Power in Prayer 8-29-99 Intro -- We have seen in this series how to have power in prayer --We have seen how to pray what hinders prayer how and why to fast - Today we will the Secert to Power in Prayer -today we will understand the power of the PRAYER OF UNITY -the great power the Church has when she prays together in one accord! --WE will see the importance of the Prayer of Faith --How we that believe must remove our unbelief Text: Acts 12:5-10 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. Points 1. The Secert of Unlimited Power in Prayer 2. The Prayer of Unity I. The Secert of Unlimited Power in Prayer a) God has a PATTERN of Deliverance for Peter as He does for us today! - The Church was intrumental in Peters release ( More later) -- The Church KNEW WHERE THE POWER WAS and IS God has all the Power and HE Knows all our NEEDS! God longs to GIVE GOOD GIFTS to HIS OBEDIENT CHILDERN b) The Bible teaches that WE MUST DO SOMETHING to have this POWER in our LIVES -- ASK; Seek; Knock Matt 7:7-11 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? -- WE have to Ask!! we have to be right when we ask/hinderances removed we have to INTESENLY ASK //SEEK ~ This may include fasting God will bless us IF WE FOLLOW HIS PLAN for our DELIVERANCE! --- God will Give us the Desires of our HEARTS in accordance to HIS WILL AND PERFECT PLAN!! --Then we are to GIVE HIM GLORY for the PLAN/ Deliverance/ all things He will bless your life Luke 6:38 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. * A Secert to Unlimited Power in Prayer is to GIVE GOD GLORY For all things Do and you will not be able to CONTAIN the Blessings! C) The Secert of UNLIMITED POWER IN PRAYER is Taught countless times in the Word! James 1:6-8 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. -- We must ask in FAITH!!!! When we CRY OUT TO GOD We Cannot DOUBT! we cannot WONDER IF God is really out there If He is really going to hear us If God really do what we ask If we are in His will or not -- YOU WILL RECEIVE FROM THE LORD IF YOU DOUBT!!!! ********Object Lesson********* Koolaid in water May have the FORM of the Prayer Down You may be giving HIM GLORY and PRAISE You may even have look at the Hiderances BUT the LITTLEST DOUBT will Hinder the PRAYERS EFFECTIVNESS!!! *Little koolaid in all this water Turns it -- If You did receive in your doubting then the LORD WOULD BE REWARDING DOUBT THAT is not going to happen *"... without faith it is impossible to please HIM" d) If we doubt we will be TOSSED TO AND FRO~like the sea driven by the wind! --on the rocks one mintue/'/ calm the next -- If our doubt was rewarded we would WONDER DID THIS ANSWER COME FROM GOD or not --If we doubt we may not use the ANSWER TO GODS GLORY but for our own self gain! ** A person that doubts will NOT BE ANSWERED He is double minded -one foot in heaven /one foot on earth He may have a form of Godliness but have no POWER! -- He will be UNSTABLE/ Uncertain/ We must PRAY THAT HE Removes our UNBEILIF!!!!! Mark 9:18-27 18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. 19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. 20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. 21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. --- the father Believed but NEED HELP with The UNBLEIF Jesus answered both prayers that day ~ for the son/ and the father! **** The reason so many LACK UNLIMITED POWER in PRAYER is they DOnt ask at all ~ an assumes that God will just do it ASK WAVERING ~ expecting God to Forgive the lack of Faith and bless inspite of it. *** We must ASK for CLEANSING for our LACK of FAITH if we WANT UNLIMITED POWER IN PRAYER e) The CHURCH HAD FAITH that Peter would be Delivered -- The ask WITHOUT WAVERING They had FAITH that it would be done --they had no Problem with unbelief II. Prayer of UNITY a) Gods plan for Peters life was to be released --James had just been martyed by Herod ( It was James appointed time to die) -- Gods Plan was INSTITUTED BY A UNITED CHURCH PRAYING IN FAITH!!! Acts 12:5 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. -- THE WHOLE CHURCH WAS PRAYING She was doing all she could PRAYING FOR A SPECFIC NEED~ Peters release without harm -- She prayed without ceasing! Fervently;earnestly; continually they prayed in FAITH BELIVEING!! --They were INTENSE and Concentrated with ONE Objective in mind "without ceasing"= ektenes= to stretch out * The picture is the Church was stretched out before GOD, Prostrate before Him//Crying our in FAITH AND UNITY~ **** Faith can move mountains A small churhc in the Great Smokie mountains built a new Sanutaury 10 days before the opening the Builing inspector informed them the parking lot was too small for the building Until they DOUBLED the size