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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!

POWER FILLED CHRISTIAN LIVING

INTRODUCTION

The poverty and powerlessness of the average Christian can be found in James 4:2. Why do we make such poor progress in our Christian lives, why is there so little fruit in our ministries, why is there so little power in our lives and service? I wonder could it be our neglect of prayer?

God has provided a life of power for every child of His. He has put His own infinite power at our disposal and has proclaimed over and over in a great variety of ways in His Word, “Ask and it will be given to you.”

The first Christians were men and women of tremendous power. For example, let’s consider the Apostles Peter and John. Look at the power they had both in their lives and in their work.

There was opposition in those days that would make any that we might encounter appear like child’s play, but the work went right on.

I believe the secret to their power was that they gave themselves to prayer! However, it was more than the leaders of the early church who had power in life and service, it was the Church itself. (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:24, 29-31)

The secret of this fullness of power in life and service is found in their prayers–“they continued steadfastly in prayers.”

God delights to answer prayer:

Psalm 50:15–“Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

There is a place where strength can always be renewed. That place is the presence of the Lord.

The average Christian spends little time in prayer! We are too busy to pray. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little.

The power of God is lacking in our lives and in our work. We do not have because we do not ask.

Satan does not care if we build our buildings, have our Sunday schools, have our Church services, or whatever we might decide to have as long as we do not bring the power of almighty God into them by earnest, persistent, and believing prayer.

The Devil is not afraid of organizations; he is only afraid of God.

Our day is characterized by the increase of man’s machinery and the decrease of God’s power sought and obtained by prayer.

However, prayer can accomplish as much as it ever did if we will just pray.

I.        PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO BRING US A TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF OURSELVES AND OUR NEEDS!

              (PSALM 139:23-24)

Nothing is more necessary than for us to know ourselves: our weaknesses, our sinfulness, our selfishness; how that in us–that is to say, in our flesh–dwelleth no good thing.

Lives of power have usually begun with a revelation of the utter powerlessness and worthlessness of self.

In Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah saw a vision of the Almighty and cried out, “Woe is me. . .” .

In Exodus 3, Moses met God at the burning bush and God emptied him of his self-confidence. Moses saw his utter unfitness for the Lord’s work and God showed him the need to depend on the Lord.

In Job 42, Job met God at the end of his days of suffering and complaining.

After seeing and hearing from God, this is what he said and concerning himself, “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

If we are to have fullness of power, it is necessary that we see ourselves as we are by nature and in the flesh.

This is accomplished through prayer. The prayer found here in Psalm 139:23-24 needs to be repeated often. Once is not enough.

As we pray in this manner, we will come to see ourselves as God sees us. Then there should be an emptying of self, making room for God to work in our lives.

PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO BRING US A TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF OURSELVES AND OUR NEEDS!

II.        PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO CLEANSE OUR HEARTS FROM SIN!

            (PSALM 51; PSALM 19:12-13)

               A.         From Known Sins. (Psalm 51)

In answer to David’s prayer after his disastrous fall with Bathsheba, God washed him thoroughly from his iniquity and cleansed him from his sin.

After sin had robbed him of his peace and joy, David finally went to God in prayer!

Many have fought for days, months, and years against sins that have been marring their lives and sapping their spiritual power. Sins that seem unconquerable can be laid in the dust through prayer!

               B.         From Secret Sins. (Psalm 19:12)

Even sins unknown to the sinner, which have robbed him of power, have been discovered and rooted out through prayer.

III.        PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO HOLD US UP IN OUR GOINGS AND TO GIVE US VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION!

               (PSALM 17:5; LUKE 11:4; 22:40)

The Psalmist prayed in Psalm 17:5–“Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.”

The disciples were taught to pray in Luke 11:4–“And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”

The disciples did not heed Jesus’ warning in Luke 22:40–“Pray that ye enter not into temptation.”

They slept when they should have prayed, and when the temptation came a few hours later they failed utterly.

But, Jesus spent the night in prayer. Then the next day, when the fiercest temptation that ever attacked a man swept down on Him, He gloriously triumphed!

We can be victorious over every temptation if we will prepare for it and meet it with prayer.

IV.       PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO GOVERN OUR TONGUES! (JAMES 3:8; PSALM 141:3)

Many Christians who have desired fullness of power in Christian life and service have found themselves kept from it by unruly tongues.

James 3:8–“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

But while no man can tame it, God can and will, in answer to believing prayer.

If one will earnestly pray in faith as David prayed in Psalm 141:3– “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips,” God will do it!

Many unruly tongues have been brought into subjection through this prayer.

Tongues that are as sharp as a sword can learn to speak words of gentleness and grace.

True prayer can tame the unruliest tongue because true prayer brings into play the power of Him with whom nothing is impossible.

V.           PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO BRING US WISDOM!

               (PSALM 25:4; 86:11; 119:33; PSALM 143:10; JAMES 1:5)

James 1:5–“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. . .and it shall be given him.”

No promise could be more explicit than that. We can have wisdom, the wisdom of God Himself, whenever we ask for it!

God does not intend for us to grope in darkness. He puts His own infinite wisdom at our disposal.

All He desires is that we ask, and “ask in faith”. Many of us are stumbling in our own foolishness, instead of walking in His wisdom, simply because we do not ask.

               Psalm 25:4–“Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.”

Psalm 86:11–“Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.”

               Psalm 119:33–“Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes.”

Psalm 143:10–“Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”

VI.        PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO OPEN OUR EYES TO BEHOLD WONDROUS THINGS OUT OF GOD’S WORD!

            (PSALM 119:18)

Psalm 119:18-- “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”

It is wonderful how the Bible opens up to someone who looks to God in earnest prayer to interpret it for him.

Prayer will do more than a theological education to make the Bible an open book. Only people of prayer can understand the Bible.

VII.      PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO BRING THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT’S POWER INTO OUR HEARTS AND

             LIVES AND OUR WORK FOR GOD! (EPHESIANS 3:14-19)

               We need to pray to be emptied and then pray to be filled.

VIII.    PRAYER HAS THE POWER TO BRING SALVATION TO OTHERS. (ROMANS 10:1; 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-4)

The man or woman of prayer can have power in their own lives and service as well as bring about power in the life and service of others.

Prayer succeeds in attaining the salvation of others where every other effort fails.

There have been countless instances where men and women, seemingly beyond all hope, have been converted in unmistakable answer to prayer.

The power of prayer reaches across the sea and around the earth. We can contribute to the conversion of the heathen and the evangelization of the world by our prayers.

Although more men and more money could certainly be used for mission work, its greatest need is prayer.

CONCLUSION

Prayer is what will bring blessing on a Church–it will settle Church quarrels, root out heresy, and bring revival down from God.

Prayer will bring wisdom and power to ministers of the Gospel. Prayer can transform a poor preacher into a good one. If you are not satisfied with me as your pastor, don’t talk my shortcomings and failures to others. Talk to God about me! Pray for me!

Keep on praying for me and soon God will make me a better minister.

Little do many Christians realize how much they can influence the preaching their pastor gives them by their prayer or neglect of prayer.

There is mighty power in prayer! It has much to do with our obtaining fullness of power in Christian life and service. Whoever will not take time for prayer may as well give up all hope of obtaining the fullness of power God has for him. (Isaiah 40:31-32)

True prayer takes time and thought, but ultimately, it is the great time-saver. 

If we are to know the fullness of power, we must be men and women of prayer.

Home Page   Contact Us    Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD