What Happens When We Pray

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham a little later in the program will tell you that you can get a copy of Dr. Graham's evangelism bundle. The first, here's the message what happens when we pray to God's word and turn with me to the fourth chapter of the book of acts where a series of messages called the power of spiritual engagement and we're looking at the amazing adventures of faith that we read about that happened so long ago and yet the same spirit who ignited early Christians is in us and when we pray God moves prayer is a mystery. In many senses of the word prayer is certainly a miracle.

There many things we don't understand our could comprehend regarding prayer, but the fact is, God has called his church is people to pray and great things happen when we pray, both personally and individually and together corporately as his church.

Incredible things happen when we pray, so when you consider that the potential the possibility of what we can be in Christ. It is amazing if we connect in prayer. I read a definition of prayer this week given by Warren wears me. I like it says prayer is the means God has ordained to glorify himself by sharing his love with his children needing their needs and accomplishing his purposes. Through their lives and the lives of others when I read that definition of prayer. I thought what you know what, that's a really good definition of prayer, but I meditate my own stab at it. So I said true prayer is connecting and communing with God, the God of the universe through Jesus Christ and cooperating with him in prayer and accomplishing his purposes on her malaise along definition Jesus simply said ass asked C and not and when we moved to the closing verses of the fourth chapter of acts we see that prayer is not a luxury but prayer is a necessity, and because of a spiritual battle that was being false opposition led now is rising up against the church and continues in our own generation.

We need to understand that the battle is prayer the battlefield is prayer but warfare is prayer. And if we are going to engage the enemy and defeat the enemy who is Satan and all the forces of hell, if we are going to win the battles of life.

If we are going to reach a generation for Christ that we need to do exactly what early believers dead and that is to connect and commune with the God of the universe.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and thereby cooperate with him in fulfilling his mission on earth.

Looking chapter 4 beginning in verse 23 when they were released. Now that refers of course to Peter and John have been on trial for their faith. A man has been healed laying all of his life. Now he's on his feet, leaping, dancing, praising God, he stands before the Sanhedrin, along with Peter and John as evidence of the power of the resurrection, and because they were greatly annoyed at this miracle that had taken place in the fact that the resurrection of Christ is now being preached in the people by the scores each day are being say Bible scholars estimate between 20 and 30 conversions a day in the early stages season of the Christian church and so now they're capturing the city for Christ. And so the slugs are upset they arrest Peter and John and they threatened them and say do not speak in this name again. They threatened them and limit business. This is the same crowd that put Christ upon the cross and was blood is on your hand, it is not a hard road to kill again. So certainly Peter and John understood the ramifications of their actions if they continued to preach. So what do they do when they were released. Notice verse 23 they went to their friends. Not only is prayer a necessity, but it is a natural thing to go to the friends of the faith and in the fate a family of friends you may be translating your Bible a company are gathering but literally they went to their friends is why is so vitally important that we have a family of friends. The church so that when we are in trouble when we are tested when we are tried when were facing life's battles that we are together and triumphant in him with the family of faith. So naturally they ran to their friends. They went to the people who had been praying for them and would continue to pray for them in verse 23 says they reported what the chief priests and the elders had said these guys is that we can't preach anymore. We can talk about Jesus anymore. They threaten us within an inch of our lives. So what did they do that in pray for protection, but they prayed for power. They prayed for boneless.

They pray for more courage when you verse 24 and when they heard it, they lifted up, and this would be the entire company gather these friends. They lifted up their voices together to God and said sovereign Lord in the word Lord, there is a word used in the New Testament just a few times to be translated in the English despot and we think. Of course, is a despot as being evil ruler by ketamine. A router that is both either good or bad a despot is one who is in absolute control.

Absolute rule sovereign ruler Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in the booth of the mouth of our father David. Your service said by the Holy Spirit. Why did the Gentiles raise this Islam to the praying the Scriptures now and the peoples plot in vain. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.

