WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:04.879 Well, this morning I want to share with you a powerful truth. 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:10.800 This principle is so powerful that it can actually change how you live your life of faith. 00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:16.399 Now, if you remember last year I declared Kirk Cousins to be my future best friend. 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:17.760 Remember Kirk Cousins? 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:20.000 He was the quarterback for the Vikings. 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:21.519 And the dream was real. 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:25.359 It was so real, I showed you a picture of us as best friends. 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:28.239 This was our future. 00:00:28.480 --> 00:00:41.119 And uh then the Falcons, after that declaration, the Falcons made this incredible offer to him, and he he took the cajillion dollars, and he was moving to Atlanta, and I just could see the future. 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:51.679 He was gonna move to Marietta, and you know, we were gonna get coffee at Session Stand and a beer at Two Birds, we were gonna grill out together, you know, our families were gonna be friends, maybe he would tithe. 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:52.240 I don't know. 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:54.799 It's all very possible. 00:00:55.280 --> 00:01:00.000 All things are possible in Christ Jesus, is the verse. 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:04.959 So the Falcons got him, and I thought, we were on our way. 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:07.040 Um, and can you believe it? 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:08.400 He has never called. 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:10.640 He's not not even once. 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:14.159 But I've been watching the games, and we have another big one at one o'clock. 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:18.239 Um, but I don't stalk, like I'm not on the socials stalking him. 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:21.200 I don't really even keep up with the Falcons during the week. 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:24.400 I don't think about the Falcons uh on a day-to-day basis. 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:26.799 I don't even think about the Falcons on a week-to-week basis. 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:31.040 The Falcons really have no impact on my life, really, at all. 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:37.200 I don't think about the Falcons until Sunday, and then sometime Sunday morning I think to myself, you know, like there's probably a Falcons game today. 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:38.400 I wonder what time that is. 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:41.200 That's kind of the extent of my fandom. 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:42.879 I'm not really a fan, is what I'm saying. 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:44.799 I'm more of a fair weather fan. 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:48.640 It's a it's an add-on to my life, is what it is. 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:52.959 I live my life and then I watch the game. 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:55.359 Now, my father-in-law Frankie, he's totally different. 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:59.200 He is a Falcons fan for decades, decades. 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:05.359 It turns out there's like tens of y'all around Metro Atlanta that have been Falcons fans for decades. 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:10.639 We're talking Georgia Dome Falcons fan, not like Mercedes-Benz, and it's like, oh, let's go down to the Falcons. 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:14.159 No, no, we're talking Georgia Dome, boring concrete building. 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:15.439 Falcons fans. 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:18.960 He knows uh what time the game is way early in the week. 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:22.719 He knows who played well, who's gonna play well, who's not gonna be playing today. 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:26.400 Uh he thinks about the Falcons during the week. 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:31.759 And he watches them when they're great and it's exciting, and he watches them when they're horrible. 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:34.560 He is a Falcons fan and he lives his life. 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:37.439 Those things are integrated in his life. 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:38.400 Not like me. 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:39.840 I'm very, very different. 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:43.680 I live my life, and then I watch some Falcons games. 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:46.319 So, and the difference is the difference is devotion. 00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:48.960 The difference is steadfastness. 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:52.879 And that's the point, that powerful point, right, that I promised. 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:53.599 It's in our verse. 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:54.479 I'm gonna tell you the point. 00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:56.560 You're gonna be just like so blown away, it's gonna be amazing. 00:02:56.639 --> 00:02:57.759 You talk about it during the week. 00:02:57.840 --> 00:02:59.439 Uh, and then I'm gonna read the verse. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:00.080 Here's the point. 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:06.240 Point number one Christians do not live their lives and then pray. 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:10.319 Christians live prayerful lives. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:12.400 Those are two different things. 00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:12.960 Right? 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:16.000 The first is the add-on, it's the fairweather fan. 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:23.280 The second is much more holistic, it's integrated, it's a dynamic way of faith in life. 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:25.840 That's what Paul's talking about, Colossians 4, too. 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:32.159 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:34.400 That phrase continue steadfastly in prayer. 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:38.800 In the original Greek, the phrase emphasizes the prayer devoted. 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:45.919 Meaning it's not about like praying all day necessarily how long your prayers are and making sure you say the right things. 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:52.240 Um, it's about prayer being integrated into all aspects of your life. 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:54.159 So it's not a coke machine, right? 00:03:54.240 --> 00:03:57.520 It's not the transaction, put the quarter in, get the coke out. 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:02.159 It's it's it's relational, it's holistic, it's integrated. 