THERE IS A MAN PRAYING
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· 379 viewsComponents of Prayer: Desire-Devotion-Direction-Discipline
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INTRO
INTRO
It was the Revivalist preacher Leonard Ravenhill who said:
“No man - I don’t care how large his church, don’t care how many books he’s written, how far he’s travelled - no man is greater than his prayer life.”
Este siervo que vos habla dice: (SLIDE)
"La oración es la más poderosa herramienta que el hombre tiene a su disposición para cambiar a cualquier situación, en cualquier universo, y aún así, la más negligenciada."
"La oración es la más poderosa herramienta que el hombre tiene a su disposición para cambiar a cualquier situación, en cualquier universo, y aún así, la más negligenciada."
“PRAYER IS THE MOST POWERFUL, AND YET, THE MOST NEGLECTED TOOL OF WHICH WE DISPOSE TO CHANGE ANYTHING, IN ANY WORLD.” (Joshua Mateine)
Prayer is one of the most vast, difficult and important topics in the Christian life, it is a constant challenge, and it should be a main goal for every Christian, because prayer is the very breathing of our soul, it is the most basic way of connection with God;
Every person who had a close relationship with God in the Bible was someone who prayed; if we don’t pray, our spirit becomes dry and empty, and everything we do is fruitless;
Jesus Christ, as God Himself Incarnated, never stopped praying during His ministry on earth;
Today, we will examine the importance of prayer based upon the fact that the Lord Himself is always looking from Heaven to find someone praying.
Today, we will examine the importance of prayer based upon the fact that the Lord Himself is always looking from Heaven to find someone praying.
MAIN TEXT
MAIN TEXT
El Señor le dijo:
—Levántate y ve a la calle que se llama Derecha, y busca en casa de Judas a uno llamado Saulo, de Tarso, porque él ora,
The context here is right after the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, when the Lord sends Ananias to meet him, “because he was praying...”
(Notice that God even gave the address and the name of Judas, because He knows everything, including our name and address!!)
THEME FOR TODAY (SLIDE ALI)
HAY UN HOMBRE ORANDO
HAY UN HOMBRE ORANDO
NOTE/DISCLAIMER: It would be impossible to cover every single teaching on prayer without years of uninterrupted study, but today we will cover that...
A prayer life is made of at least 4 COMPONENTS:
A prayer life is made of at least 4 COMPONENTS:
These components have to be present in our prayer lives, and they will define 1. WHEN WE PRAY, 2. HOW WE PRAY, 3. WHAT WE PRAY FOR and 4. HOW OFTEN WE PRAY.
These components have to be present in our prayer lives, and they will define 1. WHEN WE PRAY, 2. HOW WE PRAY, 3. WHAT WE PRAY FOR and 4. HOW OFTEN WE PRAY.
THE FIRST COMPONENT...
1. DESEO
1. DESEO
This has to do with WHEN WE PRAY.
Prayer should be a natural instinct for whoever wants a relationship with God, if you do not feel the desire to consistently pray, something very wrong is going on with your spiritual life, - and a serious question about even being a Christian should be asked;
When JESUS talked about prayer He would say: “When you pray or when you fast...”, and NOT “IF YOU PRAY...”, because HE EXPECTS US TO PRAY!
Therefore, prayer should be a natural and uncontainable desire, as the psalmist David expresses on Psalm 63 says:
¡Dios, Dios mío eres tú!
¡De madrugada te buscaré!
Mi alma tiene sed de ti,
mi carne te anhela
en tierra seca y árida
donde no hay aguas,
The Shepherd-King David - we see that throughout his life - did not care as much for titles, riches or even Kingdoms, if, in order to enjoy those things, he had to be separated from the communion with God. David wrote about 75 psalms and in several of them (like the one we just read) we can see his passion and desire for prayer, for intimacy with the Lord;
There is a song we sing “Yo te busco, con fuego en mi corazón”, but sometimes that’s only a “song”, it’s nothing but a little flame, IT’S NOT A DESIRE.
Sometimes, for a lack of desire to pray, we think we may send a five minute message to Heaven and our lives will change forever, it will not!
