Prevailing Through Prayer
It would be crazy of me not to mention and congratulate the city for a winning an amazing World Series. In winning the World Series Cleveland was prevented from capturing two of the major sports titles. It was nerve wracking and yet at the same time a wonderful thing to prevail and win.
That's what I want to talk about this morning -prevailing. The specific title of this message is going to be prevailing through prayer.
Prevail
Having superior power or influence.
Effectual
So the focus this morning is on prayer that brings in the superior power and influence of God that produces a dynamic effect.
As I was praying for you, Second City Church, I felt by the Spirit of God to encourage you that God is going to move in some blatant and subtle supernatural ways in your life and the lives of those you know and in those who you have never met. The way we like to say that in church terms is that there's going to be a harvest. God is on the move yet He is inviting us to move with Him. You may find yourself in a place where there is a personal challenge that seems impossible or you may look around and become overwhelmed by the culture in Chicago and lack of receptivity and responsiveness to the hope of the gospel. With God all things are possible and we are able to prevail over personal challenges and culture. One of the keys to this supernatural move is in fact prevailing in prayer.
(NCCU story)
Let's take an exclusive peak into a prayer that prevailed in Acts 4 to discover these dynamics of prevailing prayer.
Luke begins the book of Acts with a story about the resurrected Jesus telling His disciples to wait in the city until they receive a special endowment of power. They do what they know to do which is pray. One day while they are praying during the celebration called Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes in power and fills each of the 120 gathered. Because it was a celebration, many nations were gathered there and Peter shared the gospel and 3000 people got baptized. Sometime shortly after this, Peter and John are going up to the Temple at the hour of prayer and they see a man at the gate called Beautiful who is lame. They reach out there hands to him to help him get up in Jesus' name and he gets miraculously healed. Many people witness this healing and know this man because he was lame for 40 years. They marvel at Peter and John and the miracle they performed. He shares the gospel with them and many believed and became followers of Christ -approximately 2000 more men bring the number to 5000 in men alone and plus 120. The rulers in Jerusalem came and heard them telling people about Jesus and were angry because they thought they already dealt with him. They arrested them and asked them by what power did you heal this man. Peter shares the gospel again. The rulers confer with each other and have nothing to say and decide to release them but warn them to not speak in the name of Jesus any more or something worse will happen. The Christ followers tell them that they can't stop speaking about what they’ve seen and heard. This is where our story picks up:
Acts 4:23-33 ESV
“When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, "'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'— for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”
Main point: There are four dynamics of prevailing prayer that this passage reveals:
Together
Persistent
Biblical
Faith
Together v. 23, 24
Our text says that Peter and John went to their Christ-following friends. They lifted up their voices together. Why did they pray together? A fuller display of Christ comes when we pray together and dynamic power in agreement. It is true that God lives in the individual person who receives Christ in his or her life. However, much of the Bible is written to groups of people who Paul says Christ lives in you plural.
Colossians 1:27 Christ in you all is the hope of glory.
Colossians 2:9 in you all is the fullness of the Godhead
In other words, a fuller expression of Christ’s wisdom and power is displayed when we pray with other followers of Christ. There is dynamic power released when believers agree in prayer. We are better together!
Engagement Testimony Prayers
Do you have friends who you tell what you're facing and pray with them?
Action point: Get with family members, husbands and wives, co-workers, friends. We are better together.
(Story of two women who were going to pray at work).
If you are going to see prayers that prevail you will need to have people who are praying for you and with you.
Persistent v. 24
They lifted their voices immediately. The didn’t sit around wondering what to do. Prayer was a familiar thing for these followers of Christ. Persistence is both passion and consistency. This particular passage in Acts 4 is not the first time disciples prayed.
Jesus taught them in the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:5-14 how…
Prayer is conversation in which you invite God to be involved in your world in a direct way- nothing more or nothing less (doesn’t require a special position- body or organizationally, some special clothes, nonverbal expressions, or vocal tones or language changing). It’s you speaking like you would to someone you honor and who you knew loved you. This prayer or conversation that Jesus taught them was not only about speaking but also and even more so about listening.
There all types of prayers or conversations you can have...adoration, confession, petition, intercession, thanksgiving and heavenly tongues-praying in the spirit.
These Christ followers became aware of all of these types of prayers before our main passage in Acts 4. There is actually a mention of these followers of Christ praying in each preceding chapter:
They prayed at all times and seasons:
Exciting times
“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” Acts 1:14 ESV
Expectation from risen Christ about power!
Mundane times
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”Acts 2:42 ESV
“Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.”Acts 3:1 ESV
Challenging times
Acts 4 (main text)
Crisis should not be the only time we pray because it can be hard to receive God’s guidance. Anxiety and confusion may prevent us from hearing God’s answer for the crisis (airplane story). When you’ve created a familiar space where you’ve heard God before, then it’s easier to hear despite the crisis. Yet if a crisis is where you start to pray, then continue during the mundane times, and the exciting times as well.
