Prayer That Moves God – Dr. Charles Stanley

Prayer is seriously powerful business. So often, though, we treat it as a perfunctory task to be checked off our daily to-do list. How can we shift our attitudes from boredom and obligation to joy and expectation? The Lord always inclines His ear to His children. Learn the foundational principles of effective prayer, and how to confidently approach God with our petitions and requests. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to www.intouch.org/watch

[Music]

praying is serious business with God I’m

talking to the creator of the whole

earth I’m talking to the one who doesn’t

have to speak he can just think it in

the bed I’m talking to a God who can

change anything anywhere anytime

according to his will

next on InTouch prayer that moves God

you often wonder why your prayers are

unanswered you know some scriptures and

you talk to God but somehow so many of

your prayers go unanswered there must be

some reason have you thought about why

have you looked at your life to ask you

a question is there anything in my life

it would cause God not to answer my

prayers 1 have you thought about this

have you thought about they God to whom

you’re making your prayers you say well

everybody believes in God well everybody

doesn’t believe in the one true God

and many people pray to a god and they

expect God to answer their prayers and

somehow they don’t get answered and so

you give up on praying and you think you

think well the Bible’s not really true

the Bible is very true from very

beginning to the very end so I want you

to listen carefully to this message

because it just may be that you will

discover one of those reasons your

prayers are unanswered listen carefully

so turn if you will to Acts chapter 12

this is a familiar passage and I want us

to read a few verses but we’ll take

probably most of this chapter beginning

in verse 1

the scripture says now about that time

Herod the King laid hands on some who

belong to the church in order to

mistreat them and he had James the

brother of John put to death with the

sword and when he saw that it pleased

the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter

also now it was during the days of the

unleavened bread after the Passover and

when he had seized him he put him in

prison delivering him to four squads of

soldiers that four squads would be 16

they were there to guard him and to

bring him out before the people so Peter

was kept in the prison but prayer for

him was being made fervently by the

church to God

remember that he was made fervently by

the church to God would you say that you

pray fervently or do you just say well I

I don’t know whether it’s firming

they’re not but I just pray well let’s

look at what’s going on right here and

maybe it discovers something about your

own prayer life

so this Herod he had James killed and

that seemed to satisfy the Jews who

hated the Christians and so then he

thought that worked so he had Peter

arrested and put in prison so Peter is

now in prison and his death is imminent

very evident that he intends to kill him

that he intends to bring him out before

the people and killing with a sword as

he did James and he figured that that

would satisfy the Jews by killing

Christians and so the result is that the

Christians gathered together the

scripture says in Mary’s house and there

they gathered together to pray for Peter

they remember probably James was killed

without any warning

and so here’s Peter their leader who is

going to be killed they know he’s going

to be killed and so they’re praying but

they have to be struggling to some

degree with that because James already

died and they know how a prisoner is

imprisoned by the Romans and so they’re

praying and praying for God to release

him and so I want us to just read a few

verses if you will and look if you will

verse 6 on the very night when Herod was

about to bring him forward

Peter was sleeping between two soldiers

bound with two chains and guards in

front of the door were watching over the

prison and behold an angel of the Lord

appeared in a light shone in the cell

and he struck Peters side woke him up

saying get up quickly and his chains

fell off his hands

and the angel said to him gird yourself

put on your sandals and he did so and he

said to him refu cloak around you and

follow me and he went out and continued

to follow and he did not know what was

being done but by the angel was real but

he thought he was seeing something

having a vision when they had passed the

first and second yard they came to the

iron gate that leads into the city which

opened for them by itself and they went

out and went along one Street and

immediately the angel departed from him

so so what happens when Peter came to

himself he said now I know for sure that

the Lord has sent his angel and rescued

me from the hand of Herod and from all

that the Jewish people were expecting

now I want you to think about something

the two words here that really got my

attention when I read this and already

many times if you go back to the fifth

verse notice what it says so Peter was

kept in the prison but prayer for him

was being made fervently listened

fervently by the church to God and those

two words just jumped off the page to me

to God if I should ask you who is the

god you’re praying to more than likely

most of you seated here and most of you

who believe us could say well I’m

praying to the one true God that when I

pray even when I think about but I want

you to think about the people who pray

who don’t necessarily pray to the one

