Come Alive In 25 Part 4: PRAYER

Come Alive In 25 Part 4

01/26/25

 Prayer

This week were going to wrap up our series on the church vision and the 4 things the early church did to keep the fire going in their lives.

“Come Alive In 25”

As I have been saying, I would like for those who want to dig deeper and grow stronger in the things of God to join with me, with our Church Time, Bible Reading Time, Prayer Time, and now our Daily Discipleship Time.

What do you think of putting up QR code here for D.D.

I believe the way to GROW is by Church Attendance, Bible reading,  devotional time and prayer.

Let’s again look at our foundation scripture.

Acts 2:42 (NKJV) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

So far we have looked at 

Apostle Doctrine or the Word Of God.

Fellowship and breaking of bread.

This week I want to look at another priority of the early church and that is PRAYER.

Prayer is so rich and so important.  I think to many times we make prayer so complicated instead of a sweet time with the lover of your soul.

Yes I know that there are many types of prayer and many times prayer can be very hard to our bodies, but I believe the #1 definition of prayer is Communion with God.

Many believe that prayer has two be long for it to be effective, but again that is not what we see in the word.

James 5:16–18 (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. 

17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

This verse again doesn’t say long but Heart Felt.

James 5:16 (AMP) 16 Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

James 5:16 (NCV) 16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. When a believing person prays, great things happen.

In fact Jesus specifically addressed the issue of long or showy prayers. He criticized those who "for appearance's sake offer long prayers”

Matthew 6:5–8 (NKJV) 5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 

6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 

7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Mark 12:38–40 (NKJV) 38 Then He said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, 

39 the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 

40 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

I’m not saying there isn’t a time for long praying, in fact the early church had the hour of prayer.

Acts 3:1 (NKJV) 1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

This was at 3pm

Let me show you a couple short prayer’s and how effective they were and are.

Go back to Matthew 6:9

Matthew 6:9–13 (NKJV) 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: 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 forgive our debtors. 

13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

We know that this is and example prayer yet we also know that this is the most prayed out prayer.  Everyday, 100s of thousands of people pray this prayer.

Let me show you another one.

1 Chronicles 4:9–10 (NKJV) 9 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 

10And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

Now let me show you a prayer meeting and in a way was not filled with faith.

Peter was in prison and going to be executed the next day.

Acts 12:5 (NKJV) 5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

And angel comes and sets Peter free and he goes to the house were they are praying for him and watch what happens.

Acts 12:12–17 (NKJV) 12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 

13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 

14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 

15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” 

16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 

17 But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.

Does prayer really get God’s attention.

Acts 10:1–5 (NKJV) 1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 

2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 

3 About the ninth hour of the day {3pm} he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 

4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 

5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.

So why does prayer at times seem to take long to get answered.

Daniel 10:10–14 (NKJV) 10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 

11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. 

12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 

14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

In closing let me give you a few really good scripture’s on prayer to think about and will look over them during our Daily Discipleship this week.

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.

Philippians 4:6–7 (NKJV) 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Mark 1:35 (NKJV) 35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Jeremiah 29:12–14 (NKJV) 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 

13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 

14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

1 John 5:14–15 (NKJV) 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 

15And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

See you tomorrow