If somehow you do not feel the urge, the desire to pray, ask the Lord to give you.
If somehow you do not feel the urge, the desire to pray, ask the Lord to give you.
When the disciples of Jesus asked the Lord in Luke 11 the one thing they wanted to learn, it was not how to teach, not how to preach to the multitudes, not how to perform miracles, not how to read people’s minds, not how to bring dead people to life, not how to deal with their enemies, BUT THEY RATHER REQUESTED: “TEACH US HOW TO PRAY!”
The disciples could have requested anything, but they wanted to pray as their Master did, and this must be also the burning desire of our hearts, that can only be quenched by the Lord Himself.
The disciples could have requested anything, but they wanted to pray as their Master did, and this must be also the burning desire of our hearts, that can only be quenched by the Lord Himself.
Let us ask the Father: “Lord, teach us to pray; give us the desire to pray!”
Let us ask the Father: “Lord, teach us to pray; give us the desire to pray!”
The second component in a prayer life is...
2. DEVOCIÓN
2. DEVOCIÓN
This has to do of HOW WE PRAY.
Prayer is not a list we “dump” on the Lord every day as we please!
PRAYER THAT ARE THE OPPOSITE OF DEVOTION - Some kind of prayers: a. “negotiator prayer”, b. “blackmail prayer”, c. “pity prayer”, the “decree prayer”, etc.
The truth is: we don’t know hot to pray, so, in order to pray properly, the Holy Spirit assists us:
De igual manera, el Espíritu nos ayuda en nuestra debilidad, pues qué hemos de pedir como conviene, no lo sabemos, pero el Espíritu mismo intercede por nosotros con gemidos indecibles.
The approach of our devotion must be always filled with humbleness and dependency of God.
The approach of our devotion must be always filled with humbleness and dependency of God.
Ex.: The prayers of the Publican and the Pharisee in Luke 18.
The apostle Paul talks about “fervent prayer.” Sometimes our prayers are so automatic and boring that we know they are not reaching the roof! Prayer demands efforts, concentration and enthusiasm.
The apostle Paul talks about “fervent prayer.” Sometimes our prayers are so automatic and boring that we know they are not reaching the roof! Prayer demands efforts, concentration and enthusiasm.
The component of devotion and worship in prayer shows to the Lord that we are not as concerned with the blessings of our God, but with the God of the blessings; our prayer must contain a strong element of adoration and thankfulness for being in contact with the King of kings and Lord of lords, the God Almighty , Creator of the universe;
Don’t expect joy in your moments of prayer if all the time you have a bucket in hand just asking for things, prayer is made of devotion, before anything. That’s why the psalmist says:
Don’t expect joy in your moments of prayer if all the time you have a bucket in hand just asking for things, prayer is made of devotion, before anything. That’s why the psalmist says:
Entrad por sus puertas con acción de gracias,
por sus atrios con alabanza.
¡Alabadlo, bendecid su nombre!,
The third component in a prayer life is...
3. DIRECCIÓN
3. DIRECCIÓN
This has to do with WHAT WE PRAY FOR. (Por lo que oramos)
When Jesus taught us to pray, He made an alert against “vain repetitions”… that is, a prayer without a target or purpose, without a direction, a prayer which conquers nothing, because it’s a prayer without an objective or a goal. The Pharisees and the religious leaders in Jesus’ time were masters in these kind of prayers;
This kind of “auto-pilot prayer” becomes very usual after a time walking the Christian faith and must be avoided;
On the contrary, our prayers have to be with focus; Paul advices us about the importance of praying with the our spirit and also with our minds:
¿Qué, pues? Oraré con el espíritu, pero oraré también con el entendimiento; cantaré con el espíritu, pero cantaré también con el entendimiento,
Pero vosotros, amados, edificándoos sobre vuestra santísima fe, orando en el Espíritu Santo,
When thinking about “WHAT SHOULD WE PRAY ABOUT?”, writer Rev. John Piper suggests a technique which he calls “Prayer Circles”:
- INNER CIRCLE - You, your family;
- IMMEDIATE CIRCLE - Your relatives, your church, friends;
- OUTSIDE CIRCLE - General requests.
