[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Next ]

GOD ANSWERS PRAYER

G15aPV07

I Kings 18:20-39;Matt 7:7-8

When things seem impossible, where do we turn? When Elijah faced the seeming impossible. He prayed and God answered. God still answers prayer.

Peter Kreeft, Prof of Philos. at Boston College said, “I strongly suspect that if we saw all the difference even the tiniest of our prayers make, and all the people those little prayers were destined to affect, and all the consequences of those prayers down through the centuries, we would be so paralyzed with awe at the power of prayer that we would be unable to get up off our knees for the rest of our lives.”

In 1946, Joe and May Lemke of Milwaukee were Christians in their late 50’s when they adopted a blind, severely retarded, baby boy who they named Leslie. In spite of everyone telling them the child should be institutionalized, they refused. Through May’s determination, faith and love they never allowed him, or themselves, to give up hope that something, would change Leslie’s life. This true story was told in an Emmy award winning TV movie. In this clip we witness the first day when the baby came to the Lemke home. (Beginning of film: The Woman Who Willed a Miracle – immediately after opening credits when taxi is in drive – end approximately 3:58 “You sure you can handle it?”)

Over the next five weeks we encourage you to take a step of spiritual growth by searching for evidence of God in the everyday. Our intent is to help you develop a new spiritual discipline and move you forward toward intimacy with God. We will highlight 5 different ways you can search for God’s hand at work in your life. They are:

Obvious answer to prayer.
Unexpected evidence of His care.
Unusual linkage or timing.
A “discovery” of a scriptural insight that meets an immediate need.
Help to do God’s work in the world.

Jesus encouraged us to seek first the kingdom of God and all the other things would be provided. He also gave a plan for effective praying in Matthew 7:7-8.

Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. Matthew 7:7-8 NLT

I. Follow Jesus’ THREE POINT prayer PLAN

A. Ask - Say out loud the intention of your heart.

1. Talk to God. You might doubt if there even is a God. Then speak in case He’s there. If He’s not there, no harm will come. If He is, He might answer you.

· Talk to God and tell him that you’re looking for him. “Dear God, I’m not sure you are there; but if you are, I am going to seek you now.”

2. Talk to others. When you speak to others, you are becoming accountable.

That’s why Weight Watcher works. It is founded on the premise that when you witness to someone else, you are held accountable in the pursuit of a goal.

3. Talk to yourself.

· Sometimes you have negative self-talk, “I can’t lose weight. I’ll never be able to make my marriage work. I’ll never be able to get my kid’s in line. I’ll never be able to get my finances in order. – etc.

· God’s in the can-do business. Say, “I’m searching for God. I am doing all that I know to do to seek his face.”

B. Seek – focus your search.

1. Focus the things that are the stimuli in your life in a way so that God can reveal himself to you.

· Watch for answers. Be willing to receive whatever it is He has to show you.

· Do you believe that God is actually going to answer your prayer? Expect an answer! God said he may be found.

C. Knock - Put feet on your quest.

1. Be proactive. Identify steps you might take that will make it more likely that God might reach into your life and show Himself.

A man in our church, along with many others in the community, lost his job when a local plant closed. He had worked there over 20 years. I spoke with him at the time and he said he was confident that, with God’s help, he would find a job. A week later I saw his wife while at the Dentists. She was excited to tell me her husband had a job. I knew that he had two possibilities and one of them came through. I spoke with him at the door the following Sunday and he said he had prayed to God and God answered. In fact he showed me the prayer he had written down and put in his Bible. I asked his permission to share it with you. “I am losing my job. Please help me find another job. Direct me in the way you want me to go. Have mercy on me oh Lord.” He put in applications and God answered. He said this was not the first time God had answered His prayer in a time of need.

2. Dive into God’s Word. Never underestimate the power of the Scriptures to speak directly to your life.

3. Turn from wrongdoing. If there’s something in your heart that’s not right, if you’re doing something now, if you’re dabbling in sin, let it go.

4. Then stand at the door and knock. Stand at the place where you think God might be active. Maybe its here at PV and you see His hand. Is He calling you to step out to be involved in what He is doing?

II. look for answered prayer

A. Look for evidence in your daily life.

I enjoy a good cop show. I remember Dragnet and enjoyed Rockford Files. When The District was on CBS I tried hard not to miss it. Other TV cop shows have focused on technical areas. CSI, Crime Scene Investigators, is just one. I know that police officers, after a crime, will dust for fingerprints. They are looking for evidence.

1. Do you know that God’s hand is on the lives of his children every day? We need to “dust for fingerprints.” Learn to look for evidence of God’s hand in the everyday.

2. Choosing to recognize God’s work in our lives is the focus of the next 5 weeks.

3. God loves it when his children come to him in prayer.

B. Learn from Elijah. James 5:16-18a

Confess our sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and a half years! Then he prayed for rain, and down it poured… James 5:16-18a NLT

1. James reminds us Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed, God answered. The implication is that when we pray, God answers. What does Elijah teach us?

2. To receive answers to prayer, we must be people of prayer. If we’re not praying, we won’t see God’s answers to prayer!

3. We must realize that God specializes in answering prayer. If God had a business card, it might say, “Specialist in Answering Prayer!”

4. Nothing is too difficult for God. That doesn’t mean He’ll send down fire, or necessarily provide that income, or heal—but He could.

