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/ @ahavajerusalem About Ahava Jerusalem The website and the Social Media Channels are a Christian host for devotionals, sermons, and videos with a focus on Jesus Christ and His Word so that the Church may be built up. MISSION: that Christ is formed in you (Gal 4:19) and that you may be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Ro 12:2) so that you may grow to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (Eph 4:13) #fyp #forgiveness #viral #salvation #light #heaven #time #Youtube #Google #Internet #home #family #parents #children #sermon #JesusChrist #God #Father #HolySpirit #Faith #Hope #Love #God #Jesus #Christian #Future #people #ahavajerusalem #Truth #Bible #Peace #HolySpirit #World #Word #Love #Grace #joy #future #grace #amazing #best #live #life #bestsermons #fyp #forgiveness #light #heaven #time #bewithChrist #home #family #parents #children #sermon #JesusChrist #God #Faith #Hope #Love #sermon #God #Jesus #Christian #Future #people #ahavajerusalem #Truth #Bible #Peace #Kingdom #HolySpirit #JesusChrist #God #Bible #Word #Love #Grace #time #future About David Wilkerson David Wilkerson was the Founding Pastor of Times Square Church in New York City. He was called to New York in 1958 to minister to gang members and drug addicts, as told in the best-selling book, The Cross and the Switchblade. In 1987, David Wilkerson returned to “the crossroads of the world” to establish Times Square Church. As a pastor of the church, he faithfully led this congregation, delivering powerful biblical messages that encourage righteous living and complete reliance on God. David Wilkerson had a strong burden to encourage and strengthen pastors throughout the world. From 1999 to 2008, he traveled around the globe holding conferences for Christian ministers. Posted with written permission of Time Square Church http://www.tscnyc.org/media_center.ph…
Copyright © 2016 Times Square Church, 1657 Broadway, New York, NY, 10019, USA. T: (212) 541-6300 F: (212) 541-6415
are you glad you’re saved
Hallelujah
wonderful Jesus
praise the Lord
I want to talk to you about something
that that has perplexed me for a long
time something I simply can’t understand
I have never been able to solve this
problem
that I’m going to try to deal with the
issue tonight and the problem is why is
it so hard for Christians to pray
why is it so hard
why do so few Christians have a daily
prayer life
what’s the reason we’re going to talk
about it today Father
I know this is something that is close
to your heart
oh God I Prayed by your spirit you come
upon me tonight
I thank you for truth that sets us free
now look we don’t come here just to soak
in the truth and waste it we come here
to receive the truth that we may be
molded by it we may be shaped by it we
may be challenged and stirred and
changed but oh God that we would come
more into the image of Christ Lord speak
to our hearts tonight and Lord Jesus I
pray that after this service tonight we
would really be a Praying church we
would be a Praying Church in Jesus name
touch my lips Holy Spirit anoint me let
everyone have ears to hear what the
spirit has to say tonight in Jesus name
amen
now we know that prayer mixed with faith
is the answer to everything
did you hear me
the prayer faith that we pray every day
is the answer to absolutely everything
the scripture says be anxious or nervous
about nothing
but in everything by prayer and
supplication with Thanksgiving lecture
requests be known unto God
everything every day every problem every
need every trouble every crisis in
everything we are to seek God first you
don’t pray second third you don’t go to
everybody else and then finally wind up
on your knees in the secret closet first
of all before the telephone before
friend before Council before the pastor
before anything else
seek ye first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness all these things will be
taken care of he said
we’re to pray first and not last
you know the church today the church
body is in a mess
if you don’t believe that you have to
read the letters that we get from all of
the United States in this this great
mailing unless we have we’ve been
talking about in in its heartbreaking to
hear of so many families Christian
families broken and divorced and uh uh
defeat and fear and overcome by sin
divorce and depression and covetousness
and worldly mindedness and the Bible
says it’s going to get worse and worse
evil men and seducers will wax worse and
worse than the scripture says
did an amazing thing though people will
send to us their prayer request I know
today is was every Tuesday is our
ministers prayer meeting we have these
