"THE BASIS OF A POWERFUL PRAYER LIFE" By: RC Blakes, Jr.

                                                    

 HEAVENS CALL TO PRAYER

     “The Basis of A Powerful Prayer Life”   

One of the most unfortunate occurrences of the spirit of religion taking over the church is that people have been conditioned to believe that prayer is something somebody else does for me. The reality is that prayer is very personal and informal. Prayer is the missing link of the Christian experience.

 To increase and nurture your prayer life is to change your world physically, emotionally and spiritually.

THE BASIS OF A POWERFUL PRAYER LIFE:

1.    PRAYER IS BASED ON SUPERNATURAL COMMUNICATION

 

Supernatural indicates that it is communication that transcends the natural realm. Prayer is a privilege reserved for those who have a spirit that can connect and relate to God. Dogs and cats can’t pray because they don’t have the capacity to connect to God’s frequency, only man.

 GENESIS 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

In the image of God speaks to the idea of man having the power to relate to God. Because man was created like God he is the only part of God’s creation that has the potential of interacting with God. Man is the only creation with a relatable spirit to God.

 

JOB 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

There is a built in frequency within man that connects to God. This is why man is the only part of creation that has a conscience. He feels bad when he does wrong and he feels good when he does right. Unaware, man is in contact with God before he knows it. Man is the only earthly creation that is also supernatural.

 

IMPACT POINT! God Created Man for Communion; When Man Fails To Communicate With God He Forfeits the Greater Part of His Purpose

 

ILLUSTRATION: In Will Smith’s movie he was alone after all of mankind seemed to be extinct. He would talk on a certain radio frequency in hopes that someone somewhere would be on that same frequency and talk back to him. God too, is on the radio of our hearts waiting for us to tune in and communicate with him through prayer.

Prayer does not come easily to the individual because it is an exercise that calls for one to step outside of your own abilities and to live above your common sense. It’s the call to release from self-reliance and to throw your-self completely into the care of God.

IMPACT POINT!  The Only Frequency That God Speaks On Is Faith; Faith Is the Supernatural Channel

The only way we can answer the call to biblical prayer is to come to God in faitrh. Prayer is not an exercise in hope; rather it is an action of confidence and assurance

HEBREWS 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The text outlines three areas where faith must be demonstrated to tap in to God’s frequency through prayer.

“Must Believe That He Is”

You must have faith in God’s existence. If you truly believe that he’s there why so many cares? A powerful prayer life begins where certainty of God’s presence is absolute.

1 PETER 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for He careth for you.

You cannot cast cares until you’re certain that God is there.

IMPACT POINT! You Must Pray To Know He’s There and You Have To Know      He’s There To Pray.

The more time you spend with God in prayer and worship the more sensitive your heart becomes to God.

“Must Have Faith That He Is A Rewarder”

To tap into the supernatural frequency of God in prayer requires having a confidence that God is benevolent in His nature; he will gladly bless those that petition.

1 JOHN 5:14-15

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Prayer moves to a different level when the one praying actually believes that God will do what he promised.

TRUE STORY:

There’s a pastor who allowed his youth department to sell pancakes to raise money for a four thousand dollar missions trip. They worked for hours to raise half of the money. God spoke to the pastor and asked him: “can I provide for my mission?” The pastor told the church that they would no longer sell pancakes to fund the trip. He also stated that he believed God for the other half of the money. That weekend one family gave the other two thousand dollars. By trusting God he got in a moment what took them many hours of manual labor to produce. It happened when he believed that God would do it.

 “Must Have Faith To Keep Trusting When It Doesn’t Happen Right Away”

The text says that we must believe that he is “a rewarder of those that diligently seek him”. This means that prayer requires pressing in when things don’t happen in your time. Can you stay the course and not get discouraged when days turn into weeks and weeks months?

IMPACT POINT! The Supernatural Power Of God Often Calls For Pursuit

JAMES 5:16 Confess 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.

The term fervent prayer speaks of a prayer that burns hot and does not cool or stop. When prayer is burning and continuous it produces results.

ILLUSTRATION: In reading the miracles of Jesus through the New Testament one will discover that most of Jesus’ miracles were worked as the result of people diligently pursuing him. He rarely sought people and scarcely was he easily accessed.

  

Most people had to overcome obstacles to tap into his power. We too must understand that God calls us into fervent pursuit through prayer.

  1.    PRAYER IS PETITIONING THE ONLY SOVEREIGN BEING

When we pray effectively we put our lives and circumstances in the care of the only one that actually has the power to do something.

IMPACT POINT! We Often Make the Error of Putting Our Confidence In People Who Really Don’t Matter When The One That Actually Calls The Shots Is Available To Hear Our Petition

PROVERBS 29:25-26

25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

26 Many seek the ruler's favour; but every man's judgment cometh from the LORD.

IMPACT POINT! You Can Save Yourself A Lot Of Time By Going To God First.

God is the only one that can answer your prayers; in fact, even when others seem to be your source it is really God using them to do his work.

EPHESIANS 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

IMPACT POINT! Because He Is Sovereign He Does What He Wants, When He Wants To and How He Wants To

When it comes to prayer God will only entertain our petitions when they are according to His will.

1 JOHN 5:14-15

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

 

IMPACT POINT! Since His Will Is Paramount In His Positive Response It Behooves Us To Know His Will; The More Word We Know The More Effective Our Prayer Life

1.    GOD HAS SERVANTS TO MANIFEST HIS WILL

In the process of God answering our petitions it’s important to understand that God uses certain agents to deliver his favor into our lives.

IMPACT POINT! God Uses People As Agents Of Blessing

LUKE 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.

God will use men to bless you monetarily and for other situations God has dispatched angels to manifest his will in your life.

HEBREWS 1:14

14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?