26Then God said, “Let us make human beings so that they are like us. Let them rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky. Let them rule over the livestock and all the wild animals. And let them rule over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27So God created human beings in his own likeness.
He created them to be like himself. He created them as male and female.
28God blessed them. He said to them, “Have children so that there will be many of you. Fill the earth and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky. Rule over every living creature that moves along the ground.”
Gen 1:26 -28.

1. the control of the earth was given by God to man, He respects his word and so wants man to invite his intervention. 
26Then God said, “Let us make human beings so that they are like us. Let them rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky. Let them rule over the livestock and all the wild animals. And let them rule over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

2. Build a relationship with us. 

Prayer is a two-way communication that fosters intimacy with God. It’s like a conversation with a close friend; by talking with Him, we grow closer, learning more about His character and aligning our hearts with His will.
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

3. What prayer produces in us. –
discipline, spirituality, humility 

Mathew 6:6  But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.


Three instances where prayers were answered; 

1. Old Testament / Early church
2. contemporary history 
3. personal experience.

Old testament examples of answered prayer. 

§ Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:36-38) – Elijah prayed for fire from heaven to prove the Lord’s power, and fire consumed the altar and sacrifice.
§ Hannah’s Prayer (1 Samuel 1:10-20) – Hannah prayed for a son, and God gave her Samuel.
§ King Hezekiah’s Prayer (2 Kings 19:14-36) – Hezekiah prayed for deliverance from the Assyrian army, and an angel struck down 185,000 Assyrians overnight.
§ Daniel in the Lion’s Den (Daniel 6:16-22) – Daniel prayed, and God shut the mouths of the lions.

Early church

§ The Church was founded on prayer
§ Luke records that the first activity of the disciples was to join together “devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:14).
§ “The Early Church’s Prayer for Peter (Acts 12:5-11) – Peter was miraculously freed from prison after the church prayed.
§ Gained boldness and effectiveness over opposition through prayer
After the first recorded incident of persecution from the council of the high priest, Peter reports to his friends everything that has taken place. Together they pray to God, and “when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31, emphasis added).
§ . Great conversions through prayer
§ Second, God uses prayer to lead people to salvation in Christ. The most notable is the conversion of Saul, a persecutor of the church. While Stephen is being martyred for his faith, he prays for his persecutors and cries out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). This prayer would have included Saul, who was at the execution. Stephen’s prayer is followed by Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus in Acts 9.

Discussions

Answered Prayer in Contemporary history
§ 1. The Battle of Dunkirk (1940) – King George VI called the nation to pray, and an unexpected storm and mist prevented German bombers from attacking trapped British soldiers. At the same time, the English Channel became unusually calm, allowing 338,000 soldiers to be evacuated.
§ 2. George Washington at Valley Forge (1777-78) – Multiple eyewitnesses, including Isaac Potts, recounted Washington praying earnestly for his army. The war turned in favor of the Americans shortly thereafter.

§ 3. The Fall of Communism (1989) – Prayer movements across Eastern Europe preceded the peaceful collapse of communist regimes in Poland, East Germany, and Romania.
§ Medical Miracles in Answer to Prayer
§ 4. Dr. Rex Gardner’s Research on Medical Miracles – A study of prayer in medical cases revealed documented, unexplained healings after intense prayer.
§ 5. The Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989, Germany) – Massive Christian prayer gatherings took place in East Germany. Soon after, the Berlin Wall collapsed, leading to German reunification.

§ 6. George Müller’s Orphanages (19th Century) – Müller never asked anyone for money but relied solely on prayer. There are countless records of food and finances arriving exactly when needed.
§ 7. Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission – Taylor’s entire ministry was sustained by prayer without direct fundraising.
§ 8. Corrie ten Boom’s Concentration Camp Prayer (1940s) – While in Ravensbrück, Corrie and her sister prayed for vitamins and medicine. A package of vitamins miraculously arrived when they ran out.

§ 9. The First Great Awakening (1730s-1740s) – Jonathan Edwards led prayer meetings that ignited revival across the American colonies.
§ 10. The Second Great Awakening (1800-1840) – Charles Finney documented entire towns transformed by prayer-based revivals.
§ 11. The Welsh Revival (1904-1905) – Evan Roberts led prayer gatherings, and 100,000 people came to Christ within months.
§ 12. The Hebrides Revival (1949-1952) – Two elderly women prayed for revival in Scotland, and the Spirit of God swept through the islands, bringing thousands to Christ.
§ 13. The Azusa Street Revival (1906-1915) – Continuous prayer meetings led to the modern Pentecostal movement.
§
Discussions
§ Anymore examples of known answered prayer in history?
§ Any answered prayer in your personal life?

Note:
§ 1. Pray with the word of God. 
§ 2. Believe when you pray.
§ 3. imagine and confess.