THE PURPOSES OF PRAYER --- PART 2

3 – In Prayer, I Ask and Receive From YHVH:

I once read a rather self-righteous sounding book about prayer where the author stated that we should never ask YHVH for anything, or if we had to, it should be at a minimum; he believed that the more mature a believer becomes, the less they will request from YHVH and the more they will spend their time just praising His Name. That is about the biggest bunch of nonsense I have ever heard. YHVH wants us to ask and receive from Him in prayer, in fact, the longer I’ve been a Torah Follower, the more I ask Him for, because I have learned to believe in His ability to a much greater extent than ever before. John 15:7: -- If you stay joined to Me and My words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! John 15:16b: -- …the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My Name. John 16:24: -- Ask, using My Name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. Luke 17:6: -- Even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May YHVH uproot you and throw you into the sea,’ and it would obey you! Mark 11:23 -24: -- I assure you that you can say to this mountain, ‘May YHVH lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and your command will be obeyed. All that’s required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart. Listen to Me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it.

What is He saying? He is saying that our power of faith is as unlimited as the power of YHVH! If I truly believe, I will receive! Do you believe that YHVH can use TTN to lead thousands of people to Yeshua Moshiach? Do you believe that you can impact your neighbourhood, your family, your workplace, for Yeshua Moshiach? Do you believe that YHVH has the power to fulfil your dreams? Then why aren’t you praying those kinds of prayers? There are a number of reasons that prayers aren’t answered, but the biggest problem we have is a lack of belief. When we read the New Testament and read about the early believers, it’s a mindblower. They were happy, joyful, contagious, and enthusiastic about life. They had power in their lives; they saw miracles happening on a regular basis. You ask a typical New Testament believer: How are you? and he would say: Business as usual, one miracle after another! We may ask: How come I don't have that kind of power? Because we don't ask at that level, the bigger your requests, the bigger your belief in YHVH. I get tired of asking YHVH to do things I can accomplish in my own power. I want to request things from YHVH that can’t be accomplished by anyone else. What are you lacking right now in your life simply because you've never asked YHVH for it? You've tried other things but you've never stopped to ask YHVH for it. What do you ask for? Ask for what you want. Psalm 37:4: -- Take delight in Adonai, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Desires: If you're delighting yourself in YHVH, you're trying the best, as you know how, to let YHVH's Ruach live in your life, your desires aren't going to be wrong. And YHVH promises that He will give you those things. Psalm 84:11: -- No good thing will Adonai withhold from those who do what is right. YHVH is not up in heaven holding all these things back and saying: You have to convince Me to give them to you! He says: Ask! When you ask, everybody gets blessed. YHVH gets blessed because it shows His nature as a Giver. You get blessed because you get the answer to your request. The world gets blessed because all of a sudden, you have a testimony. One thing about people who have answered prayers is they can't keep it to themselves; they have to share it. They start sharing with everybody and that's what YHVH wants.

4 – In Prayer, I Build the Kingdom for YHVH:

This is the most exciting thing about prayer. It's an act of co-operation with YHVH in the building of His Kingdom on earth. Prayer is YHVH's program; Prayer is YHVH's modus operandi; Prayer is YHVH saying: I have chosen to limit Myself to what I accomplish on earth simply by limiting Myself to the faith of My children on the earth. What they believe Me for, I will do. When we pray for other people, we are co-operating with YHVH. We are teaming up with YHVH to accomplish YHVH's work in the world. Probably the most amazing verse in the Bible is John 14:11-12: -- Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Or at least believe because of what you have seen Me do. The truth is, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. Who will do these things? Anyone who believes! Have you been doing what Yeshua has been doing? Have you been raising any dead people lately? Healed any sick? I think this is the hardest verse in the Bible to believe. He says, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works… I'd have to admit to you, if there is any verse in the Bible that I have a hard time believing, it's that verse. But I came to realize that raising the dead also means to bring the unbelievers (the dead) to Yeshua (to life) and healing the sick (sins) to help people sin less by showing them what it does! I don't see myself doing greater things than Yeshua. Do you see yourself doing greater miracles than Yeshua Moshiach? I doubt it. That's kind of a hard verse to believe, but Yeshua says it. Now, if we read the next two verses, I think it will begin to make sense: John 14:13-14: -- You can ask for anything in My Name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in My Name, and I will do it! How is it possible to do greater miracles than Yeshua? Simple, through prayer!

Prayer is not limited by time or by space. It is limitless in scope. When Yeshua Moshiach was here on earth, He voluntarily limited Himself by becoming a human. By YHVH coming in human form He said: I can only be at one place at one time. He was limited to do the miracles within the vicinity where He was. But prayer is not limited by time or space. Prayers are not limited by time -- The prayers of Yeshua Moshiach thousands of years ago are still being answered today. The prayers I pray today can be answered three weeks from today. Prayer is not limited by space – You can pray and it's like sending a missile. I could pray for somebody in America, England, Australia or Africa and it's like sending a missile directly to that person’s heart and I never leave England! People may reject your appeals, reject your arguments, reject you as a person, but they're totally defenceless against your prayers. They have no defence system; prayers go straight to the heart. Like a river, YHVH can change the course of history by prayers. He will use us, our prayers and our faith, to build His Kingdom. YHVH said in Isaiah 56:7 that His House -- …will be called a House of Prayer for all nations. And that is what we plan to be; a House of Prayer for all nations, all people groups, all colours, all walks of life and all will be welcome in this House of Prayer. My hope and prayer today, is that you not only realize the importance of this in your head, but that it moves into your heart and changes you. Do you understand and accept the fact that beginning this moment, you can begin to do greater works? If you do and your motives are pure, watch out, because YHVH’s going to start rock your house!

O Adonai Yeshua Moshiach, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We pray You allow us never to stray from You, Who is the Way, nor distrust You, Who is the truth, nor rest in any one other thing than You, who is the life. Teach us, by Your Ruach Kodesh, what to believe and what to do, how to take our rest and how to pray. Give to us, O YHVH, the girdle, the helmet, the breastplate, the shield, the sandals, the sword and above all things, prayer. Grant to us the power and opportunity of well-doing, that before the day of our departure comes, our efforts may have produced good fruit. Allow us to behold Your presence in righteousness and be fulfilled with Your Glory, for Moshiach’s sake. Please bless each and everyone here on TTN, amen.