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Sunday PM 5/5/02 Part 1

#1 · May 5, 2002, 4:43 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on May 5, 2002, 4:43 pm
Posted by: jmichaelwalls <jmichaelwalls@...>

HOW EFFECTIVE IS YOUR PRAYERS?

James 5:16-18

Part 1

Introduction: Will this be your obituary? "Her obituary filled only a few lines in the local newspaper, but in God's records, she was a heroine. The last of her 96 years were spent in bed in a small room, but she continued to fight battles and win victories on four continents. She never weighed more than 100 pounds, but was a giant for the Lord of the Harvest, a prayer warrior for missions." This is probably Miss Lizzie's obituary in heaven.

R. A. Torrey in his book "How to Pray" makes these comments. But some will say, "Is not all prayer unto God?" No. Very much of so-called prayer, both public and private, is not unto God. In order that a prayer should be really unto God, there must be a definite and conscious approach to God when we pray; we must have a definite and vivid realization that God is bending over us and listening as we pray. In very much of our prayer there is really but little thought of God. Our mind is taken up with the thought of what we need, and is not occupied with the thought of the mighty and loving Father." "We are occupied neither with the need nor with the One to whom we are praying, but our mind is wandering here and there throughout the world. There is no power in that sort of prayer. But when we really come into God's presence, really meet Him face to face in the place of prayer, really seek the things that we desire FROM HIM, then there is power."

Jonathon Goforth was a man of powerful prayer. It is said of him that once he felt assured of God's will in prayer, he would continue in the power of prayer until the thing was accomplished.

Andrew Murray, too, was a great prayer warrior. He wrote in The Praying Christian: "The Christian needs strength. This we all know. The Christian has no strength of his own. This is also true."

Where may strength be obtained? Notice the answer: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10)

Paul had spoken of this power in the earlier part of his epistle to the Ephesians (1:18-20). He had prayed to God to give them the Spirit that they might know the exceeding greatness of His power according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.

This is the literal truth: The greatness of His power, which raised Christ from the dead, works in every believer. In you, my reader and me. We hardly believe it, and still less do we experience it.

That is why Paul prays, and we must pray with Him, that God through His Spirit would teach us to believe in His almighty power. Pray with all your heart: "Father, grant me the Spirit of wisdom, that I may experience this power in my life."

Pay for God's Spirit to enlighten your eyes. Believe in the divine power working within you. Pray that the Holy Spirit may reveal it to you, and appropriate the promise that God will manifest His power in your heart, supplying all your needs.

Do you not begin to realize that time is needed -- much time in fellowship with the Father and Son, if you would experience the power of God within you?"

Lets look at some truths from our text verses. I looked up the word "effectual" in the Greek. It has a meaning of energy or powerful in action. When our prayers are effective, they will be full of power to achieve results.

Adam Clarke in his commentary on the Bible has these comments on this passage. "Such a prayer as is suggested to the soul and wrought in it by a Divine energy. When God designs to do some particular work in his Church He pours out on his followers the spirit of grace and supplication; and this he does sometimes when he is about to do some extra special work for an individual. When such a power of prayer is granted, faith should be immediately called into exercise, that the blessing may be given: the spirit of prayer is the proof that the power of God is present to heal."

I was challenged in my heart in regards to this thought: "Can I point to some recent incident in which I know that my prayers were effective?" That is the challenge of this message.

Let me illustrate an incident of answered prayer. After Hurricane Fran visited us with her destructive power, Brother Josh was cleaning up limbs. As he pulled some of them to the curb, one small limb hit him behind his ear with his hearing aid and knocked it out of sight. He looked and looked and could not find it. He went home and then came back. He told the Lord that he could not afford another hearing aid to help him find it. As he got those last words out of his mouth, he looked down and the hearing aid was at his feet. Some would call that coincidence but I call it providence.

I. HOW TO PRAY EFFECTIVELY

A. Pray Biblically

Too long we pray for the Lord to be with us when we have the promise of Matthew 28:20 "Lo, I am with you always" or the promise of Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you or forsake you." When we are praying for the Lord to be with us, that is not Biblical praying.

Some people say that they pray about situations in which they know is absolutely against the Bible. When you do that, you are not praying Biblically.

Biblical praying is praying knowing the will of God and is doctrinally correct. I realize that young believers do not know all about praying Biblically but I am not talking of young believers right now. I am speaking of folks who should know their Bible well enough to pray Biblically.

