Why We Need To Pray More Than Ever Before-Part 1

2 Timothy 3:1-8 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.”

These are perilous times! Paul warned Timothy about these days of peril: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”

We have seen in the first 15 years of the new millennium:

(1) The catastrophic attack by terrorists on New York, the Pentagon, and Washington have affected families, the economy, insurance, energy, business, and the way we live our lives everyday in America.

(2) The loss of jobs, the rise of poverty, homelessness, and starvation are now widespread throughout our land.

(3) The rising costs of energy, food, clothing, and just about every essential we have come to enjoy in this land have skyrocketed to new heights and continue to climb.

(4) The major hurricanes and tornados that hit America and brought so much devastation and change to our daily lives.

Believe it or not-these are perilous times!

The warning that Paul gave to Timothy is being fulfilled around us each day that we live.

-The attitude of people would be only for themselves.

-The desires of people would be only for pleasure and not for God.
-The hearts of people would be stolen by false teachings and doctrines that were not of God-deception would rule the day.

Two verses sound out the spiritual state of our nation today:

Verse 5 says “…having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

Verse 7 “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

These are perilous times because men want a form of faith, but not the faith that requires commitment!

2 Timothy 4:3, 4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

These are perilous times because men want their way and will rather than God’s way and will!
Romans 10:1-3 “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

These are perilous times because men want equality with God rather than to worship God!
Romans 1:20-25 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”

These are perilous times because people enjoy bondage more than they want truth!
Galatians 5: 1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

These are perilous times because people cannot handle the truth about their own shortcomings and needs!
Revelation 3:15-17 “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”

Its time for us to wake up!
2 Peter 3:1-7 “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior: knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Romans 13:11, 12 “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” 

Isaiah 49:8 “Thus says the LORD: “ In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant to the people, To restore the earth, To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;” (Paul repeated this in 2 Corinthians 6:2)