A COMMITMENT TO PRAY
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BECAUSE YOU PRAYED
BECAUSE YOU PRAYED
I want to welcome you again this morning.
First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today.
I also want to welcome those who may be joining us for the first time today. I hope your time with us today is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.
I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.
What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.
That being said, we are taking a break from our expositional style for the next few weeks as we focus in on the New Year. Because as we enter 2022, I believe God has big plans for MCF.
However, if we want to accomplish what God has planned, we have to be prepared for what lies ahead.
And so in oder to help prepare us I want to take the next few weeks to focus on four New year commitments.
Commitments that I believe are necessary for you and I if we truly want to accomplish God’s plan and purpose in 2022.
Commitments that will requires us to stay focused on the spiritual not the physical.
Commitments that will lead to more joy, more hope, more peace, and more purpose in your life.
Commitments that I believe will lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus.
Last week we looked at the first commitment, a commitment to Give. A commitment that requires us to give more of our time, talent, and treasure. And so if you missed that message I would encourage you to go online or onto the app and listen to that message.
Today however we are going to look at the second commitment. A commitment which I have simply titled “A Commitment to Pray”.
And so to get us started I want to begin by asking you a question. A question I think we can all relate with and that will help us build some framework for where we are going this morning.
Question - How many of you would say that when you look back at your life you would have some regrets?
And by regrets I’m talking about decisions you’ve made or actions you’ve taken that you wish you could take back?
Yeah, I think most of us would say, “I have some regrets.”
For some, it could be regrets you’ve made financially. Maybe you shouldn’t have maxed out that credit card.
For others, regrets you’ve made romantically or relationally. Probably shouldn’t have dated that person.
Maybe for some, regrets you’ve made that have affected your health. I wish I would have never picked up that first cigarette.
If you’re a parent, maybe you have some regrets when it comes to your kids. I wish I would have spent more time with them.
The fact is, if we think about it, we all have regrets.
Let me ask you this. When it comes to your regrets, is there one that really stands out? Something that maybe even haunts you to this day? A decision or action that if you could go back and time you’d do it differently.
Again, I think we probably all have that one big regret. That one decision we’d like to maybe have a do over on.
I know I do. In fact, just to be transparent wit you this morning, I’m actually going to share with you what my one big regret is.
Now, some of you might be thinking, “Wow pastor, that’s pretty gutsy. You sure you want to do that. I hope it’s not something really bad or gets you in trouble with Denise.”
Well, it is bad. In fact, it’s something I’m really ashamed of.
And no, it’s no the regret of being a Broncos fan versus a Chiefs fan.
So, what’s my one big regret?
To be honest, it’s a regret that came to light after we finished the 21 Days of prayer last January. A regret that has kind of haunted me ever since. Something that if I could go back 30 years ago I would change.
You see, my one big regret is that I would have made prayer more of a priority in my life. (Repeat 2x)
I wish I would have better understood the power of prayer.
I wish I would have understood the value of spending time with God.
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, that’s now what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be something really bad. I thought it was going to be something that has caused all kinds of problems and challenges in your life.”
Well the truth is, it is bad. It’s bad that for most of my adult life and for 26 years as a pastor that I haven’t made prayer more of a priority in my life. In fact, it’s embarrassing.
And guess what, because prayer hasn’t been a more of a priority in my life, I truly believe it has created all kinds of problems and challenges in my life.
Problems that could have been avoided had I prayed more.
Challenges I might not have had to face had I prayed more.
Heartache I wouldn’t have had to suffer had I prayed more.
Financial woes I wouldn’t have had to endure had I prayed more.
You see I believe my decision to not pray more has led to many of the regrets I’ve had in my life. And that if I would have prayed or prayed more, I could have avoided some of those decisions and actions that have resulted in regret.
Everybody following me?
And so if I could have one do over one decision in my life, it would be that I would have made prayer more of a priority.
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, that’s great, but I can tell you right now, that wouldn’t be mine. In fact, pastor, mines so bad I can’t even tell you what it is.”
I get that. But what I’d like you to consider today, is that maybe the one big regret you’re thinking of isn’t really the biggest regret you should have. That maybe it’s just one of many regrets. And that that like me, many of your regrets stem from one bad decision. The decision to not pray more, and maybe for some of you, to not pray at all.
You see what I’d like you to consider is that maybe most of the regrets you have all lead back to one bad decision. The decision to not make prayer a priority in your life.
Now, I know just by suggesting that idea many of you aren’t going to automatically accept that as true.