boxes and we lay hands on them and we
pray over them diligently pray over them
but I know I have a sense in the holy
spirit that very few of those who write
those prayer requests to us ever pray
hardly ever pray at all they they go
about their date with this Cloud hanging
over their head they they worry they
fret but they don’t have the time they
can sit and watch hours of television
they can go to ball games they have time
to go out and eat they have time for
family and friends but they don’t have a
half an hour to shut themselves in with
the Lord and touch God in prayer and for
the life of me I don’t understand that
why is it that we know that the answer
is right there the answer is in that
secret closet we know that and even
though we know it in our troubles we
don’t turn to the Lord we don’t go to
prayer why is it so hard for Christians
in hard times in times of Crisis why is
it so hard to go into the closet when I
say closet just a secret place
why is it so difficult
why is it so hard to get Christians to
pray about their problems pray about
their needs
we have an abundance of promises that
God hears us and will answer us this
book is full of promises that he’ll do
it let me give you just a few the eyes
of the Lord are on the righteous
his ears open to their cry
the righteous Cry of the Lord heareth
and delivereth them out of all their
troubles
another
this is the confidence that we have in
him
that if we ask anything according to his
will he hears us
and if we know that he hears us
whatsoever we ask we know that we shall
receive the petitions that we desire of
him we know it
here’s another the effects your fervent
prayer of a righteous man and faileth
much
Jesus said in in all things all things
whatsoever you shall ask in prayer
believing he shall receive
the prayer of the upright is his Delight
he heareth the prayer of the righteous
is another he will regard the prayer of
the destitute he will not turn aside
their prayer
Beloved the Bible from cover to cover is
a testimony it cries out to us promise
after promised wonderful blessed
promises pray seek my face I’ll answer
you
this is the this is the answer to every
problem every need
promises are so profound they’re so
buried in so many I don’t know how we
miss it we have these promises God says
you come
listen to the boast of David David said
in the day when I cried thou answered as
me and you strengthened me with strength
in my soul
he said I’ve proven you God in all my
trials I didn’t go to anybody else I
went to you I sought you and you heard
me you answered me and you gave me
strength for the battle that I faced
David said I called in trouble and God
delivered me and he answered me now
folks this is the amazing thing
it’s not one of you not one of us in
this building tonight
that is not read and re-read these all
we almost take them for granted all of
these promises that God says you turn to
me in your trouble first you come right
to me you pray and you seek my face you
give me quality time and I’m going to
answer you I’m going to answer you and I
will eventually bring you out of all
your problems all your troubles now we
have these promises why is it that we
know that
here’s the answer to everything in
prayer whether it’s mixed with faith we
have all these promises
why is it so difficult to get Christians
to pray
in spite of all of these promises
see this this is the thing that didn’t
my boggling my mind
not only do we have all these promises
not only we have this knowledge that
prayers the answer to everything
but the scripture also makes it clear
that we’ve been warned of the dangers of
neglecting prayer
we’ve been warned about it the scripture
says how shall we escape
if we neglect so great is salvation
how are you going to escape
the Greek word for neglect means of
little concern or to take lightly he
said how are you going to escape all the
depression the fear and the anger of God
how you’re going to escape that if
you’re going to take prayer lightly and
it’s really of no great concern to you
he said how are you going to escape
I wonder
I I I I wonder if you’re concerned about
prayer how lightly do you take this
matter of having quality time every day
alone with the Lord
God says how do you expect to escape the
rule and the devastation that’s coming
hard times are coming difficult times
are coming
folks it’s the Calm before the storm and
if if you have not yet learned to get
along with him and hear his voice and to
know him what are you going to do
where will you go if you’ve not only
learned to exercise your faith in prayer
God looks at the church today and I
believe he’s grieved he’s deeply wounded
because like Israel of old
we take so little time for him Jeremiah
2 32.
