"Building a Church Through Outreach"
Power From God
-Part 3-
Adapted from the book "Power from God" by Charles Finney
ELCOG 3/25/07
Text: Matt. 28:18-20
This morning I begin the third week in a very important series about the real purpose of the church, which is to win the lost. I have preached the last two weeks of the importance of each member of this church catching the vision of winning the lost. Many churches enjoy the church service, but despise the mission field. Most Christians are content with the peace of salvation and never pursue the power for God. It is the power of God that gives us the ability to reach the lost. I will remind you of the last two Sundays that Jesus gave the disciples the commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel, but he instructed them to first tarry until they were endued with power. They were given the call to go preach, but had not received the power to fulfill the work. The disciples devoted their lives to the work but they waited for the power before they began the mission. Then after the Holy Ghost fell on them and they received the fire, they left the upper room speaking in new tongues and then the growth began to happen… thousands were saved at the preaching of Christ.
The power is needed for the church of today. We need the power of God to ensure that our words will penetrate the hard hearts of this world. Our words will not be piercing unless we have God’s power. Let us be a group of people that will seek the face of God and tarry until we are endued with power to be successful to complete the task that God has given us!
Today, I want to look at the all important subject of prevailing prayer. Prevailing prayer is that which gets an answer. (Prevail-to become effective through strength or to continue in use) Saying prayers is not offering prevailing prayer. The effectiveness of prayer does not depend so much on quantity as on quality. In many prayer services you can hear cold and formal prayers that never get an answer. You can hear people praying for the outpouring of God’s spirit, but they never really expect it, therefore they never receive it. It becomes words without meaning.
Is Jesus really the Christ? Did he actually teach the Gospels that are attributed to Him? Did prayer really avail to obtain blessings from God? Then why are our prayer meetings so cold and powerless? Maybe the problem is that we do not prevail. Maybe we do not comply with the conditions on which God had promised to hear prayer. Could it be that our prayers are just the kind that God has promised NOT to answer?
Conditions of Having Our Prayers Answered
There are many revealed conditions of having our prayers answered.
1. Expecting to Receive What We Ask For. Faith in God as the one who answers prayers is one condition. This involves the expectation of receiving what we ask for.
Matt. 21:22
22And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Mark 9:23
23Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
There are many scriptures to make this point. Your prayer must start with this one simple fact….God Can!
2. Asking according to God’s Will. When we pray we must ask according to the revealed will of God. Therefore, we not only ask for such things as God is willing to grant, but also the asking in such a state of mind as God can accept. (Why are you asking) I’m afraid that many Christians overlook the state of mind in which God requires them to be as conditions of answering prayers.
1 John 5:14
14And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1 John 5:15
15And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
James 4:3
3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
3. Sincerity. It is plain that sincerity is a condition of prevailing with God. Take for example the phrase, "Thy Kingdom Come" (Matt 6:10) form the Lord’s Prayer. Sincerity in offering this petition implies the whole heart and life devotion of the person asking to the building up of His kingdom. It implies the sincere and thorough consecration of all that we have and all that we are to this end. To utter this petition in any other state of mind involves hypocrisy and is an abomination.
a. The same is true with the next line, "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." (Matt 6:10). God has not promised to hear this petition unless it is sincerely offered. But this sincerity implies a state of mind that accepts the whole revealed will of God, so far as we can understand it, as it is accepted in heaven. It implies a loving, confiding, universal obedience to the whole known will of God, whether that will is revealed in His Word, by His Spirit, or in His providence. It implies that we hold ourselves, and all that we are, to be at God’s disposal as the angles in heaven are. ***If we fall short of this and withhold anything from God, we are regarding iniquity in our hearts and God will not hear us.
b. Sincerity in offering this petition implies a state of entire and universal consecration to God. Anything short of this is withholding from God what is Due to Him. It is turning our ears from hearing the law. What does prov. Say about that?
Prov. 28:9
9He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
What is true for these two petitions is true for all prayer. Do Christians take this to heart? Do they consider that all professed prayer is an abomination if it is not offered in a state of entire consecration of all that we have and all that we are to God. If we pray and our whole life is not dedicated to god and we are not willing to surrender everything to Him, then our prayer is a disgrace to His name.
