Great Things

Every religion has a prayer component this to do with that religion. The Hindus pray the Buddhists pray abates is a Buddhist temple of sin. People literally going out. Pray Muslims pray five times a day even atheists pray sometimes and I have heard it said that there are no atheists in foxholes. But the question is to whom other praying what their expectations in prayer all their prayers any more than just reciting a wish list. Do they have any confidence that their prayers will be answered.

Do they know their God. That is why Jesus taught us to pray when we pray, say our father in heaven that distinguishes those who belong to Jesus from the rest of the world how because no one can call God Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth father unless Jesus Christ is the Lord and the Savior of the life only Jesus could call the Almighty all-powerful creator God father because he coexisted with him before the foundation of the world. In fact, he called them father seven times in the Gospels, and therefore only those who belong to Jesus can call God father Hebrews 1019 tells us that only through the blood of Jesus Christ. Can we enter into the holy place of being able to call God Abba father.

Now people tear themselves apart crying to their false gods to answer them. Just like those prophets of bales of walled in the days of of a larger weather turning themselves and cutting themselves calling upon bail and bail was nowhere to be found.

Only those who call upon their heavenly father can be absolutely confident that God is not only hearing their prayers, but answers, their prayers in the last two messages we saw first that persistence in prayer that is intimacy with God on the regular basis on a daily basis in prayer and in the fellowship of his word. That will give us joy and hopeful joy in the midst of troubling times. Secondly, we saw how Thanksgiving and praising God for things that he has done in the past makes our prayer to be an effectual prayer and today I want to show you how the prayer of faith are not only honoring to God about the conquers the unconquerable. It overcomes the obstacles it accomplishes the impossible and it vanquishes the enemy God said to his people through the prophet Jeremiah, and here's what he said to them, call for me and I'll answer you until your great and unsearchable things that you do not know other translations is call upon me and I'll show you great and mighty things that you can't even imagine that many of us have probably taken this passage out of context. That's all right God will forgive us.

Some people use it as a catchall prayer as many people try to apply it to their personal needs. That is fine but this verse in this invitation of God has a far wider implication than all of this.

In fact, James the brother of Jesus said the reason you have not is because you asked not. But then when you ask you ask array or you ask wrongly for your own selfish ambitions and that's why you don't get answers to prayer at the end of this message.

I'm going to show you how to pray big prayer how to pray. Mighty prayer in the context of your needs and in the context of your circumstances. So stay tuned.

In fact, there is something that appears contradictory in the book of Jeremiah and I'm gonna show it to you. You may never thought about it but I'm going to show it to you anyway here in 33 three God speaking to his people saying call upon me, I'm going to show you the circumstances in which he gave that invitation and I'll show you great and mighty things you flip over to Jeremiah 45 five and then God says to Jeremiah that Jeremiah asked for great things, but asked them not for yourself is element is this a contradiction, not at all not at all his asking his people to pray big prayer, great prayer for God's glory.

And he wants Jeremiah to be one of them. He does not want Jeremiah to pray for great things for himself.

That's what he clarifies later in this chapter 45 verse five he said why is God doing this because you need to understand, listen to me. Please listen carefully you and I need to understand in these tough times that the real blessings do not come from asking great things for ourselves that are real blessings do not come from asking for the sake of our own selfish ambitions that only real blessings come when we know how to ask God for great things for his glory and for his kingdom and for his honor and the praise of his name and for the manifestation of his power and for the testifying of the greatness of God. That's what he's asking us to do. That's where the real blessing is that's where the real blessing is not no misunderstanding.

God loves to hear us all the time. He loves to hear his faithful children to pray for big things small things that you pray for parking spaces. Please keep writing. Don't let me stop you if you want to pray for this or that, that that's fine and I am here focus on one thing and I prayed to God that he will change your heart, your mind and your vision for life that you will begin to understand how big our God is and why he loves to hear big prayers God loves to hear and answer all of our prayers, but your greatest blessing your most overwhelming joy. Your abundance of blessings your manifold delight can only be found when you pray, mighty prayers, when you pray big prayers.

