Pastor Sydney read from Matthew 25:31, He judge them on their works and not their salvation. Matthew 25:40, talking about what the sheep and goat did for the Body of Christ. Pastor Sydney talks about prayer. 1) What is prayer? Prayer is a two way conversation or communion with God the Father. James 5:13 was read from. Let’s not be too quick to put the responsibility of prayer on others. In James 5:16, talks about earnest heart felt prayer. Pastor Sydney encourages us to think about why we should pray. Pastor Sydney references Hebrews 11. 2) Why are people not praying? Because people believe that there is no God. Pastor Sydney read from James 4:8. Believe that He is real, He is, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Pastor Sydney read from John 15:5, reshaping or retooling. The Holy Spirit is the tool placed within us. Luke 5:16, Jesus found necessity to pray like this. Pastor Sydney questioned why is that we don’t pray how He did? Pastor Sydney referenced Mark 1:35 and Luke 3:21. Luke 6:12, we want revival. However, we are not putting in the time of prayer and working for it. We get lazy or think we know enough. Pastor Sydney referenced Luke 9:18, Luke 9:28, and John 5:19,30. Pastor Sydney talked about How Dan Stoltzfus prayed for people everyday and now has gone on to be with the Lord. Pastor Sydney encourages us to pray and talks about the influence Dan had in Jim and Deb Wolfs’ lives through his prayers for them everyday!
Prayer #1 Why Pray
Prayer #2 What Is Prayer – a
What we give is our expression of love unto Him. Luke 2:26, favor meaning grace with God. Pastor Sydney questions, “How do you comprehend something so big of what the angle is saying?” It was a word for her and to her. 2 Corinthians 8, it’s talking about money. Being rich is not limited to money. Philippians 4:19, 2 Corinthian 9, as you sow you will reap. God respects faith. James 5:13, why pray? It will bring you into the presence of the Almighty. Hebrews 11:6. In order to please Him you have to believe that there is a God and that you believe He rewards those who seek Him. Luke 5:16 and John 5:19, Jesus often withdrew himself to pray. In the time of prayer with God revelation is given. Luke 9:28-31, Pastor Sydney read from. Things are revealed to Jesus what was going to happen. The problem is our stinking thinking. We get a religious mindset of what prayer is and causes prayer to become a drudgery. It is important that we hear correctly. Prayer is Communion with God. He has the answers for you and prayer was created to have a relationship with you. What makes a healthy relationship as when there is dialogue. Pastor Sydney talks about Jesus drove man and beast out of the temple. Jesus is always love but, He is not always cuddles. The temple represented what you and I are. The market was created for the people to be able to travel without having to travel with the animals or having concern about the things that might happen to them along the way. The intention was that the people would be provided for so that they could come and have something to sacrifice. The problem was that they brought everything inside. Jesus wasn’t upset that they were buying and selling animals. He was upset that they had ruin the atmosphere meaning, the reverence of God. He wouldn’t permit anyone to walk through there. Today we would call Him religious or judgemental. What was His motivation? It all had to come back to that it is to be a house of prayer. Prayer is talking with God. Jesus is always with you. The priest would inspect the lamb and not the person. Jesus does the same. Carry in your heart an awareness of God’s presence and know that He is good. God knows the most that we should allow Him to talk the most. Often we are the ones doing all the talking. Pastor Sydney encourages us to go be in prayer with the Lord and to commune with Him.
