WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:20.320 Good morning, Church. 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:25.440 I'm so excited to be here right now, especially with all that energy happening. 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:26.800 I'm Ashley. 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:29.839 If we haven't met, I want to introduce myself a little bit. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:39.520 I serve as the family pastor here and I get to work with our kids' ministry, a little bit with our junior high and high school ministry, and with our parents. 00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:47.200 So I like to introduce myself because if you're not a kid, which I'm not, I imagine none of you are in this room. 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:53.119 And if you're not a parent, if you don't serve in kids' ministry, there's a good chance we haven't crossed paths. 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:55.679 So I like to introduce myself to start there. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:59.119 So let's pray. 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:08.560 As we're talking about prayer in this 40 days of prayer, I want to start by praying to focus our minds and our hearts on the Lord. 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:10.000 So pray with me. 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:16.400 Jesus, thank you for what you're going to do this morning. 00:01:16.719 --> 00:01:19.280 Thank you for the joy in this room. 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:23.920 Thank you that we get to come here and worship you and hear your word. 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:26.799 Lord, would you speak to us this morning? 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:31.680 Spirit, would you move as we came here and your indwelling in us? 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:35.040 You're already here this morning. 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:36.799 You came here with us. 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:38.959 So, Spirit, would you speak? 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:43.920 Jesus, would you be glorified in our church this morning? 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:47.120 In your name, Jesus. 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:48.079 Amen. 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:56.480 Well, the last few years have been somewhat of a struggle. 00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:01.200 Would anyone agree that maybe the last few years were somewhat of a struggle in our world? 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:02.719 A little bit, right? 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:13.680 We have all had some sort of burden in this last few years, and people that we know have struggled in these last few years. 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:26.800 Over the last few weeks, in my life, I have walked with multiple close people to me who are going through really heavy things right now. 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:34.240 And some of these things are really personal, extremely personal situations to them, what's going on in their own life. 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:43.120 And some of these things are things that are happening in the global sphere that are deeply affecting people that I love. 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:55.759 And when people that I love are really struggling, I want to do whatever I can to love them and to help them through whatever they're going through. 00:02:55.919 --> 00:03:07.759 So this week I have sat with friends, I have listened to them, I've sent them encouragement, and these are all ways that I'm able to step into their pain and support them through it. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:13.280 But ultimately, I can't fix what any of them are going through. 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:22.240 I can't take their pain away, and I can feel so helpless as they're sharing with me the things that they are carrying. 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:24.879 And I start to wonder, what can I even do? 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:27.840 I'm helpless in this situation. 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:33.599 How do I help someone when I feel so helpless? 00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:37.840 How do I love someone well when they're struggling? 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:41.840 This is where we can turn to prayer. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:51.280 So as a church, we're in the middle of this 40 days of prayer, and we believe that prayer is the pathway to intimacy with God. 00:03:51.520 --> 00:04:02.960 So over these 40 days, we're leaning in, and each week of this series, we're exploring a different type of prayer, a different practice of communication with God. 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:10.000 And there's a specific prayer practice that enables us to love and to help others. 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:13.360 This is called intercessory prayer. 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:18.560 Now, that term is a little hard to say, so I practiced it a lot before I got up here. 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:25.839 And it can be kind of an intimidating thing to think, okay, I'm gonna go do intercessory prayer right now. 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:34.079 Whew, that sounds like maybe it's something reserved for like our lead pastor, like that's Ryan's job, or it's the prayer team's job. 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:35.519 They're the prayer team. 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:37.920 They need to do that, and they do. 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:41.360 But this is also for all of us. 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:44.800 This is something that all of us get to participate in. 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:55.279 So today we're gonna explore how intercession is actually a really simple but incredibly powerful way to love someone well. 00:04:56.079 --> 00:05:09.519 So let's start by kind of defining this, because I built this up as it sounds intimidating, and I don't know if you feel that way, but every time that I told someone that this is what I was speaking on, they went, ooh, and I said, okay. 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:20.079 So intercession is simply this: it's praying on behalf of or in favor of someone else. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:27.759 It's interceding or going between someone and God to pray for them. 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:32.240 On a really simple level, it's just praying for someone else. 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:39.360 So we can take down the intimidation factor, and now we can dive into what we're talking about. 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:40.800 Richard J. