Sermon Central
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Powerful Prayers
Contributed by Evie Megginson on May 11, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: WE SEE THE PRAYER OF ABRAHAM SHOWS PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER, THE PRAYER OF JOSHUA SHOWS POSTURE IN PRAYER,AND THE PRAYER OF JABEZ SHOWS PETITONS IN PRAYER.
POWERFUL PRAYERS
Since that day in history, some 10,000 years ago, Christians have been bombarding heaven with their prayers.
Some had been short prayers, some long prayers, some for self, some for others, some out of sorrow, some out of praise, some private , some public, but the main thing is that Christians through the ages have learned the POWER OF PRAYER.
The prayer of Moses saved Israel, the prayer of Elisha raised the dead, the prayer of the Church rescued Peter, and the prayer of Pentecost led to 3,000 souls being saved.
Jesus said, My house shall be called a house of Prayer. But we have made it anything but a house of prayer. I believe we have lost much of our power in our generation because of lack of prayer.
There was a preacher who was a manuscript slave. He not only wrote his sermons but he read them word for word from the pulpit. One Sunday night the lights went out in the Church. The Preacher thought someone was playing a practical joke on him. Turn the light on, he demanded in a stern voice. He was told that the lights were definitely off. What could he do? He could not speak extemporaneously, even in an emergency. He wisely said, If he power is off, it is time to pray. -Tom M Olson
BROTHRS AND SISTERS IN A TIME OF WEAK POWER IN THE CHURCH, IT IS TIME TO PRAY
I-THE PRAYER OF ABRAHAM SHOWS PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER:
Gen. 18:23-33
There are times when pray just a simple pray and God open Heaven and gives us His blessing. But there are times when even after many trips to God in prayer, we don’t get a answer. Why? We can get some answers in Abraham’s prayer.
A-Persistent Praying DEMONSTRATES Our Sincerity:
If There is one thing that Abraham shows, it is sincerity. Nothing could stop him for he held on the altar of God.
Some time, God tests us to see how sincerely, we desire what we ask from Him.
When my children were young, they would ask me for certain things at Christmas.I didn’t consider them until they asked me several times . I wanted to see if they really wanted them.
Admiral Perry found the North Pole after 20 years of searching, He was persistent. He wouldn’t quit. The Eskimos said, you are like the sun, you always come back.
May you and I demonstrate our persistent in prayer by always coming to God.
B-Persistent praying DEVELOPES Our Faith:
Man becomes physically strong by working continually. Football teams now have year round weight programs in order to have better physical conditioned players.
In the spiritual realm, only through persistent prayer is our faith exercised and strengthened.
It was at this time, that Abraham was having some faith problems. He had faith to go to a new land but not to have a son. But one years after this prayer, his son, Isaac was born.
ILLUSTRATION: It’s been stated these days, “They just don’t make missionaries like William Carey.” Carey changed the history of missions and the face of India 200 years ago. Few know of Carey’s sister, paralyzed and bedridden for 50 years. Although unable to speak for much of that period, with great effort she allowed herself to be propped up in bed. She wrote long encouraging letters to her brother. And she prayed for him several hours per day for 50 years!
SHE WAS PHYICALLY WEAK BUT YET SPIRITUAL STRONG
C-Persistent Praying DELIVERS Our Answer:
And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of ten." So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
In Genesis 18 Abraham asked God to spare the cities of Sodom and Gommorrah if there were ten righteous found there. Because there were not ten righteous people, God will not spare the city. But He will still answer the heart of Abraham’s prayer by bringing Lot and his family out of Sodom, even if it is practically against’ Lot’s will.
If Abraham, a great hero of the Bible needed to seek God in prayer, how much more do you and I need too.
ILLUSTRATION: In its early days, Dallas Theological Seminary was in critical need of $10,000 to keep the work going. During a prayer meeting, renowned Bible teacher Harry Ironside, a lecturer at the school, prayed, “Lord, you own the cattle on a thousand hills. Please sell some of those cattle to help us meet this need.” Shortly after the prayer meeting, a check for $10,000 arrived at the school, sent days earlier by a friend who had no idea of the urgent need or of Ironside’s prayer. The man simply said the money came from the sale of some of his cattle! (Today in the Word)
