Why Prayer Matters |
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| Message Series - When God's People Pray | |
| Written by Dan Walker | |
| March 09, 2008 | |
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Many people think that things happen in the world simply by chance or luck. What effect could prayer have on chance? God's Word teaches us that nothing happens by chance, God is in control of everything. And even more astounding than that, is the fact that God does nothing but in answer to prayer. In other words, God has limited Himself to only moving in the world in response to the prayer of believers. Amos 3:7 (NIV) Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. God reveals his plans to his servants so that they can cooperate in prayer with God to bring those plans into reality. In the Old Testament, the prophets were limited to a few people who walked with God. In the New Testament, Jesus said. John 15:15 (NIV) I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. If you're a believer this morning, Jesus calls you a friend. He wants to share with you His plans for your life, for the lives of people around you, for your church and for your country. Why would He want to do that? So that you can bring those plans into reality through prayer. Remember what we are to pray in the Lord's prayer. Matthew 6:10 (NIV) Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We are to pray for God's will, His plan or purpose to be done on earth. This is not just praying for the distant future when Jesus comes back again. This is praying for today, tomorrow and next month. And if you and I don't pray, God's plans are not going to happen, at least not in our lifetime. Prayer matter because it changes things, in fact, prayer can change everything. To better help you understand the power of prayer, look at what God said to Ezekiel. Ezekiel 22:30-31 (NIV) "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. So I will pour out my wrath on them ... declares the Sovereign LORD." God was looking for someone to pray for spiritual restoration in Jerusalem, but He could find no one. So the judgment came on the city. Whether peopel pray or not matters, prayer can change history. Message Audio |
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Today I want to talk about "Why Prayer Matters." I believe that prayer is the most powerful force for change in the world. Prayer is the force that shapes world events and changes history on the global scale. On the individual scale, prayer rescues lives that are destined for failure and death. Yet, for many believers, prayer is simply an afterthought. If we've tried everything else, we might as well pray, it can't hurt.
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