God Is Not a Spare Tyre: Ten Principles of a Praying Life
Dr RJ Sing, 2 hr 3 min
Originally recorded as “Principles of Prayer”
Sermon outline
Like Daniel and like Jesus, a believer must make prayer a daily habit in good times and bad, because prayer is the source of power, protection and lasting blessing.
Main text
- Daniel 6:10
Opening
He leads communion as a 'victory shout' rather than a sad ritual, opening with Psalm 34:8, 'O taste and see that the Lord is good', the words he woke up with that morning. He tells the church not to miss communion out of condemnation, but to exchange sickness, poverty and failure for grace, because there is no condemnation in Christ and His grace has not run out. After worship and the offering he reports on the church's recent upgrades and says he began this subject in the first service.
Daniel prayed as he did aforetime
When Daniel knew the decree was signed, he knelt three times a day and prayed 'as he did aforetime': prayer was a practice deeply embedded in his life, not something he did only in trouble. He clarifies an earlier statement: he is not against prayer, which is to a Christian what oxygen is to a living person, but it is better not to pray than to pray in unbelief, because God wants believing prayers.
“Prayer to a Christian is like oxygen to a living human being.”
- Daniel 6:10
- James 5:16
1. Prayer is very important
Pray every day, at home and not only in church, morning, day and night like Daniel. Prayer is for everyone, children and young people included, because you have a blood-bought right to be heard. Praying does not waste time, it gains time: your spirit becomes strong and bold, God's voice grows clear, dreams and visions come, and the anointing increases. Instead of spending energy complaining, pray, and when you say amen, know that God has heard you because He loves you.
“When you pray, you do not waste time. When you pray, you gain time.”
- Acts 17:28
- John 3:16
- Ephesians 6:10
2. No one is ever too busy, too blessed or too successful to pray
People pray hard when they are trusting God for bread and milk for the baby, then stop once the fridge, the cupboards and their pockets are full. The higher God takes you, the more wisdom and the greater commitment to prayer you need, or foolish mistakes will take you back to where you came from. Praying people are happy, peaceful people who cast their cares on the Lord.
Illustration: Daniel was effectively the prime minister, running the affairs of the land, and still prayed three times a day: 'You're not running a country.'
“When you are busy for God, he'll get busy for you.”
- 1 Peter 5:7
3. Prayer is the source of our power and protection
When Daniel prayed, fierce lions became like kittens. Prayer keeps your spouse and children safe, protects your home while you sleep and saves family members. Tithe ten percent of your day, about 2.4 hours, to prayer and the Word. When Jesus prayed the heaven was opened: some believers live under heavens of brass, but over a praying, upright believer the heavens are open and favour and grace come down.
Illustration: Burglars pass your house while the neighbours spend hours at the police station and filing insurance claims, and you have time for a doughnut and coffee. Praying is like drinking ten Red Bulls.
“Praying multiplies your time.”
- Daniel 6:22
- Psalm 34:7
- Luke 3:21
- Isaiah 59:1
- Isaiah 40:12
- Romans 8:31
4. Prayer is important in acquiring and sustaining the blessings of God
It takes the power of God through prayer to preserve what God has given you, so do not get comfortable at any level. God has a great future for you, more houses and more cars, but the greater the blessing and the higher the promotion, the more wisdom and sustaining power you need. Let prayer become as normal as your daily shower.
Illustration: He jokes that some expected him to say 'you have one wife now, you'll have many more', and quickly adds that he who finds a wife finds a good thing, and one is enough.
“The more God promotes you to a higher level, the more wisdom you need.”
- Proverbs 18:22
5. For prayer to be effective, it must be habitual
Do not pray once a week or twice a month; pray every day and never start your working day without it. He quotes a saying that the second half of a man's life is made up of the habits of the first half, and Pascal on virtue being made of habitual acts. Jesus went to the synagogue 'as his custom was', and if He prayed, you pray.
Illustration: God is not a spare tyre, kept in the boot for emergencies; He wants to be the running tyre, used all day long.
“God is not a spare tire, only to be used in time of emergencies.”
- Luke 4:16
- Daniel 6:10
6. Prayer must continue in troubled times and in times of peace
The apostles prayed when they were glad and the place was shaken, and they prayed in prison. Trouble does not mean God has left you, so do not let trouble trouble you. The kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force, so sometimes you need a war cry in your bedroom: get angry at the devil stealing from you, because the kingdom of God is not for wimps. There is a time to be still and a time to shout, run and groan in intercession.