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:06:02.480 Foster, in his book on prayer, said it this way: He said, when we move from petition, which is praying for ourselves, our own wants and needs, to intercession, praying for others, we are shifting our center of gravity from our own needs to the needs and concerns of others. 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:05.680 We're shifting our center of gravity. 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:09.680 Now, this sounds so great and it sounds so holy, right? 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:12.240 And often we really want to do this. 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:16.480 We often have really great intentions to pray for people. 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:23.120 I know I've never been in a situation where somebody asks me to pray for them, and outside I'm like, yeah, absolutely. 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:26.079 And in my mind, I'm like, I'm not gonna do that. 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:27.920 And I don't think you have either. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:31.360 I don't think our intention is to not pray for people. 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:38.639 But I can't tell you how many times over the years people have asked me to pray for them. 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:46.879 And by the time we get to the next topic of conversation or we say goodbye, I've already forgotten that I said that I would pray for them. 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:59.279 In the fullness of life and in the pace of the Silicon Valley, it can be so easy to just get distracted, to forget, to be preoccupied by our own lives. 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:07.519 And this is where we shift our center of gravity from our own needs to the needs of others. 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:12.000 We step into being selfless in our prayers. 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:22.240 So now some of you are probably feeling inspired to make a big long list of everyone you have ever come across and every story you have ever read in the news to start praying for every single one of them. 00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:30.319 But before we do that, I want to pause and see what Jesus says about this and hear his invitation for us. 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:37.040 So take out your Bible, your phone, your notes, wherever you can read this scripture along with me. 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:41.680 We're in John 15, starting in verse five. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:46.399 Jesus says, I am the vine, you are the branches. 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:51.920 If you remain in me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit. 00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:55.120 Apart from me, you can do nothing. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:59.839 If you do not remain in me, you're like a branch that is thrown away and withers. 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:03.839 Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:14.399 If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:22.879 This is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:26.800 There's an invitation from Jesus here. 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:31.279 He starts with saying, Remain in me. 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:34.960 This is a resting in Jesus. 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:42.960 It's being rooted in him, being connected to him, having this intimacy with him through prayer. 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:52.799 That's why we're doing this 40 days of prayer, so that we can have this remaining in Jesus through this contemplative prayer that we walked through last week. 00:08:53.039 --> 00:08:55.679 That is remaining in Jesus. 00:08:55.919 --> 00:09:04.240 He says, remain in me, and if you do, you can ask for whatever you wish. 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:10.960 Jesus invites us to ask for anything that we want, wish, desire. 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:12.879 Ask him for anything. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:14.000 Are you hearing this? 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:17.360 This is such such a great big invitation for us. 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:31.440 So when we shift our center of gravity from our own needs, from our own wants, our own desires, to the needs and wants and desires of other people, we can ask him for those things also. 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:47.120 Because now when I'm focused on someone else, when I'm focused on their pain, when I'm focused on the things that they're wanting and needing in life, now these are the things that I want, that I desire, that I'm wishing for. 00:10:57.039 --> 00:10:57.360 Okay? 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:04.960 Jesus says, if you remain in me and my words in you, it will be done for you. 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:14.080 This is speaking to the condition of our hearts so that we can be an effective intercessor in prayer. 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:27.440 As we remain in Jesus, as we are rooted and resting in him, as we practice the Lord's Prayer, your kingdom come, God, your will be done. 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:38.720 As we practice contemplative prayer and scripture sinks into our hearts and our whole being, this is what it means to ask in Jesus' name. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:41.279 This is abiding in Jesus. 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:43.919 This is a remaining in Jesus. 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:57.200 And the more time we spend with Jesus, really getting to know him, the more that we are able to ask and do what Jesus would ask and do. 00:11:57.679 --> 00:11:59.600 I want to repeat that a little bit. 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:10.879 The more time that we spend with Jesus, the more we are able to do and ask for the same things that He would ask and do. 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:17.200 And it's then that we know that we have a promised yes from God. 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:26.080 Whatever we ask God for, in accordance with his character and his will, he will say yes to. 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:29.600 With the intention of God being glorified. 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:31.039 Look at verse 8. 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:32.559 Pull that back up. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:38.639 This is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit. 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:46.159 The fruit of our prayers, the ways that God answers us, is all to glorify God. 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:51.759 And these are the things that are in line with God's character and his will. 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:54.480 Now, I want to speak to this for a moment. 