Intro to Prayer: George Mueller. 

1. GM built an entire ministry… without ever asking anyone for money.

a. Cared for over 10,000 orphans in England.
b. Made a decision early to never make his needs known to people—only to God.

2. One morning, there was no food in the orphanage. But Müller still gathered the children at the table and said, ‘Let’s thank God for the food He is going to give us.’ They bowed their heads and prayed.

3. Within minutes, there was a knock at the door. A baker stood there and said, ‘I couldn’t sleep last night. I felt like I was supposed to bake bread for you.’

4. And then—another knock. A milk cart had broken down right outside the orphanage and the driver needed to give the milk away before it spoiled.

5. “I live in the spirit of prayer. I pray as I walk, when I lie down, and when I rise… and the answers are always coming.”

6. Here’s the question: Was George Müller special? Or did he simply believe what most of us simply read in the scriptures?

7. Did he have a special gift? Or did he just believe God’s promise in James 5:16 that says “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

II. A House of Prayer.

A. Intro.

1. God’s house is a house of prayer.

a. Isaiah 56:7 “For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
b. Matt 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46

2. Many of us think this refers to the church now. They think it means that we should have prayer meetings to obey this passage. And we should have them, we should gather and pray, but this verse is speaking about something more than that.

3. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. This means that we are God’s house now, and this house is meant to be a house of prayer.

B. We are both the Temple and the priest.

1. Scripture teaches that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, but it also teaches that we are the priest in that temple.

a. Simply being the temple can be a passive activity— resting in His presence.
b. Being a priest in this temple is active— we worship and serve Him.
c. We are called to passive resting and active serving.

2. 1 Peter 2:4&5

4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also,  as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

3. God’s house is a spiritual building, not a material one. The church is built with people, not bricks and mortar.

4. And we are also the spiritual priest who offers spiritual sacrifices.

5. Zechariah 3:1-7 

1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.

4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”

5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.

6 Then the Angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you shall also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk among these who stand here.”

7. This is a picture of Jesus redeeming the royal priesthood for us.

a. Jesus is our Great High Priest.
b. He stood before God in our sin and made atonement for us with His own blood.

8. We can see ourselves in this passage because Jesus stood in our place. Because sacrificed Himself on the cross for our sin, we have been clothed with His righteousness.

a. The new turban represents a renewed mind.
b. The new robes represent being clothed with His righteousness.

9. Vs 7 reveals our commission as priests.

a. IF…we walk in HIs ways and keep His commands…
b. THEN… we will judge in God’s house (rule, exercise authority)
c. AND… places to walk, access to God.

10. Hebrews 4:14-16

14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

C. What are spiritual sacrifices?

1. Peter says that we are priest serving in God’s spiritual house, therefore we offer spiritual sacrifices to God. If we are spiritual priests serving in a spiritual temple, then must offer spiritual sacrifices.

2. What are spiritual sacrifices? Praise is the sacrifice, prayer is the offering.

3. Praise and worship. Hebrews 13:15

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”

a. Psalm 50:23 “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me…”
b. ESV “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies Me…”

4. Humility and repentance. Psalm 51:17

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart— these, O God, You will not despise.”

5. Prayer.

a. Psalm 141:2 “Let my prayer be set before you as incense…”
b. Rev 5:8 (also Rev 8:3&4)

“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

D. Summary.

1. God says that His house will be a house of prayer.

2. We are God’s spiritual house and we serve as priests in that house. We offer spiritual sacrifices of praise, repentance and prayer.

3. Prayer meetings are great, but they should be the overflow of our own sacrifice of prayer in the temple of our spirit.

III. Prayer in the life and teachings of Jesus and in the early church.

A. Prayer was foundational to the life of Jesus.

1. We follow the example of Jesus, doing what we see Him doing in the gospels. Jesus was
a man of prayer.

2. Accounts of Jesus praying

a. Matt 14:23 Went up on the mountain by Himself to pray
b. Mark 6:36 Went to a solitary place and prayed
c. Luke 5:16 He often withdrew to the wilderness and prayed
d. Luke 6:12 He went to the mountain to pray and prayed all night

3. Matt 10:24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.”

B. Jesus teaching on prayer.

1. Jesus also taught about prayer. As a man of prayer, He taught with authority and experience, not just knowledge handed down.

