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Presented by Aneatria Allen
Luke 10:2
Luke 10:2
"2And He said to them, The harvest indeed is abundant [[a]there is much ripe grain], but the farmhands are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
As we learn through scripture, prayer is our method to commune with God. As believers we must establish and maintain a consistent prayer life to build our relationship with God. During prayer, it is our opportunity to share any and everything, make any request, settle any concerns, ultimately lifting all our burdens to him. But this is also an opportunity for us to listen, wait to hear from Him, receive guidance and instructions to steady our walk with Him. Thus, the purpose of prayer can be narrowed down to three basic actions.
3 Actions of Prayer are to:
1. Communicate with God
2. Listen to God
3. Change things in our lives
As we build our relationship with God, our Father. We can use our prayer life as a weapon to combat the “things” that impede our progress or distract us from the promises of God. By exercising 5 Key Factors, we can use our prayer to change things, rather than things changing our confession.
5 Key Factors to Practice with Prayer:
1. Establishing and maintaining a relationship with God through prayer
2. Have the right motives when asking for something
3. Have patience and discipline to wait on the Lord
4. Exercise faith that what has been requested is possible
5. Believe that God will do what is asked
Prayer can also be used to radically transform our world…ideals, situations, generations and nations. The word “radical” derives from the Late Latin radicals “of roots” and from the Latin radix “root”. Some of it’s definitions are:
1. In science the word radical means the molecule, ion or atom likely to take part in a chemical reaction.
2. The root cause or source
3. Departing from the usual or customary
Going further to define the words “chemical reactions” which means the process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical substances to another set of chemical substances. And this reaction can result from no energy input or from energy input.
If I were to combine the definition, I would define Radical Prayer as “prayers, departing from the usual or customary prayers, targeting the root cause or source of concerns to serve as molecules, ions, or atoms to transform our present day problems to our blessings of today.” (Aneatria Faith)
This is what Paul instructed the church in Philippians 4:6 tells us,
“6Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition ([b]definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.”
I would paraphrase the above to say: “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything (money, shelter, family, jobs), but in every circumstance (layoffs, recession, and sickness), in everything (relationships, pregnancy, and marriage), by prayer (communication with God) and petition (definite, specific request), with thanksgiving, continue to make your requests known to God.”
We have to go to God with the source of our pain, frustration, or impediment to our problems, obstacles, or ailment. And we have to go to God, in prayer and believing by faith it is possible. The Word of God illustrates the power of Radical Prayer. If we read the birth of Samuel, a major prophet in the bible, we learn that his mother, Hannah went to God with a Radical Prayer.
I Samuel 1:1-20; 27
Hannah lifted her issue to God. She could not birth a child, but she pleaded with the Lord that her inability to conceive caused her severe grief. And despite her womb being closed, she continued to lift her request to God and believed it was possible. How did you she know it was possible, because she vowed, although unable to have a child in her current state, she believed by the grace of God she would birth a child, and she would then commit him back to God.
And James 5:17 (See also I King 17:1, 18:42-45)
“17Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months. [I Kings 17:1.] 18And [then] he prayed again and the heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops [as usual]. [I Kings 18:42-45.]”
Again, if we target our prayers like Elijah, we can expect radical results.
But as the Lord said, “the laborers are few.” (Luke 10:2)
Hannah and Elijah labored in prayer. They kept praying until God moved in their situation (Elijah) or within in (Hannah). Not many of us, are targeting our prayers and spending time in prayer and expect God to fulfill our requests. There are so few Christians are willing to plead with God like Abraham pled to God to save the righteous in Sodom.
Genesis 18:23-32; 19:29
Exodus 32:11-14
Abraham and Moses, were confident in their relationship with the Lord to challenge Him to reconsider His decision to destroy all the people. Each man could have settled that the generations would be extended through their line, but their courage was to save the few righteous. Instead of settling for what God said, these men, persisted with God showed mercy: He heard his children and answered their plea.
The scriptures we will study is the life of Jacob during his journey back to his home land and family. Jacob had not been home since he stole Esau’s blessing and fled the land. But after Jacob had been away, the Lord instructed him to go back home.
Genesis 31:3
“3Then the Lord said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers and to your people, and I will be with you.”
“24And Jacob was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25And when [the [a]Man] saw that He did not prevail against [Jacob], He touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob's thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with Him. 26Then He said, Let Me go, for day is breaking. But [Jacob] said, I will not let You go unless You declare a blessing upon me. 27[The Man] asked him, What is your name? And [in shock of realization, whispering] he said, Jacob [supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler]! 28And He said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob [supplanter], but Israel [contender with God]; for you have contended and have power with God and with men and have prevailed.(B) 29Then Jacob asked Him, Tell me, I pray You, what [in contrast] is Your name? But He said, Why is it that you ask My name? And [b][the Angel of God declared] a blessing on [Jacob] there.
How many of us are willing to fight for what we want? Truly wrestle for our blessings? Jacob was one of a few that was bold enough to hold God to His word that He struggled with Him. We must be like Hannah, Elijah, Abraham, Moses and Jacob; willing to pray without ceasing, offering specific requests, pleading with God and willing to wrestle and be determined to hold God to His promise. “
3 Actions of Prayer for Radical Transformations
1. Target prayers for or against the root source
2. Be willing to spend time to labor in prayer
3. Be bold and remind God of what He promised
4. Be courageous enough to wrestle with God in prayer
Then we will be like Peter and John in Acts 4:23-31. Or like the church praying for Peter in Acts 12:5-11
Luke 10:2
“2And He said to them, The harvest indeed is abundant [[a]there is much ripe grain], but the farmhands are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
The harvest: our blessings, our miracles, our family, our health, our finances, our careers, our real estate, our schools, our country, our generation…it’s all waiting for us. But how many of our us are willing to labor to get it.
Let us use our Prayers to Radically Transform our World!
Let us use our Prayers to Radically Transform our World!
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