can a maid forget her ornaments or bride
her gown
yet my people have forgotten me days
without number
here’s the question is what I don’t
understand why is it
the God’s Own people who need
Deliverance
they need a miracle
there are Financial crises
there are all kinds of needs there are
burdens there are jobs that are needed
apartments that are needed
families that need to be saved so many
many needs and
why is it that God’s people under the
greatest attack in history
some of you sit here now you’ve never
been attacked out of hell like you have
been lately
it’s it’s an absolute demonic attack
from the powers of Darkness coming
against you
temptations that you face that are
overwhelming
and you say I love the Lord with all my
heart
and I believe that prayer is the key
we use all of those cliches
but why is it
that things have not changed in all
these centuries and God is still saying
can a maid forget her ornaments in a
brighter gown no she can’t because
they’re precious to her yet my people
have forgot me days without number they
need me here’s the answer everything
here the promises that I’ve made and
still they don’t seek me still they
don’t pray
why
in Hebrews 10
tapped I want you to turn to Hebrews 10
if you will with me please I want to
show you something Hebrews 10. please
folks don’t let your mind wander will
you stay with me
you know I’m preaching this
tonight
because we’re going to call First in
January we’re going to call this church
to prayer again
and God told me to preach this tonight
and and talk to and I’m going to give
you some reasons why Christians don’t
pray and I’m going to answer I’m going
to pinpoint you tonight and you’re going
to find yourself in these uh uh reasons
why it’s so hard for you to pray
I hope that God will answer some of your
questions and make it easier for you to
enter into his promises now Hebrews the
10th chapter
start the first 19 please
having therefore Brethren boldness to
enter into the holiest by the blood of
Jesus
by a New and Living Way which he has
consecrated for us
through the veil that is to say his
flesh and having a high priest over the
house of God let us draw near with the
true heart and full Assurance of Faith
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience in our bodies washed with
pure water
folks
look at me please
here’s here’s
here’s what I think bothers me and
concerns me more than anything else
we know it we preach it we we believe
that somewhere deep in our heart yes
Jesus died to open up a way for me to be
to have access to the throne of God the
very god of the universe the Creator God
I believe Jesus came and made it
possible of me to be justified
and made right in the sight of God in
spite of I’ve not arrived yet but he has
he has
imparted to me or con attributes to me
the righteousness of Jesus though I’m
still working by the power of the Holy
Ghost overcome some of the problems in
my life yet I am accepted by God he’s
made a way for me in the Bible and we
have an invitation here he says I jesus
saying I made a way for you through my
blood to come right to the father for
all your needs all your problems all
your sicknesses disease everything you
come to me
and then he says you have access to the
father
come boldly to the throne of grace
there is absolutely nothing standing
between you and the heavenly father
right now if you’ve confessed your sins
and you believe in Jesus Christ with all
your heart you can walk right into the
presence of God and make your presence
known and enjoy his presence make your
petitions no worship Him and praise him
you have every right into the holy of
holies
verse 25.
not forsaking the Assembly of ourselves
together as a matter of some is but
exhorting one another so much the more
as we see the day approaching he said
the day is approaching now the day of
trouble the day of tribulation he said
even more now as days go by getting
close to the coming of the lord it’s
time to seek my faces time to be in the
closet with me getting to know me
then the next verse said but if we sin
willfully after that we’ve received the
knowledge of the truth there remaineth
no more sacrifice for sins
but a fearful looking form of judgment
and fire and ignition which shall Devour
the adversaries now folks you know what
he’s saying
if if you do not take advantage of it
you are
embarrassing the Holy Ghost
you’re doing despite
to the holy grace of God the scripture
says you’re doing despite to the grace
of God
listen you’re you’re by your actions by
not coming daily to this place of Prayer
you’re saying by your neglect
he wasted his blood
his crucifixion was in vain
because we just neglect we take it
lightly that he is paid with his own
blood his own life
that we may be able to pray and seek the
face of God and answer every problem in
our life and we do despite to the grace
of God
we embarrass
the Holy Ghost
verse
26 if we sin willfully if we receive the
knowledge of the truth see we have the
knowledge that we have all these
promises we have the knowledge that it’s
the answer everything we have the
knowledge of an invitation access to the
heavenly father we have all of this and
he said if you have all this knowledge
and you willfully stay away from his
presence you willfully do not go to the
throne of grace to receive his touch
he said then there’s nothing left
there’s no this sacrifice was in vain
there’s no other sacrifice there’s
nothing else left
he said I’ll judge my people for they’ve
insulted the spirit of Grace
God says it’s an insult to my son
he’d give his very life just to open the
door
rent The Veil so you and I have access
into the Throne of God and we don’t take
advantage of it
now let me talk to you about this we
know that we’re to pray about everything
we know that that’s the answer to all
our problems we have all these numerous
promises that he will answer us and we
we have been powerfully warned about the
danger of neglecting this salvation and
when you’re not praying you’re
neglecting your salvation the grace of
God and all the provisions he’s made
then why is it
so hard
for us to pray
let me give you there are many reasons
I’m going to go only with over four of
them tonight with you and see if you fit
any one of these categories now I’m not
coming here to to spank anybody
I’m speaking to myself as well
I want you to receive this is from the
holy spirit because God’s trying to make
Times Square Church a Praying Church a
Praying Church
all right number one
the reason it’s so hard for Christians
to pray many Christians is because they
have a lukewarm love for God for Jesus
they have an inexpensive love they don’t
