How to Move Mountains Through Prayer
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Good Morning, Please turn with me in your Bibles this morning to were going to be looking at verses 22-25. While you are turning there I want to say something that I really mean from the bottom of my heart I love you all with all of my heart. I do not get to tell you enough how much I love each of you and those who are serving in the back.
God has blessed me with a good church, with people that I consider my family, and I want you to know that I love you. I am grateful to be called the pastor of this place, and I pray I can be with you for the extended future.
I truly believe the best days for Union Hill are in front of us not behind us, and I beleive in my heart that God is doing something among us and within the hearts of His people. I just wanted to share that with you.
We need Revival, We need revival. Now lets personalize it I NEED REVIVAL it starts with me amen? What is revival?
Revival is the glory of God filling the house of God, and if your saved you are the house of God. Your the house of God, God doesnt dwell in buildings made by human hands, God dwells in redeemed people. God if you are saved, God is living in you right now and my prayer is that you would be filled with His Spirit and that you would become literally a house of prayer.
I want to talk with you this morning about prayer. Now I dont know any Christian who is against prayer, but alot of people dont pray because they dont know how. I really believe that we need to know how to pray. Have you ever been in a conversation with somebody and you run out of things to say?
Thats awkward isnt it?
Now the ladies probably dont have a clue what Im talking about.... run out of things to say?
No you ladies know alot more about how to communicate than us men folk, you even go to the bathroom together I mean guys dont do that ok. Guys dont say alright bro we need to finsih this conversation will you go to the bathroom with me?
Someone would knock you out if you did that...
But you understand its awkward when you get in a situation and you dont know how to talk to someone, especially when the other person is God. You sitting there and your saying Lord I have said all that I know I been sitting here for ten minutes. I have said all of the bless this person and that person that I know how to say. I dont know what else to say...
Did you know that God wants us to learn how to pray?
Some of you have some big issues in your lives, some of you have some mountains in your lives, some of you have some problems. This church has some problems even though I love it even though I would never say anything harsh about the people I love, we have some mountains we have to face.
Some of you personally have some mountains that you are facing, and I beleive the reason why you are facing these mountains and the reason this church is facing these mountains is because God is trying to teach us all how to pray, and walk by faith.
God put it in my heart to preach this message HOW TO MOVE MOUNTAINS THROUGH PRAYER
Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God. I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for —believe that you have received them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.
Mark 11:22
(Let’s Pray)
The words that I just read to you were spoken by our Lord Jesus, Jesus CHrist had just ridden into Jerusalem. If you were to take the same Journey Jesus took you would come down off of the mount of Olives, youlld go down across the Kidron Valley and youll be walking where Jesus was riding on a donkey, people were shouting Hosanna, Hosanna blessed is HE who comes in the name of the Lord.
He is just a few days away from His crucifixion, and that week called the passion week Jesus Christ went to the temple one day and on His way He was hungry. He saw a fig tree but it was barren it had no fruit. So what He did was He cursed the fig tree, and then you know what he did next when He went into the Temple HE cleasned the Temple, He ran those religious people out of there and He said MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER, But you have made it a robbers den.
HE goes back out He comes back the next day heading to the Tmple, and Peter looks and he sees the fig tree and it is withered. Bible says it was withered from the root up, and Peter said Lord how did that happen so fast whats going on?
How did this tree wither?
and JEsus said...
Have faith in God truly I say to you whoever says to this mountain be taken up and be cast into the sea, and believes in His heart it will be granted him. Therefore ALL THINGS every body say ALL THINGS...
ALL THINGS for which you ask believe that you have recieved them and you shall receive them and then forgive people, if anyone has anything against you or you have anything against anybody forgive them and my Father will answer your prayers from Heaven.
Whats JEsus teaching us?
How many of you believe that we are living in difficult times?
40 -50 years ago they would not have dreamed that anything like what is going in our nation would be going on....
Do you believe its time for God’s people to call upon Him in prayer? Do you believe its time for us as families to come together in prayer? Do you believe its time for us as churches to come together for prayer? Do you believe its time for us as denominations to come together in prayer?
Listen to me church there are so many churches today that are so focsued on the business meetings and advertising and getting the name out of the church through different venues that the church has forgotten that our business is prayer, our business is calling on God , our business is telling people about Jesus!
So how do we apply what Jesus said let me give you three things:
How can you move the mountains in your life, some of you have problesm in your life right now that seem impossible to overcome, youve got financial problems, youve got family problems, youve got all kinds of problems.
Those are types of mountains, so how are you going to take those mountains and cast them into the sea.
Mountains are Moved When Gods People Pray With Fervency
Mountains are Moved When Gods People Pray With Fervency
Listen to me when Jesus talks to you about moving mountains he doesnt want you to move the mountains in northern Alabama ok.God is not talking about moving literal mountains ok, He is talking about the problems in our lives and we all have them. HE says you need to pray about those mountains and those problems and you need to pray passionately, you need to pray with intensity, you need to pray with fervency.
Pray with passion, and with desperation. Notice Jesus’ words again
Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God.
Mark
I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
Whatever esle you say about those words its obvious, that its describing something that is not business as usual praying. God bless the cream corn, God bless the mashed potatoes He’s not talking about that!
He is tlaking about a fervent type of prayer. Its kind of like when Jacob was wrestling with the angel of the Lord and the Bible tells us that he grabbed hold of the angel of the Lord and he said I WILL NOT LET GO UNLESS YOU BLESS ME!
Whens the last time you grabbed hold of God, whens the last time you grabbed hold of Jesus robe? You touched the hem of His garment with your faith? I tell you what when grace and faith get together good things happen! When is the last time you said I AM LAYING HOLD OF GOD AND I AM GOING DOWN IN PRAYER AND I AM NOT COMING UP UNTIL I KNOW IN MY SPIRIT I HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY THE HOLY GHOST?
When is the last time you cried out to God like that? I am not talking about business as usual Im talking about I WILL NOT LET YOU GO UNTIL YOU BLESS ME.Where are the Christians praying with fervency for the United States of America? Where are the Christians praying with fervency for the supreme court of the Uninted States of America?
Where are the Christians who are crying out to God for revival to come again to the house of the Lord?
Back in the 1500’s there was a man named John Knox John Knox was a Scottish pastor he was a leader of the protestant reformation. He founded the presbytyrian church in Scottland, and he is famous for a well known prayer:
“Give me Scottland or I die”
Give me Scottland God or I die
A desperate passionate fervent prayer, He was often inprison he was often stricken with physical illness but he beleived that ONE MAN WITH GOD IS ALWAYS IN THE MAJORITY.
It is said that Mary Queen of Scotts who was a roman catholic said this:
“I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe”
Give me Scotland or I die
I want to ask you something....
Who is praying that for Alabama? Who is praying that for Dothan? Who is praying that for Rehobeth? WHo is praying that for Cottonwood?
Who is saying God give us Cottonwood for CHrist or we die! Who is praying fervently?
IS THERE IS FERVENCY IN YOUR PRAYER LIFE?
When is the last time you cried or wept as you were praying?
You know there is only one thing the disciples asked the Lord to teach them. They didnt say Lord teach us how to preach, Lord teach us how to make disciples, Lord teach us to read books , or to create programs. NO LORD TEACH US HOW TO PRAY!!!!
What did JEsus say? What does the Bible teach us about Jesus...
DID JESUS EVER PRAY?
He was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”
Oh He prayed, He prayed at His baptism and the Bible said that the Spirit of the Lord came down Im gonna tell you something God doesnt waste His Holy SPirit on prayerless people. If your not praying God is not going to pour out His Spirit upon you...
When the church exploded in the book of Acts they were all huddled in a room together having a prayer meeting. The Holy Spirit fell and they were filled and revival swept through and 3,000 people were saved that day!
He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged:
Jesus was praying and the Bible says the Heavens were opened and the Spirit of God descended upon His like a dove. How many of you would want to live under an open Heaven? One of the ways is to pray, hey the other way is to tithe, let all say amen on that.
