The Power of Your Prayer

The Power of Your Prayer

Cuba Mission Every Year around 1st week of June Teach Bible school graduates, local pastors/leaders Preach @ house churches Interested in going next year? Talk with Pastor Fred Be a part this time through: • Prayer • Missions Donation Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

A Celebration! Celebrated my 21st anniversary Vacation Monday 8th thru Thursday 18th Anniversary Song Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Condition of Families Our family is our “true wealth” • True Wealth = Anything money can’t buy AND death can’t take Statistics pointing to dysfunctional families (includes Christians) • 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes • 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes • 85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes • 80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes • 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Family Is A Foundation Families are being divided and destroyed Marriages are broken Christians are passively allowing their own families to be divided and destroyed We are losing ground fast! Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

What Can I Do? Will You remain idle? How Can I Start To Change My Family? (James 4:9) Be miserable and mourn and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. • Why does the Bible say to be miserable? • Doesn’t God want us to have joy and happiness in our life? • What does this verse mean? Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

What Must Be Done? The most significant events on Earth birthed from Anguish An example in Nehemiah: (Neh 1:3-4) They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.” When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

It Starts With Anguish Nehemiah was in deep anguish about the condition of Jerusalem and his people • Jerusalem & the temple had been crushed and burned to the ground • Deeply anguished over their condition, he began to mourn and weep for his city and his people Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Nehemiah Was Just A Normal Person Nehemiah was not a prophet or priest: He was: • Just a working man • But a praying man • A God-fearing man • A man with faith • A man with a deep burden for the condition of his people • Willing to die for the restoration of his people and his land Your family IS YOUR land! Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Nehemiah Was Just A Regular Person Nehemiah was not a prophet or priest: He was: • Just a working man • But a praying man • A God-fearing man • A man with faith • A man with a deep burden for the condition of his people • Willing to die for the restoration of his people and his land Your family IS YOUR land! Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

God Can Restore Nehemiah surveys the land • It was in ruins • Crushed and burned beyond repair The hand of God moved • Nehemiah’s passion, vision and drive was contagious • It led his people to rebuild the protective wall around Jerusalem in 52 days • Restoration was birthed from Nehemiah’s burden and anguish Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Your AnguishMoves God (John 11:32-44) Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They *said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?” So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus *said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus *said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go” • You are liberated in Jesus presence. Chains cannot bind & death loses its grip! Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Anguish Saves Lives The night before Jesus was crucified… • Jesus was in deep anguish for all Humanity • He began to pray for all of us (Luke 22:44) And being in agony He was praying very fervently: and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground • The most significant event on earth occurred afterward Jesus sacrificed Himself for all humanity & was resurrected for us to be liberated from the chains of death and destruction! (Play Video) Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

How Badly Do You Want Restoration? How deep is your burden and anguish for: • Your friends? • Your family? • Your children? • Your marriage? • Your church? • Your own condition? Restoring Hope in our Community Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

It begins with deep passion and anguish • Do you care enough to move God? • Christians say, “there is power in prayer” • Not quite correct…”Prayer IS Power” • You hold the key to move: • Our Creator’s will into action • Our Redeemer’s grace into Your situation • The Holy Spirit into action for healing Restoration Starts In You!

The Power of Your Prayer