GOD'S PROMISES AND PRAYER PART 2

TEXT - PSALM 116:1

Psalm 116:1 I love the LORD, because he listens to my prayers for help. (NCV)

INTRODUCTION


I’M SURE YOU HAVE ALL HEARD ABOUT E-MAIL AND PROBABLY USE IT EVERYDAY.  IT IS THE WAY THAT WE CORRESPOND WITH EACH OTHER OVER THE INTERNET.

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHEN YOU CLICKED THE “SEND” COMMAND ON YOUR COMPUTER IF YOUR E-MAIL ACTUALLY GOT TO ITS DESTINATION? HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT, “WILL SOMEONE BE THERE TO RECEIVE IT? WILL I GET A RESPONSE?"

YOU MAY HAVE HAD THOSE SAME QUESTIONS IN ANOTHER REALM OF COMMUNICATION--PRAYER.

FOR YOUR E-MAIL TO ARRIVE, YOUR EQUIPMENT AND PROGRAMS MUST FUNCTION CORRECTLY. SOMETIMES YOUR PRAYER LIFE CAN HAVE A “GLITCH” IN IT. IF YOU HAVEN'T CLOGGED THE COMMUNICATION LINE BETWEEN YOU AND GOD WITH SIN, YOUR PRAYERS WILL ALWAYS BE HEARD (PS. 66:18; 3:4). AND EVEN IF YOU DO SIN, GOD IS ALWAYS WAITING TO FORGIVE YOU (1 JN. 1:9).

HAVE YOU EVER SENT AN E-MAIL TO SOMEONE AND HAVE IT HAS JUST SIT UNREAD FOR DAYS?  THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN WITH PRAYER. GOD IS ALWAYS THERE (PS. 6:9). AND ALTHOUGH I MAY NEVER GET A RESPONSE TO SOME E-MAIL MESSAGES, WITH GOD THE ANSWERS WILL ALWAYS COME (86:7; 91:15).  THE ANSWER MIGHT BE YES, NO OR WAIT, BUT I ALWAYS GET AN ANSWER.

SOME OF YOU ARE THINKING RIGHT NOW, “BUT I DON’T USE E-MAIL.”  “I DON’T EVEN HAVE A COMPUTER!”  THAT’S ALRIGHT BECAUSE PRAYER IS INDESCRIBABLY BETTER. IT'S OUR DIRECT LINE OF INTIMATE COMMUNICATION WITH THE GOD.

THIS  EVENING  I’M GOING TO CONTINUE MY SERIES OF MESSAGES ON THE PROMISES OF GOD.

THE  TITLE  OF TODAY’S MESSAGE IS, “GOD’S PROMISE AND PRAYER."

AS WE CONSIDER THIS TOPIC I WOULD LIKE US TO EXAMINE FOUR ASPECTS OF PRAYER.