Part 2: "THE PRAYER OF DESPAIR"

Quick word on Whats coming up:

Dream team dinner.

Marriage conference is next month

Today is baptisms. I really want you to think about how you can play a part in BOTH.

If you haven’t registered for Together conference i want you to do that ASAP we only have a certain amount of spots available for childcare and spots for the conference so dont wait and think “its fine ill just wait til the day before… thats not a smart strategy!”

Baptisms: Do you need to get baptized today?

If you don’t - come support.... or if you cant come. pray!

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OK - sounds good!

lets all stand and SAY The LORDS prayer together

Matthew 6:9–13 (ESV)

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

10 Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread,

12 and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

NEW SERIES: LAST WEEK WAS THE FREQUENCY OF PRAYER: WHEN, NOT IF

TODAY.....THIS IS THE PRAYER OF DESPAIR: a type of praying we see all throughout the bible, and common among Gods people, His leaders, His Shepherds… his Prophets and Kings....

What we could call the prayer of DELIVERANCE....PROTECTION. REQUEST. THE PRAYER OF HELP.

have you ever prayed a prayer like that?

A prayer that sounds something like

“God, get me out of here”

“God, i need an escape!”

“Father, rescue me from the enemy”

Thats what Jesus gives us as a prayer in verse 13

Matt 6:13 “13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

“Deliver us from evil”

get us out of his HOT MESS were in...

I need you

Help me

We are in serious trouble, if you don’t step in - i’m toast.

If i don’t get some help here, its OVER

This is a big one for people of FAITH:

SO MUCH OF WHAT WE PROFESS, CONFESS AND BELIEVE IS ROOTED IN THE FACT THAT WE SERVE A GOD WHO DELIVERS.

DELIVERS US FROM WHAT?

FROM THE ENEMY

WHAT IS THE ENMY?

is the enemy some big bad wolf? is the opposing force in our lives the devil. or a person.

deliver us from WHAT?

..... THE ANSWER IS SIN. and ULTIMATELY what does SIN BRING? CAPTIVITY… & DEATH.

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 7:23 ESV

23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

And if we are

Inevitably we will find ourselves in a situation that requires DIVINE intervention

Have you ever been there before?

Jehoshaphat was a GOOD king, because he walked in the ways of God and not the ways of PEOPLE. If you ever wonder what you should do - always juist go Gods way, its better!

2 Chronicles 17:4 ESV

4 but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel.

BUT JEHOSHAPHAT FOUND HIMSELF IN A REAL BIND..... AND the King prayed a prayer just like this. the prayer of despair...

A PRAYER FOR THE LORD TO DELIVER THE PEOPLE of God from the coming EVIL that was the enemy coming into their lives.

I want us to come around this story, because this applies to your prayer life & my prayer life.

2 Chronicles 20:1–12 (ESV)

1 After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). 3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 7 Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 10 And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— 11 behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

The first truth we can learn here and about prayer is

1.PRAYER SAVES US FROM DESPAIR

In the midst of WHATEVER WE ARE GOING THROUGH - PRAYER FREE’s US FROM THE MOMENT OF DESPAIR!

What is DESPAIR:

“the complete loss or absence of hope.”

Being at a loss. Having a loss brings on despair: “well what am i going to do now”

But also.... The ABSENCE OF HOPE

The king was having a freak out moment. HE WAS IN DESPAIR. HE WAS HOPE-LESS - He was losing it. He was having what i would call a panic attack of sorts:

2 Chronicles 20:3 ESV

3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

But notice what HE DID.

HE GOT THE NEWS “a great multitude is coming against you from EDOM.... then Vs 3 he was AFRAID… AND SET HIS FACE

He set his FACE to seek GOD. and then all of Judah assembled, they came to seek the LORD.

PRAYER IS THE ULTIMATE WEAPON WE HAVE because it MAKES US SET OUR FACE TOWARDS GOD AND NOT AWAY FROM GOD.

But HE WAS IN A STATE OF DESPAIR

“we dont know what to do” / Talk about despair? Talk about a pretty far way up a creek i cannot name ....Thats not a nice place to be in Phsyically, Mentally, Emotionally

The emotion of despair is one that we have a unique take on.

the world has a real problem with despair, we don’t.

