7-28 Sunday

Today we pray that you would, that you would allow us to experience your truth that you would allow us to experience your word so that we might come to know you more for all of these things. We ask in the holy and matchless name of Jesus Christ Our Living Lord. Amen. We are coming to the close today. All the series of messages that I have been doing on the full armor of God. It it would seem that we're out of pieces of that armor, but the reality I think what holds the armor together is prayer. That's a whole understanding was is Paul closes this out. He talks about the reality of Prayer. No nearly a year ago.

I preached a message on prayer that prayer is the the stronghold of what the church needs to be. As a matter of fact, I didn't include in your notes, but Ed stetzer in his book comeback churches. I love what he says is that the Holy Spirit presence and power is released through intentional prayer.

You see I believe that we lack what we need in the church because we haven't been praying for it. The truth of the matter is if God's power and presence is released through intentional prayer that we need to get intentional. We need to have an understanding that we need to be intentional about prayer because I believe that that we are supposed to work hard and evangelize the area, but if we do that and we don't pray it's going to amount to nothing.

Because when we work we work, but when we pray God works, I argue what Martin Luther said is, correct. We need to work as if everything depends on us and pray as if everything depends on God.

We need to get out your prayer. So all of that leads me to this message as we close out this whole understanding of the full armor of God, we've got to stand in prayer. So what is prayer in and I I don't typically do this. But as I Was preparing this week and kind of writing I made kind of an acrostic. So, so if you don't like that stuff forgive me, I just need this kind of came to me. So here's the reality what prayer really is prayer. First of all is praise for what Christ has done? I know it was kind of unusual for us to sing count your blessings when it's not Thanksgiving. But the truth of the matter is we really going to prayer we're going to have really have a good time and prayer. It's got to start with praise for what Christ has already done. If you don't appreciate when Christ is already done. Why should I do anything more? Come on.

The reality is that we should be appreciative of everything that Christ is already done for us. And we sometimes take things for granted right the last time I checked you over here. You're still breathing. You Oughta be thankful

I was told shortly after my open heart surgery several years ago by a by an individual in my church and he told me he said Dave everyday you were above the ground instead of under it. It's a good thing. It's a good day. No matter fact. He caught me. I hadn't seen I had been had to take 6 with the toughest things about that surgery was taking 6 weeks off from the church. Because I work like constantly and then having absolutely nothing to do drove me crazy.

It so I went and I would go walk around the parking lot of the church and he happened to see me as he drove by and stopped and talked to me and anyway, but the reality is that we got to praise God praise Christ for what he's already done.

It's a we need to praise God. It's a recognition prayer is a recognition of our need. I think I had somebody in my last church that I said, how can I pray for you? And they said well, I don't really need anything. And I'm like, you got to be kidding me. The reality If we're honest with ourselves everybody, I don't care who you are. You have some sort of need some how right come on. In prayer starting it starts with phrase when it's also going to have a recognition of what you need. If you don't know what you need, how can you pray for it? Be quite honest answer is yes you can. So we got to understand that we are in need. We have to have an attitude of openness. I think sometimes God doesn't answer our prayers because of her attitude.

You know I and I don't mean this the wrong way, but but there are days when my attitude stinks right? Come on. I'm sure know what I'm sure nobody else ever has a bad attitude. I was talking to a friend of mine friend of mine a couple weeks ago. We were talking about we mentioned this message. I'm getting ready to do a message on prayer and I said I said, you know if I can just get there there's a group of people in the church that they would just pray God would unleash and credible blessings on that church and unleash all sorts of stuff because they are great people of faith. It is like really how you know that I said weather Cleveland Browns fans.

Listen to me listen to me. There is a tenacity and I don't mean it's the battery the wrong way. There's a tenacity with Cleveland Browns fans.

When you throw the team a parade when they have a winless season?

