The Priority of Prayer
Notes
Transcript
Good morning Church!
Announcements:
The last week of July will be our VBS. Our theme this year is Zoomerang!
We want to thank those who donated school supplies. We are going to count the things that were brought in this week and there will be an updated list put in the foyer next week.
We also need boxes to build up the scene for VBS. All different sizes.
There is a VBS volunteer sign-up sheet in the foyer. Please be getting your names down as to where you want to serve this year!!! We truly need all the help we can get.
Business meeting tonight.
After service today, there is a pool party for all of the kids from 1-3 PM at Tracy and Leslie’s house.
Praise Reports:
Prayer Requests:
Tithes
Children’s Church
Doxology:
This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart that I might not sin against God! Amen!!!
Open Bibles To: Acts 2:41-47
We have been walking through a series titled, “Building T.E.M.P.O.”
So far, we have covered the letter “O”, which stood for “Oneness”, and we discussed the importance of unity within the body of Christ.
We then moved to the letter “P”, which stood for “Praise”, and we journeyed through the “Hallel Psalms”. We discussed the purpose and power of our praise unto God.
Instead of moving to another letter, we are actually going to hang out on the letter “P” for a little while longer, but we are going to look at yet another function of the church that is absolutely paramount. We are going to discuss the function of Prayer.
I want to speak to you today on, “The Importance of Prayer”.
The aim of the text is to show how prayer is the foundational principle of the Christian life.
Context
Context
Turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 6:18. We are going to start our journey through prayer with this verse:
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—
After reading this verse, R.A. Torrey said, “When we stop to weigh the meaning of these words, then note the connection in which they are found, the intelligent child of God is driven to say, ‘I must pray, pray, pray. I must put all my energy and all my heart into prayer. Whatever else I do, I must pray.’”
How did he come to a conclusion of such magnitude?
First off, notice the alls: “Praying always”, With all prayer”, “in all perseverance”, “for all the saints”.
Note the piling up of strong words: prayer, supplication, and perseverance.
Note also, the strong expressions: “Being watchful to this end with all perseverance”.
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Paul realized the natural slothfulness of man, and especially his natural slothfulness in prayer. To illustrate this point, all we must do is look at one of our favorite characters in scripture.
Peter was one of the three men chosen by Christ to accompany Him to the Mount of Olives to pray. After traveling in a short distance, Christ tells his disciples to wait at a particular spot and to pray. More specifically, Christ tells them in Luke 22:40, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Christ comes back after praying for some time, He comes back to His disciples and finds them sleeping. He wakes them up and warns them a second time. In V. 46, He says, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”
The next thing Peter did was try to take on the Roman army with a sword; then he denied Christ three times.
Peter did not pray, and as a result he fell into temptation.
What is true of Peter is true of us: we fall in private before we fall in public. (R.C. Sproul)
Today, I want to give you 11 reasons why prayer is so important.
Content
Content
There is a 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.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
He is cunning. He is mighty. He never rests. He is ever plotting the downfall of the child of God. If the child of God relaxes in prayer, the devil will succeed in ensnaring him.
After these verses, Paul explains six pieces of armor that every Christian must wear in order to stand against the wiles of the devil. He then brings this text to a climax in v. 18:
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—
Prayer is God’s appointed way for His children to obtain things.
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Are we praying for revival?
Are we praying for Spiritual growth?
Are we praying that God would use us to lead others to Him?
Are we praying that the DBC will make a difference in this community?
Are we praying for new faces within our congregation?
Are we praying for our children?
Are we praying for our Sunday School programs?
Are we praying for friends and family?
Are we praying for our leaders?
Are we praying for the Christian culture?
The apostles regarded prayer as the most important business of their lives.
2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;
4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Does Prayer Change Things? Chapter One: The Place of Prayer
John Wesley once remarked that he didn’t think much of ministers who didn’t spend at least four hours per day in prayer. Luther said that he prayed regularly for an hour every day except when he experienced a particularly busy day. Then he prayed for two hours.
