There's Power in Prayer

I remember growing up there was a song that would really hit hard when we would sing it. It is a song that really spoke to many in our congregation and encouraged us all to continue to press in when it comes to prayer.

There’s power in Prayer

Power to share

All that I ever need

Is waiting right there

A few words

A Child’s faith

It’s goodbye despair

For there’s power

So much power

There’s power in prayer

This evening we have had a time to celebrate together something that has brought our church congregations together for the good of our community. I pray this is the start of beautiful friendships, worship and powerful testimony of what faith in God can do and the power of prayer!

I have to share a funny story with you at the start this evening.

Illustration:

I once heard a story about a mother who got a call from school saying her young daughter was ill. She hurried to pick up her child and then called the doctor. But the doctor’s schedule was already overbooked that day. He could see the child the following morning, and in the meantime recommended an over-the-counter medicine to ease her symptoms. The mother tucked her little girl in bed and drove to the pharmacy, bought the medicine, and hurried back to her car, only to realize she’d left her keys in the igni- tion and locked herself out! When she called her daughter to explain why it was going to take more time to get home, the little girl told her to find a coat hanger. “Mommy, I’ve seen it on TV. They stick the coat hanger down inside the window, hook it on the handle, and the door opens.” The mother went back into the store and was able to get a wire coat hanger. She made attempt after attempt to open the car door, with no luck. Finally, she lifted her racing heart to the heavenly Father. “I don’t know what to do, Lord. My keys are locked in the car, my little girl is at home sick, and I’m here with this coat hanger. Lord, please send someone to help me.” As she finished her prayer, a car pulled up at the curb and dropped off a pas- senger. The man had a rough look, like he hadn’t shaved for days, and it occurred to her he might be homeless. But she said to him, “Sir, can you help me?” “What’s the problem?” he said. “I’ve locked my keys in the car, and I’ve got this coat hanger, but I don’t know what to do with it.” “Lady, let me have your coat hanger.” After bending the hanger and inserting it down alongside the window glass, he quickly opened the car door. The mother was so overwhelmed that she threw her arms around the scruffy guy and gave him a hug. “You are such a good man,” she told him.

“Lady,” he replied, “I’m no good man. I just got out of prison this morning.” As he walked away, the mother lifted her hands up to heaven and prayed again. “Thank You, Lord—You sent me a professional.” God sometimes answers prayers in unexpected ways! In fact, I think He finds great delight in surprising us with His answers. But regardless of how the answer comes, He hears our prayers and responds to them.

From the start of this outreach things happened in odd but God ordained ways. We did not know how it would all unfold especially during a pandemic lockdown but God used it all for His good and Glory. Despite the road blocks we banned together and saw His work and word go forward and it encouraged our hearts through it all. What a priviledge!

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

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,

When we pray we are doing spiritual warfare against Satan. Over the last number of weeks in our congregation we have been talking about the armor of God and how we can be able to stand firm against the attacks of the enemy. So tonight we will look at prayer as another part of that arsenal.

Ephesians 6:10–18 NIV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Paul tells us to put on the armor of God so that we are prepared to stand against the enemy and his strategies.

Paul makes it clear in Ephesians 6 that we are in an ongoing war against the enemy. He is trying to have Dominon over us but we are being challenged or rather called to action to be prepared and stand our ground.

The Lord is our commander and is leading us in the struggle to take back what is rightfully ours. Prayer is our line of communication - our secret lifeline that connects us to our Leader and gives us strength and direction every day!

This is why Paul devoted a special space for prayer in the discussion with us on the believer’s armor.

If you have any doubts about the importance of prayer, please consider its high place in the life and ministry of our Lord. Here is how S. D. Gordon described it: Prayer . . . was not only His regular habit, but His resort in every emergency, however slight or serious. When perplexed He prayed. When hard pressed by work He prayed. When hungry for fellowship He found it in prayer. He chose His associates and received His messages upon His knees. If tempted, He prayed. If criticized, He prayed. If fatigued in body or wearied in spirit, He had recourse to His one unfailing habit of prayer. Prayer brought Him unmeasured power at the beginning, and kept the flow unbroken and undiminished. There was no emergency, no difficulty, no necessity, no temptation that would not yield to prayer. . . . How much prayer meant to Jesus!¹

If the Lord Jesus considers it important for Him to pray, and He has been inter- ceding for us at the throne of God for the last two thousand years, maybe those of us who are less than diligent in our prayer life should stop and ask ourselves—are we missing something?

This evening we need to be reminded of the P’s of Prayer:

Persistence of Prayer

Praying always …

In Thess. Paul told believers to pray without ceasing.

Praying always means constant contact with God like the soldiers on the battlefield connected to their commander via radio.

It’s like a running conversation with God. Talking to Him about whatever comes to your mind. It is as if life is a prayer to God.

Look for prompts throughout the day that remind you to pray.

Wash your face - ask God for a cheerful countenance.

Brushing your teeth - ask God for wise words to say.

