Praying with Power [Part 1]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright and this is what Paul says the command is if you want to be victorious and promised land.

Kingdom living here is the exhortation pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

That's pastor Helen Wright welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm Daniel Britt excited for you to hear today's message in a series called praying with power as presented at renewal the church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now.

It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright ministry as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today special offer. Contact us at pastoralan.org that's Pastor Alan.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program right now. Let's get started with today's teaching in the series praying with our here is Alan Wright not intent of us pray regularly and three out of four claim to pray every day to get some idea that interest in prayer type, prayer, or pray in an Internet search engine like Google. See how many millions of links pop up behind these impressive numbers lies the conundrum.

I think that means something kinda confusing or puzzling. Good work conundrum. He talked about how did the big extensive interview of people about prayer big survey when interviewed ordinary people that prayers are typically the results went like this is pretty important. You oh yes, how often do you pray every day proximally how long five minutes. Well, maybe seven or do something to strain like there were just there for the conundrum right there almost every American says prayer is really important and yet a grand total of about five minutes worth is about, you know, a good long prayer three meals a day, an account of a good night prayer or something and you got your five minutes and their guests. Do you find prayer satisfying. Most people said not really. Do you sense the presence of God. When you pray most people said occasionally, but not often.

And in my experience also in talking to people what Phil Yancey says that many of those are thought to express prayer more as a burden that is a pleasure regarded as important, even paramount and felt guilty about their failure.

Blaming themselves and he asked this penetrating question why does prayer rank so high on surveys of theoretical importance and so Rouleau on surveys of actual satisfaction.

I couple that with a survey of the book of acts to see what prayer placed what place prayer had in the early church without even giving you the contact but just they all join constantly in prayer, along with women married mother of Jesus's brothers. Here's section 124 then they prayed Lord you know everyone's heart shows which of these two, you've chosen so there's the sermon they're asking for. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching to the fellowship, to break the brick and prayer. They devoted themselves as much to prayer as they did the teaching how different the modern church in America asked 311 day Peter and John were going to temple the time of prayer that they had partly had times of prayer. Everybody knew it was part of the rhythm of life when they heard this, they raise your voices together in prayer sovereign Lord you made heaven and earth. See the constant turning to to the Lord after they prayed things happen place with her meeting was shaken, all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. 64 and will give our attention to. There's the there's the elder saying, this is why we need deacons because you know where the main focus of elders prayer and the ministry of the word, and while they were stoning Stephen.

Stephen prayed here's acts 815 they arrived they pray for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit asked him to his this is speaking of Cornelius. I think he and all his family were devout and God-fearing, and gave generously to those in need, and prayed to God rightly people they didn't know Jesus yet guided her to prayers of Cornelius and Michael offering rising up till about noon the following day they were on their journey approaches city Peter went up on the roof to pray when Peter was in prison. The church was earthly praying to God for him as acts 12 five when this is Donald Maxwell 12 when the house of Mary mother. John also called moreover many people had gathered praying. So after they fasted and prayed. They placed their hands on them and sent them off, acts 13 three 1613 on the South when outside the city gate to the river where we expected to find a place of prayer was just expected a five people praying in places where people gather to pray about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and other prisoners were listening to them when he said this, he knelt down on them and pray, ask 21 five when our time was up. We laughed and continued on our way. All the signs and wising children accompanist out of the city and there on the beach. We knelt to pray not something you see happening arbitrary often and how 2271 return to Jerusalem was praying in the temple I fell into a trance and just give you this is a is a a quick overview but I think about my account. There is about like you remember the moment I think it might've been 26 references to the church being at prayer in the opening 16 chapters of the book of acts. The church that was born of the spirit was a church that prayed what's happened. What what what was different they loved pray they were they there. It was like food to them. It was it was part of their daily rhythm.

It was it was natural as breathing in the early church. What happened where we still think is important, but not that many people pray very much and not that many people find it deeply satisfying or effective and I want to try to own address, etc. will meet Ephesians chapter 6 about for a long time. I preached on Joshua and we talked about how when you will when you go into the promised land is not a place of ease.

It's the place where the battles are. That's where your Jericho walls are. That's where the Philistines are. That's where the ground is yours but has to be taken and so you have to be prepared that if you're going to be dwelling in the promised land. It's a spiritual battle.

Now Paul understood this very well in Ephesians chapter 6 he talks about the spiritual armor of God, and the uses metaphor of the armor that would've been familiar in their day not take time to read that.

But as he comes to the end of Ephesians 6. That list of the armor. Look at verse 17 take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.

