All right, well, we're there in 2 Kings 19, and we've been going through a series on Sunday
mornings on the subject of revival, and we've been studying the great passages about revival
in the Bible, and we've also been looking at the revivals that took place in the Word
of God.
If you remember, we started this series five weeks ago, and we started it on May 17th,
and I began the series with a sermon from the book of Psalms called, Wilt Thou Not Revive
Us Again?
And if you remember, we learned from that psalm that revival is not some mystical supernatural
thing, you know, magical thing.
It's supernatural in the sense that the Holy Spirit of God is involved in it, but revival
is really getting to the place where we know God and where we make God known.
And then we talked about on the 24th about revival through dying to self, and we talked
about on the 31st about revival through the house of God and the church, how the church
plays a role in revival, and last week we learned about revival through the Word of
God.
This morning, I want to speak to you on the subject of revival through prayer, revival
through prayer, and we're here in 2 Kings 19, and of course we're looking at the life
of this great king in the Bible, Hezekiah.
Now you're there in 2 Kings 19, flip just one chapter back to 2 Kings 18, and I want
you to notice that in verses 1-7 of 2 Kings 18, we see a great revival that Hezekiah led
and is summarized here in these verses.
2 Kings 18 verse 1, the Bible says this, Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshia
the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
Look at verse 3.
And he, referring to Hezekiah, did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according
to all that David his father did, and he removed, notice verse 4, he removed the high
places and break the images and cut down the groves and break in pieces the brazen serpent
that Moses had made.
For unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it, and he called it Neshutan.
He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the
kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.
Notice verse 6, For he claved to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept
his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses.
And the Lord was with him, and he prospered whithersoever he went forth, and he rebelled
against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
Now we're not going to go through the entire revival that Hezekiah led.
I do want you to notice something.
Keep your place there in 2 Kings, that's our text for this morning.
Go with me if you would to the book of 2 Chronicles chapter 30.
If you're in 2 Kings, you're just going to go past the book of 1 Chronicles, into the
book of 2 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles chapter 30.
And I want you to understand that Hezekiah led a great revival.
And I'm not going to preach through his revival, to be honest with you, it's very similar to
the revival of Josiah that we broke down last week.
They returned to the house of God, they repaired the house of God, they repented, they got
right with God.
And honestly, what we just read here in 2 Kings 18 verses 1 through 7, those 7 verses
summarizes the revival that you can read about in full detail in the book of 2 Chronicles.
In 2 Chronicles chapters number 29, 30, and 31, God goes into detail about everything
that took place during the revival of Hezekiah, and it's summarized there in 2 Kings 18.
But I want you to notice one thing about Hezekiah's revival, that Hezekiah's revival and his life
really, is characterized by prayer.
Notice there 2 Chronicles chapter 30, and again, we would have to begin reading chapter
29 to look at everything that Hezekiah did and everything that took place in his revival.
But in 2 Chronicles chapter 30 and verse 18, the Bible says this, 2 Chronicles 30, 18,
for a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun
had not cleansed themselves, yet they did eat the Passover otherwise than it was written.
Notice the last part of verse 18, 2 Chronicles 30, 18, but Hezekiah prayed for them saying,
the good Lord pardoned everyone that prepared his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his
fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.
Notice verse 20, and the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
You'll find in the life of Hezekiah and in the revival of Hezekiah, that his revival
was characterized by this idea of prayer.
Here he prayed for the people, and the Bible says the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah.
And as a result, the people began to pray.
Look at verse 27, same chapter, 2 Chronicles 30, verse 27, then the priests, the Levites
arose and blessed the people, and their voices, and their voice was heard.
Notice these words, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.
So we see that Hezekiah was a man of prayer, he had a life of prayer, and he led others
into prayer.
Go back to the book of 2 Kings, if you would, chapter number 19, where we started this morning,
2 Kings 19.
I want you to understand that when you study the life of Hezekiah, you see this great revival
that he led, but then there's a problem that arises, and that's usually how it is.
Just because your spirit is revived, just because you're right with God, just because
you're walking with God, does not mean that you're going to have a life without trials,
and troubles, and heartaches.