00:12:54.799 --> 00:13:02.159 As we abide in Jesus, we consistently have a better understanding of his character and will. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:09.519 However, we don't always know the will of God in a particular circumstance. 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:13.120 I don't know if my friend will eventually get pregnant. 00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:19.039 I don't know if my friend will be fully healed in her body here on earth. 00:13:19.200 --> 00:13:24.879 And when we ask for these things, we can wonder why God isn't answering our prayers. 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:28.240 To me, of course, that would be God's will, right? 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:31.200 Of course he would want those things for them. 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:33.440 But sometimes it doesn't happen. 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:39.279 Sometimes it's not as easy as just asking for the thing and seeing God answer. 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:50.799 Paul, maybe more than anyone in Scripture, demonstrates for us how to intercede, how to pray for others according to God's character and will. 00:13:51.120 --> 00:14:04.399 For the church in Corinth, he prays not for their church problems to be all better, but he prays that they would be strengthened, that they would be brought into close relationship with Jesus. 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:07.759 He prays that they would have unity in their church. 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:17.919 For the church in Ephesus, he prays for wisdom from the Lord and hope in Jesus, and that they would know the depth of God's love for them. 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:29.600 For the church in Philippi, he prays that their love would continue to grow and that they would have discernment to know what things are of the Lord. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:35.279 Now, these are the kinds of prayers that God always answers yes to. 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:41.120 He always answers yes to people going deeper in their understanding of his love. 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:45.360 He always answers yes to giving wisdom and discernment. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:51.120 He always says yes to strength and peace and hope and love for others. 00:14:51.679 --> 00:15:00.320 We don't know the will of God in a particular circumstance, but we do know the will of God in a person's heart. 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:03.519 I don't know if my friend will ever have a baby. 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:11.200 But what I do know is that God wants to meet her with a deep love and hope and peace as she waits. 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:20.240 And I know that as I pray, he will say yes to that prayer because he keeps his promises. 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:24.320 Now, that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop asking for her to get pregnant. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:28.240 Jesus invited me to ask for anything that I want. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:42.559 But as I pray, what I can be certain of is that when I'm asking for something that is aligned with God's will and with his character, his answer is always going to be yes. 00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:55.039 Praying on behalf of someone else and aligning that ask with God's will can kind of feel like a big undertaking sometimes, like, oh, but I don't know God's will, so how am I gonna pray? 00:15:55.200 --> 00:15:58.399 How am I gonna say the right words because I don't actually know? 00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:00.159 She just said I don't know. 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:01.440 So how do I do this? 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:07.279 How do I have confidence to approach God with these prayers for the people that I love? 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:14.080 First of all, you have access to the king. 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:25.039 Your position in his kingdom, you are a beloved daughter or son of the most high king. 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:30.879 Now, God is the king, he is above all, he is most high. 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:36.000 And when you want to speak to a king, let's focus on that for a minute. 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:41.120 When you want to speak to a king, you must wait until they summon you. 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:43.039 You can't just come to them on your own. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:44.559 They get to make that decision. 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:46.399 So they must summon you first. 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:48.799 You don't have access to them. 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:55.200 But then, once you are in their presence, once they have summoned you, you still have to wait. 00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:56.639 You still can't speak first. 00:16:56.720 --> 00:16:59.519 You have to wait for them to speak to you. 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:06.400 And even then, there are certain things that you're allowed to do and say, and how you function in that space. 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:16.480 But when you are a child of a loving father and you're approaching that loving father, that's a different thing completely. 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:17.839 I think of my kids. 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:20.000 My kids are three and six. 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:25.519 And when my husband walks in the door, they run to him. 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:27.440 They grab onto his legs. 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:36.960 They don't actually let him get in the door, they like stop him right in the doorway, and then they like rattle off the list of all the things that they want now that he's home. 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:41.680 They ask for a snack, they ask for a show, they ask to play with him, they ask for him to take them somewhere. 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:45.680 You know, all the things that I could have done for them when and I was right there. 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:56.079 But they come to him because as his beloved children, they have access to their dad. 00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:00.559 They're confident that he's gonna receive them with love. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:06.880 And this is the posture that God has toward us. 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:11.279 He is a good and a loving father. 00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:24.720 You are one of his beloved children, and you have access to approach him, to approach the king with everything that you could ever ask or want. 