When you honor God by asking a God size things when God said to Israel through Jeremiah call upon me and I will show you great and mighty things of which you can even imagine. Jeremiah himself was imprisoned. When that invitation was issued is think about this for a long time. Nebuchadnezzar had already come this dictator of Babylon had already come with his army and laid siege around Jerusalem and already have taken some hostages and took them back to Babylon. Things were as dark as there ever been since the days of the slavery in Egypt, for the people of God.

These were dark and tough days. The nation was in the political dire straits and that the nation was facing economic catastrophe. The nation was facing a social meltdown. The nation was facing a spiritual crisis is something like what we going through right now question why did God let that happen. Why did God allow this.

When these are God's people. This is not some Rascals somewhat.

These are the people of God whom he loved and redeemed, these are the people of whom God says they are the apple of my why is he doing this in the answer.

Beloved is very simple. It really is.

They have turned their backs on God again and again and again they have placed our trust in political messiahs. They have placed their security on material possessions. They have compromise with sin.

They have ceased to be united in worship of the one true God, and for years God has been up to them again and again and again until they become callous God for years will send them a messenger of the message of the messenger to stop this wholesale departure from the truth but to no avail. And finally, God is saying to them at this very critical juncture of the history of this very critical time of the live in God is saying. Even now, it is not too late to cry.

To me it is not too late to call upon me. Even at this very very hour with me ask you this, when was the last time did you ask God for mighty things for his glory.

Ask yourself that's grown that the last time you ask God for great things. Listen to me. The problem with our culture is the problem of the church. It really is because our culture has a short attention span. We have such a short attention span that we cannot focus on prayer mother couple of hours.

A couple days were maybe a couple weeks we start praying, especially in times of crisis, and then we fizzle out what it was is a lot of God answers our prayers because we get busy with what he's given us and we fizzle out a few thousand out of disappointment, we fizzle out and that is why I began this series of messages talking about the most important thing in prayer and that is continuous consistent daily time with God and his word. Listen to me when you spend time with God and his word you will not only know how to pray, but you will pray according to his will, in fact.

First John 321 and 22 is what is said, dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, and we are confident before God and receive from him. Anything we ask our that's where most Christians stop. That's where the stuff men in the read the rest of the verse is what he said because we obey his commands and do what pleases him start pleasing God and watch how is going to answer big prayer. When we truly know God are we going to please God and when we please God. We will pray great things from on behalf of God's kingdom.

And when we asked for great things we expecting him to answer these great things, even if it takes 10 years. We don't give up in prayer because you are absolutely certain you're praying according to his will and for his glory, the blood, listen to me.

I have been on both sides of this equation. I have prayed for things according to the will of God, knowing it is for the glory of God confident that I'm praying for the will of God, and I received instant answers to prayer and stick the faucet sunset. I got answers but then not being in times when I prayed for things for the glory of God and according to the will of God, and I didn't get an answer for 11 years makes no difference when you are praying according to the will of God when you're praying for the glory of God. It doesn't matter how long it takes you say Michael, would you tempted to give up in prayer's I have did you go through time of doubting that you might not praying according to the will of God. Yes, I have several times what made you persist.

Once you're confident that you are praying for the glory of God. Once you're confident you're praying according to the will of God, then no matter how big your prayer may be, no matter how high the mountain is, no matter how treacherous the road may be, no matter how impossible the task may look no matter how unbelievable that requests seem to other you keep on calling and you keep on calling and you keep on calling… Me that lesson early on in my late teens, when I was praying for the impossible. But God burden me to pray and keep on praying, the foolish mistake I told some people what I was praying for and they thought that my sanity has left me. Be careful who you tell for all Samson God gives him a big vision and what does he do he goes out and blurbs it and he got into trouble while to be truthful. I have been praying for something so big so humongous that not a single human being. Even my dearest and there is will even understand you how long I've been praying for 30 years. He said Michael did I hear that right is the 30 yes, what keeps you going. As I spend time with God and intimacy with God. As I cried to the Lord is our communion with him through the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray Lord, do you want to release me from this in the most is no. As long as he doesn't really smell keep on praying, believing that I'm going to see if in my lifetime when it comes to praying. Great things for God's glory. We all click to settle for just the deposit we get a little bit about seven.