We ought to be praying that we are aware that we are aware of the presence of the Lord constantly. We need to expect Him to take charge of our prayer time.

Let me encourage you to read and study the great prayers of the Bible. Let me give you some of the references. You will find Nehemiah chapters 1 and 9 to be some. The book of Psalms is full of great prayers. Jesus gave us the model prayer in Matthew 6:9-15. Luke records nine instances of Jesus praying. Paul has some prayers recorded in his epistles for our exhortation. Some of them can be found in Ephesians 1 & 3; Philippians 1 and Colossians 1.

We can know God's patterns and His promises can bring us to His presence with the expectancy that He do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. (Lord, help us to pray Biblically! AMEN!)

B. Praying Specifically

As you study the subjects of Paul, you will them to be specific. They were prayers for courage, loneliness, finances, purity, health, colleagues, converts, wisdom, discouragement, pressures, opportunities, love, direction, spiritual growth and faithfulness.

You can pray specifically for this church. You can pray for its outreach. You can pray that we will reach more. You can pray for our missionaries. I find that I can not always recall all our missionaries. Let me give them and their fields for your memory.

1. The Hephzibah House in Winona Lake, Indiana (a home for wayward girls). They need finances and another staff lady.

2. Rex Harmon Family church planting in Jamaica

3. Ron & Susan Plott in Israel

4. Michael Rosas Family in Mexico

5. Mark & Carol Oshmon in San Diego

6. Faith Literature Ministry in Clayton

7. Bob & Betty Mitchell church planting in Maine

8. Doug and Helen Worley in Singapore

9. Willard and Lois Zimmer (working with Missions to Military)

10. Kam Ching Family church planting in Hawaii

11. Mike Philips Family church planting in Haiti

12. Kevin Jones Family church planting in Russia

13. Dennis Young Family church planting in Philippines

14. Bill & Evelyn Winstead (field representatives for their mission board)

15. Hopper Family (working with the Servicemen in Germany)

16. Blackwell family church planting in South Africa

Each of these has specific needs. Their needs are similar to yours. Have you had a "bad day"? You know in the midst of your troubles that you can pray specifically for a missionary who is having a "bad day". Is Satan tempting you? You can pray for a missionary to be delivered from temptation from Satan. Do you need wisdom? Ask the Lord to give your missionary wisdom.

You can pray for me as your pastor. I need the prayers and you need the practice. Pray for my health. Pray that God will give me understanding of the Bible. Pray for my witness. Pray for my wife. She has to put up with me.

You can pray for the leaders of the church. I know Kristie would appreciate your prayers as she plays for us. (Lord, help us to be more specific in our prayers! AMEN!)

C. Pray intelligently

This is informative prayer. This is knowing exactly is needed. Research the needs of missionaries. Research the locations of your missionaries. Research the problems on the fields of your missionaries.

Pray intelligently for those who are members of this church. Do you know their needs and problems? Do not tell others their needs or problems, tell it to Jesus.

Paul wanted others to pray intelligently.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-2

"Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith."

Ephesians 6:18-20

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

Pray Spiritually

To be effective, prayer must be "in the Spirit". By the aid of the Holy Spirit; or perhaps it may mean that it is not to be prayer of form merely, but when the spirit and the heart accompany it.

Ephesians 6:18

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints"

Jude 20

"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost"

Only the Spirit of God, dwelling within each believer, can present our prayers at the throne of grace, interceding in accordance with God's will.

Romans 8:26, 27

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

This is indwelt prayer. Submission, confession, and humility are required for spiritual praying. Being "filled with the Spirit" is to be under His control. This results in powerful praying. Everybodys real enemies are not climate, food, government, bugs or resistant people, but rather the world, the flesh and the devil. The Spirit of God can only overcome spiritual enemies. Let us never forget that all spiritual life is WAR, and we overcome this war by putting on the whole armor of God and "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit"

E. Pray Earnestly

The end of the age of grace draws near, and the enemy of our souls is doing all he can to thwart the fulfillment of the Great Commission. The greatest need for ministry is not money, equipment, or new methods.... the greatest need is earnest prayer.

This is intense prayer. We must learn more about the teaching of the Lord Jesus regarding the persistence of the man with an unexpected guest in Luke 11, and the widow with the just cause in Luke 18.

