HOW TO PRAY
Romans 8:18-39
by: Pastor Edward Vincent J. Barcial
Philip Yancey is an American Christian author. Fourteen million of his books have been sold worldwide, making him one of the best-selling evangelical Christian authors. Philip Yancey in his book on prayer tells of a young American soldier in Iraq who learns that his wife back home has advanced cervical cancer. Doctors gave a bleak prognosis. In desperation, he sent an urgent email to his church with the request that everyone in turn forward his prayer request to every praying person they knew. The email said, "Pray and forward. It only takes a second to hit "forward." Please don’t delete this, your prayer can and perhaps will save her life. Please pray and ask everyone you know to pray for the HEALING of Cindy, removal of the cancer in her body so she may enjoy all that life has to offer, and continue to be the wonderful mother to our 5-year-old son."
Yancey goes on to ask, "Does prayer operate like a pyramid scheme -- the more people who pray, the more likely the answer? Does a sick woman with who happens to have praying friends stand a better chance for recovery than an equally deserving person who does not?" [Source: Philip Yancey. "Prayer: Does It Make a Difference?" (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006) p. 301. From a sermon by John Hamby, "Praying for Others: The Power of Intercessory Prayer" 6/29/2009]
The address this question, we need to look into the book of James.
James 5:16-18 (NKJV)
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
It says that a (single) person’s prayer avails much. It doesn’t take much to get an answer. But there are qualities we need to see. EFFECTIVE means “according to the WORD of God.” Our prayers must be in line with the Bible and its truth. God will not answer prayers that are fleshly or worldly and totally against the Bible. It has to be according to God’s will for us.
FERVENT means “according to the SPIRIT of God.” Our Biblical prayer must be passionate, earnest and in the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. Religious prayers, although biblical in its content and sound right, are powerless unless we let the Holy Spirit pray through us.
RIGHTEOUS means “according to the CHARACTER of God.” Our lives should reflect the holiness of God. God does not hear sinners because sin is a hindrance to prayer. We must be in righteous relationship with God in order for us to be heard.
Psalms 66:18-20 (NKJV)
If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. 19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!
The verse also continues to mention a single man that availed God’s answer. James tells us about Elijah who is like us in every way and his prayer as A (single, one) man availed heaven’s blessings.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
Let us now learn how to pray effectively by using the Word of God according to the book of Romans.
I. REASONS TO PRAY
1) SUFFERINGS - Our prayer should be the result of suffering and not the means to eliminate it.
Romans 8:18-19 (NKJV)
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
James 5:13a (NKJV) Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.
Jesus went through many sufferings on the cross that qualified Him to be our intercessor.
Isaiah 53:10-12 (NKJV)
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus also suffered and prayed in the Garden before His crucifixion.
Luke 22:44 (NKJV) And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.
2) FUTILITY – God allows futility in our lives so we could always come to Him in prayer for our needs.
Romans 8:20 (NKJV) For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
Are you frustrated in life? Discouraged or disappointed? Be of good courage. Pray without ceasing during futile moments.
3) CORRUPTION – Since we live in an imperfect world, prayer then becomes essential in our lives.
Romans 8:21 (NKJV)
21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
HOW TO PRAY
Our prayer must be accompanied with the right values and attitude. We will mention seven of them.
1) Pray With Hope – There is always a reward in the end. Hope of an answer will keep us going.
Romans 8:24 (NKJV)
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?
2) Pray With Perseverance – Never give up in prayer. Pray until something happens (PUSH).
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
3) Pray With The Spirit – The Holy Spirit will help us because we do not know what to pray for
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
4) Pray With The Promise – God promises that everything will work out in the end.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
5) Pray With Destiny – Jesus is our intercessor today. As we pray, we will be more and more like Him.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Romans 8:16-17 (NKJV) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
6) Pray With Confidence – God is willing to give us all things. This will increase our faith in prayer
Romans 8:31-34 (NKJV)
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
7) Pray With Victory – In Prayer we will overcome all things.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Conclusion: If we fail to pray, remember that Jesus is still praying for us. He will never fail. Our life now is secured.
Luke 22:31-32 (NKJV)
31 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."
1 John 2:1 (NKJV)
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Heb 7:25 (NKJV)
Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Keep on praying! There is power in prayer to our God in Jesus’ name. God bless!
No comments:
Post a Comment