Read at beginning of service:
Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
INTRODUCTION
1 Kings 18:18-24 (NIV)
18 “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing. 22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire–he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”
In 1 Kings 18 we find the context for what I just read you. Here we encounter a group of Israelites who have drifted away from a vital relationship with God. Their relationship with Him was convenient, but not genuine. In the days of their forefathers the Israelites were traveling in the wilderness to the promised land and there they depended upon God for guidance and sustenance. Yahweh was their provider. Without the Manna God gave, they would die. Have you ever noticed how hard times cause us to depend upon God?
But fast forward a bit now and you find that when the Israelites reached Canaan, they encountered a new lifestyle, and a new god. Baal was the Canaanite?s fertility god. The locals taught them that if they worshiped Baal, they would have fertile wives, fertile herds, and fertile crops. The last two, fertile herds and crops, were essential for immediate survival, the first one, fertile wives, was essential for long term survival. In the ancient near east, offspring was essential for financial security for old age. The children “honored” their father and mother by providing food, clothing, and shelter when the parents were too old to care for themselves.
So as the Israelite?s settled in Canaan they were faced with a decision of survival and they decided that when in Canaan, they should do as the Canaanite?s do and worship Baal. It was very practical. After all, they had a family to feed and a future to provide for. They worshipped and prayed to Baal for practical reasons, believing that he was the god who could meet their needs. But they couldn?t ignore the God of their parents and grandparents either so they worshipped and prayed to Yahweh for cultural reasons.
Like passing through a cafeteria line, they picked and chose elements out of each religion they would follow. Designer faith, if you will. Sounds a little bit twenty-first century doesn?t it? Have you ever noticed that when we eat out we tend to ask for substitutions? We?ll ask for a salad instead of fries or fruit instead of hash browns. We don?t go back to restaurants that don?t allow substitutions or charge us extra for them. We want it “our way”.
Does this work with our faith? With our prayer life? Can we combine faithfulness to God?s word with slight substitutions? Will God allow us to pray to Him and be materialistic at the same time? A better question might be, does God answer materialistic prayers?
And the answer is, no. It was very problematic for the children of Israel. Among the problems was the breaking of the first commandment found in,
Exodus 20:3 (NIV)
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV)
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
These two scriptures were both foundational teachings in their faith.
It also spawned some unresolvable conflicts. Namely, when people are open to everything, they have no real commitments, and cannot enjoy either allegiance. Modern Christians face this same problem. While striving to serve God, some will bow down to the god of materialism believing that the modern day “Baal” can bring happiness. They do not enjoy godliness because their carnality strips them of the joy of their salvation.
This attitude causes the Christian to constantly pray for an easier life, more wealth, and happiness without suffering. In this prayer, the Christian views God as genie in a magic lamp. They feel that if they rub their lamp hard enough, long enough, and often enough, they can force God to accomplish their will. Elijah had a word for those of his generation who were “halting between two opinions.”
1 Kings 18:21 (NIV)
21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.
Note this: Elijah did not ask the people to base their decision upon who could bring them prosperity, happiness, or health. He challenged his listeners to base their decision upon one factor: WHO IS TRULY GOD?
In this Elijah has a word for today?s Christians. Clearly down through the centuries his words echo, “How long will you waver between two opinions?” It is time to choose our allegiance based upon WHO IS GOD? Our motivation for following God is not because He can get us into heaven, or because He can bring joy into our life, or because He will provide us with every wish and desire, but because HE IS GOD!! And so the important lesson here for having an effective a powerful prayer life is knowing that God is GOD to you! Praying not out of a selfish materialistic perspective where God is like a genie but out of a selfless, surrendered perspective where God is God!
It is from this perspective that Paul the apostle writes,
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Effective and powerful prayer is a natural outcome of a life that is a living sacrifice to God. It is a natural outcome of a supernatural transformation in your life from the surrendering of self to God. If you get to thinking of a lot of the prayers that people will pray you?ll find that a tremendous amount of them are “me” centered. In other words, our prayers are spoken from the perspective of “what can I get from God?” rather than “What will God do in and through my life?” What is His desire? What is His plan? What is His will? There are five words that when placed before the word “me” in prayer can literally change your prayer life and your relationship to God. You?ll find that these five “dangerous” prayers are a progressive expedition into the presence of God. As well as a progressive challenge to find and be totally submitted to His will for your life. These prayers allow the Lord to expose your innermost thoughts and motives towards Him and others and birth in you a new zeal for holiness, commitment and intimacy with Christ.
search me?
