HOW TO MOVE HEAVEN WITH YOUR PRAYERS
2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Many people have some wrong ideas about praying-But I want to leave you with 4 things about praying.
There are 4 things about praying and if you will do them you can always get an answer to your prayers
If you will hear what I am preaching to you this morning-Get into the presence of God--he will answer your prayers.
#1 The First Thing that we need to do in order to mover heaven with your prayers is this
#1 BE PERSISTENT WITH YOUR PRAYERS
A. A lot of people are so confused about praying today that they do not really understand what it is all about--They don't know how to
pray--They don't when to pray-Or when to stop-
1. They have been told that they only have to pray about something One time and stop and then stop--
2. Have been told that if you pray concerning something more than once then If you pray about it again then you are not showing faith in
your prayers
That is exactly opposite to what Jesus was speaking about in the scripture that I read to you and that is the fact that the woman continued to come back and weary this judge and he grew tired and she received an answer to her prayers!
B. It finally got to a point that he gave her what she wanted because she was persistent with her prayers
Jesus gives us a parable that tells and shows us that PERSISTENTENCY WAS WHAT HE WANTED!!
B. There have been times in my life when I was praying and'God has spoken to me emphatically and clearly and said
'THE ANSWER IS ON THE WAY!"
1. and THE TIMES THAT GOD spoke that I didn't have to guess nor doubt-
2. -He gave me the answer and I knew it when it happened--I didn't have to pray about it because The Lord let me know that the Answer
was on the way.
C. There have been other times when God has given me the assurance of the answer to my prayers yet I knew I must continue to wait in
His presence until the total victory was mine. I had to persevere in prayer until God did what He told me He would do-
-I prayed persistently that God would save my dad for years and years along with my mom several times when I prayed God had
promised me that He would save him.
Now if there was no need for me to pray after that...Why did God wake me in the early hours of the morning time and time and time again and tell me that I needed to pray for my dad---If there was no need to press the issue any more-to stand in the gap-to make up the hedge--any need to pray for my dadthen tell me why did God wake me up and tell me to pray?
By the way, I would just like to emphasize --I buried my Dad in May of 1984-God saved him in March of 1981--I would like to say that the greatest blessing I have ever received was when God Saved him in March of 1981 When he walked down to the altar and I had the glorious privilege of leading him to Jesus Christ!! and when I buried him in May of 1984,--WHY? Because I knew he walked into the portals of Glory!!
When we gave the altar call on that Sunday Morning there were 9 people who gave their selves to Jesus as their personal savior.
If I never see another soul saved and I believe that I will that was worth it all to see and lead my dad to Jesus Christ as his personal savior and Lord!
There have been times I prayed the first time that I didn't get an answer and I had to go back many times.
A. There have been times that I didn't get an answer at all the first-second-third time
1. I had to wrestle in prayer all night long for some answers from God. I had to hang in there and keep praying because I knew God
would hold the answer back forever come through.
B. God will answer your prayers--He hears the cries of his people. From the very beginning of the Bible Through out its pages we see where
God answers the earnest prayer of His people.
C. In the 3 Chap. of Exodus and verse 9 God said to Moses, "I want you to go to Egypt and lead my people out of bondage because their prayers have come up before me." God is saying to Moses that the cry of His people has come up before Him (God).
It was the cry of the people that had touched the heart of God. It was the agony-- it was the crying out--It was the prayers of a people earnestly seeking and crying out to God that moved God--that touched the heart of God.
D. Folk, there are times that we have to keep hanging on--being persistent--never quitting but being persistent with our prayers until we
know we have an answer that is on its way.
1. Let us be persistent in our Praying!
2. Pray Until Your Faith Grows
a. Now I know that may not be good theology for some people but I believe it is scriptural.
Sometimes the problem is bigger than your faith is and you will have to hang in there--keep praying-until you have the faith to claim it without question. When that times comes, I believe you can claim it-I've got it-I believe God-I believe God's Word is true---Whether it be healing for your body of something else.