Consider the intensity of Moses' prayer.

Exodus 32:32

"Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written."

Moses was broken over the sin of his people. He was willing to go to hell than God to judge them. What an example of a godly leader this man is!

The apostle Paul shows the intensity of his heart for his people. Romans 9:1-3

"I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh"

Romans 10:1

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved."

Queen Mary of Scotland only feared only one thing in life. She feared the prayers of John Knox. John Knox prayed this prayer many times in his life. "Lord, give me Scotland or Ill die." May the Lord grant that intensity in our lives also!

Persistent prayers of God's people are effective. God tests our faith, but persistence is not pestering. We need to pray intensely unless God clearly says "NO." Then it is time to back off.

F. Pray Continually 1 Thessalonians 5:17

"Praying without ceasing"

This is another lesson to be learned in the school of prayer. We need to pray when we are alone, to pray with family and friends. We need to pray when we are sick or well, rich or poor, happy or sad, and even when we do not feel like praying.

This is incessant prayer. One woman keeps a list of missionaries beside her telephone to pray for when she is put on hold. A man uses the time to pray while driving to work. Some have difficulty sleeping and take the opportunity to count missionaries rather than sheep. Others pray quietly while standing in line, riding on a bus or plane, or mowing the lawn.

None of these suggestions takes the place of personal devotional time with the Lord, which should have priority in our daily schedule, but provide extra minutes to obey Pauls exhortation.

Ephesians 5:16

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Continual prayer does not mean vain repetition. Paul frequently used the word "always" when referring to prayer for others (1 Corinthians 1:4, Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 1:4, Colossians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, 2 Thessalonians 2:13). He must have had either a detailed prayer list or a memory like a computer. If you are not able to go through your list daily, pray for a few missionaries each day during the week.

Admittedly, a great deal of self-discipline is needed for this kind of praying, but isn't discipline part of discipleship? The problem comes from the failure to discipline ourselves. Some people have the discipline to do certain things at certain times. It is high time that we take time to pray, as we ought.

Doctor Ennis shared something with us the last night of the camp meeting. Every Sunday night after choir practice, folks meet together to pray in the back room before the night service. On two different Sunday nights, two different men will come to his office; lay hands on him and pray for him for the power of God may rest upon him in the services. God has blessed that effort.

G. Pray Obediently

The Lord Jesus told his disciples to pray. He also said, "Go". Matthew 9:38

"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."

When Jesus told us to pray that the Lord may send forth laborers, the words "send forth" means bring forth, cast (forth, out), drive (out), expel, leave, pluck (pull, take, thrust) out, put forth (out), send away (forth, out). It is the same word that He uses to cast out demons.

Those who pray according to the suggestions given usually begin to ask the Lord how they can help meet the needs. They want to be obedient. It is sinful for God to send someone to witness to your family who lives locally and you never witness to them. It would be better to pray that the Lord help you to witness to them.

This is involved prayer. When the Lord told Ananias to seek out the new convert, Saul of Tarsus, the Lord identified him by the saying, "Behold, he is praying." Saul continued to ask, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" (Acts 9:6, 11). What a testimony for a believer to have! "Where is your dad?" "He is praying." "Where is your mom?" "She is praying."

Praying IN THE WILL OF GOD and doing the will of God go together. Many people become missionaries themselves because they started praying the words of the Lord, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest" (Matthew 9:38).

Not all can go. That does not, however, mean they have no part in the harvest. Few people know that William Carey had a crippled sister who prayed earnestly, intelligently and continually for her well-known brother doing great exploits for God in India. Those who pray participate in the missionary endeavor, and the promise is given that they will be rewarded. "...As his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff; they shall part alike" (1 Samuel 30:24). "Ye also helping together by prayer..." (1 Corinthians 1:11).

Obedience will involve more giving, more writing to missionaries, more participation in the local mission outreach in your own home church, and more personal witnessing.

World evangelization cannot be accomplished without prayer. Local evangelization cannot be accomplished without prayer. Family evangelization cannot be accomplished without prayer. If God's people would pray in these seven ways, Christ's Great Commission would be fulfilled.

Conclusion: Next week we will look at the hard part of these seven ways to pray effectively.

