Twelve Foundation Stones of Prayer |
| * The significance of the altar and the twelve stones. |
| Joshua 4: 1-7 (Twelve Stones Set Up at Gilgal) "So these (twelve) stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever." |
| 1 King 18:30-40 (The challenge to faithfulness in God) 29"...First he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down; "Elijah took twelve stones,... with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD..." |
| * There are twelve stones to the Altar of God |
| They represent the twelve tribes of Israel but also represent their faith in the God of their deliverance. |
| * If we were to build an altar of prayer, what would those stones be? |
| There could be twelve points of prayer, twelve foundation stones, twelve principles upon which to build our prayer life as individuals but, even more importantly, as a church. |
| To repair the altar we use natural stones, provided by God and not made by humanity. They are summarized as follows: |
| 1. Broken - a process: note difference between brazenness and boldness - encourages growth. Humbled |
| Psalm
51:17 a broken and contrite heart |
| Romans
5:1-5 |
| 1
Peter 2:19 |
| 2. Prayer with a cleansed heart. You can not unlink (sin from position) |
| Psalm
51:1-17 (17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken
and contrite heart, 0 God, you will not despise.) |
| Repentance
brings cleansing |
| Story of
David and Nathan: 2 Sam 12:17 (And David said unto Nathan, "I have
sinned against the LORD.") |
Our ultimate responsibility is to the Lord of Eternity. |
|
|
| 3. Pray Under authority |
| Hebrews
13:1-19 (Service Well-Pleasing to God) |
| For
example, look to the Centurion - We must break the "authority
versus entitlement" mentality |
|
|
| 4. Patient prayer; persevering, endurance |
| James 1:
1-8 Faith and Wisdom
|
| 5. Believing Prayer - saying what it is. Mark 11:15-33 |
| Mark 11:23 says to the mountain, proclaim |
| bear the
weight of what God can do
|
| 6. Unrelenting prayer - building by praying - persistent, unceasing |
| 1 Samuel
12:19-25 (Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin
against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; and I will
instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the LORD, and
serve him faithfully with all your heart;) |
| Romans
1:8-9 |
| 1
Thessalonians 5:16-28 (Rejoice always, "pray without ceasing, give
thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
for you.) |
| Revelation
4: 6b-8 .... Day and night without ceasing they sing, "Holy,
holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to
come." |
| 7. Consistent: |
| Clearly
and primarily with scripture |
| Psalm
119:105 ("Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my
path!") |
| In the
name: (with the same heart and mind) |
| As the
Father wills |
| promises
of God |
| 2
Chronicles 7:14 |
| 1
Thessalonians 5:16-18 |
| Internally
and corporately |
| To thine
own self be true |
| Within
the body politic
|
| 8. Passionate |
| Fervor
of a true lover (but not necessarily emotional) |
| John
13:35 "by this shall all ...know you are my disciples - if you love
one another) |
| With our
total self |
| Psalm
103:1 ("Bless the Lord 0 my soul, let all that is within me bless
His holy name.") |
| About
that which really matters: |
| We were
bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20, 7:23) |
| "How
priceless is your never failing love!" (Psalm 36:7) |
| If it
really doesn't matter, why bother? |
| If it
really matters, why not? |
| From the
foundation of who we are |
| In
Christ Jesus (John 1:12) |
| As
children of God (1 John 3:1) |
| hi
relationship (a royal priesthood) (1 Peter 2:9) |
| With God |
| To each
other
|
| 9. Purpose Driven - connected to each other - builds together. |
| Leviticus
26:7-9 ("And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of
you shall put ten thousand to flight:) |
| Deuteronomy
32:30-32 (^How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to
flight,) |
| Joshua
23:8-13 ('"One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is
the LORD your God who fights for you, as he promised you.) |
| Ecclesiates
4:9-12 (126. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.) |
| 10. Vocal - though it can be meditative - is usually vocal |
| Genesis
1: 3 and others —and God said,"—" and it was so. |
| Romans 10:5-13 (because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. '"For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.) |
| 11. Selfless Prayer - value the vision - |
| Romans
15:1-2
|
| 12. Unified Prayer - walk with others gives force a different dynamic |
| Sacred
Assemblies: Leviticus23:2;Nehemiah8:3 Joel 1:13-14 |
| National
Crisis: Zephaniah 2:1-3 |
| Promise
through holiness: 2 Chronicles 7:14 |
| Purpose:
Jeremiah 29:11 |
| Jesus'
model Philippians 2:5 our attitude same mind |
| Focus
John 17:23 (Spiritual Unity) |
| "United
Prayer is a declaration to the heavenlies that a community of believers
is prepared for divine partnership." (Otis) |
| The
promises of the Lord are to His people as a corporate entity. They apply
to the individual as well but it is in the assembled body that the true
heart of God's people is known. |
| House
of prayer for all people nations (people groups) |
| Acts
1:14; 2:41-42; 4:24; 6:4; 21:5; 1 Corinthians 12:27; 14:12; John 14:2-4 |