of the Parking lot they could not use the New building The Church had no room to expand ~ they had used all the space they had The only way they could DOUBLE the Size of the lot was to REMOVE THE MOUNTAIN which was right next to the building ~ they owned it HOW COULD THEY MOVE IT? UNDAUNTED the Pastor annouced a meeting for all members who had MOUNTAIN MOVING FAITH to met Sunday night and pray that the MOUNTAIN BE REMOVED!! That they would have the LOTS in and paved painted and ready for the DECIATION of the BUILDING ~ That night 24 of the 300 members showed up to PRAY they prayed for 3 hours God had never let them down and HE wasnt about to start now! ~ Monday morning The pastor heard a knock at his door Constuction Foreman humbly ask if his company could REMOVE some Fill dirt for the Project they had going in the next county -- they were in despreate need THEY NEEDED THE DIRT NOW!! THE LOT was COMPLETED //the NEW SANTURAY was Complete BECAUSE 24 of the 300 HAD MOUNTAIN MOVING FAITH - WOuld you have come to the PRAYER MEETING --DO you have FAITH?? DO you need help with your unbelief?? b) The Churches FAITH in GODS WILL and CARE Delivered Peter! -- He was asleep the very night before his execution Christ was meeting his dear servant at his need thru the faithful prayers of the CHURCH! -- His bonds were broken Act 12:6-7 6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. -- God did for PETER what he couldnt do for his self ~ Bonds were broken / doors and gates opened -- Peter had to put on his own SHOES!! God could have delivered him to the church! Instead we see that WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHINGS OURSELVES IN OBEYING GODS COMMANDS! Acts 12:8-10 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. -- the angel departed after Peter was delivered out of danger! Now Peter was left to WORK OUT HIS OWN SALVATION ** God will answer our PRAYER OF FAITH AN UNITY!! Then we have to DO SOMETHING WITH THE ANSWER!!!! e) Peters arrival at the Church Acts 12:12-16 12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. -- It sounds like today God blesses and we are SLOW OF HEART to reconize the ansewr we may even credit another for the answer "thou are mad..." God wil bless if we will ask in UNITY and FAITH -- then we must THANK HIM FOR THE ANSWER F) THERE IS UNLIMITED POWER IN UNITED PRAYER --when the Church is in one Accord we can be SURE GOD is BLESSING and in HIS power we are blessed (Josh 9:2 KJV) That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. --- Enemy is defeated by Prayer of faith in one accord (Acts 1:14 KJV) These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. -- we can Ask for POWER of the Holy Spirit and we will receive it (Acts 2:1 KJV) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. --church in one accord will be have the UNLIMITED POWER (Acts 2:46 KJV) And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, -- United church in Prayer will have a SINGLENESS of PURPOES/ Clear direction and objectives (Acts 4:24 KJV) And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: -- A church united in Prayer and faith will WORSHIP and Praise HIS MAJESTY there will be Power in Services (Acts 5:12 KJV) And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. -- People will come and be changed by the UNITY of GODS PEOPLE (Acts 8:6 KJV) And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. --The world will reconizse the POWER of GOD in a CHurch that is united in PRAYER adn Faith (Acts 15:25 KJV) It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, --the Truth will Stand when the Church is in UNITY in Prayer (Phil 2:2 KJV) Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. -- We will all EXPERICANCE the LOVE of CHRIST and HIS EXCEEDING GREAT PROMISE if we are in ONE accord/ UNITED in PRAYER Unlimited POWER IN PRAYER comes thur Praying properly Having hinderances removed Praying without ceasing/ Intesnly seeking GODS WILL/ Fasting Praying in FAITH without WAVERING Praying in one accord as one local body in Christ! Souls will be saved Ministrys started Missionary sent bills paid Above all GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED HOw to be in ONE ACCORD ASK to be // would you have been at the Faith can move mountains prayer meeting? If htere is OUGHT GET it RIGHT If you are out of sorts with GOD get it right If you need ot pray with some one / bring ot the altar today If you dont have the strength to do these things come ask for it If you need help with unbelif come now ** If your lost he will not even hear your prayer // BE SAVED TODAY --No power ask for ALL hinderances to be removed!!! He will give pressed down and Shaken together if you will GIVE YOUR WHOLE SELF TO HIM! calllllll