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:32.960 And secondly, how we have confidence in what we're asking for, in this work of intercession. 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:38.559 You are joining in the work of Jesus and the Spirit. 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:43.359 This work of intercession, of praying for others, it's already happening. 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:49.440 Scripture tells us that Jesus and the Spirit are already interceding for us. 00:18:49.680 --> 00:19:05.359 So we're gonna flip over to Romans, Romans 8, where it says, Christ Jesus, who died, more than that, who's raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:08.559 That's the work of Jesus right now. 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:16.480 And a few verses before that, it says, in the same way, the spirit helps us in our weakness. 00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:18.880 We do not know what we ought to pray for. 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:19.519 Hear that? 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:20.559 We don't know God's will. 00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:21.920 We don't know what we're praying for. 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:28.240 But the spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:40.319 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the spirit, because the spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God. 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:46.400 So as you walk through life, Jesus and the Spirit are praying for you. 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:54.000 As you sit here right now in this exact moment, Jesus and the Spirit are praying for you. 00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:56.160 They're praying for God's people. 00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:58.880 They're interceding for us. 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:07.039 And so as we pray on behalf of others, we're just joining in the work that they are already doing. 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:09.119 And the Spirit helps us do it. 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:10.799 He walks alongside us. 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:16.720 The scripture says when we don't know what to pray, the Spirit steps in to guide us. 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:23.440 And Jesus and the Spirit are praying according to God's will. 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:31.119 So we can trust that as we join in, the Spirit is going to lead us in how to pray. 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:34.079 So how do we do it? 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:36.160 We have the invitation. 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:39.119 We have that invitation from Jesus. 00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:41.359 And we're growing in confidence. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:47.200 We have access to God and we're joining in with what Jesus in the Spirit are already doing. 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:52.240 And we most likely already had really great intentions to pray for other people. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:53.440 So now what? 00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:59.680 I have three challenges for us this morning of how to pray for other people. 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:04.079 First of all, be bold in your prayers. 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:09.039 Don't shy away from asking for really big things, things that feel so big. 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:10.720 Can God even do it? 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:11.599 Yes. 00:21:11.839 --> 00:21:12.799 Pray those things. 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:17.759 Ask God boldly for these things and small things. 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:20.000 Sometimes we wonder, well, does God even care? 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:21.119 It's so small. 00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:24.000 It's just a minor inconvenience in my life. 00:21:24.240 --> 00:21:24.960 Pray for it. 00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:26.000 God cares. 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:28.319 He says, ask for anything. 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:31.599 The big, big things and the tiny, small things. 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:33.920 Ask him for all of it. 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:40.319 Scripture says that sometimes we don't have things because we haven't asked God for them. 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:41.680 That simply. 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:46.160 I've shared this before, but now we have an answer from the Lord. 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:48.160 And so I want to share this this morning. 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:52.640 And I was excited as I was going through this message to share this with you. 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:59.759 My daughter, who's six, she used to get car sick going to the beach, going over Highway 17. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:07.440 I don't know if you also get car sick going over to the beach on Highway 17, but many of us do. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:10.400 And she desperately didn't want to get sick anymore. 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:13.200 She desperately wanted to stop getting sick. 00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:18.880 So she boldly asked God to fix that winding road. 00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:32.960 Now, if you were a part of our church, if you were a part of our church during like the beginning of COVID when we were online, we had these Sunday morning Zoom prayer gatherings before church would start. 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:37.599 And my daughter was four at the time, and she would pray this on our Zoom calls. 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:39.839 God, would you fix the winding road? 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:44.880 Now to her, this meant, please don't, please let me not get sick anymore. 00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:48.720 God, would you take away this car sickness from me? 00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:52.000 Now, I have never thought to ask something like that. 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:53.119 But here we were. 00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:54.000 Here we were. 00:22:54.079 --> 00:23:01.839 And many people on that prayer decided to join us in this prayer and pray for my daughter to stop getting sick on the way to the beach. 00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:04.480 And you guys, she doesn't anymore. 00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:07.200 She doesn't get sick on the way to the beach anymore. 