The Power that is in Prayer
Phil. 4:6-7, Eph. 6:18, James 1:5
Introduction- Good morning Church
This morning I bring a message that is two -fold about prayer.
It is one that warns us all of Jesus soon return and the importance of prayer and having a living relationship with the lord. Let me define the two.
Jesus is coming back soon. The sign of the times points us to his soon return just like He has promised and proclaimed in his word.
The second is our relationship with him and how we communicate with him through prayer and the reading of His word.
If you are not reading his word and you are not praying and communicating with him. At best, you have a weak relationship with the Lord.
I want to draw us to excitement of his return and I want whatever kind of relationship you have with the lord to be stronger including my own.
Jesus talks a lot about prayer- I found over 85 verses directly talking about prayer by clicking one button and searching prayer on the search engines of the internet. I think there are so many facets of prayer that it is sometimes hard to understand.
Luke talks about being watchful in Luke 12. Read from 35-40 out of Bible.
Be ready for service
Be looking for His return
You won’t be found not ready if you have a heart of expectation that He will come at any time.
I think prayer plays into that and /or the lack of prayer and communication. If we knew the Lord was coming, we would be doing and responding to the words that He has laid down for us and we would be ready for His return.
How many have said…I am going to start to go to church?
I am going to start reading my Bible more?
I am going to do acts of kindness and get involved. We all have! There is a big difference between going too and doing it.
The bible is full of warning to be ready for His return and those found not ready will not make heaven.
Those not ready and those not wanting to have anything to do with God will somehow blame God for them not going to heaven when in fact the blame is completely on the person who chose to not be ready or one that didn’t want to have anything to do with Him.
Because there is so many faucets of prayer-
Corporate prayer , individual prayer, praying for yourself, intercessory prayer, prayer as praise unto our Lord, asking God for our needs, desires, things that we want in your life, things that need to be out of your life. Praying for things within our control and praying things that are out of our control.
We will not be able to tackle all of the areas of prayer in a few minutes-
Let’s just agree to have a heart this morning that would ask the Lord to just help us to do a better job of communicating with the Lord and willing to spend more time with him.
You can see how deep prayer SHOULD BE INGRAINED when I read a portion from my devotional on surrendering to the Lord our lives. You have a copy of this in your bulletin this morning. (Prayer team wanted it in your hands from Wednesday)
Dear Lord, I give myself to you, without reservation, and surrender to you my will, my mind, my emotions, my body, my plans, my hopes, and my dreams. I give you my home, my marriage, my spouse, my children, my geographical location, my recreation, my entertainment, my career. I commit into your hands my successes, my failures, my habits, my finances, my problems, my time, my integrity, my character, my attitude, my business conduct and relationships, my Christian walk, and my response to authority.
I don’t know about you but without God’s help I cannot do it! How About you?
The Nazarene denomination has called for a Half-million man/women prayer mobilization that began March 1-June.
Why would we do that?
Because we cannot do the things that are needed to happen if God is not in it! That is a fact!
Is there anymore of a time that this world needs Jesus?
Is there anymore of a time that what we have been doing in the church to bring people into the church has not been working than now?
Is there anymore of a time that people have been disconnected from God and each other?
If you do not sense a time of urgency, I do not believe you are being watchful. Prayer and communication with the Lord is the only way we will get where we need to be and all that God desires for us to be and for all that God is asking us to do in such a time as this.
Prayer is the cure for a confused mind, a weary soul, and a broken heart. Say it again.
Which one are you this morning? Good chance you are one of them.
If this were a test and it is not… you had to grade how well you communicate with the Lord and how much time you spend with Him in prayer and the reading of His Word… what grade would you have to give yourself?
I am in the strongest relationship with the Lord that I have ever been in.
It is not as strong as I would like but it is growing.
I am average and average is not good since most people only pray about three minutes and a whooping 84% of believers do not pray consistently and majority of it is asking God to help them out of a jam.
I know that I need help with my relationship with the Lord. The lack of prayer is because I have not put Him in the right priority.
