The Power of Prayer

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The Power of Prayer

• Examining the testimony of scriptures and two
  Christian medical missionaries

Monday November 20th, 2006
Rush Christian Medical Association Cityview
Presbyterian Church
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What are Gods ordinary provisions for our
spiritual growth?

• The Sacraments
• Baptism
• The Lords Supper
• The Word of God
• Fellowship
• Prayer

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What is prayer?

• An offering up of our desires unto God
• for things agreeable to his will
• in the name of Christ
• with confession of our sins
• our inadequacy and Gods all sufficiency
• and thankful acknowledgement of his merciesfor
  his promises of future grace

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A C T S

• Adoration
• Confession
• Thanksgiving
• Supplication

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Why pray?

• To fellowship with God
• To discern His will
• For deliverance from evil
• To be a witness

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Please meet our guests
Dr. David Stevens, M.D.
Dr. Peter A. Boelens, M.D.
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Dr. Boelens To fellowship with God

• Finished internship at Cook County, then
• Studied for a semester at Moody.
• Moody students practiced Constant Communication
  with God
• Continually asking for guidance,
• Continually expressing their feelings,
• Continually praising God.

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Practicing the Presence of Godby Brother
Lawrence (c.1614-1691)

• The most spiritually satisfying prayer times
  were while he peeled potatoes.

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Parable of the Persistent Widow
Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them
that they should pray always and not give up
Luke 181

• Will not God bring about justice for his chosen
  ones, who cry out to him day and night?Luke
  187

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Dr. Stevens To fellowship with God

• Soon a large crowd had gathered to listen and to
  be healed of their ailments. And as often as
  possible, Jesus withdrew to an out of the way
  place to pray Luke 515-16

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Dr. Stevens Discerning His Will

• Dr. Stevens has just finished his medical
  training.
• He has a choice
• 1. Accept a position at Calloway Gardens, a
  beautiful resort north of Columbus, Georgia
• Eat steak and lobster, golf at the nearby green,
• Enjoy horseback riding along beautiful
  azalea-lined trails,
• Fish huge bass at a wonderful lake,
• Enjoy saunas, hot tubs, and swimming pools,
• Get a nice private office free of charge.

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Dr. Stevens Discerning His Will

• Dr. Stevens has just finished his medical
  training.
• He has a choice
• 2. Go as a medical missionary to Africa.
• You must choose either or the other.
• What would you do?

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Dr. Stevens Discerning His Will

• Theres nothing wrong with practicing in the US,
  unless Gods will for them is to be somewhere
  else.

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Dr. Stevens Discerning His Will

• One night about 200 A.M., I was tossing and
  turning, unable to get to sleep.
• I finally woke Jody up and said, Honey, we
  really need to pray!
• So we got down on our knees by the bed.
• I told the Lord again that I was willing to
  answer...his call to serve him in Africa,
• no matter what it means.

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Dr. Stevens Discerning His Will

• Father, if you are willing, take this cup from
  me yet not my will, but yours be done. Luke
  2242

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Dr. Boelens Deliverance from Evil

• Prayer... is also a weapon to be used for God.
• I had never heard from the lips of a formerly
  demon-possessed person...
• that evil was actually stymied because of prayer.

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Dr. Boelens Deliverance from Evil
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Dr. Boelens Deliverance from Evil
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Dr. Boelens Deliverance from Evil

• Jesus disciples asked him privately, Why
  couldnt we drive it out?
• He replied, This kind can come out only by
  prayer.Mark 929

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Dr. Stevens To be a witness

• HPI
• Arap Towet is an elderly Kipsigis gentleman from
  Kenya who presents to the exam room with an ugly
  growth, bulging out at the side of his face, with
  pus oozing out.

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Dr. Stevens To be a witness

• Dx Retropharyngeal carcinomastarted behind the
  soft palate near the base of the brain.
  Metastasized through the lymph nodes along neck
  and side of cheek.
• Tx No need for biopsy chemotherapy wont help.
  Give pain medications and some vitamins.

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Dr. Stevens To be a witness

• Dr. Stevens Arap Towet, this tumor is likely to
  finish you.
• Mr. Towet I know that, Daktari.
• Dr. Stevens Arap Towet, if this illness does
  finish you, do you know what will become of you?
• Mr. Towet My son will bury me.
• Dr. Stevens What I meant was, what will happen
  to your spirityour soul?
• Mr. Towet I dont know.

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Dr. Stevens To be a witness

• Dr. Stevens Have you heard the story of Jesus
  Christ?
• Mr. Towet (Shakes his head.)
• Dr. Stevens (Explains the Gospel.)
• Dr. Stevens Would you like to invite Jesus
  into your heart so that your spirit could live
  with God forever in heaven?
• Dr. Towet Of course.

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Dr. Stevens To be a witness

• So Arap Towet and I got down on our knees right
  there in that outpatient examination room, I put
  my hand on his shoulder and prayed with him as he
  accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. When we
  stood up, his face had been absolutely
  transformed. Oh, the carcinoma was still there.
  But even more obvious now was the joy and peace
  that radiated from his countenance.

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• Go into all the world and preach the good news
  to all creation. Mark 1615