Spiritual Warfare Series - the Great Privilege — Jim Cymbala

The Miracle of Prayer and God’s Readiness to Hear

Of all the miracles about prayer, that there's a God who created the heavens and earth, and that yet He hears our cry, He hears our prayer, and that He would condescend to intervene in our lives. That is such a miracle.

The miracle of prayer is one of the great miracles in the Bible. People pray and God answers. You would think God would be too busy or God would be too remote or God would be too great or God would be too holy, but me, frail and faulty as I am, He's waiting to hear what I will pour out of my heart tonight.

Praying in the Spirit as Spiritual Warfare

On top of that, this is one step beyond. Look at this, and it's part of the spiritual warfare that we started talking about on Sunday. Ephesians 6. After all the armor is listed, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, the shield of faith with which you'll be able to put out all the fiery darts of the enemy.

And then, and pray in the Spirit, capital S, on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. And pray in the Spirit, capital S, on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. So what's a couple obvious truths from here as we keep looking at that verse? Notice, pray, come to God, commune with Him, open your heart to Him, speak to Him, bring your petitions to Him.

But notice, not just pray, but pray in the Spirit. That means open up your heart and in your prayer be guided by the Holy Spirit. There's two main views of that verse among serious theologians, if I could say that.

Well some don't believe that happens today, but we believe, the Bible, we believe you can pray in the Spirit. It means, number one, at least, it means pray, yield it to the Holy Spirit so that He can guide you and suggest subjects to pray for.

He can give you the words to speak and pray. Have you ever been praying and start saying words that you hadn't even thought of, and yet as you're saying those words in English, you're realizing, oh, these words really express something.

The Holy Spirit's helping you. Pray in the Spirit. Let Him provide your faith. Let Him provide your fervency. There's nothing worse than trying to be fervent in prayer without the help of the Holy Spirit.

It's an emotional working up of noise and all of that, because oh, the factual fervent prayer of a righteous person makes tremendous power available. But He's saying now, the only one who can do that is the Holy Spirit.

Remember Paul in Romans 8, we know not how we ought to pray, but who helps us? The Holy Spirit helps us, sometimes with what groans too deep to be uttered. So praying in the Holy Spirit at least means inspired by the Spirit, directed by the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit, given passion by the Spirit, given faith by the Spirit, words by the Spirit.

Tongues, Interpretation, and Prayer Beyond Human Understanding

And then the other passage of Scripture that speaks about this is 1 Corinthians 14 when Paul says, okay, he's talking now about the ecstasy that the Holy Spirit brings on people in the New Testament. And there's no verse that says it stopped then where they were able to speak in other languages at their spirit baptism, their spirit filling and then it goes on to say that in the service in church meetings, that gift is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which coupled together with interpretation can edify the church.

The unknown tongue or the glossolalia it doesn't mean anything to any of us. We don't understand what's being said but then the Spirit gives somebody the gift of interpretation. Then we hear an encouraging directive word from the Lord.

But Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14 as he's trying to regulate how the Spirit works and not to get carried away and abuse that and get into the flesh or emotions, he says, so what shall I say? He says, I will pray with my understanding but I will also pray in the Spirit.

Now to the western mind that's very difficult because we want to be in control and know what we're doing all the time. And to yield yourself and to be praying in an unknown language your prayer language as some people call it, to pray in another language and not know what you're praying for but we know that if the Spirit is prompting that praying, you're praying on a deeper level because He knows things you could never know.

And He's directing you to pray for that. So Paul says, so I'll do both. I'll pray with my understanding. Oh, my friend Bob lost his job. Lord, help Bob. I'm praying with my understanding. God will hear that.

But even then, oh Lord, help me to pray in the Spirit so I have faith for Bob and direct me how to pray for Bob. And is there something else that Bob needs? Direct me. Or to yield for those who have experienced that and believe in that and if you don't, you should believe in it because it's in the Bible.

And Paul said, I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. And he wasn't doing it in the services. He was doing it mostly in prayer. In fact, he said in a public meeting, I'd rather just say five words in the language you would understand than thousands of words in tongues because you won't understand what's being said.

So speaking in tongues is not so much for a microphone and someone screaming into it because then the unlearned or the visitor, they don't know what's being said. Paul says, I will also sing with my understanding.

I'll sing this. More than ever before, Lord, I love you. More than ever before, Lord, I need you. That's my understanding. He also says, I will sing with my spirit inspired by the Holy Spirit. I'll sing songs that he gives me and I won't know what I'm singing, but it'll be good to God.

