Prayer, Power, and the Presence

Introduction

I don’t if there has ever been a time where is preparing for a message the text of the sermon worked in my life so much

I believe this passage hits us where we are and is exactly what we need to hear in this place

Let me begin by asking, What is missing from the church?

You are blessed - Chosen by the Father, Redeemed by the Son, and Sealed by the Spirit

Many of the older people of this church knows what I am speaking of

There have been times where God has poured out His spirit on His people

I remember a child in church, very aware that as God’s people gathered together in worship that something heavenly was present

When I was a

So I ask you - what do we do as we sense that there is something missing from the church

I believe the answer is found in our text today and centers around prayer

God in His soveriegnty brought us to this point - Four of us met this past Thursday to begin a prayer ministry at this church

Illuss.: I am reminded (and told them) about the prayer revival of 1857:

The United States was in spiritual, political, and economic decline. Many people were disillusioned with spiritual things because of preachers who had repeatedly predicted the end of the world in the 1840's. Agitation over slavery was breeding political unrest, and civil war seemed near. Just this year, financial panic had hit. Banks failed, railroads went bankrupt, factories closed, unemployment increased.

In lower Manhattan, a Dutch Reformed church had been steadily losing members, they hired the layman Jeremy to reverse the trend with an active visitation program. Despite his visits, church members were listless. So he rented the hall on Fulton street and advertised prayer meetings. He advertised a weekly prayer meeting during lunchtime. The first day, no one showed until halfway through when a handful of people came in. However, he kept praying. Within three weeks 10,000 people were gathering in NYC for prayer everyday.

The state of our lives and churches is directly related to our prayer lives

Paul is going to pray for the church at Ephesus

I want Paul’s prayer to shape our prayer -

1. Pray For Experience

1. Pray For Experience

The Experience of His Power

The Experience of His Presence

2. Pray For Excess

That the Mind May Be Full of Christ’s Love

That the Life May Be Fully Submitted To God

3. Pray With Expectation