Oh When the Saints…Fast and Pray

Acts 9:1-22
The Conversion of Saul
9 But Saul, bstill cbreathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to dthe high priest 2 and asked him for letters eto the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to fthe Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 gNow as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting hme?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, hwhom you are persecuting. 6 But irise and enter the city, and you will be told jwhat you are to do.” 7 kThe men who were traveling with him stood speechless, lhearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, mhe saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named nAnanias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, o“Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man pof Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and qlay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, rhow much evil he has done to syour tsaints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from uthe chief priests to bind all who vcall on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for whe is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name xbefore the Gentiles and ykings and the children of Israel. 16 For zI will show him how much ahe must suffer bfor the sake of my name.” 17 So cAnanias departed and entered the house. And dlaying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and ebe filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and fhe regained his sight. Then ghe rose and was baptized; 19 and htaking food, he was strengthened.

Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues
For isome days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, j“He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who kmade havoc lin Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul mincreased all the more in strength, and nconfounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving othat Jesus was the Christ.

Everybody wants an Acts church, but are you doing what the people of Acts did? An amazing thing happens as you read through the book of Acts, they prayed. They met in the upper room and prayed. Someone was killing Christians, they prayed. There was disunity in the house of God, they prayed. Everything was lifted up to the Lord. Someone was sick, they prayed. Someone fell asleep when Paul was preaching and fell out the window, they prayed. Oh that the church would pray.

Our sermons would have more power.

The worship would have greater anointing.

We wouldn’t have to ask the lost to come in…

The lost would start asking “what must I do to be saved?”

We would have more divine encounters, more authentic life change, if the church would pray.

If my people, who are called by name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The if of God? I’m ready are you? Jesus doesn’t teach his disciples how to preach, how to worship, he teaches them how to pray. In fact they ask him to teach them because they saw the power in his life because of his prayers.

Jesus was a faster and prayer. The son of God was a prayer. How many times do we see it written in scripture that he went away to the lonely places and prayed. He fasted for 40 days and nights. He got away from the crowds and prayed. He went to the desert and fasted. He told the crowds to move ahead and he PRAYED. Not during the battle, after the battle…before the battle was even started he was praying. Before he was anointed into his ministry he fasted. Before the cross he prayed.

So many of us treat prayer as the spare tire. You know what I am talking about. Oh that just went out, this needs to be fixed, I don’t know how we are going to get through this, so we take out the spare tire. Prayer. Prayer has become our spare tire. Prayer is not meant to be the spare tire, it is meant to be the DRIVING FORCE OF OUR LIVES.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Ephesians 6:18

Jesus has so much to do in and through us. He uses us to reach people, but he is limited when we are not full of prayer. It’s like he would say I have so many things to do in and through you but you are not praying, you haven’t asked me. I want to move in your schools young people, but you haven’t asked me too. I want to move in your jobs and bring people to Christ but you haven’t been praying for them. I want to heal and bring wholeness to your family but you haven’t prayed. Oh that the people of God would pray.

You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. – James 4:2 (NIV)

Written from the mouth of Jesus’s brother and known for his praying ways. His knees was said to look like that of camels because of how much time he spent on them in prayer.

Oh When the Saints Fast and Pray

Moses prayed and God spared Israel from judgment.

Joshua prayed and God caused the sun to stand still.

Hannah prayed and God gave her a baby boy.

Solomon prayed and God gave him wisdom.

Elijah prayed and God sent fire down from Heaven.

Jonah prayed and God brought him out of the belly of the whale.

The thief on the cross prayed and God gave him eternal life.

Oh When the Saints Fast and Pray.  Join us fasting and praying for the east side fo Houma.
Story of Us Praying at South Terrebonne for Twenty Years