What Is Prayer? (inferno I) by Pastor Dolapo Lawal: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Early Church Prayed Publicly

John 11:41-43

At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus prayed publicly, "Father, I thank you because before I called, you heard me, that they may know that you sent me. Lazarus, come forth."

Acts 1:14, Acts 4:24

They continued with one accord in prayer, and raised their voice to God together. They prayed publicly in Acts 2, in Acts 12 when the church prayed for Peter, and in Acts 13 with the church in Antioch. Jesus is correcting performative praying, not prescribing the prayer closet as the only valid place to pray. Prayer is not a religious performance. Our heart has to be involved, meaning I know the meaning of what I'm saying, and I mean it. When the disciples asked to be taught to pray, he wasn't giving a formula, he gave a model. Our Father, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done. The idea of prayer is God discovery, discovering him as Father. We are asking for his will to be made manifest, not imposing our will on him.

3 Things Prayer Is Not

1. Prayer is not a religious performance

1. Nobody should downplay spiritual warfare, but there is such a thing as an excessive, unhealthy interest in the demonic. If our prayer is only reactive to the devil, it is no longer prayer, because by definition prayer is communication between God and man.

2. Prayer is not an emergency exit from warfare

2. In spiritual warfare, we pass judgment. We pray to God on our knees, we speak to the devil on our feet.

   Daniel 10

   Daniel never prayed against the prince of Persia, he continued praying for and worshipping. Worship is about attention, whatever takes most of your attention is taking your worship.

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   1 Samuel 17

   David spoke directly to Goliath, "Who are you, uncircumcised Philistine?" He didn't pray to God about him.

   2 Kings 6:16

   "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." That's the first law of spiritual warfare, don't fear. Being fearful is not just a weakness, unbelief is what takes people to hell, and fear is a variation of unbelief. Perfect love casts out fear, anyone in fear has not received God's love.

   Colossians 3:3

   Your life is hidden in Christ, in God. For the devil to get to you, he has to get through Christ first.

   Psalm 91:11

   He will give his angels charge over you. An angel moves as fast as the speed of light, able to circle the earth 7.5 times in a second.

   If problem is the only reason you are praying, problem will be your prayer partner, and you'll live in a constant loop of need-based prayer instead of the peace of God that surpasses understanding.

3. Prayer is not just for requests

3. 1 Timothy 2:1

   Paul uses four distinct Greek words for prayer.

   • Supplication (deesis) — petition born out of felt need, asking in accordance with his will.
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   Pastor Dolapo Lawal
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   • Prayer (proseuche) — the general word, directed to God alone, with an undertone of worship, prayer toward, not against.
   • Intercession (enteuxis) — from a word meaning to meet with or intervene, prayer that stands in the gap for another.
   • Thanksgiving — gratitude offered as prayer, prayer that remembers.

   Since God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above what we ask, pray for, not against. Instead of praying against delay, pray for speed. Instead of praying against sickness, pray for divine health.

   Philippians 4:6

   Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving cannot be mindless, it's personal, you must have a mental picture of what you're thanking God for. Many times the faith you need for the supplication is found in the thanksgiving.

   Mark 8:14-18

   Jesus asked the disciples, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Is your heart hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? Having ears, do you not hear? Do you not remember?" Remembering is a choice. An ungrateful person cannot perceive God's mind or move.

Pray Daily

Psalm 55:17

David, a king, said, "Evening and morning and at noon I will pray and cry aloud, and he shall hear my voice." The idea is consistency, not intensity. Route every success in your life through prayer.

Prayer Is More Listening Than Talking

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If God is smarter than you, then your posture in prayer is to listen. Prayer is the way God leads us and teaches us how to live.

Psalm 32:3-4, 6-8

When I kept silent, my bones grew old through groaning all day long, your hand was heavy upon me. For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to you in a time when you may be found, that dry, struggling season. You are my hiding place, you preserve me, you shall surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.

Jeremiah 33:3

Call on me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know. You remain ignorant because you are not calling.

Illustration: The Hidden $20

I hid $20 in my wallet and told the room I'd put money somewhere. Nobody found it because nobody asked me where I put it. There is something kept for you, but you can't find it if you don't ask who kept it. It's not in searching, it's in asking.

Testimony: Daniel Kolenda's Open Door

Daniel Kolenda started a church at 24. After a three month mission trip, the board he'd appointed told him he was fired, and his own church had been taken from him. He planned to take the mic during Sunday worship and expose them to the congregation. As he was rehearsing what he'd say, the Lord reminded him of Solomon and the two mothers, one willing to let the baby go, the other willing to divide it.

1 Kings 3:16-27

He realized if he went through with it, he would be dividing the baby. He chose to leave it alive and walked away. He later joined Reinhard Bonnke's ministry, and years afterward became Bonnke's successor.

Revelation 3:8

"I have set before you an open door that no one can shut." Not even the devil can close a door God has set before you. But he can open nine other doors to distract you from it.

Don't Rush a Decision

Jeremiah 17:5

Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. If you have more than one choice in front of you, don't rush, wait for discernment. Many times the inferior offer comes before the superior one. What God withholds from people who don't pray is not opportunity, it's the eyes to see it.

Prayer Opens Your Eyes to What's Already Provided

Genesis 21:14-19

Hagar and Ishmael were in the wilderness, about to die of thirst. The angel of God called to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad." Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water that was already there.

The answer to her prayer was the opening of her eyes to see the well that already existed. By grace, provision has already been made, we pray to know where the provision is.

Ephesians 1:18

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know the hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.