For truly, in the city. They were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate.

That is the government along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel. Remember everyone participates in the death of Christ.

People want to know who killed Jesus.

The early Christians realize that we all had a part Gentiles representing by the Romans of cores and others in been the Jewish religious system of that day, but ultimately all of us are responsible for the death of Jesus because he took our sin upon the cross is important to remember that we all participate in this but specifically he is reminding.

They are reminding everyone in their prayer that both the Roman crowd of the religious crowd participated in this dead verse 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

In other words, the cross was not an accident. It was not an afterthought. The death of Jesus was not some kind of mistake Lamb of God was slain before the foundation of the earth. God loved you before you were even born before the world was created in the creator God is the Redeemer Savior and so whatever his hand had planned. It took place right on schedule and God use these agents of hell by his own hand and power so verse 29 says, and now Lord look upon their threats they just laid it out before the Lord. They said now Lord, here is again not praying for protection, not praying for safety by Lord look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue watch this to continue to speak your word with all what boldness you were with us the last time you remember that boldness means openness and confidence is not brashness nor is it arrogance but it is openness about our faith. We are naturally open about our faith and we are confident in what we believe and that is the power of Jesus and his resurrection, and so there praying for more of the same kind of stuff they got them in trouble. To begin with there, praying that God would enable them to continue engaging the enemy for the cause of Christ for the mission of Jesus. Verse 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus and notice what happened when God's people pray when they pray the place that they were gathered together was shaken.

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. A prayer is a joyful experience in the but prayer is also a serious encounter with God because prayer is not only worship, prayer is warfare and is obvious that the early believers were continually and consistently engaged in prayer. In fact, over 40 times in the book of acts we are told of Christians pray together. Most all and there certainly power in prayer. When we pray individually but there's something unusual and unique and powerful. We come together to pray as God's people. And when we pray, even as the church pray they were waiting on the Holy Spirit. In acts chapter 1, so they waited and prayed upon God's timing and the promised of the father in acts chapter 2 we are told that these who were converted continued steadfastly in prayer.

They pray continually in acts chapter 3 would be your and John are on their way to the temple and they discover that man at the gate beautiful Lehman. They healed him the name of Jesus.

Where were they going they were going to the hour of prayer people out prayer and we find that throughout the book of acts prayer to early believers was not a postscript.

It was not a prelude to the service are a postlude to what they were doing but prayer was their vital life.

It was their very breath.

In fact, you might call prayer spiritual aerobics because when we pray we are exercising our faith in God but to the early believers prayer wasn't just something we sort of season the services you like a little salt and pepper little prayer here limit where there but where was a necessity listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham in today's message.

What happens when we pray you have a God-given calling to take the gospel to the world.

That's why we put together a special bundle of resources to help you grow in your lot of the gospel and share it with others. This evangelism bundle includes three of Pastor Jack Graham's books the help of Easter LIFEBOOK and God's promises for doubt filled days. This evangelism bundle is our thanks for your gift today and thanks to a generous matching grant your gift today will be doubled.

So call now to request your evangelism bundle when you give call 1-800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789 and don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store. Give the gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.Margie Ellis Québec. Today's message what happens when we pray, the interesting thing about the prayer life of early Christians. They so often pray in what the Bible describes in one accord and you could pick up anyone just to do a little Bible study the book of acts we could just take that little phrase one accord and trace it through.

For example, in acts 114 they were in one accord in one place. Waiting on the spirit become. In other words, they were one in supplication, asking God to supply what he had promise in acts chapter 2 verse one acts chapter 2 verse one were told that they were in one accord in anticipation and they were expecting expectation as they were waiting and realizing that the coming end of their lives. In the spirit of God and ask chapter 2, verse 46 were told they were together in participation. They were in one accord together serving sharing with generous heart. The greatest fellowship on earth is the Fellowship of prayer Fellowship can take place in the hallway, but ultimately we are united together in Christ in prayer.