FBC

5/5/02 PM Service

Pastor Mike Walls
Freedom Baptist Church Smithfield, NC
All scriptures are King James Bible
Isa. 41:10

Posted by: jmichaelwalls <jmichaelwalls@...>

HOW EFFECTIVE IS YOUR PRAYERS?

James 5:16-18

Part 1

Introduction: Will this be your obituary? "Her obituary filled only a few lines in the local newspaper, but in God's records, she was a heroine. The last of her 96 years were spent in bed in a small room, but she continued to fight battles and win victories on four continents. She never weighed more than 100 pounds, but was a giant for the Lord of the Harvest, a prayer warrior for missions." This is probably Miss Lizzie's obituary in heaven.

R. A. Torrey in his book "How to Pray" makes these comments. But some will say, "Is not all prayer unto God?" No. Very much of so-called prayer, both public and private, is not unto God. In order that a prayer should be really unto God, there must be a definite and conscious approach to God when we pray; we must have a definite and vivid realization that God is bending over us and listening as we pray. In very much of our prayer there is really but little thought of God. Our mind is taken up with the thought of what we need, and is not occupied with the thought of the mighty and loving Father." "We are occupied neither with the need nor with the One to whom we are praying, but our mind is wandering here and there throughout the world. There is no power in that sort of prayer. But when we really come into God's presence, really meet Him face to face in the place of prayer, really seek the things that we desire FROM HIM, then there is power."

Jonathon Goforth was a man of powerful prayer. It is said of him that once he felt assured of God's will in prayer, he would continue in the power of prayer until the thing was accomplished.

Andrew Murray, too, was a great prayer warrior. He wrote in The Praying Christian: "The Christian needs strength. This we all know. The Christian has no strength of his own. This is also true."

Where may strength be obtained? Notice the answer: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10)

Paul had spoken of this power in the earlier part of his epistle to the Ephesians (1:18-20). He had prayed to God to give them the Spirit that they might know the exceeding greatness of His power according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.

This is the literal truth: The greatness of His power, which raised Christ from the dead, works in every believer. In you, my reader and me. We hardly believe it, and still less do we experience it.

That is why Paul prays, and we must pray with Him, that God through His Spirit would teach us to believe in His almighty power. Pray with all your heart: "Father, grant me the Spirit of wisdom, that I may experience this power in my life."

Pay for God's Spirit to enlighten your eyes. Believe in the divine power working within you. Pray that the Holy Spirit may reveal it to you, and appropriate the promise that God will manifest His power in your heart, supplying all your needs.

Do you not begin to realize that time is needed -- much time in fellowship with the Father and Son, if you would experience the power of God within you?"

Lets look at some truths from our text verses. I looked up the word "effectual" in the Greek. It has a meaning of energy or powerful in action. When our prayers are effective, they will be full of power to achieve results.

Adam Clarke in his commentary on the Bible has these comments on this passage. "Such a prayer as is suggested to the soul and wrought in it by a Divine energy. When God designs to do some particular work in his Church He pours out on his followers the spirit of grace and supplication; and this he does sometimes when he is about to do some extra special work for an individual. When such a power of prayer is granted, faith should be immediately called into exercise, that the blessing may be given: the spirit of prayer is the proof that the power of God is present to heal."

I was challenged in my heart in regards to this thought: "Can I point to some recent incident in which I know that my prayers were effective?" That is the challenge of this message.

Let me illustrate an incident of answered prayer. After Hurricane Fran visited us with her destructive power, Brother Josh was cleaning up limbs. As he pulled some of them to the curb, one small limb hit him behind his ear with his hearing aid and knocked it out of sight. He looked and looked and could not find it. He went home and then came back. He told the Lord that he could not afford another hearing aid to help him find it. As he got those last words out of his mouth, he looked down and the hearing aid was at his feet. Some would call that coincidence but I call it providence.

I. HOW TO PRAY EFFECTIVELY

A. Pray Biblically

Too long we pray for the Lord to be with us when we have the promise of Matthew 28:20 "Lo, I am with you always" or the promise of Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you or forsake you." When we are praying for the Lord to be with us, that is not Biblical praying.

Some people say that they pray about situations in which they know is absolutely against the Bible. When you do that, you are not praying Biblically.

Biblical praying is praying knowing the will of God and is doctrinally correct. I realize that young believers do not know all about praying Biblically but I am not talking of young believers right now. I am speaking of folks who should know their Bible well enough to pray Biblically.

