comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:45–47). Beloved, this must be the cry of the Christian life, so those in the world will know God is alive and that He is living in us. This way the entire world will know Christ sits at the right hand of God, and has a church living in His power on this earth.

■ GOD WILL WHISPER

SUPERNATURAL PLANS

INTO YOUR EAR

God will speak to you about things that are just as impossible as the walls of Jericho falling down. God might tell you that He is going to make you into a person of incredible compassion. Your whole family will be astounded when they see the walls of selfishness that once surrounded you come down. He might show you the power to speak good when everyone else is speaking evil in the workplace. Maybe He will show you how He is going to guide you into intercessory prayer for others. Perhaps you think that is impossible because you are such an angry person. God wants to take the root of anger out of your life because it is rooted in unforgiveness. People are going to look and say, “How did this victory

ever come about? What happened to you that you are speaking words of such incredible grace?” All they remember is that you were shouting for vengeance and retribution. Now you are talking about forgiveness, and not only talking about it for others, but you know you are truly forgiven.

For others, He might show the victory He has for them, while in the natural their lives are still a war zone. This is the work of the supernatural that takes place in prayer. Hallelujah!

■ STARTING SMALL —

FINISHING BIG

God says this is only the beginning. Do you have the courage to believe God? Do you have the courage to follow Him? Do you have the courage to put your life into His hands and let Him speak into your heart? There are steps to take; there are victories to be won. And it starts with asking God to give you the victory over strongholds in your life today. The Lord says, “Come boldly, I will help you.” As you begin to walk in His victory, you begin to realize there is no limitation to what God can do in the rest of your life. You have been delivered from having to live under the impression of what you think your life should be. Now, wherever God calls you, there will be a supernatural infusion of His life that will be evident to you and to those all around you.

Carter ConlonJune 12, 2007©2007 Times Square Church

CARTER CONLONCARTER CONLON

Carter Conlon is senior pastor of

Times Square Church, where he

has been on the pastoral staff

since 1994.

TIMES SQUARE CHURCHTIMES SQUARE CHURCH

Times Square Church was founded

in 1987 by Pastor David Wilkerson,

author of “The Cross and the

Switchblade.” It is an interdenomina-

tional church located in the heart of

New York City.

Founding Pastor Founding Pastor

David Wilkerson

Senior PastorSenior Pastor

Carter Conlon

Tel:Tel:

212-541-6300

Fax: Fax:

212-541-6415

Church Location:Church Location:

237 West 51st Street,

Between Broadway & Eighth Avenue

Mailing Address: Mailing Address:

1657 Broadway, 4th Flr.

New York, NY 10019

e-mail: e-mail:

info@timessquarechurch.org

WEEKLY SCHEDULE OF SERVICESWEEKLY SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

Sunday 10:00AM 3:00PM 6:00PM

Tuesday 7:00PM Church Service

Thursday 7:00PM Prayer Meeting

Friday 7:00PM Church Service

tscnyc.orgtscnyc.org

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?

This message is an edited version of a sermon given in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in New York City. Other sermons

are available by visiting our website www.tscnyc.org or calling 1-800-488-0854. You can also write to: Times Square Church, Tape

Ministry, 1657 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. You are welcome to make additional copies of this sermon for free distribution

to friends. However, for all other forms of reproduction or electronic transmission existing copyright laws apply. This sermon cannot

be posted on any website or webpage without written permission from Times Square Church. Unless otherwise noted, all scripture

references are from the King James Version.

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WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?

by Carter Conlon

Why is it so hard to pray? Why is it such a constant battle to bend the knee to God and seek His face? Why is there such an ongoing spiritual resistance, a real force that comes against you when you make the decision to pray? With these struggles in mind, it is difficult to understand how to “pray without ceasing” as the apostle Paul clearly states we should in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. I believe the Holy Spirit would not have anointed this apostle to write these words if God had not intended for them to become a reality in the life of the believer.

The apostle Paul goes on to suggest that you should be communing with God all day long, in every kind of situation. “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 2:8). So not only should you have the habit and pattern of going to your prayer closet to seek God, but you should be living every part of your day in an ongoing attitude of prayer. Pray everywhere—in the subway, in the workplace, even if you are being chewed out by your boss. Pray! The word “wrath” in this verse means to have a mind free from anger. More accurately, it means to be free from the desire to punish others who have done you wrong. So you can see God clearly intended for you to be able to pray for others with a clear conscience.

