Anything Is Possible - Message 1 - Ask Like You Mean It
The salient point of this discourse centers on the imperative of asking God with genuine intent, for "anything is possible — but it starts with asking God." Our discussion unfolds through the lens of a parable from Luke 18, illustrating the persistence of a widow who, despite repeated refusals from an indifferent judge, ultimately received justice due to her unwavering determination. This narrative serves to underscore the notion that God is awaiting our requests, urging us to engage in persistent prayer, while also emphasizing that vague prayers yield vague outcomes. As we embark on this journey, we will explore the significance of specificity in our petitions and the necessity of perseverance in our spiritual endeavors, challenging the congregation to reignite their faith and reclaim their boldness in approaching the divine. The spiritual malaise observed within our congregations is not merely a fleeting concern; it signifies a deeper crisis of faith. Within the hallowed halls of our churches, many individuals find themselves grappling with the disillusionment of unanswered prayers and a retreat from their once vibrant beliefs. This series, titled 'Anything Is Possible,' emerges as a clarion call for revival, inviting believers to reclaim their confidence in the extraordinary. Our exploration is structured into three compelling messages, each undergirded by three core principles: tenacious prayer, relentless persistence, and decisive action. We posit that the same God who historically wrought miracles is active today, ready and willing to respond to the earnest prayers of His people. The first message, 'Ask Like You Mean It,' is anchored in the teachings of Luke 18:1-8 and Matthew 7:7, where Jesus imparts a parable about persistence in prayer through the story of a widow who, despite facing repeated refusals, continues to seek justice from an unjust judge. Her unwavering determination ultimately leads to her request being granted—not due to the judge's benevolence, but rather because of her relentless pursuit. This narrative serves as a powerful reminder that if a corrupt judge can be moved by persistence, how much more can a loving God respond to His children? The crux of our message emphasizes the necessity of specificity in prayer, urging believers to articulate their requests clearly and with conviction. We challenge the misconception that God operates solely on our timelines, encouraging congregants to revive prayers that have been long abandoned and approach God with renewed expectation. As we navigate through these themes, we address common objections that often hinder prayer, such as the discouragement that arises from perceived silence or unanswered requests. We assert that such silence does not equate to rejection; rather, it invites believers to strengthen their faith and resilience. By likening the act of prayer to earthly pursuits, we establish a framework for approaching God with confidence, trusting in His willingness to answer our requests. Our call to action is direct: we encourage each individual to bring forth one specific prayer they have ceased to pursue, to present it before God daily, and to do so with a sense of urgency and hope. In reaffirming our belief that anything is possible, we invite our listeners to embark on this transformative journey of faith and expectation.
Takeaways:
- Prayer is not merely a ritual; it serves as your direct access to divine power.
- To experience the miraculous, one must engage in persistent and specific prayer.
- The story of the widow illustrates that persistence in prayer leads to eventual answers.
- We must confront our doubts and revive our petitions, believing anything is possible with God.
Transcript
There is a crisis of cancelled prayers and abandoned beliefs sitting in the pews of our churches.
Speaker A:People who once believed God for the impossible have quietly settled for the manageable.
Speaker A:They start with fire, but somewhere between the major prayer and the answer, they let go.
Speaker A:This series is an invitation.
Speaker A:It is an intervention.
Speaker A:Anything is Possible is a three message journey that cuts through doubt, dismantles delay and dares the congregation to believe again.
Speaker A:In this series, we ground every message in three unshakable pillars.
Speaker A:Prayer that refuses to stop, persistence that refuses to quit, and action that refuses to wait.
Speaker A:This is not theory, this is not inspiration porn.
Speaker A:This is a biblical strategy for breakthrough.
Speaker A:And it works in your marriage, your finances, your health, your career and your calling.
Speaker A:The God who parted the Red Sea is the same God answering prayer.
Speaker A:In Soweto, Etembisa, Mitchell's Plain, New York, Accra, Ghana, Nairobi, Kenya, anything is still possible.
Speaker A:But brothers and sisters, you have to pray.
Speaker A:Hold on and move.
Speaker A:Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
Speaker A:Let's go into our first message.
Speaker A:Ask like you mean it.
Speaker A:Matthew 7:7 tells us, Ask and it will be given to you.
Speaker A:Seek and you will find.
Speaker A:Knock and the door will be open to you.
Speaker A:There was a woman in a neighborhood.
Speaker A:Let's call her Mam Tandi.
Speaker A:She needed to apply for a Sassa grant.
