iPRAY #1: BUILDING A HOUSE OF PRAYER

(May 2013 Beausejour Church Pastor Chris Jordan)

OPENING: Foursquare pastors convention report. Excited about new season & coming harvest!
INTRO TO TOPIC: For some reason, the smallest meeting in every church is the prayer
meeting. Why is that? Perhaps it is because people have tried to pray in the past and havent seen
results, or they dont really believe that prayer changes things, or they simply dont know how to
pray. I want to change that! The title for our series is iPray which reminds us that God wants
all of us to be people of prayer.
QUOTE: Prayer meetings in the church have become relegated to a few old ladies who have
nothing else to do (but) Prayer is meant to be one of the most exciting aspects of a life of faith.
It has the power to transform lives, change circumstances, give peace and perseverance in the
midst of trials, alter the course of nations, and win the world for Christ. (Myles Munroe).
OPENING TEXT:
The sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name
of the Lord, to be His servants Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them
joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My
altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. (Isaiah 56:6-7, NKJV).
Jesus quoted this Scripture, and Matthew (21:13), Mark (11:17) and Luke (19:46) all
recorded it in the New Testament. That tells me this is an important truth!
Not just a house of preaching or praise and worship, the church is a house of prayer!
QUOTE: Without prayer, we cannot live the Christian life. Prayer means power. More prayer
means more power. Prayerlessness is disobedience, for Gods command is that men ought
always to pray and not to faint. The place where the Christian stops to refuel is prayer. (Leonard
Ravehnill, Revival Praying). We need a revival of prayer and seeking God in the church!
THE BIG IDEA: One of the most important things that we can do as Christians is to learn to
pray. We need to trust in our Heavenly Father who is good, and loves to give good gifts to His
children. There is power in prayer!
My hope is that when you go home from church today that you will say, iPray!
THE CALL: But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door,
pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you
openly. (Matthew 6:6). Christianity is all about a personal relationship with Jesus!
1. THE STORY OF HONI THE CIRCLE MAKER: (Show Video Clip)
It was the first century BC and a devastating drought threatened to destroy a generation, the
generation before Jesus. The last of the Jewish prophets had died off nearly four centuries before.
Miracles were such a distant memory that they seemed like a false memory. And God was
nowhere to be heard. But there was one man, an eccentric sage who lived outside the walls of
Jerusalem, who dared to pray anyway. His name was Honi. And even if the people could no
longer hear God, he believed that God could still hear them.

With a six-foot staff in his hand, Honi began to turn like a math compass. Honi stood inside the
circle he had drawn. Then he dropped to his knees and raised his hands to heaven. With the
authority of the prophet Elijah who called down fire from heaven, Honi called down rain. Lord
of the Universe, I swear before your great name that I will not move from this circle until you
have shown mercy upon your children. Then it rained. (The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson).
2. THE STORY OF ELIJAH: (James 5:16-18).
The story of Honi reminds me of Elijah, an Old Testament prophet who prayed for rain:
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The
effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like
ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years
and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
God didnt answer Elijah or Honis prayers because they were special!
Our Heavenly Father is a good God and loves to give good gifts to His children.
Why dont we see miracles? You do not have because you do not ask. (James 4:2b).
Jesus said, Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24).
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive
them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:24).
3. THE STORY OF JOSHUA:
1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none
came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and
the mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all
around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of
rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and
the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the
ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a
great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man
straight before him. (Joshua 6:1-5).
So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people
heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down
flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the
city. (Joshua 6:20).
CLOSING CHALLENGE FIVE ACTION STEPS:
1. Pray 5 minutes a day every day for the next 21 days.
2. Start a prayer journal and write down all of the things you are praying for (prayer circles).
3. Make a commitment to come early on Sundays for our pre-service prayer (10:00-10:20).
4. Pray through your neighbourhoods this week. Joshua 1:3: Every place your foot treads
5. Come out to home groups for the next four weeks for The Circle Maker series!
PRAYER WALK: Join with me Sunday, May 26th for a Prayer Walk around Beausejour.
Lets dream big for our town! God is able to do exceedingly abundantly (Eph. 3:20).
Praying for salvations, love, peace, unity, no drunkenness, divorce, sexual sins anymore!
CLOSING: Prayer for miracles in peoples lives and a harvest of lost souls.

