Thoughts on Prayer and Fasting

Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City.

There is a purpose for your life and for my life on the earth will deliver myself. I'm called to live for God and for the salvation of the lost in this world. That's the calling of God in my life. Welcome to call to the nation in this week's message from Pastor Carter: today in Psalm 78 is a message about a certain group of people turned back from the day in battle.

But why do they do such a thing. Why did they not have the strength to move forward. Let's discover more about this puzzling reaction. As we join Carter with today's message titled thoughts on prayer and fasting want to look at something in Psalm 78.

If you have your Bible, I would appreciate if you could turn there with me. In Psalm 78.

I want to talk to you about a certain group of people that turned back from the battle. Psalm 78 verse nine just one verse says the children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. Now the children of Ephraim.

Now remember Joseph is one of the sons and he was sold off in Egypt and during the seven plentiful years he gave birth to a son. We had a son called a friend so A-frame was the son of plenty was a boy raised one.

There was all kinds of food. There were crops.

It wasn't a season of hardship.

And these are the descendents of Fram and they are a type I guess. Of of us who have been raised in a culture of plenty.

Not that everybody has had an equal share of that. I understand the but in essence we have added no matter how hard it has been. We had it a lot easier than some people in the past have had in other places and at other times and you can just see these children of a Fram there.

They another translation talks but they had armor they had bows in other words, there was talk, at least of the battle and I suppose they had been to spiritual warfare conferences. They had gotten their armor. Maybe they had memorized the forces of Scripture that say put on the full armor of God, the breastplate of righteousness, and that the helmet of salvation and they had their feet shod with the preparation.

Maybe they got up II knows people do this to get up every morning and practice putting on this spiritual armor to get them throughout the day so they were armed and in the and and this part of the armor was defensive and and so they they they knew they were in God as you and I know who we are in Christ.

They knew they couldn't be condemned. They should've known it. At least then they knew that the weapons of the enemy could not prevail against them or at least they should have known it in the schedules as they were carrying bows and others.

His work had a defensive armor, but they also defensive offense of weapons and they would've had to practice with their bows to him so that there is a course would have some kind of a possibility of bringing down their enemies.

In other words, they were equipped to fight. There were equipped for this warfare. They found themselves in. But there's something happen to them.

The cause them to turn back and it poses the question what caused them to have no strength to stand when they were needed and you and I are living in a generation where we are needed now.

Our prayers are needed. Our faith is needed. I happen to believe that there is nothing left in this generation between the wrath that could become ours in the mercy that's available to this generation in God. The only thing that stands between the two is the church of Jesus Christ. You and I who are supposed to know what our purpose on the earth is we should know by now that our prayers empower. We should believe by now that we can speak to mountains and command them in the would-be move wheat we should believe by now the words of Jesus when he said whatever you asked, believing, you shall receive. This should be part of our makeup. We we should be coming into prayer meetings across the nation is as the people of God and taking authority over the powers of darkness that want to destroy marriages and devour our children village holes bring fear into the hearts of our society calls us to be listless and aimless and futile and foolish wheat we should know what our purposes, there should be no debate about this. It's not hidden in the Scriptures.

It playing it's clear for anybody wants to see the bear, there is a divine purpose for your life and for my life on the earth. I'm not called to live for myself I'm called to live for the glory of God and for the salvation of the lost in this world. That's the calling of God on my life. Why did they turn back.

Why do they stay home. Why did they hunker down and try to preserve themselves in a day when they were needed.

These children that were raised in a time of plenty. These children who had studied warfare. This children who should have known the purpose of their lives. Yet when the day of battle came inexplicably, they turned around and they just walked away. They walked away with their armor. They walked away, probably with their bows in their hands they just simply decided not to enter into this battle while the Scripture goes on to tell us why they had no strength when they were called in her students as they did not keep the covenant of God and the refused to walk in his law folks. They just had never made the decision or the determination that they were called as you and I are will call to glorify God on the earth. That's the purpose of your life. Did you know that you and I are called to be an irrefutable testimony of the reality of God. Since the day of Pentecost. 120 people came out of an upper room in their lives were an undeniable testimony of the reality of God. They cannot room at the very peril of their own future in their own safety their own health. The children of a Fram knew this day they had to have known it from the Scriptures that they had known it from the testimony of God. Even through Abraham their father that they were called to be a blessing in the and through them the whole world was supposed to be blessed. But somehow they they perhaps chose just to do not walk that way with God. We want God and we want life and we want a sense of power and purpose, but we we don't want to do it his way. We don't want to make a break with the thinking of this world want to retain on one hand, the things of this world that causes pleasure as we see it in security but in the other hand, we want the armor.

