Praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto
with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Ephesians 6:18
When
you read this verse what is your response? Why should we pray always, why is
there is emphasis placed so high on this action?
We
can notice two things about prayer in this verse.
·
We should always pray
·
The great importance of
prayer
Our
response to this verse should be to pray, pray, pray and give ourselves
completely to it. Prayer is the most wonderful, spiritual, powerful and yet the
most sacred thing we can do it. Why is this kind of prayer so needful?
1.
Because of the war around us.
Ephesians 6:10-18
Verse 12 speaks of our very real
and dangerous enemy, Satan.
It is our weapon, our defense; it
is our only life line in the war
2.
It is God’s method in which He works.
James 4:2 ye have not because ye
ask not
The reason for all spiritual lack
in a Christian’s life is a lack of prayer.
"Why is it," many a Christian is asking, "I make so
little progress in my Christian life?"
"Neglect of prayer," God answers. "You have not because you ask
not."
"Why is it," many a minister is asking, "I see so little fruit
from my labors?"
Again God answers, "Neglect of prayer. You have not because you ask
not."
"Why is it," many a Sunday-School teacher is asking, "that I see
so few converted in my Sunday-School class?"
Still God answers, "Neglect of prayer. You have not because you ask
not."
"Why is it," both ministers and churches are asking, "that the
church of Christ makes so little headway against unbelief and error and sin and
worldliness?"
Once more we hear God answering, "Neglect of prayer. You have not because
you ask not."
Look at the importance placed on prayer by key figures
in the Scripture
To the prophets it was their source of Power
Confess
your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man
subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not
rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six
months.
James
5:16-17
To the Psalmist it was their way to a deep knowledge of God
A
Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
O
God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my
flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy
power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy
loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
Psalms
63:1-3
To Christ it was a way of life and ministry
While on earth he prayed
And
in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed
into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Mark
1:35
And
it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and
continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke
6:12
Even
Christ felt it necessary to pray all night. Prayer is mention 25 in connection
with our Lord in brief ministry he had on this earth.
While in Heaven He prays
Wherefore
he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Hebrews
7:25
Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Romans
8:34
If
we are to have fellowship with our Master we must be about the ministry He is
about and that is PRAYER!
To the Apostles it was their only priority
Wherefore,
brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy
Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give
ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
Acts
6:3-4
Rom1:9,
Eph 1:15-16, Col. 1:9, I Thes. 3:10, 2 Tim 3:10
To Great men of God throughout history it was a common bond.
These
men may have differed in many things but in their devotion to Prayer they were
the same.
“Our praying,
however, needs to be pressed and pursued with an energy that never tires, a
persistency which will not be denied, and a courage which never fails.” —
E. M. Bounds
“God does
nothing but by prayer, and everything with it.” — John Wesley
“Prayer does
not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.” — Oswald Chambers
“O brother,
pray; in spite of Satan, pray; spend hours in prayer; rather neglect friends
than not pray; rather fast, and lose breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper—and
sleep too—than not pray. And we must not talk about prayer, we must pray in
right earnest. The Lord is near. He comes softly while the virgin
slumbers.” — Andrew A. Bonar
“Next to the
wonder of seeing my Savior will be, I think, the wonder that I made so little
use of the power of prayer.” — D. L. Moody
“Quit
playing, start praying. Quit feasting, start fasting. Talk less with men, talk
more with God. Listen less to men, listen to the words of God. Skip travel,
start travail.” — Leonard Ravenhill
“It is a
tremendously hard thing to pray aright, yea, it is verily the science of all
sciences.” — Martin Luther
“Prayer—secret,
fervent, believing prayer—lies at the root of all personal
godliness.” — Carey’s Brotherhood, Serampore
“None can
believe how powerful prayer is, and what it is able to effect, but those who
have learned it by experience. It is a great matter when in extreme need to
take hold on prayer. I know, whenever I have prayed earnestly, that I have been
amply heard, and have obtained more than I prayed for. God indeed sometimes
delayed, but at last He came.” — Martin Luther
“You know the
value of prayer: it is precious beyond all price. Never, never neglect
it.” — Sir Thomas Buxton
“Prayer is
the first thing, the second thing, the third thing necessary to a minister.
