Main Idea: Prayer is the connection that releases God’s prevailing power in my life.

Recently while reading what some consider a classic book on prayer by O. Hallesby I came across this definition of prayer, "true prayer is a result of helplessness and faith". His thought is that we pray when we admit we are helpless and simply come to Jesus because we know we have nowhere else to go. Admitting we are helpless and coming to Jesus as our only hope in our helplessness is the most unnatural activity that we do in our life. One reason is because from the moment we arrive on this planet we are taught that our success depends on our own abilities and our own strength. We think of ourselves as being totally self-sufficient, self-reliant and needing no one else. So when you think about prayer or praying it is an assault on our own human autonomy. For people with lives as busy and as active as ours the thought of stopping long enough to talk out loud to God is just an interruption in our the plans we have for our life.

While prayer is so alien to our nature, somewhere, somehow, some place all of us reach the point where we admit we need God’s help. When we are at that point, when we understand our limits and are aware of God’s unlimited power and strength then that is when we pray. When we pray we discover that we are connected to God in a way that we did not know before we prayed. What we discover is that prayer is the connection, the link, which releases God’s prevailing power in our life.

Other than Jesus, no one, I believe, exemplifies this connection with God better than Moses. The passage read earlier comes when Moses is well past 80. Moses has been leading God’s people to the land of promise. Moses is struggling with how to continue leading this less than cooperative group of people. Repeatedly he would enter the tent that was used to meet and converse with God called the Tabernacle. Moses’ conversations with God were so personal and deep that the Bible describes them in this way, "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." (Exodus 33:11). Numbers 12:8 uses the words, "With him I speak mouth to mouth." You might say "lip to lip." The Hebrew language describes the relationship as one that is so personal that it is beyond any other relationship that God has with others.

Because of this "face to face" connection Moses tells God that he needs to know God is with him, that there is no tension in their relationship and for God to show His power by keeping His word. God’s response is so beautiful. Notice what he says in verse 14-17: "I will personally go with you" (presence). I will give you rest—everything will be fine with you (peace)…I will indeed do what you have asked (power)." (Exodus 33:14-17). Why does God promise this to Moses? Because God says, "you have found favor with me and you are my friend" (Ex. 33:17). Can you imagine God saying that about you?

What I want you to understand this morning is that the same sense of presence, peace and power is just as available today as it was then. In fact we have more openness and closeness with God because of Jesus and the presence of Holy Spirit than Moses knew. The writer of Hebrews says, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us…by means of his death for us."(Hebrews 10:19-21) How, though, do we experience this sense of God’s presence, peace and power personally? We do it by prayer! Richard Foster says that the key to the place of our deepest relationship with God, the connection to God’s heart, is prayer. He says, "The Father’s heart is open wide –you are welcome to come in." (Prayer, Richard Foster, p. 2)

When we pray we are connected with the reality of God’s presence. (Exodus 3:3-4) Most of you are familiar with the experience of Moses seeing the bush that burned continually in the wilderness but didn’t burn up. In Exodus 3:3 it says that when Moses saw that the bush wasn’t burned up he said, "I must go over to see this." Then verses 4 and 5 say, "When the Lord saw that he had caught Moses’ attention, God called to him from the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ ‘Here I am, Moses’ replied. ‘Do not come any closer.’ God told him. ‘Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.’" It took a burning bush to get Moses’ attention to know just how present God was in his life.

One pastor says, "We pray because, by intuition or experience, we understand that the most intimate communion with God comes only through prayer" (Too Busy Not to Pray, p. 10). When we pray we are recognizing that God is present. Yet, just like Moses, that sense of presence is not easily obtained. What does it take for you and me to recognize God’s presence? It’s not unusual to hear someone pray for God to "be with" so and so. But does God have to rush over to someone’s house or hospital room because we remind Him that He’s needed? No. God is always present at all times in all places. He can’t "be" anymore present with you than He already is. What we need is not for God to be more present but to realize more and more how present He is. The best way for us to realize God’s presence is in prayer.

