Prayers That Pour

Scriptures:

-Luke 6:43-49

- 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Theme:

-Generosity Revealed in Prayer

Introduction:

- Engaging Question: "What do you pray for?"

- Example of children’s prayers: family, self, etc.

- Thesis: Prayer acts as a mirror that reveals the condition of our hearts, reflecting what either draws us closer to or pulls us away from God.

- Questions to Consider:

- What kinds of prayer exist?

- What does prayer do?

- Who is prayer for?

- Key Insight: Are our prayers selfish or self-centered, only inclusive of our immediate circles? Prayer should be both intrusive and reflective.

- Premise: Our inner prayers manifest in our outward lives.

Context:

- Setting:

Jesus stands at our level. God come down to the people to teach, to show, to transform.

Jesus delivers this sermon after descending from a mountain where He had spent the night in prayer and chosen His twelve apostles (Luke 6:12-16). He then stands on a level place, a "plain," surrounded by a large crowd of His disciples and a great multitude from Judea, Jerusalem, and even the coastal regions of Tyre and Sidon (Luke 6:17).

The sermon is directed toward a broad range of people, including His disciples, Jews from Jerusalem and Judea, as well as Gentiles from Tyre and Sidon. The crowd represents people from different walks of life seeking healing, guidance, and deliverance from unclean spirits.

Jesus teachings in the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6), cuts to the heart of what God values most—intention.

Conflict: We can not say we are something when our words and actions are in conflict. Jesus challenges the inner inconsistencies between words and actions. We cannot claim to be His followers while our lives bear bad fruit.James 3:11-13, We can’t claim to be his followers while our lives bear bad fruit.

- Main Insight: Prayer reveals our inner brokenness so that we can receive healing from God. It shows whether we are self-centered or kingdom-minded.

Prayer reveals our brokenness so that we can receive God’s healing. It reflects whether we are self-focused or truly kingdom-minded. True transformation begins in the heart and overflows into generous action.

- Transformation Through Prayer:

Prayer not only changes circumstances but reshapes our hearts, helping us trust God with our lives and futures. As God breaks through our hardened hearts, godliness becomes evident in our actions.

- Letting God break through our hearts leads to godliness in our actions.

2. “How should we pray? Our Father which art in heaven hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. On earth as it is in heaven.” Luke 11:2-4

What are the qualities of heaven that we desire to manifest here on the earth? What are the qualities of God that need to emerge in our own lives? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” Gal. 5:22-23

Guiding Thought:

God is generous in pouring out His blessings into our lives. We are called to reflect this generosity by letting our hearts, transformed by prayer, become conduits of His grace to the world.

True generosity is more than just material giving; it’s a heart posture that emerges from a transformed life through prayer.

- Key Idea: Generosity is an outpouring of our internal condition, leading to external fruitfulness.

I. The Heart as the Source of Generosity (Luke 6:43-45)

Connection to Prayer:

Selfish Hearts: If our prayers are centered on ourselves, our actions will follow suit.Transformed Hearts: Through prayer, the Holy Spirit shapes us, filling us with a desire to bless others as an outpouring of God’s love.

- Transformation Needed:

- From Self-Centeredness to Christ-Centeredness: Prayer shifts our hearts from focusing on self-preservation to reflecting Christ’s self-giving love.

- From Scarcity to Abundance: Fear of lack makes us withhold, but trust in God’s provision frees us to give generously.

II. Building on the Foundation of Obedience (Luke 6:46-49)**

- Scripture: _"Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?..."_ (Luke 6:46-49).

- Key Point: Jesus challenges faith without action. True discipleship builds on obedience, including the call to generosity.

- Connection to Prayer:

- Are our prayers focused only on asking for blessings? Or are they aligning us with God’s will, including His commands on generosity?

- Transformation Needed:

- From Hearing to Doing: Prayer isn’t just about asking; it’s about aligning with God’s purposes.

- From Shaky to Solid Foundations: Obeying God’s commands to be generous builds a strong foundation in Christ.

Conclusion: Prayers That Pour

- Recap: Generosity is revealed through a heart transformed by prayer. Just like a tree bearing good fruit, prayer rooted in Christ leads us to pour out generosity.

- Call to Action:

- Examine your prayers—are they self-focused or others-focused?

- Ask God to transform your heart so you can be a vessel of His generosity.

- Commit to sowing generously, trusting that God will bring both blessings and glory.

- Closing Prayer: Ask God to transform our hearts into ones that pour out generosity, as an act of worship and obedience.