Prayer as Practice

Dulingo

Why kids school, mission trips together, communicate the Gospel to other people groups.

Practicing and gamification

Looking for that award, and if dint get the award I wanted and then I keep going.

Going fast through it almost going through the motions, I see a word I reconioze enough and try it just so I Could get the speed bonus and knew I could fix on the back end under the mistakes section.

Realized today, had it still abeen about learning to speak Spanish or just getting mnore gems so I can move up the Bronze leader board and Promoted to the Silver leader board.

If I got there though, did I really know what I was learning, retain it , was it relly about Life Change or was it just about the reward.

At times I can approach prayer life the same way.

Rush through in the morning so I can get to work. BIG ONE Saying grace, night time prayers: Is it more about checking the pray box?

God convicted me today through this simple App, is that I am actually spending more time daily just reach these Gems and next level then, take out this week of prayer, on my prayer life.

Take this week out as we have had dedicated nightly prayer for about 30 minutes - 45 minutes. but if I am being honest, daily outside of that, its not that long maybe 10 minutes.

not saying we need to put. Time limit on, but challenging myself do I have a posture of continual prayer.

I pray through out the day, as things arise, But if Im honest its not always my first go to. There are alot times, I just try resolve in my own will, my own strength.

Stacey talked a bit last night about the devotional to prayer , The Apostle Paul talks about throughout his letters.

24/7 , 7 days a week , but this posture of prayer, the readiness to pray.

thats why Paul tells us to put on the armor of God, then in Ephesians 6:18-19

Ephesians 6:18–19 ESV

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,

God reminded me today of Jesus’ prayer life. If there was one person you would think didnt need to pray woulnt it be Jesus, the 2nd person of Trinity. Yet, the Gospels showed us that Jesus, as a man, was dependent upon communion with the Father for strength and the Fullness of the Spirit for His Power.

Luke 3 - Jesus prayed at at his Baptism and the Heavens were opened

Luke 6 - He spent an entire night praying before chosing the 12 discliples that he would do life.

Luke 9 He Took Peter, John and James on the top mountain to pray before the Transfiguration occured.

Luke 23 He prayed for the men crusifying him

Luke 23 He prayed with his Last breath.

We see results in Acts 1 and 2.

At his ascentioan told his discliples to that they will receive power from when the holy spirit has come upon them. So what did they do?

They went back to Jeresulm and Prayed. Acts 1:14

Acts 1:14 ESV

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

alot of commentary agree that the actual time in the upper room was 10 days!

10 days of prayer!

What were the results, Peter preached, 3000 were saved!

I pray for 10 minutesd and expect mountains to move!

So If I, we know the importance of prayer why the struggle to do it outside of a Week of Prayer?

season of blessing, comfortable with my Christian, on auto pilot

the gems are flowing.

Think about when my prayer life was strong, the difference is pretty simple. I was prayed. I prayed when it was good and when they stopped flowing.

Instead of chasing after the lastest gem so to speak, I chased after God through prayer. My posutre was a posture of prayer. I made a commitment to pray in the mornings before i started the day And prayed throughout the day.

My commitment to spend chasing after God in prayer more than chasing the latest Gem! Prayer is like a muscle, the more you do it the stronger, our more confident you get it. God uses prayer to strenthen our reliance on him, to strengthen our relation ship with Him.

He led me to Lamentations 3:25-26. Jeremiah

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

This Verse teaches us:

God’s goodness is an essential part of His nature, manifested toward those who faithfully seek Him

Wait queitly or in a posture of prayer and expectation

TRANSISTION TO PRAYING OVER CARDS

Earlier I mentioned Ephesians, where Paul is wrote that after we put on the Armor of God, we pray and there is talks about making supplication for the saints. As we move to our of time praying over the cards that are here on stage, Before we do we are going to spend some time in prayer together. Every night we have started praying for somehting specfic our country, our schools, families; Tonight will be the Church. As your praying remember the Big C church, all of our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world and also Crosstowne specifically. I am going to ask you to take a few minutes are own, then I will close us out.

Pray

Pray for global church

Pray for Crosstowne

Pray for volunteers

Pray Luke 10:1-2

Luke 10:1–2 ESV

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

Pray for Paul

Pray the below.

If have been feeling more tired this week, more irriatble, if you have seond guess coming, if you find your mind racing and not focused on the prayer request coming from you. let us not be suprised by this but. remember that what you tell us though the Apostle Paul in Ephesians, that we are not in battle with flesh and blood but against the spirtual froces of evil. So as we get ready to prayer over these cards, rremind us as your Your Children Your Armor on us. Equip us and before our for the battle ahead as we pray over these cards. Help us not grow weary, but with all perservance and supplication pray for those in need.

We thank for this opportinty to come in your presence. In Jesus Christ name we pray Amen.