The bows in the sense of work were doing something for God and you know many people just going to conferences they think the really doing something for God until the real battle, until there's nothing left but prayer and standing in the marketplace and being an open declaration of the reality of God then you find out who's in and who's out verse 11 tells us the they forgot how faithful God had been in the past. He forgot his works of his wonders that he had shown them. They were looking at their present challenge in the present challenge. This seems so big and you look at the challenge of this generation were living in one evil is becoming good one terrors becoming commonplace when violence is hitting our schools. When families are breaking apart when politicians are confused when civil debate is gone. Everybody just seems represent the most vile gets the microphone when division is calming between classes, rates, races, cultures, country, just as Jesus said was going to happen in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 24 in the last days, when ethnic culture would rise against ethnic culture and country against country is happening now just as it was foretold, and when the season came with a should have known the should of been prepared. This should have been ready, they forgot how faithful God had always been in the past forgot the works that he had done in their hearts they began to doubt his ability to provide the strength that they needed says in verse 18.

The test of God in their heart by asking for food for their fancy. Yes, they spoke against God, and they said can God prepare a table in the wilderness, behold, he struck the rock so the waters gushed out in the streams overflow not the type of Christ. Remember when the soldier out to the crucifixion reports to Lance into the side of Christ out to what blood and water. It was a type of this rock that had been struck in the wilderness and and water came out about rock and provided drink and provided strength for the people of God in their journey they knew these truths. They fully understood and measure the cross but they looked in their own heart.

They looked at the situation before them and the citizen can God give us strength in this kind of a time can can you prepare a table in this wilderness.

I know Psalm 23. David said that prepares the table before me in the presence of mine enemies and my cup overflows unknown. David said that we can do it now. Can you prepare a table before me were I can eat sufficiently to be given sufficient strength. I know what he did in the past. I know we did drink to his people in impossible places and I know historically people have come through difficult times as difficult as what we face today, but can you provide for me. Can you give me bread to may provide me for me the began to doubt his ability was all just a soul that in mind, going to church.

They didn't mind going to clap their hands and didn't mind going to spiritual warfare conferences. We pick up your cardboard sword and you fight against her piņata and go home as it will did we knew spiritual warfare this weekend: real Devils showed up but when a real warfare presented itself to the moon real enemies were on the border when real difficulty in society when real fear began to about they marched up to the border I can see another polished armor with all learning and all the knowledge and the shiny bows that it never really been used in a real battle only have ever been used in these safe environments. The only place it ever fought is among the people of God. Now there's real enemies in front of them that identified back and I can see these children of a Fram weighing the options were before the minute they had never ever fully understood that there there would be a fight.

One day before than that they would have to believe God would have to press through just like all others throughout history have had to do that would have had to believe God they began to doubt denoting David once found himself in the place with all of his training in all of his history and all of the things that had come his way. In the years past, he found themselves it is himself in place of failure and weakness in taking a wrong turn and suddenly his bravado sister seem to have leaked out of his gun out the window once faced Goliath and now we can face the enemy this before it could have turned away in history could've been so different, but instead the Bible tells us that he encouraged himself in the Lord, he began to remember what God had done, he began to remember the promises of God and made him again. Remember how faithful God is and he started to think on these things.

Verse 12 says marvelous things he did in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt in the field and so on. He divided the sea and causing the pass-through and he made the waters stand up like a heap. You remember the day that Christ came into your life. You look like there was it. What do you like there was no way forward, but suddenly out of nowhere but the pages of Scripture. The water opened up and God made a way for you. God made a way for you to live if you been walking with God in the amount of time. All you have to do is start to think and you remember the things that God has done for you things that were impossible those days when you never thought you could get five members a young pastor one time I was in search and I just ran out of gas.

I was giving God's kingdom.

Everything I had and I was standing in the front of the church is supposed to preach that morning and I just had no more strength. I had no more hard to seem like like the been drained out of me.

I was an absolutely exhausted. I couldn't even raise my hands. When the people started to sing out my voice but nothing would come out. I couldn't even sing it in my heart is God I can't do this anymore and I heard a voice, and I make no apology for what I thought was a person beside me. It's all starting to turn the heart of voice in his voice at right my dear Bob come to help you in on the strength of the bike got into that bull put in briefs in the presence of God to have never turned back from that day. He is a very present help in time of trouble is when I get to do get tired just like you get to but I think back and remember the voice I remember that moment. I remember the despair in my heart as an angel and what it was but God said to me, I come to help you use an ever present help in time of trouble anyone you or forsake you those things that you thought were going to ground you suddenly gave way to that is God's hand was on you. They could not read your journey.

