KINGDOM LIFE Prayer LIFE CHURCH 11/5/2020 EW Kenyon: “Prayer is God’s way of involving us in what He is doing”

Why does He want us involved?

What is He doing? LET’S FOCUS ON THE “WHY”

Why does He want us involved in what He is doing? The beginning: Why did He create us in the first place? LOVE

He wants a relationship with us He created Man and woman in His own image so that He could have a love relationship with them Genesis 1:26-28 NIV Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” [27] So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. [28] God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” He created mankind in His own image.

This is unique from everything else He made A relationship that we choose to be in, not robots, but because we love Him back. As a FATHER

2 way conversations (What prayer really is)

Connection with His Children

Fathers and their kids do things TOGETHER, because they WANT to Genesis 1:26-28 NIV Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” [27] So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. [28] God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” What else does He want us to do?

Rule with Him When we get to the realization of this, it changes our approach to EVERYTHING; a different perspective- A perspective of VICTORY and RULE.

Not defeat and fear of what we see with our natural eyes. But what about the FALL of MAN?

WE (MANKIND) GAVE UP OUR STANDING, BUT GOD HAS NEVER CHANGED HIS MIND OR HIS PLAN FOR US TO RULE WITH HIM HE SENT HIS SON JESUS TO RESTORE US TO HIS ORIGINAL INTENTION. And when we receive His gift of restoration and eternal life, we are back in the ORIGINAL MISSION. I BELIEVE IT IS GOD’S PRIORITY TO RESTORE US TO HIS ORIGINAL PLAN TO RULE WITH HIM; TO CHOOSE TO LOVE HIM AND CHOOSE TO TAKE UP OUR MISSION AGAIN.

HE ISN’T GOING TO DO IT WITHOUT US INVOLVED. HE IS WAITING FOR US TO JOIN HIM. WE JOIN HIM IN PRAYER Ephesians 2:4,6-7 NIV - But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. John 14:20 NIV On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. So, what has this got to do with prayer?

EVERYTHING! When we pray, we pray in CONFIDENCE, knowing that we RULE with Him. And Prayer is His Primary way for us to rule with Him. SCRIPTURES:

James 4:2-3 NIV You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. [3] When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NASB For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, [4] for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. [5] We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 1 Kings 18:1 NIV After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” 1 Kings 18:42,45 NIV So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. [45] Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.

James 5:17-18 NIV Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. [18] Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. Ezekiel 22:30 NIV “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. Isaiah 62:6-7 NIV I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, [7] and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. GOD WANTS US TO LEARN TO PRAY FROM A PLACE OF VICTORY AND STRENGTH AND CONFIDENCE THAT HE RULES, AND WE RULE ALONG WITH HIM…IT CHANGES EVERYTHING! QUESTIONS:

1) Why do think that God not only WANTS us to pray, but that He seems to be WAITING on us to pray? 2) Why do you think it is difficult to find time to pray? 3) Is praying in tongues powerful? If so, why? 4) Why (or why not) do you think it might (or might not) be advantageous to pray in a group? 5) What are some reasons some Christians continue to worry about the situations going on in the world today, but don’t pray about it? 6) I (John) find myself loosing the distinction between PRAYER and WORSHIP. Why do you think that is?