(The Sermon on the Mount and Prayer - Session 1) - Part 2

And Father, we want to pray that you will forgive us because there are times that we sit in gatherings like this and we are not even aware of the depth of our need of God. And so we ask that you who have said to us that the preparation of the heart belongeth to God, you have said unto us that it is not by might, nor is it by power, but it is by my spirit, that you will be the one that will come to melt us at your feet. Lord, we don't want to wait until Saturday or Sunday before we meet with God.

We want to meet with you tonight. We want to meet with you in the hours of this night and the hours of tomorrow. And so we humble ourselves before you.

We thank you this evening for your word. Oh God, we love his book. We thank you for the preciousness of the scriptures.

We thank you that you have said unto us that heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall abide forever. We thank you that you have said unto your servant Joshua, this book of the law you shall meditate upon this day and night. You said unto your servant Timothy, study to show yourself a proof unto God, a workman not needeth to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

You said unto us in your word, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. And Father, we want to submit ourselves in these days that we are together under the greatness of the authority of your word. And God, we confess tonight that we know so much about the word of God, and yet the word of God knows so little about us.

And oh Father, we pray that in these times that we will spend together, that the sword of the Spirit, the Spirit of God who will use this sword of the word of God that will help us to defend ourselves, but that will help us to break through and great moments of victory in our relationships with you. We ask that it will find a resting place in every aspect of our relationships with God. Father, we do not just want to be informed by scripture these days, but oh God, we want to be inflamed.

And as the word of God becomes part of our lives, we pray that it will wash through us. We are reminded that Jesus said, sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. We're reminded that you that you said unto us that you are already clean through the words that I have spoken unto you.

And so we pray that it will become part of every aspect of our relationships with you. In Jesus' name, amen. I'd like you to open your Bible this evening if you will with me, and we're going to read from Matthew's gospel, and we will read a few verses from the fifth chapter, and then a few verses from Matthew chapter six.

Matthew chapter five, and just for the sake of our time, a few of the verses in that wonderful chapter, and then we're going to read from Matthew chapter six. Matthew chapter five, verse number one. Seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set, his disciples came unto him, and he opened his mouth, and he taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.