Paul also said, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto

God” (Philippians 4:6). Again, if you look at what the word “nothing” means in the Greek, you find it literally says: not one, not even one person. In other words, the Lord is saying, “Do not be worried about a single person. You put them into My hands no matter what the circumstance.” Regardless of whether it is a backslidden family member; an unbelieving co-worker; or someone in your life causing one heartache after another. Simply bring your requests to God in prayer and then immediately thank Him for giving you the answer. You are not bringing things to God that are unfamiliar to Him. You know what the Word says, so you are simply agreeing with what God has already said He would do. You are merely bringing back to God what He has promised. This is the reason we can immediately thank Him. Jesus said it this way: “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”(Matthew 21:22).

According to these scriptures then, prayer should be the natural expression of your life wherever you are. If this is true biblically, why is it so hard to pray? Please understand that what I am about to share with you is not all-inclusive, but simply what the Holy Spirit has laid on my heart for you. It is what I have known

to be true both in my own life and in the life of others.

■ SATAN OPPOSES PRAYER

What is vital to understand in the beginning, is that Satan will oppose prayer because he knows it is your lifeline to God. From the beginning of time, God has desired to have a relationship with man and, consequently, with you. Since this is God’s heart for you, the moment you try to come into the presence of God, Satan bombards you with accusations of failure and unworthiness. The dev-il’s ultimate lie is that “God has been watching you and observing all your failures; now, therefore, how can you go to Him in prayer?” If you believe any of these lies, he will turn up the heat and cause you to believe God is looking down upon you with an angry or disapproving countenance.

The devil knows history; he knows there have been men and women who had the courage to go into the presence of God and receive promises from Him that destroyed his kingdom. He has been building walls around people for years, and the last thing he needs is someone who gets up and goes to God for answers. So he will accuse and condemn you and do everything he can to keep you from that kind of prayer. It is at this point, you need to remind the devil what the cross was all about. When Jesus Christ went to the cross, the wrath of God for the sin of mankind was poured out upon Him. If you trust in Jesus, you cannot be condemned. Jesus defeated him by being raised victoriously from the dead. You are

“A GREAT MULTITUDE OF ALL NATIONS AND KINDREDS AND PEOPLES AND LANGUAGES” (REV. 7:9).“A GREAT MULTITUDE OF ALL NATIONS AND KINDREDS AND PEOPLES AND LANGUAGES” (REV. 7:9). tscnyc.org

VOL I I I / ISSUE 11 / NOV 07

now in Christ and seated in the same victory at the right hand of Almighty God. You are privileged to go right into the presence of God through prayer. Your works of righteousness do not give you this privilege; this honor is bestowed upon youby His mercy and His grace. Even if you have had the worst day of your entire Christian experience, you can still walk boldly into the throne room of God, and know you are fully accepted in Christ. This is why the Scripture says in Romans 8:31, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Who can condemn us if Christ has justified us? The Old Testament prophet Isaiah gives insight into the full rights you have in Christ. “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 54:17). When the

devil accuses you, you have the right to say, “Devil, I am not here because of my righteousness. I have trusted in Christ and He has bought my redemption. He has invited me to the throne of God, and because of His grace I am here to place my petitions before God with thanksgiving.”

■ POWER TO CAST DOWN

EVIL IMAGINATIONS

You now have the power today to cast down the evil thoughts and imaginations of the devil. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,

and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”(2 Corinthians 10:4–5). Even the weakest of saints has this power against the wicked strongholds of darkness; our profession is that Jesus Christ is our redemption, our righteousness, and our forgiveness. He is our direct access to the throne of God. Jesus Christ, our High Priest, invites us to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). The word “boldly” could easily be translated as confidence. Jesus our High Priest says in essence, “Come with confidence to the throne of grace, and you will begin to know that I am God.” Hallelujah!

■ THEIR JOURNEY IS NOT IN

LINE WITH THE WILL OF GOD

Over the years I have observed three reasons why people either can’t pray or they give up after they start.