We just give up praying, we don't persist in calling on till we get the whole thing. In fact, before God told Jeremiah to have the people of God to call on him before he issued that invitation for his people to call upon me so that I might do great and mighty things inverse to the verse before the one we looked at were before 33 three verse two God tells them who he is. He reminds them of who he is missing. You cannot call upon God for great and mighty things until you know how big your God is here is what God said to them before. He said call me he said I am the maker of heaven on earth. Yahweh is my name. He said that really need to be reminded he acts. Of course he did that were paying lip service to who God is, but in reality they have forgotten who he is and that is why there were pursuing other interests and you say, why do we do this now, after 2000 years of Christian history this people did not have the scripture like we do that if we do the same thing after 2000 years of Christ dying and rising again, and tell you why. The reason this generation does not pray for big things because they don't believe in a big God. This is the age of downsizing and we want to downsize God. We want to cut him down to size want to bring them to our level so we can look him in the eye and tell them how we feel that's a problem of this generation, like no other generation of history we have lost what it means to be in all of God and this is the subject of the Christian books in the Christian bookstores and ministries that are going around trying to bring God to our left when the Bible from cover to cover says that those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are lifted up by the Holy Spirit to where God is bringing down top-level and we live in weakness and would even failure and live in sin and live in compromise and we wonder why because we have lost our vision of who God is and what a mighty big God hears. There is a very curious verse in Matthew 1358 that says Jesus did not do many miracles because of the unbelief some translation said Jesus could not do any miracles.

Not quite accurate. Remember showing in a minute. All of the miracles of Jesus were designed to increase and strengthen faith of his children and him. That's the purpose of American God can do anything he wants to look at his God taken during a medical anywhere to anybody. Him and he is God he can do anything he wants but here in this passage in Matthew, it tells us that Jesus would not perform miracles when he saw there. Unbelief. I know there are some people who pray and pray in prayer nothing happened but Matthew 1358. It tells us that unbelief is a barrier to God doing great and mighty things, unbelief is a barrier to God's blessings. Unbelief is a barrier to God's interventions. Unbelief is a barrier for God. It is not that Jesus could not perform as Jesus would not that's really more of it.

He would not.

This is one of the clearest examples why God does not answer faithless prayer. I will repeat that.

That's one of the clearest examples why God does not answer faithless did you get that faithless prayer but as we are saved by faith, not by works to escape eternal judgment is faith through the grace of God that is freely given to us, so it is faith not works that will move God to respond when we call upon him, especially for those things that are moderate to him, especially for those things are glorifying to him, and Jesus himself warns in Matthew chapter 7 verse six he said not give what is holy to the dogs and do not throw your pearls to the pigs list.

They trample them under their feet and then turn and tear you to pieces. You've heard you were probably more time than I people who have nothing to do with God.

People who live in a just pay lip service to the people or maybe not know God, and those are where was Goldwyn was going through this difficult. Where was God when this has happened.

Where was God hears the unsolicited me God will not be there for the hardened unbelieving heart. God will not be there for those who trample his truth underfunded God will not be there for those who despise who he is. God will not be there for those who will use his blessings against him, and against his children.

God will not be there for those who denied his son as the only way to heaven. In Matthew 1358 Jesus refused to bend to the request of the hypocrites, scribes and the Pharisees received they wanted see miracles for entertainment values.

They wanted to see miracles not for the spiritual value but to satisfy their curiosity and that is why this promise of Jeremiah 33. Three is for those who are walking in intimacy with God for those who live a life of thanksgiving and praise and worship of God. Paul gives a very similar promise in the epistle to the Ephesians is very similar to Jeremiah 33. Three.

In fact you can even set the two together side-by-side.

Paul is is making a promise to those who are walking intimately with God is giving the same promise for those who are seeking God with all of the hard seeking to please God with all of the life. This promise is for those who live a life of thanksgiving and praise, for who God is and what is done in here it is. Ephesians 3 verse 20 God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think you see he is saying God is not only able, but God is abundantly able God is not only abundantly able, but God is exceedingly abundantly able God is not only exceedingly abundantly able, but he is exceedingly abundantly able to do what we cannot even imagine or ask for call upon me, says the Lord, and I'll answer you and show you great and mighty things when Elisha succeeded his master Elijah the prophet he had the gumption to ask God for a humongous thing because he knew God. When God asked him to come and follow him. Elisha took his livelihood. The beast that he uses farming and he took the implements and he granted and cooked the meat and burning his bridges to farming at is how total his trust in the God who called him his own God said what I do for you is said double portion of my master Elijah is blessing double portion.

