Prayer, Not Despair Series

A. Philippians 4:6 (READ)

1. How many of you believe that PRAYER can change OUTCOMES and CIRCUMSTANCES?

ILLUSTRATION:

One Sunday morning as the Youth Pastor made his way to his 5th grade Sunday School Class, he walked in to find one of his students sitting alone in the back of the classroom praying fervently to

God. So, he stood at the door until the boy was finished.

He then walked over to the boy and told him how proud he was to see him spending time in prayer. But then the Youth Pastor inquisitively inquired, “Do you mind if I ask you something about your prayer?” The young boy nodded that it was okay. The pastor then asked, “I was just

wondering why you kept repeating the word ‘London, London, London’ in your prayer?”

The boy replied, “Well, you see, I took my final geography test in school on Friday, and I thought it might help to be in church when I asked the Lord to please make LONDON the capital of

France.”

Now, it is true that prayer WILL NOT change some things—Paris is still the Capital of France.

2. However, Paul throughout his writings taught the importance of spending time with God in PRAYER, because he BELIEVED that PRAYER can change CIRCUMSTANCES.

B. Personally, I have seen amazing things happen as a result of PRAYER:

ILLUSTRATION:

Some being told by DOCTORS that they were DYING, and yet were made WELL through

PRAYER (Our brother Mike Paulin is a prime example).

Some faced with FINANCIAL troubles, and yet through PRAYER an unexpected CHECK comes

in the MAIL.

I have seen CHILDREN whom have LEFT the Lord after graduating from High School living a LIFE of sinful rebellion, REPENT and RETURN to Christ after their PARENTS spent months and even years PRAYING fervently for them to come back to God.

C. So, is it any surprise that Paul tells the Philippian church that the way to deal with the ANXIETIES that come from DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, SPIRITUAL FAILINGS, and PEOPLE PROBLEMS,

is to turn them over to God in PRAYER?

1. The PHILOSOPHY of many people’s APPROACH to LIFE seems to be, “WHY PRAY WHEN

YOU CAN WORRY?”

a. 1 Peter 5:7- “Cast all your ANXIETY on Him because He cares for you.”

b. Psalm 55:22- “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will SUSTAIN you; He will never let the

RIGHTEOUS fall.”

2. I know it sounds SIMPLISTIC, but the greatest ANXIETY RELIEVER known to man is TALKING to

God about it in PRAYER. Just TRY it for one WEEK.

COMMENT:

Every time you feel yourself being ANXIOUS about your JOB, your CHILDREN, your SPOUSE, the BILLS, the CHURCH, stop where you are and spend a few minutes FERVENTLY PRAYING to God about it. I’ll GUARANTEE you, by the end of that PRAYER you will feel an AMAZING PEACE.

MESSAGE:

I. MAKE PRAYER A PRIORITY

A. Let’s be honest here, there are far too many times when we don’t make prayer a FIRST PRIORITY,

but a LAST RESORT.

1. “If all else FAILS, pray.”

COMMENT:

That kind of thinking says to me that we still have difficulty relinquishing the CONTROL of our LIVES into the HANDS of God.

It’s not “Jesus take the wheel!” it’s more like, “Move over Jesus, and let me drive!” We want our hands on the STEERING WHEEL. And then when our LIFE crashes and burns, that’s when we decide that MAYBE we should PRAY about this.

2. I don’t know about you, but I have learned the HARD WAY that when I am in the DRIVER’S SEAT

my LIFE doesn’t always go that WELL.

a. That’s why it is paramount that we let God be in CONTROL—that we seek His DIRECTION

and GUIDANCE in everything that we DO.

b. Let’s not make PRAYER the LAST RESORT, but the FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE.

B. There are 7 different Greek words for PRAYER, and Paul uses 3 of them in this verse (actually 4 when

you throw in the word “Thanksgiving”).

1. “PRAYER”- the most common term used; a general devotion to God. The word includes worship and adoration.

2. “PETITION” (supplication)- this is humbly presenting a need to God. No demands, just a simple appeal.

3. “REQUEST”- is a specific request; telling God exactly what we want. We pray the particulars of

our problems.

COMMENT:

In Luke 18:35ff, a BLIND man begging on the side of the road CRIED OUT to Jesus as he passed by, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Wouldn’t that be obvious? If a SIGHTLESS MAN requests help from the Son of God, isn’t it apparent what he NEEDS? But Jesus wanted him to SPECIFICALLY say what kind of help he needed. The blind beggar said, “Lord, I want to see.”