The first reason some stop praying is because their journey is not in line with the will of God. Many newly-saved believers start out their Christian walk with an incredible zeal. They attend every service and prayer meeting, laying hold of as many promises from God as they can. They come into the kingdom of God with a youthful innocence, and it is a delight to observe. However, God does not want them to remain in a youthful and unknowledgeable condition forever. In order to bring them into maturity He must take them on a journey with Himself. God has a plan to take the Gospel to all men and women around the world and He wants to use these men and women to accomplish this. The problem though, is that many begin their new walk in prayer but are not willing to undertake the journey God has for them. They are inwardly driven by a desire for personal reward and this influences them in their prayer

life. The consequence of this is that they never leave the realm of what they understand their life to be; they expect God to bless what they want and to add to their own perception.

Let me explain it this way in the life of a man called Balaam. Despite his backslidden condition, God was speaking to him, but he was unwilling to walk on the path God had for him, which was to bless God’s people. Rather, Balaam allowed a foreign king to hire him to curse the Israelites while they journeyed in the wilderness. This man saw the opportunity for personal financial gain and he was not willing to lay it down. As he stood on the mountaintops looking down on the people of God, he had a vision of Christ and the victory of Israel. In this vision he saw no iniquity in God’s people, and the shout of a king was among them. But even with this vision, he refused to bend his own will and heart to say, “God, You lead me.” Since he would not yield himself to God’s purposes, he ended up seeing God’s blessing, but living on the outside of it (Numbers, chapters 22–24).

You may have the same point of view as Balaam. You have an idea of what you think you are and what you think your life should be, and you bring this ideal into the prayer closet. In prayer you expect God to agree with it, bless it, and to go with you on this journey. Like Balaam, though, you will see the victory God would have for you but will end up living outside of His blessing. Eventually, you will stop going into the prayer closet because you are not willing to embrace God’s will. There is nothing more satisfying to the Christian than living in the will of God, but there is nothing as labori-ous as living outside of His will.

■ THERE IS UNCONFESSED SIN

The second reason people will eventually stop praying is because of unconfessed sin in their lives.

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?

Isaiah says, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1–2). We are not talking about a person who is struggling in their life, but a person who is knowingly sinning and it is a willful practice. You know it is wrong, but you have determined in your heart to continue whatever has captivated your heart. You come into the prayer closet and wonder why you cannot get through to God. Your iniquities have separated you from the voice of God. David, the psalmist said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). God will continually bring you back to the area of your disobedience. You can push a certain thing out of your mind for years, but God has not forgotten.

You see this depicted in the life of Jacob. He strived to attain the blessing of God; however, he was dishonest in how he obtained it. Jacob had lied to his father Isaac about being his brother Esau. As a result, circumstances led him to be sent away from home and he toiled for fourteen years before God called him into accountability. The Scriptures say he wrestled with God all night long. At daybreak, when Jacob was willing to be honest with God, he was brought back to the lie he had told years before. God never forgot the lie and now asks him what his name is. He said, “I am Jacob.” Once this lie was dealt with he was given a new name and entered into the blessings of his grandfather Abraham.

Like Jacob, you need to be honest with the Lord and bring your life in line with what God says. Decide today not to embrace your sin or willfully continue in it. Even though you are feeling weak, you can still come boldly before the Lord, and ask Him to give you the power and grace to overcome.

■ THERE IS A WRONG PERCEPTION

OF WHAT PRAYER IS

The third reason people leave the prayer closet is because they have a wrong perception of what prayer is. I remember going to prayer meetings in my early years as a Christian where we spent hours laboriously crying out to God. This kind of prayer was laborious because of condemnation from the enemy, which resulted in a faithless begging of God. People got on their knees and ground their face into the seat, begging and whining, engaging in “holy prayer.” Afterwards, everyone walked out of the church looking like they had been run over by a truck. How was this going to witness to the community? How were they to see the victory of Christ in this kind of meeting? Yet, this is the way a lot of people pray.

