Prevailing Prayer to Prayer

Prevailing Prayer To Prayer

By Kenneth E. Hagin Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in this volume are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Second Edition Eighth Printing 1991

ISBN 0-89276-071-0

In the U.S. write: In Canada write: Kenneth Hagin Ministries Kenneth Hagin Ministries P.O. Box 50126 P.O. Box 335 Tulsa, OK 74150-0126 Islington (Toronto), Ontario Canada, M9A 4X3

The Faith Shield is a trademark of RHEMA Bible Church, AKA Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Inc., registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and therefore may not be duplicated. BOOKS BY KENNETH E. HAG IN *Redeemed From Poverty, Sickness and Spiritual Death *What Faith Is *Seven Vital Steps To Receiving the Holy Spirit *Right and Wrong Thinking Prayer Secrets *Authority of the Believer (foreign only) *How To Turn Your Faith Loose The Key to Scriptural Healing Praying To Get Results The Present-Day Ministry of Jesus Christ The Gift of Prophecy Healing Belongs to Us The Real Faith *The Interceding Christian How You Can Know the Will of God Man on Three Dimensions The Human Spirit Turning Hopeless Situations Around Casting Your Cares Upon the Lord Seven Steps for Judging Prophecy Faith Food for Autumn Faith Food for Winter Faith Food for Spring Faith Food for Summer *The New Birth *Why Tongues? *In Him *God's Medicine *You Can Have What You Say How To Write Your Own Ticket With God *Don 't Blame God 'Words Plead Your Case *How To Keep Your Healing Laying on of Hands A Better Covenant Having Faith in Your Faith Five Hindrances to Growth in Grace Why Do People Fall Under the Power? The Bible Way To Receive the Holy Spirit Godliness Is Profitable I Went to Hell Three Big Words Obedience in Finances His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful Paul's Revelation: The Gospel of Reconciliation How To Walk in Love The Precious Blood of Jesus Love Never Fails How God Taught Me About Prosperity Learning To Forget The Coming Restoration The Gifts and Calling of God Signs of the Times Learning To Flow With the Spirit of God The Glory of God Hear and Be Healed Knowing What Belongs to Us *New Thresholds of Faith *Prevailing Prayer to Peace *Concerning Spiritual Gifts Bible Faith Study Course Bible Prayer Study Course The Holy Spirit and His Gifts *The Ministry Gifts (Study Guide) Seven Things You Should Know About Divine Healing El Shaddai Zoe: The God-Kind of Life A Commonsense Guide to Fasting Must Christians Suffer? The Woman Question The Believer's Authority Ministering to Your Family What To Do When Faith Seems Weak and Victory Lost Growing Up, Spiritually Bodily Healing and the Atonement Exceedingly Growing Faith Understanding the Anointing I Believe in Visions Understanding How To Fight the Good Fight of Faith The Art of Intercession Plans, Purposes, and Pursuits How You Can Be Led by the Spirit of God A Fresh Anointing BOOKS BY KENNETH HAGIN JR. *Man's Impossibility — God's Possibility Because of Jesus The Key to the Supernatural *Faith Worketh by Love Blueprint for Building Strong Faith *Seven Hindrances to Healing *The Past Tense of God's Word How To Make the Dream God Gave You Come True Faith Takes Back What the Devil's Stolen "The Prison Door Is Open — What Are You Still Doing Inside?" Itching Ears Where Do We Go From Here? How To Be a Success in Life Get Acquainted With God Showdown With the Devil Unforgiveness The Answer for Oppression Is Your Miracle Passing You By? Commanding Power The Life of Obedience Ministering to the Brokenhearted God's Irresistible Word Healing: Forever Settled Don't Quit! Your Faith Will See You Through The Untapped Power in Praise *These titles are also available in Spanish. Information about other foreign translations of several of the above titles (i.e., Finnish, French, German, Indonesian, Polish, Russian, etc.) may be obtained by writing to: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, P.O. Box 50126, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74150-0126. Contents

1. Seven Steps to Answered Prayer (Part 1) ...... 1 2. Seven Steps to Answered Prayer (Part 2) ...... 5 3. The Prayer That Unlocks Heaven ...... 9 4. The Authority of Jesus' Name ...... 13 5. The Prayer of Agreement ...... 17 6. The Six Most Important Things in Prayer (Part 1). . . . 21 7. The Six Most Important Things in Prayer (Part 2)... 25 8. Interpreting Our Prayers in the Spirit ...... 29 9. Tongues — A Flowing Stream of Praise ...... 33

10. Prayer on a New Dimension ...... 37 11. The Prayers of Petition and Consecration ...... 41 12. The Prayer of Worship (Part 1) ...... 45 13. The Prayer of Worship (Part 2) ...... 49 14. United Prayer ...... 53 15. The Prayer of Commitment ...... 57 16. What Jesus Said About Prayer (Part 1) ...... 61 17. What Jesus Said About Prayer (Part 2) ...... 65 18. What Jesus Said About Prayer (Part 3) ...... 69 19. What Jesus Said About Prayer (Part 4) ...... 73 20. What Paul Said About Prayer (Part 1) ...... 77 21. What Paul Said About Prayer (Part 2) ...... 79 22. What Others Said About Prayer (Part 1) ...... 83 23. What Others Said About Prayer (Part 2) ...... 87 24. The Will of God in Prayer (Part 1) ...... 93 25. The Will of God in Prayer (Part 2) ...... 99 26. The Will of God in Prayer (Part 3) ...... 103

Lesson 1

Seven Steps to Answered Prayer (Part 1) Bible Texts: James 1:6-8; Joshua 1:8; Matthew 7:7,8; Mark 11:23,24 Central Truth: By faith we reach out to claim what we need, and we thereby create the reality of it in our life.

This two-part series on the subject we are dealing primarily with praying of prayer deals with fundamental to get an answer to our prayers. If we aspects of praying that gets results. If are not careful, this general type of the believer will faithfully follow these praying will carry over when we need steps in prayer, he can be sure of an to be specific about a certain need. answer. If you went to a grocery store and pushed your cart up and down the Step 1: Decide What You aisles without buying anything, people Want From God would think something was wrong JAMES 1:6-8 with you. If you send a child to buy 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing waver certain items and he buys just those ing. For he that wavereth is like a wave of things, he is being definite. the sea driven with the wind and tossed. The same is true with prayer. It 7 For let not that man think that he shall would be better to pray for two or receive any thing of the Lord. three minutes and know what you are 8 A double minded man is unstable in all praying about than to pray aimlessly his ways. for two or three hours. The above Scriptures show us the Decide what you want from God importance of decisiveness. James said and be definite about it! if a man wavers — if he cannot make up his mind — he is "unstable in all his Step 2: Read Scriptures ways" and he cannot expect to receive That Promise the Answer anything from the Lord. You Need Often we are indefinite in our praying. When I ask people what they are JOSHUA 1:8 8 This book of the law shall not depart out praying about, they sometimes answer of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate they don't know. One person said he therein day and night, that thou mayest was praying just to be praying. observe to do according to all that is written Of course, there is one kind of therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prayer we pray to worship and have prosperous, and then thou shalt have good fellowship with God, but in this lesson success. In order to be successful in our ing, we don't have any business pray- prayer life, God's Word must be ing for it. We should not want foremost. As we feed upon His Word, anything that the Word of God says we build it into our inner conscious- we shouldn't have. ness. Then, in time of need, we are On the other hand, when praying prepared. We can use the appropriate for things that are expressly promised Scriptures against the devil when he in the Word, we can have complete tries to make us doubt God and rob us confidence that God will give us what of what we want. we need. Years ago I wrote in red ink In the wilderness when Satan on the fly leaf of my Bible, "The Bible tempted Jesus to turn stones into says it, I believe it, and that settles bread, Jesus answered with the Word. it!" He said, "... It is written, That man Many people try to pray beyond shall not live by bread alone, but by their faith. It is the Word of God that every word of God." Then Satan took gives faith. "So then faith cometh by Him up on a high mountain and showed hearing, and hearing by the word of Him all the kingdoms of the world. He God" (Rom. 10:17). The reason people told Jesus if He would worship him, he do not pray with confidence and faith would give all these kingdoms to Him. is because they do not know the Scrip- Again Jesus answered, "... it is written, tures well enough to know if what they Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, are praying for is God's will. They may and him only shalt thou serve." hope it is, but they don't know it is. Satan then took Jesus upon a pin- As we read God's Word and learn His nacle of the Temple and said to Him, will, we can appropriate His promises "... cast thyself down...." Again Jesus for our every need. answered with the Word, saying, "... It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Step 3: Ask God for the Lord thy God" (Luke 4:3-12). Things You Want Jesus used the same weapon to defeat the devil that all believers have MATTHEW 7:7,8 today: the Word of God. All we have 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and to do in the face of temptation and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened doubt is to say, "It is written." If the unto you: Scriptures are firmly implanted in our 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that heart, we are prepared for any attacks knocketh it shall be opened. of the devil. In matters of guidance, search the In Matthew 6:8 Jesus said, "... Scriptures to see what God has to say your Father knoweth what things ye about any situation. His Word plainly have need of, before ye ask him." Yet shows us His will. If the Scriptures in the next chapter, as we see in the don't promise us what we may be seek- verses quoted above, He tells us to ask Him for our needs. Therefore, even though He knows our needs, He wants Word of God, I start walking by us to bring them to Him and ask His revelation truth. I walk by what God help. says. That which is in the spiritual realm Step 4: Believe That You is made real in the natural realm through faith. Faith grasps it and Receive creates the reality of it in our life. MARK 11:23,24 Therefore, when you pray, believe 23 For verily I say unto you, That whoso that you receive that which you are ever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou asking for and you shall have it. This removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and is beyond our natural thinking. The shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe natural mind cannot grasp it, but we that those things which he saith shall come are to walk by faith and not by sight. to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Once while preaching in a small 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things church, I got too warm. When I soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that stepped outdoors after the service, my ye receive them, and ye shall have them. body was wet with perspiration. When The Amplified version of the above the cold outdoor air hit me in the face, verse says, "... whatever you ask for my throat started hurting, and by the in prayer, believe — trust and be confi- time I reached the parking lot, I could dent — that it is granted to you, and hardly speak. The next day my chest you will [get it]." started hurting and I couldn't speak To understand this better, we need above a whisper. to realize that there are two kinds of I started reading Scriptures on truth: sense-knowledge truth and healing. With my Bible open before revelation truth. me, I prayed silently and said, "Lord, Some people think truth pertains your Word tells me I am healed. If I to things they can see with their asked my body if I were healed, the physical eyes. But we cannot see the answer would be no. If I asked my feel- things of the Spirit. They are not flesh; ings if I were healed, the answer would they are not material. be no. If I were to ask the people Everything we need is provided for around me if I were healed, they would us in the spiritual realm. "Blessed be say I was not. the God and Father of our Lord Jesus "Your Word says God is truth and Christ, who hath blessed us with all every man is a liar. So if I say I'm not spiritual blessings in heavenly places healed, I am a liar. Your Word says in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Our needs have that God cannot he. Romans 3:4 says, been provided for in Christ Jesus. We 'God forbid: yea, let God be true, but may not always be able to see them, every man a liar; as it is written, That but they are there. thou mightest be justified in thy say- When "sense-knowledge truth" ings, and mightest overcome when contradicts "revelation truth," or the thou art judged.' " When time came for the evening times until my voice came back. Then service, I stepped up to the micro- I preached my sermon with a strong, phone and said I wanted to thank God clear voice. That night the congrega- that I was healed. The congregation tion saw an illustration of faith in looked at me as if I were crazy, because action. I was barely whispering. All we have to do is ask God for the I began to tell them what the Word things we want, and believe that we of God says about healing. I showed have them. them from the Word that I was healed. I told them what God says is true and Memory Text: that if I said I wasn't healed, I would "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, be lying. I told them that I wanted and ye shall find; knock, and it shall them to stand and praise God with me be opened unto you: For every one that because I was healed. asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh As we stood and began praising findeth; and to him that knocketh it God, I hadn't said "hallelujah" three shall be opened" (Matt. 7:7,8).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22). Lesson 2

Seven Steps to Answered Prayer (Part 2) Bible Texts: Proverbs 4:20-22; Philippians 4:6 Central Truth: Thinking faith thoughts and speaking faith words lead the heart out of defeat into victory.

The previous lesson covered four doubt for one minute that you have steps to take to see our prayers the answer. If doubts persist, rebuke answered: them. Get your mind on the answer. 1. Decide what you want from James 4:7 says, "... Resist the devil, God. Be specific in stating and he will flee from you." Doubt is of your the devil. Resist it. petitions. Eradicate every image, suggestion, 2. Read Scriptures that promise feeling, or thought that does not con- the answer you need. Search the Bible tribute to your faith. Concentrate on for Scriptures that apply to your need. things that contribute to your confes Plant God's Word firmly in your heart sion for what you need from God. so you will be prepared against Satan's When our daughter, Pat, was 3 attacks. years old, a growth appeared in the 3. Ask God for the things you corner of her left eye. It kept growing want. Make your wants known to God. larger and larger until it was the size Even though He knows what we need, of the end of her little finger. It was it is His divine plan that we make our a cause for concern. wants known to Him. I knew in my spirit that it was 4. Believe that you receive. Develop going to go away. Friends told us, a stubborn faith that refuses to look "Oh, it probably will go away as she at circumstances — a faith that pro gets older." I knew when God healed Pat, they would say the growth would duces results. have gone away anyway, so I took her In this lesson we will deal with to an eye specialist for an examination. three more steps to take to pray more He said Pat had a type of growth effectively. that would never go away without surgery. He suggested she be operated Step 5: Refuse To Doubt on, because the growth would become larger and larger until eventually it Let every thought and desire would hang down over her face. I affirm that you have what you ask. thanked him for his diagnosis and left. Never permit a mental picture of failure to remain in your mind. Never That night about 10:15 I prayed God for the healing that I really don't about it and said, "Lord, the doctor know when the growth left. A few days said an operation is necessary, but later we were driving along and Pat John 16:23 says, '... Whatsoever ye was standing on the front seat be- shall ask the Father in my name, he tween Oretha and me. I turned to say will give it you.' I am standing on that something to Oretha and I noticed Scripture. I have asked you, and now Pat's growth was gone. When I men- I believe you have done it. I believe tioned it to Oretha, she told me it had tonight at 10:15 for my baby's healing. been gone for about 10 days. I thank You for the healing." We saw a miracle as a result of I got off my knees, and as I started believing God and thanking Him for to go to bed, the devil told me to turn the answer, even though our physical the light on and see if the growth was senses told us it had not happened. gone. Immediately I resisted that This is the realm in which the battle thought. Several times during the of prayer is fought and won. night I was awakened with the same Our thoughts are governed by thought — to go see if the growth was observation, association, and teach- gone yet. ings. We must guard against every I said, "Satan, why should I get up evil thought and doubt that comes into and turn the light on to see if it's gone our mind. We must stay away from all yet? I know it's gone, because I have places and things that do not support God's Word for it." our confession that God has answered The same suggestion returned the our prayer. (Sometimes this means next morning, and again I pushed it staying away from churches that teach from my mind. I kept saying Pat had more doubt than faith.) received the healing the night before Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, at 10:15. brethren, whatsoever things are true, When I saw her at breakfast, the whatsoever things are honest, whatso- growth was still on her eye, but the ever things are just, whatsoever things Bible tells us to walk by faith and not are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, by sight. I ignored the physical whatsoever things are of good report; evidence of the growth. I walked by if there be any virtue, and if there be faith and kept thanking God for her any praise, think on these things." healing. Every time our family gathered at the dinner table, I saw that ugly Step 6: Meditate on the growth sticking right out at me. But Promises I just kept thanking God for the heal- PROVERBS 4:20-22 ing which had taken place that night 20 My son, attend to my words; incline at 10:15 when I prayed and believed thine ear unto my sayings. that I received. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; I was so engrossed in thanking keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find have long to live. Months had passed them, and health to all their flesh. and, although bedfast, she was still alive. Meditate constantly on the When I talked to her, she said she promises on which you base your was old enough to die, but I encour- answer to prayer. See yourself in aged her to let God heal her first, possession of what you have asked because she could still win many souls from God, and make plans as if it at her age. Then I read Proverbs already were a reality. God will make 4:20-22 to her and told her to visualize His Word good if you will act on it. herself well and preaching. God's Word says He hears and When I saw this woman eight answers prayer. If the Word doesn't months later, she was busy holding depart from before your eyes, you are evangelistic meetings! She came up to sure to see yourself with the things me after one of my services, threw her you asked for. If you don't see yourself arms around me, and hugged me. It with them, God's Word has departed startled me, and she realized I hadn't from before your eyes. recognized her. She looked different If you don't stand by the Word, because she had gained weight. She God can't stand by you, even though appeared to be in excellent health. He wants to. The only way God works She told me she was so glad I is through His Word. He moves in line hadn't let her die. She had done what with His Word. He has magnified His I had told her to do: She had begun to Word above His Name! If you stand picture herself well, and now she was by the Word, God will stand by you. out working for God again. She said Many people pray and pray, but she had evangelistic meetings sched- they don't pray according to the Word. uled for the entire summer. John 15:7 says, "If ye abide in me, and I later heard that this woman lived my words abide in you, ye shall ask to be 91 years old. She didn't die of what ye will, and it shall be done unto cancer. She enjoyed many more fruit- you," Jesus didn't just say, "// ye ful years for the Master. Before her abide in me"; He added, "and my healing, she had pictured herself dead, words abide in you." With His words but I got her to see herself with what abiding in us, we have a solid founda- God had provided for her. tion. We have to see ourselves with the Once I went to pray for an elderly answer. evangelist in Fort Worth, Texas. Many people had been saved and filled with the Spirit under her ministry. Step 7: Give God the Now, at the age of 82, she had been Praise operated on, and her doctors had found PHILIPPIANS 4:6 seven cancers in her body. They just 6 Be careful for nothing; but in sewed her up and told her she didn't every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made thank Him for it." known unto God. Often people undo their prayers! They get into unbelief and stay there, The words "be careful for nothing" as if they were spinning their wheels. mean "in nothing be anxious." The During a convention once in Texas, Amplified Bible says, "Do not fret or I heard Rev. Raymond T. Richey lead have any anxiety about anything." As in prayer for a man who was in the long as we fret and are anxious, pray- hospital, dying. After we prayed, we ing and fasting won't do any good. thanked God that He had heard us. This verse says "with thanks- Brother Richey started to walk giving," and this comes after praying away from the pulpit, but then turned about the matter. We thank God for around and went back to the micro- the answer after we have prayed. phone. He asked how many in the con- The final step to answered prayer gregation were going to keep praying is to lift your heart to God constantly for this man in the hospital. Nearly in gratitude and increasing praise for what He has done and for what He is everyone raised his hand. doing for you now. "What do you want to do that Make every prayer concerning your for?" Brother Richey asked. "We need a statement of faith and praise, already have prayed for him. Now let not a statement of unbelief. You can us keep praising God because He has do this just as easily as you can think healed this man." thoughts of doubt and unbelief. At the close of the service, someone Thinking faith thoughts and speak- came in and announced that the dying ing faith words lead the heart out of man had suddenly revived and was defeat into victory! Do not accept going to be all right. He had seen Jesus defeat. Do not be denied. It is your walk into his room and say, "I am the family right — your redemption right Lord that healeth thee." He had — to have what God has promised. It awakened and immediately was well. is yours, and it will come. Accept it, This had happened while we had been and it will become a reality. praying. Andrew Murray said, "It is not The Christian who practices these good taste to ask God for the same seven steps to answered prayer will thing over and over again. If, when discover great victory in his prayer you do pray again for something that life. hasn't materialized, don't pray for it in the same way, because that would Memory Text: be unbelief. Remind God that you "If ye abide in me, and my words abide asked for it and what His Word says, in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and and tell Him you are expecting it. Then it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22). Lesson 3

The Prayer That Unlocks Heaven Bible Texts: John 16:23,24; Ephesians 5:20 Central Truth: The Name of Jesus is the access to the heart of the Father.

We have a key that unlocks the to be sure our prayers reach the throne door of our automobile. We may say of God, we must come according to the that we unlock the door, but really it rules laid down in His Word. is the key that does it. We also have In the above Scripture, Jesus said, a key that fits the ignition. We "In that day ye shall ask me nothing." couldn't start the car without this key. He said this to His disciples before He This key is the important factor in went away. He was talking about His driving the car. We couldn't get present position as Mediator, seated at anywhere without it. the right hand of the Father. Another translation reads, "In that The Name of Jesus day ye shall not pray to me." Jesus said to ask the Father in His Name. There is a key to prayer that will This is the key that will unlock heaven unlock the doors and windows of in our behalf. heaven and grant our every need. We can tell Jesus how much we Without this key we can't get any- love Him, but when it comes to pray- where. This key is found in John 16: ing, we must ask the Father through JOHN 16:23,24 the Lord Jesus. Ephesians 3:14,15 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. says, "For this cause I bow my knees Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever unto the Father of our Lord Jesus ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will Christ, Of whom the whole family in give it you. heaven and earth is named." It is not 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my important which church we belong to, name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your but it is important which family we joy may be full. belong to. Jesus is our Mediator, Intercessor, Advocate, and Lord. He stands be- Overflowing Joy tween us and the Father. No place in the Bible is it ever recorded that Jesus John 16:24 says, "... ask, and ye told His disciples to pray to Him. They shall receive, that your joy may be always were told to pray to the Father full." There is real joy in knowing that in Jesus' Name. Therefore, if we want the Father will answer our prayers.

