Prayer3

Sermons What prayer does:

Jason Hopkins

Prayer kneeds the heart, the heart needs prayer.

1. When you read your bible, God speaks to you. When you pray, God speaks to you. (How to hear from God notes)

a. Does it line up with scripture?
b. Does it lead you to a close relationship with God?
c. Does it lead you to express love, putting God and others before yourself?
d. Does it cause greater humility in you and greater dependence on God?
e. Does it create or cause greater joy, love, and peace from God in you?

7 keys to hearing God¡¦s voice
1. Scripture 2 Tim 3:16-17
2. H.S.
3. Prophetic words
4. Godly counsel
5. Conformation
6. Peace from God.
7. Circumstances/timing

2. Personal relationship can¡¦t grow without proper communication, so prayer builds personal relationship with God. (Communication)

Personal relationship with others- It is amazing the effect that prayer has on a relationship with one another. Barriers are broken down. Hearts are softened. Wills become submissive. Fresh ideas flow.

1. It is a sin (or at least unpleasing to God) not to pray for others. 1 Samuel 12:23 Who are you praying for?
23 ¡§As for me, I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the LORD and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. 25 But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.¡¨

3. Proper prayer life results in a peace of heart and mind.

Worry is a draining sin. It hinders prayer. Matthew 6:27
Worrying solves nothing.

4. Prayer joins us with God. If we are joined with him, our request will produce fruit. John 15 Ask yourself, how am I joined to him?

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 ¡§Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
9 ¡§I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father¡¦s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one¡¦s life for one¡¦s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn¡¦t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn¡¦t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

Truths about prayer:
2. It is a sin (or at least unpleasing to God) not to pray for others. 1 Samuel 12:23 Who are you praying for?
23 ¡§As for me, I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the LORD and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. 25 But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.¡¨
Footnotes:

3. Keep at it. The results of our prayer will not fully be known completely in this life. Remember that one day, you will know the results of your labor.
Christians are only as strong as their prayer life.
(Cornerstone)
According to Acts 2:42,
Christians devoted themselves to 4 essentials- 4 cornerstones of the church. Who is the church? We are.

42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles¡¦ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord¡¦s Supper[i]), and to prayer.

On the day of Pentecost many things happened but the foundation of the church was established on these 4 things:

Apostles teaching.
Fellowship.
Breaking of Bread.
Prayer.

4. Prayer gives us direct access to God. Ephesians 2:18
17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God¡¦s holy people. You are members of God¡¦s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

5. Prayer needs to be followed up with obedience. Example- Africa trip money.
6. The more we pray the more we think to pray.
7. Prayer is not a substitute for human responsibility. Example-Test
8. Prayer is an investment. The time you spend in prayer, dedicated to prayer, isn¡¦t lost. It will return dividends greater than the time spent.

Questions:

1. What is your main need? Our main need is Jesus. We must first realize this and not take it for granite. What or who is our main need? Once we establish our main need in our life, our communication in prayer grows.
2. What am I asking for and why?
3. Why am I afraid to surrender?

Lord¡¦s Prayer ¡V Sample of Surrender

Thy kingdom come- God¡¦s reign, He¡¦s coming soon.
May your will be done- Resigning ourselves
On earth as it is in heaven- Same God, same power
Give us this day- God is substainer and provider- all we need
Forgive us- Forgiveness is cornerstone of relationship
Lead us not into temptation- Strength to overcome
But deliver us from evil- Stating who¡¦s in control
Thine is kingdom, power- It¡¦s all about you

That is a prayer of complete surrender.

Why do we hesitate to surrender, starting with prayer?

Sincere prayer comes from a heart that longs for God.

Prayer is not a natural response it is a spirit response.
Is prayer your last result or your first response?

Full surrender. Takes full surrender of natural responses to grasp all the Holy Spirt has for you in regards to prayer and your prayer language.

