Sermon Central
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Becoming A Praying Church
Contributed by Sherry Burton on Feb 17, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: I Thess 5:17 Pray without ceasing God wants us to become a praying church. And that is what we must do in order for our church to grow.
BECOME A PRAYING CHURCH
Open In Prayer
I. Read: 1 Thess 5:17 “Pray without ceasing”
A. God wants us to become a praying church. And that is what we must do in order for our church to grow.
1. As I have told you in the past, Paul is not telling us to pray 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
2. We all now that we can’t do that. But we can remain in the attitude of prayer.
a. We should have scheduled times of daily prayer.
1) I’m sure, if we took a pole, that 98% if not 100% of us, could admit that we don’t pray enough.
II. Read: Eph 6:18
A. Praying always with all prayer and supplication, meaning: We must pray on all occasions and with all kinds of prayer; petition; humble request:
1. Public, private, secret, social, solitary, solemn and sudden;
2. With all the parts of prayer: confession of sin, petition for mercy, and thanksgivings for favors and blessings received.
B. In the spirit: means with the Spirits help. Holy-Spirit assisted prayer
1. Does not just mean “speaking in other tongues”
a. Oft times while praying for others, the Holy Spirit will guide you with the proper Words, in your own language, to pray. He gives you the words.
C. Watching there unto: means being vigilant in this matter of prayer.
1. Keeping our hearts in a praying frame.
2. Taking all opportunities to pray.
D. With all perseverance: means continued effort
1. Even when we get tired, even when things feel or look hopeless in the flesh. Don’t give up!
2. Even when things in our outward circumstances change, we must continue to pray and not give up.
E. Supplication for all saints: means prayer and humble petitions for everyone:
1. Your family and friends, your pastors, and their families, your country, president and government leaders, other churches, etc.
F. Prayer offered in faith is man’s most powerful resource.
1. It is part of our armor in Spiritual Warfare.
2. Through prayer, given in faith, we may induce God to grant our hearts desire.
III. Read: 1 Timothy 2:1-4
A. I exhort therefore, that, first of all: Paul is exhorting Timothy to teach the saints the importance of prayer.
1. I exhort and first of all: expresses the urgency in the matter.
2. The saints of God do not pray enough!
3. The need for constant prayer has never been more urgent.
a. These are the end times, and they are not going to get any better.
b. Satan is working harder than he ever has to tear down the Church.
c. He is working harder than ever to torment and destroy you.
B. supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks
1. The importance of prayer
a. Supplications: Praying humbly with petitions to God
b. Prayers: All kinds
c. Intercessions: Praying for others
d. Giving thanks: For all things
2. The giving of thanks is not just to be a phrase at the end of a prayer.
a. But be thankful in detail for things that God has done for you near the beginning of your prayer.
b. When you give thanks, don’t always generalize everything so you can hurry up and be done but be specific in what you are thankful for.
c. Let God know how much you love and appreciate what He has done for you.
d. God does not get enough praise and worship from His children.
C. Be made for all men: this statement runs right into verse 2. And again indicates the same as Eph 6:18 to pray for all saints, but this verse goes a step further when it says to pray for all men.
1. That means, whether they have given their hearts to God or not.
a. We must pray for the unsaved.
b. We must pray for their hearts to be softened and their ears to be opened, and their minds to gain understanding.
c. We must pray for salvations.
(1.) Our duty is to fill the Kingdom of Heaven.
2. (Vs 2) For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
a. If we want this country to be safe from terrorism and to reap the benefits of a good Government, then we need to pray for the government leaders.
b. If we want our President to make good decisions, and protect Israel, then we should be praying for him.
c. The same for the rest of our men and women in the military.
d. We are obligated to pray for them so we can have a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
e. Not only are we told to pray, but we are given a reason why we should pray.
