Sermon Central
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Energizing Your Prayer Life
Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Nov 3, 2019 (message contributor)
Summary: We have been raised with Christ, we have a position with Christ in the heavenly‘s, we have been raised up so that in the ages to come he might show his exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus!
Energizing your Prayer Life
Illus.
THE STATS ON PRAYER
A Newsweek poll several years ago titled "Is God Listening?" indicated that 54% of those the magazine surveyed prayed on a daily basis - 25% said they pray to God once a day and 29% more than once a day.
87% believed that God answers their prayers at least some of the time. Even so, unanswered prayers did not deter them from praying. 85% insisted that they could accept God's failure to grant their prayers. Only 13 percent declared they have lost faith because their prayers went unanswered. 82% don't turn away from God even when their prayers go unanswered. 54% say that when God doesn't answer their prayers, it means it wasn't God's will to answer.
The things people pray for include health, safety, jobs, and even success, valid or not. 82% said they ask for health or success for a child or family member when they pray. 82% believed that God does not play favorites in answering prayers. 79% said God answers prayer for healing someone with an incurable disease. 75% asked for strength to overcome personal weakness. 73% answered that prayers for help in finding a job are answered. On the lighter side, 51% agreed that God doesn't answer prayers to win sporting events. 36% never prayed for financial or career success.
Gathered polls are a collection of opinions and we know opinions are all over the place on any given subject. Clearly from reading Newsweek’s poll and their statistics on prayer, we can see that most people’s prayer life is all over the place.
Most peoples prayer life, religious activities or relationship with God, are based upon their mothers, their fathers or some other individual who may have taught them or poured into their life and maybe even unintentionally miss led them, in the forming of what they think their prayer can do and accomplish!
What do you think your prayers and your prayer life is capable of?
More importantly, what does the Bible say your prayers and your prayer life is capable of?
James 5:13-16 NKJ
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
If you have a need PRAY! Don’t pray small prayers, PRAY Bold prayers with high expectations!
If you don’t have a need, then sing a song of thanksgiving and praise!
14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
(How many times have we all came to church with a pressing need and said nothing? Not even a request for an unspoken need was uttered! The Bible says you have not because you ask not, so ask!
This scripture also advises us to not let just anyone pray for you but to go to the elders of the church, get the prayer warriors who will get in the trench with you and not watch from the sidelines, get those who have faith and are believers in the power of prayer!
If you were to get someone to drive you to a destination, you wouldn’t hire someone with inexperience would you? You would want someone with great experience who knew the route and who knew how to do what you were asking and would get you safely to your destination, right?
What happens when you follow God’s directions?
15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 [j]Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, [k]fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
To pray fervent prayers, I believe means to pray unrelenting prayers!
Until the hand of God moves
Until the answer comes
Until the doctor says I can’t believe it, it’s a miracle!
To accomplish this, believing anything less than Gods best is unacceptable, doubt is not an option!
Phil. 4:6,7 KJ
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The living bible says, Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. 7 If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.
God says when you do this, I will give you peace I will give you rest!
God knows how hard circumstances are and seem to be. That’s why the word instructs us to do and follow God’s instructions often, and how often you may be wondering?
