Victory In Life Depends
Upon Victory In Prayer!
Part Two
1/2/05
Victory in life depends upon victory in
prayer!
James says: Ja. 5:16 "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much."
1 Pet. 4:7 (KJV) But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore
sober, and watch unto prayer.
(NLT) The end of the world is coming soon.
Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.
(Message Bible) Everything in the world is about
to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer.
(NIV) The end of all things is near. Therefore be
clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.
I believe that the NIV conveys the true meaning of
the verse the best.
1 Pet. 4:7 (NIV) The end of all things is near. Therefore
be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.
In other words, if we are not clear minded and
self-controlled, there is no way we can have an effective prayer life!
Two weeks ago we started with being "clear minded."
Now, let's examine being
"self-controlled."
What does self-control have to do with your
ability to pray? Everything!
A little Quaker lady was complimented by a younger woman, who was amazed at
her self-control when provoked. No matter what, the little lady seemed to
remain sweet and patient. She received the compliment, nodded, and then said,
“But thee should know I’m shouting inside.”
Paul was being held in custody. He could have spoken on anything and look
what he chose.
Acts 24:24 Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a
Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ
Jesus. 25 As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the
judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may
leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”
righteousness--God’s part
self-control--our part
and then the judgement to come if we don’t do our
part
Paul gives instruction to the “older men”
“older women” and “young men” to be self-controlled.
Titus 2:1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. 2
Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled,
and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they
live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.
4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and
children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy
at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will
malign the word of God. 6 Similarly, encourage the young men
to be self-controlled.
Pr.25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken down
is a man who lacks self-control.
"He is strong who conquers others; he is
mighty who conquers himself."
A person who lacks self-control:
is vulnerable
is easily taken captive spiritually
struggles in resisting the enemy
becomes easy prey
cannot obtain goals
is easily offended
speaks without thinking
has no commitment
A person with self-control--controls:
their thoughts
their words
their eyes
and their appetites
2 Tim. 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive,
disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love,
unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers
of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God — 5 having a form of godliness but denying
its power. Have nothing to do with them.
Understand this very important truth. The Bible says the as the devil
realizes his time is short the fierceness of his power becomes greater. Those
who have the least amount of self-control are the easiest for Satan to take
control of.
Rev. 12:12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you
who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone
down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”
Notice the connection between being “alert”
and “self-controlled.”
1 Thess. 5:6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us
be alert and self-controlled. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night,
and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to
the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate,
and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
1 Pet. 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him,
standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the
world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
1 Pet. 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled;
set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
The "Old Self."
Rom. 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the
body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7
because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Eph. 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put
off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23
to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the
new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Col. 3:9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self
with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being
renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
2 Tim. 1:7 (KJV) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power,
and of love, and of a sound mind. 7 (NIV) For God did not give
us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
1 Tim. 4:8 (NLT) Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is
much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.
Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.