The Reward of Prayer Acts 12: 12

click to Read the passage: Acts 12  (a new browser window will open)

(And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the

mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered

together praying.)

1. Fellowship with our heavenly father.

With Christ, His prayer evidence of oneness;  fellowship with His Father.

2. Fellowship with one another.

3. An endearing dependency on Christ.

Nothing endears the heart like God’s proven sufficiency.

Nothing exposes the heart to God’s sufficiency like prayer.

4. An increasing faith in Christ.

5. A defined priority.

Locks in-targets-stays on

6. An intense burden.

The sobriety of prayer.

7. A real life answer of release.

Why I Can Live for Jesus 1 Thessalonians 5: 24

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click to Read the passage: I Thessalonians 5  (a new browser window will open)

(Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.)

1.Because I didn’t save myself; I was blood bought.

2.Because I didn’t follow my way, I followed His way.

3.Because it is not my work; it is His work.

4.Because it was not my name, but His name.

5.Because it was not my will, but His will.

6.Because it was not my righteousness, but His righteousness.

7.Because it was not my works, but His faithfulness.

It was not by works of righteousness which I have done, but according to His mercy He saved me. Titus 3:  5

The Power in Prayer Acts 12: 5-16

 click to Read the passage: Acts 12  (a new browser window will open)

v.5 1.  God’s people are called to prayer in crises, for those in crises.

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

v.5 2.  God’s people need know God is at work, and be comforted thereby.

v.5 3.  The place of prayer is a protected place.

v.6 4.  God does beyond the believer’s expectation.

And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

v.14 5.   God’s answers to some are readily accepted.

And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.   

v.15 6.   God’s answers to some are too good to be true.

And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 

V,16 7.   God’s answers to prayer truly are astonishing, revealing Jesus’ unique power and glory.

But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw

him, they were astonished.                                                                                                                                                                                     

Truth Challenged, but True Mark 14: 53-60

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v.53 1. The message of the word (truth) will be challenged by men assembled in

                high places.

(And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled 

                all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.)

Religion will always challenge biblical Christianity.

v.54 2. Men of the word by their association with and submission to truth will 

                likewise be challenged and their faith threatened.

(And Peter followed Him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest, and

                he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.)

v.55 3. Ungodly men seek to bring an accusation of untruth against the truth.

(And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to 

                put Him to death; and found none.)

The fight comes from the ungodly, usually the unsaved.

Thus false accusation is an easy step for them.

v.55 4. Ungodly men sought to bring accusation of untruth against the author of the

                word.

(against Jesus)

v.55 5. Ungodly men desire and intend to destroy  truth.

(to put Him to death;)

This is satan’s intention. Thus, he fights to keep truth from coming to pass.

v.56 6. Ungodly men can only bear false accusation against truth- the word of God.

(For many bare false witness against Him, but their witness agreed not 

                together.)

v.56, 7. Any witness against the truth will not withstand a constant measure.

   59 (but their witness agreed not together.) (But neither so did their witness 

                agree together.)

v.57, 8. Ungodly men cannot understand truth and take the message they hear 

                out of context.

  58 (And there arose certain, and bare false witness against Him, saying,)

                (We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, 

                and within three days I will build another made without hands.)

v.60 9. Truth does not have to defend itself to be truth.

(And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, 

                Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?)

v.60 10. The challenge of untruth will sooner or later be exposed as a lie. Truth 

                shall endure forever.

(what is it which these witness against thee?)

Is. 40: 8

v.53 1. The message of the word (truth) will be challenged by men assembled in high places.

(And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.)

Religion will always challenge biblical Christianity.

v.54 2. Men of the word by their association with and submission to truth will likewise be challenged and their faith threatened.

(And Peter followed Him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest, and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.)

v.55 3. Ungodly men seek to bring an accusation of untruth against the truth.

(And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put Him to death; and found none.)

The fight comes from the ungodly, usually the unsaved.

Thus false accusation is an easy step for them.

v.55 4. Ungodly men sought to bring accusation of untruth against the author of the word.

(against Jesus)

v.55 5. Ungodly men desire and intend to destroy  truth.

(to put Him to death;)

This is satan’s intention. Thus, he fights to keep truth from coming to pass.

v.56 6. Ungodly men can only bear false accusation against truth- the word of God.

(For many bare false witness against Him, but their witness agreed not together.)

v.56, 7. Any witness against the truth will not withstand a constant measure.

   59 (but their witness agreed not together.) (But neither so did their witness agree together.)

v.57, 8. Ungodly men cannot understand truth and take the message they hear out of context.

  58 (And there arose certain, and bare false witness against Him, saying,) (We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.)

v.60 9. Truth does not have to defend itself to be truth.

(And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?)

v.60 10. The challenge of untruth will sooner or later be exposed as a lie. Truth shall endure forever.

(what is it which these witness against thee?)

Is. 40: 8

v.53 1. The message of the word (truth) will be challenged by men assembled in high places.

(And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.)

Religion will always challenge biblical Christianity.

v.54 2. Men of the word by their association with and submission to truth will likewise be challenged and their faith threatened.

(And Peter followed Him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest, and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.)

v.55 3. Ungodly men seek to bring an accusation of untruth against the truth.

(And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put Him to death; and found none.)

The fight comes from the ungodly, usually the unsaved.

Thus false accusation is an easy step for them.

v.55 4. Ungodly men sought to bring accusation of untruth against the author of the word.

