In the sermon 'The Answer is Pray: 25 verses on prayer' by Steve Hopkins, the focus is on the power and necessity of prayer in the life of believers. Hopkins emphasizes that prayer is the constant answer to life's trials and burdens, encouraging believers to persist in prayer without losing heart. He draws from various biblical passages, including Isaiah 43:2, Isaiah 41:9-10, John 14:27, and others, to illustrate God's promise of presence and strength in difficult times. Prayer is not just about seeking solutions but trusting in God's sustaining grace and peace that surpasses understanding. The sermon underscores the importance of a submissive heart posture, humility, and faith in prayer, and encourages incorporating thanksgiving into prayer. Hopkins also addresses the need for perseverance, fasting, and seeking God's will, while emphasizing that God is faithful and will not allow believers to be overwhelmed by their challenges. The sermon concludes with the hope of ultimate healing and rest in heaven, as promised in Revelation 21:4.

We're all facing various trials, various circumstances in our lives. Some are going through water, others through fire. And I want to encourage you today that no matter what the issue is that you may be facing today, no matter your circumstance, no matter the challenge that you may be facing, no matter what burden that you may be carrying, to remember that the answer is always the same. Continue in prayer. Continue in prayer.

Continue in prayer. You may say, Lord, I can't do this. I can't resolve this thing. I can't fix this thing. I can't overcome this obstacle in my life.

I can't make this situation work out. Continue in prayer. Continue in prayer. Don't faint. A few weeks ago in a message that I preached, I don't know how many of you are here.

I know we've had a lot of people out in the last few months. It was entitled pain in every pew. How many were here for pain in every pew? OK, about half the congregation here. I said, you know, one is overwhelmed with sorrow.

Another maybe with anxiety. One is struggling with depression. Another with temptation. Relationship issues are weighing on one. Employment issues on another.

Some have uncertainties about their health, others about their finances, maybe their housing situation, wondering how they're going to care for their families in the future. One is mourning over sin, another over a lost loved one. There's pain truly in every pew. And I said, you know, many times no one in a church or maybe a few people in a church, even though we're so involved in each other's lives, sometimes the people sitting next to us in the pews of our church don't really know what we're going through. And it's hard.

And I said, you know, it's true what my mother used to say, there is pain in every pew, but The believer is not sitting alone in that pew, in that chair, in that congregation. God is also there. God is here. And he knows. He knows.

And he says to his redeemed, to those who belong to him, When you pass through those waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. Neither shall the flame consume you. Isaiah 43 to brothers and sisters continue in prayer, Continue in prayer.

God says to those who feel forsaken, or maybe struggle with their assurance of faith, of salvation, I have chosen you. I have not cast you away. Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you.

Yea I will help you. I will uphold you with the righteousness of my right hand. Isaiah 41, 9 through 10. Just continue in prayer. Continue in prayer.

Brothers and sisters, we can trust him who called the world into existence with a word. The Lord will not allow us to be crushed under the weight of life's trials. Jesus gives us peace, the scripture tells us, not as the world gives, a fragile and a fleeting peace, but a peace that surpasses understanding. He says in John 14 27, My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives. Let not your heart be troubled.

Neither be afraid. Just continue in prayer. Just continue in prayer. The peace of God is not the absence of trouble. This is the words of Spurgeon, but the presence of God, but the presence of God.

Cast your burden upon the Lord in prayer and leave it there. He will sustain you through it. You may not see an immediate end to your trial but you will experience his sustaining grace that upholds you moment by moment. Brothers and sisters continue in prayer continue in prayer. David prayed in Psalm 73 26 my flesh and my heart fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

A few thoughts on prayer. Romans 8 15 because Jesus won our adoption for us we have received the spirit of adoption we're told and we can cry Abba Father Abba Father and when the words don't come in prayer we can know that the spirit himself intercedes for us Romans 826 says We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans, with groanings that cannot be uttered. The prophet Isaiah reminds us in Isaiah 66 to that God looks to the man who is quote poor and of a contrite spirit and it trembles at his word. Are you humble before God and see yourself as needy before God? Are you of a contrite spirit, easily convicted of the sin in your life?

Do you tremble at God's Word? Luke 18, 13, we read, The publican cried, God be merciful to me a sinner. God be merciful to me a sinner God be merciful to me a sinner. When you're in prayer and continuing in prayer remember to confess sin be tender to the sins in your life and to confess it knowing that he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins John 1 9 he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Our prayers may be desperate. That's okay.

