| Prayer |
| “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” (Luke 18:1). |
Today we want to continue our series of sermons on the Keys For Christian Living. Last Sunday
we looked at the first key which was the peace of God. Now in today’s lesson we want to look
at the second key which is Prayer.
As we live day by day, we face many trials and tribulations that are hard to handle. Sometimes
we feel overwhelmed with the problems of life. Sometimes we might feel guilty or disappointed
because we are not able to face these problems better, but as the children of God we have a
provision from God to communicate with Him on a personal basis. This provision is prayer, the
second key for the Christian life. We cannot possibly live the Christian life without prayer.
There are six keys for living the Christian life, Peace, Prayer, Praise, Patience, Perseverance,
and Preparation. As we look at this second key, there are three things that we want to consider
about prayer.
we looked at the first key which was the peace of God. Now in today’s lesson we want to look
at the second key which is Prayer.
As we live day by day, we face many trials and tribulations that are hard to handle. Sometimes
we feel overwhelmed with the problems of life. Sometimes we might feel guilty or disappointed
because we are not able to face these problems better, but as the children of God we have a
provision from God to communicate with Him on a personal basis. This provision is prayer, the
second key for the Christian life. We cannot possibly live the Christian life without prayer.
There are six keys for living the Christian life, Peace, Prayer, Praise, Patience, Perseverance,
and Preparation. As we look at this second key, there are three things that we want to consider
about prayer.
The Privilege of Prayer
Who are we, that we could be able to talk to the true and living God. Yet He invites us to come
before Him and tell Him all that troubles our heart. He is the high and holy, Almighty God; yet
we mortal creatures have the authority to come before Him at any time, any place, and
commune with Him. The Bible says in (Hebrews 4:14-16) “Seeing then that we have a great
high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come
boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
need.” What a glorious privilege this is! We can come to the throne of the God of glory and find
grace to help us in the time of need. But the question is, do we really use this privilege? How
much time do we spend in prayer before the Lord? We must always remember that prayer is one
of the essential keys to the Christian life.
Beloved, one of the great tragedies of our day is the failure to pray. It is a priceless privilege that
most take for granted. We cannot hope to be victorious in our Christian life if we don’t pray. If
we truly recognize the privilege of prayer, it will keep us from becoming irreverent and familiar
with coming into the presence of God. You see, our concept of the privilege of prayer influences
us in the manner by which we approach God. We must remember that He is the Holy, eternal,
true and living God, the eternal King immortal, invisible, the only wise God, who offers us
immediate access into His presence. It is when we understand this that we will have the desire to
exercise all due reverence and humility toward God. We see in the Old Testament how the Jews
bowed their heads and worshipped God. We also see how the Seraphim that serve the Lord
continually at His throne, veil their faces with two of their wings, and cry Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord, Almighty God. Now if the Jews and the heavenly creatures show forth this kind of
reverence, how much more should we. We should never become unduly familiar with Almighty
God before whom the heavenly host bow in total submission. The right concept of the privilege
of prayer will keep us from these things. It will also keep us from trying to make deals with God.
We must always seek God’s will for our lives. We should not try to make deals with God. He
has a plan for us. The Bible says in (Ephesians 2:10) “For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus unto good works; which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
God has ordained a plan for our lives before the world was ever created. It is our duty to yield to
God and let Him lead us into His perfect will. Prayer is one of the ways we find the will of God,
and this is why prayer is one of the keys to living the Christian life.
before Him and tell Him all that troubles our heart. He is the high and holy, Almighty God; yet
we mortal creatures have the authority to come before Him at any time, any place, and
commune with Him. The Bible says in (Hebrews 4:14-16) “Seeing then that we have a great
high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come
boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
need.” What a glorious privilege this is! We can come to the throne of the God of glory and find
grace to help us in the time of need. But the question is, do we really use this privilege? How
much time do we spend in prayer before the Lord? We must always remember that prayer is one
of the essential keys to the Christian life.
Beloved, one of the great tragedies of our day is the failure to pray. It is a priceless privilege that
most take for granted. We cannot hope to be victorious in our Christian life if we don’t pray. If
we truly recognize the privilege of prayer, it will keep us from becoming irreverent and familiar
with coming into the presence of God. You see, our concept of the privilege of prayer influences
us in the manner by which we approach God. We must remember that He is the Holy, eternal,
true and living God, the eternal King immortal, invisible, the only wise God, who offers us
immediate access into His presence. It is when we understand this that we will have the desire to
exercise all due reverence and humility toward God. We see in the Old Testament how the Jews
bowed their heads and worshipped God. We also see how the Seraphim that serve the Lord
continually at His throne, veil their faces with two of their wings, and cry Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord, Almighty God. Now if the Jews and the heavenly creatures show forth this kind of
reverence, how much more should we. We should never become unduly familiar with Almighty
God before whom the heavenly host bow in total submission. The right concept of the privilege
of prayer will keep us from these things. It will also keep us from trying to make deals with God.