THE WORLD HAS NO OPTIONS, WE HAVE ONE. PRAY.

But notice what the king does in his prayer: Because this is a KEY for us in our prayers to God.

HE PRAYS WITH A FOUNDATION OF FAITHFULNESS FOR ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE IN THE PAST.

HE SEEMS TO REMIND GOD OF SOME THINGS......

2 Chron 20:5-7 “5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 7 Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?”

He prays and reminds not GOD?

but REALLY HES NOT REMINDING GOD - HES REMINDING the people… and HIMSELF.

That God is FAITHFUL and who is POWERFUL and POSITIONS GOD IN THE PLACE OF HONOR

Its excatly why WHEN WE PRAY OUR LORDS PRAYER THAT WE NOW HAVE HOW DOES IT BEGIN?

“OUR FATHER.....HALLOWED BE YOUUR NAME” / “HOLY, POWERFUL, SET APART” is you GOD.

and then gets onto praying:

CHALLENGE THIS WEEK: START EVERY PRAYER WITH PRAISE

(and watch what it does - it changes everything)

You know what the very best thing is you can do when you go to pray a prayer asking God for help: REMIND YOURSELF ALL OVER AGAIN AND THE ENEMY AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HEARING YOU BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY YOUR OWN SOUL:

God you are the God who through JESUS christ Rescued me from the Pit

You picked me up when i was down

you didn’t leave me when everyone left me for dead

You were the one who parted the seas for me

You ARE AN ALL POWERFUL GOD

And now i need you ALL OVER AGAIN

… and what happens.

THERE IS A SHFT.

FAITH RISES. HOPE IS NO LONGER DEFERRED - AND MY POSTURE TOWARDS THE PAIN IS DIFFERENT NOW

MY PATHWAY TO THE PROMISE NOW SEEMS DO-ABLE

BECAUSE I PRAYED.

and DESPAIR IS NO LONGER IN MY HEART

2.PRAYER USHERS IN DELIVERANCE

The main one being deliverance and protection spiritually.

If the enemy could KILL you - You would already be dead. But your not, so what does that tell you?

Seriously?

It tells you what his POWER is like.

SIN HAS NO POWER WHEN IT COMES TO THE NAME OF JESUS.

So when we PRAY.... IN JESUS NAME. His

When WE PRAY

Matthew 6:13 “13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Its a prayer of delivering. a prayer of FAITH COVER-COMING despair.

DELIVER US FROM THE INCOMING EVIL.

the impending doom.

The destroyer of our lives which is SIN.

SIN & TROUBLE.

MAYBE YOU FIND YOURSELF IN AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION TODAY

AND YOU NEED THE PRESENCE AND THE POWER OF AN ALMIGHTY GOD> I AM BELIVING THAT YOU WILL STAND AND SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.

MAYBE YOU FEEL THAT THE TEMPTATION IN YOUR LIFE IS A POWERFUL FORCCE: THIS IS YOUR MOMENT TO UNDERSTAND THAT PRAYER IS POWERFUL AND VS 13 is FOR YOU.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

GOD WILL SHOW UP WHEN YOU PRAY

GOD WILL DELIVER HIS PEOPLE>

BUT ITS THE WAY HE DELIVERS THAT MATTERS.... the King in this story is praying and the people are praying and fasting and the spirit comes upon JAHAZIEL the prophet and God speaks through him and tells the king:

2 Chronicles 20:15–17 (ESV)

15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

2 Chronicles 20:22 ESV

22 And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.

DESPAIR

WHICH LED TO PRAYER

WHICH LED TO DELIVERANCE

WHICH LED TO A GREAT VICTORY AND BLESSING

ITS THE SAME FOR YOU AND ITS THE SAME FOR ME!

Whatever it is your facing… You are DELIVERED and You will be delivered. All you need to DO IS PRAY

and STAND FIRM, HOLD YOUR POSITION & SEE GOD DO WHAT ONLY HE CAN DO

ALL BECAUSE HIS PEOPLE PRAYED.

1.Prayer brings Heaven on-side

an army of 1 is enough if heaven is involved.

2.Prayer Brings Giants DOWN

even the most evil thing will submit the name of Jesus Christ.,

All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him… and now YOU.

3.Prayer Brings God GLORY (every time).