“Absence!” - # 4 “The Absence Of Prayer!”

“Absence!” - # 4

“The Absence Of Prayer!”

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19

1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ Pray without ceasing.

¹⁸ In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

¹⁹ Quench not the Spirit.

-        Prayer has been the only individual communion with God as it encompasses praises, worship, supplications, intercessions, and pleadings! -

-        From Adam and Eve in the Garden in the cool of the day to the prayers of Moses, Hannah, David, Jesus Christ, and us, prayer is one if not THE essential lifeblood of the Christian faith! We are saved by repentance in faith through prayer, we plead with God through prayer, we survive with prayer, the Word says that “these things” come about only by prayer and supplication! -

-        Without prayer we will spiritually suffocate! –

-        In acts chapter 2 the disciples were in constant prayer awaiting the arrival of the Holy Spirit! We have trouble praying for fifteen minutes! -

** I want us to look at important aspects of the Christian life and what it looks like and means when these things are absent! **

-        Let’s be clear, the lack of prayer is a dangerous thing for a confessing, believing Christian! -

1)                   What It Creates -

a.)  Separation, distance from almighty God! Spiritual loneliness!

-        We can’t know God without scripture and personal communion with him in prayer!

b.) Lack of holiness!

If we’re not praying then we aren’t repenting!

c.)  An environment of self sufficiency!

If we aren’t depending on God to supply our need then the only one left to depend on is ourselves or the government!

d.) Contempt for the sacrifice of Christ which bought our opportunity to enter the holy of holies in the presence of God through prayer!

We hold the sacrifice of Christ as worthless when we live a prayerless life!

We are saying we don’t need it!

2.) What It Proves -

a.)  We don’t understand the place, purpose, and necessity of prayer!

Prayer is both requests, petitions, thankfulness, praises, worship, reverence, utterings from our hearts as well as contently listening as the spirit makes intercession.

Prayer has both temporal and eternal effects! Prayer doesn’t change God’s mind, it changes us! Prayer DOES change things in this world! When we pray with faith we CAN move mountains! It also creates in us a desire for God and molds us into the very will of God!

b.) We don’t understand the cost of having the ability to pray!

For a sinful, disgusting, unholy creature to enter the presence of all mighty God cost the son of God the cross of Calvary and all it’s evil!

c.)  We don’t believe that prayer is effective, that God is listening, and if he is, that He’ll do anything we ask!

How can we believe in God and not pray?

How can we believe in Christ and not pray as he did?

How can we say that we are desiring revival, growth, holiness and not pray?

WE CAN’T!!!!

In Closing:

** Pray without ceasing! Prayer does change things! **

James 5:15-18 King James Version (KJV)

¹⁵ And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

¹⁶ Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

¹⁷ Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

¹⁸ And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.