Finding Deliverance: The Power of Prayer in Trials

 

Summary

Psalm 69:14 serves as a poignant reminder of the struggles believers face, likened to being trapped in deep mire. This imagery captures the essence of spiritual despair, where one's efforts to escape only lead to deeper entanglement. The psalmist's cry for deliverance is a universal plea for divine intervention when human strength fails. The narrative of Mr. Gatsby's near-drowning in mud serves as a vivid illustration of this spiritual truth, emphasizing the necessity of external help—divine rescue—when one is overwhelmed by life's challenges.

True believers, despite their faith, can find themselves in such mire, whether through doubt, sin, or external trials. These experiences are not indicative of a lack of faith but rather a testament to the ongoing spiritual battle. The believer's journey is marked by moments of doubt and fear, where even the most steadfast can question their salvation and God's presence. Yet, these trials serve a purpose: to refine faith, to draw believers closer to God, and to prepare them for the ultimate joy of heaven.

The sermon highlights three key reflections: first, that believers can indeed find themselves in the mire; second, that only God can deliver them; and third, that prayer remains a steadfast refuge. The believer's cry for deliverance is not just a plea for rescue but an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty and faithfulness. It is through these trials that believers learn to rely not on their own strength but on God's grace and mercy.

In the midst of trials, believers are reminded of the importance of prayer. It is the unyielding weapon in spiritual warfare, a direct line to divine assistance. Prayer is never futile; it aligns the believer's heart with God's will, ensuring that even if the answer is not as expected, it is always for the believer's ultimate good. The sermon concludes with an exhortation to remain steadfast in prayer, trusting in God's deliverance and grace.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Reality of Spiritual Struggles: Believers often face spiritual struggles akin to being trapped in deep mire, where efforts to escape seem futile. These struggles are not a sign of weak faith but a part of the believer's journey, refining and strengthening their reliance on God. [01:03]

2. Divine Deliverance: Only God can deliver believers from the mire of doubt, sin, and trials. This deliverance is a testament to His sovereignty and faithfulness, reminding believers to trust in His timing and methods. [04:13]

3. The Role of Trials: Trials serve to refine faith, draw believers closer to God, and prepare them for the joy of heaven. They reveal the believer's dependence on God and the insufficiency of human strength. [20:56]

4. The Power of Prayer: Prayer is the believer's unyielding weapon in spiritual warfare, providing a direct line to divine assistance. It is never futile and aligns the believer's heart with God's will, ensuring that their true needs are met. [42:05]

5. The Assurance of God's Presence: Even in the darkest moments, believers are assured of God's presence and deliverance. This assurance is a source of comfort and strength, enabling them to endure and overcome trials. [46:24]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:12] - Introduction to the Mire
- [01:03] - The Believer's Struggle
- [03:43] - Deliverance at the Right Time
- [04:29] - The True Believer in the Mire
- [07:05] - Doubts and Assurance
- [09:55] - Temporal Troubles
- [12:27] - Inward Corruption
- [15:26] - Satanic Temptations
- [18:18] - Trials and Faith
- [20:56] - Glorifying God in Trials
- [24:23] - The Sweetness of Heaven
- [27:04] - The Mark of God's People
- [33:47] - Divine Deliverance
- [41:14] - The Power of Prayer
- [46:24] - A Call to Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Psalm 69:14

Observation Questions:
1. What imagery does the psalmist use in Psalm 69:14 to describe his spiritual struggle? How does this imagery relate to the believer's experience of feeling trapped in spiritual despair? [00:12]
2. How does the story of Mr. Gatsby's near-drowning in mud illustrate the need for divine intervention in our lives? [01:17]
3. According to the sermon, what are the three key reflections on the believer's experience in the mire? [03:59]

Interpretation Questions:
1. Why might true believers find themselves in spiritual struggles, and how does this relate to their faith journey? [04:29]
2. How does the sermon explain the role of trials in refining a believer's faith and drawing them closer to God? [20:56]
3. In what ways does prayer serve as a refuge for believers during times of spiritual struggle, according to the sermon? [42:05]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt trapped in a spiritual struggle. How did you seek divine intervention, and what was the outcome? [00:12]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of relying on God's strength rather than our own. How can you practice this reliance in your daily life, especially during challenging times? [04:13]
3. Consider a current trial you are facing. How might this trial be serving to refine your faith and draw you closer to God? [20:56]
4. How can you make prayer a more consistent and powerful part of your spiritual life, especially when facing spiritual struggles? [42:05]
5. The sermon assures believers of God's presence even in the darkest moments. How can you remind yourself of this assurance when you feel overwhelmed by life's challenges? [46:24]
6. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to trust in God's timing and methods for deliverance. How can you actively practice this trust? [04:13]
7. How can you support others in your community who may be experiencing spiritual struggles, and what role can prayer play in this support? [42:05]

Devotional

Day 1: The Depths of Spiritual Struggles
Believers often find themselves in spiritual struggles that feel like being trapped in deep mire. These struggles can arise from doubt, sin, or external trials, and they are not a sign of weak faith. Instead, they are a natural part of the believer's journey, serving to refine and strengthen their reliance on God. In these moments, efforts to escape on one's own can seem futile, highlighting the need for divine intervention. The psalmist's cry for deliverance in Psalm 69:14 is a universal plea for help when human strength fails, reminding believers that they are not alone in their struggles. [01:03]

Psalm 40:1-2 (ESV): "I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure."

Reflection: Think of a current struggle in your life that feels overwhelming. How can you invite God into this situation today, trusting Him to provide the strength and deliverance you need?


