Welcome, welcome to the Line of Fire Broadcast Michael Brown. Class is in session as we continue in the School of Prayer today here on the Line of Fire talking about being co-workers with God in prayer. An amazing concept by God's grace will infuse you with faith and truth and courage to help you stand strong on the front lines. Remember friends, we are listener and viewer supported. Thank you for standing with us.
The best way to do it is to go to thelineoffire.org, thelineoffire.org, and click donate. So first Samuel 12 23. Samuel says this to the people of Israel with the concern what his stance will be towards them.
He's been the national leader. He said, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. So he knew that a key role he had to the nation was to be a man of prayer for them and in doing so he would be honoring the Lord and as we'll see this is a way that we work together with God.
Psalm 109 verse 4, as the psalmist is being falsely accused, he says in Hebrew, literally but I am prayer or I am a prayer, meaning my whole life is going up as a prayer. In the midst of an accusation, attack, be it demonic attack or human attack, what is our great outlet? What is the most important thing that we can do?
What is the most helpful thing we can do? It is prayer. It is communion with God in prayer. Psalm 106 verse 23, Psalm 106 verse 23, God said that he would destroy Israel had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them. Moses strategically cries out to God, God's ready to bring judgment. He has every reason to bring judgment but instead as Moses cries out to him, God does not destroy.
God works together with us to accomplish his purposes. Look at what's written in Ezekiel chapter 22 and these are verses we'll come back to as we talk about intercession and the meaning of intercession in scripture. Ezekiel 22, 30 to 31, God says I looked for someone among them, among the people, among the people of Israel, among those who were sinning. Is there anyone who's going to pray?
Is there anyone who's going to cry out? He said I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap in behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it but I found no one. God was looking for someone through whom he could answer prayer. He wanted to have mercy but a human being had to give him a reason for it. A human being had to come and pray otherwise God is not working with us.
God is just doing what he does and human response doesn't matter at all. Jeremiah 18, God gives the principle that when someone is ready to, that when God is ready to bless a nation and that nation instead turns to sin, instead of blessing he'll bring judgment. When he's ready to bring judgment and that nation instead turns in repentance, what does it say? That he will now withhold the judgment and instead bring blessing.
He works with us, he responds to us. We are not just here passively waiting to see what God will do, he's also waiting to see what we will do. And look at what Paul says in terms of our whole life, our whole ministry, everything that we do from Paul to Apollos to every servant of God in history. 1 Corinthians 3-7, so neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything but only God who makes things grow.
So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, only God who makes things grow. We have a job to do and part of that job, part of that privilege, part of that calling is prayer. But it is God who answers, it is God who works, we are his co-workers. Now there is labor involved, there is sacrifice involved, prayer is wonderful, prayer is beautiful, but prayer can also be work, prayer can also be a struggle. Look if prayer was as easy as eating your favorite meal, if prayer was as easy as vegetating on the couch, if prayer was as easy as just hanging out with your friends and having fun, we'd all pray all the time. But there is resistance to prayer and prayer is a holy work and labor. Romans 15-30, Paul wrote, I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus the Messiah and by the love of the Spirit to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. So first Paul asked for prayer from the churches. He knew there was power in the prayer of believers.
When I was in India, my last trip at the end of the last meeting and I preached on Israel, the brother that I worked with there, he said, all right, I want everyone to surround Dr. Brown, I want everyone to pray for him as representing Israel. So first the men, the pastors and leaders that were there all surrounded me and prayed and it was sacred, it was beautiful, it was glorious, it was deep, it was passionate, I was moved by it, I felt carried by it. And then when they were done there was a smaller number of women that were there and the women then surrounded me and the moment they began to pray for Israel by praying over me instantly, it was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life, instantly they began to weep and wail.
Instantly they were crying out in deep anguish of heart. I mean screaming, wailing with a burden for the salvation of Israel and praying over me for my role in reaching the Jewish people. Those prayers make a difference around the world as I know people pray for me and the work that God's given us to do. It encourages me. It encourages me more than words could say. Yes, we're blessed by financial support. Yes, we're blessed by words of encouragement. Yes, we're blessed by people giving their talents to help the work that God's called us to do. But the highest, the highest, the greatest thing is that labor of prayer.
Paul knew the importance of it. So not only does he ask for prayer but he says join me in my struggle. You will now join in the spiritual battle. You will now be side by side with Paul as he's on the front lines, as he's being persecuted, as he's being rejected, as he's facing demonic opposition. You'll be on the front lines with Paul as you pray you will join him in his struggle.
Colossians 4-12, Colossians 4-12, Apaphras who is one of you and a servant of Messiah Jesus sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you that you may stand firm in all the will of God mature and fully assured. He's wrestling in prayer. Do you know what it is to wrestle in prayer?
