Series “Summer Playlist”  Sermon #5 “The Power Of Prayer”

Series “Summer Playlist”  Sermon #5 “The Power Of Prayer”

“The Power Of Prayer” — Bruce Springsteen

Summer nights, summer’s in the air … They say that love of comes and goes

But darling what, what do they know I’m reaching for heaven, we’ll make it there Darling, 

it’s just the power of prayer.

If we don’t pray, we serve no purpose in God’s framework of eternity.   Charles Stanley

God has no greater controversy with His people today than this, that with boundless promises to believing prayer, there are so few who actually give themselves unto intercession     A.T. Pierson

The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but un-offered prayer.    F. B. Meyer

Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the Kingdom. If you may have everything by asking in His name and nothing without asking, I beg you to see how absolutely vital prayer is.           Charles Spurgeon

The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history.          Andrew Murray

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing form our prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.     Samuel Chadwick 

God does nothing on earth save in answer to believing prayer.   John Wesley

Luke 18:1-8 TPT

“One day Jesus taught the apostles to keep praying and never stop or lose hope. He shared with them this illustration: “In a certain town there was a judge, a thick-skinned and godless man who had no fearof others’ opinions.

And in the same town there was a poor widow who kept pleading with the judge, ‘Grant me justice and protect me from my oppressor!’ “He ignored her pleas for quite some time, but she kept asking. Eventually he said to himself, 

‘This widow keeps annoying me, demanding her rights, and I’m tired of listening to her. Even though I’m not a religious man, and I don’t care about the opinions of others, I’ll get her off my back by answering her claims for justice and I’ll rule in her favor. Then she’ll leave me alone.

Jesus continued, ‘Did you hear what the godless judge said—that he would answer her persistent request? Don’t you know that God, the true judge, will grant justice to all his chosen ones who cry out to him night and day? 

He will pour out his Spirit upon them. He will not delay to answer you and give you what you ask for. God will give swift justice to those who don’t give up. So be ever praying, ever expecting, in the same way as the widow. 

Even so, when the Son of Man comes back, will he find this kind of undying faith on earth?’”

ara:— an interrogative particle [“implying anxiety or impatience on the part of the questioner.”]

The Lesson Is Not:   We have to wear God out to get results.

The lesson Is:  When you need justice don’t lose hope. Engage God! He will without delay give you swift justice!

Pray (merriam-webster) 

: to speak to God especially in order to give thanks or to ask for something

: to hope or wish very much for something to happen

: to seriously ask (someone) to do something

Pray:— 4336 proseúxomai (from 4314 /prós, “towards, exchange” and 2172/euxomai, “to wish, pray”) – properly, to exchange wishes. literally, to interact with the Lord by switching human wishes (ideas) for His wishes as He imparts faith (“divine persuasion”).

John 15:7. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

John 15:7. (TPT)  “But if you live in life-union with me and if my words (Rhema) live powerfully within you—then you can ask (Demand or Insist) whatever you desire and it will be done.”

My Definition Of Prayer:

Prayer is constantly ABIDING in Him and ASKING for the things He reveals to come into manifestation with great ASSURANCE that it will come to pass because you have AUTHORITY in His Name to execute each of His ASSIGNMENTS.

1. Abide 

1st Condition “IF” — Recognize your place in God is secure. He put you in Christ!

In the Greek, the “if” indicates an assumption of truth.

“Since you abide in Him.”

2. Ask 

Whatever you will. The Creator willingly limits himself to your requests.

John 14:13-14 “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

 3. Assurance 

1John 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.”

4. Authority 

Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

When you listen to people pray you quickly find out who they believe is in charge. 

Beggars don’t know who they are.

Commanders have revelation and they call His will into manifestation. 

5. Assignments

Peter was in prayer — got assignment: 

Acts 10:9-19 “Peter went up on the housetop to pray, …While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Behold, three men are seeking you.’”

“Prayer is essentially a partnership of the redeemed child with God. Working hand in hand with God towards the realization of His redemptive purposes in the earth.”           Jack Hayford

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