Preparing for success Prayer

As a christian if we want to be successful in the kingdom of God then there are many items that a christian has in their arsunal for them to succeed.

Today we are going to look at prayer.

PRAYER

Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon their knees. William Cowper

Have you ever thought just how powerful Prayer is

Winston Churchill who didn’t say he was a christian, in fact he said instead of being a pillar of the church inside he was more like a buttress offering support outside.

although he believed that Jesus was the christ new that in the darkest of times and when help was needed he asked the king if he would call the nation to prayer for the situation in Dunkirk.

Many people flocked to churches all around the country just to pray for our nation kings and queens entered into the churches of the capital to seek God in pray

Queues were to be seen rapping around westminster abbey as ordinary people wanted to spend time in pray for our nation.

What was the result on the day that was set for the deliverance on the British expeditionary forces Churchhill watched from his vantage point in the cliffs of dover castle as thousands of tiny ships set sail for the beaches of Dunkirk,

the channel was said to be like a millpond and with a blanket of heavy fog.

God had taken care of the weather Britain expected every man to do his duty if he had a boat

and thousands of men where brought off the beaches safely .

This is just one account of what pray has done for us as a nation.

Im sure if i was to ask each one of you, you would all be able to give me an account of when you prayed and how God answered Prayer for you also.

Pray as we will see shows our dependance upon God and our disire to reach him.

1 Samuel 1:1–8 AV

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there. And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?

1 Samuel 1:9–18 AV

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

In our reading we see how hannah had a need or disire and brought that to God in Prayer.

Hannah lived in a society that put great store on having a child,

She new what it was to be teased or bullied by Elkanah other wife Peninnah

First let see that Hannah didnt go to her husband and complain we see that hannah took her request to God. although Elkanah new what Peninnah was doing.

secondly we see that see went into the presence of God

Thirdly we see that see asks of God her petition.

Although it doesn't tell us explicitly we see from our reading that the family all went up to the temple of the lord to offer there offering to God and it would be one of the offerings that the offer would get a portion to share with God

Putting the formular together we see that Hannah finds that God give to her her request.

But prayer isnt about putting a formular together and waiting for God to do the work for us.

prayer in it essence is spending time with God and letting him know how we feel.

Yes we pray for things and yes we can see God answer our prayers but as i have said so many times before God answers with one of three answers

yes no and wait.

For all of us when we pray we want to hear the answer yes

none of us like to wait or to hear God say know.

prayer is a way the we his creation addresses The creator.

But there are many types of prayer but the prayer that Hannnah Prayerd was a prayer of interceession. we also get the praayer of thanks giving, we all understand about the sinners prayer

All these are just the tip of the iceburg when we come to talk about prayer

as we look through the bible we come across so my people who would ask God for things in prayer.

Remember the time up on mount carmel when Elijah prayed to God for God to send the fire upon the sacrifice

1 Kings 18:36–38 AV

And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

here we see another person who had a realionship with God and God with them

Elijah believed and trusted in God so when he asked him something he had no thourght that God would not hear or answer him.

Here is another key to our prayer life.

You need to have a relationship with God.

As the father of Hennesha and Nathaniel they would have a greater oppertunity of haveing there request met from me than may be Hepsy because of our relationship. but just because they are my children i dosen’t meen that i will give them all they want every time.

We as children of God need to cultivate that relathionship with God if we want to see our prayers answered.

If we dont know what the voice of God sounds like because we have not spent time listerning to him how will you know when he answers.

once again i remind you that no and wait are answers

I know all we want to hear is yes, but God dosn’t always gives us yes.

Our prayers can sometimes be sellfish you know those prayers

bless me myself and Graham and oh yes please undertake for so on so.

Prayer is about us communicating with God and communication is a two way stream

Over the next few weeks we shall look at how we can more on from our first faltering words to be able to pray down a blessing.

we will look at one of the most famous of prayers and look have we got it all wrong.

We will also look at how powerfull prayer is in the hands of a child of God

and we will ask that question how many times a day should i prayer

and my favourite question is prayer an outdated concept when we have the money to answer all our own prayers

and finaly what happens when a church stops praying