iPRAY #2: BIG PROBLEMS, BOLD PRAYERS, AND BEAUTIFUL PRAISE

(May 2013 Beausejour Church Pastor Chris Jordan)
INTRO: Happy mothers day! (Video Clip)
HUMOUR: A little boy forgot his lines in a Sunday school presentation. His mother was in the
front row to prompt him. She gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it did not
help. Her son's memory was blank. Finally, she leaned forward and whispered the cue, "I am the
light of the world." The child beamed and with great feeling and a loud clear voice said, "My
mother is the light of the world."
THE BIG IDEA: When we have a big problem in our lives, we need to know how to pray bold
prayers, so that God can perform a miracle, resulting in beautiful praise.
1. THE BIG PROBLEM:
In the first 8 verses of First Samuel 1, we learn about a man named Elkanah who had two wives:
Peninnah and Hannah. Pininnah mocked Hannah and so Hannah wept and wouldnt eat.
So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was
sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of
soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. (1 Samuel 1:9-10).
Whatever problem youre facing today, arise! Get up! Go on!
Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will
hear me. Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in
darkness, The Lord will be a light to me. (Micah 7:7-8).
2. THE BOLD PRAYER:
Then she made a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of
Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your
maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor
shall come upon his head. (1 Samuel 1:11).
Hannah prayed and fasted for her child before the child was even born.
Hannah dedicated her child to the Lord (discuss baby dedications).
12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. 13
Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli
thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away
from you!" 15 And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I
have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16
Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint
and grief I have spoken until now." 17 Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of
Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him." 18 And she said, "Let your maidservant
find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
(1 Samuel 1:12-18).
Hannah prayed an intense, passionate prayer that resulted in Gods favour and blessing.

So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his
name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked for him from the Lord. (1 Samuel 1:20).
God responded to Hannahs big problem and answered her bold prayer!
Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour,
and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was
young. (1 Samuel 1:24).
Its good to dedicate our children to God after they are born as well.
Its good to bring our children to the house of the Lord.
A.

THE RESULT OF THE BOLD PRAYERS:

Samuel served the Lord, even as a child (1 Sam. 2:18).
Samuel led Israel in its first great revival.
Samuel drove the Philistines back into their territory.
Samuel re-established worship of the One True God.
Samuel set up the Kingdom of Israel.
Samuel anointed David as King.
Samuel wrote 1 Samuel.

B.
HOW DO WE PREPARE OUR CHILDREN?
And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men. (1 Sam. 2:26).
Luke 2:52: And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
This is a Bible verse that Ive been praying for my children lately.
QUOTE: Make sure the heavenly father hears about your children daily Youll never be a
perfect parent, but you can be a praying parent. Prayer is your highest privilege as a parent
Your children need to see and hear you praying Your prayers for your children are the greatest
legacy you can leave. (Mark Batterson, Praying Circles Around Your Children).
a. Pray for your children every day. Ask Gods favour to be upon their lives. Pray for His
protection: Lead them not into temptation, but deliver them from evil. I do this when I
tuck my children into bed at the end of the day.
b. Make family devotions a priority. We do this at dinner time. It doesnt have to be long
or complicated. Read a family devotional book, or read a chapter from the Bible.
c. Bring your children to church. In our family, its not an option. We come to church
together as a family. Gods Word is being planted in their hearts! Bring them to the place
where God can bless them.
C.

WHAT CAUSES REBELLION IN CHILDREN?

Conflict between parents. #1 reason kids get into drug & alcohol abuse.
Lack of proper discipline. Prov. 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go. Train
= direct, control, or make the child do right. Bring your kids to church!
Speaking negative words over your children. This causes children to rebel.
Giving children things and not love. Not saying things are bad, but proper balance.
Children reflect their parents spirituality. Passion produces passion.

3. BEAUTIFUL PRAISE:
1 And Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 "No one is holy like the Lord, For
there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God 9 He will guard the feet of His
saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. "For by strength no man shall prevail. 10 The
adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn
of His anointed. (1 Samuel 2:1-10).
v.5 says: Even the barren has borne seven.
Hannah gave her firstborn son to the Lord, and the Lord blessed her with seven children!
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to
all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21).
When we have a big problem in our lives, and we pray bold prayers, God performs a
miracle, resulting in beautiful praise.
ILLUSTRATION:
"Max Jukes, the atheist, lived a godless life. He married an ungodly girl, and from the union
there were 310 who died as paupers (poor), 150 were criminals, 7 were murderers, 100 were
drunkards, and more than half of the women were prostitutes. His 540 descendants cost the State
one and a quarter million dollars.
"But, praise the Lord, it works both ways! There is a record of a great American man of God,
Jonathan Edwards. He lived at the same time as Max Jukes, but he married a godly girl. An
investigation was made of 1,394 known descendants of Jonathan Edwards of which 13 became
college presidents, 65 college professors, 3 United States senators, 30 judges, 100 lawyers, 60
physicians, 75 army and navy officers, 100 preachers and missionaries, 60 authors of
prominence, one a vice-president of the United States, 80 became public officials in other
capacities, 295 college graduates, among whom were governors of states and ministers to foreign
countries. His descendants did not cost the state a single penny. 'The memory of the just is
blessed' (Prov. 10:7)." (Al Sanders, Crisis in Morality).
APPLICATION:
What big problem are you facing in your life right now?
Pray bold prayers, watch God perform a miracle, and praise Him for it.
What do you want Jesus to do for you and your family?
CLOSING PRAYER:
Pray a special blessing on all of the moms and grandmas.
Pray for all of the families and challenge them to pray together.