Prayer #3 What Is Prayer – b
Pastor Sydney read from James 5:16. How did Jesus tell us to pray? Why pray? Prayer changes things. 1) We pray because we believe that there is a God. 2) We have to know that He wants to reward us for seeking Him. When you talk to the Father you are going to Him in the legal right of Jesus. Jesus is your attorney. Prayer is a legal thing. Luke 5:16, Jesus prayed often. Most times we are looking to get something when going into prayer. When prayer goes from something we do to something we do to spend time with and have relationship with the Lord. We treat prayer as if it is something we have to do when it should be something we want to do. Pastor Sydney uses him spending time with his wife as an example. How it is a privilege to spend time with her. That is how our prayer with the Father should be. It should be a privilege to be able to go and pray and talk with the Father. You receive major revelation when you pray. Pastor Sydney read from Luke 9:2. Pastor Sydney asked if there is value an hour of prayer? An hour of prayer could be of value or not depending on your outlook. If you are looking to put in a certain amount of time or pray in unbelief, it is equivalent to having no value in prayer. Take time and get away with the Lord. Take a date and get past the surface and back to the basics. Don’t forget that the Father is always with you. Pastor Sydney read from Luke 18:9, still talking about what prayer is. Prayer is a two way conversation or a dialogue. Prayer is not talking to other people but over God’s shoulder. Prayer is not people preaching to other people through prayer. Prayer is not talking to the devil. It is not losing and binding, we are not talking to God when we do that. In the throne of Heaven or courtroom there is no need for the sword. God is our judge. Pastor Sydney read from Isaiah 56:6-7. Prayer is not mournful. Matthew 6:5-6, there is a correct way to pray and there is wrong way to pray. You pray to the Father. You do not pray to Jesus or the Holly Spirit. Deuteronomy 5:4, do not pray to other gods. Pastor Sydney referenced Matthew 12:4 and John 16. Pastor Sydney encourages us to pray like Mary did. Pastor Sydney mentioned that we want answered prayers but, we do not honor His name. He talks about using God’s name in vein. We are to honor His name.
Prayer #4 Love – a
Pastor Sydney read out of James 5:13. Pastor Sydney mentioned that he cannot force anyone to believe anything. He talks about being aware of when you hear yourself say things like “we prayed them in”. It can put the wrong impression on others. Pastor Sydney continues to teach on the reason why we pray. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful. Prayer is a legal thing. His love for humanity has not changed. God is not in control of everything. Pastor Sydney read from Ephesians 6:19, their success is dependent on our prayers. Philippians 4:5, remember that God is near. There is rest in faith. Pastor Sydney read out of Colossians 4:2, are you devoted to prayer. He encourages us to assess ourselves. He also read out of Ephesians 5:15. Your prayers can make a tremendous difference. 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2, prayer brings about change. Just because something is God’s will, you still need to pray. When praying make sure you are praying in faith. 1 John 5, pray accordingly. Luke 18:10, being self conscious. Matthew 6:5, praying in public is not public speaking. Pastor Sydney also read from John 16:23-24 and Luke 6:27. Pastor Sydney encourages us to pray in love.
Prayer #5 Love – b
Pastor Sydney Ropp mentioned that proper prayer is to pray to the Father through Jesus. Pastor Sydney read Luke 6:27 and talked about cutting off strife and to forgive wrongdoing. He also mentioned that it is easier to love a friend then our enemies. If your enemy is your spouse, they need to be loved too. Do good things to those who hate you. You cannot remain in hate or unforgiveness. God’s love will overflow. The goodness of God is what leads a person to repentance. Luke 6:32, credit means grace. God loves justice. If we see people through the Father’s eyes, we would forget about the wrongdoing people have done to us personally. Pastor Sydney read from John 13:31. He talked about where there is no place in the bible where Jesus directly says ” I love you”. Jesus talks in third person. Jesus went to the cross because of His love for the Father. Our motivation is not our love for one another. It is that our focus is to be on the love for our Father. Pastor Sydney read Mark 14:35, approach Him as Father. It is up to us to pray things as it is in heaven that it shall be done on earth. Pastor Sydney read from Matthew 6:9-14. God is our source. If you are not seeing answers go back and pray about the situation and ask what is hindering your prayer(s), 1 Peter 3:7. Pastor Sydney read from Mark 11:25 and Matthew 18:15. Rebuking means prayer in private. If a person dosen’t know that they had offended you, go and forgive them in private!
