Why Prayer Moves God
August 10, 2003 Am - Danny L. Williams
Luke 18:1
I want to talk to you this morning from the subject “Why Prayer Moves God”.
Let’s Pray,
Concept of Prayer: The History Of God’s People is decorated with men and women of prayer. Down through out the bible to Jesus, to The apostles on the day of Pentecost, to Paul, to the new test Church, 2000 yrs later to You.
Prayer is our means of communicating with God, Prayer is our way to tap into spiritual power form on high.
But, Let me give you a practical definition of prayer:
Effective prayer occurs when you talk to God and listen to what God is saying to you.
Prayer involves listening to God Just as much as it does talking to him.
Prayer is a relationship
It is fellowship
Prayer is communication with God
Now Let me give you a Warning: The Last thing that your enemy Satan wants you to do is to learn to pray. He will do what ever it takes to keep you from it.
Satan Hates Prayer,
In fact, It is the Number one thing he fights most, then Praise & Worship.
Amen:
There are two types of Prayer
1. Prayer that moves you
2. Prayer that moves God
What’s the difference?
And Prayer that moves God is a Prayer when you depend on him,
Prayer that moves you – Prayer that sounds good to you, prayer mixed with pride, a dependence on your self. Or Not praying at all
I want to talk a few moments “Why Christians Don’t Pray”
People Give thousands of excuses as to why they don’t pray.
No matter what the excuse, The underlying issue is that (they love to depend on them selves)
Praylessness is always a result of selfishness
Come on Church: God is raising the standard:
YOUR GREATEST NEED AND ONLY hope to make a long-lasting difference for God is to learn to pray.
Can I tell you?
Pray is not optional
It’s Essential
If you are going to be serious about faith, it is imperative that prayer becomes a major part of your life.
If you are going to be a consistent prayer warrior, we must understand the obstacles.
Four Reasons Christians Don’t pray;
1. Pride – Isa. 57:15
God is saying I dwell in two places
1. I dwell in heaven
2. I dwell with the humble
Let me just inject something
Pride is the biggest problem in life
People are not your problem
The church is not your problem
Pride is nothing to play around with.
It is the most deceitful sin of all.
It cost Adam and the entire human race everything.
Pride is so dangerous because it masks a multitude of sins.
When pride is exposed, it’s like reveling a den of snakes.
Pride is the number one reason we don’t pray.
Why?
See: Pride keeps us from praying because it overestimates the power of self.
The disciples struggled with pride:
Turn to:
Matthew 26:40-46
Pride cause them to ignore a personal request from Jesus.
Pride allowed them to Overestimate the power of self.
They couldn’t do it,
Within hours Peter denied Jesus three times.
Three times neglected prayer led to three denials of Jesus.
Pride is a self Life
Pride always points the finger at others
Pride thinks more of them selves than they do For God
Question?
Do you have any Pride?
Proverbs 29:23
Proverbs 11:2
Let me say again: Pride is very deceitful, it will sneak up on you.
You cannot make it own your own.
The second reason Christians don’t pray is
2. Unbelief
You will never ask God for something you don’t believe.
If you don’t believe prayer is working, you wont pray and if you are not praying it’s because you have areas of unbelief.
SEE: Pride overestimates the power of self,
Unbelief: Underestimates the power of God,
The result of each is praylessness.
Matthew 13:53-58
Every where Jesus went he preformed miracles in abundance, except for places where a lack of faith was prominent,
There are moments when we don’t believe, Even though we know Jesus’ ability we are not certain that He is willing to intervene in our situation.
Rather, than choosing to pray, we choose to trust in ourselves
We underestimate God
Look at:
Rom. 4:20-21
With out Faith PRAYER doesn’t work.
Satan wants you to think that God is two busy to listen to your prayers.
Let me tell you something, God is not limited in his power.
God is who he says he is and can do what he says he can do.
He is GOD!!
What are you facing right now that is bigger than You?
What is your biggest problem?
Is it business
Family
Finances
Friendship?
God is bigger than your problems
In fact he is so big that if you ask he says when I answer I will blow you away.
Look at
Eph. 3:20-21
Three times farther that you can ask, three times more than you can think
ex•ceed•ing: exceptional in amount, quality, or degree
abun•dantly marked by great supply : amply supplied : ABOUNDING
above in the sky : OVERHEAD b : in or to heaven
2 a : in or to a higher place
Unbelief Limits God
Talk to God about you life
Talk to God about your problems
There is nothing God can’t do.
When we exhibit a small degree of faith God will step into your life and radically change everything.
Unbelief moves you away from God
Faith moves you toward God.
Any reluctance is a sign of unbelief.
The third reason Christians don’t pray is because, of
3. Ignorance
Ignorance overestimates the difficulty of talking to God.
