Effective Prayer

The Effectual Fervent prayer of a righteous man Avails Much

James 5:16 NKJV

16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

NFL: ask for prayer

Hail Mary?

What do your prayers look like?

Training:

oil field terminology

Are we putting out effort

Or are we just putting on

I believe God is revealing in us this year a new way to be effective as a church

Effective as:

Christians

Husbands

Wives

Fathers

Mothers

Aunts

Uncles

Employers

Employees

I believe that this is the year:

Things you’ve been trying to let go off

Things that you’ve been believing for that have already taken place in your spirit is manifesting in front of you

I’m praying for encounters with God over this Church and this city

1 Kings 18:36–38 NKJV

36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

Maybe 41-45 of that same Chapter

My Prayer is that these people know you are God again

Elijah:

lived his entire life as one set apart by God

In the face of adversity and everyone against him he stood of for Truth

Elijah spent a lot of time fasting in the wilderness

He called Isreal back to the things of God

Elijah and Daniel

Look at Daniel

Tomorrow as a Church we are starting the Daniel fast:

Daniel was a smart guy

A “wise man” if you will

He was a bit of an outlaw in his day

He stood up in the face of evil and immorality in his day

Daniel 6:10 NKJV

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

There will come a time and now is when obeying God or following the Bible becomes the unpopular or illegal thing to do.

We have to take a stance in the face of opposition to

Not what we think but what the word of God

Daniel 1:8 NKJV

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel 1:15–16 NKJV

15 And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. 16 Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Thanks Daniel

I would suggest you read the book of Daniel during this fast

You watch him throughout the book clearly hear from God

God was constantly looking for people to use throughout the whole Bible

But the hardest thing for God to find was people who were willing and obedient

Yeah your spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

Isaiah 1:19 NKJV

19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;

3 Points for fasting:

Humbling yourself

The first purpose of fasting is to humble ourselves

Psalm 69:10 NKJV

10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, That became my reproach.

Chastened or humbled

Not only in our words but our actions we humble ourselves

We say NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS BE DONE

Daniel was put in an interesting position he was set before king and rulers and people and instead of glorying in the clout of his position and status he saidI’m going to do what God wants me to do

2. Fasting puts your spirit in the drivers seat

Galatians 5:24 NKJV

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

When we crucify our wants our desires we take control of our flesh and put our spirit in the driver’s seat

Galatians 2:20 NKJV

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

3. Fasting positions ourselves to hear form God

Daniel 2:28 (NKJV)

28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:

Daniel 10:3 NKJV

3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

-Basically vegan diet

-What do vegans fast on the Daniel fast?

Daniel 10:5 NKJV

5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!

Fasting is not about moving God

He’s already moved through his Son on the Cross

When Jesus said it is finished he meant it

We are not waiting on God to move

He’s waiting on us to be willing and obedient

Let’s focus up for this year and get ready for all that God has for us

Matthew 13:14–16 NKJV

14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;

Let’s be a church that:

Obeys God’s word

Listens to his voice

and Obeys what we read and hear

Next week you don’t want to miss

How you can be more effective

I’m going to talk about what we should be laying down and picking up for this year

James 5:16 NKJV

16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Your prayers are powerful

First step to all this is making Jesus the Lord of your life

John 3:16–17 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Dear God, I am a sinner.

I’m sorry for my sin; please forgive me.

I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son

and that He died for my sins

I believe You raised Him back to life.

I want to invite Jesus into my heart

today.

I’m make your Lord of my life

In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.