9 The beloved preacher Smith If Wigglesworth had gone to work Wigglesworth worked for many years that day with two sick children at as a plumber before he began his home, his joy would not have been full. full-time preaching ministry. One He would have been worried. He would time while installing plumbing in a have looked distressed. Instead, he large house, he noticed the owner had a light on his face — a radiance kept coming in, looking at him, and that was obvious to all who saw him. then leaving. Finally she entered the Something seemed to flow out of him. room where he was working, sat What was it? It was the joy the Father down, and asked, "What in the world has promised when we ask Him for our is it that causes that wonderful needs and receive in faith. expression on your face? You look as On another occasion Wigglesworth if you are full of joy." was in dire financial need. At that time He told her that morning at he was in London visiting in the home breakfast his wife had told him two of of a wealthy man. Wigglesworth their children were very ill. Before they simply committed his financial burden ate, they went upstairs, laid hands on to the Lord and refused to worry about the children, and prayed for them. it. He told no one. He knew the Lord They were instantly healed and joined would take care of it. their parents downstairs for breakfast. As he and his friend were out walk- Wigglesworth said it was wonderful to ing in the park, Wigglesworth was have such a wonderful Jesus. happy and singing, rejoicing in his He told the woman the Scripture spirit. His rich friend commented that says, "... ask, and ye shall receive, he would give all he owned to have the that your joy may be full." (Certainly same spirit of joy that Wigglesworth our joy could not be full if our children had. were ill, but the Lord told us to ask Wigglesworth told him it wouldn't Him for what we need, "that your joy cost him anything; all he had to do was may be full.") cast all his cares on Jesus. Wiggles- The woman asked Wigglesworth if worth explained that this is what he Jesus would save her and give her this had done, and he was without a care wonderful joy, too. Wigglesworth in the world. He could be free and assured her He would. happy. He still did not mention his She accepted the Lord and started financial need to his friend, but instead rejoicing. She asked Wigglesworth if talked of victory and joy in Christ she could keep this joy. He answered Jesus. that the only way to keep it was to One man had material wealth but give it away. He told her she should no joy. The other lacked material tell all the women at her club meeting things but was filled with joy. What about her salvation. She did and all of was the secret? Wigglesworth knew them were saved. This is the way to the truth of the Scripture, "... ask, keep it: Tell others about it. and ye shall receive, that your joy may

10 be full." before we receive what we ask for Can your joy be full if you have because we have His Word that He great financial burdens pressing you? heard our prayer. Can your joy be full if you have unpaid EPHESIANS 5:20 bills that are due? If you have asked 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto Him to supply your needs and you God and the Father in the name of our Lord believe "ye shall receive, " your joy can Jesus Christ. be full. Notice here that Paul tells us to give thanks for all things "unto God Joy That Precedes the Fact and the Father" in the Name of Jesus. Sometimes you have to have the Paul tells us to pray to the Father and joy before you will receive what you not to Jesus. The Name of Jesus is the are praying for. If you are worrying access to the heart of the Father in all and trying to figure matters out alone, our real praise and thanksgiving. you hinder God from helping you. You Someone said the way we pray are carrying the burden instead of let- doesn't make much difference. But if ting Him carry it. In fact, if you are it doesn't, why did God inspire Paul worrying, it will do little good to pray, to write the epistles? To say these because you are not praying in faith. verses are not important would make "Be careful for nothing; but in as much sense as it would to say John every thing by prayer and supplication 3:16 isn't important. If we believe with thanksgiving let your requests be John 3:16 is important, we also must made known unto God. And the peace believe that all Scriptures are impor- of God, which passeth all understand- tant and are for our instruction in ing, shall keep your hearts and minds walking with God. When you want to through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6,7). get an answer to your prayers, follow When I was holding evangelistic the teachings of the Word and pray to meetings, I often would drive straight the Father in the Name of Jesus. through from California to Texas. My When many people pray, they con- mother once told me that when she clude their prayer, "for Jesus' sake." knew I was traveling, she prayed that However, we are not told in the Word the Lord would be with me. And she to pray for Jesus' sake. We are taught stayed awake at night worrying, to pray in the Name of Jesus. What is waiting for the telephone to ring with the difference? news I had been in an accident. I told If you went to a bank to cash a her she was wasting her time praying check for a friend, the cashier would if she was going to stay awake ask you if you had an account there worrying. with enough money to guarantee the Prayer is more than that. "... ask, check. If you didn't, the cashier and ye shall receive, that your joy may wouldn't cash the check. But if you be full." We should be full of joy even had a check from a man who had an

11 account in that bank, you would be these men that the lame man was able to cash the check. healed. But Peter said, "... why look The same is true when we go to ye so earnestly on us, as though by our God and tell Him to do something for own power or holiness we had made Jesus' sake. We are asking it to be this man to walk?" (Acts 3:12). done to help Jesus on our credit. If I It isn't by our own power or had a stomach ache, it would be foolish holiness that we get an answer to to ask God to heal me for Jesus' sake. prayer. We don't get our prayers It is my stomach that hurts. I don't answered because we are good; they're want to be healed for Him. (We are the answered because of Jesus. He has a ones who need the help. He has the standing in heaven. He is the only standing or credit, and we can come in approach to the Father. We can't get His Name.) there any other way. We come to the It makes a lot of difference what Father in His Name. Jesus gave us the our attitude is. The reason we fail right and the authority to use His many times in our praying is because Name. The key to seeing answers to our approach is all wrong. Sometimes our prayers is through the mighty we think God should answer our Name of Jesus. prayers because of our own merit or goodness. When Peter and John ministered to Memory Text: the lame man at the Gate Beautiful, "And in that day ye shall ask me as recorded in the third chapter of nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Acts, the people who witnessed the Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in miracle were amazed. They thought it my name, he will give it you" (John was through some special power of 16:23).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

12 Lesson 4

The Authority of Jesus' Name Bible Text: Mark 16:17,18 Central Truth: Jesus gave us the power of attorney, the right to use His Name.

God hears and answers prayer. We ways, but God wants us to grow might as well settle that. It works. Too spiritually. God requires more of us often people just make a stab in the now than He did a few years ago. dark at praying. They call it praying and let it go at that. They hope Believer's Rights in the something works out some way or Name of Jesus other. But we need to take our stand on MARK 16:17,18 God's Word and let heaven, hell, and 17 And these signs shall follow them that earth know that God's Word is true believe; In my name shall they cast out and we believe it. We need to grow in devils; they shall speak with new tongues; prayer. Many times God condescends 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they to meet us on an elementary level, but drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt it is better that we grow spiritually them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and and meet Him on His level. they shall recover. The Bible teaches there is a Prayer should be addressed to the similarity between physical growth Father in Jesus' Name. This is the key and spiritual growth. "As newborn to seeing our prayers answered. In this babes, desire the sincere milk of the lesson we will look at the rights we word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 have in Jesus' Name. Peter 2:2). No one is born a fully grown Jesus gave us the power of adult. We are born as babies and grow attorney, or the right to use His Name. up. No one is born a fully grown Chris- We use His Name when we pray for tian, either. Christians are newborn our individual needs and when we deal babes and grow up. As we mature in with the devil. He said, "In my name the Word, our prayer life should shall they cast out devils. ..." improve. When Jesus appointed the seventy When I was a child I prayed, "Now disciples and sent them forth, "The I lay me down to sleep..." But I don't seventy returned again with joy, say- pray that way anymore. I've grown ing, Lord, even the devils are subject beyond that. When we were spiritual unto us through thy name" (Luke babes we may have prayed certain 10:17).

13 In Acts 16:16-18 we read where looked up, and said, "Momma! Is that Paul cast an evil spirit out of a girl. you, Momma?" She threw her arms "But Paul, being grieved, turned and around her and hugged and kissed her. said to the spirit, I command thee in That day she was dismissed from the the name of Jesus Christ to come out institution as being well. This mother of her. And he came out the same knew her rights. She knew the author- hour." ity that was hers to cast out devils in I once knew of a women whose Jesus' Name. daughter was in a mental institution. Jesus also said in Mark 16:17, "In This mother decided to pray the my name... they shall speak with new prayer of faith for her daughter — tongues." Every believer has the right exercising her authority in Jesus' to speak with tongues. Name and casting out the devil that The next verse says that in Jesus' kept her daughter bound. She asked 12 Name "They shall take up serpents; women who were strong in faith to go and if they drink any deadly thing, it with her to the mental institution. shall not hurt them." When they arrived at the padded This doesn't mean, of course, we cell where the daughter was being are to take up serpents and handle kept, the mother said to the attendant, them just to try to prove something. "I want you to open the door and let It means that if we are accidentally me in, because I want to pray for my bitten, as Paul was on the island of daughter." Melita, we can shake off the snake and "You can't do that," he answered. claim immunity in the Name of Jesus. "She'll kill you. She's violently We read in Acts 28:3-6 how Paul insane." was shipwrecked. He picked up some He argued he couldn't let her in sticks to build a fire and a viper came because he would lose his job, but all out and fastened on his hand. The the time he was unlocking the door. people who saw this expected him to The mother stepped in and he locked fall dead. When he didn't die and his the door again. hand didn't become swollen from the The insane daughter looked more venom, the people knew they had wit- like an animal than a human being. nessed a miracle. Her hair and nails had grown long, and I have heard of similar experiences she hissed and spat as an animal in our day. A woman missionary in a would. foreign country was stung by a deadly While the 12 women outside prayed scorpion. There was no antidote for the silently, the mother prayed out loud, bite in those days; its sting always was commanding the devil to come out of fatal. her daughter in the Name of Jesus. The missionary was shopping on She prayed like this for about 10 the street when the scorpion stung her, minutes. and people watching expected her to Suddenly the daughter relaxed, swell up and die. But she just shook

14 it off in Jesus' Name and didn't even recover" (v. 18). get sick to her stomach. As a result, Don't lay hands on someone and many of those people were saved. say, "If it be the Lord's will..." Lay The Scripture further says, "... your hands on them and claim their and if they drink any deadly thing, it deliverance in the Name of Jesus. You shall not hurt them." Again, this have solid ground to stand on. doesn't mean we can drink something Jesus said, "In my name...." It is poisonous to try to prove a point. It in His Name we can cast out devils. It means if we do accidentally, we can is in His Name we can speak with new claim immunity in the Name of the tongues. It is in His Name we can Lord Jesus Christ. claim immunity if we accidentally are bitten by a poisonous snake or if we Using the Name of Jesus drink any deadly thing. It is in His Name we can lay hands on the sick, A number of years ago a religious and they shall recover. It is His Name denomination was holding a conven- that gives us authority to claim these tion in Corpus Christi, Texas. After things. the people began to gather at the Notice He said we lay hands on the grounds where they were having the sick. We do the laying on of hands — convention, some of them began to fall not Jesus or the Holy Spirit. We lay ill. Soon about 20 or 30 people were hands on the sick person in Jesus' desperately sick, and they began pray- Name. ing for one another. We are the ones who talk in As they prayed, someone had a tongues. I have heard people say, "But revelation the water in one of the I'm afraid that was just me." Cer- hotels was poisonous. This was in the tainly that was you! You have the days when they didn't have running right to speak in tongues in Jesus' water. They had a pitcher and bowl on Name. You do the talking just as much a washstand in each room. This person as you lay hands on the sick person. cautioned the rest of the people not to The Holy Spirit gives you the utter- drink any more water. The Lord ance; you do the talking. answered prayer and everyone was This is our right in the Name of healed. Jesus. It belongs to everyone, not just They took a sample of the water to someone especially called. The ordi- a nearby naval station. Laboratory nary child of God has as much right tests showed there was enough poison to use the Name of Jesus as anyone. in the water to kill a regiment of men. Let me call your attention to Under such circumstances we have a something else here. We do not have right to claim immunity in Jesus' to struggle for faith. Some people Name. think if they just had enough faith, Jesus said, "... they shall lay they could do these things. But notice hands on the sick, and they shall this passage of Scripture does not say

15 a word about faith. Jesus didn't say, God's business. "If they have enough faith...." He Prayer is of the utmost importance. said, "These signs shall follow them From a practical side, Christianity is that believe; In my name they a living faith in touch with the living shall...." He went on to enumerate God who hears and answers prayer. our rights through His Name. Simply talking into the air is not We do not have to struggle for prayer. Taking up 20 minutes on Sun- faith. It is simply a matter of claim- day morning giving God a homily on ing our rights and boldly using what what His duties are toward the Church we know belongs to us. is not prayer. Giving the congregation The Name of Jesus belongs to me a lecture is not prayer. as much as my hands and feet belong We should pray for results. If we to me. When I awaken in the morning, pray and we see no results, it shows I don't pray for God to give me faith we have the form without the power. to get up and walk. I just get up and All things God has provided are walk because I know my feet are there! offered to us through prayer, and if we The Name of Jesus is as much mine as do not have them, it is because we my hands and feet are mine, and I can have not made our prayer connection. use His Name. If you are praying without seeing There are people who pray and any results, seek to find the trouble. pray, but the results do not prove their Is God untrue? No, He's not! Is the prayers are of any value. If you don't day of prayer and miracles over? No! get results when you pray, you need Have we been depending upon the to reexamine your methods. If you promises of a God who has gone aren't expecting results when you bankrupt? No! There is something pray, there is no need to pray. wrong somewhere, isn't there? Is it because we are not known in the Bank The Business of Prayer of Heaven? Let's seek to find the cause and Just as businesses expect to make uproot any doubt and unbelief. Let's a profit, so we should expect to profit pray to the Father as Jesus taught us when we pray. If a business was not to pray — in Jesus' Name — because making a profit, its management Jesus stands behind His Word. immediately would begin to reevaluate When we come according to God's its methods and make necessary Word, our prayers cannot fail. changes. Industry demands the best technical education. It demands men trained to do their jobs. Christians, Memory Text: too, should make a business of prayer "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, — the greatest business there is — I will do it" (John 14:14).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

16 Lesson 5

The Prayer of Agreement Bible Texts: Matthew 18:18-20; Deuteronomy 32:30; Romans 8:26

Central Truth: There is tremendous power as two or more agree in prayer concerning anything they may need.

Of the many prayer promises in the language is to say "I shall." In this Bible, perhaps none is more significant Scripture Jesus promised,''... it shall than Matthew 18:19. Yet many be done for them of my Father which dedicated Christians go through life is in heaven. "He also said, "If ye shall having a knowledge of the Word — ask any thing in my name, I will doit" having read and even studied Mat- (John 14:14). thew 18:19 — without really appropri- P. C. Nelson was a Greek scholar ating it in their own lives. who did all his personal Bible reading God didn't put all of the promises and private devotions from the Greek about prayer in the Bible just to fill up New Testament. He said the Greek space. They are there for our benefit. translation is more beautiful than the They are there for us to act upon. English, but it has a number of idioms To get the full impact of what that cannot be translated into English Jesus is saying in Matthew 18:19, let's and retain their full meaning. look at the verses preceding and Dr. Nelson said the literal Greek following it. rendering of Jesus' statement is, "If MATTHEW 18:18-20 you shall ask anything in my name 18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye and I don't have it, I will make it for shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: you." and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you Authority To Bind and shall agree on earth as touching any thing Loose that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:20 says, "For where 20 For where two or three are gathered two or three are gathered together in together in my name, there am I in the my name, there am I in the midst of midst of them. them." We usually apply this Scrip- ture to a church service. Of course, it Notice the phrase in verse 19: "... can refer to this, but what Jesus really it shall be done for them of my Father was saying here is wherever these two which is in heaven." The strongest people are who agree, He is right there assertion one can make in the English with them to make their prayer good.

17 Jesus was bringing out the fact more to sell it. that whatever we bind on earth shall Remembering Jesus' promise con- be bound in heaven, and whatever we cerning the prayer of agreement, the loose on earth shall be loosed in man approached the client, offering to heaven. Heaven will back us up in sell the property at the same price they what we do on earth. We have the had discussed before. This time the authority to loose and to bind. client said he would take it. Instead of using this authority, For two years this couple had been however, too many people allow the in financial trouble, desperately devil to blind them. They think they needing to sell their lot. They could can't help it if they are defeated and have had the money all the time if they depressed. They think there is nothing had only exercised their authority by they can do about it. But they can do agreeing in prayer that "it shall be something about it by acting on this done for them of my Father which is Scripture: by agreeing in prayer with in heaven." just one other believer. Instead of believing with their During 1957, our nation experi- hearts and saying with their mouths, enced an economic recession. Oregon the couple had been praying that God was a state which felt the recession would do something about it. They quite desperately. At that time I was now realized that they should have holding a revival in Salem, Oregon. As done something about it. (We have our I preached on the subject of the prayer part to play. When we make our move, of agreement, a couple in the church God will then move.) decided to claim this promise and make it work for them. Multiplied Prayer Power They owned a piece of property which they had been trying to sell for DEUTERONOMY 32:30 30 How should two years with no success. With times one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had so difficult, it seemed impossible to sell sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? it, yet the couple agreed in prayer that they would be able to sell it with the We may be mighty in prayer alone, Lord's help. but we can be mightier with someone When the man visited the real joining us. We read in the above verse estate agent, he was told that since that one can chase a thousand, but two they hadn't been able to sell the lot can put ten thousand to flight. With when times were good, there was lit- someone agreeing with us in prayer, tle hope they could sell it now. The we can do ten times as much as we can agent did suggest that the man talk do by ourselves. A lot of people don't to a client who previously had been need to be involved; just a husband interested in the lot. The agent wasn't and wife will do — just two. too optimistic, but he said if this client I once read a book by Dr. George didn't buy the lot, he would try once

18 W. Truett, who for many years was to the meeting the next night. He saw pastor of the First Baptist Church in the rancher come in, followed by the Dallas, Texas. One chapter of his book other man, his wife, and three children. deals with this subject of agreeing in Dr. Truett preached a fiery, prayer. evangelistic message and gave the He told that when he was a young invitation, but he couldn't seem to seminary student, he would go out move the man toward the altar. during the summer and conduct Finally he told the Lord that he had revival meetings. Once when he was done all he could do; he was going to preaching under a brush arbor in West sing one more verse and turn it over Texas, a tall rancher came up to him to Him. after the sermon one night and asked if he believed the New Testament. Dr. On the next verse of the invitation Truett answered that he did. Then the hymn, the oldest child, a girl about 13, rancher asked if he believed everything went forward. She knelt at the altar. in it. Dr. Truett answered that he Then one of the other children surely did. The rancher asked him if he followed. Finally all three children believed Matthew 18:19. Dr. Truett were praying at the altar. Then the said he didn't know offhand what Mat- mother went forward and finally the thew 18:19 said, but whatever it was, father followed. he believed it. At the conclusion of the service, the The rancher quoted this verse of rancher grabbed Dr. Truett and said Scripture to Dr. Truett and told him he knew if only he could find someone he was the first preacher they had ever to agree with him, it would work. He had who really believed it. He asked asked Dr. Truett to agree with him Dr. Truett to agree with him that his about his neighbor. ranch foreman and family would be At this point, Dr. Truett said if the saved the next night. He promised to rancher had asked him to agree with have them in church. Dr. Truett said him that the sun would rise in the he would agree for their salvation. West, he would have agreed. He was This big fellow, who towered over ready for anything! He said he was him about 6 feet 6 in cowboy boots, young and didn't know any better. He then grabbed his hand and shook it. said we get our heads educated at the He said, "Lord, I've finally found expense of our hearts, but simple someone to agree with me. I've been people just believe God's Word and looking for someone for years. This receive results. little preacher and I agree that John For two weeks the meetings con- and his family will be saved tomorrow tinued. Every night the rancher asked night." Dr. Truett to agree with him for After a sleepless night of doing another family, and every night that battle with the devil, Dr. Truett went family was saved. It works.

