Prayer

Psalm 5:1–3 NLT

1 O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. 2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. 3 Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

State: Sometimes the waiting expectantly gets tough

Fear from the lack of an answer creeps in

Our thoughts start creating dark scenarios

This happens when:

waiting for test results

dealing with pain & struggle

We loose faith and expectation

Here are some biblical examples of the fatigue that can come with waiting

Psalm 13:1 NLT

1 O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?

Psalm 6:3 NLT

3 I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me?

Habakkuk 1:2 NLT

2 How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save.

State: Interesting to note that God goes on in Habakkuk to explain there

is a purpose in his “not coming to save”

Habakkuk 1:5–6 NLT

5 The Lord replied, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it. 6 I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands.

Sometimes there is a divine purpose unfolding

Habakkuk discovered this answer because he prayed!

The Power Of Gathering To Pray

State: Sometimes we are called to gather in prayer as a body of believers

Acts 12 - speaks of everyone praying for Peter the night he was miraculously rescued from jail.

Acts 4: The disciples praying after being arrested and freed by the Jewish council, the meeting place shook and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2: Pentecost...The gathering is filled with the Holy Ghost and tongues of fire

State: There is something about a group of believers gathering for prayer

Ray’s Daughter:

Critical condition - 5 kids - sever pain - weight loss -3 times in emergency - no surgeries available-

cannot even get consultation with surgeon

Asks God what to do:

Soaking prayer

Worship

Listening in prayer for the person & sharing

Anointing with oil

Pray God’s healing

Ask if there is any difference

Response to soaking prayer

Nothing had budged for months

3 Sundays of soaking prayer

1st Sunday

Had a great Monday & Tuesday physically - got worse as week went on

Had response from 3 surgeons for assessment…but the assessments were a long way yet

2nd Sunday

Had a great day Monday - bad end of week back in emergency

One assessment got moved up and she now has two dates for surgeries she needs

Remember - nothing had moved for months

3rd Sunday

Had three good days

Connections with other surgeons about treatment

The lesson from all of this:

Group prayer works

Nothing had moved for months

After prayer things moved

Step Answers to prayer

Her physical healing came and went but the last testimony was that she had three good days

Has surgeries booked, but, also has other medical resources coming

Jesus prayed for a blind man:

Mark 8:24–25 NLT

24 The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” 25 Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.

State: Everything does not necessarily have to happen all at once.

There can be steps to your healing / prayer answer

Zach’s prayer to a an acquaintance who is a mechanic..but no real reason

Other friend is moving away and he can’t sell his car so leaves it at Zach’s for junkyard to pick up for $200 because he cannot get the repairs done before he leaves

Zach says the car is worth more than that.........(reason to meet up with mechanic)

They will get together to fix up the car for re-sale

Putting the football down the field

As more distance is achieved through the downs..the enthusiasm of the team increases and the discouragement of the other team increases.

State: Healing / answers to prayer can come in steps

Trisha:

Westminister lead her to housing which lead her to affordable housing.

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