Teaching/Prayer Points for April 2017

APRIL 2017

Barriers to Answered Prayer

Selfishness - The New Global Epidemic

This month I would like to take the opportunity to help you to achieve answers to your prayers.  For further help and assistance with this try to get hold of my book Prayer Power (available from Amazon) or sign up for our Prayer Academy which starts this year.

Today’s world is a very selfish narcissistic one.  Christian and non –Christian alike have become very overwhelmed by their own personal needs and often have very little time for the needs of others even in the place of prayer.  Selfishness is that attitude of being concerned with one’s own interests above the interests of others. Selfishness is also the major and number one reason for breakdowns in marriages, family and social relationships and  societal problems! 

Selfishness in our lives will become a barrier between us and God and will ultimately block and stop our prayers from being answered.

The apostle Paul admonishes us in Phillipians 2: 3-4 (NASB)

“do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,

but with humility of mind regard one another

as more important than yourselves;

do not merely look out for your own personal interests,

but also for the interests of others”

In this passage Paul compares selfishness to “empty conceit”—a term that could be translated “vanity” or “arrogance.” It refers to an overly high opinion of oneself. Selfishness, then, is akin to narcissism.

Selfishness often wears many different faces but the most  common face is frequently seen when an individual demonstrates the need to build up oneself while tearing down someone else.

Six Biblical Definitions of Selfishness

1.   Selfishness hinders prayer (James 4:3).

2.   Selfishness is also known as “works of the flesh” according to Galatians 5:20.

3.   Selfishness leads to - “disorder and every evil practice” (James 3:16).

4.   Selfishness caused the children of Israel to “willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved” (Psalm 78:18).

5.   Selfishness caused the rich young ruler to turn his back on Jesus (Matthew 19:21-22).  

6.   Selfishness ruins friendships (Proverbs 18:1),

So What is the Opposite of Selfishness?

The opposite of selfishness and the characteristics that we need to have in order to obtain answers to our prayers  is found in Philippians 2: 2

1.   “Being united with Christ,

2.   Having tenderness and compassion,

3.   And “being like-minded,

4.   Having the same love,

5.   Being one in spirit and purpose”

Resisting[1] the sin of selfish ambition requires genuine humility. Genuine humility restores and grows relationships. Being humble involves having a true perspective about ourselves in relation to God.

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,

but rather think of yourself with sober judgment,

in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you

Romans 12:3

If Philippians 2:2 describes you then answered prayer will become a habit and pattern of success in your life.

How to Get Answered Prayer

Make an effort to invest some of your time in and on other people outside of your norm.  Live your life in a way that pleases God - do not sin deliberately! Pray for those around you, your society, world, global issues, devote some of your prayer time to the needs of others and not just your own.  Our world is in a lot of trouble  and your prayers can help to change things.  Give, devote, some of your prayer time to the needs of others.   Did you notice that it was when Job began to pray for his friends that his own situation began to change for the better.

And the Lord turned the captivity of Job,

when he prayed for his friends:

also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Job 42:10

Do you want to be blessed?  Do you want success?  Do you want answers to your prayers?

The Bible states:  It is “more blessed to give than to receive”  (Acts 20:35) and remember  “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7)…get yourself off your mind. Make a daily habit of giving someone a kind word or even a helping hand and you will be surprised to see how God begins to bless you.

Make prayer and a daily reading of God’s Word a habit in your life.  If you do this The Word of God will begin to work in your heart and circumstances like never before and  this will bring about radical change on every level of your life. 

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[1]   James 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Prayer Points

1.  Dear Father help me to be aware of the needs of others.

2.  My Saviour and Lord show me what I can do to win souls 
     for Christ – I will be a soul-winner.

3.  Lord teach me how to break negative and demonic 
     strongholds over Your people and show me 
     how to pray souls into the Kingdom of God.

4.  Father help me to be Your example of Christ in my 
     community.

5.  Sovereign God I ask you to enable me to invite /reach 
     someone for Christ this month. 

6.  In The Name of Jesus I speak increase into and over my 
     community. 

7.  Father I ask you to turn the hearts of your people back to 
     God (1 Chron 7:14). 

8.  Prepare the hearts, minds, spirits, characters of Your 
     people for winning souls for Christ.  

Whoever serves Me must follow me. 

My Father will honour the one who serves

John 12:26