Prayer
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The adversity we experience is what God has allowed to happen to bring us to prayer.
Intercessory prayer meetings
We need to have prayer meetings at our house to seek God.
We have unlimited promises from God - Why don’t we pray?
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
This promise is repeated throughout Scripture:
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
We serve the same God
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Jesus keeps repeating this
23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
We aren’t getting the importance of this or we will would pray without ceasing
Answered Prayers Bring The Father Glory.
God wants to be glorified
PRAYING WITH FAITH
When Hudson Taylor sailed to China, he heard an urgent knock on his stateroom door. He opened it, and there stood the captain of the ship. “Mr. Taylor,” he said, “we have no wind. We are drifting toward an island where the people are heathen, and I fear they are cannibals.”
“I understand that you believe in God. I want you to pray for wind.”
“All right, Captain, I will, but you must set the sail.”
“Why that’s ridiculous! There’s not even the slightest breeze. Besides, the sailors will think I’m crazy.” But finally, because of Taylor’s insistence, he agreed. Forty-five minutes later he returned and found the missionary still on his knees. “You can stop praying now,” said the captain. “We’ve got more wind than we know what to do with!”
2. Answered Prayer Is The Result Of Praying In Jesus’ Name.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
This doesn’t mean anything
Consume it upon our lusts
When I pray in harmony with God’s will as His Child - God says, “I will do it.”
Our Father which art in Heaven
Whatever you have ordained in heaven, God will do that
3. Answered Prayer Encourages Us To Abide In Christ
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
When God’s word is real and abiding
When I know I’m abiding in Him
I have confidence God will answer my prayer
When the opposite is taking place
when we are living in disobedience
when God’s word is not real
The communication is not taking place
God encourages us to abide in Him because I need Him to answer
4. Answered Prayer Is What God Ordained For You And Is Directly Connected To Bringing Forth Fruit
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
You are chosen
The fruitful life is connected to the person praying
Fruit-bearing is connected to prayer
5. Answered Prayer Brings Joy Into A Child Of God
23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
God loves His children being joyful
I love hearing prayers answered
WHAT PRAYER DOES
What various hindrances we meet
In coming to a mercy seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer,
But wishes to be often there?
Prayer makes the darken’d cloud withdraw,
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,
Gives exercise to faith and love,
Brings every blessing from above.
Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
Prayer makes the Christian’s armour bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.
While Moses stood with arms spread wide,
Success was found on Israel’s side;
But when through weariness they fail’d,
That moment Amalek prevail’d.
Have you no words? Ah, think again,
Words flow apace when you complain,
And fill your fellow-creature’s ear
With the sad tale of all your care.
Were half the breath thus vainly spent
To Heaven in supplication sent,
Your cheerful song would oftener be,
“Hear what the Lord has done for me. ”—William Cowper
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
We are in the end time - we will face battles
God wants us to be warriors in prayer
Our Father desires His children to pray
God loves when people prove Him
God has never failed a test
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be meat in mine house, And prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, If I will not open you the windows of heaven, And pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
How do we pray when we experience ease?
How do we pray when we have no problems?
How do we pray when a brother or sister in Christ? - the body of Christ
My God shall supply all your need
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
What you pray in secret God will reward you openly
We believe in salvation
We believe in Heaven
What about your problems right now?
What is harder for God?
God solves not only the big things, but the smaller problems in our life
A CHILD’S PRAYER REQUEST ANSWERED BEFORE IT IS PRAYED
Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to Zaire, told the following story. “A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded. ‘Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won’t feel so lonely.’ That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, ‘If God sent that, I’m sure He also sent a doll!’ And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child’s sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies’ group to include both of those specific articles.”
When God moves, expect God to provide
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Confidence means boldness
It’s normal for God to answer prayer
It may be abnormal for us because we don’t believe
2 Chronicles 1:7 KJV 1900
7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.
Solomon asked for wisdom to lead a Kingdom
2 Chronicles 1:11–12 KJV 1900
11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.
Isaiah 59:16 KJV 1900
16 And he saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor: Therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; And his righteousness, it sustained him.
What brought God wonder.
Before the Messiah came
Before the Holy Spirit came.
Could it be that The Lord wonders today why people aren’t praying
Why are we defeated?
Why aren’t more people excited?
A sin of not praying?
Mark 6:6 KJV 1900
6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
Marvel means to wonder
Astonished why there is not more prayer
God is wondering
Ezekiel 22:30 KJV 1900
30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
2 Chronicles 16:9 KJV 1900
9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
God was astonished
The world is opposed against the church
Isaiah 64:7 KJV 1900
7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, That stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: For thou hast hid thy face from us, And hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
God is looking for people who are stirred to pray
Praying for just a few minutes is not a prayer meeting - not biblical
We are not asking - Let’s change that tonight
God marvels at unbelief
If we were astonished at God’s Glory and power and Grace - We would pray
What do you pray about?
Our current energy in prayer will not sustain us in what is coming our way.
God wants to answer prayer
He wants to be glorified
He wants you to be joyful
He ordained you to pray and through that prayer He allows you to produce fruit
