The Absolute Necessity of Prayer

SPEAKER B Greetings and a warm welcome to you shall receive power I'm Ettienne McClintock and in the studio with me today is my co host. Colin Honey is the international director and speaker for Holy Spirit Ministries and also the North New South Wales Conference prayer director. We're continuing our current series of programs featuring the book 50 Days Prayers and Devotionals to prepare for the latter rain and Christ soon returned by Pastor Dennis Smith. And our program currently is on day 15. Now we actually sharing more material that's than in the book. But for you to follow in the book and to go through the processes and the exercises of answering the questions and then also following the suggested prayer module, you're welcome to follow through, but we will actually share more information with you in these programs and pray that you will be richly blessed by it. And just before we start, we just invite you to pray with us as we ask God's blessing on this program today. Dearly Father, it's such a privilege just to open your word to study and to search scriptures. We thankful also for the promise of the Holy Spirit you've given us. And as such today, Father, we just pray that you would anoint us with your Holy Spirit, that you would bless us, that you would give us wisdom and insights, Father, but ultimately that Jesus will be lifted up and by beholding Him, we will become changed into his image from glory to glory. And this we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Colin, I'm looking forward to this program. We start our programs with prayer and we are actually discussing prayer this morning in this program. So what is our topic? SPEAKER C Well, we're going to go through a few topics on prayer. This next section of the 50 Days Devotional is based around prayer. And I must admit, early on when I became a Christian, I didn't see prayer as really a major important part of my life. But about nine years ago, eight or nine years ago, when I started praying and seeking the infilling or daily baptism of the Holy Spirit of Christ in you the hope of glory, God changed that and impressed upon me how important prayer is. Way more important than we can ever realize. And so today we're going to talk about why should we pray? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C I mean, I found that most Christians believe prayer is important. So did I thought it was important. But many do not understand why prayer is really important because many people question like if God is sovereign and God is sovereign. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C And he's able to carry out his will, why do we need to pray for Him to do what he already wants to do or plans to do anyway? SPEAKER B Good question that. SPEAKER C So for some reason that prayer is primarily for our benefit. People say that's for our benefit, but God is still going to do whatever he wants whether we pray or not. And so as we study, we're going to find out is our prayers important for God, for him to do his will on this earth. SPEAKER B So does things happen anyway whether we pray or not? And yeah, that's a good question. I would love to unpack that a bit more and come to a better understanding of that and what the Bible says about it. SPEAKER C Yeah. So the idea is popular that it's a privilege to pray, but not really a necessity for God to accomplish his will on earth. Right now we want to talk about today. The truth of this man is that it is necessary for God's children to pray. Why else would Jesus tell us to pray that God's will be done in earth as it in heaven? Why would Jesus say to us, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven? Pray this prayer that God's will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. SPEAKER B The Lord's Prayer brings that out. Well through Christ instructs us to pray that way. So there must be something behind that. SPEAKER C It's found in Matthew, chapter six, verse ten, if you just want to read that quickly. SPEAKER D Yes, sure. SPEAKER B Matthew, chapter six, verse ten. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. SPEAKER C So there it is, Jesus saying we're to pray to the Father that his will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I mean, didn't Jesus in gethsemane pray that he said yes, he said these words. He says, not my will, but your will be done, Father. And so what we want to do is look at why prayer is so important for God's will to be done on earth as in heaven. So I believe from this text and many others, if believers do not pray, god's desire will not be achieved on this earth. And so let's have a look at this. So prayer is essential to our Christian life as the work of God on the earth as breathing is to every living. We need to breathe, don't we? SPEAKER B We can't live without that. SPEAKER C We don't breathe. What happens? SPEAKER B A few minutes? That's right. SPEAKER C You can only last a few minutes. So if one refuses or is unable to breathe, his life ceases. If one refuses to pray for himself, he will be very weak spiritually and ultimately cease to be a Christian if we don't breathe. So prayer is like breathing. SPEAKER B So prayer is the breath, like the breath of life to the soul. That's basically what you're saying. SPEAKER C That's right. I mean, let's even a creation God breathed into Adam and he became a living soul. So it's life, there's life in the breath of God. As he breathed in Adam became a living soul. So even there's an example. So if we neglect to pray for the lost, their efforts to win them to Jesus will be of no veil so it requires prayer to breathe spiritual life into our souls and to those who are spiritually dead. So I believe prayer is required to sustain spiritual life and advance God's kingdom. So we're going to unpack that today. SPEAKER D Okay. SPEAKER C So I'm sure many Christians, at least those living in the last days, and we believe we're living the last days according to the Bible and prophecy, don't we? SPEAKER B Absolutely, no doubt about it. As you look at all the things happening around the world, whether it be in social or the political or the unrest around the world, wars, rumors of wars, natural disasters, all these point to the fact that Jesus'return is very near. SPEAKER C And the wickedness of the earth is getting more wicked, isn't it? SPEAKER B Absolutely, yeah. SPEAKER C Even Jesus said it'll be like Sodom and Gomorrah. And in the days of Noah and what was Sodom and Gomorrah known for? SPEAKER B Yeah, that's right, dissentiousness. And. SPEAKER C Just the last couple of weeks, I believe another country, Germany, legalized gay marriage. So you can see that the world is becoming more like Sodom and Gomorrah and in the days of Noah. So what we want to know is, why is prayer so important? I mean, people have said to me, isn't God