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Published February 16, 2005 |
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Prayer: The Lost Art
Do we still believe in prayer?
Do we still believe that prayer moves God? Why Don't
we Pray?
I Thes. 5:17-18
Pray without ceasing. In every thing
give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you.
I am convinced that the most critical element of
religion is swiftly becoming a lost art. The most
powerful tool ever introduced to the church, by the
Son of God himself, is in danger of distinction. We
suffer today in our Pentecostal Holiness Churches,
because we fail to teach and practice that this
important element is what has born every revival
that has ever been born throughout the history of
the world. Never has there ever been a move of God,
except God was moved by PRAYER.
I Tim. 2:8
I will therefore that men pray
everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and
doubting.
James 5:16
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come
boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Matt. 6:6
When thou prayest, enter into
thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray
to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father
which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Matt. 7:7
Ask, and shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
John 14:14 If
ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.
John 15:7
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye
shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto
you.
James 5:15 And the prayer of
faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise
him up, and if he committed sins, they shall be
forgiven him.
James 5:17,18 Elias was a
man subject to like passions as we are, and he
prayed earnestly that it might not rain , and it
rained not on the earth by the space of three years
and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven
gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
I John 5:14,15 And this is
the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask
anything according to His will, he heareth us. And
if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask, we
know that we have the petitions that we desired of
him.
Luke wrote and said, "Men ought always to Pray
and not to faint."
I am persuaded to believe that backsliding,
lukewarmness, coldness and indifference, is all a
result of the lost art of Prayer. Prayer is not
popular in our churches today. The desire to tarry
in prayer is not present in our altars, and because
of the lack of prayer we have a lack of Power, and
because of a lack of Power, we have no increase.
Prayer will cause our churches to thrive with the
heartbeat of God. Prayer will bring conviction that
will deliver the sinner and cause them to desire to
be like God. OH THAT MEN WOULD PRAY! There is power
in prayer.
Prayer is our communion with God. We would Know
more about God if we prayed more to God. Daniel was
a man who was committed to prayer. The bible says,
v.3)
" An excellent spirit was in him;
v.4)
They could find none occasion nor fault;
forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any
error or fault found in him.
He was a man that had his mind made up that he would
pray if he prayed right by his self. He opened his
window toward Jerusalem and prayed three times a
day.
Acts 16:25 And at midnight
Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto
God and the prisoners heard them.
v.26)
And suddenly there was a great
earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison
were shaken: and immediately all the doors were
opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
I Kings 18:36 And it came to pass
at the time of the offering of the evening
sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and
said, Lord God of Abraham, Issac, and of Israel, let
it be known this day that thou art God in Israel,
and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all
these things at thy word.
v.37)
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know
that thou art the Lord God, and that thou has turned
their heart back again.
v.38)
Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the
burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and
the dust and licked up the water that was in the
trench.
v.39) And
when all the people saw it, they fell on their
faces: and they said, The Lord, He is the God, the
Lord, He is the God.
Elijah prayed with a sincere heart, and a burning
fervency to reach the heart of God for the people.
It going to take praying with great desire of
fervency to replace this lost art in our churches
today.
- Abraham - was known as the man of Prayer.
- Moses - was known as the mighty intercessor.
- Elijah - was known as the praying prophet.
- Hezekiah - was known as the praying king.
- Ezra - was known as the praying reformer.
- Nehemiah - was known as the praying builder.
- Samuel - was known as the child of prayer.
- Daniel - was known as the praying captive.
- Paul - was known as the teacher of prayer.
- In Acts 2
we see the church involved in Prayer and Revival.
- In Acts 3
we see the Results of Prayer and Revival.
Prayer is the strength and power of our churches
today.
Prayer is the key that unlocks the door that we
cannot see.
Prayer is the key to every revival.
Prayer will cause us to love one another.
Prayer will bring unity in our churches and among
our churches.
God is moved by prayer: E. M. Bounds once said. "
Anything God can do; Prayer can do. "
A preacher friend of mine once said. "If you
don't have a time to pray; you don't have time to
pray."
Take time to Pray!
When fears and foes distress you,
And tiresome toils oppress you,
Then The Master waits to bless you,
If you'll take time to pray.
Take time to Pray!
Come what there may
To stand in the way:
Look often to Jesus,
And take time to Pray."
My prayer today is that we stir ourselves to
PRAY.
In His Service,
Pastor Donald Pierce |
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Scripture References |
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I Thes.
5:17-18
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I
Timothy 2:8
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James
5:16
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Hebrews
4:16
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Matthew
6:6
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Matthew
7:7
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John
14:14
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John
15:7
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John
5:15,17-18
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I John
5:14-15
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Acts
16:25-26
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I Kings
18:36-39
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Acts 2
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Acts 3
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