PRAISE PRAYER
1 PETER 2:9-10
INTRO: P.R.A.Y. ACROSTIC ON BACK OF NOTES. BETWEEN NOW AND PRAYER REVIVAL LOOKING AT THESE FOUR PARTS OF PRAYER. TODAY PRAISE PRAYER. ILL: PRAISE PRAYER LIKE WHEN I WORKED ON OLD CARS. MOST OF THEM JUNK. WHAT WAS MORE IMPORTANT WORK ON THE CAR OR DRIVE IT? CAN YOU DRIVE IT WITHOUT WORKING ON IT? BUT IF YOU DON’T WANT TO DRIVE THE OLD CAR YOU WON’T WANT TO WORK ON IT. BOTH ARE NEEDED. PRAYER IS LIKE WORKING ON THAT OLD CAR. PRAISE IS LIKE DRIVING IT WHEN IT IS COMPLETE. IF YOU’RE NOT WILLING TO WORK ON IT YOU WON’T EVER DRIVE IT. IF YOU’RE NOT WILLING TO PRAY YOU WILL NEVER EXPERIENCE REAL PRAISE.
PRAYER IS ASKING GOD IN FAITH – PRAISE IS RECEIVING IN FAITH
THAT WHICH GOD IS YET TO DO.
PRAYER IS WORK – PRAISE IS VICTORY.
PRAYER IS GOING TO BATTLE - PRAISE IS WINNING THE BATTLE. PRAISE ALLOWS US TO SEE THE END OF THE JOURNEY WE HAVE
BEGUN IN PRAYER.
PRAISE GIVES US EXPECTATION OF PRAYER BEING ANSWERED. PRAISE MOTIVATES US TO MOVE FORWARD IN WHAT WE ARE
PRAYING ABOUT.
PRAISE CREATES EXCITEMENT AS WE SEE THE ANSWER TO OUR
PRAYER COMING.
ILL: WHENEVER I STARTED THE RESTORATION ON AN OLD CAR I WAS ALWAYS ABLE TO SEE THE FINISHED CAR BEFORE I EVER TURNED THE FIRST WRENCH. I COULD SEE THE END RESULT FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORK. IT GAVE ME EXCITEMENT TO KEEP GOING WHEN THINGS DIDN’T SEEM TO BE GOING RIGHT. PRAISE IS LIKE THAT, SEEING THE END FROM THE BEGINNING. SEEING THE ANSWER TO PRAYER BEFORE THAT ANSWER EVER GETS HERE. THIS EXPECTANCY AND EXCITEMENT WILL CARRY US THROUGH WHEN THINGS DON’T SEEM TO BE GOING RIGHT.
IN LIGHT OF THIS WORK AND WORSHIP, PRAYER AND PRAISE COMBINATION, THERE ARE TWO PARTS TO PRAISE PRAYER I WANT US TO LEARN THIS MORNING. FIRST IS THAT WE MUST…..
I. PRAISE GOD FOR WHO HE IS (ADORATION)
1. HE IS GOD
A. CREATOR ISA. 40:28 DO YOU NOT KNOW? HAVE YOU NOT HEARD? THE LORD IS THE EVERLASTING GOD, THE CREATOR OF THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. HE WILL NOT GROW TIRED OR WEARY, AND HIS UNDERSTANDING NO ONE CAN FATHOM.
B. SAVIOR 1 PETER 3:18 FOR CHRIST DIED FOR SINS ONCE FOR ALL, THE RIGHTEOUS FOR THE UNRIGHTEOUS, TO BRING YOU TO GOD. HE WAS PUT TO DEATH IN THE BODY BUT MADE ALIVE BY THE SPIRIT,
C. PROVIDER PSALM 144:13-15 OUR BARNS WILL
BE FILLED WITH EVERY KIND OF PROVISION. OUR SHEEP WILL INCREASE BY THOUSANDS, BY TENS OF THOUSANDS IN OUR FIELDS;
OUR OXEN WILL DRAW HEAVY LOADS. THERE WILL BE NO BREACHING OF WALLS, NO GOING INTO CAPTIVITY, NO CRY OF DISTRESS IN OUR STREETS. BLESSED ARE THE PEOPLE OF WHOM THIS IS TRUE; BLESSED ARE THE PEOPLE WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD.
2. ACKNOWLEDGE HIS CHARACTER
A. HOLY ISA. 48:17 THIS IS WHAT THE LORD
SAYS YOUR REDEEMER, THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL: "I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, WHO TEACHES YOU WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU, WHO DIRECTS YOU IN THE WAY YOU SHOULD GO.
B. KING OF KINGS & LORD OF LORDS
3. SING HIM A SONG PS.150:3 6 PRAISE HIM WITH THE
SOUNDING OF THE TRUMPET, PRAISE HIM WITH THE HARP AND LYRE, PRAISE HIM WITH TAMBOURINE AND DANCING, PRAISE HIM WITH THE STRINGS AND FLUTE, PRAISE HIM WITH THE CLASH OF CYMBALS, PRAISE HIM WITH RESOUNDING CYMBALS. LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD. PRAISE THE LORD. #60 HIS NAME IS WONDERFUL
4. PRAISE HIM IN PRAYER –
PRAISE STARTS - MT. 6:9 "THIS, THEN, IS HOW YOU
SHOULD PRAY: "’OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED (KEEP HOLY) BE YOUR NAME,”
PRAISE FINISHES - V13B – FOR YOURS IS THE
KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY
FOREVER. AMEN”
5. PRAISE HIM INDIVIDUALLY – PSALM 51:15 “OLORD, OPEN
MY LIPS AND MY MOUTH SHALL SHOW FORTH YOUR
PRAISE.”
