Prayer - Part 4

How to strengthen your prayer life according to Mark 11:24

Mark 11:23–24 KJV 1900

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

INTRODUCTION

Jesus teaches that prayer involves desire, faith, and expectation.

Observation: Our generation has lost its appetite for real prayer.

Amazon’s top prayer books: journals, missals, devotionals — very little actual instruction on prayer.

No men’s prayer books in the top ten; first one (#11) is One Minute Prayers for Men.

The church has grown accustomed to little prayer, and therefore little power.

Tonight’s message: How to strengthen your prayer life according to Mark 11:24.

I. WE MUST CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD PRAYER

A. Prayer Requires Child‑Like Faith

Jesus said, “Believe that ye receive them.”

Not “name it and claim it.”

Illustration: A child asking a parent with confidence.

Example: Son asking for candy for breakfast — wants vs. needs.

God certainly knows what is best for us. He knows just like you or I that candy might be “food” but it isn’t the food that our bodies needs at breakfast.

Application: We must trust God like a child trusts a parent, while accepting that God knows what is best.

B. Prayer Requires a Sense of Dependency

Many prayers sound like wish lists or additions.

Wrong attitude: “Lord, this is what I want to do — please bless it.” I’m depending on you to do it because I want it.

If God doesn’t give it to me, then therefore there is a problem. It might not be a need.

True dependency says: We must be wholly dependent to trust God to do His will.

“If God doesn’t do it, it won’t get done because it is not His will to be done.”

“I cannot accomplish God’s will without God’s power.”

We ought to be asking for the big prayers that we know are too big for us to do ourselves. Things that you know you cannot do by yourself.

Refutes the saying “God helps those who help themselves.” Show me evidence of that in the Bible.

God helps those who realize they need help.

The thief on the cross realized that he couldn’t do anything for himself.

Think about just how much effort it takes just to get the groceries on your table and honestly tell me that you have a sense of dependency upon God to get them there after not expressing a prayer of dependency and thanks.

C. Prayer Requires a Sense of Urgency

Not rushing God — His timing is perfect.

But urgency reveals how much we truly desire God to answer. An excitedness.

Illustration: Fast‑food workers with no urgency.

Christians often pray urgently only in crisis.

We must avoid routine, mechanical prayer.

Urgency says:

“Lord, I need You to answer this.”

“This is a real need in my life.”

Urgency reveals:

Just how much we really want God to answer

Just how much we really need God to answer

Even when the answer is contrary to what we want.

D. Prayer Requires Consistency

One of the greatest lessons in Christian living is learning to be consistent.

Consistent prayer produces spiritual growth and answered prayer.

II. WE MUST CREATE A LIST FOR OUR PRAYERS

A. Our Prayer List Should Be Personal

Avoid habit of generic prayers: “God be with so-and-so, Lord bless them.”

There isn’t entirely anything wrong with that, but there is a lot more personality that we could pray and put into that.

Example: David Gibbs, the president of the Christian Law Association has published in some of his works his 62‑item prayer list for his wife that he prays over every day.

His grandchildren know they can come and ask him to put something on their prayer list.

Its personal. Oh that we would become so intentional and personal with our prayer lists.

Writing requests helps us pray specifically and intentionally.

Needs

Battles

Healing

Example: Writing down prayer requests in Sunday school and Wednesday night.

We could all lie to ourselves and say that we will never forget.

I want to fill you in on something that I have endeavored to do in my ministry. Each night that I enter into my study, before I begin to work, I get a picture in my head of you sitting here in the congregation and I work my way around the congregation praying for each of you, praying also that God would put something on my heart and mind that might be a blessing to you in whichever message it is that I am working on.

B. Our Prayer List Should Be Expectant

Pray expecting God to answer.

Illustration: Expecting McDonald’s to give you the meal you ordered, with the exception of the ice cream machine. We expect them to have our order right when we pull up to the window.

Where is that expectancy when it comes to God. Father, you said that if it is in the will of God, and knowing that you can and that you will, and that you want to, would you please move?

Christians often give more confidence to a restaurant than to God.

C. Our Prayer List Should Be Changing

Prayer lists should show answered prayers over time.

If nothing is being answered, ask why.

You might want to get that figured out and get to the bottom of that.

Some of it is God’s timing and we have to wait on Him to do when He gets ready.

Christians often accept unanswered prayer too easily.

God will answer — if He isn’t, the issue is not with Him.

It is probably something with us.

It might be our relationship with that person, it might be our relationship with God, but something there needs to get straightened out before He will hear our prayers.

Lamentations 3:7–9 KJV 1900

7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. 8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. 9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.

The easiest thing to do is to get accustomed to it, but the right thing to do is to get it right so He will move on our behalf.

III. WE MUST CALL OUT THE SCRIPTURES IN OUR PRAYERS

A. Scripture Strengthens Prayer

Not commanding God, but using His Word properly.

Many Christians don’t pray Scripture because they don’t know Scripture.

God gave His Word to guide and shape our prayers.

The Bible contains promises from God. Why not call them out? There is a promise in His word for everyday of your life.

A few verses we can begin with praying the scriptures concerning the salvation of others:

B. Pray Scripture for the Salvation of Others

Example: 2 Peter 3:9 — God is not willing that any should perish.

2 Peter 3:9 KJV 1900

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Instead of praying, “Lord, if You would save them…” as though He might not be able to do so.

Pray:

“Lord, You promised that You are not slack concerning your promise said You are not willing that any should perish.”

“Would You give them another opportunity?”

“Would You convict them again?”

Warning: Don’t label people “reprobate.”

God was long‑suffering with us — we must pray with the same patience.

How many times did it take you hearing the gospel, before you got saved? What if He would have cut you off after the first time?

We should truly be long-suffering for those that we are praying for.

C. Pray Scripture for Personal Sanctification

Example: Ephesians 5:26 — cleansing by the washing of the Word.

Ephesians 5:26 KJV 1900

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Pray:

“Lord, when I enter into your word, would you not just let me see the history of it, not just see the accuracy of it,

“Lord, use Your Word to cleanse me.”

“Show me the areas of my life that needs to be fixed, revived, or renewed.”

I believe, that if you get serious about studying and applying the promises of God’s word to your life and even applying them to your prayers, He is not going to tell “well, nah not today.”

He wants you to get right, to be clean.

He wants you to be a vessel that’s meet for the master’s use.

He wants you to be an example of personal sanctification.

He wants you to grow in grace.

2 Timothy 2:21 KJV 1900

21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

2 Peter 3:18 KJV 1900

18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

“Lord, would you cause me to grow in grace and in knowlege of Jesus?”

D. Pray Scripture for Your Specific Roles

Example: Proverbs 22:6 — train up a child.

Proverbs 22:6 KJV 1900

6 Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Let me ask you, is that a command or a promise? You do it really either way. We are commanded to train up our children, but really is a promise, that if you train up your child, when they are old they will not depart from it.

Not that they won’t get a little left and get a little right and waver here and there, because everyone is human and everyone is going to make mistakes. But they will know the truth that you trained them.

Pray:

“Lord, show me how, in the proper way, to train my children properly because I do not want them to depart out of this.”

“Keep them in the way when they are old.”

“Lord, may they never know life outside of the will of God, that they never walk out into this world and know the regret and sorrow that comes from a lifestyle of sin.”

Training is more than bringing them to church — it is daily, intentional, spiritual investment.

I’m sure we have all worked with someone that has been trained wrong.

You know how much of a headache and hassle it is to get those things straightened out and corrected.

You also know how difficult that it is to correct those bad habits once they have set in. The longer they have set in, the harder it becomes.

You better not make excuses for it now, but pray that God show you above and beyond how to “train” those lives now.

Example: Ephesians 5:22–25

Ephesians 5:22–25 KJV 1900

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Wives, before you start praying for your husband to surrender all of himself, are you praying first that God would help you submit yourself properly?

Husbands, before you start praying for a wife that would put herself into subjection unto you, are you praying that God would help you to lead and help you to sacrifice of yourself willingly to promote her and your family?

I can’t change Mrs. Kelly, and Mrs. Kelly certainly knows that she can’t change this stubborn and hard headed fellow standing here before you, but I believe we both know the one that can.

“Lord, use me as a tool in your hands to be the best husband, wife, parent, etc. that You want me to be to bring about your will. Not in my own strength, but in yours.”

Example: Colossians 3:23–24

Colossians 3:23–24 KJV 1900

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

I knew a man once that worked in the cabinet business in a cabinet shop, and it came time to inspect the sanding jobs on the cabinets. This particular fellow knew how to do the job and to do it right, but there were others whose cabinets were not sanded properly.

My friend, when it came around for his cabinet to be inspected said “Hey! What about this one?” to which the foreman responded with “yeah, this one looks really good actually.” My friend replied with, “yep, I know, it’s because I did it.” but as soon as it came out, he knew he was lifted up in pride.

What he confessed that he should have done, was said “Hey guys, I know what they expect on this job. Let me help you get yours in line.”

“Lord, would you help me to work and go through my day with a desire, not to please men, but to work with a desire to please you as though I am working directly unto you?”

CONCLUSION

I’ve read somewhere from one of those books in my office, the author shared and said that the best hours of his day, are the hours spent in prayer. I’m pretty ashamed to admit sometimes, I don’t have too many days where i pray for “hours” even when I know I need that.

I’m not there in my life yet, but it wouldn’t be right for me to say “well, if I’m not there yet, then I’ll never be there.

Lord help me to change my attitude about prayer. Help me to acknowledge that I need you to help me in everything I do.

I need you to help me to:

Preach and pastor sufficiently

Love my spouse sufficiently

Raise my children sufficiently

Anything in my life, if I don’t have the Lord, I can’t do it to the greatest standard that it can be done to.

Remember

Prayer is not a ritual — it is a relationship.

Jesus teaches us to pray with:

Child‑like faith

Dependency

Urgency

Consistency

Build a prayer list that is:

Personal

Expectant

Changing

Create you a list, if you wrote down specific things about just your spouse, children, grandchildren, church...If we’re being honest, just among those things we’d have enough to pray for at least an hour.

Strengthen your prayer life by praying the Word of God.

God desires to answer prayer — but He desires to change us through prayer.

Let us learn to pray effectively, fervently, and faithfully knowing that He will do what He has said He will do.