How to Pray About Your Problems
Series of Sermons on Prayer, #3
Frank Ottati
The Key to Prayer is Faith
How do you get faith?
“…by hearing the Word of God.” Romans 10:17
The Keys to pray for difficult decisions are the promises of the Bible. There is a promise for every need. They are like blank checks.
Why don’t the promises always work?
You can not automatically claim a promise that’s been given to someone else in the Bible unless the Holy Spirit gives it to you.
In Greek there are two terms for Word of God. God speaks in two ways to people:
- Logos of God: God speaks universally to every one
Ex : The Bible: from Genesis to Revelation
- Rhema of God: God speaks to specific people, a specific message, in a specific situation, in a specific time.
Ex: Sarah, to have a child when she was 90 years old, Gen:18: 9
Peter, to walk on the water, John 14:29
Healing of a blind man, John 9
Satan tried to trick Jesus by quoting a general promise, Matt 4:6 (Psalm 91:11,120): You can throw yourself down and the angels will take care of you.
It was like saying, take some poison, and God will take care of you. That was not faith, that was presumption. That was a general promise, not a specific promise to Jesus given by the Spirit.
“If we come to Him in faith, He will speak His mysteries to us personally.” Desire of Ages p. 668.
Then the next question is: How does God speak to me personally?
Answer: Through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will:
- Teach us all things, John 14:26 This is
- Remind us all things, John 14:26 the Holy Spirit’s
- Guide us into all truth, John 16:13 job
- Convict us of sin, John 16:8 description
God gives us general words, a logos. the Holy Spirit, takes it and touches us personally, it becomes a rhema: in a sermon, a song, a prayer, a lesson, a verse, a testimony. You say, God is talking to me.
How do you know that is God giving you those impressions?
- It will always agree with the Bible
- The Bible becomes exciting
Ex: God says, I love you, general – logos – statement
Then the Holy Spirit touches you and you feel God’s love. You say to Him: I want to give you my heart. I want to follow Jesus. I want to be baptized.
How do you pray about a problem or difficult decision?
- Confess your sins, 1 John 1:9
- Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, Prov.3:5,6
Put your gear in neutral and say: Whatever You want is what I want Lord. “Not as I will, but as You will.” Matt 26:39
- Ask God to give you the right desire, Psalm 37:4; James 1:5: “Lord If it is the right desire, make it stronger; if it is the wrong desire: take it away”
- Check the desire with the Bible, James 3:17
- Listen to God’s rhema to you through a:
- Bible study.
- Sermon, song, a person, an event, a circumstance.
- A tape, a radio, a TV program.
- Wait on the Lord, Psalm 27:14
- Believe and act. James 1:5-8
My call to the Ministry. Little confirmations.
Logos = God’s word to everyone = general: “For God so love the world…”
Rhema= when you feel His presence and God tells you through many avenues: I love you Robert; I love you Mary he does it on a personal basis.
Invitation : To experience Jesus’ personal love
