Mark 11:20-25

And amen. Please take out your copy of God's Word. Turn to the Gospel according to Mark chapter 11.

Mark 11 · chapter mention

As you're getting there, let me just by way of reminder, as I saw so many new precious little faces down front,

we're very happy to have children in the service with us, but it's a work in progress, isn't it?

And it's a challenge. It takes some sacrifice on everyone's part.

For those of you without children, the great work ahead of us is to learn to be okay with kids

because kids are not wired like we are, and they haven't quite yet learned what it looks like to sit perfectly quietly in a setting like this.

So embrace kids, love kids, and love them for some of their oddities and their challenges as well.

So for parents, it takes some sensitivity to that also.

Recognize as parents, we get this really amazing skill as parents to tune out, to totally check out what's happening with our kids.

It's pretty amazing how your child can be hitting you on the leg and saying your name over and over again.

You just check them out, right, all together.

It's harder for single people without children to do that thing.

So remember that and be sensitive in that.

It's a work in progress to have kids with us in here.

Sam and I work really diligently with Cade and Judah.

We practice at home.

We have book time.

We make them sit and be quiet.

It takes a lot.

And even still, my wife mostly has the burden placed on her.

I think she's chuckling because there's some challenges going on even right now.

But we do have some space across the hall for that.

So if it's time to step out, that's a place that you can bring a little more stern discipline.

You can, as I used to do with Cade and Judah, stick your two fingers in their collarbone.

Be quiet.

You can do that over there a little more easily than over here.

I would encourage you to that because it does take work.

I wish they would magically sit still and quiet, but it does take a work.

It's amazing.

I've discovered by the grace of God what I can preach through, but I'm not too sure about people's threshold for listening.

So let's be sensitive to that.

Mark chapter 11.

Mark 11 · chapter mention

I'm going to begin reading to you in verse 20, and we'll read through 25.

As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.

And Peter remembered and said to him, Rabbi, look, the fig tree that you cursed has withered.

And Jesus answered them, have faith in God.

Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and thrown into the sea and does not doubt in his heart,

but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.

And whenever you stand praying, forgive.

If you have anything against anyone so that your father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

This is God's word to us written for his glory and our good.

We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.

Let's pray together.

Father God, we do thank you today for your word to us.

And I thank you, Father, for the church, this unique institution in the world that you have called out of darkness,

a people who were once not a people and you have made us a people.

And you have given us the task of gathering together and opening your word and having it applied to our lives.

This application is a supernatural thing.

The great miracle in preaching is not that I even managed to get up here and say things for the length of time,

although that is a miracle in itself.

The real miracle is the way in which you apply your word to our hearts.

So I would ask this day, Father, because of your graciousness,

because we know that you love your people and we know that you're zealous for your glory,

that you will make us more like Christ to that great end.

And we pray this in his name.

Amen.

So we looked last week at a rather remarkable event in the ministry of Jesus when he has gone into Jerusalem

and he cleanses the temple.

He goes in and he turns over the tables and he runs out the money changers.

But prior to that, he cursed a fig tree.

We saw on his journey into town, this is by my very best intellect, Tuesday of the Passion Week.

He's entered Jerusalem for the first time on Monday.

We now see him, verse 11, he's returned to Bethany.

Now he's coming back into town on Tuesday and he's hungry and he sees a fig tree from far off and it's in leaf.

And so it's probable in the life of the fig tree that it should have had unripened fruit on it.

But it doesn't.

And he uses this as an opportunity not to exert his power over creation in some kind of spiteful manner against the fig tree.

But he uses it as an opportunity to show the disciples the coming judgment for the fruitlessness of Israel.

And that's driven home for us as the story of him cleansing the temple is sandwiched in between,

is bookended with the resulting words of the disciples concerning that very fig tree,

which we see in verse 20 and verse 21.

So this is Wednesday of the Passion Week.

Jesus will be crucified on Friday.

We will spend the next four to five months in this period of time in Jesus' ministry in the Gospel according to Mark.

Much will happen.

He's packing it in.

He's giving the very last teaching.

They have yet to realize this is the event that's going to happen at the end of the week,

but he's fully aware of it.

He knows what's about to come.

And he's trying to impart to them all of the final truths they must understand.

