LET US MAKE THE MOST OUT OF OUR PRAYER LIFE...
THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER... TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. DO WE FOCUS OUR HEARTS AND MINDS TO PRAY EFFECTIVELY?
Text:
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,
that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much.
A. If we value prayer we must pray wisely according to the WORD OF GOD.
REMARKABLE PRAYER BRINGS REMARKABLE RESULTS!
B. My oldest son says:
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXISTING AND THRIVING IS EFFORT.
C. WILL WE PRAY THE PRICE?
II. ONE MORE NIGHT WITH THE FROGS?
A. Will you honestly answer this question?
WHAT DO I NEED TO CHANGE IN MY PERSONAL LIFE?
AM I WILLING TO MAKE THE CHANGES THAT I NEED OR WILL I PUT UP
WITH THIS PROBLEM LONGER...
Exodus 8:9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?
10 And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God.
B. Moses is talking to Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s nation of Egypt is in a terrible pickle.
Frogs are every where. Frogs in the beds. Frogs in the ovens. Frogs? Frogs?
Moses tells Pharaoh: I will make the frogs leave...
Pharaoh is so glad...
Moses says: When do you want the frogs to leave?
PHARAOH’S ANSWER AMAZES ME...
IN THE MORNING... ONE MORE NIGHT WITH THE FROGS?
Why would you want one more night with the frogs... ???
C. I KNOW WHEN YOU WILL CHANGE:
WHEN THE PAIN OF STAYING THE SAME BECOMES GREATER THAN THE
PAIN OF CHANGE THEN YOU WILL CHANGE...
D. Prayer changes things. Prayer changes people.
I have often found that when I pray for others to change, God changes me.
E. Today let us evaluate our prayer habits. Do you love to pray?
F. Prayer is a VENT, a way of releasing faith and submitting my heart to the Divine plan for me.
G. I think good prayer is talking, praying in the Spirit and praising.
I have learned good prayer takes time to be still and allow time to listen.
Many do all the talking and never listen to the Divine heartbeat that brings great joy.
H. Some say I can not feel anything, so I stop praying.
Real effective prayer is a time to release faith.
When you can not feel your prayers --- could be a time of testing, ---
to see do you believe or are you just talking?
III. ONE OF THE MOST MISQUOTED SCRIPTURES IS FOUND IN LUKE.
MANY STATE THE VERSE: --- LORD TEACH US HOW TO PRAY...
THIS IS NOT WHAT LUKE RECORDS...
LUKE SAYS: THEY ASK THE LORD: TEACH US TO PRAY...
A. Effective prayer is coming into the alignment of God’s word.
Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
B. Their request was that Jesus would teach them to pray!!
Lord teach us to pray.
We need the birth of a prayer warrior spirit in us first and others second.
IV. LET US LOOK AT SOME BIBLICAL RULES THAT PROMOTE EFFECTIVE
PRAYER HABITS... PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT ENLARGES OUR PRAYERS ABILITY
TO REACH THE FATHER...
A. To pray effectively we need to know the heart of God.
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
B. The Spirit of God knows the heart of God, and the Son’s wishes.
Good effective prayer must get beyond the letter of the law into the Spirit of the law.
C. We do not always understand the spiritual battles ongoing in this world. When we yield to God’s Spirit. We can pray more effectively.
Please, Lord enlarge my hands and teach me to pray effectively by PRAYING
IN THE SPIRIT and teach us to pass the habit to others?
V. TO PRAY EFFECTIVELY WE MUST NEVER FORGET THE BASICS:
WE MUST PRAY IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
A. Have you ever written a check and filled it all out properly and forgot to sign it?
Legally that check is worthless without a valid signature.
B. To lay a petition on the Father’s desk we must validate the request in the sweet name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
John 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
C. We don’t pray to Buddha, we pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ.
VI. REAL EFFECTIVE PRAYER MUST BE PRAYED ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL.
A. Many people think prayer is a SANTA CLAUS LIST: making human demands
for TOYS. Good prayer seeks TOOLS.
Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
B. The example prayer Jesus gave us, --- Thy WILL be done on earth as it
is in heaven.
We presume we know God’s will, and this is not always true.
C. I have cleaned up where one preacher prayed and said they will be
healed by in the morning, and the person died during the night.
D. Never forget the Sovereignty of God. Seek HIS WILL and you will never
pray amiss?
VII.TO ACHIEVE EFFECTIVE PRAYER WE MUST PRAY WITH THE RIGHT MOTIVE.
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
A. Our heart must KNOW the word of God and we must pray with good motives. We must know the word. Then we must obey.
B. Recently I dreamed, and in the dream I saw Jesus.
Jesus was crying in my dream.
He was broken hearted. I asked Him, JESUS, WHY ARE YOU CRYING?
He replied to me, I have more request for new cars than I have for lost souls.
C. God is not Santa Claus?
Prayer: if properly prayed is for the benefit of the whole and is not selfish.
God give me..., God give me this, ...God give me that.
D. I know a man that prays for the red light to turn green.
I know a lady that prays for a parking place up close to the Walmart door, park and walk. Walking might be good for you?
E. Pleasure becomes many Christian’s motive. God’s glory should be the motive.
Many pray for healing to get out of pain, then they never testify, or never work?
VIII. FOR PRAYER TO REACH INTO THE REALM OF FERVENT AND EFFECTIVENESS
YOU MUST TAP INTO THE REALM OF FAITH --- BELIEVING...
A. Effective prayer is more than saying words. Words can be vain and hollow. Our words, our hearts, our FAITH...
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
B. How sad today, we pray many words and then worry.
Worry is a type of doubt. Doubt is a type of fear.
C. We used to say Pray Through.
That meant stay on the knees until you know that you have touched God.
Now we pray and go home and worry and reach for the valium?
IX.WE CAN NOT BE BITTER AND ANGRY WITH OTHERS AND EXPECT GOD TO
HEAR OUR PRAYERS. EFFECTIVE PRAYER HINGES ON A FORGIVING SPIRIT.
Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
A. ANGER AND BITTERNESS AND CARRYING GRUDGES WILL HINDER YOUR
PRAYERS AND MAKE YOUR PRAYER LIFE INEFFECTIVE.
Col. 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
B. BITTERNESS BACKFIRES.
C. Many would never smoke dope or commit sexual sin, but they will
carry offense and hurt from the long past.
D. Bitterness and anger is growing in the church pews, in our school systems and in our world. This bitterness and wrath hinders the effectiveness of prayer.
E. Could bitterness grow at home as disobedience and hinder prayers?
A forgiving spirit is necessary to walk on heaven’s sod.
If your prayers seemed hindered, check at whom you are bitter, angry
or unforgiving?
X. IF YOU DESIRE TO PRAY EFFECTIVELY YOU MUST FLEE FROM SIN AND
THE APPEARNACE OF SIN. GOOD PRAYER COMES FROM A PURE HEART.
Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
A. God is not looking for perfect hearts but pure hearts.
B. Any one from the country knows, if a cow eats green onions out of the field, it will have BAD BREATH, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE TO NOTE:
the cows milk will have a terrible taste.
Not only does the cow’s breath stink,
but the cow’s product will smell and taste bad.
C. Again, not perfect hearts of perfect people but hearts washed white by the precious cleansing power of the Lamb of God.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
We must have a revival birthed by prayer. Let us learn to pray
effectively. Help me? Pass this work on to others?