It’s a good habit having a PRAYER LIST, so you can keep track of God’s answers.
Praying with DIRECTION will make our prayers more organized and effective.
Praying with DIRECTION will make our prayers more organized and effective.
The last component in a prayer life is...
4. DISCIPLINA
4. DISCIPLINA
This has to do with HOW OFTEN WE PRAY.
(Cuan frecuentemente oramos)
DISCIPLINA is probably the most difficult component of all of them; because we want to pray, we start praying, we know how to pray and what to pray for, but somehow we don’t keep on praying.
When the Bible says “Pray without ceasing” it doesn’t mean we have to be 24/7 on our knees, it means a lifestyle, a constant promptness and attitude of prayer BUT, ALSO MEANS we must have a time and place for prayer. Jesus warned us when preaching “the sermon on the mount”:
When the Bible says “Pray without ceasing” it doesn’t mean we have to be 24/7 on our knees, it means a lifestyle, a constant promptness and attitude of prayer BUT, ALSO MEANS we must have a time and place for prayer. Jesus warned us when preaching “the sermon on the mount”:
Pero tú, cuando ores, entra en tu cuarto, cierra la puerta y ora a tu Padre que está en secreto; y tu Padre, que ve en lo secreto, te recompensará en público.
THE SAME WAY WE NEED A SPECIAL PLACE TO DEVOTE ATTENTION TO OUR FAMILY, TO OUR BUSINESS AND TO OUR FRIENDS, WE ALSO NEED A SPACE TO DEVELOP INTIMACY WITH OUR GOD, YOUR PERSONAL ALTAR.
That’s why prayer is called a “spiritual discipline”, because it DEMANDS time, effort and dedication; it demands PRIORITY ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE IN OUR LIVES.
ILLUSTRATION GEORGE MULLER
George Müller believed that God answered prayers. He prayed everyday for hours about many different things and expected his prayers to be answered by the amazing God that he believed in.
Later on in life, George decided to travel around the world, telling people about his incredible God and what God could do when we trust and ask him. When he was crossing the Atlantic in 1877, his ship ran into thick fog. George explained to the captain that he needed to be in Quebec by the following afternoon, but the captain said he was slowing the ship down for safety. George asked the captain if he could use the chartroom to pray for the fog to lift. The captain followed him to the room, claiming that prayer would be a waste of time. Müller prayed, and then the captain decided to pray. Müller stopped him and said, the prayer had already been answered. They went upstairs to find that the fog had lifted. The captain became a Christian not long after. George Müller died a poor man in 1898. Bristol came to a halt when his funeral happened. Factories and businesses closed, and thousands of people came out to mourn and pay respect as the funeral procession went by. Below is a quote from the Bristol Times newspaper on the day of his funeral “he was raised up for the purpose of showing that the age of miracles is not past”.
We could also speak of men like David Brainerd, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, William Booth and so many others, who changed their lifetime through prayer...
WE CAN TALK ABOUT JESUS, who kept a very disciplined prayer life. He would normally pray between 3-6 am; and He would ALWAYS retreat Himself from daily routines, away from the multitudes, in order to be alone with the Father; and mainly before taking major decisions like when He was about to start His ministry (40 days/nights of fasting and prayer), and before choosing His disciples (the whole night in prayer), and even before taking up the cross (when praying on the Garden of Gethsemane);
Again, when we talk about discipline in prayer, I would like to quote writer Leonard Ravenhill, when he said: “Prayer is not a position, it’s a disposition.”
Again, when we talk about discipline in prayer, I would like to quote writer Leonard Ravenhill, when he said: “Prayer is not a position, it’s a disposition.”
If we don’t MAKE (and this is the correct verb to use) prayer a HABIT and a PRIORITY, we will never develop a prayer life, and consequently, miss out on the greatest journey a man can have in this life, which is communion with God.
If we don’t MAKE (and this is the correct verb to use) prayer a HABIT and a PRIORITY, we will never develop a prayer life, and consequently, miss out on the greatest journey a man can have in this life, which is communion with God.
FINAL APPLICATIONS
FINAL APPLICATIONS
The great truth is: God expects us to pray.
The great truth is: God expects us to pray.
