Teaching on Prayer #03

…Now, if we want to turn to the Book of Jeremiah the 7th chapter, we will find out when God does not hear people praying, or even those of the highest authority in the land, which would be the prophet.

So, It says:

Now we’re going to transfer all this to the Laodicean Church Age and the people who call themselves by the name of the Lord, who attempt to enter in by the gate, which is Christ Jesus, who attempted to teach and say that they worship which would be in the body of Christ for the name of Almighty God is.

Now, see; there’s where the Catholic Church stands right today. And the Protestants are no different, because there’ll soon be a complete recon­ciliation between them all, which of course, will come through the neces­sity of their form of living and the type of life that people like.

They will sell everything down the river to the financial system, which is coming upon the world.

Now you see this through Seven Church Ages. Each age comes to a close with the judgment of Almighty God, becoming an abomination, and out of that little root of the tree comes forth the Word, that little life, until to the end time.

Now Ephraim, you see, joined himself to idols, got into complete idola­try. And you notice that they never came up at the end time as one of the tribes because their names were blotted out. And that took a process of time, of course, that God just diverted the seed elsewhere.

Now, notice; It says:

Now, if you take that to the Book of Proverbs, and it’s,

Now there’s another verse that also said that, “He that turneth away his ear from hearing God’s Word, even God will not hear his prayer.”

So, you can see here that there is a people at the end time that they’re praying, and no doubt they think they’re getting a lot of answers, and no doubt, according to them and according to much Scripture, they are get­ting a lot of answers.

They are not actually getting the results that they desire. Everything they have is as Israel was at the time of the crossing over and in that particular period of time a little later where they longed for flesh, and so, God gave them the quail and whatever they wanted.

Not that that is bad in itself, but they lusted when God gave them manna, which was a complete, marvelous food. Even the angels ate it; so, you can tell what it would do a human being.

If he got a hold of it, it would be tremen­dously wonderful for him. Everything would be there that he needed and then some.

And they turned away from it, and they… The Lord was angry with them, and He said, because of that, because they got the answers to their prayer for what they wanted, which was not according to the Word, but according to that which was contrary to the Word, God still an­swered them.

He sent leanness to their souls. And we see today a picture of Laodicea where there is the leanest bunch of souls that ever were in the world and all the time proclaiming they’re rich, increased in goods and don’t lack a thing, when actually they don’t have anything.

They’re beg­gars, hoping that somehow they’ll sit outside the door and ask for some­thing. Beggars, you know, don’t get in the door. They sit on the outside. Somebody drops them something, you know.

And so, you’ve got a picture of that today. And I just want to bring that to your minds that there are people who think they’re getting answers to prayer, and they are getting it to the limited degree of the permissive will of Almighty God.

The Word, that in Itself, if believed in, brings forth answers; but there’s no way they’re going to get their prayers truly an­swered in this hour, which the great hour is the end-time restoration, the Resurrection and the immortalization of the Bride standing here, the catch­ing away to the Wedding Supper and those things.

Now people think they’re going to get it, but they cannot. And, when you look to these people here, and you see them in their idolatry, I want you to know you’ve come to the place where Brother Branham said. “I don’t pray for America any longer.”

Now, there’s no use you praying for the church any longer, because the church is not going to respond. You can’t pray for America any longer, because it cannot respond.

The greatest praying that anybody can do in this hour, believe me! because the seed is run out, the last elected one must come in, be child trained which will be very simple and very rapidly done…

The greatest praying that you can do is for yourself that you might become more yielded to God, more submissive to His Will, more attentive to His Word in rela­tionship to God in yourself and, then, to your family and to each other.

And we don’t want to become so self-centered and so family-centered that we cannot think of other people. That would be a great injustice to yourself and to others and to God Himself.

But, to realize that much of your pray­ing now in this land where we are is to the place where Noah was, with seven more people.

Poor old Lot, just by himself and a couple of wayward daughters and completely rotten sons-in-laws and who else? I don’t know. It was a complete, tragic mess.

The best that Lot could do was to just mumble a prayer to get him and his wife out, and she turned back and became a mess. The daughters came out. I guess they were pulled out, and they were a mess.

And poor old Lot, the best he could do was just kinda pray, “Lord, I’m an old man, and I don’t feel too good, and I hope you let me get in the little city here where at least they got indoor plumbing and a few things I could use.” And that’s about all he got. That’s about all he got.

