“QUESTIONS ABOUT PRAYER”
Lighthouse Worship Center AM
3/08/09
INTRODUCTION:
It’s been a rather busy week. Our Praise & Worship Team ministered on Monday night and did our church proud. I was so proud as pastor. Let me tell you, you all did a great job!
Many of you, as well as myself, have been attending the Prophecy Seminar at Trinity Church. On top of my work schedule, I had opportunity to spend the morning w/Hilton Sutton on Tuesday & lunch w/him, On Thursday Sis. Flossie had surgery.
During this week, part of what God has been dealing w/me about, along w/all the wonderful teaching we’ve had on the Book of Revelation, is about “PRAYER!”
Folk, please don’t get me wrong in what I’m going to say. There are some real issues we have to face here. Some financial issues that are dogging us but take heart this morning:
GOD IS ON THE THRONE &
HE HAS AN ANSWER!
WE’VE A GOD WHO KNOWS WHO & WHERE WE ARE & HE CARES! I DON’T KNOW OR UNDERSTAND HIS WAYS ALL THE TIME BUT “I KNOW THAT I KNOW” HE IS MY GOD & HE CARES FOR ME & FOR YOU!
BUT WE MUST PUT OUR FOCUS ON WHERE OUR FOCUS BELONGS! OUR FOCUS BELONGS ON GOD! GOD IS OUR “SOURCE & OUR RESOURCE!”
IF WE FOCUS ON THE “PROBLEM” MORE THAN THE “ANSWER” THEN WE’RE DEFEATED BY THE ENEMY OF OUR SOULS & WE DISPLEASE GOD! OUR FOCUS DURING TIMES OF CRISIS MUST BE ON “HIM FIRST & FOREMOST!”
GOD HAS “NEVER” NOR WILL HE “EVER” FORSAKE US! THE SUPERNATURAL “POWER & PRESENCE” OF GOD IS “RELEASED” BY “PRAYER & FAITH!” FAITH IN HIM, HIS WORKS, HIS DESIRES, HIS PROVISION, & MOST OF ALL FAITH IN HIM!
HE SAYS...
“LOW, I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS!”
At our Annual Business Meeting we set a course for a “NEW FOCUS” on “PRAYER & SOUL WINNING!” We’ve been actively working on a “SOUL WINNING PROJECT” for the last 6 weeks and are coming to a place of application. And “PRAYER” is the “FUEL” that “FIRES SOUL WINNING!” & I’m working on “PRAYER TEAMS TO IMPLEMENT THIS WEEK!”
Read with me in Matthew 5:25-34 from Bible.
Our main text vrs #33:
“BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD/HEAVEN,
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, & ALL THESE THINGS SHALL
BE ADDED TO YOU.”
I want to pose a few questions to you this morning. To some of you these questions may not apply but to others they may. But even those who might have been saved for a long time might even find these questions applicable as well!
The word “PRAY” or it’s derivatives appear in the Bible no less than #316 times. The word “PRAYER” is a “POWERFUL WORD”, it is a WORD OF POWER, it HOLDS POWER, it RELEASES POWER, it MAINTAINS POWER, it COMMANDS POWER!
THE LAST THING THE ENEMY WANTS FROM “YOU ” IS FOR “YOU TO PRAY!” HE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN “GOD’S PEOPLE PRAY!” THE 1ST THING THAT HAPPENS IS THAT “GOD HEARS” THE “PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE!” AND THE 2ND THING THAT HAPPENS IS THAT “GOD ANSWERS THE PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE!”
I. DO YOU PRAY FERVENTLY & CONSISTENTLY?
Proverbs 15:29 says...
“The Lord is far from the wicked but He HEARS
THE PRAYER OF THE RIGHTEOUS!”
THE KEY IS NOT JUST “PRAYER” BUT THE “PRAYER OF THE RIGHTEOUS”, THE INTONATION IS THE “RIGHTEOUS” WOULD BE THE “PEOPLE OF GOD!” NOW, DON’T GET ME WRONG, “PRAYER” IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BUT THE “PRAY-ER” IS MORE IMPORTANT!
IF OUR HOPE IS IN AN “ACTION” ALONE THEN WE MISS THE WHOLE “POINT OF PRAYER!” WE BEGIN TO TREAT PRAYER AS A “PLACEBO!” AN “EMOTIONAL & SPIRITUAL” FEEL GOOD!