Prayer #6 Prayer of Faith
Pastor Sydney Ropp read from Galatians 5:6, our faith works by love. God is love. Pastor Sydney read from Ephesians 6:18. Prayer is specific and is where two or more are gathered to come into agreement. Prayer is an area we have become lazy in. Pastor Sydney encouraged us to find someone we can trust to be able to be specific in what we need prayer for. He mentioned that our desires will always override someone elses’s prayers. That is why it it is key for our desires to line up with the word of God. There are various types of prayer. Pastor Sydney read from 1 Timothy 2:1. Supplication means request or prayers. Petitions, prayers, intercession (an appeal or on our behalf), and thanksgiving (actual, greatful, vocal language) are four ways of prayer. Pastor Sydney read from James 5:13 and Matthew 21:22. The key component is believing. Prayer of faith cannot be prayed until there is belief. John 15:7, if you remain in Me. You have to know what the Word says about your situation. Understanding the will of God, there will be effective prayer. 1 John 5, ask God for His wisdom and thank Him in advanced for showing you. Pray the Word over your situation. Get in faith and then pray, 1 John 5:14. Ask the Lord for scripture about your situation. Your desires have to be according to His will, Mark 11:23. Trying is never doing. Let the Word become your reality, Mark 11:22.
Saying vs Praying
Pastor Sydney read from Hebrews 10:19. What are you confessing? Promote or provoke love in someone. Act into accordance where our faith is. He mentioned that we live in a society that praises rebellion. Rebellion is never of God. When a person rebels he is under another’s authority and he would be rebelling against their authority. Use the word resist instead. Pastor Sydney mentioned that prayer and faith have to be grounded. You have to know the Will of God. We have the desire but, no faith. Stir yourself up first and then pray. John 14:13, we are not demanding God. We demand for the situation to change. Praying and say are two different things. Pastor Sydney read from Matthew 10:21 and Acts 3, if God gave you the authority, you can’t put it back onto Him.
Persistent Intercession
Pastor Sydney gave an overview of the difference between saying and praying. He read from John 16:23 (saying/requiring part) and John 14. We have to do something first, 1 Timothy 2:1. We don’t pray to Jesus, the angels, or to Saint Mary. We pray to the Father through Jesus Christ. 1) Intercession be made. 2) Luke 18:1, pray always and be conscious of His Spirit. Prayer is proper and is a legal thing. God is not an unjust God.2) God will not delay to help us. God is looking for someone that will take Him at His word. Pastor Sydney read from Luke 13:1. Repenting is our way out. Part of repentance is to judge yourself truthfully. We don’t want to reap the bad seed that had been planted. He took our harvest and gave us His (eternal life). Being an intercessor is where a person stands in the gap asking God for mercy instead of judgement. Pastor Sydney encourages us to allow ourselves to be an intercessor.
Intercessor Prayer
Pastor Sydney Ropp read Luke 18:1, the need to pray. In Luke 18:7 it shows that we are His elect or chosen people. Pastor Sydney read II Kings 4:11, persistent prayer. Honor what God puts in front of you. In II Kings 4:23, when the Shunammite woman was asked if everything was alright, her response was “Shalom shalom everthing is alright”. Despite all the things that had been going on in her life..”It is well”. The Shunammite woman was persistent and she received an answer swiftly. Pastor Sydney read from Luke 13:6 and Exodus 32:7, he talked about how vastly intercession is underestimated. Exodus 32:14, repented doesn’t mean that he sinned. It just means he changed his mind. Pastor Sydney read from Isaiah 59:16. A video of Kent Christmas Prophecy 2018 had been shared: “And this prophecy deals with the nation, it deals with the lukewarm, it deals with the wicked, and it deals with the righteous”.
Prayer & Fasting
Pastor Sydney read out of James 5:13, we have instructions from the Lord. Pray the prayer of faith. Don’t ever look at your circumstances to line up with truth. Declare the word of God over your situation. You cannot forgive if you don’t love. Jesus taught us that it’s our responsibility to ask Him for what we need. Pastor Sydney gave a recap of his teachings on prayer. A time to say and time to pray, Mark 11. Learn to be persistent prayer and in faith. Pastor Sydney talks about intercession.
Praying In The Holy Spirit
Karen Burrows mentioned that you can’t just assume that because a person goes to church are truly saved and has a relationship with Jesus. Karen talked about praying in our prayer language.