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:11.599 And that's what God does when we're bold in our prayers, right? 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:14.000 Be bold in your prayers. 00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:19.920 Ask God to do things that He might not do if you didn't ask. 00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:22.880 Secondly, be specific. 00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:26.559 God answers specific prayers. 00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:35.839 Our family moved houses in June, and my daughter's biggest hope was that we would be able to walk to school. 00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:45.279 And I want you to, for a moment, remember what the housing situation was like back in April, May, June, this time where we were looking for a house. 00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:47.519 It was a little crazy, right? 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:57.359 And just finding a rental that was like maybe in our price range and in a really wide area of the map, that felt impossible on its own. 00:23:57.680 --> 00:23:59.359 But Ella prayed. 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:02.480 And we enlisted our mama's group here at church. 00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:04.000 We enlisted them to pray. 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:08.079 And we were praying for a house where she could walk to school. 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:10.480 And she prayed every day. 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:15.920 She prayed every day, this very specific prayer in church. 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:19.279 We can see her school from our driveway. 00:24:19.599 --> 00:24:27.200 God answered this prayer, this very specific prayer of a little first grader and our mama's group coming alongside her. 00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:30.880 God answers specific prayers. 00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:35.200 So ask specifically for what you want God to do. 00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:39.200 And third, be persistent. 00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:45.119 There's this story that Jesus tells of a persistent widow in Luke 18. 00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:50.400 He tells the story of a widow who keeps coming to a judge to grant her justice. 00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:54.079 And the judge is like, no, leave me alone, no, no, no. 00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:57.839 And she keeps coming, she keeps coming, and she keeps asking and she keeps asking. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:03.200 And finally, he's like, okay, I'll say yes, leave me alone. 00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:09.920 And Jesus says, God is even better than that unjust judge, right? 00:25:10.079 --> 00:25:12.079 He's even better because he is good. 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:21.359 And when we keep coming to him day and night with our prayers, God answers and he brings justice to that situation. 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:22.799 Keep asking. 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:30.960 I'm not sure if you noticed, but in those first two stories about my daughter, she prayed over and over and over and over again. 00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:34.640 And then eventually we got to see the answer from the Lord. 00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:40.160 So be bold in your prayers, be specific in your prayers, and be persistent. 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:43.519 Keep asking for the things that you're hoping for. 00:25:44.720 --> 00:25:59.839 Okay, now I want to share with you three really simple practices that I have implemented into my life to really grow from having just good intentions to pray for people to actually praying for them. 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:06.400 So the first thing that I have done is I enlisted my phone to help me. 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:09.279 And that might sound kind of crazy, but let me explain. 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:14.160 So I already set reminders in my phone for everything. 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:21.039 For meetings so that I make sure that I'm on time, for things that I need to do, especially if they're not today. 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:36.960 And when I need to bring something somewhere, if today is Sunday and I need to bring something somewhere on Thursday, I'm gonna set a reminder in my phone because all you parents know that is not making it to the car between now and then if I don't set some sort of reminder for myself. 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:45.279 So I thought, well, if this works for my to-do list, how well could it work to remind me to pray? 00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:49.839 And you guys, this has changed everything for me. 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:56.319 I set reminders to pray on certain days and certain times for different things. 00:26:56.559 --> 00:26:58.400 I do this in a few different ways. 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:09.920 First of all, if someone is going through something really hard right now and I know I need to pray for them every day, I'll set a reminder that goes off every single day at the same time. 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:15.680 So then I'm consistently remembering them and remembering to pray for them. 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:20.079 I also have recurring reminders that are weekly reminders. 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:25.359 I set my phone to go off during my drive to work or right before my drive to work. 00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:27.680 Okay, don't freak out. 00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:32.400 I set it to go off right before I'm about to drive to work with somebody different. 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:37.599 Their name pops up in my phone and their name is on a weekly schedule. 00:27:37.759 --> 00:27:42.160 So I have seven different people who pop up on different days of the week. 00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:53.920 One of those people is Ryan, because I want to make sure that I am praying over my pastor, that I'm praying for encouragement over him, that I am praying for strength for him, for him to hear from the Lord. 00:27:54.160 --> 00:28:00.559 So every Monday morning at 8:30, my phone goes off with a reminder to pray for Ryan. 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:04.319 I enlisted this tool in my phone to help me do that. 00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:09.599 And the other way that I use this is by setting one-time reminders. 