Money Matters - Part 6: The Secrets to Praying for Money

0:22 And I thank God for that. I want to invite you this afternoon. I'm preaching for Pastor Jimmy Sturdivant at the Faith United Church, 4 o'clock. I hope some of you will come and go with us. Likewise, this week we have a lot of things happening. Tuesday night is our night of prayer, 7 p.m. We will close out this season before our summer break on Tuesday night with praying, crying out to God. And I'm going to talk to you all about prayer in just a few moments. Wednesday night I'll be ministering at I'm sorry at Reed Temple in Glendale and I want to invite you to come thank both of y'all for saying amen for that you saw in the news that the news didn't say this but our church developed a I don't know it's an app app for kids I'm so concerned about what our kids are seeing on television and in apps that parents and grandparents, you can help by getting this app, logging, signing up, and engaging this app so your kids and your grandkids will have something wholesome, godly, spiritual to watch.

1:38 Amen. So look at your neighbor and say, if you got little ones, you need to get it. Go ahead, tell them. And if you don't have little ones, you can still get it and you can support somebody else's little one to be able to get it. It's only $5 a month. Amen. $5 a month. You can afford it. You spend that much on Starbucks coffee. You spend that much on the pack of cigarettes that you get every week. All right, I told you a couple. I told you last week, but last week was going to be my last message on finances. But the Lord said not so.

2:19 He put something else on my heart today, so it's at least two more weeks. So I'm going to pick up on this. Today, I want to talk about the secret to getting God to answer your prayers. I want the secret to praying for money. Let me put it that way. The secret to praying for money. Because I've discovered that a lot of people don't get their prayers answered because folks don't really know how to pray. And I want y'all to take notes, take pictures, whatever you need to do to get a hold of this because this is important. this is an important element I love talking about I love talking about prayer I love talking about God working miracles on your behalf because I've seen God do it on behalf of our church in so many ways I've seen God make a way I've seen God provide God has worked out miracles on our behalf that I can't even tell you all of them that's how good God has been and I'm celebrating that God wants to do in your life what he's done in the life of this church.

3:35 He wants your life to be a testimony for his glory. When your friends and relatives see God opening up doors, making a way, providing for you, it can't help but to give God the glory. When I tell people about our church, when I tell people how God made provisions, when I tell people that God helped us pay this building off in record time, when I tell people that we don't own nobody nothing, we own the worship center, the community life center, the ministry center, the empowerment center, and don't owe nobody anything, there ain't too many churches in the United States that can make that claim. Amen. And what God has done for the church, he wants to drip it down on you. Somebody say, drip, drip. I want to teach you this because these are principles I've seen in my own personal life and we implemented them at this church and God wants to do the same for you. So, open your Bibles, take notes, do whatever you have to do, take a picture. I want you to get this, and I want you to incorporate these things. Ask yourself these questions as you pray. Ask yourself, is this, am I in line with this? Is what I'm asking God in line with this? Am I doing this the way that God wants it to be done? And so I'm going to teach you what I've done and what we've done here at our church. First John 5 is our foundational scripture here. By the way, this is a Bible study since you don't come to Bible study. Somebody say amen. Thank God.

5:16 Go ahead and tell your neighbor, thank God the pastor brought Bible study to me since I don't come to Bible study. 10,000 people come to this church on average on a weekend. 10,000, but only 2,000 of y'all come to Bible study. And most of those who come to Bible study on Tuesday are not even members of the First Baptist Church. We're not. Say ouch or Amen, either one. 1 John 5 verse 14 says, now this is the confidence that we have in him. I love that verse. We have confidence we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him. That's our foundational verse.

6:08 It is telling us that we can confidently and boldly go to God and talk to him and lay our burdens before the Lord and depend on him knowing that God will answer our prayers. Now, I think there are some people who know over the course of your life, you've seen God answer your prayers. You've seen God work a miracle. You've seen God do the impossible. You've seen God make a way out of no way. You've seen God make something happen that you thought would never happen in the course of your life. You know God has the capacity and the ability to do it. And he does. So, today I'm going to talk about the secrets, how to learn the secrets of praying for money. That's what today is. The secrets of learning to pray for money. Next week I'm going to talk about why God don't answer your prayers. Because the Bible is crystal clear about reasons why God don't answer your prayer.

