POWER OF PRAYER- DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRAYER

INTRODUCTION.

There are many different types of prayer, and each type of prayer has different guidelines and conditions attached to it.

Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

We would make a mistake in not differentiating between those different kinds of praying.

We simply put all prayer in the same sack and shake it all out together.

Many prayers are not working because we are using the wrong rules and laws.

In the field of sports, for instance, we have baseball, basketball, football, golf, tennis, etc.

These are all kinds of sports — but they are not all played by the same rules.

Wouldn’t it be confusing to play cricket game with rugby rules, or vice versa?

The reason people are confused and have a prayer problem is that we have the rules and laws all mixed up together.

We take rules which govern one kind of praying and try to apply them to other kinds of praying.

Speaking illustratively, we have got football, baseball, basketball, golf, and tennis rules supposedly all working together.

We are confused. And so is our prayer life.

One common misconception people have is they think they should conclude every prayer with the words, “If it be Thy will.” They claim that is how Jesus prayed.

However, Jesus prayed this way on only one occasion that is recorded in Scripture. That was in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed

When they attempt to pray the prayer of faith (the prayer of petition, the prayer to change things), they conclude it with “if it be Thy will.” And their prayer is hindered because they are uncertain of His will — His Word.

They may say, “I don’t understand why that didn’t work.”

That would be like saying at a soccer game, “I don’t see why someone doesn’t hit a home run.”

We should not be confused. We should go to the Rulebook! We should strive to Go to the Bible and see how to pray.

Prayer is a big subject but like the disciples we should be praying Lord teach us to pray,

Luke 11:1 (NLT)

1Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

There many types of prayer., are (please bear in mind this is not exhaustive list)

· The Prayer of Faith: the prayer of petition, the prayer to change things (Matt. 21:22.

,Mark 11:24).

This prayer, always to be based on God’s revealed will in His Word, never contains an “if.”

· The Prayer of Consecration: the prayer of consecration and dedication of our lives for God’s use — to go anywhere and do anything. In this prayer we pray, “If it be Thy will” (Luke 22:42).

· The Prayer of Commitment: casting your cares upon the Lord in prayer (1 Peter 5:7).

· The Prayer of Worship(Luke 24:52,53; Acts 13:1-4).

· The Prayer of Agreement (Matt. 18:18-20).

· Prayer in the Spirit: praying in tongues (1 Cor. 14:14,15).

· United Prayer (Acts 4:23-31).

· The Prayer of Supplication.

· Intercessory Prayer.

· Prayer of deliverance.

· Prayer of waiting on God.

· Prayer of walking with the Spirit?

Example of guidelines in prayer, when we wait on God and we hear His voice, we are responsible to do what He says.

Then we can start praying into what the Lord shows us to do.

Today I want to look at the prayer of walking with the Spirit.

The word prayer in the simplest terms means to talk to God.

So when we talk about walking with the Spirit we can only do this if we

know His address.

and where he lives

and how to communicate to him.

Galatians 5:16–26 (NLT)

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,

20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,

21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

22But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

POINT 1 THERE IS NO FOLLOWING WITH OUT PRAYER.

Galatians 5:16 (NLT)

16So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

Amos 3:3 (NIV)

3Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?

2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)

14May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

There is no guidance without prayer.

God the Father sits in heaven. (Hebrews 1:3, & 12:2)

God the Son sits in heaven. (Hebrews 1:3 & 12:2).

God the Holy Spirit is on earth ( Acts 2, Titus 3:5).

We need to develop and deepen our relationship with the Person of the Holy Spirit.

And we need to learn to agree to walk with Him and fellowship with Him, moment by moment in contact fellowship with Him.

2. WHICH LEADS ME TO MY NEXT POINT WHERE DOES HE LIVE.

We can only really connect with someone if we know where they are and we can meet them.

John 14:17–18 (NIV)

17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

We need to acquire the skills and develop a prayer relationship with the God on the inside of us not the outside, remember there are different types of prayer this is a walk with the Spirit prayer.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV)

23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Some practically ideas say good morning Holy Spirit good night, .

When you wake up say Holy Spirit lets glorify Jesus and magnify Jesus today, develop a dependance on Him, say help me Holy Spirit, Guide me , teach me.

Learn to adore and love Him.

3. WHICH LEADS ME TO MY NEXT POINT WHAT WILL THE HOLY SPIRIT DO IN US.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NLT)

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Praying is talking, Talking to the Holy Spirit will produce the fruit of the Spirit -Christlike character.

Romans 8:29–30 (NIV)

29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Galatians 4:19 (NIV)

19My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

IN CLOSING.

Paul prayed this prayer will you pick this up and start praying this prayer for your family and all those around you.

Ephesians 3:16–17 (NIV)

16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

Please bow your head- can you ask the Holy Spirit what is he saying to you through this message.