6. PRAISE HIM CHURCH REV. 5:11 12 ”THEN I LOOKED AND
HEARD THE VOICE OF MANY ANGELS, NUMBERING
THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS, AND TEN THOUSAND TIMES TEN THOUSAND. THEY ENCIRCLED
THE THRONE AND THE LIVING CREATURES AND THE
ELDERS. IN A LOUD VOICE THEY SANG: "WORTHY IS
THE LAMB, WHO WAS SLAIN, TO RECEIVE POWER
AND WEALTH AND WISDOM AND STRENGTH AND
HONOR AND GLORY AND PRAISE!"
7. PRAISE HIM SPONTANEOUSLY – LUKE 19:37 “THEN AS HE
WAS DRAWING NEAR THE DESCENT OF THE MOUNT
OF OLIVES THE WHOLE MULTITUDE OF THE
DISCIPLES BEGAN TO REJOICE AND PRAISE GOD
WITH A LOUD VOICE FOR ALL THE MIGHTY WORKS
THEY HAD SEEN.” ILL; HAND RAISED THINK–TO LATE
8. PRAISE HIM WITH EMOTION (HALLELU YAH-PRAISE THE
LORD IN HEBREW) REV 19:1 & 5-7 AFTER
THIS I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE THE ROAR OF A
GREAT MULTITUDE IN HEAVEN SHOUTING:
HALLELUJAH! SALVATION AND GLORY AND POWER
BELONG TO OUR GOD, THEN A VOICE CAME FROM
THE THRONE SAYING “PRAISE OUR GOD ALL YOU
HIS SERVANTS AND THOSE WHO FEAR HIM BOTH
SMALL AND GREAT!” AND I HEARD, AS IT WERE, THE
VOICE OF A GREAT MULTITUDE, AS THE SOUND OF
MANY WATERS AND AS THE SOUND OF MIGHTY
THUNDERINGS SAYING “ALLELUIA! FOR THE LORD
GOD OMNIPOTENT REIGNS! LET US BE GLAD AND
REJOICE AND GIVE HIM GLORY FOR THE MARRIAGE
OF THE LAMB HAS COME AND HIS BRIDE HAS MADE
HERSELF READY.” ILL: TEARS – EMOTION OF LOVE
9.CONTINUALLY HEB 13:15 THROUGH JESUS, THEREFORE, LET US CONTINUALLY OFFER TO GOD A SACRIFICE OF PRAISE THE FRUIT OF LIPS THAT CONFESS HIS NAME.
II. THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE DOES (THANKSGIVING)
1. PEOPLE BLESSINGS COL. 3:15 “LET THE PEACE OF GOD
RULE IN YOUR HEARTS TO WHICH ALSO YOU WERE
CALLED IN ONE BODY AND BE THANKFUL.” ILL:
BLESSED TO LOVE EACH OTHER AND OVERLOOK
SHORTCOMINGS, SEE JESUS IN BRO & SIS
2. MATERIAL BLESSINGS DT.8:10 “WHEN YOU HAVE EATEN
AND ARE FULL, THEN YOU SHALL BLESS THE LORD
YOUR GOD FOR THE GOOD LAND WHICH HE HAS
GIVEN YOU.”
3. SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS 1PET. 2:9 “BUT YOU ARE A
CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A
HOLY NATION, HIS OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE, THAT YOU
MAY PROCLAIM THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS AND INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT.”
4. EVERYTHING 1THESS. 5:18 “IN EVERYTHING GIVE
THANKS FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST
JESUS FOR YOU.”
ARE YOU WILLING TODAY TO DO THE WORK OF PRAYER, SO THAT YOU CAN GAIN THE VICTORY OF PRAISE? LUKE 19:40-42 WHEN HE CAME NEAR THE PLACE WHERE THE ROAD GOES DOWN THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, THE WHOLE CROWD OF DISCIPLES BEGAN JOYFULLY TO PRAISE GOD IN LOUD VOICES FOR ALL THE MIRACLES THEY HAD SEEN "BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!" "PEACE IN HEAVEN AND GLORY IN THE HIGHEST!" SOME OF THE PHARISEES IN THE CROWD SAID TO JESUS, "TEACHER, REBUKE YOUR DISCIPLES!" "I TELL YOU," HE REPLIED, "IF THEY KEEP QUIET, THE STONES WILL CRY OUT."
DON=T LET THE ROCKS TAKE YOUR PLACE
FEW WEEKS PRAYER WILL BE FOCUS. PRAISE WILL BE PART OF IT. BEGIN TO PRAY NOW SO YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PRAISE THEN.
PRAY TOGETHER