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:06.319 It's about relationship and connection, intentionality of time and energy. 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:08.719 So, yeah, there's set prayer times. 00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:12.800 That's an expression of a life where prayer is integrated. 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:18.800 This is a huge transformation of prayer being from something you do when you want something. 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:20.639 Anybody else? 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:22.319 I mean, is that just me? 00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:25.759 I become I'm fantastic at prayer when I want something. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:31.360 It's a transformation of that to prayer being the way you live your life. 00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:38.160 When I asked my mentor Scotty Smith, he he prays in the morning, prays when he walks, prays in the car, it's integrated. 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:39.680 So, why you why do you do that? 00:04:39.839 --> 00:04:40.879 Why do you do that? 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:47.680 He said, I need to start my day lingering in the welcoming presence of our Father. 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:52.639 I'm just as susceptible as anyone to living a driven life rather than a called life. 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:59.279 I begin my day with Sabbath rest, slowly reading the scriptures, remembering the gospel, and fellowshipping with our Father. 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:03.040 Not resting is a recipe for disaster. 00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:07.839 It might build a huge stock portfolio, but it will bankrupt a heart. 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:11.439 See, prayer's not asking for things and just moving on. 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:12.480 It's never worked. 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:13.920 It's not fulfilling, not holistic. 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:19.279 Paul says, no, no, no, there's a much more holistic, integrated way to live faith. 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:21.040 Which brings us to point number two. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:25.040 Prayer is continual communion with the Heavenly Father. 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:26.959 Continual communion. 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:30.399 Two weeks ago, beloved Bear 399. 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:32.480 Do you remember Bear 399, the Tetons? 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:33.519 We talked about her last year. 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:34.639 You probably don't remember. 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:37.759 I actually think about bears during the week, not the Falcons, but Bears. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:42.879 Bear 399, two weeks ago, sadly, sadly, was hit by a car and she died. 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:44.800 And she's the most famous bear in the world. 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:46.399 She's 28 years old. 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:49.519 She was hit by a car along the highway in the park. 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:52.560 Devoted followers all of the world. 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:53.759 It was a big deal. 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:57.040 Like, not to necessarily you, but to other people, it was a big deal. 00:05:57.120 --> 00:05:59.040 She has 60,000 followers on Instagram. 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:01.759 And this is a famous bear, this bear. 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:02.800 And she passed away. 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:06.399 Now you can watch a documentary about her on Amazon Prime. 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:08.319 It's entitled Queen of the Tetons. 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:09.519 I've seen it, yes. 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:09.920 Thank you. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:10.480 I've seen it. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:11.680 I can recommend it. 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:13.199 You probably won't like it. 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:13.920 I loved it. 00:06:14.079 --> 00:06:15.040 I had a great time. 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:16.079 But you can watch it. 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:19.759 And in the film, you learn about photographer Thomas Mangelson. 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:21.839 Here's Thomas Mangelson, famous photographer. 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:25.519 He lives in Jackson, Wyoming, and he first photographed Bear 39. 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:28.560 He first photographed her back in 2006. 00:06:29.120 --> 00:06:31.920 He made her famous, his photographs of her. 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:34.160 But she also made him famous. 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:38.319 He has become famous as a photographer because of this one bear. 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:46.160 For almost 20 years, his whole life has been about one bear, Bear 399. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:54.160 Every single spring, he would wait for days and weeks on the side of the road, just sitting and waiting. 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:56.079 When will she come out of hibernation? 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:57.439 Will she come out of hibernation? 00:06:57.600 --> 00:06:58.800 Where will she be? 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:07.759 And then daily, every single day, every day, all day, all spring, every day, all summer, every day. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:12.160 He's on the side of the road, moving up and down along the highway, looking for bear 39. 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:18.399 He lived in constant readiness to see her and to photograph her. 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:20.879 And that's the word steadfast in our verse. 00:07:21.120 --> 00:07:24.639 Steadfast is constant readiness. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:29.839 The word steadfastly means persevere in constant readiness. 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:38.079 So this prayer is not like sledging into some prayer booth or your recliner where you pray and you fall asleep if you're like me. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:40.560 Like if you pray too long, you just, yeah, you know, but it's okay. 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:42.959 I think naps are incredibly spiritual. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:48.560 It's not like I gotta go, uh I gotta go do this prayer thing. 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:50.720 It's not even necessarily like, oh, I gotta do it twice. 