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Since there are a large amount of sermons and topics and illustrations that are posted on Sermon Central, I feel it is necessary to place this disclaimer on all of the sermons that I submit.
These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
While ideas and illustrations are often obtained from many sources including those at sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording including sermon titles, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental.
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These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely.
May God richly bless you as you read these sermons.
It is my sincere desire that all who read them and hear them may be lifted up to a higher relationship with God.
Most of the scriptures quoted in these sermons are copies and quoted from the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible.
I do at times use scripture from several different versions of the Bible such as NIV, New King James Version, King James Version etc.
Any and all ministers may freely use any of my sermons and post them anywhere that they want to.
After all, it is Gods Word and not our own!
Pastor Ed Pruitt
The Power of Continuous Prayer
Part 1
April 1, 2007.
When people talk about prayer it is merely just talking to God.
Like we would talk to one another.
So many times people talk about prayer and they talk about it in a way that causes them to be confused and sometimes they get to the point that they will withdraw talking about prayer altogether.
When a family gets ready to pray they should talk, just as simply as they do to each other.
They should talk to God the way that they talk to mom, dad, brother sister or children.
One way to do this would be to speak out loud what we want to talk to God about.
After all, that’s all prayer is.
God’s desire is for us to have the best things in life.
He has promised in the Scripture no good thing, would he withhold from those who walk
uprightly Psalms 84:11
When we speak about prayer, one could say that
Some prayer gives us some power!
More prayer gives us more power!
And much prayer gives us even greater power!
So we end up with this question that we ask ourselves.
How much power do I want from God?
Your answer simply is lots, lots of power that’s what I’m looking for.
Yet we have as much or little of God’s power right now as we are willing to pray to receive.
A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian!
We read in the Scripture that Jesus did not teach his disciples how to preach but he did teach them how to pray.
He did not teach them how to raise funds or how to build up their donor base, but he taught them the principles of prayer before he sent them out to evangelize to the world.
We could look at it this way, if you could possibly talk to the president of the United States.
I’m sure you would have to get an appointment and then when you got the appointment, I’m sure you would only have so much time to speak with him.
And then he would probably look at you when you were finished and say sorry, I can’t help you.
Here you have a man that has great power, but at the same time his power is limited because he’s a man controlled by other men.
But I can talk to Almighty God at any time, for as long as I want to, and when I’m finished he doesn’t shrug his shoulders and say.
I can’t help you Ed.
God says, I will make a way where there seems to be no way.
1st Corinthians 10:13.
And in Jeremiah 33:3. He says call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.
Some of you may still not be convinced that you should spend every day in prayer.
Let me give you some specific reasons why prayer should be an essential part of your life.
Why pray someone might ask?
Because prayerlessness is a sin!
A prayerless Christian is a weak Christian.
A prayerless church is a weak church.
A prayerless nation is a defeated nation.
Husbands, do you pray for your wife?
Wives, do you pray for your husbands?
Do you pray for your children?
If you do not, first Samuel 12:23 says you have sinned against the Lord.
Do you want to have power in prayer?
To have power in prayer, we have to pray.
When you see your children are going down the wrong path, or choosing wrong friends pray, ask God.
When you see your grandchildren doing the same thing, taking a wrong path in life, pray, ask God.
Who is lost in your family?
Do you pray without ceasing for their salvation?
If not, please be informed, God says you are sitting against HIM, if you don’t pray for them.
Why pray?
Because God answers prayer.
Why pray?
Because we are commanded to pray.
Jesus told us in Matthew the six chapter, when you pray, not if you pray.
The apostle Paul told the Thessalonians, to pray without ceasing first Thessalonians 5:17.
Many Christians know the power of prayer, the pattern of prayer, the priority of prayer, the purpose of prayer, yet they do not propose to pray.
The tragedy of our day is not unanswered prayer, but un offered prayer.
You have a choice.
Prayer will either make you stop sinning, or sin will make you stop praying.
You will either embarrass sin, or sin will embarrass you.
Why pray, you might ask?
Because anointed prayer rises above.
The apostle Paul was stoned and left for dead.
