Destined for Victory

Paul Sheppard: How do you grow in your faith? You stay in the word, you remind yourself of the promises of God, you remind yourself of the goodness of God, you read what God says about himself. Don't spend time looking at what people have shown you by their poor examples.

Guest (Male): "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours." That's Mark 11:24, and this is Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Sheppard.

Time and again in God's word, the Lord tells us that he answers prayer. It's one of our most powerful weapons, one we don't use often enough. Today you'll get an in-depth look at the power of prayer, as well as a few of the reasons why your prayers might sometimes be hindered.

We hope you'll stay with us, but just in case your schedule won't allow that today, remember you can visit our website, PastorPaul.net, and listen to any of our recent messages on demand, including today's. That's PastorPaul.net. Now, let's get started with this message, "There's Power in Prayer."

Paul Sheppard: If your reality is there are times you ask in faith and you think everything's in order in terms of your asking and your state of faith, and it doesn't happen, what do you do? You don't stop and freak out. You stay in the mode of expectation.

The best way to remind yourself of what you ought to be like is to, as often as you can, or memorize the passage in Luke 18. The first story Jesus tells in the gospel of Luke chapter 18 is a story designed, he says, to help you know that men ought always to pray and never give up.

Then what does he do? He goes into a story of a woman who takes her request before an unjust judge. Jesus is clear in the story. This is a crooked judge. This is a man who really doesn't always execute justice. Unjust. Not always just.

And Jesus says, but the woman pesters him. "Please, I need you. I need you to take up my case. My adversary has come against me. I need you to right this wrong that's happening in my life." And Jesus, read it when you get a moment in Luke 18, Jesus said, and although the judge was unjust, he said to himself, "Although I don't fear God and I don't care about people, this woman is getting on my nerves. If I don't give her what she needs, if I don't take her case and put it on the top of my pile and address it now, she's going to kill me."

He said, "So though I don't fear God and don't care about people, I'm going to give this lady what she needs so she can get out of my face." And Jesus then said, "So if that's the case with an unjust judge, how much more will God avenge his people who call on him day and night?" That ought to be your position.

I'm asking that this is a time when you shift gears. Because if you grow up around church folk, let's just be honest, if you grow up around certain church folk, I'll put it that way, you will be taught how to pray and, though they'll never say it, they'll teach you how to never expect. They pray prayers because it's religious. And when they get through praying, they go on to the next thing and they never do expect God to answer.

You're not supposed to be somebody who prays a lot and gets no results. So you have to up your faith, grow in your faith. How do you grow in your faith? You stay in the word, you remind yourself of the promises of God, you remind yourself of the goodness of God, you read what God says about himself. Don't spend time looking at what people have shown you by their poor examples.

And you grow in your faith, you grow in the word. Then the other way you grow in your faith is hanging around faith-filled people. If you spend time with faith-filled people, faith can be contagious, and it'll catch. And when you get around somebody who prays and expects results every time, that'll start teaching you and retraining you in the area of prayer.

I expect God to move every time. That's where we ought to get. If you're not there, then that's the journey that you ought to be on. So that you end up surprised when you don't get it right away. You know your faith is where it ought to be when you are shocked that you don't get it right away. And that doesn't discourage you. You just say, "Let's stay in faith because remember Jesus said, God will avenge those who come before him day and night."

In other words, I'm not giving up on my request. The only request you should give up on is one you know is not God's will. If you're plotting on some dude but he's already married, give that request up. "I think I'd make a much better wife than she makes. Lord, in Jesus' name." No, don't do that. God's not going to break them up so you can be happy. Although his wife might be praying for somebody to come get him, but anyway.

But you have to learn to pray, the Lord will raise him up. That's the expectation we have. Ask God and believe God and expect God and stay in faith. Remember what Hebrews 6 says. "Without faith, it is impossible to please God." Hebrews 11:6. "Because he that comes to God must first believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him."

So that's what James is showing us here, that the expectation ought to be that they get well every time. And he says, "And if he's sinned, he will be forgiven." Prayer is a good time to get things straight before the Lord. Remember the Bible says that.

