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Sermon:
"Your Best Communication" Part 2
...a sermon on Prayer
by Chris Cumming
SERMON TWO
ON PRAYER – COMMUNICATING WITH GOD
Intro: On
the first Holy Day I presented Part 1 of this sermon. That whole sermon
was the Introduction to this sermon.
We covered
three specific elements of prayer in that Introduction:
1)
The Lord’s
Prayer Outline
2)
Requirements
for Effective Prayer
3)
Recognizing
God’s Answer to Prayer
Today, we
are going to get into the actual content of a prayer.
My purpose
remains the same as in the first sermon. Let us study these elements of
prayer and…
COMMUNICATE
WITH GOD
Actually,
this sermon, like the first is an outline. Each element could be a
sermon in itself. In fact, it will take me two sermons to present
these 12 elements of prayer. So today is Part 2 of 3 sermons on this
subject
This sermon,
will be available in text form and act as a guide for your further study
into God’s Word.
So let us
begin…
Each element
I will be presenting will be something that you can incorporate into
each of your prayers to God.
Prayer
Element 1: Praise
“The Act of
Divine Adoration”
God says, in
Ps. 50:23
Ps 50:23
23
Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me:
Now notice
the 2nd part of this verse as it has to do with the whole
sermon today…
and to him
that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
The word
“conversation” has oft times been given the meaning “the conduct of our
lives” but it also means “mode of action” . Today we are looking at a
“mode of action”, that is, the way we come before the throne of God and
talk to Him.
This element
of Praise is more than a single aspect of prayer. Praise is a way of
life.
Praise is
the vocal adoration of God. It is the act of rendering divine honor,
esteem and love. The act of vocal adoration is important because it
implies we acknowledge God as God.
It brings us
into immediate and direct contact with God, in the role of servant to
Master, or the created to the Creator.
In Praise we
put God in His rightful position at the very outset of our prayer. In
praising God, we declare His power and nature.
Praise does
another important thing. It takes focus off of us and puts it on God.
Question:
Where do we find God’s presence?
Ps 22:3
3
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.
God
manifests His living presence in the praise-saturated chamber of prayer.
Praise
literally becomes :the fruit of our lips” unto God. Look at Heb. 13:15
Heb 13:15
15 By
him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,
that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Now, let us
quickly look at four things in which we can praise God.
1] Praise
God for His name
Ps 115:1
1
Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy
mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
2] Praise
God for His righteousness
Ps 35:28
28
And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the
day long.
3] Praise
God for His infinite creation
Ps 150:2
2
Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent
greatness. (Whole psalm is about praise)
4] Praise
God for His Word
David prayed
in Ps. 56, “In God will I praise his word”
Look at
Psalms 19 beginning in verse 7
Ps 19:7-9
7
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of
the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment
of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the
LORD are true and righteous altogether.
These are
just 4 areas of praise, but God is without limit therefore, or praise is
limitless.
Prayer
Element 2: Waiting
“The Act of
Total Surrender”
This is a
most vital element of prayer that many do not understand. It is not
“waiting” for an answer.
Imagine
actually coming before the throne of a Great and Mighty King. Right
there on the floor before the actual throne. Would you not be seized by
a moment or two of silence and awe?
Would it not
take you a few moments to collect yourself and focus?
Waiting
before God is basically the silent surrendering of your whole being
before God. Listen to these verses of “waiting”
Ps 52:9
9
…and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.
Ps 62:1
1
Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
Ps 130:6
6
My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning:
I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
Isa 40:31
31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength…
Waiting is
not praise, though it is closely related to praise and flows directly
from it. Praise is verbalizing our esteem of God. Waiting is a time of
silent love.
Waiting
says, God, I love you.”
Waiting is
being alone with God.
Genuine
prayer is not merely asking for things, it is relationship.
Waiting is
about bonding in relationship.
Waiting is
about bringing all your senses into FOCUS. We focus on God. Notice Ps.
46:10 (ff)
Ps 46:10
10 Be
still, and know that I am God….
Notice that,
prayer is not about answers, it’s about God. Prayer is most meaningful
when God is thought of most.
Waiting is
the act of taking a bridge from the physical world to the spiritual
world.
Zech 2:13
13 Be
silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his
holy habitation.
Prayer
Element 3: Confession
“The act of
declared Admission”
Having
honored God with vocal praise and silent love, we find the door now
opens for truly effective praying.
“Confession”
is the spiritual, mental act of bringing our sins before God. It is a
hard thing to do because of a trick of Satan called guilt.
Guilt makes
us feel unworthy. When we feel unworthy we sometimes give up prayer
altogether.
We overcome
guilt by replacing it with Boldness. Come boldly before the throne of
God and bring your sins with you. He knows about them already so there
is nothing to hid.
God gives us
encouragement here. Turn to 1 John 1:9
I Jn 1:9
9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Confession
is a heartfelt recognition of what we are. We do not confess so that
God will know; we confess so that WE will know.
There can be
no healing WITHIN until there is first confession WITHOUT.
Before we
can pray for a change in circumstances, we must pray for a change in
character.
We glorify
God by getting to PRINCIPLE. Sins must be replaced by Godly essence or
fruit which principles are. Turn to Ps. 139 and verse 23
Ps 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my
thoughts:
24
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting.
Notice how
confession results in work only God can do. God does the cleaning.
Want a good
manual on cleaning? Use Ps 51. I will leave this chapter to your
personal study but in it you will see David praying for 4 things:
1] divine
holiness---a clean heart
2] divine
attitude—“renew a right spirit within me.
