A Call To Pray.
Intro: Communication in our Global Society.
If these break down our society would be lost. Result: Mass Hysteria(fear), crime, etc. . .
This also happens when we have no line of communication with God!
Why do we call people that are unsaved lost? Because they have no line of communication, no direction and no purpose in life.
If you remember from the creation story in Genesis 1 and 2 there was communication between God and man. However a virus got into the network and communication broke down. Sin caused direct face to face communication with God to cease.
So how to fix the problem?
What do people do if they can’t talk face to face?
Phone, E-mail, Cell phone etc, . .
So God patched the broken connection. Knee-Mail.
1 Timothy 2.5 He sent a mediator. In other words something to connect the broken line of communication. (That was Jesus on the cross.)
So what we have today is a Call To Pray.
PRAY What is a prayer it is most simply put a request or talking with God.
I. P = It’s a Practice (There are different kinds of prayer …..)
Secret, family, group, puplic, parts of each of these might be adoration(worship), confession, supplication, intercession, thanksgiving
(Most important thing is to practice prayer)
A) Martin Luther
1) “The less I pray the harder it gets; the more I pray, the better it gets”
B) Doctor
1) Why do they call their work a practice.
2) Doctors have to harm before they heal you (you say what)
3) There is only 1 great Physician (He is perfect)
4) Jesus simply says be made whole or your sins are forgiven.
C) Listen to these verses
1) Luke 18.1 Jesus was telling a parable
“to show that at all times they ought to pray and not loose heart.”
--Prayer is the key to keep hope in the heart!
2) 1 Thessolonians 5.17 “Pray without ceassing.” Pray incessantly
-- Don’t quit don’t give up Pray.
The best communication usually comes from those you have a close relationship with.
II. R = It’s Relational
A) Communication w/
1) wife, boyfriend, etc. .
2) builds a stronger realationship
B) Prayer is the key to a relationship with God.
1) No prayer no presence of God.
2) Moses talked to God and got the promise of His presence.
3) How can you learn more about who and God is and what He wants.
a) Talk to God
b) Psalm 145.18
“The Lord is close to all who call on Him, yes to all who call on Him sincerely.”
c) You never know someone unless you ask questions and talk to them
d) wondered why good people get hurt?
Ask God.
III. A = It’s Asking God
A) James 4.2
1) You have not because you ask not. (Not give me but help me change me, mold me and make me like you)
2) 1 John 5.14 –15
If we will ask according to God’s will he hears us and grants our requests.
3) If you never ask your mom or dad if you can go to your friends, or if you never ask off from work, if you never ask for help with homework, and on and on and on.
-- As humans we don’t know everything so you have to ask for things from us.
With God He simply is waiting for us to say hey! God I need help I can’t do it on my own.
It boils down to giving up to God.
In other words as someone once said
“Chin up knees down.”
IV. Y = It’s Yielding To God
A) Ronald Dunn
“Prayer doesn’t get man’s will done in heaven; it gets God’s will done on earth.”
1) yeilding means giving control to another.
2) Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane Matthew 26.39, “not my will but thine be done”
3) Jesus and the Lord’s prayer. Matt 6.10 Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
V. It’s the Key to victory
A) Prayer brings Power
1) In the middle of the nineteenth century, when our nation was divided over the issue of slavery, and people were living in a selfish, materialistic approach to life, God raised up Jeremiah Lamphier to lead a revival of prayer. In 1857, he began a prayer meeting in the upper room of the Old Fulton Street Dutch Reform Church in Manhattan. Beginning with only six people, the prayer meeting grew until the church was filled with praying people. By February of 1858, nearly ten thousand people a week were being converted. The impact of these prayer meetings spread from city to city across the United States. Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Cincinnati—city after city was conquered by the power of believing prayer.
2) Someone once said prayerless pews lead to powerless pulpits.
a) Want powerful, meaningful, soul saving sermons
b) Pray for your preacher!
c) spend 20, 30, 40, minutes a day simpley praying for your pastor.
3) The power of prayer is this.
a) It allows God’s Holy Spirit to move in our lives.
b) Romans 8.26
“In the same way the Spirit helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
c) isn’t it nice to know the Holy spirit moans and groans to the father for us!
The idea of the word used here stenagmos, is to groan, sigh, complain, or have a deep sigh
The HS sighs, and groans, and complains to the Father for US!
Conclusion: Prayer is vital to all Christians life. A prayerless Christian is like a vachum that isn’t plugged in. Powerless. Get plugged in.
Why preach on prayer today of all days.
Prayer is the pathway to purpose in our life
Prayer is the portal, or dorway along with God’s word to finding His will for our life.
Prayer is the power cable the lets our light shine
Prayer is the bulldozer that removes he roadblocks of Satan
Prayer is one of the best ways to practice what we preach.
Without prayer we have no direction, no understanding, no power
When was the last time you really prayed?
