"PRAYER"
The Privilege Of Prayer
INTRODUCTION
- In "The Power Of Prayer" we saw where prayer can provide...
- Forgiveness from God
- Peace from God
- Strength from God
- Wisdom from God
- Boldness from God
- Opportunity from God
- Healing from God
- Tranquility from God
- Yet "The Privilege Of Prayer" is not available to all who pray; for
some...
- Their prayers will be an abomination to God
- Their prayers will fall on deaf ears
- Their prayers will be hindered
- Their prayers will not be answered favorably
[We might be praying people, even pray fervently; but do we have the
right to pray, to expect God to heed us when we pray? Take note...]
- FOR WHOM PRAYER IS NOT A PRIVILEGE
- THOSE WHO WILL NOT HEED GOD'S WORD...
- Those who turn their ears from the law, their prayers are anf
abomination - Pro 28:9
- Such is the case of those who will not endure sound doctrine
- cf. 2 Ti 4:3-4
-- If we will not listen to God, why should He listen to us?
- THOSE WHOSE SINS SEPARATE THEM FROM GOD...
- Sins can separate one from God so He will not hear - Isa 59:1-2
- Such is the condition of those who will not seek God's
forgiveness - Ro 6:23
-- If we reject God's forgiveness of sins, can we expect Him to
listen to us?
- THOSE WHO FAIL TO TREAT OTHERS JUSTLY...
- Who fail to consider the poor - Psa 41:1-3
- Who fail to treat their wives as they should - Mal 2:13-14;
1 Pe 3:7
- Who fail to make things right with those they have offended
- Mt 5:23-24
- Who fail to forgive those who sinned against them - Mt 18:21-35
-- If we will not treat others justly, how can we hope to receive
God's mercy?
- THOSE WHO PRAY WITHOUT FAITH...
- Without faith it is impossible to please God - He 11:6
- Asking with doubt in our hearts ensures failure - Jm 1:5-8
-- If we doubt God's existence and ability to provide, why should
God answer us?
[Thus "The Privilege Of Prayer" is not extended to everyone. It is a
blessing graciously bestowed on those whose hearts are in a proper
condition. Consider, then...]
- FOR WHOM PRAYER IS A PRIVILEGE
- THE SINNER SEEKING TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS...
- This we learn from the example of Cornelius
- He was a good man, but still in need of salvation - Ac 10:1-2; cf. Ac 11:14
- His prayers and alms had been noticed by God - Ac 10:4,31
- Thus God saw to it that he had an opportunity to hear the
words whereby he could be saved (i.e., the gospel of Christ)
- Ac 11:14
- Note well: he was not saved by praying per se!
- He needed to hear "words" by which he would saved - Ac 11:14
- I.e. the gospel of Christ, which is God's power to salvation
- Ro 1:16
- Just as Saul of Tarsus was still in his sins, despite
praying - cf. Ac 9:11; 22:16
- Yet God heard the prayer of a sinner like Cornelius
- Who was hungering and thirsting for righteousness - cf. Mt
5:6
- Who was asking, seeking, knocking - cf. Mt 7:7-8
- Providing an opportunity to one day hear and obey the gospel
of Christ
-- For a sinner seeking truth and righteousness, such prayers will
be heard!
- THE CHRISTIAN WITH JESUS AS THEIR HIGH PRIEST...
- Jesus has become our High Priest
- He is now a merciful and faithful high priest, able to aid
His brethren - He 2:17-18
- Making it possible to approach God's throne boldly - He 4:14-16
- Able to save to the uttermost, since He ever lives to
intercede - He 7:25
- Jesus has now become our Advocate and Mediator
- Our advocate with the Father - 1 Jn 2:1
- The one mediator between God and man - 1 Ti 2:5
- Who makes intercession for us at the right hand of God - Ro
8:34
-- Such is the blessing of those who have put on Christ in baptism
and become children of God through faith (cf. Ga 3:26-27)
CONCLUSION
- The ears of the Lord are open to the prayer of the righteous...
- 1 Pe 3:12
- We must submit to the righteousness of God offering in Christ
- cf. Ro 10:1-4
- I.e., we must respond to the gospel of Christ - cf. Ro 1:16-17
- If we desire "The Privilege Of Prayer", then we must be either...
- A faithful child of God through obedience to Jesus Christ
- An sinner with a good and noble heart, seeking after truth and
righteousness
The sinner hungering and thirsting for righteousness will be filled; how
much more the child of God when he or she experiences "The Privilege Of
Prayer" in all its fulness...!