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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 6, Ephesians chapter 6. I want to share with you a few thoughts about prayer, not because it’s strange and mysterious, and nobody really understands it. But we are told in the Word of God to pray all the time, the Scriptures talks about Jesus and Him talking to His Father, and the Scriptures command us to pray. So if it commands us to do it, we might be disobedient if we don’t do it.

So prayer can change lives. Prayer can change things. Prayer can alter things. There’s a God in heaven who is our heavenly Father that says that He wants His children to pray. So in the book of Ephesians in chapter 6, when He talks about how to be strong, in verse 10, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. It means that you’re not supposed to be strong in yourself and in the power of your might. It means you’re not supposed to trust our own intelligence and talents and abilities, but God wants His children to lean on Him and to be strong in Him and what He has to say and do.

The where it has more strength and influence on why you do what you do. Being strong in the Lord means that the world is trying to get you to do something. Sometimes maybe your parents are trying to get you to do something. I love when trying to get you to do something, but God says the other. So God being strong in your life means you do what God says more than what anything else is the desire to do. Even your own desires, but you do what God wants.

That’s the Lord having strength and power in your life that you yield to his authority. You do what he wants you to do more than anything else. And that’s a difficult thing to do because we’re always battling. We battle our minds, our battle our wills. And it’s difficult to surrender and do what God wants us to do because, you know, me, I am a strong-willed individual. In case you didn’t know that. And it means sometimes that I get easily offended.

Somebody say anything sometimes like, you’re challenging my authority. And sometimes it’s difficult to swallow that and realize, yeah, but what does God wants you to do? not exactly the same. So you’re having to submit your will. We’re always battling these things. So he says here, put on the whole armor of God. But now part of the armor that people forget about is the one called the shield of faith. The shield of faith that you’ll see there in verse 16, above all, taken the shield of faith above all.

Above all those other things, the shield of faith. The shield of faith is what you believe. It’s what you really believe. And believe it or not, if you believe in prayer, that’ll be your greatest piece of armor you can never have. Because you won’t matter what people say or do because you have a shield of faith. Your confidence is in the Lord and you are in communication with him. You’re talking with him. You run everything by him. And in all things you pray.

So how you doing? Did you do that? Do you talk to the Lord about everything? So he says, take the shield of faith. He also makes the statement down in verse 18, praying always with our prayer and supplication in the spirit. Now how do you pray in the spirit? Well, the Holy Spirit gave us his word. So when you study the word, God talks about walking in the spirit. Walking in the spirit is walking in obedience to the Word of God.

Praying in the spirit is praying in obedience to the Word of God. So you learn what the Word of God says and then you pray accordingly to what God wants according to the will of God. So it makes life very interesting because sometimes the last thing we want to do is what God does. wants or what the word says or what anybody else says. We become defiant. I mean I could do whatever I want. Don’t you try to tell me what I can do.

Take your Bible very quickly and turn to the book of Revelation in chapter 6. Revelation chapter 6. There’s an interesting scripture that I want to show you. There’s people that have died in the tribulation period. And in Revelation chapter 6 it makes the statement there in verse 9, verse 9, and when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.

And they cried with a loud voice saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, does thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth. When I read that, I also thought about this. Here’s people that appears to be in heaven praying because they’re asking God to do something, avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth. And He makes the statement, and white robes were given unto every one of them, and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled.

And then I read that verse and then it seems to say that should be killed. That should be killed. In other words, there are going to be other people that are going to die, but just wait until this happens and then God says, I’ll answer your prayer. Look there in chapter 8 and verse 1. Revelation chapter 8 verse 1 says, and when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

Verse two, and I saw the seven angels which stood before God and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censure and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. Now you and I, we pray, but you can’t see a prayer. Can you see the words that you set out? Lord, help me to have a good day.

Okay, now where did that prayer go? I mean, is it substance? And yet the Bible talks about God is able to take the prayers of the saints and put them in a sensor and they can deliver it. Now that blows my mind. But you know the Bible talks about the fruit of the lips giving praise in the book of Hebrews in chapter 13. So you can go to a tree and pick down some apples samples off the tree, and you can get some bananas off of the tree, and you can get different kinds of fruit.

