“A Call For Prayer!”
“Therefore let everyone who is godly
pray to you while you may be found” Ps. 32:6
ILLUSTRATION:
The Posture Of Prayer
A certain person couldn’t find the right posture for prayer. He tried praying on his knees, but that wasn’t comfortable; besides, it wrinkled his slacks. He tried praying standing, but soon his legs got tired. He tried praying seated, but that didn’t seem reverent. Then one day as he was walking through a field, he fell headfirst into an open well. Did he ever pray!
Isn’t this like us often times? We get hooked up on the how’s and why’s and never master the act, until we find ourselves in a situation which demands our need and therefore prayer flows.
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My call is for something different today though….
I feel deep in my heart that the Lord is calling us to a prayer life which is consistent…fervent….sincere….Spirit -empowered….and life-changing.
In my spirit, I sense a strong need for us a Body of Believers to step forward, and step up our lives in the Spirit, through a prayer force!
Just as many times throughout the Old Testament, when Leaders found that their Armies, and People were at a crux in their lives, both individually and corporately, there was a call out from the Leader for prayer, consecration, and worship unto the Lord.
There was a need for the Body to prepare for what was about to happen, and call out to “make ready” and gain perspective for the future, so that God’s Will would be accomplished without the flesh getting in the way….
I sense that same call to us today church…
You have heard me say many times before that I feel that we are on the brink of a New Beginning and something special in which the Lord is preparing to do in us and with us. I feel as though we are gaining perspective and vision, yes we may have a ways to go, but if we all waited until we were “ready” we would never get to do anything.
Church, “our time” is awaiting us! Our “Moment” if you will is ahead, but it is not a moment or measure of time, but a new level of operation, and I believe that we are ready to take a new step up!
BUT….before this, I sense that the Lord is calling us to Prayer…
That we would bathe what is about to be in Prayer, and Supplication unto the Lord.
I, as your Pastor, today, am calling this Body to a “Prayer Task Force”, if you will…
That we would turn the heat up a notch in Prayer…
That we would, together take a more serious approach to prayer….
I am calling for us to seek the Lord in Prayer more fervently in our personal lives, and also as a Body.
I beseech you, to be here as a Body, on Saturdays, to pray and seek God TOGETHER, for what He has in store for us.
Do you want more? Do you Hunger more? Do you want what the Lord has in store? Are you willing to pay the price?
These things, Church, Only come about with PRAYER and FASTING!!!
May we do just that!
I say this because…
POINT ONE: Change Is Initiated By Prayer
ILLUSTRATION:
All of us have seen a pond, some are prettier than other, but none-the-less, we have seen them.
The one thing about ponds, is that they are just stale puddles of water. They have little to no fresh water flowing into them, and the same exiting them.
Do you like to swim in a pond…EEEEEEEWWWWWWW
Think of a nice fresh water stream though….
If you were on a long walk of a journey, and you were thirsty, you would not think twice of bending over to get a drink for yourself, because the water is fresh, cool, and crystal clear…
Liken this unto your own life…Are you a pond or a fresh water stream?
Church, the difference in the two is this, change…..
When the currents flow and there is an intake and an out flow, there is a freshness and crisp sense about it. The stale, and old do not appeal.
An advertiser phrased it simply, but well…”Change is GOOD!”
How true?
Church change is so important in a world which is changing every day. Yes, there must be the mainstays, and the hallmarks, but they are to never be what we hold on to as what we are, but they are to used as stepping stones onto what is next and intended for us.
2 Chron 7:14-16
“…If 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. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”
You have heard me allude to this once before…but I must again.
This is a direct example of how prayer will change things…
It will change your situation, your circumstance, you future….
You say how? Read this…
One…it says, if they turn from their wicked ways, there’s a change right there!
Two…God says that He will forgive their sins, the song says, “what a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart.” What more change could you ask for?
Three…A healing in their land…God let the same be for us in this land!!!
Now my eyes will be opened, and my ears attentive…talk about change!!!
He goes on to say…”I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.” I claim that one for us and this place toady!
ILLUSTRATION:
For no where in the Bible is it stated that this House shall be a house of money, or a house of preachers, or even of music,….
Isa 56:7
“Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.”
Lord, abide here, consecrate us! May your heart and your eyes always be here!!!!
BUT…….
Matt 21:13
“And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
This is recorded twice more in the Gospels….my fear is that we have done just this….we have traded the purpose for the pizzazz…the meaningful for the minimal….the powerful for the poof!
