The Privilege of Persistent Prayer
Notes
Transcript
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
These next Sundays we will be starting a sermon series on Spiritual Warfare and The Coming of the Lord.
Talk about Kobe Bryant.
Affected me for days.
Death knows at everyone’s door.
27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
Make our lives matter for eternity.
Make our lives matter for eternity.
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Wealth we build in this world, our career doesn’t really matter.
Wealthy enough to own a helicopter worth $13 million.
Be ready.
How do we respond as believers to the tragic death of a big name celebrity like Kobe Bryant?
How do we respond as believers to the tragic death of a big name celebrity like Kobe Bryant?
Pray for the Bryant family and the families of the other who perished that day.
Examine how we are living our lives. What is the main direction and focus?
Merely growth in our career
Accumulation of wealth - I’m sure a lot of you would say Ramon my goal is not to amass wealth, I just want to be able to sustain my lifestyle (being wise for any life event) and the proverbial “prepare for a rainy day”.
Maintenance of life - to make sure that there are no disruptions.
, there is the story of the rich fool:
16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:
May not be the same, but we may be pursuing the maintenance of life, a life without worries until retirement on a much smaller scale. That too becomes an issue if that is the end goal.
There is a warning in Jesus’ words:
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:
Before we start our series on Spiritual Warfare, we need to have the right knowledge and understanding of persistent prayer.
I called for a fast for the month of January. Some of you skipped a meal, some skipped eating for a whole day, some of you did the Daniel’s fast (organic chicharon)
It was important that we are also praying in the duration of our fasting. I said before that if we don’t fast and we don’t pray, we are merely starving ourselves.
So there is power in persistent prayer.
But before we deal with the subject of persistent prayer in the next weeks, we need to have the right insight about persistent prayer.
Persistent Prayer is not twisting the Arms of God.
It is not being relentless in our asking until God agrees to our demand.
Two things wrong with that:
God becomes subject to what we want.
The answer to prayer becomes about human performance.
What about the parable of the persistent friend in ?
Talk briefly about .
Talk bri
Jesus’ employed the method of contrast.
He did not say God was like the reluctant friend, He actually said God is the opposite:
13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
This is easier to remember. Say 7-11.
11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Martin Luther quote here: Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, it is laying hold of His willingness.
Martin Luther quote here: Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, it is laying hold of His willingness.
We have to have the the right attitude towards God when we pray, that we know that He is a benevolent God.
Word study of persistence here - Unashamed.
We have a relationship with the Father!
Persistent prayer is no longer a burden but a privilege!
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
We are called to Pray at all times.
So why should we be persistent in prayer?
Keep Alert with all perseverance.
The Devil is persistent.
We are engaged in a war.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:10
Talk briefly about Daniel 10.
2. The times demand for us to be watchful.
36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
3. It is the will of God for you.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Explain the will of God is for us to be prayerful and thankful people.
Word for without Ceasing..
ἀδιαλείπτως - Pausing at times.
14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Superbowl Parody.
Instead of wondering or asking what God’s will is, remember that when we pray we are already operating in the will of God.
Prayer is the greater work quote here.
Jesus said “your Kingdom come, Your will be done” - it is a surrender
Kingdom!
4. Keeps us in step with God’s greater purpose (Kingdom).
Make supplication for all the saints.
Prayer for the saints in the New Testament consists of:
Provision
Help from persecution (window of opportunity)
Fulfill the Great Commission
There is one personal prayer that Paul asked:
19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
Mobilizing everyone to participate in God’s Kingdom Movement.
Mobilizing everyone to participate in God’s Kingdom Movement.
Prayer is not about us but rather about God and His will.
In conclusion:
Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His highest willingness.
We persevere in prayer because:
The Devil is Persistent.
The Times Demand that we be Watchful.
It is God’s will for you.
Keeps us in step with God’s Greater Purpose.