Sermons from Good News: a deeper prayer life

Note before sharing the sermon: I wanted to point out something that happened immediately after the conclusion of this service, especially in light of the things I’ve posted over the last week. My pastor came up to me and told me privately that he respected me. Knowing him, I believe he practices what he preaches.

Also, after wrestling internally with the aftermath of an issue that arose, I believe God finally gave me some wisdom and clarity on how exactly to respond. Although I generally haven’t agreed that “everything begins with a decision,” like my pastor preaches (in fact, I still have a hard time with indecision a lot of the time!), this was one such time where I could see what he says applying. The decision was clear, and I was (and am) very happy to agree to do it. If I get around to it, I’ll share more in another post what the decision was about, as the answer to my wrestling concerned something larger than the surface issue at hand. 

Church 10/30/2024

 

Sermon message: 

Thesis: a deeper prayer life.

Point #1: ask the Father in Jesus’s name.

Prayer is not about saying the right magic words to get what you want. But it is asking the Father in Jesus’s name, having faith for what you are praying for.

John 16:23

“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.

We are believers and receivers of Jesus Christ. We need to be this.

Using Jesus’s name is a privilege. You have to be a believer and receiver of Him as well.

 

Acts 19:13-16

13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

These weren’t true believers who happened to use Jesus’s name.

 

James 2:19

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

 

Mark 1:23-24

Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

 

Matthew 8:29

And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

 

Even demons know about God and about Jesus.

 

Colossians 1:13

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

 

Similarly there are unbelievers who know about God and Jesus.

 

Point #2: Believe you receive.

Jesus says, believe you receive it, and then you’ll have it.

 

Mark 11:24

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

 

Receiving faith for salvation works the same way:

 

Romans 10:14

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

 

Romans 10:17

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

Mark 6:1-6

1 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.

4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

 

Acts 18:24-27

24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;

 

Acts 19:1-6

1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”

So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”

4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”

5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

 

Mark 11:24

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

 

Point #3: forgive when praying.

Mark 11:25

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

 

Point #4: Pray for others.

1 Timothy 2:1-2

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

 

Romans 1:8-9

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,

 

Romans 10:1

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

 

Ephesians 1:15-16

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

 

Ephesians 3:14-16

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

 

Philemon 1:4

I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers,

 

1 Thessalonians 1:2

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

 

2 Timothy 1:3

I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day,

 

Point #5: pray based on God’s word.

Jeremiah 1:12

Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”

 

1 John 5:14-15

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.