A Hundred Proof - How to Pray With Confidence (Lesson 2)

1 Kings 18:17-22 NASB

(17)  When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Is this you, you troubler of Israel?"

(18)  He said, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and you have followed the Baals.

(19)  "Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."

(20)  So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel.

(21)  Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people did not answer him a word.

(22)  Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal's prophets are 450 men.

Pray for God’s Glory, Not Your Own.

Elijah is determined to prove to that God is the one true God and Baal is a false god.  He tells the crowd that they can no longer waffle between the two and need to make a choice.

Elijah challenges them in order to prove once and for all, who is the One True God.  Each will build an alter and pray to their God.  The God that answers with fire is the true God.   

The prophets of Baal pray all day and receive no answer.  When they are finished, Elijah carefully tears down their alter.  He then places 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel.  He digs a trench around the alter and places the wood upon the alter.  Elijah does all this with great care.  Any time we are doing something for God’s glory we should do it with care.

Here is what Elijah prayed:  "O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.”

What hinders our prayers?

What gives us confidence in prayer?

How does praying for God’s glory instead of our own influence your outlook on trials?

Jesus tells us in Matthew Chapter 6 that our Father knows what we need before we ask Him.

This should have a huge influence on our prayer life. 

That is why Jesus teaches us to prayer for God’s will to be done in our lives.  God always has our best interest at heart.  We just need to get self out of the way so God can bless us.

A Hundred Proof - How to Pray With Confidence (Lesson 1)

1 Kings 16:33 NASB

(33)  Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

1 Kings 17:1 NASB

(1)  Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word."

1 Kings 17:10 NASB

(10)  So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, "Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink."

We Pray to a Powerful God.

We all know the story of how the widow did as Elijah said and the flour and the oil lasted until the end of the drought.

Do you know the rest of the story:  The boy gets sick and dies and the woman is crying to Elijah.  She has no hope, she says that Elijah if only there to bring her into remembrance of her sins.

Elijah takes the boy and prays to God.  God hears and answers Elijah’s prayer and the boy is brought back to life.

How does praying with faith affect a prayer?

How does our prayer life reflect our belief in God’s power?

How will our answered prayers affect others?

The writer in Hebrews tells us that we must believe that He is God before we can come to God.  We serve an all-powerful God.  This knowledge must be at the heart of our prayers.  Only then can our petitions reach God and only then can the world see whom we serve.

How Do You Define Wisdom (Lesson 5)

2 Chronicles 20:29-30 NASB

(29)  And the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.

(30)  So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on all sides.

2 Chronicles 20:35-37 NASB

(35)  After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel. He acted wickedly in so doing.

(36)  So he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion-geber.

(37)  Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works." So the ships were broken and could not go to Tarshish.

Wisdom is keeping your guard up against unholy distractions. 

It is hard to understand how Jehoshaphat could go right back into an alliance with Ahaziah, Ahab’s son.  It is hard to understand why we do some of the things that get us into trouble.

How do we guard against unholy distractions?

We seek God first He is sure to Bless.

When we run with the world there are consequences to be paid.

This week examine your ties to world in all aspects of your life.

Are there areas where wisdom is needed for improvement?

How Do You Define Wisdom (Lesson 4)

2 Chronicles 20:16-25 NASB

(16)  'Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel.

(17)  'You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you."

(18)  Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.

(19)  The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

(20)  They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed."

(21)  When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, "Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting."

(22)  When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed.

(23)  For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

(24)  When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped.

(25)  When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them, including goods, garments and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much.

Last week we saw that Jehoshaphat brought the people back to the Lord.  This week we see that they went out and did as God said.  God caused Ammon and Moab to go against Mount Sier and then turned on each other.

By the time Judah arrived, they had destroyed each other and Judah went in and gathered up the spoils.

Jehoshaphat brought the people back to God.  He led by example as he fully relied on God.  As a result, God delivered them and they never even had to fight in the battle.

Relying on God is the essence of wisdom.