CG Sermon (April 23-27, 2008)
WHY WE SHOULD PRAY
In the coming weeks, we want our cell group meetings to be times where we can encounter God in prayer.
We want to increase the level of prayer corporately and also individually.
- It is in times of prayer that we build our relationship and communion with the Lord.
- It is also through prayer that we can lift our burdens to the Lord.
There are many, many reasons for and benefits of prayer.
THREE REASONS WHY WE SHOULD PRAY:
1. I pray because God wants to meet with me.
If God has a “need,” it will be His desire to fellowship with us.
Why? Because we are His sons and daughters.
God created Man so that we can have fellowship with Him.
- Many times, we are so busy doing God's work that we have no time to fellowship with him.
- Ministry unto the Lord must come before ministry unto the people.
In prayer, we’re not only telling God our prayer requests, we are ministering to Him as we spend time with Him.
It is essential that you first serve God in prayer.
- Just like in a marriage, when you love your husband or wife, you want to fellowship together and you put your partner first.
- If you put your work first and your partner second, then the fellowship will be broken and things will happen in a bad way.
Lk. 10:41
“And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are
worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’”
Some people say, “I have no time to read the Bible, meditate upon it, or talk to God.”
The issue is, should you serve others first and then serve God? Or should you serve God first?”
- You must put God first. We are called to serve God first.
If you make the decision to put God first, you will have the power, wisdom and anointing of God to do all the rest of the things.
Matt. 6:33
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Acts 13:2-3
“As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said,
‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I
have called them.’ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.”
Paul and Barnabas were fasting, praying and ministering to the Lord; not serving the people.
- As you serve God, you will also begin to hear from God.
So prayer is pleasing God; it is the way you minister to God and fellowship with Him.
- God has a “need” that can only be satisfied by you.
- Even the angels cannot satisfy God the way we can.
Only Man was created in the image and likeness of God.
- Only Man can really touch God through prayer.
2. I pray to maintain the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
One of the ways we do that is to pray in the Spirit.
- When you speak in tongues inspired by the Holy Spirit, it is very refreshing.
- And there is a power that comes from the depths of your being (your spirit), from your stomach (your belly).
- Don’t pray in tongues mechanically.
- When you pray in the Spirit, pray with a sense of purpose and
focus on God.
- Engage with the Holy Spirit, because He is praying through you.
People who just pray in tongues in the flesh … only their lips are moving, but their hearts are not engaged and there is no significant activity in the realm of the Spirit.
So we pray in the Spirit to keep the fullness of the Holy Spirit every
day.
- If you don't pray enough every day, you can't maintain the
fullness of the Holy Spirit or meet the daily challenges of life.
- If you don’t pray, you will not be able to have victory over
temptation and the devil.
Mark 14:37-38
There is power in tarrying in God’s presence in prayer.
When we pray more than one hour, we become an open channel for the Holy Spirit to flow through.
If we are constantly filled with the fullness of the Spirit, the power of the Holy Spirit will also flow through us
- When we pray for and touch the sick, the sick will recover.
- When we pray for the oppressed, they will be set free.
- Our prayers will carry weight and our prayers will be effective.
3. Through prayer, I can win the lost.
Prayer is very necessary for evangelism.
Many people try to make evangelism successful through their programs.
- It won’t work because we are not fighting against blood and
flesh.
- We are actually fighting for the souls of people in the spirit
realm.
Eph.6:12
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Mark 3:27
“No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods,
unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder
his house.”
In a while’s time, we will be praying for the lost as a cell group.
CONCLUSION
Here are some points on how we should pray:
1. In prayer, we must be clear about what we want.
- You must make your goals very clear, very definite, so that God's power may be directed toward those goals.
2. When you pray, you need to pray with your heart.
Many people try to use repetitive language in their prayers, but it is not the many words in prayer that gives it power.
If the prayers are not from the depths of your heart, they lose their power.
3. When you pray, you present your burdens to the Lord.
When your prayers have no focus and direction, and it is not a prayer that the Holy Spirit is impressing upon your heart to pray, it is not a “heartfelt” prayer. If the prayer doesn’t touch you, it won't touch God.
4. When you pray in the Spirit, learn also to pray with understanding.
When you are praying in tongues, listen to the Holy Spirit and learn to let Him pray through you with understanding.
5. When you pray, be persistent for something that God is impressing in your heart until you sense a breakthrough.
- As you concentrate your prayer on one matter, it can
become very powerful like a laser beam and you can break the power of Satan.
Hey CG, lets really pray for the lost souls! Really felt that this is the key to our breakthrough! Want to thank you for making this happen last week! Cg-16 Svc-18! Praise the Lord! We have been constantly hitting our target but lets not be satisfied ya?
Also, wei, i know that you are praying for us as well! What we are experiencing here is also partly because of your prayer! So do continue to keep each other in prayer! Amen?=)
-Peien-
