======================================================================== (AUDIO SERMON CLIP) PRAY, PRAY, PRAY by John Piper ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of prayer in the Christian life, highlighting the need for believers to pray for one another for healing, to pray without ceasing, to pray to avoid temptation, and to pray continually without losing heart. It explores the reasons why we pray, including being obedient to God's commands, experiencing increased joy, and recognizing the staggering privilege of communicating with the sovereign God of the universe. Duration: 6:49 Topics: "The Power of Prayer", "Intercessory Prayer" Scripture References: James 5:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Luke 22:40, Luke 18:1, Luke 6:28, Matthew 6:9, John 16:24, Romans 11:34 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon emphasizes the importance of prayer in the Christian life, highlighting the need for believers to pray for one another for healing, to pray without ceasing, to pray to avoid temptation, and to pray continually without losing heart. It explores the reasons why we pray, including being obedient to God's commands, experiencing increased joy, and recognizing the staggering privilege of communicating with the sovereign God of the universe. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ James 5 16 this is God tell us to pray pray for one another that you may be healed how many sicknesses are there in the church because they don't pray for each other that God would be willing to heal 1st Thessalonians 5 17 pray without ceasing Luke 22 40 pray that you may not enter into temptation that you may not enter into temptation Luke 18 1 he told them a parable to the effect that they always to pray and not lose heart Luke 6 28 bless those who curse you pray for those who abuse you in a rotten situation get ripped off being lied about pray pray pray for them Matthew 6 9 pray like this our Father in heaven that's number one we pray because dozens of times in the Bible we're told to pray and God loves us he wouldn't tell us to do something that's bad for us it's good for us number two we pray because it is a means to the increase of our joy you might think well that's what we expect you to say but you expect me to say it because I'm a Christian hedonist but the case is I'm a Christian hedonist because of text like this that blew me away 35 years ago John 16 24 until now Jesus said you have asked nothing in my name ask and you will receive that your joy may be full I mean ask ask because in coming to me as a needy person and depending upon me for everything you need your joy will be fuller than if you try to get that need met another way he wants you happy in him and he says ask and your joy will be full number three for why we pray because it is simply a staggeringly awesome privilege it is simply a staggeringly awesome privilege now you've got to think of this we just we just must be blown away by this God runs the world with infinite wisdom you and I never inform him of anything he doesn't already know we never add to his wisdom ever when we pray we do not improve upon his knowledge about what he should do next really basic this is who God is Romans 1134 who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor or who has ever given a gift to him that he should be repaid for from him and through him and to him are all things to him be glory forever nobody ever counseled him nobody ever gave anything to him that he already own we are never obliging God to act out of his need for us he doesn't need us he doesn't need your prayer he doesn't need anything about you he's God that's the meaning of God no needs we have needs he's the need meter and how the need meter gets glory is by hearing the prayers of the needy and it's simply staggering that God would ordain now get this that God the sovereign ruler of the universe would ordain that prayers cause prayer prayers cause things to happen that would not happen if you didn't pray for the Calvinist out there listen to this when James 4 to says you do not have because you do not ask that does not mean you would have anyway even if you didn't ask I got a plan the verse doesn't mean the opposite of what it says it says you have not because you ask not that means prayer causes things to happen that wouldn't happen if you didn't pray this is why this is a staggeringly glorious privilege to be taken by the sovereign God of the universe who runs all things according to his infinite wisdom and fold it in to his causality this is breathtaking if you do not avail yourself of the privilege of bringing to pass events in the universe that would not take place if you didn't pray you are acting like a colossal fool ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/p_7oiQrGol8.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/john-piper/audio-sermon-clip-pray-pray-pray/ ========================================================================