WHAT SHALL WE DO IN A TIME OF NEED? COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
1 Cor. 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
I. HAVE YOU EVER HEARD: WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING? I HAVE FOUND THIS STATEMENT NOT A TRUE STATEMENT WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH? I HAVE OFTEN FOUND WHEN THE GOING GET TOUGH THE TOUGH THROW
UP THEIR HANDS AND QUIT?
A. One of questions I hear most is: DOES PRAYING EVER SEEM HARD?
Sometimes prayer seems so easy, and you get into the flow of the Spirit and your prayer times seem sweet and wonderful.
B. Sure, there are times that your prayer seems to bounce off your lips and HIT THE GROUND.
Deut. 28:23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
C. HOW TRUE THIS IS WHEN THE HEAVENS OVER YOU APPEAR AS BRASS, COLD AND HARD. THEN THE EARTH AROUND YOU APPEARS AS IRON, COLD, FREEZING, AND VERY HARD.
D. BY FAITH WE MUST KNOW FOR A FACT EVERY PRAYER IS HEARD!
EVERY PRAYER HAS AN ANSWER:
1. Yes!
2. No!
3. Wait awhile!
E. So if the answer to your prayer is what you hoped for, or if the answer is what you dreaded, GOD IS STILL GOD AND GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL.
F. What shall we do when we find it hard to pray?
THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE PRAY HARD...
II. BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT EXPECTS NOTHING, HE SHALL GET EXACTLY WHAT HE EXPECTED! THAT MAN WILL NOT GET ANYTHING?
1 Cor. 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
A. WHAT IF WE HAVE BOLDNESS THEN WE HAVE A SEASON OF WAVERING?
B. WAVER:
To vacillate irresolutely between choices.
To fluctuate in opinion.
To give an unsteady sound.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
C. There are 12 people in the boat, and we talk the most about the only man to walk on water besides Jesus, not the boat sitters?
Peter had FAITH TO ACCEPT THE INVITATION: COME.
Matthew 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
D. Something happened as Peter walked on the water, he felt the wind blow. He felt the water run up his legs.
E. HOW SOON CAN PETER’S BOLDNESS IN FAITH TURN INTO A LACK OF FAITH?
III. THERE COMES A POINT IN A PERSON’S SPIRITUAL LIFE THAT WE MUST APPROACH THE THRONE OF GOD WITH A HOLY BOLDNESS!
A. BOLDNESS
Fearless in danger.
Assurance, confident.
Adventurous, to show courage.
Lionhearted.
B. BY FAITH ONE COMES BOLDLY TO GOD.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Hebrews 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
IV. WE MUST ASK BOLDLY AND BELIEVE THAT IT IS OUR TIME.
THERE IS GREAT BEAUTY IN PRAYER WARRIORS! WE DON’T NEED PRAYER PARTNERS, WE NEED PRAYER WARRIORS.
A. We are in a terrible battle, this is an all out war.
We need Christians to rise boldly and claim God’s plan and purpose for us.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
B. Will we approach the throne of God seeking, knocking, and moving by faith?
V. I AM SO HUMBLE I WILL DO AS THE WOMAN THAT APPROACHED JESUS AND ASKED FOR THE CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE.
A. We must ever be humble before God and His people, but there is more for us than the crumbs.
Matthew 15:27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’
table.
B. Why not allow our faith to claim God’s best for us?
Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
C. The lady’s faith was great, and Jesus knew the time of the Gentiles was not yet? In spite of all this Jesus could see HER FAITH RELEASED BOLDLY!
VI. WE MUST SPIRITUALLY STRIVE AND SEEK EARNESTLY FOR THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE OF ETERNAL VALUE.
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is
not with thee.
A. Did you ever hear the story of a traveling salesman? He was lost and made a few wrong turns.
It was raining real hard. The man realized he had a flat tire, and he jumped out of his car and
opened the trunk. The man had a good spare tire but there was no LUG WRENCH to be found.
He could not change the flat tire? He was so mad!
B. The man could see a dim light on in a farm house down the road, so he started walking in the rain toward the light. The man thought, Surely the farmer would have a LUG WRENCH.
C. As the salesman walked toward the farm house, he thought: What if the farmer will not come to the door? If the farmer came to the door would he be frightened by the stranger, wonder if he has a shotgun?
Then the salesman thought: That old farmer is really going to be mad at me for knocking on his door so late at night.
Then the salesman thought: I bet the old man is already in bed sound asleep, and that dumb old farmer will never want to help me? Besides that the farmer will be afraid I am going to steal his dumb old lug wrench?
D. The more the man walked in the rain the madder he got --- thinking about that old selfish farmer not wanting to help him by loaning him his dumb old LUG WRENCH? The man was now soaking wet and fuming at the mean, bad farmer. The farmer is nothing but a stupid
country hick anyway.
E. Finally the salesman reached the door. He knocked on the door and the farmer yelled, WHO IS IT?
Then the salesman in great anger yelled back, YOU KNOW GOOD AND WELL WHO IT IS, IT IS ME! AND YOU CAN KEEP YOUR DUMB OLD RUSTY LUG WRENCH. I WOULD NOT BORROW YOUR OLD LUG WRENCH IF IT WERE THE LAST ONE IN THE WHOLE WORLD.
I don’t want your rusty old lug wrench the salesman said as he ran away from the farm house.
Matthew 11:12 from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Philip. 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
F. WHAT SHALL WE DO IN A TIME OF NEED? PRAY! AND PRAY AGAIN!
Now is the time for good men to arise and pray and quit expecting trouble and dream.
Dream big. Expect a revival!
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
G. WE HAVE ACCESS WITH CONFIDENCE!
Ephes. 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
H. Quit looking for more trouble and greater need. It is not in our skill and knowledge, the victory is won by faith.
Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
I. Speak the word in boldness for the word of God does the work of God.
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
J. Let us pray with great boldness and dream bigger than ever before. IT’S OUR TIME!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
