EXPAND - It’s Prayer Time
(Intro)
Genesis 1:3 "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."
(pray)
Today is part two of our six part series "Expand". Last week we talked on "do you have the Mind to Expand" coming from Father Abraham. This was the revelation God gave Abram (Abraham) on him being the father of many nations and Sarai (Sarah) to be the mother.
(Gen 13:16) "I will make thy seed (descendants) as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered."
And we know that there is no calculator on earth that can number the dust of the earth. You can stand on a beach and try to count the sand underneath your very feet and would lose track of the last number. At best it's a guess. God moved in the mind of Abram by revelation only because Abram had a mind to accept what was shown.
And to be in this there has to be an open mind.
In relationship with the creator we come to find he has established a covenant with his children. He gave us a way, by example, in the Old Testament to maintain this. And that is the scripture for today. Please bare with me as I connect the dots.
To understand prayer we first need to look at the word "Amen". This word is first mentioned in Numbers 5:22 ".And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels to make thy belly to swell and thy thigh to rot.” And the woman shall say, “Amen, amen.”
However in Matt 6:9-13 (Luke 11:1-5) we find the standard of Christian prayer.
"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."
It is used as the valediction (closing) of prayers. Just as we say "Sincerely, Thank you" at the end of a letter. We finalize our words with Amen. If we search on the meaning of Amen, the results will show it means, "Let it be", or "So be it"
Genesis 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,24 & 26"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."
This is where we first see God in creation. God said, "Let there be.." and it was so. It happened because his words went forth and brought fruit. The request manifested. It created life and opportunity.
Pray(er) (heb): nâ (naw)
What is prayer?
Prayer is the divinely appointed means through which we commune (fellowship) with the living God and advance His kingdom.
It is loving communication unto God.
It is the expression of our inner spiritual needs.
It's having that one person in your life that you can't go a day without speaking to them. Because they know exactly how to listen. Know exactly what to say at the appropriate time. Their words comfort our spirit which helps us regain a clear perspective through the cloud of mayhem.
Why do we pray?
In our communication with God we can find strength of spirit, guidance, wisdom, joy and inner peace. It's a petition that incites or stirs up action from the Most High. So why do we stir him up off his throne?
- Keep the covenant with God intact
- Keeps us in remembrance of his Word(s)
- It changes our perspective on any given situation. Take the negatively positively.
- It brings confidence and power to the believer and belief to the unbeliever (Elijah calling fire down)
Prayer works in conjunction with Faith. "By Faith we receive answers to our prayers."
What do we get out of prayer?
HIS AUTHORITY AND ABILITY TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE
Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto him who is able to do exceeding, abundantly above anything we ask or think according to the power that works inside of us."
Prayer is the tool that helps to build our mental, physical and spiritual strength, that we may press onward to perform his will until the second coming.
Breakthrough - Daniel in the lions den. Shamrock, Mishach and Abednego
That means we need to go deeper. Such as the book of Lamentations .
Lament(s):
to feel or express sorrow or regret for: to lament his absence.
to mourn for or over
We don't need music to go into a deep prayer. Though it helps us to visually focus on who God is, prayer is about words, communication and or silence.
Our prayer must groan.
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."
The pain you are feeling now brothers and sisters in Christ, the Spirit is feeling to. He takes on the burden with you in deeper prayer. Let it out. Let it out.
Prayer of Jabez - sorrowful I Chronicles 4:10"And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.' So God granted him what he requested."
"Our prayers are instruments in Gods plan."
