How to Pray Effectively - Part 1
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English Sermons
How to Pray Effectively (1)
Aligning Our Heart with God’s Sovereign Plan
Dr. Sidney Yuan
(swyuan@ucla.edu)
Preached at Hillside Community Church of
the Nazarene
2804 S. Fullerton Rd,
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
We Don’t Know What to Pray for
Romans 8:26- In the same way, the Spirit
helps us in our weakness. We do not know
what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with groans that
words cannot express.
Definition of Praying
To pray is to
Access into the presence of God,
Align our heart with His sovereign plan,
Allow Him to transform us to His image, &
Ask Him for His provisions
The Disciples’ Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
A) Accessing into God’ Presence- Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name (v9).
B) Aligning Our Heart with God’s Sovereign PlanYour kingdom come. Your will be done on earth
as it is in heaven (v10).
C) Asking for God’s Provisions- Give us this day
our daily bread (v11).
C) Allowing God to Transform Us- And forgive us
our debts, as we forgive our debtors (v12).
B) Aligning Our Heart with God’s Sovereign PlanAnd do not lead us into temptation, But deliver
us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom
(13a) and
A) Accessing into God’s Presence- the power and the
glory forever. Amen (v13b).
Pray According to God’s will and it will
be Answered by God
1 John 5:14 & 15- This is the confidence we have in
approaching God: that if we ask anything according to
his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears
us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what
we asked of him.
John 15:7 - if you abide in Me and My words abide in
you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done
for you.
John 14:13 & 14 - And I will do whatever you ask in my
name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will
do it.
John Wesley & George Whitefield
George Whitefield
John Wesley
Example 1: Aligning to God’s Sovereign
Plan in Our Prayers - 1 Samuel 12:19-23
19 The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God
for your servants so that we will not die, for we have
added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”
20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all
this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the
Lord with all your heart.
21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no
good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.
22 For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his
people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his
own.
23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the
Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way
that is good and right.
Example 2: Aligning to God’s Sovereign
Plan in Our Prayers - Romans 9 & 10:1
9:27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:
“Though the number of the Israelites be like the
sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
9:28 For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth
with speed and finality.”
9:29 It is just as Isaiah said previously:
“Unless the Lord Almighty had left us
descendants, we would have become like Sodom,
we would have been like Gomorrah.”
10:1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer
to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.
Example 3: Aligning to God’s Sovereign
Plan in Our Prayers - Revelation 22:20
• John wrote twenty two chapters on the
Second Coming of Christ
• Revelation 22:20a- He who testifies to these
things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
• Revelation 22:20b- Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Example 4: Aligning to God’s Sovereign
Plan in Our Prayers – Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He
offered up prayers and petitions with fervent
cries and tears to the One who could save
Him from death, and He was heard because
of His reverent submission.
(Jesus certainly knew His Father’s sovereign
plan, but He still prayed with “fervent cries
& tears)
Lord, Your Will Not Mine!
‘Prayer is not a device for employing the
resources of omnipotence to fulfill our own
desire, but a means by which our desires may
be redirected according to the mind of God’ –
William Barclay
A lot of times Christians pray that God would
bless our plans, but instead, Christians should
learn to plan according to God’s will.
Genesis 18:25
Surely you wouldn't do such a thing, destroying
the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you
would be treating the righteous and the wicked
exactly the same! Surely you wouldn't do that!
Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is
right?“ (NLT)
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The
Will
of
God
Ephesians 5:17-18- Therefore do not be foolish, but understand
what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to
debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 4:3- For this is the will of God, your
sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality.
1 Peter 2:13-15- Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of
man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to
governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of
evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the
will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the
ignorance of foolish
1 Peter 4:1-2- Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm
yourselves also with the same attitude (for whoever suffers in the
flesh has broken with sin), so as not to spend what remains of
one's life in the flesh on human desires, but on the will of God.
2 Peter 3:9- The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as
some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing
that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Conclusions
The reasons to pray according to God’s Will:
• 1) It’s a sin to know God’s will but not pray
for it (1 Samuel 12:22)
• 2) God graciously allows us to effect His
sovereign plan through our prayers (John
14:13 ,14; 15:7; 1 John 14,15)
• 3) So that we can be transformed into
Christ’s image, much like Abraham did,
praying for the sinful city of Sodom
(Genesis 18:16-33)
Other Sermons by Dr. Sidney Yuan
(袁惠鈞博士)
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