want the expense of love that cost them
a discipline
when Jesus spoke to the vision church
that church that he said had left their
first love he he acknowledged he said
you are hard-working people you hate sin
you hate compromise
you you will not stand for false
Doctrine in your midst
you don’t faint and you when you’re
persecuted you stand up and you account
for the Lord
you take a stand for the gospel he
commends the raw the activities and all
the things that they’ve done that he
says you’ve forsaken that disciplined
life that first love that you had that
that brought you into my presence but
the Lord’s saying I don’t see much of
you anymore
I don’t see much you’re working for me
you’re talking about me you tell
everybody you love me but I don’t see
you anymore
I don’t see you
and see
people who have a cold love they don’t
pray you know
nobody expects a dead Christian to pray
that’s not their nature
but if you’re going to tell me you love
Jesus how do you love somebody without
spending time with them how in the world
do you love them
that’s not only good that that won’t
even go for the girl that you’re engaged
to
you’re telling you love her and you’re
never there you’re never around you
don’t speak occasionally you come into a
person maybe once a week you come in and
say hi honey I love you goodbye
she won’t put up with that
he won’t put up with that
doesn’t matter how loud you praise God
in this church
it doesn’t how it doesn’t matter how you
go all over the city testifying and
preaching on the street or subways it
doesn’t matter how many I don’t care if
you’re out every night on The Raven
truck I don’t care if you’re talking to
drug addicts every day I don’t care of
all the things you do in the quiet hour
or ushering or any other activity of
this church
you don’t love him if you’re not with
him alone
you can’t be intimate in a circle like
this this is Corporate that’s fine we
worship we praise God that’s all a part
of the program of the Church of Jesus
Christ that’s a part of it but there is
no way you can love them without being
alone with him
[Music]
oh you love him all the time but to to
express that love
see we’re we are married to Christ the
Bible says
we are his spouse
a husband and wife have times alone
what kind of marriage is it when there’s
no time alone where there’s no intimacy
in my intimate moments I don’t want
anybody around
I want to be
that’s what intimacy with Jesus is all
about where Jesus has you all to himself
there’s no one else around he has you
all to himself
but you see people don’t pray because
they’re not in love with him anymore
they they have left the Bible says you
have left it something happened you
drifted away from that you once had it
but you drifted away from it and all
preaching
I I could preach and preach about the
need for prayer I can provoke you I can
condemn you I can convict you I can yell
at you
but that’s not going to change it
that’s not gonna make you a prayer
Warrior that’s not going to give you
intimacy the only way you’re going to
have that is say oh God
restore to me that first love God help
me to realize that this is going to cost
me something there’s some discipline
involved
Hallelujah that’s number one reason
let’s go to another reason perverted
priorities perverted priority a priority
is the importance you place on something
for many people don’t pray because it’s
really not a priority their priority is
family
now of course in the world
God isn’t even on the list
outside there and the people you work
with but isn’t even not a list there’s
God in prayer and all these things and
not even on the list of priorities
but you’re not going to pray unless
prayer is a first priority in your life
above everything else
but you see
Housewives
priority is cleaning the house
washing
dishes
all of these things that need to be done
I don’t want to go to a house that’s
dirty
I have I got a thing I have to
Everything clean and in place
that’s my wife
and she said if you want it that way you
help me clean the dishes and you help me
and I
hey I do dishes I wash I do the shopping
[Applause]
and I’m a fairly good cook
folks
none of those things are priority
they have to be done
but they take second third fourth fifth
place
God says I want to see you
put me first
above your family above your job above
everything there’s a priority and you
will not pray until you make it a
priority a top priority in your life
in the days of Noah and lot
the priority is just what it is today
first money pleasure lust family
love it let me
talk about priorities in the spiritual
realm I’m not against revivals
I thank God wherever he’s moving if it’s
a true Revival I thank God but you know
what concerns me and I said from with
all the love in my heart I see thousands
of Christians running all over the world
to get into a Revival meeting where
somebody can they want to get touched
they want to go down and they want to
experience either an ecstatic experience
or they want to touch be a touch by God
and feel his presence but you know you
can go all over the world you can have
Prophets You Can Have teachers you’ve
got to be evanches lay handsome you can
go down and you can lay there for an
hour and you you can be not listen even
under the spirit of God true spirit of
God you can be knocked down and not
spend 10 minutes in prayer the whole bit
you can you go down you get on the plane
you don’t pray you didn’t pray before
you went because if you’d read in prayer
and seeking God you wouldn’t have to go
anywhere else because you get it in your
secret closet
but you you get on the plane you spend
all that time you go two or three days
you wait in a line you go in there
looking waiting for a touch from
somebody
and you can get touched that’ll last you
maybe two or three weeks and it’s going
to wear out
but I want to tell you that’s not what
pleases God because I know thousands of
people will testify I went to such a
place or advances and I got a touch from
God you should be getting a touch every
day in your secret closet along with him
foreign
and the thing that bothers me about many
revivals that people have time to sit
for three hours in a Revival meeting
and never 15 minutes alone with God
amazing
Hallelujah
the Lord doesn’t want your leftover
itty-bitty time
he doesn’t want Remnant time
he wants your best quality time
now if you’re an early riser he wants
your early hours if you’re a late person
like me give him your late hours because
I’m at my best between 11 and 2 o’clock
in the morning
I mean I’m wide awake and then about two
I go out
well that means I have to sleep till
eight o’clock or sometimes 8 30.