Pray, then my dear brother; pray, pray, pray.” — Edward Payson
“It is not
enough to begin to pray, nor to pray aright; nor is it enough to continue for a
time to pray; but we must patiently, believingly, continue in prayer until we
obtain an answer; and further we have not only to continue in prayer unto the
end, but we have also to believe that God does hear us, and will answer our
prayers. Most frequently we fail in not continuing in prayer until the blessing
is obtained, and in not expecting the blessing.” — George Müller
“Each time,
before you intercede, be quiet first, and worship God in His glory. Think of
what He can do, and how He delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people.
Think of your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things!” —
Andrew Murray
“If we would
pray aright, the first thing we should do is to see to it that we really get an
audience with God, that we really get into His very presence. Before a word of
petition is offered, we should have the definite consciousness that we are
talking to God, and should believe that He is listening and is going to grant
the thing that we ask of Him.” — Dr. R. A. Torrey
“There is no
power like that of prevailing prayer—of Abraham pleading for Sodom, Jacob
wrestling in the stillness of the night, Moses standing in the breach, Hannah
intoxicated with sorrow, David heart-broken with remorse and grief, Jesus in
sweat and blood. Add to this list from the records of the church your personal
observation and experience, and always there is cost of passion unto blood.
Such prayer prevails. It turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings
power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings
God.” —Samuel Chadwick
If I could hear Christ praying for me in
the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no
difference. He is praying for me." - Robert Murray M’Cheyne
It
is God’s Divine method for a Christian to obtains things from Him
1.
We
can obtain Mercy and Grace through prayer
Let us therefore come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time
of need.
Hebrews 4:16
2.
We can obtain the fullness
of Joy through prayer
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in
my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:24
3.
We can obtain the Peace of
God
Be careful for nothing;
but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
4.
We can obtain the fullness
of the Holy Spirit
And I say unto you, Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread
of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish,
will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer
him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask him?
Luke 11:9-13
If we are to make any progress in our work for God
then we must have the fullness of the Spirit, the fullness can only come from
the fellowship with God and the fellowship can only come from PRAYER
The accomplishments of Prayer
1. It keeps us
from being distracted by the allurements of this world or surprise attacks from
Satan.
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your
hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life,
and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all
them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray
always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall
come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Luke 21:34-36
2.
It promotes growth and
spiritual cleansing in the life of a believer.
In Psalms 139:23-24 we see the
pattern for God bringing our sin into the light. Psalms51:2 is our response to
that conviction. Now that I am clean I can Psalms 119:18 Wich leads to wisdom
James 1:5 which brings us to spiritual maturity a reflection of Christ 2 Cor3:18
3.
It brings real power into
the work we do.
We have no power outside of the
Holy Spirit working through us, and that relationship can only be developed
through prayer.
4.
It conceives anguish for
others.
Nehemiah 1-2
5.
It brings blessing into
the church.
The history of the church has always
been a history of grave difficulties to overcome. The devil hates the church
and seeks in every way to block its progress; now by false doctrine, again by
division, again by inward corruption of life. But by prayer, a clear way can be
made through everything. Prayer will root out heresy, allay misunderstanding,
sweep away jealousies and animosities, obliterate immoralities, and bring in
the full tide of God's reviving grace. History abundantly proves this. In the
hour of darkest portent, when the case of the church, local or universal, has
seemed beyond hope, believing men and believing women have met together and
cried to God and the answer has come.
It was so in the days of Knox, it was so in the days of Wesley and Whitfield,
it was so in the days of Edwards and Brainerd, it was so in the days of Finney,
it was so in the days of the great revival of 1857 in this country and of 1859
in Ireland, and it will be so again in your day and mine. Satan has marshalled
his forces. Christian science with its false Christ-- a woman--lifts high its
head. Others making great pretensions of apostolic methods, but covering the
rankest dishonesty and hypocrisy with these pretensions, speak with loud
assurance. Christians equally loyal to the great fundamental truths of the
Gospel are glowering at one another with a devil-sent suspicion. The world, the
flesh and the devil are holding high carnival. It is now a dark day, BUT--now
"it is time for Thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void Thy
law." (Ps. 199:126). And He is getting ready to work, and now He is
listening for the voice of prayer. Will He hear it? Will He hear it from you?
Will He hear it from the church as a body? I believe He will.