Shane Idleman emphasizes the significance of prayer in the Christian life, presenting ten ways to prevail in prayer, including the necessity of worship, perseverance, and obedience. He encourages believers to continue praying even when they don't see immediate results, reminding them of God's unwavering presence and strength. Idleman highlights the importance of approaching God with thanksgiving and recognizing the authority believers have in Jesus Christ when they pray. He also discusses the role of fasting and the need to embrace burdens as a catalyst for deeper prayer. Ultimately, he calls for a relationship with Jesus as the foundation for effective prayer.

I'm going to talk about a very important topic this morning. The title is Ten Ways to Prevail in Prayer. Ten ways to prevail in prayer. And this morning I was reminded, I came up here and actually wrote it down. We have worship in the morning. We turn worship on around 11am. I'm sorry, 11am. That's when our service starts. 6am. Well, we turn on at 11am too. But 6am in the morning we have worship on and just loud, no lights really, and we're just worshipping God for about an hour, hour and a half till 7.30. and God reminded me this morning that this is a most this is one of the most important points and I forgot it I believe God when I say that I mean that something I was prompted to write this down but to prevail in prayer we must add worship to our daily lives we must add worship to our daily lives worship is where you clear out the junk worship is when you get the heart right it's where you repent it's when you trust God for things it's and I've noticed it sometimes it takes three or four songs or five songs until you're finally getting that heart more tender to hear from God so my encouragement is to be here try to be here at 630 in the morning on Sundays I know it's it's difficult but it's usually the flesh that is prevailing right too tired want to sleep want to eat want to get ready do my hair all those things I don't have enough time just just come you will not be disappointed I agree somebody told me this morning and I have to agree with them that that is probably the most important service of the day I feel the power of God at that service more than the other services by far because we're engaging God we're worshiping so I just want to add that 11th point that you must add worship to your day and it must be a part of your praying and worshiping choose the music you like choose the songs that will that will put you in that frame of mind I believe that God has given us worship for that reason that music does something that preaching can't do it does something that even just praying by yourself can't do there's an engagement that takes place so I'm gonna read from Isaiah 40 chapter 40 verse 27 through 31 on how to prevail in prayer I'm assuming that most of you want to prevail in prayer correct and you know what that means prevail means to win win in prayer I want to win I want God to hear my prayers and Isaiah 40 I'm gonna stop actually after a few sentence into it verse 27 why do you say Oh Jacob and speak Oh Israel my way is hidden from the Lord and my just claim is passed over from my God basically the nation of Israel God's people are saying to God why don't you hear us why is your way hidden hidden from us we don't know what your will is we don't know what your way is why aren't you hearing us and God reminds them why are you saying that my way is not hidden my silence doesn't mean that I don't hear you see God's saying I hear you just because you don't see me moving just because you don't feel things I'm moving I'm there I'm still this I'm still the same yesterday today and forever more Israel hear me I am telling you I am here still that's the item and paraphrase trying to turn to encapsulate that a little bit so the first point is this continue in prayer even when you don't see anything how many of us quit when we don't see anything how about if I add fill anything and let's just get the elephant out of the room right now the reason most of us don't pray more the reason sometimes we're not here early in the morning is because we don't feel like it we don't feel like it so we dictate how we're gonna seek God by how we feel God actually says if you seek me regardless of how you feel you will find me can you imagine that relationship I'll seek you when I feel like it try that with your marriage we're married today because I feel like it but tomorrow can't guarantee anything I don't feel like it I don't want to so you have if you want to prevail in prayer see I got this term from a book written 150 years ago they used to talk about prevailing in prayer praying through that means I'm gonna pray until God answers my prayer Lord I don't feel you I don't feel like it I don't see anything moving but God says no trust in me don't go by your feelings don't go by what you see because what I found and what you know is true the natural should not influence the spiritual the natural what's going on in the natural what I see I don't see my child coming back to the Lord so I'm gonna stop praying God says oh don't stop there don't start there that's not when you need to turn down the volume that's when you need to turn up the heat continue to pray don't you don't know what's going on in the background you don't know what's coming up later you don't know what I'm working on now regardless of what you see regardless of what you feel seek me that's genuine prayer because you're telling the flesh I don't care how you feel we're gonna seek God with all of our heart with all of our strength I'm gonna bring you flesh dragging kicking and screaming have you ever taken your kids anywhere kicking and screaming that's what you have to do to your flesh I don't want to get up I don't care we're getting up I don't want to pray I don't care we're gonna and actually I'm gonna pray longer now you can you make your flesh mad deal with it you you discipline your body if I could preach on this all day I would do that I tell Christians this you discipline your body you bring it under subjection you say no you control your body your body doesn't control you as believers no temptation has overtaken you but what is common to all of us that God has given you the way of escape that you may be able to bear it that's of a hidden jewel of the Christian faith is discipline because we're raised in a culture that says disciplines not good right humility is weak microwave Christianity microwave food everything's quick easy convenient Bible says no discipline discipline yourselves persevere fight