This would be a great honor if you were Democrat, Republican or independent.
But to see him this could prove to be a very difficult assignment, if not impossible!
• You would have to first get through some of the tightest security in the U.S.
• Even if you did get past them you would have to get past a professional staff that is trained to keep people like you and I from invading the White House
• If you made it to the White House you would have to get past the Chief of Staff who decides who can have a few minutes of the President's time
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger always admired President Ronald Reagan. He always wanted to see him in person. He had that chance when he heard that he was coming to Columbia, S.C. where he lived.
He joined thousands of people that came out to see and hear him. After he gave a heart felt speech, he was pleased to find out that before he left it was announced he was going to be going through a rope line and would shake hands with some of the people there.
Dr, Belger was thrilled at the opportunity to see him and now he wondered if he might get a chance to shake his hand or at least get close enough to get a good look at him.
He immediately rushed to the line and after some effort was able to get on the rope line.
President Reagan came down the rope line shaking hands and greeting hundreds that had gathered at the rope line.
When he came to Dr. Belger for only seconds or more Dr, Belger got a chance to look him in the eyes and shake his hand and the president looked at him for a second and smiled and said to him, “How are you doing young man?” And he said, “Fine Mr. President!”
Dr. Belger said this was a moment he will never forget because for a second he had THE ATTENTION of the most powerful man on this planet.
But there is one honor that far exceeds this honor, and that is being able to have the attention of the God of this universe and being allowed to talk to him.
• We do not have to work our way through a security force
• We do not have work our way though a staff that tries to keep us from getting to Him
• We do not have to talk to THE CHIEF OF STAFF to see if we can have a few minutes of His time
Every day, we have access to talk to this wonderful God that created us and this universe.
Let’s take a few minute to talk about GETTING GOD’S ATTENTION!
How do we GET HIS ATTENTION?
In two ways:
I. THROUGH PRAYER
In James 5:16, we read, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (woman) availeth much.”
Most Christians start the day off in prayer.
Illus: That reminds me of the Christian that prayed: "So far today, God, I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, haven't lost my temper, and haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I'm really glad about that. But in a few minutes, God, I'm going to get out of bed and from then on I'm probably going to need a lot more help.”
Many folks pray every day, and it would surprise you some of the prayers they pray.
Illus: Johnny had been misbehaving and was sent to his room. After a while he emerged and informed his mother that he had thought it over and then said a prayer.
• "Fine", said the pleased mother. "If you ask God to help you not misbehave, He will help you."
• Johnny said, "Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me not misbehave. I asked Him to help you put up with me."
Every day Christians pray all kinds of prayers, but they will be the first to tell you their prayers are seldom answered.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Illus: Someone said that the height of ignorance is when someone keeps doing the same thing over and over again and wonders why they keep getting the same results.
Illus: That would be like the man that was married to a woman that was not known to be the sharpest knife in the drawer.
• They were watching the 6 O’clock news. They both saw a man jump off a bridge and commit suicide.
• The eleven clock news came on and they saw the same news report and the woman said, “Oh no, he did it again!”
When people keep doing the same thing, they keep getting the same results.
If you are praying and you keep getting the same results that you do not like, maybe it is time you need to consider doing something differently!
God’s Word tells us that to pray effective prayers there are two conditions we must meet.
1) WE MUST BE FERVENT IN OUR PRAYING
To be fervent means we are passionate about it.
Matthew 7:7-8 says, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."
Ask, seek, and knock are verbs that are in a tense that means we need to:
• Keep asking
• Keep seeking
• Keep knocking
Sometimes we can pray and pray and we do not get an answer.
Why? For two reasons:
(1)Sometimes it is because the timing is not right.
Illus: It is kind of like a teenager having to wait to get their driver’s license.
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger said this reminds me of my oldest son when he came to have a talk with me when he was ten years old.
• He played with this young lady that was name Paula. He said dad, “Paula and I decided we want to get married.
• He knew he would have a conversation with his son when he was in his 20’s but not when his son was only 10 years old.
• Dr. Belger was caught completely off guard but he could tell his son was serious so he asked him some questions.
• (1)How do you plan to support a wife?
• He said we talked this over and we can sell some empty drink bottles back to the local store down the street.
• (2)Where do you plan to live?
• He said we talked this over also and I will continue to live here and she will live in her house.
To make a long story short the romance came to an end and he did not hear any more about them getting married.
Later on when his son was in his twenties and the timing was right he got married.
Sometime our prayers are not answered because the timing is not right.
(2) Sometimes in prayer they are not answered because we are not sincere in our request.
God knows we do not really mean business in what we have been praying to Him about.
So many times we have to Ask, Seek, and keep Knocking until God knows the time is right and that we are sincere!
When we are fervent about something it means we are passionate about it.
Illus: If you young girls are dating a young man and you have to beg him to call you and come to see you, I have some breaking news for you…HE DOES NOT LOVE YOU!
