sermon on prayer changes things

sermon on prayer changes things

It’s why a secularist will see the world according to one set of facts while a religionist will “know” a different set of facts. when they had prayed and after they prayed in verse 31 it say's the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. However this doesn't mean that prayer changes only spiritual things. Prayer Changes Things A Sermon on Matthew 7:7-11 The story is told of a young boy who wanted $100 very badly. Canvass bought in a garage sale with quotation in it, “Prayer Changes Things.” It was place in the dining area but it was always removed by someone until the wife discovered that it was her husband and he asked why, the husband said, “I lie it but I don’t like to change.”) Thus, this promised rain indicates that there had been repentance. So it is with prayer in the life of the believer. A fruitful church is required to pray. A well-known preacher began his message by stating thunderously, "Prayer doesn't change God." He prayed for a long time, but nothing happened. As he prayed, he kept sending his servant to check the horizon for clouds, and only on the seventh reconnaissance was a cloud finally spotted. We should view God’s answer as a means to a fruitful, productive, providential end. The church needs to return to the example of Elijah. If you can give Him rest there is very little reason to believe that He will answer. And if we are living according to His righteous standard, then our prayers will be for His glory, not for our own comfort. Of course, it is perfectly true that God changes things, but He often chooses to do so through the prayers of His people. The type of changes for which we pray can, after all, only come by the power of God! If we do not, then we will not receive God-initiated produce. Having heard this confession of faith, Elijah immediately commanded that the false prophets be executed. Of course, it is often difficult for us to know for sure whether our prayers will be answered affirmatively, but if we have a burden to pray for something let us pray for it. This is the certainty behind Hezekiah's prayer: The Lord alone is God, the maker of all things and ruler of all things. My answer is standard: If you are burdened about their salvation then pray for them! He sent forth lightning, fire and rain. ... not matter goes on in our lives that God still care for us—and through that divine communication we believe that God things, other people, situations that we face—but more so that anything else, we pray that God changes us. Elijah prayed for some great things—drought, rain, restoration of life, fire from heaven, etc.—but throughout you see a man who clearly understood his own helplessness. Prayer Does NOT Change Things In one sense, prayer doesn’t change things. James 5:17 tells us that Elijah “prayed earnestly.” Literally, this reads, “In praying Elijah prayed.” That is, he began to pray (for that which he had just promised to Ahab!) He was sinful (just like us), and had clear moments of weakness (just as we do), but he was nevertheless singular. The principle, of course, extends far beyond just conversions. During the drought which preceded this, things had gone from bad to desperately worse in Samaria, the home of Ahab and Jezebel. Does the ground seem bare? As the text of 1 Kings 17 opens, Elijah appears quite unexpectedly on the scene. The glory of God and the good of His people were on the heart of this man. This man, who in nature was like us, was used by God to bring life and joy into a home. I cannot guarantee that He will heal you, but I can tell you that prayer can change things! But the apostle has also defined the type of person that Elijah was: “a righteous man” (v. 16). It’s that prayer of faith that changes things that James talks about in our lesson. Isaiah 37:16 makes this crystal-clear. For Christians, two of the most common New Year's resolutions are to spend more time reading the Bible and to spend more time in prayer. And when it eventually came, the landscape that formerly looked so dry and barren came to life. After many days, the lack of rain had so effected the land that the brook dried up and Elijah was told to go and find shelter at the home of a widow and her son at Zarephath—a Gentile household. Does Prayer Really Change Things? To make it more personal, “Prayer Changes Me!” At times our situation even remains the same; but we are different. Elijah prayed again and again until the rain came. ILLUS: One night my 11-year-old daughter Eva noticed I was distracted as I tucked her in to bed. November 21, 2020. Required fields are marked * Comment. This brings us to our second point of application, which is that our prayers must be motivated by the glory of God. We have read nothing of him until this point, and thus know nothing of his background. Prayer Changes Things (1 of 2) Mark Baker Philippians 4:6 Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. It didn’t seem too likely that “an abundance