The Power of Prayer

The Power of Prayer

Rev. Thomas A West, Sr

March 6, 2022

James 5:17-18

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Opening Illustration:

Introduction:

I don’t have an illustration for you today, because it is in my heart to speak only the theme, the Power Of Prayer. There is a general recognition that these are ominous days. The great increase of knowledge is parallel only to man's ability to harness it, so that we seem to be sitting on an atomic bomb that may explode momentarily.

Somewhere I heard this story that when evangelist Billy Graham was ushered into the presence of Winston Churchill before the latter retired from active service, the great Prime Minister greeted him with this simple question; “Young man, is there any hope?”

Our world has been turned upside down with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The inflation rate was already rising and now the cost of everything has skyrocketed. And as always the rich get richer and we lets just say the have-nots have even less. But Paul says in Philippians 4:19 from the NKJV, that God shall supply all your needs. If we look at the Amplified Version, we find these words:

And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19 (AMP)

I believe that in the days and weeks to come, we as believer will be tested on the things we believe. These are days when so called believers have denied the what the Lord has said.

The word of God is plain: “They so the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7).

What is our basic duty as Bible believing Christians?

What are we to do?

There is injustice. There is mounting crime. There is a terrifying turning from just plain decency, let alone the higher ethics of Christianity.

Lawlessness is abroad. Fear grips many hearts what are we to do?

The world tells us that there are so many things we should be doing but whatever may be said for such activities let us remember that these are not our chief weapons against the powers of darkness. They are not our strongest weapons. They are not our best weapons.

It seems to me that we need to remind ourselves that our chief enemy is not a man. It is not a group of men. It is not a human organization. It is not inimical “ism” that is our chief foe.

Our chief foe is Satan, and his powers of darkness.

Ephesians 6:11-12 says “11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:11-12

Last week we heard Rev Shepphard teach us that we should put on the mind of Christ, the Armor of Light, before we even think about putting on the Armor of God. Lesson learned.

The conflict of the ages is still going on. And let me observe that what is behind the lawlessness and the moral breakdown in the world today is satanic in origin. Frankly, the Bible teaches that deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons are to lead men astray in later times – 1 Timothy 4:1 “1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,”

Our weapons, therefore, cannot be of this world. Building, worldly success, wealth, worldly acclaim, earthly authority will not avail. Our weapons have to be spiritual.

If we turn to 2 Corinthians 10 it goes into the heart of the matter and establishes the principle to which I would like to address. Verse 3 reads:

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 “3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,”

What are our secret weapons? What can we lay hold of in order to make the greatest contribution, not only to the welfare of the church but to the well being of society as well? I take it that there or at least six such weapons God has put in our Arsenal. It is not my purpose to deal exclusively with these, but I should like to mention them for all of us need reminding of these things. In what I shall say there is nothing new. But I think I shall be mentioning things that have been largely forgotten.

The Power of Prayer

The Power of Godly Living

The Power of Faith

The Power of Truth

The Power of Love

The Power of Hope

Last July, I spoke briefly on each of the six weapons we have in our spiritual arsenal but today I just want to focus on only one of these weapons.

Today I want to speak on “The Power of Prayer.”

Our Scripture for today is taken from James 5:17-18 “17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

Main Text

The power of prayer, The first of these weapons is our warfare is the power of prayer. You see, Elijah was a man of like passion with us and he prayed frequently fervently that it might not rain ; An it rain not on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again; And the heavens gave rain.

If you have a marginal reference Bible you may see that a more literal translation of he prayed free fervently is that he prayed with prayer. I think the translators have gained the idea of repetition, prayed with prayer for it the notes completion;

It denotes fervency ;

It denotes earnest;

It denotes a literal lying hold of God .

These are not simply words falling from Elijah's lips. These are words that tumbled over his lips from Elijah’s lips these are words that tremble over his lips from the passionate, warm heart that knew and love God and believed that God heard and answered prayer.

Elijah prayed with prayer.

I have given tribute on many other occasions to the book on prayer that helps me most in my early ministry, the power of prayer, by a former leader of Moody Bible Institute doctor Reuben Archer Torrey. I have been reading it again and I came to a passage comparatively early in the book I couldn't pass it by. I want to read it for you now because it humbled me before God , it spoke deeply to my own soul about my own desperate need to learn to pray . Listen to these words from Doctor Torrey:

Anything sought and obtained by the earnest persistent believing prayer that will not take no for an answer, will be achieved.

Prayer has much more power today when men and women are themselves on praying knees. I once heard it referred to as have a PHD in Kneelogy.

Can I ask you a question, has God spoken to you recently about this matter of praying with prayer?

Has He?

Listen as I read Isaiah 64:7

Isaiah 64:7 NKJV

7 And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities.

Oh, how God has exonerated, this heart of mine about my prayer-less-ness with that text. You see, prayer doesn't come easily and naturally and it isn't something we like to do in our Humanistic natures, being lackadaisical like most things we do. Look, we have to stir up ourselves. And we have to mean business, we have to lay hold.

Along with that verse I think of Acts 6:4 where the early disciples said, “ we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

We'll give ourselves.

It takes a bit of doing.

It isn't something that comes automatically.

We give ourselves ---- with purpose of heart, with determination. We give ourselves to prayer.

Ephesians 6:18 says “18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

And linked with that verse is Jude 20: “Praying in the Holy Spirit.”

I remember hearing something like this: “we may be beaten in the conflict. We may be worsened in the battle. Our faces may be plunged in the dust of the feet, because of the power of the adversary and the greatness of Satan, but we're not beaten yet! you see, we can still lay hold of what John Bunyan used to Call’ all prayer’. and that's what Ephesians 6:18 Is talking about ---- with all prayer and supplication, at all seasons, in the Holy Spirit.

Let me ask you one last question as I close.

How important is prayer to you?

Jesus our Lord and Savior thought it is important enough, especially today, that He gave us some instructions on how to pray and even provided us with a sample of how we are to pray.

We can find those instructions in Matthew 6:5-8 which reads:

Matthew 6:5-8 “5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”

A few weeks ago, Rev. Young broke down what this sample prayer found in the Book of Matthew chapter 6 starting in verse 9. I urge you to go back and listen to the recording “God Our Father”. You can find it on our website, KKBF.org.

Here is the thing, not only did Jesus teach us how to pray, He demonstrated praying for us.

Matthew 26:42 records a solitary prayer by Jesus to God

John 14:16, Jesus prayed to the Father who would give the Holy Spirit.

John 17:1-5 finds Jesus praying for Himself

John 17:6-19 finds Jesus praying for His Disciples

John 17:20-26 we find Jesus praying for us Believers

Mark 14:32-42 Jesus prays in Gethsemane, as the hour of His crucifixion drew near.

So, Let us close by praying together:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

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