true God and what I’ve discovered is

this when I talk to somebody who does

not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their

Savior and they talk about praying I’d

say well who do you pray to well I just

pray to God well like like who is this

God well he’s the god I pray to and the

more you talk to them the more you

listen here’s what you discover many

people have mentally created their own

God and this God agrees with them about

what they want to do

they want to go how they want to address

what they want to drink and what kind of

sexual relationships he’ll have there

was this guy just fits them perfectly

and so they say that I believe in God

yes either you pray to Him yes I do what

do you say to him well now you’re

getting personal I’m gonna tell you what

I pray to him they can’t because he’s

not God he’s a God that they’ve created

in their minds but listen they will

never tell you he’s holy he’s righteous

he’s a God of judgment he hates sin

they’re like I’ll say that they’re gonna

talk about the God who has patterned his

desires after their desire the way they

live and so many people when they’re

praying then I prayed to God so somebody

says well what kind of God does a

Christian pray to I’ll tell you he is

the God who created this world he’s the

God who destroyed this world by flood

he’s the God who gave us the Ten

Commandments he’s the God who broke down

the walls of Jericho he’s the God who

gave to David the Psalms

he’s a god who’s given to us the

prophets like Isaiah Jeremiah Daniel

he’s the God who has given to us the

Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God and our

Savior now if that’s nothing god you

afraid – you got a homemade gun and it

doesn’t work he’s a holy God he’s a

righteous God he’s a perfect God he’s a

God who here’s an answer prayers he’s a

God who loves us unconditionally he’s a

God who forgives us of our sin but he’s

a God who does not tolerate sin because

he knows that sin is a destroyer of the

very people he loves if you don’t have

that God you don’t have God you have a

homemade God you have one that suits you

listen to this who has no power to

promise you anything nothing we can say

because of the scripture absent from the

body present with the Lord

what can you say about your God I can

tell you what you say well I guess I

just everything just goes to nothing I

just disappeared no you know well

I guess he got us together of love he

treats everybody the same no he doesn’t

you can come up with all kinds of

excuses about your god but you do not

talk about judgment you do not talk

about righteousness you do not talk

about a day of judgment you do not talk

about standing before a holy God and

given account of your life and I notice

you don’t talk about hell you may talk a

little bit about heaven because you

believe that everybody’s going there is

that really true no it’s not and so your

God is God to you but your God can’t do

anything for you he has no power

whatsoever because it is a god of your

imagination the God who is the one true

eternal God is the god we just described

a few moments ago he’s the God who gave

us the Ten Commandments and the

Beatitudes and all the awesome

scriptures we have in the Bible now the

reason I ask you what gods you’re

praying to is because if you’re not

praying to the one through God it’s not

making it a difference in your life now

these Christians hearing about teeta’s

imprisonment they got together and they

began to pray and to intercede for him

and it’s interesting when you look at

this passage and think about what was

getting ready to happen that even in

their prayers they had to be struggling

a little bit I think I would have been

but I’ve been one of them and so from

all human perspective every human

perspective Peter was going to be killed

tomorrow that is tomorrow is d-day for

PETA death for Peter and so they got

together at Mary’s house and began to

pray and they were crying out for God to

do something unusual to do something

awesome for them because he he meant so

much to them and and for him to be

killed would have been a total disaster

in their thinking and especially in what

was happening in the church so we saw a

few moments ago what happened so Peters

in prison God sends his angel takes him

out

then he goes to Mary’s house he knew

that’s where they were all praying

knocks on the door and this young lady

comes to the door the scripture says

when he knocked at the door at the gate

a servant girl named Rhoda came to

answer when she recognized Peters voice

you think she would have run she would

have opened the door and run back and

said here’s Peter now what she did she

heard him and she she didn’t him open

the door she just ran back and said it’s

Peter and what did they say oh I can’t

be Peter

it may be an angel but he can’t be up he

steals them they can knock in trying to

get in and they’re in the southern it

can’t be him I mean they’ve been praying

fervently forgot to set him free and he

sets him free and they’re still back

there saying no it can’t happen so

that’ll give you some wandering faith

and so they said to her you’re out of

your mind

look at this they’ve been in a praying

crying out to God she says he’s at the

door they say you’re at the you’re out

of your mind and so she kept insisting

and so but Peter continued knocking and

I wonder what he was thinking and when

they had opened the door they saw him

and were amazed so God answered their

prayer what I want us to look at here

and I want us to say this again and

again because I don’t want you to I

