Hell Shaking Prayer

By E. A. Johnston Bible Text: Preached on: James 5:16 Wednesday, May 15, !1"

Ambassadors For Christ Intl-USA 1""5 #errell Mill $oad Bldg 1%6 , S&ite 1!! Marietta, 'A "!!6( Online Sermons: ))).sermona&dio.*om+, 5

- .elie/e the main reason )e are not seeing re/i/al in o&r land today is a la*k o0 0er/ent 1rayer. - .elie/e that o&r 1&l1its are 1o)erless and )itho&t in0l&en*e .e*a&se there is no in0l&ential 1rayer li0e .ehind them. - .elie/e a man is only as tall in the 1&l1it as he is long on his knees in *ontin&ed 1rayer. #he s1irit o0 anti*hrist is in the land and so*iety *r&m.les all aro&nd &s and the *h&r*h seems 1o)erless to do anything a.o&t it. And .elie/e the ans)er *an .e tra*ed .a*k to the day that the Ameri*an *h&r*h thre) the )eekly 1rayer meeting o&t the )indo) and re1la*ed it )ith 1rograms and entertainment. #he 1o)erho&se o0 the *h&r*h is the engine o0 1rayer and -2m a0raid today that too many o0 &s ha/e r&n o&t o0 gas. My message today 0riends, is entitled 3Hell Shaking Prayer.4 5or - .elie/er in my heart that i0 the 1eo1le 'od got on 0ire 0or 'od and laid hold o0 him in nights o0 des1erate and 1re/ailing 1rayer, )e *o&ld 1&sh .a*k the 1o)ers o0 darkness in o&r *omm&nities and &sher in a Holy 'host re/i/al that )o&ld shake this nation 0rom *oast6to6*oast )ith its hell shaking 1rayer. My Bi.le says in the .ook o0 James, 3#he e00e*t&al 0er/ent 1rayer o0 a righteo&s man a/aileth m&*h.4 #he key )ord in that senten*e is 3righteo&s man.4 #oo 0e) today 1&rs&e a li0e o0 holiness &nto the 7ord. #oo 0e) today gi/e &1 their s1orts and entertainments and de/ote that time to 1rayer. - )as standing in line at the dry *leaners the other day and the man ahead o0 me )as all e8*ited a.o&t o&r lo*al .asket.all team. And as he talked a.o&t it, he kne) all the names o0 all the 1layers and )hat shots they2d made and he almost lea1ed o00 his 0eet as he des*ri.ed it )ith s&*h e8*itement. - .et the a/erage *h&r*h mem.er today *o&ld tell yo& all a.o&t their 0a/orite s1orts team or 0a/orite tele/ision 1rogram .&t they *o&ldn2t name the ten *ommandments or name more than 0i/e o0 the t)el/e dis*i1les o0 9hrist, m&*h less :&ote large 1ortions o0 s*ri1t&re to yo&. Why; We today in the *h&r*h in <orth Ameri*a are *ons&med )ith o&r idols and *are little a.o&t the 1erishing )orld aro&nd &s and the 1roo0 o0 this is the time s1ent on ind&lging o&r 1astimes and 1assions as o11osed to the time s1ent on o&r knees and in o&r Bi.les. -t2s .een said that yo&r a/erage 1astor only s1ends ten min&tes a day in 1rayer. - .et he s1ends more time than that at the 1ra*ti*e range at the gol0 *o&rse )orking on his

