• 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 like many has 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 hear the President. After he gave a heartfelt 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 smiling and shaking hands and greeting hundreds that had gathered at the rope line.
When President Reagan came to Dr. Belger for a few 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 couple seconds 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 few seconds he had THE ATTENTION of the most powerful man on this earth.
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 through a staff that tries to keep us from getting to Him
• We do not have to talk to some high official 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 this universe.
Let’s take a few minute to talk about HAVING GOD’S ATTENTION!
How do we HAVE HIS ATTENTION?
In two ways:
I. THROUGH PRAYER
In James 5:16, we read, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
Many 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.”
I told you that MANY CHRISTIANS START THE DAY OFF IN PRAYER, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS THAT DO NOT!
They do not start the day off in prayer because they will tell you their prayers are never answered so why pray!!!
We can see why they do not start the day off in prayers because we know it would be a waste of time to pray if our prayers are not answered.
But God has promised us Christians that if we call upon Him He would hear and answered our prayer.
Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
If God said this, then why aren’t our prayers answered?
It seems to never dawn on us mortals that God’s Word also says, IF I REGARD INIQUITY IN MY HEART HE WILL NOT HEAR ME.
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."
A lot of Christians are like little Johnny, they live their life wanting God to tolerate their evil deeds…NOT DO AWAY WITH THEM!!!
Every day some Christians pray, but they will be the first to tell you their prayers are seldom answered…IF EVER!!!
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 LOW IQ woman and 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 they do not like the results then they need to do something differently.
• If you are praying and you keep getting the same results that you do not like the results, 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
However, sometimes we can pray and pray and we do not get an answer.
Why?
For two reasons:
• 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.
• Sometimes we have to wait because 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 alarming 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!
What is Passion?
Passion is an extremely strong emotion based on something very deep inside. It is more than just liking something or having an appreciation for a thing or someone.
Illus: It is like this, I LIKE MY WIFE but more than that I am PASSIONATE ABOUT HER!!!
Illus David was known as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). His Psalms reflect a deep passion and hunger for God.
In Psalm 63:1, David declares, “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.”
David’s life was marked by his relentless pursuit of God, even in times of hardship and difficulty.
Psa.631??“Dry and Thirsty land” implies desperation!!!
David had a PASSION FOR THE LORD!!!
Pursuing God with passion and zeal is essential for every believer. It requires a deep hunger for God. As we seek God with all our heart, we will experience greater intimacy with Him and fulfil His purpose for our lives.
As we grow older PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY 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, knee surgery, Fought prostate cancer and diabetes, I 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. Blind in one eye and can hardly see out of the other. 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.”
Many folks have gone through life and their prayers were not being answered and they have given up on LIFE AND PRAYER.
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 say 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 WHAT WE ARE PRAYING FOR!!!
The Bible gives us many examples of such praying.
Hannah was fervent in her prayers. This lady wanted to bear a child. She was passionate about wanting a child. SHE NEEDED TO GET CONNECTED WITH GOD!
• Look at 1 Samuel 1:10, we read, “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.”
Her prayer was only one verse but her prayer was with strong crying and tears; it was very fervent and affectionate; she prayed most vehemently, and wept bitterly.
• 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.
Notice, Eli saw her praying and it tells us that Eli marked her lips, which means her lips was not moving that anyone could hear her, but silently with tears she was pouring her heart out to God with tears flowing down her cheek.
She was PASSIONATE ABOUT WANTING A CHILD.
This leads to the second thing …
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 CONNECT TO GOD!
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.
One of the things that made Hannah so uncomfortable being childless was because Peninnah was less favored than Elkanah's other wife, Hannah; although she had borne him children whilst Hannah was childless,
Peninnah also brought grief and disharmony to the household mocking Hannah for being childless. She would grieve Hannah by means of ordinary everyday activities, taking pains to remind her, at all hours of the day, of the difference between them.
Notice that Hannah poured out her soul before the Lord. She did not try and hide anything from God.
Illus: Have you ever walked up to someone who did not see you coming and when they saw you they tried to hide something to keep you from seeing it?
