Unleash the Power of Prayer
Tony Schachle
Bold as a Lion • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 11 viewsGideon laid out a fleece before the Lord and prayed and asked Him two times to confirm His Word through a miraculous sign. Even though the Lord had already confirmed His Word to Gideon, the Lord gave Gideon the signs he asked for and confirmed His Word again. But is it appropriate for us to lay out a fleece before the Lord today? We have at least three things Gideon did not have: (1) the full revelation of God’s Word, (2) the new covenant of grace in Jesus Christ, and (3) the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. So then how should we approach the Lord in prayer? The Bible declares that there is great potential power in prayer. But how do we make sure we are praying powerful prayers? In this message today, we are going to learn how to Unleash the Power of Prayer!
Notes
Transcript
1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.
SCRIPTURE
SCRIPTURE
33 Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also gathered behind him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. 36 So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said—37 look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” 38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.” 40 And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
The Spirit of the Lord Came Upon Gideon
That should have been all the confirmation that Gideon needed.
God’s anointing was a sign of His approval on Gideon’s life.
God had already spoken to Gideon and told him that he was going to defeat the Midianites.
God had already promised His presence and protection would go with Gideon.
God just wanted Gideon to walk in his anointing.
God’s anointing is enough.
There is just something about the anointing of God.
My prayer is that we could all say that the Spirit of the Lord came upon us.
Jesus was anointed for His ministry.
Jesus anoints His people for their ministry.
Jesus just wants you to walk in your anointing.
Gideon Laid a Fleece Before the Lord
Instead of trusting God completely and moving forward in his calling, Gideon got stuck in the rut of doubt.
All Gideon had to do was walk by faith, and not by fleece.
God had already given Gideon a sign.
Now Gideon asks for two more signs.
This demonstrates God’s patience.
God was extremely patient with Gideon
God gave Gideon the signs that he asked for.
Even though Gideon demonstrated weak faith at times, God included his name in the list of those who make the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11.
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
God is patient and longsuffering with us as well.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
We have three main things that Gideon did not have: We have (1) the full revelation of God’s Word, (2) the New Covenant of Grace in Jesus Christ, and (3) we have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
We don’t need a sign to confirm what God’s Word has already said.
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”
It is OK to ask God for direction and guidance when you don’t know what to do.
However, laying a fleece before the Lord when He has already spoken is a sign of immature or weak faith.
It puts God to the test. (“Did God really say?”)
It puts God in a box and tries to place limits on His power.
We Need to Learn How to Effectively Communicate with the Lord through Prayer and then Obey Him by Faith
Gideon laying out the fleece before the Lord was a type of prayer or communication with God.
Gideon was seeking God for divine guidance.
Gideon was seeking God for divine protection.
Gideon was seeking God for an assurance of God’s promise.
How do you approach prayer?
What is your motive for talking to God?
How often do you talk to Him?
Do you only talk to Him when you need something?
Do you take time to listen for His voice?
If there more to your prayer than just a list of wants?
Do you pray for others or only for yourself?
Our prayers hold a lot of potential.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
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.
Prayer is a weapon against the forces of darkness.
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
Prayer can move mountains.
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
We need to UNLEASH THE POWER OF PRAYER!
MESSAGE
MESSAGE
Unleash the Power of Prayer by Praising the Lord
Before you do anything else, praise Him!
Praise and thanksgiving ushers us into the presence of God.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He taught them to start and end with praise and acknowledging God.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Tell God about who He is and what He has done.
God inhabits the praises of His people.
3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Praise Him for where you are right now.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Unleash the Power of Prayer by Conversing with the Lord
Prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue.
We speak to God and God speaks to us.
Do you have God on mute?
If you are not listening to God, He has a way of turning up the volume.
Go deeper - understand what God is thinking.
3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
Unleash the Power of Prayer by Making it Count
Pray prayers that make a difference.
Don’t use vain repetitions.
Pray from the heart.
Come to Him boldly with bold prayers.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Ask and receive.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Call out to Him
Take it to the One that can change it
Pray in the Spirit
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
Unleash the Power of Prayer by Taking a Step of Faith
Prayer is not getting God to do your will. Prayer is getting ready to do God’s will.
And doing God’s will requires putting your faith into action.
Many of God’s promises are conditional upon us exercising our faith.
If we do our part, then God will do His part.
But God is not obligated to keep conditional promises if the conditions are not met.
Unconditional Promises
11 Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
Conditional Promises
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
So we must understand that this concept of exercising our faith also applies to prayer.
When you ask believe that you will receive.
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
The provision has already been made; Reach for it.
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Unleash the Power of Prayer by Waiting on the Lord
Waiting on the Lord also involves faith.
Waiting on the Lord to answer in His perfect timing demonstrates that you trust His plan and submit to His will.
Don’t get impatient.
God doesn’t offer a drive-thru, microwave version Christianity.
He doesn’t say, “Welcome to McHeaven may I take your order?”
“Would you like that super-sized?”
Trust Him right where you are right now and learn to wait on the Lord.
31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.
14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!
CLOSING
CLOSING
Praise the Lord
Converse with the Lord
Make it Count
Take a Step of Faith
Wait on the Lord