Acts 2:38-39

38 Peter replied, ¡§Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles[h]¡Xall who have been called by the Lord our God.¡¨ 40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, ¡§Save yourselves from this crooked generation!¡¨

„Ï Gifts of HS distinguished from Gifts of Spirit.
„Ï Gifts of HS is HS himself.
„Ï Gifts of HS are special abilities granted by HS to equip believers for service.

1 Corinthians 12:1-31
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
All of you together are Christ¡¦s body, and each of you is a part of it. 28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.
29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

„Ï Conscious control
He empowers, he does not overpower.
„Ï God¡¦s glorified
All manifestations of the spirit will harmonize with Jesus
„Ï Creedal faith
Main work of HS is to bring people under the Lordship of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:7

„Ï Supernatural ability to bestowed on an individual by the HS.

Baptized in the Holy Spirit

„Ï Matt. 3:11
Fire purifies or destroys
I baptize with[a] water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am¡Xso much greater that I¡¦m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.[

„Ï Mark 1:8
Only he baptizes with Spirit
8 I baptize you with[a] water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!¡¨

„Ï Luke 3:16

John answered their questions by saying, ¡§I baptize you with[a] water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am¡Xso much greater that I¡¦m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.[b]

o John- Got to be Jesus
o John 1:33 Empowers us
o Acts 1:5
o Acts 11:16

How do you receive the baptism of the HS?
1. You must be born again. Person filled with the spirit must have indwelling spirit and belong to Jesus.
2. Need to ask.
3. You need to surrender. Romans 12:1 A living sacrifice we should offer our bodies, all we are as a sacrifice each day to God.
4. We must be willing to obey the spirit. Acts 5;32 Gifts of the HS bears witness to the reality of the exaltation of Jesus.
5. You need to believe. Galations 3:2 By law or by faith.
6. You have to exercise what God has given you.
Having asked.
Having received.
Having been wiling to obey.
Having Believed.

You need to respond in biblical fashion.

Acts 2:4
Spoke words spirit gave them.
HS gave words but disciples responded volunteerly.
Actions based on faith not merely passive acceptance of a blessing.

Questions about Baptism of HS

1. Is HS a personality?
Yes he is, he is not an it, not an influence but a presence, a power, a person, the 3rd person of the Trinity.
2. If not receive are you lost?
a. No, saved by God¡¦s word and love and blood. Not the HS.

Mark 16:17-18
2 Tim. 1:6
Matthew 28:20

Two fold gift of tongues
1. Personal edification 1 Corinthians 14:2-4
2. Public Exhortation

1 Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives¡Xespecially the ability to prophesy. 2 For if you have the ability to speak in tongues,[a] you will be talking only to God, since people won¡¦t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. 3 But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. 4 A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.
5 I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.
6 Dear brothers and sisters,[b] if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language,[c] how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful. 7 Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody. 8 And if the bugler doesn¡¦t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?
9 It¡¦s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don¡¦t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.
10 There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning. 11 But if I don¡¦t understand a language, I will be a foreigner to someone who speaks it, and the one who speaks it will be a foreigner to me. 12 And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.
13 So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said. 14 For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don¡¦t understand what I am saying.
15 Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit,[d] and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand. 16 For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don¡¦t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don¡¦t understand what you are saying? 17 You will be giving thanks very well, but it won¡¦t strengthen the people who hear you.
18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. 19 But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.
20 Dear brothers and sisters, don¡¦t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind. 21 It is written in the Scriptures[e]:
¡§I will speak to my own people
through strange languages
and through the lips of foreigners.
But even then, they will not listen to me,¡¨[f]
says the LORD.
22 So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. 23 Even so, if unbelievers or people who don¡¦t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. 24 But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don¡¦t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. 25 As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, ¡§God is truly here among you.

1 Cor. 14:22
Acts 10:44-46
44 Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. 45 The Jewish believers[e] who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Then Peter asked, 47 ¡§Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?¡¨ 48 So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Acts 11:16

Acts 15:7-9

Speaking in tongues is a properly expected sign, affirmation of the HS abiding presence.

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