Speaker A:She went to the wrong office, knocked at the wrong door and nobody answered.
Speaker A:She went home empty handed.
Speaker A:A week later, her daughter told her the right place to go.
Speaker A:Umam Tandi went there and she knocked and knocked and knocked.
Speaker A:The queue was long, the day was hot, the official was slow.
Speaker A:But Mamtandi did not leave.
Speaker A:She had not come this far to go home without what she came for.
Speaker A:Now that is a picture of the kind of prayer Jesus is talking about in Luke 18.
Speaker A:The problem is not that God is ignoring you.
Speaker A:The problem is that most of us are knocking on the wrong door.
Speaker A:Or we knocked once and walked away before the answer came.
Speaker A:Brothers and sisters, anything is possible.
Speaker A:But it starts with asking God.
Speaker A:Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
Speaker A:Luke 18:1.
Speaker A:Now in Luke 18, a widow keeps going back to a judge who does not care about her.
Speaker A:He refuses her, she comes back, he refuses again, she comes back again.
Speaker A:Eventually he gives her what she asked for.
Speaker A:Not because he loves her, because she would not stop.
Speaker A:Jesus says if a corrupt judge will give in because of persistence, how much more will a loving father respond to his Children who keep asking Prayer is not a lottery ticket.
Speaker A:It is a conversation with a father who has the power to do what people say to cannot be done.
Speaker A:But here is the key.
Speaker A:You have to ask.
Speaker A:You have to show up at the right door.
Speaker A:You have to open your mouth.
Speaker A:God is ready to do the impossible in your life, but he is waiting for you to ask.
Speaker A:You may have an objection saying, I have prayed before.
Speaker A:Nothing happened.
Speaker A:God didn't answer me.
Speaker A:Now the widow in Luke 18 heard no more than once, but no is not never delayed, is not denied.
Speaker A:The question is not whether God has heard you.
Speaker A:The question is whether you gave up too soon.
Speaker A:Matthew 7:7 uses three present tense.
Speaker A:Ask, seek, knock in the original Greek.
Speaker A:These are continuous actions.
Speaker A:Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.
Speaker A:Now, this week, bring that one thing you stop praying about back to God.
Speaker A:Say it loud.
Speaker A:Say it specifically.
Speaker A:Don't send God a vague request.
Speaker A:He is your Heavenly Father, not a suggestion box.
Speaker A:Here are some main points for this message.
Speaker A:1.
Speaker A:Prayer is the door to the impossible.
Speaker A:Prayer is not a religious ritual.
Speaker A:It is your access point to the power of God.
Speaker A:When you pray, you are pulling heaven into your earthly situation.
Speaker A:Without prayer, you are fighting with your own strength.
Speaker A:With prayer you are co laboring with the God of everything.
Speaker A:Matthew 7:7 Ask and it will be given to you.
Speaker A:Seek and you will find.
Speaker A:Knock and the door will be opened to you.
Speaker A:Now you can work at a job every single day, but if you never ask for a salary increase, nobody's going to increase it for you.
Speaker A:The company has the money.
Speaker A:Yes, the company has the money, but you have to ask.
Speaker A:God has the miracle, but you have to pray.
Speaker A:Can I get an amen?
Speaker A:The prayer you don't pray is the miracle you don't receive.
Speaker A:The prayer you don't pray is the miracle you don't receive.
Speaker A:The second point for the message is ask specifically, not generally.
Speaker A:Vague prayers get vague results.
Speaker A:The widow in Luke 18 did not go to the judge and say, help me with my situation judge.
Speaker A:She had a specific case.
Speaker A:She had a specific need.
Speaker A:She said, grant me justice against my adversary.
Speaker A:Name it, claim it, bring it before God with precision.
Speaker A:Philippians 4:6 tells us, do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Speaker A:Now if you go to Checkers and ask the manager for something to eat, you'll get a very, very weird look.
Speaker A:But if you say, I need a box of Jungle Oatsize 1kg at $49.99, that man knows exactly what you want God honors specific faith.
Speaker A:Tell him exactly what you need.
Speaker A:Don't whisper a vague wish.
Speaker A:Bring God a specific request.
Speaker A:Don't whisper a vague wish.
Speaker A:Bring God a specific request.
Speaker A:Point 3 Pray until something happens the greatest prayer killers are discouragement and delay.
Speaker A:When the answer does not come immediately, many people conclude God said no.
Speaker A:However, Luke 18 is very clear.
Speaker A:Jesus told this parable so that we would always pray and not give up.
