THE PRVILEGE OF PRAYER

INTRO: God has not saved us and left us here on earth to get by the best we can. Our Father God has mentioned prayer over 500 times in His word. He has given us the right and the privilege to ask for and receive from Him. If we are living in a right relationship with God, our potential in prayer is unlimited. Prayer is the strength of the church and the key to a move of God. We must persist in it! God stands ever ready to help us as we ask Him to.

I. God says we have an open door to heaven. What a privilege we have to go right before the throne of God to obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need! Hebrews 4:16 Let us come boldly (without hesitation or fear in the face of risk or danger; courageously:) to the throne of grace, that we may obtain (receive) mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
A. JESUS INVITES US TO ASK. [Luke 11:9] We can pray for ourselves, our families, church, nation, Israel, and whatever is on your heart and you need help with. Luke 11:9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. God has extended a special privilege to us His children! Open door policy! 24-7. Whatever you are dealing with, God wants to help you, but you must ask. B. THE PROMISE [V:10] Luke 11:10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. When we ask, we receive; when we seek we find; when we knock, the door will be opened unto us. The verbs ask, seek, and knock are all continuous action. We are to keep on asking, seeking and knocking, ever beseeching God to hear us. Jesus drove the point home: perseverance and endurance receives what it asks for. The believer shall get what he asks if he...will not leave the throne of God and will not go away or let God alone and will not give up! Most Christians are not persistent in prayer.

II. If we ask what God has promised He will do it. 

A. Must ask in Jesus' name. John 14:14 (NKJV) If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. To ask in Jesus name is to ask according to His will. We find His will in His holy word and then claim it. Every act of faith must rest on the promise of God. If we know that it is God’s will to do a certain thing, then we can pray and know that it will be done. In fact, we can pray with confidence on any subject as long as we are confident it is according to God’s will as revealed in the Bible and by the inner witness of the Spirit. When we are really living in touch with the Lord and praying in the Spirit, we can have the assurance of answered prayer before the answer actually comes. B. The reason He will do it. John 14:13 And whatever you ask in My name, [ in my will] that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. As you pray this week, please pray that God will save children as they hear the message of Jesus Christ. We know this is God's will. John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

III. When we pray according to God’s we will have confidence that He hears us and that we have what we have prayed for. 1 John 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. There are many things that we know to be in accordance with his will, if we read His word. Our part is to know God’s will. All that God has promised we are justified in expecting; and what he has promised, we should pray for believing that we receive. Prayer is the language of the children of God. He who is begotten of God is invited to ask in prayer. What promises and privileges God has given us through prayer. May we make the most of it!

Conclusion: Every powerful move of God has always followed sincere, earnest prayer. As you pray this week, may I challenge you to pray every day that God would bless the efforts put forth in prayer. We know this is God's will without a doubt, so we can pray with assurance of being heard!

INVITATION: If you have never prayed for Jesus to forgive you of your sins then you need to pray that prayer right now. It is God’s will that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of Him. [2 Tim. 2:4] Simply confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive and save you. Invite Him into your life and then be baptized as a public testimony of your faith in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. This will be the greatest prayer that you could ever pray.