Subject: Pray Until Something Happens – P.U.S.H.
Rick Welborne
Joshua 6:8-20 (NLT)
8 After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the LORD, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant followed behind them.
9 Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns.
10 “Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!”
11 So the Ark of the LORD was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.
12 Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the LORD.
13 The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the LORD. All this time the priests were blowing their horns.
14 On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.
15 On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times.
16 The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the town!
17 Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.
18 “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel.
19 Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into his treasury.”
20 When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.
8 After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the LORD, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant followed behind them.
9 Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns.
10 “Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!”
11 So the Ark of the LORD was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.
12 Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the LORD.
13 The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the LORD. All this time the priests were blowing their horns.
14 On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.
15 On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times.
16 The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the town!
17 Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.
18 “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel.
19 Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into his treasury.”
20 When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.
Luke 18:1 (NLT)
1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
--When I shared with you, Life Church, about the dream God has given me about a campus in the Villages, I shared the story about Honi…the Circle Maker!
--In the 1st Century BC there was a devastating drought that threatened to destroy a generation…the generation before Jesus. Miracles were only a distant memory and it seemed God was nowhere to be found.
--But there was a man, a sage, who dared to pray and believe God anyway. His name was Honi. He believed that even though people could not hear God, he believed God could still hear them.
--Honi was known for his ability to pray for rain and today was going to be his big opportunity (huge)…with a six-foot staff in his hand, he began to turn like a math compass in a circular motion…very methodical.
--Without looking up he turned 90 degrees, then 180 degrees, then 270 degrees, 360 degrees as the crowd looked on…After what seemed like hours but had only been seconds, Honi drops to his knees.
--With his hands raised to heaven and with authority like the prophet Elijah when he called fire down from heaven, Honi called down rain:
Honi – 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.
--This prayer was not just a prayer of his voice but a prayer from the depths of his soul…Those who were nearby and heard the prayer were impacted by the authority in which he prayed.
--His prayer was resolute but humble, confident yet meek, expectant but unassuming. Then, it happened as the prayer ascended into heaven, raindrops began to fall as the people gasp.
--While all heads were looking upward, Honi’s head was still bowed because he was not yet satisfied with a few drops from heaven, his voice raised above those who were celebrating:
Honi – Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain that will fill cisterns, pits, and caverns.
--History tells us that eyewitnesses said there were not drops of rain smaller than an egg in size…so much rain that the people had to run to the Temple Mount to avoid the flash floods…what a picture.
--Honi has not moved outside the circle and again raises his voice with another bold prayer:
Honi – Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain of your favor, blessings, and graciousness.
--The day before the day it had been difficult to believe it could be possible but the day after the day, it was impossible not to believe.
--So what are you saying, Pastor Rick? I am asking you to draw a circle around you today and pray boldly that the dream God has given you and Life Church will come to pass just like the rain fell for Honi.
1. In 2018 I challenge you to pray bold prayers!
--Life Church, God is looking for people who will pray prayers like their lives depend upon it, pray prayers that will resurrect the dead (prodigals), and prayers that will make walls come crashing down.
--Our bold prayers honor God and God honors bold prayers.
Mark Batterson: God isn’t offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers. He is offended by anything less. If your prayers aren’t impossible to you, they are insulting to God. Why? Because they do not require divine intervention. But ask God to part the Red Sea or make the sun stand still or float an ax head, and God is moved to omnipotent action.
--We must be convinced in 2018 that God loves keeping promises, answering prayers, performing miracles, and fulfilling dreams. That is Who He is! That is what He does! The bolder the prayer, more glory for God!
--God is just waiting for our human impotence to intersect with His divine omnipotence, and they intersect when we go around those walls one more time and pray for them to fall.
--But, Pastor, I have prayed for ten years for the miracle…pray another year and pray boldly that this is going to be the time for God to show up in power and majesty!
--I promise you God is ready and He is willing…you must get in your mind and seal it in your heart that God is for you. If you don’t believe that you will pray weak timid prayers. If you believe it you will pray bold prayers!
Romans 8:31-32 (NKJV)
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
2. In 2018 I challenge you to pray and not give up or quit!
Luke 18:1-8 (NLT)
1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people.
3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’
4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people,
5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.
7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people.
3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’
4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people,
5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.
7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
--Justice will come from a just Judge…How do we view God?
--Do we see Him as just to others but not to us? Is He just to Americans but not to Muslims? Is God just to everyone? Is He truly willing that none should perish? Is He willing to answer our prayers?
--Is your God waiting with a big stick wanting to crack you on the head the first mistake you make or is He so far away and so unconcerned about you and your problems…He can’t be touched by your stuff.
Hebrews 4:14-16 (KJV)
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
--How we view the justice of God will determine how we view our world and those closest to us. If we believe He does not care…we will not care for them…the judge neither feared God or cared about people.
--Justice will come to the chosen who cry out night and day. The story Jesus told was to emphatically say that if an unjust judge will give justice, how much more will the just Judge God answer those who cry out night and day! Don’t quit praying!
--How we pray will determine how we live…how we pray will determine how we care for the lost and hurting…how we pray will determine how much we trust our just God.
--Justice will come to those who pray and never give up. We give up, we quit way to soon! What if Israel would have gone around Jericho one less time on that last day? Stopped on lap 12. No miracle!
--What would have happened if the people would have started talking instead of being silent …Be still and know I am God? Their history proved their grumbling and complaining killed miracles.
--What if we pray one more time today and then, do it again tomorrow…what will happen if we pray and never give up?
3. In 2018 pray circles around those things that are most important.
--When I first read about Honi (the Circle Maker) and his miracle of praying for rain…I started trying to pray circles around everything and everyone I was already praying for. God said…you’re missing the point!
--Don’t misunderstand me, everything I pray for is very important and every person I mention in my prayers are dear to me and obviously are dear to God.
--I will continue to pray for all these needs but when it comes to praying bold circles around certain needs that are absolutely near to God’s heart and mine…I pray with a different intensity.
--Three needs that are near to me are my family, my church, and the lost! All these things are near to the heart of God so I will pray bold circles around them.
--When I am praying bold circles around my family, I am praying for my marriage to Tricia…do we have a good marriage, yes, but could it be better by me praying circles around it…of course.
--I pray for my kids to love God and to find their calling and destiny with Him…I plead the blood of Jesus over them and I pray favor over them every day.
Joshua 24:14-15 (NKJV)
14 "Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!
15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
14 "Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!
15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
--When I pray bold circles around the church (Life Church) I pray for Holy Spirit, Book of Acts growth and that Jesus will build His Body and multiply us by souls being saved. Pray circles around the Villages for the campus
Matthew 16:18 (NIV)
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
--When I pray for the prodigals I pray circles around my own family (who are lost), your families, and those I am witnessing to in our communities.
Isaiah 60:1-4 (NKJV)
1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 "Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 "Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
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