don’t want you to miss this the Bible

says they were praying to God let me ask

you that how many of you pray to God how

many times have you gotten on your knees

and began to talk to God about what you

were concerned about and then you went

from praying about your husband your

wife or children or your finances

whatever it is next thing you know

you’re praying about something else next

thing you know you’re praying about

something else in fact in fact you

you’ve read all over the world and then

you get up and walk away about two hours

later somebody says don’t you pray

would you pray about well I’m afraid

about a lot of things when you pray to

God you’re gonna know what you prayed

about now listen carefully

what happens is in our mind we fix our

mind upon God to pray to Him and we call

him a verse God you said if I ask

anything in your name that you did I

mess this is Jesus name

praying to you and so we’ve started

praying and next thing you know we’re

off to something else and God gets lost

in the whole issue it finally the way we

put a period to it we say in Jesus name

Amen we don’t even know what that means

in Jesus name Amen

so so much of our praying is not

profitable because we don’t pray to God

I’m praying to God about my finances I’m

praying to God about my husband or wife

I’m praying to God about my children I’m

praying their words he must be uppermost

in our praying and our thinking

otherwise we drift off into all kinds of

things as we said before and sometimes

can’t even remember what it was but God

is uppermost for most I’m praying to the

Heavenly Father about this and I’m not

gonna go praying along and get off on

something else and forget to whom I am

praying and what he’s like God is

honored when we come to him he’s honored

when we talked to him and he’s willing

to hear an answer our prayer

he says callin to me I will answer you

and show you great and mighty things

which you do not know if he can part the

Red Sea knock down the walls of Jericho

and if he can give us the Ten

Commandments he can answer any prayer we

prayed that fits his will and his plan

for our life and so

so once you notice something else here

about them it says the scripture says so

for him prayer was being made fervently

by the church fervently you know what

that means there’s some enthusiasm

there’s some feeling there’s some belief

fervently let me ask you a question do

you love your children fervently sure

you do fervently means my heart is in it

when I’m talking to God’s fervently it

means I’m I want to quote him on

Scripture and we quote scripture in our

prayer not to remind God of anything but

to do what to remind us of what he’s

promised us when we come to him praying

to him and so there pray fervently for

example when Jesus was facing the cross

the scripture says he was praying in

Luke the 22nd chapter he was praying

fervently that is he was agonizing and I

wonder when is the last time you could

honestly say I prayed fervently for him

that means you put your whole heart into

it means you probably maybe we’re

weeping in their behalf that you were

saying God I’ll do whatever you say do

whatever it takes to help them through

this situation they’re going through got

in Jesus name and so fervently it means

you

it’s wholeheartedly and oftentimes we

say to somebody I’ll pray for you we

don’t we shouldn’t say that if we don’t

mean it now if I tell somebody I’m gonna

pray for them I’m gonna pray for them I

want to do something to remind me that I

told them I’d pray for them and so

sometimes I say yeah make a list

now watch this if you want God to do

something many things coming to him one

time it’s not gonna cut it it’s not

because some issues in situations got us

to have time to arrange the situation’s

in order to answer your prayers so if

you just pray once and say well God

didn’t answer my prayer

you didn’t give him an opportunity to

answer your prayer the way he wants to

answer it

in the way that he gets the most credit

and that you blessed and you reminded

next time you have a request that’s the

way you come to him he says callin to me

when I will answer you and show you

great and mighty things which you do not

know about you don’t even understand and

so if I say to you do you have a list

it’s for this way if you are dead

serious I bet your prayer life and about

the people you praying for you’re gonna

do something that reminds you to keep

praying until God changes the

circumstance and that’s why I have a

list you said what kind of list you just

put at the top of the prayer list and

right then that you can put that name

down and the good thing that I found

that a long time ago was to put a date

down by this is a date I started it

maybe three days when I can put another

day down answered prayer it may be three

months six months and I prayed for

people longer than that and some people

are prayed for and prayed for and prayed

for I still can put a date down by it

but look watch this but at least I’m

reminded at least I can still pray for

that person for God to change them in

some way I’ll provide something in their

life

the issue is am i praying with fervency

because i love this person because I

care not gonna pray for everybody the

same you’re not going to the closer

people are to you the more you probably

pray for the more sincere your prayers

are gonna be the more intensive

intensely you’re gonna pray for somebody

that you genuinely love or somebody that

you see hitting in the wrong turn wrong

direction and there have been people

I’ve said don’t do that don’t do I’m

telling you don’t do it that and they

