Series: Find Joy in The Journey Through Prayer
Thesis: Jesus was filled with joy and this inner joy came from His relationship with God the Father through prayer. Prayer and inner joy are linked together because prayer opens a door to the presence and guidance of the Lord. Prayer is connected with joy!
Scripture: Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Summary:
Sermon 1: We observed some of the prayers of Jesus – to show us how He prayed.
Sermon 2: We studied the prayer Jesus gave us on - How to Pray called, “The Lord’s Prayer.”
Sermon 3: We studied last week “Why Pray” and looked at Matthew 7:7-11 (summary):
• Prayer is a way to honor God and serve God see (Luke 2:36-38) it’s rooted in being obedient to what Jesus instructed us to do – we should do it daily!
• Got Questions reminds us - Why Pray? (The following gleamed from GotQuestions.org)
o We pray because God commands us to pray (Philippians 4:6-7).
o God intends prayer to be the means of obtaining His solutions in a number of situations (like):
? In preparation for major decisions (Luke 6:12-13)
? To overcome demonic attacks and barriers (Matthew 17:14-21)
? To gather workers for the spiritual harvest (Luke 10:12)
? To gain strength to overcome temptation (Matthew 26:41)
? To obtain the means to strengthen others spiritually (Ephesians 6:18-19)
? To be healed or delivered:
• The Syrian woman with the demon possessed daughter asked Jesus to deliver her and He did – but if she had not asked her daughter would not have been set free (Mark 7:26-30)
• The blind man outside Jericho called on Jesus to heal him – if he had not asked he would not have been healed and been able to see (Luke 18:35-43).
? The truth is we often go with out because we don’t ask or pray to God for a solution or need (James 4:2)
? Our Scripture Text last week was: Matthew 7:7-11: 7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
T.S. – Last week we were reminded why we should pray and this week we will explore where to pray!
Sermon 4: Find Joy in The Journey Through Prayer – “Where should we pray?”
Scripture Text: 1 Timothy 2:8 “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.”
Thesis: We are instructed to pray to God because this brings great joy – we can do it at any time and at any place – in any and every place, situation or condition and we can be assured that He hears our prayers.
Introduction:
The following thoughts gleamed from https://www.godlife.com/en/new-believers-guide/day-24-where-to-pray
Prayer can happen anytime, anywhere. Have you ever had a cell phone conversation cut off because you lost your signal? That will never happen with prayer, because God’s Spirit is everywhere and even lives inside of you!
• 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth, that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His..."
o So, wherever you are—whether it’s the grocery store, Walmart, the Mall, a bus, a train, your room, or your job—God always hears your prayers.
• "The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous." Proverbs 15:29
o This Scripture is our promise that He will hear our prayers!
• "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit and with this in view be on alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18
o Pray at all times also implies pray anywhere at any time! God is always listening!
God life states, “Jesus knew this better than anyone else. He said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. I know you always hear me” (John 11:42). As a Christian, you have the same assurance as Jesus to know that God hears your every prayer. This is a great source of comfort, as God is never more than a prayer away.”
Did you hear that – God is never more than a pray away from you and your situation! God is always ready to hear you at all times, but sometimes to hear Him, you have to go somewhere without distractions.
Lately I have had trouble hearing people in conversation in very loud restaurants? It’s been hard for me to pick up all their words - it’s not easy.
The same premise holds true with our conversations with God – we often need to find a quiet place to pray and connect with God.
God life reminds us, “Listen to what Jesus did: “It was very early in the morning, while it was still dark. Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place and was praying there” (Mark 1:35). Do you have a special place you can meet with God? If not, find a place to get away from the noise of your life and spend time there with God today. You will feel refreshed and find it easier to connect with God.”
T.S. – So let’s look at where we can pray and even learn more about how and why to pray.
I. Where Pray - Answer - You can pray anywhere!
a. Joke: this concludes my sermon for today! 😊
i. But seriously let’s look at Psalm 139:7-16: 7Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,10even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
1. This scripture texts reminds us that God is present everywhere – in the sky, on a mountain top, in the deep’s parts of the ocean, in the city and the country – God see’s – he is with us our Scripture notes He is even with a new born baby in the womb of the mother.
ii. So, we can pray anywhere – and at any time! But let’s learn some places where pray warriors prayed in the Bible and gleam spiritual insight about How to pray, Why to pray, When to pray and Where to pray!
T.S. – Biblical heroes of the faith prayed in many different places and situations.
II. Places where Bible Heroes prayed:
a. In private – many devoted and prayerful Christians do this on a regular basis – they pray in private in their prayer closets:
i. Jesus liked to pray alone at times too. To get away from the crowd – the needs – the pharisee’s! – the busy life – the noise – the demands of others.