Again if I say things that sound foreign or if I say things that that seem like you could never attain to, remember these are invitations not condemnations. If you don't know what it is to wrestle in prayer say God show me what that means. We all know what it is to wrestle and many of us especially boys and you wrestle with other friends and it's physically rigorous and if you ever see professional wrestling matches or stage but if you actually see Olympic level wrestling the matches aren't that long but they are absolutely exhausting. Wrestling is exhausting physically.
Well here is a servant of God spoken of as wrestling in prayer. It's a battle. There's opposition. There are challenges. Sometimes you have to stay with it. Sometimes faith is just not there and breakthrough seems distant and you have to just persevere.
Wrestling and prayer join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. These are all verses that are very, very relevant. Now let's dive in deeper to this concept of being co-workers. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 9. Paul writes, for we are co-workers in God's service. You are God's field, God's building. So he was saying he and Apollos and the others they are co-workers with God pouring into the Corinthian believers but all of us are co-workers with God in other ways. For example, when you're used by God to alleviate suffering, when you work in a soup kitchen in the inner city, when you send funds to help feed the poor overseas, you are working together with God. When you share the gospel with a lost person, you are working together with God. And the way that we can do this every day, no matter who we are, no matter what our stature, no matter whether we're known or unknown, the way that we can do this every day is in prayer.
Working together with God. He wants to move. He wants to bless. He stirs us to pray.
There's an urgent need. He wants, let's put it like this, he wants an excuse to work. You give him that excuse. Because there are certain things he will do entirely on his own, sovereignly, because he so chooses. Other things he chooses to do through us and to do with us and he gives us the sacred privilege of participating. 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 1, as God's co-workers, we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. As God's co-workers, we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.
My friend, when you get down on your knees to pray, when you drive in your car and pray, when you take prayer walks around your neighborhood, you are literally working together with almighty God. All right, an important announcement. We'll be right back. Let's hear what TriVita customers are saying. Dr. Bronner, I can't wait to tell you, those supplements are absolutely amazing. My strength has gone up. I was doing weight that I haven't done since my 20s. I usually ride my bike to the gym and then on the way back after I've done my weight training, I'm huffing and puffing. And on Sunday, I rode my bike there and back and I had so much energy. I'm telling you, the combination of the nitric oxide with the mild health, amazing.
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So let's understand this again. God is God. He can do whatever he wants to do. He chose completely on his own will and volition and of his own pleasure to create the universe and to create the human race and to send Jesus to redeem us. He did this all completely on his own as the sovereign creator and ruler. And then he sets certain laws in motion.
There are laws of gravity in the universe. There are spiritual laws of sowing and reaping. He sets things in motion. And then he also makes certain decisions as to what he will and will not do. He will offer us choices. Here's life and death.
Choose life. He will give us freedom to do the right thing or to do the wrong thing. So this is how he set things up. He doesn't just save someone sovereignly, supernaturally, without any human intervention or any human work of any kind. He moves on people to pray for that person's salvation. He has someone share the gospel with them. I've even heard accounts, first-hand accounts, from the Muslim world of a Muslim having a dream and in the dream they meet a particular person who gives them a book, a holy book, and it's the Bible.
They meet that person in the place they saw in the dream dressed a certain way and the person gives them a Bible and that person leads them to the Lord. God has determined that he will work through human beings in this world. Now a lot of times when we're praying we think, why? What's the purpose in praying? I mean, what's my little prayer going to do in this massive, messed up world?
Why bother? It's easy to think like that. And look, God gave a promise he's going to do what he said. He promised it's just going to happen.
And the thing is just too big, too bad, too impossible. Why bother praying? These are normal human thoughts. Think of Daniel chapter 9. God said through the prophet Jeremiah that the children of Israel would be in captivity for 70 years. Now if you count it starting in 586 BC with the destruction of Jerusalem, when Daniel's praying it's roughly about 50 years they've been in captivity.
But Daniel went to captivity earlier so he's looking, hey I've been in captivity almost 70 years. So he prays. God gave a promise.
He prays. God promised the Messiah would come into the world. But we see in Luke chapter 2 that Simeon has been waiting for the promise and Anna has been praying for decades for the promise.
So Simeon's now an old man. He's been praying. He's been waiting. He's believing. God responds to the prayers of his people.
Your prayers can make a difference because you are working together with God in a very, very sacred entrustment. Look at this principle. First Corinthians chapter 15 verse 21. First Corinthians 15 21. For since death came through a man the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. So God was committed to redeem mankind. He did it through a man. Human beings sinned so he sent his son into the world as a human being to die for the sins of human beings. And since then God continues to use human beings in the plan of redemption. He did before the cross.
He does after. What does Jesus say in Matthew 28 18? After his resurrection he tells his disciples all authority in heaven and earth is given to me therefore go and make disciples.
You could put it like this. Jesus saying let's go let's go change the world together. We have all authority in the name of Jesus. All authority belongs to him. As we go forth in the Great Commission we use his authority, his name, we preach in his name, we push back against demonic power in his name, we lay hands on the sick in his name. It's all by his name for his glory by his authority.
But please hear me, please hear me. He works together with us. He carries out the Great Commission with us. He wants to deliver Peter from prison.