19 The Holy Spirit in the that He "helpeth." He isn't sent to do Ministry of Prayer your praying for you. He is sent to help you in every aspect of your life, ROMANS 8:26 and especially your prayer life. 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should There are some things that come pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself out of your heart that can't be maketh intercession for us with groanings expressed in words. It is the Holy which cannot be uttered. Spirit helping you as these groanings come out of your spirit and escape The Greek translation of the last your lips. It is the Holy Spirit in the phrase of this verse reads, "with ministry of prayer. groanings which cannot be uttered in I do most of my praying in articulate speech." Therefore, this tongues. For example, my son might verse includes groanings and praying have problems I know nothing about. in tongues. I tell the Lord I don't know how to In connection with this, Paul said, pray for him as I ought to, but I am "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, looking to the Holy Spirit to give me my spirit prayeth, but my understand utterance. I might pray for him an ing is unfruitful" (1 Cor. 14:14). The hour in tongues. I might have a revela- Amplified Bible reads, "... my spirit tion, or God might show me the [by the Holy Spirit within me] answer. But whether there is a revela- prays ----- " tion or not, we can pray that way Notice in Romans 8:26 that we because we know it is Biblical. don't know what we should pray for. We can't possibly know in our natural This kind of praying in the Spirit mind how to pray as we should gets the job done when nothing else because there are so many things will. The Holy Spirit makes interces- known only to God, but "the Spirit sion through us to the throne of grace. also helpeth our infirmities." The Holy Spirit will help us and will make intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered in articulate speech. This doesn't mean it is something Memory Text: the Holy Spirit does apart from you. "Again I say unto you, That if two of That would make the Holy Spirit you shall agree on earth as touching responsible for your prayer life, and He any thing that they shall ask, it shall isn't. You are responsible for your be done for them of my Father which prayer life. Notice that this verse says is in heaven" (Matt. 18:19).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

20 Lesson 6

The Six Most Important Things in Prayer (Part 1) Bible Texts: John 16:23,24; Mark 11:24-26; Acts 27:25

Central Truth: "There is something about believing God that will cause Him to pass over a million people to get to you." — Smith Wigglesworth

Many times I have asked people, as Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever they got up from praying, what they ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will believed. Often they have answered, give it you. "Well, I hope God heard me." I tell 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my them He didn't. name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your In His Word He says, "If you joy may be full. believe you shall receive," not "If you When Jesus spoke these words, He hope you shall receive." He didn't say was here on earth. He was talking to "keep on keeping on" until you get about the day in which we live. the answer. He said when you pray He had not yet gone to Calvary. He you should believe you receive. had not died and been buried. He had When you believe you receive, you not risen from the dead. The New don't have to pray all night long. You Covenant was not in force. His blood can go to bed and sleep peacefully, had not been carried into the Holy of knowing God has heard you and will Holies. (His blood is the seal of the answer your prayer. It's the most Covenant.) wonderful thing in the world to be able Man had the promise of redemp- to pillow your head on the promises of tion, but had not received it. Eternal God and sleep like a baby. Everything life had been promised, but had not around you might be in turmoil, but been provided. None had the New in the midst of it you can have peace. Birth — they only had the promise of This lesson deals with the six most it, because the New Birth is available important things the Christian should only under the New Covenant. know about prayer. This New Covenant was prophesied about in the Old Covenant. Under the Number 1: Pray to the Father Old Covenant, men's hearts never in the Name of Jesus were changed. That's the reason they kept on sinning. They couldn't help JOHN 16:23,24 but sin. 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Some of the greatest saints of the

21 Old Testament sinned. After they were wouldn't have said it! forgiven for one sin, they would com- Why did Jesus say, "Whatsoever mit another. Their natures were all ye shall ask the Father in my name, he wrong; their hearts were all wrong. will give it you"? The answer is found They only had a covering for their sins. in verse 24: "... that your joy may be But God promised in His Word full." that He would take that old heart out Our joy certainly can't be full if we of us and give us a new one. He said are out of work and our children are He would put a new spirit in us (Ezek. hungry. Our joy can't be full if our 11:19). This became available under bodies are racked with pain. Our joy the New Covenant. can't be full if there are problems in In John 16:23,24, Jesus told His our home. disciples that after He went to Calvary Jesus said the Father would give us and was raised from the dead, people "whatsoever" we ask so our "joy may were to pray to His Father. be full." Prayer based on legal grounds But there is a secret to success with should be addressed to the Father in this kind of praying. The key is in the the Name of Jesus. We are not sup- words, "Whatsoever ye shall ASK posed to pray to Jesus. This was His THE FATHER IN MY NAME.. . ." instruction. We are to address our prayers to the The disciples asked Him, while He Father in the Name of Jesus. was here on earth, to teach them to pray. He taught them to say, "Our Number 2: Father...." We refer to this as the Believe You Receive Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13), but it is not New Testament prayer. MARK 11:24 This prayer didn't ask a thing in 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things Jesus' Name; His Name wasn't even soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. mentioned. This prayer was prayed under the Old Covenant. Under the Smith Wigglesworth once said New Covenant, which was sealed with there is something about believing the precious blood of Jesus, we are to God that will cause Him to pass over pray to the Father in Jesus' Name. a million people to get to you. Now let us focus our attention on God is a faith God. We are faith the word "whatsoever" in John 16:23. children of a faith God. He works on Often we say we are believing for an the principle of faith. answer to prayer "if it is God's will." We are saved by faith: "For by But this verse makes no such grace are ye saved through faith; and condition. On the contrary, it says, that not of yourselves: it is the gift of "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father God: Not of works, lest any man in my name, he will give it you." It should boast" (Eph. 2:8,9). must have been His will; otherwise, He We walk by faith, not by sight. It

22 is the prayer of faith God listens to. He For many years I have practiced said you can have the desires of your this kind of faith, and Mark 11:24 has heart if you believe you receive them. been my standby. I have experienced You have to believe first, however. it in my own life as I have prayed for Most people want to receive and the desires of my heart, believing that then they will believe. But it is the I receive them. It is true not only for other way around: The believing part healing, but also in every other area of comes first. life. No matter what the need may be I am convinced that if people would — material, spiritual, or financial — quit praying repeatedly about some of this is the way we receive. the things they pray about and begin Smith Wigglesworth said some thanking God for the answer, the people are ready to give up if their answer would come right away. But prayers aren't answered immediately. they keep on praying in unbelief. But, he said, this proves that they If a person asks for the same thing never believed God in the first place. again, he doesn't believe he received it Often God permits our faith to be the first time he asked. If he believed tried and tested right up to the end. he had received it, he would be thank- When you believe God, you can stand ing God for it, and it would be made firm, even though you are tested. manifest. I have been there and I know by The faith Jesus was talking about experience. I learned many years ago in Mark 11 is heart faith — a spiritual to laugh all the more when the going faith — not head faith. We get used to gets rough. I don't always feel like walking by head faith. But we are to laughing, but I make myself laugh believe in our heart that we receive right in the face of the devil. I smile what we are praying for, even though and say that I believe God. we do not see the answer with our When Paul was on a ship bound for physical eyes. Rome, a great storm arose. Because This also is true of physical healing, the ship was in danger of sinking, the but it seems more difficult to practice crew attempted to lighten it by throw- faith for physical healing than for ing cargo overboard. This didn't help anything else, because we have the the situation, and the storm continued, body, with all its feelings and symp- night and day, for "many days." toms, to contend with. Finally the crew and passengers gave Most people will believe God has up all hope that they or the ship would healed them when they can see their survive. However, right in the midst condition has grown better, or when of the storm's fury, Paul addressed the symptoms are gone. Anyone can them, saying he believed God: believe what he can see. What Jesus ACTS 27:25 was teaching here is that we should 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe when we pray and then we will believe God, that it shall be even as it was receive. told me.

23 You and I may not have to face a against him can hinder you. storm-tossed sea, but we do have to We must watch our inward man face storms in life. We, too, can stand with all diligence. We cannot afford to with the faith of Paul and announce allow a root of bitterness, a bit of envy, that we believe God. or a spark of revenge to get in there. It will wreck our spiritual life. It will Number 3: Forgive When stall our prayer life. It will mar our You Pray faith and eventually it will shipwreck us. MARK 11:25,26 A fellow once wanted me to pray 25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if that he never would have any more ye have ought against any: that your trouble with the devil. I told him I Father also which is in heaven may forgive didn't know anyone who was free from you your trespasses. trouble with the devil, least of all me. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your tres We can't pray that we won't have passes. any more trouble with the devil, but we can learn to take authority over Before we can expect an answer to him: "Resist the devil, and he will flee our prayers, we must forgive any who from you" (James 4:7). may have wronged us. We cannot hold God prepares a table before us in a grudge — we cannot keep an unfor- the presence of our enemies. Jesus is giving spirit — if we want our prayers there right in the presence of the devil. to reach God's throne of grace. Right in the presence of the enemies Prayer will not work in an unfor- of doubt and despair, we can sit at the giving heart. No one can have an table of victory and deliverance with effective prayer life and have anything Jesus. In the face of adverse circum- in his heart against another. You can- stances we can believe we receive. not have hatred in your heart. You cannot have revenge in your heart. Memory Text: You are not responsible for that "Praying always with all prayer and other person's life. You are responsi- supplication in the Spirit, and watch- ble only for your life. What is in ing thereunto with all perseverance another person's heart can't hinder and supplication for all saints" (Eph. you, but what you have in your heart 6:18).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

24 Lesson 7

The Six Most Important Things in Prayer (Part 2) Bible Texts: Romans 8:26,27; 1 Corinthians 14:14,15; Jude 20; 1 Corinthians 14:4 Central Truth: When we allow the Holy Spirit to pray through us — to help us in our prayer life — we will see amazing answers to our prayers.

Praying always with all prayer and should know about prayer. They were: supplication in the Spirit, and watch- (1) pray to the Father in the Name of ing thereunto with all perseverance Jesus; (2) believe you receive; and (3) and supplication for all saints. forgive when you pray. This lesson will — Ephesians 6:18 cover the last three points in this topic.

Dr. James Moffatt's translation of Number 4: Depend Upon Ephesians 6:18, quoted above, says, the Holy Spirit in Your "praying at all times ... with all Prayer Life manner of prayer. ..." Another modern translation says, "praying ROMANS 8:26,27 with all kinds of prayer." 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our The King James Version, even infirmities: for we know not what we should though it does not say "all kinds of pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself prayer," says "praying always with all maketh intercession for us with groanings prayer," inferring that there is more which cannot be uttered. than one kind of prayer. If there were 27 And he that searcheth the not, it merely would have said, "pray- hearts ing always," and would have stopped knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the there. saints according to the will of God. How desperately our nation needs prayer. How desperately the church 1 CORINTHIANS 14:14,15 needs prayer. How desperately we 14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my individuals need prayer. Nothing can spirit prayeth, but my understanding is take the place of prayer for meeting unfruitful. the needs of our family. 15 What is it then? I will pray with the In our last lesson we discussed spirit, and I will pray with the understand three points in our study of the six ing also: I will sing with the spirit, and I most important things the Christian will sing with the understanding also. Christians everywhere pray with

25 the understanding, but not all pray for we know not what we should pray with the Spirit (pray in tongues). Many for as we ought: but the Spirit itself do not know it is even possible to do maketh intercession for us...." (Rom. so. 8:26). Some in their haste and their igno- We do not always understand rance of the Scriptures have said that everything concerning what we are tongues have been done away with. praying about, but the Holy Spirit But if that were true, how are we to does. When we allow Him to pray "pray with the spirit" today? Surely through us — to help us in our prayer the Corinthian Christians didn't have life — we will see amazing answers to a means of praying that we can't have. our prayers! We have the same means available to If I know specific details about us today. what I'm praying for, I can believe Paul said that when he prayed in when I pray, and I will receive them. an unknown tongue, his spirit prayed. However, sometimes there are things When you pray in tongues, it is your we know we need to pray about, but spirit praying by the Holy Spirit we do not know how to pray for them. within you. Likewise, your groaning is The Holy Spirit knows, and He can the Holy Spirit within you groaning. help us. (It is easier to have faith for I sometimes have been so burdened in needs like rent and groceries because prayer that I didn't have adequate we know what we are praying for. But words to express my feelings. All I there are other situations in life that could do was groan from somewhere aren't so easy to pray for.) 'way down deep inside me. Paul says There have been times in my own these groanings that escape our lips life when I have told the Lord I didn't come from our spirit — our innermost know exactly how I should pray con- being. When this happens, it is the cerning my children. When I know Spirit helping us pray, as we see in there is a problem, I begin praying in Romans 8:26. tongues, and most of the time before According to the late P. C. Nelson, I get through, I have the answer. the literal Greek translation of Number 5: Pray the Romans 8:26 says, "The Spirit Prayer of Intercession Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered This point ties in closely with in articulate speech." Articulate Number 4. Romans 8:26 says, "... the speech means your regular kind of Spirit itself maketh intercession for us speech. Speaking with tongues is not with groanings which cannot be your regular kind of speech, so this uttered." The prayer of intercession is verse includes speaking and praying not for you. An intercessor is one who with other tongues. takes the place of another. You are Paul said the Holy Spirit would interceding for another. help us in our prayer life. Why? "... Every Spirit-filled believer can

26 expect the Holy Spirit to help him 1 CORINTHIANS 14:4 intercede. This intercession can be for 4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue someone's salvation, healing, etc. It edifieth himself __ even includes praying for things or There is one phase of speaking with people we don't know about, but the tongues in our prayer life that is Holy Spirit does.* neither praying for someone else nor After a time of praying in the Spirit interceding for anyone else. It is purely we will know whether we were praying a means of personal spiritual edifica- in tongues for ourselves — to build tion. It aids us spiritually and edifies ourselves up spiritually and worship us. We all need this kind of praying. God, which is discussed in the next We cannot help others — we cannot step — or we were interceding for edify others — unless we ourselves others. have been edified. On occasion — and sometimes over Praying in this manner has a three- a period of time — I have had a burden fold value. First, it is a means of of intercession before I even knew for spiritual edification. It affects us whom I was praying. I can tell when individually. Second, it is a means of I am in intercession or travail for praying for things about which we do someone who is lost. not know. Third, the Holy Spirit helps (When you take the place of a lost us make intercession. person in intercession, you will experi- Speaking in tongues is not only an ence that same lost feeling in your own initial evidence of the Holy Spirit's spirit. As you pray in the Spirit, inter- indwelling; it is a continual experience ceding for the person, the Holy Spirit for the rest of one's life. It is to assist will deal with his heart and bring him in the worship of God. It is a flowing under conviction of sin.) stream that never should dry up. It Number 6: Edify Yourself will enrich your life spiritually. by Praying in the Holy Memory Text: Spirit "Praying always with all prayer and JUDE 20 supplication in the Spirit, and watch- 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves ing thereunto with all perseverance on your most holy faith praying in the Holy and supplication for all saints" (Eph. Ghost. 6:18).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

*For a complete study of this subject, see Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin's book The Art of Intercession.

Lesson 8

Interpreting Our Prayers in the Spirit Bible Text: 1 Corinthians 14:13-17,27,28 Central Truth: Every believer can interpret his prayers in the Spirit, thus gaining spiritual understanding of them.

Praying in the Spirit is not something we can't have. something that belongs only to min- I am convinced that every believer isters. It belongs to every believer. should be able to interpret his own Much has been accomplished prayers, even though he never may through those who have yielded their interpret a message in tongues prayer lives to the Holy Spirit, allow- publicly. I believe that a person can ing Him to pray through them. But we interpret without being an interpreter. would see even greater results if more (I will explain this point more fully Christians prayed in the Spirit. later in this lesson.) Would the Spirit of God tell us to 1 CORINTHIANS 14:13-17 pray for something we couldn't have? 13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an The fact that He has told us to pray unknown tongue pray that he may inter that we may interpret means He has pret. made this available to every believer. 14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is Therefore, every believer should be unfruitful. able to pray in tongues (pray in the 15 What is it then? I will pray with the Spirit), because we are encouraged to spirit, and I will pray with the understand do so in the Bible. Likewise, we should ing also: I will sing with the spirit, and I pray that we also can interpret what will sing with the understanding also. we have prayed in tongues, because 16 Else when thou shalt bless with the the Word encourages us to do this, too. spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room Notice why God wants us to do of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving this. In First Corinthians 14:13 we of thanks, seeing he understandeth not read that those who speak in an what thou sayest? unknown tongue should pray that 17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but they may interpret. Two of the next the other is not edified. verses begin with the conjunction God, speaking through the Apostle "for." A conjunction is a connecting Paul, said, "Wherefore let him that word. That means Paul was continuing speaketh in an unknown tongue pray what he had said. that he may interpret" (v. 13). God cer- Verse 14 reads, "FOR if I pray in tainly is not going to tell us to pray for an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth,

29 but my understanding is unfruitful." any teaching along those lines. Some If we could interpret our prayer in even thought that once a person was tongues, our understanding no longer filled with the Spirit and spoke in would be unfruitful. It would be tongues, it wasn't necessary for him fruitful. to speak in tongues ever again! (Sadly, Sometimes it would be helpful for many Christians still do not rise above us to know what we are praying about this level today.) when we pray in the Spirit. There are After I was first filled with the some things we pray about that we Spirit, I would find myself praying in need to understand. It would help us tongues when I was praying, and I if our minds were enlightened about would stop, because I wasn't sure if it them. However, I would never inter- was right or not. However, about a pret prayers in which we edify and year later as I studied the Word, I saw build ourselves up. Those are merely that it was all right to pray in tongues; prayers of worship and praise, and that this blessing is for us today. they do not need to be interpreted. Similarly, I interpreted my prayers long before I did any interpreting in public. I know from experience the dif- Praying With the Spirit ference it makes in one's prayer life. and With the Some of my first experiences along

Understanding this line came when I was a new Verse 15 continues Paul's teaching: believer. I was deeply in love with the "What is it then? I will pray with the Lord and would seek Him and wait on spirit, and I will pray with the under- Him. While praying about my services standing also...." There is a further and the sermons I was to preach, the meaning to this verse than the one we Spirit of the Lord would move upon me have generally accepted. and I would interpret what I had just First, it means we can pray both prayed in tongues. ways: with the Spirit (in tongues) and One day while praying in the Spirit, with the understanding (in our own I began to interpret my prayer. I found language). out that I was praying about the girl But it also means that if we pray I was to marry! I also learned that we to be given the interpretation of what would have two children, the older a we pray in tongues, we may pray in the boy and the younger a girl. I was not Spirit and afterwards God may give us prophesying; I was interpreting my the interpretation. If this happens, we prayer in tongues. I would pray a few will understand what we have prayed words in tongues and then pray the about in tongues, and we can pray interpretation. with our understanding in our native At that time I was a single man of language. 21 and I was so wrapped up in spirit- I have prayed in this manner since ual things that I didn't have time for 1938. In those days, we didn't have girls and dating.

30 The farthest thing from my mind 28 But if there be no interpreter, let him was the thought of marriage! But keep silence in the church; and let him speak everything came to pass just as the to himself, and to God. interpretation indicated. I got married that same year. When we were expect- In verse 28 we read, "But if there ing our first child, I knew it would be be no interpreter ...," or if no inter- a boy. In fact, we only picked out a preter is present. This infers that there boy's name. are those who are interpreters. When we were expecting our We make a great mistake by think- second child, I knew it would be a girl, ing that tongues and interpretation is so we picked out only a girl's name. just for public use. There is a public Some of our relatives were skeptical side to it under certain circumstances, and asked, "What if it isn't a girl?" I but as we see from the passage of said, "I'm not going by 'what if's.' " Scripture above, its main use is When the baby was born, it was a private. lovely daughter. As I said, I interpreted my own prayers long before I interpreted Tongues and publicly. When I began to interpret Interpretation: For Public my prayers in private, it was like or Private Use? driving that car. When I began to interpret publicly, it was like driving As was mentioned earlier, the fact that truck: It was partly the same, but that one may interpret tongues does it was different. To interpret publicly, not mean he is an interpreter. The two one stands in a different office, on a are related, but they are not the same different plane, in a different area. thing. When I first interpreted my To illustrate, an automobile, a prayers, that was all I could interpret. truck, and a bus are totally different I could not interpret anyone else's vehicles, yet they are all motorized prayers. I could not interpret a mes- forms of transportation. Just because sage in tongues. Later, however, I a person owns an automobile and received the gift of interpretation. drives it does not mean he is a trucker. Notice that the Scripture does not Even if he owned a truck, that would say, "Let him that speaketh in an not necessarily mean he could drive it. unknown tongue pray that he may And because a man is a bus driver does have the gift of interpretation." It not mean he is a trucker. They are dif- says, "Let him ... pray that he may ferent yet related. The same is true of interpret." Interpret what? Interpret tongues and interpretation. his prayer. Why? So he can "pray with 1 CORINTHIANS 14:27,28 27 If any man the spirit, and ... pray with the speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by understanding also. " This would not two, or at the most by three, and that by make him an interpreter; it would course; and let one interpret. make him one who prays in the Spirit.

31 Even after I received the gift of always interpret all the prayers I pray interpretation and became an inter- in tongues — only as the Lord wills preter, I still couldn't interpret what and as it is necessary. people prayed in their private times of In Romans 8:26 we read, "Likewise prayer, but I could interpret all public the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: utterances. (I still can interpret public for we know not what we should pray utterances, although I don't always do for as we ought: but the Spirit itself it. Often there are several present who maketh intercession for us with have the interpretation, and I allow groan-ings which cannot be someone else to give it forth.) uttered." I have learned by experience that If you don't know what to pray for when someone speaks in tongues as you ought, you can pray in the publicly, I can interpret their message Spirit and then interpret. Then you in tongues if I respond to the Spirit. will know what you prayed for. Then In First Corinthians 14:27,28, Paul you will be praying "with the spirit, infers that an interpreter can do this. and... with the understanding also." He said, "// there be no interpreter I am convinced that every believer ...," inferring that some are inter- should pray in the Spirit and "with the preters, having the gift of interpreta- understanding" — not just pray a tion, while others do not. prayer out of his understanding, but An interpreter might not be pres- pray the interpretation so he can ent in a meeting, and if no interpreter understand his prayers in the Spirit. is present, the person giving the message in tongues should be silent. This implies that an interpreter always Memory Text: could interpret the messages. "Wherefore let him that speaketh in an In my own prayer life, I do not unknown tongue pray that he may interpret" (1 Cor. 14:13).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

32 Lesson 9

Tongues — A Flowing Stream of Praise Bible Texts: 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; Ephesians 5:18,19; John 7:37-39

Central Truth: Speaking with tongues is a flowing stream that should never die out, but will enrich the life spiritually.

Having studied in the last two designed as an inspiration in public lessons the necessity and value of worship. Of them, the gift of tongues praying in tongues, let us now take a is the most prominent. closer look at the kinds and uses of Tongues with interpretation is tongues. distinctive with this dispensation. All the other gifts of the Spirit were Tongues — One of the manifested in the Old Testament. Nine Gifts of the Spirit Even in the life and ministry of Jesus, all the other gifts were manifested I CORINTHIANS 12:7-11 except tongues and interpretation. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. Because tongues and interpreta- 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the tion is distinctive with this dispensa- word of wisdom; to another the word of tion, it is manifested more frequently knowledge by the same Spirit; in the Church than the other gifts. 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to "Divers kinds of tongues" are another the gifts of healing by the same supernatural utterances given by the Spirit; Holy Spirit. They are languages never 10 To another the working of miracles; to learned by the speaker, and they are another prophecy; to another discerning of not understood by him. Usually they spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: are not understood by the hearers, II But all these worketh that one and the although there are exceptions to this. selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man There have been times when the words severally as he will. someone speaks in tongues have been understood by someone present. In these verses are listed the nine A minister once told me of an expe- gifts, manifestations, or ways in which rience he had had while preaching at the Holy Spirit manifests Himself. a mission station in Mexico. Three of these gifts are gifts of inspiration, or utterance: prophecy, He said, "I preached for about five divers kinds of tongues, and interpre- nights with the local missionary inter- tation of tongues. These vocal gifts are preting my sermons into Spanish. One

33 night a Mexican woman came forward in the Holy Spirit: "And they were all to receive the Holy Spirit after I had filled with the Holy Ghost, and began preached. The power of God fell on her to speak with other tongues, as the and she began to speak in the most Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). perfect English I had ever heard. I I do not argue, however, with those could understand everything she said. who claim to have the Holy Spirit even She had never been to school a day in though they never have spoken in her life, and her native tongue was tongues. After all, the Holy Spirit does Spanish. a work of regeneration when a person "Hearing her speak in my language is born again, and the Bible tells us — English — a language she had never that "The Spirit itself beareth witness learned, was one of the most beautiful with our spirit, that we are the children experiences I have ever had. It really of God" (Rom. 8:16). did something for me. I never have Many years ago, as a young pastor been the same since." hungry for the deeper things of God, Another instance in which tongues I came to the conclusion while reading was understood by a listener but not the New Testament that if I received by the speaker involved a woman mis- the same Holy Spirit that the disciples sionary to India. did on the Day of Pentecost, I wanted While home on furlough, she the same accompanying sign. And if attended a service at a Bible institute. I didn't have the same sign — speak- One of the students gave a message in ing in tongues — I had no scriptural tongues, but no interpretation came. evidence that I was filled with the While everyone waited and wondered same Holy Spirit they were filled with. why there was no interpretation, the Thank God, I did receive that same missionary stood and said, "That Holy Spirit and did speak with student was speaking one of the tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. dialects of India. I understood every Smith Wigglesworth once argued word that was said. The message was that he already was filled and baptized for me, and that is the reason no inter- with the Holy Spirit, even though at pretation was given. Through this that time he had not spoken in other message God spoke to me, telling me tongues. He wanted me to go back to India and When he heard that some people in telling me what He wanted me to do an Episcopal (Anglican) church were there." speaking in tongues, he went to see about it. He found that the pastor, his Tongues — The Initial wife, and many of their members had Evidence of the Baptism of received the baptism in the Holy the Holy Spirit Spirit. They asked Wigglesworth, "Do Speaking in tongues always is you have the Holy Ghost?" manifested when people are baptized Wigglesworth replied that he did.

