When All Is Said

WHEN ALL IS SAID…

Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)

When all is said and done about prayer, MORE IS SAID THAN DONE. Our eternal enemy has several goals. 1. To be ignorant of God’s word. 2. He desires God’s people to dread prayer time.

Text: 1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

1 Timothy 2:1 (MSG) The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

*PRAYER: to communicate with God. Petition for needs, to praise, to worship, to give thanks.

*SUPPLICATION: to ask, to beg earnestly, humble request, mercy, dependence with passion and zeal, to trust.

*INTERCESSION: a fervent prayer and petition made on behalf of another. To bridge the gap between a person and God, to intervene on behalf of another.

I read where a family bought a PRAYER BOOK for their son. Each night the boy would read a prayer before going to sleep. He was faithful to read a prayer. One night the boy was tired. He turned the light off and crawled into bed. He remember the prayer book. That night he called out to God: Dear God, the prayer book is on the night stand over there, you can read the prayer yourself. Amen!

We have many songs about prayer. There are hundreds of books about prayer. Thousands of sermons about prayer. There are endless discussions about prayer. Perhaps one of the greatest assets of prayer is it is so simple anyone can pray--- Prayer is just talking to God. Communion with God --- to talk intimately of warm friendship, deep feeling. Prayer can be personal and private. As we communicate we can make known our needs.

We can buy written, poetic prayers and what to pray. We can buy testimonials of prayers. We can even learn secret formulas of how to pray. E=MC SQUARED.

Years ago, I was at a convention where a famous national preacher was speaking. He had many tables set up with books, recordings and material. Long lines formed as people were buying the material at premium prices. There was one table no one visited. The books and recordings were about prayer. The TV minister told me, no one will buy these. He went on to say he guess he would have to give them away?

THE EFFECTUAL (SUCCESSFUL, PRODUCING THE DESIRED EFFECT) --- FERVENT (INTENSE, ZEAL, PASSION)

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

James 5:16 (MSG) Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.

We can learn with a book, or head knowledge. Remember Drivers’ Ed? Studied books and watched videos. Then there was OJT: ON THE JOB TRAINING. Some of the best learning is BY DOING, EXPERIENCE.

GOD DESIRES HIS HOUSE TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE POWER OF PRAYER.

Isaiah 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Matthew 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

IN PRAYER GOD OPENS DOORS FOR US TO JOIN HIM IN A PARTNERSHIP TO MAKE OUR FAMILY, OUR CHURCH AND OUR WORLD A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE.

WE MUST KNOW THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WILL HINDER THE GOD EFFECTS OF PRAYER.

1 PRAYERS TO BE SEEN AND HEARD BY MEN’S EARS. HALF-HEART LIP SERVICE PRAYERS.

Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

2. WILLFUL SIN WILL HINDER PRAYER.

Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

3. REFUSE TO LISTEN: STUBBORNNESS CAN REALLY HINDER PRAYER.

Zechariah 7:13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:

4. UNFAITHFUL, UP AND DOWN---WAVERING FAITH. BELIEVE? UNBELIEF?