And what we find here in 2 Kings chapter 19 is Hezekiah with a big problem, and we don't
have time to go through and look at all the passages, you can study this out on your own
if you'd like.
I'll get you caught up so we can jump into our text here, 2 Kings 19.
What I want you to understand though is that at the time of Hezekiah's reign, the nation
of Israel had been divided into two parts.
You had the northern kingdom of Israel, you had the southern kingdom of Israel, the northern
kingdom of Israel at this time has been taken captive.
Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, has came and has taken the northern kingdom of Israel
captive, and now he has turned his sights onto the southern kingdom of Israel, the southern
kingdom of Judah.
And Hezekiah, the king, just got word, just got the threat, just got told that Sennacherib
is coming to take the southern kingdom of Judah.
Now I want you to notice how Hezekiah responds, 2 Kings 19, look at verse 1.
And it came to pass when the king heard it, when the king heard what?
That Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came up against the southern kingdom of Judah.
Notice the Bible says that he rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went
into the house of the Lord.
And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shaben of the scribe and the elders of
the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amos.
Notice verse 3, and they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble
and of rebuke and blasphemy, for the children are come to the birth and there is not strength
to bring forth.
Notice verse number 4, and I want you to notice these three words.
He says, It may be.
Here we have Hezekiah with a big problem.
He has the Assyrians, who the Assyrians at this time are a world power.
They just took over and they just conquered and took captive their neighboring brothers
and sisters, the northern kingdom of Israel.
And now Hezekiah finds himself with this problem at his doorstep, with the inability to be
able to fight him, with the inability to be able to outlast him in a siege.
And he turns to the house of God.
He turns to prayer.
He turns to the man of God, Isaiah, who is a contemporary prophet, and he says to him,
verse 4, It may be, the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rapture, whom the king
of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words
which the Lord thy God hath heard.
And he says this, Wherefore.
The word wherefore means for that reason, or for this reason.
He says, Hezekiah says to Isaiah, Lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left.
I want you to notice that Hezekiah, when he had a problem, he turned, as a man of prayer,
he turned to prayer.
Now keep your place there in 2 Kings 19.
That's our text for this morning.
Go to the book of Matthew, Matthew chapter number 7, in the New Testament, first book
in the New Testament, should be fairly easy to find, Matthew chapter number 7, 2 Kings
chapter 19.
Now if you're taking notes this morning, I'd encourage you to take notes.
On the back of your course of the week, there's a place for you to write down some notes,
and I'd like you to write down a couple of things in regards to prayer.
The first is this, the practice of prayer.
The practice of prayer.
We notice that Hezekiah, when he has his problem, the first thing he does, the Bible says, is
that he rents his clothes, he covered himself with sackcloth.
That's something that the Old Testament states would often do as a sign of their inability
to help themselves, their humility, and their need of God.
He went into the house of God.
He sent for the man of God, Isaiah.
He said to Isaiah, Thus saith Hezekiah, It may be that the Lord thy God will hear, and
he says, Wherefore, lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left.
I'd like you to know this morning that we should pray.
The purpose of this whole sermon, I'll just let you know up front, I think you probably
know it, is I want you to become a man or a woman of prayer.
Our church needs to become a church of prayer.
You say, why?
Because the only way to experience revival is to be people of prayer.
And you say, well, why should we pray?
We should pray because God may answer our prayers.
We should pray because it may be, Hezekiah would say.
It may be that the Lord thy God will hear all the words.
He says, Wherefore, for that reason, lift up thy prayer.
Matthew chapter seven.
Are you there?
Look at verse seven.
Notice what Jesus said in regards to prayer.
He says, ask.
If you're a man in the congregation this morning, I want you to say that word with me.
Ask.
I know there's more than two of you, all right?
Let's say it together.
Ask.
Jesus says, ask and it shall be given.
Say this word with me.
Seek.
Let's say it together.
Seek and ye shall find.
Say this word with me.
Knock.
Let's say it together.
Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Jesus says, ask, ask.
Say it with me.