going to do what he wants to do whether I pray or not? And so I believe Satan wants to confuse the believer concerning prayer. He wants us to keep us from understanding the vital role prayer plays in the work of God on this earth and in saving the know. What did Jesus say? Pray for the harvest. Pray for what? Workers to go into the harvest. Why would he say pray for workers if he was going to send them anyway? SPEAKER B Yeah, good point. SPEAKER C The whole Bible is about praying, the promises of God. See, God wants to do certain things, but he's asking us to pray for that will to be done. And so I believe Satan wants to confuse that, because I believe if Satan knows that he can get the Christian to be negligent in the area of prayer, he has little to fear and concern the believer's spiritual growth in Christ or his effectiveness as a laborer for God in his work on earth. So I believe God's word teaches that prayer is necessary for an individual and the church to experience revival. We want to have a revival in the church and in our own lives. SPEAKER B Absolutely. SPEAKER C And all great revivals that have ever been have always come an answer to prayer. Every great revival, even the early church, began with a ten day prayer. The disciples came together and prayed, well. SPEAKER B We shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon us. That's our program motto, isn't it? SPEAKER D Really? SPEAKER B From Acts, chapter one, verse eight. But the great thing about the prayer, it brings righteousness to the person as well. We receive it by faith. We become more and more like Jesus. We reflect his image, his glory, his character, which is the principles of self sacrificing love. But the wonderful thing is that it brings more truth into the life as well. I've seen it in people before. They would argue and bicker over doctrine when the Spirit of God comes upon them and there's true revolve reformation, there's repentance confession. I've seen people who have held different views come together under the power and the influence of the Holy Spirit into a unity of the faith and an understanding of the doctrines, the teachings of Jesus, his truth that they didn't have previously. The Spirit of God brings people together, and prayer is an essential part of receiving the Holy Spirit amen and getting God's will done. SPEAKER C Absolutely. Even our early church, for example, the seven day Venice Church, when it came together, they were a group of people who came together in a barn and did Bible studies right after the great disappointment in 1844 of the cleansing of the sanctuary. And as they went back to their Bibles and started studying and praying, yes, they sometimes came to, like you said, where they didn't agree on certain things. And it was that time that Ellen White, who we believe was a messenger or a prophet from God, was taken into vision and given the correct understanding from God's Word, which was the correct understanding. So they prayed for that, and then God answered their prayer through the visions of Ellen G. White. So that was through prayer and answered a prayer. So I believe God word teaches that prayer is necessary for an individual in the church to experience revival. And we know that there will be a great revival amongst God's people just before Jesus comes. We've talked about the latter reign of the Holy Spirit being poured out that gives power to God's people and lights up this earth of God's glory in Revelations 18 one. And so we know that this representing God's glory as his character, we know that this latter reign is going to bring a revival. But every revival comes an answer to prayer. So that's why prayer is so important. Prayer also is necessary for the strongholds of Satan to be abolished and for saving the loss. Prayer is necessary for the Christian to remain strong in the Lord. And I find it amazing, Etienne, that prayer which seems so powerless and insignificant to the natural man, is so necessary and powerful, the spiritual man. You look at all the people in the Bible, they were praying people, moses, you look at Jesus himself. I mean, do you remember the disciples came out to him in Luke chapter eleven and says, Teach us to pray? SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C And he then says he is the Our Father. And then after that, he then gives him apparel about wanting to get bread from his neighbor to give to his friend in Luke chapter eleven. And then he ties in afterwards about asking God and seeking God and asking a number of times to seek God for the Holy Spirit, which is how Jesus did the things he did through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Luke, chapter eleven. So he connected prayer and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and in the center was to give bread to his friend. And what does the bread in the Bible mean? SPEAKER B The word of God? SPEAKER C To give the word of God to give the Gospel to his friend. And he connected prayer with the outpouring the Holy Spirit. But Jesus said, you've got to ask how many times? Look six times, ask, seek, knock, find. Continually saying, I think he's trying to make a point. Eddie yeah. SPEAKER B So persistence is important in prayer. That's what you're telling us there. SPEAKER C Colin absolutely. So why is prayer necessary? Well, let's go right back to creation and go to Genesis, chapter one. Genesis, chapter one, verses 26 27. And let's have a look at what it says in Genesis chapter one, verses 26 and 27. When God created man, what did he give Adam? SPEAKER B Then God said, let us make man in our image according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over all the Earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the Earth. Verse 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created He, Him, male and female, he created them. SPEAKER C There you go. So when God created man, it says in his own likeness or our likeness, interestingly, says the word plural in our likeness. Yes, it says God in our likeness. Let that sit with you for a minute there. It says in our likeness and image in our reflection. And the Hebrew word translated likeness is dama, which means similar to okay. And the Hebrew word translated likeness as it says damar. But you also got the Hebrew word translated image is tesslem, and it means resemblance or representational, image. So it means to represent. SPEAKER B Okay. SPEAKER D Wow. SPEAKER C So the word is used when referring to an idol, by the way, as well, okay. Which represents a God. It's the same word used to represent an idol. So when God created man, he created in many ways like Himself. So but God did something else when he created men, he gave Him what we just read. He gave him dominion. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C Gave him dominion on Earth in Genesis 126 27. And interesting, the Hebrew word translated dominion is Radha, which means to rule or to reign. Let me say that. To rule or to reign. See, Adam wants to be the ruler of this world as God's representative in his image, in his likeness. He was to represent God on this planet, planet Earth. So he was to keep the earth. In Genesis two, verse 15, it says he was to keep. And the Hebrew word translated keep is shama, which means to guard against intruders. Interesting, adam was to keep guard this earth from intruders. Now, did God know there was an intruder who wanted to have access to this earth? Absolutely. So he knew that Lucifer or Satan wanted to have access to this planet, so he was to guard as God's representative on earth. Now, the psalmist David further describes the position God gave men at creation. And when we go to Psalms, chapter eight, verse five, can you read that for us? SPEAKER B For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and you have crowned him with glory and honor. SPEAKER C So he crowned him with glory and honor. And looking again, the original Hebrew had translated glory and honor. We find that man was given majesty similar to a king's reigning authority. So he had authority and reigning authority on this earth. Hence we see that at creation the earth was put under Adam's authority or rulership. So what happened on earth depended on Adam. And so Adam's authority and rulership on Earth was so complete Eddie, and that Adam was in a position to give his authority away to another. He could give that authority to another. SPEAKER D Wow. SPEAKER C That's how complete it was. And we know the sad story of Adam's fall as recorded in Genesis chapter three. Adam gave authority of this earth to his God's Ark enemy, Satan. And Satan well knew what he had gained when Adam yielded to the temptations to disobey God. For example, when tempting Christ in the wilderness, what did Satan say? He showed him all the kingdoms of the world, didn't he? SPEAKER D He did. SPEAKER B That's right. SPEAKER C He showed him all the kingdoms of the world. And he stated, all this power I will give to you, and the glory of them, for that has been delivered unto me, and to whomever. Soever I will give it to some found in Luke chapter four, verse six. Let's just confirm that, okay? SPEAKER B And the devil said to him, all this authority I will give you and their glory, for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C So it says been delivered to him. Who delivered it to him? Adam gave it to him. SPEAKER B That's right. SPEAKER C Adam was given rulership and dominion over this earth, and he gave Satan now ruler and dominion over this earth. And so did Jesus ever dispute Satan's claim to have authority and dominion over this earth, then? He never he didn't. He didn't dispute it, did he? SPEAKER D Think about it. Yeah. SPEAKER C In fact, three times Satan is called the ruler of this world in the New Testament in John chapter twelve, verse 31. John chapter twelve, verse 31, now is. SPEAKER B The judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. SPEAKER C So here is Jesus saying he is the ruler of this world. And also in John chapter 14, verse. SPEAKER B 30, I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming and he has nothing in me. SPEAKER C There you go again. Jesus refers to Satan as the ruler of this earth. And also again in John chapter 16. SPEAKER B Verse eleven of Judgment. Because the ruler of this world is. SPEAKER C Judged, the ruler of this world again, is judged. So even though Satan gained dominion over the earth through Adam's fall, god did not change his decision to work through humans to finish his will on this earth. So complete was this decision that it was necessary for God to become man to win this world back. When we go to John, chapter one, verses one to three says, in the. SPEAKER B Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him. And without Him nothing was made that was made. And of course, as we look at verse 14, it actually tells us who the Word is. It says there in verse 14, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. SPEAKER C So, so complete was this decision by God that it's necessary for God Himself and His Son, God's Son, to become man to win this world back. So the first Adam gave man's authority over this earth away, didn't he? SPEAKER D He did. SPEAKER C He gave it away. The second Adam, which is Jesus Christ, spoken in Romans chapter ₩5, it back and brought deliverance to Satan's captives. So at the creation of this world, god established the principle that humans were to forever be his means of exercising authority and activity on this earth. Is Christ going to be in a human form for eternity? SPEAKER D Yes, he is. SPEAKER B He hasn't been on loan to the human race. It says, God gave His Son for all eternity, is retaining his humanity to. SPEAKER C Win this earth back. And he now represents as the second Adam, this Earth, for God's will to be done. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C Isn't that a god hasn't changed his mind. This is what it took because that's what God said through man. And so God became man to win this world back and to represent this earth. So the main focus of why prayer is essential for the Christian spiritual growth and the advancement of God's kingdom on earth is that prayer is necessary. Because from the very beginning, as we just discussed, god intended to work through humans and not independently of them in completing his will on earth. God works through our prayers of his people. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C This is how he works. So we want to finish the work, we need to pray and ask God for his work to be finished. We come together and start praying. We're going to see a mighty movement and a mighty revival. So when we know that God's will to do something this earth, it's necessary for man to pray that God do it so God says, I want to do this, Eddie, and I want to do this. It's necessary for us to pray that he do this. So many examples of this can be found in the Old Testament and New Testament. So we want to go and look at some of the examples in the Old and New Testament so that we can ask God's will to be done on earth, as Jesus said in Matthew, chapter six, verse ten. For example, we're to ask for our daily bread, aren't we? In Matthew, chapter six, verse eleven? SPEAKER B Yeah, that's right. SPEAKER C Says, ask for the daily bread, we're to pray. It says in Matthew, chapter nine, verse 38. Let's go to Matthew, chapter nine, verse 38, where it talks about that. We're asked to pray for laborers to be sent in the harvest field. SPEAKER B Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest, send out laborers into his harvest. SPEAKER C Who's the Lord of the harvest? Jesus. SPEAKER D Jesus? Yeah. SPEAKER C And where is Jesus now? SPEAKER B He's