The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.” The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you! Luke 17:5-6 NLT
“Consistency compounds. What you do each day matters, and will build over time.” John Maxwell
PRAYER IS A CONVERSATION THAT LEADS TO AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
Whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NLT
1. Our prayers must be upward
As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you. ” Luke 17:12-19 NLT
WHEN WE WALK AROUND ENTITLED, DISMISSIVE, OR OBLIVIOUS TO ALL THAT WE HAVE WE ROB OURSELVES OF THE BLESSING OF CONTENTMENT AND OPEN OUR HEARTS TO RESENTMENT
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. Romans 1:21 NLT
2. Our prayers must be inward
Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14 NLT
OUR PRAYERS MUST REVEAL THE FREENESS OF FORGIVENESS AND ITS ASTOUNDING COST.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. Psalms 51:4 NLT
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalms 139:23-24 NLT
3. Our prayers must be outward
WHEN GOD BLESSES US, OUR DESIRE SHOULD BE TO SHARE THAT BLESSING
When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” Luke 19:5-8 NLT
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRAYING FOR SOMETHING AND PRAYING THROUGH SOMETHING
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Prayer is a conversation that leads to an encounter with God.
“How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.” Psalms 119:103 NLT
But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:6-8 NLT
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT
Paul has 3 desires for them...
1. That Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 NLT
2. That they would be established in the love of Christ.
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13 NLT
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT
3. That they would be filled with all the fullness of God.
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10 NLT
…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ… Ephesians 3:18 NLT
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18-19 NLT
may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:18 NLT
“Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.” Isaiah 1:18 NLT
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalms 103:12 NLT
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalms 139:13-16 NLT
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me. John 10:28 NLT
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form. Philippians 2:7 NLT
My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:38-39 NLT
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 NLT
Jesus cried out in a loud voice,...“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 NLT
Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! John 17:24 NLT
'It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 NLT
At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 NLT
1. Prayer is done out of love, not an obligation.
Loving success and relationships more than God hardens our hearts and impairs our sense of purpose on earth, ironically making us less effective in fulfilling our dreams.
True health is spiritual, not physical!
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? Matthew 16:26 NLT
2. Prayer is to know God better
And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. John 17:3 NLT
This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord , have spoken! Jeremiah 9:23-24 NLT
“What makes life worthwhile is having a big enough objective, something which catches our imagination and lays hold of our allegiance; and this the Christian has in a way that no other person has. For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?” -J.I. Packer
Be still, and know that I am God! Psalms 46:10 NLT
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. Ephesians 3:16-18
Without a powerful sense of God’s presence, good circumstances can lead to overconfidence and bad circumstances can lead to despair.
3. Prayer brings out the real you
Deserts are hard places in which to live, physically or spiritually.
Deserts are dry.
But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” John 4:14-15 NLT
Deserts teach us about dependence.
Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11 NIV
Deserts provide a place to think, plan, and prepare.
To know God is a matter of personal involvement- mind, will, and emotions.
Mind- Reading, Hearing, Listening, and Receiving God’s Word.
Will- We are people of discipline and self-control, not slothfulness and instability.
Emotions- We lead our feelings they do not lead us.
"Feelings are important in many areas but completely unreliable in matters of faith" Eugene Peterson
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 NLT
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NLT
“It has often been said that prayer is the greatest force in the universe. This is no exaggeration. It will bear constant repetition. In this atomic age when forces are being released that stagger the thought and Imagination of man, it is well to remember that prayer transcends all other forces.” F. J. Huegel
“Sinned as we have as a nation, yet to our sin we have added pride in our sinning. The world has lost the power to blush over its vice; the Church has lost her power to weep over it.” -Leonard Ravenhill
I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike. And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth… Joel 2:28-30 NLT
That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Joel 2:12-13 NLT
Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Gather all the people— the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room. Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Joel 2:15-17 NLT
“This is what the lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the lord of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way” Zechariah 4:6 NLT
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
PRAYER MUST BE A COMPASS THAT GUIDES US NOT A FLARE GUN TO RESCUE US.
