The power of prayer

 

     Today we are going to look at a very powerful concept of prayer.  Let me give you the background  behind this verse in Genesis 17, God made a promise that Abram and told him that he was going to be the father of many nations, the sign would be circumcision and his name was changed to Abraham.  Next in Chapter 18-19, God visited Abraham by the great trees of Mamre, told him that him and Sarah would have a boy next year.  Sarah laughed then lied when confronted.  Abraham was told of the impending doom of Sodom and Gomorrah where he pleaded for their souls.  Sodom and Gomorrah could not be saved but Lot was rescued but later committed incest with his daughters and set up future confrontation for Israel.  Next, Abraham and Sarah move down to Gerar or Philistia where he deceived Abimelech by saying that Sarah was his sister and she was taken into his household.  Now get this Sarah is 90 years old when this happens.  She was an outstanding beauty.   God warns Abimelech in a dream about the situation and he gives Sarah back and gives a king’s ransom to get Abraham to avoid God’s judgment.  Then they move back to Hebron where Sarah becomes pregnant and they bear Isaac when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90.  What an Amazing story and background. 

 

Romans 4:17

New International Version

17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[a] He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

 

1.       Today we are going to learn about the power of prayer.  Abraham was a great example for us to learn from.  First, he stood on God’s promises.  There are more than 10000 promises in the Bible.  Each one is back up by God’s word.  Psalm 132:8 states this.    1 Cor 1:20 says the promises of God are yes and amen.  So when you pray you can believe and trust God’s promises.  Often I will quote the promise to God in my prayer time. 

 

a.       Abraham also believed.  The definition of belief is, “accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of.”  Hebre 11:1, that faith is substance of things hope for and the evidence of things not seen.  It goes further in Heb 11:6, that you believe that God exists and is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.  That is what Abraham did. 

b.      He believed that God could bring life to that which is dead.  In this case himself and Sarah.  Remember God told Abraham it was going to happen.  Sarah laughed and you would too.  Abraham believed enough to actually try again for another baby.  He may have said to Sarah.  “what have we got to lose. “  What Abraham did was believe and called into being things that were not.  He released the divine resources of heaven. 

c.       I love Phil 4:19 where Paul says that God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory.  What does all mean, “All.”  Your physical such as food, shelter, clothing and transportation.  You spiritual, mental, emotional, financial and family.

 

2.       Now this week I heard powerful teaching about the two-track

system of prayer from Charles Stanley.  He said that you cannot receive God’s promises without also obeying the principles of God.  One side of the track is promise the others die is prayer.  God will not give you his promises if you violate His principles.  God is a God of balance.  Today so many people have demoted God to a sugar daddy or bubble gum machine.   They have no concept of the love of God.  They believe that love means you can do anything you want and there are no consequences and preachers who teach this are liars and false teachers.  There are six things t will share with you that will stop the promises of God in their tracks.

 

a.       Ps 66:18, says if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.  The principle is regarding iniquity.  Iniquity means habitual unconfessed sin.  You ignore, justify, excuse, blame it on others.  The Lord will not hear your prayers.

b.      Mark 11:26, tells us that if we cannot forgive others, the Lord will not forgive us and will not hear our prayers.  This often stops the promises of God.

c.       In 1 Pet 3:7, it states that if we mistreat our spouse our prayers will be hindered and not answered. 

d.      James 4:2, says that we have not because we are asking or selfish reason or wrong motives and God is too good to allow this to happen. 

e.      Not abiding in Christ.  John 15:7, Jesus said, “If we abide in Him and us in Him we can ask what we will and it will be given unto us.

f.        Unbelief.  Simple if you do not believe you will not receive.  Abraham believe God and it was credited him as righteousness.

 

3.       We are the children of Abraham through Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ has secured us all the benefits and resources of heaven.  I want to give your some thoughts on how in prayer to secure what Paul was talking in here in this verse and also in Phil 4:19, to call those things into being which are not.

 

a.       Prayer is the avenue in which we create a natural reality from the supernatural.  In prayer God lays something on our heart and it becomes a burden of prayer.  Let me give you two examples from my life.  One was actually a desire that became a reality.  My 1984 Buick Limited.  My current position at Am 930 the light.  I love this phrase. pray on it, pray over it, pray through it.  God uses the authority we have in prayer.  Jesus said in Matt 18:18, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

b.      In prayer we are claiming the promises of God.  We have not violated the principles of prayer, we are abiding in Christ and we are walking in faith and we are speaking God’s promises to Him. 

c.       In prayer you are taking what God has promised and releasing it into your world by prayer.  Your faith and trust in his character of truth, His unfathomable love and his immutable essence secures the benefits and resources into your world.  Abraham had been told a child was coming.  He believed God.  He pray on it, over it and through it until it happened.  We must do the same. 

d.      By faith you see the promise of God in the bible, you release it by faith from the supernatural realm into the physical realm because God told you it was yours.  You secure it through prayer and faith.   

e.      I believe it is time as the people of God we call those things which are not into prayer.  We have the power, authority enablement and ability in the name of Jesus Christ.  We can agree with others in prayer because Jesus said where two or three gather in my name I am in the midst and where two or three agree on anything in shall be done for them.  Matt 18:19

f.        What is it you need today go get it today in prayer and we will agree with you.  I will close with a great example was Elijah on the Mount Carmel