TITLE: PRAY BIG! (By Mark Nichols)
TEXT: (1st Kings 17; Joshua 10; Genesis 25:20)
TOPIC: Praying for God to do Big things!
OCCASION: Burnside Christian Church, January 29th, 2008
PROP.: Because our God is BIG, our prayers should be BIG!
INTRODUCTION:
All month long, PRAYER has been our focus! We want to become known as the PRAYING CHURCH.
Last week’s sermon dealt with the real issue of what happens when God doesn’t answer my prayers? And the conclusion we shared last week was that God answers ALL prayer…he just doesn’t answer our prayers the way we like.
UPDATE: I shared last week the illustrating story of Jason Ray and his parents (Emmitt and Charlotte Ray)…well, the Ray will be appearing on Oprah in the near future so be watching for that story!
Today I want to start by sharing a recent observation. There is so much focus it seems these days on making everything smaller.
Computers - (show a picture of an old computer…then show picture of new
computer!)
Cars - Have you seen the new Indian made car? (show picture of mini-
cooper…then the Nano - Indian made car…then smart car).
Cell Phones - Also, cell phones! (show picture of bag phone, 80’s cell phone, Zack Morris cell phone modern cell phone, LATEST cell phone!)
 
Just as Cars and Cell phones have gotten smaller over the years, I wonder: Have our prayers gotten smaller over the years? The Bible is filled with people who prayed big prayers and as a result, God moved!!! What has changed? God hasn’t. The same God who performed miracles at the request of His people is the same God we praise today! Why isn’t God doing big things today? Could it be that His people aren’t praying big prayers?
Today I want to challenge you pray big things! When we first started this series, I challenged you “imagine if…” and today, I want to carry through with that challenge!
PRAY BIG…EXPECT GOD TO MOVE BIG!
T.S.: Today, I want to focus on three specific prayers of people who prayed BIG and how God responded! The three people who prayed are pretty famous. They are heroes of the faith. Elijah, Joshua, and Isaac are the people we want to focus our attention on this morning.
NOTE: God answered big prayers of each of these individuals. Why? Because they were faithful, Righteous (holy), and doing God’s will!
Why pray BIG prayers? Because God is big enough to handle your prayers! God is able to more than we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)
First, let’s turn our attention to Elijah:
I. Elijah - (1st Kings 17, James 5:17,18)
1. Some background on Elijah:
--Who was He?
Elijah is known as the greatest prophet in the Old Testament! (A prophet is God’s mouth piece and advisor to the King…only often times, the King wouldn’t listen to God’s prophets!) He was born and raised in an obscure village in Gilead, Elijah’s entire career was a protest against the idolatry and corruption into which the northern Kingdom, Israel, had declined. He clashed repeatedly with the King (who was morally weak) known as Ahab and his domineering, prophet-persecuting wife Jezebel. Elijah was not only a prophet, but a patriot who loved His God and his nation. Elijah is often confused for his successor (Elisha).
--What was he famous for?
He is known for being colorful and outspoken. Elijah is famous for many encounters including: Being fed by Ravens in the wilderness…His encounter with the widow from Zarephath whose jars of flour and oil miraculously did not run dry…for raising the widow’s son back to life…Defeating the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel…closing the heavens from rain for 3 ½ years…Probably one of the most famous things that Elijah is noted for is that He didn’t die! 2nd Kings 2 tells us that Elijah was taken up in a chariot of fire! But if you ask me, Elijah was most famous for being obedient to God! That’s why all of this stuff happened, because of his faithfulness to his God!
--Where can we read his story? 1st Kings 17 - 2nd Kings 2
Let’s read what the Bible has to say about Elijah’s BIG prayer:
Drought on the land:
As Elijah’s story opens, we find him upset with the King Ahab’s actions. King Ahab had turned the Kingdom of Israel away from worship of God in favor of worship of Baal. So in order to turn King Ahab back to God, Elijah prayed for a drought to come upon the land. And God shut the heavens for 3 ½ years (James 5:17,18)
James 5:17,18
17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
Fed by Ravens:
So Elijah hides from the King near a brook and there the Lord sends birds to bring him meat and bread.
Fed by a widow and her son:
Soon the brook dries up because of the drought, so he moves on to Zarephath and runs into a widow who is using the last of her flour and oil to make a meal for her and her son. God promises to never let her flour and oil run dry as long as she will fix food for Elijah and provide him with a place to live. She agrees. And our story of Elijah picks up in
1st Kings 17:17-22
17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"
19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!"
22 The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.
2. LESSON WE LEARN ABOUT PRAYING BIG FROM
ELIJAH:
God delivers hope in helpless situation!
--Elijah faced what would normally be a helpless situation.