Day 2: Trusting in Divine Deliverance
Only God can deliver believers from the mire of doubt, sin, and trials. This deliverance is a testament to His sovereignty and faithfulness, reminding believers to trust in His timing and methods. When faced with overwhelming challenges, it is crucial to remember that God's ways are higher than ours, and His plans are always for our ultimate good. Believers are encouraged to lean on God's promises and trust that He will provide a way out, even when the path is not immediately clear. [04:13]

Isaiah 43:1-2 (ESV): "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.'"

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you experienced God's deliverance in your life. How can this past experience encourage you to trust Him in your current circumstances?


Day 3: The Purpose of Trials
Trials serve to refine faith, draw believers closer to God, and prepare them for the joy of heaven. These experiences reveal the believer's dependence on God and the insufficiency of human strength. While trials can be painful and challenging, they are also opportunities for growth and transformation. By embracing these moments, believers can deepen their relationship with God and develop a more resilient faith that can withstand future challenges. [20:56]

James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Reflection: Identify a recent trial you have faced. How can you view this experience as an opportunity for growth and a chance to draw closer to God?


Day 4: The Unyielding Power of Prayer
Prayer is the believer's unyielding weapon in spiritual warfare, providing a direct line to divine assistance. It is never futile and aligns the believer's heart with God's will, ensuring that their true needs are met. In the midst of trials, prayer becomes a refuge and a source of strength, enabling believers to persevere and remain steadfast in their faith. By cultivating a consistent prayer life, believers can experience the peace and assurance that comes from knowing they are not alone in their struggles. [42:05]

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV): "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Reflection: Consider your current prayer habits. How can you make prayer a more integral part of your daily routine, especially during times of trial?


Day 5: Assurance of God's Presence
Even in the darkest moments, believers are assured of God's presence and deliverance. This assurance is a source of comfort and strength, enabling them to endure and overcome trials. By holding onto the promise of God's unwavering presence, believers can find peace and hope, even when circumstances seem dire. This assurance is not only a comfort but also a reminder of God's faithfulness and love, encouraging believers to remain steadfast in their faith. [46:24]

Deuteronomy 31:8 (ESV): "It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

Reflection: In what ways have you experienced God's presence in your life recently? How can this assurance help you face future challenges with confidence and hope?

Quotes


True Believers beloved are sometimes in deep mire and in fear of being swallowed up. This was the state and condition of the psalmist when he wrote this Psalm. He felt that he was sinking and could not deliver himself and therefore he cries unto the strong for strength in the words of the text deliver me out of the mind let me not sink. [00:00:57]

The truest believer in the world may be brought into the deep mire of unbelief. Some of us who have preached the word for years and have been the means of working faith in others and of establishing them in the knowledge of the fundamental doctrines of the Bible have nevertheless been the subject to the most fearful and violent doubts as to the truth of the very gospel we have preached. [00:04:54]

A Believer may be quite settled in his belief of the gospel and may never doubt the inspiration of the scriptures, the atonement of Christ, and all those precious truths which are commonly received Among Us and yet, through sin or Temptation or some other cause he may not have a full Assurance of his own interest in those glorious and vital truths. [00:07:11]

It is no sign beloved that you are not a child of God because you feel the rod, but it is rather a token of your being one of the adopted because you are made to pass under the rod of the Covenant and to utter the prayer of David Lord save me from the deep mire and let me not sink. [00:11:28]

Our God its Seasons permits The Fountains of the great deep of human depravity to be broken up, and then what floods of sin come pouring forth. We little know what lies secreted in our deceitful hearts, envyings, blasphemies, murders, lust. There is enough in the heart of any man to make a full-grown devil if restraining Grace did not prevent. [00:12:47]

The best of God's children know this and I think the Holier they are the more likely they are to feel the conflict Within. It is the fashion in our country for men to wear black coats I suppose it is because they do not show the dirt so much as a white garment, but if we wore white garments the filth would reveal itself then we should have to change them very often. [00:14:23]

There is no knowing what suggestions Satan May thrust into the ear and into the soul of the greatest believer that heaven ever made. God May whisper in your ear one day and Satan the next, and yet you may be a child of God on both occasions. Oh beloved I dare scarcely say in the midst of this assembly what I know on this point. [00:15:28]

Our heavenly father sends these troubles or permits them to come to try our faith. If our faith be worth anything at all it will stand the test. Guilt is always afraid of fire but gold is not. The pace gem dreads to be touched by the diamond but the true Diamond fears no test. [00:18:45]

The Lord may also let his servant slip into the deep Maya to glorify himself, for he is never perhaps more glorified than in the faith of his own people. When an architect has erected a bridge of whose enormous strength he is well satisfied he has no objection that it shall be put to any test. [00:20:50]

Prayer is the never failing Resort of the Christian in any case in every plight. When you cannot use your sword you may take to the weapon of all prayer. Your powder may be damp your bow stream may be relaxed your sword may be rusty your spear may be bent, but the weapon of all prayer is never out of order. [00:41:24]

True prayer is ever more true power. You may not always get what you ask for but you shall always have your real want supplied. When God does not answer his children according to the letter he does so according to the spirit. If thou askest for silver will thou be angered because he gives thee gold. [00:43:47]

I cannot perhaps breathe under an asthmatic affection without great difficulty and much pain, but I must really breathe if I live and so with you, you must breathe if you live, and you do pray must pray if you are truly a child of God. [00:45:48]

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Transcript
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