But for you and I, it’s hard to us to imagine prayers been a fruit of our lips, and that substance to God. See, we go by substance because we see something, we can touch and feel. And yet faith is the substance of things not seen. So God is able to take that and he says that there’s prayers of the saints. Often wondered how precious that is in the eyes of the Lord and yet God wants all of his children to do it.

In my study, I must have about 10 books by this guy that’s E.M. bounds and they’re almost all on prayer. I mean, you name it and everybody, he’s got it there. But here’s a couple things I wanted to share with you. This is what he said when it comes to prayer. He said, what the church which needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use, men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.

That is not a good statement, but most people never learned that. Did you know the greatest form of work is prayer? And you’ll accomplish more through prayer than any other form of work. But many people don’t have time to pray. I have developed the ability that I can, I pray when I’m driving. That can be a problem. And a lot of times I’ll go to bed and I’ll lay there for for half an hour and I’ll be preaching. And sometimes, while I’m eating, I’m praying and talking to the Lord about certain things.

And sometimes, the biggest area is I’m talking to people or when they walk out the door and they say, preacher, I want you to pray for me. I usually say, consider it done because I pray at that very moment right then on the spot. Because see a little bit later, I’ve learned, sometimes I forget. So I try to do it when somebody tells me, would you pray about this? A man called the other day, a lady from Colorado, she had listened to my radio broadcast and called up and says, I’ve got a grandson that’s crippled.

And he has to sit here in this wheelchair and he listens to you every morning. He’s only 12 years old. And she says, would you pray for my grandson? I says, ma’am, let’s do it right now. And so over the phone, I had prayer for her grandson. Now I’ve never seen the people don’t have to but isn’t it wonderful that you know that you don’t have to go to Alaska But you can pray for people in Alaska You don’t have to go to China, but you can pray for something to be done in China You see prayer has no boundaries Did you know that regardless of person’s race religion anything you can pray for a particular person anywhere in the world?

You can talk to the Lord about any circumstance because you’re not limited. We limit ourselves by our own limited prayer life. So if you want to see something wonderful happen, learn to pray, talk to the Lord about everything. Another statement was made by Andrew Murray, he said, time spinning prayer will yield more than that given to work. Prayer alone gives work its worth and its success. Prayer opens the way for God himself to do his work in us and through us.

Let our chief work as God’s messengers be intercession. In it we secure the presence and the power of God to go with us. Now do not let prayer be an excuse not to perform, not to work. I preached a sermon years ago on the flashlight. In other words, you ask the Lord to help you to see something, whether it’s a how to deal with a person or a particular problem, a circumstance, whatever it might be. So you’re asking the Lord to help you to see.

So you got a flashlight and you want to see something. It’s like going through a dark world and you got a flashlight and you can shine the light. So as we shine the light and you see the problem, if God reveals to you the problem, turn the flashlight over and shine it on yourself. And see now, what does God want me to do with what I see. Many times what God reveals to you, what God allows you to see, to discern, he wants you to do something about it.

Well, I like to say the buck stops with the Lord. If I yield to the Lord, it stops with him because he’s in charge. All I’ve got to do is just do all the right that I know to do. But you have responsibility and prayer is not to be a substitute for work when there’s things to do. Like you need somebody to drive the bus. Lord, send somebody to drive the bus. And you’ve got CDLs in your back pocket.

And you don’t do anything. Lord, let us have some singers in the church, but you never see them because, and yet you have a beautiful voice. But then you never get into choir and help. Turn it over. You see needs? What do you think God wants you to do? Help to meet the need. See, that’s when prayer works and you put it to work. Another statement that was made by SD Gordon, he said this, prayer strikes the winning blow.

Service is simply picking up the pieces. I like that. He also made this statement, prayer is weakness leaning on omnipotent. You’re weak and you’re leaning on him who is strong. That’s why Paul was able to make that statement. He says, when I am weak, then am I strong? Because see, the weaker you are, the more you have to lean. The weaker you are, the more you have to trust. But trust the Lord, and therefore you become stronger. God is teaching us through the various circumstances of life, whether it’s trials and testing, tribulations, all those things.

He’s teaching us how to pray. Because if there’s one thing God wants, because he knows if he can keep you talking to him, you’ll keep serving him. But one of the first things that happens to a person who stops serving the Lord is they stop praying. Martin Luther said this, he says, “‘Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, “‘but lay in hold of his willingness.'” Think about that. When you talk to the Lord, it’s not like I’ve got a bag and pull and pry God into doing something he doesn’t really want to do.

