Prayer May 14,15, 2022 #1

Prayer May 14,15, 2022 #1

Introduction

Jab 1

Cooper Video

Why? (Because he prayed before his mission0

Foxholes

Battleships

Airplanes heading do the runway

Experimental spacecraft

I’m also sure that Cooper’s family prayed a lot while he was in space.

It is said “that in some form or another everybody prays. If we are not praying to God, we are towards something else”

Welcome

Good morning, My name is Troy, and I’m the Lead Pastor hear at FCCCB

Welcome Guest

Connect Card

Online connection

Welcome those that join online

Jab 2

What causes you to pray?

Thankfulness for the day

Your Health

Possibility of danger in your path

Your children and grandchildren

Life's decisions

Career

Where to go to school

Who to marry

Where to live

Praying for your country

Maybe even that golf shot over the water to make a birdie.

Jab 3

Tell the thunder story.

Gideon story.

Right Hook

So over the next few weeks we're going to take a look at prayer in our lives and in the Bible

How to pray

Bold prayers

Prayers that change God's mind

Prayers where God really came through for those that prayed

We should have the mindset that the first thing we do in everything is to pray

Explanation

So get out your Bibles

We're going to look at a few different passages today so they will be on the screen as we get to them

Jesus set the example by praying first

Luke 6:12

“12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

Jesus taught us how to pray

Matthew 6:5-9

““5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:””

The Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13

“ ‘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 today our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”

Jesus gave us for instructions on prayer

We must pray in secret before we pray in public

We must pray sincerely

We must pray in God's will

We must pray having a forgiving spirit toward others

Let's take a look at another prayer in the Bible

Set up Nehemiah

Nehemiah’s Prayer

Nehemiah 1:11

1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. 8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ 10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah is moved to action because of news that his fellow Jews, in the province of Judah, have rebuilt the temple but are living in a city without a wall and are in danger.

The first chapter of Nehemiah covers a four-month period of prayer, fasting, and mourning by Nehemiah. He asks for God’s blessing and the blessing of King Artaxerxes.

He ultimately receives both.

Nehemiah begins his prayer by setting the stage to receive favor from God and King Artaxerxes.

Various scholars have dissected Nehemiah's prayer in an effort to apply lessons from it to our prayer lives.

Dr. James E. Smith offers a clear, concise description of Nehemiah’s prayer.

He breaks it down into four parts.

Nehemiah’s prayer is a bold petition to God (1:5).

Nehemiah offers confession and includes himself among the sinful people (1:6).

Nehemiah asks the Lord to remember what He said, that He would “scatter Israel” among the people of the earth if they were unfaithful, and that if they returned to Him, He would “restore” them in the land that God had promised them (1:8).

Nehemiah asks God to be attentive to his prayer and the prayers of others who were praying for the post-exilic nation of Israel (1:11)

Nehemiah’s prayer offers us a format for our own prayers.

First, we should pray boldly with faith.

We should acknowledge our own sins and the sins of those you might be praying for.

We should let God know that we know His promises and that He is faithful to keep those promises.

Finally, we should ask God to be attentive to our prayers

Just as God used Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, Artaxerxes played an important part in his success.

Nehemiah ended his prayer asking for the favor of “this man”, who had the power to help with his endeavor.

In the 2nd chapter of Nehemiah His prayer is answered.

Nehemiah 2:1-7 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” 6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. 7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.

Application

So what causes you to go to the Lord in Prayer?

I mentioned some of these earlier.

Need

Sorrow

Thankfulness

Fear

Needing Help

Compassion moved Nehemiah

The first chapter of Nehemiah reveals a man who takes immediate action when compassion overcomes him.

As a man of prayer, he humbly confesses his sins and the sins of his people.

Nehemiah shows us that we, too, can come boldly before the throne of God.

These are characteristics which we can learn from and incorporate into our lives and ministries.

The message that Nehemiah speaks is to trust in the Lord God, Creator of the world, and that if we repent and “return” to God, He will restore us.

Nehemiah was a man of prayer who is willing to follow through with the tasks assigned to him by God,

a man of prayer who uses his earthly status as a trusted servant to a powerful king to gain access to the resources needed to achieve his goal,

a man confident in his faith, in God and in his abilities to do great things.

These traits are timeless and translate seamlessly into today’s world.

“And shout, while passing through the air, “Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!” This is the last line of the old hymn Sweet Hour of Prayer, by William W. Walford and William B. Bradbury.

It has been sung in churches for many years, but do we ever stop and think about what this line is saying?

It’s saying that someday we will have no need to pray because we will be in the presence of God.

What a great blessing that will be when there is no need to pray to God but simply talk to Him face to face.

Sadly, that day is not here yet.

Until then - like Nehemiah - we must rely on our faith and our prayers to communicate with God and then be willing to put our faith and prayers into action and leadership.

Nehemiah was compelled to action out of crisis and need.

When we observe similar crises and needs in our world, we must be proactive to address them.

We must initiate prayer and leadership in whatever way God puts on our hearts

We must lead with vision, compassion, confidence, gratitude, dependence and finally, servanthood.

When we are tasked by God, we need to respond and take advantage of the resources at hand.

If Nehemiah was nothing else, he was a servant, a servant to God and to his people.

To sum up the message of Nehemiah in one word, there is only one choice - “service”.

Will you choose today to serve with your prayers and your leadership as a Christian in a fallen world?

Call to action

Today decide to pray first

Today decide to trust God with everything

There is nothing to small or too large to take to God

God answers every prayer

Sometimes yes

Sometimes no

Sometimes wait

May we be mature enough to accept His answers

May we always find ourselves in His will and not our own.

Let me Pray