Psalms 139:23-24 (NIV)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
I think it is important to point out how David began this Psalm ?
Psalms 139:1-4 (NIV)
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
David began this Psalm with the recognition that God already knows his thoughts, his motives. David recognized that God in his sovereignty and omniscience is familiar with all his ways. And yet, David still voiced the prayer at the end of this Psalm inviting God to search him! If God is familiar with all his ways then why would David say this?
David said this because he recognized that God could see more and know more about David?s heart and thoughts that he himself. David was effectively saying, “God expose those things I don?t know about that are offensive to you!”
At the center of David?s cry was to know the things in his life that are offensive to God. This request flowed out of a deep passionate desire to be close to God. This great king of Israel was determined to follow Him, and in doing so he knew that everything in his life that was an offense must go.
It has been my experience that the more I learn about God and His Word, the more I realize just how much I don?t know. The closer I get to the light of His holiness, the more the Holy Spirit allows me to see areas of my life that are still not fully surrendered.
When you say, “Search me, O God” you are essentially acknowledging that God already knows everything about you ? everything – and you?re inviting Him to expose what He knows ? your wrong motives, your impure thoughts, your materialistic wishes ? your unconfessed sin. All those things that are offensive to God will be exposed by His Spirit. But it isn?t enough that they?re simply exposed and this brings us to the next dangerous prayer?
break me?
Once those things are exposed by God there is a necessity for us to be broken over them if there is to be any change or growth. Inherent in David?s cry for God to search him is the desire for God to give him a brokenness for those things that are offensive to Him. And God answered David?s prayer many times in his life. One incidence that immediately comes to mind is David?s sin with Bathsheba. To make a long story short for those of you who aren?t familiar with this story ? David had an affair with Bathsheba and got her pregnant. In an effort to cover up what he had done from Bathsheba?s husband David recalled him from the battlefield and attempted to get him to sleep with Bathsheba. However David?s attempts at cover-up failed and so he arranged for Uriah?s (Bathsheba?s husband) death. But God searched David and exposed his offensive sin to the prophet Nathan and when Nathan confronted David with what he had done ? David was broken. Out of that brokenness came David?s repentance and it was David?s repentance that released God?s forgiveness and restored David?s relationship with God. Out of this painful experience David penned the words to Psalm 51 in which we find this important reminder?
Psalm 51:17 (NIV)
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
One of the negative influences to a Christian living in our society is the casual attitude towards things that are offensive to God. Elijah confronted this destructive attitude among the Israelites when he called them to Mount Carmel. Yes, we believe in God?s mercy and grace. But we must never forget God?s justice and wrath.
David understood that nothing mattered more than his standing before God ? his relationship to God. And he wanted nothing to prevent him from drawing near to God. And so David prayed, “Search me, O God, and Break me”
Let me ask you this question, when?s the last time you?ve been broken over something that is offensive to God?
stretch me
This next dangerous prayer is an invitation to God for him to bring you beyond your limits. If you are willing to offer your bodies as living sacrifices to God and pray to God, “search me, and break me” then be prepared to be stretched.
In the fourth chapter of the book of Acts, Peter and John are arrested for preaching Jesus. On the next morning they are brought before the council of the priests and Sadducees where Peter picks up where he had stopped the day before, preaching Jesus? resurrection from the dead. Because the council feared the people, they conspired to threaten them and command them to no longer preach in the name of Jesus.
After their release they relayed to their friends all that happened and began to pray. Peter?s prayer is not the type of prayer we hear to often today. They did not pray for the persecution to stop. They did not rebuke the devil. Peter never asked for God to send a legion of angels to protect them if He wanted them to preach His Gospel. Listen to what Peter prayed?
Acts 4:29 (NIV)
29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
Peter said, “Give us boldness to continue to preach Jesus! Stretch us with your power that we will not fail you. Stretch us beyond our human capabilities that we may be able to endure the persecution and bring glory to your name.”
That is how they earned the testimony of Acts 5:40-42?
Acts 5:40-42 (NIV)
?. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
Now the stretching that God will do in your life is really a preparation ? a preparation for what comes as an answer to the next two surrendering prayers?
lead me
Asking God to take your life and do whatever He wants with it is risky. We?ve got to believe that His plans for us are better than our own. (Bill Hybels)
The apostle Paul writes in Romans 12 a guide for total surrender to the will of God. In verse one is found the command to present to God our entire beings. This command carries with it the connotation that in doing so you relinquish all rights, title and interests in your offering. That can be pretty scary stuff. But then, that is the product of praying, “lead me”.
