Victory Life KY

What's My Prayer Life Look Like III

Episode Summary

In its simplest form, prayer is fellowship with the Almighty, our Father. But at a closer look, it’s how a human, born of the spirit, navigates that world.

Episode Notes

• In its simplest form, prayer is fellowship with the Almighty, our Father. But at a closer look, it’s how a human, born of the spirit, navigates that world.

• It’s so much more than simply asking God for something. Remember, our English word prayer is used a number of ways in the Hebrew and Greek language: intercede, petition, fellowship, worship, meditate, communion.

• Over the years, something I've recognized is that many wonderfully born again Christians are simply not comfortable praying. Especially publicly.

• Here's just a few reasons: I'm not use to it. It doesn't make sense. I don't know what to say. I'll do it if things get to serious. Everybody's listening to me. What if I mess up? God knows my heart.

• Truth is, until we take some steps of faith and try, we'll always be uncomfortable with the unknown.

• And when it comes to the subject of prayer, it's going to be very difficult to be successful at something we're not sure of.

• So, wherever you're at currently in your faith journey, wouldn't you agree we should all stay open to what God has for us?

• This why we all need to continue growing in our prayer life.

• It's how we entered our new life in Christ. And it's how we're suppose to live our new lives in Him.

• Think about it, according to Hebrews we're told to come boldly to the throne of Grace.

• And because God created us to believe, faith has to be at the center of everything we do, especially in the area of prayer. Hebrews make it clear, it’s really the only way we can even come to God. According to Jesus, Moses, and Paul, it’s how we’re designed to live our new lives in Him.

• 2 Peter 1:12-13,MSG- Because the stakes are so high, even though you’re up-to-date on all this truth and practice it inside and out, I’m not going to let up for a minute in calling you to attention before it. This is the post to which I’ve been assigned—keeping you alert with frequent reminders—and I’m sticking to it as long as I live. 

• Until we get the faith part of our new life settled, when it comes to the things of the Spirit, like prayer, we will constantly question it’s realities.

• I cannot over emphasis maintaining a confident faith attitude in our prayer life.

• And make no mistake, our enemy knows this, and will be relentless at distracting us. This is why it is absolutely vital we have a clear understanding of the fact that we are 100% righteous in Christ.

• I believe Paul is giving us an excellent example of a proper faith attitude for an effective prayer life.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:16,NKJV- REJOICE always, PRAY without ceasing, in everything GIVE THANKS, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

• Philippians 4,MSG- Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
• So don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. 

• Think about it, if our prayer life is established on faith, then we should be rejoicing because faith already has the answer. And if we know we’ve already got the answer, then why wouldn’t we be thankful? Why wouldn’t we celebrate?

• Now just like this natural world exists according to natural law, the spirit world exists according to spiritual law, according to God’s divinely instituted order. In other words, His Kingdom.

• And when it comes to anything pertaining to God’s Kingdom, including a healthy, successful prayer life, faith is the only way! Remember, Paul tells us, “the same way we got in is how we live in this new world.”

• Mark 11:22-25,NKJV- “So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 
• For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 
• Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 
• “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”

• Remember, unforgiveness hinders faith.

• Unfortunately, out of habit and religious tradition, instead of accepting our God ordained instructions, too many of us continue going to God about things He told us to deal with.

• v.23, For assuredly, I say to you, WHOEVER says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but BELIEVES that those things HE SAYS will be done, he will have WHATEVER HE SAYS.

• “Believe you receive it” this is faith, a heartfelt conviction based on the fact that we trust what God says.

• v.24, Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask WHEN YOU PRAY, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

• Now I’m not talking about some kind of mind game where we’re pretending something’s real that isn’t.

• I’m talking about functioning in a world beyond our natural one. The just shall live by faith.

• Hebrews makes it very clear, “those who come to God must believe...”

• 1 John 5:14-15,NKJV-  “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

• The moment the born again actually choose to believe we have divine access to God’s world, our faith goes into action.

• Remember, it didn’t profit them not being mixed with faith. Faith is what gives us the ability to bring the realities of God’s world into ours.

• Believing connects us to God’s ever existing power. That’s what faith is.

• Faith is the bridge between the two worlds. According to Hebrews, faith is substance of things, hoped for, evidence of things not seen.

• But because God only has imperfect people to work through, many times His power is hindered because of our unbelief.

• Truth is, many simply haven’t accepted the fact that it’s really this simple, “Only Believe”

• Seriously, as we’re transformed, our believing starts overriding doubt and we start seeing greater results.

• And this is why ultimately, an effective prayer life has to be built around our personal fellowship with our Father.

• John 15:7,MSG- If you make yourselves at home with Me and My words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon.

• Everything pertaining to the Kingdom of God has to be established and supported by God’s word. It is the believers source of truth. It’s God’s play book for an effective prayer life.

• There’s a real world in operation on the other side of our three dimensional world we live in.

• And just like there are natural laws, there are also spiritual laws that have been put in place by God.

• And a big part of our prayer life is learning how to navigate the world of the spirit. A world you and I have been born into. This is why Paul tells us in Romans that those who live according to the spirit set their mind on things of the spirit.

• And the only way into the spirit is according to what we believe, in other words, our faith.

• Remember in Mark, Jesus could do no mighty works in His home town and He marveled because of their unbelief.MSG- He couldn’t get over their stubbornness. 

• Hebrews 3:12,MSG- Watch your step, friends. Make sure there’s no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God.

• I’m convinced that Jesus’ instructions in Mark 11 are some of His foundational principles for exercising our born again nature.
• Speak to your mountain 
• Believe you receive

• Unfortunately, out of habit and religious tradition, instead of accepting God ordained instructions, too many of us continue going to God about things He told us to deal with.

• The moment the born again actually choose to believe, we have divine access to God’s world, with the ability to bring its realities into our world.

• So when it comes to our prayer life, it's going to be very difficult to be successful at something we're not sure of.

• I know I probably come back to this point in almost every sermon, but if faith isn't a functioning part of our Christianity, chances are, our Christianity is pretty shallow.

• Seriously, how can you pray to a God that you're not even sure about?

• I can promise you this, you will continue being uncomfortable with a world you constantly question the realities of.

• Not to mention the fact that human nature can't help but fight against the things of God. The NT reminds us that they actually war against each other.

• This is why Hebrews tells us that our faith in God is the foundation under everything that makes life worth living.

• It goes on to say, "Those who come to God must believe that He is, and that He's a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

• Proverbs 3:5-6,MSG- Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD ’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! 

• A big part of a life of faith is accepting the fact that God's never going to ask us to do something we can't, or that He hasn’t already grace us to do.

• This is Paul's point to us from Galatians, "I live my new life, still in my humanity, by the faith in Christ."

• And the more we keep our eyes on Jesus, the more we are transformed into His image.

• Here's a revelation, what if we asked God to help us with our prayer life?

• And just like we develop natural communication skills, Christians can develop spiritual communication skills.