Ask and it shall be given you.
Seek and ye shall find.
Say this with me.
Knock.
And it shall be opened unto you.
Notice, for everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to them that
knocketh it shall be opened.
See, the problem you say, I don't know about prayer.
Does prayer actually work?
The problem with prayer is that we don't pray.
The problem with, you say, I've never had a prayer answered.
Have you ever prayed?
Have you ever asked God?
Because the point is this, it may be, it may be that God hears and answers our prayer.
In fact, Jesus said, ask and it shall be given you.
Seek and ye shall find.
Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Go to the book of James, if you would.
James, chapter number four.
If you start at the end of the Bible, the book of Revelation, and you head back, you're
going to have the book of Jude, third, second, and first John, second and first Peter, James.
You're heading backwards from the end, Revelation, Jude, third, second and first John, second
and first Peter, James, James chapter number four, James chapter four.
Look at the verse, the Bible says this, ye lost.
The word lost means desire.
He says you lost, you lost, you have things you want, you have things you desire.
He says ye lost and have not.
Ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain.
Ye fight and war, he says, yet ye have not, I want you to notice these words, yet ye have
not because ye, say it with me, ask not.
God says you know what, you don't have what you need because you don't ask.
And the truth is this, the vast majority of Christians today have little to no prayer
life at all.
We don't pray.
We don't take the time to pray.
We're not bothered to pray.
We're not motivated to pray, but we should pray because God may answer our prayers.
In fact, God often does not answer our prayers because we do not pray.
And I want you to understand this.
You have not because ye ask not.
You have not because ye ask, you say why doesn't God give me what I need?
You have not because ye ask not.
Jesus said ask, ask and it shall be given unto you.
Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Everyone that asks could receive it, he that seeketh find it, to him that knocketh it shall
be opened.
You say, what's the problem with prayer?
The problem with prayer is we don't practice prayer.
The problem with prayer is we don't pray.
The problem with prayer is we get so busy trying to solve our own problems, getting
our own plans in motion, getting our own ideas and our own thoughts and our own things, trying
to make something happen whenever something happens that we don't take the time to pray.
We should pray because God may answer our prayer.
In fact, God often doesn't answer our prayer because we don't pray.
You have not.
You have not because you ask not.
Keep your place there in the book of James if you would.
Go back to 2 Kings chapter 19.
You have not because you ask not.
That's the bottom line.
Ask and it shall be given unto you.
Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Many of you have heard me tell this story before.
I was just recently telling this story to brother David.
Back when we first started the church about 10 years ago, we started this church.
My wife and I started a church in our living room.
We had a handful of people there, of course.
We got it in our heads that we needed to raise up some money, raise some money for a church
van.
We wanted to raise money for a church van.
This was a little church in our living room.
We had about 20 people coming to church.
We found this little used van.
They're selling for about $3,000.
$3,000 at that time in our ministry seemed like a lot of money.
We decided we're going to do this vision offering.
That's the first vision offering we ever had.
We decided we're going to do this vision offering.
We're going to raise $3,000.
I was going to preach about giving and prayer.
We're going to pray that God will do this.
I decided and I talked to my wife about it.
We talked about it.
We decided that we should give 10% of what we're asking the church to give.
We're going to give $300 towards this vision offering.
Only problem is we didn't have $300.
We didn't have any money.
At that time, the church wasn't paying me.
I was working a full-time job.
We were just a young family and having kids and whatever.
We didn't have $300.
Then my wife and I said, well, let's just pray about it.
We started praying about it.
It didn't really help because the more we prayed about it, I felt like God just laid
on our heart to get $400.
I got this burden to get $400.
My wife's praying.
I'm praying.
We're telling God, God, we'll get $400.
The problem is we don't have $400.
Now, you're going to have to give us $400 if you want us to give $400, and God, I have
to give something.
I can't stand up in front of these people and ask them to give to the work of God and
not give something ourselves.
I'm going to write out this check for $400.
Lord, you're going to have to make it happen.
I remember thinking to myself, watch, God's going to give us $400.
We started announcing this about eight weeks in advance.
