1. Some years ago there appeared in a magazine an article about a Christian bomber pilot whose plane had been hit by anti-aircraft fire. The plane started spinning out of control and headed for the sea beneath when the pilot began to pray.
2. The next thing he remembers he was floating in the water and in great pain. One leg was gone below the knee and the water was red all around. He figured that he was going to bleed to death when all of a sudden something nudged him – it was a piece of plywood with the plane’s first-aid kit on it.
3. He got the tourniquet out of the kit and he and his co-pilot were able to stop the bleeding. Another plane flew by and dropped a life raft and four hours later they were picked up by a rescue launch.
4. The pilot wrote in this article: "If you don’t call that a miracle, I would like to know what is. God answered my prayer!"
5. George Muller said: "Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. It is laying hold of His willingness."

1. PRAYER DELIGHTS THE LORD (Pro.15:8)

1. John Bunyan wrote that prayer is "a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan."
2. Prayer brings joy to the believer (Ps.16:11; John 16:24).
3. Prayer is the means of getting help in time of need (Heb.4:16; Matt.7:7,8).
4. Prayer is the means of obtaining forgiveness of sins (I John 1:9).
5. Prayer is God’s cure for worry (Phil.4:6,7).
6. The reformer Melanchton was taking a walk one night and he was cast down and disheartened. As he walked he heard the voices of children praying and said to his friends: "Brethren, take courage; the children are praying for us." Rod Bell had a similar experience one night at prayer meeting, when he heard a boy pray, "Oh Lord – crank up our pastor!"
7. It is a sin not to pray for others (I Sam.12:23) – use a prayer list.

2. OUR PRAYERS MUST BE ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL (I JOHN 5:14,15)

1. "Prayer is not to persuade God to do something that He didn’t intend to do; prayer is to get you and me in line with the program of God" (J. Vernon McGee).
2. We are to pray on Jesus’ name (Jn.14:13,14; 16:23).
3. We are not to waver (James 1:5-8; Matt.21:21,22).
4. We are to abide in Christ (John 15:7).
5. We must keep our Lord’s commandments (I John 3:22).

3. HINDRANCES TO ANSWERED PRAYER

1. Unconfessed sin (Ps.66:18; Isa.59:1,2).
2. An unforgiving spirit (Mark 11:25,26).
3. Problems with the wife (I Peter 3:7).
4. Not attending church (Pro.28:9).
5. Worldly, selfish motives (James 4:2-4).

CONCLUSION:

1. I heard a true story of a little girl who was about to undergo a serious operation. After placing her on the operating table the attendant began to prepare her for the anesthetic.
2. The little girl asked the doctor what he was doing and he replied: "Before we can make you well, we must put you to sleep."
3. The girl said, "Then I must say my prayers before I go to sleep," and she began to pray. After praying, she said: "OK – I’m ready now."
4. Afterwards the surgeon testified that he himself prayed too – for the first time in thirty years, and he asked the Lord to save him.