the good fight get back up and go again things we aren't taught but Paul said I discipline my body and I bring it under subjection he's talking about beating his body black and blue that's okay to do the flesh don't hit yourself mentally you can say you know we're go I don't care and and I believe in my own life God has rewarded me more times than I can even mention when I did something when I didn't feel like it let me I'm just gonna be honest because I know you a lot of you can relate but when I saw the clock this morning at 420 I didn't even want to come to church how can you say that cuz you know but I got up even when I didn't feel like it and when we got to worship oh it was just amazing because that God says the same with you all honor that commitment the Bible has it different than the world discipline then reward we want reward and then I'll consider doing something it's a self-entitlement society that we are creating are we not you know entitlement is right I deserve the government to pay me I deserve this I deserve this I'm entitled no the very breath that you breathe is held in God's palm of his hands you are not entitled to anything I'm not God dictates those rights God gives us those freedoms freedoms from God so we have to if you want to prevail in prayer you must continue even when you don't see anything don't gauge your prayer life by your feelings alone because they go together right if I don't see anything I usually don't feel anything but if I see something I feel it because feelings are tied to that I'm getting excited Lord I see them coming around but God says even in the midst of the storm seek me and you will find me even when all hell is breaking loose seek me and you will find me even when your flesh says no the Spirit is crying Abba Father the flesh the Spirit is saying yes God I want to seek you so don't don't let your feelings control you and prevent you from a powerful time of prayer with God and then God said have you not known we can keep reading verse 28 have you not known Lord the Lord says have you not heard I mean I would love to see God saying this have you not known have you not heard which is he's saying of course you have of course you have haven't you haven't you heard haven't you known the Everlasting God check this out this is encouraging the Everlasting God meaning from time past a time beginning whatever your view is on time it doesn't matter God was there Everlasting Father the Lord the creator of the ends of the earth he neither faints nor is weary his understanding is unsearchable he's saying I don't get tired like you that's why I say you can call on him at 2 in the morning you can wake up and call on God and have a relationship with him he doesn't faint of exhaustion or become weary we do he's contrasting with the people listen you get tired you get weary don't rate me on how you act I never get weary I'm an ever-present help in time of need where does my help come from my help comes from God the maker of heaven and earth so here's the second the next point remind yourself who God is isn't that healthy remind yourself who God is because we keep reminding ourselves how bad it is in the world how bad it is in America how we all we keep Oh woe is me the people that should be the most most thankful are often the most critical well when I get inside trail but you should talk to mission people in the underground church in different countries in the underground church in China they would just laugh at us you're complaining about what what excuse me remind yourself who God is he doesn't faint of exhaustion or become weary and here here's what I remind you as well his ways are unsearchable you can't you can't understand the ways of God so here's what trust is when we trust in God we all know it but it's when we trust in God we're trusting in who he is in his nature Lord I don't see how this is gonna work out I'm a little frustrated here I don't I don't understand but I'm trusting you because your ways are unsearchable we don't know your ways we don't know what you have in store so I'm simply trusting you isn't that real trust because it's not really trust if you see how the outcome is going to transpire if you say Lord help me in this area finances but you have tons of money and you have a job it's not too hard but you lose that job and the money now trust takes on a whole new level it went from praying it and talking about it to actually experiencing it so he's saying there my ways are unsearchable so in your prayer life don't let feelings sidetracked you don't go by what you see even if that daughter is not coming back to the Lord or that son don't give up I've learned the opposite that's when I'm pushing in more that's when the enemies of darkness are going to be we're gonna wage war against them even more okay now I don't see it I don't feel it I'm turning up the volume I'm turning up the heat I'm gonna press through something else we don't talk much about pressing through prevailing prayer means continuing until God answers and there's something very rewarding when you pray and you don't Lord I don't feel like it but I'm gonna sit here I'm gonna pray and a few minutes go by in 10 minutes go by maybe and you're praying and now now it's built up because now your spirit now the flesh has been conquered now the spirit is beginning to just minister to you and you're in yours and you're praying and you don't want it to end and maybe you're listening to worship and you're being filled up with promises of God and the hope of God and the and the prevailing prayer is is is beginning to lift your spirits and you see now I can see how God can work I can see how he can answer but see you would have never got there had you went by your feelings or what you see you've got to press through that I don't know why I'm hanging out this point so much but it must be for somebody he gives power to the weak it says he gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases strength did you know that are you weak here this morning you might not like to hear this but I am I'm weak this morning I feel I feel like I needs got God's increase I need his strength it's a good spot to be because you say Lord I'm weak men don't want to say that do we it's hard to even get out week I mean do you realize how fragile life is we take so much pride in what we've accomplished in the breath I just took gift from God the heartbeat that's what three I don't know how many I don't want to say the wrong number millions and millions of times during your life your heart just beats who keeps charging that battery