I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God?s mercy upon them, and give thanks. 2 Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time. 7 And I have been chosen this is the absolute truth as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles about faith and truth.
8 So wherever you assemble, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.
Prayer is the first duty of the church, notice what the text says in (verse 8); " So wherever you assemble, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy".
1. pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God? mercy upon them, and give thanks.
2. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity.
3. Paul says in *Eph. 6:18; "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit (in the power of the Holy Spirit) being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints?.
On August 6, 1945, the city of Hiroshima was the target of the first atomic bomb (LITTLE BOY). The first bomb of its kind, used against a civilian population in history.
Three days later, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb over the city of Nagasaki. In total, about one fourth of a million people were killed by the two bombs.
It?s said that there are enough nuclear weapons in the world today to wipe out all civilization on the earth as we know it. The only living thing left would be the roaches.
Yet Prayer is the most powerful force in the whole universe. We probably wont fully know or understand how powerful it really is till we are out of this world and the lord allowes us to see for ourselves how our prayers changed countries, nations, continents, people and circumstances.WE MAY BE ABLE TO SEE THAT SOME DAY IF GOD ALLOWS.
Prayer has changed the course of countries and even continents. The US is the most powerful nation in the face of the earth because people prayed.
The state of Israel was given back to the Jews after many years.
Prayer moved God to send a deliverer to save Israel from the hands of the Pharoah in Egypt.
In the old testament; Elijah prayed and it stopped raining for three years.
He prayed again and after three years it started raining again.
He prayed again and fire came down from heaven and consumed a watery sacrafice. He killed 450 prophets of Baal. The equivelant today would be going into usama bin laddin?s territory and killing him and all alcada in one single day, single handedlly.
Paul says to the church to pray;? WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?.
How do we pray in the power of the Holy spirit?
It?s like when someone brings a message in tongues by the Holy Spirit to the Church instead it?s not to the Church but to God.
Rom.8:26-27, And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don?t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God?s own will.
1 cor. 14:2, For if your gift is the ability to speak in tongues,?*?you will be talking to God but not to people, since they won? be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious.
1 Cor. 14:20, Dear brothers and sisters, don? be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature and wise in understanding matters of this kind. 21 It is written in the Scriptures,?*?
?I will speak to my own people
through unknown languages
and through the lips of foreigners.
But even then, they will not listen to me,"
says the Lord.
This speaking and praying in unknown tongues and in other languages in the power of the Holy spirit started the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
Everyone watching thought they were drunk, but it had been prophesied by the Prophet Joel; *Acts 2:15ff. "These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy."
John said in *Matt. 3:11; "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
three baptisms
1. When one recieves Christ and the Holy Spirit comes and makes His dwelling in us.
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spiritb gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
2. Water baptism which is the outward confession of what God has already done.
Matt.28:19, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them ina the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
3. Spirit baptism for power and service
*Acts 1:8,"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
