An Explosion of Prayer

An Explosion of Prayer

Matthew 6:5-15

Introduction:

1. A study of the life of Christ show’s us the importance that Jesus placed upon prayer.

1. Prayer to our Lord was more important than teaching and healing.

i. Great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed and He often withdrew Himself into the desert to prayer.

ii. Luke 5:15-16 – Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

2. Prayer to our Lord was more important than rest.

i. Mark 1:35 – Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

3. Prayer was more important than sleep.

i. Luke 6:12 – One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

4. Prayer was more important than working miracles.

i. Instead of working a miracle to deliver Peter… he said…

ii. Luke 22:32 – Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you Simon; that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.

5. Prayer was more important in securing workers than money or machine.

i. He looked out at the multitude…

ii. Matthew 9:37-38 – Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

2. Christ did not believe in prayer and engage in prayer because it was good psychological exercise.

1. He did not pray to impress others.

2. He prayed because prayer is the way of power.

3. He prayed because He had a heavenly Father ready to hear and answer.

4. He prayed because prayer is the way to the greatest of achievements.

3. As Christ prayed, so we should pray also.

1. If prayer was necessary in His divine life, how much more necessary is it in ours.

4. Three things regarding prayer:

1. Prayer Promises.

2. Prayer Problems.

3. Prayer’s Power.

I. Prayer Promises

1. The Word of God assures us that the Lord hears and answers prayer.

i. Luke 11:9-10 – So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

ii. John 14:14 – You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

iii. John 15:7 – If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

2. The promises of God touch every phase of life.

i. We are to pray about every thing.

1. The model prayer teaches us to pray about our daily food.

ii. We should pray about:

1. Food, shelter, work, friends, loved ones… etc.

iii. It will be a happy day when you begin to pray regarding every problem of life.

1. If you would talk to God about your problems as much as you talk to everyone else about your problems I’ll just bet you wouldn’t have half as many problems as you got.

2. Do you have a material need?

3. Don’t spend time worrying about it.

4. Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

5. Psalms 34:10 – The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

3. The prayer promises of the Word are given for our encouragement.

i. The weak in faith need to dwell on the Word of God and His promises to hear and answer prayer.

1. Psalms 91:15 – He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

2. Isaiah 65:24 – Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

ii. In the hours of great testing the early Christians banded together in prayer.

1. Prayer made them powerful.

2. That secret of the power is in Acts 2:42

1. Acts 2:42 – They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

4. The promises of the bible are not just encouraging… they are also astonishing.

i. Matthew 17:14-20 – Read It!

ii. We can’t water down this statement… we must have faith.

5. When we come in earnest prayer before God, we can be assured that He is bending towards us to hear our faintest cry.

i. James 4:8 – Come near to God and he will come near to you.

6. A poem…

Draw nigh to God… how sweet the words

Such gracious invitation

To think that God has time to give

To me consideration

Draw nigh to God what peace and rest

Are mine if I but come

What comfort for my weary soul

Awaits me at his throne

Draw nigh to God but that’s not all

His promise holds you see

For if I will draw nigh to Him

He will draw night to me.

II. Prayer Problems.

1. Because prayer is so powerful we can’t be surprised that it has great opposition of the enemy.

i. When opposed by Satan we must remember:

1. Satan, the hinderer, may build a barrier around us, but he can never roof us in so we can’t look up.

2. What are some common prayer problems?

i. First, there is ignorance about what the bible teaches about prayer.

1. Dependence on the merits and meditation of Christ as the only ground of any claim for blessing.

1. John 14:14 – You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

2. Separation from all Sin.

1. Psalms 66:18 – If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

3. Faith in God’s Word of promise.

1. Not to believe Him is to say he is a liar.

2. Have you doubted the promises of God?

4. Asking in accordance to His will.

1. Our motives must be Godly.

2. We must not seek any gift of God to consume it on our own lusts.

3. 1 John 5:14-15 – This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.

4. James 4:3 – When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

5. Not waiting on God’s timing.

1. We must wait on God.

2. James 5:7-8 – Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

ii. Second, prayer neglect.

1. We are told to pray.

2. Promises are given to us but we often neglect to pray.

3. Why do we have so little… why do we miss the blessings of God?

1. James 4:2 – You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.

4. The sin of the day is that we are trying to substitute activity and works for prayer.

1. We think that what we do and how we fool people will make up for our fervent prayer.

2. This makes Satan happy.

3. He’ll do anything to keep us from praying.

iii. Third, ingratitude.

1. 1 Thessalonians has 2 small verses:

1. Pray without ceasing…

2. In everything give thanks…

2. If our prayers are going to be effective, they must be offered with a heart of gratitude.

3. We need to praise Him as much as we pray to Him.

1. The complaining and griping and faultfinding Christian that blames God for every problem will never be powerful in prayer.

3. Sin is the most serious prayer problem.

i. If you aren’t seeing answer’s to your prayers, your problem may be the same as Israel’s in the Old Testament.

1. Isaiah 59:1-2 – Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

ii. Sin cuts the prayer line.

1. If God answered the prayer of one who stayed in sin and ignored the teachings of the Word, it would dishonor the name of God.

2. If God poured out his blessings on those who make no effort to confess or turn from sin, it would encourage them in their sin and disobedience.

4. Prevailing prayer is work.

i. Satan will never make it easy.

ii. He will encourage you to substitute something else for prayer.

iii. He’ll make you impatient or turn you to sin so your prayers will be in-effective.

III. Prayer’s Power

1. Prayer is explosive.

i. Acts 4:31 – After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

2. The power of prayer can’t be estimated.

i. When we make contact with God, it is then a question of His ability.

3. Prayer has revealing power.

i. If we are to know ourselves we must pray.

ii. If we are to know our weaknesses we must pray.

1. Our sinfulness… our unfaithfulness… we must pray.

iii. When we come face to face with Him in the secret place, prayer will reveal what we are.

iv. When Isaiah did this he said…

1. Isaiah 6:5 – “Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

v. If we pray for God to show us who we are… He will.

4. Prayer has strengthening power.

i. Jesus was in the Garden about to be crucified… praying.

1. Luke 22:43 – An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

5. Prayer has separating power.

i. You can’t pray in sincerity without being cleansed.

6. Prayer has staying power.

i. Mighty workers have always been pray-ers.

1. Paul couldn’t have accomplished anything without prayer.

Conclusion:

1. Prayer is the source of all power.

1. Praying and the filling of the Holy Ghost are closely bound together.

2. Everywhere in scripture where people are filled they are praying.

2. Prayer gives power:

1. Power for service.

i. To become servants we must become prayer warriors.

2. Power for overcoming temptation.

i. The man who stumbles and falls shows his prayerlessness.

ii. Any man… bound by sin or habit… spend time in prayer and the power will be given to overcome and live victoriously.

3. Prayer begins the conviction of sinners.

i. We must pray and:

1. Sinners will be convicted.

2. Unsaved will get saved.

3. Un-filled will get filled.

3. Prayer will make us blessings when the Spirit of God works through us.