We must always seek God’s will for our lives. We should not try to make deals with God. He
has a plan for us. The Bible says in (Ephesians 2:10) “For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus unto good works; which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
God has ordained a plan for our lives before the world was ever created. It is our duty to yield to
God and let Him lead us into His perfect will. Prayer is one of the ways we find the will of God,
and this is why prayer is one of the keys to living the Christian life.
The Philosophy of Prayer
If we are to pray effectually, if we are to pray with power, we need to understand how prayer
works. We must pray with the belief and conviction that God is the true, personal, living, and
intelligent being, and that we are free to pray, to communicate to him. There are those who say
that God is too far from us, that He is not interested in us as individuals. But the Bible says in (I
Peter 5:6-7) “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you
in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Here we can plainly see
that God cares for us, and is interested in all our cares. He will take them all and give us grace
and strength to overcome them. we must always remember that God knows us by name. We are
the sheep of His pasture. He has known us from before the foundation of the world. This is the
Holy God that we pray to.
We must remember that if we get answers to our prayers we must respect and obey the laws of
God that govern prayer. This is where understanding the philosophy of prayer comes in. We
cannot disregard these laws, and we cannot act contrary to the plan of God in prayer.
There are four things that are essential concerning answered prayer. First, we must live a
righteous life. The Bible says in James 5:17 "... the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much." Second, we must have faith in God. We see in (Matthew 21:22) “And all
things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Third, we must pray in
the Spirit, as we see in (Romans 8:26) “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we
know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered.” And Fourth, we must pray in the will of God, as we
see in (I John 5:14-15) “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any
thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask,
we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” These four things are essential if
we are to get our prayers answered.
George Mueller was a mighty man of prayer, who trusted God completely for the needs of his
orphans home where he fed and clothed thousands of young people for years. He once wrote of
his experience concerning prayer. He said, “I seek to get my heart into such a state that it has no
will or desire of its own in any given matter. I seek the will of God. Nine tenths of the difficulties
are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the will of God, whatever it may be.”
He said, having done this, I don’t leave the result to my feelings or simple impressions. This way
I don’t leave myself open to great delusions. Then he said, “I seek the will of the Spirit of God
through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God must be
combined. If I look to the Spirit alone, without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions
also. If the Holy Spirit guides us at all, He will always do it according to the Scriptures and not
apart from them."
Beloved, these things are essential if we are to be right in prayer. We must pray in Jesus’ name.
We must be living a clean and holy life, as much as possible. Our prayers must be in line with the
teachings of the Word of God, and prayer must be in faith, accepting the will of God in all things.
We must remember that prayer is not designed to change God, but to change us to the will of
God.
works. We must pray with the belief and conviction that God is the true, personal, living, and
intelligent being, and that we are free to pray, to communicate to him. There are those who say
that God is too far from us, that He is not interested in us as individuals. But the Bible says in (I
Peter 5:6-7) “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you
in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Here we can plainly see
that God cares for us, and is interested in all our cares. He will take them all and give us grace
and strength to overcome them. we must always remember that God knows us by name. We are
the sheep of His pasture. He has known us from before the foundation of the world. This is the
Holy God that we pray to.
We must remember that if we get answers to our prayers we must respect and obey the laws of
God that govern prayer. This is where understanding the philosophy of prayer comes in. We
cannot disregard these laws, and we cannot act contrary to the plan of God in prayer.
There are four things that are essential concerning answered prayer. First, we must live a
righteous life. The Bible says in James 5:17 "... the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much." Second, we must have faith in God. We see in (Matthew 21:22) “And all
things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Third, we must pray in
the Spirit, as we see in (Romans 8:26) “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we
know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered.” And Fourth, we must pray in the will of God, as we
see in (I John 5:14-15) “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any
thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask,
we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” These four things are essential if
we are to get our prayers answered.
George Mueller was a mighty man of prayer, who trusted God completely for the needs of his
orphans home where he fed and clothed thousands of young people for years. He once wrote of
his experience concerning prayer. He said, “I seek to get my heart into such a state that it has no
will or desire of its own in any given matter. I seek the will of God. Nine tenths of the difficulties
are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the will of God, whatever it may be.”
He said, having done this, I don’t leave the result to my feelings or simple impressions. This way
I don’t leave myself open to great delusions. Then he said, “I seek the will of the Spirit of God
through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God must be
combined. If I look to the Spirit alone, without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions
also. If the Holy Spirit guides us at all, He will always do it according to the Scriptures and not
apart from them."