Illustration: Seeing people toyi-toyi on television, he thought believers should 'toyi-toyi in the spirit'. Some prayer meetings need to be 'Nando's peri-peri hot'.
“Don't let trouble trouble you.”
- Acts 4:31
- Acts 16:25
- Matthew 11:12
7. Every nation needs lots of prayer and prayerful leaders
Pray for South Africa, the president, the government and its leaders instead of criticising them, so there is peace and stability and no civil war. At work, pray for your boss and supervisor rather than enjoying their troubles, because if the firm shuts down, you shut down. Speak well of those in authority and God will open doors; some people have today what they spoke yesterday.
Illustration: When the boss is under pressure, some staff close the door, break open a chocolate and have a Kit Kat party.
“As long as there's peace at work, there's peace in your checkbook.”
- 1 Timothy 2:1-2
8. It is important to pray for long periods of time
Do not pray ten minutes and stop; grow to half an hour, an hour, two or three hours. Jesus returned three times to pray in Gethsemane and asked whether His disciples could not watch one hour, and He prayed all night before choosing the twelve. Praying long means you carry God's heart and His people on your heart.
Illustration: He was challenged recently hearing a man of God say he had prayed seven hours straight.
“When you pray long, it means that you have God's heart on your heart.”
- Matthew 26:39-44
- Luke 6:12-13
9. It is important to enter your closet for effective prayer
Corporate prayer and private prayer are different. In the closet you speak to God and He speaks to you; your spirit is transformed, your vision grows and your capacity increases, so that what looked like a mountain when you went in looks like a molehill when you come out.
“When you come out of the closet, what was a mountain appears to be a molehill.”
- Matthew 6:6
10. Develop the ability and the formula for praying many times a day
Even at work you can pray under your breath, in the restroom, over your sandwiches, while driving or in a meeting. That is praying without ceasing. Jesus rose a great while before day to pray, withdrew to the mountain to pray and prayed all night. Teach your children the art of prayer too.
“Pray without ceasing.”
- Mark 1:35
- Mark 6:46
- Luke 6:12
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Putting it into practice
- Set a daily time and place to pray, morning, day and night.
- Keep praying when God prospers and promotes you.
- Tithe about ten percent of your day to prayer and the Word.
- Pray for the nation's leaders and your boss instead of criticising them.
- Build up to longer times of prayer and pray under your breath throughout the day.
Closing
He has the church lay a hand on their foreheads and pray aloud for a greater capacity to pray, then calls forward the church's intercessors, prays a covering over them and imparts a spirit of intercession to the whole congregation. He prophesies refreshing, renewed strength, holiness and a great harvest, gives the benediction and announces the leaders' meeting and guest speakers. He then leads several people to Christ, welcomes first-time visitors with the Chronicles of Faith devotional and prays for the sick until the recording ends.
Declarations he led
- Prayer is very important.
- I have an open heaven above me.
- I'm a praying man. I'm a praying woman.
- My eyes are not heavy. I will pray. I'm a praying person.
- Lord, increase my capacity to pray. As I've heard about prayer, Lord, let my prayer life increase.
- Dear Lord Jesus, I invite you to come into my heart. Lord Jesus, I believe this morning my sins are forgiven.
In his words
- “Prayer to a Christian is like oxygen to a living human being.”
- “When you pray, you do not waste time. When you pray, you gain time.”
- “God is not a spare tire, only to be used in time of emergencies.”
- “Don't let trouble trouble you.”
- “When you come out of the closet, what was a mountain appears to be a molehill.”
Every scripture in this message
- Psalm 34:8
- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
- Hebrews 7:25
- Romans 8:1
- Hebrews 4:15
- John 8:36
- Daniel 6:10
- James 5:16
- Acts 17:28
- John 3:16
- Ephesians 6:10
- 1 Peter 5:7
- Daniel 6:22
- Psalm 34:7
- Luke 3:21
- Isaiah 59:1
- Isaiah 40:12
- Romans 8:31
- Luke 6:38
- Proverbs 18:22
- Luke 4:16
- Acts 4:31
- Acts 16:25
- Matthew 11:12
- 1 Timothy 2:1-2
- Matthew 26:39-44
- Luke 6:12-13
- Matthew 6:6
- Mark 1:35
- Mark 6:46
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17
- Isaiah 40:31
- Proverbs 9:10
- 1 Corinthians 6:19
- Isaiah 43:19
- Romans 12:19
- Mark 11:24
- Mark 8:24