Prayer is knowing the mind of God. It is moving forward with God in belief and faith. It is finding out what He is thinking. Did you know God is thinking thoughts about you which number more than the sand of the sea? According to Scripture, in Jeremiah 29:11, His thoughts are good and not evil. The Lord desires to supernaturally and sovereignly sustain you. God begins to speak supernatural things to those who come into the prayer closet with open hearts, believing what He says. Therefore a continuous change will go on in the lives of those who are His. Others will observe the miracle taking place in your life. They will witness change in areas that you could not change: lying tongues becoming words of truth; selfishness becoming generous giving; and the fear man replaced by God’s peace. This will all happen from the least to the greatest—all will be changed. Hallelujah!

■ ADDICTED TO MINISTERING

The apostle Paul refers to some in the New Testament who were addicted to ministering to the saints. They probably had experienced the supernatural working of God in

their lives; perhaps they had been selfish and were now given the gift of hospitality. Because of the incredible change they experienced they subsequently wanted more of God. “Don’t stop now Lord, keep changing me, and take me where I could never go in my own strength.” Our prayer needs to be the same; “Oh, God! Why would we limit You?” Do not say, “This far God and no further.” We need to pray, “We want more of You working in our lives.”

You will know God is real because the things that are coming out of your inward parts were not in you before. We are to be a supernatural church with abilities to do things that we did not naturally possess because we have the life of God inside us. In the book of Acts, when the believers came out of the Upper Room, the Scripture says they began to speak forth the supernatural things God was doing. Immediately, people’s hearts were stirred and convicted, and they wanted to know how they too could be saved. Beloved, that is what it is all about. It is about you and me going into the workplace proclaiming the wonderful works of God through our changed lives.

What an exciting life! Look at David when he went out to fight Goliath. He was not a trained warrior; he was just a young man with a slingshot out in the field, tending sheep and communing with God. He had learned that God gives supernatural strength to those who simply believe and obey Him. He had been able to slay a lion and a bear with supernatural ability from God. So, when he walked into the midst of the army and saw this giant challenging the very honor and nature of God, I believe he began with a prayer. It is recorded as a statement, but David had an open heaven—he knew what God could do, so it was more a prophetic utterance. “Then

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?tscnyc.org tscnyc.org

■ AN EXCITING LIFE IN GOD

said David to the Philistine, Thou

now in Christ and seated in the same victory at the right hand of Almighty God. You are privileged to go right into the presence of God through prayer. Your works of righteousness do not give you this privilege; this honor is bestowed upon youby His mercy and His grace. Even if you have had the worst day of your entire Christian experience, you can still walk boldly into the throne room of God, and know you are fully accepted in Christ. This is why the Scripture says in Romans 8:31, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Who can condemn us if Christ has justified us? The Old Testament prophet Isaiah gives insight into the full rights you have in Christ. “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 54:17). When the

devil accuses you, you have the right to say, “Devil, I am not here because of my righteousness. I have trusted in Christ and He has bought my redemption. He has invited me to the throne of God, and because of His grace I am here to place my petitions before God with thanksgiving.”

■ POWER TO CAST DOWN

EVIL IMAGINATIONS

You now have the power today to cast down the evil thoughts and imaginations of the devil. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,

and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”(2 Corinthians 10:4–5). Even the weakest of saints has this power against the wicked strongholds of darkness; our profession is that Jesus Christ is our redemption, our righteousness, and our forgiveness. He is our direct access to the throne of God. Jesus Christ, our High Priest, invites us to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). The word “boldly” could easily be translated as confidence. Jesus our High Priest says in essence, “Come with confidence to the throne of grace, and you will begin to know that I am God.” Hallelujah!

■ THEIR JOURNEY IS NOT IN

LINE WITH THE WILL OF GOD

Over the years I have observed three reasons why people either can’t pray or they give up after they start.

The first reason some stop praying is because their journey is not in line with the will of God. Many newly-saved believers start out their Christian walk with an incredible zeal. They attend every service and prayer meeting, laying hold of as many promises from God as they can. They come into the kingdom of God with a youthful innocence, and it is a delight to observe. However, God does not want them to remain in a youthful and unknowledgeable condition forever. In order to bring them into maturity He must take them on a journey with Himself. God has a plan to take the Gospel to all men and women around the world and He wants to use these men and women to accomplish this. The problem though, is that many begin their new walk in prayer but are not willing to undertake the journey God has for them. They are inwardly driven by a desire for personal reward and this influences them in their prayer

life. The consequence of this is that they never leave the realm of what they understand their life to be; they expect God to bless what they want and to add to their own perception.