1. Jesus did this in, “It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray and He spent the whole night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12)
a. If Jesus needed a quiet place to pray – so do we!
ii. One of the most important places to pray is a place where you can be alone with God:
1. Matthew 6:5-8: 5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
a. Where should we pray?
i. In the woods, a field or a tree stand
ii. In a car is a great place to pray
1. It does not matter where you are at or even going, but when you are in the car you have some time to think. Whether it be a 5-minute car ride or 20, you can send up a quick little prayer. Listening to a Christian radio station normally reminds me to pray. How about you?
b. In public
i. John 12: 23-30:
1. 23Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. 27“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 30Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
a. Jesus prayed in private and in public! We need to do both if we want to be like Jesus!
c. In specific places as lead by the Lord and Holy Spirit:
i. The followers of Jesus prayed in upper room seeking a move of the Holy Spirit while assembled together with other believers – at the direction of the Lord.
1. Luke 24:49: I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
2. Acts 1:10-14;
a. 10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas 12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk£ from the city. 13When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
ii. Solomon prayed at the dedication of the Temple:
1. 2 Chronicles 6-7:
a. 1When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it. 3When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.” 4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.
b. 11When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace,
12the LORD appeared to him at night and said: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. 13“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
d. They prayed as they went from house to house or from place to place in the book of Acts:
i. Acts 2:42-47:
1. They prayed in a house church for Peter even though they are somewhere else and he was in prison:
a. 42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
2. Peter was in prison and was impacted by the prayers of the saints in the house church:
a. Acts 12:5-12: 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. 8Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 11Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.” 12When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.
i. You can pray at different people’s houses.
ii. You can pray while on the way to work on the train, or bus.
iii. You can pray while walking through your neighborhood.
iv. You can pray while shopping and walking through the mall for the people you see.
v. You can pray on your way to work and at work.
vi. Some days work can be stressful, and while you are on your way to work you already know it is going to be a rough day. Whether it be a holiday or you are having issues at work, send up a prayer for strength and understanding.
vii. You can pray at school!
viii. You can pray at sporting events
ix. For the players – I am not sure God rigs games but you can play for the participants and especially pray for the irate parents at the games or crazy fans!
e. The biblical heroes prayed in prison in the presence of unbelievers and God moved!
i. See Paul and Silas Acts 16:25-31:
1. 25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
a. Note: Do not pray to please others around you but to please God.
f. People in the Bible like King David and the Apostles in The New Testament prayed in the midst of war and severe trials.
i. The following thoughts and message is from http://www.dailyadvance.com/Religion/2018/02/10/Like-it-did-for-David-prayer-prepares-us-for-battle.html
1. King David shows us how he handled a fearful situation in wartime.
a. Daily Advance notes, “There was a time in his life when his own son, Absalom, was seeking not only to remove him from the throne but also to kill him (2 Samuel 15:1-6, 12b). David took his dilemma to God. His most intimate thoughts are recorded in Psalm, Chapter 3. Read this brief psalm in its entirety. You might be surprised to find that David’s cry to God sounds more like a gripe session than a “sweet hour of prayer.” I often wonder if we have a false understanding of what worship is. Do we think we have to have our lives together, and free of trauma, before we can talk to God? David had no such presupposition. He boldly asked God, “Why? What in the world is going on?” In his pain he describes his adversaries with feelings of abandonment, confusion and loneliness. Have you ever felt that way? I have. Then David moves from characteristics of adversity to the character of God. King David understands war. He is remembering that God is a shield for him (Psalm 3:3, 84:11; Proverbs 30:5). He knows that a solider in this era goes to battle light. And if he is victorious, he returns heavy with the spoils of war. God will lift his head up and provide (1 Peter 5:10,11). David’s prayers are spoken aloud (Psalm 3:4), and in so doing, he finds restful sleep (Psalm 3:5). His fear is gone (Psalm 3:6). Herein lies a fundamental reality of prayer. As we observe David’s faith triumph over his fear, we see that although God may not change our circumstance, he will change us. That is who God is. David is now ready for battle.”
i. Pray has helped 1,000 of people in the midst of war!
ii. The book: The History of Prayer in America One Nation Under God by James P. Moore shares great pray stories of men and women involved in war -he reveals how they prayed – where they prayed and how pray played a part in helping them:
1. Prayer of a General - page 300: “O God, most merciful and just . . . Make me strong in conflict, brave in adversity, and patient in suffering. Make me vigilant to defend my country against her enemies and proud to carry her cause fearlessly into battle. I do not ask to be preserved free from all bodily harm, and if death is the price I must pay for our country’s freedom, I will pay it gladly, trusting in Thy infinite mercy that Thou wilt make a place for me in heaven, there to know peace and happiness in all eternity. —Brigadier General LaVerne G. Saunders, Twentieth Bomber Command, U.S. Army, 1942 - Moore Jr, James P.. One Nation Under God (p. 300). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.
