prayer10
Let's look into t Gospel of JOHN again to see what Jesus had to say about prayer. As strange as it may seem, John does not record anything that t other Gospel writers do concerning prayer. What John does say, t others did not include in their account.
I. Look at what JOHN said in JOH 21:25.
A. JOHN said in (JOH 20:31) that he wrote what he did, `that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.' (KJV)
B. JOHN 14:10‑14
1. Many think that this scripture is talking about prayer, but it's really not.
2. Let's compare it to JOHN 16:23‑24.
a. In this passage of scripture Jesus is talking about something entirely different from what he was talking about in Ch. 14.
b. In Ch. 16 He said, `Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give {it} you.'
c. But in Ch. 14 He says, `And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.'
i. He's talking about 2 different things.
C. In (JOH 14:13) when Jesus said, `Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do.
1. T Greek word translated `ASK' means `DEMAND'.
a. We are not demanding anything of God.
b. When we pray, we ask t Father in t Name of Jesus.
2. But we have a right to demand t Devil to give up what he's stolen from us.
a. WE have a right to demand t Devil to stop his activities.
3. We see examples of this in t Bible.
a. In (ACT 3:6) LUKE wrote, `Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.'
i. It's being implied that he demanded t man to be healed. He didn't demand anything of God, but he demanded t Devil to release him.
b. Go back w/ me to JOHN 14 & look at V. 12‑13.
c. Peter was doing t works of Jesus when he demanded that t man get up & walk.
II. Alright let's go on to some things that Paul said about prayer. He had much to say on t subject of prayer.
A. We already went over some of t things that he said in t last several weeks, & we're not going to repeat those. We're just going to look at some additional things.
1. 1THES 5:16‑18
a. V. 17 in t KJV is a little misleading, some people have gotten t idea that Paul is teaching to pray all t time.
b. Other translations read, `Never give up in prayer,' or `be unceasing in prayer.'
i. In other words, don't give up on your prayer life.
2. Paul's exhortation to never give up in prayer is right in t middle of 2 other exhortations, REJOICE EVERMORE & IN EVERY THING GIVE THANKS.
a. T phrase `REJOICE EVERMORE' means continue in joy. We are to continually be joyful.
i. NEH said, `The joy of the Lord is your strength'.
B. Then Paul said, `In every thing give thanks: for this is t will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.'
1. But you don't thank God for every thing.
a. In other words you don't thank God for t tornado that destroyed your house, or for t sickness.
b. But even in t mitts of those things you can still be thanking God. You can always find some thing to thank God for.
i. Not for t harm or t destruction that has been done, but for t good that He is doing.
III. Let's look at some thing else that Paul said about, 1TIM 2:1‑2
A. Too often we put ourselves 1st in prayer or our family.
1. & Many times we don't get any further than that. It's, `Father, bless me & my wife & our 2 children, us 4 & no more.'
2. But Paul said, First of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, {and} giving of thanks, be made for all men; (KJV)
a. Then he became more specific & said, For kings, and {for} all that are in authority.
b. In that day they had Kings, today that would be comparable to our president & to t heads of government.
3. Why did Paul say that we should pray for those in authority?
a. `That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty'. (KJV)
B. Notice that intercession is mentioned here. [V 1]
1. Abraham made intercession for t people of Sodom & Gomorrah.
a. Abraham pleaded w/ God not to destroy t cities if there be just 10 righteous there.
b. God said, in (GEN 18:32) `I will not destroy {it} for ten's sake.' (KJV)
2. There are more than 10 righteous in America so we don't need to be frightened that there might be coming a judgement on t U. S.
a. We don't need to be frightened, but we do need to intercede.
IV. 1TIM 2:8
A. Notice t last part of that V. [8]
1. We get some instruction from Paul here.
2. One thing that he says is that we are to pray w/out doubting.
a. Jesus said t same thing in (MARK 11:23 & 24) Shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe. (24) Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive {them}, and ye shall have {them}. (KJV)
b. Then in 1TIM he goes on to say, `W/out wrath'. I think that we all can see t necessity of praying w/out wrath.
B. Paul also gave us a 3rd instruction; `Lifting up holly hands'.
1. We need to practice that as well as t others. Lifting up our hands to praise Him, to worship Him, & when we come to Him in prayer.
V. 1TIM 4:1‑5 In these Vs. Paul is telling us that t food that we eat is sanctified by t Word of God & by prayer.
A. T word `sanctified' means `Made holy'. Our food is made holy by t Word of God & by prayer.
Next time we're going to finish this up on prayer.
March 17, 1990