THE MEASURE OF OUR PRAYERS
This morning, we continue our sermon series with today’s message, ‘The Measure of Our Prayers.’ One of the things God will surely measure, is our prayer life.
Prayer is so powerful that it can reach the whole world and the fruit it produces will last forever. One day in eternity, God will show us the impact our prayers had, or could have had, if we had only prayed. Prayer is much like sowing and reaping. If you sow nothing, you reap nothing. But, the more you sow, the more you reap. When you pray, you are sowing for eternity, and one day, God will show you the eternal fruit that your prayers produced.
With those thoughts in mind, let’s stand together and open our Bible to…
1 Thessalonians 5:17 …pray without ceasing…
GOD WILL MEASURE YOUR PRAYERS
Not only is it God’s will that you pray, but it is God’s desire that you pray without ceasing.
To pray without ceasing is to live with an attitude of prayer that is constantly thinking upon God and His word. To pray without ceasing is an investment of your time in prayer.
Many Christians have bought into the idea that prayer is only for the super saints. But that is so not true. The Bible clearly teaches that every believer, including you, has the God given ability to pray. Our prayers are so important that one day in eternity, God will pull back the curtain and show you the impact your investment to pray, had on eternity.
One of the great truths so many Christians miss, is to whom we pray. Jesus said when we pray, we are to pray to our Father in heaven. Who is our Father in heaven?
Our Father in heaven is the almighty God of heaven and earth who set the earth in its place. He holds the stars in His hand, and calls each of them by name. He is all-powerful, and all-knowing. He is the mighty God who is from everlasting to everlasting and yet, as mighty as He is, God cannot answer a prayer, that has not been prayed. How important is it to pray?
Consider that just hours before His trial and crucifixion, that out of all that Jesus could have said; out of all that He could have done, Jesus chose to spend His final hours in prayer.
Every major decision in Jesus’ life, was clothed with prayer. The point is, if Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, believed prayer was absolutely necessary, how much more should you and I pray? Look at this way… Not everyone is called to be a pastor, a Sunday School teacher, or a missionary, but every believer… is called to pray.
More than at any time in history, our society is in desperate need of prayer. God’s divine timetable for the ages is racing toward great prophetic events. The signs of the tribulation and of Christ’s return are upon us. And as we watch the end of days unfold before our eyes, it is vital that we pray and be a people of prayer. Again… God cannot answer a prayer that has not been prayed. In Jesus name, I encourage you to pray.
DECIDING TO PRAY…
When it comes to prayer, you have two choices. You either choose to pray, or you choose not to pray, and the decision, is yours to make. In Matthew 6, Jesus said “When you pray…”
Not if you pray, or if you get around to pray, but when you pray. It is God’s divine will that you pray and live a life of prayer. To achieve greatness in prayer, you first have to pray.
Your decision to pray, or not to pray, is one of the greatest decisions of your life. Prayer is so important and holds such great potential, that your failure to pray will have serious eternal consequences. Your prayers are eternal… and will have an impact on eternity.
However, God will not force you to pray. You either choose to pray, or you choose not to pray.
That decision stood before me 35 plus years ago. I knew prayer was important, but I struggled to pray. I prayed from time to time and whenever I needed to. But I did not set prayer as a vital part of my life.
Then one day the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to my lack of seriousness to pray and that I was missing the will of God by not praying. About that same time, I saw a sign that deeply moved my soul. The sign said; “He who kneels before God can stand before any man.”
When I read those words, I knew God was speaking me. I knew the Lord was calling me to pray, but I didn’t know where to start. So, I sincerely prayed, “Lord, teach me to pray.” Show me how to pray in a way that moves your heart. That prayer began a journey that has lasted to this day. I made a decision to pray and that decision has had a huge impact on my life.
In learning how to pray, I found that prayer takes practice. It takes persistence. It takes faith to believe that when nothing seems to be happening, that God is still working on your behalf.
