[Music]
praying is serious business with God I’m
talking to the creator of the whole
earth I’m talking to the one who doesn’t
have to speak he can just think it in
the bed I’m talking to a God who can
change anything anywhere anytime
according to his will
next on InTouch prayer that moves God
you often wonder why your prayers are
unanswered you know some scriptures and
you talk to God but somehow so many of
your prayers go unanswered there must be
some reason have you thought about why
have you looked at your life to ask you
a question is there anything in my life
it would cause God not to answer my
prayers 1 have you thought about this
have you thought about they God to whom
you’re making your prayers you say well
everybody believes in God well everybody
doesn’t believe in the one true God
and many people pray to a god and they
expect God to answer their prayers and
somehow they don’t get answered and so
you give up on praying and you think you
think well the Bible’s not really true
the Bible is very true from very
beginning to the very end so I want you
to listen carefully to this message
because it just may be that you will
discover one of those reasons your
prayers are unanswered listen carefully
so turn if you will to Acts chapter 12
this is a familiar passage and I want us
to read a few verses but we’ll take
probably most of this chapter beginning
in verse 1
the scripture says now about that time
Herod the King laid hands on some who
belong to the church in order to
mistreat them and he had James the
brother of John put to death with the
sword and when he saw that it pleased
the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter
also now it was during the days of the
unleavened bread after the Passover and
when he had seized him he put him in
prison delivering him to four squads of
soldiers that four squads would be 16
they were there to guard him and to
bring him out before the people so Peter
was kept in the prison but prayer for
him was being made fervently by the
church to God
remember that he was made fervently by
the church to God would you say that you
pray fervently or do you just say well I
I don’t know whether it’s firming
they’re not but I just pray well let’s
look at what’s going on right here and
maybe it discovers something about your
own prayer life
so this Herod he had James killed and
that seemed to satisfy the Jews who
hated the Christians and so then he
thought that worked so he had Peter
arrested and put in prison so Peter is
now in prison and his death is imminent
very evident that he intends to kill him
that he intends to bring him out before
the people and killing with a sword as
he did James and he figured that that
would satisfy the Jews by killing
Christians and so the result is that the
Christians gathered together the
scripture says in Mary’s house and there
they gathered together to pray for Peter
they remember probably James was killed
without any warning
and so here’s Peter their leader who is
going to be killed they know he’s going
to be killed and so they’re praying but
they have to be struggling to some
degree with that because James already
died and they know how a prisoner is
imprisoned by the Romans and so they’re
praying and praying for God to release
him and so I want us to just read a few
verses if you will and look if you will
verse 6 on the very night when Herod was
about to bring him forward
Peter was sleeping between two soldiers
bound with two chains and guards in
front of the door were watching over the
prison and behold an angel of the Lord
appeared in a light shone in the cell
and he struck Peters side woke him up
saying get up quickly and his chains
fell off his hands
and the angel said to him gird yourself
put on your sandals and he did so and he
said to him refu cloak around you and
follow me and he went out and continued
to follow and he did not know what was
being done but by the angel was real but
he thought he was seeing something
having a vision when they had passed the
first and second yard they came to the
iron gate that leads into the city which
opened for them by itself and they went
out and went along one Street and
immediately the angel departed from him
so so what happens when Peter came to
himself he said now I know for sure that
the Lord has sent his angel and rescued
me from the hand of Herod and from all
that the Jewish people were expecting
now I want you to think about something
the two words here that really got my
attention when I read this and already
many times if you go back to the fifth
verse notice what it says so Peter was
kept in the prison but prayer for him
was being made fervently listened
fervently by the church to God and those
two words just jumped off the page to me
to God if I should ask you who is the
god you’re praying to more than likely
most of you seated here and most of you
who believe us could say well I’m
praying to the one true God that when I
pray even when I think about but I want
you to think about the people who pray
who don’t necessarily pray to the one
true God and what I’ve discovered is
this when I talk to somebody who does
not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their
Savior and they talk about praying I’d
say well who do you pray to well I just
pray to God well like like who is this
God well he’s the god I pray to and the
more you talk to them the more you
listen here’s what you discover many