Let me explain it this way in the life of a man called Balaam. Despite his backslidden condition, God was speaking to him, but he was unwilling to walk on the path God had for him, which was to bless God’s people. Rather, Balaam allowed a foreign king to hire him to curse the Israelites while they journeyed in the wilderness. This man saw the opportunity for personal financial gain and he was not willing to lay it down. As he stood on the mountaintops looking down on the people of God, he had a vision of Christ and the victory of Israel. In this vision he saw no iniquity in God’s people, and the shout of a king was among them. But even with this vision, he refused to bend his own will and heart to say, “God, You lead me.” Since he would not yield himself to God’s purposes, he ended up seeing God’s blessing, but living on the outside of it (Numbers, chapters 22–24).

You may have the same point of view as Balaam. You have an idea of what you think you are and what you think your life should be, and you bring this ideal into the prayer closet. In prayer you expect God to agree with it, bless it, and to go with you on this journey. Like Balaam, though, you will see the victory God would have for you but will end up living outside of His blessing. Eventually, you will stop going into the prayer closet because you are not willing to embrace God’s will. There is nothing more satisfying to the Christian than living in the will of God, but there is nothing as labori-ous as living outside of His will.

■ THERE IS UNCONFESSED SIN

The second reason people will eventually stop praying is because of unconfessed sin in their lives.

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?

Isaiah says, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1–2). We are not talking about a person who is struggling in their life, but a person who is knowingly sinning and it is a willful practice. You know it is wrong, but you have determined in your heart to continue whatever has captivated your heart. You come into the prayer closet and wonder why you cannot get through to God. Your iniquities have separated you from the voice of God. David, the psalmist said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). God will continually bring you back to the area of your disobedience. You can push a certain thing out of your mind for years, but God has not forgotten.

You see this depicted in the life of Jacob. He strived to attain the blessing of God; however, he was dishonest in how he obtained it. Jacob had lied to his father Isaac about being his brother Esau. As a result, circumstances led him to be sent away from home and he toiled for fourteen years before God called him into accountability. The Scriptures say he wrestled with God all night long. At daybreak, when Jacob was willing to be honest with God, he was brought back to the lie he had told years before. God never forgot the lie and now asks him what his name is. He said, “I am Jacob.” Once this lie was dealt with he was given a new name and entered into the blessings of his grandfather Abraham.

Like Jacob, you need to be honest with the Lord and bring your life in line with what God says. Decide today not to embrace your sin or willfully continue in it. Even though you are feeling weak, you can still come boldly before the Lord, and ask Him to give you the power and grace to overcome.

■ THERE IS A WRONG PERCEPTION

OF WHAT PRAYER IS

The third reason people leave the prayer closet is because they have a wrong perception of what prayer is. I remember going to prayer meetings in my early years as a Christian where we spent hours laboriously crying out to God. This kind of prayer was laborious because of condemnation from the enemy, which resulted in a faithless begging of God. People got on their knees and ground their face into the seat, begging and whining, engaging in “holy prayer.” Afterwards, everyone walked out of the church looking like they had been run over by a truck. How was this going to witness to the community? How were they to see the victory of Christ in this kind of meeting? Yet, this is the way a lot of people pray.

Prayer is knowing the mind of God. It is moving forward with God in belief and faith. It is finding out what He is thinking. Did you know God is thinking thoughts about you which number more than the sand of the sea? According to Scripture, in Jeremiah 29:11, His thoughts are good and not evil. The Lord desires to supernaturally and sovereignly sustain you. God begins to speak supernatural things to those who come into the prayer closet with open hearts, believing what He says. Therefore a continuous change will go on in the lives of those who are His. Others will observe the miracle taking place in your life. They will witness change in areas that you could not change: lying tongues becoming words of truth; selfishness becoming generous giving; and the fear man replaced by God’s peace. This will all happen from the least to the greatest—all will be changed. Hallelujah!