If you read carefully you'll find that's exactly what God gave him the larger performed eight miracles. Elisha performed 16 minutes. He wanted double portion God gave. In fact, it is that 16th medical that I'm gonna used to conclude this message not pray to God that he would use it to challenge every single one of us and them us together as a body of believers is the story there was a man who was a faithful man. He loved the Lord to serve the Lord. You trusted the Lord obviously was known to Elisha to and he died, his wife and two sons were in debt. Terrible debt and the creditors the debtors were threatened to take these two boys into slavery and she was in a fix. She was in a predicament and she cries to the prophet Elisha answer says you know your servant my husband was a faithful man of God. Beloved, listen to me, your faithfulness to God will not only bring the answer to prayer to you, but your children and your children's children. The third and fourth generation. Using God is no man's data. He has no man's data he may delay, but he will not deny God will repay your faithfulness a thousandfold better. If you are unfaithful. God does not all you anything. And Elisha said to the widow what you have in your house or she thought for a moment and she said the drop of oil just one drop of oil in the whole house because Elisha understood this principle. How God is faithful not only to his faithful children, but to their families and that the next generation. Now let me give you a yourself interpretation okay. Elisha said to the widow what you have in your house.

She said just a drop of oil on the none on a lady.

You don't just have a drop of oil you have an auto factory in your house, not Elisha, your manner. God, I'd I know you're prophet of God. God used you mightily but you didn't hear me very well. I said a drop of oil. Elisha said none of the ladies you did not hear me very well.

I said you have a nonfactor your house. Beloved, we have a God who wants to hear big prayers and answer prayers for his glory and the operative word here is faithful. It doesn't matter how tough is going to get God honors faithfulness. It doesn't matter how bleak it looks. God honors faithfulness. It doesn't matter how tough things get God honors faithfulness and for this widow of this faithful man of God has been dead for a while. She obeyed the words of the prophet and she borrowed all of the empty jars that you could find from all of our neighbors. She got all the empty jars that you can lay hands on and she began to pour his drop of oil and POURING JAR AFTER JAR FILLED THIS ONE PUT AWAY THE NEXT ONE. PUT IT AWAY. THE NEXT ONE. PUT IT AWAY AND SHE KEPT ON TOURING AND SHE KEPT IMPLORING THE OIL UNTIL THE LAST EMPTY JAR WAS FILLED AND THEN THE OIL STOPPED FLOWING. LET ME ASK YOU THIS, PLEASE LISTEN CAREFULLY HOW EMPTY IS YOUR VESSEL THAT YOU OFFERING TO GOD HOW EMPTY IS IS YOUR VESSEL EMPTY OF YOURSELF IS YOUR VESSEL EMPTY REAL PRIDE IS YOUR VESSEL EMPTY OF YOUR SELFISH AMBITIONS IS YOUR VESSEL EMPTY OF YOUR CONTROLLING SPIRIT IS YOUR VESSEL EMPTY OF YOUR HUMAN WISDOM AND PLAYING GAMES WITH GOD AS LONG AS YOU OFFER HIM AN EMPTY OFFICE TO FILL IT HERE FOR HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD, HOW BIG IS YOUR FAITH IN HIM.

HOW BIG IS YOUR PRAYER FOR HIS GLORY. HELLO PEOPLE PLAY GAMES WITH GOD ON THE TIES WHEN IT COMES TO THE TITHING OF WHICH WHICH BELONGS TO GOD TO PLAY GAMES WITH GOD. THEY REALLY DO OR SHOULD I GIVE OFF THE TAXES BEFORE TAXES WAS ON THE SHOULD TIES WAS JUST LEFTOVER COME ON THEIR SUMMONER SO MICHAEL I HEAR YOU. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T. I CAN GIVE YOU SO MUCH NEED RIGHT NOW.