have you thought of your heart who keeps that going the lungs it's just amazing my mom's here I don't know she'll mind me telling the story I told once but when she had heart surgery the doctor came in it's okay we're moving forward everything's going good we stopped her heart and back up when you what yeah we stopped her heart we have a machine doing it now and so you just reconnect it back up I'm having a hard time understanding here no yeah and it works fine and okay so the heart stopped for a couple hours then they just hooked the heart back up to the air the valve they kick it and he said as soon as he undid it and that but just started pumping get on its own like that is a met you doctors don't think there's a God this is unbelievable unbelief so that's the God we're praying to the key he told Daniel to mock the King he said Daniel do you tell that King I own all his ways his breath his breath fits in the palm of my hand I own everything about him you tell that King you tell I am the great King that's who we worship so he does give power to the weak he gives might to those who need might he increases their strength here's how it works God I'm weak I need you I'm dependent good now you humbled yourself now let me give you spiritual strength to continue listen to Lauren Daigle's new song one of the lyrics I go like this she said you say that I am loved when I can't feel a thing you say that I'm strong when I think I'm weak you say that I'm held when I'm falling apart when I don't belong you say that I'm yours and then she goes on to say and I believe oh I believe what you say of me see you have to go back to the Bible where does the Bible say who you are your mom that's gonna fortunately I'm blessed but not everybody your mom that's gonna continue to you out and put you down or your dad or your relatives or your sister or your brothers is a constant nag a constant this putting down putting down putting down discouragement friends who shouldn't even be friends are discouraging and discouraging and discouraging but God says oh no look at who I say you are look at my word that's concrete that's solid I say you are a child of God I say you are more than conquers I say you're the head and not the tail oh give me a minute here I might turn into Joel's team no I won't edit that part out there but it's good to be encouraged it's good to be encouraged remember who you are what does God say of you think about that for a minute what does he say about you honestly that's beyond not your friends not your relatives not your past what does he say he's if you're if you're a child of God you're an heir you're an heir you're your experience you can have the promises of God the promises of eternity you can walk in the power and the conviction of the Holy Spirit you can you can do battle against the enemy you can you have the authority of Christ that's why we pray in Jesus's name it's not some little thing we tag on you're actually praying in the authority of Jesus Christ his merit his power I'm coming in that authority because if I come in my authority the devil's gonna say Jesus I know and Paul I know but you I don't know that's I say I have to come in Jesus's name so you better say you know me because I'm coming in his name and his authority it's okay for a hell to know your name that's because you have the authority of Christ in you hell will know your name if you're a true believer so who does God say you are so if you're lazy that's not who God says you are if you're discontent that's not got who God says you are if you're a bad spouse or father or mother that's not who God says you are but you got to get up pull up your bootstraps and say okay this is gonna take a little bit of work I love America but our blessing has become our curse because we become a lazy society push the button and my meal is ready sit down and watch this boob tube they used to call it that just did it is a brainwashing right and we just we just go through life comfortable Christianity but that's not how God designed us he designed us to go to battle actually the weapon of your warfare is prayer why doesn't he say the use lighter terms the weapon of your warfare that's no different than going to war we send people to war but we forget that we are in a battle we are in the battle for the very soul of our nation we are in the battle for the very soul of many people that we know we are in a spiritual battle we need to wake up to that fact and then he goes on to say even the young shall faint and be weary so he's contrasting he's saying I will not grow weary I will not faint even your young men who can run and run and run they'll become weary and they will utterly fall but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength so he's also contrasting you with and me waiting on God as being able to go further and do more than a youth with tons of energy you ever see kids with tons of energy it's like my lord I'm even tired watching how is this happen but you'll have more strength than that if you wait upon the Lord waiting renews and restores and rebuilds your life as you wait you begin to begin to get stronger and stronger what about Samson as he began to wait his anointing came back his strength came back it's interesting he's in this he's in he's grinding the Bible says he's grinding with oxen means he's probably pushing this thing around in a circle like an oxen would do and he's grinding this this wheat barley whatever it was just grinding and grinding and he'd shaven his hair his anointing was gone his eyes were plucked out terrible situation but he waited he waited on God he repented and he waited it's interesting because you can be in a low spot right now but if you repent and wait on God watch out because your hair will grow back not physically but the anointing right because it hasn't happened on me but it will it will it will it will grow back that anointing will come back it's interesting as Samson is waiting and waiting a young child took him by the hand he led him Bible says it led him out and he grabbed the pillars and he said Oh God remember me avenge me for my two eyes and he pushed with all his might and the entire structure came down and the Bible says that he the more the he slew more at his death than he slew in his life in other words he killed more Philistines at his death he repented that anointing came back that strength of God came back same with you same with me if you wait but we think of waiting is putting the feet up watching a good movie okay that that's not necessarily waiting waiting is praying and seeking God and getting