That being the case, my goal this morning is highlight why prayer should be a priority in your life.
And my hope is, that after we’re finished this today, that you’d at least be willing to consider that if prayer was a priority in your life, that maybe you wouldn’t have as many regrets. That because you prayed, moving forward your regrets would become less and less.
I know over the last year that’s been true for me. Because last year I prayed more than I ever have, and I can honestly tell you, I have less regrets in 2021 than I’ve ever had in any year.
And so, in order to to help us better understand the importance and benefit of making prayer a priority, we are going to look at a story in the OT about a man who learned the hard way about the importance of prayer in his life.
A man who didn’t make it a priority, and in the process made some poor decisions. Decisions that nearly cost him everything. But when he prayed, and because he prayed, it changed everything.
The man I’m referring to is a man named King Hezekiah. And his story is found in 2 Kings 18.
And so for the next few moments I want to spend some time looking at his story, and from his story give you three reasons why prayer should be a priority in your life as we move into 2022.
So, let’s start out by answering the question, “Who exactly was King Hezekiah?”
According to the Bible, of the Kings of Judah, King Hezekiah was one of the most godly kings that sat on the throne in the OT. The writer of 1 Kings states it like this:
3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
5 He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. 6 For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.
The writer says, Hezekiah was a good king. A king that did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. So much so, that there was none like him before him or after him who followed the Lord and His commandments.
That’s quite a compliment isn’t it?
So, that being the case, what’s the problem? Doesn’t sound like this is a guy who would have lived with many regrets.
You might think. But the fact is, while Hezekiah was a good and godly king, he wasn’t a perfect king, and like all of us, he made some regrettable decisions.
One of those decisions took place in the 14th year of his reign. A decision that would come back to haunt him.
So, what was the decision? Let’s find out. Because picking up in verse 18 the writer tell us this:
13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
What the writer has just described here is what no leader wants for his country as a foreign power comes against it. Which means, this is a critical moment in Hezekiah’s life. A moment when his decisions will matter most.
Because at this point everything is at stake? And we know that based on what the writer just told us.
Because not only has a foreign power invaded the country, but they’ve taken control of all the fortified cities.
Another way to say that, is that when the King of Assyria attacked Judah, he took out all of Hezekiah’s military bases. Which meant not only is the land occupied, but all of Hezekiah’s tanks have been confiscated. All of his F-18’s have been grounded. All of his drones have been destroyed. The country is sitting helpless.
Not good, right?
So, what did Hezekiah do to overcome this foreign power? What was his solution to the invasion? The writer tells us:
2 Kings 18:14 (ESV)
14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear...”
The writer says in this moment of attack and invasion, Hezekiah basically begs for mercy and promises to give the king of Assyria whatever he wants if he will leave and go back home.
Now, I don’t know about you, but that’s not the kind of response I was expecting from a king that the Bible says was so godly.
I mean you would think a king like this would trust in god. You would think he would seek help from God. But in this moment he doesn’t. Instead he bows before the King of Assyria and begs for mercy.
So, how does the King of Assyria respond? The writer tells us:
2 Kings 18:14 (ESV)
And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
The writer says after getting Hezekiah’s message, the King of Assyria requires a tribute from Hezekiah. A tribute that would symbolize Hezekiah’s submission to the King of Assyria. A tribute that would require a vast amount of gold and silver.
So, what does Hezekiah do? Again, the writer tells us:
15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.
The writer says in response to the King of Assyria’s requirement, Hezekiah emptied the temple treasury and stripped all the gold from the temple doors in order to pay this tribute.
Again, doesn’t sound like the actions of a godly king. Because it almost sounds like Hezekiah has totally given up on God’s help. That his only solution is to submit to the demands of his enemy.
So, what’s going on? Why this response?
Honestly, I think it just goes to show that while Hezekiah is a godly king, he’s a human being. Because yes he followed the Lord. Yes, he trusted God. But in this particular situation fear has gotten the best of him and instead of seeking God’s help he’s trying to solve the problem in his own power and by his own means.
And the truth is, that’s what many of us do when we face difficult circumstances or situations in our lives. Instead of going to God, instead of praying, we have a knee jerk reaction as we take matters into our own hands.
So, instead of praying in financial crisis, we charge it on the credit card.
Instead of praying over our children, we put the on medication.
Instead of praying for our marriage, we file for divorce.
Instead of praying for healing, we put our hope in medication.
