SF689 - HOW TO BECOME A MAN OF PRAYER - DEVELOPING A FAITH THAT WORKS (James 4 1-2)
How to Become a Man of Prayer
Developing a Faith that Works
James 4:1-2
Introduction
The Man who can Pray can do Anything
Prayer can do anything that God can do and God can do anything!
Our desperate need is to be in line with God through prayer!
(John 16:24 NIV) "… Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."
You do not have…
A failure in your life but what it is a prayer failure
A sin in your life but what pray could have prevented that sin
A need in your life but that need can be meet through believing prayer.
We need to learn How to Pray…
We need men of Prayer…
We need Promise Keepers - but first we need Promise Seekers!
1A. The Presumption of Un-offered Prayer (1-2)
1B. We Presume that God does not Desire our Prayers
(1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV) "pray continually;"
2B. We Presume that God does not Respond to Prayer
We Presume that God does not Care
Ø God wants to bless us but we are determined to get what we need our way
We Presume that God will not Act
We Presume that God can not Act
Ø There are no problems too big for prayer, just people too small to solve them.
3B. We Presume that God does not Require us to Pray.
(1 Samuel 12:23 NIV) "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. …"
(Luke 18:1 NIV) "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."
Ø "Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer." John Bunyan, Pilgram's Progress
There is no substitute for prayer
Ø Your Christian life will be no greater than your prayer life.
Ø You can do more than pray after you pray but no more than pray until you pray.
It is not until we pray that God moves into action. It is prayer that links us to God.
Little boy trying to move a large stone. Son, are you using all you strength? Yes, daddy. No you are not you have not asked me to help you.
Have you asked the Father to help?\
2A. The Problem of Unacceptable Prayer (3-4)
Prayer is unacceptable because it is based on wrong motives
Ø We sacrifice the answer to our prayer on the altar of our lusts.
1B. When We are Motivated by Personal Pleasure (3)
Our motivation is basically selfish and sinful
We ask so we can have more, do more, enjoy more.
We do not ask in order to bring glory to God.
God is not going to underwrite our sin.
2B. When We are Motivated by Spiritual Compromise (4)
He is the bride groom and we are the bride
The world comes and tries to lure us away from Christ!
Man marries lady, they pledge to one another. She falls in love with another man. She comes to her husband and asks for money to go on a trip with him. Do you thing her husband will subsidize her adultery. Neither will God.
3A. The Principles of Undeniable Prayer
1B. We Must be Sensitive to the Spirit (5)
He is envious for the cause of Christ
(James 4:5 NCV) "…The Spirit that God made to live in us wants us for himself alone.""
God demands your whole heart before you pray
God is a jealous God!
Ø An athlete has no right to be jealous of other athletes because he does not own athletics and other athletes have a right to it.
Ø There is only one God!
(Exodus 20:2-3 NIV) ""I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. {3} "You shall have no other gods before me."
This is praying in the spirit!
2B. We Must be Submissive to the Father (6-7a)
No submission - no answer
Prayer is not us bending God to our will but it is finding God's will and getting in on it.
Ø First Adam "Not your will but my will be done." Second Adam "Not my will but your will be done."
(1 John 5:14 NIV) "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."
We must be broken
Do you want more than anything else to do the will of God?
Ø If not you are wasting your prayer when you pray.
Ø Prayer is not for rebels.
We must take Lordship seriously.
3B. We Must Stand against the Devil (7b)
(1 John 4:4 NCV) "… God's Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world."
When we pray we must enter into warfare with the Devil
(Ephesians 6:11, 18 NIV) "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." (18) "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 saints."
Ø The warfare is prayer
We have an enemy, Satan
Ø The devil's war is with God and he cannot hurt God so he tries to hurt God through hurting you.
God intends to win the war with the Devil through the prayers of His people
Ø The Devil fears nothing we do like he fears our prayers!
The order here is important!
4B. We Must be Separate from the World (8)
We must clean up before we come to God!
God did not save us for us to serve the Devil
(2 Corinthians 6:17 NIV) ""Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.""
You must let go of this world and take hold of God with both hands?
(Psalms 66:18 NIV) "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;"
God will not hear the prayer of the divided heart and dirty hands!
5B. We Must be Serious about our Purpose in Prayer (9-10)
Our prayers are not serious.
Ø We need to learn to weep before the Lord
(2 Kings 20:5 NIV) ""Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you…."
Has God seen your tears
Ø Plenty of organizers not many agonizers
When was the last time you wept for the Lost?
(Psalms 126:6 NIV) "He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him."
Application
Timothy McVee's Parents Plead for their son
So would you.
Have you, will you, Can you?
Are you sensitive to God's Spirit?
Are you submissive to God's Will?
Are you standing against the Devil?
Are you separate from the World?
Are you serious about your Purpose?
How to Become a Man of Prayer
Developing a Faith that Works
June 15, 1997 - James 4:1-2
Tim McGhee
1A. The Presumption of _____________ Prayer (1-2)
1B. We Presume that God does not ______ our Prayers
(1 Samuel 12:23 NIV) "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. …"
(1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV) "pray continually;"
2B. We Presume that God does not _______ to Prayer
3B. We Presume that God does not _______ us to Pray.
(Luke 18:1 NIV) "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."
Ø "Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer." John Bunyan, Pilgram's Progress
2A. The Problem of _____________ Prayer (3-4)
1B. When We are Motivated by ____________ (3)
2B. When We are Motivated by Spiritual Compromise (4)
3A. The Principles of Undeniable Prayer (
1B. We Must be ________ to the Spirit (5)
(James 4:5 NCV) "…The Spirit that God made to live in us wants us for himself alone.""
(Exodus 20:2-3 NIV) ""I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. {3} "You shall have no other gods before me."
2B. We Must be ________ to the Father (6-7a)
(1 John 5:14 NIV) "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."
3B. We Must __________ against the Devil (7b)
(1 John 4:4 NCV) "… God's Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world."
4B. We Must be ________ from the World (8)
(2 Corinthians 6:17 NIV) ""Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.""
(Psalms 66:18 NIV) "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;"
5B. We Must be ________ about our Purpose in Prayer (9-10)
Has God seen your tears
When was the last time you wept for the Lost?
(Psalms 126:6 NIV) "He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him."