welcome! Sit back, relax, and get ready to grow!
If you are a guest, please be sure to fill out the tear-off tab on the bulletin and drop it in the offering box!
Looking Ahead June 20-26 - Monterrey Missions Trip July 26-27 - Women s Conference- B e th Moore k r a P e h t in h c r u h C 2 July 1 July 18 - Half Day of Prayer July 22 - Teen Cedar Point Trip
Sundays after church, beginning June 14 Starts Today! 4
Saturday June 27 th! UNPLUG AND PLUG INTO FAMILY!
June 26-27, 2015 6
City ospel Mission Next Week! Our Next Outreach Dinner: June 21 5:30 PM
meeting at the russell home tonight @ 7pm 8
welcome! Sit back, relax, and get ready to grow!
welcome! Sit back, relax, and get ready to grow!
Praying without Ceasing
Romans 12 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
1 Thessalonians 5 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Important Point If there has ever been a time when we should pray without ceasing, that time is right now.
An Important Thought God makes no promise to answer a prayer that has never been uttered.
2 Chronicles 7:14 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
The Power of Prayer
Prayer is Your #1 Resource for Doing Life Well.
James 5 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much. A person who has a pattern of doing right.
Psalm 66:18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
James 5 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 land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. Elijah was human just like us.
Psalm 139 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
The Golden Key for Answered Prayer Persistence
Persistence in Prayer
Luke 18 1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.
Luke 18 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, Get justice for me from my adversary. 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
Luke 18 6 Then the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?
An Important Thought Unanswered prayers test our faith. We meet that test when we keep praying and don t lose heart.
Luke 11 1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2 So He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Holy is Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Luke 11 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, as we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Luke 11 5 And He said to them, Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him ;
Luke 11 7 and he will answer from within and say, Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.
Luke 11 9 So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Luke 11 11 If a son asks for bread[d] from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
Luke 11 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
A question Why in the world would God make us ask Him over and over to answer our prayers?
Another question What kind of God would refuse to answer prayer until or unless he was pressured into it?
The answer Persistence is for our sake, not God s.
Persistence in Prayer Demonstrates clearly that we are depending on God for the answer.
Persistence in Prayer Helps us to see when it is God who brought the answer to that prayer.
Persistence in Prayer Causes our will to begin to conform to God s will.
Persistence in Prayer Deepens our relationship with our Creator-Father in Heaven.
Persistence in Prayer Causes us to focus regularly on things in our life that might be interfering with our relationship with God.
Persistence in Prayer Strengthens our patience-muscle and builds character into us as we wait on God s perfect timing.
Persistence in Prayer Causes us to come to a fuller realization of our total need and dependence on God.
Persistence in Prayer Gives us a better understanding and clarity for what is truly important on this planet.
Persistence in Prayer Purges our faulty desires.
Persistence in Prayer Humbles us.
Persistence in Prayer Causes God s nature, character and likeness to begin to imprint onto our souls.
One last thing My hope for you today is that you will commit to an unrelenting pursuit of God.
Purpose Racism Education A family member Security Finances Growth God s Will Your Children Hope Depression Your job/career Anger Veritas Your future Your Marriage Health Fear War Your Car Finances Our Nation An enemy Your schedule Social IssuesWisdom Isis Peace Our President Unity Victory over sin Your Ministry
welcome! Sit back, relax, and get ready to grow!