PRAYER
“Righteousness and Prayer”

KEY THOUGHT:      Prayer without results is ritual.

KEY SCRIPTURE:    Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 4:16

INTRODUCTION:    Righteousness is the ability to stand in the presence of YHWH without a sense of sin, guilt, condemnation, inferiority or fear.  Righteousness consciousness is a prerequisite to a successful prayer life.  Three things we want to see are:  1) the place of a righteousness consciousness in prayer. 2) the rights and privileges of the righteous in prayer. 3) the prayer of the righteous in action.

I.          THE PLACE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS CONSCIOUSNESS IN PRAYER

A.        One of the Greatest Destroyers of Prayer Success is Sin Consciousness

1.         Guilt

2.         Condemnation

3.         Inferiority/Unworthiness

4.         Fear

B.        Where There is No Righteous Consciousness, There Will Be No Lasting Prayer Success

1.      Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 4;16 “Come boldly...and obtain.”

2.       People who are “bombarding the gates”  don’t know their “throne rights”.

C.        Romans 3:10-28

1.     Righteousness is available to all, but not all are righteous.

a.         Romans 5:17-20

D.        Sin Consciousness Should Be Destroyed At New Birth

1.         Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 10:1-3

2.         Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 9:11-14

3.         A man with a righteousness consciousness will not hesitate to pray.

a.         Ya’akov (James) 5:16 (Amp)

b.         1 Kefa (I Peter) 3:12

E.         YHWH is Looking for Those Who Will Open the Door for the Manifestation of His Power

1.         John Wesley said, “It seems that YHWH is limited by our prayer life.  He can do nothing for humanity unless someone asks Him to do it.”

II.         THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF THE RIGHTEOUS IN PRAYER

A.        Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 9:12, “Having (not getting) obtained eternal redemption for us.”

1.         redeem:  to buy back

2.         Adam sold mankind into Satan’s kingdom, but Yeshua  bought us back into YHWH’s kingdom.

B.        Colossians 1:12 (We are NOW citizens and residents of the kingdom of YHWH with full rights and privileges)

1.         Most people don’t know what belongs to them.

C.        Our Rights and Privileges in Prayer

  1.        Mattityahu (Matthew) 7:7-11

  2.        Mark 11:24

  3.        Yochanan (John) 14:13,14

  4.        Yochanan (John) 15:7

  5.        Yochanan (John) 16:23,24

  6.        Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 4:16

  7.        Ya’akov (James) 5:13-16

  8.        1 Yochanan (1 John) 5:14,15

  9.       Y’hudah 20,21

10.       and many more...

III.       THE PRAYER OF THE RIGHTEOUS IN ACTION

A.        Ya’akov (James) 5:16-18 (Elijah is the example)

1.         Elijah was not righteous in the sense that we are, yet he knew his rights in prayer under the Old Covenant.

B.        M’lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 17:1

1.         The key to his prayer, “BEFORE WHOM I STAND.”

2.         He knew who his YHWH was, and what his rights were in serving Him.

a.         Elijah means:  My EL is YHWH

C.        M’lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 17:17-24

1.         Verse 24 (His answered prayer was evidence of YHWH’s existence.)

2.         This is the first account of the dead being raised.

            D.        M’lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 18:1-46

                        1.         Verses 36, 37 (20 second prayer)

                                    a.         Mattityahu (Matthew) 6:7

2.         E.M. Bounds said, “YHWH was with him mightily, because he was mighty in prayer.”

CONFESSION:  I have been made the righteousness of YHWH in Mashiach Yeshua.  I am that righteous one NOW.  My prayers do avail much and make tremendous power available, dynamic in its working.  YHWH is with me mightily, because I am mighty in prayer.