One time Jesus was teaching about prayer in Mark 11, I believe. I don't have it here in my notes, but just from memory, I believe it's Mark 11, where he tells us about if you speak to that mountain and tell it to be removed, cast into the midst of the sea, don't doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, you shall have what you say.

And then what does he say? "And if you're holding anybody in unforgiveness right where you're asking God to move mountains, you've got to say, Lord, I release that person that I've been holding in my heart." In other words, don't ask God to do miracles and you still have old nasty attitudes you won't give up. You have some unresolved issues with people.

Guest (Male): Well, this is a great place to take a quick break, but stay with us. We'll be right back with the second half of today's Destined for Victory message, featuring Pastor Paul Sheppard.

To take Pastor Paul's ministry wherever you go, be sure to download our free app. Just search for "Destined for Victory" in your app store and you'll be able to listen any time on demand. The app also has convenient links for the resources offered here on the program and others to help you grow in your faith.

Your faithful prayer and financial support is the reason we're able to bring you this ministry. We're so thankful for that and for the eternal impact it's having in the world. To give generously today, please visit PastorPaul.net or call 855-339-5500. God invites us to pray and assures us that he will answer, but there are some things that will hinder our prayers. Now, let's listen closely to the rest of today's Destined for Victory message, "There's Power in Prayer."

Paul Sheppard: So it's the same dynamic here. Here he's saying if you've sinned, that's a good time to get your sin addressed in the presence of God, so nothing hinders your prayer. Do you know why some of you married people aren't getting your prayers more effectively answered? Because you have these feuds that you won't settle.

Don't believe me? Ask Peter. Peter wrote the inspired word of God, 1 Peter, and he talks about the fact that married people sometimes their prayers are hindered because they're not treating each other right. You all don't believe me. Let me see. Now, that's not in my notes, but just looking at your face. You all say, "What? I have to stop fighting with them?" Yes, you do.

Wives, you sent me to 1 Peter 3. See, now I'm going into overtime. 1 Peter 3:1. "Wives, in the same way, be submissive to your husbands so that if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives." Submission and coercion are two different things, by the way.

Coercion is when you try to make somebody do something. We're all grown folk. You can't make me do anything. So, men, if you want a certain thing to go and you want a certain thing to happen in your life, don't try to do it by strong-arming because submission means I choose to yield. It's what you're supposed to do when you're coming onto the freeway.

I have to help you all understand. This word translated "submission" in English translations, it confuses a lot of folk in our day. But it really needs to be "yield." That's the better translation, the more accurate thing, is "yield." Now, when you come on, you're on the ramp coming on, you're supposed to kind of be moving up toward freeway speed, but the folk on the freeway have the right of way. You all don't know that. I'm trying to help you, because you all just come barreling out there and if anybody's out there, oh well.

Yield. Same word here. Simply means although I could go out there and just take my chances, I'm supposed to look and say, "Is anybody else in this lane I'm about to merge into? If so, and if I would cause a collision by jumping in front of them, I choose to slow down a bit, let them go, and then I tuck in." It's for order.

It's not they're more special than you. It's just for order. When the Bible talks about things like submission, and it doesn't just say that about wives, it says in one place in Ephesians 5, it says we as the body of Christ submit to one another. In the body of Christ, anybody ought to be able to help you understand you need to do some things differently in some area of your life, and we yield to the wisdom God gives other people.

So this is not something from the dark ages, well, the Bible, that's why I don't believe it's inspired. No, it is inspired because it teaches us how to have orderly relationships. And so when it says wives, submit to your husbands, it's not saying husbands you coerce her. As a pastor, every now and then I run into men who are trying to get their wives to have more relations with them.

I have some minors in the audience. Work with me, people, work with me. They want relations, and they want more than they're getting. And sometimes they try to read the Bible to them. Look at what this says right here. And they go to 1 Corinthians 7. Paul said, "Render to the husband due benevolence." That's if they have King James, "due benevolence." I love that phrase, "due benevolence." When we first got married, I said, "Baby, it's time for some due benevolence, isn't it?"