2. Story of the beginning of World War 2 and the tragedy of Pearl Harbor – result was Churchill and Roosevelt meet to join forces and prayed:
a. On January 1, 1942, a day the President called for national prayer, the two leaders sat side by side, once again praying and singing hymns, at Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia, the same Episcopal church where George Washington had worshipped.
i. Moore Jr, James P.. One Nation Under God (pp. 304-305). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.
3. During World War 2 throughout the war: “Both the U.S. government and the country’s churches promoted prayer among the men and women overseas and on the home front. Over eight thousand chaplains distributed prayer books, Bibles, and prayer tracts of all kinds. Federal employees at the U.S. Government Printing Office worked around the clock to produce religious publications. Some of the editions were designed to fit into steel casings that protected them from use and damage. Small statues of Christ, Mary, and the saints were distributed. Crosses, crucifixes, and Stars of David were standard-issue to anyone who wanted them. One particularly treasured item was an American-flag pocket, in which two flags were sewn together on three sides, no longer than a grown man’s thumb, containing a folded copy of the Lord’s Prayer.
a. Moore Jr, James P.. One Nation Under God (p. 305). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.
4. Story from One nation about prayer and one of our war heroes of WW2: “JIMMY DOOLITTLE, the bona fide hero who led the decisive air raids on Tokyo just months after the war began, prayer had always been a “vital, personal force” to be said every day of his life. Whether in a cathedral, country church, or alone on some remote mission, “I could always talk with God,” he later wrote. He also came to believe that it was important to pray early and often and not wait for a last-minute crisis, “for when the chips are down, there’s often too much to do during an emergency to send out a prayer for help or guidance.”
a. Moore Jr, James P.. One Nation Under God (p. 306). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.
5. Prayers of Soldiers: “THERE WERE, OF COURSE, the prayers of those who never escaped the war and whose last thoughts focused on what might lie in store. One of the most touching insights into a dying soldier’s last moments was discovered in the pocket of a dead American soldier, a casualty of the North African campaign. Written in the form of a poem, the prayer was composed in the unvarnished language of a young man scribbling down his thoughts on the battlefield, experiencing a catharsis of monumental proportions when he realized that death might not be far behind”:
a. A dying soldier’s prayer: “Look, God, I have never spoken to you, And now I want to say, “How do you do?” And see, God, they told me you did not exist, And I, like a fool, believed all this. Last night, from a shell-hole, I saw your sky, I figured that they told me a lie. Had I taken time before to see things you had made, I’d sure have known they weren’t calling a spade a spade. I wonder, God, if you would shake my poor hand? Somehow I feel you would understand. Strange I had to come to this hellish place Before I had time to see your face. Well, I guess, there isn’t much more to say, But I’m glad, God, that I met you today. The zero hour will soon be here, But I’m not afraid to know that you’re near. The signal has come—I shall soon have to go, I like you lots—this I want you to know. I am sure this will be a horrible fight; Who knows? I may come to your house tonight, Though I wasn’t friendly to you before, I wonder, God, if you’d wait at your door? Look, I’m shedding tears—me shedding tears! Oh! I wish I’d known you these long, long years. Well, I have to go now, dear God. Good-bye, But now that I’ve met you I’m not scared to die.”
i. Moore Jr, James P.. One Nation Under God (p. 312-313). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.
Conclusion:
Question: Where should I pray?
Answer: Anywhere at anytime – in every situation is a good time to pray! Remember God is only a a prayer away!
What do I need to know from this message?
Answer: Prayer can happen anytime, anywhere. Have you ever had a cell phone conversation cut off because you lost your signal? That will never happen with prayer, because God’s Spirit is everywhere and even lives inside of you! You can pray on a Caribbean island – in the Artic – In the city or the country!
Why do we need to know this?
Answer: Jesus knew this better than anyone else. He said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. I know you always hear me” (John 11:42). As a Christian, you have the same assurance as Jesus to know that God hears your every prayer – no matter where you are. This truth should bring you comfort and confidence in your prayers.
What do we need to do?
Answer: Pray always and in all places and understand prayer is a conversation with God in whatever place or situation you find yourself in!
Why do we need to do this?
Answer: Because prayer will bring transformation to us and to our city, our state and even our country.
The Call to prayer:
Charles Stanley’s thoughts
IHOP KC – Mike Bickle
Highlight the Call becomes the Send – the collaboration of seven ministries to usher in revival in these last days.