5. That’s why it’s important to pray, “Your will be done – not mine!”

During the 2002 sniper spree in the Washington DC area, Ron Lantz a soon-to-be-retired truck driver from KY was praying with 50 other truckers that God would catch the killers. The next thing Ron knew he “stumbled” onto that infamous blue car at a rest stop 50 miles north of D.C. He called 911, and then blocked the exit with his 18-wheeler and soon the police came and captured the two suspects. Isn’t that great!

6. It’s important to write down our fingerprint evidence. Somebody wrote down Elijah’s experience so we can read a true story about how God answers prayer.

· Keep a life list of discoveries of God’s hand in your life.

· Write down obvious answers to your prayers. I suggest you date the request and when an answer comes, date the answer.

Remember the baby who came to the Lemke household? For 10 years May Lemke poured her heart out to God in prayer and herself into loving and caring for Leslie. By the time he was 10 he had shown no indication he even knew the world existed. He didn’t speak, cry, or even move. He would just lay there. May and Joe did many things to help him respond, but nothing seemed to work. Then one day, while in their back yard pool, he seemed to move a hand. Soon after that a Dr. urged them to give up and send Leslie to an institution that specialized in hopeless situations. But they refused. Joe and May brought a piano and sat it in Leslie’s room. May would sit Leslie at the piano and sing and play to him, placing his hands on the keys. The following scene takes place when Leslie is 16. Up to that point he had never spoken, never got out of bed by himself, fed himself or showed any indication he realized he was in the world. (Scene begin about 30:42 when black & white TV is on - Here Leslie plays piano for 1^st time. End as scene fades out, about 33:29.)

CONCLUSION: If you seek evidence of God, you can find him. Focus on the search and you will find the evidence He is around. Prayer isn't a means of our getting what we want from God; we should think of it as a means of God getting from us what He wants, namely, glory to Himself.

I saw May and Leslie Lemke one afternoon in the early 80’s on the Phil Donahue TV show. Leslie played classical music on the piano and May took over the show. I wish I would have recorded it because Donahue was speechless as she gave praise to God for His goodness.

Anyone can pray but God promises to hear his children: Matt 7:11

If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him. Matthew 7:11 NLT

Are you one of God’s children, adopted in Christ, by grace through faith? Following one more film clip you will have an opportunity to become a child of God by your obedient faith in a crucified, risen Lord.

Play final scene where Leslie sings Amazing Grace (Begin with Leslie singing & playing off scene. Mae and friend are in kitchen – about 40:41 “Did I tell you Leslie has been asked to do a benefit?” – to fade out of scene.)

The following material is provided to assist you in application of the sermon. You may go over this individually, share it with a small group or your family.

OPEN - Share your “story” with some others.

Do you like detective shows or movies or have you read any mysteries? What is your favorite mystery?

What have you ever searched for and upon finding it were overjoyed?

DIG – Look into the Bible’s “story” to discover insights that will help your understanding.

Read Jeremiah 29:11-13. What evidence is there in these verses that God is concerned about His people’s every day experiences?
What promises are found in the above verses?
In I Kings 18:20-39, Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. Is this a battle of doctrine? Logic? Power?
What did Elijah do to clearly point out God’s superiority?
What does James say about us in regard to Elijah? (see James 5:16-18) How is his example meant as an encouragement to us?
What three things does Jesus suggest to us as a prayer plan? What is the promise to those who follow it? What is He stressing about God in these verses? ( see Matthew 7:7-11)

REFLECT – Here you apply the “story” of the scriptures to your own life; to take personal inventory and share with others what you will do about it.

What hope does Matthew 7:7-9 give you?
How would you qualify as a seeker in Jeremiah’s mind? (See Jeremiah 29:11-13). What do you think would occur if you did what is suggested here?
Have you experienced answered prayer? If so, how did you respond?
The message suggests we do three things in asking; talk to God, talk to others and talk to yourself. Which one seems the most difficult for you? Why do you think that is?
Would you agree with the following statement? “God helps those who help themselves.” Why did you answer the way you did? How does your answer fit the picture Jesus paints in the Matthew text?
What plans do you think God has in mind for you? How do you feel He is leading you to pray right now?

Special Assignment: Begin today to keep a record of your “God sightings”. Use the booklet that was made available or some journal of your own.

Additional Insight: Searching for God

Over the next five weeks you are encourage to take a step of spiritual growth by searching for evidence of God in the everyday. The intent is to help you develop a new spiritual discipline and move you forward toward intimacy with God. We will highlight five different ways we can watch for the work of God in the everyday. They are:

· Obvious answer to prayer.

· Unexpected evidence of his care.

· Unusual linkage or timing.

· A “discovery” of a scriptural insight that meets an immediate need.

· Help to do God’s work in the world.

To help you in this search you are encouraged to begin to keep a record of the ways you discover God. Notice how He works in the details of your lives. Look at the small things. God is often revealed in the still, small voice of life. At the end of each day write down one thing you noticed that day that suggests that God is at work. Every morning get up and expect an answer.

We find God intervening in our everyday world in obvious answers to prayer, but over the course of our lives, it is easy to forget that we prayed and God answered. That is why it is good to write down your requests and the answers.

There are conditions for answered prayer.

· Praying is to be in Jesus' name; John 14:13; 16:23. In other words, pray as if Jesus were praying. Our prayers should conform to His requests and concerns.

· Trust or belief; Matthew 21:22. Have confidence in His ability to meet our needs.

· Abiding in Him; John 15:7. We should confess sin and be right before God if our prayers are to be answered. Un-confessed sin blocks the way to answered prayer (Psalms 66:18; Proverbs 28:9; Isaiah 59:2)