The lesson before us today is primarily a lesson about prayer.

We certainly see his response in verse 22,

have faith in God,

and we could readily make it primarily about faith,

but it is about prayer which is fueled by faith.

Now, the disciples, their lives before encountering Jesus,

being called by Him and following Him for the three-ish years that they followed Him,

would not have been devoid of prayer.

This was not a new thing.

This wasn't that they were not praying,

and now they knew that they were supposed to be praying.

The New Testament people of God prayed to God.

The Israelites prayed to God.

There's an Old Testament record of so many precious and beautiful prayers,

which we'll look at some of them today as an example for the way we should pray.

But perhaps their prayer lives had faltered as of late.

Perhaps they had ceased praying the way they ought to be praying

because they were spending all of their time with Jesus.

They had all of their needs met by Him.

They were close and underneath the leadership of the Christ.

They had lived with the provision and the power and the presence of God.

But Jesus is going to soon leave them.

This is going to change dramatically in their lives,

and Jesus wants to say to them here how very, very important prayer is going to be.

They seem to get this message because after He does leave them,

what do we find the apostles doing with other disciples of Christ?

We find them praying.

We find them asking for the very thing that Jesus promised He would send,

the Helper.

And they do receive that.

They receive God's presence in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Yet, they still need God's continuing power and provision.

They have now His presence in the form of the Spirit,

but they also need His continuing power and provision.

We find ourselves, beloved, in the same place.

If you are in Christ, you have the Spirit of Christ.

You have His presence.

But we need His provision and we need His power

if we want to properly honor Him with our lives.

And this is going to require prayer.

Do you want to see God move and work in your life?

Do you want to see Him move and work in the world around you?

And if you do, and I hope that you do,

then you will want to pray powerful prayers.

Now hear me before we get into the particulars

of what a powerful prayer life looks like,

that God does not need us.

He is God, the sovereign, who rules over everything.

He is Himself self-existent.

He doesn't need us,

and nor did He create us in such a way that He needs us.

God could accomplish what God wants to accomplish

with or without us.

But, God loves us.

And because He loves us,

He wants to, He desires to include us

in His purposes and His plans.

He invites us along as the means to His great end.

And one of the ways that that happens

is through prayer.

So prayer enacts the power of God.

Prayer is used by God to accomplish His will.

But He doesn't need us for that.

Prayer is primarily for us.

That we might experience Him

and participate in His goodness to this world.

So let me give you the outline for this morning

in brief,

and then we'll go back and fill in the details.

And four points this morning.

Prayer is,

powerful prayer is,

historical.

It is theological.

It is spiritual.

And it is practical.

But firstly,

powerful prayer is historical.

And by that,

I don't mean that people have prayed powerful prayers in the past,

although they have.

Many wonderful examples of prayer in the past,

both in our Old and New Testament,

as well as beyond,

many valuable recorded prayers.

This is not what I mean by powerful prayer being historical.

We're not taking our lesson here from history.

But rather,

look at the way that Peter remembers what Jesus had done.

Verse 20,

and then into 21.

He had cursed the fig tree.

We find that out in verse 21.

21,

because Jesus says in verse 14,

and he said to it,

may no one ever eat fruit from you again.

Jesus said,

said something.

And then the very next day,

they observed that it came to pass.

Not just that the tree wasn't bearing fruit still,

but that the tree was dead.

And here saying withered away to its roots means that it was completely dead.

There was no life left.

The thing that Jesus had said,

no fruit will ever come from you again,

had certainly come to pass.

There's this little word in verse 21,

and Peter remembered.

He remembered what Jesus had said would be accomplished,

and here it was accomplished before him.

So this first component of powerful prayer is to recognize

that God has put His power on display in the past.

God has done great things.

God has accomplished so much.

And powerful prayer is grounded.

It is rooted,

no pun intended,

in this reality,

that God has been good,

and we have record of this.

Israel is instructed in the Old Testament

time and time and time again

to remember.

In fact,

all of their festivals,

all the things they celebrated

were aimed at them remembering

the things that God had done

on their behalf.

The way that He had preserved them

by sending them to Egypt to begin with.

That He had saved the nation in that way.