(against Jesus)

v.55 5. Ungodly men desire and intend to destroy  truth.

(to put Him to death;)

This is satan’s intention. Thus, he fights to keep truth from coming to pass.

v.56 6. Ungodly men can only bear false accusation against truth- the word of God.

(For many bare false witness against Him, but their witness agreed not together.)

v.56, 7. Any witness against the truth will not withstand a constant measure.

   59 (but their witness agreed not together.) (But neither so did their witness agree together.)

v.57, 8. Ungodly men cannot understand truth and take the message they hear out of context.

  58 (And there arose certain, and bare false witness against Him, saying,) (We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.)

v.60 9. Truth does not have to defend itself to be truth.

(And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?)

v.60 10. The challenge of untruth will sooner or later be exposed as a lie. Truth shall endure forever.

(what is it which these witness against thee?)

Is. 40: 8

Works of Prayer Acts 12: 3-16

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Evidences in prayer:

v.3-5 1. Prayer is used to stop the advancement of evil.

(And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter

also. …) (And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, …)

v.3-5 2. Prayer believes in the importance of God’s work.

The church was important to God and in God’s plan.

Peter was used of God and was important as well in God’s plan.

The people of God recognized the importance of God’s work being sustained by

God.

The word of God was not in danger, but they were to give the support of their

faith.

v.6 3. In prayer one believes God is greater than any and every limiting circumstance.

(And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was 

sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before

the door kept the prison)

The one praying does not know how God will work, but is to believe that He will

work.

 

v.6- 4. Prayer counts God faithful even when His hand is not presently observable.

  10 (and the keepers before the door kept the prison) …

The church had no idea what was going on.

In prayer , realize there is a battle going on.

v.8- 5. Prayer is to be understood as just a means of cooperation with God; the power

                of deliverance is truly with God alone!

(And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he

did. …)

Prayer is no so much what the believer does, but what God does.

Believe in the superiority of God’s power and might.  Here God sends an angel.

v.12 6. There is a fellowship with God that occurs in prayer; it is sustained to continue 

                by believing faith.

(And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the

mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together

praying.)

v.13- 7. Continuing on in prayer the saints find God faithful and fit into God’s plan, 

16 strengthened for the next faith venture.

   …(But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.)

Their testimony and assurance is increased. They are strengthened in the battle.

They are more convinced of the importance of the work of God through His 

church.

In God's Hands Psalms 17: 2-4

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v.2 1. God gives forth His will.

(Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let)

v.2 2. God rewards equality with His word.

(let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.)

v.3 3. God proves the heart.

(Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast)

v.3 4. God looks at the depth of our commitment before Him.

(thou hast visited me in the night; thou )

v.3 5. God allows trials to test us.

(thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing: I)

v.3 6. God measures integrity and honor.

(I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.)

v.4 7. God looks for the fruit of His word.

(Concerning the words of men, by the word of thy lips …)

The Impact of Ceaseless Praying Acts 12: 5

click to Read the passage: Acts 12  (a new browser window will open)

(Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of 

the church unto God for him.)

1. It has believing faith.

2. It occupies a position first before God, then before the obstacle.

3. It has God given life, energy.

Life equivalent to the need; time.

Prayer and faith must be committed for God’s season.

Note- life of Joseph in old testament and God’s sovereignty in his conditions.

4. It has God produced conviction.

Rely upon God’s part of faithfulness.

Don’t set false expectations of time.

5. It has God honoring compulsion.

6. It does not give out before the solution.

7. It gains God’s release.

C

The Kind of Heart God Desires Psalms 51: 17

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(The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:  a broken and a contrite heart, O God,

thou wilt not despise.)

Transformation of the heart.

1. A heart transformed and kept (the action of keeping) for Godly gain.

Hearts claimed by God’s spirit.

The way to keep from sinning is to never start.

The way to be pure is to have no impurity.

i.e.    flee lust, not conquer lust.

We are trying to conquer problems we should have fled from.

2. A heart that is unsatisfied with anything less than the truth of scripture.

The issue always is what God says.

Get direction from God’s word.  Anything less will produce wrong conduct.

3. A heart that is unsatisfied with unconformed portions of the believer’s life to

Christ.

2 Corinthians 3: 18

4. A heart that willingly seeks to have those nonconforming areas identified and

exposed.

Test- Does it bother  me for nonconforming areas to be identified?

If so, I’m not as pliable as God wants.

A closed ear will not permit the hearing of God’s reproof, thus, that life is not 

corrected.

It is necessary to hear the reproof for the correction to take place.

5. A heart that allows the same spirit who reveals nonconformity to reveal Christ’s

conformity--yielded to Jesus.

Allows the same spirit that exposes our sin to reveal Christ to us.    

Continually committed.

It is not enough to know you don’t conform, you need to know how to conform.

6. A heart that finds its approval in the spirit; it doesn’t look to the flesh for

                approval; the avenue of seeing, hearing, (the physical senses) are cut off.

Approval is gained from the spirit of the Lord.

The believer’s spirit is the initiator of his response, not his flesh.

7. A heart continually focused on the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ.

His example in living, giving, teaching, loving, forgiving, understanding, 

                patience, 

generosity, ….

Learn His example.

Where do we direct out ministry? What kind of heart are we going to show God 

ourselves?

A person asks how can I live such a life.?

Answer-   Only through the power and strength of Christ.