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handi*a1 )hen he sho&ld .e )orking on his san*ti0i*ation. B&t a des1erate li0e o0 1rayer *osts something. #here is a 1ri*e to .e 1aid and 0e) )ant to 1ay it. When Ja*o. )restled )ith the angel o0 'od all night it *ost him 1hysi*ally 0or the rest o0 his li0e .e*a&se he )alked )ith a lim1. E/ery ste1 he took made him )in*e in 1ain. B&t .e*a&se o0 that des1erate night o0 1rayer, 'od *hanged his name, *hanged Ja*o.2s name 0rom 3s&11lanter4 to 3Prin*e )ith 'od.4 - .elie/e 7eonard 'ra/enhill2s heart atta*k )as d&e to a night o0 des1erate 1rayer. He e/en said so himsel0. 7isten 0riends, )hat *ost *o&nts and )hat *o&nts *osts. -0 )e desire to ha/e 1rayer li/es )hi*h mo/e mo&ntains o0 resistant and shake the gates o0 hell, then )e m&st stay on o&r knees in .rokenness and im1ort&nity &ntil the ans)er is gained. J&de s1eaks o0 1raying in the Holy 'host, 3B&t ye, .elo/ed, .&ilding &1 yo&rsel/es on yo&r most holy 0aith, 1raying in the Holy 'host.4 #o 1ray in the Holy 'host means that yo& 0irst m&st .e anointed .y the Holy 'host, 0illed )ith the Holy 'host and sensiti/e to the Holy 'host. 5or to 1ray in the 1o)er o0 the S1irit means &no.str&*ted a**ess to the Almighty, in0l&en*e to gain his attention and 1o)er to attain ans)ers to o&r 1leading 1etitions. 5or 1raying in the Holy 'host storms the 1ortals )o0 hea/en )ith /iolen*e, sh&ts &1 the hea/ens 0rom rain and makes 0ire 0all &1on the dren*hed altar o0 sa*ri0i*e. -t makes kings trem.le and kingdoms shake. 5or a man 1raying in the 1o)er o0 the Holy 'host has the a.ility to shake strong *ities o00 their 0o&ndations and the 1otential to send mo&ntains t&m.ling into the sea to startle the /ery angels o0 hea/en and rattle the red6hot gates o0 hell. A man 0&ll o0 the S1irit and anointed )ith the S1irit and 1raying in the S1irit kno)s no resistan*e, has no o11osition, 0ears no earthly mortal and *on:&ers all &nearthly enemies. 5or 1raying in the 1o)er o0 the Holy 'host is the essen*e that makes 1rayer e00e*t&al and 0er/ent. As the A1ostle de*lares, 3#he e00e*t&al 0er/ent 1rayer o0 a righteo&s man a/aileth m&*h.4 5or a righteo&s man to .e 1raying )ith 0er/en*y and heat in the Holy 'host is to ha/e great in0l&en*e &1on one2s generation and a/ail m&*h 0or eternity. 7isten to the story that a 1astor shared )ith me one day )hile - )as ha/ing l&n*h )ith him. He )as a 1astor 0rom 'lasgo), S*otland and he told me that he and some other 1astors in the *ity gre) *on*erned o/er the gro)ing e/il in their *omm&nity. =r&g &se )as on the rise, *rime had in*reased and o&t6o06)edlo*k 1regnan*ies among teenage girls had literally skyro*keted. He told me that there &sed to .e a *ity .anner that )as 1rominently dis1layed thro&gho&t the *ity o0 'lasgo) )hi*h read, 37et 'lasgo) 0lo&rish in the <ame o0 the 7ord.4 B&t some godless *i/i* leaders de*ided to *hange the *ity2s model to, 37et 'lasgo) 0lo&rish,4 lea/ing o&t the name o0 the 7ord, they took 'od o&t o0 the sense. When that ha11ened, the *ity .egan to 0all into a moral tails1in and e/il in*reased daily. Well, this 1astor and his minister 0riends de*ided to do something a.o&t it so they de*ided to meet on a )eekly .asis to 1ray 0or their *ity, 0or their *ity o0 'lasgo). #hey ga/e &1 their so*ial li/es to *ommit this time to 1rayer 1leading )ith 'od to make a

