"Prayer Warriors"

28 December 2008

U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris

Fortress Chapel

F.O.B. Sykes

Tall-afar, Iraq

BIG IDEA: The Prophetess Anna was a Prayer Warrior. After the loss of her husband, she dedicated her life to Prayer, Fasting, and Worship (PFW).

REFERENCES: First Sunday After Christmas Day; PERSONAL NOTE: Remember your personal loss of your father – while in high school - and tell the STORY of how prayer made the difference in your life; Romans 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose; 1 Timothy 5:5-15 (NIV) The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives;1 Corinthians 7:7-8 (NIV) I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am; 2 Chronicles 20:20-30(ESV)And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed."And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,"Give thanks to the LORD,for his steadfast love endures forever." And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed; Luke 2:22-40 (ESV); The Story of Simeon and The Prophetess Anna; I Samuel 1:2-20 (The trials of Hannah and the birth of Samuel) I Samuel 2:1-10 (NIV) “Hannah Prayer” - Then Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance … ; Levitcus 12:1-12(Purification after childbirth); Exodus 13:1-2, 13 (ESV) The LORD said to Moses,"Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine…"; Matthew 13:55 (ESV) Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?;

I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Luke 2:34-40 (ESV)

II. READ THE PERICOPE: Luke 2:34-40 (ESV)

III. READ THE TEXT: Luke 2:36-37 (ESV) And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.

IV. PURPOSE: To motivate the hearers - that have loss something or someone - to do what Anna did and become a Prayer Warrior.

V. SERMONIC THEME: “Prayer Warriors”

VI. INTRODUCTION: Wow! What an awesome time to be deployed in Iraq!

Here we are - an assorted group of military members - on the First Sunday after Christmas Day, in chapel, with many of our deployed “military family members”;

and we’re listening to awesome prayers, readings, and songs collectively. Wow! What an awesome way to utilize the First Sunday after Christmas Day.

I got to tell you, as a chaplain/pastor, I could not be more proud of you; than I am right now! Please join me in giving yourselves a round of applauds! God bless each of you is my prayer!

******* Take 5 Beats *******

MOVE 1: In my sermon preparation, I came across a website dubbed, St. Louis Inspirational Christian Connection where I found the following story (entitled – Highway 119). According to the story: A cop pulls over a car load of nuns …

a. The Cop says: “Sister, this is a 65 MPH highway – why are you going so slow?”

b. The Sister replied: “Sir, I saw a lot of signs that said 22, not 65.”

c. The Cop said: “Oh sister, that’s not the speed limit, that’s the name of the highway you’re on!

d. The Sister replied: “Oh! Silly me! Thanks for letting me know. I’ll be more careful.

e. At this point … the cop looks in the back-seat where the other nuns are shaking and trembling.

f. Then the Cop said: “Excuse me, Sister, what’s wrong with your friends back there? They’re shaking something terrible.”