Prayer

Like Jesus taught us to pray

Kaylee Tuttle opened the evening service reviewing the list of words for praise and worship in the original Biblical languages.Her point was to encourage everyone to understand that there is no one right way to worship, yet every word for praise in the Bible has something to do with movement and/or raising your voice. So she asked that everyone position themselves for breakthrough by participating in worship. Raise your voice and sing!! Dance, jump and run if you can!!

As the opening notes of the song “Yahweh is Worthy, Worthy” broke across the auditorium, so did a surge of energetic, expressive worship! Hallelujah, Praise will break the chains!

This is how I fight my battles…Kaylee proclaimed “Tonight you are getting your voice back. What the enemy stole, you will recover.”

Kaylee felt prompted to take the time to pray over every woman in attendance who was dealing with fear and intimidation. “The Lord is wanting to break fear and intimidation. You will not go home carrying fear. There is a lion inside of you. Shout!!!” Waves of shouting rippled through the room as women reclaimed their voices and broke the spirit of fear in their lives.

The victorious atmosphere shifted to one of worship and admiration lifting high the name of Jesus, repeating “There is no one like you and I live to worship you.” The worshipful feeling in the room culminated in a quiet, reverent version of “Worthy is the Lamb.” 

Pastor Judy took the microphone and exhorted the crowd, “Let’s thank God for what He’s done so far, but let’s praise him in faith for what he is still going to do.” 

Karen Wheaton is the special guest speaker tonight. A personal friend of Judy’s, they shared stories and memories of their time and travels together. Judy shared some highlights of Karen’s ministry, but she ended with Karen’s special burden for parents of prodigals. 

To start her message, Karen declared, “We are at a moment in the nation and my spirit is encouraged. I believe we are seeing the beginning of answered prayer in America. We are very near the second coming of Christ, but before he comes there is going to be a move of His Spirit…Ezekiel saw a valley of dry bones and then he prophesied, ‘I hear a rumbling.’ Well. I’m telling you, there is a rumbling happening today in America. There is a stirring happening from sea to sea!”

She told the crowd, “God brought you here this weekend to strengthen your faith. He brought you here to make sure that you are ready for this hour and your role in fulfilling it.” 

She went on to share that she has a call on her life to raise up intercessors. She says that without exception, everyone is called to the position of intercessor. Jesus hasn’t come yet because he desires all to come to repentance, There are still souls to be saved. He’s got you here because of the people in your world that you are assigned to. No one else can pray for those important to you, those you love, because love prays differently. The job of the enemy is to make you so tired, so discouraged, so hurt by them that you quit and stop praying. 

Karen brought out two specific Biblical examples of intercession that she believes will help everyone in their own place of prayer. Both of these show up in the book of Luke as an answer to the disciples question, Lord, teach us to pray. 

So, in Luke 18 Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. The story of a persistent widow. 

Setting: In a courtroom

Person being approached: Judge

What can we learn from this passage? A courtroom handles legal matters, relational disputes and issues of justice. Daniel 7:9-10 describes the ancient one “sitting down to judge” before the court began its session and the books were opened. 

This means that there is a place in God we have access to to help us address legal matters, relational disputes, and issues of injustice. God is the judge, my attorney is Jesus and the accuser is the enemy of the brethren. 1 John 5:15 tells us that if we ask according to his will, we have whatever we ask.

In the story of the persistent widow we can take two things from her example: how she prayed and what she prayed. Look at the way she kept pestering that judge--that is how to pray. Bold, determined, [persistent] day and night. We ought to pray like we can wear God out and drive Him crazy. Jesus is saying to you, keep praying but turn up some boldness.

In Psalm 37:28, we see that God loves justice. This is what she prayed for, this woman demanded justice. Justice is next level. Justice demands recompense. Justice asks for restoration. Justice doesn't settle for less. 

Jesus said, This judge was unjust. Don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen ones who cry out day and night..and give it speedily??

Karen shared a personal story where this lesson on prayer came to life for her from 1995, when she called on the courtroom of heaven to help with a situation she had no control over. “I laid out my case before the courtroom of heaven pleading with God, ‘You know what is best for my family, for my girls, for our lives. I am asking you to prevail for my girls’ All of the sudden, I knew. And when the gavel went down, I knew he had ruled in my favor.”

The second lesson on prayer comes from Luke 11:5-10. He will give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

Setting: A house of provision. A house of bread

Person being approached: A friend

Here is Jesus’s lesson on prayer from this passage. Knock with persistence. Keep knocking, knock til you are accused of trespassing…Knock til you wake the other kids, [other believers] who will advocate for you and with you, Don’t give up!! 

Again in 2015, 20 years later, Karen found herself again in a situation and needed God to intervene in the life of her daughter. “I was in a situation I never imagined I would find myself in. I had a prodigal daughter.” She prayed like that persistent friend, she prayed like Jesus taught in that passage. Karen said she begged for three loaves…one for her daughters healing, one for her deliverance, and one for her salvation. In a moment of prayer, she had a vision of a door opening and an arm reached out to hand her three loaves of bread. Surprised, she asked, “are you giving me the bread?” When she spoke, the door opened and she was compelled to step through a threshold. Once inside, she realized she had stepped into a warehouse with shelves and shelves of bread. As she looked around in wonder, A voice asked..you only want three?? She declared NO, I want the whole warehouse!! I want a whole generation!

Karen stated, “This is the access and the invitation you have to our wonderful God.”

She recognized the need in the room for miracles. Things that no man can do. A quiet fell across the place as she invited those with a need to come to the front. She alluded to the conference shirts, “I’m still here” and said “I know you are tired, worn out even. But you are still here.” After some worshipful moments, She asked who in the room has a prodigal you are praying for?? Hands all over the auditorium went up.

She led the room in a powerful time of intercession for lost loved ones. Many of these in the room are mothers believing for the salvation for their children. Based on the principles shared tonight, the room was instructed to call it done in Jesus name. 

Pastor Judy closed by admonishing us to hold fast to our confession of fatih without wavering because He is faithful to do what he says. Amen.