Monday January 21st, 2013

You are Always Just One Prayer Away from a Miracle

Our scripture from last nights service: 1 John 5:14-15  

"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

Points to ponder:

1.) Quote from Adrian Rogers: "Nothing lies outside the reach of prayer except that which lies outside the will of God."

2.) God always, always, always knows what's best for you!

3.) John 15:7  ^"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

4.) You are never too old, too young, too poor, too sick, or too insignificant to go after dreams that God has planted in your heart.

Prayer Notebook Assignment

Those of you who attended last nights service received a notebook. This is going to be a prayer and a dream log. It is your personal diary of what God wants to do in your life, and also a place to date and document when and how He is answering your prayers. 

What to do.

1.) Go to God in prayer and repent of any sin in your life. Empty the vaults. He knows everything anyway but it is up to us to come clean and ask for forgiveness and strength to change. I mentioned 10 hindrances to prayer last night. They are listed after this assignment for you to look at again. Check over the list. What do you need to change or go to God about?

2.) Pray to God and ask Him to plant a big, huge, "Only God can make this happen" dream in your heart.  This may take some time. You cannot rush God. Everything will be done in His time, that we cannot change. 

3.) You can begin your notebook immediately by writing down all the prayers you are seeking an answer to right now. Date the prayer. Then stay with the prayer until you get an answer. Then write down how God answered and the date He answered.

This is a discipline. It will help you focus on your prayer life. I am hoping we will have some people volunteer some of their praise reports and how God moved and answered some of their prayers. This is faith building.

Over the next several weeks, if you stay with us I can assure you your prayer life will change and develop into a daily power source in your life. I also request that each of you pray for me as your pastor, and our church. Ask God to bless us and to show us what He wants us to accomplish for His Kingdom. 

Prayer is how we connect to Gods wisdom and power. Become a prayer warrior and let the power of God change the path of your life into a miraculous, and glorious journey.  

God has a plan for your life!  Love, Pastor Kent

PS if you missed the service this past Sunday no worries. I will have a notebook for you the next time you attend. You can catch up with the sermons on the website. See you next Sunday.

10 Hindrances of Prayer

1. Praying without knowing God through Jesus

John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

2.Praying from an unrepentant heart

Psalm 66:18

If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;but God has surely listened  and heard my voice in prayer.

3. Praying for show

Matthew 6:5-6

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

4. Praying repetitive, empty words

Matthew 6:7-8

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

5. Prayers not prayed

James 4:2

You do not have, because you do not ask God

6. Praying with a lustful heart

James 4:3

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

7. Praying while mistreating your spouse

1 Peter 3:7

Be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

8. Praying while ignoring the poor

Proverbs 21:13

If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,  he too will cry out and not be answered.

9. Praying with bitterness in your heart towards someone

Mark 11:25-26

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses

10.Praying with a faithless heart

James 1:6-8

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

This list is borrowed from a web blog called "The Heavenly Homemaker."