Pray that I may declare it fearlessly as I should go back in verse 17 take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. I want to just notice the inseparable connection between spirit and word the sword of the Spirit, the means by which the spirit penetrates accomplishes the work of the spirit is through the word proceeding like a sword. There is no separation of spirit and word. They are inseparable and this is what Paul says the command is if you want to be victorious in promised land kingdom living.

Here's the exhortation pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. That's in the new international version.

Maybe you have that in front of you read it out loud with me if you do verse 18 and pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Now I want to talk to you today about not just prayer, but one talk to you about spiritual prayer because is my conviction after watching Christians in watching myself, you know over the years go from where praying was like a chore to where praying became a joy and yet being honest with where I am still in the journey and wondering why I don't know if in 10 years here. I've preached a series on prayer.

I can remember that I did and so I had to be Oscar where where is that you know there have been some great theologians that have written entire theological treatises and like Hans Kung and he got to the end of the 700 page volume and so I said where's the chapter on prayer and he said I forgot that JAlan Wright will have more teaching in a moment to D imported series prayer as a Christian you know it's important and you want to make it a priority.

If you're like most your parent can slip so easily into routine further in person meeting you're wondering what is the key to praying with willpower. Ephesians chapter 6. The apostle Paul has a clear answer, praying in the spirit pray in the spirit. Some would say that Paul is referring to the spiritual gift and a supernatural prayer language Megan Allen writes unique series, praying with power Pastor Alan reveals five different ways of praying and spirit.

Discover how praying God's word is praying in spirit. Learn how to listen to the spirit as you pray, come to see Jesus as your prayer partner. It's practical. It's powerful to pastor Alan nights praying with power. Discover the power of praying in the spirit change your prayer life and you change the world to get to Alan Wright Ministries today will send you pastor outlines messages through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I banks from Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor Aron.work on today's teaching now continues here once again is Alan writing we have to be honest also about where we are and and yet I want to share. Also with my spirit because prayer has turned from what years ago was a chore to now, what is it is a joy that I want to keep going and I want to bite you along in that journey and and I think it's something that's important for us as we have talked about living in the promised land. Don't talk about effective living, victorious living in the promised land of the role of spiritual prayer now to explain this. I need first to start with a basic assumption that I make from the Scripture. It's contrary to what I grew up thinking I used to think that I'll had a body and I have a soul, but it seems to me clear from the Scriptures that we are tripartite and that we born-again Christians are our spirit, soul and body. Here's one evidence of Paul writing to the Thessalonians, when he says my God, himself a God of peace sanctify you through and through.

May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is a distinction that's made in the writer of Hebrews when he says the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, see what what he's saying here is that while joints and marrow of the bone are so closely related, they are not the same thing there something that is different and that even as the marrow is the deeper part that there is a separate separate identity to soul and spirit, and that there can be discerning between the difference of those two things here is an instance in which you see the three words spirit, soul and body recur within several short verses in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus said to his disciples my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me going a little further, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed my father if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me did not as I will but as you will. Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Could you men keep watch with me for an hour.

He asked Peter I don't I don't think that this is Jesus shaming the disciples like I'm so disgusted with you I think it's more like there instances where the son of God, marvels at the at the priority and the domination of the flesh over the spirit. I think he just sometimes amazed at how fleshly we are a saw. That is like I'm at the at the eve of of all of the weight of the world coming up on me and you can't say you in it and so he exhorts them watch and pray please notice the son of God has his soul so sorrowful that he's asking for these disciples that are so frail themselves to pray for him and then he says that's the spirit is willing but the flesh of the body is weak. So there you see it, my soul is sorrow to the point of death. Any mention of the spirit is willing, the body is weak. Here's a good picture of it. The body gets exhausted and wants to please itself with sleep. The body gets hungry wants to please itself with food. The body has all of its various appetites that are always making their demand. The body's not bad. God made this body. It's good but it's it's it's in a low level of priority of what should rule our life. If you let your flesh rule your life. There won't be much victorious living whether in fact in the worst case scenario if you let your flesh rule your life and you just watch anything on TV you just respond any old lust that comes up, you just respond to any old appetite that you crave any old thing like that and at some point a Christian's life. You gotta get kinda got fed up with the whole thing and say I'm not going way smile. I've been ruled by my flesh. You know, I just got to a point where the Endo don't hear me saying I'm perfect and I never given I don't mean my flesh is just as flashy as your flesh is flesh. I mean it's just flesh and and it's it's very don't matter who you are, but it's some point in your life you go you know what, this is a promised land. And this thing adjust live about my flesh in the work when he when he says the spirit is willing, and the body is weak, he is acknowledging the reality of the situation, the spirit is willing another word for that is desiring to be translated, desiring here.