And please hear me, I’m not saying there’s not a place for credit cards. I’m not saying there isn’t a place for medication. I’m not saying divorce should never happen. What I’m saying though is that instead of praying, our first response is to typically take the matter into our own hands and seek wordly solutions.
Which is exactly what Hezekiah did in this situation. The problem is, when we seek human solutions we get human responses.
So, what kind of response did Hezekiah get? Did the tribute appease the King of Assyria?
Let’s find out. Because after receiving the tribute, the King of Assyria sent one of his Generals to give Hezekiah a message:
19 And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? 20 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? 21 Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But if you say to me, “We trust in the Lord our God,” is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?
The writer says the response to his payment isn’t good as the King of Assyria now makes it clear to Hezekiah that the tribute was just a down payment. Because the king of Assyria doesn’t want just some of the gold and silver, he wants it all. He wants to fully conquer Hezekiah and his kingdom.
And on a side not, that’s exactly how the enemy works. He doesn’t want to just cripple you, he wants to kill you. He doesn’t just want to just weaken your marriage, he wants to destroy your marriage. He doesn’t just want to make life difficult for, he wants it to be miserable tot he point you’d want to kill yourself.
Because that’s his ultimate goal. To completely obliterate your life.
And so it’s at this point the King of Assyria begins to taunt Hezekiah. He begins to challenge where his hope of salvation and deliverance is.
So he says, “Hey Hezekiah, was your hope in this payoff? Sorry Hezekiah that’s not going to save you. Or is your hope in Egypt coming to your rescue? Sorry, that’s not going to happen either, because Egypt has no power to defeat me. Or is your hope in your God Hezekiah? Because from what we can tell that’s now where your hope is either.
And then to further destroy Hezekiah’s hope or faith in God, the King of Assyria goes on to say this:
33 Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’ ”
The Assyrian General basically says, “Hey Hezekiah, I just want you to know, if your last resort is to trust your God, don’t bother. Because there’s been a god of any nation that has been able to stop me. Hezekiah you might as well give up.”
All that to say, it doesn’t look good for Hezekiah or his kingdom as the King of Assyria and his army are now camped outside of the walls of Jerusalem giving Hezekiah nowhere to go. The situation is as bad as it can get. At this point Hezekiah is living with regret. What regret? I believe it’s the regret that he didn’t pray to begin with.
How do I know that? I based that on what Hezekiah does next. Because after hearing this response and receiving an official letter from the king of Assyria, King Hezekiah does what he should have done to begin with. Look at what the writer tells us:
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 17 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands 18 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 19 So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”
The writer says Hezekiah finally turns to the Lord for help. And in a cry of desperation he begs God to intervene. He begs God to deliver him from his enemies.
So, is it too little too late? Does God respond to Hezekiah’s desperate cry for help.
Let’s find out. Because in Isaiah 37 we find God’s response to Hezekiah’s cry:
Isaiah 37:21–22 (ESV)
21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:
What I want you to notice is that as the prophet Isaiah comes to Hezekiah, the first thing Isaiah says to him in reference to his prayer is, “Hezekiah, because you have prayed…”
In other words, Hezekiah, the reason I am hear, the reason that God has sent me, the reason that God has an answer for you, the reason God is about to move on your behalf is because you prayed.
And I think that’s a significant detail. Because what Isaiah is indicating here is that everything that God is about to do hinged on one decision. What decision? the decision to pray. That because Hezekiah prayed, everything is about to change.
So, the question then is, “What is God going to do because Hezekiah prayed?”
Isaiah tells us. Look at what he says:
Isaiah 37:33–35 (ESV)
33 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. 34 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord. 35 For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”
The message that Isaiah has for Hezekiah from God is a message of encouragement. A message of hope. A message of promise. The promise that despite the dire circumstances, despite what the King of Assyria has threatened, that God is going to deliver Hezekiah.
In fact, God says that not one arrow will be shot into the city. That no siege mount will be built against it. And that the army encamped outside the city is going to exit out of the country the way they came in. And that God Himself is going to defend and save the city.
Why is God going to do this? Hezekiah, it’s because you prayed. It’s because you went to the one who has the power to deliver you.
And guess what, God was true to His word. Because following this word from the Lord, look at what happened next:
35 And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 36 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. 37 And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
The writer says that night God sent one of His angels into the camp and the angel struck down 185,000 Assyrians.
Is that not amazing and terrifying at the same time? That all God needs to take out 185,000 soldiers is one angel??
Some might ask, “Wow pastor, that’s crazy. How did the angel strike them down?”
