A Praying Life | Learning to Pray By Looking In
April 14, 2024 • Dr. Rob Futral
Prayer is communion and conversation,
being in the presence of and communicating with the Triune God.
When We Look In We Learn . . .
The Potential In prayer God reveals the potential you have as his child.
The Problems In prayer God reveals the problems that limit your life and the lies that bring separation and shame.
“The only way to come to God is by taking off any spiritual mask. The real you has to meet the real God.” A Praying Life by Paul Miller
Looking In Exposes the Problems and Shines Light on the Lies . . .
Self-Righteousness (Luke 18:9-14) Lie #1 If everybody was perfect like me!
Self-Centeredness (Luke 18:22-23) Lie #2 It’s all about me!
Self-Reliance (Matthew 6:25-33) Lie #3 If it’s to be it’s all up to me!
Self-Destruction (Luke 12:20) Lie #4 If it feels good, it must be good!
Subtle Shifts, Secret Sins, Stubborn Rebellion
“As you develop your relationship with your heavenly Father, you’ll change. You’ll discover nests of cynicism, pride, and self-will in your heart. You will be unmasked. None of us likes to be exposed. We have an allergic reaction to dependency, but this is the state of heart most necessary for a praying life. A needy heart is a praying heart. Dependency is the heartbeat of prayer.” A Praying Life by Paul Miller
The Purpose In the intimate interaction of prayer, God works in and
through your life.
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth [in my life!]
as it is in heaven . . . “
In Prayer, we relinquish control and invite God to take over.
A surrendered heart is the place where God will start His good work in His children.
When you stop trying to control your life and instead allow your anxieties and problems to bring you to God in prayer, you shift from worry to watching. You watch God weave his patterns in the story of your life. Instead of trying to be out front, designing your life, you realize you are inside God’s drama. As you wait, you begin to see him work, and your life begins to sparkle with wonder. You are learning to trust again.
“The kingdom comes when Jesus becomes king of your life.”
A Praying Life by Paul Miller
Looking In to How Jesus Taught Us To Pray . . .
Pray for God’s Purpose Your kingdom come, your will be done in me . . .
Pray for God’s Provision Give us today our daily bread . . .
Pray for God’s Purifying Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors
Pray for God’s Protection Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil
Pray for God’s Power For thine is the kingdom and the power and the
glory forever.