people have mentally created their own
God and this God agrees with them about
what they want to do
they want to go how they want to address
what they want to drink and what kind of
sexual relationships he’ll have there
was this guy just fits them perfectly
and so they say that I believe in God
yes either you pray to Him yes I do what
do you say to him well now you’re
getting personal I’m gonna tell you what
I pray to him they can’t because he’s
not God he’s a God that they’ve created
in their minds but listen they will
never tell you he’s holy he’s righteous
he’s a God of judgment he hates sin
they’re like I’ll say that they’re gonna
talk about the God who has patterned his
desires after their desire the way they
live and so many people when they’re
praying then I prayed to God so somebody
says well what kind of God does a
Christian pray to I’ll tell you he is
the God who created this world he’s the
God who destroyed this world by flood
he’s the God who gave us the Ten
Commandments he’s the God who broke down
the walls of Jericho he’s the God who
gave to David the Psalms
he’s a god who’s given to us the
prophets like Isaiah Jeremiah Daniel
he’s the God who has given to us the
Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God and our
Savior now if that’s nothing god you
afraid – you got a homemade gun and it
doesn’t work he’s a holy God he’s a
righteous God he’s a perfect God he’s a
God who here’s an answer prayers he’s a
God who loves us unconditionally he’s a
God who forgives us of our sin but he’s
a God who does not tolerate sin because
he knows that sin is a destroyer of the
very people he loves if you don’t have
that God you don’t have God you have a
homemade God you have one that suits you
listen to this who has no power to
promise you anything nothing we can say
because of the scripture absent from the
body present with the Lord
what can you say about your God I can
tell you what you say well I guess I
just everything just goes to nothing I
just disappeared no you know well
I guess he got us together of love he
treats everybody the same no he doesn’t
you can come up with all kinds of
excuses about your god but you do not
talk about judgment you do not talk
about righteousness you do not talk
about a day of judgment you do not talk
about standing before a holy God and
given account of your life and I notice
you don’t talk about hell you may talk a
little bit about heaven because you
believe that everybody’s going there is
that really true no it’s not and so your
God is God to you but your God can’t do
anything for you he has no power
whatsoever because it is a god of your
imagination the God who is the one true
eternal God is the god we just described
a few moments ago he’s the God who gave
us the Ten Commandments and the
Beatitudes and all the awesome
scriptures we have in the Bible now the
reason I ask you what gods you’re
praying to is because if you’re not
praying to the one through God it’s not
making it a difference in your life now
these Christians hearing about teeta’s
imprisonment they got together and they
began to pray and to intercede for him
and it’s interesting when you look at
this passage and think about what was
getting ready to happen that even in
their prayers they had to be struggling
a little bit I think I would have been
but I’ve been one of them and so from
all human perspective every human
perspective Peter was going to be killed
tomorrow that is tomorrow is d-day for
PETA death for Peter and so they got
together at Mary’s house and began to
pray and they were crying out for God to
do something unusual to do something
awesome for them because he he meant so
much to them and and for him to be
killed would have been a total disaster
in their thinking and especially in what
was happening in the church so we saw a
few moments ago what happened so Peters
in prison God sends his angel takes him
out
then he goes to Mary’s house he knew
that’s where they were all praying
knocks on the door and this young lady
comes to the door the scripture says
when he knocked at the door at the gate
a servant girl named Rhoda came to
answer when she recognized Peters voice
you think she would have run she would
have opened the door and run back and
said here’s Peter now what she did she
heard him and she she didn’t him open
the door she just ran back and said it’s
Peter and what did they say oh I can’t
be Peter
it may be an angel but he can’t be up he
steals them they can knock in trying to
get in and they’re in the southern it
can’t be him I mean they’ve been praying
fervently forgot to set him free and he
sets him free and they’re still back
there saying no it can’t happen so
that’ll give you some wandering faith
and so they said to her you’re out of
your mind
look at this they’ve been in a praying
crying out to God she says he’s at the
door they say you’re at the you’re out
of your mind and so she kept insisting
and so but Peter continued knocking and
I wonder what he was thinking and when
they had opened the door they saw him
and were amazed so God answered their
prayer what I want us to look at here
and I want us to say this again and
again because I don’t want you to I
don’t want you to miss this the Bible
says they were praying to God let me ask
you that how many of you pray to God how
many times have you gotten on your knees
and began to talk to God about what you
were concerned about and then you went