our heart built up because you know there are there are there times that you can't talk to somebody I say just give me give me some time I need to I need to process this I need a couple days I can't I'm too emotional right now right what is waiting do composure waiting same thing spiritually okay Lord I'm and don't move if you don't know what God is saying so many people getting pickles because they open the pickle jar and they shouldn't it's funny that's not funny it was stupid not funny it didn't make sense but you know I'm saying right don't you get yourself and you can't get yourself in a pickle if you run ahead of God and he said I don't care he's not answering I'm just gonna do my own thing well watch out so waiting on God make sure that you make the right decision I've rarely I don't even know if I've got in trouble where I've said God you know what I don't know what to do I'm just gonna wait on you I don't know what to do it's usually well God's not moving quick enough let me make this happen and then he'll bless it so it's very important to wait on the Lord this is point three wait on the Lord or you could say stay as you pray stay where you're at wait on God because you can't always rush into battle here's what the flesh does the flesh is often by the way I think we're gonna have somebody transcribe these sermons now and so it all the points will be on underneath the audio version of this so you get the points and different things but we want to rush into battle the flesh usually wants to rush ahead right somebody hit you you reject somebody hit you you react so the flesh let's go rush let's go rush and this is the opposite of rushing it's waiting and you can't always rush into battle Luke 6 12 now came to pass in those days that Jesus went up onto the mountain to pray but he was in a hurry so he only stood stayed five minutes no now it came to pass in those days that he went out to the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God if Jesus needed to spend time in prayer how much more we need to spend time in prayer and I just remember this at preach I don't know if it was a year two ago now on a mountaintop experience and the title I think the message is something like you need a mountaintop experience just like Jesus you should set aside some time now and then to get away and to seek God get it that alone time with God and I believe the enemy keeps us so busy so busy doing this and that that we don't get that time that we need because that's when we renew our strength I don't know about you but if I have the Bible open for an hour or two and I'm worshiping and praying I leave built up I leave edified I leave strengthened but if I'm frazzled and don't get that time in and always going always doing what happens you start operating in the flesh you start to make decisions based on the flesh so that lead into number four as well recharge the prayer battery often recharge the prayer battery often they need it needs to be recharged I remember when I was younger I would we had lots of batteries in construction for four batteries on a diesel truck sometimes and backhoes and different things so I would have my I would get a battery off I plug it into the battery charger and I would say okay I'm waiting here come tell my dad okay five minutes ten minutes you know let's I need to put this I need this now oh no okay come back tomorrow morning what it's called a trickle charger see it's that little bit of charge it's that little bit of charge to build that all but we want quick and God says no it's the trickle charge you need you need to just sit wired to me and just let me feed into you let me let me build into you let me sustain you because what happens a lot of times something doesn't something doesn't immediately happen there's moments of God my attitude's wrong that took 30 minutes and they starts working through you need to release that bitterness you need to seek forgiveness you need to give that up you need to stop that you need to spend more to see how the prayer time is just trickling in the trickle charger the little by little he's beginning to build and change woe be to the person who's in the hurry in a hurry and I say it often but it fits perfectly here again I'd love if we could answer this question how can we give Cinemark two hours two and a half with the stupid what they call those previews trade yeah okay not all of them are stupid but a lot of them are but and we give it we just give all this time now I'm not against entertainment health entertainment it's good for us do it but how can we give these places a couple hours YouTube a couple hours news places a couple hours friendships that shouldn't be friendships because they're pulling us down we give this time but we don't give God any time so to prevail in prayer you need to recharge the battery often those who wait have more endurance than young people waiting renews strength and he often he contrasted it here also he said they shall mount up wings like eagles they shall run and not grow weary they shall walk and not faint so this time with God the eagle was the most powerful wasn't is still the most powerful bird that they could contrast so you get up those wings like eagle you begin to soar you begin to fly above your situation you'll begin to just soar where other people said how can you do that you shouldn't be able to do that but you just soar with God and you be encouraged and even you will run and not faint you will you will not be weary when you put God first and seek him and you know what I can't explain all this I'm just called to preach it I can't explain how God renews and restores but I believe that there we need rest we need to spend time with God in order for that to hurt to happen also during this time perseverance and endurance are strengthened another two words we don't want to talk about perseverance and endurance I don't like these things I want the easy road right why do you think the diet industry is a ten billion dollar a year industry somewhere up there three or four billion why what's that on TV here order this pill 30 pounds in 30 days perfect that's my answer or this belt just wear this wear this for 10 minutes a day no no no that's not biblical that's not wise it takes perseverance and commitment and discipline the easy road is rarely the right road because ease and comfort is the call of the flesh but the call to a deeper life that's why very few get that deeper life with the Spirit is because it's called perseverance and endurance and fortitude and strength and discipline isn't that what great men and