- [Announcer] Prayer has various benefits for the redeemed.
Just as the issues of life vary,
so also does prayer address the various needs of man.
Welcome to Grace Digital production.
Number one, angelic intervention.
Our prayers provoke angelic intervention.
During the time Peter was held up in the prison,
and awaited death,
the saints prayed for him continually.
And as a result of their prayers,
God sent an angel to rescue Peter.
Acts 12, verses one to eight and 11 tells us,
"Peter therefore was kept in prison,
but prayer was made without ceasing
of the church unto God for him.
And when Herod would have brought him forth,
the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers,
and bound with two chains,
and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him,
and a light shined in the prison,
and he smote Peter on the side and raised him up saying,
arise up quickly, and his chains fell off from his hands,
and the angel said unto him,
gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals, and so he did.
And he saith unto him,
cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
And when Peter was come to himself, he said,
now I know of a surely that the Lord hath sent his angel,
and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod,
and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews."
Angels are the security agents, and they excel in strength.
Psalms 103, verse 20.
Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.
Angels are there to ward off all evils and plagues from us.
They're God's rescue corps.
Their job is to intervene during trouble,
and rescue the redeemed.
Angels also ensure that only God's will
is established in the life of the redeemed.
During the time Jesus was arrested, before his crucifixion,
Peter brought out his sword and cut off a man's ear.
Jesus stopped Peter from doing more harm.
And then said to him, in Matthew 26, verses 52 to 53,
"Put up again thy sword into his place,
for all thy that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father,
and he shall presently give me
more than 12 legions of angels?"
Assistance from heaven is available
to us for every area of our needs
when we call upon God in prayers.
Number two, prayer helps to locate the path of life.
Psalm 16, verse 11 says,
"Thou will show me the path of life.
In thy presence is fullness of joy.
At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
Divine direction is our right as a redeemed.
We just have to partake in it.
There are great pleasures and joy
when we discover our path, and we're no longer aimless.
We have to go to our Father in heaven
to find the ultimate goal for our lives.
Psalms 23, versus one and five tell us,
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,
thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies.
Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over."
We become outstanding when God takes control
of the leadership of our lives.
Some are not cut for the teaching or fitness industry,
yet they chose that field, and are frustrated in it,
as they only struggle for survival in those fields.
There remains a field for them to actually shine.
They only have to discover what that path is.
Many have searched for their path
by doing what seems reasonable to their peers.
However, this process is too risky.
God is committed to leading us on the path
that he ordained for us, even before we were born.
This is clear in Jeremiah 1, verse five.
Thus said the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
I am the Lord thy God, which teecheth thee to profit,
which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
Isiah 48:17.
Matthew 7:7 says,
"But asking in prayer is your access to his leading.
Ask, and it shall be given to you.
Seek, and ye shall find.
Knock, and it shall be opened unto you."
When we come before God and ask,
he's committed to answering.
God knows that without him, your destiny is not secured.
However, until we ask him, we will only keep guessing.
It will be much wiser for us
to work with a map that is accurate.
The wrong step can cause you to waste 10 years,
or even more of your life.
John 21:3-8 says,
"Cast your net on the right side of the ship,
and ye shall find.
They did, and were not able to draw in the net
for the multitude of fishes."
These directions can be obtained from prayers of inquiry.
Ask, seek, knock, Matthew 7:7.
If it seems that you're not making a headway, ask,
oh Lord, Lord, where is the right side of this venture?
James 1:5 says,
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally,
and unbraideth not, and it shall be given him.
We can perceive liberally if we ask,
as God is committed to us.
Ask God as many questions as you need.
If you need clarity in any area of your life,
seek it from him.
We see David doing this in his prayer of inquiry.
In 2 Samuel 5:18-20 and 22-27.
The Philistines also came,
and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
And David inquired of the Lord in saying,
"Shall I go up to the Philistines?
Will thou deliver them into mine hand?"
And the Lord said unto David, "Go up, for I will doubtless
deliver the Philistines into thine hand."
And David came to Baalperazim,
and David smote them there and said,
"The Lord has broken forth upon mine enemies before me,
as the breach waters."
Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim.
And the Philistines came up yet again,
and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
And when David inquired of the Lord, he said,
"Thou shall not go up, but fetch a compass behind them,
and then come upon them over and against the mulberry trees.
And let it be, when thou hears the sound of the going
of the tops of the mulberry trees,
that then thou shall bestir thyself
for then shall the Lord go before thee
to smite the host of the Philistines."
And David did so, as the Lord had commended him.
And smote the Philistines from Geba
until thou come to Gazer.
And the Philistines came up yet again,
and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
And when David inquired of the Lord, he said,
"Thou shalt not go out, but fetch a compass behind them,
and come upon them over against the mulberry trees,
and let it be when thou hears the sound of the going
in the tops of the mulberry trees,
that then thou shalt bestir thyself,
for then shall the Lord go out before thee
to smite the host of the Philistines."
And David did so, as the Lord had commanded him,
and he smote the Philistines from Geba
until thou come to gazer.
If you want a breakthrough,
make inquiries from God in prayer,
before you take that major step, ask God in prayer.
Remember, you have to face these challenges,
you can't relax and wish these problems away.
You don't have to be average, or accept the status quo.
Push through with prayer,
and I see you becoming a victor, too.
Jeremiah 33:3 says,
"Call unto me, and I will answer thee,
and show thee great and mighty things,
which thou knowest not."
Number three, prayer provokes help from above.
Hebrews 4:16 says,
"Let us therefore come baldly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need."
If we do not receive help from above,
we will remain helpless on the earth.
The evil one is out against the children of God.
The wickedness on earth is intense.
However, we help help from higher
to overcome all wickedness.
We receive this help through our prayers.
Psalm 127:1 says,
"Except the Lord build the house,
they labor in vain that built it.
Except the Lord keep the city,
the watchman waketh, but in vain.
Having therefore obtained help of God,
I continue unto this day,
witnessing both to small and great,
saying none other things than those which the prophets
and Moses did say should come."
Acts 26:22,
"Having therefore obtained the help of God,
I continue unto this day,
witnessing both to small and great,
saying none other things than those
which the prophets and Moses did say should come."
The Psalmist, a great man of war,
who also never lost any battle, knew this.
In psalm 60:11-12,
he prays,
"Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man.
Through God we shall do valiantly,
for it is he that shall tread down our enemies."
Prayer is more than just telling God about your needs.
He's already aware of them.
This is clearly evident in Matthew 6:32.
Prayer involves getting God to intervene
in your circumstances based on his Word.
You require god to overcome the evil one.
When God becomes our source of help,
we enjoy ceaseless breakthroughs,
and we stand amongst others.
God is committed to sending us help
from above when we call on him.
He gives us this assurance in the Word.
Isiah 41:10-13 tells us,
"Fear thou not, for I am with thee.
Be not dismayed, for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee.
Yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee
with the right hand of my righteousness.
Behold, all they that were incensed against thee
shall be ashamed and confounded.
They shall be as nothing,
and they that strive with thee shall perish.
Thou shall seek them, and shall not find them,
even them that contended with thee.
They that war against thee, shall be as nothing,
and as a thing of nought.
For I, the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand,
saying unto thee, fear not, I will help thee."
The Psalmist also said in Psalm 56:9,
"When I cry unto thee,
then shall mine enemies turn back.
This, I know, for God is for me."