But I made him do it because I just wouldn’t let go. No. There’s thing God wants to be done. And let’s say for example, there’s a hole right here in this ceiling. And that hole in this ceiling is where God wants to drop his blessings through. But where are you? Well, you’re back in thatBUS. And so God will move in your life with circumstances and problems, all kinds of things and hardaches, because He wants to get you in a certain spot, because He wants to bless you.

You see, it’s the willingness of God praying to the Lord is for the Lord to move and work in your life, to get you where you need to be, that he can answer your prayer. Because many times God’s the one that gives you the desire of what to pray for. Remember there’s a statement in the Old Testament, the book of Psalms 37 and four where he says, the light thyself in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Delight in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires. So whenever God gives you desires, And that’s what we often use as the Lord is leading me. You see, the Lord usually doesn’t lead you if you don’t have a desire to do it. You know what? If God doesn’t give you the desire to go to Siberia, chances are you say, God’s not leading me. But what I said, if I, you know, I think God wants you to go to Hawaii, you know, God’s leading me.

And many times we take the leading of God based upon what do you want to do? If you want to do it, God’s leading. You don’t want to do it. Oh, God’s not leading me. Because it is true that God many times more leaders accord into the desires that we have. You know why I never came down here when they first asked me about coming down here? I had no desire to come. I had no desire. I had a desire to keep doing what I was doing.

But little by little, God began to change my desire with a few help from a few people here. because some people just wouldn’t let go. And so next thing you know my desire slowly, and then I had, okay, I have a desire to come. But prayer is a very important part of your Christian life. Next thing, beware in your prayers above everything else of limiting God, not only by unbelief but by fancying that you know what you can do.

expect unexpected things when he says above all that we ask or think. Expect the unexpected. You see, I believe God’s going to do things and I expect him to do what I don’t expect because I just expect God to do things like that. God doesn’t do everything that I plan and that I want. Sometimes he does it his way. Can you believe that? And sometimes you just along for the ride and you just enjoy. Learn to enjoy your life.

Enjoy your life. Get up, you know, with a smile on your face. It’s so important that God will use you and bless you. Another statement, Jason Lobakster, I got a book that hears about this stick in my office. I had it for years. But he says, men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers. Because one of the strongest things you’ve got, you know, I spent some time yesterday and I pray for a couple of people that I know that have ill feelings toward me.

And I thought, this will get them, because they can’t escape that. Lord, I want you to reveal to this person, to help them to see, to help them to understand, Lord, I want the best for these individuals. And I really do. And so I’m just waiting to see what they’re going to do. Because I know that they’re not all in harmony with what I’m doing. But that’s okay. If I believe God is, I want God change their mind. I want people on the same page.

I want people to love the Lord and to work together. Another good statement. John Bunyan. You ever heard John Bunyan? You never heard of the Pilgan Progress. Okay. He says, pray often for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God and a scourge for Satan. There is a general kind of praying which fails for lack of precision. It is as if a regimen of soldiers should all fire off their guns guns anywhere. Possibly somebody would be killed.

But the majority of the enemy would be missed. Now the words is better to aim at something and miss than to aim at nothing and hit it. When it comes to prayers like a woman going into a grocery store and she walks up to the manager and she says, Give me some groceries. Well, what do you want? Groceries. Oh. Or do you go for a specific reason? Are there certain things you’re looking for? Is it a good thing to go shopping when you don’t have a particular need?

If you want to waste money, that’s a good thing to do. Because then you just look around. Oh! Oh! Oh! Why do you think they have all those million little things right there to kind of when you get ready to walk? kind of when you get ready to walk out. I didn’t think of the Alpha God all about this and you go home and you’ve got dozens of them but you’ve had to get some more because it’s working upon the impulse at the moment.

So when it comes to the Lord, yeah, some people are not very specific in what they want and therefore their prayers don’t mean much to them and yes I know we say Lord bless so and so Lord blessed. But after you’ve done all of that in your mind, you should be thinking of certain things that you want God to literally do and to believe it. Now, the statement, the power of prayer can never be overrated. They who cannot serve God by preaching need not regret.

If a man can but pray, he can do anything. He who knows how to overcome with God in prayer has heaven and earth at his disposal. Charles Spurgeon said that. Another guy made this statement, intercession is truly universal work for the Christian. No place is closed to intercessory prayer. No continent, no nation, no organization, no city, no office. There is no power on earth that can keep intercession out. When they supposedly banned prayer in the school, can you really ban an individual from praying?