You see God doesn’t or shouldn’t need to do the "burning bush" thing every day in our life. If you are like me, you don’t have too many experiences like that on a daily basis: an experience where He just overwhelms you with His reality or similar events that make us stop and stare. If you and I wait to see or experience something like that to connect with God in prayer, then we will never stop our busy lives and give our attention to God.

Prayer, simple prayer is the way we can connect with God’s presence. Whenever we stop and give our attention to God in prayer then we are connected immediately, intimately with the presence of God. We understand that it is God that is with me, with others and with this world. When I pray I am recognizing the reality of His presence and all that He is. So, wherever you are or your circumstances, when you pray you are telling God, "You have my attention." God says, "I am all around you. This is holy ground. You are connected to me." Prayer connects me with the reality of God’s presence.

Not only does prayer connect me with the reality of God’s presence, it also connects me with the ability to experience God’s peace. (Exodus 6:28-7:7) Exodus 6:28-7:7 summarizes the events of Moses and his brother Aaron and their dealings with God. God had said, "I am the Lord! Give Pharaoh the message I have given you." Moses argues with God saying, "I can’t do it." Then after listening to God tell them what He will do for them, Exodus 7:6 says, "So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them." What do you see? Well, somewhere between the "I can’t do it" in verse 30 you have "So Moses and Aaron did…." in 7:6. Somewhere Moses resolved the conflict with what God commanded and his resistance. If conflict is not present then what you have is peace.

Peace is the absence of conflict. Years later the Lord told Moses that He would provide peace for the tensions in Moses’ life. He told him, "I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you." (Ex. 33:14) God promises him that when it came to the tensions and conflict Moses would face "everything will be fine." That is peace. It’s not the absence of problems or stress. It’s not the ability to be perfect or superior in every situation. It’s not the skill to be in charge of every moment of life. Peace is hearing God say in the middle of tension and conflict, "Everything will be fine for you." Even when you don’t know how things will turn out.

It is one thing to talk about peace in prayer intellectually but it is different to hear it from someone who has truly lived it. I have asked Sue Dickerson to share with you how she has experienced God’s peace through prayer during her discovery, treatment and recovery from cancer.

"The power of prayer took on a new and fresh meaning for me personally 5 ½ years ago when I received word that I had cancer. Through that experience - from the first numbing news - to endless tests - to treatments that came over the following months - I learned more about prayer than I ever had before.

I learned that not only my praying, but also the prayers of other people are truly a comforting and peaceful thing. Because it was just very hard for me to pray and to concentrate in those first days and weeks for various reasons, I felt the peace of God in that period, I believe, because of so many people who prayed for me - who let me know they were praying for me–my family, this church family, other churches we had connections with through family, friends, etc., former and current students, friends and colleagues in our broad BCM family and just random people who would contact us and tell us they were praying for us. That had a huge hope giving and positive effect on me. Now, I never take lightly a request from someone to pray for them because of what a huge privilege and responsibility that is.

I learned that prayer is an on-going process– not just a quick sentence quickly spoken– and then moving on. God wants to impress our minds and hearts during those times and maybe will lead us to act on impressions we feel from that time.

I learned that there is comfort in simply coming to God in prayer – with what’s on your heart. This is given to us so well in Phil 4:6-7 that says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition - present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus."

The realization that my circumstances: my health, my life, my future is truly in God’s hands is a process I hope I will never forget. In II Cor.12 Paul’s answer from God to his prayer for his "thorn" to be removed was, "My grace is sufficient for you - for my power is made perfect in weakness". I understood that meaning a little better during those days. It’s strange that in a time when you are weakest and most out of control of your life to realize you are ok, you can go on one day at a time, you have that hope and promise, "my grace is sufficient for you" whatever the outcome may be.

Sue’s powerful words remind us that the way to hear "everything will be fine for you" even when we are not assured of the outcome is through prayer. That doesn’t mean the skies are all blue and things are not painful. It means in the middle of the storms and the pain we have peace. If you want to hear, "Everything will be fine for you," then pray, pray about everything! Prayer connects me with the ability to experience God’s peace.