Hos. 4:6-8
God is not difficult to talk to in prayer
God is easier to talk to than any person.
Forget trying to impress God with your language.
He is not interested in your words
He is interested in your heart.
Share your heart with God.
Real prayer occurs when we share our hearts with God.
Ignorance is when you don’t know any better.
Stupidity is when you know better and choose not to do it.
God is easy to talk to.
Be honest with God,
Ok:
Pride – overestimates the power of self
Unbelief – underestimates the power of God
Ignorance overestimates the difficulty to talk to God
And the fourth reason people don’t pray is
4. Time
Time is your most precious commodities you have in life.
We each have 168 hours a week.
24 hours a day.
In the business world time is money
The first question our customers ask is How long will it take?
Time is irreplaceable
Time places everyone on equal ground.
If I asked 100 people why they don’t pray
Over half would say because of Time.
I’m too Busy
To use a term like that is to say that I can avoid something I don’t see as important.
Why is time so important?
Time underestimates the Value of being with God.
Time with God is Vital.
When your not making time for God,
Your making time for your problems.
Heb. 11:6
My point is whom ever you see as valuable you spend time with.
How much do you value God?
How much do you honor him?
Do you honor him with your time?
Prayer is your means of spending time with God.
Give God a moment
God can do more in a moment than you can do in a life time.
What is keeping you from praying?
Pride
Unbelief
Ignorance
Time?
None of these obstacles are to big to conquer
These are two Satan and others produce.
3. Distractions- Somebody said I’m not strong enough to Pray.
Church, You don’t have to be a strong person to pray or live godly.
That doesn’t have any thing to do with that……..
There are some people who are strong and strong will who live in sin……
That is why they are in it so good.
And you can’t get them out because they are strong….in it….
And after you get through fussing they are still going to do it……
Strong willed and wrong…..
You can be weak as a jelly fish and pray and still live godly.
You just have to live on another plain……..
The bible says in Galatians 5:16, That if you Walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
How can that happen????
Because, when the flesh is speaking you won’t be listening…….distracted
Because when the Spirit is speaking you will be distracted….by mundane issues…….Foolishness, childishness.
And if you are not careful, You can be in the Spirit and someone in the flesh, will come along and try to distract you…………..
The biggest distractions in the church will usually take place, between 5 to 10 min. before service.
Because Satan knows if he can distract you, and get you in the flesh you will not be effective.
That’s why, God taught me along time ago, not to talk to any body about problems, right before service.
Because, they might say something that will through me off, and cause me to be distracted.
And I can’t be distracted, I have to be focused, to deliver What God wants to say.
And 99.9% of the time, the answer to those questions, will be reviled in the service.
4. Disturbances-
Disturbances always effect The end….it has to deal with destiny….
Stop hanging around people who darken the light.
And some of you are so scared,
for any one to say anything about you,
but make it real simple say, BYE!!!!!!!
I’m not mad, I’m not frustrated, I use to be comfortable on this level, but God has brought me to another level. And I can’t be on both step’s at the same time…..
Lord, Plant my feet on higher ground……
I want to go up higher in the things of the Lord…..
I want to be around somebody that is talking about Jesus……..
Now I’m not talking about being hateful, I’m talking about maturing……
See, don’t misread this and think you have a license to be nasty to anybody.
Because they are still your brother and sister,
but you don’t have to play with doll’s, when your 16…….
Tell them you are tired of playing Church……
You are tired of arguing over everything.
See: that’s when you know you are maturing
When you are tired of playing games
You have a religion but no Power
TRUE CHRISTIANITY is the death of your self……..
And don’t tell me I don’t love you because I won’t enter into your foolishness with you. And put me on a guilt trip because I’m not playing Games with you,
The Devil is a lie……………
And don’t feel guilty,
Because People will call you down, from what God has called you up to……
And you will lose fellowship with him, So you will be in with them….
But, being in with them, makes you out with him……
It’s all just subtle manipulation,
And if your not careful, YOU will spend your life being a Spiritual Deputy.
Getting in other people’s fight’s….trying to straighten everyone else out…..
Somebody said,,,, What they need to do is call sister Susie and tell her we miss her and we remembered her birthday,,,,,,,,
And will your talking, you haven’t called somebody…..
And you become a Deputy,,, policing other issues,,,,, that you have nothing to do with……
And the real tragedy is you are over here fighting a trashcan fire that is going out any way………..and your whole house is burning up……your kid’s are screaming and jumping out of windows…………
And you will miss everything God has for you, because the enemy is tricking you with distractions……..
I have decided along time ago to let God run the Church……
And let him do what he wants to do……and let him move and maneuver
And fix and heal broken people…….
