Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: GPL
Program Code: GPL000020
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00:01 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
00:02 Do you know how to pray the effective fervent prayer 00:04 that will open the flood gates of heaven? 00:07 Please join us now on "The Grace pipeline" 00:10 and learn what the Bible has to say about this. 00:32 Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline." 00:34 In our last four programs 00:36 we have been learning the meaning of faith 00:39 and how to develop victorious faith in our own lives. 00:42 Today, we will learn how to pray 00:45 the effective fervent prayer of faith. 00:48 The word of God is alive and active 00:51 and when it is implanted in your heart, 00:53 it carries the promise of power to save your soul. 00:57 The series-- this Bible series follows 01:01 a Bible study book that is also titled "The Grace Pipeline." 01:05 So if you're following along in the companion book, 01:07 today we're going to begin on page 168 of chapter 10. 01:13 But before we begin today's study, let's quickly review 01:16 how God's grace pipeline operates, to understand 01:20 why prayer is needed to open the flood gates of heaven. 01:26 The love of God is the compelling force 01:28 behind the grace of God. 01:30 God's heart wells with love for us 01:32 and from that well of love flow all of God's blessings. 01:36 Grace is the pipeline through which all blessings flow 01:40 from heaven to earth and faith is the faucet. 01:44 It's how we tap into the grace pipeline. 01:47 And our faith regulates the release of blessings 01:50 from His great reservoir. 01:52 Now prayer is the handle that opens the faith faucet. 01:57 That's why it's important to understand the power of prayer. 02:02 Trust is the foundation for prayer, 02:05 relationship's the foundation for trust 02:08 and love is the foundation for relationship. 02:12 So the greater our understanding of God's love for us, 02:15 the greater our love will be for Him. 02:18 The greater our love, 02:20 the more intimate the relationship 02:22 becomes with God, 02:23 the greater the trust, the greater trust, 02:26 the more persistent our prayer of faith will become. 02:30 And the more persistent our prayer, the greater 02:33 the faith actions will develop and with greater faith, 02:37 we have greater access to God's grace pipeline. 02:40 And we receive a greater flow of God's blessings. 02:44 So let's get busy identifying how we can open the faith faucet 02:49 through persistent and effective prayer. 02:53 Is your grace supply a little low right now? 02:56 We're gonna learn how to tap in by the faith faucet 02:59 and to turn the handle opened 03:02 by the power of faith and the prayer of faith. 03:05 Christ has opened a new and living way for us 03:08 to draw near to God with a true heart 03:11 in full assurance of faith when we pray. 03:14 In His faithfulness and righteousness, 03:17 God will hear and answer all who access His grace 03:21 by prayer through faith. 03:24 We are invited to come boldly to the Lord 03:27 to obtain the grace we need. 03:30 Let's look at Hebrews 4:16 which gives us that directive, 03:35 and it says, "Let us therefore come boldly 03:39 to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy 03:43 and find grace to help in time of need." 03:48 If you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, 03:51 you were given the privilege 03:52 of becoming a born again child of God. 03:56 Paul tells us that God has put His Spirit in your heart 04:00 by whom you cry out Abba, Father. 04:04 Now Abba is an intimate Aramaic expression 04:07 that means "papa" or "daddy." 04:09 And God invites His children 04:11 to come boldly before His throne of grace 04:14 to obtain mercy and find grace to help. 04:18 Though we may approach Him boldly crying Abba, Father, 04:21 let us draw near in reverent submission 04:24 following Christ's example. 04:27 Never be flippant in your approach to God. 04:30 When you pray, you're on holy ground. 04:32 So come to seek His face with an earnest desire 04:36 to personally know Him and to know His will. 04:40 A life of faith is lived before God in prayer, 04:44 desiring to share this time of precious intimacy. 04:49 Faith clears the path for effective fervent prayer 04:54 preventing vain babbling and mere formalism 04:58 in our approach to God. 05:00 So as we seek Him with all of our heart, we know He listens. 05:05 Our future is secure in His hands. 05:08 He has a good plan for our lives 05:11 and the prayer of faith is rewarded by his approval 05:15 and releases God's promises in His perfect timing. 