Nov. 02, 2025

Background

• Prayer is direct communication with God
• Prayer can help people find hope and peace
• Prayer helps us to make better decisions
• God is the one we need to cry out to in difficult times
• God is the only one that can fix our problems

Key Sermon Points

1. Prayer reflects our dependence on God

• The Bible encourages us to take our most personal requests to God
• God wants to grant our requests but wants us to ask him
• God is not obligated to answer right away
• By God not answering so quickly, we will appreciate God's answer
• Delayed answers from God allows us to mature
• Talking to God builds a relationship
• Acknowledging our need for his guidance, provision, and strength
• It's an act of trust to recognized that we are not self- sufficient and God is involved in every aspect of our lives
• God can do more than we could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20)
• God answered Isaac and blessed him with more than he asked for

2. Prayer is better than complaining to each other

• Moses by the divine hand of God, led the children of Israel out of Egypt
• Sometimes God has to take us to a barren land to show us something; there we must depend on God
• The children of Israel complained instead of praying
• Some problems can be solved by rearranging our priorities to pray and read the word
• Some problems can only be solved by praying
• Why complain when we can pray
• Prayer quiets our thoughts and emotions
• When we complain, God hears us...including complaints against God (Numbers 11: 1-2)

3. Prayer can restore a relationship with God

• One of the saddest things is not knowing God has left us
• Despite Samson's past, God still answered his prayer
• We are never too far away to restore our relationship with God
• We should not let guilt keep us separated from God's presence
• God will salvage our relationship if we give it him
• Sometimes we are in the position for God to heal us