How to Pray Scripture (Psalm 23) — A Deeper Christian Prayer Experience (July 1988)

Well, I asked you to have some time this morning with someone with Psalm 23. Do you remember that? Now, let me see. It’s okay if you didn’t; I’m very tolerant. Why, I’m almost as tolerant as the Lord Himself. And He is incredibly tolerant. No, I’m not almost as tolerant as the Lord, am I, honey (laughter). Anyway, I’m very patient with the Lord’s people, and I expect a certain amount of slothfulness and laziness. Alright. Reprehensible conduct.

Those of you who have met before meeting with someone, would you just slip your hand up really quickly? I want to see how many we have here. Do we have a representative number at all? Okay. Did you meet with someone this morning? Okay. Alright. I really need your cooperation. If you’ve got anything to report, would you report it to us right now? Have you got something to say? Do you have something to tell us?

Audience: I have meditated on the 23rd Psalm for quite some time, but today I’m turning to it with Jesus and the Lord and bringing in the Holy Spirit. It was exciting. I can’t wait to go through more, and I have had the experience of being in the other realm.

It doesn’t become a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Yeah. Yes, brother Larry.

Audience: The impact of it is just incredible when you realize all of the vital, important elements within Psalm 23 that are necessary for you to go through in order to go higher. Very difficult.

Yes, you sometimes touch very painful things as well as very glorious things. That’s right, you can find yourself in tears. Okay. Anybody else? This is the kind of thing that I was looking for, not the sharing tonight. Yes, dear.

Audience: I found for myself when I went through it that the Father was speaking to me as I was speaking to Him, that the Son and the Father are saying the same in our relationship, really.

Praise the Lord. That’s wonderful. Great. Okay. Anybody else? I’m going to go over here. Yes, sister. And what is your name? Okay, Linda, I’m having a hard time. That’s because my daughter’s name and I’m blanking out on you…

What about those of you who took Psalm three? Do y’all have anything to report at all? Did any of you rewrite it? Let’s talk about the rewriting part; I won’t press you on the other. I see people reaching…you don’t have to reach for Psalm 3. You got anything to say at all? Oh, really? You did? Well, well, then perhaps you missed the point. Maybe his father was telling him about what He was facing. You know, maybe not. Alright. Yes.

Father, many are against me and saying that You cannot deliver me, but You’re my shield and Protector. You glorify me and exalt me. I can turn only to you, and you answer me from Your throne in the heavenlies, for You are King of all things. Give me rest and peace in Your protection and provision in the awareness of Your presence. His writing is not easy to follow. I know You will destroy all my enemies and deliver me. Father, bless those You have given me. Alright. Good. Wonderful. Now, what to do with something like that? We need those ten weeks together. I realize I gave you a difficult assignment, and I wish that we would have had an evening together on that first. I’m going to tell you something. Those of you who were with this, I recognize Art’s problem, and it is a genuine problem. I’m always learning from the church. And the church has taught me, not out of my personal experience, but someone else’s, an incredible way to deal with the Psalms that I don’t think I would have ever known if someone else had not shown me. And we’ll not have any opportunity to get into that this weekend. We’re almost out of time.

I’m going to take you through phase three. Now, we’re going to look at Psalm 23 from a new viewpoint. Before we do, there are two things, two words. You’re just going to have to take a little leap of faith here and trust. You’ve heard this phrase your whole life, “in Christ”, have you not? Are you in Him? Yes. Are you part of Him? I believe that will shake up no one’s theology. Yes, you’re part of the body of Christ. And even one verse in Corinthians refers to the church as a part of the Lord Himself. So, there is an “in Christ”; we just don’t ever think about putting ourselves there. We do positionally, but the actual putting of ourselves there.

Now, let’s hear another term that we’ve heard all of our lives, and no one has ever given us a good explanation for it. No one ever gave us a handle on this one. “Praying in the Name” and to “Pray in My Name.” Alright, let’s forget about that one and come back to this one, “Being in Christ,” and let’s listen to the Lord Himself speak. Psalms 23 belongs to Him. This is not you speaking. It is not me speaking. It is Christ speaking. This morning, when you rose and got with someone, you said, “Lord Jesus, the Father is Your Shepherd.” Did you not? Or you said, “Father, You shepherded the Lord Jesus when He was on earth.” Or something like that. You’re following me. You stepped out of the picture, but you spoke to the Father, or you spoke to the Son. I really recommend that as a part of your relationship to Christ the rest of your life. And it’s just really wonderful and marvelous. And if you don’t ever go any further than that, it will still be cataclysmic. It’s sure a long way from God bless Mama, Daddy, and Uncle Joe, our church, and bless us. I want you to listen to the way the typical Christian prays. This is about as far as it goes, and this kind of weekend can transform your prayer life. Typical American Christian, North American Christian. “Lord, we thank You, Lord, that You, Lord, are with us, Lord, today, Lord, because Lord, we’re so grateful, Lord, that You’ve saved us, Lord, and helped us, Lord, and You’re helping us and help us now, Lord. We need Your help, Lord. Lord, if You don’t help us, Lord, You’ve got to help us. Help us, Lord. And we thank You for being here today, Lord. And for all the good people here today, Lord, and our brothers, Lord, and our sisters, Lord. Amen, Lord.”