In studying the implications of that prayer the path always leads directly to Jesus. When we pray for Him to lead us, He brings us perfect circle back to Himself. In every problem or situation we find ourselves, when we pray for divine leadership the Holy Spirit directs us into the presence and intimacy of Christ.
Those who have committed themselves to be led of the Lord are consumed with learning about Jesus. They are not moved by or even interested with the new fads and fables that inundate the church of today. They are not looking for a New Thing, they cry out for the same Jesus who walked the shores of Galilee two thousand years ago. The same God that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob served. The long to know how to serve, how to sacrifice, how to humble themselves in the presence of the creator of the universe. Those who have committed themselves to be led of the Lord are not living on the God-encounters of others but are hungry for God-encounters of their own.
Psalms 25:5 (NIV)
5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
If Jesus has saved us, if we will allow Him to ? if we pray this prayer ? He will lead us. He will guide us to Himself. He will direct us to His deliverance, to His healing, to His truth, that He may glorify Himself through us.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
use me?
It?s exciting to make yourself available to God so that He can touch someone else through you. Such prayer creates adventures. (Bill Hybels)
This last “me” prayer is the culmination of the previous four. Everyone who has ever been used mightily by God has had to go through the process of searching, breaking, stretching and leading. It is this process that brings us to the place of total surrender to the will of God in our lives!
You can read through scriptures and find that all great men and women of God went through this process in their lives to the point where they were transformed and then used by God.
He is the potter and we are the clay. If we have purposed in our heart to serve Him for the rest of our lives, then we will allow Him to continue to turn and mold us. We will long for Him to replace every imperfection, every crack and flaw with what can only come from His life.
This prayer is the prayer of a saint who has prayed the other prayers and finally can say, “Use me Lord ? in whatever way you will, in however manner you wish, and whenever you want!” However there are some who would rather skip the previous prayers and go right ahead to this one. The problem is that they don?t realize that when God answers this prayer he?ll answer the others in the process and when that happens many refuse to surrender to God?s work in their lives and become frustrated because He isn?t using them. People who have submitted to this process and these prayers are ready for wherever God will use them ? whether it is a visible prominent place of service or a hidden, behind the scenes position. It doesn?t matter ? to them it?s about surrender to His will!
CONCLUSION
After sharing these five powerful dangerous prayers that every Christian should pray you may be now asking the question, “How do these five dangerous prayers impact my prayer life?” And the answer is, a whole slew of ways ? but I?ll name a couple for now:
- God will point out things in your life that are hindering Him from hearing and thus answering your prayers
Contrary to popular belief ? God does not hear every prayer. Oh, He may be aware of every prayer lifted up to Him but He doesn?t necessarily hear every prayer. How do I know, well one verse comes to mind ?
2 Chronicles 7:14-15 (NIV)
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
A person who prays, “Search me, break me, stretch me, lead me, and use me” will learn the things that are hindering God from hearing and answering their prayers.
- Your prayers are shaped by what God wants not by what you want.
There are times where I start out to pray something like this, (not using actual names of course) “Lord, I pray that you will send a lightning bolt down on Gunther?s head as a punishment for the way he ripped me off!” (well maybe those exact words but the thinking was there anyways) but then as I pray God searches me, breaks me, stretches me, leads me, and uses me to pray something like this ? “Lord, I?m really hurt by the way I?ve been ripped off but I know that you would react a lot differently than I have. Lord I forgive Gunther for what he did ? show your love for Him through me.” Do you see what I?m saying?
I remember a little over two years ago when Pastor Merv and I were in this sanctuary praying. We had just started the Millennium project in the church to raise funds for a new sound system. We were praying about many things at the time but I remember I was crying out to God for a financial miracle so that we?d have a new sound system in place. “O Lord, we need this equipment to minister effectively in this church. Lord, it?s starting to break down and we need you to open up the floodgates of heaven and pour out your financial blessings so that we can afford a new sound system.” This was something (and still is) I wanted folks! But all of a sudden ? search me, break me, stretch me, lead me, use me ? God started to shape what I was praying. And the result was the vision and direction to raise funds for the establishment of the new Quebec District in the PAOC.
Friends, there is so much truth in what Paul says in Romans 12:2 ? as a result of offering your bodies as living sacrifices to God ? of surrendering completely to Him. You will know His will! He will shape what you pray.
And finally,
- God will answer your prayers.
James 5:16b (NIV)
? The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
God answers the prayers of those who are surrendered to Him.
I?d like to conclude this message by picking up where I left off with the story of Elijah at Mount Carmel.
(Read 1 Kings 18:25-39)