Sermon Tone Analysis

*A Prayer in Need is a Prayer Indeed*

 

Have you ever had a bad day?

Was it written like an old country and western song?

The telephone awoke you, you stubbed your toe on the corner of the doorframe, your lawnmower threw a rock that broke a window, the wash machine sprung a leak, and cable went out right in the midst of a really good movie.

We all go through such days at one time or another.

The Bible warns us in John 16:33, /“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart!

I have overcome the world.”

/1 Peter 4:12 says, /“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”/

Trouble brings about things in our character and experience that readies us for things to come.

It toughens us up.

But here’s point #1 in this teaching, and it’s found in Philippians 4:6: */“Do not be anxious about anything”./*

That means nothing, nota, zilch, not one thing.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune.

Anxiety comes when you expect something bad.

It normally follows a bad decision you’ve made that you want to cover up or be looked over.

Can you recall a time when you did something, and the possible discovery of that action brought nervousness within you?

In Christ Jesus, there isn’t one single thing that you should ever be anxious about.

Yes, you will have concerns in life, and you will be thoughtful in future decisions and actions, but you don’t need to worry.

Remember, once your life has been given over to Jesus, your steps and decisions should be based on the thought Christ-like.

Catch that…who you are, and what you do, and where you go, and how you spend your time should reflect Christ if you are a Christian.

There’s a saying that a pastor once coined, “Why borrow sorrow from tomorrow?”

Matthew 6 tells the story I’ve recently have noted about God supplying our needs, food, clothing and shelter, but he ends that thought with this ending, /“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

(v34)”/

March madness is happening right now.

If one of the teams playing were to begin devising a game plan for the team that they may play if they beat the team on the court right now, what will happen?

Same thought, different people…Kobe Bryant is playing Dwayne Wade in this game right now, and has Lebron James on his mind coming in the next game, or even begins playing Dwayne in the same way he would play Lebron, what do you think will happen?

You see, the devil comes with all sorts of devices to try and tear you down and get you out of the game.

He doesn’t want you to realize what you have in Christ, and the power that you hold when you choose to take up your cross daily.

He wants you to make bad decisions that will discredit you and put you in a position of less or no authority.

And his tactics are from a different angle each time he comes back.

So if you’re focusing on tomorrow, what will he do to you or confuse you with or trick you to do today?

Don’t create for yourself anxieties for tomorrow, and don’t be anxious!!!

Here’s point #2, and it follows the first point in Philippians 4:6, */“but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”/*  Pray!!!  Bathe everything in this life with prayer to God.

Every decision that you make, every storm that comes your way, every concern that you have should be brought to God in prayer for His counsel and guidance.

The scripture says in everything.

Just as I brought out a few weeks ago concerning nothing meaning not one single thing, “in everything” means every single thing, small or great, significant or insignificant.

Every moment of your life should be brought to God.  Think about it.

If you make a habit of bringing everything to God in prayer, do you think that you will find anxiety in your life?

What did Jesus do when he was facing Golgotha?

He humbled himself in prayer.

Before Daniel was thrown into the den of lions, it was prayer that not only brought him there, but kept him through that ordeal and saw his enemies punished for their trickery.

When the armies of the Moabites and Ammonites and others were coming against King Jehoshaphat for war, he resolved to inquire of God what to do and declared a fast for all of Judah.

Remind yourself of a few things that we see (2 Chronicles 20)

1.      who God is

2.      what God has done in the past

3.      what God will do if we seek Him

4.      ask God to help you through your situation

5.      wait on Him

 

Now here is point #3, and it’s mentioned within the second point, “*With thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”*  Faith causes us to believe that the things we bring to God with a sincere heart will not only be heard, but will be answered.

The word thanks is recorded in scripture 125 times.

James says that when we come to God, we must believe and not doubt.

If you offer thanks before you even receive the answer, then you are securing your position of belief in God to come through for you.

Don’t be anxious!!!

Continue in prayer!!!

Be thankful to God!!!

 

A prayer in need is a prayer indeed.

You see, our minds today, whether it be because of what we are taught in churches, or what we see in media, or just our laziness, leads us to think that we only really seek after God in the tough times.

But the fact of the matter is that our every heartbeat should be seeking after God.

Think about my title this morning.

A prayer in need is a prayer indeed.

We are constantly in need.

We take it for granted, and I’ve keyed in on this on the surface on Wednesday nights, but we need God for the next breath, for the next thought, for the ability to bring a fork to our face and eat.

We need God to surround our cars as we drive home.

We need Him to protect or family as they go about day to day activities.

There is not one single thing that we don’t rely on God to see us through.

It is impossible for us to handle anything alone.

We can’t do it.

If God does not see us through the next thing, we are hopeless.

A prayer in need is a prayer indeed.

What do you need knowingly today?

What need do you have of which you have no control?

Jesus is right here waiting for you to respond!!!