in the most holy part of the heavenly sanctuary. SPEAKER C That's right. So we're to ask the Lord of the harvest, which is Jesus, to send out what laborers to the field. Why would he bother asking if he's going to do that anyway? SPEAKER B That's a good question. SPEAKER C Why would he say, pray that this happens? I am the Lord of the harvest, I want to send out laborers. Why would he ask us to pray for that? SPEAKER B So God must want us to work with Him in cooperation with the Holy Spirit so that other people can be saved and redeemed. But it also shows us our need of his power and Him working in and through us to give us the right attitude, the right spirit, the right love, so we can share that love to others and be a witness for Christ. The word Christian actually means to represent Christ, doesn't it? SPEAKER C Absolutely. SPEAKER B So I can actually see here without prayer, that's not going to be possible. SPEAKER C When I realized this, this truth, when God put it on my heart, I realized that prayer is most important thing that I can do. It is the greatest weapon I have from God's word, is prayer. And so even Paul Himself, in second thessalonians chapter three, second thessalonians chapter three, verse one, himself prayed this prayer. SPEAKER B Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you. SPEAKER D Wow. SPEAKER C So He's, Paul, asking believers to pray for the advancement of the Gospel. He's saying, let's pray for this so that we can advance the Gospel. So all these things are God's will, aren't they? SPEAKER D They are. SPEAKER C They're his will. However, it is necessary for man to pray for them, because I believe that prayer releases God's power on this earth. He has a will and he wants to do things, and he's asking us to pray for his will to be done. Remember, it's God's plan to work through man not independently of him when it comes to this earth. So let's go from examples in the Bible, okay? And we'll just quickly just go one. We see that in again in James, chapter five, verse 17, the story of Elijah. God told Elijah, and Elijah was a prophet in the Old Testament, and basically there was a drought. God told him to there was going to be a drought coming and he was to pray for this drought. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C So let's go to what James, chapter five, verse 17 says, where God tells Elijah there will be a drought for three and a half years. And in order for this drought to happen, it was necessary for Elijah to pray that it occurred. So it was God's will, there was going to be a drought, but he asked Elijah to pray for it to happen. SPEAKER B So it says here in James, chapter five, verse 17, elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. SPEAKER C For there it is. God's will was to rain for not to rain for three and a half years. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C And Elijah was to pray for that to happen. SPEAKER B Says he prayed earnestly, prayed earnestly. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C For God's will to be done. Again, what happened later, three and a half years later, what happened in First Kings, chapter 18, verse one and verse 41 of 44? Three and a half years, god promised to send rain and end the drought as well. And again, Elijah knew it was necessary for him to pray for the rain if the rain were to fall, even though it was God's will to send the rain. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C So what is he went out and prayed. How many times did he pray? SPEAKER B Well, he prayed seven times, didn't he? SPEAKER C He went out and he sent out his servant. Is there a cloud coming yet? No. All right. Back to prayer. SPEAKER D Right. SPEAKER C And he did that seven times. SPEAKER B And that's in One Kings chapter 18, from about verse 41 to 44. I can read that if you like. SPEAKER C Yes. SPEAKER B Says then Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and drink, and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. Then he bowed down on the ground and put his face between his knees, and he said to his servant, go up now. Look toward the sea. So he went up and looked and said, There is nothing. And seven times he said, Go again. And then it came to pass the 7th time when he had said, there is a cloud as small as a man's hand rising up out of the sea. So he said, Go up and say to Ahab, prepare your chariots and go down before the rain stops you. SPEAKER C There you go. Persistent prayer. Elijah knew he had to pray for God's will to be done, even though it was God's will. And God said, this is what's going to happen, but you got to pray for it to happen. SPEAKER B So if Elijah just gave up after three attempts or four attempts or five attempts, it wouldn't have rained. So he'd pray seven times. I'm wondering, Colin, if it's just possible that we sometimes give up a little bit too soon in our request with the know we might be one prayer away or five prayer or two prayers away, whatever it may be, we might be giving up right on the brink of success. SPEAKER C If it's God's will, keep praying and he will do his will. I'll just leave you and then we'll take a break. I believe we're going to take a break. This is out of the seven day Venice Bible. Commentary, volume two, page 1034 by Ellen White. When she's commenting on Elijah about his prayer, she says had he given up in discouragement at the 6th time, his prayer would not have been answered, but he persevered till the answer came. It's about persevering until the answer comes and if it's God's will, it'll happen. If you continue to pray that it'll happen. SPEAKER D Great. SPEAKER B Thank you, Colin. Thank you, dear listener. We will be right back after this short break. SPEAKER E If you have any questions or comments in relation to today's program, you can call Three ABM, Australia Radio within Australia on 024-97-3456 or from outside of Australia on Country Code 612-497-3456. Our email address is radio at threeABN. australia.org au. That is radio at the number three Abnastralia. All one word Au. Our postal address is three ABN, Australia, Inc. PO. Box seven five two. Morissette, New South Wales 2264, Australia thank you for your prayers and financial support. SPEAKER B You are listening to you shall receive power. And you are here with Colin Hone and Etienne McClintock in the studio. Our devotional is based on 50 Days Prayers and Devotionals to Prepare for the Latter Reign, a book by Pastor Dennis Smith and we'll give you some details at the end of the program if you would like a copy of that book as well. Now, just before the break, we were talking about the importance of persisting in prayer and we were looking at Elijah and James. Chapter five, verse seven said that Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. Then we looked at First Kings, chapter 18, where he told the story. We