The Power of Prayer

What is prayer – it is the key that unlocks heavens doors, it is our communication with God. Webster defines prayer as the act of praying, to request, to entreat, to make a petition.

The Lord gave us an example in the Lords’ prayer:

KJV Matthew 6:9-13

 9.  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

 10.  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

 11.  Give us this day our daily bread.

 12.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

 13.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

23 points of the Lords’ prayer.

1. Relationship- Our Father
2. Recognition – which art in heaven
3. Adoration – Hallowed be thy name
4. Anticipation – Thy kingdom come
5. Consecration – thy will be done
6. Universality – in earth
7. Conformity – as it is in heaven
8. Supplications – Give us
9. Definiteness – this day

   10.        Necessity – our daily bread

11.        Penitence – And forgive us

12.        Obligation – our debts

13.        Forgiveness – as we forgive

14.        Love and Mercy – our debtors

15.        Guidance – And lead us

16.        Protection – not into temptation

17.        Salvation – but deliver us

18.        Righteousness – from evil

19.        Faith – for thine is the kingdom

20.        Humility – and the power

21.        Reverence – and the glory

22.        Timelessness – forever

23.        Affirmation – Amen

The first 3 petitions make 7 points about God, the last 4 make 16 about man.

Mt. 7 gives a formula for prayer also.

KJV Matthew 7:7-8

 7.  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

 8.  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

The first letters of ask, seek, and knock spell ‘ask’ and this is exactly what God wants us to do.

To get our answers we must do it through prayer.

1.     To ask implies want.

2.     To seek implies loss.

3.     To knock implies need.

One must ask with confidence and humility

Seek with care and application

Knock with earnestness and perseverance.

A custom in the east was that a door was never opened until the one who knocks was questioned. This is illustrated in the 11^th chapter of Luke verses 5 through 8.

KJV Luke 11:5-8

 5.  And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

 6.  For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

 7.  And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

 8.  I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

Let’s let the Word Speak for itself!

KJV John 15:7

7.  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

KJV Matthew 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.

KJV James 1:5-8

5.  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 6.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

 7.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

 8.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

KJV 1 John 3:22

 22.  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

KJV 1 John 5:14-16

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.

 16.  If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

KJV Mark 11:24

24.  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

KJV Proverbs 8:17

17.  I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

KJV Colossians 3:1-2

1.  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

 2.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

KJV Hebrews 11:6

 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.

KJV 1 Peter 3:11-12

11.  Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

 12.  For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

 These are just a few of the many promises given concerning prayer, the bible say’s concerning prayer that;

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.(Jam. 5:16)

 Just because you don’t think your prayers are being answered, or that God

Is not listening, don’t give up. The praying believer is powerful, and the devil knows this, that’s why he plays mind games with you!

 The scriptures also exhort us to ‘Pray without ceasing’ (1 Thess. 5:17), this is encouraging us to continue in prayer, for instance; if you are used to praying three times a day, continue to do so, even when things get rough, don’t quit, pray on, this is our window of communication with God!

 Jesus also warned about long pretentious prayers, you know fancy flowery praying. Be yourself, treat the Lord with respect, in both living and conversation. Don’t make it all one sided either, wait and listen for the voice and inspiration of the Lord, give God a chance to speak back!

MATTHEW 6:5

  5     ¶  And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

MATTHEW 6:6

  6    But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

MATTHEW 6:7

  7    But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

MATTHEW 6:8

  8    Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.