05:19 The promise of James 5:16 is that 05:22 the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 05:27 Of course, the apostle James is referring there 05:31 to the account of Elijah's fervent prayer 05:34 that was found in 1 Kings 18:41-45. 05:38 And on top of Mount Carmel, 05:41 Elijah bowed down to the ground with his face between his knees 05:45 and he earnestly prayed for God to end the 42 month drought. 05:49 He sent his servant to see if rain clouds were coming. 05:53 There was nothing. 05:54 So praying again and again, 05:57 he repeatedly sent his servant to survey the situation 06:00 who continued to return with the same empty report. 06:04 There was not a cloud on the horizon. 06:06 Though nothing evidenced that God had heard his prayers, 06:11 Elijah's faith did not falter. 06:14 Persisting in prayer, he sent his servant the seventh time 06:19 and a cloud the size of a man's fist was coming up from the sea. 06:24 That small sign prompted the prophet 06:28 to prepare for God's deluge that was on its way. 06:32 Look to Elijah as your example. 06:35 The greater your need, 06:37 the more you should persevere in passionate prayer. 06:40 Hebrews 11:6 says that "God is a rewarder of those 06:45 who diligently seek him." 06:48 In faith, count on the Holy Spirit's interceding assistance 06:54 when you don't know how to pray. 06:56 Romans 8:26 says this, 06:59 "Likewise the Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses. 07:03 For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, 07:06 but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us 07:09 with groanings which cannot be uttered. 07:12 Now He who searches the hearts 07:15 knows what the mind of the Spirit is, 07:17 because He makes intercession for the saints 07:20 according to the will of God." 07:23 In our limited understanding, 07:26 we often do not know how to pray. 07:29 We rarely know how to pray. 07:30 But the Holy Spirit is our "paracletus," 07:33 the one who stands by us, 07:36 who actually dwells within our hearts. 07:38 And he knows everything that is happening in our lives 07:41 and the deep recesses of our minds. 07:44 He intercedes on our behalf with the Father 07:47 with groanings that cannot be uttered. 07:51 Now this phrase does not mean, 07:53 to the--it's not the Greek word "glossolalia" 07:57 which is speaking in tongues or language. 07:59 The Greek word used here means unspoken, wordless groanings. 08:06 Nonetheless, the Holy Spirit 08:08 is communicating effectively with the Father. 08:12 And his requests are always according to God's will. 08:16 And God always answers. 08:19 In faith, count on Jesus Christ who makes intercession with you, 08:26 He lives to make intercession for you 08:29 and He is able to save to the utmost. 08:33 Hebrews 7:25 reads, 08:35 "Therefore he (Jesus) is also able to save to the uttermost 08:41 those who come to God through Him, 08:43 since He always lives to make intercession for them." 08:49 The author of Hebrews was pointing out 08:52 that Jesus Christ is a new and better high priest. 08:56 The Old Testament high priest 08:58 could only enter into the presence of God once a year, 09:02 whereas Christ, our high priest, 09:04 is continually in God's presence in heaven. 09:08 He is our advocate, he is our mediator between us and God. 09:13 And this-- as the Spirit intercedes 09:16 on earth on our behalf, 09:17 Christ intercedes in heaven on our behalf 09:20 day by day and moment by moment. 09:23 And he's able to save us completely. 09:26 So every time you pray, 09:29 know that you have two prayer partners praying with you, 09:32 the Spirit, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 09:35 In Luke 18, Christ spoke a parable 09:38 about a persistent widow, to prove that we should 09:41 always pray and not lose heart. 09:45 And He concluded by saying, 09:47 "Shall God not avenge His own elect 09:49 to cry out day and night to Him, though he bears long with them? 09:55 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. 09:59 Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, 10:02 will He really find faith on the earth?" 10:05 He will find faith in you if you continue earnestly in prayer, 10:11 being vigilant in its practice 10:14 and offering thanksgiving along with its request. 10:18 Like Elijah, we must be persistent 10:21 until the answer is received, 10:23 like the patriarch Jacob who wrestled all night 10:26 with the angel of the Lord which as we've learned, 10:29 was Christ Jesus before His incarnation. 