That first week went by, didn't get nothing.
Second week went by, didn't get nothing.
Third week went by, I thought, surely, I'm going to get more hours at work.
We're going to get a bonus.
Something's going to happen.
Nothing happened.
Nothing happened week after week after week.
The Sunday of that first vision offering, I wrote a check for $400.
My wife and I sat there on Saturday, talked about it, prayed about it.
We said, God, we're going to give this money because I feel like you've told us to give
this money.
We're going to give this money, and here's the thing, God, the check's going to get cashed
on Monday, and we're not going to be able to buy groceries, or there's a bill we're
not going to be able to pay or something.
You're going to have to do something, God.
We put that check in the offering.
Got cashed on Monday, $400 went out of our bank account.
That Monday, that Monday, my wife went out, checked the mail, and we got a letter from
our mortgage company.
She said, honey, we got something from the mortgage company.
I thought, good night.
They already know we're not going to pay them.
How do they know that?
We just got rid of them.
How do they know?
They're already sending us a pass-through.
I opened it up, said, dear Mr. and Mrs. Jimenez, our records show that we have been overcharging
you on your escrow account.
Below, you'll find a check for $400.
God gave us, the Monday after we gave $400, God can send us a check for $400.
You say, ah, it's a coincidence.
Here's what I'm telling you.
You have not because you ask not.
Whosoever asketh receiveth, Jesus said.
Whosoever seeketh findeth.
He says, whosoever knocketh, it shall be opened unto him.
The problem with prayer, you say, what is it?
It's that we don't pray.
It's that when a problem arises, when issues come, instead of trying to, turning to God
and going to God, we try to devise these plans and God says, look, God says this, you have
not because you ask not.
If you'd ask, I'd give.
If you'd ask, I'd provide.
If you saw, I would not.
See, the problem with prayer is that we don't practice prayer.
Go back to 2 Kings chapter 19, I want you to notice secondly this morning, not only
do we see the practice of prayer, but I want you to notice secondly, we see the privilege
of prayer.
2 Kings 19, look at verse 9.
And when he heard say of Ter-haka, the king of Ethiopia, behold, he has come out to fight
against thee.
He sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah, those are
the enemies of the Lord, speaking to Hezekiah.
Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah, king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou
trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king
of Assyria.
Behold, thou hast heard what the king of Assyria hath done to all the lands by destroying them
utterly, and shalt thou be delivered?
Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed?
This is a king, this is a wicked king with a good track record of capturing cities.
He says, look, all these other cities have prayed to their gods, their gods haven't helped
them.
Notice verse 12, he says, Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers
have destroyed, as Gozan and Haran and Rezeb and the children of Eden, which were in Thelessar?
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the cities of Sepharvayim,
of Hina, of Ivah, and Hezekiah?
I just want you to get this picture, this is one of the most beautiful, I think, pictures
of prayer in the Bible.
And Hezekiah received the letter, they sent him a letter, he's reading the letter that
he got from the Sennacherib.
And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messenger, and read it, and Hezekiah
went up into the house of the Lord, don't miss this, Hezekiah went up into the house
of the Lord, he receives this letter from King Sennacherib with all these threats, with
all these truths, with all these facts, where is the king of Arphad, where are the gods
of these other nations?
The Bible says that Hezekiah received the letter of the hands of the messenger and read
it, and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, don't miss this, and spread it before
the Lord.
And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord.
You know, sometimes we get things we gotta pray about, don't we?
You get a bill you can't pay, you get a letter from the doctor saying it is this sickness,
it is cancer, it is this situation, it is that situation.
We get news, and Hezekiah wants you to notice, Hezekiah, he took that letter and hear a beautiful
illustration, the Bible says he spread it before the Lord.
You know that prayer is a privilege?
You know that you and I have the privilege that God allows us to bring our problems to
Him?
Go to the book of Hebrews if you would, if you kept your place there in James, just right
before James is the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter number four.
Prayer allows us to bring our problems to God.
Prayer is a privilege because we get to go to the God of the universe with our problems,
and yet we often fail to do so.
