THE ATTITUDE THAT GETS GODS ATTENTION

By Pastor Michael Olawore New Wine Church, London

Foundation Scripture: Genesis 1:1-5; Romans 4: 17 Sunday 17 June 2012 Over the past few weeks we have been talking about reconstructing our lives according to Gods original design. In the message, The Power of Prayer we examined prayer as a mechanism by which we can reconstruct our lives and its ability to affect our destiny. We looked at various characters from scripture and their engagement in prayer including Abraham, Moses, Hezekiah, Elijah and also Jesus understanding that without prayer, God does nothing but that heaven responds to the prayer of faith. We considered Gods position as far as prayer is concerned namely, that He does not have a problem with answering our prayers, having issued the guarantee in Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, but the enduring problem was a reluctance on our part to call upon the Lord, essentially, a shortage of prayer. We looked at the example of Hannah who engaged with God at a unique level at Shiloh which resulted in Gods provision of Samuel, the meaning of which Because I have asked for him from the Lord, represented her repeated requests for a child. From this account in particular we understood that there is always something to show for our efforts in the place of prayer; there is always an answer. Today, in continuation of this theme, I want us to look together at the things that we can do to ensure that we receive the answers to our prayers; the posture that we can adopt that gets Gods attention. In the bible we see many accounts of men and women who persisted in the place of prayer. From this we can extract the truth that God is a prayeranswering God. There is nothing that He cannot handle and nothing takes Him by surprise, irrespective of how intimidating the challenge may appear. He is more than able and has promised to answer us when we call upon Him. We must embrace these truths fully in our spirits. If we fail to do so and are not completely convinced beyond all doubt that God answers prayers we will, in all likelihood, give up rather than persist in the place of prayer. It is important to recognise that giving up rather than persisting and travailing in the place of prayer, has implications for not just our lives but for those who are, and may be connected to us; literally countless destinies. It is for this reason, too costly an option to consider; giving up therefore, is simply not an option. In 1 Kings 18: 41 we see the account of Elijah whom, having heard Gods promise to send rain after more than three years of famine, bowed to the ground and put his head between his knees and although the scripture does not explicitly say this, was clearly praying. Having adopted this position for a period of time Elijah sent his servant to look towards the sea and report back what he saw and was met with the report There is nothing. He sent his servant back again to observe and report back for a total of seven times before being told that a cloud as small as

amanshandcouldbeseenrisingoutofthesea.Byverse45,wearetoldthattherewasheavyrain.How,we mayask,didthestorychange?HowdidanemphaticThere is nothing,becomethere was heavy rain?Thekey tothechangefromonereporttotheotherisencapsulatedinoneword:persistence. Inlife,thesetwodistinctoptions,namelythereisnothingandthereisheavyrainarealwaysavailabletous.Itis uptoustochoosewhichoptiontosettlefor,whetherwerefusetoacceptnoorwhetherwewillpressinuntil weseethatwhichwehaveprayedforcometopass.Wechoosetherealitythatweget.Whatyoupermitto happenbetweenthesetwooptions,thethereisnothingandthereisheavyraindetermineswhatyou experienceandthereforedeterminesyourdestiny.Fortheavoidanceofanydoubt,Godspreferenceisalways thereisheavyrain.Thequestionthatremainsisthis:WillyoulineupwithHim? ItiswiththisinmindthatIwanttointroduceyoutoaconceptthatiskeytoyourwalkwithGod:Persistence in the Place of Prayer. InLuke18:1Jesusspokeaparable,theessenceofwhichwasthatmen ought always to pray and not lose heart.Thewordalwayshereiskey.Thismeansthatwhetherwewanttoornot,whetherthe conditionsareconduciveorhostile,weoughtalwaystoprayandrefusetogiveup.Wewillfacesituationsthat seemimpossibleandwemayfeellikegivingupbuttothatprospectGodsaysNo!Menoughtalwaystopray. Regardlessofthecircumstancesthatyoufaceandhowlongyoumayhavefacedthem,youmustwithall determination,absolutelyrefusetoloseheart,giveup,caveinorquit.Inresponsetothequestionastowhy Jesusadmonishedusnottogiveup,itisclearthatHeguaranteesthatGodwillcomethroughforus.Withoutthat absolutecertaintythatGodisaprayeransweringGodandwillanswerwhenwecall,itwouldbeperversefor JesustoinstructusnottoloseheartifultimatelyGodwouldrefusetoanswerourprayers.

