Teaching Series: Prayer-Full “ Prayer-Full in Transition”

Teaching Series: Prayer-Full “ Prayer-Full in Transition”

My Bible, My Help, My Hope

Tonight let’s take some time and remember the families, friends, students, teachers, and administrators of those who lost their lives and those who were injured in the Apalachee High School shooting today.

Tonight, I want to begin a teaching series titled: Prayer-Full.

The Bible definition of being Prayer-Full is found in:

1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV

17 pray without ceasing,

Being prayerful means having a habit, attitude, or lifestyle that is centered around prayer.

It involves regularly engaging in communication with a higher power, often for guidance, thanksgiving, reflection, or seeking strength.

A prayerful person is usually mindful, humble, and intentional about nurturing their spiritual life.

They often seek to align their thoughts, words, and actions with their beliefs or values, maintaining a sense of connection and reliance on the divine or spiritual principles throughout their daily life.

It can also mean being contemplative, reflective, and having a spirit of gratitude and openness to the needs of others and the world around them.

Knowing this, I believe there are different prayers that we can pray in different circumstances.

Tonight I want to begin with Being Prayer-Full in Transition.

We live in an ever-changing world, where the only constant seems to be change itself.

Change can be unsettling, even unnerving.

It can introduce uncertainty, elicit fear, and test our faith.

Yet, it is within these very transitions that we often find our deepest spiritual growth.

Luke 1:26–38 ESV

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Let’s Talk About Transition

Life is a series of transitions.

We move from childhood to adulthood, from school to work, from single to married, from childless to parents, and so on.

Each transition brings its own set of challenges and uncertainties.

But in all these transitions, there is one constant, one unchanging reality that we can always rely on - God.

His presence, His love, His guidance, and His faithfulness remain the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

In the midst of life's transitions, we often find ourselves at a crossroads, unsure of which path to take.

The future may seem uncertain, even frightening.

But the Bible assures us that God is with us in every transition.

He is our guide, our protector, our comforter, and our strength.

He is the one who can turn our fear into faith, our uncertainty into assurance, our confusion into clarity.

In the Gospel of Luke, we read about Mary, a young woman who was faced with a life-changing transition.

She was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus, the Savior of the world.

This was a daunting task, one that was filled with uncertainty and fear.

But Mary chose to trust in God.

She chose to believe in His promises, to rely on His strength, and to submit to His will.

Her response to the angel Gabriel was, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

This is a powerful example of trusting God in transition.

Mary did not know what the future held.

She did not know how she would be able to fulfill this divine calling.

But she chose to trust in God, to believe in His promises, and to submit to His will.

She chose faith over fear, trust over uncertainty, obedience over doubt.

Mary trusted God in transition and she pondered all of his promises.

I don’t think she was only pondering, I believe she was praying through transition.

We must be prayer-ful through transition and we must believe all of God’s promises are true.

God's promises are unchanging and reliable.

They are the anchor for our souls in the midst of life's storms.

When we believe in God's promises, we can face any transition with confidence and courage.

We can trust that God will guide us, protect us, and provide for us, and reveal with clarity what He wants us to do just as He promised.

As we prayerfully go through transition we must rely on His strength.

Our own strength is limited and insufficient.

But God's strength is limitless and all-sufficient.

When we rely on God's strength, we can face any challenge, overcome any obstacle, and endure any hardship.

We can trust that God will empower us, uphold us, and sustain us, just as He promised.

As we prayerfully transition we must also submit to God’s will.

Our own will is flawed and shortsighted.

But God's will is perfect and far-sighted.

When we submit to God's will, we can follow His leading, fulfill His calling, and accomplish His purposes.

We can trust that God will direct us, equip us, and use us, just as He promised.

As we prayerfully transition we must choose faith over fear.

Fear is a natural response to uncertainty and change.

But faith is a supernatural response to God's presence and promises.

When we choose faith over fear, we can face any transition with peace and joy.

We can trust that God will comfort us, reassure us, and bless us, just as He promised.

If you prayerfully transition, you will realize what is happening is not about denying the reality of change or avoiding the challenges of life; it is about embracing the certainty of God's presence, relying on the reliability of His promises, drawing on the sufficiency of His strength, submitting to the perfection of His will, and choosing the peace of faith over the turmoil of fear.

It is about living in the confidence that God is with us, for us, and in us, in every transition, in every change, in every season of life.

Turning to Prayer in Periods of Change

During a season of transition, prayer becomes our anchor.

It is in these periods of change that our communication with God becomes even more vital.

Prayer is not merely a monologue where we list our requests to God, but it is a dialogue where we also listen to His guidance and reassurances.

In the Gospel of Luke, we see Mary, a young woman facing an extraordinary change.

She was to become the mother of the Savior of the world.

How did she respond to this news?

She responded with a prayer of acceptance, saying, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

This was not a passive acceptance, but an active choice to cooperate with God's plan.

It was a prayer that acknowledged God's sovereignty and her role in His divine plan.