Yet he didn’t ask the church to pray for the rheumatism, that was caused by the stones that broke his bones.
When he was jailed, Paul didn’t say to the church pray for me.
I’m in jail.
They have whipped me with a Roman Cat of nine tails.
The blood is running down my back and onto the floor in puddles.
I’m going to be in the news again as a fanatic and be shown on national television in handcuffs.
Paul did say though, pray that I might speak the word of God with boldness acts 4:29.
Boldness is what got him thrown into jail, and he wanted more of it!
If there were ever a time in America’s history when Americans need to speak the word of God with holy boldness, it’s right now.
An almighty and all powerful God is sitting on his throne in heaven with his hands cuffed behind his ear to hear the petitions of his children.
He is listening for us to ask him to do great and mighty things, to show signs and wonders of the Power of God!
He’s listening for us to pull down the strongholds of the addictions that the slave our children, our husbands, and our wives.
He’s listening for us to pull down the strongholds of abortion and pornography and divorce.
He’s looking for us to pull down the demonic forces of witchcraft which divide the nation.
He’s looking for us to pray for a national revival that will turn the nation away from the moral sewer in which we find ourselves.
So what do we ask HIM for?
We get down on our knees and ask God, if you will, water the grass while were on vacation.
That’s about as much power is we put into our prayers today and then we wonder, what happened!
When you get down to pray remember that you’re talking to the Almighty God!
A blast of air from his nostrils can split the world in half!
He holds the seven seas in the palm of his hand.
Ask him for things so staggering, so big that God slides to the edge of his Holy throne and says to the angels.
Did you hear what that Child asked for?
Do it for them angels!
Faith like that excites me!
Get down there with the answer.
Move those mountains of impossibilities, Heal that incurable disease.
Restore that dead marriage,
Set their addicted son free.
Send a financial harvest that staggers their mind.
God says men of great vision excite him.
What do you need this morning?
Nothing is impossible with God.
You can ask him for it right now, and he’ll give it to you.
Do you need supernatural wisdom to make a difficult decision?
Ask and you shall receive.
Do you need peace that surpasses understanding?
Ask HIM!
Nothing is impossible to them than that believe.
Do you need to experience the impossible?
Open your mouth in faith believing because you’re not talking to the president of the United States.
You’re not talking to a billionaire of limited means.
You’re talking to the unlimited creator of heaven and earth.
He has the power to divide the seas and he will not fail you.
Ask him for the impossible!
Ask him to defeat the Giants in your life, because our God is a giant killer!
Ask him to divide the Red Sea before you, which will bury the Pharaoh and his army.
Watch him turn your enemies into fish food.
Ask him to send fire from heaven as he did for Elijah.
Ask him to walk with you through the fiery furnace as the fourth man in the fire as he did with the three Hebrew children.
Ask him!, for he is the God who cannot fail, and he’s waiting to show you his mighty power.
Prayer should be your first choice, not your last.
I have talked to God and seen him heal marriages that seemed impossible to restore.
I have seen Him break the iron yoke of drug addiction, over the sons and daughters of his saints.
I have seen Him calm the troubled sea of the souls of many.
I have watched with wonder as He has supernaturally transformed the finances of businessmen.
I have seen him bless with blessings that cannot be contained because he has promised to make you the head and not the tail.
Deut. 28:13
He has promised to increase your territory, just as he did for Jabez in first Chronicles Chapter 4 verse 10.
He has promised to plant you by the rivers of living water, that you shall not wither, and what so ever you do shall prosper.
Psalms chapter 1 verse 3.
Prayer is getting you prepared to do God’s Will.
God never forces you to do His Will, but he often places you in extreme adversity that drives you to your knees and prepares you to do His Will.
When Saul, the Pharisee, was walking down the Damascus Road, threatening the New Testament church, God looked over the balconies of heaven at this brilliant, opinionated, hard charging, Crusader and said that’s my man!
God strips Saul of his religious arrogance and blinded him by a bright light from heaven.
Like a helpless child, Paul was led into Damascus to the house of Judas.
Scripture tells us, and he was three days without sight and neither ate nor drank.