34 "Well, have you spoken with experience outside the realm of tongues?" they asked. argument. Before, I only had an "No, but I'm just as much filled argument, but now I have an experi- with the Holy Ghost as you are!" he ence with God." replied. There are different purposes for After a while, however, ministering in tongues in a public Wiggles-worth began to see the assembly and speaking with tongues necessity of speaking in tongues. He in your prayer life as a Spirit-baptized went to the Episcopal rectory to ask individual. However, the essence of the pastor to pray for him, but he tongues is the same, and the source of wasn't home. the tongues — the Holy Spirit — is the The pastor's wife, however, said, same in both cases. "I'll pray for you." Wigglesworth said, "Lay your Tongues in the Believer's hands on my head and pray that I'll Prayer Life get the tongues." "You don't want the tongues," she The Spirit-baptized believer does said. "You want the Holy Ghost. The not have to stop speaking in tongues tongues will take care of themselves." after his initial experience. He can con- Wigglesworth argued, "But I tinue to use tongues in his private already have the Holy Spirit!" prayer and worship to God even "Never mind, just kneel down though he may not be used to minister there," the pastor's wife said. She was in tongues in public. tired of arguing with him. The late Howard Carter, who Wigglesworth knelt, and as hands founded the oldest Pentecostal Bible were laid upon him, the power of God school in the world in England, said, came over him and he began to speak "We must not forget that the speak- in other tongues. He later said, "The ing with other tongues is not only an Holy Ghost settled all my arguments initial evidence or sign of the Holy for me. I had been arguing and Spirit's indwelling, but it is a continual discussing the subject with them experience for the rest of one's life to every day that I had the Holy Ghost assist in the worship of God. Speaking just as much as they did. In a with tongues is a flowing stream that moment's time I saw that I really should never die out, but will enrich never had been filled with the Holy the life spiritually." Ghost. I had had some wonderful expe- Sometimes we become satisfied riences as a minister as God blessed and we feel we have "arrived" me and anointed me to preach, and spiritually, so to speak, because we many had been saved and even healed, have been baptized in the Holy Spirit but I never had been filled with the and have spoken in tongues for a Holy Ghost until then. while. "When you get an experience A pastor once told me about a inside the Word of God, you have an

35 young man in his church who had been there is an element of poetry about it. seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is given by the inspiration of the He attended the church's revival ser- Holy Spirit on the spur of the moment. vices every night, and finally one night It can come by tongues and interpreta- he received. After that he stopped tion or by prophecy. attending the services. When the JOHN 7:37-39 pastor asked him about it, he said, 37 In the last day, that great day of the "Why, I finally got through!" But we feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any don't ever get through. That expe- man thirst, let him come unto me, and rience is just the beginning. drink. EPHESIANS 5:18,19 38 He that believeth on me, as the scrip ture hath said, out of his belly shall flow 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is rivers of living water. excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and they that believe on him should receive: for hymns and spiritual songs, singing and the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because making melody in your heart to the Lord. that Jesus was not yet glorified.) Paul wrote these verses to the Water is a type of the Holy Spirit. born-again, Spirit-filled believers in the Jesus stood at the last day of the feast Church at Ephesus. He told them to and told the people to drink of the "be filled with the Spirit." He told them to be drunk on the Spirit, not on Spirit. He was encouraging us to stay wine. The Greek says, "be being filled with the Spirit. By doing so, we filled"; in other words, maintain a con- can overcome the devil and the sins of stant experience. Keep drinking of the this world, and we can live a life that Spirit. is pleasing to Christ. Then Paul gave the Ephesians the "... walk in the Spirit, and ye shall characteristic of the Spirit-filled life: not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Gal. "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and 5:16). hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to Memory Text: the Lord." "And be not drunk with wine, wherein A psalm is a spiritual poem or an is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" ode. It may or may not rhyme, but (Eph. 5:18).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

36 Lesson 10

Prayer on a New Dimension Bible Text: 1 Corinthians 14:2,4,18 Central Truth: As we pray in the Spirit, our spirit is not bound by human limitations.

Some people ask, "What is the use Speaking Secrets to God of speaking with tongues?" There also are those who have been filled with the 1 CORINTHIANS 14:2,4,18 Holy Spirit and have spoken in 2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongues but see no reason to continue tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto to speak in tongues in their daily God: for no man understandeth prayer life. him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. Evidently God thought that speak- 4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue ing in tongues is very important, edifieth himself __ because He inspired the Apostle Paul 18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues to devote an entire chapter in the Bible more than ye all. — First Corinthians 14 — to this subject. In verse two, when Paul said, "For Although all will agree on the he that speaketh in an unknown utmost importance of prayer, where in tongue speaketh not unto men, but the Bible can we find an entire chapter unto God," he was not referring to on prayer? The paying of tithes and ministering in tongues in a public offerings is another important subject; assembly; he was talking about a we could not carry on the work of God Spirit-filled believer talking in tongues without money. But where in the in his private prayer life. (This also Word of God do we see an entire includes praying in tongues during chapter given to the subject? Water prayer services at the altar in church, baptism also is important. But again because we go there to talk to God.) we do not find an entire chapter Paul continued, "... howbeit in the devoted to the subject. spirit he speaketh mysteries." What I am saying is that God does Mof-fatt's translation of this verse not put unnecessary things in His says, "... he is talking of divine Word. He has not filled the Bible with secrets in the Spirit." God has unimportant subjects. Therefore, the divised a way whereby we may speak teachings on the subject of speaking to Him super-naturally! In the in tongues are vital and necessary to Spirit, we speak divine secrets to every successful Christian. God! While I was holding a meeting in Mesa, Arizona, the pastor told me the

37 story of a young Jewish boy. He didn't "The following Sunday night the have too many friends, so one of the Jewish boy was back in our services boys in the church befriended him and again, and that night he gave his heart invited him to go to church with him. to Christ." At first the Jewish boy refused, This young Jewish boy received saying that he didn't believe in Christ. Christ as his Messiah and Savior as a However, he began thinking that result of a humble widow who yielded maybe he shouldn't be so obstinate, to the Spirit's operation through her because this Christian boy was the to speak to a lost boy. only one who had been kind to him. So he agreed to go with him. During the service, a woman stood Spiritual Edification and gave a message in tongues. No First Corinthians 14:4 says, "He interpretation was given. The pastor that speaketh in an unknown tongue told me, "I waited for a few minutes, edifieth himself...." This means that but finally when there was no inter- he builds himself up spiritually. Jude pretation to the message in tongues, 20 says, "But ye, beloved, building up we went on with the service. As I was yourselves on your most holy faith, shaking hands with the people at the praying in the Holy Ghost." conclusion of the service, the Jewish This does not say that praying in boy asked me, 'Who was that lady who the Holy Spirit will give you faith; it was talking to me?' says it builds you up "on your most "At first I didn't understand what holy faith." It is a means of spiritual he meant. He went on to explain, 'That edification. lady who got up in the service and While I was a young pastor of a talked to me spoke my language community church out in the country, [Hebrew] and even called my name. I stayed with one of the couples in the She told me what I had been thinking. church. The wife was desperately ill She told me that Christ was the with an ulcerated stomach and could Messiah and that I should believe on eat nothing but baby food and a few Him.' raw eggs mixed in milk. She even had "He seemed to resent her talking trouble keeping that on her stomach. directly to him in front of the crowd. Then she received the baptism of I said to him, 'That dear lady is a the Holy Spirit. I was not present, but widow who has only about a fifth she told me about her experience of grade education. She takes in being filled with the Spirit and speak- washings for a living. She speaks no ing in other tongues. language but English.' No one laid hands on her to pray "Then I called the woman over and for her healing, but from the moment introduced her to him so he could see she received the Holy Spirit, she was for himself that she was a very instantly healed and could eat uneducated woman. anything she wanted.

38 Surely no one could find fault with wanted to pray apart from my under- an experience that can bring both heal- standing: "For if I pray in an unknown ing and blessing. This woman was a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my believer, a wonderful child of God, a understanding is unfruitful" (1 Cor. dedicated Christian. By praying in 14:14). tongues, she built herself up on her All this changed after I received most holy faith, and her faith began to the Holy Spirit and prayed in tongues. operate. I can now communicate with God on I have seen this happen many a new dimension. My spirit is no longer times. I have seen people with incur- bound by earthly vocabularies; it can able conditions receive the baptism of soar beyond the limitations of human the Holy Spirit, speak with tongues, speech. My spirit is enabled by the and become healed instantly. We had indwelling Holy Spirit to say what it prayed for some of these same people wants to say. with the laying on of hands before, but I cannot begin to estimate the they had failed to receive their healing. worth of praying in the Spirit in my We know that speaking with life. For many years, I traveled on the tongues is a real spiritual boost to a per- evangelistic field, having to spend son. It edifies him — it builds him up. much time away from my family. Again and again the Holy Spirit New Dimensions in Praise alerted me to needs in my family. I would be awakened in the night by the Speaking with tongues is a way we Spirit's urging me to pray concerning can magnify God. We read in Acts a problem that had arisen at home. I 10:46 concerning Cornelius and his immediately would go to prayer, say- household, "For they heard them ing, "I don't know what is wrong — speak with tongues, and magnify I don't know the source of the trouble God...." — but You know everything." I ministered for several years I would ask the Holy Spirit within before receiving the baptism of the me, who is my Helper, to help me pray Holy Spirit. During those years, I had about this situation, whatever it might some wonderful times in prayer, but be, in the way it should be prayed for. often I went away from my place of Then I began praying in tongues. prayer disappointed, even though I I have prayed as much as six hours was blessed. I felt as if something were in tongues. Often the Lord let me know missing. what I was praying about and what I would try to tell God how much the answer to it was. Whether or not I loved Him, using all the descriptive He did, I knew my praying was right, adjectives at my disposal. But I would and in a few days I would see how it exhaust my vocabulary. In my spirit worked out. I felt I had not said what I wanted to Praying in the Spirit has been such say. This was because my a blessing to my life that I want to spirit

39 encourage Christians everywhere to urally. make it a part of their prayer life, too. God wants to do so much more for I want you to know the joy of you. He wants to communicate with fellowshipping with the Lord in the you in a better way. Holy Spirit. I want you to allow the Spirit to help you with your praying. Memory Text: I want to invite you to come on in and "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, communicate with God my spirit prayeth ..." (1 Cor. 14:14). supernat-

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

40 Lesson 11 The Prayers of Petition and Consecration Bible Texts: Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24; Luke 22:42

Central Truth: God is concerned about everything that touches us, and He has made a provision to meet our needs through prayer.

In the King James Version, cases. Ephe-sians 6:18 reads, "Praying Likewise, spiritually, the principles always with all prayer and that apply to one kind of prayer may supplication in the Spirit..." not apply to another, and you can Moffatt's translation reads, become terribly confused if you try to "Praying.... with all manner of apply the wrong rule to a certain kind prayer." Yet another translation says, of prayer. "Praying with all kinds of prayer...." The first kind of prayer we will In today's lesson we will look at study in this lesson is the prayer of some of the different kinds of prayer petition. in the New Testatment. Just as numerous games are The Prayer of Petition classified as "sports," different kinds MATTHEW 21:22 of prayer often are lumped together 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask under the general category of in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. "prayer." We need to realize that just as MARK 11:24 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things different rules govern each game, soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that different principles, rules, or spiritual ye receive them, and ye shall have them. laws also govern different kinds of prayer. In sports, the rules that apply By far the most frequent prayer of to baseball do not apply to football. Christians is the prayer of petition. We A visitor from Europe was taken always are petitioning or asking God by his host to see an American to do something for us. This is scrip- baseball game in New York City. He tural, of course, because He told us in didn't know much about the game, Matthew 21:22, "... ask in prayer, because it is not played in his country, believing." and he had to ask a number of ques- The prayer of petition must be a tions because he didn't understand the prayer of faith. It primarily concerns terminology. He was accustomed to an individual's desires, needs, and sports that were quite different and he problems. It is you praying knew the same rules didn't apply in all for

41 yourself, not someone else praying for Gethsemane. you or agreeing with you in prayer. By contrast, when He stood at When you pray the prayer of peti- Lazarus' tomb, He didn't say, "If it be tion, believe that you receive. If you thy will." Instead, He said, "I thank will do that, you will have what you You because You hear me always" ask for. God is concerned about our (John 11:41-43). Then He commanded needs and He wants to meet them for Lazarus to come forth. us. The prayer to raise Lazarus was a Notice that in the Old Testament, prayer to change something. Anytime God promised His people more than we pray to change something, we do spiritual blessings; He promised them not need to put an "if" in our prayer. that they would prosper financially If we do, we are using the wrong rule, and materially. He told them He would and the prayer won't work. Instead, take sickness away from their midst, we need to claim God's promise for our and He would give them long life: "... the number of thy days I will fulfil" petition and believe that we receive it. (Exod. 23:26). God also told them that Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane — the if they would keep His command- prayer in which He put an "if" — was ments, they would eat the good of the a prayer of consecration. land (Isa. 1:19). God is just as interested in His The Prayer of Consecration people today as He was then. He is LUKE 22:42 concerned about everything that 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, touches our lives. He promised us in remove this cup from me: nevertheless not Third John 2, "Beloved, I wish above my will, but thine, be done. all things that thou mayest prosper In the Garden of Gethsemane and be in health, even as thy Christ prayed the prayer of submis- soulpros-pereth." sion, consecration, and dedication: "... Jesus said, "If ye then, being evil, if thou be willing... nevertheless not know how to give good gifts unto your my will..." He wanted to do what the children, how much more shall your Father wanted Him to do. Father which is in heaven give good It was not a prayer of petition. It things to them that ask him?" (Matt. 7:11). We must realize that it is God's was not a prayer to get something or will that our needs — spiritual, to change something. It was a prayer physical, and material — be met. of consecration. Some people think they should con- When we consecrate our lives for clude every prayer with the words "If God's use, to go anywhere and do it be thy will." They claim this is the anything He wants us to do, we pray way Jesus prayed. However, Jesus this kind of prayer. In a prayer of con- prayed this way on only one occasion, secration and dedication we pray, "If when He was praying in the Garden of it be thy will."

42 When it comes to changing things Memory "Praying always or Text: getting something from God, with all prayer and supplication in however, we do not pray, "If it be thy the Spirit, and watching thereunto will," because we already have God's with all perseverance and Word concerning it. We know it is His supplication for all saints" (Eph. will that our needs be met. 6:18).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: -But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

Lesson 12

The Prayer of Worship (Part 1) Bible Text: Acts 13:1-4

Central Truth: As yielded hearts pour out praises to God, the Holy Spirit will manifest Himself in their midst.

As we noted in the last lesson, most Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto of our prayers are the petition type of I have called them. prayer. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, Too many of us are like the little and laid their hands on them, they sent boy who prayed, "Lord, my name is them away. 4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Jimmy, and I'll take all You'll Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from gimme!" This seems to be the only thence they sailed to Cyprus. kind of prayer we know anything about. And if it is the only type of Today when Christians gather for prayer we are praying, I wonder if the a church service, we usually minister Lord sometimes doesn't get a bit tired to one another. Our services are of hearing just "give me" prayers. designed that way. Few of our songs We need to take time to wait on minister to the Lord; we minister to God and to minister to Him — time one another in song. Even when we when we are not asking Him for sing special solo numbers, we are not anything —time when we are not peti- ministering to the Lord; we are tioning Him. ministering to one another. Not only do we need to minister to Our prayers are primarily petitions. the Lord in our individual prayer lives, We petition the Lord to move in our but we also need to do it as a group. midst, to manifest Himself among us, We read of a group in the New Testa- and to meet our individual needs. ment who held such a service: When the minister stands to speak, he doesn't minister to the Lord; he ACTS 13:1-4 ministers to the congregation. When 1 Now there were in the church that was the service is over, if we do have a time at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; of waiting on God in prayer, this as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called usually consists of petitioning prayer Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, again. which had been brought up with Herod the Thus, we don't go to church tetrarch, and Saul. necessarily to minister to the Lord, but 2 As they ministered to the Lord, and to pray and seek God on our own fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me

45 behalf. way, do not come on these particular The Christians we just read about nights." in Acts 13, however, came together I added, "I don't want us to come and "... ministered to the Lord, and and wait on Him for just ten minutes. fasted." More than one person was I want us to come with the thought in involved in this account, because it mind that we will wait at least an hour says, "As THEY ministered to the in prayer, and perhaps longer. We will Lord, and fasted...." This is the true minister to the Lord, praise Him, tell prayer of worship. Him how much we love Him, and thank Him for His goodness and mercy." God's Desire for Man's One might have expected the

Praise crowds to have fallen off on those God made man so He would have nights, but they didn't. Just as many someone to have fellowship with. He people came to praise and worship the made man for His own pleasure. It is Lord as came on the other nights. I true that God is concerned about us found that the people wanted to wait and wants to meet our every need, but on God. And in that kind of atmos- even more than that, He wants our phere, God ministered to us in unusual love, worship, and fellowship. ways. I am convinced that we miss out We are born of God. He is our on many blessings because we don't Father. No earthly parent ever en- take time to get into the right attitude joyed the fellowship of his children of worship and to minister to the Lord. more than God enjoys the fellowship of His sons and daughters. The Power of Praise In one revival meeting we held I decided to do something different. Let me call your attention to the After about six weeks of meetings, I fact that this is the kind of atmosphere announced to the congregation one God can move in. We read in Acts night, "Let's have some different 13:2, "As they ministered to the Lord, kinds of services. For three nights out and fasted, THE HOLY GHOST of these remaining two weeks, I want SAID...." With hearts full of love and us to come together to minister to the praise, yielded to the Lord, the Holy Lord." Spirit can manifest Himself and make I explained, "I may read from the known God's will and leading for His Word a little and make a few com- children's lives. ments, but I am not going to do any A minister told me of an experience preaching. We are not going to peti- he once had which illustrates this tion God to do anything. We are com- power of praise. Early in his ministry, ing as a group to wait on the Lord — while he was still a young evangelist, to minister to Him and to worship he was staying at a pastor's home Him. If you don't want to pray this during one of his revival meetings.

46 During the night a call came for the "We stood around rejoicing, but pastor to go pray for a baby who was while we were talking, the child having convulsions. The pastor had awakened and went back into convul- been called out of town to preach a sions. We became alarmed and started funeral, but the pastor's wife asked to pray and rebuke the devil. We this young evangelist to go with her anointed the child with oil and laid and a few other faithful Christians to hands on him. We went through all the pray for the child. usual maneuvers again, but nothing Relating the experience to me, he seemed to help. said, "We rebuked the devil, prayed at "Then when we settled down again, the top of our voices, and went the pastor's wife began to praise the through all the motions we sometimes Lord, ministering to the Lord, and tell- feel are necessary to get God to hear ing Him how much she loved Him. We our prayers. After about forty minutes all joined in, and soon the child's con- of such rigorous praying, the child was vulsions stopped and he went to sleep, no better, but continued having con- permanently healed. That night I vulsions. witnessed the power of praise." "I had done about all I knew to do This was an instance when the — I'd done everything I'd ever seen prayer of worship worked when anybody else do — but nothing hap- nothing else would. As these believers, pened. Then the group gradually like those in the Early Church, became quiet and the pastor's wife "ministered to the Lord," the Holy began to say softly, 'Praise the Lord, Spirit moved and manifested the praise the Lord,' and praises began mighty power of God. rolling from her lips. She continued in this spirit of praise for about ten Memory Text: minutes. Finally, one by one, all of us "And they worshipped him, and picked it up until we were all praising returned to Jerusalem with great joy: God. In the midst of that atmosphere, And were continually in the temple, the child's convulsions ceased and he praising and blessing God." (Luke fell asleep. 24:52,53).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: '•But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

Lesson 13

The Prayer of Worship (Part 2) Bible Texts: Acts 16:22-25; 2 Chronicles 20:15,17-19,21,22; Luke 24:50-53 Central Truth: Praise was a characteristic of the Early Church.