That He had delivered them

from the oppressive hand of the Egyptians,

which happened some years later.

That they had passed through the Red Sea

on dry land and He had destroyed Pharaoh's army

behind Him.

That He preserved them in the wilderness

by bringing manna from heaven,

water from a rock.

That He shaded them by day

in the form of a cloud,

and He warmed them by night

in the form of a pillar of fire.

That they crossed into the promised land

and they became conquerors in that place.

That they conquered mighty people

again and again and again.

It said to them,

remember.

This last week's community group text

was Isaiah 46,

Isaiah 46:8–11

verses 8-11,

which says,

remember this and stand firm.

Recall it to mind,

you transgressors.

Remember the former things of old.

For I am God,

and there is no other.

I am God,

and there is none like Me,

declaring the end from the beginning

and from ancient times

things not yet done,

saying,

My counsel shall stand,

and I will accomplish

all My purpose.

So God has said to them in Isaiah,

even as He's about to bring judgment,

remember the things that I have done.

I am God.

Turn with me to Psalm 77.

Psalm 77.

In a day of trouble for the psalmist,

here being Asaph,

excuse me,

He asked some questions in verse 8.

Has steadfast love forever ceased?

Are His promises at an end for all time?

Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Has He in anger shut up His compassion?

Then I said,

I will appeal to this.

So He's not experiencing this present help of the Lord,

but He says,

I will appeal to this,

to the years of the right hand,

the mighty right hand of the Most High.

I will remember the deeds of the Lord.

Yes,

I will remember Your wonders of old.

I will ponder all Your work

and meditate on Your mighty deeds.

Your way,

O God,

is holy.

What God is great?

Like our God.

You are the God who works wonders.

You have made known Your might among the peoples.

You with Your arm redeemed Your people,

the children of Jacob and Joseph.

When the waters saw You,

O God,

when the waters saw You,

they were afraid.

Indeed,

the deep trembled.

The clouds poured out water.

The skies gave forth thunder.

Your arrows flashed on every side.

The crash of Your thunder was in the whirlwind.

Your lightnings lighted up the world.

The earth trembled and shook.

Your way was through the sea.

Your path to the great waters.

Yet Your footprints were unseen.

You led Your people like a flock

by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

And so He casts all of His hope

back on the sure thing

that God had already done.

He had already manifested His goodness

to the people of Israel

in this way.

And this is a great encouragement

to the heart of Asaph

in this time.

In so many ways,

God has placed Himself on display

in the Scriptures.

In so many magnificent ways.

He's done so in your life as well.

Remember.

Remember the things that He's done for you.

Remember Christ's presence

power and provision

in your salvation.

Remember it in your daily needs

having always been met.

We sit here together

because of God's graciousness to us.

We've always had

all that we've needed

whether you think so or not.

you have had your needs met.

You have seen, likely,

God work in countless particular ways.

Little things accomplished

on your behalf.

Things that you prayed for.

Things that troubled you

that were little

and momentary

and light.

And God came through

on your behalf.

This is true for me as well.

We so readily forget them though.

We encourage you to journal

what's happening in your life

through prayer

that you might remember

some of these things.

I was able yesterday

to participate in a wedding

for Daniel Gentry

who's a member of our church

and he married a young lady

by the name of Mackenzie.

They'll be here in a couple of weeks

and let me just at this time

encourage you to

wrap your arms around her.

She's leaving behind

a very precious church family

and will need our love and support

in this transition.

Two springs ago,

the spring of 2013,

Daniel and I traveled together

to Nicaragua

to look at some potential future work

for us to do there together.

And during that time,

we became very aware

as we were praying through

God's future plans for Daniel

if it was going to be in this place

that he was going to need a wife.

It's a very matriarchal society

and a wife was going to be

a massive, massive help to him

down there.

And so we prayed together

while we were down there

that he would provide

a wife for Daniel.

And I learned yesterday,

I didn't know the backstory,

but I learned yesterday

that Mackenzie and her father

kind of had their eyes

turned towards Daniel

when he came back

and got together a bunch of people

to share this trip

that he had taken to Nicaragua.

So when they began to take

some note of him

and begin to pay attention.