Let me illustrate…
Illus: A man 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 his pastor drove in to get some gas. He did not see his pastor pull into the station, but once he turned around and saw him he literally took the lit cigarette in his hand and stuck it in his pocket.
We can hide things from others, but we cannot 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.”
• We quote this scripture to a lost person that we are trying to lead to Christ.
• But did you know when we use that verse for that purpose we are taking it out of context.
This scripture “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness is actually addressing Christians.
You see we know:
• Before we are saved God’s Word says, if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.
• But we Christians may have in our life sin also, and God’s Word says, if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.”
We Christians have a habit when we sin we want to overlook it and thinking God will do the same.
God never overlooks sin, SIN IS DISOBEDIENCE OF GOD.
Illus: God is not like some of these dumb parents when their child disobeys them they conveniently forget about the offence.
Notice, if there is no confession there is no forgiveness.
He is faithful to forgive. He will do what he has assured us he will do to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. By forgiving all that is past, treating us as if we were righteous, and ultimately by removing all the stains of guilt from the soul.
Many Christians are wondering why their prayers are not answered and they conveniently forget God’s command in disobedience:
• Pray without ceasing
• Bring all the tithe to the storehouse of God
• Forsake not the assembling of ourselves together
Some before they pray need to get on their knees and confess those sins.
Illus: Prayer is like a building code. If you build a building in this county they will give you a list of things that you MUST do before they will give the electric company to turn on the electric. Once you have met all the condition the Inspector will give you permission to have the electric company to turn the electric on.
As Christians if we want our prayers answered we have to make sure we have met all the conditions before the Lord will answer our prayers.
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 hear our prayers while we have sin in our heart toward someone.
Hannah had the right motives for her prayer.
• She wanted to please her husband so she wanted to bear a child
She met the two conditions:
1) She was fervent
2) She was a righteous woman
When it comes to prayer, God requires these two things for effective praying.
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 CONNECTED TO GOD!
That brings me to the next point in this sermon. We get CONNECTED TO GOD THROUGH PRAYER and -
II. THROUGH FASTING
The Bible commands us to pray, but the Bible does not command us to fast.
However, it does say in Look at Matthew 17:21, we read, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."
So if you are living a holy life and your prayer is not answered it could be you will have to resort to PRAYER AND FASTING.
• Fasting is essentially giving up food (or something else) for a period of time in order to focus your thoughts on God something you are passionate about something.
• While fasting, many people read the Bible, pray, or worship.
• Fasting is found throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, over fifty times!
• Jesus exemplifies this in Matthew 4:1-2, fasting for 40 days in the wilderness to prepare for His ministry.
We’re also encouraged to keep our fasting between us and God; as Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:16-18, we shouldn’t appear somber to signal that we’re fasting. It’s a private practice, meant to nurture a quiet, deep relationship with God.
Fasting often goes hand in hand with prayer, creating an intentional time of worship,
• Like in Acts 13:3, where early Christians fasted and prayed together, o
• Like in Luke 2:37, where a widow faithfully fasted and prayed day and night.
Following the example of Jesus and the Early Church believers, we, too can draw near to God while 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.
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.
• Fasting is going without food so you can give yourself to prayer; to touch God by prayer and fasting.
• Fasting is ZEROING in on a particular thing.
• Fasting is seeking, not God’s hand, but God’s face!
• Fasting is not trying to get something from God, but it is God getting us ready to get something from Him.
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!
Illus: I heard this crowd now has a franchise called, "WILL WORK FOR FOOD!"
The advertisement goes like this:
• Yes!!! Make Big $$$ (Tax Free) with your very own "Will Work for Food" Franchise
• We supply the cardboard sign, the prime location, the thrift clothing, and a special tape called, "How to Look Homeless"
• Say goodbye to that dead end job. Call today. Operators are standing by. Just dial 1(800) RIP-UOFFF. Now until the end of the month as a bonus we will include a wooden crutch just in case someone asks you to do some work
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 CONNECTED WITH GOD!
Many Christians today are living a life that God can't work through.
• They pray prayers God cannot answer
• They are not even burdened enough to fast
Scripture does not command Christians to fast. 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 CONNECTED WITH GOD:
I. PRAYER
II. FASTING