of rain” was contained in that cloud, but it was better than nothing. That is, we are quick to dismiss those common little ditties that abound in Christendom without giving much thought as to their validity. We do not see the conversions that we would like to see. You see, I believe that God initiates prayer, and when He initiates it He answers it! James, an apostle, tells us this in these closing words of his inspired epistle. His parents and his upbringing are a complete mystery, but we do know that his name means “My God is Yahweh,” and this is significant in light of the religious climate in which he ministered. Elijah prayed and the boy revived. One common heresy (“open theism”) is that God doesn’t know the future and only responds to it like a chess player. When we pray our motivation must look beyond the immediate. Steven Swets Prayer Changes Things That is, we should desire produce as provision for others. James McLeod James 5:16 The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working (James 5:16). Each begins with a different starting point. ? Prayer Changes Things. “Fervent” does not mean frantic; instead, it speaks of prayer that is resolutely fixed on the glory and the character of God. “And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (v. 18). Elijah’s word came to pass just as he said: 18:1 informs us that the land was rainless for some three years, while James states that this lasted for three years and six months months (see also Luke 4:25). In Canaanite superstition, “Baal was the storm and fertility god who bestowed upon man and soil the blessings of fruitfulness. He gave grain and oil and wine. prayer not only changes things; it changes lives The easiest way for me to illustrate God's provision for us, is to compare it to a buffet banquet. When the Disciples ask why they couldn’t drive out a particularly powerful demon, Jesus responds, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). "Prayer doesn't change circumstances," he bellowed. Nevertheless, when we don’t have a specific “word” concerning a matter then let us pray boldly until either God answers or changes our request. That’s quite clear: prayer changes things, things outside of ourselves; it even changes the course of history. Elijah begged God to answer his prayer, not so that he could save face, but so that people would see that He was God. Thus, in order for our prayers to be effective, we must be righteous. Again, these were words of faith, and this faith was soon to be honoured as the sky began to darken. That is, the answer to the prayer—the presence of water—was a means to an end; an end that would glorify God and benefit others. Specifically, he does so by pointing to the prayer life of an Old Testament righteous man, the prophet Elijah. We know that God is sovereign and that He will always work things the way that He wants them to be. It alters our perspective and changes the way we us our God-given faculties. Things changed! Elijah certainly refused to accept the status quo and, once again, we must follow his example. (This is significant in itself, for ravens were unclean animals!) The false prophets were in a frenzy, and began to lance themselves in an attempt to get the attention of their god. Many tables, loaded with the best foods sits in the middle of the room and guests help themselves at will. Furthermore, he openly rebelled against the revealed Word of God by issuing the decree for the rebuilding of Jericho (16:34; cf. It just doesn’t work. PRAYER CHANGES THINGS!!!! The significance of this cannot be underestimated. SUBJECT: Worship TITLE:To Pray Effectively PROPOSITION: To understand how to pray we must understand the Character, Circumstance, Content, and Consequences of prayer. A sermon preached on Sunday morning May 16, 2010 At the Bakers Creek Baptist church by James Carl Jones pastor. Nor is James alone in teaching this. To be sure, the land still had plenty of potential, but without the rain the mere potential could feed no one. One example of this is the cliché, “Prayer changes things.”. And so our prayers must always look beyond our own immediate needs to the needs of others and to the glory of God in the extension of His kingdom. Your email address will not be published. When Elijah sent his assistant the seventh time (I wonder what he was thinking!) His reign, then, was characterised in every way by blatant rebellion against God’s Word. When God sent the rain in response to Elijah’s prayer, it was not only Elijah who benefited. Prayer Changes Things . Download Service Schedule (20 December) (PDF). Things were in fact so bad that a royal search was made throughout the surrounding regions to see if there was any area where they might find grass to feed their ever diminishing supply of livestock (18:2b-6). Paul T. Murphy Prayer Changes Things If you are a believer, you are indwelt by the Spirit and have the promise of God that, through Jesus Christ, He will save you from your sins! In many cases we are right