I’m not up every night at that like like
that sometimes I get to bed 12 or one
o’clock but I give him the time that’s
I’m most awake
I used to I think I told you this I
people kept saying they get up four or
five o’clock to pray and I’ve always
envied people like that
but see I always think badge hasn’t
traveled all over the world and I had to
be up at night because I wouldn’t get
home from Crusades till midnight
sometimes so I had I developed this late
hour syndrome
and I always feel pretty bad about it
one night because it was two o’clock in
the morning I said Lord I wish I could
get up early and pray and he said how
early you want to be it’s two o’clock
I’ve never worried about it since
if you can’t get up in the morning if
you’re sleepy go back to bed
don’t get up and give God some sleepy
[Applause]
yawning but it just
oh
Hey listen to preacher talk about land
before the Lord he slept
they would fall asleep he’d be there
he’d wake up two hours later he prayed
for two hours he didn’t pray for me he
was sleeping for two hours
Give the Lord your best time give him
your wide awake time make it a priority
Malachi said if you offer the blind for
sacrifice is that not evil
and if you offer the lame and sick is it
not evil offer it to your Governor see
if you’ll be pleased with you or accept
your person he said you take your
Governor a line blame little lamb as a
sacrifice and see if he’ll not deal with
you
you know what God expected Israel to do
they were to go into the flock and they
were to examine every lamb and there was
pick out the most perfect specimen there
was without a blemish and bring the most
perfect specimen to the altars of
sacrifice that say I give God best God
is priority you will not pray until
prayer along with God is your number one
top priority
otherwise it’s perverted
you tell me you don’t have time to pray
I don’t believe that I’ve never believed
that you you make time for what you have
as a priority you’ll make time you’ll
make time for everything else
your friend calls you you make time
you make time for everything
you can make time for prayer
I had a meeting
years ago in one of the largest churches
in America
one of the busiest pastors ever met
and he’d made a statement
I don’t have time to pray
and that’s why I was one of the deadest
churches I’ve ever preached in in my
life there was no life
How can there be life how can the church
be praying if the pastors are not
praying
number three
many do not pray
because they’ve learned to live without
prayer
they they have made they’ve settled into
a lifestyle a walk with God they call it
without needing prayer they’re satisfied
to come to church they’re faithful to
church
folks I have been to funerals I have
buried Christians that have walked with
God for 40 and 50 years in their 70s and
80s when they die
they never miss church
but they died not knowing the Lord
I’ve known them I’ve pastored many of
them
yeah
and when I stand before the casket I
know there’s a man that had hours and
hours in front of a television set he
had hours for football games basketball
games he was sport fanatic all his life
and had time for gardening had time for
uh vacations and trips and uh no for a
fact of man never spent more than they
ever spent 15 minutes a day with the
Lord alone
I fear for Christians who who have
learned to live without prayer and they
they have brought this sacrifice as if
the Lord is pleased as long as I’m
morally clean as long as I don’t hurt
anybody and I try to do my best try to
help everybody stay away from uh sins
and just do the best I can love God and
come to church that’s okay
they they have given the Lord that
sacrification to them that’s all that
God requires of them
but I fear that they will be among those
who come before his throne and he says
oh yes you did Mighty works miracles you
pray for sick you had a heart for people
but he said I don’t know you
you never talked to me you weren’t in my
prayers I really never got to know you
it says depart from me I don’t know you
that’s the thing I fear
I hear the Lord saying I have become a
stranger unto my own Brethren an alien
to my mother’s children
I’ve become a stranger
I think of prayerless Christians who
spend little or no time alone with the
Lord to learn his ways
and I hear this again how should we
escape if we neglect so great is
salvation
how does a Christian who expects to be
raptured or or taken when Jesus comes
whatever theological term you want to
use how does this Christian stand before
Jesus and the books are open and there’s
no record at all of time spent with the
Lord and this Christian says now Lord I
know
let me give an account the Bible says
we’re going to give an account
and stand before the Lord and say well
Lord I know I didn’t have time for you I
had time for everything else
I had time for my children I had time
for my job I had time for I know Lord I
didn’t spend much time oh occasionally I
did but I didn’t have time I know I’m
not what you would call praying
child