I've had the opportunity to pray with Christians of various denominations and groups and you know when you're praying with with believers from different churches in different denominations. You're not as vitally concerned about their style of worship.

You're not vitally concerned at that moment when you're praying with them about the differences but rather what brings you together and unite together in Christ, and it is in that oneness of prayer and participation that we make a difference in acts chapter 4 verse 24's we just read they were together in adoration as they are praising God and worshiping him as Lord knows what they pray they turned to the worship of God when you're facing life's battles we are struggling against the enemy.

If you're in the throes of temptation for fighting battles are experiencing test to your fate. You need to do what these men and others did, and that is to turn the worship of God, they said, Lord, you are Lord you are sovereign in all of this, God, you are on the front you are the creator and the controller of everything and were having a little problem here with the part of the world that we're living in.

So Lord, we know that you got that under control as well.

Certainly more than trite to say that we are to glance at our problems and gaze at our God, no matter the circumstances that we face on the situation in battle that were dealing with. We need to do exactly what these men do that and that is to run the family of friends pray together, get on our faces before a sovereign, and holy God who is in control of everything in our lives and give it to him. Second thing they did when you see and read this prayer you hear them praying is weird to trust in the word of God fighting a battle you in a struggle. Worship God, but also realize that it is the word of God that sustains us and strengthens us even prayer. When you read this. This prayer is obvious they understood the Scriptures they had memorize the Scriptures and now they are remembering and releasing the Scriptures there praying the word of God there calling upon God in his own words and that is a powerful way to pray, but ultimately there there. Trust that you see in the word of God. There is there is a perfect balance in the Scriptures between the word of God and prayer like two wings of an airplane which is more important, so there is a turning to the worship of God.

There is a trusting in the word of God and there is a triumphing in the will of God. They fly up in God's will. In verse 28. Again, it says Lord to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. In other words, I said, Lord, you got all of this when I praying for safety here were praying for faith and fortitude to continue doing what you called us to do that presented themselves in service. We are your servants literally bondsman bond slates. We are your slaves and we will serve you and your will. So they submitted their lives to the will of God. They worship God trusted his word. They said, Lord, here we are. And so what happened when they pray verse 31 tells us that the place was shaken. There was a physical manifestation of the presence of God. There was a a shake and certainly in the shaky of the building.

There was a shaking of the believers and that shaking needs to take place today that stirring they realize the manifest presence of God.

That's what revival is it is a realization of the glory in the presence of God. That's what revival is. That is a new awareness, a new aliveness in Christ is a renewal of our obedience to him. So what happened first. There was a new engagement.

If revival is renewal. There was a new engagement. They were shaken in the presence of God.

They are now engaging with God. But not only that there was a new endowment of spiritual power because now they are filled with the Holy Spirit.

This is a subsequent filling and then failed filled again and now again because we are to be filled each day.

While there's one baptism of the Spirit. There are many fillings and if you're serving Christ if you're sharing Christ.

There is an emptying that takes place is a physical phenomenon when you give out the adrenaline rush that is released but there is a spiritual empty which you need to replenish and remove it and it's interesting to me that when these people pray they didn't pray for spiritual filling, but it happened and you know what happened because of their yielding and their surrender to the Lord God because that is ultimately what it means to be controlled by the spirit we are not talking here about the thrill of the spirit were talking about the filling of the spirit. What some people are more interested in the feeling of the spirit that in the filling of the spirit. The filling of the spirit is to be control in that we have yielded to him and so now there is a new endowment a new inducement of spiritual power and we need that being filled with the Holy Spirit. Continuous action continually but not only that there was a new enjoyment a new enjoyment of fellowship. No longer are they isolated independently of one another but they are cooperating together in when revival comes when we pray we are together and try on foot and there is an enjoyment of the family got in fact down in the fourth chapter downed at verse 32.

