Sermon Tone Analysis

Prayer meeting last week and this week.

I would like them to continue.

My vision is that we would have evening service at 6 and prayer meeting at 7; we’re not there yet.

We are at a place in our church were we have been enjoying seeing the Lord move, but that will soon make us lazy.

Right now we must be more committed to prayer than ever, because the attack is coming.

As the engine never moves until the fire is kindled, so preaching, with all its machinery, perfection and polish, is at a dead standstill, as far as spiritual results are concerned, till prayer has kindled and created the steam.

Edward McKendree Bounds

Jesus prayed to be ready for tribulation.

Job loses his oxen and donkeys and the servants plowing the fields, his sheep and shepherds, and his children.

His response?

Then his health is attacked:

And his response:

Jesus prayed to resist temptation.

In Daniel 6 we see the bureaucrats of King Darius’s administration recognize they will never unseat Daniel because they would never find any ground for complaint or fault.

Daniel was a man of prayer.

ASIDE: It’s an election week and you should pray for our leaders, be they republican, democrat, or otherwise.

But remember, God’s punishment on godless nations is godless leaders.

True God-fearing leaders are never put in place because they’re popular, they’re put in place because of their consistent righteousness.

Look at Daniel and his friends, look at Joseph, look at David, look at Nehemiah… all throughout the scriptures you see this pattern.

So pray that those who win elections this week would receive the Gospel, and pray that they would have righteous men and women within their administrations that rise up to positions of significance because of their steady commitment to righteousness.

Back to Daniel, he was a man of prayer.

What’s the temptation when:

Dan 1 - having the finest, richest foods presented to you every day?

Dan 2 - you hear the king is going to obliterate you and your peers?

Dan 3 - a death sentenced is levied for anyone who doesn’t worship a golden image?

Dan 4 - you have to tell your boss bad news?

Dan 5 - your enemies defile the holy things meant to glorify God and then have the audacity to ask a favor of you?

How do you resist these temptations?

Consistent prayer.

Jesus prayed to rally the troops

Consider the story of Gideon in Judges 7.

32,000 men to 10,000

10,000 men to 300

A strong voice of leadership from a man of God shows up and 32,000 men turn up in obedience.

Why would God turn away people who are listening?

Two reasons:

That God would get the glory Judges 7:2 “2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’”

31,700 men were self-serving in their obedience.

(Prepared to do battle vs along for the ride)

What were or Lord’s final instructions as the crowd of wicked men came to arrest Him and put Him to death on the cross?

PRAY that you may not enter into temptation.

Our prayer must be a priority.

Sunday morning shows how popular the church is; Sunday night shows how popular the preacher is; prayer meeting shows how popular God is.

Any hypocrite comes on a Sunday, but they do not, to my knowledge, all of them come on Monday to the prayer-meeting, nor all to the week-night service on a Thursday.

I am pretty certain of this, though some of them may.

Week-night meetings and services are a powerful test.

Joining The Church, Volume 60, Sermon #3411 - 2 Corinthians 8:5

Charles Spurgeon

Prayer should be how we prepare for the attack to come.

Prayer should be how we purify ourselves before our Lord.

Prayer should be how we pull together.