Connecting In Prayer Series

Turn Your Bibles to John 15:7

Title: Connecting In Prayer

Theme: Five Truths to Success in Prayer

Listen as I read John 15: 7, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” Pray!!!!

Introduction: Every child of God has gone through a dry period in prayer and some have never really been able to fully enjoy the success in prayer that the Lord Jesus wants them to experience. Many do not know what the heart attitude should be in coming to the Lord in prayer.

Others have discovered that prayer can change their life and allow them to participate in the most powerful ministry there is. It has been one of the key ministries that has delivered nations, brought healing into lives and brought souls to Christ.

Proposition: I would propose to you that when the child of God understands and submits to the Lord in Biblical prayer, he will find himself obeying God’s instructions to “pray continually.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Interrogative Sentence: Just what are five Biblical truths that enable the child of God to enjoy success in prayer?

Transitional Sentence: If Christians submit and cling to these truths, they can expect to see God, answer their prayers in a way that will glorify Jesus Christ in and through their lives.

The thrust to being successful in prayer is beautifully presented in the key word “remain” or better translated as “abide” in the New American Standard Bible. Therefore, it is a necessity that we understand what Jesus meant when He said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you…”

To “abide” (meno) as it is used in John 15:7 gives us the idea that the child of God has a heart that studies and learns the Word of God. This Christian’s thoughts, desires and motivations are birthed forth as he prayerfully reads the Bible. (The Preachers Outline & Sermon Bible) The application is that he remains united with Jesus Christ in mind, heart and will. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament, Spiros Zodhiates Th.D.) It also has a command to hold on, to continue on, to keep obeying, to live on and rest in the everlasting loving arms of Christ. (Practical Word Studies in the New Testament.) The purpose for this type of living is to cleanse the heart so as to do away with selfish prayers. (Thru The Bible) The connection in “abiding” is maintained by obedience to the written Word of God.

I realize that analogies are imperfect, but let me try to use some human circumstances to bring some application into abiding in Christ.

Suppose there is a Christian who is easily overcome by temptation. Then suppose that there is another Christian who sees this brother continually falling and he intervenes by moving in with him. The stronger brother is always right there to make sure he does not fall into slumber, makes sure that he is eating the right foods, sleeping at the proper times and getting back a forth to work at the right time.

Thus, the weaker Christian is unable to be overcome by his temptation, because the stronger Christian is always right there protecting and giving strength to the weaker brother. As long as the stronger Christian keeps that contact the weaker Christian lives victoriously. However, as soon as contact is broken in any way that temptation rears its head again and defeat is at hand.

Defeat is sure, because the fact is that Christians cannot defeat the flesh, the world and discern the lies of the devil without the help of the eternal Friend, Jesus Christ, who sticks closer than a brother. Just as the weaker Christian needed the constant intervention of the stronger Christian, the child of God needs the constant intervention of the Spirit of Christ intervening in his life.

The fact is there are those people who just can’t keep themselves pulled out of the gutter. I know of a man named, Jim Carr. He went into the streets of Kansas City, MO. and found a down and outer on the streets. He took him into his house, cleaned him up, fed him good food, and then he taught this homeless man all he knew about the business that he was in. The man did well, prospered, got his own home, and after a season of being away from the protecting hand of Jim Carr, he fell right back in to the gutter. He went back into the streets of Kansas City, MO.

The fact is, unless Christians are abiding in Christ and abiding in His words, they will not have the spiritual strength to keep themselves out of the gutter of the flesh, the world, and lies of the devil. Jesus Christ is the only one who can bring deliverance and the Word of God is the only food that can make and keep them spiritually healthy.