1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,400 in prayer until God's answer is known. 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:08,400 In Daniel's case it was a matter of three weeks. 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:13,600 Sometimes prayers go much longer than that. 4 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:17,560 Why? Only God knows. 5 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,160 I've told you before the story of 6 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:25,720 a wonderful lady who had a powerful influence in my life as a teenager. 7 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,080 When I was in high school she was 8 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,400 in her eighties. 9 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,960 To look at her face was to look at a road map. 10 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:42,240 It was just worn and wrinkled with years of experience. 11 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,640 And dear Mrs. Wills 12 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:52,040 shared with me on one occasion how she had prayed for her husband George. 13 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:56,440 When they had first been married she became a Christian. 14 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:00,600 George had very little use for her religion. 15 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:06,040 In fact if he caught her praying or reading the Bible he was 16 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:11,440 very severe with her. So she always calculated when he would be out of the 17 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:13,520 field and that's the time that she would pray. 18 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:17,360 She knew that he would always be out in the field 19 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,400 between 10 and 12 in the morning. 20 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,560 So that was her time. Sometime in there she would 21 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:28,360 spend her time with the Lord. And of course one of her major prayer requests 22 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:29,560 was that George 23 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:33,240 would be saved. And she prayed for that 24 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:39,800 as a young wife. And she prayed for him for a year and she prayed for him for 25 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:40,880 five years. 26 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:44,080 And she prayed for him for 20 years. 27 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,160 And she prayed for him for 30 years. 28 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:53,080 And it was not until she had prayed for him to be saved for over 50 29 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:57,760 years that one day 30 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,600 sometime between 10 and 12 in the morning he was out riding his tractor in the 31 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:04,080 field. He was a farmer. 32 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:08,720 And he was so overcome with conviction of his sins 33 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:13,560 out there in the field that he turned his tractor off, got down in the dirt 34 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:18,880 beside his tractor and received Christ as a Savior. 35 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,280 Isn't that a marvelous illustration 36 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:28,120 of persistence in prayer? Important praying it's called. Ian Bounds 37 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:32,320 has these statements regarding importunate or persistent praying. 38 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:36,320 Importunate praying never faints nor grows weary. 39 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,960 It is never discouraged. It never yields to cowardice 40 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:44,320 but is buoyed up and sustained by a hope that knows no despair. 41 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,480 A faith that will not let go. 42 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:53,000 Importunate praying has patience to wait and strength to continue. 43 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:59,120 It never prepares itself to quit praying and declines to rise from its knees 44 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,800 till an answer is received. Well that is the Spirit 45 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:08,480 that Daniel exhibits as he prays for these three weeks for an answer 46 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,560 and enters into that conflict in the spirit realm. 47 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:18,640 We are instructed by the Apostle Paul in the sixth chapter, the eighteenth verse 48 00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:21,560 of Ephesians to keep on praying 49 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,920 in the Spirit with all prayer 50 00:03:24,920 --> 00:03:29,960 and supplication for all saints for to keep on praying. 51 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,200 And so the next step you see in this cycle 52 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:39,880 is that the believer persists until God's answer is known. 53 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,240 That brings us to step number six 54 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:48,360 in the cycle of prayer and that is the believer experiences new strength and 55 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:49,560 victory 56 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:54,560 as a result of answered prayer. You see seeing God 57 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:58,800 divinely arrange answers to prayer 58 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:04,680 is a great faith builder. It is such an encouragement 59 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:09,120 to persist in prayer and then to see how God is answered. Maybe not the way that we 60 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,000 ask but God has answered in perhaps another way. 61 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,000 Prevailing in spiritual conflict 62 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:21,400 brings fresh strength to us. Peter talks about this in the last 63 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:27,040 chapter of his first epistle when he says in first Peter five 64 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:32,640 be of sober spirit beyond the alert your adversary the devil prowls about like a 65 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:34,840 roaring lion seeking someone to devour 66 00:04:34,840 --> 00:04:38,120 but resist him firm in your faith 67 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:42,920 and then he says in verse 10 after you have suffered for a little while 68 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:47,320 the God of all grace who calls you to his eternal glory in Christ 69 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,520 will himself perfect confirm strengthen and establish you. 70 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:56,680 You see the end result is our being built up our being strengthened our being 71 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:57,640 established 72 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,000 and praying and persisting in prayer 73 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:06,760 is part of that. For when we pray we are entering into the spirit realm and 74 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:11,920 we're doing combat there and we are asking God to bring the victory we're 75 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:13,720 asking God to meet the need 76 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:19,080 and when we see God respond we are after we've suffered for a while we are built 77 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:19,480 up 78 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:23,600 with new strength and we are encouraged by that victory. 