So it was a blessing for me

to get to be part of this wedding

and it'll be a blessing

to have Mackenzie here

because she'll be a reminder

of God's goodness,

the way in which he works

through the prayers of his people.

I prayed for a godly wife.

She's here.

Sam's a reminder to me

of God's goodness to me

and the way in which he uses

my prayers.

We prayed for children

and they're here.

Also God's goodness to us

in our prayers.

I shared with you last week

at the beginning of the service

in case you didn't hear it

and maybe just need

to be reminded of it

that a couple of weeks ago

this property,

a pullout on the street

was struck by lightning

and it surged in the building

and it knocked out the wireless.

The modem got fried.

The wireless routers got fried.

The copier itself got fried.

And there was a real good chance

that the copier

was going to be exorbitantly

expensive to fix.

The guy was saying

somewhere between

like $600 and $5,000

to fix it.

So we called our insurance company.

We have insurance.

$1,000 deductible.

And I shared with you

that I had some real anxiety

about that

and had to confess

last Monday

just like,

Lord, I haven't trusted you for this.

I haven't come to you

in prayer for this.

I have depended on simple numbers,

right,

which are fleeting

and really not that important

in the large scheme of things.

And in that process

to trust God again

that He knows these things,

He sent the lightning.

He knew it was going to happen.

He knew this very thing.

And then I share with you

about this very bizarre check

that came after this.

It came on Tuesday.

Pray on Monday.

Check shows up on Tuesday.

From a very obscure source,

I have been able to confirm

that from an individual

that used to attend church here,

graduated,

he's gone,

was kind of involved.

And his father

sent us a check

in the exact amount we needed

to pay the deductible

to get all of these things

all sorted out.

And so now,

every time I get on

the wireless internet

here at the building,

it's a reminder

of God's goodness

to us.

Our church

prayed

and we've been praying

for families.

Families,

you're an encouragement to me.

Look around and see

the way in which

God uses prayers

to bring about His will.

Remember.

Remember these things.

This becomes a foundation

for us

to plead with God on.

After Israel is delivered

from the Philistines,

one of the times

they're delivered

from the Philistines

in 1 Samuel 7.12.

Samuel takes a stone

and he sets it up

between Mizpah and Shin

and he called its name

Ebenezer,

which means

stone of remembrance.

For he said,

till now,

the Lord

has

helped us.

You guys familiar

with that line

in the song

Come Thou Fount

that we sing so often.

Here I raise

my Ebenezer.

Here by thy

great help

I've come.

If you've wondered

what that's all about,

Ebenezer is not

an old man

who doesn't like Christmas.

It's a stone

of remembrance.

A thing that we can

go back to

and recall

the goodness of God

to us.

That He has

helped us

thus far.

And therefore

we have confidence

that He will continue

to do so.

So powerful prayer

in this way

is historical.

Powerful prayer

secondly

is

theological.

Jesus answered

them.

It seems like

this was often

the case that

Peter was the

spokesman

of the apostles.

So he says

something and

Jesus answers

them.

Have faith

in God.

So the second

component of prayer

being theological

is not the issue

at hand.

Not the primary

issue at hand.

The very character

of God

is.

Who

is

God?

Powerful prayer

being historical

is about what God

has done

but who

is He?

Do you have

faith

or do you

trust

God?

Do you trust

Him?

Do you believe

that He knows

best?

Do you trust

His plans?

His purposes?

His ways?

And His will?

Do you know

His plans?

His purposes?

His ways?

His will?

If you want to

pray powerful

prayers

you're going

to have to.

You're going

to have to.

When the

disciples ask

Jesus how

they should

pray

what does

He tell

them?

Matthew 6

9 and 10

Pray then

like this

Our Father

in heaven

hallowed

be your

name

your

kingdom

come

whose

will?

Your

will be

done

on earth

as it

is in

heaven.

