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Introduction:
We have been discussing prayer for a whole month now. I hope you
have been helped as much as I have. The basis for our whole study
has been that we are powerless. We cannot win the fight in which
we are engaged. We cannot overcome the enemy. We cannot accomplish
the goals. However, God can. God is the power of the universe who
can accomplish all. If we want to win, we have to plug in to His
power, allowing His power to course through our lives. We have
discovered that prayer is the connector that sets us up as a
conduit for God’s power to work in this world. Prayer is the
invitation for God to work in and through our lives. Having driven
that home repeatedly, we must now recognize that prayer is only
half of the plugging in equation. It is an extremely important
half and an often overlooked half, which is why we have devoted so
much time just to this half. Nevertheless, it is still only half.
The other half of the plugging in equation is Bible study.
Actually, it is not exactly accurate to describe prayer as half
and Bible study as half, as though God’s power will work in our
lives halfway if we pray or halfway if we study. These two
activities are actually dependent on each other. The truth is
without Bible study, prayer is useless and without prayer, Bible
study is useless. However, when we combine prayer with Bible study
and Bible study with prayer, the dynamic power of God will explode
in our lives and through our work. Again, we recall one of our key
verses: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works
in us…” (Ephesians
3:20). Examine with me five reasons prayer and Bible study
are the dynamic duo. Discussion: I.
Prayer and Bible study: The Whole Armor of God A.
The foundation we laid for this series of lessons was
remembering that we are in a battle that we cannot win by
ourselves (Ephesians
6:10-13). From that we recognized that we must put on the
whole armor of God. In our very first lesson in this series, we
discussed fully prayer’s place as part of our armor (Ephesians
6:18). Without prayer, we enter the battlefield with
deadly gaps in our armor. B.
However, we must recognize that prayer is not the entirety
of our armor. Interestingly, in the modern religious world there
is actually a strong emphasis on prayer. More and more religious
people around us are focusing on prayer. Yet, we must recognize
that if we ride the pendulum of extremism to so focus on prayer
that we neglect God’s word, we will enter the battlefield with
just as many gaps in our armor as if we neglect prayer. C.
Examine the armor described in Ephesians
6:14-17. We
know the Word of God is described as our sword. We may be tempted
to believe that is the extent of the role for God’s word in our
battle. However, in reality, every piece of the armor is tied to
the Word. Our loins are to be girt up with the truth that comes
from God’s Word (John
17:17). We must put on the breastplate of righteousness.
The Word trains us in righteousness (II
Timothy 3:16-17). Our feet are to be shod with the
preparation of the Gospel of peace. Where is this Gospel of peace
but in the word of God (Colossians
1:5)? Then we take up the shield of faith. Don’t we
already know that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God” (Romans
10:17)? Finally, we put on the helmet of salvation, which
we gain from obedience to the Word (Acts
20:32; II Timothy 3:15). D.
The fact is, if we want to be fully armed and ready for
battle we must intermingle Bible study and prayer. If we neglect
either side, we are destined for failure, defeat and death. Put
them together, however, and God’s power will explode through us
in the battle and we will stand victoriously with Him in the end. II.
Prayer and Bible Study: Praying in Faith. A.
Anyone who has done any study on prayer has learned that
faith is fundamental to effective, fervent prayer. Matthew
21:22 says, “And whatever things you ask in prayer,
believing, you will receive.” That is a pretty blank check
statement, which Jesus made without all the caveats we sometimes
try to read into the text. James
1:5-8; 5:15-19 also demonstrate the absolute necessity of
faith for prayer to accomplish anything. B.
Regrettably, however, when most of us discuss faith and
prayer, we almost treat faith in a vacuum. We forget what faith is
and from where faith comes. Too often, all we say about faith and
prayer is that we must pray believing that God can do what we ask
and believing that God will do what we ask. However, I know I have
hit a major roadblock with that. How can I pray that God will do
what I have asked, when I know full well that He may not do it and
I have prepared myself to submit to His will when it is different
from mine? I remember what faith really is, that is how. Romans
10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God.” Faith does not believe that God will do anything I
ask. Faith believes in God and believes God based on His
revelation. C.
The prayer offered in faith is not just some blind
conviction that God will do whatever I ask because I am convinced
He must grant my request. The prayer offered in faith is one that
is founded in and grounded upon what God has said in His word.
Consider James’ great example of Elijah in James
5:17-18. Elijah’s was a prayer of faith, not because he
decided that it should stop raining and was just really, really,
really convinced that if he asked for the rain to stop that it
would. Elijah’s was a prayer of faith because it was predicated
upon His faith in God and His word. In Deuteronomy
11:17, God had promised that if Israel went into idolatry,
He would stop the rain. Elijah had faith in God’s promise and
simply asked for God to do what He promised. That is praying in
faith. D.
I cannot pray in faith… I cannot pray, believing, unless
I have studied God’s word and know what He has promised. I can
however, pray in faith, believing that God can do anything, will
do what He has promised and will do good for His servants when my
prayer is based on His word. III.
Prayer and Bible Study: Knowing God. A.