from praying about your husband your
wife or children or your finances
whatever it is next thing you know
you’re praying about something else next
thing you know you’re praying about
something else in fact in fact you
you’ve read all over the world and then
you get up and walk away about two hours
later somebody says don’t you pray
would you pray about well I’m afraid
about a lot of things when you pray to
God you’re gonna know what you prayed
about now listen carefully
what happens is in our mind we fix our
mind upon God to pray to Him and we call
him a verse God you said if I ask
anything in your name that you did I
mess this is Jesus name
praying to you and so we’ve started
praying and next thing you know we’re
off to something else and God gets lost
in the whole issue it finally the way we
put a period to it we say in Jesus name
Amen we don’t even know what that means
in Jesus name Amen
so so much of our praying is not
profitable because we don’t pray to God
I’m praying to God about my finances I’m
praying to God about my husband or wife
I’m praying to God about my children I’m
praying their words he must be uppermost
in our praying and our thinking
otherwise we drift off into all kinds of
things as we said before and sometimes
can’t even remember what it was but God
is uppermost for most I’m praying to the
Heavenly Father about this and I’m not
gonna go praying along and get off on
something else and forget to whom I am
praying and what he’s like God is
honored when we come to him he’s honored
when we talked to him and he’s willing
to hear an answer our prayer
he says callin to me I will answer you
and show you great and mighty things
which you do not know if he can part the
Red Sea knock down the walls of Jericho
and if he can give us the Ten
Commandments he can answer any prayer we
prayed that fits his will and his plan
for our life and so
so once you notice something else here
about them it says the scripture says so
for him prayer was being made fervently
by the church fervently you know what
that means there’s some enthusiasm
there’s some feeling there’s some belief
fervently let me ask you a question do
you love your children fervently sure
you do fervently means my heart is in it
when I’m talking to God’s fervently it
means I’m I want to quote him on
Scripture and we quote scripture in our
prayer not to remind God of anything but
to do what to remind us of what he’s
promised us when we come to him praying
to him and so there pray fervently for
example when Jesus was facing the cross
the scripture says he was praying in
Luke the 22nd chapter he was praying
fervently that is he was agonizing and I
wonder when is the last time you could
honestly say I prayed fervently for him
that means you put your whole heart into
it
it means you probably maybe we’re
weeping in their behalf that you were
saying God I’ll do whatever you say do
whatever it takes to help them through
this situation they’re going through got
in Jesus name and so fervently it means
you
it’s wholeheartedly and oftentimes we
say to somebody I’ll pray for you we
don’t we shouldn’t say that if we don’t
mean it now if I tell somebody I’m gonna
pray for them I’m gonna pray for them I
want to do something to remind me that I
told them I’d pray for them and so
sometimes I say yeah make a list
now watch this if you want God to do
something many things coming to him one
time it’s not gonna cut it it’s not
because some issues in situations got us
to have time to arrange the situation’s
in order to answer your prayers so if
you just pray once and say well God
didn’t answer my prayer
you didn’t give him an opportunity to
answer your prayer the way he wants to
answer it
in the way that he gets the most credit
and that you blessed and you reminded
next time you have a request that’s the
way you come to him he says callin to me
when I will answer you and show you
great and mighty things which you do not
know about you don’t even understand and
so if I say to you do you have a list
it’s for this way if you are dead
serious I bet your prayer life and about
the people you praying for you’re gonna
do something that reminds you to keep
praying until God changes the
circumstance and that’s why I have a
list you said what kind of list you just
put at the top of the prayer list and
right then that you can put that name
down and the good thing that I found
that a long time ago was to put a date
down by this is a date I started it
maybe three days when I can put another
day down answered prayer it may be three
months six months and I prayed for
people longer than that and some people
are prayed for and prayed for and prayed
for I still can put a date down by it
but look watch this but at least I’m
reminded at least I can still pray for
that person for God to change them in
some way I’ll provide something in their
life
the issue is am i praying with fervency
because i love this person because I
care not gonna pray for everybody the
same you’re not going to the closer
people are to you the more you probably
pray for the more sincere your prayers
are gonna be the more intensive
intensely you’re gonna pray for somebody
that you genuinely love or somebody that
you see hitting in the wrong turn wrong
direction and there have been people
I’ve said don’t do that don’t do I’m
telling you don’t do it that and they
head out in that direction I pray God
that I’m stumbled that I’m fall that I’m