3] divine
guidance---“cast me not away”
4] the Holy
Spirit—the fruit called principles
Confession
is about cleaning the temple. Do you remember my sermon about the
Pattern of the Temple. Let us look at that pattern a little closer
2 Chr 29:16
(Hezekiah Reopens the Temple)
16
And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to
cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the
temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the
Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.
As we know,
the physical temple was a pattern of the human body where the Holy
Spirit now dwells.
1 Cor
6:19-20
19
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which
is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and
in your spirit, which are God's.
This
confession we do, this cleansing of the Temple is the final step that
leads to confident praying.
TO
COMMUNICATING WITH GOD
Prayer
Element 4: Scripture Praying
“The Act of
Faith Appropriation (seizing)
Although the
Word of God is essential to the whole of our Christian experience, it is
especially crucial to prayer.
The Bible
is, among many great things, a prayer book.
In here (the
Bible) are the words and the promises of God. In here is the outline
for prayer. In here are the prayers of David and Jesus Christ.
To fully
communicate with God, we need this book with us when we pray.
Sometimes, the answers to our prayers are right there in front of us in
the Word of God.
Prayer is
about Faith and this is our Faith book. Turn to Rom 10 and verse 17
Rom 10:17
17 So
then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
In
preparation for prayer we often read in the Word of God. Maybe we study
a specific subject like forgiveness or healing. We meditate on those
words and promises and then take them to God.
E. M. Bounds
once said “Prayer projects faith on God, and God on the world. Only God
can move mountains, but faith and prayer move God.” Notice.
Matt
21:21-22
21
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have
faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig
tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and
be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall
receive.
I want to
give you 4 quick points to scripture praying.
1] When
bringing Scripture into your prayer life, ask God to bless His Word to
your spiritual body, just as He blesses natural food to your physical
body.
2] Examine a
passage from either the Gospels, the Epistles, Psalms or Proverbs. Look
carefully for specific ways to apply each verse to prayer.
3] As you
study a verse (or verses), ask yourself what petition this passage
prompts you to make, or what promise this passage contains that stands
directly behind a specific petition.
4] Develop
actual prayers based on the thoughts and phrases included in a verse (or
verses) of Scripture and offer those prayers confidently to God.
Give the
Word of God its rightful place in your prayers.
Prayer
Element 5: Watching
“The Act of
Mental Awareness”
Most books
on how to pray seldom discuss, or even mention the importance of
“watching” in prayer, yet Christ commanded us to just that. Turn in
your Bibles to Mark. 14 and verse 38
Mark 14:38
38
Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is
ready, but the flesh is weak.
What did
Jesus mean when He said to watch?
The Greek
word for our word watch is gregoreo, which means “to be awake or
vigilant.”
The
dictionary defines watch as “keeping awake in order to guard.” It can
also mean “a close observation” or “to be on the alert.”
To pray
correctly one must be mentally alert and vigilant. Much praying is
hampered by a dull, drowsy frame of mind.
The moment
you begin to pray, Satan will come around to distract you. He will try
to get our mind on something else. Therefore we must be vigilant in
prayer.
It also
denotes our need to “watch” the world around us to be spiritually aware
of the needs of others.
In addition,
it means we must watch world events and praying that God’s will be done.
We should
also watch for “unction” from the Holy Spirit of God. The word
“unction” denotes spiritual communication with and through the Holy
Spirit.
God’s Spirit
helps us to pray. Turn to Romans 8 and verse 26
Rom 8:26-27
26 Likewise 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.
27
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,
because “it” maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of
God.
With and
through the Spirit of God we pray an effective prayer.
When you
pray….Watch.
Prayer
Element 6: Intercession
“The Act of
Earnest Appeal”
Basically,
intercession is prayer offered on behalf of another.
In Genesis
Abraham acts as intercessor between God and Sodom. He is communicating
to God about the people in Sodom.
All through
the time of the temple, the priests would pray for the people.
Moses
pleaded before God for the children of Israel. David too prayed for the
people of Israel.
Of course,
Christ was the greatest of intercessors. Turn to Luke 22 and beginning
in verse 32
Luke
22:31-32
31
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you,
that he may sift you as wheat:
32
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art
converted, strengthen thy brethren.
When we pray
for others, be they our fellow brothers in the faith or for people in
the world, we become an intercessor just like Christ who, even while
being crucified prayed for those who were killing Him.
Luke 23:34
SAYS
34
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
This element
goes hand in hand with the element of “Watching”. I was watching the
news about Kosovo and the refugees. At one point a woman reporter
approached a young, tired, cold and dirty 14 year-old girl and spoke to
here thru an interpreter. She asked, “Do you know what is happening to
you?” She stared at the woman waiting for the interpretation. As the
interpreter finished, she broke into massive tears and my heart was
ripped out. She went straight to the ground falling away from the
reporter and the last look we see is of a poor, broken girl with no
hope.
I cried out
to God for her.
Our prayers
of Intercession are actually prayers given in battle. We are asking God
into intercede between Satan and the person we are praying for.
These
prayers are also prayers of love. It is the truest sense of “giving”.
Notice that
this prayer element comes before those prayers for ourselves.
Pray not
just for people but for the Work of God, for the Plan of God and for
countries here and around the world and their leaders. Notice…
1 Tim 2:1-2
1 I
exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet
and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Be an
intercessor and pray for others.
Well, these
are the first 6 elements of personal prayer. There will be 6 more
presented this Sabbath. I have only given you a brief taste of each
one. We all have much to study.
We also have
much to pray about. As the Bible says, “Pray without ceasing” for when
you do you are ..
…COMMUNICATING WITH GOD
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