InIsaiah62:6weareinstructedtopraycontinuallyandtogivetheLordnorestuntilHecompleteshis work.Theuseoftheworduntilshouldassureusthatthereisanendpointinsight.Godisworkingon thatwhichconcernsusandHisanswerisguaranteed.OurprayersaretherawmaterialwithwhichHe manufacturestheanswertoourpetitions.Wecannotaffordthereforetostopthesupply. InGenesis32,wecomeacrosstheaccountofJacobwhom,onfleeingLabanshouse,wrestledwithGod allnight,refusingtoletHimgowithoutablessing.UntilthattimeJacobsnamewassynonymouswith beingcheatandasupplanterbuthisstrugglewithGodchangedeverything,bothhisnameandhis destiny.GodchangedhisnametoIsrael,theliteralmeaningofwhichisPrincewithGoddeclaringYour name shall no longer be called Jacob. But Israel for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.Persistence,aswecansee,alwayspaysoff. ReturningtoLuke18andtheparableofthepersistentwidow,Jesusinstructedustolearnalessonfrom theunjustjudgewhom,becauseofthewidowspersistence,wasforcedtorenderajustdecision.He saidAnd shall not God avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of Man comes will He really find faith on the earth?WecanbeassuredfromJesusinstructionthatGodwillgrantusjustice andourpersistenceintheplaceofprayerwillnotgounansweredbutthereisavaluablelearning opportunitythatwecannotoverlook,namelythatwemustbepreparedtopersistintheplaceofprayer andpetition.Manyofourdifficultiesarisefromtheageinwhichwelive.Weliveinahighspeedworld ofmicrowaves,fastfoodanddrivethroughrestaurantsandconsequentlyourexpectationofan immediateresponsetooureveryneedhasrobbedusoftheabilitytoappreciatethequalityof persistence.JacobwrestledwithGodallnight;HannahpetitionedGodforachildatShilohwithsuch intensitythatonlyherlipsmovedandtheprophetElithoughtthatshewasdrunk.Wecanbeassured thatthereisnopromiseofGodthatwillbewithheldfromus.However,wemustbeabletostandfirmly onthewordofGodandholdourgroundintheplaceofprayer.Ourpersistenceisourfaith. Intheaccountin1Kings17,inresponsetotheidolatryintheland,Elijahhadpronouncedjudgementon thenationofIsraelanddeclaredthattherewouldbenorainexceptathisword.Overthreeyearslater, Godinterruptedthefaminewithapromisetosendrain.InresponsetothewordoftheLord,Elijah undertooksomekeysteps:Hefirstremovedallthehindrancestoansweredprayerbyslaughteringthe

prophetsofBaalinthelandandrestoringthealtaroftheLord.Hethenwentintoprayer,instructinghis servanttoobserveandreportbacktohim. AlthoughGodhasspoken,youhavetheresponsibilitytotravailintheplaceofprayerinordertoseethe wordofGodmanifested.ElijahprayedinresponsetothewordofGod.Thefirstresponsehowever, Thereisnothingwasnotwhathewasexpecting.HowcouldthisbewhenhavingheardfromGod,he hadsetaboutriddingthenationofidolatryandhadprayed?ElijahhoweverknewGodandknewthatHe couldnotfailandcouldnotlieandthatthewordofGodhadtocometopass.Hewastenaciousand unstoppableintheplaceofprayer,refusingtotakenoforananswer.Thecircumstancesthatyouare facingmayappeartobeasimilarthereisnothingresponsebutallowmetoencourageyoutorefuseto acceptthis.Elijahstoodhisgroundandsenthisservantbacktoobservebutwasrepeatedlytoldthat therewasnoimprovement.Youmayhavebeentoldthatthereisnochangeandnoimprovement however,Ibegtodiffer!StandingonthewordofGodalwaysbringsaboutchange. TheunexpresseddialoguebetweenElijahandhisservantmusthavebeentensionfilled,withthe servantrapidlycomingtotheconclusionthatthemanofGodhadlostitandElijahbecomingmore doggedlydeterminedthathehadheardfromGodandthereforethewordhadtocometopassand thereforerepeatedlysendinghimbackforanotherreport.Elijahcouldhaveallowedhisfocustoshifton havingbeenrepeatedlytoldthereisnothingbuthestoodhisground;Heknewwhomhebelievedand knewHiswordtobeinfallibleandthereforeremainedfocussed.InMatthew14Peter,youwill remember,wasabletowalkonwateraslongashekepthiseyesonJesus,thelivingWord,themoment hisfocusmovedfromtheword,hebegantosink.WhenyoustandyourgroundonthewordofGod changeisinevitableand,therefore,IurgeyoutokeepyoursightfirmlyfixedonthepromisesofGod. Ontheseventhoccasionthathesenthisservanttoobserve,Elijahreceivedadifferentreport,Thereis acloud,assmallasamanshand,risingoutofthesea!Theverysamepeoplewhohavetoldyouthat thereisnochangewillwitnessfirsthandthecompletemanifestationofGodswordoveryourlife.This wasallthatElijahneededheimmediatelyinstructedtheservanttogotoAhabandinstructhimto prepareforadownpour.Soonenoughtheskywasblackandtherewasheavyrain.Thiswillbeyour testimonyinthisseasonasyoupersistintheplaceofprayerandrefusetogivein.Ideclareachangein yourcircumstancesandaturnaroundforeveryimpossiblesituation.Theskyisblackandthecloudsare gathering!AsyoustandfirmonthewordofGod,yourhealing,yourdeliverance,yourprovision,your restorationandadvancementshallmanifestThereisaheavyrain!
Ideclarethattherewillbesomethingtoshowforyourprayersinthisseason.Whateveritisthatyoumaybe facing,Ideclarethatyouwillseetheanswertoyourprayers!AllthingsarepossibleinGod;nothingisimpossible; yourimpossibilitieswillbeturnedaroundandbecomerealities.Godwillansweryourprayers!