Foundations in Prayer
God has obligated Himself to answer the prayers of men, and prayer is the means by which He accomplishes His work on earth.
K.P. Yohannan emphasizes the vital role of prayer in the life of believers, asserting that God has committed Himself to respond to the prayers of His people. He explains that prayer is not merely a ritual but a powerful means through which God acts in the world, and prayerlessness hinders His work. Yohannan encourages believers to embrace a life of fervent prayer, as it is both a command from God and a promise of His response. He highlights that prayer is essential for seeing change and accomplishing God's purposes, urging the faithful to ask boldly for their needs and the needs of the world. Ultimately, prayer is portrayed as a simple yet profound communication with God that unleashes His power on earth.
Text
God has of His own motion placed Himself under the law of prayer, and has obligated Himself to answer the prayers of men. He has ordained prayer as a means whereby He will do things through men as they pray, which He would not otherwise do. . . . If prayer puts God to work on earth, then, by the same token, prayerlessness rules God out of the world's affairs, and prevents Him from working.
Those words perfectly communicate the importance of God's people praying. Prayer is no light thing, yet at the same time it is simple communication between the Father God and His children, and as E.M. Bounds said in his book Purpose in Prayer, "The driving power, the conquering force in God's cause is God Himself. 'Call upon Me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not,' is God's challenge to prayer. Prayer puts God in full force into God's work."
Let us then receive His challenge and engage ourselves in a life of fervent prayer. For "the effective, fervent prayer of a righ teous man avails much" (James 5:16).
Why Should We Pray?
Pray because God tells you to. What more reason do we need? It's a command that we are given over and over again. Luke 18:1 says, "Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart." Philippians 4:6 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Ephesians 6:18 also instructs us to pray. Pray about everything, small things, big things and all things. "Pray without ceas ing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Pray because God has promised to answer. If you want to see things accomplished, ask. God says, "Yet you do not have because you do not ask" (James 4:2). Do you want to see Bhutan, India, Mongolia or some other nations changed? Do you want to see another 50 people added to the staff of Gospel for Asia? Do you want to see more workers raised up on the fields? Do we need funds for various projects? Are there dreams and visions you want fulfilled? You can talk about it all you want, but it won't happen unless you ask. Without prayer, nothing of lasting value is going to happen.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Importance of Prayer
- A. Prayer puts God to work on earth
- B. Prayerlessness prevents God from working
- II. The Challenge of Prayer
- A. God has ordained prayer as a means to accomplish His work
- B. Prayer is simple communication between God and His children
- III. Why We Should Pray
- A. Because God tells us to
- B. Because God has promised to answer our prayers
Key Quotes
“The driving power, the conquering force in God's cause is God Himself.” — K.P. Yohannan
“Call upon Me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not,” — K.P. Yohannan
Application Points
- We should engage ourselves in a life of fervent prayer to see God's work accomplished.
- We should pray without ceasing to see lasting value in our lives and the lives of others.
- We should ask God for everything, big and small, because He has promised to answer our prayers.