Prayer
Part of Unleashed
November 5, 2023

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Prayer and Healing

What do you need to ask God for?

  • Emotional healing?
  • Physical healing?
  • Comfort?
  • Peace?
  • Joy?
  • A relationship?
  • Reconciliation with someone?
  • Forgiveness?
  • Material need?

It is OK to speak to God about what you want and need.

Faith is the forerunner to all answered prayer

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6

Before we can pray with authenticity, we must believe that God exists and that he hears us. Without faith it’s impossible to please God or even approach God. If you want to see answered prayer you need to believe God moves because of your prayer. You need to believe that God can do and will do miracles because he can.

Isaac

Isaac was 40 years old and his wife couldn’t get pregnant. We don’t know if it was a her issue or a him issue, because in ancient days the women were the ones that took the blame for not being able to conceive. Here the scripture says that Isaac prayed on behalf of his wife that she would bear a child.

“Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.”
Genesis 25:19-21

Isaac prayed for his wife. Why? Maybe she didn’t believe it would do anything. Maybe she didn’t want to pray for herself. Isaac prayed for her and God answered his prayer by giving her a child.

Isaac asked God to change their body chemistry.

David

God changed David’s circumstances in a miraculous way. David had a trusted advisor named Ahithophel. When David’s son Absalom betrayed David and tried to take over his kingdom, Ahithophel served Absalom. David prayed that Ahithophels advice would be terrible as to not assist his wayward son.

“But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. Now David had been told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”
2 Samuel 15:30-31

David prayed that God would confuse Ahithophel’s counsel. That’s exactly what happened. He gave bad advice that wasn’t followed and ended up hanging himself a few days later.

David asked God to give him favorable circumstances.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7-8

Never hesitate to ask God to influence your circumstances. Ask for God’s favor in a job interview or with a college test or with local governments.

Elijah

Elijah prayed that there would be a drought in the land and there was until he prayed for rain.

“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. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
James 5:17-18

James reminded the church that Elijah was a normal human being and he prayed that it would not rain and the rain ceased. Then three and a half years later he prayed for rain and it rained and rained and rained.

Elijah asked God to adjust the weather and God did.

Take a minute to check your relationship with God.
You need to pray from a position of right standing with God. That means you have faith that God can move mountains. It means you believe God can change things. It means you are not harboring sin in your heart. It doesn’t matter what the sin is, you need to confess that sin to God so you don’t have anything between you.

“The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”
Proverbs 15:29

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
James 5:16

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
James 5:13-16

Pray in faith and expect God to move. Then look around and see what God does
Faith is essential to miracles and miracles will strengthen your faith. People who have strong faith expect to see miracles. God never tells us to walk by sight and reasons alone. God tells us to walk by faith. To live each day trusting God even before we have an answer. If you want to see God do a miracle in your life you need to have enough faith to believe God will do a miracle in your life.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:19-20

What do you need to ask God for?