Prayer

I.  Prayer is simply talking to God.  

     A.  Jesus never prayed outside of His Father’s will.

1.  He gave us a pattern of how to pray.

2.  Pray to the Father, in the Name of Jesus through

            the power of the Holy Spirit.

3.  A human being is no greater than his or her prayer

            life because there is nothing of eternal value that

            will ever be more important.

4.  Prayer is the connection between earth and heaven.

            When we pray, we want what is heaven to be here

            on earth.

     B.  Faith is the major connection by way of prayer to heaven.

1.  “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence 

            of things not seen.”  (Hebrews 11:1).  Nothing is 

            impossible with faith.

2.  You and God are a majority.

II.  Prayer makes available to us the unlimited resources of God.

     A.  Prayer through faith makes all things possible.

1.  The American Medical Association states that those 

             individuals who pray for those who are in the hospital 

             will have much better outcomes than those who do not.

2.  Prayer is the greatest power that God has given to us.

            Regardless of what gifts you may have or how much

            education you have, or how rich you are, don’t put 

            your faith in those things.  If you pray, you can change

            the world.

        3.  James 5:13: “Is anyone of you in trouble?  He should 

         pray.” At end of verse 16 he says, “The effective, fervent

         prayer of  a righteous man avails much.  

     4.  Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed 

         earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the 

         land for three years and six months.  And he prayed again, 

         and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced it’s fruit.  

     5.  The history of Israel was written according to the prayers 

         of Elijah.  And if Elijah hadn’t prayed you wouldn’t have

even read about him in the Bible.  The history of Israel 

was influenced because he, one single person with ups 

and downs just like the rest of us, prayed.  

     B.  The life of Jesus.

1.  Look at the life of Jesus.  Perfect prayer.  Doing the will

           of God.  Nothing happened in Jesus’ life without Him 

           praying. 

2.  Luke 3:21“When all the people were baptized, it came to 

            pass that Jesus was also baptized; and while He prayed, 

       the heaven was opened.  And the Holy Spirit descended in

       bodily form like a dove upon Him and a voice came from

       heaven which said, "You are my beloved Son; in You I am

       well pleased."  When did God speak that?  When did the

       Holy Spirit descend on Him?  When He was praying.     

  3.  Look at the 5^th chapter.  Verses 15, 16.  After He healed

          the sick, “the report went around concerning Him all the

          more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to

          be healed by Him of their infirmities.  So He Himself

          often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.”

     4.  In spite of the crowds, He was the only one who could

          help them.  He went off into solitary places and prayed.

          He was the Son of God and He knew He couldn’t heal

          them all unless He went into prayer.  Nothing happens of

          significance of spiritual value in your life unless you pray. 

    5.  Luke 6:12.  Jesus went out to a mountain side to pray.

        And spent the night praying to God.  There are many

        examples of Jesus going off and praying all night, getting

        up early and praying all morning in solitary places to meet

        with His Father.  Here He went out an prayed all night long

        to God.  And when morning came He called His disciples

        to Him and chose 12 Apostles.  

    6. Luke 22:39: “Coming out He went to the Mount of

        Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also

        followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to

        them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’  And

        He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and

        He knelt down and prayed.saying, ‘Father if it is your will,

        take this cup away from Me; Nevertheless not My will, be

       Yours, be done.’  Then an angel appeared to Him from

        heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He

        prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great

       drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

    7. Being in agony.  With the devil doing everything in his 

        power to stop Him from going to the cross in order to

        redeem all of us.  With the angel of God helping Him.

        What did He lean on?  He prayed!  Nothing of eternal

        value will ever happen to us unless we are people of

        prayer.  

    8. When you pray, God battles and fights on your behalf.  The

       Biblical pattern is not if you pray, but when you pray.