We don’t know, and honestly, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that God did exactly what He promised He’d do. What matters is that because Hezekiah prayed, God intervened and did what Hezekiah could have never done on his own. That because he prayed what seemed impossible became possible. That Because he prayed what seemed like a defeat turned into victory.
And what a reminder that must have been for Hezekiah that a regrettable decision could have been avoided had he started with prayer.
TRANSITION:
And I believe what was true for Hezekiah is true for all of us.
Because instead of standing in a defensive position of defeat, regrettably thinking, “I wish I would have prayed”, wouldn’t it be better to be standing in an offensive position of victory thinking, “Because I prayed”.
Yeah, I think that would be better.
So, based on what we’ve just read, I’d like to give you three reasons why prayer must be a priority for you as we walk into 2022:
Reason #1 - The enemy is going to attack whether you like it or not.
We see this in Hezekiah’s life. Because whether he liked it or not, in the 14th year of his reign, the King of Assyria was going to attack him and there was nothing he could do to stop that.
And the fact is, if you are a Christian in 2022, you can expect attack. And unfortunately there is no way around it. Jesus Himself put it like this:
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus says if you’re a Christian, you just need to know trouble is coming. Attacks are coming.
So, a great question would be, “What kind of trouble? What kind of attacks?”
Well, they come in all shapes and sizes. But what I’ve found is that tribulation and attacks come against Christians in three main ways.
Attack # 1- Spiritual Attacks
These are attacks that come from the spiritual realm. And again, this is something the Bible says we can count on. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Paul says many of the attacks we face are of a spiritual nature as Satan and his demonic forces come against a believer.
The Apostle Peter reminds us of this as well. He puts it like this:
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Peter says we need to be aware that there is a real enemy out there called the devil. And he’s not only real, but he’s looking for opportunity to attack you. An opportunity to discourage you. An opportunity to destroy your marriage. An opportunity to work against your family. An opportunity to trip you up. An opportunity to cause you to doubt your faith in God. He’s looking for opportunity to take you out.
And please hear me, I’m not saying that to scare you...but it should. Because the Bible is very clear that he’s a powerful being with a track record of taking people out. And if you don’t believe me, open your Bible, because scripture is full of people who the enemy was able to trip up, beginning with Adam and Eve. Two people who walked with God in a way you and I never have or will until we get to heaven.
So, first and foremost, the attacks are going to come from the spiritual realm.
Attack #2 - Cultural Attacks
These are attacks we are going to face as we live in a world that continues to reject a righteous and holy God. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Paul says the world is full of people who refuse to put their hope and faith in God.
As a result, those who reject God are going to attack those embrace God.
Which means, these attacks will come when we refuse to engage in sinful behavior. They’ll come when we choose to stand for Biblical truth. They’ll come when our faith requires us to take a contrary stand or viewpoint against the culture. They’ll come when you refuse to be woke.
And the fact is, we are seeing attacks like this more and more as our American culture continues to spiral downwards. And please hear me, I don’t say that to discourage you, but to simply point out the fact, that our world isn’t getting better, it’s getting worse. And that the more our culture kicks against God, the more the attacks are going to come against you and me.
Attack #3 - Attacks of the Flesh
By attacks of the flesh I’m referring to the sin nature that unfortunately is still waging war against us.
And what we need to understand about the sin nature, is that it isn’t the devil that is causing this. Instead, it’s your own flesh.
I think that’s the mistake Christians make sometimes as they try and blame the devil for their own fleshly desires. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Notice that Paul doesn’t mention anything about the devil here. But instead he points to the flesh as the problem.
Which means one of the daily attacks we can expect to face is from our own flesh. From temptations and desires that come as a result of living in a fleshly body. As the old you continues to try and come back to life. As old habits try to resurface. As old desires try to trip us up. As the desires of the flesh work hard against your faith and trust in Jesus.
And the fact is, none of us are exempt from this. This is something we are all going to face as our flesh wages war against our earnest desire to trust, know, and serve God.
All that to say, attacks are going to come whether we like it or not.
Which leads us to the second reason we need to pray.
Reason #2 - We don’t have the power to overcome the attacks of the enemy.
We saw this with Hezekiah. Because when the enemy came against him, everything he had put his hope in for deliverance failed him. His military fortifications failed him. His bribe of silver and gold failed him. His reasoning failed him. Why? Because Hezekiah lacked the ability to defeat his enemy.