Even though God knows everything, He values the time we spent with Him in prayer; He longs to meet us when we pray!
In fact, His eyes are always looking from Heaven:
In fact, His eyes are always looking from Heaven:
Los ojos de Jehová están en todo lugar,
mirando a los malos y a los buenos.
The example of Cornelius as a man of prayer:
Había en Cesarea un hombre llamado Cornelio, centurión de la compañía llamada «la Italiana», piadoso y temeroso de Dios con toda su casa, y que hacía muchas limosnas al pueblo y oraba siempre a Dios. Este vio claramente en una visión, como a la hora novena del día, que un ángel de Dios entraba donde él estaba y le decía:
—¡Cornelio!
Él, mirándolo fijamente, y atemorizado, dijo:
¿Qué es, Señor?
Le dijo:
—Tus oraciones y tus limosnas han subido para memoria delante de Dios.
Cornelius became the FIRST GENTILE EVER to receive the message of the Gospel. (SLIDE)
God is, actually, seeking (and recording) “prayer warriors”:
God is, actually, seeking (and recording) “prayer warriors”:
Busqué entre ellos un hombre que levantara una muralla y que se pusiera en la brecha delante de mí, a favor de la tierra, para que yo no la destruyera; pero no lo hallé.
Entonces los que temían a Jehová hablaron entre sí.
Jehová escuchó y oyó,
y fue escrito ante él un memorial de los que temen a Jehová y honran su nombre.
Notice that only fervent prayer brings: 1. answer, and 2. big and hidden discoveries:
Notice that only fervent prayer brings: 1. answer, and 2. big and hidden discoveries:
Clama a mí y yo te responderé, y te enseñaré cosas grandes y ocultas que tú no conoces.
Most of us want to see wonderful things in our spiritual journey, but these “mighty things” the Lord will only show us through prayer! Many of us don’t see new things simply because we do not pray.
PRAYER WILL CHANGE YOU!
PRAYER WILL CHANGE YOU!
Let’s consider Moses (when he would go to the mountain) and be in close connection with God:
Let’s consider Moses (when he would go to the mountain) and be in close connection with God:
First 40 days - Came down and destroyed the idol calf; (remember Moses had already got angry many times with the Israelites, and in the past he had killed an Egyptian);
Second time 40 days - Came down with his face glooming!
In fact, by the end of his life, Scriptures say that he became “the most meek (manso) of all men”; the very presence of God changed him!
LET’S REMEMBER: When praying, we are in audience with the ALMIGHTY GOD, THE OMNIPOTENT GOD! That alone should encourage us! There is NOTHING He can’t do!
LET’S REMEMBER: When praying, we are in audience with the ALMIGHTY GOD, THE OMNIPOTENT GOD! That alone should encourage us! There is NOTHING He can’t do!
People will recognize if we have been with Jesus by our prayer life, like the members of the Sanhedrim in Jerusalem:
People will recognize if we have been with Jesus by our prayer life, like the members of the Sanhedrim in Jerusalem:
Entonces viendo la valentía de Pedro y de Juan, y sabiendo que eran hombres sin letras y del vulgo, se admiraban; y les reconocían que habían estado con Jesús.
We must stop giving excuses to God, today!!
We must stop giving excuses to God, today!!
To our conclusion, I hope that the same way that 2000 years ago the Lord looked down to Damascus and said to his servant Ananias: “Go, Paul is praying”... He may look down to earth today and say to His angels:
To our conclusion, I hope that the same way that 2000 years ago the Lord looked down to Damascus and said to his servant Ananias: “Go, Paul is praying”... He may look down to earth today and say to His angels:
“Go down, because Joshua is praying, Marcos is praying, Ali is praying...”
“Go down, because Joshua is praying, Marcos is praying, Ali is praying...”
and...
and...
May the Lord say of our church:
May the Lord say of our church:
“I must go down... because right there, right there in the tiny City of Tulare, California… there is a church praying!”
“I must go down... because right there, right there in the tiny City of Tulare, California… there is a church praying!”
________________________
Altar call: “Let’s go to the Lord in prayer.”
Altar call: “Let’s go to the Lord in prayer.”