That's Faith. That's Faith. You know what the reality is, you know, we have to have that same kind of thinking when we pray to God right? Come on now. I hope I have an affinity for the Cleveland Browns. So, you know, I'm kidding but the reality is that we have to have faith when we go to prayer. And by the way, if you think I'm hard on you, I was ten times harder on the Cincinnati Bengals fans down there. So you know what? The reality here is we have to have an attitude of openness. We've got to be willing to be open. We've got to have the right attitude when we pray and it's an attitude of Faith. Do we have to have an attitude of faith when we ask God to work we need to expect him to do it. Why bother you and ask him to do anything? We don't believe you can do it while it's a waste of breath. That we also need to understand we use old control. How often do we pray for God to do something and then we try to take control of it, huh? Yeah, come on, you know what I'm talking about. There's a situation and we pray about it. But you know what God needs my help to get this done right? Come on and sometimes we do stupid stuff. Come on. And the reality is there are times when God wants us to act on our prayers. Absolutely and sometimes God wants us to keep our mouths shut.

You know, I think sometimes God works more often when we keep our big mouth shut.

I know it. I know it's surprising but sometimes he does answer this understanding we need to you control with weave giving it over to God our problem is we give it to God and we take it back. We give it to God we take it back. We can visit we need to yield control because it's not as prayer is evidence of Faith. The reality is if you don't pray you really probably likely don't believe the gods are moving.

I heard it said one time powerless pulpits are result of prayerless pews.

That's reality. A n n n n i e I had a had an individual in my last church and and I preach not preach my heart out and and the way out the door and he said pastor that sermon was was horrible what he told me horrible sir. You couldn't reach your way out of a paper bag. And so as he's shaking my head shaking my hand saying this and I said, let me ask you a question. Did you pray for me this week to get a good sermon? He didn't say a word and I said well next time don't complain if you're not willing to pray.

You know, I think reality we pray because we have faith in God we have faith that God is going to literally We need to be praying for the church. We need to pray for the ministries of the church. We need to be praying for God to flood this place with people. Wendy Gatlin we live in a community that a t I believe that the right certificate is 89% don't attend church anywhere. 89% I call that a mission field. What do you call it? I think reality. The reason to churches are empty is because we're not on Mission. We need to get on Mission and we need to be on Mission every single day. We need to continue to me on mission to pray because it's evidence of our faith. And then finally we pray and prayer. We release our burdens we give it over to God and we let him have it I think many times. We don't Nestor let things go on. Come on. Will let things go warm it to release our burdens when we pray. Well, let's look at the scripture passage. The last one here is from Ephesians chapter 6 18 through 20 here is what the Apostle Paul writes and pray in the spirit on All Occasions with all kinds of prayers request with this in mind be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth and words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known The Mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in Chains pray that I might declare it fearlessly as I should. Couple things about prayer really quickly. There needs to be a frequency of prayer that number one. We need to pray on All Occasions. Pray in the spirit on All Occasions in other words.

I think sometimes somebody sometimes we limit our prayers to our meal times God to do in the morning is to bless your cornflakes. You're not going to get much.

I'm being serious. But the reality I think you we need to be asking God to do more don't we we need to ask God to do more in a personalized. We need to ask God to do more in our family life. We got to be more in our church lives. You see prayer. First of all is an issue of time because the reality is we often times and I'm going to be honest I get busy.

I understand.

Sometimes I think I'm so busy. God sees me go by and he says who was that guy?

You see we don't we say we don't have time to pray.

Here's the problem. We don't make time for God. Why should he make time for us?

It's not really an issue of time as soon as she was business. Isn't it? Cuz I I don't mean this the wrong way, but there are times when I get my calendar so full. I don't understand where I'm whether I'm coming or going. Yes, I'm an idiot. Thanks for not saying that and it again thanks for not saying amen when I said it but the truth of the matter is that it's an issue with time.

I read one time that if Satan can't make you bad he will make you busy.

Because it has the same effect.

