceptable before God if our meditation is pure, if our hearts truly seek him. Finally, our prayer life. ultimately depend on whether we know God. As believers, we may experience rough waters in our lives, but the redeemed will cry out to God for help. Our ultimate hope is in the sovereign God in our lives and the eternal hope that we have been imparted to in Christ. Amen. Let's pray.