They could not stop you and your enemies and were pursuing you to enjoy your testimony. Just as in the daytime. Also he led them with the cloud and all the night with a light a fire in other words, there was a leading of God that started the community or like to remember that leading of God that told you to get away from this and move towards that and the strength of God to men dear like to begin to do what you know you couldn't do on your own, you know, be honest, you couldn't have done it is put in the wilderness, those things that stood in your way those mountains and students at this as far as you go and suddenly the voice of God comes in the rocks part into as much as the water had gotten me to wait for you through these difficult places and gave you did and didn't drink in abundance in the depths. It also brought streams out of the rock and cause water to run down like the rivers. This is what God has done for you know their testimonies here tonight know their testimonies on lines and I know that I know think back if you can't remember. Think back to what God has done for you to any first furnace, a table in your present will lose you better believe he can do better believe you can set up banquet table is the word of God.

That banquet of the promises of God Kenny furnace, a table, yes he can Kenny give you the strength to go forward.

Yes he can Kenny make your life count for glory his door. Yes he can will people get saved through you say well we are prayers matter the throne of God, you better believe they matter.

David encouraged himself in the Lord and he went forward. The Scripture tells us that he began to pray and when he began to pray. God gave him his word and we believe the word of God again is seven. Look whatever strength he had left in his strength that he had the men that were with them was vastly inferior to the Army that he was going up against what he was entrusting himself anymore. It was looking to his own resources and he was not asking God.

The question can you furnace a table in this wilderness.

Maybe his armor by this point might've been a little bit rusty in his bowl. His arrows might've been a little bit dull, but he picked up what God had given it, and you must remember that day when all he had was a sling and five stones out of the brook is important to look back.

It's important to remember what God has done for you and he picked up and said there's a divine purpose for my life.

Somehow I lost it so I put it away.

Maybe the years of comfort, of cause me to forget it. We picked it up again. Just as he had in the days of old, said by the grace of God. This enemy is not stealing my family.

This enemy is not robbing my friends. This enemy is not taking the glory of God enters most of this enemy is not the testimony of God's enemy is not my ordained purpose of God in the earth when he got up and he settled what he had left and he came upon that troop and when he came upon them, they were dancing and reveling and partying just like the powers I hello are in this generation, but didn't wasn't expecting one of the few soldiers with them. Once again God gripped in the power of God had a divine purpose only are you are when we come to anything. Thomas is not our in prayer for judgment on services and overall the power of the enemy to bring into captivity every that exalted some promises is a fire to stand against every enemy doesn't really doesn't matter how big God does not change. So I'm not turning back and don't do either is not a time to drop your bowl and take up your armor go home and try to survive. This is a time to fight. This is we have incredible armor come into the communion table tonight.armor is the covering of the blood of Jesus Christ, nothing, nothing can penetrate that on nothing can take us away from the love of God we have a bow and arrows go deep into the heart of the king's enemies. The Scripture said these are the promises of God is with the bread represents the night is every promise that's the table he spreads before us in the wilderness. We have these incredible promises of God and we can stand with them and we confide with them.

Our flight is not a physical one. Our flight is a spiritual warfare we stand with the promises of God.

We stand not the heart but to restore which do not do enslavement to see people set free stand to bring people into the saving relationship God wants to have with every man woman and child in you and I by God's grace are not going to turn back in the day of battle. What do you want written over your life, but to the children before him had good jobs, nice cars, chariots, rather nice armor wonderful testimony. Joseph was our father, great lineage, but when it came time to fight when it really mattered.

They turned we are not going to turn back were going to go forward. By God's grace to see this generation was released from darkness and brought into the light of Christ by the grace of Almighty God. And that's my challenge to you tonight that a listing online.

You can only sit and nurse her wounds for so long time to get up and fight. Even ecclesiasticism a time of peace at time of war's time to fight.

This is a spiritual war we don't fight like the insane. I don't know God. We fight on their knees. We don't fight against anybody.

We fight for all people and we believe that God will give us the that's what the communion services about tonight is about not turning back and wanted to be in your heart.

As we partake together were having three new tonight with people from potentially hundred and six the one countries want to challenge you because this is a very dark hour were living in now in your heart to say, by the shed blood of Christ that covers me, and by the promises of God that empowers me. I will not turn back will not seek to preserve myself. I will not draw back and try to live for myself my own comfort and somehow pretend I'm part of the battle.

I will not let others do my fighting for me.

I to play super and I will pray and I will believe God my voice will be heard. Thank you for joining us this week for a call to the nation with Carter come from Times Square Church in New York City.

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