ANYBODY WANNA PRAY

Today you’ll want to get your paper and something to write with because I’m going to preach a topical message and there will be a lot of Scripture references, so you’ll need to write them down. Amen

So, I have a question for you and it is the title of today’s message, Anybody Wanna Pray?

Help, Lord Jesus. I’m pretty sure at some point we have all said those words. Well you just prayed.

There are people who feel like they can’t pray because they think they don’t know how. They worry it won’t sound like other people, it won’t be eloquent enough, it won’t be as long as other people pray or you just flat out don’t know what to say.

Some people have so many questions about how to pray they lose focus on what prayer is about. They get caught up in things like do I have to be in a certain position to pray like

- On my knees

- Standing up

- Eyes closed

- Eyes open

- Can I pray sitting down

- Can I pray laying in bed

- Does my head have to be bowed

- Should I look to heaven

- Do I have to position my hands a certain way

- Do I have to stand still or can I move around

Then they wonder, what do I say?

- Is it ok to ask for material things

- Do I have to pray for others

- How do I begin the prayer

- Who am I talking to

- Do I pray out loud or to myself

Do I have to be in a certain place to pray? Like church or can I pray at home, work, in the car, at school or at the mall?

There are some who think well it’s the preachers and the deacons who are supposed to pray.

There may be a time you just don’t feel like praying. You may be mad at God because you’re going through something you don’t think you should have to go through.

Maybe you prayed before and it “didn’t work”, the person still died, you still lost your home, your car was still repossessed, the cancer still came back, your spouse still left. You think God didn’t answer so you don’t want to talk to Him anymore.

So here are some questions we may have: What is prayer? Why do we pray? What effect does prayer have? And are there different types of prayers?

So what is prayer? In a book called “The Kneeling Christian”, D.L. Moody asked this question to a group of children in Edinburg. He wasn’t expecting a response, but when a sea of hands went up and he called on one of the children, here is what he heard, “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies.” Wow out of the mouths of babes, did that child nail it or what? “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies.”

Simply, prayer is conversing with God—not just talking to God but conversing. To converse is to have two-way communication, both parties speak and both parties listen.

All too often when we do attempt to pray it turns into a laundry list of things we want God to do for us, give us and places we want Him to go for us. Lord help me, heal me, bless me, go to the hospital, go to the nursing home, go to the prison. And God is saying love me, trust me, get to know me, spend time with me. But we’re busy with our spouses and children and projects and programs and work and volunteering and life. We say God help me finish X,Y,Z – God says slow down and pray and I will order your steps, I will redeem the time.

We say God, heal my body—God says rest, take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. He says I already healed you, by my stripes you are healed.

We say, God go to the hospital and the prisons to look in on your people—God said go ye therefore into all the world; He says that which you do to the least of these you do also unto me. When you visit the sick or those in prison, when you give of yourself, you are giving to God.

Think about it, when you’re sick would you rather I come and sit with you and feed you when you get hungry or that I have some flowers delivered with a card that says “I’m praying God’s healing power for your life. Get well soon.” There is a time to pray and a time for action. It is more challenging today to get to people so how about a phone call? We understand with all that is going on you can’t always go to the person who is sick and this is the time you really want to pray. You can call and pray with them on the phone.

In Exodus 15 Moses was trapped at the Red Sea with the children of Israel and he began to pray. When you get to verse 14 God asked Moses a question. He asked him “Why are you praying” then God said “tell the people to move.” There is a time to pray and a time to move. Don’t get it confused.

Timing is important and knowing what time it is, is essential. Is it time to pray or is it time to move. Now, must these two actions be independent of each other. Certainly not. Church there’s never been a more important time to pray. Not that we haven’t been praying but, as we are separated by distance we must strive to stay spiritually connected and corporate prayer is one way to do that. When we come together to pray, things will happen. God responds to our faithfulness and the doors of heaven will open for us as a body in Christ.

So what is prayer? It can be simple, it can be complicated. Prayer can be long or short, formal or informal. We have individual and corporate prayer.

So why should we pray? We pray for a myriad of reasons but the primary reason we should pray is because:

- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “Pray without ceasing.”

- Philippians 4:6 – says; Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

- Matthew 26:41 says – “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.

- Luke 18:1 says “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not faint.

- 1 Timothy 2:8—I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

I think you have the idea. We pray because God’s Word tells us we are to pray.

Those five Scriptures give us the when to pray – pray without ceasing, that means all the time. Those Scriptures give us the where – wherever we go, wherever we are—pray.

So if we are to pray all the time, wherever we are, what does that do for how we are to position ourselves for prayer. What is our posture to be? Can you close your eyes and pray if you’re driving your car? What about when you’re at work and you work on an assembly line—you’d better open your eyes and watch what you’re doing. God is not concerned about the position of your body, He is concerned about the condition of your heart.

• Are you trying to pray with malice in your heart?

• Are you trying to pray with unforgiveness in your heart?

• Are you trying to pray with anger in your heart?

• Are you trying to pray with an unrepentant spirit?