Think about it for a minute. Can you really stop an individual from praying? Now if you’re talking about all the most righteous heavenly God looked down upon us today, not no, you may not do that in the cafeteria, but is there anything that any man can do that can keep you from in your own mind, talking to the Lord? Can I keep you from praying? Can your husband keep you from praying? He can keep you from a lot of things, but he can’t keep you from praying.

Anybody can pray. It’s something anybody can do. You ought to see just how much can I accomplish with prayer. But don’t forget to turn the flashlight over. See, now how does God want me to help fulfill the answer to the prayer? Why do you think he asked his disciples? Pray ye the Lord of the harvest to send forth flavors into the vineyard. And then the very next chapter in chapter 10, the book of Matthew, Matthew, he sends forth those disciples because the one who prays is the one God wants to use.

I always believe that. Another statement, let me just read this to you real quick. Charles Spurgeon says, I would rather teach one man to pray than 10 men to preach. That’s powerful. Out of a very intimate acquaintance with Dr. Moody, I wish to testify that he was a far greater prayer than he was a preacher. Time and time again he was confronted by obstacles that seemed insurmountable. But he always knew the way to overcome all difficulties. He knew the way to bring to pass anything that needed to be brought to pass.

He knew and believed in the deepest depths of his soul that nothing was too hard for the Lord and that prayer could do anything that God could do. Our 8th Corrie wrote that. In your soul, do you really believe that God is capable of doing anything? Do you really believe my God can do anything? And though you don’t see how, but you believe it. Now the statement, George Mueller, you know the one that prayed all the time, not letting his need be known to anybody, he would just always pray.

And he had children’s home and so forth. He would always just take all of his needs to the Lord. He never asked anybody for anything. But anyway, you ought to read about him. He said, it is not enough to begin to pray, nor to pray a right, nor is it enough to continue for a time to pray. But we must patiently, believingly, continue in prayer until we obtain an answer. Well, that could a long time. Pray until you get an answer.

And God led him to do it one way, but he may lead somebody else to do it a different way. Every individual needs to learn how to walk with God the way God wants you to walk. You can’t just mimic somebody else. In other words, you may say, Randy over here, he spends five hours every morning in prayer. Well, if he does so, I’m going to do the same thing. Well, but you don’t know that he went to bed at six o’clock at night, and you don’t go to bed until twelve o’clock, so you can’t maybe do the same thing he does.

Well, you know, Louis back there, he spends three hours every morning studying the Bible. Well, if he does, I got to do it too. Well, you start doing what somebody else does, and you’ll find out it won’t work. You have to find out what keeps you strong. How much do you need to keep you right with the Lord? Because everybody’s different. Everybody’s not the same.

Two things before we close. Prayer is not learned in a classroom, but in the closet, it imbounds. Since the day of Pentecost has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon him for 10 days. That the spirit’s power might be manifested. We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources and too little to the source of power. Hudson Taylor said that. In my country he went to, China started China in the missions. And he had to learn to pray about everything.

But anyway, some good things to remember about prayer. Let me just read this to you, can I just a second? This was written by a woman, and I liked it. She says, prayer opens heavy doors, all hinged with unbelief. Prayer sheds a scented balm to assuage an aching grief. Prayer knows no coward fear, notes every falling tear, counts every blessing here, knows life is brief.

Prayer storms the hostile camps of sin and doubt and care, wrestling the whole night through alive to do and dare. Prayer meets the face to face, sensing thy throne of grace. makes trial a hallowed place. If our here or there. Prayer changes grief to joy as bud must change to flower. Prayer yearns to bring each soul in touch with thy great power. Prayer looks not for reward. Say, but thy smile dear Lord. Some are are sure of thy matchless word, prayer guides each hour written by Ruth Sawe.

Not bad, but everybody will learn certain things as you go through life. And God is allowing a lot of things to happen in your life. Don’t be grudged them. Don’t be filled with grief or be so disappointed. God may be trying to get you where He wants you to be. And prayer is not begging God to do something that He doesn’t want to do. It’s because God wants to do something. Exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask for a thing.

You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the radio broadcast link.

If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at Bibleline Ministries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed.

Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.