GOD-CENTRIC PRAYER

What's

Y  O  U  R

Motivation

For HIS Manifestation!

This blog is dedicated to a sermon Sr. Pastor Brandon Bruce and I preached on August12th, 2012 at Faith Church in Lansing.  

My hope is that our message would encourage you to take a deeper look at the 

motivations behind your prayer life. 

I have provided the link to the message below

The Heart of Prayer

I have also included my sermon notes below for further reflection.

When you pray, are you looking for a BREAKTHROUGH in your LIFE or HIS KINGDOM?

• Are you seeking  a deeper PERSONAL Relationship or PERSONAL Profit?

The problem for some of us, is that our prayer life is still patterned after our “fleshly” desires

A Proper Perspective of Prayer

ECCLESIASTES 5 : 1 & 2

 [1] Guard your steps when you go to the house of GOD,

• This carries a sense of keep or watch what you are “standing” on –WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?

• Are your motives and intentions in line with GOD?

• Do you posses a sense or an attitude of entitlement when you pray? 

To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.

• Are you open to being TOLD something OR is your heart set on “telling” something.

We need to realize that we are vessels to be used by GOD rather than trying to figure out the secret formula to get GOD to do our “bidding”.

• The Fool treats GOD like a GENIE in a LAMP.

[2] Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before GOD:

• Know what is in your heart and WHAT you are REQUESTING

• JESUS says in Luke 6:45 – “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

• When I reflect on my prayers I find it interesting how my words mirror my intentions.

• Does our prayer life sound more like NEGOTIATIONS rather than SUPPLICATIONS? 

for GOD is in heaven, and you are on earth: therefore let you words be few.

Isaiah 55 : 9 
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are MY ways higher than your ways and MY thoughts than your thoughts.”

• Who knows best?

• So often we want to outline exactly how we want our requests to unfold!

• Instead of listening, we give GOD the script for how we want it go all go down!

• BE OPEN to the WAY GOD may answer your Prayer.

o   When We Pray for FAITH – GOD creates situations in which our FAITH “can” be increased

o   When We Pray to be used by GOD – and when HE tries to use us, we say “NOT in THAT way!”

~ Self-reflection ~ 

Think of something you really would like to see happen in your life...something LIFE changing!

• When it comes to that "thing" can you pray “LORD, I would really like “fill in the blank” BUT if it is going to interfere with our relationship then I do not want it!”

• Ask yourself, Who really stands to benefit?  You Or GOD?

Finally, let me encourage you to:

MOVE PAST THE TEMPORAL and MOVE INTO THE ETERNAL

•  Why Invest so much time and energy into those things which perish and fade away ?

• Why not start investing in the ETERNAL ?

GOD has a wonderful plan for you will you let HIM reveal HIS heart to you?

I pray that the GOD whom we serve may add HIS blessings to this teaching.

~ For the KING and To HIS Kingdom ~