Prayers an issue of totality and what I mean by that we need to put everything we are into it. It's not something we we have our scraps of time and we throw it in and we'd be something we throw our whole being into when we pray we are to give everything we are to it because the truth of the matter I argue five minutes of genuine prayer is worth more than five hours of preaching.

Because here's what happens when we genuinely Pray when we throw our all into it and we're praying and we're praying our heart out God moves in those moments.

And prayers and issue of tuning and what I mean by that is when you think about frequency in the radio. You have to get it to the right frequency to get the radio stations to come in, right? You got to get on the same frequency with God and the only way to get on the frame. Same frequent sweet with God is to do it more often. I think sometimes in the morning. I'm good for the rest of the day. Then that'll be the beginning of the day. Not the end of it. You see, I think sometimes if we don't spend time with God throughout the day. We get into all sorts of trouble. I I can remember driving out to camp this week. And and and I we were almost in an accident. We were in the in the church van and I hit the brick all the cars in front of us came to a dead stop.

I had to Swerve into the other lane to miss the car in front of me.

The ladies in the back. We're all praying the whole lot harder after that. I'm sure. But the reality is as that's coming I'm praying.

I argue if I hadn't been praying throughout the day. We got to hurt me. I think we need to be praying and so that when those emergency situations come up. We're prayed up and ready to go. We need to deal with the forms in the functions of prayer. There's two things here. When you pray with all kinds of prayers and requests there are forms of prayer and what I mean by that there are types of prayer that there a child support petition that we go to God on behalf of situation right that that we go to God and because they're there is something that's going on in our lives are going in the life of someone else we go to God because of it. We went we send out a petition

We send up a petition before God and a lot of times we think petition is something you go around and sign right. Come on. I had somebody knock on my door not that long ago. And I have no idea who this person is. And Elizabeth, she's like well, maybe they're go.

So I answered the door and they have a clipboard and I'm like, oh, what is this? It's a petition to keep Dollar General from moving into Doylestown II. I don't get it. But anyway, you know, I didn't sign it. By the way with the truth of the matter is that we think petition is something we do know go and collect signatures. What we ought to do is we all look at petition as a means of addressing God. It's going to God and asking for his help.

Praise is a form of Prayer. I argued that we ought to open our prayer times with praise because the truth of the matter is it helps us pray in my opinion helps me pray. I'll just put it that way when I when I sit down and I list things that I need to praise God for it gives me an openness to pray for the other things that I need to be praying for. Answer this whole understanding when we thank God it and Paul says in Philippians. He's at what he thank God every time he remembered them. That there is an understanding that we should be praising God not just for the what he's done before the people. He's put in our life. What are you praising God for the different things that he's doing in the church because God is working in this church.

Come on.

We have to be praising God for what he's doing at Whitney praising and got in advance for what he's going to do. That's it. That's that's a prayer of faith with them. We will praise you for where you haven't done yet because we believe you're going to do something great.

And intercession that this whole understanding we pray on behalf of other people. That we all have people in our lives that we need to pray for, right? Come on. You see how I think sometimes we going to make it intersession list. I can remember my grandmother years and years ago. I would spend the night at her house and and there would be times. I would sleep on the couch and there were times I could hear her in her bedroom. And I the one time I went she was awake in the middle of the night.

And she was talking to herself. Woke me up talking to herself. And I just went to her door and I said Grandma. Would you quit talking to yourself?

I was old enough to know better at that point and I heard from the door. I'm not talking to myself. I'm talking to Jesus and you need to be quiet.

So I went and laid back down and I let her talk to Jesus because I figured here's the reality if I went back. I figured she'd be talking to Jesus about me. But the reality is intersection where I can remember later on here in my grandmother praying. four members of the family I remember. Cuz she was interceding and I argue that my grandmother's prayers are still being answered. And she's been gone almost 20 years.

