Powerful Prayers
Notes
Transcript
In thinking about this prayer rally this evening I have been thinking about powerful prayers through scripture there are so many that if we decided to explore all of them we would be here all night. I plan to look at a few.
This initiative is something that needs to be steeped in prayer. Any efforts to minister effectively does need this also but especially in this time, the last days where the hour is late and hearts are so fragile and some even harder than we think, we need the Holy Spirit to draw them to Him.
Our leadership team believes that we must be in prayer for every part of this ministry. We know that God will not honor anything that is not dedicated to Him completely.
May we be pushed to bring the people of our community to God in prayer and may their hearts be stirred and may they have no peace or rest until they make matters right between them and God.
I have seen what prayer can do. My father was not a Christian for four years after my mother got saved and this was a time that where I grew in my prayer life. I wanted my dad to know the Lord more than anything and that burden drove me to my knees. I was only in elementery school but God was able to take that call to prayer and make it a substanial turning point in my life and walk with Him. not only do others benefit from those prayers but we as those who are praying grow stronger in faith and focus, and we learn so much about the God that we serve.
There are five prayers in scripture I want to highlight this evening for your consideration and encouragement:
The prayer of Jabez (1 Chron. 4:10)
He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.
When the author of Chronicles dutifully provides us with a list of Judah’s descendants, he cannot stop himself. Right in the midst of all these names we find the name Jabez, a man he wants us to notice, a man of true honor. If you’ve ever felt like you have caused pain or if you have ever wanted to believe that God can do more than you can ask or imagine then this prayer is for you!
Expandour territory Lord. Not only do we want our churches to grow and thrive we want our community to know you, our province, our nation. Lord let your name be glorified. Be in all that we do and protect us. We need you! Let there be a spiritual awakening in our midst.
2. The Lord’s prayer (Matt. 6:9-13)
This is the prayer that is known as the classic, the one given to us by Jesus Himself. Most of us have said this prayer and could recite it right now. I remember this is how we would start our day at school when I attended right through the grades, we actually did morning devotions and said the Lord’s prayer. There is more to this prayer than the model that Jesus gave us. This is a prayer with real power: God’s kingdom is coming, God’s will being done, all that we need for the day. It is truly power packed, so if you start your day out with nothing else it is jam packed with this prayer.
Praying God’s Word is powerful, there are times when you may feel stuck for words or that the burden is so great you don’t know how to put it into words. When these times happen pray His Word. Pray this prayer, then it loosens your tongue and gets you rolling.
3. Jonah’s prayer of Salvation (Jonah 2:2-9)
This guy is a person who had to go through a lot to hear and heed God’s call for his life. Talk about a runner? We may never be swallowed by a great fish but we can still experience the shame and regret that Jonah felt after he ran from God. The prophet’s plea to the Father provides an example to build on for our own prayers of repentance. And don’t forget this: God heard and ANSWERED this humble, honest prayer Jonah 2:2-9
It is easy for us too look at Jonah’s life and judge him and say my goodness why did he run, why did he disobey God, why didn’t he just listen and trust? There are times when God asks us to do things and so many things run through our mind, we struggle, we doubt and maybe we run. But no matter what we think we need to keep this in mind:
The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you - you will never be out of His care - remember that the Lord’s already there.
This is the words to a song that I love by the Martins and it always rings in my ears when I hear God calling me to do something that I really do want to or don’t feel equiped to do. Yes believe it or not ministers struggle with that too, lol. If there’s any lesson we can take away from this prayer it is hear His call, heed His voice. He calls and equips for that call.
4. David’s prayer (Psalm 3)
The book of Psalms is filled with prayers and songs, cries and petitions. If you ever want a primer for prayer you cannot go wrong with reading from this book of the Bible.
It is a picture of David crying out to God in the midst of great distress. David’s words are no less relevant to our modern workplace and lifestyle as they were to his battles in that time.
Read Psalm 3 from scriptures
This is David’s prayer for Deliverance and tonight we pray for Deliverance for Conception Bay South. Deliverance from Sin!
2. Hannah’s prayer (1 Sam 2:1-10)
When Hannah received the child that she prayed and begged God for, the first thing she felt to do was to praise the one who provided her with this blessing. She wanted to thank Him for His greatness and His deliverance.
We pray lots before receiving something, but then once we receive the thing we have been praying for we forget to pray after God answers. Hannah’s prayer is a prayer of thanks, a prayer of praise. Do not forget God in the good times, He not only God of the bad times He is the God of the good and deserves our praise continually.
Read 1 Sam. 2:1-10
God is a God who cares and understands and loves to bless us. We must not forget to praise Him!
Time and time again in scripture we have been given loads of examples of powerful prayers and when Jesus roamed the earth He too prayed without ceasing. He prayed continually.
Jesus prayed:
at His baptism
In the morning
After healing people
before choosing His disciples
before performing miracles
to give thanks
at the transfiguration
before teaching the disciples
at the Lord’s supper
when He was being tempted by Satan
in the garden
before the betrayal
on the cross - forgiveness
after the resurrection blessing the bread
before the ascension a blessing on his disciples
he is still praying prayers of intercession on our behald even though He is now in Heaven
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
If He did so then certainly goodness we should follow this example and be people who pray powerful prayers to the most powerful God! So my friends let us approach the throne of grace with confidence knowing that God hears our prayers, will answer, will enlarge our territory, will equip our path/steps, and we will praise Him with prayers of thanksgiving for what He will do, has done and is doing!