Sermon Tone Analysis

The Secret to Paul’s Strength

Perhaps it’s because we really don’t understand it!

Remember the OT story of Sampson?

How they were trying to figure out the secret to His strength:

- never would’ve guessed it was his hair.

- Bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried then I will become weak like any other man.... but he snapped the bowstrings like a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire.

- New ropes that have not been used.... but he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread

- If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it with the pin = weak like any other man.... but he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin and the loom and the web

- How can you say you love me when your heart is not with me, she pressed him day after day until his soul was vexed to death.... and he told her all his heart a razor had never touched his head for he was a Nazarite to God from his mother’s womb, if his head is shaved his strength would leave him and he would be weak like any other man.

They wanted to know the secret to his strength.... would’ve never guessed his hair

- never would’ve guessed it was his hair.

In looking at Paul’s life, trying to figure out the secret to his strength - we might never guess that it was prayer

We think its about getting what we want

The most personal of Paul’s letter - where you really hear his heart

We come to understand it wasn’t his appearance, his personality, his charisma, his speaking ability.....

How was he able to endure all that he did?

What was the secret of his strength that made him so successful?

It was Prayer!

The Struggle is Real!

We Don’t Pray

We Don’t Know How to Pray

God Says No!

2 Corinthians 12:

Prayer - What You Need to Know

Prayer is about asking God for two things:

1.

To Know His Will

2. The Strength to carry out his will

When our prayers feel unanswered (the error in our prayer)

Why do so many of us feel like our prayers are unanswered?

What are we missing?

1.

We ask God for #2 without #1

Asking God for His strength to carry out our will

2.

We ask God for #1 without #2

We may feel confident that we know God’s will but wonder why nothing is happening!

Sometimes our prayers prove to be insincere because, even though we are praying according to His will, we are not praying with the kind of sincerity that is willing to say, “God give me strength to walk out the answer to this prayer”.

For example: We know its God’s will that we walk in unity, forgiveness, and love and we pray for these things but not always with the kind of sincerity where we are saying, “God give me everything I need to walk out the answer to this prayer in my own life.”

God tests the sincerity of our prayers by inviting us to participate with Him in the answer

The answer relies on Him, He is the source… but it gets worked out in us!

God tests the sincerity of our prayers by inviting us to participate with Him in the answer

In this way He relies on us!

Really Important Principle: Prayer and Participation Go Together To Make Our Prayers Effective!

Praying for my wife at morning worship

Don’t pray for things you are not willing to participate in the answer to:

Don’t pray God take away the bitterness - Pray God give me strength to forgive!

Don’t pray God bless my wife - pray for strength to overcome your own selfishness and lay down you life - she’ll be blessed!

Don’t pray for God to take away your lust - pray for wisdom for when to fight and when to flee - and if you fight pray for strength and victory!

Prayer is to faith what breath is to life

That first breath

To believe is to be born again - that new life begins with a prayer (like a breath)

That life of faith is sustained by the breathing of prayer - this is where our strength comes from.