Believe in Something Bigger: The Power of Prayer

Transition. New chapters. Change. These are all words that describe the current season… realities that can seem overwhelming and uncertain.

As I sought God on what to bring to this assembly on our first Sunday together, He kept bringing me back to a very important word: PRAYER.

If you know me, then you know a common phrase I will say from the pulpit is we believe in the power of prayer! I have seen God do amazing things… things thought to be impossible… and it happened because people of faith took time to pray… people of faith brought their needs before the Lord.

My sermon message is Believe in Something Bigger: The Power of Prayer. And I want to clarify what I mean with this message title.

This message title is NOT meant to imply that things have not been what they should have been. This message title does not mean to imply that things could have been better! But as you prepare to journey through this season of transition I feel compelled by the Holy Spirit to encourage you to believe in something bigger… the best is yet to come!

Change is NEVER easy… but sometimes necessary. If 2020 has taught us anything… it has taught us that change can come quickly, unexpectedly, and unforgivingly. But perhaps the most important thing it taught us was so long as we hold on to God through the change… everything is going to be alright!

Again… to be clear, this title is not given to diminish any past work of God, nor is it to say that His move within the church is lacking. This sermon is about WHERE WE are placing our belief… this sermon is about understanding that our belief should be placed in something BIGGER than ourselves!

Here is the key and main point of our message today: Knowing the SOMEONE behind the SOMETHING is key in our believing. What we do, why we do it, and how it gets done is important, but the WHO we know and serve makes all the difference. Knowing God is why we pray to God!

Today is NOT a day of looking back. Today is a day of looking forward to what God has in store for PFA. Today… is a day of vision… today marks the beginning of a new season for this church… a season that needs to be bathed in prayer.

What is vision? My definition of vision is the ability to see the unseen. While recently thinking on the topic of vision The Lord dropped this into my spirit regarding the lack of vision: “Having no vision is like asking how do we get there without first knowing where you are going. You’ll end up spinning your wheels, wasting both time and resources.” Vision is CRITICAL to completing the mission!

Important note: God-given vision is often bigger than anything we could do on our own. It will require belief in One that is bigger than us!

We believe in the power of prayer! Such a belief is what will lead you to pray! What is the POWER in prayer? The power is in the ONE we are praying to! The power is in the ONE who hears and answers prayer! Prayer, in and of itself, is talking and listening. The power comes from the ONE on the other side of the conversation!

Turn with me to the book of Nehemiah – this book begins with the story of the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem. This was no easy task that certainly required a great deal of vision! This story begins with something very important and it sets the stage for what was to come. Nehemiah believed in the power of prayer. Nehemiah believed in something bigger!

Nehemiah 1:1 In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

Jerusalem’s walls were in ruins. The people were vulnerable to attack. Israel was under the rule of the Persian king Artaxerxes and Nehemiah was serving as cupbearer to the king.

The cupbearer served as a line of defense for the king. The king would use trusted servants to taste everything before they consumed it. This was a position of trust that would provide Nehemiah influence with the king.

Nehemiah saw a problem: the walls were in ruin, and he was about to do something about this problem. But understand he would NOT rely on this position as cupbearer alone as influence with the king when making his request… this was bigger than that. Instead, he placed his belief in SOMEONE bigger than himself.

2. Nehemiah’s vision was to see the walls rebuilt! But before he made any request of the king… before any stone was laid or beam or gate was reset… Nehemiah began to pray!

Prayer Moves us Beyond Ourselves

Nehemiah had a lot going for him. He held a position close to the king… a position of trust and dependency. He had influence, he had access, and he had purpose… but Nehemiah knew the vision of rebuilding the walls would only come about with the help of His God.

Today, we face a problem… today we face a challenge. NO, that challenge is NOT the transition or season of change… the problem we face is the world around us is dying, is hurting, is broken and is in desperate need of a Savior!

Listen to me PFA - I realize you find yourselves looking for new pastoral leadership… but the mission… the mission to go and make disciples remains! I pray that the season of change does not distract this church from what God is calling it to do! We should be troubled in our hearts for those living apart from Christ! And I pray we are moved… we are compelled to take action - that our mission would forever remain in motion!

Nehemiah’s heart was troubled by the report he received… BUT HIS STORY DOESN’T STOP AT BEING TROUBLED. Verse 4 of chapter one tells us he wept and mourned. HIS HEART was clearly moved and his compassion spilled over.

And what did he do next? He moves to a season of fasting and prayer before the God of heaven! What does he pray? “11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” (Neh 1:11)

Nehemiah knew that if there was a miracle to be experienced, it would not come by the hand of king Artaxerxes… it would come by the hand of the Almighty God!

Nehemiah then goes before the king and makes his request… and as he does there is something going on that I want to point out.

Nehemiah 2:4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

Nehemiah 2:8 …And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.

Nehemiah PRAYED before meeting with the king AND PRYAED while he was meeting with the king! And look where the credit is placed when the king said yes…. Nehemiah gives all credit to the gracious hand of God because he knew this was something bigger than himself!

