Aligning Our Hearts with God's Will Through Prayer
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, Crosspoint. Today, we began our service by praying for our mission team heading to the Dominican Republic. We are grateful for the opportunity to join God in His mission and pray for the team's safety and success. We then continued our series on Elijah, focusing on his incredible faith and the events following his confrontation with the prophets of Baal.
Elijah's story is a powerful testament to God's faithfulness and the importance of aligning our will with His. After the dramatic showdown where God sent fire from heaven, Elijah prayed for rain, knowing it was God's will. Despite already knowing God's plan, Elijah's prayer demonstrated humility and a deep desire to align his heart with God's. This teaches us the importance of praying for God's will, even when we know what it is, to align our hearts with His.
We also contrasted Elijah's response to God's power with King Ahab's. Despite witnessing God's undeniable power, Ahab's heart remained hardened, and he did not repent. In contrast, Elijah's response was to pray earnestly, showing his unwavering faith and trust in God.
Elijah's servant was sent seven times to look for signs of rain, teaching us about patience and persistence in prayer. Even when we know we are praying for something that aligns with God's will, we must trust in His timing and remain faithful. God's ways and timing are higher than ours, and we must surrender to His will, knowing that He is always faithful.
Finally, we saw that God fulfilled His promise, sending a mighty rainstorm and giving Elijah special strength. This story reminds us that God will always accomplish His will and fulfill His promises. Our role is to remain faithful, pray earnestly, and align our hearts with His.
### Key Takeaways
1. Aligning Our Will with God's Will: Elijah's prayer for rain, despite knowing it was God's will, teaches us the importance of aligning our hearts with God's heart. Praying for God's will helps us to surrender our desires and trust in His perfect plan. This alignment deepens our relationship with God and strengthens our faith. [25:31]
2. Contrasting Responses to God's Power: King Ahab's hardened heart, despite witnessing God's undeniable power, contrasts sharply with Elijah's earnest prayer. This highlights the importance of a repentant and humble heart in recognizing and responding to God's work in our lives. A hardened heart can blind us to God's presence and hinder our spiritual growth. [21:30]
3. Patience and Persistence in Prayer: Elijah's servant was sent seven times to look for signs of rain, teaching us the value of patience and persistence in prayer. Even when we know we are praying for something that aligns with God's will, we must trust in His timing and remain faithful. God's answers may not come immediately, but they will come in His perfect timing. [36:39]
4. God's Faithfulness and Timing: God's ways and timing are higher than ours, and we must surrender to His will, knowing that He is always faithful. Elijah's story reminds us that God will accomplish His will and fulfill His promises, even if it doesn't happen in the way or timing we expect. Trusting in God's faithfulness helps us to remain steadfast in our faith. [37:48]
5. The Power of Earnest Prayer: Elijah's bold and earnest prayers, whether for fire or rain, demonstrate the power of sincere and humble prayer. When we pray earnestly, aligning our hearts with God's will, we open ourselves to experiencing His power and presence in profound ways. This kind of prayer builds our faith and draws us closer to God. [23:03]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[17:10] - Prayer for Mission Team
[19:17] - Elijah's Confrontation with False Prophets
[20:52] - Ahab's Hardened Heart
[22:16] - Elijah's Earnest Prayer
[25:31] - Aligning with God's Will
[28:27] - Jesus' Teaching on Prayer
[30:40] - Praying for God's Will
[32:12] - Persistence in Prayer
[36:39] - Trusting God's Timing
[40:26] - God's Faithfulness
[42:27] - God Fulfills His Promises
[43:24] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1 Kings 18:41-46 (NIV)
> And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
James 5:17-18 (NIV)
> Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
### Observation Questions
1. What did Elijah do after telling Ahab to go eat and drink? ([20:06])
2. How many times did Elijah send his servant to look for signs of rain? ([32:12])
3. What was the physical posture of Elijah when he prayed for rain? ([24:29])
4. According to James 5:17-18, what was the result of Elijah's earnest prayers?
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Elijah prayed for rain even though he already knew it was God's will? ([26:24])
2. How does the contrast between Ahab's and Elijah's responses to God's power highlight the importance of a repentant heart? ([21:30])
3. What can we learn from Elijah's persistence in sending his servant to look for rain seven times? ([36:39])
4. How does Elijah's story demonstrate the importance of aligning our will with God's will? ([25:31])
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you had to wait for God's timing. How did you handle the waiting period, and what did you learn from it? ([37:48])
2. Elijah's prayer was both bold and humble. How can you incorporate humility and boldness in your own prayer life? ([24:29])
3. Ahab witnessed God's power but did not repent. Are there areas in your life where you have seen God's work but have not fully responded? ([21:30])
4. Elijah's servant was sent seven times to look for rain. How can you practice patience and persistence in your prayers, especially when answers are not immediate? ([36:39])
5. Elijah aligned his will with God's will through prayer. What specific steps can you take this week to align your desires with God's desires? ([25:31])
6. How can you cultivate a heart that is sensitive to God's will, similar to Elijah's? What practical actions can you take to ensure your heart remains aligned with God's? ([30:40])
7. Think of a situation where you need to trust in God's faithfulness and timing. How can you remind yourself of God's promises and remain steadfast in your faith? ([43:24])
Devotional
Day 1: Aligning Our Will with God's Will
Elijah's prayer for rain, despite knowing it was God's will, teaches us the importance of aligning our hearts with God's heart. Praying for God's will helps us to surrender our desires and trust in His perfect plan. This alignment deepens our relationship with God and strengthens our faith. Elijah's humility and deep desire to align his heart with God's is a powerful example for us. Even when we are aware of God's plans, our prayers should reflect our willingness to submit to His will and timing. This practice not only aligns our desires with God's but also fosters a deeper connection with Him. [25:31]
1 John 5:14-15 (ESV): "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to align your will with God's? How can you begin to pray for His will in that area today?
