2024-10-06: Prayer That Works — Pray with Persistence

Sermon Audio: Pray with Persistence
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 11:5-13, Luke 18:1-7
Duration: 26:43
Size: 15.5 MB

Prayer That Works
Pray with Persistence
Luke 11:5-13, Luke 18:1-7

I suspect there are people who do the same thing with prayer…they use prayer’s power sparingly.

Did you know this is the only time in the entire Gospels when the disciples explicitly asked the greatest teacher who ever lived to teach them something?

Jesus was the greatest teacher that ever lived, and He knew that a fundamental principle of teaching is that you never learn anything without being a little disturbed.

But the scripture goes on to say that even though your neighbor won’t give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your “shameless audacity” he will give you what you need.

Are we really supposed to be the little old lady who is so persistent with her requests that an unrighteous judge is afraid she’s going to beat him up?

We don’t just ask once. In both of these stories, the emphasis is that the asker kept asking.

A ASK and it will be given to you: when you are in need of something, you ask for it.

S SEEK and you will find; when you are looking for something, you seek it (wisdom, peace, answers, something you’ve lost).

K KNOCK and the door will be opened: when you want to see someone, or when you want access to somewhere, you knock on the door.

Would anyone ever accuse you of shameless audacity in your prayers? Or do you come to God timidly, afraid you are going to bother him? Afraid you are going to make him mad?

2024-09-22: Prayer That Works — Pray with Expectancy

Sermon Audio: Pray with Expectancy
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: James 5:13-18, I Kings 18:41-45
Duration: 31:10
Size: 17.3 MB

Prayer That Works
Pray with Expectancy
James 5:13-18, I Kings 18:41-45

And I think that if we actually believed what we said we believed about prayer, we would be doing a whole lot more of it.

In James 4:2, he says that one of the reasons we don’t receive what we desire is we don’t pray.

It is common for many of us to feel we don’t know how to pray or what to say–and James understood that so he gave us an example of how we can pray.

Then Elijah, after pouring water all over his sacrifice, prays a very simple prayer:

FIRST, Prayer that works takes work!

SECOND, prayer that works takes persistence.
Because when we work at our prayers–it shows the answer “matters” to us.

THIRD, Prayer that works takes risks.
Her petite frame held power, simply because she was intimately connected with and invested in God’s name.

FOURTH, Prayer that works takes understanding God’s will.
It is asking for those things that will honor Him. That are in accordance with his will.

FIFTH, Prayer that works takes righteousness with God.
The only thing that made Elijah anything is the same thing that we have access to: God’s imputed righteousness.

2024-09-08: Spiritual Armor — Fully Battle Ready

Sermon Audio: Fully Battle Ready
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Ephesians 6:17-18
Duration: 23:28
Size: 12.7 MB

Spiritual Armor
Fully Battle Ready
Ephesians 6:17-18

This word of God is the word that gets deep inside of us. It’s the scripture that gives us power.

This sounds like a strange sight unless we understand that the two-edged sword is the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

When He spoke that word at his enemy, it became a double-edged sword.

The writer of Hebrews states that God’s word is alive, powerful, and more deadly than the sword of the Roman soldier.

Prayer of Consecration
This type of prayer indicates that you are willing to totally surrender your life to God’s will.

Prayer of Petition
It is knowing that God, and He alone, is able to provide for your need.

Prayer of Authority
But God knows that if you meet these two criteria then you will not demand anything contrary to his desires for you.

Prayer of Thanksgiving
If you are only thankful for the pleasantries in life, then your spear has become of no effect against the enemy.

Prayer of Supplication
This is where we pray for each other. We are to pray for all people.

Prayer of Intercession
This is the most powerful prayer we have against Satan.

2024-08-25: Spiritual Armor — The Protecting Helmet

Sermon Audio: The Protecting Helmet
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Ephesians 6:17
Duration: 22:43
Size: 12.1 MB

Spiritual Armor
The Protecting Helmet
Ephesians 6:17

Just as this helmet is designed to protect the head of the soldier from a hit that could take his life, our helmet of salvation is designed to protect our mind.

If he can get into your mind, he will begin to play mind games with you.

Satan will do all he can to keep you away from those who want to help you on a spiritual level and he does so with mind games.

Make this verse personal. “I will destroy every proud obstacle that keeps me from knowing God. I will capture my rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey God.”

When you have salvation covering your mind as a Roman soldier had his helmet to protect his head, then Satan’s plans are doomed.

Salvation gives us power.
Salvation gives us love for one another.
Salvation gives us self-control.
Salvation gives us a sound mind.