When a young man is passionate about a young lady, he is constantly calling and coming to see her.
When we are passionate about something, we are constantly calling upon God about that thing that has captured out heart!
As we grow older we seem to go into this mode of waking up each morning with no passion to do anything.
Our attitude seems to be, “Let’s just see what is going to happen.”
Guess what happens?
The same thing that has happened for years…NOTHING!
Some people just seem to give up in life and they no longer have that drive to want to live.
Illus: I think about the old man that said, “I've sure gotten old! I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees, Fought prostate cancer and diabetes. I'm half blind, can't hear anything, take 40 different medications that make me dizzy, and subject to blackouts. Have bouts with dementia. Have poor circulation; hardly feel my hands and feet anymore. Can't remember if I'm 85 or 92. Have lost all my friends. But, I am thankful that I can still drive!”
Illus: An elderly woman said about life, “I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor's permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.”
Some have given up on life because they feel forsaken.
Illus: An elderly woman decided to prepare her will and told her preacher she had two final requests.
She wanted to be cremated and she wanted her ashes scattered over Walmart.
• The preacher said, "Walmart? Why Walmart?"
• She said, "Then I'll be sure my daughters visit me twice a week."
Many folks have gone through life and their prayers were not being answered and they have given up on life.
Listen, we have to live our life each day with PASSION.
Illus: Remember how it was when Christmas came as a child?
Long before Christmas we started letting our parents know what we wanted for Christmas. From week to week the list of things we wanted changed depending on the advertisement we saw on television.
• But finally we said to our parents, "Dad, Mom, I want a bicycle for Christmas!"
• A couple of days later we said again, "I want a bicycle for Christmas."
• The weeks go by and we are still saying, “Dad, Mom, I want a bicycle for Christmas!”
• Dad and Mom now realize that you REALLY WANT A BICYCLE FOR CHRISTMAS!
And guess what?
When Christmas came that is exactly what you got because you were passionate about wanting a bicycle for Christmas.
One of the requirements for PRAYER is that we must be FERVENT about something.
The Bible gives us many examples of such praying.
Illus: Hannah was fervent in her prayers.
This lady wanted to bear a child. She meant business, SHE NEEDED TO GET GOD’S ATTENTION!
• Look at 1 Samuel 1:10, we read, “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.”
• Look at 1 Samuel 1:12, we read, “It came to pass as she continued praying…”
• Look at 1 Samuel 1:15, we read, “…but have poured out my soul before the LORD.
The Bible says that SHE POURED HER HEART OUT BEFORE THE LORD!
This leads to the second thing we must do to GET GOD’S ATTENTION!
2) WE MUST BE RIGHTEOUS
Psalm 66:18 says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:"
The Bible says our righteousness is as “filthy rags!” That makes it impossible for us to live righteously apart from Christ.
HOW CAN WE STAND BEFORE THE HOLY GOD OF HEAVEN AS RIGHTEOUS?
We can only stand righteous as God IMPUTES HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS to us.
When the Lord died for our sins, He took our sins and we received HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!
When we are fervent about something and we live a godly life, WE GET GOD’S ATTENTION!
Look again at the prayers of this godly woman called Hannah in the Old Testament. She was not able to bear a child for her husband.
Notice that Hannah poured out her soul before the Lord.
She did not try and hide anything from God.
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger said years ago I grew up in a church that taught salvation by works.
In fact, I got the impression as a child if you quit smoking cigarettes you could be saved.
Later as I grew up I discovered if you smoke it did not send you to hell, it just make you smell like you have BEEN THERE!!!
Have you ever walked up to someone who did not see you coming and when they saw you they tried to hide something from you?
Dr. Belger said he knew a man that was convicted of smoking cigarettes. He felt it was a sinful habit, but he continued to smoke. One day while he was at a service station he was smoking and Dr. Belger drove in to get some gas.
He did not see his pastor pull into the station, but once he turned around and saw him standing nearby he literally took the lit cigarette in his hand and stuck it in his pocket.
The pastor made the conversation short because he saw smoke coming out of his pocket and he was afraid he might catch on fire.
We can hide things from others, but we can not hide anything from God.
Hannah was completely open toward God.
When you want to be an effective prayer warrior, you must do several things:
1. CONFESS YOUR SINS
Look at 1 John 1:9, we read, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
2. REPENT OF THOSE SINS
Look at 2 Chronicles 7:14, we read, “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked way.”
3. FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS
We can't expect God to FORGIVE us if we are not willing to FORGIVE OTHERS.
Hannah had the right motives for her prayer.
• She wanted to please her husband so she wanted to bear a child
• Her husband had another wife, Pe-nin-nah, who taunted her and made fun of her daily. It drove Hannah to tears
Because of these two reasons, she agonized with God. She met the two conditions:
• She was fervent
• She was a righteous woman
Listen to me very carefully, because what I am going to say may sound like I am contradicting myself;
• Perhaps you are fervent about something
• Perhaps you are living a righteous life
Sometimes that is not enough to GET GOD'S ATTENTION!