In the sixteenth chapter of Acts we then cast into prison with their feet have the story of Paul and Silas in placed in stocks. Philippi. We read of their arrest, how Their backs were sore and bleeding. they were beaten with many stripes, Every part of their bodies ached. But and how they were cast into prison. did they sit there moaning and complaining, crying, "Why did this have ACTS 16:22-25 22 And the multitude rose up together to happen to me?" No. The Bible says against them: and the magistrates rent off they "sang praises unto God." their clothes, and commanded them to beat If they had been like some of us them. today, the Scripture might have read, 23 And when they had laid many stripes "And at midnight Paul and Silas upon them, they cast them into prison, griped and complained, whined and charging the jailer to keep them safely: whimpered, wondering why God had 24 Who, having received such a charge, allowed this to come upon them." thrust them into the inner prison, and made Their conversation might have fol- their feet fast in the stocks. 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, lowed this line: and sang praises unto God: and "Paul, you still there?" the "Sure, I'm still here. Where else prisoners heard them. could I be?" "I tell you, my poor back is really A Song at Midnight hurting me. I just don't understand why God ever sent this on us. He I want to call special attention to knows that I've tried to serve Him and verse 25: "... Paul and Silas prayed, have done my best." and sang praises unto God.... "What That kind of attitude would have did they have to be so happy about just gotten them further into trouble that they felt like singing? Surely instead of out of it! nothing was going right for them. We can learn something here from They had been preaching the Good News of the Gospel and what did they Paul and Silas. After all, they were in get for it? They were brought before trouble. They were in pain. They were the rulers, charged and beaten, and in jail. All in all, it was a bleak situa-

49 tion. One could hardly blame them for that the foundations of the prison were being discouraged. However, as some- shaken: and immediately all the doors one has said, Paul and Silas got in jail, were opened, and every one's bands but they didn't let the jail get in them. were loosed" (v. 26). This is the reason many people are Deliverance came while they were defeated. Trouble comes to everyone, praising God. but our attitude toward it is what makes the difference between victory A Song in Battle and defeat. How we look at the situation makes the difference in whether Let us look at an Old Testament we get out at all. counterpart to this story. During the In the example of Paul and Silas we reign of King Jehoshaphat, the Ammo- can find help for our midnight hour — nites and Moabites came against the our time of testing — when the storms Israelites. Jehoshaphat cried out to of life threaten to sweep us overboard. the Lord in prayer and He answered Paul and Silas weren't in Philippi him. on a vacation. They were there to do 2 CHRONICLES 20:15,17-19,21,22 15 And the Lord's work. They weren't out of he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye the will of God. inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king The first thing that some people Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, think when adversity strikes is that Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of they surely must be out of the Lord's this great multitude; for the battle is not will or such a thing wouldn't have yours, but God's.... happened. But Paul and Silas were 17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the right in the middle of God's will. salvation of the Lord with you, 0 Judah and If we were meant to measure if we Jerusalem: fear not, nor be are in God's will by whether or not dismayed; everything runs smoothly, with no tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord hard places and no sacrifices, then will be with you. Paul never got in the will of God in his 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with entire ministry — he missed it from his face to the ground: and all Judah and beginning to end! the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. Let us notice something else in 19 And the Levites, of the children of the verse 25: "And at midnight Paul and Kohathites, and of the children of the Silas prayed, and sang praises unto Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God God: AND THE PRISONERS of Israel with a loud voice on high ___

HEARD THEM." They weren't quiet 21 And when he had consulted with the about it. They were praising God out people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, loud right there in jail. and that should praise the beauty Not only did the prisoners hear of them, but God heard them! "And sud- holiness, as they went out before the army, denly there was a great earthquake, so and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. 22 And when they began to sing and to

50 praise, the Lord set ambushments against LUKE 24:50-53 the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount 50 And he led them out as far as to Seir, which were come against Judah; and Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and they were smitten. blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed Jehoshaphat knew his army was no them, he was parted from them, and carried match for those of the countries up into heaven. banded against him, but he knew his 52 And they worshipped him, and returned God was more than a match for them. to Jerusalem with great joy: He called a prayer meeting and the 53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. people fasted and prayed. The Spirit of God moved upon a young man in After the disciples watched Jesus the congregation and he stood and return to heaven, they went back to prophesied. The Lord told them not to Jerusalem with hearts filled with fear, for the battle was the Lord's. praise and thanksgiving to God. The next morning when they went Then we read about them in Acts out against the enemy's powerful 2:46,47: "And they, continuing daily armies, they did not go against them with one accord in the temple, and with swords and spears but with songs breaking bread from house to house, of praise (v. 21). They marched and did eat their meat with gladness and chanted, "Praise the Lord; for his singleness of heart, Praising God, and mercy endureth for ever." In their hour having favour with all the people. And of trial, instead of cowering in fear, the the Lord added to the church daily children of Israel sang praises to God such as should be saved." just as Paul and Silas did in jail. Notice the expression, "They, con- And what was the outcome of this tinuing DAILY with one accord... eat battle? Look at verse 22: "And when their meat with gladness ... praising they began to sing and to praise, the God.... "With these early Christians, Lord set ambushments against the this wasn't a spasmodic occurrence — children of Ammon, Moab, and mount something that happened once in a Seir, which were come against Judah; great while. The Bible uses the words and they were smitten." When they "continually" and "daily." began to sing praises to God, He did Too many Christians today get something. They witnessed a "prayed through" about every six manifestation of God's power. months and have a time of praising and blessing God. If we were writing Praise, a Characteristic of about their experience, we would have the Early Church to use the words "occasionally" or perhaps even "semi-annually." But the A spirit of praise and rejoicing was Bible records that the early Christians a characteristic of the Early Church. "were continually in the temple,

51 praising and blessing God." Memory Text: If we want to see the same "And they worshipped him, and manifestation of power the Early returned to Jerusalem with great joy: Church had, we are going to have to And were continually in the temple, see the same manifestations of praise praising and blessing God. Amen" they had. (Luke 24:52,53).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

52 Lesson 14

United Prayer Bible Text: Acts 4:23-31 Central Truth: There is power in united prayer.

In the third chapter of Acts we in them is: read that as Peter and John entered 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David the Temple through the Gate hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? Beautiful, they saw a man begging 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the alms. rulers were gathered together against the Peter told the man to look at them. Lord, and against his Christ. Expecting to receive a coin, he looked, 27 For of a truth against thy holy child and Peter told him, "Silver and gold Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both have I none; but such as I have give Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gen I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of tiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered Nazareth rise up and walk " (Acts 3:6). together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy Peter took the man by the hand, lifted counsel determined before to be done. him up, and the man started walking. 29 And now, Lord, behold their threaten- He entered the Temple praising God. ings: and grant unto thy servants, that with This raised a stir among the people, all boldness they may speak thy word, and Peter and John were taken before 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; the priests and elders. They were cast and that signs and wonders may be done into prison, and the next day were by the name of thy holy child Jesus. taken before the rulers. Unable to deny that a true miracle had taken place, the From Prison to Prayer priests were forced to let them go. Group However, they commanded them not to preach or teach in the Name of Notice the first thing Peter and Jesus anymore. Then we read: John did when they were released from the prison: "And being let go, they ACTS 4:23-30 went to their own company...." A 23 And being let go, they went to their own good place to be when in trouble is company, and reported all that the chief with your "own company" — people priests and elders had said unto them. of like faith! It is good to be around 24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and people who know how to pray. said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made I often have thought that if this heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that group had been like some Christians

53 today, the first thing they would have we might as well be following them in done would have been to organize a prayer.) committee to go talk to those leaders As I read through the Book of and make a deal whereby everyone Acts, I underlined in red pencil every could get along. After all, these leaders verse where it said the people prayed were religious men, too. They believed in a group. I couldn't find one place in God and prayer. The only difference where they called on one person to lead was that they didn't accept Jesus as in prayer! Nor did they have any kind being the Messiah, the Son of God. of "sentence prayers." The Bible said However, the Bible does not say they lifted their voices. They all prayed they appointed a committee for com- at once, and they all prayed out loud. promise. It says, "... they lifted up After reading this, the next time I their voice to God with one accord." went to a Full Gospel service I got They knew the value of united prayer. right in the middle of where they were praying. My mind had been renewed I was raised in a Southern Baptist with the Word, and I got a blessing I church, and in my youth I never heard never had received when praying alone people praying aloud in united prayer. quietly. I saw for the first time the In our church someone usually led in blessing of united prayer. prayer. We never lifted our voices as a group in prayer. Results of United Prayer When I started attending some Full Gospel services, their praying all What was the result of the united at once disturbed me. I would go down prayer of the believers in this fourth to the altar to pray with them, but I chapter of Acts? Was their united prayed quietly. It bothered me because prayer answered? they prayed aloud. Their services Let's look at verse 31: stimulated my faith, but when I prayed at the altar, I would get at the ACTS 4:31 31 And when they had prayed, the place far end, away from them, so I wouldn't was shaken where they were assembled be close to their noise. together; and they were all filled with the One time I ventured to say Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of something about it. I told them that God with boldness. God wasn't hard of hearing. They In verse 29 we read that they had responded, "He isn't nervous, either." prayed, "And now, Lord, behold their I decided to search my Bible for the threatenings: and grant unto thy ser- scriptural answer to this question. I vants, that with all boldness they may wanted to see how the Early Church speak thy word." had prayed. (We claim to be preaching They had not asked the Lord to the same New Birth they preached, so remove the persecution or to strike

54 down their enemies. They had not Some people say they want to pray asked the Lord to make their way quietly because the Lord knows they easy. Instead they had prayed that in have a song in their heart. But if it is the midst of persecution they might there, it is going to come out, "... for preach the Word with boldness. And out of the abundance of the heart the the Lord had answered their prayer. mouth speaketh" (Matt. 12:34). Verse 31 says that "... the place Did God answer the united prayer was shaken where they were assem- of Paul and Silas? Acts 16:26 says, bled together...." Do you know of any "And suddenly there was a great group of people who are praying and earthquake, so that the foundations of shaking anything today? If Christians the prison were shaken: and immedi- today would get together and pray ately all the doors were opened and "with one accord," they would shake every one's bands were loosed." Again the world for Jesus. There is power in the place was shaken as a result of united prayer! united prayer! Notice, too, that their prayer was When Paul and Silas joined forces for something specific. They were in prayer and praise to God, the very definite in their praying. They were foundations of the prison were shaken! not praying some generalized prayer; The stocks came off their feet, and they were praying about the need that they were free. faced them. And they all prayed at The jailer, awakened by the earth- once. As they lifted their voices to God quake, saw the prison doors standing in fervent prayer, "the place was open and assumed the prisoners had shaken." fled. He knew he would be held respon- In our last lesson we studied about sible for their escape, and he became a similar incident. Paul and Silas had so frightened that he was going to kill been thrown in jail in Philippi for himself. Just then Paul cried out, "... preaching the Gospel. Do thyself no harm: for we are all here " Instead of complaining to the Lord (v. 28). about what had happened to them, The jailer knew he had witnessed they lifted their voices to the Lord in the supernatural that night. He knew songs of praise. "And at midnight Paul and Silas were no ordinary men, Paul and Silas prayed, and sang and he "... came trembling, and fell praises unto God: and the prisoners down before Paul and Silas, And heard them" (Acts 16:25). They, too, brought them out, and said, Sirs, what were praying aloud, for "the prisoners must I do to be saved? And they said, heard them." They weren't off in some Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and corner mumbling quiet, forlorn pleas thou shalt be saved, and thy house" to God. The prisoners heard them as (vv. 29-31). As a result of Paul and they sang praises unto God. Silas' united prayer that night, the

55 jailer and his entire family accepted Memory Text: Christ as Savior and all were baptized. "These all continued with one accord There is supernatural power in in prayer and supplication ..." (Acts united prayer! 1:14).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

56 Lesson 15

The Prayer of Commitment Bible Texts: Matthew 6:25-27; Philippians 4:6

Central Truth: When the winds of adversity blow, we can do exactly as the Word of God says. We do not have to fret or worry; we can cast our burdens on the Lord.

Do you sometimes pray about a what God said to do about cares, problem with seemingly no results? anxieties, worries, and concerns. Unanswered prayers usually are due to Other Christians seem satisfied to our not praying in line with the Word think that God knows and of God. understands all about their problems Often there are times when we need — but they still cling to these cares. to pray the prayer of commitment. Therefore, they don't get their prayers Peter talked about this kind of prayer answered. It is not enough to know when he said, "Casting all your care that God understands and is upon him; for he careth for you" concerned. We must do what He said (1 Peter 5:7). I believe The Amplified to do if we want to be delivered from Bible translation of this verse is most our problems. illuminating and enlightening. It says, Cast all your cares, all your anxie- "Casting the whole of your care — all ties, all your worries upon Him, for He your anxieties, all your worries, all cares for you. This is the prayer of your concerns, once and for all — on commitment — the prayer of casting Him; for He cares for you affection- or rolling our cares and burdens upon ately, and cares about you watch- Him. fully." A Scripture in the Psalms may help How wonderful that we can cast us see more clearly what Peter is talk- our cares upon the Lord in prayer! ing about here: "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall Pray According to Laws bring it to pass" (Ps. 37:5). A reference in the King James Version says, "Roll Governing Prayer thy way upon the Lord." If people would just pray this Commit, cast, roll your burden on prayer of commitment, it would the Lord. He is not going to take it eliminate some of the things they are away from you. Some request, "Pray praying about! that the Lord will lighten this load." Some people's prayers are not He's not going to do that. He doesn't answered because they are not doing want to just lighten your load; He

57 wants to carry it all. But there is a really want to get rid of their prob- vital part that we must play in this. lems. Oh, they claim — sometimes It is the prayer of commitment. rather loudly — that they do. But they God does not want His children to don't — not really — because if they worry, to be full of anxiety, or to be did, they wouldn't have anything to burdened down with the cares of life. get people's sympathy with. They But there is something you must do. wouldn't have anything to complain In imperative sentences, such as about. They would almost have to those in First Peter 5:7 and Psalm close down conversation! 37:5, the subject of the sentence is understood to be "you." The Lord The Futility of Worry said, "You cast all your care upon him." "You commit your way unto the MATTHEW 6:25-27 Lord." 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no We must do our part — we must thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or obey the Lord before He can come to what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, our aid. We must turn loose of our what ye shall put on. Is not the life more problem before He can take over. than meat, and the body than raiment? This is a once-and-for-all proposi- 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow tion; it isn't something you do every not, neither do they reap, nor gather into day. When we really cast our cares barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? upon Him, we don't have them 27 Which of you by taking thought can add anymore. We are rid of them. They are one cubit unto his stature? no longer in our hands, but in His. There is so much that the Lord Jesus was simply saying in this would have done for us, but we passage, "Which of you by worrying wouldn't let Him. We may have been and being over-anxious is going to honest and sincere in our praying, but change anything?" We all know that we saw no answers to our prayers worry is like a rocking chair: It keeps because we did not come according to you busy, but it doesn't get you His rules, His laws, that govern the anywhere. operation of prayer. We did not do Luke's Gospel records the same what He told us to do, and we teaching and says, "And he said unto wondered why He didn't work certain his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, things out for us. Take no thought for your life . . . " Sometimes we have brought our (Luke 12:22). Another translation of burden to the altar of prayer. We have this verse reads, "Be not anxious prayed and prayed and prayed about about tomorrow." it. Then when we got up to leave, we Of course, we have to plan and picked up our burden off the altar and prepare for tomorrow. We have to took it home with us! make certain provisions for the future. Then there are those who do not But what the Lord was teaching us

58 here is that He doesn't want us to be He has promised to bring it to pass, filled with anxiety and worry about but only after you have committed tomorrow. We can say with the Gospel your "way unto the Lord." songwriter, "I don't know about When we cast our cares on the tomorrow, but I know Who holds my Lord, we no longer have them. To illus- hand." That's all that is important. trate, if I took the last five dollars out of my billfold and gave it to you, I Worry Nullifies Prayer wouldn't have it any longer; you would. Then if someone came along PHILIPPIANS 4:6 and asked to borrow a dollar, promis- 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every ing to pay it back the next day, I thing by prayer and supplication with would have to say, "I don't have a thanksgiving let your requests be made dollar." known unto God. I pastored for about twelve years. The Amplified translation of this Occasionally during that time, prob- verse will help us. It says, "Do not fret lems arose, and I would be tempted to or have any anxiety about anything." worry about them. When I would find Again, "you" is the understood sub- myself becoming anxious about ject of the sentence. When the Lord something, I would start talking to said, "Be careful (anxious) for myself. "Now, Kenneth," I would say, nothing," He was saying, "[You] be "you know better than this. You are careful for nothing...." In other beginning to fret. Don't do it. It's not words, "Don't you fret or have any right." anxiety about anything." Many times during the night I As long as you fret and have would awaken and the devil would anxiety concerning the thing you are bring to my mind a picture of certain praying about, you are nullifying the conditions which existed in the church. effects of your praying. You haven't I would be tempted to worry, but cast it on the Lord; you still have it. instead of worrying, I'd start laughing If you have it, He doesn't have it. If right out loud and say, "I don't have He has it, you don't have it. that problem. Praise the Lord, I'm As long as you are still worrying carefree. I don't have it, devil. You can about your problem, lying awake at show me a picture of it if you want, but night, tossing from one side of the bed I don't have it. The Lord has it." to the other, trying to figure it out, He It's amazing what God can do with doesn't have it. As long as your your problems when He has them! But stomach churns every time you think as long as you hold onto them — as about it, as long as you can't eat for long as you try to figure them out for worrying about it, He doesn't have it. Him and try to help Him work them You do. And really, all of your pray- out — He doesn't have any of them. ing about it will not work, because you You have them all. have not done as He has commanded. When the winds of adversity blow,

59 we can do exactly as the Word of God Therefore, you can sleep peacefully. says. We do not have to fret or worry; If we really believe the Bible and we can cast our burdens on the Lord. practice God's Word, we never should If you haven't done it yet, there is worry. If we really believe what Jesus no better time than now to turn loose said — "If ye shall ask any thing in my of your problems and sleep peacefully name, I will do it" (John 14:14) — we tonight. If the devil tries to bring a pic- wouldn't worry even if our house ture of them before you, put them out burned down while we were away. We of your mind immediately and say, wouldn't worry or fret about it. We "No, I don't have that, devil. I don't would say, "Praise God, we'll get a have a care, I have turned them over better one." This is the attitude God to the Lord and He has them." wants us to have. Purpose in your He'll work on it while you are sleep- heart today to practice God's Word; to ing. He never slumbers or sleeps (Ps. practice faith. 121:4). You need sleep, but He doesn't. "... he giveth his beloved sleep" (Ps. 127:2). You are His beloved because Memory Text: you are accepted in the Beloved, the "Casting all your care upon him; for he Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7). 1:6).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

60 Lesson 16

What Jesus Said About Prayer (Part 1) Bible Text: Matthew 6:5-13 Central Truth: The Lord's Prayer is a pattern in which we see certain principles of prayer.

While Jesus was here on earth, He be thy name. taught much about prayer. Perhaps 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in the best known of His teachings on earth, as it is in heaven. prayer is the often-repeated "Lord's 11 Give us this day our daily bread. Prayer." In this brief prayer, we find 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. a pattern for prayer which Jesus gave 13 And lead us not into temptation, but to His disciples. Just preceding this deliver us from evil: For thine is the prayer, as recorded in Matthew's kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for Gospel, are a few verses which also are ever. Amen. very enlightening on this subject. They actually are a prelude to the Private Prayer prayer. One of the first things Jesus said MATTHEW 6:5-13 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not here was, "And when thou prayest, be as the hypocrites are: for they love to thou shalt not be as the hypocrites pray standing in the synagogues and in the are...." Surely none of us wants to be corners of the streets, that they may be seen hypocritical, especially in our praying. of men. Verily I say unto you, They have Then He described the hypocrite: "... their reward. they love to pray standing in the 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into synagogues and in the corners of the thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy streets, that they may be seen of men." door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; This does not mean, however, that and thy Father which seeth in secret shall all of our praying should be private. As reward thee openly. we looked at the Early Church in 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repeti tions, as the heathen do: for they think that prayer in Lesson 14, we saw them they shall be heard for their much speaking. praying together as a group through- 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for out the Book of Acts. your Father knoweth what things ye have What Jesus was referring to here need of, before ye ask him. was the danger of praying only to be 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: seen of men. There are those who pray Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed in public to appear really spiritual; to

61 make people think they are real prayer — their lengthy and repeated calling warriors. Those who pray only for the on God. They repeat the same prayer applause of men have their reward, — they say the same phrases and and that is all it is — the fleeting words — over and over again, thinking applause of men. they will be heard because of that. But Jesus told His disciples to "enter this is exactly what Jesus condemned into thy closet, and when thou hast when He said, "... use not vain repeti shut thy door, pray to thy Father tions, as the heathen do...." which is in secret." He was stressing Then He said, "Be not ye therefore the importance of a private prayer life. like unto them: for your Father Public prayer is necessary and vital knoweth what things ye have need of, in the life of the Church. Praying before ye ask him." He knows before together as a family is necessary and you ask, yet He wants you to ask, as vital to the spiritual strength of the we shall see in the next chapter of home. But private prayer is essential Matthew, where He said, "Ask, and it to the spiritual life of the individual. shall be given you ..." (Matt. 7:7). It is when we grow in spiritual stature. God does not hear you simply It should not be just at those crisis because you repeat the same prayer times when we are driven to our knees. over and over. Some seem to have the We should be spiritually prepared for idea that if they could just pray long such times through a daily prayer time and loudly enough, eventually they which we set aside for fellowship with could talk God into hearing them. But God. God is not going to hear you because you prayed loudly or quietly. As we Repetitious Prayer have seen in previous lessons, it is the prayer of faith that God hears. He Jesus went on to say, "But when hears you because you believe Him ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the when you pray, and you come accord- heathen do: for they think that they ing to His Word. shall be heard for their much speaking" (v. 7). Basic Principles of Prayer Thus, we have two admonitions from the Lord: (1) don't be like the In the next few verses in Matthew, hypocrites in our praying, and (2) don't Jesus taught His disciples some basic be like the heathen in our praying. elements of prayer. Commonly referred Jesus said the heathen think they to as the Lord's Prayer, it is more will be heard by their gods because of accurately the Disciples' Prayer, or the their repetitious praying. Sad to say, model for prayer that He gave to them some of this heathen thinking has while He walked with them on the sifted down into Christian thinking! earth. Many have the idea that God will hear Dispensationally speaking, this is them because of their much speaking not the Church praying, for the