Hebrews chapter four and verse 16, the Bible says this, let us therefore come boldly.
Let us therefore come boldly, Hebrews 4 16, unto the throne of grace that we may obtain
mercy and find grace to help Him in the time of need.
The Bible says that you and I have access to the Lord Jesus Christ and through the Holy
Spirit to come boldly into the throne of grace, into the throne of God, that we may obtain
mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.
The privilege of prayer is that we get to bring our problems to God.
What privilege we miss out on by not bringing our problems to God.
Hebrews chapter 10, look at verse 19, you're there in Hebrews 4.
Look at Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 19, having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into
the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
Let me tell you something, when you got saved, you became a child of God.
You became a priest in the kingdom of heaven.
You became a king in the kingdom of God.
You and I have access to God the Father.
We have access at any moment, at any time we can enter spiritually into the throne room
of God and ask the creator of the universe for any help that we need.
How often do we fail to do so?
You know why prayer doesn't work?
Because we don't practice prayer.
You have not because you ask not.
You know why prayer, you say, why don't we pray?
I think we don't pray because we don't understand the privilege of prayer.
What a friend we have in Jesus, the song says.
All our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.
Oh what peace we often forfeit.
Oh what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
What if you had access to the president?
I mean what if the president of the United States, and I'm not supporting Trump, okay,
I'm just saying any president, what if the president, I don't support any politician
just so you know.
You say you're a Republican, just pray to God, okay?
What if the president of the United States says, you know what, I'm going to give you
access, I'm going to give you, you have a little red phone I've got in the Oval Office,
I'm going to give you a direct line, you have access to the president of the United States
anytime you want, anything you need, I'm here for you, just you call me, whatever you need,
I will, my resources, my power, my authority is at your disposal, you just call whatever
you need.
I mean how often would you call?
I think you might call a lot.
I might go rob a bank and call the president and they give me my one phone call and be
like, you know how you can pardon people?
I mean you know, if you have access to somebody with power, if you have access to somebody
with strength, if you have access to somebody with authority, you might call, let me tell
you something, you've got better access than the president of the United States of America,
you have access to God the Father, the creator of the universe.
We can come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to
help and need.
Prayer is a privilege because we get to bring our prayer to God.
See, Hezekiah understood, he said I got this letter and there's nothing I can do about
it, there's nothing, I don't got the strength, I don't got the money, I don't have the military,
I don't have the resources that I need, but I can come boldly into the throne room of
God, casting all your care upon him, the Bible says, for he careth for you.
I want you to notice thirdly, not only the practice of prayer, not only the privilege
of prayer, but I want you to notice thirdly the promise of prayer.
You're there in 2 Kings 19?
Keep your place there in James or Hebrews, go to 2 Kings 19, look at verse 15.
And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, I love this prayer, sometimes you have to
study the prayers in the Bible when people are really praying to God.
Notice how Hezekiah prays, he says, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the
cherubim, notice what he says, he says, thou art God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms
of the earth thou hast made, heaven and earth, Lord, notice what he said, Lord, bow down
thine ear and hear, open, Lord, thine eyes and see and hear the words of Sennacherib,
which has sent him to reproach the living God.
He said, notice what he said, he didn't deny the facts, verse 17, he says of a truth, Lord,
the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations of their land and have cast their gods into
the fire, for they were no gods, the works of men's hands, wood and stone, therefore
they have destroyed them.
Now therefore, O Lord our God, notice this prayer, he says, I beseech thee, save thou
us out of his hand, that all, notice, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know.
How do you know that this was revival?
Because revival will allow you to know God and to make God known, he says, that all the
kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.
Now I want you to notice verse 20, then Isaiah the son of Amos sent to Hezekiah saying, Thus
saith the Lord God of Israel, that which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib, king
of Assyria, notice what God says to Hezekiah, I have heard.
You know that there's a promise associated with prayer?
Let me show it to you, go to 1 John chapter 5 if you would.
