Prayer Accomplishes The Will of God

DAY TWENTY ONE

Prayer Accomplishes the Will of God - Mark 9:29 29And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

After coming down from the mountain of transfiguration Jesus finds his disciples in turmoil.

• Evidently, they were being questioned by the “religious” people about their failure to heal a child who was deaf/mute.
• Jesus focuses on the real issue – “a lack of faith”.
• The boy’s father places his faith in Jesus and the boy is healed.
• The disciples learn a valuable lesson that day, that in some cases fasting & prayer are a necessity.

Consider this:

1. The will of God is important

• All things are possible, however, they must be within the will of God.
• They cannot just be for selfish and sinful reasons.

2. Faith is so important

• That’s why we must place our faith “only” in Christ.
• Faith in ourselves will not be enough.
• We draw faith from the Word of God.

3. Prayer is important

• God longs to be involved in everything we do.
• This is where faith and prayer come together.
• Prayer invites God to get involved.

4. Fasting is important

• Prayer & fasting joined together produces the favor of God.
• When we fast we are humbling ourselves before the Lord.

Faith, Prayer & Fasting working together can accomplish the will of God!

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Making God's Will Number One

DAY TWENTY

Making God’s Will Number One - Matthew 6:33 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

We must make God’s will the number one priority of our lives. How do we do this?

• Serving Him instead of “mammon” (material wealth or greed).
• Focusing on that which is good, true and righteous.
• Using earthly treasurers to help other people.

God wants to provide for our physical needs.

• He is able and willing.

Tomorrow will take care of itself.

• Realistically we only have enough energy to deal with today’s issues.
• We have no control over tomorrow or the future for that matter.
• Worrying about it will only distract us from today’s obligations.
• Believe me…tomorrow will still be there.

How do I make God's will number one?

1. Develop a sturdy spiritual life.
2. Surrender you will entirely.
3. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
4. Follow the Scriptures.
5. Trust God’s providence in every situation.
6. Seek Godly advice from wise people.

Fasting That Pleases God

DAY NINETEEN

Fasting That Pleases God -Matthew 6:16-18 16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

1. Not to be seen of men

• In Jesus’ day the hypocrites fasted with a sad countenance and a disfigured face.
• Unfortunately, the reason some fasted was to win the praise of men.
• Our fasting is to be seen of God and should not be done to draw attention to ourselves.
• For this reason we should “anoint our heads” and “wash our face”.

2. Not as a ritual

• Fasting should be done only when the occasion calls for it.
  

3. Not without true repentance

• All of our fasting and praying is to no avail if it is not accompanied with penitent obedience on our part.

Some Suggestions:

1. Do not fast just because everyone else is and it seems like a “neat” thing to do.
2. Fasting must be taken seriously and prayerfully.
3. Fasting must be done when the occasion is a serious one.
4. When you begin a fast, start slow and fast for brief periods of time.
5. End the fast slow, gradually breaking your fast with fresh fruits and vegetables in small amounts.
6. Fast when you have time to spend in prayerful mediation.

Prayer Overcomes Opposition

DAY EIGHTEEN

Prayer Overcomes Opposition - Nehemiah 1:4-5 4And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, 5And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

As Nehemiah approaches the Lord in prayer, he models a lifestyle of prayer to those watching. In essence, he shows us how to come before the Lord in prayer.

1. Praise – Nehemiah 1:5 5And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

• He begins by lifting up the Lord. He recognizes God for his superiority, strength, sovereignty, sacredness and sincerity.
• Jesus taught us to begin our prayers with praise as well: Matthew 6:9 9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

2. Perseverance – Nehemiah 1:6 6Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.

• He didn’t stop praying till he got his answer. Isn’t that really how we’re supposed to pray? Not the little “now I lay me down to sleep” prayer or the “God is good, God is great” prayer…but the earnest prayer that is without ceasing.
• A heart that is really burdened will not “let up” till the answer comes.

3. Penitence – Nehemiah 1:6-7 6Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned. 7We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

• “Lord forgive me of my sins and the sins of my fathers.” This is real repentance.
• Repentance is a “must” if we want to see our prayers answered. Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me
• Nehemiah isn’t just pointing out other people’s faults – he starts with himself.

4. Promises – Nehemiah 1:8-10 8Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: 9But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. 10Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

• Nehemiah doesn’t forget the promises that God made to Israel.
• God said He would restore the nation if they repented.

5. Partners – Nehemiah 1:1111O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.

• We need as many people as possible to surround us in prayer.
• Matthew 18:19 19Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

6. Petitions – Nehemiah 1:11 11O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.

• This is what was really in his heart.
• I need grace in the sight of men.
• God wants us to ask Him for the things we need.
• Our faith must be exercised in asking.
• God knows what we need – but he still wants us to ask.

Prayer Invites God's Will to Earth

DAY SEVENTEEN

Prayer Invites God’s Will to Earth - 1 John 5:14 14And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

The key to knowing that God hears our prayers is to pray according to His will.

• According to His Word, if we ask anything according to His will, we can expect to receive it.
• His Word is a revelation of His will.
• All that God has promised, we are justified in expecting.

1. Follow the will of God

• When pursuing a kingdom lifestyle, we must allow the will of God to be paramount as it pertains to the purposes, plans, processes, people and timing in our lives.

2. Be objective

• Sometimes we allow our feelings to cloud our judgment. When this happens we can often overreact.