went and prayed seven times for it to rain and if he'd given up on the 6th time, there would have been no rain, but he persisted. And in the 7th time there was a cloud rising out of the sea like a size of a man's fist. And then he said to his servant, you better go and tell. King ahab, that he better get going because it's going to rain and the rain will stop him if he doesn't run out ahead of it. Now in James chapter five and verse 18, and he prayed again and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced its fruit. So it shows the importance there of persisting in prayer, doesn't it, Colin? SPEAKER C Absolutely. God asked Elijah to god's will was to be a drought for three and a half years and he asked Elijah to pray for that. And then God says it's going to rain after three and a half years. And again he put on Elijah's heart to pray for that again to happen. For God's will was for it to be a drought and to rain. But he asked Elijah to pray that his will will be done, just like Jesus says, pray that God's will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. As it is in heaven. And we also looked at Ellen White, which she commented on, saying know, had he given up in discouragement at the 6th time, his prayer would not have been answered. But he persevered till the answer came because he knew it was God's will. And so if we know something is God's will, we to continue to persistently pray for that. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C And God will deliver on his promises, but we're not to give up because we don't know how long God wants that prayer to happen. So persistent prayer is often required in releasing God's power on this earth. When God desires to do something, and I've found this a lot when he desires to do something, he moves upon the heart of his children to pray for it. So God says, I want to do something and he moves upon people to pray for it, for his will to be done. However, we were created with a free choice. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C We are always free to refuse to yield to his call to pray. And sadly, we see in our churches, many of our churches, sometimes we see that few people come to pray. We're asking for a revival of true Godliness in the last days. But how many people are coming to know if the early church had not gone and did what Jesus said to them? Wait and pray and ask if they had not gone and continually prayed? They didn't know it was going to be ten days, by the way, if they just prayed and they continued praying and it was ten days later that God fulfilled his promise. That was his will to pour out the early reign of the Holy Spirit. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C Just as in fulfillment of the prophecy that Joel said would happen, if they didn't do that, I don't believe God would have poured it out. But they obeyed God and he poured out the rain. And I believe in the last day as well. If we want the latter rain to be poured out, we need to come together and pray for God's will to be done in order to fulfill his promise. He wants to do it, but we need to pray for it to be done. SPEAKER B Now, church of prayer is a church of power. And quite often, if you walk into a church and it just seems to be lethargic and powerless, quite often it'd probably be a reflection on the prayer life of the people and whether these people come together, like the New Testament model, to spend time together in prayer and searching the Scriptures. If you just do that once a week, come and go, I don't think that is the true model for a church. We have to have a close fellowship with one another and spend time even midweek, not just one day a week or a few hours in that day. I think it's very important. SPEAKER C Well, I'm the prayer coordinator for our conference and one of the biggest things I encourage our churches out there and our prayer warriors is if you want to see revival in your church, then the first thing you must ask yourself, are we praying for it? SPEAKER B Good question. SPEAKER C Are we praying for it individually in our own lives? Revival in our own lives? Are we praying it as a church, collectively? Are we coming together? Wednesday night was usually prayer night. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C Is your church coming together on prayer night? How many people are coming to your prayer night on Wednesday night compared to who are coming on church on, say, Sabbath morning? And you see it a reflection where you have four or five people coming of a church of hundred plus. Isn't that a reflection? And we're wondering why there's not being a revival. SPEAKER B I remember in South Africa where I grew up, we didn't have television there till about 19, 73, 74, some around there. Television started and all of a sudden they started broadcasting programs. Now, prior to that, in the churches, the churches were quite full on a Wednesday night for pre meeting. But as television crept in and there were nice programs on a Wednesday night, all of a sudden there were less and less people until there was only a handful of people at pre meeting. And it seemed like secularism and a secular mindset started taking over the people and television started influencing them rather than prayer. And the disciplines, the beautiful disciplines, because when we can spend time with God, we can talk to Him face to face almost while we're not there in person, we can be there by faith. And I just think that is such a great privilege. People will line up for months, or they will put in a request via email or put in a special request via a website to meet with some dignitary, some famous person. If they can, they'll have to wait months for it. We can have instant access now through Christ as our mediator, through prayer and go into the most holy part of the heavenly sanctuary into the throne room of Christ and have access and have our petitions heard and receive strength and power and love from God. What an incredible privilege. And it's neglected. People will stand in queues around the corner overnight just to get tickets to a concert so they can be in a concert of their famous. But here we have the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of the Universe, that upholds all things by the word of his power, and people just don't want to take advantage of that. SPEAKER C It's amazing. Like, isn't there a promise? There's a conditional promise. What does the word say? If my people pray that's right. If my people pray, I will heal them. SPEAKER B People are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My praise face and that turn from their wicked ways. Then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land. That's right. SPEAKER C If you want a revival in your church, then start a prayer group. Start praying individually in the morning, but come together and start