If you answered yes to any of those questions there’s something you need to do before you approach the Throne of Grace. Before we pray we must recognize and acknowledge that God is holy and remember that when we go to Him in prayer, He’s not our sugar daddy, our Jeannie in a bottle granting us three wishes or the ATM to put in our prayer card and make a withdrawal. We must adore God for who He is, not just for what He’s done or what He can give, but for the wonderful, awesome, magnificent, magnanimous, mighty, matchless, incredible God He is. Creator of the heavens, the Earth, you and me and He made them all perfect.

There are some conditions when we pray. See we don’t like to hear that as Christians. We try to think that we are entitled to everything, but the fact of the matter is there are some things we must do if we want to have a successful prayer life.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14 there is a formula. It begins with “If” this means what follows is conditional because later in the passage we find the word, “then”. So “if” we, “then” God. If what?

If my people—whose people? God’s people. You have to be a child of God, you have to know God to pray to God.

Which are called by my name—Christian. What do people call you? Would your friends, coworkers and family members know you are a Christian if you never opened your mouth?

Shall humble themselves—it’s not about your body position it’s about your heart. We need to approach God with humility, recognizing God is God, that He is sovereign, omnipotent and He knows us, what we did and didn’t do and that we don’t deserve to be able to speak to Him, but Jesus built a bridge for us to go to the Father directly. It was Jesus’ sacrifice, not anything we did to deserve that privilege.

And pray—converse with God

Seek my face—when we pray, we ought to be seeking the face of God. When we seek the face of God and get into His presence, nothing else matters. Marvin Sapp sings a song that says, “nothing else matters, but seeing you Jesus, seeking the Master, the one who reigns over my life.” Whose reigning over your life, is it you or have you turned it over to the Master?

Turn from their wicked ways—how can you say you love God who you’ve never seen and hate your brother who you see every day. You can’t change a world, when you despise the people of God. When you are wicked and use God’s Word to cut instead of to heal, nothing will ever change. Our ways are wicked, we need to take on the character of Christ if we are to be effective.

If we do those things—then and here’s the shift, then

Will I hear from heaven—When the people of God get it together, God speaks

And will forgive their sin—We need forgiveness from sin more than anything else. Forgiveness deals with our eternal soul—everything else is temporal and will pass away, but what about your soul?

And will heal their land— If we want change; then we have to be willing to humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways. Change has to begin with us, healing of the land must begin with us.

This is the effect prayer can have. Change is what we ultimately want. Think about what you’ve been praying for. What have you prayed that was not about change? What have you prayed for that was not God’s will? Do you know what God’s will is?

There are some things to consider for your prayer to be effective. James 5:16 says—“Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another, that ye may be healed [change]. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

You want your prayers heard and effective and not bouncing back off the ceiling on your head; then you must be righteous. Romans 5 tells us how we are made righteous. Then we have to pray effective prayers. You want to know what effective prayer is—it’s the Word of God. His Word is effective, His Word will not return void. His Word will stand forever, heaven and earth will pass away, but His Word will stand.

Then be fervent in your prayer, to be fervent is to feel very strongly about something. You may have to cry sometimes, you may have to travail, you may have to lay on your face, you may have to fast over that thing. It’s not that God can’t hear you, but He wants to know that you really mean what you pray, are you willing to turn the plate down for your cause.

Jesus gave His life for what He believed, He gave His life for you and me. What are you willing to give? Will you give some time, will you give back the talent God gave you, will you give back a portion of the money God gave you? He ask for a tenth will you give it? It can be a challenge to give now, but we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible with CashApp, Givelify, PayPal or you can just mail your check.

Some of you have mastered the money tithe, but what about the tithe of your time and talent. You may say time is money and you are so right but look at the time Jesus gave confining himself to a body for 33-years, just to save ungrateful, unworthy, unforgiving, unloving, gossiping, backbiting sinners. You see when Christ came, He came for the lost, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Jesus gave it all, Jesus paid it all, what are you willing to give?

You want to be effective when you pray, there is a formula.

- Pray to the Father, in the name of Jesus. John 16:23 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

- Pray the Word of God – Isaiah 55:11 - So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

- Ask God for what you want and believe that you’ll receive it – Mk 11:24 – Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

- Forgive if you have a problem with anybody – Mk 11:25-26 – And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

- And depend on the Holy Spirit’s help in prayer, Romans 8:26 – Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Now let us pray. Along with the formula, there are types of prayers.

The Prayer of Faith – is a prayer of petition or prayer to change things. Matthew 21:22 – And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. If you’re going to pray, you have to pray believing that God can and will do what you’re asking. It’s vital that you check what it is you’re asking for. Is it in God’s will to do or for you to have that thing? Are you asking for something that belongs to someone else, coveting what they have instead of asking Him to awaken the gift He’s already placed in you. What is your motivation for what you’re asking for? Is it for your vainglory or for God’s glory. This type of prayer must be based on the Word of God to be effective.