The truth of the matter is when we pray and we intercede for people that lives beyond our life. Come on, SO with those the forms of prayer the functions of prayers prayers to Thanksgiving that we are to thank God right and praise Thanksgiving that that we are to thank God and I think sometimes we limit Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving. I mean, you know, that's the time to praise God by be thankful everyday adoration. Why do you love God? That's what I direction. Is it showing telling God why you love him?

Why don't we do that more?

Yes part of prayer that's part of of that prayer experience that we ought to be giving over to God telling him why we love him.

And if you don't know why you love God. You need to have a chat conversation with me before you leave this morning.

And we confess.

I don't know about you, but I make stupid mistakes usually on a daily basis. I'm sure nobody is as dumb as I am. I'm sure you're not you all y'all look a whole lot smarter than me.

But reality is this. When we know that we've done wrong. Because here's what happens God convicts us of it. And we need to confess it I argue. This is one of the reasons that a lot of people don't read their Bibles and they don't pray because they don't want to be convicted.

Because if you don't want to ignore it, it's easy if you're not reading the scripture and you're not praying it's easy to ignore your sinfulness. Your stupidness. How come on?

It's not until we confess. Man, it's not going to be this big huge long. Thank God I messed up. Here's the good news. He already knows it's not like somehow I'm going to stun God then tell him how I messed up.

I had a lady in and one of my church is that we were talking about things and she was kind of talking to me about some things and and I said have you talked to God about this and he said she said what he doesn't know.

And I'm like what? I haven't told him so he doesn't know.

And I did one of these moments that I almost smacked my head. And I said you just told me so I know. You know, I'm trying to make this connection, you know, and I know so.

You just got already knew before you told me you might as well. Tell him now. It's not like you're going to surprise him.

UC confession is really about honesty. If you're not willing to confess what you're really saying is God. I'm going to keep lying to you.

Yeah. Now we would never say that we we we would never say it's okay. I'm going to lie to you keep lying to you. Not a problem. We're good. We would never say that but that's all right, but that's reality what we do. Okay. The focus of prayer Pray for all of the saints that we are to pray for one another. Let me say something here really quick. If you don't get along with somebody in the church, cuz I know that doesn't ever happen that there's people that don't get along with each other in church.

Note the sarcasm.

Your first responsibility is to pray for that person.

You understand me. Your first responsibility is to pray for that person.

The second thing is you need to reconcile with that person. If you're not willing to reconcile then be quiet.

I told my last church if you're not willing to reconcile you to shut up about it.

Cuz here's reality if you're not going to pray for him and you're not going to be quiet about it. Then you have no right to say one word.

Just listen to me. One of the things that destroys church is more than anything else is griping and complaining.

usually about one another Now we don't always see eye-to-eye right? Come on. Doesn't mean we have to agree on everything a matter fact, that's not going to happen. Unity is about agreeing to disagree. Come on.

Because prayer increases the strength of the church. It increases the strength of the churches are weak today because they quit playing they quit depending on God to do what he can do. Come on.

If the church is waiting for you better start praying and you better be intentional about it.

What is the holy spirit's presence and power is released what through intentional prayer? The prayer increases the ability to stand we would talk about standing strong and what it takes to stand up for God. We all these eight weeks. Here's the reality. If you're not praying you will never never never never be able to stand. It won't happen. You came faster than anything.

Come on.

Because the reality it went to call the stand is come it's a call to stand until what the call is either given to stand down or your did this it to do things. And the last time I checked.

That means we pray until we die.

prayer increases our stability I see life is unstable. Right? Come on life is incredibly unstable Nothing in life that I already Nothing in life is stable. nothing And so the only thing that we have that is stable and wife is God that he is our Rock and Our Redeemer and when life is unstable we can count on his stability.

Sorry, did I skip one? I'm trying to go back. Fervency, there we go. Sorry. Hey, it helps to have the whole message on line there with this in mind be all alert and always keep praying. That's what happens. When I quit looking at my notes that the whole understanding is fervency that this dishonor say we need to be to be fervent about prayer. That means we need to be passionate about passion. You know what God wants us to be passionate about him. And the last time I checked passion is free. We need to get a whole lot more passionate. We got to get some excitement where I get some energy in this form as he's about persistent. You know what we don't give up. I get really tired. Sometimes people say, you know what we can't do that. You know, what are you kidding me?

