THF SUNDAY SERMON
24th of September, 2023
SERMON
SERMON TITLE: Labouring in Prayers
SERMON TEXT: I Corinthians 16: 9
PREACHER: Reverend Ebenezer Olawuyi
MESSAGE
Content: Let’s be silent for a moment. Worship him in your silence. Silence. Thank you, our Father. Thank you, Lord. Prayers. You may be seated. God bless you. I welcome you to church this morning. Glory is in this place. First of all, let me welcome my brother who is here. My brother Reverend Jide Amusan. People don’t know that people want to see Jesus in your life. You have to be the bible they read. Sometime ago, the bible says concerning John the Baptist. After John was in prison; when John was still wondering whether Jesus is the one they are expecting. Jesus says go and tell John the Baptist; the blind see, the lame walks. Hymn song; It is well with my soul. We serve the God who gives the word in the night time. In the night time when it looks as if the whole world will collapse, as if there is no hope, God gives the word. But you can’t hear God when you esteemed the tradition of men over the principles of God. The tradition of men means you have to mourn; that people must not see you laughing in the night time. II Corinthians 4 talks about light affliction… He said I want to tell you about the grace that was manifest. Every one of us supposed to be a grace carrier. Don’t fall into the tradition of men. Allow grace to heal your heart. He heals the broken heart and binds up their wound. If you refuse to be healed in your heart; then you will be contradicting God’s word; you will be showing to the world that God only heals the physical and not the heart. There is weeping in the night, but Joy comes in the morning. May the God of all grace, who called us to his eternal glory by Christ, after you have suffered a while… In the challenge of life; it is okay to weep…after all Jesus wept when he was on earth; He was human being… But you should continue to walk in the grace. Songs; When peace like a river, attendeth my way…It is well with my soul. I am going to speak with you this morning on the topic: Labouring in Prayers. I stumbled upon a tournament last Tuesday. A marathon. And I saw some Africans…I think Malawi…led the marathon…surpassed the Britons and Whites, and became first. When we were discussing; someone said Africans have heart. A marathon requires a strong heart and endurance. There was a man who has been leading…far ahead, but others later surpass him. That is the race of life. The race is not always to the swift; the strong does not always win the battle. The wise does not always become rich. You see labour is not only in the physical like that. You must labour in prayer. You can roar in the place of prayer against opposition – against forces who does not want you to go ahead. No one has ever done anything significant in life without praying. For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries (I Corinthians 16: 9). The Bible says right from the day of John the Baptist…the violence taketh it by force. The bible talks about a man called Epaphras in the book of Colossians 4: 12. When you see a Christian prospering; somebody laboured for him. Somebody also laboured for me to stand. For me; there were forces pulling me then; I didn’t know. But he laboured on me for me to stand. I was struggling and standing then. Backsliding and struggling until that that day that the Pastor made an altar call and I wept and ran to the altar. He laboured for me. There are forces that don’t want you to succeed. That your children that you are struggling with; you need to labour on them. It is not just correction. It is correction with prayer. Some can only threaten; they hardly pray. You know why a curse of a woman on her child will always stand? You need to see a woman in labour pain. The curse of a woman is not good. That is why you need to calm down when you are angry, so that you won’t destroy your house by yourself. The same thing happens to spiritual fathers; don’t make them angry because if they release a curse; it will stand. Paul was like a spiritual mother here who laboured. Galatians 4: 19. Somebody laboured until I stand. Because I grew up in the church. You know that those of us who grew up in the church are even more dangerous. I was already a Sunday School teacher at the age of eleven. So, I can argue with anybody on any verses in the bible. Pregnancy requires patience. It requires endurance. During labour; it requires exertion. It requires exertion energy. That is why that acronym says “Pray until something happens”. Look through the scripture, you will discover that. Also, labour requires time, patience, endurance and exertion energy. Prayer requires time. Jesus Christ needed time to be alone. Luke 24: 49: …tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued…. Prayer breaks down the holy spirit. The holy spirit sustains prayer. That’s why Zechariah 12: 18 says…. Acts 1: 14. Your authority is a function of your effectiveness in the place of prayer. In Acts 2: 42 – 43, the bible says they continue in the Apostolic doctrine and in the breaking of bread and in prayer. Prayers gives birth to signs and wonders. You want miracle? The answer to miracle is prayers. You know some people are afraid of men, rather than being afraid of God. The Scripture says: …and they went and gather together in the upper room to pray. Acts 4: 31. Prayer will give you boldness. You know these days; we pay to take, but in the days of old; we pray to take. You know what? No body brought the ability to pray from heaven. “You Learn to Pray by Praying.” Acts 6: 4. Busyness can almost prevent you from praying these days. You can get so busy. Prayer does wonderful things in our life. Pray! …but we will give ourselves continually to prayer… (Acts 6: 4). Those of you who are getting busy at work; don’t give the devil a chance in your life; Pray! Acts 12: 1-5. When the devil comes and strike in a little way and you keep quiet; he will come in a bigger way. Herod saw that the church did not really bother about the killing of James. When you see what is not right in your family or at work in a little way; don’t keep quiet. That night…the bible says… Oh my God, My God is beautiful at all times. Prayers. In Acts 16: 13, the bible talks about Paul and Silas first went to the place of prayer. If we don’t pray; we are finished. The scripture says…in the middle of the night; Psalms 91: 5. Paul and Silas were praying in the night. One secret I give you today; learn to be up in the night. You may not do it all the time. And any time you want to do it; eat very light, otherwise, you will sleep. Don’t wait till there is an all-night programme in the church before you do your own. Do it often.
Prayers
Stand on your feet and say after me; Father I receive the anointing in the place of prayer. Now listen before I round up with prayer. Proverbs 15 verse 8 says “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord…”. Altar call. Prayers.
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