6th March 2011 The day of Jinny Kean’s induction as Vicar
Scriptures: Isaiah 61: 1-4 Acts 2:42
Intro: a little girls prayer for a little blue bike with a little blue bell. Provided by an old drinking friend who found the exact bike at the dump and gave it for Rachel
Today is the 3rd talk on marks of a healthy church; so far we have thought about the importance of fellowship, being a friendly welcoming inclusive and forgiving church; then Worship, the praise that pleases God and maintaining a free worshipping church which welcomes and enters in by faith and celebrates the presence of God. Today I want us to think about perhaps the most vital mark of a healthy church PRAYER… prayer that leads and under girds everything we do.
I want us to consider: 1.Why pray; 2.How Jesus prayed and 3.How the Apostles prayed; 4.Examples of breakthrough in prayer today and 5.Becoming a house of prayer
(1) WHY IS PRAYER SUCH A BIG DEAL?
1. Without prayer we cannot even come to God for a start. When you came to faith in Christ someone prayed for you and you had to pray the sinners prayer to come to Him. that’s how we introduce people to Jesus.
2. Without prayer you cannot maintain any sort of Christian life
3. The whole story of the Bible is about how people learnt to relate to Almighty God through prayer
4. Jesus prayed and instructed his disciples to pray
(2) JESUS EXAMPLE OF PRAYER
In Luke’s Gospel of the life of Jesus he gives shows us Jesus praying at 7 key times of his life:
1. At the start of his ministry when he was baptised and the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit came upon him Luke 3.21
2. At daybreak after the healing evening at Peter’s house when he said ‘ I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also for I was sent for this purpose Lk 4:42
3. All night before choosing his 12 apostles from amongst his disciples Lk 5:12
4. Before revealing who he was to Peter and the disciples Lk 9.18
5. On the mountain with Peter James and John when he was transfigured gloriously and appeared with Moses and Elijah to prepare for his death and resurrection and ascension in glory Lk 9:26
6. At the Mount of Olives when he prayed in agony as he accepted his crucifixtion Lk 22:41
7. On the cross 2 times He prayed, ”Father forgive them…” and “ Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Lk 23:34 and 46
(3) THE APOSTLES EXAMPLE OF PRAYER
In the Acts of the Apostles their life in Christ was under girded with prayer and acts of the Holy Spirit.
1. In Acts 1.14 The 120 disciples constantly devoted themselves to prayer for 10 days as Jesus had told them to wait for the Holy Spirit to come: then the Spirit came in great power upon them on the Day of Pentecost.
2. In Acts 2.42 after the revival of Pentecost the 3000 disciples devoted themselves to the apostles preaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayers
3. In Acts 4:31 the place was shaken after they prayed in unity for more boldness after they had got into trouble for preaching and healing. They were again filled with boldness and carried on.
4. When the apostles were being overwhelmed with caring for thousands of disciples in Acts 6 they had 6 deacons chosen and prayed for them so they could devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.
5. When revival broke out in Samaria with Philip one of the deacons the apostles Peter and John went and prayed for the new disciples to receive the power of the Holy Spirit Acts 8:15
6. In Acts 9:17 when Paul was converted he was praying and Ananias was sent to lay hands on him to receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit
7. Peter was called to visit Tabitha who had died and after praying he raised her to life again Acts 9.40
8. In Acts 10 the prayers of Peter before lunch and the prayers of Cornelius a Roman army officer through visions brought them together and so the first gentiles became believers in Jesus, received the Spirit and were baptised. This was a big breakthrough and Peter had to explain it to the other leaders in Acts 11.
9. When Peter was imprisoned and expected to be executed as James had been ‘ the church prayed fervently to God for him’ and there was another miraculous escape from prison. Acts 12:5
10. In Acts 13.3 during prayer and fasting Barnabas and Paul were chosen and sent out on their first missionary journey.
11. After those amazingly fruitful missionary journeys on his way to Rome to his martyrdom his ship was wrecked at Malta so Paul visited the leading man there whose father lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul cured him by praying and laying his hands on him which lead to a mini healing revival on that island.