Where am I? Oh, anyway. And I've had to tell husbands over the years as their pastor, that's not foreplay, reading somebody the Bible. You aren't going to get what you want to get. Anyway, back to 1 Peter, verse 3. "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should come from your inner self."

Peter was just teaching people how to be a quality person. "The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in the sight of God." Let me skip down to verse 7. "Husbands, in the same way, be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life." Watch this. "So that nothing will hinder your prayers." Some of you husbands aren't getting your prayers through because you're not treating your wife right.

I didn't say it, Peter said it. You're not considerate of her. And listen, don't trip over that "as the weaker vessel." All that means is it's an acknowledgment of the fact that even physically, God created men, all things being equal, with a different type of physique. So that historically men have been the heavy lifters. You all know it's true. I know you're a feminist, but don't trip.

They've been the heavy lifters and you all ought to be thanking God that they've been the heavy lifters. And that's all it means by the weaker vessel. She's not weaker emotionally, she's not weaker mentally, she's not weaker academically or educationally. You all know that. Many women are brilliant, far more brilliant than you've ever hoped to be in some cases, and you have to respect that.

But all things being equal, look at athletics. The record for fastest runner or the highest jumper or whatever, look at men's versus women's. All things being equal, the men's records are more impressive. It only means it's a physique thing. But don't trip, brothers, just because she's the weaker vessel in that doesn't mean she can't clean your clock. I've seen brothers write a check they can't cash. You run up on the wrong sister, she'll straighten you out.

All right, I have to go back to my message. So if you're going to pray with power and effectiveness, you've got to make sure that you're addressing your own issues or the issues of your relationships so that you don't try to come before God and get miracles and answers and you're at home cussing and fussing or you're mistreating your siblings or you're mistreating people in your life.

And then look at what he says as I wrap this up. Verse 16 of James 5. "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." Confess. Confession ought to be part of your life as a child of God. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other. Christians have to get okay with the fact that God is not shocked that you commit sin. So why try to hide what God already knows?

Confess. Now, since God knows, here's the thing we have to learn in the body of Christ. Since God knows that you all aren't perfect yet, none of his children are perfect yet, and he's not surprised when you need to confess, "Lord, I've done this wrong. Please help me."

Then he says, "I want you to take the next step and don't just tell me in heaven, tell your brothers or sisters who walk with you so that they can hold you in accountability. They can love you. They can remind you of the things you ought to be doing." That's where the church really fails in too many cases because the church has become a society of Pharisees instead of people who welcome and live by confession and mutual accountability.

When somebody is wrong, you know what that is? Welcome to Earth. The challenge is those who are right, at least in that area at that moment, are called to come alongside the one who is wrong and help them get right. But you have been around church folk. They love in too many cases, not all but some, in too many cases, love rejoicing and gossiping and disrespecting when somebody is wrong.

And so why are we surprised when unchurched folk say, "I'm not going to church. They're the people that need more help than I do," because they can spot the hypocrisy. They can spot it. But what if we create a place where people don't have to pretend, they can just be where they are?

I had a "Welcome to the Family" orientation, my wife and I yesterday, just sat around with some of our members and we're doing that more and more just to give them a chance to talk with us. We get to hear a little bit about them, answer any questions, that sort of thing.

And one of the young women afterwards came to me and said, "I've got some challenges and I'm not religiously-wise. I've kind of been all over the place." And she was quoting me. I was talking about a particular well-known person at one time. And I was making the point that just because they're religiously whack doesn't mean you can't learn some things from them in terms of business acumen.

And this lady said, "I heard you say that, and that kind of describes me. I've been whack." She said, "But is it okay for me? I really want to be here. Is it okay for me?" I said, "We exist for people like you." I said, "And be sure you understand that as you're coming into the church, don't think you're the only whackness up in here."