7:06 and I want to teach you so that you don't keep making that mistake. So I got seven points today, 11 points next week. So I need y'all to stick with me. I'm going to do this first seven right here today. Here's the first secret to praying for money. Point one, we must be in right standing with God. You must be in the right standing with God. Somebody say right standing. Look at your neighbor and say, ask them, are you in right standing with God? Do you have a personal relationship with God? Are you saved? Are you a child of the Most High God? Have you received forgiveness of your sins? I'm just asking a question here today. Have you received forgiveness? Have you been born again? Have you? See, some of y'all think that just because you go to church, that that's all that God requires.

8:07 But he's looking for a transformed heart. Amen. He's looking for you. The word we use is we're looking for you to have been regenerated. That means you've had an encounter with God. Not that you just come to church. Some of y'all think that just because you come to church, that's enough. You think that just because you serve in a ministry, that's enough. No, no. A lot of people are going to go to hell who thought they were going to heaven.

8:40 Because they did religious things, but they didn't have an encounter with God. When I was a child, I joined the First Baptist Church of Glen Arden as a child. I joined because my friends was taking communion, and every time we had communion, I would look over to my mother and ask her, could I take communion? And she said no, because I had never joined the church. And so I joined church one day because I wanted to take communion. I wanted to know what it tastes like. Come on, somebody. Holler at me. That's true. and one Tuesday night I was in a revival service in Washington, D.C. and I realized in church something was missing. I saw other people who had a joy that I didn't have. They had a peace that I didn't have. They had something that was missing in my life and that Tuesday night I knew I was a church member. I knew I already joined the church but I knew that I wasn't saved.

9:35 I realized that night, that Tuesday night, I had never been regenerated. I had not given my heart to the Lord and that night I came, that revival night at a church in Washington, D.C., I got up. I didn't care what people thought about me. And some of y'all got to get to a point where you don't care what people think about you. You just want to get right with God. And so I make an appeal today, some of your prayers are not being answered because one of the things to get your prayers answered is to be in the right standing with God. And when God gets in your heart, he changes your life. He changes your focus. He changes your priorities. He changes your direction. He changes your desires. Things you used to do, like to do, want to do, he takes it away and gives you. Now, sometimes it'll come back, but he takes it away.

10:36 Amen. And he gives you a new purpose for living. Do y'all hear what I'm saying today? You must be in right standing with God in order to talk to God, to get him to answer your prayer. I think that's a very, very important principle, a very important point that you want to get your prayers at. Here's number two.

11:00 Our request must be based on the name of Christ. Our request must be based on the name of Christ. That means a short, in essence, when you say the name of Christ, I mean the character of Christ. it must be in line with the nature of God the character of God he's a holy God he's a forgiving God he's a patient God he's a healing God he's a breakthrough God it's got to be in line with the character of the Lord how do you know his character? you know his character by studying his word some of y'all know the character of Snoop better than you know the character of Jesus.

11:46 I know he's old time, I guess. I don't know who the modern day people are. Let me come over here to my kids because they, oh, now they're going to act like they don't know. Tell me some of the people today, Jada. Don't fool me. You heard what I'm saying. Why are you asking me? Why are you asking me? Because I know you know. You listen to gospel? Fred Hammond. Fred Hammond. Fred Hammond been gone, girl.

12:16 Fred Hammond. Fred Hammond is gone, child. Huh? Can you see his tiny desk? His tiny desk, he's back. He's back? Okay, I'm sorry. They know what I'm talking about. Okay, I forget. Jimmy, tell me who it is because Jimmy will always tell me. Who? Gorilla. Gorilla. Is that somebody? Huh? Young Miami. Young Miami. Young Miami. Young Miami. Young Miami. I thought you said you didn't listen to him. Oh, he told you.

13:09 Lying is a problem with the kingdom of God. It must be, here's the point I'm trying to make, it must be consistent with the character of God, what you're asking. Y'all got that? That's an important point. Here's John, chapter 14, verse 13 and 14. It says, whatever you ask in my name, whatever you ask in my name, and that term my name means whatever you ask according to my character, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. I like that right there. God wants to get all the glory. If you ask anything in my name, he says, according to my character, he says, I will do it. God says he will respond if you ask. Because some of the stuff y'all ask is not in line with his character. It's not in the character of God for you to be asking him for somebody else's husband.

