Empowered Prayer: Aligning with God's Will

Devotional

Day 1: Aligning Prayers with God's Will

Understanding and aligning with God's will is essential for effective prayer. When you pray according to His desires, such as being thankful, saved, worshipful, holy, and filled with the Holy Spirit, you can approach God with confidence. This alignment transforms your prayer life from a list of requests to a pursuit of God's heart. By seeking to understand and align with God's will, you open yourself to a deeper relationship with Him and a more powerful prayer life. [02:40]

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV): "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Reflection: What specific aspect of God's will can you focus on aligning with in your prayers today, and how can this change your approach to prayer?

Day 2: The Power of Persevering Prayer

Perseverance in prayer is about a continuous, fervent pursuit of God's presence and guidance. Jesus taught us to ask, seek, and knock, emphasizing the importance of persistence. This isn't about a one-time request but involves preparation and action, aligning yourself with God's timing and purposes. As you wait on God, actively prepare and step out in faith, trusting that His timing is perfect. [21:16]

Luke 18:1-5 (ESV): "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, 'In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, "Give me justice against my adversary."' For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'"

Reflection: What is one area in your life where you need to persist in prayer, and what steps can you take today to actively prepare and align with God's timing?

Day 3: The Clean Prayer

A powerful prayer life requires a heart free of condemnation. Obedience to God's commands and living a life that pleases Him are essential. Your spiritual condition is reflected in your prayer life, and holiness is a potent weapon in God's hands. A clean heart, free from sin and pride, allows you to experience the fullness of God's power and presence. [31:06]

Psalm 24:3-4 (ESV): "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully."

Reflection: Is there any area of your life where you need to seek God's forgiveness and cleansing to ensure your prayers are coming from a clean heart?

Day 4: Holiness and Obedience

Holiness is crucial for effective prayer. A holy Christian is a powerful instrument in God's hands. Obedience to God's Word brings power, and a clean heart allows you to experience the fullness of God's presence. As you pursue holiness and obedience, your prayers become more effective, and you experience a deeper connection with God. [34:07]

1 Peter 1:14-16 (ESV): "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'"

Reflection: What specific step of obedience can you take today to pursue holiness in your life, and how might this impact your prayer life?

Day 5: Revival Through Repentance

True revival begins with repentance and a clean heart. As you repent and align your life with God's will, you open yourself to His power and presence. The depth of revival is determined by the depth of your repentance. By seeking a clean heart and turning away from sin, you invite God's transformative power into your life and community. [38:11]

2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV): "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Reflection: What area of your life requires repentance today, and how can embracing this repentance lead to personal and communal revival?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, I explored the concept of the "power closet," a place where we engage in prayer that God answers. It's crucial to understand that God responds to specific types of prayers, and knowing this can empower us to pray more effectively. The first type of prayer God answers is one that aligns with His will. This involves understanding God's desires for us, such as being thankful, saved, worshipful, holy, and filled with the Holy Spirit. When we align our prayers with these aspects, we can approach God with confidence, knowing He hears us.

The second type of prayer is the one that perseveres. Jesus taught us to ask, seek, and knock, emphasizing persistence in prayer. This isn't about a one-time request but a continuous, fervent pursuit of God's presence and guidance. Waiting on God involves preparation and action, not passive idleness. As we prepare and step out in faith, we align ourselves with God's timing and purposes.

The third type of prayer is the "clean prayer," which comes from a heart free of condemnation. Obedience to God's commands and living a life that pleases Him are essential for powerful prayer. Our spiritual condition is reflected in our prayer life, and holiness is a potent weapon in God's hands. A clean heart, free from sin and pride, allows us to experience the fullness of God's power and presence.

Ultimately, our prayer life is a reflection of our relationship with God. It's not just about asking for things but seeking His face and aligning our lives with His will. As we pursue holiness, gratitude, and obedience, our prayers become more effective, and we experience a deeper connection with God.

Key Takeaways

1. Prayer According to God's Will: Aligning our prayers with God's will involves understanding His desires for us, such as being thankful, saved, and holy. When we pray according to His will, we can approach God with confidence, knowing He hears us. This alignment transforms our prayer life from a list of requests to a pursuit of God's heart. [02:40]
2. Persevering in Prayer: Jesus taught us to ask, seek, and knock, emphasizing persistence in prayer. This involves a continuous, fervent pursuit of God's presence and guidance. Waiting on God requires preparation and action, aligning ourselves with His timing and purposes. [21:16]
3. The Clean Prayer: A powerful prayer life requires a heart free of condemnation. Obedience to God's commands and living a life that pleases Him are essential. Our spiritual condition is reflected in our prayer life, and holiness is a potent weapon in God's hands. [31:06]
4. Holiness and Obedience: Holiness is crucial for effective prayer. A holy Christian is a powerful instrument in God's hands. Obedience to God's Word brings power, and a clean heart allows us to experience the fullness of God's presence. [34:07]
5. Revival Through Repentance: True revival begins with repentance and a clean heart. As we repent and align our lives with God's will, we open ourselves to His power and presence. The depth of revival is determined by the depth of our repentance. [38:11]
** [38:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - Introduction to the Power Closet
[00:40] - The Simplicity of "God Help Me"
[01:14] - Relational Approach to Prayer
[02:09] - Praying According to God's Will
[03:27] - Seven Aspects of God's Will
[05:21] - The Importance of Thankfulness
[06:52] - Worship as a Lifestyle
[07:26] - Holiness and Being Set Apart
[09:25] - Seeking God's Face
[11:00] - Being Filled with the Holy Spirit
[12:37] - The Call to Witness
[14:41] - Making Disciples
[20:11] - Praying with Biblical Understanding
[21:16] - The Prayer that Perseveres
[31:06] - The Clean Prayer
[38:11] - Revival Through Repentance

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

1 John 5:14 - "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."
Matthew 7:7-8 - "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; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."
1 John 3:21-22 - "Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him."