Day 2: Contrasting Responses to God's Power
King Ahab's hardened heart, despite witnessing God's undeniable power, contrasts sharply with Elijah's earnest prayer. This highlights the importance of a repentant and humble heart in recognizing and responding to God's work in our lives. A hardened heart can blind us to God's presence and hinder our spiritual growth. Elijah's response to God's power was to pray earnestly, showing his unwavering faith and trust in God. In contrast, Ahab's refusal to repent serves as a warning of the dangers of a hardened heart. [21:30]
Hebrews 3:12-13 (ESV): "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."
Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you have witnessed God's power but have not responded with a humble heart? How can you soften your heart and respond to God today?
Day 3: Patience and Persistence in Prayer
Elijah's servant was sent seven times to look for signs of rain, teaching us the value of patience and persistence in prayer. Even when we know we are praying for something that aligns with God's will, we must trust in His timing and remain faithful. God's answers may not come immediately, but they will come in His perfect timing. This story encourages us to remain steadfast in our prayers, trusting that God hears us and will respond according to His perfect plan. [36:39]
James 5:7-8 (ESV): "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."
Reflection: Think of a prayer request you have been waiting on for a long time. How can you practice patience and persistence in your prayers for this request?
Day 4: God's Faithfulness and Timing
God's ways and timing are higher than ours, and we must surrender to His will, knowing that He is always faithful. Elijah's story reminds us that God will accomplish His will and fulfill His promises, even if it doesn't happen in the way or timing we expect. Trusting in God's faithfulness helps us to remain steadfast in our faith. This trust allows us to surrender our anxieties and uncertainties to Him, knowing that His plans are always for our good. [37:48]
Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Reflection: Is there a situation in your life where you are struggling to trust God's timing? How can you surrender this situation to Him and trust in His faithfulness today?
Day 5: The Power of Earnest Prayer
Elijah's bold and earnest prayers, whether for fire or rain, demonstrate the power of sincere and humble prayer. When we pray earnestly, aligning our hearts with God's will, we open ourselves to experiencing His power and presence in profound ways. This kind of prayer builds our faith and draws us closer to God. Elijah's example encourages us to approach God with sincerity and humility, trusting that He hears and responds to our prayers. [23:03]
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (ESV): "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."
Reflection: Reflect on your current prayer life. How can you make your prayers more earnest and sincere, seeking God with all your heart?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Father, I pray that we will never forget that the Great Commission, God, sharing your name all over the globe, it's your mission. And it's something you invited us into, Father." [17:10] (11 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "We know his desire for us to be united in relationship with him. We know what God's desires are in so many areas of our lives. And I wonder how it would change our hearts and how it would change our faith if we started to implement in our prayer life regularly praying, Father God, I pray today that my heart will look more like your heart." [30:40] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "God will accomplish his will. God will fulfill his promises. Every time. He will always be faithful. And if we will continue to call out to him, we will continue to pray for his will, and we will continue to seek him, then the Bible teaches us that our faith will grow, that our hearts will be aligned towards him, and that God will use us in some powerful ways." [43:24] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "Elijah is aligning his will with the will of God here. I mean, we so rarely pray for things that we know are within God's will. We pray, God, may your will be done, right? We pray that sentence. And it's a good thing for us to pray that, to pray, hey, God, we hope that your will is what is accomplished here. We surrender to your will." [28:27] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Guys, we know that God will accomplish his will, but he will always do it in his timing. And our prayers are not to rush him. Our prayers are not to force his hand. Our prayers are to pour out our hearts to him. Our prayers are to align our hearts with his heart. Our prayers are to build relationship with him. Our prayers are because our God loves us and wants to hear from us. But God is going to do it in his timing." [37:48] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "So often we want to treat God like he is this genie in a bottle. And if we follow the right steps, if we plug in the right formula into our prayer life, and at that point, God will do what we say. And we can plug in the right steps, and we start to buy into these lies, right? We start to buy into these lies of like, oh man, I have to have enough people praying, right? That like there's a numerical number that God, right, in heaven has said, well, like, I will fulfill this request if 500 people pray." [40:26] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "I want to compare and contrast a little bit here. Ahab's response versus Elijah's response. They were both just present for an incredible moment. An incredible power of God moment. This is one of those things that if you would have seen this, there's no denying. God at this point. Like, it is clear. The Lord is God. This is power unlike anything we can comprehend. The ability to send fire from heaven." [20:52] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "And Elijah isn't praying that. He's not praying this questioning prayer. And I just was so struck by that this week that I think we need to much more often pray prayers that align with God's will. And it's something we already know. It's something we know what God desires in a situation. And there are a lot of things that we know what God desires because we have his word." [29:13] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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