10:32 We need our faith to cry out for change in our character saying, 10:38 "Oh, Lord, I will not let you go unless you bless me." 10:43 Faith pleads the promises of God. 10:46 Now I feel compelled to share some examples with you 10:49 because you may be familiar with another book in program 10:52 that I've done entitled "Exalting His Word" 10:56 which teaches us to return God's word in prayer to Him. 11:00 Now from time to time, someone will approach me 11:03 and they'll ask me, "Where's the biblical examples for this?" 11:05 Let me quickly give you four references. 11:08 In Genesis 32:9-12, Jacob pleaded God's promise 11:13 when he returned to his home country 11:15 saying he wasn't worthy of the least of all the mercies 11:18 and truth that God had shown him. 11:20 And he asked God to deliver him from the hand of Esau. 11:24 Reminding God what He had promised him, 11:28 saying in verse 12, "For you said, 11:32 'I will surely treat you well 11:35 and make your descendants as the sand of the sea 11:38 which cannot be numbered for multitude.'" 11:41 So there we see Jacob pleaded God's word. 11:45 And when Moses was afraid that God would wipe out 11:49 the rebellious nation of Israel, 11:51 he pleaded God's promise saying, in Exodus 32:13, 11:57 "Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, 12:00 your servants to whom you swore by your own self 12:03 and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendents 12:07 as the stars of the heaven 12:08 and all this land that I have spoken up, 12:11 I will give to your descendents, 12:12 and they shall inherit it forever.'" 12:15 And then Solomon pleaded God's promise in 1 Kings 8:26 saying, 12:20 "And now I pray, O God of Israel, 12:22 let your word come true which you have spoken 12:24 to your servant David, my Father." 12:27 And then the psalmist 12:29 pleads God's promise in Psalm 119:49 saying, 12:32 "Remember the word to your servant 12:35 upon which you have caused me to hope." 12:39 So you see it is biblical. 12:41 And we lay claim to God's promises through prayer. 12:45 If we meet the condition of the promise, 12:47 God will answer with perfect timing 12:50 when we ask and keep on asking, 12:53 as Jesus instructed us to do in Luke 11. 12:56 But we must remember one important thing. 13:00 While the love of God is unconditional, 13:03 His promises are not, they carry conditions. 13:07 Let's look at seven conditions 13:10 the Bible reveals for answered prayer. 13:13 First, we must walk in obedience keeping his commandments. 13:19 1 John 3:21-22 says, 13:22 "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, 13:25 we have confidence toward God. 13:28 And whatever we ask, we receive from Him, 13:30 because we keep His commandments 13:33 and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." 13:37 God responds to his obedient children. 13:41 Have you ever felt that God didn't hear your prayers? 13:44 Ask yourself this. 13:46 Are you praying with reverent submission 13:49 willing to do what God wants? 13:52 Hebrews 10:36 counsels us that we have need of endurance 13:58 so that after we have done the will of God, 14:01 we may receive the promise. 14:04 Clearly, that scripture teaches us that we must obey, 14:10 as a condition to receiving the "yes" answer to our prayers. 14:14 Obedience is not a negative word. 14:18 It is not doom and gloom. 14:20 It is joy because we are doing what is best for us 14:25 and God will give us the greatest reward. 14:29 Obedience is the pathway to God's blessings. 14:33 Now number two, the second condition 14:36 is to "Abide in Christ, with his word abiding in us." 14:42 To abide means to dwell in. 14:47 And when we are in Christ, 14:49 the Bible says we live and move and have our being in Him. 14:53 We must remain faithful to abide in him. 14:56 To have the word abide in you 14:58 means it needs to be in your heart, not just in your head. 15:02 Bible study is the first step 15:04 but putting the word into practice is the second step. 15:08 Notice the condition in the promise of John 15:7 15:13 when Jesus said, "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, 15:20 then" and here's the promise, 15:23 "you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you." 15:28 So now the third condition for oh, answered prayer 15:34 is that we ask according to God's will. 15:39 How do we know the will of God? 15:41 It is revealed in the Bible. 15:44 We cannot make a prayer request 15:46 that is in any manner opposed to God's principles or His word 15:51 and expect an answer to our prayer. 