Prayer is not about getting what you want; it’s about our desire for things agreeable to God’s will. Sometimes we think we don’t deserve something or shouldn’t ask for something when it’s in the will of God for us to have it. But we’re not reading the book, so we don’t know what we’re entitled to.

The Bible can be like a menu, in that, it tells us what’s available. But be careful, there is a cost for each item on the menu, and faith is the currency. How much are you able to order? Hebrews 11 records some great people in the Bible and how their faith allowed them to do great things for God. Read that chapter and see what those people paid for what they received.

3 John 2 – Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. In the NLT it says it this way, “Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.” Beloved – a term of endearment, God says you are dearly loved. Then He says he wishes above all things that you prosper and be healthy even as your soul prospers. How is your spirit; is it healthy or malnourished; strong or weak?

The prayer of faith – praying, believing that God will do what He said He would do.

The Prayer of Consecration and Dedication – this is a prayer of dedicating someone or something for God’s use.

To consecrate is to make or declare sacred or holy; to set apart for God’s use.

We can consecrate our lives, gifts, talents and things like buildings and vehicles for the purpose of advancing the Kingdom of God. Jesus prayed this type of prayer in Luke 22:41-42 – And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. In your prayer of consecration you have to be willing to say “nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” Can you completely surrender your will to the Lord, even if it means your life?

The next verses go on to say – And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Will you pray even harder when you’re in agony or will you give up and say it’s just too hard? When you live your life for Him, God will give you strength for your journey. You will never have to worry about walking it alone. Don’t give up – when it’s gets hard, that’s just where you want to be, because when God’s angels show up, they will fight the battle or sure you up to do it, either way you win. This prayer is about the master plan or should I say it this way, the Master’s Plan.

The Prayer of Commitment – This prayer is about committing your cares, worries, problems, anxieties and fears to God. 1 Peter 5:7 – Casting all your cares upon him; for he careth for you. And Philippians 4:6-7 – Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Stop walking around with the weight of the world on your shoulders. God has the whole world in His hands, so why are you trying to carry it. What makes Aunt Susie’s, Uncle Billy’s, or Cousin Mae Mae’s problems yours? Give them, their problems and you give yours to the Lord and let Him handle them.

Don’t tolerate anxiety or worry, they open the door to fear and fear is not of God. How can I be so sure? Because 2 Timothy 1:7 says, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

The Prayer of Agreement – Matthew 18:19 – 20 – Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. It’s about the principle. This prayer of agreement is a powerful prayer.

If we look back in Genesis 11:6 we see the power of being united – And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Wow nothing will be restrained from them. Can we do this today? Can we come together in a prayer of agreement? If we could, we could change the world.

Now here’s the catch, be careful what and who you tie yourself to and agree with. You want to agree with people who think, act and walk like you. Not who look like you, but who think, act and walk like you. How are you thinking, walking and acting? If they think like you, will their thoughts be positive or negative? If they walk like you, will they walk in victory or defeat? And if they act like you will they be identified as someone belonging to Christ or Satan? If everyone were just like me, what kind of world would this world be?

You want to make absolutely sure what you’re praying about and agreeing with before you begin to pray. Is that thing in the will of God or not? This is a time to ask what specifically you are praying with the other person about. Instead of praying with them you may need to pray for them, which is a prayer of faith not a prayer of agreement. Applying the right prayer to the right situation, it’s important.

The Prayer of Worship – Luke 2:20 – And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Luke 18:43 – And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

When you pray a prayer of worship, you’re not asking for anything. You are simply give thanks and praise to God. I would venture to say this type of prayer is one of the less prayed types of prayer. Many times, we are so busy asking, we forget to just say thank you for what He’s already done.

Have you ever encountered someone who never seemed to satisfied, they always wanted more, they always expected more, what they had or what you gave was never good enough. Sometimes it just needs to be good enough. You see what can happen when it’s never good enough is you can get stuck in that place, because when it’s not good enough you won’t move on because you’re still trying to fix that thing, you’re still praying about that thing and God has said it’s done and move on.

Don’t you just like to hear thank you sometimes with nothing else added to it? Well so does God. He gave His best and sometimes we need to just say thank you.

There are certainly others, but the last type of prayer I’m going to talk about today is…

Intercessory Prayer – this prayer is about standing in the gap for others – Paul was an intercessor, he interceded for the churches he wrote letters to all the time.

But the greatest intercessor and the one we want to follow is of course Jesus. John 17:20 – 26 – “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Jesus prayed for us then and continues to intercede for us even today, in Romans 8:34 – Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Jesus, gave us the model for prayer, he gave us the avenue to the Father when He gave His life for our sins. He provided the bridge we needed that had been severed by sin. We have the right to approach the throne of grace boldly and unashamed because we are washed in the blood of the Lamb.

But first do we have anyone today who would like to pray the most important prayer you will ever pray, the prayer of salvation. If you have never prayed that prayer, I invite you to come now. If you’ve prayed that prayer and would like to join yourself to this branch of Zion, please send us an email to [e-mail] or respond on whichever platform you are viewing this message, letting us know you want to unite with us and we will connect with you. It may seem unconventional, but these are unconventional times.