women are built from we know that you think that you think the Marine Corps is built on laziness and weak-minded and and gentle and convenient it's built on anything worth sustaining and when anything worth having is built on these character qualities and then number five it won't make sense at first but it will when I explain it to prevail in prayer you need you need to embrace the burden it might be number six go through an extra one but just it's embrace you need to embrace the burden what I mean by this is when you pray when you really want to pray I'm talking those I know who you are balcony can listen to those who really want to pray when you say God I want to pray and you commit your life to prayer you will be burdened you will be burdened for something God gives us a burden and what happens is we're care we have this burden of Lord I have this burden on me how do I how do I unload this burden we go to our knees to take this burden off and to pray and then once that burden is lifted we feel better but sometimes the burden comes again this is why we have a lot of us have different burdens many of you know my burden is for the nation rejecting God I look at the Bible the Old Testament the New Testament and I look at where we're going and what we're doing that we're calling what God calls an abomination we are glorifying it we are celebrating it we're slaughtering children we're walking away from God and I say oh my God I have a burden and then my preaching will be affected by my burden I have a burden for the church to truly come and be filled with God's Spirit to come to him and to know him and to be filled with God not having a religion but relationship but somebody else might have a burden for South America and the missionaries there or the underground church in the Middle East or a burden for care net pregnancy resource centers a burden for battered women shelters but you you name it there will be a burden sometimes you get the burden for your children often I just want this burden lifted sometimes you need to thank God for that burden because that's what drives you to your knees without the burden we often wouldn't be driven to our knees so the burden can be good because it allows a deeper relationship with God but we get mad at the burden so we don't seek God and also this way I think we need to be careful not judge each other wrongly because we do say why don't you share my same burden why aren't you involved in this area like I'm involved why aren't you reach why aren't you why why aren't you doing this see God gives us different burdens the prophets would say the burden of the Lord the burden of the Lord the burden of the Lord I know exactly what they're talking about because in order to preach effectively you need to have a burden because out of the burden comes the passion out of the burden comes the depths of despair and you cry out to God God I've got this burden I feel this overwhelming burden just like the prophets did to preach a nation of Israel come back to God they would go and they would say oh people come back to God come back to God God says but my ears not my not heavy my hands not short I can hear you but your sins have hid my face from you so these prophets will have this burden of the Lord to call the nation back to him Paul had a burden for the Jews Jesus had a burden for the lost he had a burden for Jerusalem didn't he I mean who's gonna cry over Jerusalem and say Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem the burden and he Jesus would have a burden he would say I must go to Samaria and witness to the woman at the well so embrace the burden the out of that burden comes powerful prayer out of that burden comes very powerful prayer I'll never forget it I think it was the most powerful morning of worship we've ever had it was right when we talked about and I don't even know if they voted on it yet where they're going to outlaw you know books and counseling that help people struggling with same-sex attraction and our California's getting ridiculous in Sacramento they're wanting to pass laws and parental rights and all kinds of things and half a dozen of us were on the altar you remember even where you're here I mean talk about a burden talk about traveling Linda I think you might have been here too and we were oh you could pull you're pulling down heaven but that wouldn't have happened without the burden without a burden we don't pray well so don't discount that because I've been I've been I've seen people get upset at the burden upset at this and said they should be seeking God with it and you lift it off and you give it to God anybody praying for family members going through health issues or prodigal sons or daughters that have left the Lord I mean that's one of the biggest things we pray for is family issues family dynamics is number one bar none there's not even a close second so you have this burden so what can we do if we're not careful I have this burden so I'm gonna gossip about them I'm gonna be bitter oh God how could you why is this why don't you answer instead of using that burden to draw us closer to Christ and allowing that burden to force us into the prayer room so prayer pray through needs to be your battle cry you need to pray through guy doesn't God doesn't always says yes but he will say I've got this you know if you've been there you know God doesn't leave you hanging off and he's I got this I got this yes no maybe so I don't know what the answer is but I feel relieved I pray through the burdens have been lifted now this next point number six or seven because I switched this is where the meets the road this is why I believe many prayers are not answered it's a stumbling block you have to embrace obedience if you want to prevail in prayer if you want God to answer prayer you need to embrace obedience what do I mean by that well our prayer life is relational isn't it our prayer life is relational that's what it is you're having a relationship with God discussing things and disobedience hinders the relationship so if I want to have this relationship through prayer but I'm in disobedience because I'm not doing what he's told me to do I can't have communication there is your marriage pretty healthy when there's a lot of friction for those who marry same thing relational and we think this about God well eventually it changes mind next week next month there's people this like I know they say Shane I know and they'll cry Shane I know God has called me to the hospital homes ministry I know God's called me to the children's ministry I know God's called me to go ask my