Intro: Is our church looking to have a purposeful, powerful year for the Lord Jesus Christ in 2006? As your pastor I am expecting great things from this New Year. Shall we go to seminars to find out how to be purposeful and powerful for the Lord? Shall we have guest speakers that will encourage and challenge us to reach, teach, and encourage Calvary, Cabot, and our Country for the Lord?
No!! We can have a purposeful, powerful year for the Lord if we will dedicate ourselves to cry out to God for the next 40 days of prayer for our church, association and state.
The crying out to God must not end after the 40 days is over, I am praying that it will spark a movement of prayer that will continue long past our simultaneous revivals in the spring.
I find it very interesting that Jesus never taught His disciples how to preach or teach. He instead taught them how to pray. He didn’t send them on seminars for Sunday School, or evangelism but He did show them how to bend their knees and bow their heads before the Heavenly Father.
Dr Adrian Rogers said, “Prayer is our greatest Christian privilege and our greatest Christian failure.”
If we fail to pray we fail to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We miss out on one the greatest privileges of our life. Connecting with the creator of the Universe!
So we know prayer is a privilege but I also want to look at it’s purpose, pattern, and power.
I. The Purpose of Prayer
A) To reach heaven
Matthew 6.9 “Our Father who is in heaven.”
John Trapp He that cannot pray, let him go to sea, and there he will learn.
God never denied that soul anything that went as far as heaven to ask for it.
1) Not a guilt trip to God’s throne room
Most things said about prayer are an attempt to give us a guilt trip into God’s presence.
Jesus didn’t shame us into prayer, he showed us the power of it!!!
2) A guided tour of God’s throne room
It is when we reach into heaven we realized that God’s righteous hand waits to bless us for His glory.
When we truly realize the riches that await us as God’ people we will not hesitate to reach into heaven!
B) To relate to God as Father
Matthew 6.9 “Our Father”
Joe Wright “Prayer is the human heart in conversation with the creator.”
1) Not religion but relationship
It will not be hard to pray when you are talking to your abba, daddy in heaven.
2) Not indifferent but intimate
God is not ignorant of our pains, fears, desires, he simply desires us to come close and talk with him and ask His “advice”
C) To relay to God His due Honor and Worship
“Hallowed be Your name”
D) To release God to act on our behalf
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
When we get to the point we are not taking for granted that God will provide for us it is as they say the proof in the pudding.
Does the pudding of your prayer include the following?
1) proof of living faith born again
2) proof of trusting faith only trust Him
3) proof of walking faith following in His steps
Proof of a living, trusting, faith can be found in the presence or absence of prayer as an established and main part of your life.
Something that comes from a close relationship with Jesus is that anything we ask believing we will receive
1) Spiritual bread
2) Physical bread
II. The Pattern of Prayer
There is nowhere in the Bible a specific way or words to use in prayer. There is instead principles and patterns given throughout the Bible.
The Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5.1-7.29 contains a pattern prayer for people that are part of Christ’s kingdom. Luke 11 also contains a pattern prayer for the Lord’s disciples.
Jesus has given us a perfect patter for our personal prayer life!!!
What then does the pattern look like? It is two fold.
A) God
1) Fellowship 6.9, 12
2) Worship 6.9-10
3) Discipleship 6.13
B) Others (Love your neighbor as yourself)
III. Power of Prayer
Matthew 6.10 Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.
A) Strength through submission
2 Chronicles 7.14 “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Until we realize that God decides and God provides everything we need we will not humble ourselves.
Strength in God’s Kingdom only comes from humility
1) Strength is needed in a Christian’s life. Strength to face the enemy of our soul, strength to face life’s ups and downs, ins and outs. It is strength to love God supremely and others as yourself.
Luke 10.27 “And he answered, “ You shall love the Lord your god with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
a) It is the strength of the Son of man
b) His strength was in His submission to God the Father.
The humble act of prayer, submitting to God the Father as the creator, and sustainer of your soul will strengthen you to face every day.
Andrew Bonar wrote in 1853, “God likes to see His people shut up to this. That there is no hope but in prayer. Herein lies the Church’s power against the world
It is ultimately only when we come to the end of our resources that we rely solely and completely on God.!!!
That reliance is seen in resemblance to Jesus when we call on the Father.
When David had realized His hoplessness before God because of His sin of adultery with Bathsheeba and murder with Uriah He could do nothing but cry against you and you alone I have sinned, restore me!!!
Whether asking for forgiveness, protection, direction, it is a humble heart that will be strengthened by God’s grace!
2) Strength is available for the Christian life.
Ask and it will be given
Seek and you will find
Knock and it will be opened
B) Strength in the name of Jesus.
When we ask in Jesus name God will provide.
Dr Adrian Rogers aptly tells us to consider the following when we do ask in the name of Our Lord Jesus.
1) His Approval Does Jesus approve this thing?
2) His Authorization Is it something He has authorized?
3) His Acclaim Is it for His glory? I would add or our greed?
Strength for the inner and outer man.
1) Inner strength
Ephesians 3.16 “That He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His spirit in the inner man.”
a) Spiritual Strength:
BBC “[God] can give us inner strength as we feed on the word of God, as we breathe the pure air of prayer, and as we get exercise in daily service for the Lord.” (Song air that I breathe)
1) The inner man delights in the law of God Roman 7.22
2) The inner man is renewed daily even though the outward is perishing.
b) Physical Strength:
Paul’s thorn in the flesh
God’s grace was sufficient.
2) Whether it is spiritual or physical strength you need God will supply it in abundance when you ask in the authority and power of Jesus name for His Glory!!!
Conclusion: Prayers purpose is to connect us with God for fellowship worship and discipleship. In connecting with God we are strengthened to overcome the adversities and adversary of our life. (How long has it been since you connected with God?)
I want to submit to you that the three most important and effective prayers you could ever pray
Are:
1) The sinner’s prayer I have sinned against you save me
2) The backsliders prayer I have disobeyed restore me
3) The disciples prayer I have need of your strength help me, save my family, friends, and foes.
