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ACTS 4:23-31

"THE PRAYER OF POWER"

Intro: We often hear said, "there is power in prayer," yet we are aware that many of our
       prayers seem powerless. When prayers fail tendency to fault God Valuable to  study
       powerful prayers.

I. RECOGNITION OF THE ONE THEY WERE PRAYING TO.
        A. His power, "Oh Lord, Thou art God, Thou hast..."
                1. We are not always aware of the one we are speaking to.
                        a. We have a tendency to carry our human limitations
                                over to God.
                                1. God this should be an easy one for you.
                                2. Oh God, I doubt if you can handle this.
                2. We are often more impressed by the greatness of our problem
                        than of the power of God to deliver.
                        a. It's so easy to lose perspective.
                                1. It results from being too close to our problems and too far
                                   from God.
                                2. The sun is 1,200,000 times larger than our earth, 865,000
                                   miles in diameter, yet your view of it can be blocked by
                                   something as small as your hand.
                                3. This is one of the side effects of using prayer as a last
                                   resort.
                                        a. We wait so long, that our problem is so great that
                                         it is all we can see.
                3. Now back up a bit, look at the universe.
                        a. Take a walk, look at the trees, flowers.
                        b. You're going to talk to the one who created.
                        c. Now our problem isn't nearly as large.
        B. His knowledge, "Who by the mouth of Thy servant."
                1. Our circumstances haven't caught God by surprise, He knew
                        them a thousand years ago.
                        a. Yea Lord, it's happened lust like you said it would.
                2. We often look at prayer as informing time where I inform God.
                        a. "Oh God, you'll never believe what's happened now.
                        b. Prayer is not informing God of my needs, it is asking Go
                                for my needs. The recognition of my needs.
        C. His sovereignty, "to do what Thy hand and Thy counsel determined
                before to be done."
                1. The hand of God governs all the affairs of my life.
                2. He does all things after the counsel of His own will.
                3. "The steps of a good man are ordered by..."
                4. "All things work together for good..."
                5. God is on the throne, He reigns over the universe. He has allowed  the
                   rebellion on planet earth, He knew how far it would go, and when  it would
                   end.

II. NEXT CAME THE REQUEST.
        A. Give us the boldness to keep doing the things we were doing that got us into
           trouble.
                1. I am surprised by the things they didn't pray for.
                        a. Did not pray judgment on their persecutors.
                        b. Did not pray for end of persecution.
                                1. "They realized this was predicted."
                2. We often pray, for wrong things.
                        a. "Oh Lord, help the world to get better."
                        b. "Evil days shall wax worse and worse."
                        c. "Oh Lord, keep me pure in the midst of evil."

III. RESULTS (verse 31, 33..