Plugged into the Power or Prayer
Two friends were together and went out to lunch. The one said, I bet you 10.00 you don’t know the Lords Prayer! He said, I sure do! I will take you up on that. He began, “Now I lay me down to sleep, Pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I die before I wake, pray the Lord my soul to take.” His friend looked at him and laughed! Ah, reached in his pocket -took out 10.00 and said, I didn’t think you knew it! “
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
Whatever you fear the most reveals where you trust God the least.
What’s interesting is, if we don’t have a secret prayer life, we won’t have much of a public one either.
Prayer is that relational communication with God, not professional communication with God.
Every military strategist will agree that you cannot win a war without troops on the ground, yet when you have air superiority you have a great advantage. Prayer is my air support; and through prayer I have an overwhelming advantage over my enemy. God’s purpose and plans in my life are advanced through prayer.
Acts 4:23-31:
As soon as they were released from custody, Peter and John went to the other believers and explained all that had happened with the high priest and the elders. When the believers heard their report, they raised their voices in unity and prayed, “Lord Yahweh, you are the Lord of all! You created the universe—the earth, the sky, the sea, and everything that is in them. And you spoke by the Holy Spirit through your servant David, our forefather, saying: ‘How dare the nations plan a rebellion, ranting and raging against the Lord Most High? Their foolish plots are futile! Look at how the kings of the earth take their stand, with the rulers scheming and conspiring together against God and his anointed Messiah!’ “In fact, Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with Jews and non-Jews, met together to take their stand against your holy servant, Jesus the Messiah. They did to him all that your purpose and will had determined, according to the destiny you had marked out for him. So now, Lord, listen to their threats to harm us. Empower us, as your servants, to speak the word of God freely and courageously. Stretch out your hand of power through us to heal, and to move in signs and wonders by the name of your holy Son, Jesus!” As they prayed the earth shook beneath them, causing the building they were in to tremble. Each one of them was filled with the Holy Spirit, and they proclaimed the word of God with unrestrained boldness.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PRAY?
The early church was plugged into four specific sources of power that enabled them to “turn the world upside down” for the glory of God. The power that rested on the early church is available to the modern church. We merely need to plug into the same sources of power they used in that day.
Let me show you, from these verses, the sources that empowered the early church. If we want to reach our world for Jesus, and if we want to be all the Lord would have us to be, then we are going to have to plug in to those same power sources today. I want to look into these verses for a few moments today and preach about Plugging Into His Power.
- v. 31
The context of these verses. When the disciples came back from their meeting with the Sanhedrin, the whole assembly came together in prayer,
Acts 4:23-31 As they prayed together, in one mind, the Spirit of God moved upon them and filled them with His presence and power. God honored the prayers of His people when they came together as one, praying for the common good.
I want to point out to you what I believe was the source of their power. I want you to see that the early church was plugged in to a tremendous source of power. I believe that the source of power they found is exactly what we need in our day.
2 Peter 1:3 “God’s divine power has everything we need for life and godliness. This power was given to us through knowledge of the ONE who called us by his own glory and integrity.”
They prayed for boldness in spite of the pending persecution. I find it interesting that God protected them in the proclamation process.
We must seize the opportunities during the lifetime of the opportunity. We must go through the doors while the doors are open.
When threatened, the church responded with a prayer of personal commitment rather than praying against those who were persecuting them.
Their Prayer began with Praise. Praise is about helping us to recognize that God is still on His throne, that He is still all-powerful, and that He is still concerned with the circumstances surrounding the believer.
They prayed for God to grant them boldness in the face of opposition, not to kill the opposition. In other words, their request was for the Lord to help them to do what was right in the face of opposition.
I’m reminded of a scene in one of the Rocky films. Rocky is faced by this gigantic boxer (played by Mr. T) and Mr. T has sought to intimidate Rocky. He gets in Rocky’s face and says “DEAD MEAT!” and Rocky responds boldly, “Go for it!”
Dr. Andrew Newberg of Thomas Jefferson Hospital has been studying the effect of prayer on the human brain for more than 20 years, injecting radioactive dye into subjects and watching what changes inside their heads when they pray.
“You can see it’s all red here when the person is just at rest,” said Newberg, pointing at a computer screen showing brain activity, “but you see it turns into these yellow colors when she’s actually doing prayer.”
These changes, says Newberg, are signs of the power of prayer to heal. Said Newberg, “We see not only changes in the activity levels, but in different neurotransmitters, the chemicals in our brain.”
Because the brain affects basic body functions like heart rate, blood pressure, and the immune system, he said, “there’s evidence to show that by doing these practices, you can cause a lot of different changes all the way throughout the body, which could have a healing effect.”
Newberg, who directs the Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine at Jefferson, thinks medicine and prayer should work hand in hand.
He said it was particularly “fun” to watch what happened inside the brains of a group of Franciscan nuns when they joined together in a meditative prayer. The area of the brain associated with the sense of self began to “shut down,” according to Newberg. “You become connected to God. You become connected to the world,” he said. “Yourself sort of goes away.”
Most of us understand the importance of prayer but many don’t understand what happens when the passion to pray is incorporated in our conscience. I hope that each of us takes time daily to pray for our families, our communities, our church and ourselves. Probably nothing we do in our Christian walk is as important as prayer. Prayer is the secret to the power of God!