We ought to be praying that we are aware that we are aware of the presence of the Lord constantly. We need to expect Him to take charge of our prayer time.

Let me encourage you to read and study the great prayers of the Bible. Let me give you some of the references. You will find Nehemiah chapters 1 and 9 to be some. The book of Psalms is full of great prayers. Jesus gave us the model prayer in Matthew 6:9-15. Luke records nine instances of Jesus praying. Paul has some prayers recorded in his epistles for our exhortation. Some of them can be found in Ephesians 1 & 3; Philippians 1 and Colossians 1.

We can know God's patterns and His promises can bring us to His presence with the expectancy that He do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. (Lord, help us to pray Biblically! AMEN!)

B. Praying Specifically

As you study the subjects of Paul, you will them to be specific. They were prayers for courage, loneliness, finances, purity, health, colleagues, converts, wisdom, discouragement, pressures, opportunities, love, direction, spiritual growth and faithfulness.

You can pray specifically for this church. You can pray for its outreach. You can pray that we will reach more. You can pray for our missionaries. I find that I can not always recall all our missionaries. Let me give them and their fields for your memory.

1. The Hephzibah House in Winona Lake, Indiana (a home for wayward girls). They need finances and another staff lady.

2. Rex Harmon Family church planting in Jamaica

3. Ron & Susan Plott in Israel

4. Michael Rosas Family in Mexico

5. Mark & Carol Oshmon in San Diego

6. Faith Literature Ministry in Clayton

7. Bob & Betty Mitchell church planting in Maine

8. Doug and Helen Worley in Singapore

9. Willard and Lois Zimmer (working with Missions to Military)

10. Kam Ching Family church planting in Hawaii

11. Mike Philips Family church planting in Haiti

12. Kevin Jones Family church planting in Russia

13. Dennis Young Family church planting in Philippines

14. Bill & Evelyn Winstead (field representatives for their mission board)

15. Hopper Family (working with the Servicemen in Germany)

16. Blackwell family church planting in South Africa

Each of these has specific needs. Their needs are similar to yours. Have you had a "bad day"? You know in the midst of your troubles that you can pray specifically for a missionary who is having a "bad day". Is Satan tempting you? You can pray for a missionary to be delivered from temptation from Satan. Do you need wisdom? Ask the Lord to give your missionary wisdom.

You can pray for me as your pastor. I need the prayers and you need the practice. Pray for my health. Pray that God will give me understanding of the Bible. Pray for my witness. Pray for my wife. She has to put up with me.

You can pray for the leaders of the church. I know Kristie would appreciate your prayers as she plays for us. (Lord, help us to be more specific in our prayers! AMEN!)

C. Pray intelligently

This is informative prayer. This is knowing exactly is needed. Research the needs of missionaries. Research the locations of your missionaries. Research the problems on the fields of your missionaries.

Pray intelligently for those who are members of this church. Do you know their needs and problems? Do not tell others their needs or problems, tell it to Jesus.

Paul wanted others to pray intelligently.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-2

"Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith."

Ephesians 6:18-20

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

Pray Spiritually

To be effective, prayer must be "in the Spirit". By the aid of the Holy Spirit; or perhaps it may mean that it is not to be prayer of form merely, but when the spirit and the heart accompany it.

Ephesians 6:18

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints"

Jude 20

"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost"

Only the Spirit of God, dwelling within each believer, can present our prayers at the throne of grace, interceding in accordance with God's will.

Romans 8:26, 27

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

This is indwelt prayer. Submission, confession, and humility are required for spiritual praying. Being "filled with the Spirit" is to be under His control. This results in powerful praying. Everybodys real enemies are not climate, food, government, bugs or resistant people, but rather the world, the flesh and the devil. The Spirit of God can only overcome spiritual enemies. Let us never forget that all spiritual life is WAR, and we overcome this war by putting on the whole armor of God and "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit"

E. Pray Earnestly

The end of the age of grace draws near, and the enemy of our souls is doing all he can to thwart the fulfillment of the Great Commission. The greatest need for ministry is not money, equipment, or new methods.... the greatest need is earnest prayer.

This is intense prayer. We must learn more about the teaching of the Lord Jesus regarding the persistence of the man with an unexpected guest in Luke 11, and the widow with the just cause in Luke 18.