■ ADDICTED TO MINISTERING

The apostle Paul refers to some in the New Testament who were addicted to ministering to the saints. They probably had experienced the supernatural working of God in

their lives; perhaps they had been selfish and were now given the gift of hospitality. Because of the incredible change they experienced they subsequently wanted more of God. “Don’t stop now Lord, keep changing me, and take me where I could never go in my own strength.” Our prayer needs to be the same; “Oh, God! Why would we limit You?” Do not say, “This far God and no further.” We need to pray, “We want more of You working in our lives.”

You will know God is real because the things that are coming out of your inward parts were not in you before. We are to be a supernatural church with abilities to do things that we did not naturally possess because we have the life of God inside us. In the book of Acts, when the believers came out of the Upper Room, the Scripture says they began to speak forth the supernatural things God was doing. Immediately, people’s hearts were stirred and convicted, and they wanted to know how they too could be saved. Beloved, that is what it is all about. It is about you and me going into the workplace proclaiming the wonderful works of God through our changed lives.

What an exciting life! Look at David when he went out to fight Goliath. He was not a trained warrior; he was just a young man with a slingshot out in the field, tending sheep and communing with God. He had learned that God gives supernatural strength to those who simply believe and obey Him. He had been able to slay a lion and a bear with supernatural ability from God. So, when he walked into the midst of the army and saw this giant challenging the very honor and nature of God, I believe he began with a prayer. It is recorded as a statement, but David had an open heaven—he knew what God could do, so it was more a prophetic utterance. “Then

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?tscnyc.org tscnyc.org

■ AN EXCITING LIFE IN GOD

said David to the Philistine, Thou

comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:45–47). Beloved, this must be the cry of the Christian life, so those in the world will know God is alive and that He is living in us. This way the entire world will know Christ sits at the right hand of God, and has a church living in His power on this earth.

■ GOD WILL WHISPER

SUPERNATURAL PLANS

INTO YOUR EAR

God will speak to you about things that are just as impossible as the walls of Jericho falling down. God might tell you that He is going to make you into a person of incredible compassion. Your whole family will be astounded when they see the walls of selfishness that once surrounded you come down. He might show you the power to speak good when everyone else is speaking evil in the workplace. Maybe He will show you how He is going to guide you into intercessory prayer for others. Perhaps you think that is impossible because you are such an angry person. God wants to take the root of anger out of your life because it is rooted in unforgiveness. People are going to look and say, “How did this victory

ever come about? What happened to you that you are speaking words of such incredible grace?” All they remember is that you were shouting for vengeance and retribution. Now you are talking about forgiveness, and not only talking about it for others, but you know you are truly forgiven.

For others, He might show the victory He has for them, while in the natural their lives are still a war zone. This is the work of the supernatural that takes place in prayer. Hallelujah!

■ STARTING SMALL —

FINISHING BIG

God says this is only the beginning. Do you have the courage to believe God? Do you have the courage to follow Him? Do you have the courage to put your life into His hands and let Him speak into your heart? There are steps to take; there are victories to be won. And it starts with asking God to give you the victory over strongholds in your life today. The Lord says, “Come boldly, I will help you.” As you begin to walk in His victory, you begin to realize there is no limitation to what God can do in the rest of your life. You have been delivered from having to live under the impression of what you think your life should be. Now, wherever God calls you, there will be a supernatural infusion of His life that will be evident to you and to those all around you.

Carter ConlonJune 12, 2007©2007 Times Square Church

CARTER CONLONCARTER CONLON

Carter Conlon is senior pastor of

Times Square Church, where he

has been on the pastoral staff

since 1994.

TIMES SQUARE CHURCHTIMES SQUARE CHURCH

Times Square Church was founded

in 1987 by Pastor David Wilkerson,

author of “The Cross and the

Switchblade.” It is an interdenomina-

tional church located in the heart of

New York City.

Founding Pastor Founding Pastor

David Wilkerson

Senior PastorSenior Pastor

Carter Conlon

Tel:Tel:

212-541-6300

Fax: Fax:

212-541-6415

Church Location:Church Location:

237 West 51st Street,

Between Broadway & Eighth Avenue

Mailing Address: Mailing Address:

1657 Broadway, 4th Flr.

New York, NY 10019

e-mail: e-mail:

info@timessquarechurch.org

WEEKLY SCHEDULE OF SERVICESWEEKLY SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

Sunday 10:00AM 3:00PM 6:00PM

Tuesday 7:00PM Church Service

Thursday 7:00PM Prayer Meeting

Friday 7:00PM Church Service

tscnyc.orgtscnyc.org

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?

