Abide in Prayer
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Scripture: Jn 15:7
Abide 06 – Abide in Prayer – Jn 15:7
We’re in our 6th msg IN THE “ABIDE” series – so I’d encourage you to
get the other 5 msg’s from Word-By-Mail – they’re all FREE
& for those of you that have been inching thru this series with me
since the first of the year . . . THANK YOU for your patience
We are FINALLY, today – at the long awaited,
& much anticipated – - BIG HOW !!
It’s like the build up to the season finale of your favorite TV show
they promote it & promote it, & milk it a little . . .
in order to make sure you WATCH it
& I’ve been kinda doing the same thing in this series
We’ve been building up to the BIG HOW
to try to make it STICK
to give us all a better chance of actually APPLYING
these critical truths to our lives
so that we can Really LIVE
in a TRUE ABIDING Relationship with Jesus Christ
Because IN that ABIDING Relationship with Jesus
we CAN BE victorious thru ANY circumstance
or ANY situation this world can throw at us
& IN that ABIDING relationship with Jesus
we can TRIULY be used by Him for the eternal good
of those around us - - Amen ?
So we’re going to look at THREE areas of Abiding
over the next THREE weeks
That’s NOT to say there’s ONLY THREE
but we’ll look at Three CRITICAL areas
Here they are;
Abiding in PRAYER
Abiding in the WORD
Abiding in FELLOWSHIP
& if we will really grasp HOW to Abide in Christ
in these THREE areas
we’ll be well on our way to Abiding in Christ
in EVERY area of our lives – OK?
Let’s Pray
This is a PRACTICAL Msg – I’m going to give you
some info to WRITE DOWN – so get out a pen
It’s been 5 Msgs spread over 3 months to get us to this point
so it’s probably a good idea to REVIEW our Main Text in Jn Ch 15
The full text is Jn 15:1-11 (please meditate on it often)
But for now - Let’s just Review Vs’s 4-8
to get us back on the “Abiding” Track
John 15:4-8 (ESV)
4 Abide in me, and I in you . . .
Formal Definition – continuing in a permanent state
Definition as Used here - a continuous Living in Union with Christ
being continually, vitally, united to Christ
(cont v.4) . . . As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
Fruit is the natural expression of LIFE
& in order for you to see the Life of Christ
coming thru YOUR Life – you MUST be ABIDING in Him
That NEW LIFE – is HIS LIFE flowing thru you
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Jesus is the VINE – the Life-Source – We are the BRANCHES
If we’re ABIDING
then we’re seeing the Life of Christ flowing thru our life
If we are NOT ABIDING
we’re NOT seeing, the Life of Christ flowing thru our life
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
This vs is NOT about losing your salvation
It’s about our USE-LESS-NESS if we are not Abiding in Christ
& then (v.7) is our key vs for today – It’s Regarding Prayer
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
If we are ABIDING in Christ - & if His Words are ABIDING in us
then we will ASK according to His will - & it will be done
Now – obviously – we have to address the statement
“Whatever you wish” - & we will – at the end
But for now – do you see a VERY Powerful BENEFIT
of Abiding in Prayer ?? (I hope so)
& then finally – we have the Ultimate Purpose of our Abiding ??
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
Our ultimate purpose is to Glorify God - & we do that by;
Bearing Much Fruit –
which proves (shows) that we are His Disciples
which proves (shows) that we are His Disciples
& ALL of THAT is accomplished – simply by ABIDING IN CHRIST . . .
Oh (you may say) – that sounds SIMPLE
But we KNOW – it’s Not THAT EASY !!
Which is WHY our focus for the Next THREE WEEKS
is HOW do we get ourselves into that place of ABIDING in Christ
Each of these 3 Topics (Prayer, Word, Fellowship) could be a
Multi-Week Series - studying dozens of scriptures on each
But the focus of these 3 Msg’s - is THE BIG HOW
so these are (prayerfully) going to be Very PRACTICAL msgs
& we’ll start today – with ABIDING in PRAYER
If I were to ask pretty much any Christian – “Is it Important to Pray?”