If you start back at Revelation, you got Jude, 3-2, 1 John, Revelation, Jude, 3-2, 1 John,
1 John chapter 5.
See, there's the practice of prayer, ye have not because ye ask not, ye, whosoever asketh
receiveth, whosoever seeketh findeth, unto him that not giveth, it shall be opened unto
him.
There's a practice of prayer, there's a privilege of prayer, we get the privilege, we get the
wonderful privilege of bringing our problems to God.
We get the wonderful privilege of bringing our problems, coming boldly into the throne
room of God, coming boldly to seek help in time of need.
I want you to notice, thirdly, there's a promise of prayer.
You know what the promise of prayer is this?
The promise of prayer is this, that God, when you pray, that God will hear your prayers.
I think that maybe we just don't really believe that.
I just think that if we believe that God heard our prayers, we'd probably pray.
First John 5, look at verse 14, and this is the confidence.
First John 5, 14, and this is the confidence that we have in him.
That if we ask anything, notice those words, anything.
Anything?
Yeah, anything.
That if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions
that we desire of him.
Do you know that there's a promise of prayer that God hears your prayers?
You know that there's a promise of prayer?
Here Hezekiah is saying, Lord, bow down thine ear and hear, open, Lord, thine eyes and see.
And God gives him a response and says, I have heard.
I have heard.
But it's not just Hezekiah.
It's you.
It's me.
If we ask anything according to his will here, you know how God wants to hear you pray?
You know, big problems, God wants you to bring every problem.
I mean, no problem is too small.
Just recently, I mean, literally a couple of weeks ago, my wife and I decided, my wife's
been having some problems with her, my wife's a big runner, she likes to run, but she's
been having some problems being able to run, and the chiropractor advised her maybe instead
of running to use an elliptical, and we, because it'll allow her to exercise and not
put pressure on her, on her bones, we started looking for an elliptical and realized real
quick that they're pretty expensive, about $1,100 to buy a good quality elliptical.
My wife said, I really want an elliptical.
We should pray about it.
And I said, well, let's pray.
And we prayed and we said, Lord, you know, you know, we were doing a little better than
10 years ago.
We said, Lord, you know, we got about $300.
You let us, you know, we got this much money, will you let us find an elliptical?
She started looking, I don't remember what she looked, Craigslist or OfferUp or something
like that, she started looking, saw an ad just came up, said, brand new elliptical,
no more than two hours of use, you know, $300.
And we looked up the brand and the code or whatever the number that was associated with
it, buy a brand new one, $1,200, and it's new, brand new.
And my wife called and they said, I'm so sorry, someone just called and said they're going
to come pick it up this afternoon.
And my wife said, well, can I call in the afternoon if they don't pick it up, you know,
could we come and get it?
And she said, yeah, you know, they said they were pretty sure, they were pretty sure they're
going to come, but if they don't come, you know, you can come this afternoon.
My wife got a phone, she told me, she said, I really want this elliptical, let's pray
about it.
And I said, let's pray.
I said, Lord, and I started praying, I said, Lord, would you allow these people to miss
this appointment?
And I said, God, no, I'm not asking you to kill them or anything, you know, just like
a flat tire or something, you know, just make something happen so that we, it was, because
we want this elliptical.
And I said, God, you know what, even better, would you allow these people to call and cancel
their appointment so we can go pick up this elliptical today?
I said, amen.
My wife said, amen.
I jumped in the shower, so I, you know, get ready for the day.
I came out of the shower, my wife said, lady just called, said they canceled, we can come
pick it up right now.
You say, ah, it's a coincidence.
You call it whatever you want.
I'm just telling you, you have not because you ask not.
You know, God, does God want you to hear your prayer, you know, about something elliptical?
If we ask anything according to his will, he hears of us.
You know why you don't get your prayers answered?
Because you don't pray.
You know why you don't pray?
Because you don't realize the privilege and the promise associated with prayer that the
God of the universe wants to hear your every little desire, even an elliptical.
I picked up an elliptical, $300, because we go $1100.
You have not because you ask not.
You cannot experience, you cannot experience a walk with the Lord, you cannot fellowship
with God without talking to God.
We see the practice of prayer.
