Sermon Tone Analysis

There’s power in prayer

WE as a church community have some big things going on… as a denomination we are being asked to make some pretty big decisions… locally, as a community we are beginning to ask again if we might be better together as one church on one mission in one community… or is it better to continue as a separate body?

SO we are on this 21 day prayer journey… 21 days may be too much for you.

Maybe it’s several 3 day prayer journeys… whatever I’ll take it.

Just to become a people who pray.

National Community Church … walk… praying bold prayers for his church, for his community… praying is a huge deal

Prayer is communicating with God

The most powerful miracle in history is Jesus dying on the cross… and in the midst of it we have Jesus praying for us… are you suffering/struggling? one of the most powerful things you can do is pray.

Before he died, he told them to wait upon the HS… they did… HS gave them languages, power, courage… They gathered, they prayed....3000 came to follow Jesus that morning

Some are excited… but not everyone… some are reluctant… because you are scared to pray… scared that God might answer, then what…

some are worried about your ability to pray like that… its not about how you pray

Some are angry at God… because he didn’t answer the last prayer the way you think he should

some are just tired… God isn’t offended by your tired or your doubt... he loves

God is at work… hang in there

I saw this video the other day… its a few years old, but good all the same...

VIDEO

Can you imagine this guy?

Putting his faith out there for all the world to see and judge…

He believed in the power of prayer… trusting that God hears.

Willing to look a little foolish.

Before the first raindrop fell, Honi had to feel a little foolish.

Standing inside a circle and demanding rain is a risky proposition.

Vowing that you won’t leave the circle until it rains is even riskier.

Honi didn’t draw a semi-circle.

He drew a complete circle.

There was no escape clause, no expiration date.

Honi backed himself into a circle, and the only way out was a miracle.

Drawing prayer circles often looks like an exercise in foolishness.

But that’s faith.

Faith is the willingness to look foolish.

Noah looked foolish building a boat in the middle of a desert.

The Israelite army looked foolish marching around Jericho blowing trumpets.

A shepherd boy named David looked foolish charging a giant with a slingshot.

The wise men looked foolish tracking a star to Timbuktu.

Peter looked foolish getting out of a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.

And Jesus looked foolish wearing a crown of thorns.

But the results speak for themselves.

Noah was saved from the flood; the walls came tumbling down; David defeated Goliath; the wise men discovered the Messiah; Peter walked on water; and Jesus was crowned the King of Kings.

Foolishness is a feeling that Moses was very familiar with.

He had to feel foolish going before Pharaoh and demanding that Pharaoh let God’s people go.

He felt foolish raising his staff over the Red Sea.

And he most certainly felt foolish promising meat to eat for the entire nation of Israel in the middle of the wilderness.

But it was his willingness to look foolish that resulted in epic miracles: the exodus of Israel out of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and the quail miracle.

Drawing prayer circles often feels foolish.

And the bigger the circle you draw, the more foolish you’ll feel.

But if you aren’t willing to step out of the boat, you’ll never walk on water.

If you aren’t willing to circle the city, the wall will never fall.

And if you aren’t willing to follow the star, you’ll miss out on the greatest adventure of your life.

In order to experience a miracle, you have to take a risk.

And one of the most difficult types of risk to take is risking your reputation.

Honi already had a reputation as a rainmaker, but he was willing to risk his reputation by praying for rain one more time.

Honi took the risk and the rest is history.

The greatest chapters in history always begin with risk, and the same is true with the chapters of your life.

If you’re unwilling to risk your reputation, you’ll never build the boat like Noah or get out of the boat like Peter.

You cannot build God’s reputation if you aren’t willing to risk yours.

There comes a moment when you need to make the call or make the move.

Circle makers are risk takers.

Moses had learned this lesson well:

If you don’t take the risk, you forfeit the miracle.

Today we are looking at our bold prayers… what are we willing to pray boldly about?

Some of us don't think prayer is worth the effort…

It starts with vision.

Where is life headed?

Where is your community headed?

Your family?

Your business?

What do you see?

Vision is a clear picture of the preferred future.

The vision is convicting.. compelling… when you see it, in your heart and mind you say YES!

Jesus tells a parable about this motivation

Seeing what’s possible for God… what God is doing… he gave all

Seeing God’s preferred future.. he gave up everything… he was compelled, convinced

When we are convinced of what God is doing… we will pray bold prayers… we will be willing to look foolish walking our prayer circles… we will look for opportunities to pray for neighbors in need.

Vision fosters Confidence

We need to be clear on where God is taking us.

Last week… Joshua was clear...

This week we are going to look back at another example from the book Circle Maker… Moses - clear on where he was taking the Israelites… to the promised land… but the people struggled to go

Despite the memories of slavery and miracles of deliverance, the Israelites want to go back to Egypt.

Numbers 11

In the midst of a miraculous delivery… they aren’t satisfied---

God - a bit put out by their complaining - tells Moses I”m giving them enough meat for a month… Moses is like… how in the world?

There’s no way God can keep this promise.

Have you ever been there?

You know God wants you to take the job that pays less, but it doesn’t add up.

You know God wants you to go on the mission trip, but it doesn’t add up.

You know God wants you get married, go to grad school, or adopt, but it doesn’t add up.

Illustration:

Would we really follow Jesus?… Always dreamt of owning my own business… Columbine… leaving to teach ...“this is crazy” … to reach kids… loving those who are desperate for hope.

If you put what little you have in your hand into the hand of God, it won’t just add up... God will take what seems foolish to you make it flourish.

Application:

What is the “step of faith” that you need to take in pursuing your big dream?

Write it down today… even if you think it’s crazy.... write it down.

Some times the fact that we can’t see … or we dismiss the vision… results in our refuse to pray at all… No reason to pray about really… God will do what God will do.

Matthew 14 tells a story of disciples unable to see the vision… Feeding of the 5000 ...

All we have is a few fish and rolls… Jesus says bring it to me...

they made up for their lack of vision with obedience… trusting… Some of us may not know where God is leading you, but I want to ask you…

Do you trust God enough to follow anyway?

Can you be obedient in the moment until he reveals where he’s taking you?

Can we be faithful in the moment as God is revealing where he is leading his church?

Can we be faithful to pray for his will to be done even while we don’t know what that is?