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Luke 3:21-22 - Prayer Insights.

Luke 3:21-22 - Prayer Insights.

Luke 3:21-22 (NKJV) When all the people were baptized, it came 
to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the 
heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like 
a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are 
My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."  

  The greatest moments in a Christian's life come through 
prayer. When Jesus prayed, heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descended 
upon Him. The Spirit came upon the disciples as they gathered to pray 
on the Day of Pentecost (Ac 1:14; 2:1). When the disciples prayed 
together after Pentecost, their gathering place was shaken, and they were 
emboldened to proclaim the gospel throughout the city (Ac 4:31).  
  Prayer is not a substitute for hard work - prayer is the work! 
God does things in and through our lives by prayer that He does in 
no other way. As we pray and as our attention is turned toward God, 
we become more receptive to aligning our lives with His will. God 
will not equip us with His power while we are racing off to our next 
appointment! His Spirit will not empower us if we are oblivious to what He is 
saying. He requires our complete attention before He will fill us with 
the powerful presence of His Spirit.  
  If you want to learn how to pray, use Jesus as your model. 
Jesus did not always receive what He asked for, but His prayers were 
always heard and always answered (Mk 14:36; Heb 5:7). If you do not 
sense the Holy Spirit's power in your life, you may not be spending 
adequate time in prayer. Perhaps you are pursuing your own agenda rather 
than seeking the Father's will. You may have abandoned the place of 
prayer before God's answer came. If you will commit yourself to spend 
sustained time in prayer, asking for God's kingdom on earth, God will work 
in your life just as He did in the lives of Jesus and His 
disciples. [Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby re 
Luke 3:21, 22] 

Excellent Sermon on Prayer:
http://www.tagnet.org/net98/schedule.html
[go to the last presentation on this webpage]