Message Outline

Daring Faith Prays Big

Pastor Jonathan Stockstill
Sunday, May 8, 2016

Recap

Week 1: Daring faith is willing to step out on the water when Jesus calls. Like Abraham leaving Haran, faith will leave an entire life behind in order to obey God.

Week 2: Daring faith will also cause us to separate from anything keeping us from all that God has for us. Like Abraham separating from Lot, our faith will sometimes demand us to separate from the wrong people, behavior, beliefs, and baggage.

Week 3: Daring faith will blindly accept the promise of God with a confident amen. If God says it, we will declare it as fact.

Your level of faith can be seen in the level of your prayer. Many people believe in the God who exists, but not in the God who hears.

The result of not praying is not having!

James 4:2 NLT: "You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it."

Genesis 18:20-33 NLT: "20 So the Lord told Abraham, ‘I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. 21 I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.' 22 The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. 23 Abraham approached him and said, ‘Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? 24 Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? 25 Surely you wouldn't do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn't do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?' 26 And the Lord replied, ‘If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.' 27 Then Abraham spoke again. ‘Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?' "And the Lord said, ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there.' 29 Then Abraham pressed his request further. ‘Suppose there are only forty?' "And the Lord replied, ‘I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty.' 30 ‘Please don't be angry, my Lord,' Abraham pleaded. ‘Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?' "And the Lord replied, ‘I will not destroy it if I find thirty.'" 31 Then Abraham said, ‘Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?' "And the Lord replied, ‘Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.' "32 Finally, Abraham said, ‘Lord, please don't be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?' "And the Lord replied, ‘Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.' "33 When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent."

1. Pray big prayers for YOURSELF.

  • Jabez: "Oh, that you would bless me indeed!"
  • Hannah: "…look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son…"
  • Solomon: "Give me wisdom."
  • Hezekiah: "Heal my body."
  • The Lord's Prayer
    • Give us—provision
    • Forgive us—forgiveness
    • Lead us—leadership
    • Deliver us—deliverance

2. Pray big prayers for OTHERS.

  • Intercessor—mediator between two parties
    • Like Moses for Israel: "Don't destroy them."
    • Like Daniel for Israel: "Forgive them."
    • Like Esther for Israel: "Spare them."
    • Like Jesus for His disciples: "Unite them."
    • Like Paul for the church of Ephesus: "Strengthen them."
  • Intercession is based on relationship. When you know who you are, you can pray boldly. Abraham prayed big prayers because he knew his relationship with God.
  • Intercession is based on knowing God's character. Abraham knew that God "desires all men to repent" and that He was "slow to anger, and rich in love."
  • Intercession is based on compassion.
  • Intercession cries for mercy.

3. Pray big prayers for your CHURCH and God's KINGDOM.


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