Prayer, Our Greatest Need

Prayer: Our Greatest Need

E. Keith Hassell

Foundation Scripture:  Exodus 17:8-16

I.             Quotes

A.               Bill Hybels, Too Busy Not To Pray, InterVarsity Press

1.          “Prayer is an unnatural activity. From birth we have been learning the rules of self-reliance as we strain and struggle to achieve self-sufficiency. Prayer flies in the face of those deep-seated values. It is an assault on human autonomy, an indictment of independent living. To people in the fast lane, determined to make it on their own, prayer is an embarrassing interruption.”

2.          “Someone has said that when we work, we work; but when we pray, God works.”

3.          “The other side of that equation is equally sobering: it is hard for God to release his power in your life when you put your hands in your pockets and say, ‘I can handle it on my own.’ If you do that, don’t be surprised if one day you get the nagging feeling that the tide of battle has shifted against you and that you’re fairly powerless to do anything about it. Prayerless people cut themselves off from God’s prevailing power and the frequent result is the familiar feeling of being overwhelmed, overrun, beaten down, pushed around, defeated. Surprising numbers of people are willing to settle for lives like that. Don’t be one of them. Nobody has to live like that. Prayer is the key to unlocking God’s prevailing power in your life.”

B.                Quote by Martin Luther:

1.          “When once asked what his plans for the following day were, Martin Luther answered, ‘Work, work, from early until lat. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” (E.M. Bounds on Prayer, p. 19)

C.               Dr. A. J. Gordon

1.          “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” (E.M. Bounds on Prayer, p. 18)

D.               E. M. Bounds

1.          “The mightiest successes that come to God’s cause are created and carried on by prayer in God’s day of power. When God’s church comes into its mightiest inheritance of the mightiest faith and mightiest prayer, the angelic days of powerful activity occur. God’s conquering days are when the saints have given themselves to mightiest prayer.” (E.M. Bounds on Prayer, pp. 11-12)

II.          “Houston, we have a problem” (Apollo 13, 1970)

A.               Amalek attacks Israel

B.                Two battlefields

1.          Battlefield of life (Joshua and the army of Israel)

2.          Battlefield of prayer (Moses, Aaron, Hur)

C.               The battles of life are won or lost on the battlefield of prayer.

D.               The pattern for victory

1.          Faith (We will not die but live and possess the land God has given to us)

2.          Leadership (Moses)

3.          Authority (Rod of God) (Word of God & Called of God)

4.          Dependence on God (Lifted hands)

5.          Seated (Resting on the Rock of Christ for this is God’s problem, not mine); Ephesians 2:6

6.          Partnership (Aaron and Hur) for support and steadiness (Prayer of Three)

7.          Consistency (As long as Moses kept his hands lifted, Joshua and Israel prevailed)

8.          Persistence (Until the going down of the sun---the battle was won)

III.      Prayer is our Greatest Need

A.               Will we return our faith to the promises God has given us?

B.                Will we lead out in the need to pray?

C.               Will we exercise our authority in Christ?

D.               Will we acknowledge our dependence upon God?

E.                Will we fight from a position of rest?

F.                Will we partner together to strengthen one another in prayer?

G.               Will we be consistent and determined in our prayers?

H.               Will we persist until the answer comes?