Consider the intensity of Moses' prayer.

Exodus 32:32

"Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written."

Moses was broken over the sin of his people. He was willing to go to hell than God to judge them. What an example of a godly leader this man is!

The apostle Paul shows the intensity of his heart for his people. Romans 9:1-3

"I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh"

Romans 10:1

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved."

Queen Mary of Scotland only feared only one thing in life. She feared the prayers of John Knox. John Knox prayed this prayer many times in his life. "Lord, give me Scotland or Ill die." May the Lord grant that intensity in our lives also!

Persistent prayers of God's people are effective. God tests our faith, but persistence is not pestering. We need to pray intensely unless God clearly says "NO." Then it is time to back off.

F. Pray Continually 1 Thessalonians 5:17

"Praying without ceasing"

This is another lesson to be learned in the school of prayer. We need to pray when we are alone, to pray with family and friends. We need to pray when we are sick or well, rich or poor, happy or sad, and even when we do not feel like praying.

This is incessant prayer. One woman keeps a list of missionaries beside her telephone to pray for when she is put on hold. A man uses the time to pray while driving to work. Some have difficulty sleeping and take the opportunity to count missionaries rather than sheep. Others pray quietly while standing in line, riding on a bus or plane, or mowing the lawn.

None of these suggestions takes the place of personal devotional time with the Lord, which should have priority in our daily schedule, but provide extra minutes to obey Pauls exhortation.

Ephesians 5:16

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Continual prayer does not mean vain repetition. Paul frequently used the word "always" when referring to prayer for others (1 Corinthians 1:4, Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 1:4, Colossians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, 2 Thessalonians 2:13). He must have had either a detailed prayer list or a memory like a computer. If you are not able to go through your list daily, pray for a few missionaries each day during the week.

Admittedly, a great deal of self-discipline is needed for this kind of praying, but isn't discipline part of discipleship? The problem comes from the failure to discipline ourselves. Some people have the discipline to do certain things at certain times. It is high time that we take time to pray, as we ought.

Doctor Ennis shared something with us the last night of the camp meeting. Every Sunday night after choir practice, folks meet together to pray in the back room before the night service. On two different Sunday nights, two different men will come to his office; lay hands on him and pray for him for the power of God may rest upon him in the services. God has blessed that effort.

G. Pray Obediently

The Lord Jesus told his disciples to pray. He also said, "Go". Matthew 9:38

"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."

When Jesus told us to pray that the Lord may send forth laborers, the words "send forth" means bring forth, cast (forth, out), drive (out), expel, leave, pluck (pull, take, thrust) out, put forth (out), send away (forth, out). It is the same word that He uses to cast out demons.

Those who pray according to the suggestions given usually begin to ask the Lord how they can help meet the needs. They want to be obedient. It is sinful for God to send someone to witness to your family who lives locally and you never witness to them. It would be better to pray that the Lord help you to witness to them.

This is involved prayer. When the Lord told Ananias to seek out the new convert, Saul of Tarsus, the Lord identified him by the saying, "Behold, he is praying." Saul continued to ask, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" (Acts 9:6, 11). What a testimony for a believer to have! "Where is your dad?" "He is praying." "Where is your mom?" "She is praying."

Praying IN THE WILL OF GOD and doing the will of God go together. Many people become missionaries themselves because they started praying the words of the Lord, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest" (Matthew 9:38).

Not all can go. That does not, however, mean they have no part in the harvest. Few people know that William Carey had a crippled sister who prayed earnestly, intelligently and continually for her well-known brother doing great exploits for God in India. Those who pray participate in the missionary endeavor, and the promise is given that they will be rewarded. "...As his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff; they shall part alike" (1 Samuel 30:24). "Ye also helping together by prayer..." (1 Corinthians 1:11).

Obedience will involve more giving, more writing to missionaries, more participation in the local mission outreach in your own home church, and more personal witnessing.

World evangelization cannot be accomplished without prayer. Local evangelization cannot be accomplished without prayer. Family evangelization cannot be accomplished without prayer. If God's people would pray in these seven ways, Christ's Great Commission would be fulfilled.

Conclusion: Next week we will look at the hard part of these seven ways to pray effectively.

FBC

5/5/02 PM Service

Pastor Mike Walls
Freedom Baptist Church Smithfield, NC
All scriptures are King James Bible
Isa. 41:10