It'll be beautiful to God. So pray, but pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. And that shows that prayer is not in the box praying. You pray when you're walking. You pray one sentence.

You get alone and pray for 20 minutes. You pray at an altar. You pray in a subway. You praise God in a bathroom, in the shower, all kinds of prayer, all kinds of situations. You pray with another person.

You pray by yourself. Notice that prayer isn't just we're going to pray. Notice it says pray on all occasions. Always be ready for that prompting of the spirit to pray for some need that you're aware of with all kinds of prayers and requests.

Intercession and Praying for All Believers

You know, the Catholic Church has that ejaculatory prayer that they teach people where they go, Jesus, Mary, Joseph. Any of you know about that prayer, right? They're taught to say that, but that's just by rote.

It usually doesn't connect with anyone and you shouldn't be praying to Mary and Joseph. If you got Jesus, you don't need help from anybody else, I can assure you. But it shows that sometimes you can just be walking down the street and say, help me, Jesus.

You don't have to say, our Father which art in heaven. Sometimes just help. Anybody ever just cry out like me, help me, Lord. Help me, Lord. Help me. With this in mind, be alert. Don't fall asleep. Be aware of what the Holy Spirit is doing and be aware of the devil trying to distract you.

Be alert. Don't fall asleep. Be alert as we pray tonight. Prayer takes so much out of you if you pray it right because you can't fall asleep if you really pray. Now, here's the thing. Not for yourself.

Now we have the first mention here in this passage of what's called intercessory prayer. Pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers guided by the Spirit and keep on praying. Don't quit. Don't give up for all the Lord's people.

Pray for someone who might not be praying for themselves. Pray for someone who the Lord brings to your heart is in trouble. Even though you don't think they're in trouble, somehow you sense they are in trouble or in need of some kind.

Pray for them. Intercede for them. Not only the miracle that God answers prayer for me, but that God would hear me on planet Earth pray for somebody in Kansas City, Missouri and that God would go and help that person because I was praying in Brooklyn.

What a miracle that is. Someone in Trinidad could be visited tonight by the prayers of someone praying in Brooklyn. Is that not a miracle? Because a lot of people who need God's help aren't praying. So if they're not going to pray for themselves, God says, I'll stir my people up to pray.

But someone's got to pray because when you call, I will answer. Pray also for me. Paul, you're the greatest apostle that ever lived. You saw the Lord on the road to Damascus. Yeah, I know all that. Pray for me because we all need prayer.

How many need prayer, people to pray for you? I love when people come to me and pray for me. One day at a very low moment I was standing right at this pulpit and someone felt prompted by the Holy Spirit and actually walked up on the platform and put their hand on my back and prayed for me.

And I needed it. I needed it. And I felt the grace that came through that prayer. That whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. In case there's a minister here or visiting, isn't this interesting?

Boldness to Proclaim the Gospel

God shows us that Paul didn't have notes or anything to go by. He says, pray for me that when I open my mouth, whenever, I never know when I'll have a chance, but pray that when I open my mouth, words will be given me.

That means tomorrow you could be in your job or doing something and an opportunity comes and all God says is don't worry, you don't know what to say. Just open your mouth and start and I'll give you words as you speak.

Is that an awesome promise? Come on, let's say amen to that. That's awesome. Paul says pray that as I open my mouth, words may be given me. Words may be given me. Pray for that. For which, make known the mystery of the gospel for which I'm an ambassador in chains.

Pray that I may declare it fearlessly as I should. So Paul says I need two things. I need to know what to say when I open my mouth. That's scary. We live today under a whole system and Bible schools reinforce it.

You can't preach unless you have notes. It used to be 150 years ago that ministers were taught you write out your whole sermon, you memorize it, you give it on Sunday. None of that is found in the Bible.

If you read the book of Acts, they didn't even know the day they would preach because the way circumstances happened, they just, woom, something happened. Now Peter stands up and begins to speak with what?

No notes from his heart with the Holy Spirit giving him words. God will help us as we open our mouth and that we do it fearlessly, Paul says, and not be afraid. Be bold. He says the only one who can help me do that is God.

Trusting God When the Message Is Uncomfortable

Would you pray that God would do that? What humility. Here's the greatest preacher that we know of saying pray that I'll know what to say and that God will give me boldness when I say it. I was in Indianapolis, Indiana and I was supposed to speak to 10 ,000 people the next day at 9 in the morning, 10 in the morning.

