How to Pray Week Four

Week Four

Soul – Joe in the Barbershop clip

- “Sometimes your dreams might not come true., but that doesn’t mean you can’t find happiness doing something else.”

We think about dreams a lot nowadays huh?

What school, career, choices, spouse or single etc.

Does this align with prayer?

Prayer always starts by changing me first

- It’s someone else’s fault, it’s their problem.

o If you only knew how annoying my younger sibling is, if you only knew the look they gave me, if you only understood that my teacher really does hate me…

§ Circumstances are not an excuse for experiencing change in your own heart

Garden of Gethsemane

- Lord not MY will, but yours be done

Luke 22:39-46

The Garden of Gethsemane

39And He came out and went, as was His habit, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. 40Now when He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you do not come into temptation.” 41And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, 42saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 43Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. 45When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, 46and He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you do not come into temptation.”

- Jesus tells his disciples to not give into temptation – the temptation to go against what God wills?

o Daily we are given choices to deny God or act according to his will

§ Many of us inherently know that there is a rightness that we have to act according to. God’s voice in our lives shapes us and pulls us towards that ultimate good

- V42 – Father if you are willing, remove this cup from me

o Jesus is making his requests known to God

§ This is not selfish – Jesus knows that he is heading towards the cross, knows that he is walking directly to his death. He is in agony

o Yet NOT MY WILL – Jesus admits this is his humanity, this is the desire that he wants for himself and knows that it may not align with God’s plans.

Following the plan, trusting like the ducklings follow their mother

§ Is this punishment, or is this submission?

Prayer is about changing ME and not changing OTHERS

Jesus denied His own desire to avoid death, so that you and I would benefit.

- In doing so, he gave the greatest possible good he could give us – redemption.

Now you have a choice – To make your faith your own and follow the journey God has for you, one that will not look the way you expect it too

Or do whatever you want – which will never bring you lasting satisfaction

There are two kinds of people in this world; Those who say God, “MY will be done.” And those who say, “God YOUR will be done.”

C.S. Lewis