I have found that when I pray, there are times when God seems very far away, and yet, by faith, I believe He is with me. But there have also been times when I have prayed that I have felt the Holy Spirit and the angels of heaven in the room with me.
There have been times when I was so filled with fear that I had no idea of what to say, and yet I still chose to believe that God was hearing my prayer and moving on my behalf.
I say again… it is God’s desire that we pray. The question is, are you praying, because God cannot answer a prayer that is not prayed.
THE MEASURE OF OUR PRAYERS
The greatest need of our world, is for God’s people to give themselves to prayer. There will come a day when the Lord Jesus will look into our heart and measure our lives by our prayers. He will measure how we prayed for others and for the advancement of His kingdom. He will measure how we prayed in faith, and prayed for His will to be done. Our prayers are important.
Prayer is so powerful that it allows you to reach every nation on earth. Can you imagine what it will be like to see people in heaven whose lives were touched because of your prayers? Can you imagine at testimony time in heaven the people who will rise up and thank God for your prayers on their behalf? When God measures our prayers, I picture Him measuring them by their width, their depth, their height, and their length. You may not have ever heard that before, so let’s take a few minutes to look at what that means.
THE WIDTH OF OUR PRAYERS
First, how wide are your prayers? Do your prayers go beyond your wants and needs?
Are your prayers wide enough to include prayer for other churches and their pastors? Are your prayers wide enough to pray for a world that is racing toward judgment? Are your prayers wide enough to intercede for the nations to know Christ?
Jesus said… “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Matthew 21:13
Are your prayers wide enough to intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being
persecuted and killed for their love of Christ?
Hebrews 13:3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them, those who are mistreated…since you yourselves are in the body also. We remember them by praying for them…
So, as you pray, make sure your prayers are wide enough to include the whole world and for all that God gives you to pray.
THE DEPTH OF OUR PRAYERS
Second, measure your prayers by the depth of your burden for those whom God has placed on your heart. Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were so burdened they cried out to God on Israel’s behalf. When Jesus prayed for Jerusalem, He wept with great anguish.
May God give us a heart like Jesus to weep for those lost and without Christ.
David Brainerd faithfully prayed for years that his father-in-law, Jonathan Edwards, would be saved. Jonathan Edwards was not only saved, but he became one of America’s greatest evangelists, and through his preaching and writings, tens of thousands have come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
May God trust us enough to give us a burden, because He knows the depth of our prayers.
MEASURE YOUR PRAYERS BY THEIR HEIGHT
Third, measure your prayer life by the height of your prayers that truly touch heaven. The prayers of Daniel so touched heaven that God sent the angel Gabriel to assure Daniel that his prayers had been heard. In Acts 10 God sent an angel to assure Cornelius that his prayers were heard. Can you imagine the angels knowing you as one of those whose prayers are often heard in the throne room of glory? I so hope that when I stand before the Lord that He will know me as one of His who lived a life of prayer.
I realize that none of us would consider ourselves to be in the same class as Daniel, but the point is, God wants to hear your prayers. He wants your prayers to reach heaven. The big question is, how can our prayers reach the height of heaven? How is it possible for them to reach the throne room of the King? The answer is found in three things.
First, we pray by faith. God hears those who pray in faith and believe by faith.
Second, and very importantly, when we pray, we must pray in the Name of Jesus, whose name is above all names. Only in the name of Jesus can our prayers boldly reach the throne room of the King. When you pray in the name of Jesus for others, and for the nations of the world, you are reaching the heights of heaven, to the very throne of our eternal King.
Third, you reach the height of heaven when you remember His glory in prayer.
1 Corinthians 10:31 whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
When you give God glory in the name of Jesus, your prayers will reach the height of heaven, into the very throne room of God. He loves it when His children remember to give Him glory.
So… When you pray, make sure you are praying in faith; make sure you give God all the glory
and praise, and make sure you pray in the name of Jesus; because when you do, your prayers will reach the highest point of heaven, the throne room of the eternal King of heaven.