praying. I know one church just locally, we're near here. One lady, it started with one lady, she started praying and then she started getting a group and they started going and praying there every morning at the church at 530. And that's been continuing that for a year and a half now, at least a year and a half. And this church now is having a revival. Ministries are starting to come out of that. They're starting to go in and doing witnessing, and many things are starting to happen in that church because it started with prayer, and revival will only come in answer to prayer. So if we want to have a revival in our churches, then revive prayer again. SPEAKER D Yeah. Amen. SPEAKER B Look, maybe I'll just share a very short testimony. I've been praying for my family in South Africa, and typically they're secular, except for one group, small. I've got a big family, but a small part. There's only three of them who actually are regular churchgoers and spiritual people. I've been praying for the whole lot of them by name, going through the whole family, from the oldest to the youngest, and there's probably about 50 people. SPEAKER D I've got to mention. SPEAKER B Anyway, just in the last week or so, I got text messages saying that there's a whole group of them. They've started a special family group. On WhatsApp? And earlier this week, for two days, they were all fasting and praying. Now, these people are secular people. There's some people who are alternative lifestyle and they've come together. I believe that is an answer to pray. Why would a group of people who typically haven't been that interested come together? Under the leadership of one of my cousin's husband now, who is also a 7th day Venice, just so they can spend time in prayer and study, so they can come together as a family. SPEAKER C That's amazing. Now we've got another example in the book of Ezekiel. This is how important prayer is. In the book of Ezekiel, Israel had gone into apostasy. And you can read this about in Ezekiel chapter 22, verses 17 to 29 and if you could give a sort of summary overview what had happened in Israel to gone into apostles. SPEAKER B Okay, well I can just mention some of the things that were going on there at the time. Verse 25, for example, says there was a conspiracy amongst the prophets. And then verse 26 says, the priest violated God's law. They profaned holy things. They did not distinguish between holy and unholy and they made no difference between what was clean and unclean. They hid their eyes from the Sabbath. Verse 28 talks about the prophets seeing false visions. So these weren't inspired by God. Verse 29 says, the people of the land used oppressions, they committed robbery, they mistreated the poor and the needy and they were wrongfully oppressing the stranger. SPEAKER C Wow. SPEAKER B So that's a mouthful of things that they were involved in there. And this is God's people, so called. SPEAKER C It was God's people. SPEAKER B That's right. But they weren't behaving like God's people, were they? SPEAKER C They'd gone into apostasy and a very enlining yet sad text follows. So Israel justly deserves severe judgments from God because of their sins. However, God in his mercy, and this is an incredible thing, even though this is how merciful God is, even though he saw all these things happening in his church of that day, that was his church. Sure he saw all these things. It says that in his mercy he sought for a man in Israel who would pray to Him for mercy that his judgments would be averted. But then in Ezekiel chapter 22 and verse 30 and 31, here's the sad results recorded. And what does he say? SPEAKER B It says verse 30 so I sought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found no one. SPEAKER C So God was looking for an intercessor? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C Does that remind you of some Old Testament, other things like Moses? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C Didn't God? After what israel had gone in a posse, they built the calf, they were dancing and drinking and music and this. SPEAKER B Is just after very sensual worship. SPEAKER C God had just led them out of Egypt. And Moses comes down and God says to Moses, hey, I'm going to destroy these people. And Moses says, no, don't do it. Moses interceded on behalf of the people and God was looking for that. He wanted Moses to intercede and so he'd interceded. He even said, I'll make a nation out of and Moses, no, no, no, I don't want your name to be made mud around the nations like you've led them out and destroyed them. That's not going to look good for you and just here he was looking for someone to intercede on behalf of Israel who'd gone into apostasy, but he found none. He found none. And therefore the sad words found in Ezekiel 22 31 says, therefore have I poured out my indignation upon them. Again, another great example is Abraham. You remember Abraham? God's just had I think he had breakfast or dinner or something. He's had dinner with them, a couple of angels, and there was Jesus. And all of a sudden he says, shall we tell Abraham what we're about to do? Yeah, we'll tell him. And he tells Abraham that they're going to go and destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the sins that are happening in Sodom Gomorrah. And Abraham intercedes for them. SPEAKER D Yeah. God. SPEAKER C What if Mr There's 50 men or 40 men and God said, okay, I won't do it, or 30 or and. SPEAKER B He gets down to 1010. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C And God says, okay, I won't do it. SPEAKER B Ten righteous in Solomon Gomorrah I wouldn't. SPEAKER C Destroy, but he couldn't even find ten. But here is again, he interceded. See, man is to intercede. And who is the great intercessor that we have today? SPEAKER D Jesus. SPEAKER C Jesus is interceding as our high priest in the heavenly sanctuary for our sins. So incident after incident, we see about how vital is in attaining God's will on the earth. So there should be no question in any of our minds concerning the necessity of prayer. God works through the prayers of his people, not independently of Him, Eddie. And also, besides praying for our personal spiritual growth, we must cooperate with God by following his revealed instruction in His Word. In two Timothy, chapter three, verse 16 and 17, there's a principle here that we want to unpack. What's it say? SPEAKER B It says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. SPEAKER C Wow. So we've got to follow the instruction in God's word to know what God's will is. God's will is found in his word. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C And so then we're to pray for that will to be done. Again, the principle is key. God works through both the prayers and the efforts of his people to affect his will in their know. I believe, Eddie, that Satan fears our prayers more than any other activity we do, more than our evangelism and anything else we do, he fears our prayer. I mean, wouldn't you, if you knew that through our prayers, god's will will be done against Satan's kingdom? What would you do? What would your strategy be if you were Satan? SPEAKER B Do everything to distract people from even thinking of prayer, never mind praying. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C Keep them busy. And you mentioned before, so he invents television in the last days, or radio. SPEAKER B Or television or smartphones or iPads and computers, YouTube, or even how sport. SPEAKER C Look how popular sport is. I mean, in Australia. Here we are obsessed by sport. So let's keep them busy. Keep them busy and listen to what Wesley Duel wrote. Can you read that for us? What Wesley Duo wrote in Mighty Prevailing Prayer, page 157, about Satan is more afraid of the praying Christian than the active working Christian. SPEAKER B Satan fears prayer more than almost anything else he could ever do. Prevailing prayer is potentially the greatest continuing threat to Satan that there has been since Calvary. Nothing will please him more than to get you to stop or neglect a strategic prayer request. Hold on. If Satan is fighting, your persevering in prayer is worth all that it costs. SPEAKER C That'S a mighty powerful statement, isn't it? He fears our prayers, and doesn't it make sense? If God's will is to be done through our prayers, then wouldn't your strategy be stop them praying? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C Again, I love this by Ellen White wrote in Heavenly Places, page 82. She says, there is a mighty power in prayer. Our great adversary is constantly seeking to keep the troubled soul away from God. An appeal to heaven by the humblest saint is more to be dreaded by Satan than the decrees of cabinets and mandates of king. SPEAKER D Wow. SPEAKER C Here she says that the humblest person just praying is one of the most powerful forces on earth. And when we read in Isaiah, chapter 56, verse seven, when Jesus quotes this from the Bible in the Old Testament, when he went into his temple, what did he say? SPEAKER B Even them I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar. My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. SPEAKER C For all nations. So the house of God in the Old Testament was the temple, correct? SPEAKER B That's right. SPEAKER C And so in the New Testament, the temple or the house of God is what? His people. SPEAKER D People. SPEAKER B That's right. SPEAKER C Let's go to One Corinthians, chapter three, verse 16, and we're just going to look at a couple of verses here. One Corinthians, chapter three, verse 16, where it says that in the New Testament the temple or the house of God is his people. One Corinthians, chapter three, verse 16. SPEAKER B Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? SPEAKER C Wow. You're the temple of God, and God's spirit wants to dwell in us. And in Romans, chapter eight, verse nine. Romans, chapter eight, verse nine. It also talks about it, but you. SPEAKER B Are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. SPEAKER C Wow. So here it is saying is that we're the temple and the Spirit of God wants to dwell in us. Okay? And so we are a temple of prayer. And in first, thessalonians chapter five, verse 17, pray without ceasing. There you go. So Paul is saying pray without ceasing. We are the temple of God, his people, and it says my house should be called a house of prayer, his temple. That is why the baptism of the Holy Spirit and prayer are vital for the Christian. We need to be filled with the Spirit and we need to be praying Christians. A Christian without the Holy Spirit is not really a truly Christian. Paul just said, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you, that's true. A Christian who does not consistently pray is not truly a Christian. Prayer and the baptism of the Holy Spirit will be the hallmarks of those ready to meet Jesus. Those who meet Jesus will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and they will be mighty prayer warriors for God. SPEAKER B Colin, if we were friends and we never communicated, there'd be no relationship, none whatsoever. SPEAKER C It's true. SPEAKER B And it'd be the same between a husband and a wife, or between a parent and a child. And if we are the children of God and we never talk to Him, how can there be a relationship? There isn't one. It won't exist. SPEAKER C That's true. That's true. As seven day Venice, we know that the Sabbath is going to be an important issue in the last days. A certain issue, however danger, exists that as we focus on such doctrines, which are important to save us, rather than focusing on Jesus, you remember it was Sabbath keeping tithe, paying health reformers who crucified Jesus. That's right, wasn't it? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C It's not always. I mean, what we know is important, and God has given us knowledge in his word, and it's important, but what we know won't save us, but who we know that will lead to salvation. It's only through prayer and the baptism of the Holy Spirit we'll truly get to know Jesus. Because as you said, we want to get to know Him. It's those who know Him that are saved. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C I mean, he says in Matthew chapter, know not all those who say, lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of God. It'll be those who obey Him and. SPEAKER B Do the will of the Father. SPEAKER C Do the will of father. He says, Away with me, you do. As iniquity, even though they were doing all these amazing things well, they thought they were. They didn't know Jesus, they didn't know Him. They were disobeying his law. And we can have many other evidence that we think indicate we're ready to meet Jesus when he returns. We may be keeping the Sabbath, we may be paying tithe or following health reforms. However, if we do not know Him through prayer and the daily baptism, holy Spirit of Christ in us the hope of glory. We'll hear the same words in Matthew 25 where he says, the foolish virgins, they were both waiting for Jesus. They were both pure church. They were waiting for the second event. They had the word of God, they had the lamps. But what did Jesus say to the. SPEAKER B Foolish Virgins, depart from me, I never knew you? SPEAKER C I don't know. You know, we may be involved in apparent successful ministry for Jesus, and we may even be doing signs and wonders. But if we do not know him, that's Jesus through prayer and the daily baptism, the Holy Spirit and the daily baptism of the Holy Spirit is inviting Jesus to come and live out his life in and through us daily. We're not inviting him into our life daily. We will hear the words in Matthew chapter seven, verse 21 to 23 