Universal Power

“Universal Power”

Text; 1 Peter 5:8-11 (8)

Introduction:

It is without a doubt that we are now living in the last day before the coming of the Lord to catch His bride away to be with Him in Glory.

All we have to do is look around and we can’t help but see all the evil that is in the world today. We are certainly living in the days that the Bible talks about as Noah and Lot’s day. People take no thought of how they live. They live as though that tomorrow always comes.

The Bible speaks it like this; “In the last days, they shall be marring and given in marriage, they shall be drinking and making merry. Sin shall abound. Men will be lover of their own flesh more than lovers of God.” Peter said; “In the last days perilous times shall come.” One writer said; “Men’s hearts shall fail them for fear of what is coming upon the earth.” You might say brother Corley, what does all this have to do with what your talking about. All of this leads up to verse eight (8) of chapter five (5) of 1 Peter, which says; “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.”

Satan is going about, or at least sending his emps about, seeking whom he can, trying to get them to fall. Satan don’t play fair church, he’ll slip in and sit on your shoulder and talk into your ear and play games with your mind, if we allow him too. The church is too hot, or too cold, the preacher didn’t shake my hand tonight, something must be wrong. The sound system is to loud, or it’s not loud enough, the music is too loud, or it’s not loud enough. They get too excited or not excited enough. Someone said it before and I liked it so I remembered it. They said; “It’s not the big things that is going to take the church member to hell, it’s the little things.”

Those things we complain about, and talk about, and let eat away at us until it cause us to act and do things we know we shouldn’t.

Now; I have four (4) universal powers that I want to talk about tonight. The Lord laid these things on my heart about 3 to 4 weeks ago and I have had plenty of time to think about them and put this message together.

Pray for me that the Lord will help me teach/preach and when I finish we will all pray together.

1). “The Power of Prayer:

I believe that prayer is the most important (or at least one of the most important) weapons that a child of God has at his disposal. Satan can’t do anything with a child of God that prays. Luke 18:1 say; “Men ought always to pray.” We should always have a prayer on our heart and mind. One writer said; “Pray without ceasing.” I know and realize that we can’t go around all day long doing nothing but praying, but we can always have a prayer on our mind and heart. I know there are time that we don’t know what to pray for, that is when the Holy Ghost will intercede on our behalf and pray through us telling the Lord what we need……..

I don’t want you to raise your hand, but I going to ask some very pointed questions.

How may of you pray over your meals before you eat, at home and the restaurant?

How many of you pray before you lay down at night and close your eyes to sleep?

How many of you take time out of the day, and close everything and everybody out and spend time with the Lord alone, talking to him in prayer?

I want to tell you, we don’t pray like we should. We don’t spend time with the Lord in prayer like we should, if we did this church house would be full, sinners would be coming in, needs would be met, sickness would find no place here because the Healer, would be in the house, every time we came together. There is power in prayer, and there is power in the people that pray! Here me; Satan trembles when a child of God get down to pray…..

2). The Power of Praise:

The second greatest weapon at our disposal is the power of praise. Praise is a powerful weapon. Satan does not want us to praise the Lord, he would like for us to praise him. You have heard me say this before, but here it again; When you raise your hands to praise the Lord, you are placing your hand around the throat of Satan and choking him out.” We can’t get anything from the Lord by complaining to Him. We get what we need through praise. King David said it like this;