To visit the Internet Church of Christ founded by Dr. Bob Benchoff, click here.

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House of Prayer.

Sermon by Dr. Bob Benchoff, June 21, 2002

Jesus Christ said "My house shall be called a house of prayer."

Why should I pray? God already knows my thoughts. God knows my thoughts better than I know my thoughts. God knows if I will act on my thoughts, and God knows the results of any actions.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Jesus Christ taught us to pray that. Why?

Could it be, that just like everything else Christ does, it was for justice? Yes.

God deserves praise and much more. Christ does not sin, Christ is the perfection of justice, therefore that perfection is for you, for us, as we believe in Christ and pray to God.

Without prayer, what would you do to glorify God?

You could raise nice children, you could give to the poor, you could be an alert and respectable hard working employee, but how much do these glorify God? A selfish person could do all of those things.

A selfish person could raise nice children to show-off to neighbors, a selfish person could give to a poor beggar so they weren't pestered, a selfish person could simply be greedy and so be a top employee.

If you want to glorify God, do just that, with audible praise, with audible prayer, and with silent prayer. And when you want to glorify God with actions, let witnesses know up front what you're doing.

When you pray silently, be sure to pray alone where no one can see what you're doing, or if that is not appropriate, pray silently in your mind, to ensure that you are not praying for selfish reasons, to be seen of others. Close your eyes too, to help avoid distractions.

Remember, in ancient times, a church was built and an inner tent for added concealment, and the priest used smoky burning incense so even the priest could not see, and the priest alone entered the inner tent with prayer and God came into the inner tent of the tabernackle.

Christ has already been judged by human government. So we should not look on God to judge God, God should judge us. We should not see God's body and judge it's shape or appearance. God is from above, we are from beneath. God judges according to righteousness, we judge with a mixture of sin. God judges no man, but judges with righteous mercy. Only by sufficient faith might we hope to see God by the decision of God as granted by God.

People that lacked faith that saw the spirit of God were mortified. We can be anxious to see God, yet let us first get our priorities straight. The words "I want to see God" sound selfish, don't they? Shouldn't we rather say "I want to do what God wants", and think of God rather than ourselves first?

Wanting to see God can be noble, yet a selfish person can say "I want to see God".

Pray, and when your faith is full, and the time is right according to God's plan, God will be with you and you will see God.

Just now I stopped typing, kneeled and prayed many things, such as "Jesus is Lord", and asked God if there was anything I should say to help you, regarding this prayer sermon. I had some silent parts in my prayer, listening for anything God might say. I heard some silence, I heard some machinery running, and I heard some small bubbly squeaks that sounded somewhat as a vocal message.

I haven't thought of this for many years, but it reminded me of a prayer taught to me as a child before eating: God is good, God is great, let us thank him for this food. Amen. [Note: "amen" means "so be it"].

The faith of children is precious because their angels in heaven always behold the face of our Father in heaven. When children pray, that is mighty prayer. Children have had little time on earth to do corrupt things, and that purity is a blessing.

Prayer can move mountains. Just imagine what your prayer can do for others, then with solemn reverence, pray.

Pray with your mind, pray with all your heart and soul and spirit and strength; pray with your thoughts, pray with your voice. If in prayer you ask God for something (such as to help someone hospitalized), listen.

And if you should hear a meek and mild whisper of a pin drop, or if you should the loud clapping thunder of an approaching storm, listen to try to make sense out of what you hear in relation to your prayerful request. Feel the vibration, notice any aroma, taste any flavor you might receive, and see any vision God presents and accept what you receive in prayer in the name of God without reservation, without denial.

When Jesus Christ prays, all of Jesus Christ's prayers find their yes in God.

If need be, pray for the rain to pour, the sun to shine, the moon to glow, and the wind to blow. Pray for others, the people, including those in need.

Pray thanks for your food, pray thanks for your money, pray love for others, pray justice and rightful leadership for government.

Pray for the sick, pray for the helpless, pray for the living, pray for one another. Pray praises of glory to God, pray thanks to Christ.

Pray requests and listen for immediate and personal answers. Pray for life and to have it more abundantly, in Jesus Christ.

If you hear or feel or smell or taste or see, do it rightly. Accept God in the name of God.

If you hear a squeak, do you accept it only as a pestering annoyance, or do you accept it also and more importantly as a message from God? If you hear your loud mouth boss yelling at you, telling lies about you and blaming you, do you think something evil about your boss, or do you think your boss is a blessing from heaven and seize an opportunity to be a blessing to another person, your boss, and immeadiately work to help your boss who seems to be at a loss for clear thought and needs your help and your shoulder on which to lean.

I say to you, you can learn from your boss. And I say to you, you can learn from your prayers to God.

How you interpret what you perceive is important. Interpret righteously, with justice. Observe the law and proceed with grace and dignity, with vigor and speed. What you do, do quickly, and always do good. Think righteously and clearly before you act, and with perserverance your good thinking will become automatic, take less time, and be right with the Lord.

Interpret your dreams, interpret your visions, interpret the sounds you hear, with holy interpretations. Interpret communications with respect to God's plan. Interpret what you find in prayer.

As you focus on praising God in prayer, one with Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit mingles with your spirit, including moans to low to hear. Your soul reacts to these spiritual realms. While the essence of your being reacts, try to put into words and vocalize as best as you can, the sounds you hear. Try to vocalize with words from the Bible, to make good sense of the prayerful meaning. Record the good you come to know, for others.

If you think you haven't heard God talk, as far as you can tell, take matters one step at a time. Let God help you add clarity to what you hear. Let your hearing relate to you specifically in a personal way.

When you have been weaned on milk, you are ready for meat. You can move more confidently in concert with God. You can learn to pray more nearly to the will of God. Then you can move in the boundless grace, mercy, and peace of God.

Honorable disciples prayed with God. They prayed with purpose, decisively. They learned, proceeding according to Christ's teachings. They grew in the spirit, they grew increasingly into the body of Christ.

Are you serious, then pray in faith with respect; it's a miracle, a blessing, a time of light to the soul, a source of profound joy. Praying is a good idea. Seek perfection.

Pray for guidance, and pray for Jesus Christ.

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To visit the Internet Church of Christ founded by Dr. Bob Benchoff, click here.