At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 NLT
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. John 15:4 NLT
AN AUTHENTIC CHRISTIAN LIFE IS WHERE THOSE SPIRITUAL MOMENTS ARE NOT SPURTS IN OUR LIFE, BUT DAY-TO-DAY EXPERIENCES.
Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 NLT
LIFESTYLE OF PRAYER
But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. Daniel 6:10 NLT
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH GOD AND KEEP IT!
2. THE PLACE OF PRAYER
Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Mark 1:35 NLT
3. THE PLAN OF PRAYER
Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Jesus said, “This is how you should pray: Luke 11:1-2 NLT
4. THE PERSONS OF PRAYER
YOUR VIEW OF GOD DETERMINES YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you. 2 Corinthians 13:14 MSG
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT
“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT
THE EXTRAVAGANT LOVE OF THE FATHER
For this reason I kneel before the Father. Ephesians 3:14 NLT
The lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. Psalms 103:8-13 NLT
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. John 14:16-17 NLT
Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. Psalms 103:1-2 NLT
He forgives all my sins… Psalms 103:3 NLT
and heals all my diseases… Psalms 103:3 NLT
He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies… Psalms 103:4 NLT
He fills my life with good things… Psalms 103:5 NLT
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! Psalms 103:5 NLT
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it! Numbers 23:19-20 NLT
1. HEALING IS A PART OF GOD’S COVENANT
The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord—the awesome power I will display for you. Exodus 34:10 NLT
If you think I’ve come to set aside the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets, you’re mistaken. I have come to fulfill and bring to perfection all that has been written. Indeed, I assure you, as long as heaven and earth endure, not even the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with until its purpose is complete. Matthew 5:17-18 NLT
But now Jesus the Messiah has accepted a priestly ministry which far surpasses theirs, since he is the catalyst of a better covenant which contains far more wonderful promises. Hebrews 8:6 TPT
2. HEALING IS A PART OF JESUS’ SACRIFICE
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows (Or Yet it was our sicknesses he carried; it was our diseases) that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. Isaiah 53:4-5 NLT
3. HEALING IS A PART OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ Luke 10:9 NLT
You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.” Luke 17:21 NLT
Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! Matthew 10:7-8 NLT
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NLT
Just then, a man saw that it was Jesus, so he pushed through the crowd and threw himself down at his feet. His name was Jairus, a Jewish official who was in charge of the synagogue. He pleaded with Jesus, saying over and over, “Please come with me! My little daughter is at the point of death, and she’s only twelve years old! Come and lay your hands on her and heal her and she will live!” Immediately Jesus went with him, and the huge crowd followed, pressing in on him from all sides. Mark 5:22-24 NLT
And before he had finished speaking, people arrived from Jairus’ house and pushed through the crowd to give Jairus the news: “There’s no need to trouble the master any longer—your daughter has died.” But Jesus refused to listen to what they were told and said to the Jewish official, “Don’t yield to fear. All you need to do is to keep on believing.”; When they arrived at the home of the synagogue ruler, they encountered a noisy uproar among the people, for they were all weeping and wailing. Upon entering the home, Jesus said to them, “Why all this grief and weeping? Don’t you know the girl is not dead but merely asleep?” Then everyone began to ridicule and make fun of him. But he threw them all outside. Then he took the child’s father and mother and his three disciples and went into the room where the girl was lying. He tenderly clasped the child’s hand in his and said to her in Aramaic, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, wake up from the sleep of death.” Instantly the twelve-year-old girl sat up, stood to her feet, and started walking around the room! Mark 5:35-36;38-42 NLT
THREE POWERFUL TRUTHS WE MUST UNDERSTAND
1. JESUS WANTS TO BE IN THE ROOM WITH US
2. YOU HAVE TO PUSH OUT THE NEGATIVITY THAT IS TRYING TO TAKE JESUS’ PLACE
3. YOU NEED THOSE AROUND YOU TO BE IN UNITY WITH YOU
So let each individual first evaluate his own attitude and only then eat the bread and drink the cup. For continually eating and drinking with a wrong spirit will bring judgment upon yourself by not recognizing the body. This insensitivity is why many of you are weak, chronically ill, and some even dying. 1 Corinthians 11:28-30 NLT
4. FAITH IS ALWAYS ACTIVATED BY ACTION