1 / 20

GOOD NEWS

GOOD NEWS. Discovering the Direct Link to God– The Good News of Prayer. Review. Believing the Good News Accepting God’s Grace and Mercy Sin’s Awful Curse Choosing to Believe When it’s Unbelievable Find a Purpose Worth Living For Finding Power Over Evil About Health, Wealth, and Healing.

atara
Download Presentation

GOOD NEWS

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. GOOD NEWS Discovering the Direct Link to God– The Good News of Prayer

  2. Review • Believing the Good News • Accepting God’s Grace and Mercy • Sin’s Awful Curse • Choosing to Believe When it’s Unbelievable • Find a Purpose Worth Living For • Finding Power Over Evil • About Health, Wealth, and Healing

  3. 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

  4. Jesus and Prayer • Jesus made prayer a priority – Mark 1:35; 6:46 • Jesus prayed often – Luke 5:16 • Jesus prayed intensely – Luke 6:12; Matt. 26 • Jesus was a man of prayer and himself accessed God through it

  5. Key Prayers of Jesus • At his own baptism – Luke 3:21 • Before calling the twelve apostles – Luke 6:12 • At his transfiguration – Luke 9:29 • In his farewell to apostles – John 17:1-26 • Before the cross in Gethsemane – Matt. 26:36-44 • On the cross – Luke 23:34

  6. So we see Jesus up early in the morning, before daylight, out away from the others in prayer to God. • Mark is a gospel about the good news of Jesus and in chapter one he tells us about Jesus’ early morning prayer. • The Bible has tons to say about prayer. • Probably as many books written on prayers as any other Christian subject. • In our Bible, prayer is often exemplified, it is assumed as part of our walks, and it is commanded. • However, it is not exactly explained. • But it is Good News!!

  7. The Good News of Prayer • Prayer is Not First About You! • Prayer Is About You Though! • It Has a Powerful Effect On a Powerful God!

  8. 1. Prayer is not about you! • Col. 1:16 – For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. • This world is first about God! • Prayer is not about OUR great faith but about our little faith in a great God – Matt. 17:20 – Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustardseed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

  9. Matt. 6 – 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

  10. So… • Prayer is ultimately about surrender to God, not about telling God how to do his own deal! • Prayer is not about some awesome faith, it’s about even weak faith in an awesome God. • Prayer is truly about turning it all over to God in our hearts and agreeing with him and other believers. • Prayer is about HIS power, not YOURS

  11. 2. Prayer is about you! • Gen. 4:26 – At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord. • Rom. 8 – 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

  12. 1 Pet. 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. • John 3:16 – For God so loved the world [you included], that he gave his only Son…

  13. Prayer is Commanded • Matt. 7:7 – Ask and it will be given to you • Matt. 26:41 – Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. • Luke 18:1 – Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. • Eph. 6:18 – Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers. • 1 Thess. 5:17 – Pray continually • James 5:13 – Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.

  14. Some causes for breakdowns • Disobedience – Deut. 1:45; 1 Sam. 14:37; 28:6 • Secret sin – Psalm 66:18 • Open sin – Isa. 59:1-2; Mic. 3:4; John 9:31 • Indifference – Prov. 1:28 • Neglect of mercy – Prov. 21:13 • Stubbornness – Zec. 7:13 • Wavering in unbelief – James 1:6-7 • Self-indulgence – James 4:3

  15. 3. It has a powerful effect on a powerful God! • Rev. 8 – 3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

  16. James 5:16 – The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. • Matt. 17:20 – Nothing will be impossible for you. • John 15:7 – If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. • Acts 4:31 – After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

  17. Conditions for Effective Prayer • Brokenness – 2 Chron. 7:14 – If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. • Wholeheartedness – Jer. 29:13 – You will seek me and fine me when you seek me with all your heart.

  18. Faith – Mk. 11:24 – I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. • Righteousness = a right relationship with God – James 5:16 – The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. • Obedience – 1 John 3:21-22 – 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.

  19. Conclusion • Jesus has given us a direct link with God. • When we are saved any barrier or separation is removed and God sees us as Holy and Blameless (Eph. 1:4) – righteous. • God wants us to pray, expects us to pray, and we have been given direct access to him in prayer. • God cares for you and your concerns. • You can make a difference in prayer!!

  20. And that’s surely good news!! • It’s Not About You! • It Is About You! • It Has a Powerful Effect On a Powerful God!

More Related