DO YOU KNOW WHAT A “PLACEBO” IS? A “PLACEBO!” IS A FALSEHOOD! IT’S A SUGAR PILL FOR THE MIND! IT DOES NOTHING FOR THE BODY BUT THE MIND THINKS IT DOES SO THE MIND CONVINCES ITSELF THAT IT IS ALRIGHT WHEN IT’S NOT REALLY!
IF WE TREAT “PRAYER” AS A “PLACEBO”& NOT THE “RELATIONAL ACTION BASED ON OUR FAITH IN HIM” THAT IT’S TRULY MEANT TO BE. THEN WE MISS THE WHOLE POINT!
THE “POINT OF PRAYER” IS NOT TO GET WHAT “YOU WANT” OUT OF GOD BUT TO GET WHAT “GOD WANTS OUT OF YOU” FOR THE WORLD WE LIVE IN!
THE ONE WHO IS DOING THE “PRAYING” HAS A RESPONSIBILITY NOT JUST IN HOW HE “PRAYS” BUT IN HIS “LIFE & HIS PRAYER LIFE!” IF YOU “PRAY FOR SOULS” BUT DO NOTHING ABOUT IT THEN YOUR “PRAYER” DOES LITTLE EXCEPT BE A “PLACEBO!”
FOLK, THE “PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE”, THE “PRAYERS OF THE RIGHTEOUS” (MOVE) THE HEART OF GOD! BUT LACKADAISICAL PRAYER DOESN’T MOVE THE HEART OF GOD VERY MUCH!
James 5:16 tells us...
“THE FERVENT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILS MUCH.”
“PRAYER” HAS TO BE “OFTEN” & HAS TO BE “CONSISTENT!” CONSISTENCY SHOWS “FERVENCY!” IF YOU “PRAY FERVENTLY” ONLY ONCE A WEEK THEN YOUR NOT ALL THAT “FERVENT” ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF YOUR “PRAYER!”
WHAT THAT PASSAGE IS TELLING US IS THAT FERVENCY: FEELINGS OF GREAT WARMTH & INTENSITY “MOVE” THE HEART OF GOD!
THE “INTENSITY OF PRAYER” MOVES THE HEART OF GOD! “PRAYER” ALWAYS HAS TO BE “INTENSE!” THE TIMES WE LIVE IN DEMAND A “FERVENCY& INTENSITY” IN OUR “PRAYERS!”
SOMETIMES WHAT MAKES OUR “PRAYERS INTENSE” ARE DESPERATION, FEAR, & PANIC! BUT THOSE (MUST NOT) DRIVE PRAYER OR OUR PRAYER LIFE!
ALL OF THOSE MIGHT TOUCH THE HEART OF GOD “IN & FOR A MOMENT” BUT WHAT REALLY “DRIVES & TOUCHES” THE HEART OF GOD IS SEEKING HIS FACE, HIS WILL, HIS KINGDOM FIRST, THEN! ALL THE OTHER THINGS NEEDED WILL BE ADDED!
“FOCUS” IS A WORD FOR US THIS YEAR! A “NEW FOCUS” ON “PRAYER & SOUL WINNING!”
“PRAYER & SOUL WINNING” WILL CHANGE NOT JUST THE “COMPLECTION” OF LIGHTHOUSE WORSHIP CENTER BUT “PRAYER & SOUL WINNING” WILL CHANGE OUR WHOLE “COMPLECTION AS CHILDREN OF GOD!”
I HEAR ABOUT MEN & WOMEN WHO TELL OF GREAT MOVES OF GOD, GREAT ANSWERS TO PRAYER & WE GET EXCITED ABOUT THAT BUT WHAT WE “FAIL TO RECOGNIZE” IS THE “PRAYER LIFE” OF THE “PRAY-ER!”
THEY WEREN’T MOVE BY FEAR, DESPERATION, & PANIC, THEY WERE MOVED BY THE AWE OF GOD’S POWER IN THEIR LIVES, THEY WERE MOVED BY THE “POWER OF PRAYER” TO BEGIN WITH!
WE SHOULDN’T BE MOVED BY FEAR, DREAD, DESPERATION & PANIC, BUT WE SHOULD BE MOVED BY THE ALMIGHTY HAND OF GOD, THE WORD OF HIS PROMISE, THE COVENANT OF HIS WORDS, THE FAITH WE HAVE IN HIM & THE VICTORY THAT IS OURS IN HIM!
WE “PRAY AMISS” WHEN WE “PRAY” OUT OF THOSE THINGS BUT WHEN WE “PRAY PROACTIVE-LY” WE PRAY SPOT ON THE MARK, BUT WHEN WE “PRAY POST-ACTIVE-LY” BECAUSE OF PROBLEM ALONE THEN WE MISS THE “FULL POWER & GLORY OF PRAYER” THAT GOD WANTS US TO KNOW & MOVE IN.
