April, 2007
Using Your Prayer Keys
Mark 11:20-26
INTRODUCTION: A few weeks ago I asked you to bring an old key and you did. These old keys are going to speak to us today. Not too long ago we used these keys to open doors, to start our cars, to open up a post office box, or a suitcase; but now, for one reason or another, they are not being used and were just lying around the house or on a part of an abandoned key ring. I brought an important key chain with keys from the past. Just how are they going to speak to us today in a sermon? How are they going to help us?
1. OUR KEYS: All of us have keys that are rightfully ours. They are so important to us, and we use them everyday. Our house key, car key, office key, post office box key, etc. Can you think of another key you use every day? I use the church key at different times of the week. Then there are keys we only use occasionally--a suitcase key, key to an RV, or a vacation home. Whatever these keys that are in our possession open, we know that they are OUR keys. We know that we have the right to use them.
When we become Christians we also have been given some keys that are rightfully ours. We may put them on our spiritual key ring, carry them with us, and use them when we need them. These keys are sometimes thought of as our prayer keys because they unlock doors to answered prayer. A lot of times we forget we have them and often only use one or two of them, forgetting about all of the rest.
How do we know we have been given keys? Matthew 16:19 says, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” There are various interpretations to this scripture and scholars can’t seem to agree on it. The Message Bible says, “You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).
Our communication with God is through prayer and scripture points out numerous keys to use in getting answers to prayer. So first of all let these keys be a reminder to you that you have access to many different prayer keys, and they are rightfully yours to use and carry with you. One key won’t do the job. We come to church to learn how to use these keys more skillfully. Hebrews 4:16 tells us to “come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Just as you walk up to your front door and put the key in and turn it BOLDLY because it is YOUR key and YOUR house--you can do the same in taking your requests to the throne of God. You have been given this prayer key--it is yours. Step right up to the door and use your key.
2. CARRY KEYS: Don’t use them or know what they are for? ILLUSTRATION: Show a key chain. Many of us have key rings that contain lots of keys like this one. I have carried this key ring for years and years. There are 17 keys on this key ring plus a fingernail clip, a rabies dog tag, and a find yourself in the Air Force Tag. Some of these keys have not been used for 20 years. They are just excess baggage to carry around. As I looked over the various keys, I remembered that some belonged to cars and trucks we no longer have, this little one belongs to some Shoei motorcycle bags. One belonged to an office I had at school, there’s a post office box key from the old post office, a key to Mom’s house that was sold years ago, and a lot of other keys that I can’t even identify. Why do I hang on to these keys? No reason, except that I am a “stuff” person. We have a lot of prayer keys that we carry around with us in our Bibles, but we don’t use them either for one reason or another. Some we don’t use because we don’t know what they are for--Scriptures that we have noticed before or that we have forgotten are a part of our prayer keys. But they are doing us no good.
3. SPECIFIC KEYS: A few weeks ago I asked you to bring an old key with you. Here are the keys (show framed keys). All of these keys have a specific purpose or have had in the past. As a reminder to you of your prayer keys I am going to hang this frame with your keys in a prominent place in this church. And I want you to be sure to take a look at this and find your key. My key has a 29 on it and it goes to an office at my school. Who brought the skeleton key? I was hoping to get one of these. As you can see there are lots of different keys in here. When we pray we need to be aware that there are many specific keys rather than just praying in the same way every time. We need to know what they are. It does us no more good to carry our prayer keys if we don’t use them or even know what they fit. We must become skillful in using our keys.
It has been said that “every situation has a key and that no situation is so cleverly planned by the forces of darkness that there is no deliverance.” What are some of our specific prayer keys?
There are many, many prayer keys in the scriptures, but I can only talk about a few today. Out of the number I found, I want to talk about five of them.
a. The Name of Jesus: Last week we talked about praying to the Father (God) in the NAME of Jesus. Why is this an important key? Jesus told His disciples about a new promise and privilege in prayer. He said in John 14:13, 14, “And whatsoever ye shall ask IN MY NAME, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye ask anything in my name, I will do it.”
The phrase “in my name” is not a magical charm like Aladdin’s lamp. It was both a guarantee like the endorsement on a check and limitation. He would grant petitions if they were consistent with his character and purpose. We pray and ask Him to work out His purpose and bring glory to the Father. We often pray for things just to satisfy our whims and that would not bring glory to God. Ask yourself, “Is my prayer one that would bring glory to God?”
In John 16:24-26 Jesus told them that it wouldn’t be necessary for Him to make requests on their behalf. They could do it themselves. Because of His work and their relationship with Him, they will be able to approach the Father “in His Name” directly with their prayers. So when we pray we too pray--to the Father in the Name of Jesus.
Over in Acts 3:6 in the early church miracles were performed in the Name of Jesus when Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give thee: IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth rise up and walk” (See also Acts 4:10 and 19:13).