I went the night before to an event at the same venue filled with gospel music and then the program for the next day was me speaking. So I sized up the room and I said God I want to be a blessing to these people.

I brought notes. I was using notes back then. I brought notes for a nice simple sermon, blessing to the people, encouragement and that's...I went back to my hotel room early. I didn't stay with my daughter and son-in-law.

I went back. So I get in my hotel room in Indianapolis and I look at my Bible. I get alone in a chair and I look at my notes and the thing just dies. I feel nothing. I can't speak on that. It was like God was saying I don't want you talking on that.

You're just preaching something safe to get through. You're going to just entertain the people. I don't want you to do that. So I said Lord then what should I speak on? I have no other notes and I was kind of dependent on notes back then.

And God begins to deal with me about a message that I don't think I had ever preached about my house shall be called a house of prayer. I can't preach that here. There's 10 ,000 people. They want to hear gospel music.

I'm not their pastor. This is very confrontational message. You ask me what I should preach on? Preach on that. I'll help you. Now I'm getting nervous. And on top of that the place had no pulpit. It had no front.

It was 10 ,000 people in the round. So you had a...they told me the night before when you are mic'd up you have to keep walking and looking and talking all the way around. Well I'm not used to that. And this was some years ago.

So I'm in my room and now fear attacks me. And I go I can't preach this. I don't have notes. What will I say? And God begins to really deal with me. You asked me what I should speak. I sent you here for a reason.

Now speak on this. Well I start pacing the room. I can see myself now. Now it's 1030, 11. And now I'm walking around the room. I can't stay in my seat. And I'm just praying. Oh God show me what to say.

I'm waiting on you. Oh God I can't say that to the people. It's very challenging. Kind of direct. And as I'm walking around the room I start suddenly getting attacked because I see people like walking out or looking at me and going like we didn't come here for this.

We didn't pay good money to come to this big conference to hear you talk about prayer. Just a huge attack. So now I'm walking around the room and now I'm really praying. And suddenly out of nowhere like the room goes black on me.

The lights were still on. But I mean a darkness came in that room and now I'm fighting for my life. My heart is beating and I'm going God help me. Please help me God to be faithful. I won't preach that other message but God and I mean attacks in my mind everywhere there was an attack.

Now it's 1 in the morning. Now it's 2 in the morning. Now it's 2 .30 in the morning. Now it's 3 in the morning. And I'm walking around that room. Brothers and sisters I'm telling you the truth before God.

I am desperate because I know unless it helps me I can't speak. I want to be faithful but I'm seeing these reactions that people could have. It's not like having your own church. You're invited and the atmosphere there was just don't rock the boat.

It was that kind of event. Don't rock the boat. And this was a rock the boat sermon. So now I am in between a rock and a hard place. Maybe at 4 o 'clock in the morning. I can't remember the time now. I just feel like a release.

I feel something from God like I feel a peace and I lay in my bed. About 5 after 6 in the morning the phone rings. Wakes me up. I don't know where I am because I've only been sleeping a couple of hours.

And it's my wife. And she says hello. I go Carol it's 5 after 6 in the morning. She said no. What's wrong? What's going on there? I said what are you talking about? She said what's going on with you? Because I couldn't sleep last night.

God woke me up. I've been praying for you all through the night. What's going on there? What battle are you in? Tell me what battle you're facing. And I went how could she know this? I remember the hot tears coming out of my eyes on the phone.

And she said no. You're not going to be afraid. And she started praying for me over the phone. Right? Okay. She gets through. I shower. I shower. I shave. I get in a suit. I go over to the event. Oh was the Lord with me.

The Power of a Spirit-Given Message

That fearful person so attacked in his mind I got up there bold but tender and I preached and the audience melted. People stood for prayer. I mean God did something and it was videoed. And I had signed away all the video rights of that message.

That's what you do in these places. So I signed it away and I ministered and people hugged me at the end and they said wow we never had a meeting like that here at this conference. About two weeks, three weeks later the man who ran the conference calls me and he went hey Jim thank you for coming to the conference.

I just want you to know three or four weeks have gone by that video of you speaking we've never had any video so like that in the history of our event and I mean if you see that video which you can I'm out on a limb.

I don't know where I am. I have no notes no nada. I have nothing. He calls me five months later. He said this is remarkable. This thing we can't stock it enough. Right? This happened years ago. Two years later a ministry of prayer in the country called and said look a wealthy donor wants to send 5 ,000 of your DVDs my house shall be called a house of prayer.