Beloved, these things are essential if we are to be right in prayer. We must pray in Jesus’ name.
We must be living a clean and holy life, as much as possible. Our prayers must be in line with the
teachings of the Word of God, and prayer must be in faith, accepting the will of God in all things.
We must remember that prayer is not designed to change God, but to change us to the will of
God.
The Power of Prayer
Prayers of God’s people have helped to change the world down through the ages. It is through
prayer that we take hold of the hand that controls all things. One thing we must realize today is,
that if we don’t pray, the power of heaven will not be worked through our lives; this is why
prayer is one of the basic keys to the Christian life. If we will meet the conditions of prayer, we
can experience the mighty power of prayer. From the fall of Adam, when sin entered into this
world, man has misused and abused the power and dominion God has given him. Because of his
selfishness and greed, man is the cause of hatred, crime, and wars. God is not the cause of these
things. Man is. But when the people of God begin to pray, they can change the course of evil.
God heard the prayers of His people under great bondage in Egypt and brought them out. He
heard the prayers of David and other great leaders of Israel during great battles and gave them
victory that changed the course of history for all the world.
But prayer also changes us as individual Christians. We face many things in this life that are hard
to bear. We may have to endure things that we don’t want to endure. There may be things
happen that we just cannot understand. But it is through prayer we find strength and hope to go
on. God may not change the situation as we would want Him to, but He will change us to accept
His will for these things.
The Lord Jesus tells us in our text that men ought to pray and faint not. We should not fail in our
prayer life. Prayer covers the needs of ourselves, our homes, our churches and our world. It
enables us to face the many responsibilities of daily life, empowers us for faithful Christian
service, gives us victory over the powers of Satan, and many times changes the circumstances of
life. Sinners can be brought under conviction through prayer. Cold and indifferent Christians can
be restored to fellowship and communion through prayer. The sick many times may be healed,
and the grieved can be comforted through prayer.
Beloved, there are many promises in the Bible that encourage us to pray and see how willing and
ready God is to accomplish whatever we ask of Him, as long as our requests are in accordance
to His blessed and holy will. God knows what’s best for us in all things. The greatest honor that
we can give to God, and the greatest demonstration of faith in God is to take Him at His Word,
accept His will for all things, and trust Him in all that He does. This will bring glory to God, and
bring strength and peace to us.
So then, we can see that prayer is another essential key to living the Christian life. Let us use this
key to unlock the many blessings that God has for us that are designated through our prayers.
prayer that we take hold of the hand that controls all things. One thing we must realize today is,
that if we don’t pray, the power of heaven will not be worked through our lives; this is why
prayer is one of the basic keys to the Christian life. If we will meet the conditions of prayer, we
can experience the mighty power of prayer. From the fall of Adam, when sin entered into this
world, man has misused and abused the power and dominion God has given him. Because of his
selfishness and greed, man is the cause of hatred, crime, and wars. God is not the cause of these
things. Man is. But when the people of God begin to pray, they can change the course of evil.
God heard the prayers of His people under great bondage in Egypt and brought them out. He
heard the prayers of David and other great leaders of Israel during great battles and gave them
victory that changed the course of history for all the world.
But prayer also changes us as individual Christians. We face many things in this life that are hard
to bear. We may have to endure things that we don’t want to endure. There may be things
happen that we just cannot understand. But it is through prayer we find strength and hope to go
on. God may not change the situation as we would want Him to, but He will change us to accept
His will for these things.
The Lord Jesus tells us in our text that men ought to pray and faint not. We should not fail in our
prayer life. Prayer covers the needs of ourselves, our homes, our churches and our world. It
enables us to face the many responsibilities of daily life, empowers us for faithful Christian
service, gives us victory over the powers of Satan, and many times changes the circumstances of
life. Sinners can be brought under conviction through prayer. Cold and indifferent Christians can
be restored to fellowship and communion through prayer. The sick many times may be healed,
and the grieved can be comforted through prayer.
Beloved, there are many promises in the Bible that encourage us to pray and see how willing and
ready God is to accomplish whatever we ask of Him, as long as our requests are in accordance
to His blessed and holy will. God knows what’s best for us in all things. The greatest honor that
we can give to God, and the greatest demonstration of faith in God is to take Him at His Word,
accept His will for all things, and trust Him in all that He does. This will bring glory to God, and
bring strength and peace to us.
So then, we can see that prayer is another essential key to living the Christian life. Let us use this
key to unlock the many blessings that God has for us that are designated through our prayers.
|
Blessed Hope
A Continuing Ministry of Milford Cecil
A Continuing Ministry of Milford Cecil
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