Where are you this morning? The good thing is wherever you are you don’t have to stay there. Today you can change that-
Illustration-
A man just off work comes into the door of his home to screaming kids fighting even before he is in the door. Both of his children are fighting over an orange. The oldest daughter says Dad! Tell Tommy to give the orange, it is the last one and I need it for class tomorrow. Tommy says Dad! I need the orange for a class project too! The dad frustrated and angry takes the orange from the child and goes to the kitchen and finds a knife and cuts the orange into two pieces and hands it to the kids. At that moment, the screaming is intensified because the girl needed the whole orange for the juice that was in it and the boy needed the whole orange for the peelings of the orange. He had split into two thinking that was the best option. We have all heard of the wisdom of Salomon as he had two mothers before him and one baby. To threaten to cut the baby in half may work to find a lying bitter mother but it will not work in most cases in today’s situations. We need the wisdom of God almighty because equal is not always the right answer.
Psalm 91:1-“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Physical covering, spiritual covering, and encouragement
YES PLEASE
The Psalm goes onto say “He is my refuse, He will rescue you.
The Lord my refuse, my deliverer. He who is dwelling, He/She who is resting in Him has these promises to hold unto when the going gets tough!
F.B.Myers
“Little prayer, little blessings, more prayer, more blessings, much prayer, much blessings. The impossibilities of your life are possible to God. The mysteries of your life can yield their secrets at the summons of God. Dare to believe and go forward in faith.”
We need to be asking for God’s help in spending more time with Him.., as if it is life threatening because it is!
I LOVE THIS
“Whatever your going to do today, do it with the confidence of a 4 year old in a Batman shirt.”
I have been in a prayer meeting on Wednesday and a Zoom prayer meeting Thursday and I want to tell you it is time for prayer and it is time to get serious about our relationship with the Lord.
The prayer mobilization emphasizes three words and I want to use them also- but maybe just a different way. You can go online and hear comments.
Protection-
Direction-
Revelation-
Protection- prayer is staying close to your savior
There has been this allusion painted that if you come to Jesus that He will protect you from all things that could and would harm you. That is simply not true. It is an allusion. How we perceive it to be but it is not what God’s Word and Jesus has told us.
All of us have prayed for loved ones who didn’t make it.
We have all prayed that a bad thing would not happen and it did.
We have all had things done to us that we were praying that it would not happen.
We have been taught that it is all about us so when we go to the spiritual we automatically think it is all about us. No, it is all about Jesus and the benefit is to stay close to Jesus.
He is our refuse and strength. (When we have to go through things that are tough and unpleasant.)
He is the one who can put us in the clef of the rock for protection and sometimes He gives us the strength and power to endure and go through it. If He doesn’t take is out of a situation, He will see us through the situation.
His protection lays in the fact that He says He will be with you and never leave you or forsake you- that protection plan is written for a believer. Not everyone!
Psalm 5:11. “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.”
Ephesians 6:11
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
Psalm 3:3
“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”
The protection is in Him
John 17:15
“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”
Direction- Godly wisdom is direction
You cannot have Godly wisdom without God.
You cannot hear from God if you are not reading His Word and praying and communicating with Him.
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 33:3
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
James 1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
Asking God for directions is a smart move- it always doesn’t come easy for us! It will come at times when we are listening and responding to the things God has been speaking to our hearts and we have taken the time to be before Him.
Revelation- The knowing of Jesus Christ
The last book of the Bible is not Revelations (plural) it is Revelation. The revelation is Jesus Christ. The knowing of Jesus Christ and Him being your savior and you Communicating with Him.
The power of prayer is His Presence in your life.
The Power of prayer is more than giving Jesus a list of the things that you need Him to do for you.
As I close,
There is power in the name of Jesus! Therefore when you are communicating and in Jesus there is power in your life.
Oh Jesus help us to be in you.
Help us because without your help we will not get there.
Help us to not have an allusion of what prayer and communion with you in a deep relationship would be but to experience it first hand!
Let’s pray
Help us Jesus to not forget who we are talking to when we pray. We are talking to our most holy savior who has done mighty things so that we might have the opportunity to speak and be in your presence….
Father also help us to be reminded that you love us so much that it is your desire to be in our presence with you. You have given us the ability at any time and whatever we are going through to be a conversation away from everything that we are needing! For that we are grateful!
In Jesus Name!