And Abraham back there by himself, having had discourse with God, stood there, and he and Sarah composing the Bride, truly representative, were right there ready in a short order to bring forth the son that had been promised.

And so, you’ve got to take your cues from the Bible and your thoughts and your ways of praying from the Bible; and, you know, don’t just get the idea you can pray through a brick wall, that you can set your heart and demand according to certain Scripture, which in the sense is true.

But there’s always the framework that you got to work within and the motiva­tion that is there. Why are you really praying? What do you really want?

And, as you examine your hearts, I believe you’ll find what you really want is a closer walk to the Lord and a more compassionate, outgoing walk toward others. Because, now then, you’ve satisfied the requirements of the whole Word of God.

But these people in idolatry, just wasting your time praying. You don’t pray for America. You don’t pray for the church. There’s no way you do, because they’re not going to come. The door’s already closed; it’s already over.

So, as I say, the big thing is to get in harmony with God. The Scripture says, “In the last day, that day, you know, when I’m in the Father, you in me and I in you;” there’s that harmony there. Praying for that conscious­ness.

Open our hearts to be more compelled by the Word, to have more of the Word in our lives, in obedience to It.

And, then, manifest that amongst our fellow people, knowing that there’s certain things laid down there such as the Bible said, “If you pray and don’t forgive your fellow men, neither will God forgive you.”

Now you can’t apply that to the idola­trous people. You can only apply that to those that are part of your own fellowship in Christ.

And then, you go one step beyond that, which I find, and I think you’ll find quite difficult, until we begin to practice what the Word of God says: is to forgive those who have done us not irreparable evil. Nobody can do that to us.

Not when you’re born again. There’s noth­ing irreparable, unless you let it be irreparable, unless you don’t want it mended. There’s nothing irreparable as far as you yourself is concerned and your own spiritual ways.

But you can, and I can do great damage to ourselves by allowing what people have done to us to become an obses­sion, to be grouchy.

I’m 79 years old, and I remember Brother Branham’s words; and he died 23 years before, and I’m still living. He was only 56, and I’m 23 years older.

And he was talking about the fact, even in 1953 and ‘52 and ‘51 and ‘50 how that the Branhams had palsy; and he said, “I can see myself an old man, shaking with my cane.”

Well, I thought that was a pretty lousy testi­mony, but the man was just being honest and truthful. Runs in the family. Who’s to say he wouldn’t have palsy? But he didn’t say God couldn’t heal him.

And, then, he said “There’s one thing: I don’t want to die a bitter, complaining, old man.”

Well, I’m an old man, and I do complain a certain amount, but thank God I’m not bitter. Now I get madder and hotter than a firecracker on the Fourth of July, you know one of those cherry bombs. I admit it.

I admit that I get hot as a firecracker, but I don’t hold grudge to the place where I want to retaliate, though I must admit many times I sure feel like it.

And I must admit at times, too, I think in terms of what’s down the road, and my thoughts get pretty sober and serious concerning what’s down that road when I think of people.

The reason I think this way is because I can’t understand a man claiming anything at all to do what some of the people do.

Now, that’s my problem, and you’re going to have the same problem and do have the same problem, whether you know it or not.

The reason I say this is because the Bible said, “Let the priest go between the porch and the altar, confessing his sins and the sins of the people.”

Now the point of the point is this: how in the world can the priest or that prophet confess the sins of the people, unless he knew every single person and knew their hearts. You don’t need to. As long as I know my heart, I know what goes right; I know what goes wrong.

I can nail you to the wall by just talking about myself, because there’s one Word that classifies us all: “The heart of man is desperately wicked and sinful. Who can know it? I, the Lord check those reins out.”

So, you must be careful that you live in peace as much as is within you as possible.

And the next thing: how much is in me? How much do I claim? How much at peace can I be? “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”

Don’t bear grudges, and don’t hold grudges. Commit all things unto the Lord, for He careth. But, remember; when you see those things out there…

Brother Branham once said to a man, “By the grace of God, I’ll never use your name again.”

You say, “That’s a terrible thing.”

What do you mean it’s a terrible thing? You think the guy was nuts? You think you know more than he does? You going to come on Judgment Day and say, “Well, I never said that. The prophet said that. I’m better than the prophet.”

Hey, you better take a lesson. It means, keep your mouth shut.

“Never, ever use your name again.”