2. Some examples.

a. Matt 5:44 Love your enemies… pray for those who persecute you
b. Matt 6:5 taught us to pray to Father and submit to His will
c. Matt 6:6 taught us to pray in the secret place
d. Matt 6:7 don’t use repetitious prayers
e. Matt 21:22 whatever we ask in prayer we will receive
f. Mark 11:25 forgive when you pray
g. Luke 18:1 always pray and don’t lose heart

C. Prayer in the early church.

1. Prayer was one of the main components of early church life and ministry.

2. Some examples.

a. Acts 1:14 they continued with one accord in prayer and supplication
b. Acts 2:42 prayer is one of the four pillars of the church

3. NT teaching on prayer.

a. Rom 12:12 continuing steadfastly in prayer
b. Col 4:2 continue earnestly in prayer
c. 1 Thess 5:17 pray without ceasing
d. 1 Timothy 2:8 I desire that men pray everywhere
e. James 5:18 effectual fervent prayer has great power as it is working
f. 1 Peter 3:7 husbands to wives… so that prayers may not be hindered
g. 1 Peter 3:12 His ears are open to their prayers

IV. Always pray and never give up.

A. The urgency of the time.

1. We live in a time when we can’t afford not to pray.
2. We have to follow the Lord’s example and give ourselves to prayer the way Jesus did.

3. Acts is basically Genesis for the church. It shows us the beginning of the church as God established it. Many leaders and thinkers in the church today are offering their ideas of how the church can impact culture today. Everyone is trying to use technology, social media and even AI for church growth and impact.

4. But God has shown us how we are to do this in His Word. He established us in Acts and expounds on church life and practice throughout the NT.

5. Acts 2:42 gives us the four pillars of the church.

a. The Apostle’s teaching— the bible we have today
b. Fellowship— not being a lone ranger
c. Communion & breaking bread
d. Prayer

6. A few thousand believers turned the world upside down by following these four practices.

7. We live in desperate times. The answer is not to get our social media right, to utilize the latest tech, sing the most popular worship songs, etc. The Lord has given us the answer in His Word and we need to actively practice each one.

8. The Lord impressed on me last Wed night as I slept that we need to live at a higher altitude. I dreamed…

a. I was on a mountain top, with mist from the clouds.
b. I could feel that there was less oxygen and it’s effect on my body.
c. The Lord impressed on me to get acclimated to a higher level.
d. He showed me I was in a growth phase, a transition, to living from a higher place.
e. In the dream, I knew the Lord meant to spend more time in prayer & His presence.

9. We’ve got to turn away from things that fill our mind so we can quiet our minds in prayer. We need to live from a higher place.

10. We need to remember the testimony of George Mueller who believed God’s promise.

a. GM shows us what living from a higher place looks like.
b. Always be praying so that the answers are always coming.

B. Always pray and never give up.

1. Luke 18:1-8

1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.

3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying,‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”

6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

2. Jesus is not saying that God is an unjust judge. He is saying the opposite! If an unjust judge will rule in your favor because of your supplications, how much more will your Father Who loves you?

C. Call to action.

1. This Thursday, May 7th, is the National Day of Prayer. I’m going to Veteran’s Park to pray for random strangers, if they let me. Will you go with me?

a. Meet at the large pavilion by the playground at 6:30, move out from there.

2. Asking someone if you can pray for them is a great way to cast the net and see who you catch. (Remember, we are fishers of men.) Where we live, so many people claim to be Christian or to know about God and Jesus.

3. Asking if you can pray for someone reveals the condition of their heart toward God. It shows who is open to the Lord and who isn’t.

4. Some will be Christians who have been away from church and need to be brought back to the fold. Some will be lost and desperate, ready to receive help. Others will be lost but still in rebellion to God.

5. As priests, part of our job is to intercede for people, just as Jesus intercedes for us.

6. Let’s add works to our faith. Let’s show the Lord that we’re not just reading His Word and agreeing with it, but that we believe it and practice it in our lives.

7. Let’s follow the exam ape of the Lord Jesus. He was a man of prayer. We see Him praying for people in public, so we can do it too.