to do so. The entire covenant community benefited from the answered prayers of one man. and as time went on and the ground remained dry, he really prayed! Yes, we want to see our spouse and children saved, but our ultimate motivation must be greater than that: It must ultimately be the glory of God and the extension of His kingdom. Be encouraged that prayer can change things! With that said, there are times when prayer results in awesome results. Let us then pray fervently that God would be glorified and others would come to worship Him; for after all, “Yahweh, He is the God,” and He most certainly changes things! The famine had made it impossible for the harvesting of any produce. After a brief encounter with a fellow God-fearer (18:7-16) Elijah stood once again before King Ahab. I … In this study we return to James 5:16-18 for what will probably be the final time as we consider once again the important issue of prayer in the life of the church. So often we think of prayer as the means by which THINGS will change, but in reality it usually changes us and thereby things change! Prayer changes things, starting with the one who prays. And ultimately God was glorified as people repented of their idolatry and turned to Him. What follows highlights how serious the situation became. Those things that are lifeless and fruitless in our lives can be changed, by God, in response to the fervent prayers of His righteous people. And so it must be for you and me! Interestingly, Elijah said to Ahab, “There is a sound of abundance of rain” (18:41). Prayer Changes Things A Sermon on Matthew 7:7-11 The story is told of a young boy who wanted $100 very badly. Parents often ask me how they know whether their children are elect. Fourth, we must learn to look beyond the obvious, for things can indeed change! II. Elijah then stood before Ahab to tell him that rain was coming (18:41-46). Ahab was a godless man and, if anything, his wife Jezebel was even worse. After all, if Elijah is our example (to encourage us to pray) then we must understand all that we can concerning the circumstances of his prayer. The text is Acts 2:42. Even as a child I understood that the rain did not contain the seed itself, but that the water was used by God to nourish the potential that was already in the earth, which produced the beauty that was associated with May. When the postal authorities received...read more “My God is Yahweh” is what his name declared, and he lived up to that name, even when the world around him seemed to be crying, “Our god is Baal!”. Elijah prayed in a time when the ground was barren, and as we survey the evangelical world around us we often conclude the same. He suggested that they cry louder, for perhaps their god was busy (and couldn’t do two things at once); or perhaps he was sleeping and must be roused; or perhaps he was away on a journey (he is not omnipresent). He then issued a challenge to the king to call for all the prophets of Baal and Asherah—950 in total—to Mount Carmel for a showdown of the gods (18:19). Eventually, Elijah called for silence and stepped forth himself. He prayed for a long time, but nothing happened. And we too must pray for things to change so that God can be glorified. In fact, some language scholars suggest that, at one point, Elijah even added the taunt that perhaps their god was busy relieving himself! It is important that we do this, for James tells us that Elijah was just like us, and thus the answers to prayer that he realised can be our experience as well. Send us an email for more information. Sermon on Prayer Changes Things – How to Pray Effectively – Kevin Cauley gives a definition of prayer, shows where to pray, and shows what to pray for. That is, his eye was fixed firmly on the glory of God. As the prophets of Baal and Asherah danced around and pray in a frenzied state, Elijah stood by mocking them. After some three years Elijah was commanded by God to go once again before Ahab to tell him that God would send rain (18:1-2a). “Prayer doesn’t change things,” he continued. Those things that are lifeless and fruitless in our lives can be changed, by God, in response to the fervent prayers of His righteous people. Are you battling with a physical ailment? Joshua 6:26). He could revive the dead, heal the sick, and grant blessings f progeny” (Dale Ralph Davis). And when we pray for certain things to happen, we don’t fully know the mind of the Lord. The audience fell to a hush with an eerie silence. Elijah wisely and boldly rejected this accusation and pointed his prophetic finger in the face of the ungodly king, “I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim” (18:17-18). But it was all to no avail. The Lord heard and answered, and fire fell from heaven, consuming the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the water! Summary: This sermon helps us understand that if we live for God, Prayer is an effective way to overcome. "Prayer changes us." 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