Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction:
Have you ever spent time praying for something and nothing seems to happen?
Do you ever struggle with the apparent silence of God to some of your requests?
Do you ever just give up praying for something because God just doesn’t seem to be answering?
Prayer is an essential component of life with God and persistence is needed in prayer.
In other words, don’t give up, hang in there and keep on praying in faith.
I.
The Design of Persistent Prayer
Vs. 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
A. These words describing prayer are all verbs (ask, seek, knock) and they imply direct action.
Prayer is being active rather than passive.
Ask, Seek and Knock is a natural progression of action.
B. The issue Jesus is raising is one of intensity.
If you pray halfhearted, you shouldn’t expect much from God.
Greek imperative, which means that this is a command.
Present tense.
Continuous action.
Keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking.
C. Three steps to persistent prayer:
1. Step one: asking
Asking is to make a request of God
Two realities of asking:
a.
You ask something of God when you have a need and God can provide for all of your needs.
b. “Listen to me, Lord, and answer me, for I am helpless and weak.”
“I call to you in times of trouble, because you answer my prayers.”
The House of Hope Atlanta
2. Step two: Seeking
2. Step two: Seeking
Seeking is asking plus action.
a. Martin Luther said it this way, “Pray as if everything depends on God, then work as if everything depends on you.”
b. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
3. Step three: Knocking
Knocking is asking plus action plus attitude.
a.
You knock when you are shut out from what you need and you knock on the things that only God can do.
b.
Once you identify the GOD door, keep knocking until you gain entrance.
I.
The Design of Persistent Prayer
II.
The Motivation of Persistent Prayer
Vs. 8 “For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
A. If you want to receive, you must ask; if you want to find, you must seek; and if you want entrance, you must knock.
B. We must be sincere
Why would God give you anything if we aren’t genuine in your request?
GNT
I.
The Design of Persistent Prayer
II.
The Motivation of Persistent Prayer
III.
The Power of Persistent Prayer
Vs. 9-11 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
A. God cares more for you than any earthly parent and promises that He will take care of you.
B. God is personally attached to you and loves you fully and completely as His child.
“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.
And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children
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