The sin of Prayerlessness

The Sin of Prayerlessness

if you could ask God for anything and he would answer it, what would you ask him for?

Some would ask for:
-Success in career
-Prosperity and wealth
-Successful Marriage
-Children
-Specific prayers for thier children
-Health
-Salvation for a friend

Are you Praying for that? Are you asking God for that?
-are you really asking God for that or have you given up?

Do you believe in Prayer, Really?

More Americans will pray than will have sex, drive a car, excersize, go to work
9 out of 10 pray reguarly
3 out of 4 say they pray everyday

Do you believe in Miracles?
8 out of 10 say absolutely

Do we sometimes think that thinking about something get subsitited for prayer?
we think we pray a whole lot more than we do pray

is it focused or caotic?
if we believed in prayer, it rolled out so so simply

the culture we live in works against the spirit of prayer
we are in the age of instant everything. Communication is quick. email, texting, instant messaging. That plays into our issue with God.

we live in a land of never never enough

how do you fit God into a schedual of always behind?

what exactly is prayer?
-simply a decision to spend time with God
-its like any other relationship you have. If yo u spend time and talk to God the closer you get to God . Its like breathing. we breathe automatically. that is what prayer should be. breathing is a natural, its a rhythm. if you dont pray youre not doing as well as you think.

Whenever you open the Bible, that is God talking to you. Its how God gets into you. you start listening. its not work its not labor

why pray anyway?
-Jesus did.
- Commune with the father
-Its how you have a relationship and he taught us to pray
-Its how you live

What does prayer accomplish?
-God mind DOES change
-it changes the heart of God
-it changes things

why is not praying a sin?
because prayerless is a declaration of independance from God
you step out of the relationship that God wants us to have with him
to do life yourself
its telling God hes not what he says hes is

the route of prayer is the proper understanding of who God is who you are and you who arent and that you need help. God i cant do this without you. i need youre help

prayerlessness minimizes God. Its a decision that we are fine without him. its the decision Not much stirs the heart of God. God i dont think you care, i dont think you want to spend time with me etc. its passing judgment on God. You arent what you claim to be.

Prayer puts things back into perspective. When you dont think you need help, you really need help. Its makes you aware of what you really feel. Whatever youre feeling, lay it out there. Lay it out to God. he can handle youre raw emotions. God is not afraid to be real with you. he wants to hear from you. When you start to put it out there you start to see it differently. I dont have the power to fix this, but he does.
helps you to see from a differnt vantage point. it opens youre eyes.

James 1:2

When you have trouble in your life consider it a joyful thing because it moves you to maturity. it develops quality and characteristics in you that peace will never accomplish. God moves you a direction when its difficult.
When you dont know what to do, God will speak into that.
If youre gonna come to God you need to assume that hes listening. you are not talking to a wall. that God in his wisdom is working out the solution to your dilemma. but it wont always going to come to you the way you think it would or should.

James 5:13

if anyone is in trouble you should pray. if youre happy you should give praise. dont hide it. be real. the emphasis isnt on healing, its on praying. when youre sick, you need to pray. can mean physical sickness, but more so its a spiritual sickness. an understaning that something is wrong inside. That you are weak.
when i realize i dont have resource and i cry out you, when im in this state i am stronger than i have ever been. and i realize who i am and who you are. i dont have the answer i need help.

Do you really beleive God answers prayer?
-its not a simple yes or no. hes far to subtle.

Act 12:5

peter is captured. the church prays for peter. He is praying between two soldiers. An angel comes and frees him and tells him to put on his shoes and clothes. and peter followed him out of the prison. he thought he was seeing a vision. the gate opened by itself and the angel left him. Peter came to himself and realized what just happend. goes to marys house where they are praying for him. Peter knocks on the door. they were astonished.

is prayerlessness a weakness or is it a sin?
-if its a weakness we treat it like a new years resolution
-if its a sin which it is, its deeper than just willing to get better. more effort to overcome it.
-Luke 18:1- they should always pray and not give up

memory verse: 1thessalonians 5:17 "Pray continually"
puts you in the right place with God. why do it alone when you can have the power of God working in your life?