Prayer opens the windows of heaven, and then Jesus went into the wilderness and he prayed. The Bible says God gave Him the power to defeat the temptations of satan. Then the Bible says that Jesus would pray early in the morning and half the time the disciples couldnt find Him.
While god never calls us into isolation those who were called out by God to shephered your souls need time to pray. As a matter of fact it is our job description. To cry out in intercession for you and your families and I take this taks very seriously. PRAYER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF MY JOB BECAUSE WITHOUT PRAYER NOTHING HAPPENS.
He Dad your greatest responsibility is not just to lead your family in the worship fo God but to be on your knees on behalf of your family.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. And He was praying there.
Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
The Bible says Jesus prayed over a young biys lunch and fed 5,000 men plus their families. The bible says that He prayed in the garden of Gethsemene and that word means pressed and the Lord while He prayed there was pressed
Being in anguish, He prayed more fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.]
White Hot Prayer
The Bible says he prayed on the cross, He prayed Father forgive them they dont know what they are doing. Then the Bibles says He also prayed MY GOD MY GOD WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME, He is praying scripture he is praying psalm 22.
Then the Bibles says He prayed INTO THY HANDS DO I COMMIT MY SPIRIT and Jesus was buried and He rose from the grave Iam not talking about a dead man today I am talking about Jesus Christ who has been raised from the dead. Buddah is dead, Muhammed is dead, but Jesus IS ALIVE!
Psalm
Jesus after he resurrected from the dead would not put a morsel of bread in His mouth before He blessed that food, and Jesus CHrist right now is praying for you.
Hebrews says that He ever liveth to make intercession for those who draw near to God through Him.
Let me ask you something Is the Son of God needed to pray do you think we need to pray?
They saw the disciples saw the conncetion between the power of Jesus and His prayer life!
LET YOUR REQUEST BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD AND THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH PASSETH ALL UND$ERSTANDING WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD!
Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.
OH WE NEED THE MIRACULOUS POWER OF GOD BACK IN IN OUR CHURCHES BUT IT WONT COME UNTIL WE CRY OUT TO GOD IN PRAYER.
Say this with me:
Birth follows labor
When is the last time you labored in prayer?
God will not birth revival until we labor in prayer.
What is your mountain today? What is your difficluty today?
What is our countries problem today, who is crying out GOD MOVE THE MOUNTAINS!!!
Mountains will not be moved until we pray with fervency.
Mountains are also moved when Gods people pray in faith.
Mountains are also moved when Gods people pray in faith.
Mark
Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God.
The object of your faith must be God. I dont have faith in my prayers, I dont have faith in my works , id dont even have faith in my faith. I have faith in God, He is the object the only object of my faith.
I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
Now the word of faith folks in recent years have misused these words of Jesus wrongly implying that we can just speak to God and just start talking to things and like God we have creative power in our words. Thats not what He is talking about here. This is where you get phrases like name it and claim it. Junior Hill calls that blab it and grab it.
Now to be sure our words are important Jesus said by your words you shall be justified and by your words you shall be condemned. But the context here is prayer. When you speak to these things your speaking to God in prayer, your talking to God about your mountain and even as you look at your mountain your really looking toward God and your saying God there is the problem but I know you are the problem solver.
I will glance at the problem; but I will look at the problem sovler. I will look at the mountain but I will be totally absorbed in the mountain mover I am talking to You God. I am asking you God to move my mountain.
Mark 11:2
Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God.
I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
Therefore I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for —believe that you have received them, and you will have them.
When you speak and pray words to God in faith asking him to move your mountain our God listens. You say what is faith?
The Bible tell us that as Christians we walk by faith and not by sight which means that for the Christian it means that you walk make decisions based out of what you know about God and His goodness and His mercy and you wont always have the answers.
Your not always going to see everything. YOU CANNOT HAVE FAITH AND FIGURE EVERYTHING OUT ON YOUR OWNYOU MUST SEEK THE WILL OF GOD!
Faith is the assurance of things oped for the substance of things not seen, it si the gurantee that God is going to answer our prayers.