We're weak and needy. David said in Psalm 131 through two, out of the depths have I cried unto you, O Lord. Out of the depths. Maybe that's your experience sometimes when you're continuing in prayer. You're just crying from the depths of your soul.

The things that you're facing are just too too great. The mountain is too high. Out of the depths of I cried to you O Lord Hebrews 5 7 tells us that Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears We can walk as we continue in prayer in the footsteps of our Savior but we can also pray with boldness. Hebrews 4 16 says let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace. That's talking about in prayer.

Why? Hebrews 10 19 tells us we can have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. We can come boldly to the throne of grace because Jesus died for our sins because his blood was shed for our sins. We should pray with a submissive posture and I'm not talking about an external posture. Some may pray on their knees, some may pray lying in their bed, some may prostrate themselves face down on the ground before God.

I listened to a sermon by R.C. Sproul once and he said, that's how I pray. He said, I pray prostrated on the floor before God. I'd never heard him say that before. But we should pray with a submissive posture of our heart, of our heart.

A person can be lying in a hospital bed and you know under all kinds of constraints and at the same time be able to prostrate themselves before God be able to be on their knees before God. We should pray with a submissive posture, knowing that God's will is what is best for us in our situation. Jesus prayed, Nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. Not my will, but yours be done. Matthew 26 39.

In James 4 15 we read if the Lord wills we shall live and do this or that. That's a submissive posture in prayer. Oh Lord if you're willing we'll live and do this but not our will oh God but yours be done. We should as we read in our opening text, we should persevere in prayer and not lose heart. In Luke 18, 1-8 we have the parable of the persistent prayer of a widow seeking justice from an unjust judge.

Well, our God is not an unjust judge. He is a just judge. But the example is given in Jesus said that men ought always to pray and not to faint. That is to continue in prayer and persevere in prayer, but without losing heart. Don't lose heart.

Maybe the answer to your prayer hasn't come today. Maybe it won't come tomorrow. Maybe it didn't come yesterday. But we should continue in prayer. Men ought always to pray and not to faint or lose heart.

And as We looked at in our session last week from Colossians chapter four and verse two, we should pray with thanksgiving. We should pray with thanksgiving. Continue earnestly in prayer and watch in it. Watch against coldness, against numbness. Watch against the distractions of worldly business.

Watch against the wondering thoughts that so many times enter into our minds as soon as we begin to pray and then continue earnestly in prayer and do so with Thanksgiving Always remember to weave Thanksgiving into your prayers. That was where we were last week. Weave thanksgiving into your prayers. Remember the great mercies that God has shown you in the past and recount them to you. Lord, you did this for me.

I prayed and you heard my prayer, oh God. You heard my prayer And this is when you heard it. And this is how you answer it. Oh God. And I praise you and I thank you for that.

And now Lord I've got this. I've got this mountain in front of me. I've got this issue in front of me. I've got this situation that I'm facing. When we pray sometimes the battle is intense.

And we should consider fasting while praying. Skip a meal and pray during that time. Mark 9, 29, Jesus said, this kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting. In Acts 13, two through three, the church at Antioch fasted and prayed before sending out Paul and Barnabas. And our prayers when we pray should always have at the forefront that which Jesus taught us in the prayer that he taught his disciples.

Our father, Quart in heaven, hallowed be thy name. That his name would be hallowed, that his kingdom would be advanced, that his will would be done in earth as in heaven should always be at the forefront of our prayers. Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, in earth as in heaven. And we should also pray with faith. There's a lot of controversy around how to pray with faith.

You have the Charismatics who give demanding prayers. God must do this. He will do this. You know, I said it, I spoke it, therefore he will. They misinterpret the scriptures.

But at the same time, we are to pray with faith. In John 14, verse 13, Jesus said, whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the father may be glorified in the son We should have faith when we pray that if this Oh Lord will bring glory to your name If this will bring glory to your name if the father will be glorified in the son as I ask this in Jesus name. Oh Lord this thing that I believe is in accord with your will and Lord is in accord with your revealed word in scripture. Oh God we can have faith. James 4 2 says you have not because you ask not.

We need to be asking God in prayer. We need to be asking and we need to be asking in faith but he also qualifies it not that you may consume what you're asking upon your lusts. Again you know you have people and you have churches and individuals you know who pray and they demand and it's always that they may consume something it's always something of the physical you know in the physical and the temporal realm but the spiritual things are far from there are far from them. There's not a real interest in in the things that are eternal the things that are going to last. We need to be praying for both the temporal things of this world but also never discarding or setting aside the eternal the eternal things praying for the souls of others praying for others that they would that their walk would grow in the Lord praying for ourselves that we would show forth more and more of the fruits of the spirit of love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and self control which are perfectly manifested in Christ that we would grow in the likeness of Christ.