That brings me to the next point.
We get God's attention THROUGH PRAYER and -
II. THROUGH FASTING
For some reason or another many believe that fasting is something people did in the Old Testament. THIS IS NOT TRUE!
Jesus said Matthew 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
Notice, the Lord said, “…When ye fast…” He assumed you would fast by saying WHEN.
Many folk’s prayers are not answered because some prayers require fasting.
Look at Matthew 17:21, we read, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."
Everybody fasts every week. In fact, everybody fasts seven days a week.
Illus: You see, fasting is denying ourselves food, and every night when we go to sleep we deny ourselves food for around 10 to 12 hours.
Then in the morning we have what we call BREAK….FAST!
• Fasting is like sleeping in that we have to take time to sleep to give our bodies rest from daily activities.
• In fasting we are giving our bodies rest from the daily intake of food.
The Bible teaches us that SOMETIMES PRAYER IS NOT ENOUGH, SOMETIMES TO SEE THE HAND OF GOD IT REQUIRES PRAYER AND FASTING.
In Matthew 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
When you are so passionate about something and you are willing to lay aside one of our strongest desires which is food to seek God…YOU WILL GET GOD’S ATTENTON!!!
Fasting is not a TRADE OFF….FOOD FOR SOMETHING WE WANT.
Fasting is when we are SO PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT FOOD DOES NOT SEEM AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT YOU ARE PRAYING FOR.
Fasting is generally associated with food, but it also can include our TIME.
Illus: Fasting is not like some during Lent Season they give UP CHEWING CHEWING GUM FOR FORTY DAYS BEFORE EASTER.
It has to be taking much more serious than that!
Again, fasting is when we are totally consumed about a NEED it is more important FOOD or HOW WE SPEND OUR TIME.
Hannah was a godly woman that wanted to have children but could not. She sought the Lord many times and still she had no child.
However, God’s Word says some things only happen through PRAYER AND FASTING.
Some say today fasting is something we no longer do.
The only thing about them saying that they cannot find scripture in the Bible that says that.
But I can find scripture where God’s Word tells us before the Lord started his ministry the first thing he did the Bible tells us in Matthew 4:1-2 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Also we find in the scripture sometime prayer is not enough to get our prayers answered but some prayers are only answered when we PRAY AND FAST.
• Fasting is ZEROING in on a particular thing.
• Fasting is not trying to get something from God, but it is God getting us ready to get something from Him.
Again, eating is one of the strongest desires we have.
This human body in which we live can only go a few hours before the craving for food will drive us to find some food.
These same principles apply to our spiritual appetites.
Perhaps you say that you are hungry to get close to God.
The question really is, "HOW HUNGRY are you to get close to God?"
Do you ever see the people on the side of the road holding up a sign, “Will Work for Food?”
No they will not!
• Tell them you have some leaves in your yard that need to be raked…they will walk away from you!
• Tell them you have a couple of cars that need washing…they will walk away from you!
They are not hungry enough to WORK!
They are using hunger as a tool to get something for nothing. THEY ARE NOT HUNGRY; IF THEY WERE THEY WOULD GO TO WORK!
You are not the person they are looking for. They want to find someone that will reach into their pocket and take their hard-earned money and give it to them!
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and told the church, "NO WORK - NO FOOD!"
Listen when a man’s belly begins to growl he will go to work.
I mention this because when our SPIRITUAL HUNGER becomes greater than our PHYSICAL HUNGER, we take time to fast and seek God for something that has captured our hearts.
Illus: Do you realize how much time we take eating each week?
For example, Dr. Odell Belger did a study on his weekly eating habits, such as:
• Seven days a week he spent approximately 30 minutes eating breakfast.
• Lunch he spent an hour and a half driving to a restaurant and eating
• He and his wife normally go out for supper and they spend another hour and a half
He calculated he spent 14½ hours a week taking care of his need to eat.
Can you imagine what it would do for our spiritual needs if we spent that much time PRAYING AND FASTING?
God’s Word says some things only happen because of PRAYER AND FASTING.
Any time we fast we must have a purpose for fasting.
Look at this godly woman Hannah in the Old Testament. She wanted a son.
She said in 1 Sam. 1:11, “Give unto thine handmaid a man child.”
• This was a desperate need in her life. Look at 1 Sam. 1:10, we read that Hannah, “...prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.”
• This need became more important to her than food. Look at 1 Sam. 1:7, we read, “...she wept and did not eat.”
The impossible was done because through prayer and fasting she GOT GOD’S ATTENTION!
It is not something that God requires or demands of Christians.
But God’s Word makes it clear that some of the prayers we pray will never be answered until there is something in your life that has so consumed that you are willing to PRAY AND FAST!
Conclusion:
We looked at GETTING GOD’S ATTENTION THROUGH:
I. PRAYER
II. FASTING