Mary's prayer teaches us the importance of acceptance in prayer during times of change.

Acceptance does not mean we understand everything; it means we trust in God's plan even when we don't.

It's about letting go of our need for control and surrendering to God's will.

Acceptance in prayer is acknowledging that God's ways are higher than ours, and His plans are always for our good.

In addition to acceptance, Mary's prayer also demonstrates humility.

She identifies herself as the servant of the Lord.

In a world that often encourages self-promotion and assertiveness, humility can seem counterintuitive.

Yet, in the kingdom of God, humility is a virtue that brings us closer to His heart.

When we approach God in prayer with humility, we acknowledge our need for Him.

We recognize that we are not self-sufficient; we need His grace, His mercy, and His guidance.

Humility in prayer is not about self-deprecation; it's about recognizing our rightful place in relation to God.

Lastly, Mary's prayer reflects obedience.

"Let it be to me according to your word," she says.

This is a statement of obedience. Obedience in prayer is about aligning our will with God's will.

It's about saying yes to God's plan, even when it's difficult, even when it doesn't make sense.

Obedience in prayer is not about blind submission; it's about trusting in the goodness and wisdom of God.

The Greek word for servant used by Mary in this passage means to be a servent.

This term is used in several other passages in the New Testament, including Romans 1:1, where Paul refers to himself as a servant of Christ Jesus.

The use of this term signifies total surrender and submission to the will of another.

In Mary's case, it signifies her total surrender and submission to the will of God.

Mary accepted God's plan, approached Him with humility, and obeyed His will.

Ultimately Mary persevered in prayer.

We too need to persevere in prayer.

Perseverance in prayer is not about getting what we want; it's about staying connected with God, regardless of our circumstances.

It's about persisting in prayer, even when we don't see immediate results.

Now, Mary's prayer was a prayer of faith. She believed in God's word, even when it seemed impossible.

Just the same as Mary our prayers during periods of change should be prayers of faith.

Faith in prayer is not about denying reality; it's about affirming God's power and promises in the midst of our reality.

It's about believing that God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

Keeping the Faith During Transition

Transition brings us all to seasons of uncertainty.

Knowing this, we can make it through uncertainty by keeping the faith.

Keeping the faith is a process that takes us beyond the realm of the visible and tangible, into the realm of the spiritual and eternal.

It's about moving from a place of fear and doubt to a place of trust and assurance.

It's about letting go of our need for control and surrendering to the will of God.

It's about recognizing that our understanding is limited, but God's wisdom is infinite.

To keep the faith during uncertainty, we must recognize our own limitations.

We are finite beings with limited understanding.

We see only a small part of the picture, while God sees the whole.

We see the present, while God sees the past, present, and future.

We see problems, while God sees possibilities.

This recognition of our limitations is not a cause for despair, but rather a reason for hope.

It reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles.

We have a God who is greater than any challenge we face, a God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20).

Let me say this about keeping the faith: Keeping the faith is not about ignoring our doubts or suppressing our fears.

It's about holding on to the truths we know, even when our emotions are telling us otherwise.

It's about choosing to trust God, even when we don't understand His ways.

It's about choosing to believe that God is good, even when life is hard.

To keep the faith in transition we must learn to trust God.

True trust relies on God.

True trust depends on God.

True trust leans on God.

Trust is a decision to believe that God is who He says He is, and that He will do what He says He will do.

It's a decision to believe that God is trustworthy, even when circumstances seem to suggest otherwise.

Keeping the faith requires us to completely surrender to God’s plan and His will.

Surrender is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.

It's not about giving up, but about giving over.

It's about letting go of our plans and embracing God's plans.

It's about letting go of our ways and embracing God's ways.

It's about letting go of our will and embracing God's will.

It's about saying, like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).

Let’s remember the power of prayer.

Prayer is not a religious ritual, but a relational reality.

It's not about saying the right words, but about seeking the right relationship.

It's not about getting what we want, but about aligning with what God wants.

It's about opening our hearts to God, sharing our fears with Him, and receiving His peace in return.

Let’s stay prayerful as we face the uncertainties of life

Let’s keep the faith as we make transitions in our lives.

Remember that our faith is not based on our circumstances, but on our God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Conclusion

As we close our time together today, let's remember that God is with us in every season of life, especially during times of transition.

As we make transitions in our lives, God wants to be actively involved, guiding and directing, comforting and encouraging.

He's the God who sees us, knows us, and loves us unconditionally.

Change can be hard, but it's also an opportunity for growth.

It's in those moments of uncertainty that we can lean into God's faithfulness and experience His peace that surpasses all understanding.

He doesn't promise us a life free from challenges, but He does promise to be with us every step of the way.

So, let's embrace the transitions in our lives, not with fear or apprehension, but with faith and trust in our loving Heavenly Father.

Let's remember that we're not alone.

We're held in the loving arms of a God who is constant, even in the midst of change.

Psalm 32:8 ESV

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Let's pray.