FollowUp 9-5-18

Message Title: The Power of Prayer

Key verses:

Acts 12:1-19

Sermon Notes:

1. Regardless of the situation, nothing is impossible with God!

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too difficult for Me?”  [Jer 32:27 NASB]

2. Prayer should be our first response to tragedy and trials!

“The righteous cry and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.”  [Ps 34:17 NASB]

3. Pray for others, and ask other believers to pray for you!

“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you;”

[1 Sam 12:23 NASB]

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.’ ‘The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”  [James 5:16 NASB]

4. Prayer moves the hand of God!

”The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.”   [Ps 34:7 NASB]

5. Prayer should never be a substitute for work!

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;”        [Col 3:23 NASB]

6. Pray expecting results; don’t doubt – not ever!

“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”  [Matt 21:22 NASB]

²⁰ Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. ²¹ On an

appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. ²² The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” ²³ And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

7. God’s answer to our prayers can surpass our expectations.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,”   [Eph 3:20 NASB]

Follow-up Questions from Sunday:

Getting to Know You:

Who was the most surprising person to ever show up at your door?

Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?

Digging Deeper:

1. Read Acts 12:1-19. When you read these verses what do they teach you about prayer?  When did you first discover the power of prayer in your spiritual journey with Jesus?
2. Read Acts 12:5,11-15. Do you find anything amusing in these verses?  When Rhonda announced who was at the door, what do you think you would have said if you had been there?
3. If you had been present at this prayer meeting, what do you think this miracle would have done for you?
4. If someone was to ask you to define prayer and the purpose of prayer, what would you say?
5. What do you think is the greatest mystery of prayer?

Taking it Home:

What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?