HOW CAN I TIES TO THE LORD ON THE FUTURE SO UNCERTAIN I CAN I GIVE ONE I JUST HAVE A DROP OF OIL. HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD A DROP OF OIL WAS AUTO FACTORY IS WHAT I WANT TO SHOW YOU HOW TO PRAY BIG PRAYERS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. YOU HAVE A JOB YOU LOOKING FOR A JOB YOU NEED A JOB YOU CAN PRAY GOD GIVE ME A JOB SO I CAN MEET MY NEEDS. THAT IS A LITTLE PRAYER.

THIS IS HOW YOU PLAY A BIG PRAYER LORD, GIVE ME A JOB THAT CAN GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO NOT JUST MEET MY NEEDS, BUT TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF YOUR KINGDOM. GIVE ME A JOB IN WHICH I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS ON LEAD PEOPLE TO CHRIST, GOD, GIVE ME A JOB THAT IS ONE OF YOU OF WHO YOU ARE. THAT'S A BIG PRAYER GOD. I HAVE NEEDS.

CAN YOU JUST PLEASE GIVE ME ENOUGH SO THAT I CAN GET BY SOCKET MAKE INS MEET OR ALL GOD PROVIDED IN SUCH A WAY THAT ONLY GIVE THAT MEASLY 10% BY 20% OR 30% OR 40% OR 50% OR EVEN 90% AND I LIVE ON THE 10% THAT'S BIG PRAYER YOU'RE PRAYING FOR YOUR NEEDS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE GREATNESS OF GOD AND THE BIGNESS OF GOD NOT LIMIT GOD TO YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD, HOW BIG IS YOUR PRAYER YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SMALL PRAYER IN A BIG PRAYER: MRS. LORD WHEN YOU PLACE YOUR NEEDS IN THE CONTEXT OF HIS GLORY NOT ONLY HONOR GOD.

BUT GOD IS AN HONOR YOUR FACE. LISTEN, I KNOW HUMAN NATURE. THE WAY IT IS VERY CAREFUL. THIS IS NOT A WAY TO TRICK GOD TO GET HIM TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOU LOOKING FOR THAT. I KNOW I KNOW HOW THE MIND WORKS THEN AND I AM TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE IN HEART AND SPIRIT AND LIFE AND MOTIVE IN LIFE THAT ALL OF YOU IS CRYING TO GOD FOR BIG PRAYER SO THAT HIS GLORY MIGHT BE MANIFESTED.

IT'S A CHANGE OF LIVESTOCK. IT'S A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE IS A CHANGE OF LIFE ALTOGETHER AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE GOD CANNOT BE MOCKED, CALL UPON ME AND I'LL SHOW YOU GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS NEVER DRAW PRAY FOR SOMEBODY FOR HEALING WITHOUT PRAYING THAT GOD WILL BE MAGNIFIED AND MANIFESTED THAT THE TESTIMONY OF THE PERSON HEALED BRING GLORY TO CHRIST. I NEVER PRAY FOR ANYTHING WITHOUT HAVING THE GREATNESS OF GOD AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE GLORY OF GOD IN MIND, BECAUSE THAT IS THE KIND OF PRAYER THAT GOD WANTS TO HEAR. ARE YOU READY TO PRAY EITHER TO PRAY BIG PRAYER FATHER. WE ARE SO SORRY FOR DOWNSIZING YOU. WE ARE SO SORRY FOR BRINGING YOU DOWN TO OUR LEVEL FOR NOT BELIEVING IN A BIG GOD WHO WANTS TO HEAR BIG PRAYERS FROM FAITHFUL CHILDREN CLEANSE OUR HEARTS ARE LORD ELEVATE OUR VISION. LET US SEE YOU LIKE JOHN SAUL EWING FELL ON HIS FACE. EVEN THE BELOVED DISCIPLE, WHO LEANED ON YOUR SHOULDER WAS IN AWE OF THE GLORIFIED CHRIST FATHER, HELP US TO LIVE IN ALL OF WHO YOU ARE AND CALL UPON YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE THE MIGHTY GOD IS THE ONLY GOD IN JESUS NAME, AMEN. THANKS FOR LISTENING TO THIS MESSAGE FROM DR. MICHAEL. YOU SAT RECENTLY FEATURED ON LEADING THE WAY. IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT US, PLEASE VISIT LTW.ORG THAT'S LTW.ORG