Pray.
Jun23 - Jul23
#1: "Pray As You Can."
June 11, 2023 • Brad Parkhurst • Philippians 4
Many of us have heard that prayer is something worth doing, so... why don't we do it more? Not only is our world more distracting than ever, it can be intimidating to pray when we are guarded against disappointment, unsure of ourselves, or just don't know how to start. The good news about prayer: The only way to "do it wrong" is to not do it at all. PRAY. // We were made for connection with God. Since relationship with God is why we are alive, it would stand to reason that talking with Him would be an absolutely vital practice for our day-to-day. A flourishing prayer life leads to greater dependence on God, a daily experience of our union with Jesus, miracles breaking out in the world around us, and more!
#2: "Be Still And Know."
June 18, 2023 • Brad Parkhurst
Knowing God requires quiet stillness, distraction-free time, and a passionate desire to know His heart. How can we expect to know God when we rarely, if ever, make the time to just be still? Jesus desires to connect with us, but we are the ones who must make the space for it. PRAY. // We were made for connection with God. Since relationship with God is why we are alive, it would stand to reason that talking with Him would be an absolutely vital practice for our day-to-day. A flourishing prayer life leads to greater dependence on God, a daily experience of our union with Jesus, miracles breaking out in the world around us, and more!
#3: "Our Father."
June 25, 2023 • Brad Parkhurst • Revelation 4, Luke 11
As Jesus lived his life on earth, he was constantly interacting with God as his Father, and intimacy that people had never known with God before. As he begins to teach his followers about prayer, he invites them to speak to God in the same way, calling Him "Father" and "hallowing" His name. These simple words remind us who God is, who we are, and who we are to each other. PRAY. // We were made for connection with God. Since relationship with God is why we are alive, it would stand to reason that talking with Him would be an absolutely vital practice for our day-to-day. A flourishing prayer life leads to greater dependence on God, a daily experience of our union with Jesus, miracles breaking out in the world around us, and more!
#4: "Search Me And Know Me."
July 2, 2023 • Brad Parkhurst • Psalm 139
God has always been after full, unobstructed love-relationship with us. Sadly, we all have chosen not to trust and obey Him, resulting in the sin-filled, broken world we live in. Now through the blood of JESUS, our sin has been paid for and we can be restored to relationship with the Father! When we learn to bring our sin into the light with others and with God, we find the fullness of healing that He so desperately wants us to live in. PRAY. // We were made for connection with God. Since relationship with God is why we are alive, it would stand to reason that talking with Him would be an absolutely vital practice for our day-to-day. A flourishing prayer life leads to greater dependence on God, a daily experience of our union with Jesus, miracles breaking out in the world around us, and more!
#5: "On Earth As It Is In Heaven."
July 9, 2023 • Brad Parkhurst
When we pray "in Jesus' name," we exercise the authority of the King of the Universe as we look to see the Kingdom of Heaven break out in the world. The Father invites us to boldly intercede, to stand in the gap for the people around us, knowing that we as His kids have the ability to move His heart with our prayers. PRAY. // We were made for connection with God. Since relationship with God is why we are alive, it would stand to reason that talking with Him would be an absolutely vital practice for our day-to-day. A flourishing prayer life leads to greater dependence on God, a daily experience of our union with Jesus, miracles breaking out in the world around us, and more!
#6: "Daily Bread."
July 16, 2023 • Brad Parkhurst
Our God is a loving Father, who LOVES to hear His kids ask for His help. We pray and ask Him to move in big ways, and at the same time we tell Him we depend on Him just to get through every day. These "daily bread" prayers build trust in our relationship with God, and empower us to move His heart with our requests. PRAY. // We were made for connection with God. Since relationship with God is why we are alive, it would stand to reason that talking with Him would be an absolutely vital practice for our day-to-day. A flourishing prayer life leads to greater dependence on God, a daily experience of our union with Jesus, miracles breaking out in the world around us, and more!
#7: "Ask, Seek, Knock."
July 23, 2023 • Brad Parkhurst
"Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." - Jesus In the last message of this journey through prayer, we explore the value of praying with persistence, and unpack reasons why God sometimes responds with a "no" or "not yet". PRAY. // We were made for connection with God. Since relationship with God is why we are alive, it would stand to reason that talking with Him would be an absolutely vital practice for our day-to-day. A flourishing prayer life leads to greater dependence on God, a daily experience of our union with Jesus, miracles breaking out in the world around us, and more!