"Can You Hear Me Now?” (Sermon 3 Of 3 On Prayer)

Ineffective praying is a waste of time, but effectual praying accomplishes a great deal!

Illus: The story is told of three missionaries who had gotten together and were discussing what they accomplished in their separate fields.

• One said, "I have been on the mission field, working for the Lord for three years, and during that time I have converted 75% of the natives, built a church and a school."

• The next one, not to be outdone, said, "Well, I have been on my field for three years and I have converted 90% of the natives, built a church, a school, and a hospital."

• They both turned to the third missionary that worked among the cannibals. They said in a sneering voice, "Have you persuaded those natives to quit eating humans?"

He said, “Well, it has been a long process, but I have made some progress. Now they are using knives and forks!"

We all want to see something accomplished in our lives, especially when it comes to prayer.

Again, we know the Bible makes it clear that, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

King Asa was a righteous man that came out of a unrighteous home.

WHO WAS KING ASA?

He was the son of King Abijam.

WHO WAS KING ABIJAM?

King Abijam also was known by two other names as Abijah, and King Abiah

He was son of King Rehoboam and father of King Asa.

Abijam reigned for only three years (913–911 BC) in Judah before he died.

Abijam was a wicked king: “He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been” (1 Kings 15:3).

Abjam’s mother was Maakah, and she apparently held a position of authority as queen mother throughout Abijam’s reign and into the reign of her grandson Asa.

After Abijam’s death, there was peace between Israel and Judah for ten years (2 Chronicles 14:1), and Abijam’s son, King Asa, instituted wide reforms throughout Judah.

One of Asa’s reforms was to depose his grandmother Maakah because of her promotion of Asherah worship.

(1 Kings 15:13). Second Chronicles 14:2 says, “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.”

• It is said that during Abijam's reign, the whole population that was able to go forth in war was under arms.

• Five hundred thousand men lost their lives during his reign.

• Abijam had 14 wives. He was a wicked man in every sense of the word.

Out of this ungodly environment came this godly son Asa.

The reason I point these things out is because some today tell us that if you grow up in an ungodly environment, it places us at a tremendous disadvantage in life.

We live in a VICTIM society. We frequently hear from some who say I cannot help it that I am a failure I was born on the wrong side of the tracks!!!

But some of the most successful people in the human race were born on the wrong side of the tracks.

Let me give you four short illustrations of famous people that you know that proves this is not true.

(1)Benjamin Franklin dropped out of school at age ten.

Franklin's parents could only afford to keep him in school until his tenth birthday.

That didn't stop the great man from pursuing his education. He taught himself through voracious (enjoyed reading) reading, and eventually went on to invent the lightning rod and bifocals.

Oh, and he became one of America's Founding Fathers.

(2)Oprah Winfrey gave birth at age 14 and lost her child.

She is one of the most successful and richest people in the world today, but Winfrey didn't always have it so easy.

She grew up in Milwaukee, Wis. and was repeatedly molested by her cousin, uncle and a family friend.

But Winfrey's tragic past didn't stop her from becoming the force she is today. She excelled as an honors student in high school, and won an oratory contest which secured her a full scholarship to college.

Now the entrepreneur and personality has the admiration of millions and a net worth of $2.9 billion.

(3)Colonel Sanders

Mr. KFC is without a doubt one of the most recognizable and rich food businessmen in history but before that he used to be filthy poor and homeless.

His father died when he was only five and his mother quickly remarried.

When he was ten the colonel decided to leave his house because he couldn’t take his stepfather’s constant beatings and abuse.

He remained homeless for a really long time and did many jobs in his life until he came up with his own “secret” recipe and became the father of KFC.