14:04 There's tension in the room. Somebody has tension. Amen. It's not aligned with his character. Here's number three. We must base our appeal on guarding God's reputation.

14:26 We must make our request based on, or our appeal to God, based on guarding God's reputation. God cares about his reputation and his name. He wants it to be in line with honoring and respecting his name. I want you to think about the times that you've asked God for stuff that wasn't in line with his guarding his reputation. I was, I've told this story a hundred times, but I was taking one of my sons to his basketball practice, and we were late. And I got him in the car, and I'm rushing, pull out on Central Avenue.

15:17 I'm going too fast. I'm like 15 minutes old, 15 miles an hour over the speed limit. Soon as I pulled out on Central Avenue, the po-po's there taking pictures. Man, pull me over. I hate that feeling when he points to you and tells you to pull me over. He comes up to the car and asks for my driver's license and my registration. I give it to him while I'm sitting with him to come back to get me the ticket. I started thinking, how did he know that was my car that was speeding?

16:05 It could have been a car in front of me. Could have been a car behind me. It could have been a car beside me. So I decide I'm going to challenge him when he comes back to the car. So he comes back and starts giving me the spiel. So many people die from speeding. So many people are injured. So many accidents. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm thinking to myself, when he comes back to the car, I was going to challenge him, but something said, don't say nothing. So I'm listening to him, and I decide I ain't going to say nothing. When he got to the end of his message, his sermon, I said, he said, now Pastor Jenkins. He said, I got a bunch of your tapes.

17:05 This is a while back when there used to be cassette tapes. Y'all remember cassette tapes? He said, I got a bunch of your cassette tapes in my car. he was merciful to me I'm so glad I didn't challenge him he didn't say nothing he gave me a warning amen After service this morning, that same police officer came up to me and said, I was the joker that pulled you aside. Isn't that something? I didn't know he was a member here. He's not a member. He just happened to be here this morning. He said, I remember that. He said, the tape I was listening to in my car when I had pulled you over that day was running with the horses. My sermon, running with the horses. See, I couldn't have asked God.

18:05 It wouldn't have been fair for me to ask God because my character was not in line with God's character. I was going to challenge Him. Some of y'all got character and lifestyles that's not consistent with the will of God for your life, and you're wondering why not God won't answer. He's looking for you to be lined up with His character. Can I get an amen right there? Our request must guard his reputation. Here's number four. the authority of our appeal must be based on God's word. The authority of our appeal must be God's word. We must have some truth. I am persuaded that whatever we ask God, it must become, be in line with the word of God. If you can find a verse that says that that's God's will for your life, you can boldly pray it.

19:01 You can find something that's in line with the word. Somebody said, well, how do I know what God's will for my life is? You have to read the Word. You got to get in the Word. Some of you don't know what you can ask because you're not in the Word. Amen. I am preaching and teaching whether y'all are saying amen or God. Somebody said, it must be in line. It must be based on the Word of God. And if you base it on God's Word, He will bring it to pass in your life. the numbers are not in the word. Let me reword that. The numbers y'all play. Hello. Can y'all hear me? Is this mic going? Do y'all understand what I'm saying to you today? Don't be asking God to help you win the number, to give you the number. That's not in the Word of God.

19:56 Oh, y'all getting quiet on the broken down. I'm trying to help you. Go ahead, lean over to your neighbor. He's trying to help you. this one this number five is in line is also in line with it it must our appeal must fulfill the clear will of God it must fulfill the clear will of God all of these things kind of go line up together that we are living our lives we are walking we are believing we are embracing we are practicing, we are praying and quoting the Word of God and God's will for our lives. It must be God's clear, distinct will for your life. Here's number six. We must follow scriptural principles in obtaining funds. Ooh, that's a good one right there. Yeah, it must be the clear will of God and it must be in line with God's desire for us to obtain funds.

21:10 Now, here's what that means. It means you have to learn to sow before you reap. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. A part of the problem with people today is they want to reap without sowing.