HOW DO I KNOW THAT?
3. Because there have been times in my life that I've had to continue to pray-seek God's face--because my faith wasn't big enough.
1. I had to say; Godyou are my strength. God always responds to prayer--Prayer moves the heavens-Prayer changes things!!
4. If you have been praying for somethings and the answer Hasn't come--Unless you know that God has spoke to you that the answser is
not to be forthcoming--Keep on praying-
KEEP PRAYING UNTIL YOU PUNCTURE THE GLORY WORLD!!
C. The one time prayers are OK when things are going smooth! But here me here this morning--When your marriage is about to break-up-
When you have done everything in your power to keep that marriage but in spite of all you have and can do it looks like it's going to
break up!!
D. Or when your finances are on rock bottom--there are payments due and the debtors are knocking on the door and there seems that there
is not way out and it seems that the world about you is about to collapse on you
E. Or when you have a loved one who is seriously ill and does not know Jesus Christ as their Savior
F. Or when you pick up the telephone and you receive the message that you Son-Wife daughter or Mom-Dad-Brother-Sister has cancer-and
they are given 3 months to live--then this one-time praying won't get it.
1. I believe that God expects his people to be persistent and hang in there and intercede until the answer comes--These are not easy
times but God answers prayer!!
I have seen the time when my mom received the call that a close member of our family had overdosed on sleeping pills.
I grabbed my mom and we flew-Hurried-- (I was a teen-age boy) to this relative's home. Our relative was already unconscious --she had
taken a whole bottle of sleeping pills.
I saw her stand in there and doggedly intercede to almighty God for this unconscious relative Asking God to touch that body--to move with faith that her God would come on the scene and change a situation that looked like certain death and deliver this relative and within 5 minutes this person had regained conscious was vomiting that medicine up.
I saw a mother who stood and looked death in the face and said, "Devil, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ." "Lord Jesus come on the scene" and I watched the scene around me turn from death to life.
I saw that person who had taken a bottle of sleeping pills comeback from near death to life!!
I saw her sit up and vomit those pills up--Saw her open her eyes and in 5 minutes I saw that person sitting on the side of her bed in her right mind-talking--not a drugged state but in her right mind.
GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE!!
A. Then there are some things you will need in life that all of hell will fight you for to stop it from happening.
1. It's when you will have to buckle up against them and be persistent in your prayers.
2. You will have to demand in the name of Jesus "Satan, leave me alone." You will have to take authority over the devil.
B. As you walk in the power and authority of the name of esus, the powers of darkness will have to move back before you.
C. I remember as I watched my mother as she begin to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit--I watched as the devil was wrestling with her
and suddenly I saw her as she began to pray in that mighty tongue
1. (Some people call it prayer language) you call it what you want to I simply call it speaking in tongues.---But as she begin to pray in
that mighty language,
2.SUDDENLY--almost imperceptibly that woman sat up and begin to vomit--Why?? BECAUSE THE DEVIL COULD NOT STAND THE
POWER OF A SAINT OF GOD FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST AND POWER OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD!!
D. PRAY until your faith grows!! Sometimes we just have to stand in there and keep doing what we know is right and say "God Help Me!" to
increase my faith.
1. I know the Word says "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. But I also believe that our FAITH IS BOLSTORED
AS WE BEGIN to pray and believe God as the Holy Ghost begins to divinely intervene.
I. BE PERSISTENT IN YOUR PRAYING
II. PRAY UNTIL YOUR FAITH GROWS.
III. WAIT FOR AN ANSWER.
A. This may be one of the most important points of this sermon--WAIT FOR AN ANSWER!
B. It is very important that we wait until we hear from God Maybe you have already prayed about a need one time but the answer has not
arrived yet.
