If you keep a spare tire in the back of your car, you’ll know that it’s only kept there for when something goes flat. Tony Evans says many Christians treat prayer like a spare tire—if nothing’s going flat in life, there’s no need for it. But the Bible says to pray at all times, and in this message, you’ll find that by doing so you’re preparing yourself for the inevitable occurrence of any spiritual warfare that may strike. Prayer and Spiritual Warfare | Tony Evans Sermon #spiritualwarfare #sermon #TonyEvans —————————————————————————————– If you would like to download two encouraging, FREE full-length MP3s of Tony’s popular sermons: “The Sovereignty of God” and “How to Handle a Crisis,” you can do so by clicking on this link: https://share.hsforms.com/1atT9MJvXQN… If you would like to sign up for our daily devotional bringing you hope and inspiration, please go to this link: https://share.hsforms.com/1CkOLA910Sm… ▶ Do you know Jesus as your Savior? https://tonyevans.org/know-jesus-christ/ ▶ Stream Sermons: https://tonyevans.org/podcast/ ▶▶ Free Sermon App: https://subsplash.com/tonyevans/app/ ▶▶ DONATE: https://give.tonyevans.org/the-altern… ▶ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drtonyevans/ ▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtonyevans/ ▶ Are you a preacher? Free sermon outlines: https://go.tonyevans.org/dr-tony-evan… Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative and author of over 100 books, booklets and Bible studies. The first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, he has been named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World by Baylor University. Dr. Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on over 1,400 radio outlets daily and in more than 130 countries. Dr. Evans’ sermons are also streamed and downloaded over 20,000,000 times annually.
approximately two weeks before cyst
Evans passed away she she kept calling
Jesus Jesus Jesus and then she said to
me write this name down he said write
his name down it wasn’t making sense to
me she was saying Jesus Jesus write his
name you’ve got to write his name down
so I found a piece of paper Elizabeth
was with me and in the bedroom and I
wrote down the name Jesus on a piece of
paper and showed her and when I showed
her the name Jesus she said it’s okay
now
[Applause]
[Music]
turn your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 40
Isaiah chapter 40 verses 27 through 31
why do you say old Jacob and assert o
Israel my way is hidden from the Lord
the Justice due me escapes the notice of
my god do you not know have you not
heard the everlasting God the Lord the
creator of the ends of the earth does
not become weary or tired his
understanding is inscrutable he gives
strength to the weary and who him who
lacks might he increases power though
youths grow weary and tired and the
vigorous young men stumble badly yet
those who wait for the Lord will gain
new strength they will mount up with
wings like eagles they will run and not
get tired they will walk and not become
weary and now Lord give me strength as I
seek to give your people strength from
your word help us no matter what we’re
going through to see more of you in
Jesus name all God’s people said
amen couple of weeks ago one of my
granddaughters stopped eating for four
days she refused to eat nothing that the
parents were doing was inciting her to
eat
of course now they’re becoming very
worried and very concerned and kept
prodding what is going on why won’t you
eat and then she said to her parents I
don’t know what’s happening to our
family the trials that we’ve gone
through had robbed her of her appetite
she said I don’t know what’s happening
to our family as you know these
seventeen months have been the most
difficult time of my life lost my
brother my sister my sister’s husband my
niece my father in November my wife in
December two weeks ago Priscilla had one
half of her left lung removed because
cancer was in the lung
my daughter crystal has a suspicious
growth that we’re trying to get some
clarity on so it’s been one thing after
another
in a concentrated period of time causing
my granddaughter to raise the question
in the words of Marvin Gaye what’s going
on so much so many tears so many
unanswered questions one thing after
another and many of you know what it is
to have one thing after another to
struggle with the pain of life’s
realities that are inescapable and if
you’ve not been here yet keep living
[Applause]
because life has a way of throwing
curveballs
the unexpected sometimes you even get
hit by the pitch God’s people were
struggling in Isaiah 40 there was
struggling bad as this chapter
prophesied the Babylonian captivity and
it speaks about their struggle and they
asked in verse 27 or they say my way is
hidden from the Lord and the justice
dumi escapes the notice of my god what
they’re asking is God what’s going on
God where are you don’t you see my pain
my way is hidden from you you don’t see
what I’m dealing with because if you saw
it you would not let it happen like this
this way this long and this much the
justice do me it’s not fair this isn’t
fair
I shouldn’t be hurting like this crying
like this struggling like this
discouraged like this where are you God
and while we could all be spiritual and
pretend we never think that way there
are those times in our lives when God
seems to be conspicuously absent
unlocated Oh Joe put it this way he says
I look north and couldn’t find it
I looked east I look West I kept I kept
looking and I couldn’t find it the
absenteeism of God the sense that my way
is hidden from him he doesn’t see what I
see feel what I feel and understand what
I’m going through and while we can
intellectually know better it doesn’t
change the broken hearts the shed tears
or the enormous pain of life’s reality
these people thought that God had failed
them that if relinquished is on his
covenant promises there are those times
in life when it looks like God is
letting somebody put a rake over your
soul where you push the panic button and
you feel let down where you’re no longer
singing the gospel you’re singing the
blues
because sadness has overtaken you and
celebration is just not where your
emotions are they needed God to
intervene
in the circumstances that was causing
them pain I don’t know what your
circumstance is today probably most of
you have one or who’ve had one or you’re
headed toward one whether it’s
unfulfilled dreams desires that have not
come through pain that have not been
relinquished hurt that won’t go away
this is what they were facing where are
you God when my world is falling apart
when God speaks into their situation he
does not speak scientifically
technologically academically or
philosophically he speaks theologically
because he raises the issue in verse 28
do you not know have you not heard the
everlasting God the Lord the creator of
the ends of the earth does not become
weary and tired his understanding is
inscrutable he says when your world is
real evidence members of Oak Cliff is
falling apart this is not the time to
run from him this is the time to run
together