Our Great Commission
Part One - Prayer
gtcotr/ss081306
There is a world of difference between humanistic optimism and true biblical hope.
Humanistic optimism is about to run it’s course and will again leave us empty and without answers.
However, it is when humanistic optimism leaves us with empty and unfulfilled promises that true biblical hope has its best day.
God not only has the answers … God is the answer.
In these days of trouble it is imperative we develop a biblical world view and a great commission culture.
Today I want us to focus on one facet of our great commission. Our desperate need for:
Prayer
Key Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ (NKJV)
Prayer Works! God has designed prayer to work.
This is what our great commission demands.
It is our Christian duty to meet people wherever they are and take them to the place of prayer.
If we don’t take them, the trials of life or tragedies of death will.
The story of Cornelius, the Centurion.
Text: Acts 10 NKJV
1 ¶ There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,
2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.
3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!"
4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.
Cornelius was a good man:
* He was devout: meaning seriously committed to religious practices.
* He feared God. (reverence, honor and worship)
* He led his family and servants to respect God
* He was a generous giver, helping the poor and needy
* He was committed to prayer
* Yet he was not a Jew, neither was he a Believer in Jesus as Messiah. Neither a Jew nor a Christian - yet!
* But God was impressed with him.
> Not with his position in life
> But with his heart of giving and habit of prayer
Something moved the hand of God on Cornelius’ behalf. What got God’s attention? I believe God’s response was an answer to prayer.
Prayer Works!
A similar thing happened in Acts 12, when the Apostle Peter found himself in prison, guarded by four squads of soldiers, chained between two guards the night before his planned trial.
Acts 12:5 ¶ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. (NIV)
Verse 7 says that in response to the prayer, God sent an angel and delivered Peter from his captors.
The church prayer meeting for Peter’s deliverance was interrupted by delivered Peter knocking at their door. No one believed it was actually him but when he continued knocking they opened the door and were shocked.
What was the prayer meeting shocked about? Heaven answered.
Prayer works!
Prayer worked when Cornelius prayed for himself
Prayer worked when the Church prayed for others
Prayer works in all sorts of situations, changing minds, hearts and circumstances of life. Prayer works out in the open and behind the scenes.
When Jesus spoke The Great Commission he intended for His disciples to carry it out. However, they did not until it was birthed into the earth during an intense prayer meeting we read about in Acts 2.
120 people who no longer had any reason to be optimistic about their future, people who had been to their worst day and were living in their darkest nightmare, people who were locked up, seemingly at the mercy of their enemies, afraid to go outside and say anything, --- these people took their troubles to God in prayer and heaven answered. God sent the Holy Spirit to a prayer meeting.
It happened again in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas were in jail. In their midnight hour they lifted up their voices to God in prayer and praise. Heaven responded and the earth shook. Their prison doors were opened and the souls of many were saved.
Everyone that night from the jailers to the prisoners became witness to the powerful affects of prayer.
Prayer Works!
Prayer or praying is referred to 165 times in the New Testament.
We are told to pray for everything from our national leaders to our personal enemies and to pray without ceasing.
We are told that God’s house should be known as a house of prayer.
If you follow the footsteps of Jesus you will find him going from one place of prayer to the next, working miracles in between.
In Luke 6 we find Jesus going out alone and praying all night long.
In Luke 9, Jesus is transformed while He is praying to God.
Sometimes prayer changes us and sometimes it changes others.
However, no matter the situation or need: Prayer Works!
You see, prayer is not a mystery, it is simply talking to God.
There is a serious famine of prayer in church, families and personal lives today. I believe this is about to change.
The amount of prayer in our life may just reflect the amount of God in our life.
Would you like God to be more active in your life? Would you like heaven’s intervention in your situations and circumstances? Would you like angels on assignment working on your behalf? Would you like to have the power, motivation, inspiration and ability to change where you need to and to change others when they need it?
Then you need to pray.
This fall I will be teaching a series on Wednesday evenings entitled “Lord, Teach Us To Pray”. For now, let me encourage you to begin a life of prayer. It is a part of our great commission.
* Start talking to God today. And remember: Prayer Works!
