Pray without ceasing

(1 Thes. 5:17)
  • TIMOTHY MOVEMENT (1 Timothy 2:1-8; Matt. 17:21)
  • Why Pray?
    1. Command (1 Chr. 16:11; Isaiah 56:7; Matt. 6:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
    2. Precious to God (Rev. 5:8; 8:3)
    3. Turns world upside down (John 14:12-14; 21:25…Believe it!)
  • Old Testament Examples
    1. Elijah (1 Kings 17:1,7; 18:36-39; 41-45; James 5:17-18)
    2. Elisha (2 Kings 4:32-37; 6:16-20)
    3. Hannah (1 Sam. 1:5,10,19-20)
    4. Hezekiah (Isaiah 38:1-5)
    5. Daniel (Daniel 9:20-27)
    6. Jonah (Jonah 2:1-2,10)
  • Jesus Examples
    1. Lazarus (John 11:38-44)
    2. Multiplying bread (Mark 6:41-44)
  • New Testament Examples (Acts 2:33-34)
    1. Group of believers (Including Peter and John) (Acts 4:23-31)
    2. Apostles and Simon (Acts 8:14-19)
    3. Tabitha resurrected (Acts 9:36-42)
    4. Philippian Jail (Acts 16:25-30)
    5. Paul’s vision and prophecy (Acts 22:17-18)
    6. Paul heals (Acts 28:8)
  • These People Were Not Different Than Us
    1. James 5:16-18
    2. Acts 15:36-41
  • Can Prayer Be That Powerful Today?
    1. Hebrews 13:8
  • Causes of Failures in Prayer
    1. Disobedience (Deut. 1:45; 1 Samuel 14:37; 28:6)
    2. Secret sin (Ps. 66:18)
    3. Indifference (Prov. 21:13)
    4. Despising God’s Law (Prov. 28:9)
    5. Blood-guiltiness (Is. 1:15)
    6. Iniquity (Is. 59:2; Micah 3:4)
    7. Stubbornness (Zech. 7:13)
    8. Instability (James 1:6,7)
    9. Self-Indulgence (James 4:3)
    10. Not in accordance with God’s will (2 Sam. 12:15-16; 2 Cor. 12:8)
  • Conditions of Successful Prayer
    1. Contrition (2 Chr. 7:14)
    2. Whole-heartedness (Jer. 29:13)
    3. Faith (Mark 11:24)
    4. Righteousness (James 5:16)
    5. Obedience (1 John 3:22; 5:14)
  • Game Plan:
  1. Pray persistently; do not lose heart: Luke 18:1-8