Today we are going to look at a very powerful concept of prayer. 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 and 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. 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. Each one is back up by God’s
word. Psalm 132:8 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.
a. Abraham also believed. The
definition of belief is, “accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth
of.” Hebrew 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. God told Abraham it was going to happen. Sarah laughed and you would too. What Abraham did was believe and called into
being things that were not. He released
the divine resources of heaven.
c. Phil 4:1, Paul says that God
will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory. .” Your physical needs such as food, shelter,
clothing and transportation. Your
spiritual, mental, emotional, financial and family.
2. This week I heard a 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 other side is principle. God will
not give you his promises if you violate His principles. God is a God of balance. 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. Iniquity means habitual
unconfessed sin. You ignore, justify,
excuse and 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. 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. A great phrase to remember “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, and 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. It is time as the people of God 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. A great example was
Elijah on the Mount Carmel when he prayed seven times before rain fell on
Israel.
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