Having God is one thing-experiencing God is another. We do not want to be a name only church.
According to Dr. Tony Evans, A Kingdom prayer is the divinely authorized methodology to access heavenly authority for earthly intervention.”
The Apostle Paul has a Prayer for the Ephesians 3
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Note: The Greek word for dwell means “to make oneself at home.” IF we want power in the inner man that changes things, Jesus must not only dwell in you but feel comfortable at home in you.
REPEAT: JESUS MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME IN ME
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Passion Translation “14 So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, 15 the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. (Translated from the Aramaic. It could also be translated “the perfect Father of every people group.” The Greek word for “father” and the word for “family” are quite similar, which indicates that every family finds its source in the Father)
Paul’s father is your father so you can pray the same thing!
16 And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.17 Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.
18–19 Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude[f] of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!
20 Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination![g] He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you. 21 Now we offer up to God all the glorious praise that rises from every church in every generation through Jesus Christ—and all that will yet be manifest through time and eternity. Amen!
This prayer applies to everyone who lacks heavenly power and authority to access heavenly authority for earthly intervention.”
Why is Paul praying like he is? Vs 13 gives us an answer, 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged ( not to lose heart) (Don’t throw in the towel and quit) because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
To lose heart means to be addicted to discouragement.
If we want heavens power, we must create a climate of intimacy.
EPHESIANS 3;16 And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.
“that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” This expands our capacity to house his presence
1.) We have been given great promises in prayer:
2.) We have been given clear instruction in prayer:
3.We have even been commanded to pray:
We have been given great promises in prayer:
Matt. 7:7-8; ““Ask, and the gift is yours. Seek, and you’ll discover. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 For every persistent one will get what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he longs for. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.”
Jer. 33:3; “3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” NIV
John 14:13-14; For I will do whatever you ask me to do when you ask me in my name. And that is how the Son will show what the Father is really like and bring glory to him. 14 Ask me anything in my name, and I will do it for you!”
James 5:16; 16 Confess and acknowledge how you have offended one another[, (As translated from the Aramaic, which uses a word that can be translated “faults” or “folly” or “offenses.” The Critical Greek text is “confess your sins.”) and then pray for one another to be instantly healed, (RESTORED) for tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer (Or “energized prayer,” a prayer within a prayer.) of a godly believer!
1 John 5:13-15. 13 I’ve written this letter to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you will be assured and know without a doubt that you have eternal life.14 Since we have this confidence, we can also have great boldness before him, for if we ask anything agreeable to his will, he will hear us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we also know that we have obtained the requests we ask of him.
2.) We have been given clear instruction in prayer:
Luke 11:1-5; 11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father,[a]hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.[b]3 Give us each day our daily bread.4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c]And lead us not into temptation.
(Some manuscripts temptation, but deliver us from the evil one)
Thy Kingdom come is one of the pillars of what I like to say is the disciple’s prayer. Why? One pillar is “forgive us our sins” which Jesus is sinless so it can’t be “The Lord’s Prayer”
Note: While many feel it is their moral obligation to be a warning light as a doomsday herald, I believe in a victorious eschatology. I pray for more prophetic voices to announce the arrival of a king.
You become what you focus on:
There is so much going on behind the scenes right now. We have a tendency of focusing on the drop of the curtain as the end of the show but there is about to be a curtain call! An encore if you will.
I have always believed that as we ascend into the glory realm and hear what God is saying rather than what fear is saying, our perspective of end time events is altered.
I believe that through prayer God will give us a strategy to counteract this fear-based plague of anxiety that has infected the minds of many believers.
We know what the devil wants but what does God want? He is all about rescuing, redeeming and restoring.
We get so discouraged when we hear what we can’t do. Then we Stop!
I say pray through it, push through and go into the realm of what we can do.
The future is not the present! Do what you can when you can.
Sean Feucht is a prime example:
Salvations change everything. So let us pray thy kingdom come and be established.
Matt. 6:5-8. 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
3.) We have even been commanded to pray:
1 This. 5:17; Pray continually
Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up
Eph. 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
We do pray, but we do not often pray like the early church prayed. We usually resort to prayer when we are shaken; they prayed to be shaken. We pray, but not fervently. We pray, but not specifically. We pray, but not in one accord. We pray, but not as a group.
We are well taught in our theology, in our doctrine and in our organization. But, we come up short in the school of prayer. If we would have the power of God resting on us in these days, we must learn to make use of the resource of prayer. Not just as individuals, locked away from one another, but we need to learn to pray corporately.
We learn to pray by praying. We learn to pray by asking God for the impossible and believing that He will send it to us. We learn to pray by reading the Word of God and praying it back to Him in faith.
The early church had the power of God on them because they prayed together. When they called, God heard and answered. ( Acts 4:31; Acts 12:5 The church went into a season of intense intercession, The Greek phrase used here for “intense intercession” means “to stretch tightly in prayer.”)
They did not live by or from fear. They were faith filled and full of life. They lived from Heaven’s perspective because that’s where their citizenship was.
If you are afraid of death you are afraid of the end times. If you are full of life and live from the realm of heaven, then death is nothing more than a comma in the journey of everlasting life!
∙ God still hears and answers the prayers of His people!
