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 made us many promises in His word that we have 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. God stands ever ready to help us as we ask Him to. Prayer is the strength of the church. We must be persistent in it!

I. God says we have an open door to heaven. THE Invitation to pray is found in 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! THE PROMISE - 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 is opened unto us. The verbs ask, seek, and knock are all continuous action. We are to keep on asking and seeking and knocking, ever beseeching God to hear us. Jesus drove the point home: perseverance and endurance receives what it asks. The believer shall get what he asks if he...will not leave the throne of God- will not go away - will not let God alone. Don’t give up!

II.  God says when we speak according to the Word and will of God, heaven responds. Mark 11:23–24 (NKJV) ²³For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Our faith must be totally in God, nothing else. Mark 11:22 (NKJV) So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. WE must pray with our eyes on God and not the difficulty. When we pray to our Father in faith, heaven responds. WOW! What a promise and privilege. Notice the importance of what we say as we pray and after we pray! Mark 11: 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. These verses do not give a person authority to pray for miraculous powers for their own convenience or acclaim. Every act of faith must rest on the promise of God. If we know that it is God’s will to remove a certain difficulty, then we can pray with utter confidence 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 or 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.

III. If we ask what God has promised, in Jesus name, He will do it. To ask in Jesus name is to ask according to His will. Find it in His holy word and claim it. 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.

IV. When we pray according to God’s will we 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 and if they are sought in a proper manner. 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 speaks this language. What a privilege and what promises God has given us through prayer. May we make the most of it!

INVITATION: If you have never asked 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] Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive and save you. Invite Him into your life and then be baptized as a piblic testimony to your faith in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. This will be the greatest prayer that you could ever pray.

Thoughts for the New Year

 

Intro: Since we have just entered the New Year; here are some thoughts from God's word we might want to remember so we can have a joyful and blessed year. God has some good advice for us, and we would be wise to heed what He has to say.

I. Forget the Past. Philippians 3:13–14 (NKJV) ¹³Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

a. Like Paul, we should be focusing on one goal: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. Our past sins should not be used as a barrier to the future, as an excuse for dropping out, or for avoiding a closeness in our relationship with God. We must repent of past and present sins. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Even the good we have done is past and we cannot hold on to that. We as Christians must forget the past, the good and bad things and press on toward the goal of perfection for which Christ saved us. In (Matthew 5:48) Jesus said to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. Paul did not consider that he had achieved perfection or spiritual maturity; he was not all that he knew he should be, but he lived his life growing in his relationship with God, pressing on toward the goal of ultimate perfection for which Christ died to give him.

II. Remember God is With You. [Rom. 8:29-31 ²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. ³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

a. God who knew us in advance before we were born has predetermined us to be like Christ. He has called us by name, He has justified us, given us a right standing before Him and He has given us His glory, the glory of His Spirit within. We have a special relationship with the Lord as His covenant people. In verse 31 God says if we are His people then who can be against us? Because God has created us and called us, justified us and glorified us He will also care for us, He will continue as our Shepherd to guide us. Christ not only died for us but is now at God's right hand constantly pleading for us. Therefore, in difficult times, we should not give up and fear, for God is with us and will protect us and this makes us more than conquerors thru Him that loved us. He assures us that nothing in the heavens above or earth below, can separate us from His love which He has for us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Heb. 13:5 God promises He is always with us and He will never leave us nor forsake us.

III. Hold Fast to Your Faith. [Hebrews 6:13-20 (NLT)] ¹³ For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying: ¹⁴ “I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” ¹⁵ Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.

a. Abraham is our example. In verse 14 God made him a promise and in verse 15 the bible says that after he waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. God had confirmed his promise to Abraham with an oath, and these two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. God has promised us Christians His salvation and care for us. He has given His oath that He will provide for us a home in heaven. So we can have the sure hope of security because of the unchanging truth of His promise. It’s impossible for God to lie. Patience is our part whereby we hold on to his promise with confident hope just as Abraham did. We Christians have fled to God for refuge. Christ provides the safest place, the hope we count on, the encouragement we need. We must “hold on to his promise of salvation and blessings,” grasping it, refusing to let go no matter what happens around us. This confidence in God’s word is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls, secure and immovable. Not only does this confidence in God’s promises hold us secure, but it leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. The inner sanctuary refers to the Most Holy Place in the Jewish Temple where God’s presence was. God’s presence was closed from the people by a curtain. The curtain was torn from top to bottom and the way into God’s presence was opened when Jesus died on the cross as payment for our sins. Because Jesus has provided access to God's presence; Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Invitation: Have you taken advantage of God’s promise to save you from Hell and give you a home in His Kingdom? When you confess your sins against Jesus and ask Him to forgive and save you, God has promised He will give you a home in His Kingdom. If you have not done that, do it right now before it’s eternally too late. Then use this year to draw close to Him as you read His word and communicate with Him in prayer.