Title: Praying with Power
Text: Matthew 21:21-22
Take-off
1. On the evening of Jan. 5, Adolf Merckle, Germany’s fifth-richest man (net worth 9.2 billion dollars), opened the door of his modest home in Germany and stepped out into the frigid air. The 74-year-old outdoorsman was keen on taking long walks to clear his head. But when he hadn’t returned home a few hours later, his family called the police. Instead of taking a walk that cold night, Merckle drove to the suburb, parked his car, and walked a few hundred yards to the train tracks. At 5:30 AM the conductor on an express train felt a bump and alerted authorities to investigate. Merckle’s mangled corpse was found two hours later. The note he left behind reportedly read, "I’m sorry."
2. Even if you are very rich or powerful, if you’re just trusting in yourself, sooner or later something will happen, and you will have nothing else to hold on to. It’s so sad when people look only to themselves to survive the challenges of this world. As believers in Christ, we have the privilege of connecting with the greatest and most powerful being in the entire universe – GOD! But it’s so sad when we don’t know how to use this powerful connection.
3. In Matthew 21:21-22, Jesus talks about our powerful connection with God which we can access through prayer. Nothing is impossible for us, according to Jesus, if we ask by faith. I call this “Praying with Power”.
4. Truth: Praying with power is the first key to using our God-given authority as citizens of the kingdom of God. When we do so, the kingdom of God will become a reality in our lives and in the lives of those God is allowing us to touch. Remember, WE CAN PRAY WITH POWER STARTING TODAY!
5. How do we pray with power? There are four steps.
a. We must log on.
b. We must specify our requests to God.
c. We must thank God for the answer.
d. We must speak out our faith.
Talk
1. We must log on.
a. If you are familiar with the internet, or even if you just use your ATM, you know you must log on before you can get into any network. Otherwise you don’t have any authority to use it.
b. This is also true when it comes to prayer.
1. We must log on using the right Username: Born-again Christian
2. We must log on using the right Password: By faith in Jesus Christ
c. We can only have access to the throne of God when we become one of His children (John 1:12-13; Matt 7:11). Illus.
d. At the same time, we can only ask God for anything in the name of His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:24). Illus.
e. In other words, as a child of God we must approach the heavenly throne with confidence using the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the only way we can draw near to God in prayer or worship. (Heb 10:19-22)
f. Remember, WE CAN PRAY WITH POWER STARTING TODAY!
2. We must specify our requests to God.
a. A lot of people don’t experience the power of God because they pray in such general terms. Illus.
b. I think the reason behind this is fear – we’re afraid nothing will happen after we pray! So to avoid discouragement, we pray in general terms.
c. There are biblical grounds for praying more specifically.
3. Jesus prayed this way (Mark 14:35-36)
4. Jesus taught his disciples to pray this way (Matthew 21:21-22)
d. To pray with power, we must learn to be more specific in our prayers. Avoid generalities! Illus.
e. Remember, WE CAN PRAY WITH POWER STARTING TODAY!
3. We must thank God for the answer.
a. Jesus told his disciples in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” This is the secret to praying with power!
b. Thanking God means you are already assuming that your prayers have already been answered. Illus. Feeding of the 5,000. Jesus thanked God and then distributed the bread and fish.
c. Another illustration of this is Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25. They were praying and singing hymns while in prison. What were they praying about? Whatever it was they felt assured to sing hymns also. Later the Lord opened the doors!
d. Praying with power means thanking God in advance, even before we see the answer with our eyes (Heb11:1)! Illus.
e. Remember, WE CAN PRAY WITH POWER STARTING TODAY!
4. We must speak out our faith.
a. Praying with power does not end with simply talking to God and thanking Him for the answer that we expect. It also involves speaking out our faith so that others (even demons) may hear!
b. This is what we see in the ministry of Jesus. Let me give you a couple of examples:
5. In Matthew 21:19, Jesus said to the fig tree in the hearing of his disciples, “May you never bear fruit again!” “Immediately,” Matthew says, “the tree withered.”
6. In teaching his disciples about praying with power, Jesus also said, “But also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.” (v.21) Jesus wanted his disciples to say something after they pray!
7. In the incident where Jesus healed a boy with an evil spirit (Mark 9:14-29), Jesus taught his disciples about the importance of prayer in casting out evil spirits. But we don’t see him praying. Instead we hear him rebuking the evil spirit in v.25, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” Jesus must’ve prayed before that (although there is no record of it). But after praying he spoke!
c. In other words, God wants us to use our voice to speak out our faith. Peter remembered this principle when he encountered the crippled beggar at the temple gate called Beautiful. Look at what he said in Acts 3:6.
d. What is the rationale behind this? It is not as if, as some wrongly assume, we are like God, able to speak out things into being! (Gen 1). No. The explanation is found in Romans 10:9-10. As we speak, our faith is made complete!
e. So we must speak out our faith so that our faith will be made complete by our confession. Remember, WE CAN PRAY WITH POWER STARTING TODAY!
Touchdown
1. So how can we pray with power? Follow these steps:
a. Log on.
b. Be specific with your requests.
c. Thank God for the answer (even before you see it).
d. Speak out your faith.
2. Let’s try it right now with our specific needs or the needs of someone we care about (practice).
3. Let’s thank God for the privilege of drawing near to God and asking Him for anything that we need. He hears us and He will answer our prayers! Remember, WE CAN PRAY WITH POWER STARTING TODAY!
