* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download what prayer has the power to do
Survey
Document related concepts
Transcript
• THE APOSTLE PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1 A. SATAN’S MASTER PLAN – GET THE B. GOD’S PLAN -- CHURCH TO SUBSTITUTE THE MIGHTY WEAPON OF EARNEST, PERSISTENT, AND BELIEVING PRAYER FOR “CHRISTIAN” PROGRAMS, WORKS & ACTIVITIES. “ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN TO YOU; “ (MATT. 7:7) “WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. “ (MATT. 19:26) “BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING; “ (PHIL. 4:6-7) “CALL UNTO ME, AND I WILL ANSWER THEE, AND SHOW THEE GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS, WHICH THOU KNOWEST NOT. “ (JER. 33:3) ” BRETHREN, PRAY FOR US.“ (5:25) “THE DEVIL IS NOT AFRAID OF ORGANIZATIONS; HE IS ONLY AFRAID OF GOD; AND AN ORGANIZATION WITHOUT PRAYER IS AN ORGANIZATION WITHOUT GOD.” (R. A. TORREY) 2 1. WHAT PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO DO: A. PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO BRING US A TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF OURSELVES . “FOR I KNOW THAT IN ME (THAT IS, IN MY FLESH,) DWELLETH NO GOOD THING:” (ROM. 7:18) B. PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO CLEANSE OUR HEARTS FROM SIN – FROM SECRET SIN AND FROM KNOWN SIN. “WASH ME THROUGHLY FROM MINE INIQUITY, AND CLEANSE ME FROM MY SIN. ” (PS. 51:2) C. PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO HOLD US UP IN OUR GOINGS, AND GIVE US VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION. “HOLD UP MY GOINGS IN THY PATHS, THAT MY FOOTSTEPS SLIP NOT.” (PS. 17:5) 3 D. PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO GOVERN OUR TONGUES. “BUT THE TONGUE CAN NO MAN TAME;” (JAS. 3:8) “SET A WATCH, O LORD, BEFORE MY MOUTH; KEEP THE DOOR OF MY LIPS. ” (PS. 141:3) E. PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO BRING US WISDOM. “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. ” (JAS. 1:5) “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. FOR LET NOT THAT MAN THINK THAT HE SHALL RECEIVE ANY THING OF THE LORD. ” (JAS. 1:6-7) 4 F. PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO OPEN OUR EYES TO BEHOLD WONDROUS THINGS OUT OF GOD’S WORD. (GAL. 2:21) “OPEN THOU MINE EYES, THAT I MAY BEHOLD WONDROUS THINGS OUT OF THY LAW. ” (PS. 119:18) i. THE BIBLE WILL OPEN UP TO ANYONE WHO LOOKS TO GOD IN EARNEST AND BELIEVING PRAYER TO INTERPRET IT FOR HIM. ii. UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE IS MORE THAN HAVING A THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION. iii. ONLY THE MAN OF PRAYER CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE. G. PRAYER HAS POWER TO BRING THE HOLY SPIRIT AND ALL HIS POWER AND WORKS INTO OUR HEARTS AND LIVES. “IF YE THEN, BEING EVIL, KNOW HOW TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS UNTO YOUR CHILDREN: HOW MUCH MORE SHALL YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THEM THAT ASK HIM? “ (LUKE 11:13) 5 H. I. PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO BRING THE FULLNESS OF GOD’S POWER INTO OUR WORK. WHEN OBSTACLES CONFRONTED THE EARLY CHURCH, “THEY LIFTED UP THEIR VOICE TO GOD WITH ONE ACCORD. ” (ACTS 4:24) “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. AND THE MULTITUDE OF THEM THAT BELIEVED WERE OF ONE HEART AND OF ONE SOUL: NEITHER SAID ANY OF THEM THAT OUGHT OF THE THINGS WHICH HE POSSESSED WAS HIS OWN; BUT THEY HAD ALL THINGS COMMON. AND WITH GREAT POWER GAVE THE APOSTLES WITNESS OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS: AND GREAT GRACE WAS UPON THEM ALL.” (ACTS 4:31-33) i. IF YOU DESIRE THE POWER OF GOD IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE, IN YOUR WORK, IN YOUR TEACHING/PREACHING, OR IN THE TRAINING UP OF YOUR CHILDREN. PRAYFOR IT! 6 ii. PRAY FOR IT, AND HOLD ON TO GOD UNTIL YOU GET IT. “MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY, AND NOT TO FAINT. ” (LUKE 18:1 ) J. i. ii. THE MAN OF PRAYER CAN HAVE POWER IN THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF OTHERS. PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO BRING SALVATION TO OTHERS. MEN AND WOMEN WHO WERE SEEMINGLY PAST ALL HOPE WERE CONVERTED IN ANSWER TO PRAYER, e.g., PAUL, YOU, ME, etc., etc., etc., K. PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO BRING BLESSING ON A CHURCH. i. SETTLE CHURCH QUARRELS. ii. CALM MISUNDERSTANDINGS. iii. BRING REVIVAL. iv. TRANSFORM A POOR PREACHER INTO A GOOD ONE. 7 WHAT WAS THE SECRET OF THIS FULLNESS OF POWER IN THE APOSTLES LIVES AND SERVICE? “THEY CONTINUED STEADFASTLY . . . IN PRAYERS.” (ACTS 2:42) 5. GOD DELIGHTS TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS. “CALL UPON ME IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE; AND I WILL DELIVER THEE AND THOU SHALT GLORIFY ME.” (PS 50:15) “THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES; THEY SHALL RUN, AND NOT BE WEARY; AND THEY SHALL WALK, AND NOT FAINT.” (ISA. 40:31) 6. OUR TIME IS CHRONOLOGICAL; GOD IS TIMELESS. 7. GOD ANSWERS IN THE FULNESS OF HIS TIME. 8. SINCE HE IS PERFECT, GOD CAN NEVER ANSWER TOO LATE! ““YE HAVE NOT, BECAUSE YE ASK NOT.” (JAS. 4:2) 8 OUR COMMISSION TO PREACH THE GOSPEL 9 ” AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD, AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE. HE THAT BELIEVETH AND IS BAPTIZED SHALL BE SAVED; BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT SHALL BE DAMNED. “ (MARK 16:15-16) 5. 6. 7. 8. GREAT COMMISSION: PREACH THE GOSPEL. TO WHOM? ALL THE WORLD! “TELL AS MANY AS YOU CAN, AND BID THEM TO TELL OTHERS. WHY WERE THE APOSTLES SO EFFECTIVE? ” WE WILL GIVE OURSELVES CONTINUALLY TO PRAYER AND TO THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD.“ (ACTS 6:4) 9. AND REMEMBER, THE POWER OF PRAYER CAN REACH ACROSS THE SEA & AROUND THE WORLD! (DAYTON/MOSCOW! ) 10 “ALL HAVE SINNED” (ROM. 3:23) 11 “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH” (ROM 6:23a) 12 “YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN” (JOHN 3:7) 13 “UNLESS A MAN BE BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN” (JOHN 3:3) 14 “HE CAME UNTO HIS OWN AND HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT” (JOHN 1:11) 15 “WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNING, CHRIST DIED FOR US” (ROM. 5:8) 16 “HE DID NO SIN” (1 PET. 2:22) 17 “FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO” (LUKE 23:34) 18 • WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED” (ACTS 16:31) 19 • Admit that you are a sinner. • Believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sin, that He rose again on the third day; and, is today, seated at the right-hand of the Father. • Call on God to forgive you of your sins and to save you. 20