head out in that direction I pray God

that I’m stumbled that I’m fall that I’m

hurt what it was necessary block them

just block them from running their life

it’s not gonna be any profit to me to

pray for God to block something for them

I want to see how to work in their life

and so he says we’re to pray fervently

and then the third thing I wanted you to

notice his sinless and that

is prayer that moves God maybe made by

those in agreement with each other in

agreement with each other and in the

will of God for example if if I have a

big burden on my heart about something

I’m gonna talk to somebody it’s sitting

right here for example and I’m gonna say

to that person here’s the thing I’m

really concerned about and that’s you it

lets you not pray about this together

there’s something watch that there’s

something about agreeing if any two of

you shall agree on earth as touching

anything of the father’s will he gets

involved and so there’s something about

praying together and let’s put it this

way the deeper your hurt the more your

pain the more likely you’re gonna ask

somebody to pray with you not just pray

for you but to pray with you and if I

should ask you today how many of you

have a prayer partner but so I don’t

need anybody praying for me yes you do

we all need somebody to pray for us we

need somebody to pray for us to warn us

if we’re heading in the wrong direction

and I’ve had people come up to me over

the years and say well now you sure

about this and so and our garden if a

godly person says to me are you sure

that that’s the right thing to do here’s

what I’m gonna say I’m not gonna I’m not

gonna be prideful and you get this don’t

say well absolutely I’m sure no if you

questioned that I’m gonna say God I want

you to clarify this in my mind to be

sure I’m headed in the right direction

asking the right thing for the right

purpose the right motive and so forth

God is so willing to grant us the needs

the desires of our heart when we come to

him

with a clean heart an open mind willing

to listen to him willing to be obedient

to him so the most powerful thing you

and I do is to pray with a pray to God

we’re to pray with fervency with heart

we Despres and his will what he wants

and what he desires for our life and one

of the best things we can do watch this

it helps us and help somebody else

is to have someone we pray with what’s

this because we all need to be held

accountable a person who wants no

accountability is into something they

shouldn’t be into that’s why they don’t

want to have to give an account

accountability is a safety zone for us

but what I save where I go who I go with

what I spent their words I want to be

accountable that’s that’s safe somebody

I says I want freedom you want freedom

to destroy your life freedom to get in

debt freedom to have relationships with

people you have no business having

relationships accountability is a safety

net for every single one of us and God

knows we all need to be safe safe

walking in his will and in his way so

the church in these days they were smart

they all got together and prayed for

Peters release and much much to their

surprise he was released and what

happens there’s a long time after that

now I descend to ask you this if you had

to describe your prayer life what would

it be like well I say my prayers at

night well let’s let’s get this what do

you mean you say your prayers at night I

understand what you’re saying but if you

just Fred night before you go to sleep I

can tell you right now you’re gonna get

in trouble because first of all you may

be about two-thirds sleep before you

start praying so you don’t even know

what you’re saying no words you might as

well say the prayer that I remember my

mother taught me Berlin life for I knew

what was going on now I lay me down to

sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep if

I should die before I wake I pray the

Lord my soul to take

it’s better than nothing but

it isn’t the best kind of friend now if

we laugh about him oppressor dismisses

pray to Almighty God through His Son

Jesus Christ who died on the cross and

shed his blood to your sin

praying to be saved to Almighty God

through His Son Jesus serious business

praying for our needs sirs missis

praying for one another serious business

praying for the nation serious misses

prayers serious business listen not only

serious it’s powerful business praying

with fervency makes change in people’s

lives and it can make change in a nation

and God’s people need to be praying amen

and probably thank you that you’re

pleased when we pray willing to hear us

willing to answer us willing to

strengthen us willing to build our faith

up willing to teach us how to love you

and we pray today in Jesus name right

now any persons needed here any person

listening wherever they might be if

their prayers are to count help them to

understand first of all they must make a

personal commitment of their life to

Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of

their sins which opens the door to

prayer and makes it possible and before

that happens there’s no employee that is

only talk and so we pray that somebody

today would be saved

made him maybe many people would be

saved but Lord God that you’d have your

way in their lives and in each one of us

who calls ourselves Christians who names

the name of Jesus that you had got us

that all of us would be praying people

is my prayer in Jesus name

amen

if you’ve been blessed by today’s

program please visit us at intouch.org

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