THEME: THE UNTAPPED POWER OF A MAN
TEXT: 1 TIMOTHY 2:1 – 8
TITLE: PRAYING MEN…
Introduction:
It was early Sunday morning and William’s mother came into his room and said, “William, it’s Sunday. Time to get up…Time to get up and go to church!”
From under the covers, William mumbled, “I don’t want to go!”
“What do you mean…you don’t want to go?” she said. “That is silly! Now get up and get dressed and go to church!”
“No!” the deep voice of William shot back! “I’ll give you two reasons. I don’t like them and they don’t like me!”
“Nonsense,” his mother, yield. “I’ll give YOU two reasons you have to get up and go. First, you are a 42 years old grown man and second, you are the PASTOR!”
William, like too many men today don’t want to grow up and like others don’t want to face the challenges of life!
We are in the last of our series on The Untapped Power of a Man and we have talked previously about:
A) Distinguished Men such as Daniel and what does it take to be one of God’s distinguished men?
• Excellence Is Essential
• Faithfulness Is Fundamental
• Diligence In Duty
• Disciplined In Devotion
B) Able Men such as the Priest in 1 Chronicles 13, who are described as being “…very able men” translated they were “mighty men of strength.”
• ABLE MEN ARE MEN OF AVAILABILITY
• ABLE MEN ARE MEN OF DEPENDABILITY
• ABLE MEN ARE MEN OF MOBILITY
• ABLE MEN ARE MEN OF STABILITY
Today, I want us to understand that if indeed we are going to be men who release the untapped power that God has deposited within us…
We must not only be men who distinguish ourselves from the ordinary and men who distinguish ourselves from men who are not able or not willing to fight the spiritual warfare in which we are engaged… we must distinguish ourselves by becoming praying men!
God is calling us to be Praying Men. Men who pray without ceasing; pray without wrath or doubting; pray with a fervent spirit and pray with faith!
Our nation; our communities; our churches and our families are in desperate need of praying men!
Notice verse 8 of the text… “I desire that the men pray – notice that the men pray…everywhere, lifting holy hands, without wrath and doubting…”
The Apostle Paul…at this point in his life was an aged man full of experience and wisdom. He was writing particularly to the young pastor Timothy in this epistle or letter. Timothy was facing the heavy burden of leading the Church of Ephesus.
This was a challenging task for a young man, given the culture of the city and the condition of the church. Ephesus was a major city in the ancient world. It was a city consider to be a leading center of commerce and travel, situated on the Aegean Sea…it was one of the greatest seaports of the then known world.
You know with seaports come sailors; and with sailors come prostitution; drugs; gambling; and other vices and vicissitudes…
Three major roads led from the Seaport City of Ephesus: one road went east towards Babylon via Laodicea, another to north via Smyrna and a third south to the Meander Valley.
Ephesus housed the Temple of Artemis, considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. This Temple was dedicated to the goddess Diana and it was known for its Temple Prostitutes. The moral climate and the secular culture of Ephesus made it a city that was known for its loose lifestyle.
Within the religious community, there were false doctrines that needed to be confronted and corrected; there was worship that was out of order that needed to be straightened out; and there were issues surrounding the immaturity of the leadership that had to be addressed.
In light of the moral decay and because of the cultural corruption…the Apostle Paul charged Timothy to be strong; to be a man…because in his wisdom, Paul understood that Ephesus needed a strong presence of authority and power within both in the secular society and in the Christian Community!
Paul commanded the Elders of Ephesus to be mindful of the false teaching and false teachers and those who would divide the flock.
And he urged Timothy to “man-up and fight the good fight of faith;” Paul charged Timothy to “endure hardships like a good soldier,” and to “keep that which has been committed unto him.”
Listen, our society, our nation, our communities, our families and certainly our Churches today – are in need of these types of men.
• Men who will stand and fight the good fight of faith…1:18
• Men who will endure hardness and hardships like a good soldier…2 Timothy 2:3
• Men who will be faithful to keep that which has been passed down to us…the faith, the sound solid doctrines of the Bible…1 Timothy 4:16
Our families are being destroyed today, not simply because of the things we see happing in the secular society, but we are being destroyed primarily because we are lacking men as leaders…in our homes;
We are lacking men as leaders in our schools; in our communities and in our churches.