21:31 They want to reap a harvest and they've never sown anywhere. I have learned, and I have learned over the course of my life, the importance of sowing. Amen. I've learned the importance of sowing. Tell your neighbor it's important to sow. Tell them on both sides. It's important to so stop looking for a harvest and you ain't planting no seeds. Why you keep going to the mailbox expecting an unexpected check and you ain't sent nobody an unexpected check? Y'all notice how the claps are getting lower and lower? It's okay. Amen. Whoever the handful of people who are willing to embrace what I'm telling you, you got to learn how to sow. I've learned to live a life of sowing. I've learned to live a life of sowing. And the thing about sowing that I've learned about God is that you got to sow before you can get a harvest.

22:28 But also underneath this sowing thing, reaping requires patience. Let me say that again. Reaping requires patience. Y'all expect to put something. Here's what y'all do. Y'all sow $5 in the offering and expect $10 the next day. It don't work that way. nature teaches us about the character of God nature teaches that and nature teaches us if you plant a seed does it come up overnight? no it takes a while matter of fact Ecclesiastes 11 and 1 says cast your bread upon the waters for after you you will find it after many days that means once you sow you give it many days you plant a seed it don't crop up the next day.

23:26 It takes weeks, months before something grows. So you just need to be patient. So I've learned to live a life of sowing. So I'm reaping the blessings in my life today for seeds I planted months ago. I am in a regular posture of sowing. It's a regular way. It's the way I live my life. I'm always sowing. I'm always sowing. Amen. I'm so far past tithing. I mean, if you just tithing, that's elementary. That's first grade. No, no, that's kindergarten. Wait a minute. That's preschool. I'm always giving. I'm so far above my tides that I give every week, every month. I give to the church way past, way past, way past. Amen. And look, that's why I'm always reaping. I always got to harvest. Something good happening all the time. Every time I look up, Somebody put something in my hand.

24:36 Every time I look up, I get some kind of a check in the mail. Every time I look, ooh, let me just do it. I wish I could just dance a little bit and do all that because it's a lifestyle. I'm trying to teach y'all a lifestyle. Some of y'all are so tight. You're so stretchy. You can't reap no harvest because you're a tight one.

24:57 Let me come back here to the back session. Cast your bread, sow your seed upon the waters, and after many days, you will get a harvest. Amen. Somebody say amen. After many days, it's a lifestyle. That's what I'm trying to get you to see. It's a lifestyle. Amen. God wants to bless you and favor you with his supernatural provisions. The way he makes a way out of nowhere, he wants to make that something that you see as a regular part of your life. Here's the last one point right here, number seven.

25:47 Don't limit God's way of providing. don't put limitations on what God can do and how he can do it I've learned that the harvest that God gives me sometimes is way better than what I sold don't think that you gave money that God had to give you money I'll take blessings that God gives me Whichever some of the blessings God gives me they don't have nothing to do with money Yeah, I'll take good health over another dollar And so I'm praying and believing God to make a miracle. Right now, I'm asking God. I'm looking for God.

26:40 I'm thanking God because he's blessing my children. My children have favor all over them. This is my daughter right here. This is my oldest child. I'm believing God to help her D1 Delaware University, Delaware basketball team have a successful year.

27:04 Wait a minute. In spite of her. I'm praying, I'm praying, I'm praying she has a successful year. Jimmy is another, this is my young man, my son. Y'all know my Jimmy who I, just gave me all the hell, but he's been one of the most faithful, dedicated young men. I'm so proud of him. He's doing great. He's coming out with a movie. When is it coming out? His next movie? Christmas. In Christmas. He got a new movie called God With Us. Y'all go to the theaters to see it. It's a modern day showing of what it would be like if Jesus showed up today.

27:44 If he was born today. Yeah. I'm praying God bless him. He blesses him. All my kids doing good. I like living this kind of life. I'm living a blessed life. His new movie, somebody gave him a million dollars to help make that movie come to pass. I was sowing. I was sowing a lot. Last year I had my biggest sowing year and then I got the gift. Last year what? Last year was the most I gave him offering and then I got my biggest budget the same year. He said last year was his biggest sowing, him sowing out of his own resources. And the refruiter that is he got his biggest seed for making a...