that I never knew you. So it's essential that every Christian takes seriously God's call to pray, to pray and be filled the Spirit. Remember in Luke chapter eleven, they said teach us to pray. SPEAKER B That's right. SPEAKER C And then he says pray, ask for the Holy Spirit so that you can give out bread to your neighbor. And so we look also whenever God's people gather for fellowship and worship, prayer should be an important part of their gathering. Every time we come together and worship and pray, I've noticed when we come to church we probably do the most minimum thing we do is pray. Yes, we do a lot of singing. SPEAKER B That's right, singing takes center stage quite often. SPEAKER C But although singing is a form of. SPEAKER B Prayer, nice part of worship and praising. SPEAKER C God, the Bible says it's a form of prayer as well. Yeah, it's a form of worship and prayer in our singing. But we need to also pray and on our knees and ask God and pray. And so this was the case for the early church in Acts chapter two, verse 42, acts, chapter two, verse 42 and 46 and 47. They were a praying church. Can you just read that? SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER B Verse 42. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. SPEAKER C So what were they doing there? SPEAKER B Studying the word and studying the word of preaching the word and teaching the word and fellowship. SPEAKER C They were coming together in fellowship, in the breaking of bread they ate together. SPEAKER D Love that. SPEAKER B And in prayer. SPEAKER C And in prayer they were praying church. And it says if you kept on reading they also came together and prayed in the temple and they also did in homes. SPEAKER D Right. SPEAKER C They were in small groups and they came together in churches and started praying as well. And so also in verse 46 and. SPEAKER B 47 so continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Verse 47, praising God and having favor with all people and the Lord added to the church daily those who were. SPEAKER C Being saved praise God. So our desire is that every Christian will never again doubt the importance of prayer. Out of this, if heard anything, if you become a prayer warrior for jesus, you're going to see mighty things done. So let us each daily be filled with God's spirit and yield to the Spirit's prompting to pray. He will put on your heart things to pray for. As we're going to go through these following chapters in the 50 Days of devotion, we're going to focus on prayer because it's so important and different aspects of prayer. SPEAKER B Okay, Colin, thank you for leading us through this study on prayer and the importance of prayer and why we should pray. And also to pray that God's will will be done in our lives as it is in heaven and on earth, and every organization, even the government, as it is in heaven. So we pray, dear listener, that you have been blessed by the study today and that you will prayerfully consider the lesson today. We also have the book 50 Days Prayers and Devotions that are available to you. You can either contact us here at three AB in Australia and I'll give you those contact details shortly, or you can go to your nearest Adventist Books Center to pick up the book and you've put a discount price on it there for them, Colin, so they can get it for quite a good price at the ABC. SPEAKER C It's only $5. SPEAKER B Okay, well, that's a very good price, very reasonable. So, dear listener, if you would like to contact us for more information, you can ring us in Australia on. SPEAKER D You. SPEAKER B Can email us at [email protected]. Or you can even go to our Facebook page. Thank you, dear listener. Until next time. SPEAKER F Hi. This is a two tip lady with tips to make your life more simple. Do you sometimes feel that your life is one big, long trudge uphill? Yeah, well, sometimes it sure seems that way. But I've found a way to stop trudging, slowly miserably along and whiz up that hill instead, with expectation of what might be at the top. And I might even have a happy heart while climbing. Or how on earth am I going to do that? How? Just how? Well, a while ago, I was at the top of Mount York near Mount Victoria Pass in New South Wales, and I couldn't resist singing loudly at the top of my lungs to myself, to the birds, and dear husband, who already accepts the fact that I'm crazy, thankfully want to know what I was singing. Oh, well, here we go. Oh, the grand old Duke of York he had 10,000 men he marched them up to the top of the hill and he marched them down again well, it seemed to be an appropriate song to Oddle at the time, but the road up the mountain that we climbed was just three and a half meters wide and only fit for horses and riders. It was a very, very rough, rocky track and it was only fit for crazy people who love to hike these days. That road never saw 10,000 men. It was carved out of the bush by convict men in 1815 by just 26 men with picks and shovels. Hard work indeed. And I bet they wondered if they'd ever get to the top. But the Great Dividing Range beckoned, and there was only one way to get over it. One wallop and bang at a time. I wonder if that grand old Duke of York inspired his men to march with drums banging and with militant singing that helped them climb up and down their long hill. Or if he made them trudge wearily silently and futilely up and down. I did a bit of research because I wondered where that crazy song came from. I discovered that the lyrics of the grand old Duke of York have come to stand for futile and useless military action. I think we see a lot of that today. The men are marched up, then down. And the only thing to be said of it is that once they were up there, they were up, and once they were down, again they were down. Nothing else was achieved. What a huge waste of effort. Well, at least our historical convict men in my story achieved something. That's still a rough track that beckons us up and over the mountain today. Well, as I sat and yodeled away, I was thinking about the hills of life that we all must climb. So my first tip today is this determine your goal. Just precisely what is it? Those hardworking men knew what theirs was and they achieved it. They got up and over that mountain. My second tip today is a fun one. Sing and march towards your goal. Singing is going to help you over the tedious hard bits. Even if you can't sing like I can't, it really will help. And marching will keep you moving till you get there. So tip number one, determine your goal. Tip number two sing and march. I reckon that if a song gets you singing and marching up and down the hills of life, it's not a futile effort when you sing and march. That's it today from the two tip lady who loves to help make life more simple. SPEAKER B You've been listening to a production of. SPEAKER C Three ABN Australia radio.