I don't mean this the wrong way, but there's sometimes I wonder if we're ready to roll over and die. Let me tell you right now. No way on the shape of this Earth. Am I going to roll over and die?

Listen to me. Listen to me. Listen to me. We got problems, but God's got bigger opportunities. We need to go after the opportunities every opportunity and God gives us we need to go after we need to pursue it. Like the church is life depends on it because it does. We got to get some cash and we got to get some persistence. We got to go after it come on and it begins with training in such a manner that we are praying in such a manner that we want God to move and where is get up from the floor until he does and the fact of the matter is often times. We stop praying right before God unleashes his power. It's so we need to be fervent. And so that means it's about power because when we get fervent that we we start praying like we really mean it and God starts unleashing his power and got start doing things because we seem like we really mean it. I think sometimes half-hearted prayers are pointless.

God I really like you to do this for me. Come on. No, we need a drink. Hey, I need you to help me. I need you to help the church. Come on God you are. You said you'll do this. So prove it. That's fervency. We need to pray in such a manner. We're asking. You know what God you say your unlimited to you. Say your all to me you all powerful prove it you have all the things in all the world. There. Are there some boldness to prayer. I think sometimes we get lily-livered and we stopped and we get yellow. Come on. It's time to quit being Yella.

We got to get some boldness because God wants us to be both for him and were called to stand and fervency is about the presence of God, you know, the reality is when you come into it when you coming to prayer you pray like you mean it God is present in those times and I think sometimes there's been times when I've been in prayer that the church through this kind of praying in.

And Justin is just their empty words. But then there's times when people are praying fervently what we're we're praying and we're praying with everything. We've got and God moves and God comes and falls upon the place and you clock out and it is an unmistakable experience. That's what we need. We need an unmistakable experience with God. So how do we handle prayer? We acknowledge that there are needs. week 9 legit It's called honesty. Come on. We have knowledge that there is needs because prayer accesses the Throne of God the throne of grace that we access God's Throne through prayer. It's not through singing It's not through worship. It's not through anything, but prayer. I think one of the Fitbit that that God's house is called a House of Prayer not a house of preaching.

We have made in God's house about preaching more than it is about prayer.

You realize the church was born in a prayer meeting.

We need to be about prayer that we do on Sunday mornings. We open up we're going to do this morning. It is not good enough to just preach about prayer. We're going to pray this morning. I think I did that last time we talked we weep I preached on prayer. We had a prayer time. The training real reality is are we going to really go after God are we really going to pray and a fervent manner? Are we really going to pray like we want to like we mean to are we really going to go after this?

Because you know what? The last thing I'm going to do is roll over and die. If you want to roll over. I'll kick you on the way out. That's fine. But

just saying

if I'm the only one that does it then I'm the only one that does it but one way or another. We got to be about prayer we're going to ask him to call of God prayer is acting on the call of God's it's an Aiming to lift others up and it's an aid to those who need it that we pray for those who need it until this morning. You know what I've got a song prepared. We're not going to sing as we leave this morning. We're going to pray. It's so this morning if if Lynn if you would come just play something on the on the piano for just a minute. I want everybody to stand this morning. I want to issue a challenge. I want to throw out a challenge.

Are you going to pray like you really mean it? Are you going to pray and ask God to do what he is not done yet in this church. Are you going to go after God are you going to pursue him like your life depends on it? Are you going to pursue him like the life of the church depends on it? Because it does. So this morning I'm going to go to the altar. I'm going to pray if I Pray by myself, I'll pray by myself, but I sure hope there's a whole lot more than just me.

Linda's going to play for just a couple minutes will let her come to the altar of well if she wants it. So this morning let's pray come join me.