MEASURE YOUR PRAYERS BY THEIR LENGTH
Fourth, God will measure your prayers by their length. When I say God will measure our prayers by
their length, I am not talking about how long you pray. I am talking about the eternal results of your
prayers that will never end.
For example, your prayer of faith on behalf of others for God’s kingdom, will live on and on for all eternity. Any prayer… from a humble heart for the salvation of souls is a prayer that live on for all eternity. One day in eternity, God will show you how the fruit of your prayers for others will continue on for all eternity, and result in great eternal rewards.
But… you cannot reap unless you sow… because God cannot answer a prayer that has not be prayed.
Let’s look at the length of our prayers from another angle. I know there are those who can pray for hours. I personally don’t know how they do that. I don’t have that kind of gift, but… I can pray… and I believe by faith, that my prayers as small as they are, can impact eternity.
My point is, it’s not about how long you pray, but that you DO pray. For example…
Let’s suppose that you only pray five minutes a day. 5x7 = 35, which means if you pray for five minutes a day for seven days, the length of your prayer on someone’s behalf is now 35 minutes.
If you pray five minutes a day for 300 days over the course of the year, that equals 1,500 minutes which is 25 hours of prayer over the year. You may not be able to pray for hours every day, but you can pray a little every day, and over time, the length of your prayers added with your burden to pray, can have a powerful impact on eternity. Every Christian can add to the width, and depth, and height, and length of their prayers, by being consistent to pray a little every day. Again, we can all pray…
THE DECISION TO PRAY
How do we begin to pray?
The first step to developing a prayer life that will impact eternity is to have a plan, and that plan begins with a decision to pray. Only you can decide to pray. God will not force you. Again, remember, God cannot answer a prayer that is not prayed.
Second, in choosing to pray, you must have a plan.
Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; NKJV
Notice the progression here. Go into your room… shut your door… and pray to the Father…
That’s a plan. If you desire to fulfill your God given purpose to pray, then it is imperative that you have a plan.
Third, in your plan, make time to pray. Prayer takes time; it takes effort; it takes discipline, but prayer that brings eternal results is worth our every effort.
Many years ago, when I made the decision to pray, I decided to get up extra early every morning to pray and read God’s. That decision changed my life. You do not have to do it the way I do. You can pray anytime you wish, but find a way that works best for you. If you desire to impact eternity for God’s glory, then I humbly encourage you to pray, and make time to pray.
Fourth, and this is very important; ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to pray. If you make time to pray and ask God to teach you to pray, I promise you that He will.
Fifth, when you pray, believe that God will answer. You must believe that. Sometimes, the answers seem very slow in coming, but don’t give up praying. There are some things I have been praying over for many years, and I believe that one day, in His time, those prayers will be answered. So, in Jesus
name, pray, and continue to pray and leave the results in God’s hand.
Sixth, there is one final point and this an absolute must. When God answers your prayer, no matter what it is, or how small it is, stop whatever you are doing, and immediately give God all the glory and thanks. God loves it when we remember to give Him glory and thanks.
IN CLOSING…
So, in closing… God is calling all of us to a life of prayer, but it’s your decision.
When you measure your life for prayer…
Measure it by the number of unsaved souls you pray for.
Measure it by the number of pastors and ministries you pray for.
Measure it by the number of nations God gives you to pray for.
Measure your life by praying for our brothers and sisters who are suffering persecution and
imprisonment for their faith. Pray for those who have left behind the comforts of this world to travel to the darkest parts of the world and bring the good news of God’s love.
Measure your life by the extent that you make the time to pray.
Measure your life by the width of your prayers… by the depth of your prayers… by the height of your prayers… and by the length of your prayers…
Measure your life with a heart that so loves God, that you desire to be with Him in prayer.
May the measure of what you sow in prayer, reap the great rewards of heaven that last forever.
Remember to pray… for God cannot answer a prayer that is not prayed.