15:53 Well, we'll get an answer 15:55 but that answer will be a resounding no. 15:58 James 4:3 says, "You ask and you do not receive 16:03 because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." 16:09 But 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "Now this is the confidence 16:15 that we have in Him, that if we ask anything 16:18 according to His will, He hears us. 16:22 And we know that if He hears us, whatever we ask, 16:26 we know that we have the petitions 16:28 that we have asked of Him." 16:31 You see, when we ask according to God's will, 16:34 we can have communication confidence, 16:38 the absolute assurance 16:40 that he listens and answers our petitions. 16:44 When our prayers align with His will, 16:47 we know He hears and grants our request. 16:51 We don't always know what God's will is for a situation. 16:56 That's why we depend upon the intercession 16:58 of the Holy Spirit and our Lord Jesus Christ 17:02 to guide our prayers. 17:05 We will get an answer. 17:07 The answer may not always be what we expect, 17:10 but it will prove to be better in the long run 17:13 than anything we could have imagined. 17:16 Now the fourth condition is to ask in submission to God's will. 17:23 You know, Jesus sets the example of this in Luke 22:42 17:28 where he said, "Father not my will, but yours be done." 17:33 He was praying that the Lord would take the cup from Him, 17:37 but nevertheless, His prayer was "Lord, your will be done." 17:42 Christ's total focus on earth was to do his Father's will. 17:48 Yet, He faced a very real personal struggle 17:51 as he considered the cruel horror of the crucifixion. 17:56 The shame and the agony he would endure, 17:59 and the thought of being separated from His father, 18:03 which just overwhelmed Him. 18:05 He demonstrates in Luke 22:42 that it is never wrong 18:09 to express our true feelings in prayer. 18:12 God knows our thoughts anyway. 18:14 Our struggle will only be resolved 18:18 when we, like Christ, are willing to do God's will. 18:22 The outcome of God's will is always, 18:25 always finally the best outcome possible, 18:29 so we should not dread it. 18:31 We may not always understand it. 18:33 But there's nothing to fear when God is in control. 18:38 Now the fifth condition is to ask in the name of Christ. 18:44 Before Christ, the people approached God through a priest. 18:49 Now we have a new relationship if we are in Christ. 18:52 We are God's children. 18:54 And we're made a kingdom of priests, the Bible says. 18:57 Christ is our mediator. 18:59 And when we are in Christ, we are praying through him. 19:03 And we need no other mediator between us and God. 19:07 In 1 Timothy 2:5, the Bible says that there's only one God 19:12 and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. 19:18 And Christ makes this glorious promise in John 16:23-24 saying, 19:25 "And in that day you will ask me nothing. 19:29 Most assuredly I say to you, 19:32 whatever you ask the Father in my Father's name or in My name, 19:37 He will give you. 19:38 Until now you have asked nothing in My name, 19:42 ask and you will receive that your joy may be full." 19:48 Now the sixth condition is to bear fruit consistent 19:53 with the profession of your faith. 19:56 Jesus told his disciples in John 15:16. 20:00 He said, "You did not choose me but I chose you 20:04 and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. 20:07 And that your fruit should remain 20:09 that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you." 20:14 Now this verse particularly applies 20:17 to those who are called to ministry, 20:19 to those who are appointed to service in ministry. 20:23 Jesus is saying, if they continue to grow in maturity 20:28 and productive ministry, 20:30 they would obtain the answers to their prayers 20:33 for more fruitful ministry. 20:35 Now the Scripture can, in principle, 20:37 be applied to all Christians. 20:40 He chose us first by dying for us, 20:44 long before we chose Him. 20:47 And He appointed us to be His witnesses. 20:51 We should bear the fruits of repentance 20:55 and the fruit of the spirit. 20:57 Our actions should agree 20:59 with our profession of faith in Christ. 21:03 Now as we come down to number seven, 21:06 this is the seventh reason 21:10 or step to developing victorious faith. 21:14 And this is the most important condition 21:18 if we want answered prayer. 21:21 And that is number seven, 21:23 "Employ the faith factor and ask believing." 21:29 Jesus said in Matthew 21:22, 21:35 "Whatever things you ask in prayer 21:38 believing, you will receive." 21:41 We must believe to receive. 21:44 Without faith, it is impossible to please God. 21:48 But we must have a solid foundation for our believing. 