The only reason the situation became manageable is because he prayed to God!
ILLUSTRATION: As long as you have God on your side, NOTHING is impossible! (Luke 1:37 “With God, NOTHING is impossible!”)
I think we’ve forgotten this short little verse. We say things like “all we can do now is pray…” WHAT? YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRAYING FIRST AND FOREMOST! PRAYER IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO!
--What hopeless situation are you facing?
Bills? Sickness? Marriage woes? Job loss?
Are you facing it with alone? Are you facing it with God? Are you facing it with prayer?
Second, Let’s focus on
II. Joshua (Joshua 10)
1. Some background on Joshua:
--Who was He?
He is Israel’s second successor who led the Israelites on to the promised land. Joshua was the son of Nun and was originally known as Osgea but was renamed Joshua (meaning: God saves) by Moses.
--What was he famous for?
Joshua was famous for lightning quick military campaigns (the most famous of which was the battle of Jericho in which the walls collapsed inward). These military campaigns were successful in routing out the enemies of Israel, providing Israel with ample living space in Canaan. After distributing the conquered land among the 12 tribes of Israel, Joshua retired to devote himself to strengthening the worship of the Lord at a time when most Israelites were straying from the faith.
--Where can we read his story?
You can read all about Joshua and his story in the book of the Bible named after him -- Joshua.
Our focus is in Joshua 10:12-14
Joshua 10:12 - 14
12 On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel:
"O sun, stand still over Gibeon,
O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon."
13 So the sun stood still,
and the moon stopped,
till the nation avenged itself on [a] its enemies,
as it is written in the Book of Jashar.
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!
2. LESSON LEARNED FROM JOSHUA’S BIG PRAYER -
God will do anything to ensure your VICTORY!
--Joshua’s battle
Joshua was following God’s command and was destroying all foreigners who would negatively influence or threaten Israel. As Joshua was battling the Amorites, light was fading fast. Joshua needed help to accomplish the task set before him by God.
So Joshua prayed and the sun stood still!
--Are you feeling defeated?
Pray for God’s assistance in achieving victory!
ILLUSTRATION: When defeat as at hand, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo turned to God!
Daniel 3:15-17
15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.
God will do anything it takes to ensure your victory - even if it means giving His son!
Finally, let’s focus on Isaac
III. Isaac (Genesis 25:20ff)
1. Some background on Isaac:
--Who was He?
He was the son who was born so late in the lives of Abraham and Sarah that they laughed in disbelief when God promised them a son.
--What was he famous for?
Isaac is most famous for being a sacrifice offered up by his father, but in the last instant, the Lord provided a ram caught in the thickets by it’s horns.
--Where can we read his story?
Genesis 17 - 25
But the part of Isaac’s story I want to focus on is found in
Genesis 25:21
21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.”
Isaac prayed BIG! Put yourself in Isaac’s shoes: He is the one who is supposed to make his father’s descendents too numerous to count…he’s 59 years old and has NO kids. He is desperate! And so he prays for his wife!
Side Note: Fellas - I hope you pray for your wife daily! What better way to show that you love your wife than to pray for her well-being?
2. LESSON LEARNED - God will be faithful to keep His promises!
--God’s promises have never failed!
From the rainbow, to the coming of Jesus, to Christ’s return: GOD’S PROMISES ALWAYS PROVE TRUE!
--God’s promises usually include blessings for us!
When God makes a promise, it usually includes something good for us!
In Isaac’s case, he received TWO sons!
In our case, Heaven is waiting!
ILLUSTRATION: The prayer of Jabez. Too much emphasis is given on this prayer. But it still stands as an example of praying for God’s blessing to fall on us!
God’s blessings come in 3 dimensions!
--Physical blessings (our health)
--Financial blessings (God will provide for your needs!)
--Spiritual blessings (wisdom, heaven, courage)
CONCLUSION: If our prayers continue to be small what will happen?
1. We will never realize God’s power!
--Had Elijah not prayed big, the widow’s son would have died and Elijah never
would have known just how Big God is!
2. We will never recognize God’s victory!
--If Joshua did not pray big, He would have missed out on fully knowing that God was fighting for his success!
3. We will never receive the blessings of God’s promises!
--If Isaac did not pray big, He would have missed out on the DOUBLE blessings of twin sons!
Today we come to our time of decision. And I want to tell you this: If you’ve prayed BIG and things haven’t turned out the way you want them, you must remember the words to our invitation song: Have Thine Own Way Lord. God’s plans are bigger than my prayers!
If you would like to make a decision, today is the day.
Vs. 1 - Be baptized
Vs. 2 - Join the church
Vs. 4 - Join the prayer team!