62 disciples did not ask anything in the because He is our Father, and to come Name of Jesus. When the Church in praise and in worship: "Our Father prays, she prays in the Name of Jesus. which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy (However, we can learn many truths name ..." (v. 9). Come into His concerning prayer here.) presence first with praise and worship Jesus was not telling the disciples because He is our Father. to pray this prayer word for word. He was giving them some principles in The Principle of Putting connection with prayer that will work God First for the Church today. The next verse in this pattern prayer says, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" The Principle of Praise (v. 10). The principle involved here is The prayer begins with the words, putting the kingdom of God first. "Our Father which art in heaven... . " Later on in this same chapter, The unsaved can pray this prayer just Jesus repeated this principle: "But as they can recite a poem or sing a seek ye first the kingdom of God, and song. But to really pray this prayer his righteousness; and all these things from the heart — to really have shall be added unto you" (v. 33). If we fellowship with God — one must put God first, we need have no worry actually be a child of God. Otherwise, about material needs, for "all these he cannot truly say, "Our Father...." things shall be added unto you." We hear much teaching these days We do not have to go through life about "the fatherhood of God and the with the soles of our shoes worn thin, brotherhood of man." Some would try with unpaid bills past due, and driving to make us believe we all are children an old Model T Ford. If God is first in of God; that He is the Father of all of our lives, "all these things shall be us. While it's true that He's the added." Creator of all, and we all are fellow Have you ever thought how creatures, He isn 't the Father of all of all-inclusive this prayer is? Jesus us. He is only the Father of those who prayed, "Thy kingdom come. THY have been born again; those in His WILL BE DONE IN EARTH, AS IT family. IS IN HE A VEN." Do you suppose During Jesus' earthly ministry He there are any sick people in heaven? once said to a group of Pharisees, who No. Nor is it God's will that there were very religious people, "Ye are of should be any sick people on earth. your father the devil" (John 8:44). The God wants to shower our lives with Pharisees were good people as far as blessings. He wants our lives here on works were concerned. Yet Jesus said, earth to be lived in the center of His "Ye are of your father the devil"! will, as it is in heaven. He wants us to Jesus is saying here that the right enjoy abundant living. Jesus said, "... approach to God is to come to Him I am come that they might have life,

63 and that they might have it more abun- resentment, although they have not dantly" (John 10:10). responded at all to medical treatment, in most cases their trouble clears up. The Principle of Daily More and more, medical science is dis- Prayer covering how closely our inner f eelings are related to our physical health. In the next verse of this prayer, I have heard Christians who were Jesus taught us the importance of not walking in close fellowship with daily prayer, of asking God for our the Lord tell me how badly they had every need: "Give us this day our been treated by a certain person. They DAILY bread" (Matt. 6:11). Even would say, "Oh, yes, I have forgiven though God knows our every need, He him all right, but I never will forget still wants us to ask Him! what he did to me!" They really hadn't forgiven that person at all! Resent- The Principle of Forgiveness ment still lurked in the hidden corners Jesus taught much about forgive- of their heart. ness during His stay here on earth, and He included forgiveness as one of The Principle of the essential elements of prayer: "And Deliverance from forgive us our debts, as we forgive our Temptation debtors" (v. 12). In verses 14 and 15 "And lead us not into temptation, He also said, "For if ye forgive men but deliver us from evil.. ."(v. 13). The their trespasses, your heavenly Father word temptation means "test" or will also forgive you: But if ye forgive "trial." Many tests and trials could be not men their trespasses, neither will overcome in advance by the child of your Father forgive your trespasses." God who is enjoying the fellowship Prayer will not work in an unfor- with the Father that a proper prayer giving heart. We simply cannot hold life brings. a grudge against anyone and maintain Then we come to the conclusion: a prayer life that gets results! "... For thine is the kingdom, and the There are many instances where power, and the glory, forever. Amen" mental confusion and emotional (v. 13). The prayer that began with frustration can be attributed to har- praise also ends with praise. boring bitterness against others. Doctors have learned that people who Memory Text: hold resentment in their hearts are "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, more susceptible to certain types of and his righteousness; and all these diseases. When they can get such things shall be added unto you" (Matt. patients to rid themselves of their 6:33).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

64 Lesson 17

What Jesus Said About Prayer (Part 2) Bible Texts: Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 11:5-13 Central Truth: God loves us and wants us to have good things, just as we love our children and want them to have good things.

The model prayer Jesus gave to Jesus had come along as the prophets His disciples, commonly referred to as of old, proclaiming judgment against the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13), them and presenting a distant, unap- begins with the words, "Our Father proachable God to them, they might which art in heaven...." have understood Him better. That was In the next chapter of Matthew, the picture of God they were accus- when Jesus was again teaching on tomed to. prayer, He used another illustration of When God came down and talked how the earthly relationship between to Moses on the mountain, there was father and son is like the believer's fire, thunder, and lightning. Anyone relationship with the heavenly Father. who touched that mountain died instantly. When the presence of God MATTHEW 7:7-11 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and moved into the Holy of Holies, no one ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened dared intrude there for fear of instant unto you: death. The Jews knew about a God 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and who was high and holy — a God who he that seeketh findeth; and to him that dealt an awful judgment — and they knocketh it shall be opened. feared Him. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if Jesus, however, came with a his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? message of love. He introduced God as 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a a Father. He suggested they could serpent? approach God as a Father. But the 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give Jews just couldn't comprehend that good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven kind of a God. give good things to them that ask him? We see the same thing today. To many, Christianity is just a religion Knowing God As Father about a faraway God. They really don't know Him. They never have Here we can see one reason the come to Him through Jesus Christ in Jews could not understand Jesus. If order to know Him personally as their

65 Father; so they try to approach Him with the thinking of the Eastern mind, in the wrong manner. I learned that this was not what Jesus But thank God, He is our Father meant at all. and we can come to Him because we "In those days, if someone came to are His children! the outer gate and knocked, seeking entrance, the more wealthy would send Ask, Seek, Knock ... their servant to call out and ask the name of the visitor. If it was someone Believe who was known, they could enter Whether or not they use it, most immediately. If it was someone Christians are aware that this verse is unknown, the servant would go to the in the Bible: "Ask, and it shall be given master of the house and ask if he you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and should let the visitor in. The thought it shall be opened unto you" (Matt. 7:7). here is that when you knock, if you are Too often, though, we fail to receive known, you gain immediate entrance. what we are asking for; we fail to find 'To him that knocketh it shall be what we are seeking; and the door on opened.' " which we are knocking is not opened. If when we ask we do not receive, Why? We must be doing something if when we seek we do not find, if when wrong when we don't receive, because we knock it is not opened to us, we the next verse promises, "For every should ask ourselves if we are known one that asketh receiveth; and he that by the Master of the house. If not, we seeketh findeth; and to him that should become acquainted personally knocketh it shall be opened" (v. 8). and intimately with our Lord and What is the reason for our failure? Savior Jesus Christ. We should make I once read a book by a missionary Him Lord of our life. who had spent 32 years in the Holy Having done this, the next step is Land. This was around the turn of the faith, to "... believe that he is, and century, when customs there were that he is a rewarder of them that very much like they had been for diligently seek him" (Heb. 11:6). For, centuries. as Jesus explained in Matthew 7:11, In his book, the missionary com- our heavenly Father is eager to give mented on this passage of Scripture in good gifts unto His children: "If ye Matthew 7. He said, "I thought, as then, being evil, know how to give most Christians do, that when Jesus good gifts unto your children, how said, 'Ask, and it shall be given you; much more shall your Father which is seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it in heaven give good things to them shall be opened unto you,' He meant that ask him?" (v. 11). if you asked and didn't receive an What earthly father wants his immediate answer to keep on asking. children to go through life poor and However, after living in the Holy Land downtrodden, sick and suffering? On for many years and becoming familiar the contrary, most of us labor and

66 sacrifice so our children can have or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him advantages we never had. So if you, a serpent? being carnal — being human — want 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer good things for your children, "... him a scorpion? HOW MUCH MORE shall your 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much Father which is in heaven give good more shall your heavenly Father give the things to them that ask him?" Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Those three words, "how much more," send a thrill through my spirit. The Prayer of Importunity If we want happiness for our children, how much more does God want the In this account, which deals with same for us. If we want good health for the prayer of importunity, many our children, how much more does God people have had the mistaken idea that want good health for us. If we want Jesus was teaching us to keep on ask- material blessings for our children, ing in order to get results. how much more does God want the In this parable we see a man who same for us. had a guest arrive during the night. He Luke's account of this story gives didn't have any bread to set before us a few more details. him, so he went to his neighbor's house and asked for a loaf of bread. The LUKE 11:5-13 neighbor responded, "I'm already in 5 And he said unto them, Which of you bed; don't bother me." But when the shall have a friend, and shall go unto him man kept pleading with him, he finally at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend granted his request. me three loaves; Jesus was illustrating here that 6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before although the neighbor would not get him? out of bed to give the man bread just 7 And he from within shall answer and because he was a friend, he gave it to say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, him because of his importunity. Jesus and my children are with me in bed; I can was saying how much more our not rise and give thee. heavenly Father will hear us and grant 8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise our requests. and give him, because he is his friend, yet It is the importunity of faith, not because of his importunity he will rise and the importunity of unbelief, that gets give him as many as he needeth. 9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall results. We can keep on begging God be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, — importuning all we want — and we and it shall be opened unto you. never will get an answer if our impor- 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and tuning prayer is in unbelief. he that seeketh findeth; and to him that It is the importunity of faith that knocketh it shall be opened. works: "Ask, and it shall be given you; 11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it that is a father, will he give him a stone? shall be opened unto you."

67 Andrew Murray had real insight give good gifts unto your children: how into this subject of importunity in much more shall your heavenly Father prayer. He said it is not good taste to give THE HOLY SPIRIT to them ask the Lord for the same thing over that ask him?" (Although Matthew and over again. He said if the thing didn't specifically name the Holy which you have prayed about hasn't Spirit in this verse, we know that the materialized, don't ask again the same Holy Spirit is a "good thing.") way you did in the beginning. That I am sure the Holy Spirit had a would be a confession that you didn't purpose for inspiring Luke and believe God the first time. Matthew to record this as they did. Just remind God of your request. The Holy Spirit, as He inspired Remind Him of what He promised. Matthew, wanted to stress the good Remind Him you are expecting the things of life. He wanted us to know answer, and let this importunity be an that God loves us just as we love our importunity of faith. It will bring children and want them to have good results. things. The Holy Spirit inspired Luke Luke's account of the story is more to emphasize the spiritual things God detailed then Matthew's, and in verse has for us. 13, Luke added something. Matthew By asking, seeking, and knocking recorded, "//ye then, being evil, know in faith, we can enjoy the abundant how to give good gifts unto your blessings God has for His children. children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give GOOD Memory Text: THINGS to them that ask him?" "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, Luke enlarges on this by saying, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall "If ye then, being evil, know how to be opened unto you" (Matt. 7:7).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

68 Lesson 18

What Jesus Said About Prayer (Part 3) Bible Texts: Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14,20-24; John 15:7,8 Central Truth: Where the Word of God abides, there faith abides.

In Matthew 21 we come to another reference to prayer in the Book of passage where Jesus taught on prayer. Mark, but the writer devoted a great He actually was talking about faith deal of attention to it. Whereas and prayer. You can't very well talk Matthew told the story in five verses, about faith without talking about Mark takes nearly twice as many prayer, nor can you talk about prayer verses to tell the same story. without talking about faith. They go hand in hand. MARK 11:12-14,20-24 12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

Pray, Believe, Receive 13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having MATTHEW 21:18-22 leaves, he came, if haply he might find any 18 Now in the morning as he returned into thing thereon: and when he came to it, he the city, he hungered. found nothing but leaves; for the time of 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, figs was not yet. he came to it, and found nothing thereon, 14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.... fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And in the morning, as they passed by, 20 And when the disciples saw it, they they saw the fig tree dried up from the marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree roots. withered away! 21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and thou cursedst is withered away. doubt not, ye shall not only do this which 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall Have faith in God. say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, 23 For verily I say unto you, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be That done. whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith Let's look at this same account in shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever Mark's Gospel. This is the he saith. only 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things

69 soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that almost as impossible and have received ye receive them, and ye shall have them. them. Jesus said it, and I believe it: "What things soever ye desire, when In studying the Bible, it is good to ye pray, believe that ye receive them, compare the different Gospel writers' and ye shall have them." accounts of the same incidents in Jesus' life. In this way we get different The Word of Faith viewpoints. (One writer may give us details that the others left out.) In John's account of what Jesus In Matthew's account of the above said about prayer, not one time does story, Jesus said, "And all things he use the words "faith" or "believe." whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, Let us look at one example: believing, ye shall receive" (v. 22). JOHN 15:7,8 Mark put it a little differently: "... 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide What things soever ye desire, when ye in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall pray, believe that ye receive them, and be done unto you. ye shall have them" (v. 24). Both 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye writers gave the basic formula for bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. faith: Pray, believe, receive. Why was it unnecessary to use the Someone has asked, "But what if words "faith" or "believe" in this you didn't receive?" passage of Scripture about prayer? It Then you didn't ask believing, did is because there is no problem with you? The Scripture says if you pray faith if His words abide in you. There and believe, you shall receive. is only a lack of faith when the Word "Yes, but maybe it isn't the will of doesn't abide in you, because if the God," people will reply. Word doesn't abide, something else The Scripture didn't say anything does. If the Word abides in you, faith about that. We are too quick to use abides in you: "So then faith cometh this as an excuse for our unbelief. by hearing, and hearing by the word Jesus said if you ask in prayer, of God" (Rom. 10:17). believing, you shall receive! A person may be giving mental "But what if someone asked for ten assent to belief in the Word of God. He million oil wells?" someone might ask. could stand up, shake his fist, and declare with fervor that he believes in Well, if you have faith for ten the verbal inspiration of the Bible, that million oil wells, you will get them. But he believes it from cover to cover — I doubt seriously you could believe from Genesis to Revelation — yet that. Don't ask me to agree with you never have the Word abiding in him. in prayer for them, because I don't Notice that Jesus didn't say, "// think I could. However, if you can YE abide in me...." If He had stopped believe that you will receive ten million there, we would automatically have it oil wells, you will get them. Sometimes made as born-again Christians, I have believed for things that seemed

70 because with the New Birth we do the light of the Word. abide in Christ. But the Scripture goes I heard F. F. Bosworth preach on to say, "... and my words abide in when he was 75 years old and still you...." active in the Lord's work. He said, "I The Word is called "the word of always start every morning by saying, faith": "But what saith it? The word 'Lord, quicken thou me according to is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and thy Word.' " in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, Then he went on to say what it which we preach" (Rom. 10:8). If this meant to him to be quickened accord- Word abides in you, it will cause faith ing to God's Word. He told me how he to spring up in your heart. still was in good health at age 75. For all those years he had trusted God and The Light of the Word never had any kind of medication. Bosworth lived to be 81 years old That is the reason the Psalmist of and was busy in the Lord's work up old said, "The entrance of thy words until the end. In January 1958, he giveth light..." (Ps. 119:130). When knew the time had come for him to die. we know the Word, we are not pray- He knew in his spirit that the Lord was ing in the dark. We have light. coming for him. Again the Psalmist said, "Thy A close friend of his flew to his bed- word is a lamp unto my feet, and a side in Florida. When he arrived, light unto my path " (Ps. 119:105). We Brother Bosworth was sitting up in are not walking in the dark. Our bed. He lifted his hand and praised pathway is lighted when we have the God, saying, "Brother, this is the day Word! I have waited for all of my life. I am If we have a lighted pathway, we going home." can walk in that light. "... if we walk He had prayed daily, "Lord, in the light, as he is in the light, we quicken thou me according to thy have fellowship one with another... " Word," and the Lord quickened him (1 John 1:7). This doesn't say a thing every day until He took him home. about standing in the light. It says Bosworth died without sickness or "walk." God's Word is a light unto the disease. He just went home to be with path that we walk. the Lord. The Psalmist also prayed: "... God's Word is true whether or not quicken thou me according to thy we put it into practice. word" (Ps. 119:25). Jesus said, "If my words abide in you...." He cannot Memory Text: quicken us according to His Word — "If ye abide in me, and my words abide although He wants to — unless His in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and words abide in us; unless we walk in it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.. ." (James 1:22).

Lesson 19

What Jesus Said About Prayer (Part 4) Bible Texts: John 14:10-14; 16:23,24,7-11

Central Truth: Whatever our need may be, it is our privilege in Christ to demand that this need be met.

Let us look again into the Gospel John covers the subject of prayer of John to see what Jesus had to say from an entirely different standpoint. about prayer. Let us look at two passages of Scrip- As strange as it may seem, John ture which seem similar, but really are did not record anything the other quite different. Gospel writers did in regard to prayer. JOHN 14:1014 The others did not include what he 10 Believest thou not that I am in the wrote in their accounts. John said if Father, and the Father in me? the words everything Jesus said and did was that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: written, the world itself could not con- but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth tain the books. He said he wrote that the works. we might believe that Jesus is the Son 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and of God. the Father in me: or else believe me for the Not all the Gospel writers recorded very works' sake. 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that the same thing. Luke recorded part of believeth on me, the works that I do shall what Matthew said. Mark recorded he do also; and greater works than these only one instance of Jesus' teaching on shall he do; because I go unto my Father. prayer, as we saw in our last lesson on 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my Mark 11:12-24, the cursing of the fig name, that will I do, that the Father may tree. Matthew covered this in be glorified in the Son. Matthew 21. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, Matthew also talked about the I will do it. prayer of agreement, which none of the Many think this Scripture refers to other writers mentioned: "... if two of prayer, but Jesus is not talking about you shall agree on earth as touching prayer here at all. any thing that they shall ask, it shall Now let us compare two verses in be done for them of my Father which John 16. is in heaven" (Matt. 18:19). Actually, we have to put all the accounts JOHN 16:23,24 together to get a clear picture of Jesus' 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever teachings on prayer.

73 ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will crippled man begging alms at the gate give it you. called Beautiful. Peter stopped and 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my said, "Look on us." The man looked at name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your them, expecting to receive a coin. joy may be full. Peter said, "Silver and gold have I In this passage of Scripture, Jesus none; but such as I have give I thee: was talking about something entirely In the name of Jesus Christ of different from what He was talking Nazareth rise up and walk"(Acts 3:6). about in chapter 14. In John 16 He Peter demanded in Jesus' Name said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the that the cripple get up and walk. He Father in my name, HE will give it didn't pray that God would do it. He you." But in John 14 He says, "And knew Jesus had said that whatever we whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, demand, or ask, in His name, He would that will 7 do...." He is talking about do. two different things. Just before Jesus said, "Whatso- ever ye shall ask [demand] in my name, To Demand As Our Right that will I do," He said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do Let us examine these Scriptures in shall he do also...." Peter was doing the Greek New Testament. The Greek the works Jesus did when he healed word here translated "ask" means the cripple. "demand." Or, "Whatsoever ye shall Even though we pray for the sick demand in my name, that will I do." today — and this is certainly scriptural We are not demanding it of God. (James 5:14-16) — Jesus never prayed When we pray, we ask of God in Jesus' for the sick. Name. But we are demanding this of the devil. Jesus said, ".. .the works that I do Actually, the Greek is more explicit shall he do also...." If we just prayed than the English translation. The for the sick and got results, we Greek reads, "Whatsoever ye shall wouldn't be doing the works Jesus did. demand as your right..." (not ask as Jesus laid hands on the sick, but He a favor). never prayed for them. He would com- Whatever we ask or demand as our mand the devil to leave, or He would right, Jesus said, "I will do it." We just say, "Go thy way; and as thou have the right to demand that Satan hast believed, so be it done unto thee" take his hands off our finances if we (Matt. 8:13). are having difficulty making ends So when Jesus said in John 14:13, meet. Whatever our need may be, it is "And whatsoever ye shall ask [demand] our privilege, our right, in Christ to in my name, that will I do, " He was ask, to demand, that this need be met. not talking about praying to God the We see an example of this in the Father; He was talking about doing Book of Acts. Peter and John saw a the same works He did.

74 Greater Works "But didn't Jesus forgive people's sins while He was here on earth?" Not only did Jesus say that we someone might say. Yes, but there is would do the same works that He did; a difference between having one's sins He also said, "... and GREATER forgiven and being born again. works than these shall he do..." (John 14:12). Then He went on to tell us why After a person is born again, if he we would do greater works: "... sins, he can get forgiveness, but he is because I go unto my Father." The not born again a second time. (If that greater works that the Church can do were true, we might be born again and is doing today are due to the fact thousands of times.) The New Birth is that Jesus has gone to the Father. a greater work than a healing or a miracle. JOHN 16:7-11 So people were not born again while 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is Jesus was on earth. Second, we never expedient [profitable, for your best] for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the read in the four Gospels, "And the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I Lord added daily to the Church such depart, I will send him unto you. as should be saved." However, we do 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the see this repeatedly in the Book of Acts. world of sin, and of righteousness, and of This is because there wasn't any judgment: Church in Jesus' day in the sense that 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; we think of the New Testament 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Church. 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this The only Body of Christ that was world is judged. on earth was His physical body. There were those who believed on Him and What are these greater works? We who had the promise of that which was show men and women how to become to come, but their belief s could only be born again. "But weren't people saved, consummated when the Holy Spirit or born again, under Jesus' ministry?" came to baptize them all into one someone might ask. They were saved Body. The Body had to be formed. in the same sense that the people in the Old Testament were saved, but they Today we are the spiritual Body of were not "born again." The work of Christ. The only Body of Christ in the the Holy Spirit is necessary in the New world today is the Church. Birth, and while Jesus was on earth Not only was no one born again or the Holy Spirit had not yet been given. added to the Church under the This is why Jesus said, "... It is expe- ministry of Jesus, neither was anyone dient for you that I go away: for if I filled with the Holy Spirit under His go not away, the Comforter will not ministry. These are "the greater come unto you; but if I depart, I will works" that we do because He went to send him unto you" (John 16:7). the Father.

75 Praying in Jesus' Name have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy Let us compare now what Jesus may be full" (v. 24). said in John 16 regarding prayer: He was telling His disciples that "And in that day ye shall ask me while He was on the earth with them, nothing..." (v. 23). When He said "in they did not pray to the Father in that day," He was referring to the day Jesus' Name; however, "in that day," in which we now live — the day of the when He would no longer be on the New Covenant, the day of the New earth, they would ask the Father in the Testament. Name of Jesus, "and ye shall receive, One translation of this verse reads, that your joy may be full." "In that day ye shall not pray to me." Our heavenly Father longs to meet He told us not to pray to Him, but to our every need — if only we would ask pray to the Father in Jesus' Name. Him — so our joy may be full! (See Lesson 3.) "... Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he Memory Text: will give it you." "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, Then He went on to say, "Hitherto I will do it" (John 14:14).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

76 Lesson 20

What Paul Said About Prayer (Part 1) Bible Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Central Truth: When we are fully trusting God, we can thank Him in every circumstance of life.

