When you and I pray powerful things happen show me the transcript of your prayer and I
will tell you the trajectory of your life there is nothing but nothing more powerful than prayer
it is the most powerful thing in the universe nothing can take the place of prayer
I believe that prayer is the most under and least utilized gift that God ever gave the church
we have no understanding of the amount of power we possess when we pray but we do not pray
it is the most overlooked and underutilized resource in the Christian church today
how was the New Testament Church built prayer what brought revival fires in
the past prayer what healed the sick prayer what conquered the enemy prayer
the things that you're wishing were different don't complain about them pray about them
things you want to see change pray about them you and I are what our prayers are
our Christian life cannot be divorced from our prayer life if our prayer life is weak
our Christian life is weak solving of every problem the meeting of every need
the fighting of every battle the accomplishment of every purpose is all wrapped up in praying
when we pray supernaturally powerful things happen that wouldn't happen any other way
that's why prayer is so important if you and I want to live a power-filled life if you want to see God work in your life if you want to
see the miraculous happen if you want to see the hand of God on your life if you want to see the
hand of the Lord on the lives of your family members if you want to see God go before you
then all of it begins with prayer I mean when you go to pray the devil moves Heaven and Earth
and Hell beneath to try to keep you from praying he really does he fears our prayers
one demon you can imagine the devil talking to his demons and saying to his demons whatever you do
keep him from praying because if he prays he'll beat us every time
if you can keep him from praying we can beat him every time I want to encourage
you today that our advantage against the enemy's tactics in our family in our business is prayer
don't let the world fool you and say things like it's not enough to pray no prayer is
not the only thing but prayer is the main thing prayer is powerful Jesus prayed and so must you
Jesus prayed he lived the life of prayer he didn't just teach about prayer he didn't just sing about
prayer and agree with prayer and nod at prayer but he prayed the savior the son of God God in the flesh
prayed if Jesus had to pray how much more do you and I need to pray
Jesus prayed all the time that's why Mark says in Mark chapter 1 and verse 35 and rising very
early in the morning while it was still dark he departed and went out to a desolate place and
there he prayed Jesus gave himself to prayer one of the most amazing things in all the scriptures
is how much time Jesus took out for prayer he only had three years of public ministry yet Jesus
was never in so big a rush but what he had time to spend hours in prayer he prayed before every
difficult task confronting him he prayed with regularity not a day began or closed on which he
did not unfold his soul before his father Jesus prayed Jesus was a man of prayer before he began
his public life and work he spent 40 days in the desert fasting praying before he chose his
12 friends and followers he prayed Jesus prayed and then he prayed and then he prayed some more
we need prayer and at the risk of sounding over dramatic you need prayer more than you
can possibly imagine you do and so just pray speak honestly you don't know what to say just start to
say something prayer is a conversation between a father and his children it's not a professor
grading research papers prayer is a conversation it's not a speech so offer to God the rough draft
give to him the things that you don't know if they even make sense you don't even know they're
accurate just begin to speak honestly that's what Jesus invites that's what he's calling for
just show up you see we get prayer wrong when we spend so much time trying to get it right
prayer is from the heart prayer is not about perfection God already knows what you need
but there's something sacred special and powerful about going to God and saying you're all I need
when I don't pray what I'm saying in effect is I don't need you I'm not praying about my finances
because I don't need you in my finances I'm not praying about my marriage because I don't
need you in my marriage I'm not praying about direction because I can find my own direction
and so prayer it says this beautiful beautiful thing that God absolutely loves I need you
I need you Lord in my life and so we have to understand that prayer means I'm inviting you
I'm inviting you into my marriage I'm inviting you into my finances I'm inviting you into my
decision making I'm inviting you into my home and God says 100% of time I'll come
God is waiting for the call God is waiting will you call me will you will you get on your knees
will you humble yourself and say God I need help God is saying to pray God is saying to
cry out pray the way you know how to pray pray with passion pray with intensity pray with tears
pray with brokenness pray with your every fiber of your being being involved with that and God
will hear your prayer your prayer doesn't have to be professional to be passionate but God will
hear that prayer don't give up on prayer he's just waiting for you to ask and to ask big the greatest
tragedy in life is the prayers the prayers that go unanswered simply because they were unasked
I've had people say to me Pastor I don't pray I asked for this and God didn't do it
and I say well someday you may look back and be thankful God didn't do it
don't get angry with God if he says no or not now
he knows what's best but he wants us to ask we can learn humility patience and have a deep
appreciation for the wonderful beneficent hand of God when we ask prayer is a gift from God
it's an invitation to talk with the creator of the universe the highest power and entity
in all of creation wants to sit next to you and have a conversation can you believe that
it's his gift for you