Use your phone to download prayer apps to set up prayer reminders just as you would do an alarm.

Or calendar alerts to remind you to pray after a certain number of hours for a few moments to offer praise and petitions to God.

We should pray like a salesperson with their foot wedged in the door opening, like a wrestler who has his opponent in a headlock.

Raise your voice to Jesus like a neighbor in distress in the middle of the night knocking on your door for help!

Possibilities of Prayer

Praying … with all the power...

No limits. No exclusions. The entire gamut. Paul tells us that nothing cannot be prayed for and no situation is exempt from prayer.

Prayers of petition, prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of confession for every time or place and need that you have.

Pray on all occasions

Pray at all times

Pray in all places

Pray for all things

Our whole life can be a prayer as we walk day by day with Him. Don’t sweat the details leave those to God. Just pray!

Petition of Prayer

Pray with supplication

Supplication means to ask as in asking God to provide for our needs.

The New Testament encourages us to offer petitionary prayers.

Jesus’ model of prayer to the disciples He filled it with requests not only for ideals, such as advancement of God’s kingdom, daily provision of personal needs such as food, forgiveness, and deliverance from evil.

In the sermon on the Mount the Lord invites us to pray petitionary prayers without holding back.

Those prayers will be heard and answered.

James 4:2 NIV

You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.

Since God is all powerful and all knowing and knows our needs before we ask so why pray? We pray because of four things:

To maintain and deepen our connection with God

God wants us to want what He knows we should have

God tells us to pray for our needs so we will acknowledge Him as the source of all we have.

Prayer is preparation. We are called to pray so that our capacity to receive His gifts might be enlarged.

Power of Prayer

Praying … in the Spirit...

What drives our prayer? The power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. The Spirit determines the character and the content of our prayer. He directs, shapes and corrects the prayers of sincere believers who are fully committed to doing God’s will.

We need the Holy Spirit’s involvement in our prayers because we are fallen. Our sinful nature acts like a blanket of fog which causes our awareness of God’s presence.

1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

The Holy Spirit that wrote the Word of God is the same Holy Spirit that lives in our heart. He knows our hearts and He knows the heart of the father because He is one with the Father.

He takes our fumbling prayers and reshapes them to reveal the deepest needs beneath the surface of our words.

Precision of Prayer

being watchful...

This means to be awake and vigilant. It also means being precise in prayer as we identify and pray for strength to overcome specific challenges.

We face a real enemy and this means we must maintain vigilance, stay watchful and keep guard at all times.

When the Jews return to rebuild the ruined walls of Jerusalem after their Babylonian captivity there were people wanting to stop construction and going to attack them. The Jews held them off by arming the builders and maintain a red alert level of vigilance.

Nehemiah 4:17–18 NIV

who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

Like the Jews we must live our life with a dual focus. Perform normal tasks and at the same time wage a battle against the powers that intend to destroy your eternally!

Illustration:

As one woman prayed, “Dear Father in heaven, so far today I’ve done pretty well. I haven’t gossiped or lost my temper; I haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. But, God, in a moment I’m going to get out of bed. And from that point on, I’m going to need a lot of help from You.”

To be up and awake means the battle is engaged. But where we are guarding our prayer time and keeping our prayers flowing constantly be doing so you are engaged and ready for battle.

Perseverance of Prayer

Praying … with all perseverance…

If we are not careful, prayer is a habit that can come and go. We can hit a snag and stop praying for a little while, don’t let that throw your into a tailspin.

Remember these scriptures:

Acts 2:42 NIV

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 6:4 NIV

and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

Romans 12:12 NIV

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Satan tries to use two strategies to discourage you from prayer

comes through success - consistent for a couple days then when you stumble he whispers let’s see who you really are. You might as well give up. When you think you are failing read about prayer to help rekindle your desire to pray.

comes through trying to convince you that it does not work - but answers to prayer come in different ways at different times.

His ways are not our ways nor are His thoughts our thoughts.

To persevere - the more you pray in all circumstances the more you align your will with God’s which will mean more visible answers.

Purpose of Prayer

Praying … for all the saints

When we pray for one another, everybody in the body of Christ is praying for everybody else in the body. Although I may be praying for you instead of for myself, I don’t need to worry about my needs being met because while I’m praying for you, you’re praying for me!

Builds community and Builds His kingdom. Make us one Lord in your body in the Kingdom of His love.

Practice of Prayer

I urge you to begin an active and regular prayer life. This means setting aside time. It means developing the regular habit of connecting your mind to God in private and on the go. It means getting rid of distractions. It means finding a place where you can pray undisturbed.

As you embrace the practice of prayer, you’ll find many ways to fill your life with it. Pray in the ways that come naturally, then grow and mature your practice of prayer steadily. Fill your life with the joyful discipline of praying without ceasing. This is how to prepare yourself for communication with your Commander as you engage in life’s daily battles. This is a key foundation to life as an Overcomer.

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. —JAMES 5:16, NLT