Phil. 2:9 says, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a Name that is above every name.”
Since Jesus told His disciples to use His Name when they pray, should we not also follow this pattern of praying to the Father in Jesus Name. This is an important prayer key.
b. Binding and Loosing: Matthew 18:18. “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” The context of this verse is about discipline and conflict in the future church. Perhaps Jesus was looking toward the early church and the church now. There is a sense of taking authority over problems and conflicts here and not letting these things run rampant. When there is conflict over situations in our lives, there needs to be more than a weak prayer. Sometimes we feel that life beats us up and that we are barely hanging on by our fingernails. We need powerful, effect prayer then.
STORY: The story is told about a deacon who always went to church. He had to walk every mile in those days and he had a long way to go. He always looked really sharp in his clothes. On this day, however, when he got to church he was the worst looking guy you ever saw. He was dirty and wet all over and he had even lost his hat. His clothes were torn and the preacher said, “Deacon what in the world happened to you?”
He said, “Well, you know down there where I have to cross the creek on a footlog?” He said, “I just stepped on the footlog, and I looked up and at the other end there was a great big black bear.” And he said, “I looked around behind me and there was another great big bear. I just jumped off into that creek and swam across.”
The preacher said, “Well, that was a foolish thing for you to do. Why didn’t you just call on the Lord?”
The deacon said, “Well, now listen preacher. You’re good at giving advice. The Lord Almighty is just great in a prayer meeting but it doesn’t work that well at a ’bear’ meeting.”
Sometimes we feel that in our daily life that our prayers don’t work out too well. We don’t relate church to the tough things we go through during the week. But I believe that the Lord is just as able to help us even in situations that look pretty desperate and scary to us.
I believe we can apply prayer to our daily lives and that this prayer key of binding and loosing in particular can work for us. How do you use this key? You pray in this way:
“I take authority over this out of control behavior of __________in the Name of Jesus and I bind it and command it to stop.”
“I loose______from Satan’s control over_______his or her life in the Name of Jesus. I free him/her to hear the gospel and to be open to it. We must stand up to the “bears” that threaten us.
I believe that in the case of out of control teenagers we can pray in this way and begin to see out of control behavior begin to subside. It is not an overnight happening, but it takes authority over Satan running rampant over our homes and people. Many times we don’t see changes in people because they don’t want to change, and they are resisting and blocking God’s work in their lives.
Praying in this way, “Satan, you have come far enough and I drive you back in the Name of Jesus. I bind your work in _____life” will be enough to slow down the destructiveness and allow the Holy Spirit to begin to get through to a person who is addicted or self-destructive. This kind of prayer is spiritual warfare against the onslaughts of the devil. It must be a “take authority,” mean business type of persistent prayer.
c. Agreement: Matthew 18:19, 20 tells us that if “two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.” Agreeing with a prayer partner can bring answers more quickly at times because you are doubling your prayer power and faith to make it happen. You are not battling things alone but you are joining forces with another believer. This scripture tells us that where two or three are gathered, Jesus is right there too.
A small home prayer group will provide opportunities for you to agree with others in prayer. You will see more prayers answered. A home group--keep track of what you pray for and date it. Be specific as you use this prayer key--write down the date it was answered. You will begin to have positive documentation how you are seeing things answered for you and your group.
d. Prayer, Petition, Supplication, and Thanksgiving: Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
There are three specific keys here:
1. Prayer--not anxiety. The answer to anxiety is prayer. Be careful (the cares of life, the anxieties). Be careful for nothing here means don’t be anxious or filled with anxiety over things. Not fretful or with undue concern. Our attitude of mind here is worshipful in prayer--rather than anxious.
2. Petition or supplication--our expression of our need to God. Be specific.
3. Thanksgiving--should follow our prayers. That acknowledges that whatever God sends us is for our good. It may also include previous blessings.
e. Speak to the Mountain: There are many scriptures that support this prayer key. Mark 11:23, “If anyone SAYS to this mountain.” Also Mark 7:34, “BE OPENED…”
There were many times that Jesus spoke to the wind and the sea. He spoke to sicknesses and diseases. In Mark 4:39 Jesus said to the storm, “Peace, Be still.” Mark 11:23 says, “for whosoever shall SAY unto this mountain be though removed and cast into the sea…” Sometimes you will feel depressed and this feeling hangs over you like a cloud. This prayer key will make a difference. How do you use it?
For example you can say, “I speak to you mountain of depression, ‘BE GONE in the Name of Jesus.”
“Pain I take authority over you. BE GONE in the Name of Jesus.”
CONCLUSION: James says we have not because we don’t ask. We don’t think about our prayer keys. We don’t think about our authority in Jesus. And we do without. This is just a few prayer keys we can use to unlock the doors to our problems. We need to search the scriptures and find the others because they are rightfully ours.
Let us Pray:
