Make God's Name Your Argument in Prayer - Tim Conway

God has great concern for His Name and what this world says about Him. We should appeal to God's Name for the sake of answering our prayers. Are your prayers related to God's Name and reputation?

→ View on I'll Be Honest: https://illbehonest.com/make-gods-name-your-argument-in-prayer

→ Excerpt from the full sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShLOg6UHwRA

We are surrounded by people

who mock and scoff at your God.

I remember one time way back

in the very early days of our church,

we came to the east side of San Antonio.

And I remember one day we were out,

we were evangelizing,

and we were going past the Salvation Army.

There's a park there and
a lot of the homeless guys

that stay in the shelter there,

they hang out in this park.

And I specficially, I've never forgotten,

there was a man sitting at a bench

and he looked at us with contempt.

And he was African American.

And he's looking at us

as though we've come from
another part of the city

to this east side.

And he just said with contempt,

"You're never going to
change the inner city.

You're never going to
change the east side."

And I told him, "you're right.

We're not.

But our God is."

That the Lord cares about.

Have you ever read in Scripture

when our Lord Himself was praying.

John 17.

He's praying to His Father.

And do you know what He prayed?

He prayed this.

He prayed He and the Father

and the Father and Him,

and they may become perfectly one,

so that the world may know

that the Father sent the Son

and loved those disciples

even as the Father loved Christ.

That the world may know.

I find this very interesting.

Several years back, I preached messages,

and I have from time to time,

preached on those seven
churches in Asia Minor.

Have you ever noticed Philadelphia?

They were one of the faithful churches.

Nothing negative said to them.

And Jesus said this -

He said there are these people

who claim to be Jews but they are not.

They call themselves a synagogue -

He calls it a synagogue of Satan.

They claim to be Jews. They were not Jews.

And do you know what Jesus said?

He said the day is coming

when those physical Jews

are going to fall down
at the feet of Christians.

And Jesus said they're
going to know I loved you.

It's like God is concerned

about what people think.

Notice Moses.

"Why should the Egyptians say

with evil intent did He bring them out

to kill them in the mountains

and to consume them
from the face of the earth?

Turn from Your burning anger

and relent from this
disaster against Your people."

In another place, Moses said this:

He said to the Lord,

"The Egyptians will hear of it."

God said, "I'm going to
strike them with pestilence

and disinherit them."

And Moses said, "If You do that,

the Egyptians will hear of it."

You brought this people in Your might

from among those Egyptians,

and if You do this -

if You destroy these people -

the Egyptians are going to tell

the inhabitants of this land -

he's talking about Canaan -

"They have heard that You, O Lord,

are in the midst of this people.

For You, O Lord, are seen face to face.

Your cloud stands over them

and You can go before them

in a pillar of cloud by day

and a pillar of fire by night.

If You kill this people as one man,

the nations who have heard of Your fame

will say..." you know why?
You know why?

It's because God wasn't able.

I'll tell you this.

God has concern for the glory

of His reputation and honor.

And you can pray that.

I have often remembered those man's words:

Lord, that guy scoffed at the ability

to transform the east side of San Antonio.

Lord, remember his words.

You're not a god like
the god of the nations.

You are not like the Egyptian gods.

You are not like the god of Catholicism.

You're not like the god of
this easy believism out here.

You are the true and the living God.

Lord, arise! Your name depends upon it.

Very powerful way to pray.