PRAYING GOD'S PURPOSES

In the late 19th century a thin, frail, slow speaking, almost deaf Englishman named John Hyde set out to be a missionary to India. While in India, frail Hyde was attacked with Typhoid fever. For seven months he lay sick. During this time he decided since he could not evangelize or preach, he would use his sickbed as a place of prayer. So he read the purposes of God and the promises of God and began praying them every day. He discovered the power of intercessory prayer, and the results were staggering. He proved that prayer was an evangelical force in India when, by faith, he claimed one soul a day, then two, then four. His plea was “O God, give me souls or I die!” His prayers were answered as he went out among the Hindu’s and witnessed for Christ. Through his prayers, history records God was able to work in remarkable ways in cities, churches, and personal lives.

For example, Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman once wrote to a friend, telling of John Hyde's influence on him. He had been holding meetings in England, but the attendance had been disappointingly small. Then he received word that John Hyde was going to pray down God's blessing upon him and his work. As a result of Hyde's powerful praying, the tide soon turned and the meeting hall became packed with people. At Chapman's first public invitation, fifty men received Christ as their Savior. From these times of intercession, history now refers to him as Praying Hyde and the world still feels the impact of his powerful life.

Oh for us to see what God can do through one who is willing to seek his face and pray. God makes a wonderful promise to those who pray:“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). We have much spiritual ground to be possessed; that there are many obstacles in our way, and a yet we have a God who can do for us exactly what he did for John Hyde by prayer. As James 5:16 says, “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].”

This week I want to challenge you to pray great big sweeping prayers filled up with a radical biblical agenda for God to accomplish in you individually, in your family, in your community, in the church, in our nation, and in the world. the bible gives us a radical vision of what God purposes to do, therefore, I believe that a radical biblical vision from God deserves some big, sweeping, biblical prayers. Big prayers become powerful when they are filled up with radical God direction, God centered, biblical goals for the ones we are praying for whether yourself, others, or the church! Do you pray this way?

I am so very encouraged that no matter what, God is going to accomplish His purposes.

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose”(Isaiah 46:9-10)

"I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd" (John 10:16)

"I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it"(Matthew 16:18)

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come"(Matthew 24:14)

But I am also both encouraged and challenged by the fact that our sovereign God has chosen to accomplish His purposes though people like you and me. It is not that God needs our help, but for whatever reason that remains secret to Him (Deuteronomy 29:29), He has chosen to use us as a means to accomplish His plans. That is why we cannot sit back passively in regards to God’s purposes.

For example, Jesus commands us to “go make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). He tells us that people become will become disciples through the teaching and proclamation and doing of the word through us (John 17:20; Matthew 5:14-16; Romans 10:14-17). But, just as God appoints us to serve Him and speak for Him as a means of accomplishing his purposes, so also God appoints our prayers as a means of finishing a mission that He has promised will certainly be finished. There is a critical place of prayer in the accomplishment of the great and unstoppable purposes of God. The role of prayer is so unspeakably significant in God's design.

So, dear readers, not only has God made the accomplishment of his global purposes of salvation hang on his pastors and His people proclaiming the gospel; He has also made the success of the proclamation of the Word and the Gospel, both to the church and to the nations, hang on prayer. God's goal to be glorified and loved in a world full of white-hot worshippers will not succeed without the powerful proclamation of the gospel by people like you and me; and that gospel will not be proclaimed in power to all the nations without the persevering, resolute, intense, faith-filled prayers of God's people.

This is the awesome place, privilege, and exciting challenge of each one of your readers beginning to pray the purposes of God for the world, the church, and in your life. They won't happen without prayer. I do not understand this in many ways, but this is how God operates in this universe. How do we know this? We know it by the way the apostle Paul and the Lord Jesus make prayer:

Ephesians 6:19, "Pray also for me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the Gospel."
Colossians 4:2-3, "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving….Pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the Word, to declare the mystery of Christ."
2 Thessalonians 3:1, "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified."
Ephesians 6:18, "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
Matthew 9:38. "Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest”.

It is God's way before he does a great work to pour a Spirit of prayer upon his people so that they plead for the work. As the saying goes, “When man works, man works; but when man prays, God works.”

In Luke 18:7-8, Jesus says, "Will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily" and Paul boldly declares, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20). Would you join me in steadfast, vigilant, thankful prayer by going to the bible and praying big sweeping God centered, Bible saturated prayers for yourself, the church, and the nations?

George Mueller said that for years he tried to pray without starting in the Bible in the morning. And inevitably his mind wandered. Then he started with the Book, and turned the Book into prayer as he read, and for 40 years he was able to stay focused and powerful in prayer.

What I have seen is that those whose prayers are most saturated with Scripture are generally most fervent and most effective in prayer; and where the mind isn't filled with the Bible, the heart is not generally filled with prayer.

Jesus said in John 15:7, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you" When he says, "If my words abide in you . . . ," he means, "If my words saturate your mind . . . if my words shape your way if thinking . . . if my words are known and just as likely to come to your mind as advertising jingles . . . then you will pray.'

The great battle today is fought not with swords but with the gospel of Jesus Christ crucified and risen. It is fought for the souls of men. It is fought in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is fought with words of truth and deeds of love and justice; and all of that is backed by prayer. The victory for your life, the church, and Christ's Gospel cause, is certain to come and it will come by prayer.

William Carey said,

EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD; ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD

Praying big sweeping prayers for big sweeping purposes,

Pastor Bill