3. Guard your disposition

• It’s important that we do not allow our sense of purpose to be altered by mood swings.

4. Know the difference between constructive criticism and destructive criticism

• Where there are many words, transgressions are unavoidable, but He who restrains His lips is wise. Try not to launch personal attacks, but keep things objective and discuss ideas rather than personal faults of others.

5. Be willing to take correction from God

• God can use anyone or anything to teach me more about His purposes and His greater wisdom, purposes, and processes.

6. Take up your cross every day

• Denying ourselves is not always easy.

Prayer Brings Divine Results

DAY SIXTEEN

Prayer Brings Divine Results – Daniel 11:32 32And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

How do you achieve greatness? Is it through education? Is it through investments? Is it through business opportunities? Is it through politics?

Consider this:

1. Know God

• How do you know God? Through someone else’s relationship? By name? By His reputation? Or do you know Him by your own intimate relationship?
• When you know Him – you do more than merely profess Him, you serve Him and worship Him.
• Knowing God is like knowing a close friend. You have knowledge of them through time spent together and fellowship. You behold their character and nature.
• God is the same. The better you know Him, your body, soul and spirit become sensitive to His nature.

2. Receive God’s Strength

• When you know the Lord, you are strengthened by His grace and Spirit. His power becomes available to us. His power eliminates fear and provides help in the time of trouble.

3. Exercise Exploits

• The strength of the Lord will empower you with boldness to be ready for the battle. Victory is assured to those have an overcoming spirit. (Romans 8:37)
• When we go in the name of Jesus, we cannot fail. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

Prayer
“Lord, I am so happy to say that I know You! You are the source of my strength and the song of my soul. I look to You today and not the arm of flesh. You alone are complete and You alone are entire. Thank You for loving me when I have strayed from an intimate relationship with You. Thank You for not giving up on me when I seemingly failed to place all my faith in You. I love You Jesus. I need You Jesus. I call on You Jesus.”

Prayer Invokes God's Favor

DAY FIFTEEN

Prayer Invokes God’s Favor – Psalms 5:11-12 11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. 12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

What is Favor?

Webster’s = a spirit of approval, goodwill, or liking, partiality. An act of kindness or generosity.

When we say someone is favored, we are saying they have been given advantages and special privileges. God referred to the Children of Israel as His favored. (Ephesians 2:11-12) King David also knew the blessings of favor.

We too, are marked with favor when the blood of Jesus is applied to our lives in faith. We are “made” righteous we confess Him as our Savior. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

How do I keep this favor?

1. Find out what God is interested in and do that. – He is interested in building His Kingdom. Are you more interested in building His house…or your house? Make His interests primary and your interests secondary. If we so a little….we will only receive a little.


2. Measure up to His standard and not your own. – too many times we are tempted to look at others and compare. However, when we do this, we become discouraged and feel like giving up when we fall short of someone else’s accomplishments. Jesus is our standard. When you realize how much he loves you, His love satisfies you.


3. Remain unspotted from the world. – If we have a mixture of the world in our lives we will catch an infectious mix from the tinge of compromise and the craving of the flesh. It is better to keep ourselves unspotted from anything that would stain the holiness of our garment.

Prayer
“Lord, I thank You for Your favor. Thank You for compassing me with divine privilege and increased advantage. I purpose in my heart to remain under Your covering and to drink only from your chalice of blessing. You know my heart. Search me. Try me. Correct me. As I know You Love me.”

Prayer Renews Faith

DAY FOURTEEN

Prayer Renews Faith – Isaiah 54:10 10For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

Mountains have been shaken and moved, but the promises of God have never broken by any event. We could also view mountains as great men. However, even though men fail, God does not.

God will rebuke and correct His people for sins, but He will not cast them off. Let this encourage us to give more diligence to make our calling and election sure.

Prayer
“Lord, I believe that You have the power to keep my feet from falling. You have set before me life or death – today, I continue to choose life. I can’t make it a day without You. When I consider this world and it’s wickedness, I’m reminded that we are living in the last days. You told us to “look up” – today, I choose to look to You and I’m extremely grateful for Your tender mercies and abundant grace.”

Pray For Wisdom

DAY THIRTEEN

Pray for Wisdom - James 1:5 5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Wisdom – definitely something to be cherished in this world. When you have wisdom…you can achieve great things.

Recognize your need for wisdom.

• Wisdom will get you through the greatest trial. Without it, our trials lack joy.
• Wisdom can give you the ability to apply the facts for life application.
• Wisdom can be asked for. “let him ask of God…”
• The good news is – no matter the circumstance we go through, God has provided wisdom in our trials on how to get through them.

What’s required to get wisdom?

• When you ask, do not doubt.
• This is where FAITH enters the picture.
• God is ready and willing to grant us our request, but we must be willing to ask Him to be with us and give us our wisdom in faith…there must not be any doubt.

Five steps to Wisdom

1. Pray – ask God for guidance.
2. Slow Down – we can make bad choices when we’re in a rush.
3. Don’t try to get ahead by living dangerously – swerving in and out of situations is dangerous for you and others. You can’t afford to let self-destructive patterns guide you. It’s very risky and leads to instability.
4. Pay attention to direction – God puts people in your life to help you see the warning signs.
5. If you make an unwise choice it is not the end of the world – quickly make a wise choice to correct your situation.