Here's what I believe. I believe that my body has its appetite and it grows tired. For example, in an hungry and so and so because of my flesh when I woke up this morning I stayed up very late last night because when I got home from birds. It was about 1115 and had great conversations but I should little earlier because I still have some work to do. So I go to bed very late and I'm just cannot just be honest, I did not want to get out of bed this morning I got up at that law molested that that and I mean qualify as a night sleep and I sit on the edge of the bed and my wife said are you okay and is now thankfully between that time and the time that I show up to preach at 9 o'clock. There is somewhat of a transformation that goes on but that's just my flesh.

If I were to go by my flesh. There would've been no 9 o'clock message this morning after Jim would've jumped up and given a glorious message I'm sure, but are somebody and elder somebody will, but I would not of been delivering the message having gone by my flesh. That's just a little example right now my flesh was really not desiring to be at the spectrum is be honest okay but my spirit. I guarantee you my spirit was desiring. This spirit within the born-again Christian is always desiring to worship communion with God and pray.

It's always my spirit's now here's the way there's a way I see it, if I'm spirit, soul and body.

You could think of it this way that another word you see often in the Scripture for spirit is the heart and the spirit is that that has been in a sense resurrected or born a new within every believer. When policies I was dead and my sin. What he's saying is not that my mind was totally dad or I didn't have any feelings, and he wasn't same. My body was dead.

Obviously he's talking about something else that was dead to God what he's talking about.

Is it my spirit was dead to God when sin entered the world, death entered the world and the spirit was totally shut off from God. But when you become a Christian.

Whether your four years old 40 years old or 94 years old. There is a mystery that takes place in which God allows there to be this tremendous unbelievable exchange so that no longer is your sin held against you. But you become like the righteousness of God himself. And so fellowship is restored and there is an act of written generative power.

The same power that raised the Lord Jesus from the dead gives new life to your mortal body because of the spirit that is made alive within you in Quicken, under God, and you become a spiritual being on the God. So whereas before you were shut off from communication and shut off from understanding and discernment of God. You are now alive to God.

I don't have time to go into all a bit but Fort don't turn your butt out to you quickly. First rent is chapter 2 is a good place to look at this, where Paul is saying the spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God for who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man spirit within him in the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God that we may understand what God has freely given us this is think this is the thing that happened is so incredible you get the spirit of God, communing with your spirit and your light.

Wow, that's what it means I'm a child of God, and he begins to bear witness to your spirit that your child of God and he'll bear witness to you about things that are wrong with your soul that need to be changed and that's the conviction of the Holy Spirit was a wonderful gift, and on and on his begins to teach you so he says this is what we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words, the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the spirit of God for their foolishness to him he cannot understand because they are spiritually discerned. So here's what happened. You became a believer and your spirit is made new and you are now alive when we got the soul. When a person becomes a Christian, the soul, the mind will be motioned if it doesn't become instantly and totally no.

Does it things and what it means bringing the spirit prayer as a Christian you know it's important and you want to make it a priority. If you're like most your prayer life can slip so easily into routine fervor and passion.

Maybe you're wondering what is the key to praying with real power in Ephesians chapter 6.

The apostle Paul has a clear answer, praying in the spirit spirit.

Some would say that Paul is referring only to the spiritual gift and a supernatural prayer language Megan Allen writes unique series, praying with power Pastor Alan reveals five different ways of praying and spirit. Discover how praying God's word is praying in spirit. Learn how to listen to the spirit as you pray, come to see Jesus as your prayer partner.

It's practical.

It's powerful to pastor and the Knights praying with power. Discover the power of praying in the spirit change your prayer life and you change the world to get to Allen Wright ministries today will send you pastor outlines messages through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I banks from Allen Wright ministries call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor at Gatwick alum.

This is a great series on prayer. But not just any.

This is powerful rewrite will Daniel when we hear Paul's words to pray in the spirit it raises in some people's mind. The image of does that just mean spiritual gift of prayer language to set what is Paul talking about and what we're going to be showing is very exciting really coming weeks with to show the really five different ways you pray in the spirit looking to differentiate this from just praying out of our own thoughts are our own little desires or something much deeper that goes on in prayer and when we discover what it really means to pray in the spirit that's when we begin to pray with real power.

Today's good news message is a listener supported production Allen Wright ministries