mom for forgive I know God's called me to give up this I've got yeah I'm every week I'm praying with people God's told me to give up these cigarettes and this alcohol and this pills I can't God's I know he I know he's I know it but unless we take that step of obedience those prayers will not be answered often because that disobedience is the block see it's not about perfection it's about saying Lord I need help in this area I need help in this area I want to do that I want to honor you I'm no longer making excuses will you help me in this area and remove that thing that is blocking my prayer life you ever say my prayers don't I don't think they're getting past my ceiling now it's not always this please don't misunderstand it's usually the people are convicted on this point they email me about this point how can you dare say everything no I'm not saying that you're just convicted but this is a big deal because God said back to that scripture I quoted earlier my ears not heavy meaning he can hear my hands not short I can save you but your sins your sins have hid my face from you so that I will not hear you're in it your iniquities have made it so I'm hiding my face I can't hear well sin is present I can't answer that prayer deal with that sin and I'll begin to flood in and we say no maybe God will change his mind God never says you know what it's been six months you're not giving in I guess we'll meet in the middle we do that with people don't we know that does not work with God he but he will just stand like Fort Knox this is not opening I'm not negotiating I'm not changing I love you enough to hold my ground deal with that and then the prayer gates will open and again let me encourage you if God didn't hear because of sin we shouldn't all we should never pray because all of us sin at some point I'm talking about besetting sin willful sin where we say I know God I know you want me to deal with that but I'm not going to right now can we get back on track with my prayer list well that just hurts saying it you feel that Phil that was ooh but even though we don't say it that's what we do right we get back into prayer but I know how many people are saying I know God wants me to fully surrender my life I know I keep coming to church playing church I know that yet we still pray and we're wondering why God's not answering certain prayers so I would encourage you to deal with this this area of obedience is there something that God is wanting you to give up or fully surrender or remove here's why being filled with the Spirit leads to prayer that prevails so we're talking about prevailing prayer prayer that overcomes is prayer where you are filled with the Spirit of God correct when I'm praying according to God's will when I'm when I'm filled with the Spirit of God my prayers are a lot different they're Christ-centered they're not like I have to get the last word in it's not like judge them Lord it's like Lord would you help them do you ever get mad at people say God just just take away their job man heaven wake up there's nothing the bank account job I'm so mad at them Lord judge them judge and then the more you spend in time with God the more you're filled with his spirit the more you start saying Lord love them I love them what's wrong with me my heart's not good either so you start to line up your prayer focus I've had people tell me that Shane I was praying for this and God totally convicted me and I said well because it's often of the flesh you know if we want bigger houses nicer things not enough ourselves aren't bad but where's your motives right Lord get please give me that big house on the hill why so I can show people I've arrived I can show my mom I finally made it or my dad or and I want to keep up with the Joneses as if God's gonna answer those prayers God answers prayers that often are humble now he'll answer financial prayers I believe it he'll but we have to make sure our prayer focus is on the things of God and not things that will pull us down how hard is it for a rich man under heaven it's hard because riches contend with that relationship same thing when we pray for the wrong things and they become the things we here's why you have to be careful the things we pray for can eventually become our idols there's professions out there jobs out there where people have idolized those jobs if I could just become a you fill in the blank and we idolize we pray for God to give it knowing though God knows that that could be a ruin number seven or eight depending your list pray according to God's will you must pray according to God's will the Bible says this is the confidence which we have in him here's your confidence that if we ask anything according to God's will he hears us so when we pray Lord what do you want to have for this church that's my prayer what do you want to have for this church what's your will for this church it's according to his will pray for your marriage pray for your kids God I pray that my children would know you at a young age fill them with your spirit Lord give them some gifts at a young age Lord I'm praying according to your will help me in this area and you can you begin to that's how you prevail in prayer pray according to God's will and I've noticed that many don't know his will because they're not in his word pray according to his will I know this is example I've used a lot but it fits a lot so that's why I use a lot but often couples will be in and the reason it's important is because there's so much stress or anxiety and they're just oh I'm so stressed out I don't know what to do Lord we don't know if this is God's will to get married we don't know it's just God's will we don't know well first move out and stop sleeping together start there oh well let's convene you see see how are you gonna have him answer that prayer when you're not even dealing with this area of God's will when we're out of sync in an area when we're out of God's will and we pray for God's will it's hard to get direction it's very easy in my opinion to get direction from God I don't think his will is that difficult it's clearly outlined in the scripture we wait for doors to open doesn't line up with God's will is their joy is their peace is their assurance and God begins to direct but when they're stumbling blocks in the way and we're out of his will in this area and we're praying for his will it often doesn't become clear we have to start with what we know is right so you have to pray according to God's will and I think it's okay to pray Lord if this is your will Lord if this is your will and according to Romans 8 