iPRAY #3: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

(May 2013 Beausejour Church Pastor Chris Jordan)
OPENING TEXT:
8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still
sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will
certainly save us from God's judgment. 10 For since we were restored to friendship with God
by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from
eternal punishment by his life. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with
God -- all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God.
(Romans 5:8-11, NLT).
This is one of the most amazing things that Jesus death on the Cross accomplished!
So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. (Exodus
33:11).
Abraham was called a friend of God. (James 2:23).
Jesus said to His disciples: I have called you friends. (John 15:15).
In Luke 7:34, Jesus is called the friend of sinners!
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars,
which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man
that You visit him? (Psalm 8:3-4).
QUOTE: I cannot imagine a greater motivation to pray than that God enjoys having me in His
presence. He enjoys my company. He delights in listening to me It is such a dazzling thought,
that the same God who has countless billions of angels worshiping Him sixty seconds a minute,
day and night, to whom the nations are but a drop in the bucket, and who knows all about every
leaf on every tree in the world, also welcomes my company because I am very important to
Him. (R. T. Kendall, Did You Think To Pray?).
THE BIG IDEA: The whole story of the Bible is about God longing to have a personal
friendship with human beings. We develop our friendship with God by spending time abiding in
Jesus in prayer, abiding in the Word, and abiding in His love.
HOW TO DEVELOP A FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD:
ABIDE IN JESUS IN PRAYER:
1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear
fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.4 Abide in Me, and I in
you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless
you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears
much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out
as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are
burned. (John 15:1-6, NKJV).
Abiding in Jesus in prayer is like a branch remaining vitally connected to a vine or a tree.
When we dont abide in Jesus, we become peanut brittle Christians dry & crunchy!
If we want to be juicy fruit Christians (fruit of the Spirit), we need to abide in Jesus.

Jesus said if we dont abide in Him, we can do NOTHING. (I have tried)

How do you know when youve neglected personal prayer? Weary & easily frustrated.
But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with
wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:31).

ABIDE IN THE WORD = BIBLE STUDY:

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be
done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My
disciples. (John 15:7-8, NKJV).
If we want to see the power of prayer, we need to abide in Gods Word!
REASONS OUR PRAYERS DONT GET ANSWERS: Five Main Reasons: (there are more)
1. Were asking for something God hasnt promised.
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we
ask, we know we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15).
The more we know His promises, the more confidence we will have in prayer.
2. We dont ask.
You do not have because you do not ask. (James 4:2).
ILLUSTRATE: Many Christians pray, but dont ask for anything.
Example of praying for Aunt Gertrude. ASK!
3. We ask selfishly.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on
your pleasures. (James 4:2b-3).
EXAMPLE: BMW Z4 CONVERTIBLE
4. We dont ask in Jesus name.
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:1314).
5. We are walking in disobedience to Gods Word.
(If you obey), The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give
the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. (But if
you dont obey) your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and
the earth which is under you shall be iron. (Deut. 28:12,23).
ABIDE IN HIS LOVE:
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My
commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and
abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that
your joy may be full. (John 15:9-11, NKJV).
What an amazing thought: Jesus loves us as much as God the Father loves Jesus!
Prayer is developing our friendship with Jesus walking with Him daily.
Why dont Christians pray more than they do? They dont know God loves them.
Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember

therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works. (Revelation 2:4-5).
Its good to take some time to abide in and meditate on the love of God:
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called
children of God! (1 John 3:1).

FRIENDS OF JESUS:
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no
one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever
I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is
doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made
known to you. (John 15:12-15).
Loving friends are willing to lay down their lives for one another.
We are His friends it we do what He commands us.
If we are His friends, He reveals His secrets to us the will of God!
STORY WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS:
5 And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to
him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I
have nothing to set before him'; 7 and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me;
the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? 8 I say
to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his
persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. (Luke 11:5-8).
SONG: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS:

Beausejour Community Church Website:

Pastor Chris Jordans Blog:

www.beausejourchurch.ca
http://pastorchrisjordan.wordpress.com/