We see the promise of prayer.
Why don't you notice, fourthly, this morning, the power of prayer.
Go back to 2 Kings chapter number 19.
Keep your place there in James if you would.
2 Kings chapter 19.
Notice verse 35.
And it came to pass that night, Hezekiah takes his problem to God, takes his letter, spreads
it before the Lord, says, Lord, God of the universe, you are God, thou alone art God,
of a truth, Lord.
They've done all these things, but Lord, you can answer.
Notice verse 35.
And it came to pass that night that the angel of the Lord went out and smote in the camp
of the Assyrians in 104 score and 5,000.
When they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
So Sennacherib, king of Assyria, departed and went and returned and dwelt at Nineveh.
And it came to pass that he was worshiping in the house of Nisrock, his god, that Adremelech
and Sherezer, his son, smote him with the sword and they escaped into the land of Armenia
and Esarhaddon, his son, reigned in his stead.
I want you to notice, not only do we need the practice of prayer, not only is there
a privilege of prayer, not only is there a promise of prayer, but here's the truth, there
is power in prayer.
God can answer your prayers.
God doesn't just want to hear your prayers, He wants to answer your prayers and God has
the power to answer your prayers.
And it came to pass in that night that the angel lord went out and they were all dead
corpses.
Hezekiah learned a lesson that if you ask, you'll receive, that if you seek, you'll find,
that if you knock, it shall be opened unto you.
God can answer our prayers.
Do you know what God wants to answer your prayers?
Go to Psalm 81, if you would, Psalm 81, just right in the center of the Bible.
If you open your Bible, just right in the center, you're more than likely found in the
book of Psalms.
Psalm 81.
Do you know what God wants to answer your prayers and God wants to answer your prayers
in a big way?
God wants you to ask for big prayers.
I think of Elisha, when Elijah said, hey, I'm about to leave you, ask me what you want.
Ask whatever you want.
God already told me, whatever you want, you can have it.
Ask me what you want.
Elisha said, I want a double portion of your spirit.
Elijah said, he said, that was asked a hard thing, nevertheless.
You know that Elisha got a double portion of Elijah's spirit?
You know that if you count the miracles that Elijah performed and if you count the miracles
that Elisha performed, Elisha performed double the miracles that Elijah performed?
Elijah says, that was asked a hard thing, but you know what?
God's in the business.
Is anything too hard for the Lord?
You know that God's in the business of answering big prayers?
Psalm 81 verse 10, I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt.
Notice these words, open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.
God says, look, if you're going to open your mouth and ask for something, he said, ask
for something big.
Open your mouth wide.
God says, I got more resources than you've got.
He said, I can do more.
Hey, God says, call unto me and I will answer thee.
Call unto me and I will answer thee.
God says, all you got to do is call.
All you got to do is ask.
Go to the book of Ephesians, Ephesians chapter number three.
If you would, in the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1st, 2nd Corinthians,
Galatians, Ephesians, 1st, 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Ephesians chapter three.
Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest
not.
Ephesians chapter number three, he said, what do you want us to do, Pastor?
I want you to walk out of here determined to pray and determined to pray big.
Open your mouth wide, God says, and I'll fill it.
Look, obviously, this is not a prosperity message.
God's not saying you can pray for whatever you want.
He says you have not because you ask not, he says you receive not because you ask amiss
that you may consume it upon your lust.
Obviously, God, everything we pray for needs to be according to the will of God and within
the will of God.
And sometimes we pray for things and it's not the will of God and God doesn't answer
that prayer.
We understand that.
Paul prayed that God remove the thorn in his flesh and God's response was my grace is efficient
for thee.
We understand God's not going to answer every prayer.
It needs to be according to his will.
But here's what I'm saying.
How many prayers, how many prayers are we going without?
How many answered prayers are we going without because we don't pray?
God is willing and able and ready.
He said, if you just ask, if you just ask, I do it.
As soon as you're done running around trying to figure out how to make it happen, you just
pray.
Someone said there's lots of things we can do after we pray, but there's nothing we can
do until we pray.