26 some prayers will be unanswered because we don't always pray according to God's will we pray amiss anybody been there well that's gonna be a long rabbit trail but also here's something about delays delay when God is delaying things has he ever delayed things oh my lord seems like my whole life of prayers delay everything's delayed God's timing is never my timing I'll tell you that right now never my timing but his timing well here's a here's a good example when we kind of decided that okay God's will is maybe that we move up here you know I was ready to go I don't want to wait one month two months three months four months five months but see God was positioning people changing hearts circumstances situations and it falls at his timing right when me and Morgan decide to get married I'm not waiting next week right let's just head to Vegas eight months what gosh eight months now now right but it's good because you put that relationship on the altar I tell people this you don't know what God's will is and say you say until you say I do once you say that then you that's a game changer but always put that relationship on the altar we want quick things out we're glad it took a while because God was working in our hearts and different things so delay is not deny when God delays something it's often not denial the reason is we're like kids we want it now I want it right now give it to me right now we know that God knows best so delay is not a delay I'm sorry delay is not God denying us and we have a conference coming up in October entitled how long Oh Lord and it's from that theme how long Oh Lord revival how long before you move among your people how long will you keep us see and I think it's good the reason most of you in this room hopefully everybody is feeling I don't pray enough I'm feeling it too that's a good burden because then you'll do something about it I mean I do I know this is hard to believe I do get people I do get people from time to time email or tell me I pray enough I read the Bible enough I pray enough you we know the answer to that one right pride big screaming pride pride pride pride pride pride pride I read enough I pray enough I'm spiritual enough no you're prideful there should be there should be a burden God I don't pray enough I'm excited right now to get up tomorrow morning and pray right now because of this because of the burden I want more of God I want to be too so don't beat yourself up oh gosh you beat me up again I'll never measure up no that's the whole point is this burden this conviction changes us and it propels us to more prayer time more time with God more worship making our entertainment choices different and being wanting to be filled with the Spirit of God WJ Harney said this the one great barrier in the way the one clog that Satan puts in the will and the one dark cloud he throws upon the skies is discouragement he is well aware of the fact that a discouraged soul is easily defeated discouragement places us in a fog it covers a lighthouse and puts us in troubled waters the enemy wants to use delay to discourage you God wants to use delay for you to seek him more what path do you take because what happens right are you are you being delayed are you have you been praying Lord take this away God answer this prayer God please do this does that delay lead to discouragement or does it lead to pressing into more of God delays can be wonderful beautiful times for you if you seek God with all your heart and then the next point and I have to throw this in here I know you don't want me to but here it comes fasting adds spiritual weight fasting if you want to prevail in prayer let me encourage you to fast whether it's missing a meal two meals I've got a book on it you can take free out there take ten books if you're gonna pass them out on feasting and fasting what fasting does is it actually starves your flesh so the flesh is starved and now I can pray better I can always pray better when my flesh is star it's hungry if I'm fulfilling the flesh if I go to Krispy Kreme and then Starbucks I cannot pray well just me personally but if I'm starved the flesh is starving God I'm gonna I'm gonna fight this flesh I'm gonna be filled with your spirit at this prevailing prayer the reason is because the flesh controls us more than we think doesn't it feed me feed me feed me feed me lay down go to sleep watch this feed me comfort laziness convenience and the flesh yes flesh all yes flesh and we just keep answering the flesh answering the flesh if we were to say don't worry I'm not going to we're gonna stay an hour after the second service we're just gonna pray and we're gonna worship God most of you would head to the nearest restaurant because the flesh needs to be fed let's just be honest it'd be hard for me to right but you but see how that dictates so much of our lives tells us where to go when to go how to go what did we're listening to the flesh so fasting starves that voice so you can begin to hear the voice of God more clearly it's throughout the Old Testament all Ezra Nehemiah Esther they all fasted Daniel and Elisha Paul fasted somebody by the name of Jesus fasted before he was filled mightily with the Holy Spirit and began ministry so this is spiritual warfare and it's interesting a lot of the books I read 100 150 years old 200 years old there's fasting throughout it but you fast forward to America in 1980s 1990s we don't mention that anymore we don't want to talk about that anymore but it's a very important thing fasting adds spiritual weight I believe it breaks the final chain it's the final blow and it breaks the back of Satan it increases endurance physically and spiritually because as you're as you're starving the flesh you're filled with the Spirit and the more we feed the flesh the more we are quenching and grieving the Spirit if the flesh is dominating there's nothing wrong with eating it's God given right but just try this you just try this on your own personal test if you don't believe me try to seek God for an hour pray and worship right after Thanksgiving dinner actually I'm gonna I'm tempted to have a Thursday night Thanksgiving worship night mm-hmm why is that let's let's be honest I thought of praying before I'm gonna pray I'm so excited to pray and then I find the Haagen-Dazs or in the Oreo cookie I don't want to pray anymore because there are certain appetites the more you fulfill one appetite the less of this you're filled with the Spirit of God there is a balance there I got it but fasting is very important if you can give me a scripture on why it's not important I will listen