I want to say something if you ask god for something and He doesnt give you what you ask for? He is going to give you something better than what you asked for. But you need to ask, you have not because you ask not. If you ask God will give you the right thing you might ask for the wrong thing but dont worry about that, just as best as you know make your request unto God and if you ask God for His will He is too god to give you the wrong thing.
Some of you wanted to marry somebody arent you glad you didnt now?
God gave you a better deal didnt he?
The writer of Hebrews goes on and he says
Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.
God rewards people who seek Him. Listen there are some things that God is going to do whether you pray or not, but god is going to do other things only if YOU PRAY. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. When you pray its not wasted time. Prayer is time well spent. A day without prayer is a wasted day.
If you dont pray today you have wasted, you have thrown awaythis day. If you dont spend a signifigant amount of time in prayer today you have wasted your day.
Think about ole Abraham He is in his 70’s and God says hey bro go buy yourself a baby stroller your gonna have a baby son. How many of you 70 year olds would be excited to be told your going to have a baby in your 70’s not a one.
But they have been waiting on God for over 25 years!
Paul tells us about their hourney of faith
He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Faith is trusting in the promises of God.
Abraham had a promise and he was hanging on the the promise He was given. When you pray in faith claiming the promises of God God moves mountains. He moves our problem, what problem are you having today?
You say well I have an illness do you beleive god is able to heal you?
Then pray
Some of you have rebellious children, some of you need to pray from Isaiah that prayer that your children would be spared and would be blessed in all they do.
When you have a mountain the first thing you do is you go to God and you say God will you please give me a promise from your word so that I can stand on that promise and speak to that problem with that word from Heaven and watch you move it for your glory!
BECAUSE I BELIEVE WHAT YOU HAVE PROMISED THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO PERFORM!!
Thats what speaking to mountains is, it is not going out talking to something, no its going down to your knees and talking to someone and His name is Jesus! Let me tell you what else its not, its not your crying about your problem, no you need to stand in faith and claim His word and stand on the authority of Gods word and let God cast that puppy in the depths of the sea.
(Nurse)
I said what do you when someone doesnt get healed she said I say NEXT!
I said your my kinda lady,
MY JOB IS NOT TO ANSWER THE PRAYER MY JOB IS TO ASK!
His job is to answer, how many of you know that His job is to answer, amen!
But alot of us leave alot of stuff laying on the table because we refuse to take prayer seriously.
Let me tell you something I would rather pray big prayers to a big god and hear him say Johnson you just believed me too much, you just trusted me too much, you just had too much faith, I would rather hear that on the judgment day than to hear, Kyle your sure did leave alot on the table.
Im a big God I would have done big things if you had cried out in prayer alot of our prayers are nothing but mansized requests, we need to ask for God sized stuff.
We Need to Pray For Forgiveness
We Need to Pray For Forgiveness
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.
You wanna know why God aint answering your prayers you wont forgive. Let me tell you why most people wont forgive someone else, because you think that if you forgive them that you will be condoning what they did to you that is not the truth.
When you forgive them your not condoning what they did to you nor do you have to put yourself back up there so they can beat you up again. You say well I dont see that in the Bible, well you dont see that in the Bible for the same reason a thief doesnt see a cop because your running from it amen?
GO TO THE CROSS AND YOULL SEE IT!!
THE FIRST THING YOU SEE IS JESUS ASKING FATHER FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY DONT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING! NOBODY WAS ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS!
Who is it you need to forgive?
How have they failed you?
How have they hurt you?
Who is it? Get them in your mind right now, now whether or not you want to admit it you got them in a cage. Now every once in a while you like to let them out of the cage in your mind and slap them around and then put them right back in. Now as serious as I can be lets do this together walk over to the cage of your bitterness and lets open the door to the cage and let them out and let it go.
God will begin listening to your prayers
Listen to me you can either get bitter or get better amen?
God does not hear the prayers of a bitter person,
Let’s do two things today:
this might be a day that will change the rest of your life
Maybe todays the day you accept a calling to God to be a prayer warrior.
MAybe today God is telling you to let it Go
One thing is for certain if you want God to answer your prayers:
you have to pray fervently
you have to pray in faith
you have to pray from a heart of forgivness
(Let’s pray)