Prayed occupied a very prominent place and played a very important part in the earthly life of our Lord.
35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
How to Pray Chapter 1: The Importance of Prayer
The words “pray” and “prayer” are used at least twenty-five times in connection with our Lord in the brief record of His life in the four Gospels, and His praying is mentioned in places where the words are not used.
Praying is the most important part of the ministry of our risen Lord.
25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
How to Pray Chapter 1: The Importance of Prayer
If we then are to have fellowship with Jesus Christ in His present work, we must spend much time in prayer; we must give ourselves to earnest, constant, persistent, sleepless, overcoming prayer.
Prayer is the means that God has appointed for our receiving mercy, and obtaining grace to help in time of need.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
How to Pray Chapter 1: The Importance of Prayer
Mercy is what we need, grace is what we must have, or all our life and effort will end in complete failure. Prayer is the way to get them. There is infinite grace at our disposal, and we make it ours experimentally by prayer. Oh, if we only realized the fullness of God’s grace that is ours for the asking, its height and depth and length and breadth, I am sure that we would spend more time in prayer. The measure of our appropriation of grace is determined by the measure of our prayers.
Prayer in the name of Jesus Christ is the way Jesus Christ Himself has appointed to obtain fullness of joy.
24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
How to Pray Chapter 1: The Importance of Prayer
There is no greater joy on earth or in heaven, than communion with God, and prayer in the name of Jesus brings us into communion with Him. The Psalmist was surely not speaking only of future blessedness, but also of present blessedness when he said, “In Thy presence is fullness of joy.” (Ps. 16:11.)
Prayer, in every care and anxiety and need of life, with thanksgiving, is the means that God has appointed for our obtaining freedom from all anxiety, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
How to Pray Chapter 1: The Importance of Prayer
One night of prayer will save us from many nights of insomnia. Time spent in prayer is not wasted, but time invested at big interest.
Prayer is the method that God Himself has appointed for our obtaining the Holy Spirit.
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
How to Pray Chapter 1: The Importance of Prayer
If we would only spend more time in prayer, there would be more fullness of the Spirit’s power in our work
Prayer is he means that Christ has appointed whereby our hearts shall not become overcharged with surfeiting and drunkeness and cares of this life, and so the day of Christ’s return come upon us suddenly as a snare.
34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
How to Pray Chapter 1: The Importance of Prayer
The coming again of Jesus Christ is a subject that is awakening much interest and much discussion in our day; but it is one thing to be interested in the Lord’s return, and to talk about it, and quite another thing to be prepared for it. We live in an atmosphere that has a constant tendency to unfit us for Christ’s coming. The world tends to draw us down by its gratifications and by its cares. There is only one way by which we can rise triumphant above these things—by constant watching unto prayer, that is, by sleeplessness unto prayer. “Watch” in this passage is the same strong word used in Eph. 6:18, and “always” the same strong phrase “in every season.” The man who spends little time in prayer, who is not steadfast and constant in prayer, will not be ready for the Lord when He comes. But we may be ready. How? Pray! Pray! Pray!
Prayer accomplished many things.
Prayer promotes our spiritual growth as almost nothing else, indeed as nothing else but Bible study; and true prayer and true Bible Study go hand in hand.
As we kneel before God and pray, God shoots the penetrating rays of His light into the innermost recesses of our heart, and the sins I never suspected are brought into view.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
In answer to prayer, God washed us from our iniquity and cleanses us from our sin:
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
In answer to prayer, my eyes are opened to behold wondrous things out of God’s Word:
18 Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.
In answer to prayer, we gain wisdom to know God’s way and strength to walk in it:
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
As I meet God in prayer and gaze into His face, I am changed into His own image form glory to glory:
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Prayer brings power into our work.
31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Prayer avails for the conversion of others.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Prayer brings blessings to the church.
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Commitment
Commitment