Sunday 8/27/2017

Who Do You Say That I Am? A Journey With Jesus - Sermon 60 "All this makes praying a real business, not child's play, not a secondary affair, nor a trivial matter but a serious business. The men who have made a success of praying have made a business of praying. It is a process demanding the time, thought, energy and hearts of mankind. Prayer is business for time, business for eternity. It is a man's business to pray, transcending all other business and taking precedence over all other vocations, professions or occupations. Praying is a business which takes hold of eternity and the things beyond the grave. It is a business which involves earth and heaven. All worlds are touched and worlds are influenced by prayer. It has to do with God and men, angels and devils." - EM Bounds Luke 18:1-8 I. Persistent prayer pays off. "Persevering prayer always wins; God yields to importunity and fidelity. He has no heart to say No to such praying as Moses did." - Bounds Our persistence in prayer is for us; not for God. "God's great movements movements in this world have been conditioned on, continued and fashioned by prayer. God has put Himself in these great movements just as men have prayed. Present, prevailing, conspicuous and mastering prayer has always brought God to be present. The real and obvious test of a genuine work of God is the prevalence of the spirit of prayer. God's mightiest forces surcharge and impregnate a movement when prayer's mightiest forces are there." - Bounds Luke 18:9-14 II. Pious Prayer is pointless. James 4:2-6 Matt 6:5-8 Eph. 3:11-12 Heb 10:10-22 Ps. 66:18 III. Passionate Prayer prompts God. Rom 11:33-36 1 Cor 2:16a James 5:16b Matt. 6:9-10 Ps. 37:4