Philip Burns begins this series of sermons on prayer by highlighting the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:5-8. Prayer is to be approached with a sincere heart. It is not for outward show. We do not pray to impress others or God as if we are performing for Him. Jesus spoke of praying behind a ‘closed door’. Prayer is also to be approached with a confident assurance. We do not need big words in order to have an audience with God. Real prayer comes out of a relationship with the God who loves and welcomes His children into His presence.
Philip Burns
Rev Philip Burns is the minister of Bendigo Presbyterian Church.
‘A user’s guide to effective prayer’ (Luke 11:1-13)
Philip Burns preached from Luke 11:1-13 concerning the subject of prayer. Establishing and maintaining a strong prayer life is one of the hardest things to do. In these verses, the disciples observed Jesus praying and asked Him to teach them to pray. Jesus went on to teach them about priorities in prayer – putting God and His kingdom ahead of our own needs, persistence in prayer – reminding us that God is more willing to hear us than the man in the parable who was woken by his neighbour at night, and the Person we pray to – who knows what we need and is more than able to determine the best response to the requests we make.