I would probably get the same answer – “Of Course it is”
But if I were able to get an honest answer from most Christians
about HOW MUCH TIME we actually spend praying
The answer would NOT BE so AUTOMATIC – or EASY to come by
Because MOST of us have DIFFICULTY in both
FINDING the time to Pray - & KNOWING HOW to Pray
So let’s start first – with a foundational understanding:
It is absolutely, vitally, critically important
that Christians be PRAYING
Martin Lloyd-Jones –1 of the Greatest Preachers of the 20th Century
(in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount):
(in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount):
Martyn Lloyd-Jones:
Prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul. Man is at his greatest and highest when upon his knees he comes face to face with God . . . It is the highest activity of the human soul, and therefore it is at the same time the ultimate test of a man’s true spiritual condition. There is nothing that tells the truth about us as Christian people so much as our prayer life.
Prayer is the Highest Activity of the human soul
AND is the Ultimate Test of a man’s TRUE spiritual condition
Those are two Potentially RATTLING statements – Aren’t they?
Especially if they come on the heels of US saying:
Well, I just can’t find the time to pray – or,
I’m just not Big on Prayer
John MacArthur, Alone with God:
For Christians prayer is like breathing . . . As believers we have all entered the divine atmosphere to breathe the air of prayer. Only then can we survive in the darkness of the world. Unfortunately many believers hold their spiritual breaths for long periods, thinking brief moments with God are sufficient to allow them to survive . . . The fact is, every believer must be continually in the presence of God, constantly breathing in His truths to be fully functional.
YIKES – Now we’re in trouble
Now our excuse that we don’t have TIME or INTEREST to pray,
is like saying :
“You know, I just can’t find the time – to BREATHE”, or
“You know, I’m just not that in to BREATHING”
WHY is it SO IMPORTANT that we learn how to PRAY ??
The SAME REASON it’s Important that we learn how to BREATHE
Prayer is the DIVINE ATMOSPHERE
in which a Christian BREATHES !! (that’s how important it is)
About 180 times in the NT - PRAYER is addressed in some way
We could Easily teach on prayer for a year straight,
& never run out of Bible texts
But this msg - is focused on the BIG HOW
HOW can we BEGIN – to Abide in Prayer
& so - to learn more ABOUT Prayer (& you should)
Let me suggest a few great books
HOW TO PRAY – R. A. Torrey
ALONE WITH GOD – John MacArthur
THE GREAT HOUSE OF GOD – Max Lucado
These are ALL great books
How to Pray – written in 1900 - & a classic
Alone with God – digs deep into the Biblical texts
The Great House of God – easy & fun to read (great story teller)
PLEASE – seriously consider reading about
YOUR “Spiritual Life-or-Death” NEED for PRAYER
It’s easiest if you go - AMAZON.COM – CHRISTIANBOOK.COM
some we carry - but if we don’t have a book
it’s faster, & costs the exact same
for you to go online & have it sent right to you
It really is a matter of Spiritual Life-or-Death that we learn to PRAY
& all I can do in One Msg – is point you in the right direction
We each have to do the homework ourselves
So please - take the time - & put in the effort
You know - Jesus would not spend one minute
outside His Abiding Relationship with the Father
& Again & Again Jesus would withdraw to a solitary place
to commune with His Father – to gather strength and direction
& we MUST maintain that same type
of constant communion - & constant contact - with Jesus
THAT is what Abiding in Christ - MEANS !