You have whackness all around you. Any row you get on, whack, whack, whack, whack. And the only reason some of us are getting better is because we're taking the medicine of the word. And the word is getting us better. Oh, don't you think for a moment everybody up in here is where they ought to be. We all in the need of prayer, all in the need of confession, all in the need of, "Lord, help me. Lord, help me get a handle on this. I'm tired of this struggle. I want you to bring me to a place. I want some new struggles. I'm tired of the old ones."

And I'm determined I'm going to pastor a church that handles sin correctly. That we don't condone it, but we don't condemn sinners. Because if you condemn people who aren't perfect, you better throw yourself up in there too.

And then he goes on and says Elijah was a man just like us, yet he had a powerful prayer life. You know, Elijah, Old Testament prophet Elijah, read about it beginning in 1 Kings chapter 17. James's point is he's just like us. Now, he had power with God. I'm talking about so much power when you read his story, you'll see at one point God used him to call down fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice that they had made up on the mountain as he was challenging these false prophets. This man had power. Anybody who can call down fire and God answers.

But the next day, Jezebel, King Ahab's wife. King Ahab had the throne, Jezebel was in charge. Your title doesn't make you in charge. "I'm the head of the house." Your wife says, "Well, I'm the neck that turns the head. Don't run up on me wrong, I'll get you told."

So he says, Elijah's a man. One day he's working miracles. Next day Jezebel has put out a contract on him. The king's wife put out a contract on him. This girl was so bad, she told the people, "Go tell him I just put out a contract on him." That's a bad sister. If you're going to put a contract out on somebody, you want to sneak up on him. She said, "No, no, no. Go tell him that by this time tomorrow, he's going to be dead."

Apparently Elijah believed her. He just called down fire yesterday. You would think he'd say, "Go tell Jezebel if she doesn't want me to burn her up too, she better get up out of my face." That's what you would think. But how many know we don't work like that? Our anointing comes in waves and then it goes. And after every high tends to be a low. And she caught him on a low day. He believed it. He said, "Thank you very much for letting me know." My man took off.

So with all of that, sometimes anointed, sometimes scared, he has a powerful prayer life. God used him to shut up the heavens because God wanted to judge their sin of idolatry when they had gone into the worship of Baal. Baal was considered in the pagan societies the rain god. So God said, "I tell you what, since you all now are worshipping the rain god, I'm going to shut up the heavens for three plus years. And there won't be a drop of rain or dew till Elijah calls it back into being."

And God did it to judge their sin. Folks, there is power in prayer. There's power in prayer. Don't let your mysteries keep you from praying. "Yeah, but listen, my uncle was the most faithful person I know and he was believing God for healing from that and he died." I know. We all have mysteries. But the word doesn't authorize me to stop walking in faith because I have unanswered questions.

Guest (Male): Miraculous stories like Elijah's are not limited to the Old Testament or to the early years of the church in the book of Acts. God still works miracles today and he often does them because his people are praying. If you need prayer today, please visit PastorPaul.net and use the contact feature to share your request with us. Our ministry team is always happy to lift you up in prayer.

So glad you stopped by for today's Destined for Victory message, "There's Power in Prayer." If you joined us late or to hear the full message one more time, stop by PastorPaul.net. That's PastorPaul.net.

Well, let me ask you, do you have someone in your life, a friend, a coworker, a family member, who needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and you never just quite know the best way to present it? If so, you'll want to contact us right away to reserve your copy of this month's Destined for Victory resource, You Are So Loved. This booklet is a short, readable gospel presentation that doesn't feel like a tract. It just might open a door you've been praying to have opened for years.

That's You Are So Loved, our thank you gift today for your generous donation to Destined for Victory. You can give by phone by calling 855-339-5500. That's 855-339-5500. Or visit PastorPaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California 94538.

Paul Sheppard: I am concerned as a 21st-century preacher in America. I am concerned about how quickly we are turning from what we knew to be right. And now we've bought into all kinds of philosophies that are telling us things that are not consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Guest (Male): That's tomorrow in our message, "Learn to Discern." Until then, remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.