In his writings to the Early isn't it? Paul said, "Rejoice evermore." Church, Paul had much to say to these We are to be full of rejoicing. new Christians about prayer. We Then he said, "In every thing give already have studied many of his thanks: for this is the will of God in teachings on prayer in previous Christ Jesus concerning you." lessons, so we will not repeat them "But I just can't thank God in here. In the next two lessons, we will everything!" some might exclaim. merely look at some additional things Paul said you could. He said this he had to say about prayer. is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. We all want to be in the 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 will of God. And we can when we have 16 Rejoice evermore. things in their proper perspective. 17 Pray without ceasing. When we know and act upon the 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is Word of God, we can truly thank Him the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning in everything. I have done this in my you. own life when things looked bleak. Verse 17 in the King James Version When I first started out on the is a little misleading. Some people have evangelistic field, often I would close gotten the idea that Paul was telling one revival meeting with no other us here to pray all the time. Other meetings in sight. translations of this verse read, "Never I had a wife and two children to give up in prayer," or "Be unceasing support. At the time, my niece also in prayer." In other words, don't give was living with us, so there were five up your prayer life. Maintain a prayer of us to feed and clothe. life. It doesn't mean that we are to When I would close a revival and pray with every breath. This is not put the last offering in my pocket, possible. often it wouldn't be enough to pay the The exhortation never to give up in rent when I got home. I wouldn't have prayer is sandwiched between the enough money to buy food. And I exhortations to "rejoice" and "give didn't have any prospects for other thanks." That is a good "sandwich," meetings.

77 On one such occasion I started I am thanking Him for it. Since you driving home at night after the closing asked me what I'm going to do, I'll tell service. I drove then because my tires you exactly what I'm going to do: I'm were bald, and I had a better chance going to go home, go to bed, and sleep of making it at night when it was like a baby." cooler. (During the daytime, the roads I arrived home around two o'clock were hot, and there was a greater risk in the morning, and my wife asked, of a blowout. And I didn't even have "How did everything go?" I knew she a spare tire.) was wondering if I had received enough money to meet the bills. All the way home, the devil perched on my shoulder and whispered in my "Everything is just fine," I told ear, "What are you going to do now? her. "We don't have a thing in the What are you going to do now?" I world to worry about. I'll tell you didn't have air-conditioning, so the about it in the morning." Then I went windows were rolled down. I could to bed and slept soundly and peace- hear the tires singing, and it seemed fully. as if they picked up the phrase and Early the next morning, before I taunted me: "What are you going to had awakened, the phone rang. When do now? What are you going to do Oretha handed it to me, I found that now?" It kept getting louder and the caller was a pastor I had heard of louder. but hadn't actually met. But thank God when you have the He asked, "When can you start a Word, you can walk in the light of the meeting with us?" Word. "As soon as you want me to," I I said, "I'll tell you what I am answered. going to do, Mr. Devil: I'm going to act "Then how about starting next just as if the Word of God is so. The Sunday?" he said. Bible says, 'Rejoice evermore.' I re- "I'll be there," I said, praising God joice for the $42 offering I did get. The in my heart for answered prayer, for Bible says, 'In every thing give thanks meeting my needs again as He had in ..." I thank God for the $42. I may the past because I had trusted in Him. have needed $102, but I thank God for I had obeyed God's Word and had the $42. I am rejoicing. I am giving rejoiced in the face of despair. If I had thanks. griped all the way home, I am not sure "And I'll tell you something else, it would have worked out that way. Mr. Devil. I thank God for this test, Memory Text: for this is a good time to prove that "In every thing give thanks: for this God and the Bible are true. This is an is the will of God in Christ Jesus con- opportunity for me to believe God, and cerning you" (1 Thess. 5:18).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

78 Lesson 21

What Paul Said About Prayer (Part 2) Bible Texts: 1 Timothy 2:1,2,8; 4:1-5 Central Truth: Prayer, accompanied by obedient surrender to God, touches heaven.

In Paul's writings to the young Why did Paul say we should pray minister Timothy, he had a number of for those in authority? "... that we instructions regarding prayer. At this may lead a quiet and peaceable life in time Timothy was the pastor of a New all godliness and honesty." Whatever Testament church. happens in the nation we live in affects all of us. God is concerned about us, Pray for Heads of and whether or not our leaders are Government Christians, God will do some things for our sake. 1 TIMOTHY 2:1,2 We notice that intercession is men- 1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, sup tioned here. When Abraham inter- plications, prayers, intercessions, ceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, God and giving of thanks, be made for all men; came down and talked with him before 2 For kings, and for all that are in author destroying those wicked cities. Abra- ity; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable ham pleaded with God not to destroy life in all godliness and honesty. the cities if as many as ten righteous people could be found, and God said, Too often we put ourselves first in "/ will not destroy it for ten's sake" our praying. In fact, sometimes that (Gen. 18:32). is as far as we ever get — just praying There are more than ten righteous for ourselves and our own personal people in the United States, so we need lives and needs. not be frightened, but we do need to But here Paul instructed Timothy, intercede for our country and the "... FIRST OF ALL, supplications, heads of government. God will do prayers, intercessions, and giving of some things just because we ask Him. thanks, be made for all men." Then he became more specific and said, "For kings, and for all that are in author Pray With Hands ity __ " (In that day, people were ruled Outstretched to Heaven by kings. This would be comparable to 1 TIMOTHY 2:8 presidents and other heads of govern- 8 I will therefore that men pray ment in our day.) every

79 where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath part of it is inspired of God, then all and doubting. of it is inspired, and we need to pay attention to it. Everyone will agree with the first part of Paul's statement to Timothy

— that men everywhere ought to pray. Sanctifying Prayer But notice Paul also gives some 1 TIMOTHY 4:1-5 explicit instructions on prayer: "... 1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that lifting up holy hands, without wrath in the latter times some shall depart from and doubting." the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, We would all encourage people to and doctrines of devils; pray without doubting. Jesus said, 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their "... whosoever shall say unto this conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding mountain, Be thou removed, and be to abstain from meats, which God hath thou cast into the sea; and SHALL created to be received with thanksgiving of NOT DOUBT in his heart, but shall them which believe and know the truth. believe that those things which he 4 And every creature of God is good, and saith shall come to pass; he shall have nothing to be refused, if it be received with whatsoever he saith" (Mark 11:23). thanksgiving; (Certainly we also can see the necessity 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God of praying without wrath.) and prayer. If we encourage people to follow In this passage, Paul is not refer- two-thirds of Paul's instructions in ring to sinners or the heathen world. this verse, then we also should obey He is talking about believers who his third admonition: "... lifting up depart from the faith. Verse one says holy hands...." that "... some shall depart from the Those of us who come from denomi- faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, national churches may find it difficult and doctrines of devils." at first to lift our hands in prayer. I Then in verse three he mentions can remember when I first came some of these doctrines of devils: "For- around people who lifted their hands bidding to marry, and commanding to to pray. It was the hardest thing I had abstain from meats ..." Most of us ever done in my life to lift my hands have met individuals who have fallen and pray. prey to such erroneous teaching. Someone may ask, "Do you have to But Paul, speaking under the inspi- do it?" No, you don't have to do it, but ration of the Holy Spirit, said if we are going to obey part of the concerning meats, "... which God verse, why not all of it? Why not pray hath created to be received with New Testament style? thanksgiving to them which believe If Paul was writing to the Church and know the truth. And every under the inspiration of the Spirit of creature of God is good, and nothing God, I am under obligation to obey. If to be refused, if it be received with

80 thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by to be refused, if it be received with the word of God and prayer." thanksgiving" (v. 4). The devil will use any means he can We can regulate our diet however to lead people away from God. we want as long as we receive it with I once knew a minister who was on thanksgiving and it is sanctified with fire for God and had a remarkable prayer. Then nothing we eat need hurt ministry in reaching the lost. He could us. Nothing I eat ever hurts me, get more people saved accidentally because I sanctify it. So many people than most people can on purpose. tell me they can't eat this or they can't But he got off on the subject of eat that because it hurts them if they diet, and he started teaching people do. It need not, if you will sanctify it what to eat and what not to eat. He as Paul teaches us in this passage of preached Old Testament dietary laws Scripture. and spent all his time trying to We need to be careful of segments regulate people's diets. If he got of the church world which have gone anyone saved, I don't know of it. The off into these areas, because Paul says devil undermined his ministry of that they have given "heed to seduc- reaching the lost. ing spirits, and doctrines of devils," People have asked me, "Do you eat pork?" Certainly I eat pork. I sanctify it "by the word of God and prayer," as Memory Text: Paul teaches. You could eat skunk if "I will therefore that men pray every you wanted to, because "... every where, lifting up holy hands, without creature of God is good, and nothing wrath and doubting" (1 Tim. 2:8).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: -But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ... " (James 1:22).

Lesson 22

What Others Said About Prayer (Part 1) Bible Texts: James 5:13-18; Jude 20,21 Central Truth: Our prayers are not answered on the basis of how good we have been, but on the basis of our right standing in Christ.

Now let's turn to some other another instruction for those who were writers and see what they have to say sick. on the subject of prayer. The Greek word translated here "afflicted" doesn't refer to illness or What James Said About physical affliction. It means a test or Prayer trial. James said if you are going through a test or trial, do your own JAMES 5:13-16 praying. Not many people do that. 13 Is any among you afflicted? let him Most people run around looking for pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. someone else to do their praying for 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for them. But James didn't say a word the elders of the church; and let them pray about getting anyone to pray for you over him, anointing him with oil in the name in this situation. He said, "let him of the Lord: pray." 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the This doesn't mean it's not all right sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and for us to pray for one another. The if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. main thing God wants us to learn is 16 Confess your faults one to another, and to do our own praying, because we can pray one for another, that ye may be healed. then gain great victories. If you have The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous to depend on someone else to pray you man availeth much. out of a trial, then the next time you are confronted with one of life's tests, James asks three questions: "Is you still won't know the way out. You any among you afflicted? Is any still will have to find someone else to merry? Is any sick among you?" He pray you out, and if you can't find is talking about three different things someone, you might not make it. here. The words "afflicted" and "sick" James said, "7s any merry? let him do not mean the same thing in this sing psalms." This passage of Scrip- verse of Scripture. James gave one ture needs little comment. It's easy to instruction for the afflicted sing when we are merry, isn't it? and

83 James then said, "Is any sick the prayer of faith shall save the sick, among you? let him call for the elders and the Lord shall raise him up; and of the church; and let them pray over if he have committed sins, they shall him __ " P. C. Nelson, who was a be forgiven him" (James 5:15). James Greek scholar, brought out in his wasn't saying that everyone is ill writing that the Greek word translated because of having committed sins; he "sick" implies that the person is so ill was saying the reason some are sick he can't do anything for himself. He is because they have sinned: "If he is helpless. have committed sins, they shall be If a person had a headache or some forgiven him." There is forgiveness minor ailment, he could go to the and healing for us. church, where the pastor could pray Many people think because they for him. But when he is so ill he can't have failed God they must continue to get out of bed, he is to call for the be sick because they must "pay" for elders of the church to pray for him. their sins. However, this Scripture doesn't say, "If he have committed (We must remember that when sins, he has to go on being sick to pay James wrote his epistle, the Church for them." It says, "If he have com- was in her infancy. The disciples would mitted sins, THEY SHALL BE go to a place where there wasn't a FORGIVEN HIM." church, preach, win people to the Lord, James went on to say, "Confess and establish a work. These new churches didn't have all the ministry your faults one to another, and pray gifts. Because some churches didn't one for another, that ye may be healed" have a pastor, they would appoint the (v. 16). This is all tied together. We eldest in the congregation, or in some can't take this verse out of its setting places they would appoint those who and apply it incorrectly. James wasn't had matured most spiritually to be in suggesting that we come to church to charge and watch over the flock. As have a confession meeting. He was the church developed and grew, God saying that when the elders come to gave "... some, apostles; and some, pray for the sick man, if he has sinned, prophets; and some, evangelists; and he should confess his sin. He isn't some, pastors and teachers" (Eph. going to get healed with unconfessed 4:11). So in the process of time, there sin in his life! were those who were separated unto What Is a 'Righteous' the ministry.) Man? Can a Person With Sin in James followed this admonition His Life Be Healed? with the words, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth James instructed those who were much." Then in the next two verses he sick to call for the elders to pray for gave us an example of a righteous them and anoint them with oil. "And man.

84 JAMES 5:17,18 His Word that we don't get our 17 Elias [Elijah] was a man subject to like prayers answered on the basis of how passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly good or how bad we have been; it is on that it might not rain: and it rained not on the basis of our right standing in Him. the earth by the space of three years and We are made righteous in Christ six months. Jesus. "For he hath made him to be sin 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven for us, who knew no sin; that we might gave rain, and the earth brought forth her be made the righteousness of God in fruit. him" (2 Cor. 5:21). You might think, as I once did, But Righteousness means right stand- Elijah was a prophet. He was a great ing with God. Jesus is our righteous- man of God. I can't possibly do what ness. Every one of us who is a he did. However, James didn't say, born-again believer has the same right "Elijah was a prophet, and he prayed." standing or righteousness Jesus has. He said Elijah was a man "subject to We are invited to come boldly to the like passions as we are." He had the throne of grace by way of the blood of same faults and failings we do, and he Jesus. made the same mistakes — yet his prayers worked. What Jude Said About God doesn't hear a prophet more Prayer quickly than He hears any other Jude also said something about believer. James didn't say it was the prayer that is enlightening and helpful. "effectual fervent prayer of a prophet" that got the job done. He said, "The JUDE 20,21 effectual fervent prayer of a righteous 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves man...." on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy "Well, if I were righteous I could Ghost. do it," you might say. But you are 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, look righteous if you are saved, because you ing for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. are the "righteousness of God in him [Christ]" (2 Cor. 5:21). God made you Jude's teachings here agree with righteous; you can't make yourself what Paul said to the Church at Cor- righteous. inth: "For if I pray in an unknown As a pastor for nearly 12 years, I tongue, my spirit prayeth ...," and often saw people in my congregation "He that speaketh in an unknown who didn't live half as consecrated tongue edifieth himself ..." (1 Cor. lives as others did, yet they could pray 14:14,4). (See Lessons 9 and 10.) twice as effectively as the others. They The word "edify" means to build could pray the prayer of faith more up. Praying in an unknown tongue quickly for themselves and their edifies or builds up the believer. You families. I was puzzled about this until could say it is a means of "spiritual the Lord finally showed me through muscle building."

85 Jude didn't say praying in the Holy up our faith. "So then faith cometh by Spirit would build up your faith. He hearing, and hearing by the word of said, "... building up yourselves on God." We build up our faith through your most holy faith...." the study of God's Word. Then, It's foolish to take a text out of its through praying in tongues, we build setting and try to prove something up ourselves spiritually on the faith we with it. We shouldn't try to make a already have. verse say something that doesn't We can build spiritual muscle tone agree with the rest of the passage. We into our everyday lives as we are must interpret the verse in the light of edified through praying in the Spirit. the whole passage. We must study it in context, putting all the verses together. Then one verse will help and Memory Text: modify the other and they will fit "... The effectual fervent prayer of a together. righteous man availeth much"(James Romans 10:17 tells us how to build 5:16).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers o n l y . . . " (James 1:22).

86 Lesson 23

What Others Said About Prayer (Part 2) Bible Texts: 1 Peter 3:1-6,12; 1 John 5:14-16; Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-29; 3 John 2 Central Truth: God's eyes and ears are ever open to the cries of the righteous.

In Peter's epistles to the Church, your own husbands; that, if any obey not he, too, gave believers instructions in the word, they also may without the word the matter of prayer. be won by the conversation of the wives; 2 While they behold your chaste conver Relationship to Spouse sation coupled with fear. Can Hinder Prayers 3 Whose adorning let it not be that out ward adorning of plaiting of the hair, and "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with of wearing of gold, or of putting on of them according to knowledge, giving apparel; honour unto the wife, as unto the 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, weaker vessel, and as being heirs in that which is not corruptible, even the together of the grace of life; THAT ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which YOUR PRAYERS BE NOT HIN- is in the sight of God of great price. DERED" (1 Peter 3:7). Peter is talking about marriages in which both hus- 5 For after this manner in the old time the band and wife are believers, because he holy women also, who trusted in God, said, "... being heirs together of the adorned themselves, being in subjection grace of life...." unto their own husbands: Men, if some of your prayers are 6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling not being answered, perhaps you him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long should examine your relationship with as ye do well, and are not afraid with any your wife. Do you show her tenderness amazement. and respect, "giving honour unto the Here Peter suggests that there is wife, as unto the weaker vessel"? If a way of winning an unsaved husband not, Peter says that your prayers are without the Word: "... if any obey not hindered. the word, they also may without the He gives similar admonitions to word be won by the conversation of the wives. Let us look at them. wives."The word "conversation" here 1 PETER 3:1-6 means one's manner of life; her 1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection conduct. to

87 God Hears Prayers of ished believers concerning the neces- Righteous sity of watchful prayer. In Mark's Gospel we read where Jesus, talking Further on in this chapter, Peter about the last days, said "Take ye has more to say about prayer. heed, watch and pray: for ye know not 1 PETER 3:12 when the time is" (Mark 13:33). 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their God's Will in Prayer prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. John, too, had important things to say about prayer. Who are the righteous that this verse refers to? In Lesson 22 we saw 1 JOHN 5:14-16 that we, as born-again believers, are 14 And this is the confidence that we have the righteous in Christ Jesus: "For he in him, that, if we ask any thing according hath made him to be sin for us, who to his will, he heareth us: knew no sin; that we might be made 15 And if we know that he hear us, what the righteousness of God in him" soever we ask, we know that we have the (2 Cor. 5:21). Righteousness is not petitions that we desired of him. 16 If any man see his brother sin a sin based on how good or bad we are, but which is not unto death, he shall ask, and on our standing in Christ. Jesus is our he shall give him life for them that sin not righteousness. unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do Peter said that God's eyes are over not say that he shall pray for it. us, and "... his ears are open unto [our] prayers...." I'm glad God has eyes Although the word "pray" is men- and ears, aren't you? He sees us and tioned only once in this passage of He hears us. His ears are open to our Scripture, John has used the words prayers; but as we saw in verse seven, "ask" and "petition," referring to we can hinder our prayers. God doesn't prayer. He said, "... if we ask any hinder them — He doesn't refuse to thing according to his will, he heareth hear — but we can hinder them. Let us us." Remember this: If it is according take care that we don't hinder them; to the Word, it is according to His will. then we can know His ears are open Some people take the attitude that unto our prayers. they will pray for something and if it is God's will, He will give it to them. Watch and Pray If it isn't His will, then He won't. However, this isn't what the Bible Then in First Peter 4:7 we read, says. "But the end of all things is at hand: John said, "... if we ask any thing be ye therefore sober, and watch unto according to his will, he heareth us." prayer." Under the inspiration of the His Word is His will. If we know what Holy Spirit, Peter saw into the future His Word says about a certain matter, to the day in which we live and admon- then we know what His Will is about

88 that matter. This agrees with Jesus' ourselves.) statement, "... if ye abide in me, and So I prayed, "Lord, I wish I had my words abide in you, ye shall ask prayed with her. Just let her revive so what ye will, and it shall be done unto I can have a word of prayer with her. you" (John 15:7). (She was elderly and I knew in my Verse 16 of the above passage has spirit she was going to go.) Let me been the subject of much controversy, make sure there isn't any unconfessed and most preachers just stay away sin in her life." from it. However, it ties right in with As I prayed, Someone said, "Why the two preceding verses and con- don't you ask Me to forgive her?" tinues talking about prayer: It was so real it startled me. I jumped out of the chair and the Bible 1 JOHN 5:16 on my lap scooted across the floor and 16 If any man see his brother sin a sin under the bed. which is not unto death, he shall ask, and "Who said that?" I asked. I he shall give him life for them that sin not thought someone had heard me pray- unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do ing and was teasing me. However, I not say that he shall pray for it. found no one when I looked around the John is saying here that if we ask room and outside the door. I sat back God to forgive someone, this is accord- down and began to study, but I ing to His Word and according to His couldn't concentrate, so I started to will, and He will do it. pray again. Some years ago, I was holding a "Lord, why don't You bring her out meeting near my hometown in Texas of it and let me have a word of prayer when I received a call that my grand- with her to see that she doesn't die mother had fallen into a coma and was with any unconfessed sin in her life?" near death at her home. Each night Again that Voice said, "Why don't after the evening service I drove back you ask Me to forgive her?" to her home and would sit up with her I jumped again and said, "Someone through the night. She never regained is playing tricks on me." But a check consciousness. into the bedrooms of everyone else in The third night as I sat there I the house revealed that they were prayed, "Dear Lord, I'm so sorry I sound asleep. didn't pray with Granny the other day I went back to Granny's bedroom when I visited her." and tried to study, but I could not, so I knew Granny was a Christian and I began to pray again. loved the Lord, but there are sins of When I did, He said the third time, omission as well as commission and I "Why don't you ask Me to forgive could see where she had missed it. her?" (Others can see where I have missed This time I had the presence of it. We can see where others miss it mind to remember that Eli had told sometimes better than we can see the child Samuel to answer when God

89 called. I realized it was the Lord, and HEBREWS 6:4-6 I answered, "Me ask You?" 4 For it is impossible for those who were He said, "Yes, you ask Me. Don't once enlightened, and have tasted of the you know that my Word says in First heavenly gift, and were made partakers of John 5:16, 'If any man see his brother the Holy Ghost, sin a sin which is not unto death, he 5 And have tasted the good word of God, shall ask, and he shall give him life for and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them them...'?" again unto repentance; seeing they crucify I turned the pages of my Bible to to themselves the Son of God afresh, and that Scripture and read it. "That's put him to an open shame. right. That's exactly what it says! All right, Lord, I ask You. Please forgive HEBREWS 10:26-29 her. You can forgive her of these 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have things that I can see of omission, and received the knowledge of the truth, there of anything else that she didn't see or remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of I don't see, You forgive her." judgment and fiery indignation, which shall He said, "All right, I have." devour the adversaries. I thanked Him for it. To me that 28 He that despised Moses' law settled it. Can't you see that this was died according to His will? without mercy under two or three wit The last part of that verse does nesses: make an exception, however. It says, 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose "... there is a sin unto death: I do not ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath say that he shall pray for it." How will trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, we know if a person has committed wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy this sin unto death? We will only know thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit this as the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. of grace? This has happened to me only two times in my life when I have been pray- The sin God is talking about here ing for someone and the Lord showed is not the sin of lying, cheating, or me that there was no need to pray for something like that. God offers them, because they had sinned the sin forgiveness for such sins. There is no unto death. forgiveness, however, for those who What is this sin unto death? First, have "trodden under foot the Son of God...." John is not talking about physical The Hebrew Christians to whom death here, but about spiritual death. this book was written were under great This isn't a sin that an unbeliever can persecution and were tempted to go commit. It is a sin only a Christian can back to Judaism. When they accepted commit, for he used the term Christ, they were cut off from their "brother." families, ran into financial hardships, Let us look into the Book of and faced numerous other trials. But Hebrews to find out more about this. God warned them in these Scriptures

90 that to go back to Judaism was to be in health, even as thy soul pros- deny Christ. It was to say that they pereth." If he was motivated by the would be counting "the blood of the Spirit to pray that way, that would be covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, the desire of the Spirit of God for every an unholy thing," or, in other words, person. It is all right, then, to pray for that Jesus' blood was just common financial prosperity, because John blood like any other man's. s a i d , " 7 pray above all things. ..." Let us remember that as long as a John's prayer here concerns three person stays in Christ, he is eternally dimensions of our lives: physical, secure. But we don't want to forget spiritual, and material. He said, "... that there is a sin unto death. / pray ... that thou mayest prosper [material blessing] and be in health John's Three-Dimensional [physical blessing], even as thy soul Prayer prospereth [spiritual blessing]." Thus, 3 JOHN 2 we see that God desires to bless every 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that part of the believer's life. thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. Memory Text: The word translated "wish" in the "For the eyes of the Lord are over the King James Version is "pray" in the righteous, and his ears are open unto original Greek. Therefore, John said their prayers: but the face of the Lord here, "Beloved, I PRAY above all is against them that do evil" (1 Peter things that thou mayest prosper and 3:12).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

Lesson 24

The Will of God in Prayer (Part 1) Bible Texts: John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9; Acts 16:31 Central Truth: If our prayer request is according to God's Word, it is according to His will.