Now he said it one time. He said, “If you can’t say something good, keep your mouth shut.” And he’s telling that man, “Listen. There’s noth­ing good I can say about you. I’ll never speak your name again either here or before the Lord.”

So, there’s a lot of praying you can do, it’s just plumb negatives; it’s just wasted time; it’s hogwash. You’re boring God; you’re boring people; you’re boring yourself. Be honest and be sincere.

Be really sincere in your heart, so you know, when you call upon God, you’re call­ing out of your spirit of truth, sincerity. You’re not high-browing; you’re not high mucky-mucking.

You’re just an ordinary guy that needs help like every­body else. Consider yourself, lest you’re tempted, and you pray earnestly for those around about you, loved ones and all.

But, remember; you can’t pray for that church out there, you cannot pray for the reprobate. It doesn’t make any sense. If you could snatch them as a brand from the burning, that’s great. Be nice, if you could.

Some make a difference. Is there something there? If you don’t see anything there, leave it. But the great thing is, start with yourself, getting your channels open to God, asking the Lord to forgive you if necessary, praying until you get certain things out of your heart, you know.

You’ve got the victory over them. Get the paths clear; pray for one another, God’s people. You haven’t got time for the Word; you hardly got time to even pray for yourselves and each other.

So, keep yourselves in the love of God and the prayer this way, and you will see that things will begin to move. You’ll have more peace in your heart, more peace in your mind, and you’ll see things coming from your soul.

It’ll be clearer, more one with the Word that’ll reflect in your actual walk. I think it could even be seen in your body in the sense that God looking down, piling Word upon Word, is bringing us somewhere. Somebody is.

If I’m not, there’s somebody in this congregation this af­ternoon on the way to immortality, just sitting here. I don’t know who it is.

I’ve no doubt there’ll be somebody here today who will not see death but stand right there while death’s passing all around, the Great Tribulation setting in, the devil completely incarnated in a pope. It’s just going to be good to get out of here.

And Brother Branham said, “So live that you may see your loved ones in the Resurrection.”

You can live any way you want. It doesn’t mean you’ll see your loved ones in a resurrection. They might not be there. You might not be there.

But he said. “Now, you live in such a way, and you will, if your name is on that Lamb’s Book of Life, that you know you will see them.”

It’s not built upon works. It’s built upon the grace of God and people’s lives that allow them to put down their own living and take up His living: His life within us.

So, when you pray, just be careful that you get your lines clear with God, forgiven, and do your best to get your lines clear with everybody else.

Keep at it, and I believe that pretty soon we’ll have clearer lines toward each other, and we’ll really know the love of God which passes under­standing in our hearts, minds and lives in a unison we’ve never known.

And there again, you’re right back to the time of the apostle Paul that happens to come and could only come by the living Word of God. That’s where all our trouble has been here. Our whole trouble is always never going to cease.

If we have trouble in the church, it’s going to be always over the Word, except for one or two that may want to step out and speak, go into sin.

Let me assure you, if you’re caught, don’t worry; the whole world will know it. There’s nothing that’s under covers, but you’ve got to watch that Word. Okay.

Let’s pray; and then, we’ll go to kneel down and pray.

Heavenly Father, we pray you’ll take these few words here where we can all begin to open our lines to you, oh God, in our lives and our souls, Lord, that the truth of the Word, the spiritual, moral and values of It, Lord may get down deep within us.

And we in turn, Lord, be transformed and our lives transformed by that Life of that Word, because we take heed to the Word. And we know as we take heed to the Word, you take heed to ours, oh Lord, and you answer our prayers.

And today we know we have many prayers here that’ll be called by various ones in Your great Name, Lord, as we pray before You, whatever way the people would desire to pray but praying from the heart, Lord, in faith that You hear, that You want us to be living epistles read and known of all men; and that’s what we desire too.

So we don’t turn away our ear from Your Word one iota, and thereby, then, neither do You turn away Your ear from our word, because Lord, we know that we’ll be wanting what You want us to have. And there’s so much in this Book that You said we could have.

And like James said, “It’s a pity you’re not getting it, because you could have it.”

Help us to know that as we pray today that the surety is there, the enforcement is there, the claim is there as the prophet taught, as we heard from his word this morning that we have the indication given. Let it be that for the people today, Lord, in the days to come, as we seek Your face.

In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

All right, let’s go to prayer.