21:53 Our basis for believing is the word of God. 21:57 When we know what the Bible says, 22:00 we can pray according to His word 22:03 and our prayer request will be in harmony with His will. 22:08 The Bible is filled with God's promises to you. 22:12 Even his commandments or promises 22:16 of what He will accomplish in your life. 22:19 To pray believing, you must know what the Bible says. 22:23 Let me sum it up this way, little Word equals little faith, 22:29 and little faith equals little prayer. 22:32 Prayer is the vehicle but faith is the fuel 22:37 and it requires both to reach our desired destination. 22:43 Faith comes by hearing the word of God, and faith fuels prayer. 22:49 When we believe and trust God, we are stirred to pray, 22:54 and persevering prayer is the greatest evidence of faith. 22:59 So little word equals little faith, 23:02 little faith equals little prayer. 23:05 The Apostle James tells us 23:07 that we do not have because we do not ask. 23:10 Then in James 1:6-8 he says, 23:14 "That we must ask in faith with no doubting. 23:18 For he says, that the one who doubts, 23:21 is like a wave of the sea 23:23 that is driven and tossed by the wind." 23:26 And James warns us there that if we do not ask in faith, 23:32 we're being double-minded. 23:34 And any double-minded person, he said, should not suppose 23:38 that they will receive anything from the Lord. 23:43 Conditions for answered prayer, there are seven of them. 23:48 And I want to put them up 23:50 and give you just a little bit of time to write these down. 23:54 Number one, 23:56 "We must walk in obedience, keeping his commandments." 24:02 Number two, 24:05 "We must abide in Christ, with His word abiding in us." 24:11 Number three, 24:12 "We must ask according to God's will." 24:17 Number four, 24:19 "We must ask in submission to God's will." 24:23 And number five, 24:25 "We must ask in the name of Christ." 24:28 Number six, 24:30 "Bear fruit consistent with repentance." 24:35 And number seven, 24:37 "Employ the faith factor and ask believing." 24:45 In our journey to understand grace, 24:48 we have considered that God's love is the compelling force 24:53 behind the visitation and the triumph of grace. 24:58 So the more we appreciate God's love, the more we are inclined 25:05 to share intimacy in relationship with Him. 25:10 Communication will be as natural as a child with the parent, 25:16 and the way we communicate with God is through our prayer. 25:19 So through our faith in Christ, we gain boldness 25:25 and we come boldly before our heavenly Father with confidence. 25:31 And as we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. 25:35 That's his promise. 25:37 You know, someone has said that "Grace writes the check, 25:42 Faith takes it to the bank." 25:46 The prayer of faith secures God's promise. 25:50 The immeasurable riches and power of God's grace 25:55 are poured out from on high through His heavenly pipeline. 25:59 Faith is the faucet that allows us to access this grace. 26:04 And I want to say one thing, just a moment, 26:06 if you imagine this grace pipeline, 26:10 there are different areas of faith. 26:13 We may have that faith faucet, 26:15 we need to tap into the area for God's provision 26:19 to understand tithing 26:21 and returning a tenth of what God gives us to Him. 26:26 That's one area that we may tap into by faith. 26:30 We need to tap into by faith 26:33 where God has told us that he will cut us free 26:37 from the cord of the wicked that binds us. 26:39 We know we have to tap into that by faith. 26:43 We tap in by faith for justification, 26:47 we tap in by faith for sanctification, 26:50 we tap in by faith claiming God's promises for our children. 26:56 For all of these things, 26:59 we have to remember that as we tap in by faith, 27:03 it is the prayer of faith and that is the handle 27:08 that opens the faith faucet. 27:11 And as we develop victorious faith, 27:15 we will tap into God's grace pipeline. 27:19 We will turn the prayer handle 27:22 and we will witness the gushing flow of His Grace. 27:27 Well, I can't believe how fast our time goes 27:30 but please join us next time, 27:33 where we will see the importance of guarding grace in our lives. 27:38 I don't think that there is 27:41 any more important lesson that we could learn, 27:45 except for how to guard grace. 27:49 So until then, we pray that you will grow in the grace 27:53 and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 27:57 To Him be all the glory, amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17