& the 1st way we remain in constant communion
& constant contact with Christ - is thru PRAYER
which is the same way Jesus did it - with The Father
There are a thousand things in this life
that KEEP US from a Constant Communion with Christ
A thousand reasons WHY we just can’t get around to it
& a Thousand applauses from the enemy
when we convince ourselves of that
Hell should be sending out THANK YOU CARDS
to All Christians who REFUSE to Pray
Because ONLY THRU Prayer
is the Victory over our spiritual enemy won – ONLY thru Prayer
& by NOT PRAYING – we are handing our Enemy
Victory, after Victory – in our lives
There is SO MUCH that can be taught
about the Spiritual Life-&-Death Need – for Prayer
But for today – we HAVE to get to the BIG HOW
because that’s what I promised
Abiding in Prayer means Constant Contact with Jesus
It’s remaining in the flow of His Life Source
& so – we’re going to look at THREE STEPS to
REMAIN in the Flow of His Life-Source
We could easily do THIRTEEN
But for today – Let’s just do THREE
STEP # 1 - RE-ARRANGE our Life to ensure
we are in Constant Communion with God
if we Desire - to ENTER or REMAIN in the Life Source of Christ
we will have to RE-Arrange our life to do it
John MacArthur said PRAYER to a Christian – is like BREATHING
Would you be willing to Re-Arrange your life . . .
IN ORDER TO BREATHE ??
Then Spiritually – we must Re-Arrange our Lives . . .
IN ORDER TO PRAY !!
STEP # 1 - RE-ARRANGE our Life to ensure
we are in Constant Communion with God (like breathing)
Abiding in Prayer is - Continuing in a permanent state of Communion with Jesus
And NO-ONE in this life AUTOMATICALLY Has TIME to do this
The ONLY way we’re going to do this – is to MAKE TIME
by Arranging, or Re-Arranging, our Life – in order to Breathe
STEP # 1 - RE-ARRANGE our Life to ensure
we are in Constant Communion with God
STEP # 2 – ALIGN our Prayer
with God’s WORD & God’s SPIRIT
This is a TUFF step - We don’t like this
In fact - - we steadfastly AVOID this - - - WHY ?
Because GOD’S Word & GOD’S Spirit
MIGHT CONFLICT with OUR Will, and OUR spirit
Actually – allow me to re-state that (for most of the time)
GOD’S Word - & GOD’S Spirit – most of the time
WILL CONFLICT with OUR Will, and OUR spirit
So – in order for us to ABIDE (be united) with CHRIST, in our Prayers
SOMEONE has to be Re-Aligned (either God or us)
Either GOD has to Re-Align HIS Will – to OURS
Or WE have to Re-Align OUR Will – to HIS
MOST of our Frustration in Prayer occurs RIGHT HERE
We have GOT to learn how to Pray ACCORDING to God’s Word,
& IN LINE with God’s Spirit
So Let’s look at the easiest way to do this
Many of you have seen me teach this – but please bear with me
this is such an important concept – we can’t learn it enough
In your bulletin is a white paper
On one side it says Daily Light (by Bagster/Lotz)
Get that out for me
If you’re listening to this later & don’t have this paper . . .
Please get yourself a copy of “Daily Light” by Bagster/Lotz,
and “Life Changing Moments with God” by David Jeremiah
& as you listen here - you’ll get the idea
REVIEW VS’S AND PRAY thru VS’S – EXPLAINING FOR WBM
Daily Light Scripture on top
Those Scrips turned into Prayer on bottom
& my Personal Prayers added to that
Guys – we MUST learn how to Align our Will with God’s
ONLY THEN are we Promised to Receive what we pray for
& there is NO BETTER WAY to Align our Will with God’s
Than praying God’s OWN WORD into our lives
We MUST figure out how to Pray
ACCORDING TO - & IN ALIGNMENT WITH - God’s Word
I’ve actually given you TWO EXAMPLES of HOW to do this
The 2nd Example is on the other side of your insert
& for the WBM family – this EXAMPLE is coming from a book
called “Face-To-Face, Praying the Scriptures” – By Ken Boa
Which is another book I highly recommend
This book is a Scripture Prayer GUIDE – designed to
guide your prayer according to the Scripture on that Topic
We’re actually looking here at the opening page
of PART ONE of this book
To give you an idea how this works – Look down at # 8 (bottom)
The Scrips used here are PROV 3:5-6 & ROM 8:28
Just TWO Scriptures here – but this could easily be
your entire Prayer time for one day (week, month, year)
PRAY THRU # 8 – EXPLAINING Vs’s FOR WBM
Does that give you an idea of what it means
to Pray According to the Scripture?
