Prayer - The Power Of Life
Col 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;
12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.
LIFE WILL NOT MEAN MUCH TO YOU OUTSIDE OF HIS WILL.
AMP James 5:16 Pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. the earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
Without prayer you won’t harness the power of life
NASB Luke 18:1 now he was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “there was in a certain city a judge who did not fear god, and did not respect man. 3 “And there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 4 “And for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, even though I do not fear god nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, lest by continually coming she wear me out.” 6 And the lord said, “hear what the unrighteous judge said; 7 now shall not God bring about justice for his elect, who cry to him day and night, and will he delay long over them? 8 “I tell you that he will bring about justice for them speedily. However, when the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
NASB Phil 4:6 be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
4 REASONS GOD COMMANDS US TO PRAY
1. He wants to see who will obey his word because those are the only people he can bless (Eph 3:20)
2. He wants to see who really trusts him because faith is how we receive from him. (Heb 11:6)
3. He wants to see who has vision for change in their life because he can only bring the vision in our hearts to pass. (Ps 37:4)
4. He wants to see who really wants to know him and fellowship with him because that is why we were created. (Phil 2:10-14)
PRAYER IS THE SOURCE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
NASB James 4:7 submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
1. We are born of God – aware of God through prayer
2. We release faith in God through prayer
3. We have intimacy with God through prayer
4. We are moving for God through prayer
FOUR KINDS OF PRAYER
AMP Eph 6:18 Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. to that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).
1. Prayer of faith – asking for things in faith because we know God’s will from his word… 1 John 5:14-15
AMP Matt 21:21 and Jesus answered them, truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done. 22 And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.
2. Prayer for consecration and direction
Matt 26:39 And going a little farther, he threw himself upon the ground on his face and prayed saying, my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as you will and desire.
Acts 9:6 Trembling and astonished he asked, Lord, what do you desire me to do? The Lord said to him, but arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do. 10 Now there was in Damascus a disciple named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias.and he answered, here am I, Lord. 11 and the Lord said to him, get up and go to the street called straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man of tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying [there].
3. Intercessory prayer and supplication (warfare)
AMP 1 Tim 2:1 First of all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that [outwardly] we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life[and inwardly] a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way. 3 For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our savior, 4who wishes all men to be saved and [increasingly] to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the [divine] truth.
THIS IS WHERE WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE WARFARE SIDE OF PRAYER
2 Cor 4:4 For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), who is the image and likeness of God.
Ezek 22:30 And I sought a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.
Prayer is facing God with man’s needs, with His promise to meet those needs
Ex. Moses call in Exodus 3 – God told him he had heard the cries of his people.
You can pray and bind the powers of darkness – take what belongs to you. (Matt 16:19)
4. Thanksgiving, Praise and Worship
Mess Phil 4:6 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.
Acts 16:25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake,
James 5:13 Any one of you who is in trouble should pray