Title: Saints and Prayers
Contents
saint and prayer
(2006.08.27. Week) (Acts 12:1-16)
We earnestly wish that all members of our church live a life of abundance and satisfaction in all things.
I hope that you will be satisfied both spiritually, physically, -- rich in heavenly blessings, and abundant in this world.
If any problem arises, I sincerely hope that it will be resolved without any difficulties.
In order to live such a beautiful life, there is something we must do, and that is prayer.
“You do not have it because you do not pray.”
He said, “Ask, seek, and knock.”
“Even an evil person will give good things when their children ask for it how much more will God not give good things to those who pray?” You did.
Dear brothers and sisters, what wishes do you have?
Or do you have any work to do?
If so, how much did you pray for it? - Please pray a lot now.
The wind of persecution blew in the Jerusalem church, and Stephen was stoned and martyred. After that, many church members were scattered, and the apostles were also exposed to persecution, and the apostle James was also shot and killed. Like a wolf that tasted blood, King Herod was so mortal that he captured and imprisoned Peter to kill him.
At that time, the saints could not fight against the king. But in the midst of such persecution, there was something the saints could do. - All the saints prayed together. - Prayer is the strength of the saints.
Those who pray are weak - but the God who hears them is the Almighty God. - Do you believe it?
When God hears prayers and answers them - the seas dry up, the rivers stop, and the moving earth stops spinning. - Pray for anything, anytime, anywhere.
1. Prayer is the duty of believers.
Nutrient food is good to eat, and there is no problem if you don't eat it.
If you starve yourself, you lose your health, but if you stop breathing, you lose your life.
The Bible is essential food, not nourishment - and prayer is breath, not food.
Therefore, if you stay away from the Bible, your faith will be malnourished, and if you stay away from prayer, you will lose your faith. - Please keep in mind the saying “Pray without ceasing”.
Praying is not a good thing to do or not to do. Prayer is absolutely necessary and if you don't you will die.
Not praying is like plugging your nose and stopping breathing.
Not praying is a suicide of faith.
Just as a body that stops breathing is a corpse, a soul that stops praying is a dead soul.
If the soul is alive and faith is alive, prayer cannot be stopped - please remember that prayer is the duty of the saints.
2. We must pray in everything.
It is natural for a mother to breastfeed her baby. But - if the baby is just sleeping, don't wake it up and leave it alone. The same goes for prayer.
There is nothing in the world that is so gratifying as not to pray. - No matter how easy it is, no matter how pleasant it may be, please pray.
*The news the people of Nineveh heard was hopeless - it was not the gospel to repent and be saved.
It was a declaration of ruin for too many sins - but in that desperate situation, repentance and prayer came with forgiveness, not destruction.
*Look at King Hezekiah - It was not a message to pray and be healed soon - It was a declaration to prepare to die and end his life because he was already ill to death - But he prayed to the end to save his life, and he lived another 15 years.
* A few years ago, a deacon asked me to meet - I heard the story - I gave up on the hospital because of cancer - I came to the prayer center to pray, and while attending a meeting I led, I saw a person who said that he was cured of cancer - giving thanks.
*Look at the saints in the text - James was already martyred.
Peter was also put in prison. Outside the prison guarded by 16 soldiers, inside the prison guarded by another 2 soldiers, tied with two chains.
It was a holiday, so it was not killed, but it was already decided to kill the next day. -
It was a situation of complete despair with no way to overturn the verdict and to save them, but they prayed - and God saved Peter - Hallelujah!!
it will be It won't work - please don't decide ahead of time and pray for anything.
*Nothing is so easy that you don't have to pray - on the other hand, nothing is so difficult that you can't pray.
Whatever you do, please have faith and hope and do your best to pray.
3. We must also pray beyond faith.
There is a saying, “Whatever you believe and ask, believe that you have received it” - Please pray in faith. - There will surely be a beautiful answer.
But sometimes it's incredible. So should we give up on prayer? - no.
Even if you do not have faith, please pray. The answer is not as good as the believer's faith.
<The answer is not as much as my faith - as much as God's grace> - Amen ???
Even the saints praying for Peter - in such a desperate situation - did not believe while praying. So I wasn't expecting much. - But even if I didn't expect it, I didn't believe it. - Still, I prayed all night long. - Did God turn away from prayer without faith or as prayer without conviction? - no.
Seeing the child shouting “Peter is back alive” - they say he is crazy. I mean I didn't believe it.
He said again, “Truly, Peter is alive.” - Then it is said that Peter died and Peter's angel appeared.
But in the midst of despair, even though they did not believe - they prayed - but God exceeded their faith - by God's grace, Peter saved Peter.
Dear saints - Prayer is the breath of the soul - We must pray hard.
If you don't pray that it's easy, you're out of luck. If you do not give up and pray because it is difficult, nothing will happen.
However, if you pray hard, beautiful results will come.
Of course, if you believe and pray, it will come true. Please pray with faith. So, I bless you to receive a beautiful response.
However, even if your faith grows cold and you don't believe - I hope you still pray - please pray more earnestly the more you do not believe Then - I believe that there will be an answer as beautiful as the abundant grace of God, who is rich in grace.
I pray that God's answer, which heard the prayers of the saints who prayed without faith in the midst of despair, and answered them more than the faith of those who prayed - will come to your prayers as an answer more than faith.