but Lord I’m ready now to spend eternity
with you
I’m ready now to seek you
Lord I didn’t get to know you then but
may we have a whole eternity now
to get to know each other
do you think that’s going to stand
you can get by without prayer for a long
time
but I tell you what those who don’t pray
that go deeper and deeper into despair
more and more dependent on the flesh
they turn to the arm of Flesh Rhythm to
the arm of the Lord and there’s
confusion on every side
prayerless preachers or powerless
preachers
prayerless Christians or powerless
Christians
I tell you what if a preacher doesn’t
pray I can tell when a uh tell whether
they pray or not
oh they they a man who doesn’t pray can
tell good stories he can make you laugh
he can entertain you but he can’t
convict you he can’t move you to prayer
or seek the face of God because I you
you can tell it all the time
God help us I don’t want storytellers
ever sharing this public it’s all they
can do is tell stories now there’s
nothing wrong with telling stories but I
want to tell you something there had
better be a fire behind it there ought
to be a message behind it
let’s go to number four here some people
quit praying
and have a hard time praying because
they don’t believe it works for them
they they say Pastor Dave I prayed I
tried I I did everything I fasted I
prayed I believe God and there’s
something I pray to about for so long
I’ve not seen it happen they get
discouraged and they give up they say I
don’t know whether it’s me I don’t know
what whether it’s my lack of faith but
prayer is not working for me
I hear that so much the scripture in
Isaiah 58 says they seek me daily he’s
God’s describing his own people they
seek me daily they Delight to know my
ways they did righteousness they ask of
me they take Delight in approaching to
me wherefore they say however why do we
fast
and you see not
why do we afflict our soul and you take
no notice
and this is what I hear
sometimes from a young lady who say I’ve
sincerely prayed Pastor that God would
bring somebody to my life
I’ve prayed for five years six years
seven years and it doesn’t happen and
they get totally discouraged and then
finally go out and try to make it happen
themselves
I got a letter today from somebody
who who mentioned a friend
who just got weary of of of waiting and
went out and married a young man found
out he’s a drug addict and now he he
doesn’t want anything to do with her
a pastor wrote me last week he said
brother Dave last week I shut my church
down
I disbanded it he said I quit
we prayed for Revival it didn’t come we
needed a building we prayed for a
building that never came
he said
we decided
that we wouldn’t go on WE dwindled down
to 30 people
Pastor Dave it just didn’t work I quit
I’m gonna go get a job well he needs to
go get a job
the man God bless his heart doesn’t
belong in the ministry
because you see the Bible makes it very
clear that God’s not going to answer
prayer just that you can spend it on
your lust or pleasure
this is what the scripture says you ask
and you don’t receive because you ask
and miss or wrongly that you may consume
it upon your own lust another You’re
simply trying to satisfy something you
want
you’re not asking for his will it’s
something that you want you’re not ready
to submit your will to God and let him
have his way doing his time and his way
you’re going to dictate to God to
satisfy the lust of your heart you see
I’m tired of living alone God you must
gank somebody into my life God can give
you Grace until he does it
he can be your husband he can be your
wife he can be all to you until his
answer comes
[Applause]
I I don’t care if a million voices cry
out God hasn’t answered prayer to me for
me I don’t care if a million voices say
God doesn’t answer prayer let every man
be called a liar because he said God
answers the righteous man God answers
and hears let every man be called a liar
stand in what he says in his word
hallelujah
Jesus said all things whatsoever you
shall ask in prayer believing ye shall
have it
he said if you really believe you’re
going to wait and you’re going to expect
and you’re going to hold on it doesn’t
matter how long it is you hold on in
faith you believe God and I will
attention if it’s something you’ve been
praying about for a long time and you’re
not trying to consume it on your own
lost or fulfill your own pleasure with
it you can mark it down to God’s testing
your faith
he’s trying your faith and the reason
he’s testing it he wants to come forth
is pure gold so that you can get many
many answers to prayer not only for
yourself but your family your friends
and for the Church of Jesus Christ and
for Sinners God wants you to be a man
and woman of faith and he sometimes will
withhold his answer he will not answer
you immediately because he’s testing you
to see if you’re going to say I give up
he doesn’t answer
no he says you hold on you keep trusting
me
and when the answer comes I’ve prepared
you now I’ve brought out a faith in you
