Parkland First Baptist Church
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Ephesians 2.8-9CSB
2 Kings 12CSB
2 Chronicles 24CSB
Psalm 50CSB
Matthew 9CSB
Matthew 10CSB
Matthew 11CSB
2 Kings 13–14CSB
2 Chronicles 25CSB
Psalm 53CSB
Matthew 12CSB
Amos 1–3CSB
Matthew 13CSB
- Lord Reign In Me
- Only By Grace
- Victory In Jesus
- 4 Attitudes To Have In Receiving Answers To PrayLast in the series on "Pray Can Change Your Life"Looked atPurposes of Prayer5 Attitudes for Answered PrayerHow To Pray for Your ProblemsToday our topic is How To Receive Answers From GodLuke 1:5-23You Must Be Willing To Let God Answer In His Own TimeGod often delays answerWhy?V. 18 Zechariah asked "How can I be sure?"He had stopped praying years before. The angel said your prayer will be answeredV. 13 God heard your prayers. Heard= Already happenedGod answered immediately, delayed sending the giftLike kids, big difference between "No and Not Yet"Mark of maturity - How long can you wait?Lost faith, no patienceWhy delay? To prepare us, get us readyWe need to grow up.Frustration we think we're ready before God says we're readyHe wants to change your attitude before giving.Start with changing me instead of the situationGod is never late, His timing is perfectGod's delay is not God's denialWhat do I do? Keep praying untilGet answerGet assurance your going to get answerGod reveals it is not His willYou Must Be Willing To Let God Answer In His Own Way.Not only in His time, but also in His own wayHis ways are usually bigger and betterWhat would have happened if He had answered Zechariah and Elizabeth's prayer?Ordinary babyDelayed and got John the BaptistThe forerunner of JesusProblem with PrayerWe ask too littleWant it too quickWe aim too lowEph. 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.”Praying for 75 members by year 2025If receive all at once we'd be overwhelmedGet like the way God gave His people the land - a little at a timeJohn D. Rockefeller, "I won't give a man a million dollars at once because it would overwhelm him."God says, "Let me answer in my time and my way"Praying for a job, don't worry God has itPraying for finance success, don't worry God has itSometimes best not to get what you pray forProdigal sonGot inheritance and it ruined himWe Must Be Willing To Let God Answer In His Own PowerLet God do it without your help - its a miracleTruth in this story is God often waits until its humanly impossible to actHe gave Zechariah and Elizabeth a baby after the child-bearing ageWho gets the glory - God doesSame with Abraham and SarahAbraham helps God out with HagarGod says not the right wayAngel came and said you will have a babyIn Romans 4:20 (KJV) it says Abraham "staggered not" or did not waver in unbeliefTold Sarah - she laughed - didn't believeGot a childGod waited so it would be an out right miracleWhen you pray don't be surprised if it gets worse before it gets betterMarriage - spouse more hatefulFinances - worseMartha and Mary - LazarusLazarus was sickAsked Jesus to comeHe intentionally delayed for 3 daysThen he wentLazarus was deadMartha and Mary asked where have you been?Just believe and see glory of GodLazarus come out that's a rhemaAnother time was when Jairus’ daughter was sickJairus comes and gets JesusOn the way, woman who had been bleeding for 12 years touches JesusHe stopsImagine Jairus' feelingsGoes on and servants say she's already deadJesus said don't worry keep on believingRaises girlWhile you are waiting keep eyes open to see confirmation of God's power in other people's livesYou Must Be Willing To Let God Answer For His Own PurposeFor whatever reason He choosesWhy does God answer prayers? For our growth and for His gloryWhy did He answer Zechariah and Elizabeth? He needed a John the BaptistJoseph, dreamed of being ruler, slave, prison, the 2nd in command in EgyptLook at Paul - a great example of letting God answer his prayer according to His timing, His way, His power, and for His purposeLook at Romans 1:7, “To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 10, “always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.” 15, “So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”Paul's desire was to preach in RomeRomans 15:20, 24, “My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation.” “Whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while.”Did God answer Paul's prayer? YesActs 28:16, “ When he got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.”He was under house arrestHe went to Rome as a prisoner on his way he was shipwrecked, chained up, in the winter, bit by snake, not the best way to go to RomePoint - Paul made it to Rome in God's wayHow did he get there?Through Felix, Agrippa, Caesar, God works through some unlikely peopleGod's own timing - Paul may have packed his bags many times, God is never in a hurryGod's own purpose - Why did Paul want to go?To preachGod wanted him to go to write a bunch of lettersThey became the NTPaul's desire was to impact the worldHe thought the only way to do that was to preach in RomeInstead God wanted him to write the BibleWhich had the greater impact?How Do I Apply This?When you prayIf the request was not right God will say NoIf you are not right God will say GrowIf the timing isn't right God will say SlowWhen all is in place God will say GoPrayerAre you willing to let God answerIn His own wayIn His timeIn His powerFor His own purposeWhy are you praying for what you are praying for?Health - What are you going to do with your bodyFinances - What are you going to do with the moneyWill God get any glory out of it?Lord, Help me to know you better, realize how much you love me. Show me Your plan for my life and help me to cooperate with it. Jesus Christ come into my life and make me a Christian, a new person. I want to know you. Make Yourself real to me. I want to believe in you. I do. Thank you for loving me, for dying for me, and help me understand it.
Parkland First Baptist Church
253-531-0121
22 members • 1 follower