Think for a moment about communication in general. Think
about the conversations you have with people you know well, close
friends, family members, etc. Now think about the conversations
you have with strangers; check-out clerks, bank-tellers and people
on elevators. Is there a difference in those conversations? Of
course there are. The better you know people the deeper and more
meaningful your conversations. The better we know each other the
more effective our communication is with each other. B.
Let’s face it. God knows us. He created us. Psalm
139:1-6, 13-16 demonstrates how intimately God knows us.
The question is do we know God. The fact is the only way we will
get to know God is through His word. I
Corinthians 2:7-11 demonstrates that we cannot know God,
knowing what He thinks or what He desires except He reveal it to
us. The passage goes on to say that is exactly what He has done
through the Holy Spirit. How did the Holy Spirit reveal God’s
mind to us? II
Peter 1:20-21 shows that scripture is the revelation of
God’s mind to man. C.
Consider Mark
12:24. The Sadducees did not know God and they did not
know His power, because they did not know His word. If we want to
know God, we must get into His word. If we want our ability to
communicate with God to deepen beyond vague generalities and
courteous pleasantries, we have to get into His word. Our ability
to pray will deepen in direct proportion to our knowledge of God
through His word. IV.
Prayer and Bible Study: Praying in Jesus’ Name. A.
Another amazing statement regarding prayer is found in John
14:13-14. For a long time, this verse scared me. I thought
it offered more than I was willing to concede. I was afraid the
“health and wealth” teachers might use this verse to propagate
the idea that real prayer grants me anything I ask for. I “dealt
with” this verse and those teachers by claiming, “This was
said to the apostles.” However, that approach really does not
fix the problem I had. I have never believed that Jesus gave a
completely blank check to His apostles either saying, “Anything
under the sun you might ever ask for I will give you.” Notice
what He actually said, “Whatever you ask in my name, that
I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If
you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” B.
Two keys about Jesus’ statement on prayer. The request
must be made in His name and it must be about accomplishing the
Father’s glory. Frankly, understanding that, I no longer believe
this was a statement about the apostle’s prayers but about any
person’s prayers. But what does it mean to offer a prayer in
Jesus’ name. It does not mean to simply end with the phrase,
“In Jesus’ name.” Acts
4:7, 9-10 demonstrates that doing something in the name of
Jesus, means doing it according to His power or according to what
He has authorized. How do we know what Jesus has authorized or
empowered us to do and to pray? We know from His revelation to us.
II
Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that scripture equips us,
authorizes us for every good work. That means it authorizes us and
empowers us for every good prayer. We cannot pray in Jesus’ name
unless our prayers coincide with Jesus equipping and empowering
word. C.
Further, John
15:5-8 corresponds with and is in the same context as John
14:13-14. Specifically note vss.
7-8, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you
will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My
Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My
disciples.” Here is the heart of the matter. We have said it in
this series before, but we must drive it home again. Too often, we
want prayer to accomplish what we want. Therefore, we use prayer
to try to bend God to do our will. But prayer is the means by
which we are bent to God’s will. We will only get what we want
in prayer when our lives have been transformed by God’s word
causing Jesus to abide in us. Because then we will desire what
Jesus desires and what we desire will glorify God. At that point,
we will get anything and everything we ask for in prayer, because
we will only be asking for what God wants and what glorifies Him.
This is mature and effective prayer. V.
Prayer and Bible Study: Two-Way Communication. A.
Typically, communication is a two way process. It includes
give and take from both sides. Prayer is how we talk to God and we
certainly want God to listen. But if we want God to listen to us,
we must be willing to listen to Him when He talks back. Have you
ever had a conversation with somebody who will not let you get a
word in edgewise? They may even ask you a question but then will
not let you finish the answer. What do you think of those
conversations? I doubt God likes that kind of communication from
us either. B.
Examine Isaiah
66:1-5. Pay careful attention to God’s point to Israel.
There were many Israelites offering up worship to God. They were
entreating God for forgiveness by offering sacrifices of bulls and
lambs. God said, however, that they might as well have been
offering human and pig sacrifices (neither of which God would
accept). Why? Because they were coming to the house of the Lord to
“worship,” but were leaving to do whatever they wanted. They
wanted God to listen to them, but they refused to listen to God. C.
However, God clearly states to whom He will listen. God
listens to those who humbly hear His word and tremble at His word,
obeying it. Think about it. This is exactly what I
Peter 1:22-2:5 teaches. We were saved by obeying God’s
word. If we want to continue in a relationship with Him, we must
put off our own wickedness and desire God’s word. When we desire
that word as our food and nourishment, then we can offer up the
spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise. D.
We have to come to grips with this. If we will not listen
to God through His word, He will not listen to us through our
prayers. Bible study and prayer must go together. Conclusion: Regrettably, it seems like religious people ride on extremes. There are some who act as though the only thing that really matters is that we study God’s word and obey it. There are others who act as though all that really matters is whether or not we submit to God in really heartfelt prayer. The truth is these two together are the dynamic duo. Only when we have both will we become the conduit for God’s power to work in this world.
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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