And what was true for Hezekiah is true for us. The reality is, in ourselves, we don’t have the ability to defeat spiritual forces. I’m sorry, but in your in power you can’t beat the devil. How do I know that? I know that because the Bible says he was the most crafty creature that God created. Which means he’s smarter than you.
Not only that, we don’t have the power to stop a secular culture. I know many Christians think we do. Christians who think by posting a post on Facebook it will make a difference. Christians who think if we can just get a Christian President everything would be different. Christians who think if we just boycotted Hollywood and Disney, something would change.
I’m sorry, but your Facebook posts, your opinions, and your boycotts aren’t going to stop the downward spiral of our culture. It’s not even going to make a dent.
Now, by saying that I’m not saying you shouldn’t write your Facebook diatribe, express your opinion, or tell Mickey to take a hike. What I’m saying though is you need to understand that what is happening in our world is much bigger than you, and that you don’t have the power to stop it.
In addition to that, we don’t have the power to defeat our flesh either. Because unfortunately the flesh is a powerful force that can easily get the best of us. The Apostle Paul states it like this:
15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Paul says because of the power of the flesh there’s times he ends up doing what he doesn't want to do. How many of you can relate with that?
And please understand, in no way is Paul justifying his sin by blaming his flesh. What he’s doing is acknowledging that as much as he tries, there are times his flesh gets the best of him. He’s just being transparent.
And the fact is, Christians struggle with this on a continual basis. As the flesh tempts us and we give into a moment of weakness.
This is how affairs happen. We’re not getting the attention we’d like from our spouse and then somebody shows us some attention. And it feels good. It feels good to be acknowledged. It feels good to be wanted.
And it’s not that being acknowledged or desired is wrong. What’s wrong is when we give into it in a sinful way. And the gravitational pull towards that is often very strong.
All that to say, the attack of the flesh is something that can easily overcome us. And as a result, we don’t have the power to defeat the enemies we are going to face.
Which now leads us to a final reason we need to pray:
Reason #3 - While we don’t have the power to defeat the enemy, God does.
Again, we saw this with Hezekiah. Because when he prayed, everything changed. When he prayed, the battle was no longer his. When he prayed, somebody with the power to defeat the enemy took over. When he prayed, God stepped in.
And what was true for Hezekiah is true for us as well. Because while we don’t have the power to defeat Satan, and we don’t have the power to transform our culture, and we don’t have the power to fully overcome the flesh, the good news is that God does. And if we are willing to cry out to Him, He stands ready to step in. Why? Because we prayed...
Which means, because you prayed...
No arrow is going to fly against your marriage.
No siege ramp is going to be built to overtake your children.
No trap is going to be able to trap you.
No amount of discouragement is going to bring you down.
No amount of hopelessness is going to keep you from moving forward.
No amount of darkness is going to keep the light from shining through.
No weapon formed against you is going to prosper.
Why? Because you recognized how powerless you are and how powerful God is. And Because you prayed God is now going to get involved in the situation.
Church, I truly believe that if you are willing to pray. If you are willing to cry out to God. If you are willing to put your hope in His power, that not only will God go before you, but He will obliterate the enemy.
He will give you the power to overcome the spiritual attack.
He will give you the power to supernaturally impact our culture.
He will give you the power to overcome your flesh.
But for that to happen, you’re going to have be able to say, “Because I prayed...”
As we enter 2022, I believe more than ever we are going to see increasing attacks.
We’re going to see and experience more spiritual attacks. We’re going to see and experience more cultural attacks. And we’re going to face and have to deal with more fleshly attacks. Attacks that are meant to discourage, detour, destroy, and take us out.
But the good news is, if we pray and because we prayed, we can know with certainty that victory lies ahead. That no matter what the enemy throws at us we serve a God who promises to fight the battle. A God who is bigger than the enemy. A God that has a track record of never losing. And God that will fight for you, because you prayed.
MCF, as we go into 2022, my hope today is that you will be committed to making prayer a priority.
The question then is, “How do you do that?” I’m glad you asked because in closing I have a few suggestions:
Suggestion #1 - I want to challenge you to devote at least 30 minutes to prayer every day.
Suggestion #2 - I want to invite you to join us on Saturday mornings for prayer.
Suggestion #3 - I want to invite you to make the First Wednesday prayer service a priority.
Suggestion #4 - I want to challenge you to start all of this by signing up today as we start 21 days of prayer and fasting.
MCF, a year from now, when are looking back at 2022, my hope is that we will be able to see all the victories that God gave us. Victories that took place because we prayed.
Let’s Pray