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and one soul, and no one said that any of the things that belong to him was his own, and they had everything in common and with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord and great grace was upon them all. Notice the all all they were all together and now they are enjoying this sweet fellowship of the church of the company, a belief but not only a new enjoyment. There is a new enablement because they went on speaking with courage with boldness the message of the gospel.

It's interesting to me.

If you just as a side note, consider the fact in the same passage in which they are praying about predestination in the sovereignty of God, the divine and absolute sovereignty and rule of God. In that same passage there out sharing their faith boldly and courageously biting people to come to Christ again.

This perfect balance when we pray we understand the principle that there is the sovereignty of God in all things, including the proclamation of the gospel, but the sovereignty of God is not in any way limit our human responsibility to share the and is right here as they are going everywhere preaching the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and therefore there is a new enlargement lives are being changed. People being added to the church, God's people to been transformed from an audience to an army.

They are loving one another, serving one another, they are establishing the church see worshipers are now turn to warriors for the word of God.

They became part of the answer to their own prayer as I left the place of prayer because prayer is not a smokescreen for idleness. Prayer propels us into the world to be a light to the world and is, therefore, the success of our witness in the secret of our warfare.

That's prayer. That's what God does when we pray, they were publicly in the temple and daily from house to house Sherry Jesus Christ, you know, I discovered that if I am attended to the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and sensitive to people around us. He gives us opportunities more than we can possibly imagine to share our faith every square week their people. Some who erased all their lives in a religious experience where the Baptist or something else who do not know Christ never received the forgiveness of sin and the power of Jesus to train Kayla, listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham in today's message. What happens when we pray, 3.2 billion people in our world still have no access to the good news of Jesus, and we must do what ever it takes to reach the lost, with the hope of Christ. That's why we're excited to tell you about a matching grant that will double when ever you give today to help reach more people to PowerPoint your support will help broadcast the gospel into some of the most spiritually dark corners of the earth will say thanks for your gift by sending you three of Pastor Graham's books Tempe share the gospel right where you are. This evangelism bundle includes the help of Eastern life and God's promises for doubt filled days so call now to have your gift doubled by the max and request your evangelism bundle: 800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789 that's PowerPoint to 59789 and don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.March*what is your PowerPoint for today.

Well Scott, first of all, always remember that when you pray God moves. I really believe that as you read about the early Christians as you think about the incidents in your own life. When you pray, you can see and know that God hears and answers prayer. You know, the aim for all believers is for prayer to become not just a part-time thing, but really a way of life, not just something you do now and again. The Scripture encourages you and me to engage in constant and passionate prayer and that means praying about everything. This doesn't mean you have to give up all your daily commitments so you can pray all day but apart from praying during your regular times the devotion to the Lord and when you're meeting with other Christians, other believers in church or in group prayers are just when you're driving down the road. Make sure you keep your eyes open, but you can pray wherever you go, you can turn your heart towards God all day long you can take breaks and just thank God for his blessings. Blessing breaks in this way, you can always invite God's presence and his power in your life anywhere any time at any moment. As you continually surrender the Lord in this way, then the Holy Spirit.

I promise you will enable you to trust in the Lord. More and more. You will be able to endure every kind of challenge that comes your way and you go to discover a courage that you did.

Even though you had courage you need in moments of uncertainty or doubt. Just like the early Christians when these believers yielded themselves to the Lord in prayer the place they were praying would shake and you know when you yield yourself to the Lord in prayer. When you give yourself unconditionally to the Lord, you can expect God to move powerfully in your life to empower every situation that you face. Prayer is one of the most valuable weapons we have is a follower of Jesus into believing prayer God's presence is released and you and I can grow into the kind of people the Lord is called us to be for him, faithful followers to let me encourage you today make prayer way of life and that is today's, remember when you give a gift PowerPoint. Your gift will be doubled by a matching grant call 1800-7954 62 761-800-7954 67. You can also text the word PowerPoint 259789. Join us next time.

As Dr. Graham brings a message about how you can have a life full of abundance impact and fulfillment. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint ministries