So Acts 12, what happens? He has the church praying. He moves on the believers to pray. This is the hand of God. This is the work of God.
I know I'm emphasizing this over and over, but I want to drill it home. You are not just praying to God. I have lots of things to pray about, a long list.
Hey, we have our lists and sometimes we just go through item after item. God, I've got this on my mind. I'm concerned about this. I'm worried about this. I don't know what to do about this.
I need help here. By all means, we make our prayers and petitions and supplications known to him with thanksgiving. But don't just think that you are there praying to a distant God. You are working together with God. He is stirring your heart to pray. He is encouraging you to pray because he wants to move. He wants to bless, and he will do it through your praying and through my praying. Now, look, we understand that we can't change God's eternal purposes in prayer.
He has purposes. There are things according to his character and nature, and we can't change those by prayer. If the word of God is explicit on something, or for example, there were times when God told Jeremiah, don't pray. Jeremiah 7 16, Jeremiah 15 1, don't pray.
There's no reason to pray because I'm going to bring judgment on this generation. There are other things he could pray for, but not for that. But unless the word of God is explicitly against it, unless the character of God is explicitly against it, unless we know by the will of God that he's not going to do a particular thing, or he is going to do a particular thing, our prayers can make an absolutely massive difference. Our prayers can hasten how he does things. Our prayers can speed the work of the Spirit. Our prayers can hinder the work of Satan. Often we receive words from the Lord.
We know it's him. A scripture comes alive to us. A promise comes alive to us. A prophetic word comes to us.
What do you do? Pray. Pray for that Lord you promised, Lord you spoke it. Some things just happen because the Lord shows us this is going to happen and it happens.
Many other things are delayed. Many other things will be prayed into reality. Many things will be prayed to come to pass.
How? We cooperate with God. We work with God. We hear his promises and we go back to him, God you promised, God you said this, and he loves it.
He loves it. I remember when our daughters were little and one day, well they were, they're in their 40s now, so they were young. I don't think they weren't teenagers yet. And we lived in Maryland and I said to them, hey, tomorrow, after dinner, why don't we go get ice cream? Yeah, daddy, we'll get ice cream. That's what was fun.
That was in my days of unhealthy eating. Yeah, we'll get ice cream. So the next day I came home, I said, you know, my schedule's a little tighter than I expected. Why don't we go tomorrow instead? Daddy, you promised.
And these crocodile tears start pouring down their little eyes. You promised, daddy. I mean, I just kind of said it in passing the day before. Hey, why don't we get ice cream tomorrow? But in their mind, it's like I swore by my own blood. No matter what happens, we will go get ice cream and I pledge it, I promise it. And my whole reputation as daddy depends on it. But I remember really enjoying that because daddy said something and his daughters took it seriously. And I remember, in those days, I was more than happy to go get the ice cream, even if we were slightly more hurried in our schedule. But for sure, I said to myself, I want them to be able to trust their earthly father so that they'll trust their heavenly father.
I want them to know if their earthly father says something, that their heavenly father can be trusted as well. That was my mindset in it. And I remember sometime later, I'm sitting at my desk in my study at home and they come in and they say, dad, can we go get McDonald's for lunch today? And I said, because I learned my lesson now. I said, maybe.
Maybe. And they begin to reason, well, he didn't say definitely. He said, right in my presence. He didn't say definitely. He said, maybe. But maybe when he says maybe, we're going to do it. And they started jumping up and down, we're going to McDonald's.
I thought, oh boy, can't win. But the cute thing is this. They knew that daddy was able to do this and they trusted daddy's goodness and his disposition. How much more do we come to our heavenly father when Jesus contrasts us with the heavenly father?
This is you being evil. Know how to give good this to your children. How much more will the heavenly father give good things to them? Ask Matthew 711. How much more will you give the Holy Spirit to those who ask? Luke 11 13. So I want you to consider when you pray that you are joining together with God. You're not just coming to him from a distance. Oh God, I'm down here.
Could you maybe like spend a second and look over here? Cause I have a need. No, you're joining together with your father. He has purposes, things he wants to do. You want to see your kids blessed? He wants to see them blessed more.
You want to see these people saved? He wants to see them saved more. You want his purposes for your life to be fulfilled? He wants them fulfilled more. You want the name of Jesus to be lifted up?
He wants them lifted up even more. So together we join with him as fellow workers, as fellow servants. We're going to continue this theme one more day. We join together as fellow workers, fellow servants in the sacred holy work of prayer.
In your church prayer meetings, in your corporate times, you are joining together with God. Let's stand together. Let's make a difference.
Let's see what he can do. This is Dr. Michael Brown. Thanks so much for tuning in. Just a reminder that we are listener supported. If we have been a blessing to you, if you're being enriched in the word and prayer and your own walk with God through this broadcast, then stand with us so that we can reach many, many more and bless many, many more. Together, friends, we're making a difference. So go to thelineoffire.org, thelineoffire.org, and click donate.