OK – Now I also said in this step
that we must Pray According to God’s Spirit
Again – I could do a 6 week series on this truth alone
But for today allow me to point out just one thing
When you SEE a Scripture – Like we just read (Prov 3:5-6)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding”
What I mean by “Praying According to God’s Spirit” (here) is:
We Must ALLOW God’s Word to PEIRCE OUR HEARTS
& then we Must BE HONEST in our Response to God - in Prayer
For Example – Let’s say we’re NOT Trusting the Lord w/ all our Heart
& we ARE leaning on our own understanding
Then our prayer – in Response to these Vs’s would be . . .
EXAMPLE PRAYER
What I mean (here) – By Praying According to God’s Spirit is
ALLOWING the Holy Spirit to CONVICT us
as we slowly and careful Read God’s Word
In fact – ASKING the Holy Spirit to CONVICT US
to ARREST US - - as we’re reading God’s Word
& Then, When He does – AGREE with Him – CONFESS our sin
Be HONEST – REPENT
& Change our LIFE - or our THINKING – Accordingly
Does that makes sense ??
This is also what puts us in the place where the Promise of Jn 15:7
can come to pass in our lives
Jn 15:7 (our key Vs today) says
7 IF you abide in me, and [IF] my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
This is a CONDITIONAL Promise
IF we are ABIDING in Him (in Unity with Him)
& IF His words are ABIDING in us (in Unity with your prayer)
THEN – what you ask for will be in Accordance with His Will
AND – it will be done for you
Just like – John 14:14 says
14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
IN MY NAME means
According to the Full Nature & Character of Christ
1 John 5:14–15 (ESV)
14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
ALL we have to do is learn to ASK
in Accordance with God’s WORD, (used Correctly & in Context)
& Praying God’s Word – WILL BE IN God’s WILL
& IN the Character & Nature of Christ . . .
& we will have what we ask !!
The HARD PART – is Asking CORRECTLY
STEP # 2 – Align our Prayer
with God’s Word & God’s Spirit
There is SO MUCH MORE I could say - - BUT . . .
STEP # 3 – Pray without CEASING
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (ESV)
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Praying without Ceasing can be described as
“maintaining continuous communion with God”
It is A Constant Attitude of Communion with Christ
- It is ABIDING in an ongoing attitude of Prayer
BREEZY Described how She does this
in the Msg She did at the Women’s Retreat last month
When we are ABIDING in Christ
When we are in CONSTANT COMMUNION with Him . . .
there is a Constant FLOW of communication between us
We are interacting all day long
as the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and in us (Rom. 8:26–27)
Weirsbe says – It’s “keeping the receiver off the hook”
so that we’re ALWAYS in touch with God
This doesn’t take the place of Dedicated, Focused, Earnest,
Prayer & Supplication
It is an on-going “open communication” with God
by the Holy Spirit living in us
It’s being open to Hearing from Him - & Addressing Him
at ANY moment – regarding ANY circumstance before us
It’s ABIDING in a Constant Communication with God
Romans 12:12 (ESV)
12 . . . be constant in prayer.
Colossians 4:2 (ESV)
2 Continue steadfastly in prayer . . .
Ephesians 6:18 (ESV)
18 praying at all times in the Spirit . . .
To ABIDE in Prayer – we must:
1) Develop Dedicated, Focused Times of Prayer
2) Learn to be in CONSTANT COMMUNION with God
STEP # 3 – Pray without CEASING
So – Here are the steps – as we’ve had time to address them today
STEP # 1 - RE-ARRANGE our Life to ensure
we are in Constant Communion with God
STEP # 2 – ALIGN our Prayer
with God’s WORD & God’s SPIRIT
STEP # 3 – PRAY without CEASING,
Abiding in Prayer is something that we GROW INTO
It takes Effort
It takes Discipline
It takes Sacrificing your SELF Will
And it is the most wonderful Way to Live Every Day
In Constant Communion with the Lord . . .
Interacting with Him,
Rolling Burdens over to Him,
Listening for Him to speak to you,
Responding to Him, &
Allowing your life to be transformed by Him
ALL by simply ABIDING in PRAYER
Let’s Pray