Power Walk Ministries

Guest (Male): We welcome you to the Power Walk Ministries broadcast with Pastor Paul Cannings. Today, Pastor Cannings brings us the final message in this series, Steps to Answered Prayer. We've mentioned throughout the week how excited we are about the release of Dr. Cannings' book, *When We Pray*.

The book doesn't merely teach about prayer but also explains that prayer is the most effective instrument for living a victorious Christian life. It lays a clear theological foundation as to why we can boldly approach the throne of grace, using practical applications. Meanwhile, the title of today's message is "When We Pray," and it gives us a glimpse into Pastor Cannings' new book. Let's listen.

Dr. Paul Cannings: Outside of salvation, one of the greatest gifts that God has given us, I actually think it's the next best gift that God has given to us, is prayer. To be able to talk to God when I was a sinner, I could not talk to God.

We start looking at how powerful Daniel was because of his prayer life. Paul would tell us to pray without ceasing. Such an honor to be able to pray. We don't even know what to pray unless we do what we've been talking about all week in abiding in Him, walking in Him, and having our sins forgiven.

When we pray, the Holy Spirit connects with our spirit so we could pray in the Spirit of God through Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of the Father. There's nothing that God could bring up against us because the Bible says Jesus Christ, sitting there in Ephesians chapter two, is peace with God. When God brings up an issue, Christ says, "Paid."

The Holy Spirit will guide us into truth. The Holy Spirit will guide us to live a holy, righteous, sober life because He's the helper of Christ, and Christ came to die for us and to present us before God as a radiant church. So, the Spirit of God is working with Christ to achieve that.

When God is seeking to do something that Christ could say, "They can't bear that," we have a constant lawyer, a constant intercessor that is sitting at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. When Satan arrives in heaven, Jesus Christ can say, "What you got?"

Satan, in the midst of all of this with Satan doing what he did to Job, Job kept crying out for an intercessor. "Give me an intercessor, God. Give me an intercessor, God." He said it four times in the book of Job. Guess who we have now? An intercessor. So guess who intercedes for us when Satan shows up day and night? Revelation chapter 12, verse 9 through 10 says he goes to heaven day and night seeking to bring accusations against us. Peter would say he's like a roaring lion. How would Peter not know he's like a roaring lion? Seeking whom he could devour.

There's a person that sits there and says, "I got this. I got this. Don't worry about it. Just keep coming to me. Don't interact about Satan. Don't talk to Satan. Don't talk to the dead." People sometimes talk to people that have passed on and they're talking to them to get to God. He says, "No, no, no." The Bible says do not talk to the dead.

Some people would go and talk to Mary. That's not what you do. There is one place to go. When we pray, we pray to God. We don't pray to Jesus. We don't pray to the Holy Spirit. We don't pray to the dead. We don't pray to Mary. We pray to God through Jesus Christ. That's why He says, "When you pray, mention my name when you pray because my name has authority, power, privilege."

"My name has substance to it. It has recognition. The sound of my name, demons tremble. So it has a reputation and power. It brings privileges. So call on my name." So many times, folks, yes, we want to talk about a whole lot of different things that we would think is the greatest honor ever that we've gotten from God outside of salvation, but I say today the greatest honor is to be in the throne room of God and be able to pray and to talk to our Lord.

That's why Paul did it without ceasing. He said, "I got a job. I got kids. I've got different things that got to get done." I call it walking prayers. One time I was just going out for a walk and said, "You know what? I'm going to just make this a walking prayer." So I'm on this walk by myself. It's a time of the day where nobody's out here. It's early in the morning. Hardly anybody's out in this place. I'm going to walk and pray. This is a quiet place.

Have you ever prayed before God and it's so loud in your head? "I got to pay the bills. Got to go here. Got to get this done." Or just so many troubles make you so stressed out you can't concentrate on finishing a sentence. I don't know about you, but there are times in my life I've been there and my prayer was just, "God, quiet my spirit. Bring me a song, some verses."

I'm praying according to His Word. See, He says the Holy Spirit will bring back to me His Word. John chapter 14, verse 26. "And God, I thank you for listening because you promised me that you would listen. You promised me that you would hear every prayer that I pray."

That's why he says here in 1 John, as we conclude this week in verse 23 through verse 24, you would think he left the whole subject of prayer, but he actually is still in it. But the emphasis is on the commandments of God because he's talking about a time when people's hearts are everywhere and John is trying to keep their hearts in the right place.

As you would see in chapter 5, verse 16, he talks about there is a sin that leads to death. Go help your brother not to sin. So he's talking about all these different things and John is trying to keep those believers that are sincere in their walk with God focused. He's saying there are times in our lives the Word of God is not just a word we read, a word we hear, a word that comes into our minds. We have to see it as a commandment.

It's kind of like you're busy and you're trying to go somewhere but there's a stop sign. Sometimes you're praying and you feel that there's just a red light after red light after red light. Noise. You can't concentrate. You fall asleep. You want to pray to God, but you've prayed about the same thing so much you feel like He's saying no but you need a yes. There's so much, and that's why he says you've got to move from the Word of God being words to a commandment.