hurt what it was necessary block them
just block them from running their life
it’s not gonna be any profit to me to
pray for God to block something for them
I want to see how to work in their life
and so he says we’re to pray fervently
and then the third thing I wanted you to
notice his sinless and that
is prayer that moves God maybe made by
those in agreement with each other in
agreement with each other and in the
will of God for example if if I have a
big burden on my heart about something
I’m gonna talk to somebody it’s sitting
right here for example and I’m gonna say
to that person here’s the thing I’m
really concerned about and that’s you it
lets you not pray about this together
there’s something watch that there’s
something about agreeing if any two of
you shall agree on earth as touching
anything of the father’s will he gets
involved and so there’s something about
praying together and let’s put it this
way the deeper your hurt the more your
pain the more likely you’re gonna ask
somebody to pray with you not just pray
for you but to pray with you and if I
should ask you today how many of you
have a prayer partner but so I don’t
need anybody praying for me yes you do
we all need somebody to pray for us we
need somebody to pray for us to warn us
if we’re heading in the wrong direction
and I’ve had people come up to me over
the years and say well now you sure
about this and so and our garden if a
godly person says to me are you sure
that that’s the right thing to do here’s
what I’m gonna say I’m not gonna I’m not
gonna be prideful and you get this don’t
say well absolutely I’m sure no if you
questioned that I’m gonna say God I want
you to clarify this in my mind to be
sure I’m headed in the right direction
asking the right thing for the right
purpose the right motive and so forth
God is so willing to grant us the needs
the desires of our heart when we come to
him
with a clean heart an open mind willing
to listen to him willing to be obedient
to him so the most powerful thing you
and I do is to pray with a pray to God
we’re to pray with fervency with heart
we Despres and his will what he wants
and what he desires for our life and one
of the best things we can do watch this
it helps us and help somebody else
is to have someone we pray with what’s
this because we all need to be held
accountable a person who wants no
accountability is into something they
shouldn’t be into that’s why they don’t
want to have to give an account
accountability is a safety zone for us
but what I save where I go who I go with
what I spent their words I want to be
accountable that’s that’s safe somebody
I says I want freedom you want freedom
to destroy your life freedom to get in
debt freedom to have relationships with
people you have no business having
relationships accountability is a safety
net for every single one of us and God
knows we all need to be safe safe
walking in his will and in his way so
the church in these days they were smart
they all got together and prayed for
Peters release and much much to their
surprise he was released and what
happens there’s a long time after that
now I descend to ask you this if you had
to describe your prayer life what would
it be like well I say my prayers at
night well let’s let’s get this what do
you mean you say your prayers at night I
understand what you’re saying but if you
just Fred night before you go to sleep I
can tell you right now you’re gonna get
in trouble because first of all you may
be about two-thirds sleep before you
start praying so you don’t even know
what you’re saying no words you might as
well say the prayer that I remember my
mother taught me Berlin life for I knew
what was going on now I lay me down to
sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep if
I should die before I wake I pray the
Lord my soul to take
it’s better than nothing but
it isn’t the best kind of friend now if
we laugh about him oppressor dismisses
pray to Almighty God through His Son
Jesus Christ who died on the cross and
shed his blood to your sin
praying to be saved to Almighty God
through His Son Jesus serious business
praying for our needs sirs missis
praying for one another serious business
praying for the nation serious misses
prayers serious business listen not only
serious it’s powerful business praying
with fervency makes change in people’s
lives and it can make change in a nation
and God’s people need to be praying amen
and probably thank you that you’re
pleased when we pray willing to hear us
willing to answer us willing to
strengthen us willing to build our faith
up willing to teach us how to love you
and we pray today in Jesus name right
now any persons needed here any person
listening wherever they might be if
their prayers are to count help them to
understand first of all they must make a
personal commitment of their life to
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
their sins which opens the door to
prayer and makes it possible and before
that happens there’s no employee that is
only talk and so we pray that somebody
today would be saved
made him maybe many people would be
saved but Lord God that you’d have your
way in their lives and in each one of us
who calls ourselves Christians who names
the name of Jesus that you had got us
that all of us would be praying people
is my prayer in Jesus name
amen
if you’ve been blessed by today’s
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gee