Church we have got to get back to basics!!!!
Back to II Chron. ……
These verses, very simply, teach me about change…change that comes about as a result of prayer from a people who are turned towards God…
These are National judgments that are mentioned here, but it is a National repentance & prayer, which brings National mercy and grace.
Thus, if there is a Church repentance & prayer, then there will be a Church wide reception of mercy & grace!!! Hallelujah!!!
Church, the change we need is initiated by prayer. For what God can do in prayer is accomplished with much more permanence that what I could see done with hours of preaching and prodding.
POINT TWO: Closeness Is Determined By Prayer
Jer 29:11-14
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD…”
ILLUSTRATION:
Each of us can understand this one…
The more we pray, the closer we feel to God…We sense a connection, a point of contact, like something is flowing, Amen?
On the other hand, when we are not praying, we sense, better yet, we know we are not where we need to be. We feel distant, and unfamiliar, with the Savior of our Souls, and we know we are not where we should be…nearer to Him.
Back to Jeremiah…the thought is this, when deliverance is coming, it must be met with prayer. We know though, we can depend on God to be faithful, “Seek and ye shall find”….
God can and will be found when you seek Him with all your heart.
Deut 4:29
“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Matt 7:7-8
“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.”
James 4:8-10
“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
Church, the promise is true, if your want to be nearer to God, then pray, draw near to Him, and prayer is the only way!!!
ILLUSTRATION:
Just as you would spend time with a friend to get to know them, and to be closer to them, so is the same with God!
In Anne of Green Gables, Mirella says to Anne that “God has no fair-weather friends”. The statement could not be truer. Either you are near to Him, and know Him, or you are not, and do not.
May be simple, but it is true…
POINT THREE: Challenges Are Conquered In Prayer
We can look to the life of Jesus, who, when He faced the challenge of the Cross, went to the Lord in Prayer. Because the challenge of the Cross had to be met head on, because it was God’s Will that must be done. And time and again, we can read of Jesus praying to God the Father, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.”
The challenge which the disciples had to do the work of the ministry, in Matthew 17, they are told by Jesus, “this kind does not come about without prayer and fasting.”
Acts 16:25-26
“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”
The challenge of the apostles being in prison, and enduring, is met with prayer to see them through as they turn to God…He comes and meets them in their need.
Church, we can see through the Scriptures where challenges were persistent, but God was faithful.
Each challenge was met with a great faith, which was planted firmly in a prayer life, and intimacy with God. Whether there was prayer offered at the moment, or an investment prior to the fact, the results were that God was Glorified in all these things!
Finally…………………
Isa 55:6-7
“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”
This simple, yet profound piece of Scripture cries out!!!!
Pray to Him! Be reconciled to Him! And once reconciled, pray to Him for everything else you may need.
Right now His patience is awaiting YOU! His Word is calling to YOU! The Spirit is striving with us, and wooing to us, call upon the Lord…..for this is a call for Prayer!!!!!!!!
Verse seven says to us….
As a call to the wicked and evil, turn from your ways, and you too will be heard. There is an assurance here for you too, that if you call on the Lord as a repentance sinner, you will find God to be a pardoning God, a forgiving God.
If you do not know God today, call on Him, and He will freely pardon you.
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ILLUSTRATION:
Charles Haddon Spurgeon stated this about prayer and the church…
“The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meeting. So is the prayer meeting a grace-o-meter, and from it we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people. If God be near a church, it must pray. And if He be not there, one of the first tokens of His absence will be a slothfulness in prayer.”
What does our gauge say? If you we on the outside looking in, what would you say?
Are you adding to that answer? Are you a part of prayer?
Maybe privately, but now we must as a body, publicly. We must join together as one in more strength and in more numbers.
Lev 26:8
“And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword”
Eccl 4:9-12
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
There is something about being together, because there is strength in numbers. There is a power which multiplies exponentially as we gather together, and the ramifications of such are not known here on earth, but are felt in the Heavenlies.
ILLUSTRATION:
The Brooklyn Tabernacle Testimony
small church…grown to large
very attended service, prayer service, changed the atmosphere of the church….read “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire”
It will change you.
Church, again, I pray that you gather together with us in prayer…
Saturday Nights…
But not only then, but let us all gather together throughout the week in an assault of prayer against the enemy!!
LET’S PRAY!!!
If you agree and will join us, stand!
Pray as the Lord leads…