II. DO YOU PRAY WITH POWER & AUTHORITY!
SOME OF PRAYING WITH “POWER & AUTHORITY” COMES WITH PRACTICE OTHER COMES FROM KNOWING WHO & WHOSE WE ARE! WE ALL KNOW THAT
I THESSALONIANS 5:17 SAYS...
“PRAY WITHOUT CEASING”
“PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT” OR LEADS TO PERFECTION! SO MANY OF US ONLY PRAY OUT OF DESPERATION, FEAR, DREAD & PANIC WE NEVER MOVE ONTO PERFECTION & CONSEQUENTLY WE NEVER LEARN TO “PRAY” WITH “POWER & AUTHORITY!”
ONE OF OUR FAVORITE SCRIPTURES IN THIS VEIN IS FOUND IN ROMANS 4:17 THAT READS...
“...WHO GIVES LIFE TO THE DEAD & CALLS
THOSE THINGS WHICH DO NOT EXIST AS THOUGH THEY DID.”
IT TAKES “POWER & AUTHORITY” TO SPEAK TO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE & SHOULD BE! WE NEED TO MOVE IN THAT “AUTHORITY & POWER” EVERY TIME WE PRAY!
FOLK, THERE IS “LIFE IN THE TONGUE” WE KNOW THAT! BUT OUR PRAYER LIFE HAS TO BE “CONSISTENT” WITH THAT LIFE NOT ONLY IN OUR SPEECH BUT IN OUR “PRAYERS!”
WE NEED TO “PRAY” IN “AUTHORITY” THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US AS CHILDREN OF GOD! YOU HAVE “POWER” OVER THE ENEMY OF YOUR SOUL & SITUATION!
HE SAID IN LUKE 10:19
“BEHOLD, I GIVE YOU POWER/AUTHORITY TO TRAMPLE ON SERPENTS
& SCORPIONS, & OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY, & NOTHING
SHALL BY ANY MEANS HURT YOU.”
WE NEED TO PRAY IN THAT “AUTHORITY WITH THE POWER INVESTED WITHIN US” AS CHILDREN OF GOD EVERY TIME WE “PRAY” & FOR WHATEVER WE “PRAY” OVER & FOR!
I’VE SAID IT BEFORE, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES & STILL ARE SOME TIMES WHEN I PRAY I KNOW GOD CAN BUT I’M NOT SURE HE WILL!
FOLK, WE’VE GOT TO GET BEYOND THAT MIND SET & MOVE IN THE “AUTHORITY & POWER” THAT SAYS HE WILL & I KNOW HE WILL! VERY LITTLE SCARES THE ENEMY OR CAUSES HIM TO FLEE QUICKER THAN THE “AUTHORITATIVE POWERFUL PRAYER” OF THE RIGHTEOUS CHILD OF GOD!
WE NEED TO SPEAK TO THOSE “PEWS THAT ARE EMPTY” AS “THOUGH THEY WERE FULL” THIS MORNING! WE NEED TO SPEAK TO THAT BANK ACCOUNT AS THOUGH IT WAS FULL THIS MORNING & ACT LIKE IT’S FULL! THAT SHOWS FAITH IN GOD.
GOD WILL PERFORM MIRACLES WHEN WE STEP OUT IN FAITH WITH “AUTHORITY & POWER” COUPLED WITH “FAITH!”
IS IT EASY? OF COURSE NOT! IS IT NECESSARY? ABSOLUTELY!
CLOSING:
“VICTORY” IS OURS IN & THROUGH CHRIST JESUS! WHAT WE FACE IS NOTHING NEW IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD! THE DISCIPLES FACED IT, NEHEMIAH FACED IT, MOSES FACED IT, JOB FACED IT BUT...
...THEY ALL PUT THEIR MIND TO “PRAY & SEEK HIM” WITH
THE “AUTHORITY, POWER & AN INTENSITY” THE MOMENT CALLED FOR BUT NOT THE MOMENT ONLY BUT THROUGHOUT THEIR WALK WITH GOD! THEY SPOKE TO THOSE THINGS THAT WERE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE, NOT ONLY IN THE MOMENT BUT IN THEIR LIVES & WALK WITH GOD!
WE CANNOT GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT ALONE BUT OUR “PRAYER LIFE & EXISTENCE” HAS TO BE “CONSISTENT” WITH OUR “FAITH IN HIM” AT ALL TIMES!