And not just men – but I am talking about distinguished men; able men; and praying men!
Listen to me – the men who left their businesses; left their livelihoods; left their plans to follow Jesus – recognized that the one thing Jesus did that set Him apart from every other man --- was that Jesus prayed! And the Disciples came to Jesus and said, “Teach us to pray!”
There are four things that I want us to notice about a Praying Man…
He will pray WITHOUT ceasing and pray WITHOUT wrath or doubting – however He will pray WITH a fervent spirit and he will pray WITH faith!
1. Pray without Ceasing –
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.” Jesus said, “Man should always pray and faint not.”
A praying man will be one, who is found praying at all times…praying everywhere and praying in all situations.
How can you do that? How can you pray “always?” How can you pray without ceasing?
The way you do so, is to begin and end your day with prayer…so that throughout the day you maintain an attitude of prayer…a mindset of prayer…a focus on prayer!
A mindset of prayer; an attitude of prayer is one where you submit your will to the will of God; it submits your personal agenda to God’s Kingdom agenda; and it seeks the glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom of God!
So then a Praying Man – will maintain an attitude of prayer! He will pray without ceasing!
2. Pray without Wrath or Doubting –
1Timothy 2:8 says, “I would that men should pray everywhere, without wrath or doubting…”
Paul says that the men should pray everywhere – not just at the dinner table; not just at home; not just when he is alone or when he is in trouble…but everywhere!
A Praying Man – prays in the board room; in the courtroom; in the hospital room; in the locker room; on the job; while driving …everywhere!
Notice that he prays…Without wrath that is you and I should pray…without anger, malice, envy, unforgiveness; or rage in our hearts and we should pray without doubting the goodness of God and the power of God to answer his prayer!
A Praying Man Prays WITHOUT ceasing and Prays WITHOUT wrath or doubting…
3. Pray with a Fervent Spirit –
James 5:16 - “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much…” The Amplified Version says, “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].”
Praying Men…pray with an earnest fervent, heartfelt attitude that makes tremendous power available that works…
Listen with all the pain; with all the pressure; with all the anxiety and adversity that our families are dealing with…
With Satan dispatching demons daily, to steal, to kill and to destroy, your family, your faith, and your future
With the Supreme Court of the Land altering the definition of family; with Planned Parenthood aborting more Black babies that any other; with Police making it open season and fashionable to kill Black Men and Black Women;
With more and more our children dying every day to gang violence and more and more unable to read the very T-Shirts they wear…
With more children going to bed hungry in the land of plenty…and with more opportunity for business and entrepreneurship slipping through our fingers every day
This is not the time for God’s Men to be praying lifeless; lazy; lackadaisical; powerless prayers that don’t shake them – let alone shake the gates of hell!
We need men who will prayer fervent prayers…red hot prayer that has the power to move themselves and the power to move demons and to move heaven to dispatch angels to stand by our side!
Finally…Praying Men are men who pray with faith!
4. Pray with a Faith –
James 5:15 - “And the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up…”
Jesus said, “When you pray…believe that you receive and you shall have whatever things you said.” Praying Men pray faith-filled prayers…not failure filled prayers! Praying Men pray the promises of God; not the problems of their lives!
Praying Men – pray great Big supernatural prayers …expecting God to do exceedingly abundantly above all that they can ask or think…
Praying Men – pray for miracles like Elijah who prayed for it not to rain on the earth until he said so – and it did not rain for three and half years!
Like Joshua – who prayed for the sun to stand still in the noon day sky so that he and his army could destroy their enemies…and the sun stood still!
Praying Men – pray for miracles; they pray for more; they pray for God to use them in ways that they have never been used before.
Praying Men – pray like Jabez.
• “Lord bless me indeed….”
• “Enlarge my territory…”
• “Keep Your hands on me…” and
• “Keep me from the evil one…”
Praying Men – pray like Jesus… “Not My will, but Your will be done.”
Do I have any Praying Men…in the house?