If we want

to implore

God

as Jesus

instructions

to pray

like this

He doesn't

say pray

this

recite this

and some

magic blessing

will come

to you

He says

pray like

this

use this

as a

pattern

pray things

in the

will

of God

how are

we to

know

what this

is

unless

we know

God

we must

know about

Him

we must

know about

His plans

His purposes

His ways

therefore we

can know

His will

powerful

prayer

recognizes

God's

sovereign

goodness

His very

character

in fact it

relies

upon it

1 John 5

14

the apostle

John says

and this

is the

confidence

that we

have

toward

Him

that if

we ask

for anything

according

to

His

will

He

hears

us

and if

we know

that He

hears

us

and whenever

we ask

we know

that we

have

the

request

that we

have

asked

of

Him

powerful

prayer

banks

on God's

character

makes

withdrawals

from the

very

person

that He

is

a little

while ago

it's already

been two

summers

now

we studied

the great

Old Testament

book of

Nehemiah

and Nehemiah

serving as

the cupbearer

to King

Artaxerxes

the Persian

king

Persia

came

and overthrew

Babylon

remember

Israel

was

overthrown

by

and dispersed

by

Babylonian

invasion

and now

the power

has shifted

and Nehemiah

hears that

as the people

have been

allowed to

go back

they have

yet to

rebuild

the wall

and this

greatly

troubles

him

and he

prays

a prayer

because he

believes

he needs

to go be

part of

the process

to bring

restoration

to Jerusalem

but he's

serving

this king

right

and this

king

has said

some years

previous

he's issued

an edict

to say

that the wall

will not be

rebuilt

that he will

not allow

them to

fortify

the city

so this

is what

confronts

him

to go

to the

king

and ask

for permission

to go

back

we later

find out

he actually

asked for

a line

of credit

to actually

be able

to do

this very

thing

and the

way he

begins

his prayer

to God

makes

this very

point

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:5

chapter 1

verse 5

and I

said

O Lord

God of

heaven

the great

and awesome

God

who keeps

covenant

and steadfast

love with

those who

love him

and keep

his

commandments

he knew

who God

was

the God

of heaven

the great

and awesome

one

and he knew

the way

in which

he dealt

with his

people

that he

could not

lie

that he

could not

go against

his very

own

character

and that he

must

keep

his steadfast

love

because

it's

who

he

is

so we

know him

by his

scripture

do you

know his

promises

do you

know the

things he's

promised to

do

for us

I will

tell you

this

if you

find your

prayer life

to be

lacking in

fervor

there is a

direct

correlation

to your

devotion to

God's

word

this is the

way in

which God

communicates

to us

beloved

so many

people want

to walk

around

what is

the will

of God

for my

life

what is

the will

of God

for my

life

stop

and open

his word

he has

written a

book to

you

the Lord

God

almighty

in heaven

came down

and wrote

you a

book

read this

this is the

way he

communicates

to you

it is

precious

every

little

dot

every

iota

is precious

to us

and I will

promise you

that as he

speaks to

you through

it you

will

automatically

respond

to him

in prayer

the conduit

by which

we communicate

with our

Lord

there's always

a correlation

between the

true

God's

love

God

absolutely

loves

hear this

God

loves

for us

to make

our cases

to him

by his

own

word

get this

this is

fascinating

turn back

to Mark

Mark 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7

I just want

you to see

the story

of the

Syrophoenician

woman

I won't

read it to

you for

the sake

of time

but she

comes to

him asking

for something

she's outside

of those

who are

of Israel

and Jesus

says let

the children

be fed

first

for it is

not right

to take

the children's

bread and

throw it

to the

dogs

but she

answered

him

yes

Lord

yet even

the dogs

under the

table

eat the

children's

crumbs

she

argues

with

Jesus

by

God's

very

own

character

and in

regard to

this

let me

read you

a quote

from a

wonderful

biography

written by

A.T.