that’s pure gold and now your all you
have to do sometimes is to will it and
God will do it
I I read the story of a Godly Godly
Saint a dear old sister walked with God
for years and she walked so close to the
Lord people came everywhere to be Prayed
by her and some woman come
and uh ask for prayer
and uh
she said all right I’ll pray for you and
she got a letter from the woman
and she said thank you I’ve been healed
and the sister wrote her back or called
her and says I’m sorry I didn’t pray for
you for God I didn’t pray for you and
she went to the Lord said Lord why did
you hear the woman I didn’t pray for her
and and she said her faith was weak why
did you do it
it’s because you’ve gotten to know me
this is the answer lord gave you’ve
become so close to me
the very desire you had for the woman I
fulfilled it for you
very desire that you had
you see that’s what the Lord wants with
us
it’s not that some Pastor is trying to
beat himself that say pray pray pray
he said God saying I want to I want to
make you a Praying church now let me
talk to you about prayer meetings for a
moment before I close
prayer meetings are wonderful
per meeting night is wonderful the best
thing that any church can have is a
prayer meeting that’s packed and people
excited about it it’s wonderful
but folks let me tell you something if a
prayer meeting becomes just that two
hours out of a week
where God’s people get together and they
pray corporately I don’t care what they
pray about how diligently I don’t even
if even if the power of God comes down
and consumes the sacrifice that that’s
all that we’re giving to him that’s
wonderful to I I could go all over the
country and boast we’ve got a church
packed with people on Friday nights
we’ve been all we have all night prayer
meetings that’s wonderful
that
folks that’s just
what a Praying Church ought to have
that folks it can be merely a form of
boasting
and that doesn’t make a Praying Church
in itself
you can have all my prayer meetings you
can have a one night time where
everybody in the church we could pack it
out we could have 5 000 running audit
Terminal 5 000 in a prayer meeting and
do it once a week
but if those 5 000 Christians were
meeting we’re not meeting alone with
Jesus having that time intimacy with him
praying and seeking pouring out their
heart it’s still not a Praying Church
it’s not a Praying Church
but once every one of us in God’s house
have learned to go to him and we’ve made
it a priority and we seek you with all
of our heart and we take we go first to
him and we have developed this time with
the Lord
it doesn’t have to be the same hour
every day
but if everyone calls themselves by the
name of Jesus is praying daily seeking
his face I’ll tell you when we get
together then the glory and the power of
God moves because it’s become a Praying
Church
now the second week in January
we’re going to have the board out there
again in the Rotunda
and we’re going to have a 24-hour prayer
chain going again
I don’t know what that’s going to do is
lead us but we’re going to be fasting
and praying he said you’re going to pray
and supplicate with Thanksgiving we’re
going to thank God for everything he did
folks last year we did this and we we
said we’re going to make it a year of
prayer for our young people we started
in January in February our our youth
pastor just told us today that they
noticed a change in February the spirit
of God began to move upon our young
people and God began to do something our
young people are growing in the Lord the
numbers are increasing and God is doing
a good work God has answered that prayer
and he’s answering it right now
we’re going to call the church to prayer
but we’re going to ask you to go home
and pray
we’re going to ask you to sign up we’re
going to ask you to fast and pray we’re
going to ask you in that week to develop
a habit of Prayer
that when that week is done or if we go
on two weeks or three weeks I don’t know
as the Lord leads us that you would make
it a practice that you would become a
man of prayer a woman of prayer seeking
him with all of your heart and soul
beloved
that’s the answer to the healing of your
marriage
that’s going to be the answer to the
unsaved people in your family
may not happen overnight it may take
time
but God can send conviction and change
and transform their lives
I want you to stand with me please
will you answer me this question
has it been hard for you to pray
folks I believe we’ve got hundreds here
who are prayer warriors who love to pray
and who are praying
by the way
during every service
right down under the stage
there’s there’s stairs right in the back
right under this stage there’s a big
room
if you’ve never been down or you need to
get down there and doing every service
are people praying
for the message
it’ll change lives
Spurgeon the great preacher years ago in
London at a Congregation of about five
thousand
but every service they’re under in the
basement 500 people were praying while
Spurgeon preached 500.