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:52.959 If I do it twice a day, then I've like checked it off. 00:07:53.040 --> 00:07:56.639 No, it's it's an integrated, it's communion with the Heavenly Father. 00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:57.759 It's moment by moment. 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:01.920 It's the set times, but those are expressions of an integrated life. 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:10.000 Because it's also when you go for a walk or you're working out or you're in the car or you're parenting and it's crazy and your head's going wild, right? 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:13.439 It's when you're doing the dishes, when you're working, it's when you're in a business meeting. 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:14.480 It's all of this. 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:16.480 It's integrated into your life. 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:18.639 It's not and then I pray. 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:20.399 It's a prayerful life. 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:22.480 Back to the verse. 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:27.920 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:32.879 The word watchful means cautious or active attention. 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:34.320 And that's point number three. 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:38.240 Prayer with the Heavenly Father means we are actively attentive to Him. 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:39.919 So we're doing other stuff. 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:46.000 Like we're in church, or we're at lunch, or we're working out, or you're cutting the grass, or you're doing the dishes, or you're working on your homework, whatever. 00:08:46.159 --> 00:09:06.799 You're doing other stuff, but then there's this other part of you, this inside part of you, that has an attention, not just of what you're physically doing here, but there's attention to the Heavenly Father that I have a creator that loves me, who fully knows me and loves me, who forgives me in Jesus. 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:14.240 And that this very God promises to be with me, that there's an attention inside your heart toward him constantly. 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:16.879 Watchfulness, that attentiveness. 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:21.039 It's a call to learn from the past and plan for the future, but we're gonna live in the present. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:24.480 The Buddhist, man, the Buddhists have taken this. 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:27.759 I mean, they have really ran with like living present, right? 00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:28.960 Like live present. 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:31.600 It's like, but this is Christian, like we have this. 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:40.480 To live present, to be watchful, slowing down, opening your eyes to this moment, to the good around you today. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:43.120 Okay, so we're gonna be watchful. 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:45.200 We're gonna be integrated, we're gonna be watchful. 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:51.200 And then Paul continued, continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:56.159 The word thanksgiving means active gratitude and a heart of thanks. 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:01.519 Point number four is this prayer with the Heavenly Father is filled with thankfulness. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:06.320 So this is Paul's moment here to comment on prayer. 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:10.159 The thing he comments on is thankfulness. 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:19.919 Years ago, Christy and I were treated to a marriage retreat at Sea Island at the resort, like that real fancy resort right off of St. 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:21.039 Simon's Island. 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:24.159 We were invited and then we were treated, which is the best, right? 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:27.120 Like to get invited, you're like, eh, that's like seems like a big bill. 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:39.519 But to be invited and treated, and so we got there, and we got in our room, it was beautiful, like this beautiful archway, the top day one, we're like, oh, thank you, God, this is amazing. 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:45.519 Oh my gosh, this tile, you know, like all the thread count, what thread count is this? 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:48.080 Or like I haven't had thread count like this before. 00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:49.200 So grateful. 00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:51.039 Like, I can't believe these people are treating us. 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:59.039 Day two, she's like, yeah, it's pretty I'm pretty grateful, but like the thermostat, when I put it on, when I put it on 70, it felt like 72. 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:00.879 And that's just annoying. 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:04.080 So that was day two. 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:06.480 And then day three, it's like, eh. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:12.960 Like the palm tr the palm trees outside the window, they're in the way of my view. 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:17.279 And like the mattress is okay, but I they should have updated it last year. 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:19.679 Like, like day three is not the same as day one. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:21.039 You know the feeling. 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:26.240 Because it's the same feeling when somebody gives you a stack of free Chick-fil-A sandwiches. 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:28.559 And the first one, you're like, this is amazing. 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:29.519 This is awesome. 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:40.639 Like you are like, you, you're like, I that moment where you hand it over, you're like awesome free sandwich, and then like the stack, you get down to about the third or fourth one, and you're like, will you hurry up with my sandwich? 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:42.720 Like you're not, you forget to be grateful. 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:44.879 Like you're not, you're just like, just hurry up with a sandwich. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:47.679 Like something changed so quickly, right? 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:53.840 We can normalize the goodness, and then we just forget to be grateful. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:58.000 This is what happens, this Old Testament story in Deuteronomy 8. 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:02.960 Moses leads this massive amount of people out of slavery, out of Egypt. 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:10.080 Horrible life situation, this people group across the desert into good land, their people's land. 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:16.080 And then listen, listen to the warning, listen to how quickly we can forget the goodness of God. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:18.799 Deuteronomy 8, 10 through 18. 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:26.240 And when you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:33.120 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws, and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:52.559 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase, and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and out of the land of slavery. 00:12:52.879 --> 00:13:00.240 He led you to the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land with his venomous snakes and scorpions. 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:02.799 He brought you water out of the hard rock. 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:11.039 He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you, so that in the end it might go well with you. 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:17.519 You may say to yourself, My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:18.159 We can just pause. 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:21.039 That's like us going, like, like, I well, I'm I did it. 00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:22.000 Like I just did. 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:26.720 Like I controlled all the circumstances and I orchestrated all this, I controlled all this, I made it happen. 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:29.840 I'm the cause, I'm the source. 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:34.480 My children would say, I'm the Sigma, like I'm the man, right? 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:35.759 You know, you you're with me? 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:36.480 You with me? 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:37.519 Verse 18. 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:49.360 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers as it is today. 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:52.240 It is he who gives you the ability. 00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:56.960 Moses is saying, Don't forget. 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:00.000 Like, don't forget to be thankful. 00:14:00.639 --> 00:14:05.120 Like the one adjective that Paul uses when he talks about prayer is thankfulness. 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:10.159 Like that should be the thread in all of our communion with the father. 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:14.799 That you see the paycheck hit the account, and you go, ah, thank you. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:20.080 You see the child, you see the husband, you see the stock portfolio, big bump this week. 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:21.039 Everybody love that, right? 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:22.159 And you go, thank you. 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:23.440 Wow, that's amazing. 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:24.240 It'll go down later. 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:25.200 But then it comes back up. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:26.639 And then it goes down, and then it comes back up. 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:27.919 Thank you. 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:35.039 You see the ocean or the mountains or the trees or your health or your family or somebody caring for you or loving you. 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:38.159 Thank you, thank you. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:39.840 Now, what does all this mean for your life? 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:45.519 Well, in practicing the way John Mark Comer, the author, he he helps us build a life deeply rooted in God's presence. 00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:46.559 What does it mean to pray? 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:48.159 How do you even how do you get there? 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:50.559 Like, oh, integrated, holistic prayer? 00:14:50.799 --> 00:14:54.559 Like, oh my gosh, that sounds amazing, but it feels a little far off. 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:58.399 He guides us the practice of prayer with four points, almost like four steps. 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:00.399 The first is talking to God. 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:01.919 Just begin. 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:04.159 Step one, just begin to talk to God. 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:04.879 What do you say? 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:05.679 Whatever. 00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:07.919 You're free to say whatever. 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:12.399 Prayer becomes the woven fabric of daily life. 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:15.679 You're building a routine connection with the Heavenly Father. 00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:19.519 If you don't even know where to start, you can use the Lord's Prayer. 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:22.879 There's an Anglican book called The Book of Common Prayer. 00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:24.240 It will lead you every day. 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:26.320 Give you prayers in the morning, in the evening. 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:28.399 I use a book called The Valley of Vision. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:30.080 It's a book of Puritan prayers. 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:34.720 I prayed one this morning, read through it, contemplated, meditate it, prayed it. 00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:36.399 Because sometimes I just don't have the words. 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:36.960 I don't even know. 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:38.799 I'm too tired or I'm frustrated or I'm stressed. 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:39.600 I'm thinking about other stuff. 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:42.399 I just need somebody, will somebody else just help me, right? 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:45.360 Step one, talking to God. 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:47.120 Step two, talk with God. 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:50.720 Prayer moves beyond routine and into relationship. 00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:57.840 We learn the freedom that we have because all of our selfishness, self-centeredness, all that sin is put on the cross. 00:15:57.919 --> 00:15:59.840 We're fully forgiven, fully righteous in Jesus. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:01.360 And so therefore we can just pray. 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:04.480 We don't have to constantly be analyzing ourselves how God's going to view us. 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:11.279 So we can share our pains, our hopes, our joys, our fears, and our gratitude, but also our sadness. 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:15.519 We can be thankful and we can ask for stuff, and then we can be thankful again. 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:18.159 We're going to talk to God, we're going to talk with God. 