Page 55 - The Importance of Prayer Student Textbook

Study Section 8: Prayer Nuggets - continued

8.1 Connect

Many years ago, I was installing a computer program in a library at a large church in Florida. In
the middle of the installation, a large group of people entered the library and began to
disperse all over the room. Then they turned out the lights. Some people were under tables,
some on top of tables, some sat in chairs facing the exterior walls. Some where standing,
some sitting, and some were laying on the floor. Others were running around in the room
trying to avoid those on the floor. Everyone began to “pray” out loud. Then before long, many people
began to speak in a gibberish, like “tica, tica, tica. Tock, tock, tock…” Some were shouting, and some
were talking quietly. It was what I would call, utter confusion! Supposedly, these people were all
“praying in the Spirit” or “speaking in tongues.” One person was COMMANDING God to do this and to
do that. Many who were speaking English were telling God what He had to do.

Is this the kind of prayer God desires when we all come together to pray? Is this what God has designed
in His Word? Let’s see if we can find out….

8.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to explain the what the requirements of a prophet in the Old
Testament about predicting the future.

2. The student should be able to describe the importance of cooperate prayer and how it is
designed in God’s Word.

3. The student should be able to further explain other various types of prayer.

8.3 Declaring and Decreeing

Deuteronomy 18:22

22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come
true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously.
You need not be afraid of him.

I am concerned that Deuteronomy 18:22 is all but ignored in the modern-day churches especially
churches that tend to be more charismatic. I am not going to spend a great deal of time on this subject,
but the teachings of the prosperity gospel prophets and apostles troubles me greatly. Costi Hinn, the
cousin of Benny Hinn wrote a 1 hand account of these abuses in God, Greed, and the (Prosperity)
st
Gospel, How Truth Overwhelms A Life Built on Lies. If God is not sovereign over the entire created order,
then He is not sovereign at all. Or conversely, if the prosperity gospel takes the sovereignty of God and
tosses it aside, claiming that we can control the God of the universe. Then it is the most arrogant claim
that humans could make! Prosperity preachers declare that our mouths control our money, and much
more. They preach it in the following ways:

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