That's where he is right now when he talks about this. He says a commandment. What does he mean by this commandment? A commandment is where, just like you would find a general in an army giving a soldier orders to do what he needs to do. It's not about us understanding everything and getting it and therefore because I understand, Lord, I will serve you. No. "God, I clearly know exactly what you're saying. I'm just going to go do it and let you work it out."

That's a commandment. That's when a person just does what God tells them to do. You see this in the prophets where the prophets just went and did what God told them to do, telling the people what God wanted them to do. There are times when these prophets didn't listen, like Elijah, and he chose to run away because of Jezebel. God says, "Here is a commandment: go back."

There are times in our lives we have to get there. That's why he says in verse 22, whatever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. That's where we finished up yesterday. But here is the key thing as we move forward in our walk with God.

We must also continue this thought as he transitions to commandments in verse 23 through verse 24. "And this is his commandment: that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave us commandment." He's kind of doing a full circle here. He says that the commandment is only exercised when I believe. Now, the words faith and belief are synonymous, but in the context when he uses believe, it's something that we've already seen. That's why he would say to Thomas, "Thomas, you see so you believe."

When we see this word believe, even though it's synonymous with faith, it has a bent more towards what you see, what you have touched, what you have beheld. That's why when he says believe here, he says "in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ," the reputation of his Son, Jesus Christ. Here's a church not too long after Jesus died and rose from the grave, and John is a witness to that, chapter 1, verse 1 through 4 right here in 1 John.

So he is saying you have the reputation of Jesus Christ being communicated to you and you know of the reputation because there are still people alive that could tell you what took place. They were eyewitness accounts. They saw him. There were 500 people who saw him after the resurrection. John is telling you in 1 John, chapter 1, he says to us in verse 1, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have beheld, a word of life. For this life was manifested, and we have seen it, bear witness, soon unto you, the eternal life which was with the Father and manifested to us."

So you see what John is saying to us is that faith is the substance of what you hope for and the evidence of what you didn't see. No, you are talking to people who saw, who touched, who beheld, and they're telling you that you could believe in that reputation. The reputation that when people were sick, He healed them. When people were lost, He found them. When people were sinners, He brought them to God. When people were dead, He raised them.

He did it in His name. He didn't call out a God. He did it in His name. I've seen Him pick up Peter and put him back in the boat. I've seen a person demon-possessed and heal them. So the reputation of Jesus Christ from the 500 witnesses that saw Him after the resurrection continues on and I'm the one that has seen it. That's why when you believe, believe in His name.

Believe in His name. If you're having a struggle following His commandments, hold to His name. Follow the reputation and therefore it's easy to do what He tells you to do whenever He tells you to do. And that's why he says in verse 24 that "he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in them." That way, that person experiences the fullness of God. "And hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us." The Spirit which He has given us.

Please understand in this whole issue of prayer, we come right back to the Spirit who lives within us. How does the Spirit pray? Paul would say he prays the groans of our heart in Romans chapter 8, verse 26. How does the Spirit pray? He brings the Word back to our minds so that we keep it so we remain in it, so we trust it, so we hold on to it, so we remember the reputation of Christ.

The Holy Spirit illuminates the Word of God so we know how to walk in it. The Holy Spirit is the one that will keep us strong when we are weak. The Holy Spirit will give us peace when we are in sorrow. The Holy Spirit will teach us to love when we need to love. The Holy Spirit will be the one who brings joy when we are out of strength. The Bible is saying this Holy Spirit is the one that keeps you so you keep praying as you hold to His commandments.

Because now you're not praying in your own flesh. You're not praying in your own strength. You're praying because you kept the Word of God. You've gotten to know God. You're committed to walk in light as He's in light. You're committed to do what God says. So as a result of that, the Spirit now takes you over. You're not praying in your own strength. You're not praying because the circumstances overwhelm you. You're praying because the Spirit keeps you, preserves you, blesses you, strengthens you, empowers you. So now you're praying because He is praying for you.

It's the greatest privilege, the greatest joy, the greatest opportunity that we could ever have in Jesus Christ is to pray. He didn't say you pray to anybody but God through Jesus Christ. Stop praying to anybody else. He says to pray. When you come to Him, talk to Him. Just interact with Him. He knows your heart. Stay focused.

Guest (Male): Thank you, Pastor Cannings. Friends, I hope you'll order your copy of Pastor Cannings' new book, *When We Pray*. You'll find it online at powerwalkministries.org. That's powerwalkministries.org. It'll be listed amongst our other ministry resources.

And while you're online, think about coming alongside Power Walk to support us financially so that we can keep these broadcasts on the air. Your contributions are tax-deductible and we're very grateful for your support. You're also welcome to call us at 281-260-7402. That's 281-260-7402.

If you'd like to write Power Walk and secure your copy of Dr. Cannings' new book, *When We Pray*, our mailing address is Power Walk Ministries, PO Box 920517, Houston, Texas, 77292. And if you live in the Houston area and you don't have a church home, you're welcome to visit Reverend Cannings and his congregation at Living Word Fellowship Church. It's located at 7350 T.C. Jester Boulevard in Houston. And now as we leave you, remember, prayer is the most effective instrument for living a victorious Christian life.