Pearson

about the

life of

George

Mueller

he wrote

we are

to argue

our case

with

God

not

indeed

to convince

him

but to

convince

ourselves

in proving

to him

that by

his own

word

and oath

and character

he has

bound himself

to interpose

we demonstrate

to our own

faith that he

has given us

the right

to ask

and claim

and that he

will answer

our plea

because he

cannot

deny

himself

God

loves

for us

to come

to him

in that

way

to plead

with him

by his

very

own

words

and God

is not a

liar

he cannot

deny

himself

let's look

at another

example

together

Exodus

Exodus 32 · chapter mention

chapter

32

this is

after

I hope

it's obvious

to you

the

Exodus

out of

Egypt

they have

come to

the foot

of Mount

Sinai

the people

of God

and

Moses

has gone

up onto

the mountain

to meet

with God

to receive

the Ten

Commandments

and in the

meantime

under Aaron's

leadership

the people

construct a

golden calf

and begin

to worship

it

Moses is unaware

of this

he's meeting

with God

he's receiving

the Ten

Commandments

but God

is fully

aware of it

and he

says to

Moses

we've got to

take a break

from this

giving of the

law

because I've

got to go

down

and destroy

the people

because they're

now worshipping

a false

God

a false

idol

and look

at what

Moses

says

but Moses

verse 11

I'm sorry

chapter 32

verse 11

but Moses

implored

the Lord

his God

and said

oh Lord

why does

your wrath

burn hot

against your

people

whom you

have brought

out of the

land of

Egypt

with great

power

and with

a mighty

hand

why should

the Egyptians

say

with evil

intent

did he

bring them

out

to kill

them

in the

mountains

and to

consume

them

from the

face

of the

earth

turn

from your

burning

anger

and relent

from this

disaster

against

your

people

now here

we go

remember

Abraham

Isaac

and Israel

your servants

to whom

you swore

by your

own self

and said

to them

I will

multiply

your

offspring

as the

stars

of heaven

and all

this land

that I

promised

I will

give to

your

offspring

and they

shall

inherit

it

forever

and the

Lord

relented

from the

disaster

that he

had

spoken

of

bringing

on his

people

so he

banks

on the

very

promises

that God

had made

now hear

me

God didn't

forget

about the

promises

that he

had made

he didn't

need to

be reminded

but what

happened

here

is

Moses

implores him

and says

you've promised

to do a

good thing

and God

says to

him

yes

did God

change his

mind

absolutely

not

but he

used the

prayer

of his

servant

he

used

the

prayer

of

Moses

he

got

Moses

his

heart

to

catch

up

to

where

he

was

loving

a

people

loving

a

people

regardless

of what

they

did

and

Moses

was

going

to

need

this

lesson

in

the

coming

40

years

in

the

wilderness

so

powerful

prayer

is

historical

it

is

theological

draws

from

banks

on

God's

very

character

thirdly

powerful

prayer

is

spiritual

verse

23

back

in

Mark

11

it's

truly

I

say

to

you

whoever

says

to

this

mountain

be

taken

up

and

thrown

into

the

sea

and

does

not

doubt

in

his

heart

but

believes

that

what

he

says

will

come

to

pass

it

will

be

done

for

him

this

third

component

is

spiritual

that

is

you

can't

pray

powerful

prayers

just

knowing

in

your

head

the

things

that

God

has

done

or

knowing

some

things

about

him

but

you

have

to

believe

in

your

heart

it's

taking

that

knowledge

and

it's

turning

it

into

reality

in

your

very

being

I

love

that

he

extends

this

very

general

offer

for

this

rather

miraculous

thing

he

says

whoever

whoever

says

and

doesn't

doubt

but

believes

these

are

the

conditions

that

he

places

!