but all the scriptural context or scriptures in context support fasting Jesus said even don't fast well the bride is here the bridegroom is here but they will fast in those days when he's taken away when you give when you pray Jesus said right we quote Matthew I think it's chapter 6 when you give do this when you pray do this he says when you fast do this so it's a very common thing so the next point enter his courts with grumbling and complaining no what's it say enter his courts with Thanksgiving enter his courts with Thanksgiving and stay there this is a problem many Christians including me sometimes we enter his courts with grumbling and complaining God will not hear the prayers of grumbling and complaining people he judged the whole nation of Israel are you aware of that million who knows a million point five people left Egypt to went in to the promised land did you know that he wiped out the entire generation of people in the wilderness he said because you grumble and you complain you're grumbling and complaining we have to be careful as believers that's the wrong heart that's a critical heart it's not God's nature but then what is our what is the attorney within come up and say but yeah but sound doctrine yeah but that church isn't doing yeah but my family member did this and yeah no no no be careful you have to come in if you want to prevail in prayer you have to come in with Thanksgiving God thank you thank you for what you're doing and I'll just I'll just go on a little rant here for a minute but so many people complain about America and even our state California yeah there's a lot to complain about but that's that shouldn't be the heart of a believer you should be very thankful if you have running water and electricity and hot water and something they call ice we support somebody in Africa and he comes here he never puts ice in his water I finally asked him he goes we we don't even have ice nowhere nowhere no ice no how do you keep stuff with that preserving way to preserve so we take things for granted yet we're complaining I think it's three-quarters of the world live on two two dollars and fifty cents a day well here we are come by the government the taxes a crack gas price increase or I'm I'm I'm I'm I did you ever Gary Brown Jehovah governor Jerry Brown Sacramento California stinks and the United States stinks and I got it there's a lot of issues I'm with you I'm with you right there but that's not the heartbeat of a believer a believer should be thankful Lord I have concerns but I'm thankful I don't like what's happening I'm gonna pray about it but I'm thankful I'm thankful for what you've given me I thank you for my health I thank you for my children I thank you for my church I think it's going into his gates and praying with thankfulness that's how you have to prevail in prayer have you ever heard a critical person pray not very often and when I have it's ugly it's just you know what just stop it it's not it's not the heartbeat of a prayer warrior thankfulness is and then the final point recognize your authority in Jesus Christ this is so important when you pray in Jesus name it means you pray in his authority so it's not like when we close and we say okay in Jesus name like we're tagging it you know okay let's just put a little tag on it okay a little extra weight there what really I don't even know if you have to say it at the end of every every every prayer in Jesus name in Jesus name in Jesus name become vain repetition sometimes I'm not saying don't do I'm just saying the real the real reason behind is this we're praying in the power and the authority of Jesus Christ so when I pray Lord have your will in this place would you bind that works of Satan this morning would you secure our building I'm coming to you in the Amer in the merits and the authority of Jesus Christ I'm coming in his power and his strength actually I'm just a spokesman here he comes bringing his power his authority in Jesus name we pull down that darkness I can't do it if I do it nothing will happen but in Jesus name we pull down darkness in Jesus name God protect this building protect these people bless these people in Jesus name come against Sacramento in this ungodly legislation come against the government authorities that are not of you but bless those who are of you bless the next Supreme Court justice in Jesus name by the power and authority of Jesus Christ I'm just a spokesman proclaiming the will of God the way of God just that's all you are you're the mouthpiece proclaiming the power and life of Jesus Christ that's what praying in his name is and I'm all for don't don't misunderstand I'm all for saying in Jesus name but it's not in Jesus name tagging like a Twitter post or post Twitter tweet right it's not hashtag Jesus you know you're actually saying in this name in the name that died for me and that in the name that says I have given you all authority what you loose in heaven will be loose here what you buy here will be bound in heaven I give you the keys of the kingdom I give you the authority to cast out demons so I'm coming in Jesus name not in my name I'm not letting these these prayers fall on or come from a just a person praying on his own I need you Christ I'm praying through you and for you and for you to pray for me it's okay for Jesus to pray for you did you know that do you ever pray Lord please intercede please pray for me God I need you Jesus I need you to intercede I don't remember who it was maybe Leonard Ravenhill but or Robert McMurray McShaney he said if you could hear Jesus in the room next door praying for you you would not fear a million armies isn't that true if we could hear Jesus praying for us interceding for us we would not fear a million armies but I don't want to end this sermon without giving this final invitation that if you don't know him you're praying to the wrong God billions of people pray billions of people pray Hinduism millions of God Middle East the wrong God new age higher being higher power you have to know Jesus Christ you have to repent of your sin you have to believe in the only name that saves then you can enter the gates with Thanksgiving then you can pray to God the one true and living God because the only way we come to God is through Jesus Christ that's our mediator that you don't need to go to a priest you go Jesus you go directly to the throne room of grace because of what Christ has done so if you don't know him you repent of your sin and you believe and then you can pray to God and he will hear that prayer when you say God I need you save me he will hear you