C. So now you reason within yourself--you say,
1. "Well maybe it's not God's will
2. -Maybe God doesn't want me to have that-
3. Maybe God changed his mind--
4. Maybe I shouldn't go in that direction."
5. Do you see what you are doing?-
D. -You are beginning to doubt--Question God--You ARE BEGINNING TO LET YOUR UNSWERED PRAYER NDERMINE YOUR FAITH.
E. Nothing will destroy your faith any quicker than praying and then getting up Without receiving an answer.
F. When I begin praying about something sometimes it is 6 mo or a year or a week or a month--
1. Something I am praying for what may have been in my pray life for years--
2. But I know there is an answer on the way and I don't quit until an answer comes.
3. You ask the question "Does God answer all of your prayers?"
4. I would have to reply, "Yes, He does!"
5. I believe that if we will stay faithful-seek his face with all of our hearts...The Answer will come if we will just give Him time.
A. Some of the answers are NO!--
B. Some answers are not now--
C. Some of the answers are yes but before I do it you have got to get some things right in your life.
D. Some of the answers that come from God are YES!!
E. God is not tongue tied and He is not deaf either--
F. God can hear and he will answer you if you will stay
in there.
G. You pray a dangerous game when you pray and then don't wait for an answer.
.
Don't begin to reason within yourself and say well maybe it's not God's will--If it is not God's will he can tell you it's not His will--If it is not what God wants with you--If it is not what He wants with you--I believe God will let you know exactly that!!
.HANG IN THERE!! KEEP PRAYING (asking)AND BELIEVING !!SAY, GOD , SOMETHING IS WRONG--I HAVE ASKED BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED--GOD, I AM STILL COMING BACK TO YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN. ASK GOD, "WHAT'S WRONG?"
Luke 18:2-8 (NKJV))
2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”
6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
I. Be Persistent in your praying
II. Pray until your FAITH GROWS
III. Wait for an answer
IV. BACK YOUR PRAYERW WITH ACTION
a. THERE IS MORE TO PERSISTENT PRAYING THAN ASKING
1. You must have faith to believe God-That He'll meet your needs--
2. That He will do what he said he would do-You have got to be ready to receive His answer
B. When the answer comes you have to be ready to act on it.
1.You see anybody can sit down and say ,"well the Lord is going to come by tomorrow and heal me."-
-In the morning God is going to give me a job, Well that is foolishness. Persistent faith is hearing from heaven and then going out
there and saying "I'm God's Child--He sent me out here to see That my needs are met and I am not giving up until they are met.
C. You see, you have to act persistently!~! You have to hang in there--You have to refuse to give in or up or back down.
1. Try one door if it won't open--TRY another one...and then another one.
2. Some people think that you can't be persistent and have FAITH at the same time!~! They say all you have to do is pray and believe
and suddenly God's going to meet your needs==That's good but let me tell you sometimes it also takes about 16 hours of work a
day..as we are believing God.
James says in James 2:18 & 26 James 2:18
New American Standard 18 But someone [a]may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not [ab]bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
3. A man who has a lot of faith is also a man who does a lots of fasting and praying a lot of work for the Lord---
Farmer's Crop
It is like the old farmer who had a beautiful corn crop. The preacher and said to the farmer "That sure is a beautiful crop of corn you have there. The Farmer said "Yes sir that is a fine crop of corn.""The preacher said, You know the Lord sure has blessed Mr. Farmer. But you should have seen this crop last year when God had it all by himself.
5. You see God has got blessing for you but you have to claim them through persistence, prayer, and faith filled action
Whatever need you may have start praying for God's answers.
And don't give up until you get it.
When the answer comes act on it and God will pour out His blessings on you.
Let me remind you of these 4 little steps.
I. Be Persistent in your praying
2. Pray Until Your Faith Grows
3. Wait for an answer
4. Back your prayers with ACTION
God wants His people to have their needs met.
Remember this: You must have faith in the almighty God.