Prayer Connects us with the Power of God

Prayer is foundational to carrying out the vision God sets before us. PRAYER LINKS US TO THE SOMEONE THAT IS BEHIND THE SOMETHING BIGGER!

Nehemiah’s prayer is one of humbleness, one of repentance, one of submission and obedience. May it serve as a reminder that when we approach God, we are not to do so with arrogance, pride, or accomplishment. But rather we understand that He is bigger… and he has called us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves!

Nehemiah’s prayer led to God-given favor before the king. In the New Testament, Acts 2:42-47 shows the early church who was DEVOTED TO PRAYER finding favor with ALL people and God added to their number daily.

PRAYER LINKS US TO THE SOMEONE THAT IS BEHIND THE SOMETHING BIGGER!

What is that something bigger we are believing for? What is that vision that God is leading this church to carrying out? What are you praying for and believing God to do in and through this assembly?

I’m curious this morning… how many in this room believe God has something BIG in store for this church? How many believe God is going to use this church to reach the lost of the heartland and maybe even beyond?

Do we also understand that what God is leading this church to do… is something bigger than this church can do on its own?

And I do not say that to be a discouragement to you today… but rather to encourage you to be consistent and persistent in your prayers! With all that he had going for him, Nehemiah did NOT rely on what he could do but trusted in only what God could do!

The task of rebuilding the walls seemed impossible… but nothing is impossible for our God! Nehemiah was limited in what he could do… but he served the God who is truly unlimited!

PFA Hear me clearly today… this is NOT a day nor a time, in our minds, to limit what God can do… now is a time, by faith and through prayer, to discover all that God CAN do!

God has a plan for this church and I can assure you… it is a GOOD plan. it is a plan to reach the lost, to bring the gospel message to this hurting and dying world. And when we pray in accordance or in alignment with His plan… GREAT THINGS WILL BEGIN TO HAPPEN!

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

Well Pastor, how are we supposed to know His will? We know His will by knowing His heart! 2 Peter 3:9 reveals God’s heart by saying that God is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Church, this is SOMETHING bigger than us that will require faith in SOMEONE bigger than us! We are not believing for a few but for ALL souls to be transformed by the awesome power of our God!

IF WE TRULY BELIEVE THIS we will be moved to… pray. We will be moved to fast. We will be moved to seek God, His goodness, His power, His plan, His presence, and His favor. THIS IS HIS VISION, THIS IS OUR MISSION, and it will only be accomplished with the help of our God!

People need Jesus. The heartland NEEDS Jesus. Without God, we are defenseless against the enemy, vulnerable to his attacks, and likely to fall for his deceptions. It is time that the revealed brokenness of our world would move the people of the Word to their knees to pray.

I get it… this church is going through change… BUT GOD HAS NOT ABANDONED YOU. I get it, you may have a lot of unanswered questions… BUT GOD IS STILL GUIDING YOU. I get it, sometimes it is hard to see beyond the obstacles and challenges… BUT GOD WILL HELP YOU WALK BY FAITH. I get it… this might not be how you expected this year to go… BUT GOD WILL MOVE IN THOSE EXPECTING HIM TO MOVE!

The walls surrounding Jerusalem were in fact rebuilt under the leadership of Nehemiah… but the key, the starting point began when Nehemiah prayed to God for help.

Nehemiah saw the need. He was moved by the need at hand, he recognized the need was bigger than himself, so he began to believe in something… rather SOMEONE bigger! He prayed to God… and God heard his prayer.

Believe in the Power of Prayer

This morning. I want to take time to pray. I want this church to pray for the heartland, to pray for the God-given vision to become reality. I want you to begin to pray for the new leadership God will bring to this assembly. God has been doing a great work in you and through you… but I truly believe the best is yet to come!

What will drive us to pray is belief… belief in the One that makes prayer… POWERFUL.

Do you believe in that SOMEONE that is behind the SOMETHING BIGGER?

Nehemiah took his concern to God first because he knew this was bigger than him. Our sin problem, our brokenness is bigger than us. WE HAD NO ANSWER. So God provided the answer that is Jesus Christ. You can know and follow that answer today by giving your life to Him.

God has provided for us the answer to the greatest problem this world has ever faced. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Whoever believes… believes in someone BIGGER… our sin problem is something too big for us to handle on our own. That is why God gave His Son to pay the debt He did not owe… a debt we simply could not pay. God provided… did you hear me? God provided the answer we needed.

God is still providing for those who believe… the question is… what are you believing God for today? What are you praying and asking God to do today? Are you believing for the impossible? Are you willing to place your faith and trust in Him?

This must be more than talk… let’s solidify our answer by doing what Nehemiah did… let’s take action… by taking it to God in prayer.

What are we praying for? For His will to be accomplished. For His Spirit to guide and direct this assembly. To keep us mission minded as we walk in the vision he places before us.

Prayer Time.