(4) EXAMPLES OF BREAKTHROUGH IN PRAYER I HAVE WITNESSED:
1. In New Plymouth 2 weeks ago I met a lady who told me how her husband who had a heart condition collapsed while playing a cricket match and taken to hospital. She was told he wouldn’t last the night. A Catholic praying friend came and prayed fervently then announced he would be OK. He lived another 14 yrs seeing his grandchildren and twice visiting family in England.
2. When we became Christians in ChCh all we knew was praise and worship so one Friday evening when we visited Pastor Peter Morrow’s intercession prayer group and heard the woman growning in prayer I introduced a praise chorus and Peter gently stopped me by saying, ’Not just now brother” That intercession group under girded the growth of that church to be the largest n their city and to inspire a network of New Life Centres around the country.
3. When we went to Opunake we started a prayer meeting in our home on Friday evenings and when the Holy Spirit came on people the word spread and people from all around for prayer and we had a mini revival with people coming to faith and starting prayer meetings in farm houses round the district.
4. In Palmerston North a revival broke out amongst Massey students centred on a prayer meeting at Charles Waldergrave’s home. When I was there once a student came asking for prayer. Charles prayed for him then left him in an alcove to continue to soak in God’s presence while. We did the same at an all night prayer meeting we used to have at St Johns in Latimer Sq in ChCh. We went off for supper and left Allan on his knees. When we returned and asked if he wanted some coffee he looked up with a heavenward expression and said, “Who wants coffee!”
5. When we attended Lifepoint in Wgtn during the 1980s we had our Sun service at Wgtn College. Once a month the church borrowed a church in Buckle St and held a Prayer Breakthrough. Many fasted on Mon and Tues and we packed out the church on Tues evenings for worship and intercessory prayer. It was often the best meeting of the month and that church grew and supported mission work training pastors throughout Asia.
6. At St Barnabas, Khandallah at the Vestry mtg one evening we came to an impass when we were building the early childhood centre Boxhill Kids. The banks wouldn’t lend us the 250K we needed. I rather foolishly suggested we stop right there and pray for God to help us! (not the usual practise) but 3 of us prayed. .Next day we received an email from Raewyn, the Co-ordinator tilled ‘PRAYER WORKS’ She said that that day 30K had arrived unexpected from the Educ Ministry and within a week Monty and I had visited John Morrison the Dio Solicitor and the money was assured.
CONCLUSION: Prayer must be mixed with faith and include the 3 Ps that make a spirit-filled church: POWER; PRESENCE and PURPOSE then the breakthroughs come.
(5) BECOMING A ‘HOUSE OF PRAYER’
All over the world there is a movement to establish ‘Houses of Prayer’ which are dedicated people and places and times set aside in faith for prayer and God’s presence.
For instance in at Bethel Church in Redding Northern Cal. There is the Alabaster house of prayer. A New Zealander is on staff there and when he was returning from a mission in Mexico at the airport gate an officer noticed his place of work on his US entrance card and told him his aunt with 4th stage cancer ha gone to that house of prayer. As she entered the building the cancer left her and she was healed. Jesus said “My house is to be a house of prayer for all nations” (see Math 21:13, Is. 56:7)
They are believing for their place to be ‘a cancer free zone‘. I’m believing for CPAC to be ‘a pain free zone’ so that anyone who comes here when we are meeting will be relieved of their pains.
CPAC has a tradition of answered prayer so let’s press into that and commit ourselves to be a house of prayer for all nations. I’m confident with Jinny as a woman of prayer and faith leading us we are in for a year of favour from God when we will see many coming to have their prayers answered and their needs met.
Finish by standing and proclaiming over ourselves and our church Isaiah 61: 1 -3:
The Year of the LORD’S Favour
The Spirit of the LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the blind,
to proclaim the year of the LORD’S favour
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendour.
