The POWER of PRAYER!!
*Prayer is the method by which God meets our needs.
Philippians 4:19 King James Version (KJV) My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
*Comforts us in time of trial and heartache.
We all have trials and heartaches that is a part of human nature and happen. We hurt and suffer at times in our life, but it is easier with God to get through those times because He gives us the strength to do so...if we are in Him and ask in prayer. There are things in this life that we can't explain or even begin to understand, but God comforts us in those times. He is always there for us! We've all heard that everything happens for a reason. Well, it does because God has His own plan for our life. He is merciful and kind and loving and does understand. If we live for Him, He hears our prayers. He already knows everything that is to happen in our lives...already.
He heals the broken-hearted.
Psalms 147:3-6 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. 4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. 5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.6 The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.
*Build an intimate relationship with Him.
"When you are being quiet, listening to Him, we build intimacy with Him. We sense His love, we feel His love. It is like He puts His arms around us."
*Strengthens us in time of temptation.
You find yourself being tempted by something or somebody or some situation, or some opportunity.
1 Corinthians 10:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
It's in prayer, "Lord strengthen me. Don't let me see that, don't let me think about that Lord."
He will answer that prayer!
If we confess our sins to Almighty God. If we confess to Him...He's faithful, He is always trustworthy and always there..Faithful and Just. That means that He has the right to forgive because He died on the cross and paid for our sin debt.
*Cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
That is a promise that we have from God. All of us have prayed to ask Him to forgive us. Not on the basis that we deserve it, but because He promises that He will forgive us.
1 John: 1: 8-10
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.…
*Source of guidance.
We have decisions that we have to make. He said that He will guide us with His eye upon us.
Psalms 32: 7-9
7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. 9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you.…
So, if I want guidance, I need to take time in prayer and listen to Him. "Lord, what would You have me do?"
Oftentimes, we would be heading in the wrong direction. If you're praying and all of a sudden, you think, "This is what I ought to do" and you get a little "static", just a little "static in your heart". Now, if you know what I mean...you've been praying. If you don't know what I mean, you haven't been praying.
We ALL get "static" at times and that is your conscience way down deep...talking. You think that this is the thing that you ought to do and yet, something deep down inside...."that is what we would say...is telling you...NO, NO..NO NO!" And..when you shut that off, you've said to God, "I'm not interested in Your opinion. I've asked You for it, but You don't agree with me on what I want to do, so I'm gonna do it anyway."
People make tragic decisions, by muffling the voice of God. If you think about it, your whole life is depended upon all of these things we've said about what God does for us. We're all dependent upon Him.
Your next breathe! Any one of us could die in the next moment with a heart-attack! We DO depend upon Him for every single thing in our life. Therefore Prayer should be...not a tack on, not an add-on, but a major part of our life.
We will always depend upon Him! He is our creator!
*We need God to help us understand His Word.
"I can say that I don't open this book, to read a passage of scripture that I don't say..."Now..Lord, speak to my heart. I'm not asking You to give me a message for somebody else, I want You to speak to me, about me. If there is something You want to do in my life? I want You to speak to me. I know You Word is about getting it to all of us, but I want You to begin with me. If there is something in my life You want to clean-up?, some sense of direction? ..or whatever it might be. And so, we have to be honest about those things."
"Lord, speak to my heart about Your Word. What are You saying to me?"
*Shield against anxiety and worry. All of us can think of something to worry about. Prayer is a shield. "You know how and why it is a shield?" In the mist of our pain, our hurt or our fear....God reminds us that He is a God of Grace and He has everything under control. And somehow, He is going to work it all out, no matter what happens. All of us goes through those things and all of us need The Shield that Prayer provides.
*We receive courage and confidence when facing life's challenges.
"I think back in my life of how many challenges I've faced...can't begin to number those, but you know what I've discovered?..That I've never got on my knees before in any challenge that God didn't reassure me that somehow or someway, He was gonna work it out. And..I've been through some tough times, but He's always been there."
Always The Shield and Protector! Less, some burdens can be so huge and mighty and heavy, they would absolutely break us and shatter us, but He's there to put a shield because He's gonna control how much you got to face. He controls the weight of the burden, He controls the time of the burden and He controls the source of the burden. To His children, He has limitations...to those loads of whatever they might be.
1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. .
*A source of healing, both emotional and physical.
What is the first thing that we should do? Say..."Lord, I don't know what this is about? I want to ask You to give me guidance and direction."
Sometimes, we get bad news and sometimes, we get good news. When we're in horrible pain, usually the first things out of our mouth is, "God what are you up too?" Which is a good example of praying without ceasing. I was immediately recurring in my prayer. "God what are You up to?" I wasn't even thinking about what I felt...it was more where I was...lying on the floor sort of helpless. Because I knew that I couldn't fall, unless He permitted it. "And..did I like it?...none of it." I didn't like any of it, but you know what?..I knew that He was in control. I knew that He'd bring me through it and knew that He'd be faithful, no matter what.
That's The kind of God we serve!! How foolish to try to live in this world we live in and ignore The One true God and The Only God, who can help you. You can't face any situation that He doesn't know all about. He knows all about it before, during and after. Because He loves you...He's a God willing to help you, if you are willing to cry out to Him and ask Him to give you direction. And..He's The God, who will give you the energy, strength, to face any situation and circumstance. That is what The Holy Spirit is all about.
He, who is within you will empower you and strengthen you and enable you and gift you with whatever is necessary, to bring you through whatever you are facing in life.
Think about this..because you are a child of God and because He is The God of this whole universe, who controls and rules over all things...you, you as a follower of Jesus Christ..have the privilege, the opportunity and power, "so to speak", to touch anybody...anywhere in the world because it is His Holy Triangle==The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
Here you are and here is the person you are praying for...and here is God. You talk to God and He sees them...and what does He do? God answers your petition...you get blessed. Only a follower of Jesus has the power to touch anybody...anywhere in the world, with the grace of God.
"Now, can you tell me why Prayer should not be a priority?" It should be a priority in our life.
You may have everything in the world that anybody could ever want, but if you don't have Christ in your life...you're missing The most Important Person in your life. Secondly, if you are a believer in Jesus and you don't have a strong prayer life, you are missing out on what God has for you! He has the best for you and He will use you, if you will allow Him to and that requires time with him.
Are you going to listen to this message and develop a new relationship with God? Are you going to ask Him to forgive you for being prayer-less? Missing opportunities, missing blessings, missing wonderful things that God has in store for you because you have not prayed?
Are you going to ask God to forgive you for that and tell Him that beginning today or beginning tonight, "Lord, teach me to pray". I humble myself before You Lord and I want to get into Your Word and I want You to lead me, to read what I need to read and You speak to my heart. Father teach me to pray and to become a valuable vessel in your Kingdom."
I can assure you one thing...He will answer that prayer.
Father, how grateful we are that You are patient with us. Willing to teach us, willing to grace us with the blessings, willing to dialogue with us and speak with us and have us speak with You. I pray, The Spirit of God will seal this message, in the heart of every person who hears it...today, tomorrow and years to come, here and around the world. In Jesus Name, Amen.
FROG- FULLY RELY ON GOD!!!