Speaker A:Not pray and give up after three weeks.
Speaker A:Always pray.
Speaker A:1 Thessalonians 5:17 think about load shedding.
Speaker A:I mean, 1 Thessalonians 5: 17 says, Pray continuously.
Speaker A:To that let's think about load shedding and power cuts.
Speaker A:Now Eskom cuts the power.
Speaker A:But we don't throw away our appliances.
Speaker A:We wait.
Speaker A:We know the power is coming back eventually.
Speaker A:If you can trust Eskom Geshem to restore power.
Speaker A:Trust God to restore what he promised.
Speaker A:If you don't ask, you will never receive.
Speaker A:Some of you have stopped praying because the answer didn't come through on your time.
Speaker A:Some of you stopped praying because someone told you to be realistic.
Speaker A:Some of you stopped praying because the silence felt like rejection.
Speaker A:But silence is not rejection and delay is not denial.
Speaker A:And God is not finished with you yet.
Speaker A:Not a God of maybe, but a God of yes and Amen.
Speaker A:Not a God who forgets, but a God who remembers every word you have ever prayed.
Speaker A:How many of you have a prayer that you gave up on?
Speaker A:How many of you have a desire you buried because it felt too big?
Speaker A:How many of you told God what you needed and then walked away before he could answer?
Speaker A:Here are some applicable lessons.
Speaker A:Write down one specific thing you need God to do and bring it to him in prayer every day this week.
Speaker A:Replace vague spiritual language with specific requests.
Speaker A:Be honest with God about what you actually need.
Speaker A:When doubt comes, go Back to Luke 18.
Speaker A:Read out loud.
Speaker A:Remind yourself delay is not denial.
Speaker A:Find a prayer partner, someone who will agree with you.
Speaker A: Matthew: Speaker A:Keep a prayer journal.
Speaker A:Write the date you prayed.
Speaker A:Leave space to write the date God answered.
Speaker A:Now what have you stopped praying about that God has not released you from?
Speaker A:Is your prayer life specific or is it a general complaint department?
Speaker A:Have you confused God's silence with God's?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:And what is the one thing you are afraid to ask God for because it feels too big?
Speaker A:If you truly believed anything is possible with God, what would you pray differently this week?
Speaker A:Now this week.
Speaker A:Revive one prayer you buried.
Speaker A:Write it down, make it specific.
Speaker A:Set a daily alarm, even five minutes, and go to God with that request.
Speaker A:Don't dress it up.
Speaker A:Don't overthink it.
Speaker A:Just ask every day for the next seven days.
Speaker A:Come back next week ready to testify of what God began to move.
Speaker A:Let us pray, Father.
Speaker A:We come back to the door.
Speaker A:We come back to the altar.
Speaker A:Some of us gave up too soon.
Speaker A:And we repent of the unbelief that convinced us the prayer was not coming.
Speaker A:Today we choose to pray like we mean it.
Speaker A:We bring you our specific needs, our real fears and our honest desires.
Speaker A:You said, ask and go shall be given.
Speaker A:We are asking.
Speaker A:You said, seek and we will find.
Speaker A:We are seeking.
Speaker A:You said knock and the door will open.
Speaker A:We are knocking and we will not stop.
Speaker A:Let faith rise in this room.
Speaker A:Let faith rise in this message.
Speaker A:And let prayers be revived.
Speaker A:Let the impossible become possible.
Speaker A:For nothing is too hard for you.
Speaker A:In Jesus name, amen.
Speaker A:You know the problem with most of our prayers?
Speaker A:We sound like we're ordering from a restaurant.
Speaker A:We don't expect to be open.
Speaker A:Lord, if it is your will, maybe.
Speaker A:Perhaps Geshe.
Speaker A:Maybe Clown beer.
Speaker A:Brother and sister, God is open.
Speaker A:Place your order with confidence.
Speaker A:Some of us have WhatsApp groups where we complain about our problems, but we haven't had a serious conversation with God about it.
Speaker A:We'll tell everybody about the issue, but won't tell the one who convinced.
Speaker A:The widow in Luke 18 didn't have a prayer.
Speaker A:She didn't have influence.
Speaker A:She didn't have money.
Speaker A:All she had was persistence.
Speaker A:And it worked.
Speaker A:Imagine what happens when persistence meets a father who actually loves you.
Speaker A:We'll pick this up again, brothers and sisters, in our next message.
Speaker A:Hold on.
Speaker A:Your harvest is coming.