Observation Questions:

What are the three types of prayers that God answers according to the sermon? ([02:09])
How does the sermon describe the relationship between holiness and prayer? ([34:07])
What does the sermon suggest is the role of perseverance in prayer? ([21:16])
According to the sermon, what is the significance of having a "clean heart" in prayer? ([31:06])

Interpretation Questions:

How does aligning our prayers with God's will transform our prayer life from a list of requests to a pursuit of God's heart? ([02:40])
In what ways does the sermon suggest that waiting on God involves preparation and action rather than passive idleness? ([22:00])
How does the sermon explain the connection between obedience to God's commands and experiencing the fullness of God's power in prayer? ([33:12])
What does the sermon imply about the relationship between repentance and revival? ([38:11])

Application Questions:

Reflect on your current prayer life. Are there areas where you need to align more closely with God's will? How can you begin to make those changes this week? ([02:40])
Think of a situation where you have been waiting on God. What steps can you take to actively prepare and align yourself with His timing and purposes? ([22:00])
Consider your heart's condition. Are there any areas of unconfessed sin or pride that might be hindering your prayer life? How can you address these issues? ([31:06])
How can you incorporate more thankfulness into your daily prayers, even when circumstances are challenging? ([05:21])
Identify one aspect of your life where you can pursue greater holiness. What practical steps can you take to set yourself apart for God's purposes? ([34:07])
Is there someone in your life with whom you can share your faith or help grow as a disciple? How can you take a step towards doing that this week? ([13:42])
Reflect on a time when you experienced a deep connection with God in prayer. What factors contributed to that experience, and how can you seek to replicate it in your current prayer life? ([09:25])

Sermon Clips

"God's will for us is to be thankful, so how many of us are out of his will this morning? So you got to start right there. God's will is to be thankful. Do you know the number one Bible verse of all time that has searched more than any other Bible verse on the internet? Nothing is even a close second." [00:04:10]

"God's will is for you to be holy, to come out from among them and be different, to look different, to act different. So you see where this is going. You go into the prayer closet thankful, you're saved as a believer, you're worshiping him, and you're coming out from the world and you're repenting and you're being holy and set apart." [00:07:16]

"Holiness is so important. Are you like all of us? You've been caught in sin before. How well do you pray? How well do we pray when we're caught in that? But once we come out and repent and are revitalized and rejuvenated and the Spirit of God is working and breaking us, God says, 'I'm hearing your prayer because you're praying according to my will.'" [00:10:26]

"God wills that you be filled with the Holy Spirit. Now we could spend the whole rest of the sermon here, and I've done a lot of talking on the Holy Spirit. I've written about the Holy Spirit. It's one of my favorite topics apart from salvation. I believe that being filled with the Holy Spirit is one of the most important things that can occur in us in our Christian life." [00:11:07]

"Waiting on God isn't just this kind of just twirling your thumbs and sitting at home and gosh, I hope the doorbell rings and there's a job application there. You know, it's waiting, God, you're unprepared for you to move. I'm waiting on you, but I'm gonna prepare in the meantime. I'm gonna step out in faith." [00:22:14]

"Ask, seek, knock. In a nutshell, do something. Do something. God, I'm asking, I'm seeking, but what are you doing? Are you stepping out in faith? Have you ever tried to drive a car that's the motor's not on or a boat? Anybody have a boat on the lake and the motor's off and you turn the steering wheel or it's not going anywhere?" [00:29:29]

"Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, so if your hearts do not condemn you, you have confidence before God and you receive from him anything we ask because we keep his Commandments and do what pleases him. Now, is anyone like me and you take that scripture to mean the literal translation that yep, God said it, that's what he means." [00:30:57]

"Obedience to God's word brings power. You showed me something with the powerful prayer life, I'll show you somebody who obeys God's Word. You can't be in disobedience and rebellion and have a powerful prayer life. So this clean prayer, there has to be something where you follow the commands of God, you do what pleases God." [00:33:10]

"Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late, and this was written 70 years ago? Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late, that's been going on here, hasn't it? And how little revival has resulted. I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying." [00:37:42]

"The depth of revival will be determined exactly by the depth of the spirit of repentance. In other words, the more you repent and get that heart right, the more the power of God can flow through you. There's an analogy I've used if you've been coming here a while, you've heard me talk about it before." [00:38:18]

"Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow you will do great wonders. What did that mean? Get yourself right, clean yourself, sanctify yourself, get your heart clean, get your heart ready, and then I will do great wonders among you because there's a process of just purifying the heart, and I believe that's one advantage of fasting." [00:40:07]

"God, I'm desperate for that again, but thank God I believe he answers. It's like you saying, 'Son, I will, I will in my time, just seek me.' I know prayer is boring for most people. Prayer is boring for most people because so is the gym until they see the results." [00:44:50]

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Empowered Prayer: Aligning with God's Will

Devotional

Day 1: Aligning Prayers with God's Will

Day 2: The Power of Persevering Prayer

Day 3: The Clean Prayer

Day 4: Holiness and Obedience

Day 5: Revival Through Repentance

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Empowered Prayer: Aligning with God's Will

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