This message is an edited version of a sermon given in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in New York City. Other sermons

are available by visiting our website www.tscnyc.org or calling 1-800-488-0854. You can also write to: Times Square Church, Tape

Ministry, 1657 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. You are welcome to make additional copies of this sermon for free distribution

to friends. However, for all other forms of reproduction or electronic transmission existing copyright laws apply. This sermon cannot

be posted on any website or webpage without written permission from Times Square Church. Unless otherwise noted, all scripture

references are from the King James Version.

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WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PRAY?

by Carter Conlon

Why is it so hard to pray? Why is it such a constant battle to bend the knee to God and seek His face? Why is there such an ongoing spiritual resistance, a real force that comes against you when you make the decision to pray? With these struggles in mind, it is difficult to understand how to “pray without ceasing” as the apostle Paul clearly states we should in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. I believe the Holy Spirit would not have anointed this apostle to write these words if God had not intended for them to become a reality in the life of the believer.

The apostle Paul goes on to suggest that you should be communing with God all day long, in every kind of situation. “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 2:8). So not only should you have the habit and pattern of going to your prayer closet to seek God, but you should be living every part of your day in an ongoing attitude of prayer. Pray everywhere—in the subway, in the workplace, even if you are being chewed out by your boss. Pray! The word “wrath” in this verse means to have a mind free from anger. More accurately, it means to be free from the desire to punish others who have done you wrong. So you can see God clearly intended for you to be able to pray for others with a clear conscience.

Paul also said, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto

God” (Philippians 4:6). Again, if you look at what the word “nothing” means in the Greek, you find it literally says: not one, not even one person. In other words, the Lord is saying, “Do not be worried about a single person. You put them into My hands no matter what the circumstance.” Regardless of whether it is a backslidden family member; an unbelieving co-worker; or someone in your life causing one heartache after another. Simply bring your requests to God in prayer and then immediately thank Him for giving you the answer. You are not bringing things to God that are unfamiliar to Him. You know what the Word says, so you are simply agreeing with what God has already said He would do. You are merely bringing back to God what He has promised. This is the reason we can immediately thank Him. Jesus said it this way: “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”(Matthew 21:22).

According to these scriptures then, prayer should be the natural expression of your life wherever you are. If this is true biblically, why is it so hard to pray? Please understand that what I am about to share with you is not all-inclusive, but simply what the Holy Spirit has laid on my heart for you. It is what I have known

to be true both in my own life and in the life of others.

■ SATAN OPPOSES PRAYER

What is vital to understand in the beginning, is that Satan will oppose prayer because he knows it is your lifeline to God. From the beginning of time, God has desired to have a relationship with man and, consequently, with you. Since this is God’s heart for you, the moment you try to come into the presence of God, Satan bombards you with accusations of failure and unworthiness. The dev-il’s ultimate lie is that “God has been watching you and observing all your failures; now, therefore, how can you go to Him in prayer?” If you believe any of these lies, he will turn up the heat and cause you to believe God is looking down upon you with an angry or disapproving countenance.

The devil knows history; he knows there have been men and women who had the courage to go into the presence of God and receive promises from Him that destroyed his kingdom. He has been building walls around people for years, and the last thing he needs is someone who gets up and goes to God for answers. So he will accuse and condemn you and do everything he can to keep you from that kind of prayer. It is at this point, you need to remind the devil what the cross was all about. When Jesus Christ went to the cross, the wrath of God for the sin of mankind was poured out upon Him. If you trust in Jesus, you cannot be condemned. Jesus defeated him by being raised victoriously from the dead. You are

“A GREAT MULTITUDE OF ALL NATIONS AND KINDREDS AND PEOPLES AND LANGUAGES” (REV. 7:9).“A GREAT MULTITUDE OF ALL NATIONS AND KINDREDS AND PEOPLES AND LANGUAGES” (REV. 7:9). tscnyc.org

VOL I I I / ISSUE 11 / NOV 07