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:20.080 Step three, listening to God. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:25.440 This is prayer as created space to hear his voice. 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:28.240 You're just starting to carve out a little space. 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:33.279 Listening prayer aims to cultivate a quiet mind and heart. 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:38.000 Receiving from God through the Word and from His Spirit. 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:43.679 Now, a way of listening to prayer is something called Lectio Divina, which is divine reading. 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:48.480 There's an app called Lectio 365, which can lead you through that as a resource. 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:51.039 But we read the scriptures slowly. 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:53.120 Read a verse, read a passage. 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:57.679 Listen for a word or a phrase that jumps out to you. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:01.600 Could be a different word or phrase than the last time you maybe never noticed that word. 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:05.039 You listen for it, you read it, you listen for it, and then you begin to meditate on it. 00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:08.480 You get quiet and still, you ponder the meaning of that word. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:13.440 Begin to let the Holy Spirit just turn that over in your heart and your mind. 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:15.519 What's resonating. 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:22.079 And then you begin to pray, respond back to God, expressing yourself through gratitude or confession or whatever the Lord's doing. 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:26.720 And then lastly, you contemplate, rest quietly in God's presence. 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:29.119 And you're even moving beyond words. 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:37.039 It's the permission to just be just be with the Father as the beloved. 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:41.440 You don't even have to feel like you gotta say something or say the right thing. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:44.880 And that's step four, being with God. 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:48.000 Contemplative prayer as a practice of union. 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:53.119 And we're moving beyond words to simple loving presence. 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:57.599 We're gazing and resting in the perfect love that God has for us. 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:00.640 Now maybe all that seems incredibly overwhelming. 00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:02.000 Maybe it seems so far off. 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:03.920 Maybe it feels condemning, right? 00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:05.599 Because you just don't pray, right? 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:09.359 I mean the Netflix cue, it's just back like you're like, oh, I'm behind. 00:18:09.519 --> 00:18:10.720 I don't have time to pray, I'm behind. 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:12.160 I'm too stressed about that, right? 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:13.920 I know, me too, right? 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:16.640 Steadfast is a strong word. 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:21.200 That idea of that devotion, of like constant readiness. 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:21.759 Wow. 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:23.920 Being thankful always. 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:26.160 That's impossible. 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:30.240 And that's why point number five, we need the gospel. 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:34.480 Even in our lack of prayer, Jesus is enough for us. 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:42.319 Dane Ortland writes in his book Deeper, the commands of the Bible are the steering wheel, not the engine to your growth. 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:48.319 They are vitally instructive, but they do not themselves give you the power you need to obey the instruction. 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:51.359 That's what we've been seeing in Colossians. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:19:03.440 Colossians 3 and 4, instruction, imperatives, how we should live, but it's coming out of what's true for us in Colossians 1 and 2, the indicatives, what's been indicated to us in Jesus. 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:10.079 All the lavish promises we have in Jesus, that we are forgiven, we are righteous, we are at rest. 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:13.920 Because all of that's already settled, how might we live now? 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:15.599 Chapters 3 and 4. 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:16.559 This is what it means. 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:22.000 Your prayerfulness doesn't make God love you any more than he already does in Jesus. 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:29.119 It means your life of prayer will come alive as you realize how lavish his love for you is. 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:40.559 And this is why we've been saying, and I'll close with this, we've been saying this we are beloved sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father before we are our roles and our practices. 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:44.960 How we should live is fueled by what is already true about us. 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:53.279 Now perhaps you're here and you have a question about that, or you have another spiritual question, and I'll be down front after service and would love to talk to you. 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:54.400 Let's pray together. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:20:00.240 Heavenly Father, we thank you that you love us exactly where we are today. 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:11.119 Some of us stressed out, some of us feeling guilty, some of us celebrating something, some of us lonely, but all of us have a need in our hearts. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:18.160 And when it comes to prayer, none of us, none of us do it steadfastly. 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:21.519 And none of us are filled with thanksgiving all the time. 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:33.039 So thank you for Jesus that in Jesus for your beloved children, fully righteous and fully forgiven out of such lavish love, would we commune all the more with you? 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:40.160 Would you, through us and in us, help help us to integrate prayer into our lives. 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:48.480 And maybe it filled with thanksgiving to you for all the goodness that you give to us in our lives, especially all the promises we have in Christ Jesus. 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:49.519 In his name we pray. 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:50.240 Amen.