Do you have daily scheduled times of prayer?
Action point: We need to schedule regular moments of prayer throughout the day before you start work, when you arrive at work, before you eat a meal, before you go to bed.
When you pray with others and pray persistently, you set yourself up to experience prayers that prevail.
Biblical v.25-26
Something incredibly profound takes place in our main text. These followers of Christ are having a conversation with God and in the middle of their prayer and they use a Bible passage in Psalm 2:1-2 as a reference point for their prayer.
“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed...” Psalms 2:1-2 ESV
Psalm 2:1-2 they believed talked about what Christ experienced and what they were experiencing from these rulers. Why did they use a Bible passage in prayer? The Bible helps us to understand God’s plan and reveals His will.
They understood that praying in light of the Bible, in reference to the Bible, or using Bible Scriptures meant that they were praying in agreement with God's will and plan. Praying in agreement with God’s will and plan makes for a prayer that will prevail. God is not going to release His power and wisdom into something that is not His will. Prayer is really about praying God’s will back to Him.
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1 John 5:14
Deuteronomy 6 story
That Psalm 2:1-2 Bible passage came out of them because they put it inside of their hearts before the challenge and crisis came. What Bible passage or verse have you put in your heart? Do you read the Bible daily? Do you learn about, and memorize scripture?
We should put Bible Scriptures in us and pray them.
When you pray the Bible you can pray boldly because you know that God hears you and will agree with what you are praying because you pray His will. Biblical prayers are likely to be prevailing prayers.
Faith
The choice to pray in Faith: Faith is placing your confidence and trust in God. The depth or strength of your faith is directly related to your view of God.
(Paul)- My God will supply all your needs Phil. 4:13
-according to my gospel my God will judge the living and the dead 2 Tim. 4:1
All things were for him and by him Col. 1:16
Let’s look at how their view of God is expressed through this Acts 4 prayer that prevails:
“And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said….Acts 4:24 ESV
God is personal
He's not an it or an energy, influence, or a force. He is a person that communicates and connects with us.
Prayer strengthens our relationship and connection with God. Prayer provided space to experience God in a real way although He is invisible.
“And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord... Acts 4:24 ESV
God is sovereign
Their perspective of God was that He is on the throne and has superior power and influence over even the nations or leaders.
He has the authority and right to determine affairs, events, and how their prayer got answered.
We have to let God answer our prayers the way He wants to. We often get in trouble when we create a picture in our mind of how God should do something. Most of the time life never ends up the exact way you pictured it. This is the mercy of God -He withholds from you some things that would not have been good for you at the time you asked for them. The mystery of prayer is that God allows us to partner with Him to see His will take place in our life and in the lives of others, yet He does it they way He wants to do it.
(Debt reduction story)
“And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,”Acts 4:24 ESV
God is great
They acknowledge God’s infinite power as the creator. Surely if He makes the heavens and the earth then He can make our situations right and/or make us right in the situations.
Acknowledging God’s greatness lifts us out of impossibilities to possibilities and out of weakness to strength- out of heaviness into joy -out of fear into faith.
(Getting into NCCU with Reverend Page)
Our prayer should not magnify our problems but should magnify God! God deserves the glory because He is great!
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." 4:29-30
God is helper
They understood they needed help and that they could access God's wisdom, power, and goodness as they were faced with challenging situations. As a result, they were a humble people. Humility is a critical part of faith because humility in a person recognizes a need for God and attracts His grace or power.
“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."”James 4:6 ESV
One reason why people don’t prevail in prayer is because they think they got it. That is, they don’t need God to help them. You're trusting in your own strength and ability to fulfill your God given purpose. This is a great misunderstanding of God’s plan for your life and His plan for those you serve (in your different vocations). God’s plan for your life is always going to transcend your natural abilities and talents. What God wants to do in your careers, work, relationships, and your heart is too great for just your own abilities. The Gospel says that no matter how much we try we can never fulfill God’s plan for our life on our own. We need His strength and power. You don’t just need natural, you need you supernatural. When we turn away from trusting in ourselves and our own ability and put our trust in God, He sends the Helper or Holy Spirit to live in our hearts. God is a helper. In whatever challenge you are facing you must believe that God is a helper.
(There was a woman...Story with my mother and noonday prayer and my testimony...)
Conclusion: Don't be discouraged by not seeing immediate results and delays - a harvest is coming. Let's partner with God.
Let's prevail in prayer as we pray…
Together
Persistently
Biblically
Faith
Second City Church: Guest Speaker Reggie Roberson 2016