Prayer connects me with God’s presence and God’s peace, but, amazingly, prayer connects me with God’s prevailing power. (Exodus 14:31) There are not many of you who don’t know the story of the Red Sea experience of Moses and the nation of Israel. You remember that it comes after the plagues and the death of the first born of the Egyptians. Moses and the people get to the Red Sea and the Egyptians are behind them and the sea is in front of them. They tell Moses they are going to die. Moses tells them that God is going to act in their behalf. Yet even though Moses said all this, he didn’t believe it. Exodus 14:15-16 says, "Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Use your shepherd's staff—hold it out over the water, and a path will open up before you through the sea. Then all the people of Israel will walk through on dry ground." Moses does what God says to do and God does what He said he would do and the response of the people was "When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had displayed against the Egyptians, they feared the Lord and put their faith in him and his servant Moses" (Exodus14:31).

When they saw God’s power they feared Him and put their faith in Him. Later in another time of doubt in Moses’ life God assured Moses of His power by saying, "I will indeed do what you have asked…" (Exodus 33:17). God tells Moses, "You will see my power!" These evidences of God’s power were promised to Moses when he was talking with God. The truth for us is that God’s power flows primarily through people who pray. Prayer connects you and me with God’s prevailing power.

The Bible is filled with examples of God’s prevailing power being released when people prayed. God’s power can change situations, circumstances and relationships. God’s power is what I want to see in my life. I don’t need to see what my ability can do; I need to see what God’s power can do. His supernatural power is available to prevail in our life when we are persuaded in our very souls that He can make a difference. Here’s the point: If you are willing to invite God to involve himself in the events of your life, you will experience His prevailing power whenever and wherever it is most needed. God’s power can come, as an idea you need that seemingly you could not perceive yourself. It might be the courage to face a fear, endure a test, patience to resolve a conflict or an absolute unquestioned, Grade A, USDA approved miracle! Regardless of how it comes, God’s prevailing power is released in the lives of people who pray.

Let me ask you, are you connected to God’s presence, God’s peace and God’s power? Think for a moment if prayer connects me with God’s presence, God’s peace and God’s prevailing power, the question is, "Am I praying?" If prayer is our connection, then if we don’t pray how can we expect to experience those things? God stands eagerly waiting to let us know He will go with us, everything will be fine and he will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. All of that—presence, peace, and power are ours when we pray. Prayer is the connection to release God’s prevailing power in my life.

God does not want you to impress him with your power he wants to know just how willing you are to admit your helplessness and come to him alone for help in prayer. When you pray you give him the opportunity to show his prevailing power. Marc Stern is a season-ticket holder for the Los Angeles Lakers. On January 21^st of this year Stern had a choice between going to a birthday party or going to see the Lakers play the Toronto Raptors. That night, for whatever reason Marc chose to give his tickets to a friend and go to the birthday party. There’s no word if Marc enjoyed the party but his friend really enjoyed the game. Why was the game so special? It was the night that Kobe Bryant scored 81 points, the second highest single game total in NBA history.

Now the single game scoring record belongs to Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962. Marc was a college student then. It happened that Marc had a choice that night also. His choice was to study for a test or go to the Knicks game, a game for which he had two tickets. He decided to study and gave his tickets away that night, the night Wilt Chamberlain went into the record books. When asked about the coincidence of missing two historic games in one lifetime all he could say was, "Stupid me." (Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Jan. 28, 2006, p. 2C)

Giving away your seats to two historic basketball games will be something you regret but it doesn’t really change your life. Yet we give away opportunities to see God’s prevailing power at work in our life simply because we will not pray. We may never know what we have missed because we just didn’t pray. Today I’m inviting you to not give away one more "seat" to see God do what only he can do if you will choose to release his prevailing power through prayer! Pray and watch God connect you with his presence, his peace and his power.

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Dr. Bruce Tippit, Pastor

First Baptist Church

Jonesboro, Arkansas

btippit@fbcjonesboro.org