00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:20.720 As I'm talking to somebody who has something big coming up, a surgery, a test, something is happening in their life, a job interview, and I want to remember to pray for them. 00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:24.079 I pull out my phone right then and there in front of them. 00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:31.119 Also, I tell them what I'm doing so that I don't, you know, so that I'm not just interrupting our conversation by pulling out my phone. 00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:38.400 But I pull out my phone and I add it in right in that moment so that there's no way for me to forget on my drive home. 00:28:38.799 --> 00:28:44.000 And this reminder, I set it to pop up right as they're doing that thing. 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:51.200 So I ask them what day is it at, what time is it at, so then I can be interceding for them as they're doing it. 00:28:51.680 --> 00:29:04.559 And these reminders have really fixed my problem of forgetting, and they help me continually to shift the gravity in my life to the needs of others. 00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:23.839 Now, if that's a little too digital for you, and you want to be a little more analog and a little less tied to your phone than I am, another thing that I do that helps me to pray for people is I mentally attach a person to something that I do all the time. 00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:27.359 So let me give you an example and lay this out for you. 00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:32.799 One of my friends absolutely loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:34.559 It's one of her favorite foods. 00:29:34.640 --> 00:29:38.480 So when I'm making peanut butter and jelly, I'm thinking of her already. 00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:46.319 She also has a desire in her life that she's been praying for for years and it hasn't yet come to fruition. 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:49.759 And I have committed to praying alongside her. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:55.920 Now, my daughter also loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so this is something that I do often. 00:29:56.480 --> 00:30:12.240 So as I'm making lunch for my daughter, and it's time to make the sandwich, as I'm pulling out the peanut butter, as I'm getting the jelly, as I'm spreading it onto the bread, as I'm putting all the things away, I'm thinking of my friend and I'm praying for this thing in her life. 00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:23.359 Making this peanut butter and jelly sandwich now is always connected to my friend, and it gives me that opportunity to just set that aside and pray for her. 00:30:24.559 --> 00:30:37.920 I'm reminded of her and I get to take that time to fulfill the desire in her life, to ask God to fulfill that desire in her life, and also to bring her peace in the waiting. 00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:41.759 Now remember, I don't know if God's gonna make that happen. 00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:52.240 But what I do know is that he absolutely is gonna bring her peace in the waiting because that's connected to his character and his will. 00:30:53.359 --> 00:31:00.960 And lastly, if you don't want to leave that moment without praying, you can just stop and pray for them. 00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:06.000 Now, when I said that, you might have freaked out a little bit, and that's okay. 00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:07.519 That's okay. 00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:12.079 But it's as simple as just saying, can I pray for you right now? 00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:15.839 Can I can we just pray right now in this moment? 00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:30.160 This might feel super hard and maybe a little awkward the first few times, but how supported and loved would your friend feel to be lifted up to the Lord right then? 00:31:31.039 --> 00:31:34.960 How supported and loved would you feel if somebody did that for you? 00:31:35.119 --> 00:31:42.240 If some if you were sharing something with somebody and they said, Let me pray for you right now, how supported and loved would you feel? 00:31:42.559 --> 00:31:53.200 When we feel helpless, this intercessory prayer, this praying for others, is a powerful way of helping. 00:31:54.079 --> 00:32:07.119 So before we run out of here and make our lists of all the people that we want to pray for, or forget to make our lists of all the people that we want to pray for, we're gonna take some time to pray right now, in this moment. 00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:12.400 Who in your life do you feel helpless to help? 00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:17.839 Maybe this is a friend, a coworker, a family member. 00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:22.480 Maybe there's a situation in the world where people are being harmed in some way. 00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:26.079 Maybe there's a situation that's really heavy on your heart. 00:32:26.880 --> 00:32:29.519 Anything that burdens your heart. 00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:37.279 And in your notes, there's a spot where you can write that down to remind you through this week of who you decided to pray for. 00:32:37.440 --> 00:32:39.759 Let the Lord speak to you right now. 00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:45.599 You can write their name down, you can write their initials down if you want to be a little more sneaky with the people next to you. 00:32:45.839 --> 00:32:50.160 You can write the situation down, whatever will help you remember to pray. 00:32:50.799 --> 00:33:00.400 But right now, we're gonna take a couple of minutes to silently pray for the people that God is bringing to mind. 00:33:01.039 --> 00:33:12.880 How powerful is it for the people of God to join in the work of Jesus and the Spirit by interceding for the people that we love? 00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:14.960 So lean in with this. 00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:19.279 You are a beloved child of God. 00:33:19.839 --> 00:33:23.039 You have access to the king. 00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:25.680 His arms are open to you. 00:33:25.920 --> 00:33:29.680 He is loving, he's ready to hear all the things that you want. 00:33:31.759 --> 00:33:33.279 So take some time to pray. 00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:39.519 Take some time to pray for the people in your life who need prayer, who need something from the Lord. 00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:44.799 And then the worship team will bring us out of this time with a song. 00:33:45.200 --> 00:33:53.119 But if you need longer, if they start singing and you're like, whoa, I wasn't done, feel free to pray right through that time of worship. 00:33:54.160 --> 00:33:58.319 And then we'll close it out together by singing to the Lord. 00:33:59.039 --> 00:34:01.920 Okay, church, let's pray together. 00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:05.839 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:10.480 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:12.719 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:34:12.880 --> 00:34:18.800 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com/slash card.