Dear Friends,
Continuing with thoughts from Saddleback Church’s “40 Days of Prayer,” this week we discover how preparation puts power in our prayers.
STEP 1: PREPARE THE FOUNDATION
Bonnie and I met on eHarmony. Before our first date, I studied her profile to determine her likes and dislikes. I even read a book she mentioned in her profile, so we would have something to talk about. Proper preparation led to a great date, a wonderful courtship, and an incredibly happy marriage.
God isn’t listed on eHarmony, but he does have a profile; we find it in his favorite book: The Bible. To put power in your prayers, make sure your foundation is secure.
Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?
Deuteronomy 32:6b (NIV)
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. Deuteronomy 7:9
So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. Isaiah 30:18 (NLT)
Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. Ephesians 2:20
STEP 2: PREPARE YOUR HEART
Pastor Rick suggested 5 things we can do to prepare our hearts.
1. Look backward to the cross.
“God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life . . . He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NLT)
The Cross reminds us
How deeply God loves us
How costly evil & sin is
How completely we are forgiven
2. Look upward to our Father’s loving face.
God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. God’s Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised.
Romans 8:15-17a (CEV)
God wants our prayers to be
Personal – like talking to loving father.
Passionate — cry out
A Partnership — guided by the Holy Spirit
3. Look inward to Jesus living inside you.
“Examine yourself to see if your faith is real and growing. Test yourself. Remember that Jesus is living in you – unless you’ve failed your test.” 2 Corinthians 13:5
a. “Jesus, produce the Fruit of your Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in me today!”
4. Look around and ask the Holy Spirit to use you
“Give yourself completely to God – every part of you – since you’ve been given a new life, and you want to be used as a tool in the hands of God, used for his good purposes.”
Romans 6:13a (LB)
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
5. Look forward to your future in faith
“I am confident of this, that God who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until it is finished on the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
3. STEP 3: PEPARE TO TRUST GOD
A good place to start is with the Lord’s Prayer. Each phrase of the
Lord’s Prayer represents a relationship of trust.
“Our Father in heaven” — You are my Father; I am your child.
I trust your love.
“Your kingdom come” — You are my King; I am your subject.
I trust your authority.
“Your will be done” — You are my Master; I am your servant.
I trust your wisdom.
“Give us this day our daily bread” — You are my Provider;
I am your dependent. I trust your faithfulness.
“Forgive us our sins” — You are my Savior; I am a sinner.
I trust your mercy.
“Lead us not into temptation” — You are my Guide; I am a pilgrim.
I trust your direction.
“Deliver us from evil” — You are my Deliverer; I am a captive.
I trust your power.
Want more power in your prayers? Prepare the foundation by checking your beliefs against what the Bible teaches. Prepare your heart by examining your relationship to God in Christ. Are you prepared to trust God as your loving heavenly father?
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. Ephesians 1:18 (NLT)
Blessings,
Your Friends in Christ
Because He Loves Us Press 