The truth is prayer is a great time saver.
God says you have not because you ask not.
Ephesians three and verse 20, the Bible says this, now unto him, Ephesians three and verse
20, the Bible says this, now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all
that we, there's our word, ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.
You know that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think?
You know that God can do more, that God can do more than you can ask or think?
I don't know how long ago this was.
I want to say it's maybe five years ago.
Five years ago I heard, I got news, Pastor Anderson told me this and I rejoiced with
him that someone had donated to their church, Faith Forward Baptist Church, somebody had
donated to their church $80,000 and they were excited.
They were able to do some things and they bought a van and they did stop and I rejoiced
and I said praise the Lord, hallelujah.
You know, I got to thinking, I wonder if God could ever do that for us?
And I started praying.
I said, Lord, you know, we'd like to buy a building someday and Lord, I don't know, I
said to God, I don't know if this is carnal, if this is in my flesh, but would you ever
give us $80,000?
I remember talking to my wife about it.
I said, let's pray for this, put it on a prayer list, started praying for it every day for
a while and then it turned to every week and then it turned to about once a month just
on my prayer list for years, just on my prayer list and just as I would go through it, come
through it, Lord, you know, just there on my prayer list, Lord, give us $80,000, just
pray for it.
I mean, about three years probably pray for it.
You know, one day if somebody gave me an envelope, a check $80,000, I thought to myself, I can
cross that off my prayer list.
You say, oh, you know, through the three years, is that real?
Here's what I'm telling you, you have not because you ask not.
You have not because you ask not.
Now the problem with telling that story is that some of you are already thinking about,
you know, pastor, you know, can we start doing this and we start doing that.
Look, we pray for that money for a building.
We put that money in the savings account.
That money is not being touched, it's for a future building, all right?
So whatever you're already thinking about, some event you want to post, we're not doing
it, all right?
That's why some of you are broke.
You can't get money without spending it.
We prayed and we put that aside in the savings, in the savings, you say, well, why don't you
buy a building?
Well, you can't buy a building in California with $80,000, you can't even put a down payment
on a building with $80,000.
You say, what are you doing?
I'm praying for $100,000.
You think God will give you $100,000?
I'm just telling you, you have not because you ask not.
I'm just telling you that God has the resources available, God has the ability available,
God has already said, look, if you would ask, I would give.
If you would seek, you would find.
If you would not, I would open the doors and I would meet your needs.
What's the problem?
The problem is we don't pray.
The problem is the practice of prayer, we just don't pray.
You have not because you ask not.
We don't pray because we don't realize the privilege of prayer, and at any moment, at
any moment, you can walk into the throne of God and seek help for time of need.
We don't pray because maybe we don't realize the promise of prayer, that the God of the
universe wants to hear all your prayers, no matter how small and no matter how big.
Maybe we don't pray because we don't realize the power of prayer, that God can answer your
prayers, that God can meet your needs.
Has Akia led this great revival?
Has Akia delivered his people?
Because has Akia learned to pray?
I'm just wondering.
What are you going without?
Oh, what peace we often forfeit.
Oh, what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Let's bow our heads in our word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, Lord, we do thank you.
Lord, we do thank you that you are the God that answers prayer.
Lord, we do thank you that you've made a promise to hear our prayers.
Lord, we do thank you that we have access to your power through prayer.
We thank you that we have the privilege to come to you before in prayer.
Lord, I pray that you'd help me.
I pray that you'd help my wife to be people of prayer.
Lord, I pray that you would help these dear people.
I don't know that I can motivate them to pray, but if you would help us to realize that we
have a great tool in the Christian life called prayer.
And if we take the time to pray, you'd hear our prayers.
And oftentimes, we go without because we don't ask.
Lord, I pray you'd help us to become people of prayer.
Lord, I pray that there'd be somebody here in this room that would say, you know what,
I need to become a prayer person, a prayer warrior.
May it take prayer seriously.
Help us to take hold of the throne of grace in prayer.
In the matchless name of Christ, we pray.
Amen.
We're going to have Brother Matt come up and lead us in prayer.