PRAYER 101
Luke 18:1-14.....Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 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?”
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Today we are going to be talking about prayer What is Prayer? Prayer is simply talking to God
Prayer is the fruit of a man or woman who understands their humanity and the sovereignty of an almighty God in other words you are God and I am human You are almighty and I am weak
Lam 3:41 "Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens." When we believe that God is The creator of the universe and that we are his creation His workmanship then the only logical thing to do is to fall on our knees and worship Him, without a creator all we are is dust in the wind.
The act of prayer teaches us our unworthiness, which is a very valuable lesson for such proud beings as we are.
Ps. 10:4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. What this is saying is that people don’t pray because of Pride
If God gave us things without having us pray for them we would never know how helpless we are, but true prayer is an inventory of wants, a catalogue of necessities, a revelation of hidden poverty.
WE DON’T HAVE SO WE ASK GOD WHO WILL NOT WITHHOLD ANY GOOD THING. Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise. To be always poor in self and rich in Jesus; weak as water personally, but mighty through God to do great exploits; and prayer, because, while it adores God, it lays us where we should be,
2 Cor. 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. Prayer is a sign of our inability to save ourselves and of our dependence on God.
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Phil 4:6"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
Prayer empowers the wings of God's young eagles that they may learn to mount above the clouds.
Our ministries will only grow as big as our prayer lives.
Prayer girds the loins of God's warriors,( expound on the loins) and sends them forth to combat with their sinews braced and their muscles firm.
Prayer is that uplifted hand of Moses which defeats the Amalekites... Prayer isn't easy you just don't pray not everyone will be a "Prayer Warrior" but we can all go to War in Prayer ...
Prayer girds human weakness with divine strength;
Matt 26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Prayer turns human folly into heavenly wisdom
James 1:5= If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him.
And PRAYER gives to troubled soldiers the peace of God Is. 26:3 Thou dost keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee.
We do not know of anything that prayer cannot do!
The book of James reads that we have not because we ask not we do ourselves our families and our church an injustice when we don’t pray! Like the Disciples of Jesus we should ask the savior TEACH us to PRAY.
Help us too pray without ceasing to pray always with all supplications for all the saints and as let us feel the responsibility of prayer like Samuel when he said in
1 Sam 12:23 Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.
God gave me an acronym for Prayer
P. Pursuit= synonyms for pursuit are chase, hunt, search and track down to seek after until you find God
Jer. 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. It what Jacob did when he wrestled with God in
Gen 32:26 and he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. We must knock until the door is opened we must make up our minds that we will not let nothing stop us from getting a hold of God, that means shut the door and turn off the cell phone!.
R. Renouncing= Renouncing sin in our lives prayer is the time to ask God to give us victory over sin in our lives to confess it and declare by the power and grace of God that we will not go there anymore or do that anymore “So help me God” Ps.39:8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish; Ps.116:4 Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul, Ps.120:2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
A. Adoration= Prayer is a time to adore God to praise him tell him how grateful we are for all that he has done in our lives Ps.103:2-5 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.there is a lot that we as Gods people can thank Him for or just praise him because he is God!.
Y. Yield= Prayer makes us yielded to God or ready and willing so that God can do a work in us and through us and keeps us from fighting Gods will for our lives we become more pliable as clay in the Potters hands we give God the right of way in our lives.
E. Empowers= Prayer helps us to fight off temptation Matt.26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak prayer prepares us for spiritual warfare and keeps cool in the heat of battle there is power in prayer prayer not only empowers us to be victorious christians but also good husbands and wives and students and so that we don’t walk around all defeated payer will empower us to live like the Champions that we are !
R. Request= Phil.4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. James tells us that we have not because we ask not Prayer is a time to tell God what you want not just for ourselves but also for others. Without prayer my brothers and sisters we are just playing church.
“A MAN WHO IS INTIMATE WITH GOD WILL NEVER BE INTIMIDATED BY MEN”
Ministry is an over flow of our relationship with God little prayer=little ministry big prayer = Big ministry!
Our promise of answered Prayer…Job 22:27-30..
You will pray to him, and he will hear you,and you will fulfill your vows.What you decide on will be done,and light will shine on your ways.
When people are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’?then he will save the downcast.He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
