Pursuing a Prayer-Filled 2024
Notes
Transcript
“Prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world.” - E.M. Bounds
“Prayer is not the foe to work, it does not paralyze activity. It works mightily; prayer itself is the greatest work.” - E.M. Bounds
“The [prayer] closet…is the battlefield of the Church; its citadel; the scene of heroic and unearthly conflicts.” - E.M. Bounds
Productivity
Escape
Equivalency
Psalm 25
acrostic poem (missing bet and double r (18-19))
Lift up your soul
Lift up your soul
“To you I lift up my soul”
“in you I trust”
“let me not be put to shame”
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Relationship of faith - Faith is not simply intellectual assent
Building a relationship of trust in God’s love for you
Not building a relationship of productivity or escape or prestige
Envy - shame - idolatry
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.
Ask for mercy
Ask for mercy
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
6 Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
instruction in God’s ways
remembrance of God’s forgiveness and steadfast love
confidence in God’s goodness
confidence in God’s friendship
Productivity would say God loves you if you can see results. God loves you if you don’t need to seek Him in prayer because you know where to go.
Escape would say God loves you if you can get out of problems. God loves you if you don’t need to seek Him in prayer.
Equivalency would say God loves you if you have the same or better as that other person. God loves me if I never feel a difference between myself and someone else.
Talking to yourself while in prayer - reminding yourself who you’re talking to
Pursue grace
Pursue grace
for affliction
for enemies
by waiting with integrity in prayer
Integrating that God loves me and is with me right now in all that’s going on. That His plan of redemption has not and will not fail. That my commitment to walking in His ways and trusting Him rather than running to idolatry is growing.
Christ is the answer to this prayer first and foremost. He is Immanuel, God with us. He enters our suffering being lonely and afflicted himself. He takes our shame on the cross and gives us His glory. He sweat drops of blood because his troubles were enlarged by us and his foes hated him enough to kill him. Yet He is our redemption.
How will you pursue a prayer-filled year?
Do LAPs
Community Group questions
What keeps you from prayer most often?
What are some ways you can encourage a belief of God’s love for you? (Being in the Word, Being with loving believers who talk about how they love you, Journaling, ?)
What are some lies people believe about what success looks like?
As you anticipate 2024, for what are you asking mercy?
How is waiting helpful to prayer rather than hurtful?
How does Jesus answer the prayer of Psalm 25? Go back through the text.