Acts Chapter 9, verse 9.
Three days in darkness, saturated with soul-searching prayer.
Then God told Ananias, arise and go to the street called straight and inquire at the House of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold he is praying.
Acts Chapter 9, verse 11.
Saul’s prayer was not getting God ready to do Saul’s will, which was to put Christians in prison.
Saul’s prayer, in the sanctuary of blindness and forced helplessness, prepared Saul to do God’s Will!
Doing God’s Will is the gateway to gaining the favor of God!
Does God have you in a dark place this morning?
Seek his face with a pure heart, and likable breakthrough with the brilliance of the noonday sun.
Another thing that we need to do when praying is to pray scripture.
Praying Scripture is what causes God to look over the banister of heaven and say hello child.
When we pray the Scriptures mountains are moved sickness and disease retreat the unknown become known.
And every complex adversity is transformed into a parade of miracles!
Let’s look at several examples of how to pray scripture.
What is your problem? What is your burden? Your crisis?
Find the verses in the Bible that relate to what you’re going through and pray those verses.
If you are new at this and are not very familiar with the Bible.
You need to look up every word in the Concordance that has to do with what you are going through, let’s say worry for instance.
Then look at the passages that apply to your difficulty.
As you become more familiar with the Gods Word praying Scripture will become automatic.
Praying the Scripture would sound like this.
Father in heaven, I come to you in the mighty name of your son and my savior Jesus Christ.
You know my heart is full of grief and so according to Your word, I’ve come before your throne to rejoice.
This is the day that the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.
I delight myself anew in the Lord.
You are my shield and buckle, my fortress and my Hightower.
You are the bright and morning star.
You are the Prince of peace.
Happy am I because God is my refuge.
Father, your Word declares that you rejoice over me with joy and that everlasting joy is upon my head.
In the midst of my sorrow, I receive your joy, I receive your gladness, I receive your peace, which the world cannot give and cannot take away.
The spirit of rejoicing, joy, and laughter is my heritage.
Father God, my mouth shall praise you in my day of trouble, for you are the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?
Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear, though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
For in the time of trouble, you shall hide me in your Babylon.
You shall set me up on a rock, and now my head shall be lifted up above mine enemies, therefore will I offer sacrifices of joy unto the Lord.
Because of the power of your word, Satan is a defeated foe.
I am not moved by my adverse circumstances.
Let God arise, and his enemies shall be scattered in Jesus name, amen.
The Scripture verses used in this prayer are, Psalm 27:1-8, Philippians 4:4, Isaiah 51:11, Psalm 118: 24, Psalm 144:15, and Psalm 68:1.
Are you being attacked in your finances or your business?
Pray in this fashion.
Satan, I speak to you and the demon spirit to whom obey you.
I bind you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ and confess the word.
My God shall supply all my needs, according to his riches in glory
Philippians 4:19.
Are you being attacked in your health?
Pray in this fashion.
Satan, I speak to you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ and say that your principalities, powers, and demon spirits are bound from operating against me in any way.
According to the word of the Lord, I confess that by his stripes. I am healed.
First Peter 2 verse 24
I shall live and not die. Psalms 118 first 17.
Jesus is my great physician.
Are you being attacked by your emotions?
Are you filled with fear concerning something in your immediate tomorrow?
Is there anything in your past, over which you are bitter?
Is there resentment in your heart over something your parents have done to you?
Satan is controlling your mind for your destruction.
Pray this prayer.
Satan, I speak to you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the conqueror from Calvary, the Lord of glory, who has defeated you.
I bind you in every of pressing spirit that is attacking my life.
I command the spirit of fear to go.
I command the spirit of bitterness to go.
I command the spirit of resentment to go.
And now according to your word, oh Lord, I receive the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.
Your Word says, you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you.
Isaiah chapter 26 verse three.
When we pray scripture we remind God of his promises in the Bible and also to remind ourselves of those promises, which are valid at this moment in our lives.
Obviously we cannot spray Scripture unless we know Scripture.
Get into Gods Word so you can pray scripture with power!
Let us bow our heads.