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di00eren*e in their *omm&nity. A0ter some months o0 des1erate 1rayer .y these dedi*ated men, they .egan to see a di00eren*e in the li0e o0 their *ity. 9rime de*reased, dr&g &se de*reased and o&t6o06)edlo*k 1regnan*ies de*reased. #his little .and o0 men laid hold o0 'od in s&*h 1re/ailing 1rayer that e/ent&ally they 1&shed .a*k the 1o)ers o0 darkness in their *omm&nity. >o& see 0riends, )hen the light o0 the gos1el gro)s dim thro&gh )atered6do)n 1rea*hing and la*k o0 1rayer, then a /a*&&m is *reated and that /a*&&m is soon 0illed )ith darkness. Why *an2t yo& in yo&r *ity, in yo&r *omm&nity .and together )ith some other .elie/ers and *ommit to one another and 'od that yo& )ill gi/e &1 yo&r so*ial li/es, yo&r entertainments to des1erate 1rayer &ntil yo& see 'od mo/e in a mighty )ay; 7isten 0riends, i0 )e *an make a di00eren*e 0or 'od in o&r *ity and i0 eno&gh 1rayer )arriors emerge in other *ities, this entire nation *o&ld .e mo/ed 0or 'od. #he res&lt )o&ld .e that there2d .e so m&*h hell shaking 1rayer going on that this /ery nation )o&ld .egin to trem.le &nder the in0l&en*e o0 'od and his Holy S1irit. #his is the )ay to re/i/al. B&t, oh 0riends, a des1erate li0e o0 1rayer is a sa*ri0i*e and yo& m&st .e 1re1ared 0or it. 'od may ha/e yo& in a trial right no) to t&rn it into a /ital 1la*e o0 in0l&ential 1rayer 0or him. >o& see, 0riends, )hen 'od allo)s &s to go thro&gh a trial or storm, he has a larger 1&r1ose in /ie). He o0ten .rings &s to 1la*es o0 .rokenness )here )e .e*ome like the .roken ala.aster .o8. 5or to .e .roken ala.aster .o8es means to ha/e a 0ragrant li0e 1leasing to the 7ord. We .e*ome .etter 1rayer )arriors thro&gh trials and o&r 0aith is tested and in*reased thro&gh these tri.&lations. 5or a 1rayer li0e that gri1s the attention o0 the hea/enly throne room is not .&ilt .eneath *alm, s&nny skies .&t shaken d&ring dark, sorro) 0illed nights. A serio&s 1rayer li0e is hammered o&t on the an/il o0 1ain and ang&ish, des1eration and des1air, )hen ho1e hangs on a tattered thread and all h&man reso&r*es are gone. #here and only there does the ans)er to the re:&est *ome. Here is )here the /ital 1rayer li0e *ommen*es )hi*h gains the *&11ed ear o0 the Almighty as he leans o/er to listen more intently to the 1atheti* so.s and ang&ished heart *ries )hi*h in des1eration rea*h o&t 0or his ro.e o0 righteo&sness to gra. hold o0 and not let go &ntil the ans)er is attained. #o .e*ome a 1erson o0 1rayer is to .e a shrill, holy note )hi*h *ontin&ally rings the ears o0 angels and rattles the gates o0 glory. 7isten, 0riends, a tr&e 1rayer li0e is not .orne o&t o0 *om0ort and 1ros1erity, .&t thro&gh trials and ad/ersities. -n yo&r leanness, yo& )ill learn to lean &1on him. #hro&gh yo&r rolling on stormy seas, yo& )ill learn ho) to e00e*ti/ely storm hea/ens 1ortals 0or deli/eran*e. When 0riends 0ail, disa11oint and desert yo&, yo& )ill seek and 0ind 0a/or )ith yo&r 0aith0&l 0riend Jes&s. A des1erate li0e o0 1rayer shakes the gates o0 hell and in0l&en*es o&r generation all 0or the glory o0 'od. =o yo& .elie/e that; - do. A strong 1rayer li0e )ill make yo& 0ear 'od and not man.

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John Wesley said the 0ollo)ing, 3'i/e me one h&ndred men )ho 0ear nothing .&t 'od and hate nothing .&t sin and - )ill shake the gates o0 hell.4 And he did ?&st that. We *an do it too, 0riends. Wesley )as ?&st a man and a short one at that .&t he )as long on 1rayer and he stood tall in the 1&l1it .e*a&se o0 his mighty 1rayer li0e. @h 0riend, - .eg yo& to 0all to yo&r knees and *on0ess yo&r la*k o0 1rayer to 'od. Be honest )ith him and ask him to hel1 yo& redeem the time in yo&r generation to sho) yo& the 0oolishness o0 yo&r 0a/orite 1astimes and the )asted time *ons&med on them. -t is time to 1&t a)ay o&r idols and lay hold o0 'od 0or this lost and 1erishing generation o0 hell6.o&nd sinners and hell6.o&nd &n*on/erted *h&r*h mem.ers. =ear .rother 1astor, i0 yo& )ant 1o)er )ith 'od and in0l&en*e o/er man, go to yo&r knees and stay there. Ask 'od to make yo&r /ery .ones a0ire 0or him to )here yo& *an ignite others )ith yo&r holy li0e o0 1rayer and 1o)er0&l 1rea*hing. #his is a *all to the 1&l1its in o&r land to take .a*k this land 0or 'od and 0or o&r *hildren and o&r grand*hildren. 'o to yo&r knees, *h&r*h, 0all on yo&r 0a*e, .eg 'od a.o/e hea/en and earth on o&r .ehal0 and 1o&r )ater &1on this dry, thirsty land o0 o&rs today. 7et me 1ray. O Great God, you are the Ancient of Days. You are Holy and your are worthy to be praised. Give us the grace, O Lord, to seek thy face in desperate and prevailing prayer. Give us the power of your Holy pirit to pray in the pirit so that kingdo!s will be shaken for thee. O Great God, forgive us for our selfish enterprises, our wasted ti!e spent on useless things, things that don"t !atter, things that you see as dust in light of eternity. Help us, Lord #esus, to be persons of prayer. $ighty persons of prayer that you e!power to perfor! your purpose. Help us to shake the very gates of hell with such power that we push back the darkness in our co!!unities and usher in your presence in a Holy Ghost revival that will grip this nation with the awful sole!nity of your presence. %o!e, O Lord, and take the field in a great revival of religion, & pray. %o!e pour your pirit upon this dry and wasted land. %o!e save our children. %o!e save our grandchildren. %o!e, Lord #esus, and once again per!eate our sanctuaries with your presence and your pree!inence. & pray in the strong na!e of #esus %hrist our Lord. A!en.

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