folks we need more people that are
willing to take just one service out of
the week and go downstairs and pray
during the service doing the preaching
that God would send conviction and save
and heal and transform lives
we need every Ministry in this church
guys choir children every Department
ought to have their own prayer meetings
and seek in the face of God this ought
to be the prayingless machine on the
face of the Earth we are to be a Praying
seeking people with all of our hearts
[Applause]
oh God
I want to be able to pray
as more diligence and love than I’ve
ever prayed in my life
Lord I I receive this tonight
for myself
as a as one of the past of this church
I receive the word that you put in my
heart
I receive it Lord I ask you to change me
help me to make it even more of a
priority not just because I’m a pastor
not just because I have more time than
people who have a nine to five job or
whatever time it may be
but Lord Jesus let every one of us those
that have jobs those that are occupied
and so busy oh God let us shut
everything down for at least an hour a
day getting alone with you in the word
and in prayer and devotion and worship
folks I have to stop a minute let me
tell you what I I I believe listen to it
now take an hour to take your first 15
minutes in the word first of all when
you get into the Lord’s presence say
begin to talk the Holy Holy Spirit I’m
not understand this unless you open it
to me now holy spirit and start reading
systematically in the Psalms especially
you ought to be absorbing Psalms in the
Proverbs and then go chapter two in the
New Testament then the old just don’t go
randomly market and and and and ask the
Lord to speak every time you’re alone
with him to say something to you if you
if you will study Proverbs before you go
to prayer if you’ll read a chapter every
day from Proverbs and when you’re done
start all over again you’ll never gossip
again in your life because you’ll be
convicted God will lead you
you will have faith you will you will
you will have the character of Jesus
Christ come out in you and then spend
the next 15 minutes just in loving him
just praise him just love him lift your
heart out to him and off forget
everybody and everything else and just I
love you Jesus I worship you spend 15
minutes and just loving and worshiping
him
walk around if you’re sleepy
if you get tired jump if you have to
anything to keep your your heart awake
and then
after that you’ve got to have at least
15 minutes where you you just sit in his
presence not say a word
it’s the Holy Spirit talk to me talk to
me
and in that time you have to exercise
faith more than any other time that God
will speak he said my sheep know my
voice they hear and you take every
problem Lord I I have a problem with my
Aunt Jane
what am I supposed to do about it Lord
and and wait take a problem every day I
take every problem of this church like
that I go right to prayer and say God
what do you want me to do
if I don’t hear anything he don’t want
me to do anything right now he’ll tell
you
and you wait in his presence just saying
I love you Jesus but I need a word from
you now
first thing I’m going to tell you how
much he loves you he’s going to pour his
love out on you
and when you come to the house of God
he’s going to open up your mind to
understand like you have never
understood it before in your lifetime
Hallelujah all you fellas you guys from
some of the house from Sarah house you
become men and women of prayer and seek
the face of God God will take you so
fast in him you will grow God will open
doors for you you’ll get to know him
he’ll speak to you he’ll make your life
count
there’s no shortcut there’s no other way
it has to be that way now father
I’m asking you Holy Spirit
father by the power of your spirit that
you make this a Praying congregation
a Praying Church
not just a prayer meeting night Lord on
Thursdays we’re going to see you move
more and more in our prayer meeting
nights God’s going to come down and move
and we we’re going to see that grow
we’re going to see God do miraculous
things in our midst but oh God
far more important is that we have that
everyday time with you intimate alone
secretly worshiping and praising and
loving you Lord even those who are in
crowded conditions they can find a
corner somewhere they can find a little
chair they can find a little place and
just shut in with you Lord make they’ll
make a way Lord they’ll make a way
I’m going to open the altars now
for those who have to make a confession
before God
Lord
I have neglected this salvation of my I
have neglected it I have not been
praying and seeking your face
and I Repent I repent and I’m going to
ask you Lord when I leave the altar
tonight that my life will be changed
from now on and I will have with the
help of the Holy Ghost the discipline
life of prayer I want you and if you’re
backsliding if you need to have a need
from the Holy Ghost if you’re not right
with God come and join these all over
the church up in the balcony you can go
to the stairs on either side and come
down let’s repent before God if you say
Pastor I’ve got to repent tonight the
message is for me because I have not
been diligent before the Lord in seeking
him
I love him but I’ve not been seeking him
as I should have evidently I’ve left my
first love I’ve not made it a priority
in my life and I’ve I’ve somehow been
getting along without it and I don’t
want to go that way any longer
this is the conclusion of the message