Spiritual Disciplines
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Prayer
Prayer
It takes spiritual work to get spiritual results
What do you want God to do in your life? What do you want God to do in your family? What do you want God to do in the lives of your friends? What do you want God to do in your business?
What do you want God to do in your church? What do you want God to do in your community?
We can’t have spiritual results without prayer.
I’m not sure how long that we’ll be looking at prayer, but there is much that has been said about prayer and much that can be said about prayer. We are going to start and expect that over the next while, God will lead us as we endeavour to study prayer.
I’ve started reading a book by R.A. Torrey called, “The Power of Prayer.” He was preaching back in the 1920’s and he shared about the state of the church. It seemed so eerily familiar. Even a hundred years ago, the church needed to press in and pray.
2 Chron 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Jere 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
The Greek word translated “availteth” is also an expressive and significant word. Its primary meaning is “to be strong,” “to have power or force,” and then “to exercise power.” (Torrey, Power of Prayer)
Be Specific in prayer
We need to be specific in our prayers.
Mark 11:19-25
When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.
Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.
“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Matthew 21:18-22
Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.
Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
What are you believing God for? What is your desire?
Is there anything to hard for the Lord?
With God all things are possible
Isaiah prophesied to the children of Israel and said this.
Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
What difference does prayer make in your life?
Tonight, I want us to focus on personal prayer. We can look at corporate prayer, which has great value in the church and in the life of the believer, but tonight, I want us to spend some time looking at our private times with the Lord.
This is where we get to know the Lord person ally. This is where we learn to know His will and His way for us. Corporate times can cultivate and teach us how to get alone with God, but we need to get alone with God.
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.
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.
“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
Prayer promotes holiness
Sin separates us from God. It can cause a distance so that it can become hard to pray. We need to pray if we have our sins forgiven.
Our sins aren’t forgiven by us trying to be better people even though it is good to try to be better. Repentance isn’t us trying to be better. Repentance is changing that takes place in our hearts, our minds, and in our actions. Repentance isn’t will power, it is being sorry for our sins.
Prayer is communion with God
James 4:8-10
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Isaiah 55:7-8
Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Everything we need
Isaiah 55:1-3
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.
Luke 11:9-13
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”