79 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,480 Then the final step in the cycle of prayer 80 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:34,000 is that the battle continues. Daniel was encouraged he was strengthened by the 81 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:35,120 answer that he got 82 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,640 from the angel and then he was 83 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:44,640 told that the war was going on. The angel was going back to continue battling 84 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:49,520 the Prince of Persia and eventually he would also be involved in battling 85 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:50,640 against the Prince 86 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:54,880 of Greece. The battle continues 87 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,800 which gives us as believers cause to then pray 88 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:03,040 yet again and petition God and so the cycle goes on 89 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,040 and that cycle will go on just as 90 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:11,320 warfare spiritual warfare will go on from generation to generation until God's 91 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:16,400 purposes are fully revealed. SD Gordon has said the greatest 92 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:21,440 agency put into man's hands is prayer and to define prayer 93 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:28,440 one must use the language of war. Peace language is not equal to the situation 94 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:33,200 the earth is in a state of war and is being hotly besieged 95 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:38,480 thus one must use war talk to grasp the fact with which 96 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:44,320 prayer is concerned. I'd like for us tonight 97 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,920 to conclude the service with the time of prayer. 98 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,400 We're going to do that by allowing 99 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:55,080 you to pray just privately where you are for a couple minutes 100 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:59,200 and I want to ask you to let God lay some 101 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,760 person, some need, some missionary 102 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:07,800 on your heart and for you to begin a cycle of prayer 103 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,960 and offer your petition to God and then 104 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,480 see that God, no rather that God hears 105 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:18,120 and that God is going to respond by dispatching angels 106 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:22,560 which is going to cause Satan to counter then there's warfare and you persist in 107 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:23,120 praying 108 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,640 the answer comes and you're encouraged and built up and the 109 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:32,040 the battle goes on. So who would it be? Who would you pray for tonight? 110 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:35,200 Maybe it'll be the Schwab family we mentioned earlier 111 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:39,400 some missionary friend that you know has a particular need at this time. We got a 112 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:40,920 letter from the Tomaszewskis 113 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:44,720 this last week as perhaps many of you did. They've been passing through very 114 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:46,200 discouraging times 115 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:50,920 there in South Africa. Maybe it's a friend of yours 116 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:55,080 or a family you know that has a particular need. Maybe there's 117 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:59,080 a George in your life you've been praying for for many years to be saved 118 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:04,960 I want us to do that but before we do I recognize that there may be someone here 119 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:06,080 tonight who's saying 120 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:11,440 pastor I am so heavy myself I'm under such pressure myself 121 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,640 that I can't pray. You know God knows that 122 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:20,360 and I thank God for the Holy Spirit that even when we 123 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:24,720 find ourselves too weak to pray that the Spirit of God is able to pray 124 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:28,800 through us as we are obedient and bow before the Lord. 125 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,960 But this evening if you're in a situation where 126 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,560 where you just feel too burdened yourself 127 00:08:36,560 --> 00:08:42,360 with your own battle to pray I'm going to ask the elders who are here tonight to 128 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:43,840 come up here to the front row 129 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:48,240 and I encourage you just to slip out while everyone else is praying just to slip out 130 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:49,960 and come up and be seated by them 131 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:56,480 and let one of the elders of the church pray for you. Let them carry with you 132 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,440 that burden. Now we don't have time for counseling session 133 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:04,400 that's not why you're coming but you're coming to ask prayer and just in a brief 134 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:05,920 sentence or two express 135 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:10,600 what the burden is on your heart and not one of our elders one of our pastors 136 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:12,240 pastors who you come up to 137 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:16,680 and if no one comes that's fine but if several come that's fine too. 138 00:09:16,680 --> 00:09:21,160 If you can't pray tonight because of your own burden let someone pray for you 139 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:25,800 will you? We'll close in a few seconds few minutes 140 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,920 but let's bow right now in prayer I'm going to ask you 141 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,200 men to slip out and come quickly here to the front and 142 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:37,040 if there are some of you who would like an elder to pray for you tonight 143 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,160 for your family for your burden 144 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:44,040 then slip out and let them pray for you. Come on up. 145 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,360 As the rest of us zero in on prayer 146 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:51,320 for that issue or that person that missionary 147 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:56,320 that we want to remember tonight. Let's all pray together. 148 00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:03,320 We need more information about prayer so much as we need a stirring of the Spirit of God to pray. 149 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:10,320 Father I pray for our church that you would forgive us of the sin of prayerlessness 150 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:18,080 as it exists among us for it testifies all too loudly of our self-sufficiency 151 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:26,080 so we think. 152 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:33,080 We humble ourselves and ask that the Holy Spirit 153 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:37,240 would renew within us as a congregation 154 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,640 the sense of dependency upon you 155 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:47,640 that would issue forth in prayer. 156 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,640 Pour upon us the Spirit of prayer and supplication 157 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:57,640 and may today's study Father 158 00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:05,480 in your word both this morning and this evening 159 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,480 be instructive and stimulating 160 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:14,280 to that end that we might pray more effectively, we might pray better 161 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:19,200 pray with more faith and more understanding of what's really taking place 162 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:25,040 when we pray. May we be faithful believer priests 163 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:29,920 who utilize the position, the access that we have 164 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,080 and who in the power of the Holy Spirit 165 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:37,000 bring our petitions to you. 166 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:43,480 You have heard us tonight as across the auditorium we have lifted our 167 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,760 heart burdens, those things laid upon us 168 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:52,560 by the Spirit to pray for. We thank you even now that you are responding 169 00:11:52,560 --> 00:12:20,560 in Jesus name, Amen.