Leveling the Praying Field
Living the Life: Foundations • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2 viewsBig idea: In order to stay under God’s covering, let us make intentional and thankful prayer as natural and important as breathing.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Vision 2020: Living the Life — We begin the year by building the foundation of how to live the life God intends for us to live
Spiritual Disciplines — the narrow path - the balance between legalism and compromise — the path of true freedom in Christ
Prayer - Communion with God
Bible Engagement - another layer of communion with God
Fasting - a way to dig deeper into communion with God
The simple life — cleaning away the debris that often separates us from God
Possibly more before we move on (fellowship, servanthood, solitude, silence, etc.)
Today’s main text:
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Big idea: In order to stay under God’s covering, let us make intentional and thankful prayer as natural and important as breathing.
PRAYER
PRAYER
Video: Doug Clay
This week of prayer’s theme is “Leveling the Praying Field” — a play on words from the phrase “leveling the playing field,” which, of course, points to fair competition, where no advantage is shown to either side. The phrase can be traced back to a another American phrase from George Burnham’s Memoirs of the United States Secret Service (1872):
On the level, meeting a man with honorable intentions
After listening to Doug Clay’s words, I see ‘leveling the praying field’ pointing to the importance of praying according to God’s plan…rather than politics, philosophy, etc., … finding His heart in prayer.
After listening to Doug Clay’s words, I see ‘leveling the praying field’ pointing to the importance of praying according to God’s plan…rather than politics, philosophy, etc., … finding His heart in prayer. In other words, learning to pray by listening to God’s heart…learning to pray according to His Word…learning to literally pray God’s Word. When I pray according to my own opinions, needs, etc., I find myself running out of words and ideas — like many people, I “hit a wall” and get discouraged.
In my opinion, it means learning to pray by listening to God’s heart…learning to pray according to His Word…learning to literally pray God’s Word. When I pray according to my own opinions, needs, etc., I find myself running out of words and ideas — like many people, I “hit a wall” and get discouraged. Without the backdrop of the Word of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit, prayer doesn’t work the way it was intended.
Eugene Peterson describes prayer as “Praying by the book”. He also describes prayer as “Answering Speech” — in essence our prayers are a response to God’s Word, rather than simply words that we come up with all by ourselves. This is why it is so important to study and meditate upon the word of God.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
We know prayer is vital — a non-negotiable element of our lives as followers of Christ - a natural part of our lives (ideally). As we begin this year, let’s take a few minutes to look dig a little deeper into Doug Clay’s 3 prayers for 2020 — we will see that they are based upon God’s Word.
Let’s take a few minutes to look dig a little deeper into Doug Clay’s 3 prayers for 2020 — we will see that they are based upon God’s Word.
PRAY FOR A SPIRIT-EMPOWERED CHURCH
PRAY FOR A SPIRIT-EMPOWERED CHURCH
PRAY FOR A SPIRIT-EMPOWERED CHURCH
PRAY FOR A SPIRIT-EMPOWERED CHURCH
So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.
This is one of my theme verses, especially when I minister to others and pray with them — it should be our theme as a church
Let us pray that we would be Spirit-led, Spirit-filled, and Spirit-empowered as we represent Christ in this crazy and divisive environment
Spirit-empowered means Spirit-filled
Spirit-empowered means Spirit-filled
Spirit-empowered means Spirit-led
Spirit-empowered means Spirit-led
The book of Acts is a perfect example —
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
We see individual believers filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit
-48
We see individual believers filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit
We see the effect this has on the church — the result is a Spirit empowered church
When you are a Spirit-empowered church, God will use you to lead people to Christ, disciple them, adopt them as family, and change your world together
When you are a Spirit-empowered church, God will use you to lead people to Christ, disciple them, adopt them as family, and change your world together
PRAY FOR A BIBLE-ENGAGED CHURCH
PRAY FOR A BIBLE-ENGAGED CHURCH
Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
for I trust your commands.
We must understand the importance of being true to God’s word first and foremost — even when our political or social ideas might not mesh with it.
“Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your command” (?)
What do we throw out, God’s truth or our ideas?
Faithful preaching of the Bible will never sit comfortably with a particular persuasion. No political party or ideology completely lines up with the Bible. — Dr. Tobin Perry
Bible accuracy is our goal
Bible accuracy is our goal
Bible accuracy…not political correctness, is our goal
Pray that the hearts of our kids, youth, and adults will be drawn towards the truth of God’s Word — that we will all discover a new desire to engage with God’s Word like never before
Bible accuracy is the light by which we navigate
Bible accuracy is the light by which we navigate
Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
Next week: Bible-engagement
PRAY FOR A MISSIONS PARTICIPATING CHURCH
PRAY FOR A MISSIONS PARTICIPATING CHURCH
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
1914 - Chicago “The greatest evangelism the world has ever seen”
Nearly 70 million people are part of the A/G
Now is not the time to relax —
prayer…giving…sending
McCulloughs
If we are not missions-minded, we are not biblically based — When Jesus said go into all the world and make disciples…He defined what it means to do missions.
Challenge
“What really matters is not that we let the systems of this world divide us but that we let God continue to grow His church as a Spirit-empowered, Bible-engaged, and missions participating church. …that we will be the kind of church that is built on a rock and that even the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Doug Clay
As we look at this challenge to level the praying field…to become a people of prayer, let’s take a minute to look at our main text one more time
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Why did Paul give the church at Colossae this message?
He was concerned that they stay on track Spiritually and doctrinally
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
Col 1:9-
They were being tempted to fall back into legalism instead of staying true to the freedom they had in Christ
Paul’s letter was a reminder to them: stay on target - keep your eyes on Christ
One of the exhortations he gave them is what we are talking about today
Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude.
If we desire to stay on the right path…pray diligently - stay alert (against compromise or dead, dry religion with no power)
In order to stay under God’s covering, let us make intentional and thankful prayer as natural and important as breathing.
Go over week of prayer handout