We should never expect answers to our prayers if we're living in willful sin David said if I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me James 5 16 on the other hand says the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much When we're under temptation we should pray as Jesus prayed when he was being tempted of the devil. Prayed, and he used scripture. And we should always remember that God is faithful who will not permit us to be tempted above that which we are able. But with the temptation, also make a way of escape that we may be able to bear it in a minute a little bit more on praying in times of temptation. But we should continue in prayer trusting God's word that he will never leave us nor forsake us.

Hebrews 13 five And that lo he is with us always even into the end of the world. Matthew 28 20 we should trust in our prayers we should be as we're continuing prayer we should trust to his his tender care. Isaiah 40 11 he says he shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs with his arm. He will carry them in his bosom.

He will gently lead those that are with young. God will provide for his people. Our duty is to continue in prayer. He will tenderly care for the sheep of this pasture. Our duty is to continue in prayer.

He will carry those who are too weak to stand. Our duty is to continue in prayer. He will compassionately lead those who are burdened with the cares of others. Our duty is to continue in prayer. He will sustain us through every trial.

His word guarantees it. Our duty is to continue in prayer. He will sustain us through every trial. His word guarantees it. Our duty is to continue in prayer.

He promises his sustaining presence in the midst of trials. In the world, Jesus said, you're gonna have trouble, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. That is, rejoice, be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. Paul Washer quote, God's love for us is not known in the absence of trials but in his sustaining presence through them His love is seen in his constant care, in his refining hand that never leaves us, even in the darkest of times. His love is not a promise of a painless life, but of his presence and purpose in the midst of pain.

God is faithful. First Corinthians 10 13. God is faithful who calls you. Second Thessalonians 5 24. The Lord is faithful.

Second Thessalonians 3 3. His compassion's fail not. There are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness. Lamentations 3 22 23 Therefore let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful who promised Hebrews 10 23.

My grace is sufficient for you my strength is made perfect in weakness that is your weakness my weakness. Second Corinthians 12 9 brothers sisters continue in prayer continue in prayer continue in prayer. You may have many burdens this is version but God is faithful Cast them upon him in prayer. He will sustain you. He can carry the world.

He can carry your burden. He can carry the world. He can carry your burden. Trust him with your grief. Trust him with your pain.

Trust him with your fears. Trust him with your anxieties. He will not suffer you He will not permit you to be moved. His strength is made perfect in your weakness Brothers and sisters sometimes Our faith is small. We're praying and we just go, Lord my faith is small.

You've heard me say it so many times. We have to remember, even though our faith may be small, a small faith lays hold on a big God in prayer. When trials and temptations, anxieties, fears, disappointments are within and without. The call of God is to look to Him, to look to Christ, to look to Jesus who bore our sins and carries our sorrows. Peter says, casting all our care upon Him for he cares for us.

First Peter 5, 7. All our care, all our concerns, all our anxieties, all our fears, all our grief, all our pain, cast it all on him. Cast it all on him. The psalm is said in Psalm 55, 22, cast thy burden on the Lord and he will sustain you. Cast your burden upon the Lord and he will sustain you.

He will never suffer the righteous to be moved. He won't allow you to be moved out of your place. How? In prayer, We offload our burdens onto Christ's shoulders. Burdens that we were never meant to carry ourselves.

In prayer we roll our burdens onto the Lord who has infinite strength to bear for us what would otherwise crush us under its load. The promise we have for him is that he will sustain us, that we will not be moved. In prayer, we take up Jesus' invitation to carry our burdens. Everybody get that? In prayer, we're taking up Jesus' invitation to carry our burdens for us.

In prayer, we roll our burdens onto Jesus' shoulders and leave them with Him, trusting that He will sustain us, that He will sustain us and uphold us under whatever burden He sees fit for us to continue to carry. Is the mountain in front of you too high for you to climb? Continue in prayer. That mountain that cannot be climbed, God can cast it into the sea. Jesus said, have faith in God, remembering we have the promise that He will hear us and do what is best for us in every situation that we face.

A father in the Gospel of Mark, he said to Jesus, his son was demon possessed. And he comes to Jesus and he says your disciples weren't able to do anything for him he said if you could do anything Jesus said if if I can do anything If Jesus said if back to have he said if you can believe all things are possible to him who believes all things are possible to him who believes. And then he said these words to him he said bring him to me bring him to me. We need to be bringing others before Jesus in prayer. He said bring that son to me in prayer.

