Getting more . . . out of prayer
Getting more. . . • Sermon • Submitted
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· 20 viewsPersonal and corporate prayer add to what we get out of the assembly
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Let the people say “Amen”
Let the people say “Amen”
1 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.
Psm100:1-2
3 Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.
And let the people say amen. Amen what a great word, we often say it at the end of a prayer. And prayer is what we will be talking about tonight, but think about amen for a minute.
(Insert a slide that says “amen”)
Pose the question before answering it; what does amen mean?
It is a transliterated word from the Hebrew meaning, “truly, verily, or “so it is, so be it” or finally “may it be fulfilled”
We pray and say in Jesus name amen, but it can be used in other places too. Maybe there is a statement you hear you strongly believe in, it’s OK to say “amen”
Psm100:1-5 is almost like the form of a prayer, needing a hearty amen at the end doesn’t it.
If the order of service for the assembly looked like this you would think there was something wrong: (Below is one slide; leave it that way)
Two songs
Lords Supper song
Lords Supper
Song
Preaching and invitation
Song of invitation
Closing song
Just like if we removed singing from the assembly you would think something was wrong. Prayer is a vital part of the assembly and is a vital part of a Christians life.
In the assembly we normally have prayer before the assembly, at least a couple of prayers during the assembly and prayer at the end of assembly
Paul stressed the conduct of Timothy which was acceptable and it included prayer and that brings us our text today.
I. Prayer in our Assemblies and personally too
I. Prayer in our Assemblies and personally too
1Tim2:
1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Getting more regarding prayer
The Place of prayer
It is good to offer prayers in the assemblies as the example is set by the early church.
15 What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. 16 Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified.
It is good to pray in times of trouble
5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.
12 And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
It is good to give prayers of thanksgiving
20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
Or how about
18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
It is good to pray for our leaders as mentioned in 1Tim2:1-2 we read earlier
In your closet, in the assembly, on your bed, on your knees there is always a good place for prayer.
(Slide) Just as there is a place for prayer there is power in prayer
(Slide) Get ready here we go with proof of the power of prayer through the proclamation of the scripture.
we know prayers offered in faith by the faithful avail much
15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
Jam
if the prayers of a righteous man will avail much, think about when we all join together and come in agreement with a hearty “amen”?
Prayer brings the peace of God to the people of God, to keep them in the position of protection by God both in heart and mind.
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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Prayers of the people help to promote the peace of the nations
2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
peace of the nations starts with peace with us which comes from peace with God first
Prayer can help when you are tempted or are struggling with temptation
41 “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Prayer can bring forgiveness to those who have fallen, step, walked, stumbled or found themselves giving into temptation
22 “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.
32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth.
20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
Prayer can held lead to the bold proclamation of the gospel
38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Workers, workers like me, workers like you, workers like those we assist already
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;
Praying, be devoted, being alert, being attentive at all times so God will open the doors before us to share the mystery of Christ!
1 Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;
Pray for the spreading of the gospel; just as it was spread shared with; pray that it is spread out from here.
Pray for boldness in the proclamation; I mentioned boldness a moment ago, but did not give you a scripture for it, so here it is.
18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Prayers, petitions with perseverance so the gospel can be proclaimed and proclaimed boldly.
So, many of these prayers are some we offer, can offer in our assembly. We don’t want dead or lithargec prayers we want our prayers to reflect our heart so now, how can we do the next thing
II. Getting more out of our prayers
II. Getting more out of our prayers
Believe in the power of prayer
Persistent prayer - like the widow of Lk18
Or there powerful words of Jesus
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?
10 “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
Then there is the praying together like Peter and John; Paul and Titus and we saw what that did, rattled the gates and opened prison doors for them.
Power in praying by faith and in faith
22 “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Now just because you ask does not mean we will get it, there are some conditions
Are we doing the Father’s will?
22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
12 “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
He sees us keeping the commandments and His ears are attentive
Those who pray with the heart, with the mind, who pray in faith will rejoice when they are praying or others are praying and able to join with a hearty amen.
Prayer in the assembly is great but personal prayer is where it starts. the spiritual discipline of prayer is practiced whereas it becomes second nature or even first nature
17 pray without ceasing;
Yep, pray without ceasing, having that open line all the time.
Praying steadfastly
12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
praying watchfully
2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
(Slide) When we do these things then we will
(Slide: All the rest are one slide, leave it that way) appreciate prayer and its value more
You will further develop the spiritual discipline of prayer
People who pray often, love to pray
That brings us to (Slide) Humility in prayer - We need to take position of humility as we come before the throne in prayer
Be it standing like Hannah in 1Sam1:26 or
Be it standing (1Sam1:26 ,
25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.
Or even with your hands spread out or raised to heaven 1Kn8:22; Neh8:6 or
8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.
With bowed heads
6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
maybe lifting your eyes
1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
or kneeling
36 When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
or even on your face
39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Now there is no official posture for prayer. Prayers being offered will reflect the heart of the person praying
(Slide: One slide; keep it that way) The attitude of the person
The humility and reverence of the person
It will reflect both the heart and the mind of the person praying
You don’t have to be passive when it comes to others praying you can participate, in your heart tell the Lord of your agreement - you know offer and amen in your heart to what is being prayed Then you can participate at the end offer a hearty amen.
The custom was you would at the end of a public prayer offer an amen in agreement with the person who was praying. By doing such you are joining the prayer and it becomes your prayer too. You want to get more from the assembly and your prayer life we have covered a few good points.
(Slide) Believe in the power of prayer
(Slide) Develop the discipline of prayer
(Slide) Take a position of humility when you pray
(Slide) Pray in your heart with the person offering prayer
(Slide) Offer a hearty “Amen” at the close of the prayer.
Lead to encouragement and invitation