The church's prayer life

Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 3:1–2“A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. According to Shigionoth. Lord, I have heard the report about You; Lord, I stand in awe of Your deeds. Revive Your work in these years; make it known in these years. In Your wrath remember mercy!”

Offertory Prayer: God, our Father, blessed be your name. We give our offering to you with praise for your provision. May it be used to honor your name. We thank you for your grace and mercy that You show us. Amen.

Introduction

Prayer is the chain that binds all of today’s Scripture passages together. Prayer precedes blessings. Prayer and power in the church go hand in hand.

Habakkuk was a man of prayer who appeared on the scene unannounced. Who he was and of what family or tribe he was born, we are not told. His name is said to mean “ardent embracing” or “wrestling.” From his book we understand that he was a man who wrestled with God. He interceded in prayer and stretched out in faith as he sought to rend the heavens and bring down the power of God his people so desperately needed.

The question for us is, how do we pray for power in the church?

I.                   Pray directly.

II.                 Pray submissively.

III.               Pray earnestly.

IV.               Pray boldly.

V.                 Pray unitedly.

VI.               Pray militantly.

VII.            Pray continually.

VIII.          Pray thankfully.

IX.               Pray responsively

Text:

Nehemiah’s Prayer

4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 I said,

•Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands, 6 let Your eyes be open and Your ears be attentive to hear Your servant’s prayer that I now pray to You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted corruptly toward You and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances You gave Your servant Moses. 8 Please remember what You commanded Your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. 9 But if you return to Me and carefully observe My commands, even though your exiles were banished to the ends of the earth, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have My name dwell.” 10 They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and strong hand. 11 Please, Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to that of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success today, and have compassion on him in the presence of this man.

At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.

I. Pray directly.

Pray like all of those in the Bible prayed.

I.                 Nehemiah just talked to God.

II.                  So did Habakkuk.

a.      We must remember that if we need power in our lives, we need only ask God for it.

b.     If we need help in our family, we must ask him!

c.      Let the church simply ask the Lord for his power. J

d.     James 4:2 says, “You do not have, because you do not ask God” (NIV).

e.      Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive” (John 16:24 NIV).

II. Pray submissively.

Pray with a yielded will to the Lord.

I.                    James 4:6–7 gives the key to God’s grace—humbling ourselves before him.

James 4:6–7

6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore, He says: God resists the proud,

but gives grace to the humble.

7 Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. [1]

II.                  2 Chronicles 7:14 clearly spells out the importance of brokenness before God in God’s word to Solomon.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (HCSB)

14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

III.                King David humbled himself in such prayer when he said,

Psalm 51:17 (HCSB)

17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.  God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.

We must deal with the pride in our lives.

III. Pray earnestly.

James 5:16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth

much.”

I.                    Fervent means “stretched out.” A track star stretches out all he has to run his race.

a.      This picture can be applied to fervent prayers.

b.     Praying earnestly means hungering and thirsting after righteousness (Matt. 5:6).

Matthew 5:6 (HCSB)

6 Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled.

c.      It is reflected in the cry of the psalmist,

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee” (Ps. 63:1).

                                  i.            God gives spiritual power when his church reaches the point of desperation in prayer.

Stephen Olford said, “We will never have revival until God has brought the church of Jesus Christ to a point of desperation. As long as Christian people can trust in religious organizations, material wealth, popular preaching, and promotional drives, there will never be revival.”

IV. Pray boldly.

Confident praying is found in 1 John 5:14–15.

1 John 5:14–15 (HCSB)

14 Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  15 And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.

I.                    Bold praying is faith praying, and it is faith praying because it is according to God’s will.

a.      Mark 11:24 says, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (NIV).

V. Pray unitedly.

Acts 1:14 says, “They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.”

I.                    God honors unity in prayer.

19 Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you  pray for, it will be done for you  by My Father in heaven. (Matt. 18:19).

Division and dissension block revival.

VI. Pray militantly.

Ephesians 6:10–18 describes militant prayer.

I.                    After all, prayer is spiritual warfare, because Satan fights the church.

a.      We are to wear our spiritual armor and pull down spiritual strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4–5).

2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (HCSB)

4 since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful  through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.

VII. Pray continually.

Paul instructed his readers on how to pray: “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

I.                    With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18 NIV).

Ephesians 6:18 (HCSB)

18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

II.                   Furthermore, he admonished, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17).

III.                Likewise, Jesus taught, “Men ought always to pray, and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).

VIII. Pray thankfully.

The spirit of the church is to be thanksgiving.

I.                     Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7 NIV).

IX. Pray responsively.

Jesus, speaking to the church in Revelation 3:20, said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

I.                    Jesus is standing outside the church waiting for someone—even one person—to respond.

Conclusion

A man visited Wales in 1904 to learn the secret of the Welsh revival. Evan Roberts, leader of the revival, stood to speak and said, “There is no secret. ‘Ask and ye shall receive.’” That is the answer. Revival comes to God’s church when his people prevail in prayer.

[1]The Holy Bible: Holman Christian Standard Version. (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2009), Jas 4:6–7.