Mark 9 19 he answered and said to him, oh faithless generation how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him to me. Bring him to me. Parents should find a great encouragement in the words of Jesus.

Bring him to me. When we just don't know what to do. We just don't know what to do. An issue with a child. An issue with a son or a daughter.

Bring him to Jesus. Oh that we would be a faithful generation, not a faithless generation, but a people that brings our sons and our daughters to Jesus in prayer, believing. In Luke chapter 6, Jesus gave us the example of praying through the night before making important decisions when he prayed all night before choosing his disciples. Have you ever prayed through the night? Have you ever prayed all the way through the night on something?

This is such a big decision. This is such a huge thing in my life. You know, have you prayed through the night ever? Jesus gave us that example. It's difficult.

It's difficult. You know, you think of Jacob and him wrestling with a man in prayer. And the next day he goes off limping, right? Yeah, it can cost you. Sleep can cost us.

But sometimes it's necessary to pray through the night in prayer when the situation that we're facing is that momentous is that that great is that needful it's that serious I'm gonna pray through the night I may go limping without sleep tomorrow but I'm gonna pray through the night because this is that big of a deal it's that big of a deal it's that serious to me Luke chapter 6 He says it says he went out to the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God. In Matthew 26 and Mark 14 and Luke 22 we see Jesus agonizing in prayer in the garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion. None of us will ever face what Jesus faced at Gethsemane, but we will many times agonize in prayer. We will many times agonize in prayer, especially when we're facing situations where there doesn't seem to be any options or other options for us but maybe one that we really don't want to take. Jesus said father let this cup pass from me.

He agonized in prayer and then he went a stone's throw and he fell on his face and then he said not my will but I'd be done not my will but I'd be done. Brothers and sisters prayer is a place where our battles are to be fought. Prayer on our knees on our face before God is where our battles need to be fought no matter what we're facing. Prayer is the place where victories are won. Prayers are the place where victories over besetting sins are won by God's grace and power.

Are you struggling with temptation? Does anyone have a, maybe there's a besetting sin. You go, you know what? This thing is this mountain is too high. This thing is overwhelming.

This thing is just continued on and on. I need help. I need help. God, I need help. Continue in prayer.

Continue in prayer. Continue in prayer. Don't faint and don't give up. And don't waver. Trust in God's word.

I know a young man who fasted and prayed and wept over his sin, a besetting sin, and he cried out to God and he read every scripture that he could find, gathered every scripture that he could find that was related to that particular sin that he was battling And he would memorize them and would quote them. And he read every book that he could find that might give him an answer for victory. And still he found no relief. And he was so desperate one day that he went out to a solitary place and he sat in a pile of ashes and poured ashes on his head crying out to God for deliverance and still no answer no deliverance and finding no relief he prayed through the night He set his alarm every 15 minutes to wake him in case he drifted off. It was that serious to him.

And he cried to God, off with my hands and out with my eyes if that's what it takes oh Lord but free me from this thing I would rather you take my life from the earth than to allow me to go on in this sin against you and then looking to the cross he envisioned Jesus suffering for that besetting sin and bearing it before the father in agony and dying as a substitute in his place and God gave him the victory and God gave him the victory sometimes it has to be that serious brothers and sisters continue in prayer continue in prayer Jesus said blessed are the poor in spirit That is those who see themselves as undeserving and needy sinners, poor in spirit. And he said, blessed are those who mourn. And he's talking about those who mourn over the sin in their lives. Blessed are those who mourn over their sin for they shall be comforted. And blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.

Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that has overcome the world even our faith. To close brothers and sisters we can trust him who called the world into existence by a word as I said earlier. The Lord will not allow you to be crushed under the weight of life's trials. Jesus gives us that peace that the world cannot give, as I said earlier. My peace I give you not as the world gives I give you.

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. And as you continue in prayer, Remember what I've said so many times before. What God doesn't answer on earth, what God does not heal on earth, what God does not even give us answers to or victories to on earth, He ultimately does in heaven. What he doesn't heal on earth, he ultimately heals in heaven. This is the certain hope of the Christian.

Revelation 21 4 tells us that in that day, on the last day, that he will quote wipe away every tear from our eyes. And death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, neither shall there be pain anymore. For the former things are passed away that's the blessed and most certain hope of the Christian let's pray father help us to be a people who continue in prayer and faint not, for we ask it in Jesus name. Amen.