Actions Speak Louder than Words - Lesson 10 - ... in Prayer

This is a very similar lesson to lesson 4.

Actions speak louder than words with our prayers.
How is your prayer life?
You don’t have to answer that question but the answer is,
It could be better.

Are you the person who prays when you are in trouble
And ignores God when things are going good.

Or are you the person who also ignores God
when things are not going so well because you are mad at Him.

Do you have wimpy prayers that carry with it less strength
than a child blowing out his birthday candles and making a wish.

Are your thoughts the same as the Lords?
Are your priorities the same as the Lords?
Are your prayers in line with His Word?


James 5:16-18, ‘Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.’

Effectual: capable, effective, able, powerful and efficient
With the opposite meaning incapable

Fervent: keen, avid, ardent, eager, enthusiastic, passionate, zealous, and fanatical


1 Kings 17 ‘And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.’
2 ‘And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,’
3 ‘Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.’
4 ‘And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.’
5 ‘So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.’
6 ‘And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.’
7 ‘And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.’

8 ‘And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,’
9 ‘Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.’
10 ‘So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.’
11 ‘And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.’
12 ‘And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.’
13 ‘And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.’
14 ‘For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.’
15 ‘And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.’
16 ‘And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.’

17 ‘And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.’

18 ‘And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?’
19 ‘And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.’
20 ‘And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?’
21 ‘And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.’
22 ‘And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.’
23 ‘And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.’
24 ‘And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.’

Vs. 1-7, Elijah did what God told him to do and the Lord took care of him.

Vs. 8-16, Elijah went where God told him to go and he was taken care of.
In addition those around him were blessed.

Vs. 22, the Lord heard Elijah’s voice,
so he was praying out loud and there was nothing hindering his prayers.
I also believe he was expectantly praying.

Vs. 24, She now believed he is a man of God.
In addition she now believes the word of God.

We see that the boy would have died if Elijah had not done what he was told to and I also believe that the woman would have died.

Vs. 1-7, Elijah did what God told him to do and the Lord took care of him.


Psalm 3:5, ‘I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.’


Psalm 55:22, ‘Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.’


Vs. 8-16, Elijah went where God told him to go and he was taken care of.
In addition those around him were blessed.


Vs. 22, the Lord heard Elijah’s voice,
so he was praying out loud and there was nothing hindering his prayers.
I also believe he was expectantly praying.


Psalm 66:18, ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:’

Psalm 66:19, ‘But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.’

Isaiah 59:2, ‘But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.’


Vs. 24, She now believed he is a man of God.
In addition she now believes the word of God.


Acts 4:13-14, ‘Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.’


We see that the boy would have died if Elijah had not done what he was told to and I also believe that the woman would have died.


John 5:19, ‘Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.’

We can look at this from two perspectives.
1 – If we are one of God’s children we should act like him.
2 – Is it quite possible that our children are acting like us.


Conclusion

Our actions should speak louder than words with our prayers.
I want your prayer life to be stronger today than it was yesterday.
I want you to call on the promises of God.
And believe than He wants to give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 20:4-5, ‘Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.’

Psalm 21:2, ‘Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.’

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