Wants to send it to ministers to encourage them but we have to buy it. Can we get it from you? I said no I have no control. It's all of them. Well they're charging us this certain price and it's very high.

Could you intercede for us and ask them? I said I will. I called my friend and I said give a break on this. Did you know all these years later that thing is selling and just last week I got an email all these years later an email saying I just saw your DVD.

My house shall be called a house of prayer. I showed it at my church on a Sunday morning instead of me preaching and the whole church came forward to pray and like a revival broke out. Why? Because something that God puts his hand on has more power than all of your effort and my effort put together.

Am I right? But listen it wouldn't have happened that way unless God woke somebody up. In this case Carol. And she interceded because how in the world would she call me at five after six and say what's going on?

She wouldn't even say hello or banter about how are you? How did last night go? Just the first thing. What's going on there? How would she know that except by the Holy Spirit? And why would she be able to pray like she did except by the Holy Spirit?

And how could God help somebody like me except by the Holy Spirit? Here's how I want to close this little teaching. As you go to pray, pray for our church that God will make it more filled with the Holy Spirit that will be stronger in presenting the gospel that will make more converts this year for Christ than in any year in the history of our church.

Praying for the Church, the Nation, and Individuals

Pray for the congregation that God will make us bold and will speak. In other words pray for our church. That means the people, the leadership we're going to intercede for this church. How many are with me so far?

Just say amen. So whoever you are pray for our church. If you feel led to later pray for other churches. Nothing special about our church but since we're here and just let's pray for our church. Number two let's pray for our country.

We just had President Obama sworn in now for a second term. We know he's not the answer. Democrats are not the answer. Republicans are not the answer. Everybody agree on that? Say amen. That's not the answer.

Let's pray that even with the debt that we're accumulating at record pace that God will shake people so that they'll look up to Him. That the morality of our country will improve because when I look at my little grandson Levi who's three years old in my arms I think to myself, what kind of world is he going to grow up in?

What's he going to hear in school now? What in the world is going on? And because of the media and the internet things are changing like this. What used to take 50 years to change it can happen now in nine months because everything is happening so quickly.

So our church that God would make it what it should be which it's not including me. Number two our country. And if you weren't born here, how many were born here? Lift your hands. How many were not born here?

Lift your hands. I sense almost equal. But you do live here now. And you got to pray that God will visit America with some kind of revival that God will stir up the churches and we'll see something happen in America for the sake of our children.

For the sake of our children or grandchildren or whatever. Thirdly, who might God be laying on your heart today? A brother-in-law, a cousin, a boss, a co-worker. Sylvia Glover is sitting in the front row now.

She's here because someone witnessed to her and brought her here. But that person who was talking to her was praying for her. And God answers prayer. You think Sylvia was praying? She was not praying.

She was a Rastafarian or whatever she was back then. She was not praying. But she's here tonight. Mighty woman of faith and prayer. So who do you know that's in trouble in Jamaica, in Trinidad, in the Bronx, Brooklyn, down the block, in your own house?

Who might the Holy Spirit put on your heart and we're going to take time to intercede for that person. We're going to pray for our church, leadership, congregation. God, make us what we should be. God, please make us what we should be.

Number two, we're going to pray for our country. God, have mercy on America. Have mercy on America. Number three, God, who should I be praying for tonight? Don't pray for ten people. Don't pray for eight people.

Pray for one or two at the most. Really focus in. So we're standing on holy ground here today. We're going to pray for our church. We're going to intercede for our country and now let's close our eyes.

Mother, Father, co-worker. I don't care how hard the case is. I don't care if they curse God five times a day. Paul was persecuting Christians and God converted him. For with God nothing is impossible.

The Bible says that I look for somebody who would stand in the gap and I could find no one but God's going to find us standing in the gap for people tonight. I want those who really have a special person that they're burdened for.

I know you're going to pray for our church. I know you're going to pray for our country but those who really have someone they love who is in mucho trouble, they really need God to intervene in their life.

Could be a sister. Someone back in the Caribbean. A brother in Jamaica. Whatever. Wherever. God the Holy Spirit has put them on your heart tonight and you want to intercede. We're going to wait and we're going to pray and heaven is going to be shaken by our prayers and God is going to answer the intercession of His people.

Why would He tempt us or taunt us by saying pray but then I'm not going to help you. No. He says pray because He will help us. Anybody here got some major person or two that you know Pastor, I'm going to stand in the gap tonight.

I'm going to intercede for them. Just get out of your seat and come up here. Stand here. Or kneel here. Or sit here. Just come.