Monday, March 10, 2008

Prayers : Part 14

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The prayer of faith or petition prayer

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

Mark 11:24

The prayer of faith or petition prayer is the cure for a lack of anything in our lives. When Jesus was alive, the disciples went directly to Him to get the answers they needed or desired. As Christians, we pray to God in Jesus’ name to get answers that we need or desire (John 16: 23-24).

Sometimes, however, we pray and our prayers go unanswered. Unanswered prayer may be a sign that we aren’t putting faith into our prayers. The prayer of faith or petition prayer will not work without faith. Faith is like a “spiritual currency.” God only can move when we give Him the “spiritual currency” of our faith. He is waiting for our faith so that He can provide the answers to our prayers. Oftentimes, the only reason we don’t have what we have asked God for is a lack of faith. That’s why it is essential that we have faith in hand to receive whatever we are asking for when we pray.

We must have faith to accompany the requests that we make of God. People often think they don’t have enough faith, but we all have a measure of faith. You have to use the measure of faith that you have and build your faith from there. You can start building your faith by using the faith that you have on lesser things or things that aren’t as important, such as faith for a parking space, for example.

When you strengthen your faith for the little things, you can build upon that and use your faith for more substantial things. Before you know it, you will have the faith to move mountains!














































































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Sunday, February 24, 2008

Prayers : Part 12

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Today, we continued our discussion of intercessory prayer (1 Timothy 2:1-4; James 5:16).

What is Prayer?
God wants to answer our prayers. The reason God told us to pray is so that we can get answers to our prayers. He wants us to be bold, confident and effective in prayer -- all the time, not sometimes. We must learn how to pray God’s way. When we pray God’s way, He finds us. We must pray in a way that enables us to access all the blessings that God has stored up for us. Prayer is us marrying our voice to the Word. We move angels with our voice (Psalm 103:20). Prayer is given to us as a weapon to move things here on earth.

Prayer is Now!
Everything has to be now in the context of prayer (Hebrews 4:15-16). It is not about the past or the future. When we are praying to God, it always has to be in the now. We have to be in the now all the time. The time of need is now. When we need something now, we should come boldly to the throne of grace. Our words have to be in the now. As a result, we must say, “I believe I am healed.” We must pray in the present – leaving our faith in the now. Faith is our evidence. Being thankful to God now is an expression of our faith.

The Prayer of Intercession
The prayer of intercession is praying on behalf of another person or group of people. Jesus is the true and the last “High Priest,” who intercedes on our behalf and represents us before God (Hebrews 4:15 - “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet with sin.”) When we intercede for others through prayer, we are functioning as God’s mouthpiece on behalf of others. We are the ones with the legal authority to invite God into the earth realm – this is exactly what we achieve through intercessory prayer. Humility in prayer is saying what God says. We do not pray our will for other people, but God’s will for other people. If we want to live a good life, we have to pray for others.

We Must Pray for Those in Authority
All authority comes from God. Authority is for the purpose of defending righteousness. God protects authority and authority protects righteousness. We guarantee our success by standing for righteousness. Authority is a shield to those who are righteous and a sword to those who are unrighteous. Therefore, even if we do not agree with those who are in authority, we have to pray for those in authority for the sake of righteousness.

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Sunday, February 17, 2008

Prayers : Part 11

Prayer that God Always Answers
Part 11

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God wants us to be bold and confident in prayer. In prayer, like in the natural, you must have the right tools for the right job, but those tools won’t be useful to you unless you use them in the right way. Jesus opened up and made accessible to us the victory to overcome any and every obstacle we could possibly face in life (Hebrews 4:15, 16). We’ve learned how to pray, but knowing what to pray is an altogether different subject. It is very important to note that we walk by faith, but in doing so, you must be aware of what is around you. God never called us to live in denial. In the Body of Christ many of us choose not to see or to ignore challenges. Watch the blind spots in your life – see things for what they are without fear because God is with you. Today we will continue discussing the prayer of intercession – praying on behalf of another person or other people.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 – God doesn’t just want people saved; He wants them to come into the knowledge of the truth. Salvation is meant for here and now, and prayer is part of this. We must stop thinking “what’s in it for me?” and begin thinking about what will please God. Intercession is so important because believers have the God-given legal right to invite and involve God in to the earth realm. Your power is in your intercession. Move out of the way and allow God to come through. Get into God’s rest. Your prayer is releasing everything that has already been done, so why don’t you see it manifested in your life? You must call it to be.

Matthew 9:37, 38 – Stop plucking weeds and reap the harvest. If it doesn’t come, it’s not the right time – leave it alone. God’s harvest is in our domain, on our land. He allows us to be laborers. Are we really praying? We read in Psalm 103:20 that angels who excel in strength move for the voice of God’s Word, which is why Satan comes immediately to pluck out God’s Word (Mark 4:15). The enemy wants to know if it’s rooted in you or not. Will you use it? Be more aggressive in prayer. Move and God will move with you.

An example of intercession with understanding:
Ephesians 1:15-20 – Paul is asking specifically for others and made a confession. You are not going to be seated, you are.

The highest means of intercession:
Romans 8:26 – The highest means of intercession is allowing the Spirit of God to pray to and through your spirit; the evidence of which is speaking in tongues. You control it; it does not “take over” you. Don’t think that your intercession will always sound like regular prayer time. You may start singing, or be led to have emotions that aren’t your own – like laughing with tears in your eyes! Fight the good fight of faith and destroy complacency.

You are armed for battle, but you won’t see victory until you move. Faith makes prayer grow, prayer doesn’t make faith grow. God has placed his treasure in our earthen vessels. Shake yourself up, try interceding. Remember God! You are not where you used to be, but you also are not where you are going, either! You might have to get radical in your faith –to get violent and take it back! (Matthew 11:12). God chose you, called you friend, and made Himself One with you!

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Sunday, February 10, 2008

Prayers : Part 10

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This week Pastor Rick continued on in the series "Prayer God Always Answers". In this segment Pastor Rick illustrates how Christians have historically been praying incorrectly, thus hindering the effectiveness of their prayers. We have all heard, or may have even said, "If it be your will God...". Well, today Pastor Rick makes it clear why this is not the way to pray.

To listen to more of these audio excerpts from Sunday Messages visit our audio video archives. You can also join us live on Sunday Mornings @ 10 am and Wednesday Bible Study @ 7pm

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