In the next three lessons we will gives faith: "So then faith cometh by focus our attention on the will of God hearing, and hearing by the word of in prayer. God" (Rom. 10:17). "The entrance of As we look at our memory text, thy words giveth light ..." (Ps. First John 5:14, notice the words "con- 119:130). "Thy word is a lamp unto my fidence" and "heareth": "And this is feet, and a light unto my path" (Ps. the CONFIDENCE that we have in 119:105). When we walk in the light of him, that, if we ask any thing accord- the Word, we are not walking in ing to his will, he HEARETH us." darkness. Another translation of this verse says, Many times we pray in darkness "And this is the boldness we have because we don't know what God's toward him...." will is. We don't come with confidence Under what condition can we have or boldness. We come trembling and confidence that God hears us when we fearful, hoping He will hear us, but pray? He hears us if we ask anything that won't work. according to His will! We first need to go to God's Word In the next verse we read, "And if and find out what it says about our we know that he hear us, whatsoever particular problem. Then we can pray we ask, we know that we have the peti- in faith, knowing His will in the mat- tions that we desired of him." Notice ter. (Almost everything we need to that this Scripture says, "And if... he pray about is covered in His Word.) hear us ... we have the petitions that we desired...." It would seem from The Will of God reading this that there must be Concerning Salvation something He doesn't hear. If we don't have this confidence or First of all, we know that saving boldness when we pray, it must mean the lost is God's will, because that is that the Lord doesn't hear us. If we why Jesus came to earth and died. don't fulfill our part, it won't work. How can we get confidence, JOHN 3:16 boldness, and faith? The Word of God 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever

93 believeth in him should not perish, but have aren't answered: "And this is the confi- everlasting life. dence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his 2 PETER 3:9 will..." 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his There's no question that it's God's promise, as some men count slackness; but will to save the lost, as we just saw is longsuf f ering to us-ward, not willing that from the Scriptures. The Word of God any should perish, but that all should come is the will of God. Therefore, if our to repentance. request is in accordance with His will, we know we have the petitions we ACTS 16:31 desire of Him. 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and I once knew a country preacher thy house. who, because of his limited education, never had an opportunity to pastor a I don't know of anyone who would large church. Most of his pastorates pray for a lost loved one by saying, were small community churches. "Lord, if it is your will, save him." However, he was in constant demand However, much of our praying for the to hold revivals because of his tremen- lost is not effective. Why? Because we dous soul-winning. Wherever he went, do not come with confidence and a landslide of souls resulted. He could boldness. go to a church where no one had been Our text says if we come with confi- saved in years, and great numbers dence and boldness, asking according would accept Christ as Savior. to His will, we know that God hears When he was in his early sixties us and we have the petitions we desire. and still enjoying phenomenal success, That should be clear enough. However, I once asked him the secret of his our praying is too often in the natural success. realm rather than in the spiritual "It is a very simple thing," he told realm. We pray, "God save our loved me. "I just apply the same faith to see one," and then we wait to see if God folks saved as I do to see them healed has answered our prayer! If the person or to believe God for anything else. It gets saved immediately, we believe never enters my mind to doubt that God heard us. If he doesn't — if we see people will come to be saved. If doubt no change in his life — we think God did come, I would resist it in the Name didn't hear us. This is walking by of Jesus. sight, not by faith, and it brings only "I pray, but not more than others confusion. do. I do seek God, of course, but I You might say, "I have prayed and attribute my success in soul-winning prayed for my unsaved loved ones, and to one thing: I have confidence the it seems as if my praying doesn't unsaved will come. By the eye of faith work." Return to God's Word and I see the altar filling up with lost souls. you'll discover why your And if the meeting doesn't go as well prayers

94 as it should, I don't necessarily many people have lost their children. increase my praying about it; I just As we pray for our children, we exercise more faith." must not do anything in our home that This preacher was expressing the would nullify the effects of our confidence, the boldness, our Scripture prayers. We must build confidence and text is talking about, because he knew trust in our children. We must instill the will of God in the matter. a sense of security in them. Some people, on the other hand, Before I was married, I usually only look at the circumstances. They stayed in the homes of pastors during say, "No one came to the altar for sal- revival meetings, and I often felt sorry vation last night. They probably won't for their children. tonight, either." This kind of person I particularly remember one is looking at the wrong thing. He may pastor's 12-year-old son. His parents pray for souls, but he does not see were impatient and short-tempered them coming to Christ. He really with him. They were always telling doesn't have confidence that they will him he would never amount to come. His faith is only in what he can anything. Sure enough, he didn't! He see. broke the hearts of his parents. He was married several times, and he never provided a living for his family. We Can Nullify Our These parents may have prayed

Prayers and asked their church to pray. They Often people undo their prayers! may have shed many tears and even They may have prayed and even asked fasted. But their lives nullified the others to pray, but then they nullify effects of their prayers. their prayers and the faith of those From the spiritual standpoint as who are praying with them by speak- well as the natural standpoint, the ing negatively. Talk faith, not doubt! things that happen to children in their I once knew a minister who asked early years are what mold their lives me and others to pray for his son. as adults. Let these years be spirit- However, at the same time he was ually rich and meaningful for your requesting prayer, he would tell his children. Let your life match your boy, "You'll never amount to words. Work with God; don't work anything. I don't know what in the against Him. world I'm going to do with you! I have I also have seen pastors' children done everything I can do. I have neglected. The pastors' wives were so prayed and prayed, but it looks like my busy working in the church that their prayers don't do any good." children were left alone to do as they This man was confessing defeat pleased. That's why I told my wife and failure rather than victory and when we were first married, "I'll run faith. He was building doubt and inse- the church and you run the house." curity into his son. This is why so In the first church we pastored

95 after we were married, we were told it family, have struggled and begged was their custom for the pastor to God to save them, but they have not teach the adult Bible class of men and backed up their prayers by claiming the pastor's wife to teach the women. the promise. Thus, they have prayed I told them my wife didn't teach Sun- in darkness instead of in the light of day School. God's Word. They argued, "But it's our custom Our text says, "... if we ask any here. We have been doing this for more thing according to his will [we know than 20 years!" that salvation for our children is God's "Well, I just changed that custom," I replied. "We'll consolidate the will], he heareth us: And if we know two classes and make one big that he hear us ... we know that we auditorium class, and I will teach it. have the petitions that we desired of My wife doesn't teach Sunday him" (I John 5:14,15). School." If we know God heard us, we don't When they asked me why, I told have to keep begging Him to save our them, "I am going to preach and children. This doesn't mean that the pastor the church. My wife is going to whole family will come to Christ over- stay home and keep house and take night, but as we stand in faith, thank- care of me and our children, when we ing God, they will be saved. have them. I want her to run things For us to continue asking and beg- there, and I'll run things here. There ging God is a confession that we don't are many capable people in the church believe we have our petition. If we who can work, so let's put them to really believed we had the petition we work." desired of the Lord, as the Scripture When they wanted to make Oretha says, we would be thanking Him for it! president of the women's missionary Sometimes, you see, we go through council, I put my foot down again. the right motions but without the "She can attend the meetings," I told right believing. We can go through the them, "but she won't serve in any motions because someone told us to do capacity." This has paid off well for us. so or because someone else did it, but Authority To Claim for it to work, we must have faith for Your Family the answer down in our hearts. The thought never entered my Every believer has authority in his mind that our children would not be own household. We have more author- saved, because I had authority and ity there than we have anywhere else. power in that area. I prayed for them Acts 16:31 tells us, "... Believe on the once and claimed their salvation on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be basis of the Word. When the thought saved, AND THY HOUSE." Too would come to me that they might not many people, in praying for their be saved, I would reject it immediately

96 in the Name of Jesus. I had confidence Memory Text: — I had boldness — that our children "And this is the confidence that we would be saved because I had prayed have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to God's will. according to his will, he heareth us: Knowing what the will of God is And if we know that he hear us, what- concerning lost souls, we never should soever we ask, we know that we have pray, "Lord, if it be your will, save this the petitions that we desired of him" person." We know it is His will! (1 John 5:14,15).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

Lesson 25

The Will of God in Prayer (Part 2) Bible Texts: Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:16,17; 1 Peter 2:24 Central Truth: To be an effective prayer warrior, we must have God's Word abiding in us.

As we continue our study about abiding in Him, and (2) His Word is God's will in prayer, let us look at abiding in us — we can "ask what ye these pertinent words of Jesus in John will, and it shall be done unto you." 15:7: "If ye abide in me, and my words What a powerful promise! abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, The believer walking in fellowship and it shall be done unto you." with the Word never will ask for Under what conditions did Jesus anything outside of the will of God. If tell us to ask what we will? He said, he knows the Word, he knows what is "If ye abide in me...." In other words, promised him; he knows the will of to be born again is the first require- God. If he is not walking in fellowship ment. If we are born again, we are with the Word, he is not going to have abiding in Him. a successful prayer life and get He also said, "... and my words answers to his prayers. His prayer life abide in you...." So we must have a isn't going to be effective, because thorough knowledge of God's Word to Jesus plainly stated, "// ye abide in be an effective prayer warrior. We me, and my words abide in you...." We must have His Word abiding in us. In must come according to His con- order to do this we must "Study to ditions. shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be God's Will Concerning ashamed, rightly dividing the word of Healing truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). When we have God's Word abiding What does God's Word have to say in us, we will know what His will is about physical healing? Is it His will concerning any matter we need to pray to heal the sick? Let us look at some about. As we saw in our last lesson, Scriptures to determine His will in this God's Word is His will. Therefore, we matter. can bring our petitions with confidence and boldness to God's throne of grace. ISAIAH 53:4,5 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and If we have followed steps one and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him two of the above verse — if (1) we are stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

99 5 But he was wounded for our transgres- "I thought you would pray for me, sions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the and if it's His will, 111 be healed. If it chastisement of our peace was upon him; isn't, I won't." and with his stripes we are healed. Under these circumstances I knew the woman was not going to receive MATTHEW 8:16,17 healing. I knew her unbelief would 16 When the even was come, they brought stop the flow of God's healing power. unto him many that were possessed with I wanted to talk to her and show her devils: and he cast out the spirits with his some things from the Word of God word, and healed all that were sick: before I prayed for her, but she said, 17 That it might be fulfilled which was "Go ahead and pray for me. I am in so spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our much pain and misery." sicknesses. I anointed her and prayed, knowing in my heart that she wouldn't receive 1 PETER 2:24 anything because she wasn't believing 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his in line with the Word. I stumbled own body on the tree, that we, being dead through a prayer and had hardly said to sins, should live unto righteousness: by "amen" when she said to her husband, whose stripes ye were healed. "Pete, go call the doctor." We see from these verses that heal- The thing that really puzzled me ing the sick is God's will because was that she had just gotten through Christ bore our infirmities and carried saying if it was God's will for her to our diseases. Just as He purchased our be healed, He would heal her and if it salvation through His death on the wasn't, He wouldn't. She didn't get cross, so He has purchased our heal- healed; therefore, by her own admis- ing: "... by whose stripes ye were sion, it wasn't God's will for her to be healed." When we have His Word healed. Yet here she was calling the firmly settled in our hearts, we need doctor and paying him to get her out not wonder if it is His will to heal us. of the will of God! We need not pray, "Lord, heal me if According to her reasoning, it it be thy will." would seem she wouldn't even want to Years ago while pastoring, I was get well, because she would be getting called to pray for one of the members out of God's will. It would be wrong who was ill. Knowing the importance to buy medicine and enlist the help of of her own confession of faith for the doctor to get her out of the will of healing, I asked, "Sister, will you be God. healed now as I anoint you with oil and Certainly this is a foolish line of lay hands on you in Jesus' Name?" reasoning, but this is the logic some "Well, I will if it's God's will," she people follow concerning prayer for answered. their healing. "How are you going to find out if As we noted before, if we want to it's His will?" I asked. know God's will concerning a matter,

100 study His Word. His Word is His will. learn His will. His Word tells us it is His will to heal Then there are those who know us. Let's not doubt His Word, but what God's Word says about a matter, instead claim its promises for our yet they find it difficult to believe it healing. will work in their case. They are like a man who knows he Look to the Word for will need some extra money, so he goes God's Will to his banker and arranges for a loan. He does not need the money right Many people try to find the will of away; he just wants to have God by saying, "If it's His will He'll everything ready so he will have access do it, and if it's not, He won't." We to it when he needs it. should determine God's will by look- The man has his banker's word ing into the Word. that everything is in order and he may If I am uncertain about something, pick up the money anytime he wants, I go to the Word first. I don't pray in but then he thinks What if he doesn't uncertainty, because I would be give it to me? What if he didn't mean wasting my time. I could not pray in what he said? faith; I would be praying in unbelief The man will have to believe what and doubt, and it wouldn't work. the banker said and then act on it to When we know what God's Word says get his money. about a matter, we know what His will Some people are like that with God. is. They know what He said in His Word Often people want to put all the responsibility for a matter on God, so about salvation for their loved ones, they say, "It must not have been healing, or any other need they might God's will, because I prayed, 'If it be have, but they find it difficult to thy will, do this,' and He didn't do it." believe He will do what He said He These people want to relieve would do. But thank God, He keeps themselves of all responsibility and His Word! put it on God. But we can't get out of it that easily. Memory Text: God gave us His Word and told us "If ye abide in me, and my words abide to "Search the scriptures ... which in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and testify of me" (John 5:39). In them we it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only ..." (James 1:22).

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Lesson 26

The Will of God in Prayer (Part 3) Bible Texts: 1 Peter 5:7; 3 John 2; Philippians 4:19

Central Truth: We can find a promise in God's Word for every aspect of life. Then we can know how to pray, and we can have the assurance before we pray what His will is.

Studying God's Word is like to find Scriptures with a promise con- searching for valuable gems. We can cerning what they are praying about. find a few jewels on top of the ground Sometimes when people ask me to without much digging, but if we really pray for them I say, "What Scripture want to get down where the valuable are you standing on?" Many times veins are, we have to dig for them. they answer they have none in To learn the deeper truths of God, particular. "Well," I tell them, "that we are told to "Search the scriptures; is what you'll get, then: nothing in par- for in them ye think ye have eternal ticular." life: and they are they which testify of If your request is in accordance me" (John 5:39). with God's Word, that is His will. (It Surface reading of our memory text has to be His will for Him to promise in First John 5:14,15 has brought it in His Word.) It is His will that we some to the wrong conclusion about have everything He has provided for what John was saying here. He said, us in His Word. "And this is the confidence that we I have found a promise in His Word have in him, that, if we ask any thing for every aspect of life. That means I according to his will, he heareth us: can know just how to pray, and I can And if we know that he hear us, what- have the assurance of what His will is soever we ask, we know that we have before I pray. the petitions that we desired of him." Many times the reason prayer isn't Some have thought John said, "If working for people is because they are it is God's will, He will hear me, and praying in darkness. They are trying if it isn't, He won't." However, that to get God to help them apart from the wasn't what he meant. John was say- Word. We are to walk in the light of ing if we have God's Word on a matter, the Word. we don't have to say, "If it be thy No one can build a successful will," because we know His Word is prayer life if he doesn't know the His will. Word. A successful prayer life is built For this reason I encourage people and based on the written Word. When

103 we pray according to the Word, it is confidence that we have in him, that, a lamp unto our feet and a light unto if we ask any thing according to his our path. We know which way to walk. will, he heareth us: And if we know Too much of the time, however, that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we because we fail to see what God's know that we have the petitions that Word has to say about a subject, we we desired of him.' stumble about, not knowing just "I know God's will for you because where we are going. Prayer then 1 know what God's Word says. It isn't becomes a matter of desperation, His will to give you grace to bear your begging God to do something. But load of care. Nor is it His will to take when we know the Word ahead of half of it away and let you carry the time, we can come to God with confi- other half. How do I know dence. this? Because of what His Word says. God's Will Concerning "First Peter 5:7 says, 'Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for Worry you.' That verse doesn't say to cast 1 PETER 5:7 half of your cares; it says all. That 7 Casting all your care upon him; for verse doesn't say God will give you he grace to carry your worries; it says to careth for you. cast all your care upon Him. Why? A woman with a look of despera- Because 'He careth for you.' " tion on her face once came to me Then I said, "Sister, isn't it requesting prayer. She began crying as wonderful that we already have the she said, "Brother Hagin, the cares of answer for your prayer right here?" life, the anxieties and worries, are just Then I read her this same verse so great." She began to cry harder as from The Amplified Bible, which is she said, "I just can't carry all my more explicit: "Casting the whole of burdens. I want you to pray that God your care — all your anxieties, all your will do one of two things: that He will worries, all your concerns, once and for either give me grace to carry them or all — on Him; for He cares for you else take about half of them away. I affectionately, and cares about you can carry half of them, but I just can't watchfully." carry all of them." "Well, I can't pray that prayer," I God's Will Concerning told her. "It would be unscriptural." Financial Blessing A bewildered look came across her 3 JOHN 2 face. I went on to explain, "I cannot 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that pray for you out of the will of God. If thou mayest prosper and be in health, even I am going to have any confidence that as thy soul prospereth. God will hear my prayer, I must pray in line with the Word of God. PHILIPPIANS 4:19 "The Bible tells us, 'And this is the 19 But my God shall supply all your need

104 according to his riches in glory by Christ our prayers* for financial prosperity by Jesus. not cooperating with God; by not enter- ing into the doors God opens for us. In Paul's letter to the Church at I knew a young, able-bodied fellow Philippi, he was commending the who was without work for quite some Christians for their generosity in time. He had a wife and five children. giving, as we see in the verses just People in the church they attended preceding the above verse. They had helped by taking them groceries and taken up an offering of money and clothes for the children. The church goods to send to other Christians. women also helped all they could by Because of this, Paul was saying to giving ironing and other work to his them, "Because you have given to wife so she could earn a little money. them and helped them, God shall When I talked to the man he told supply all your needs." He was talk- me, "Well, the Lord said He would ing about material and financial meet all of our needs. Some people tell matters. me to get out and look for a job, but Another verse we think of in con- I am just waiting for the right one to nection with financial blessing is found come to me. The Lord will do it. And in Luke 6:38: "Give, and it shall be in the meantime, we are getting along given unto you; good measure, pressed all right." (But someone else was down, and shaken together, and run- paying his house rent and feeding his ning over, shall men give into your family.) bosom. For with the same measure We can't just sit and wait for that ye mete withal it shall be something to come to us. The only measured to you again." We often hear thing that will come will be a pile of this verse quoted when an offering is bills! A man can believe that God will being taken. The emphasis usually is help him and bless him financially, but on "give" in the first part of the verse. he needs to move in the right direction But let's not overlook the results of and do whatever his hand finds to do. that giving: "... it shall be given unto If the first job he finds isn't exactly you...." Thus, we see financial bless- what he prefers, at least it will help ings promised in this verse. him until something better comes Would you like to see increased along. In the meantime he can pray for financial blessings in your life? guidance in getting a better job. God Increase your giving, because the can open another job for him as he is Scripture says that your returns will faithful in whatever he finds to do in be "... pressed down, and shaken providing for his family. together, and running over.... For As we continue to dig deeper into with the same measure that ye mete God's Word, we will see more and withal it shall be measured to you more things showing us His will in again." prayer. On the other hand, we can hinder For example, we know to pray for

105 the lost in heathen lands, because His will of God," we will say "according Word says, "Ask of me, and I shall to the Word of God." Then we will give thee the heathen for thine inheri- have the right perspective. tance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession" (Ps. 2:8). We also know to pray that God Memory Text: would send ministers forth in the "And this is the confidence that we power of His Spirit: "Pray ye therefore have in him, that, if we ask any thing the Lord of the harvest, that he will according to his will, he heareth us: send forth labourers into his harvest" And if we know that he hear us, what- (Matt. 9:38). soever we ask, we know that we have As we study the Word of God, the petitions that we desired of him" instead of saying "according to the (1 John 5:14,15).

THE LESSON IN ACTION: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers o n l y . . . " (James 1:22).

106