Now

there's

been

a lot

written

about

what

he

is

referring

to

specifically

about

this

mountain

massive

amount

pages

wasted

in my

opinion

about

what he

means

particularly

where is

he standing

exactly

is there

a mountain

that's

going to

be moved

into the

sea

what's

going

on

here

I

believe

this

is

hyperbole

he's

just

simply

saying

this

massive

amazing

thing

will

be

accomplished

let me

strongly

encourage

all of

you

to not

sit

in front

of a

mountain

and try

to find

the measure

of your

faith

by seeing

if you

can get

it to

up

and move

I must

admit

very early

in my

Christian

life

I'm

thinking

around

seven

or eight

I used

to just

see if

I could

get

things

in my

room

to move

I think

that would

be

pretty

amazing

I will

start

with

this

pencil

and see

if this

is

possible

this is

not

the point

that he's

trying to

make

he's

using

hyperbole

we used to

use that

kind of

language

today

you talk

about

somebody

who's

unstoppable

you have

a person

you know

that really

gets things

accomplished

and they'll

say he

can move

mountains

right

this is

the thing

that he

is

communicating

to us

the point

is

ultimately

about

faith

he says

if you

doubt

in your

heart

who is it

that you're

doubting

what are you

doubting

you're doubting

God

that God

can accomplish

what God

intends to

accomplish

by

your prayers

now

beloved

we can get

this really

wrong

and many

many

people

have

our

belief

or faith

our

belief

does not

have

power

God

has power

he chooses

to use

in a very

particular

way

our faith

to accomplish

things

by his

power

but it's

wrongly

taught

often

that

you

have

you've

been

given

therefore

you

have

power

we do

not

we

ask

for

right

God

to use

his

power

through

us

and this

is the

way

in which

we

have

power

but it's

ultimately

his

James 1

6-8

says this

powerful

but let

him

ask

in faith

with

no

doubting

for

the

one

who

doubts

is like

a wave

of the

sea

that

is

driven

and

tossed

by the

wind

for

that

person

must

not

suppose

that

he

will

receive

anything

from

the

Lord

he

is

a

double

minded

man

unstable

in

all

his

ways

doesn't

trust

in

the

God

who

is

worth

trusting

!

in

powerful

prayer

is

theological

and it is spiritual because we have a God

to place our trust and faith in.

Now let's remember together

an example of faith that enacts the power of God

so that we can be encouraged at this point

because you want to ask the question,

well, how much faith is required?

Because if your experience is anything like mine,

and I am confident that it is,

our faith falters so much

in so many ways.

We're living between two times.

We've been given faith in God,

but it's not perfected yet.

We carry around the baggage of flesh

and we struggle with faith.

So turn back just a page or two

in your Bible to Mark 9.

We observe together the story

of a father with a demon-possessed boy.

Jesus has come down off the mountain,

Peter, James, and John,

and he has left the other apostles alone for some time

and they are trying to cast out,

they've gotten into this conflict

because they've tried to cast out this demon

and they're not able to do so.

And the overarching point of this story

is that they had no faith at this point.

The apostles had zero faith at all.

Previously, they have gone out

and they've cast out demons.

So what's lacking in this case,

they're not able to because they don't have faith.

And then we see Jesus' interaction

with this father,

this poor child who's been thrown into fires,

is likely having epileptic seizures

because he's been battered on the ground

by this demon.

It's a horrid situation.

And beginning in verse 21,

Jesus asks him,

how long has this been happening to him?

And he says, from childhood.

And it has often cast him into fire

and into water to destroy him.

But if you can do anything,

have compassion on us and help us.

And Jesus said to him,

if you can,

if you can do anything,

he says, if you can,

all things are possible

for one who believes.

And look at the father's response.

Immediately, the father of the child

cried out and said,

I believe.

Help.

My unbelief.

And Jesus casts out the demon.

So you see a great expression here

of the father's imperfect faith.

I believe, but help my unbelief.

There's a part of me that thinks

and knows that you can do this thing,

but I'm just not sure.

Help.

Increase my faith

by casting this demon

out of my child.

So he didn't have a perfect faith,

but he had a sufficient faith.

Beloved, this is one of the beautiful things

about prayers.

That we offer up prayers of faith

and we see God respond to those things

and it increases our faith.

It works in this wonderful,

beautiful cycle.

That we pray things in the will of God.

He accomplishes those things.

And in that we see the way in which

he enacts his power in our life

and it moves us to further prayer.

I hope this is true in your life.

If it's not, you need to begin.

You need to start praying

that you might see this be the case for you.

As powerful prayer is historical and theological,

it's spiritual,

it also has a practical component.

Powerful prayer is practical.

This fourth component is one of great practicality.

Verse 24, he says,

Therefore, I tell you,

whatever you ask in prayer,

if you want to pray powerful prayers,

you must pray.

And I know that might seem a little bit obtuse to you,

but we live in a prayerless generation.

I will admit, I struggle with prayer.

It is a challenge to place my face before the Lord.

My knee-jerk reaction is very rarely

to go to my knees in prayer.

I kind of got a business mind.

I tend to run to my own solutions,

which never sort anything out.

I learn this lesson after time and time again.

Prayer is a struggle,

but we must pray if we want to pray powerful prayers.

Jesus says, James 4, verse 2,

James 4:2

you do not have because you do not ask.

Jesus says later here in verse 24,