4. Unselfishness. This is a condition of prevailing prayer.
James 4:3
3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
We can not be selfish when we pray. Our prayers con not be controlled by selfish action as a child refuses to share a toy because of their selfishness. Our prayers need to burn with passion for others, for the lost and for the needs of others. Try praying an unselfish prayer tomorrow and watch what happens.
5. A Clear Conscience. Our mind must be void of offense toward God and man.
1 John 3:20
20For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
1 John 3:21
21Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
1 John 3:22
22And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
We must keep a conscience pure before God and we must keep his commandments
6. A Pure Heart.
Psa. 66:18
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
This is pretty plain and simple. If I have any type of sin n my heart, God will NOT hear me. You can not be a back-bitter and expect God to answer your prayer for power. You can not be living a double life and expect God to shower you with blessings.
7. Confession and Restitution.
Prov. 28:13
13He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
James 5:16
16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
God can not begin to make you useful to the kingdom of God until you are a student of confession. You must be willing to confess your faults. And you must be willing to rebuild some old fences. I know that you don’t want to go to that person that hurt you and that you hurt and ask for forgiveness and make things right, but that is what you are going to have to do in order for God to fill you will his power. You must go to that person that you wronged and make it right. You can not leave that hard word out there with out defusing it. Make it right, so that God can answer your prayer!
8. Clean Hands.
Psa. 26:6
6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:
1 Tim. 2:8
8I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
James 4:8
8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9. Reconciliation among Believers. The settling of disputes and animosities among believers is a condition.
Matt. 5:23
23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Matt. 5:24
24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
10. Humility.
James 4:6
6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
11. Removing Stumbling Blocks.
Ezek. 14:3
3Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?
12. Forgiveness
Matt. 6:12
12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Matt. 6:15
15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
13. A truthful Spirit.
Psa. 51:6
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
If the heart is not in a truthful state, if it is not entirely sincere and unselfish, we regard iniquity in our hearts and god will not hear us.
14. Praying in Christ’s Name
Phil. 2:10
10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Phil. 2:11
11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
15. The Inspiration of the Holy Ghost
Rom. 8:26
26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom. 8:27
27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
This is being led by the spirit in prayer. This is the true spirit of prayer. Do you believe this day that unless we walk and live in the spirit, unless we are taught to pray by the intercession of the spirit in us, we can not prevail with God?
16. Fervency –Great intensity of feeling
James 5:16
16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17. Perseverance
Persistence in prayer is often a condition of prevailing. Daniel continued to pray even though he was told not too. The woman with the issue of blood kept pushing her way in even though she was weak, even though she was broke. She persevered until she touched Jesus.
18. Travail of Soul.
Isa. 66:8
8Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
Gal. 4:19
19My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Travail of soul in prayer is the only real revival prayer. We must be willing to labor in prayer. We must be able to push our way into real prayer. Just like a mom is willing to travail in child birth in order to get the child. The pains of prayer may be hard at times, but life is coming!
19. The Consistent Use of Means. **This is the use of your resources to obtain the object prayed for. This means that if you are praying for souls to be saved then you should be using all your resources to get them saved. Your money, your time, your energy) If you are praying for revival then begin to use your resources to cause revival. If you are praying for the hungry to be fed, get your checkbook out and write a check for food.
20. Specificity. We must be specific. We can not prevail for everything at once. In all cases recorded in the Bible in which prayer was answered, the petitioner prayed for a definite object.
21. Speak from the Heart.
Make no false pretenses. Be as sincere as a child. Have a child like faith. Speak from the inner-heart. Say nothing more or less that what we mean, feel and believe.
22. Watching and Praying in the Holy Spirit
1 Pet. 4:7
7But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
Jude 1:20
20But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Guard against everything that can quench or grieve the Spirit of God in our hearts. Watch for the answer in a state of mind to receive the answer.
I have given you a lot of information in these past two services about prevailing prayer. Will you meet the conditions of having your prayers answered? Let me read you the 22 keys to prevailing prayer…
Watch, pray, believe, and receive. We need the power from God!