Empowered Prayer: Preparing for Easter's Transformative Impact
Summary
In today's gathering, we took a moment to step away from our ongoing series on the fruit of the Spirit to focus on the upcoming Easter celebration. As we prepare for this significant day, we are reminded of the resurrection of Jesus and the transformative power it holds in our lives. This period leading up to Easter is a time to reflect on the movement of the Holy Spirit, much like kite surfers who catch the wind at the perfect moment. We are called to discern the Spirit's work and join in with what God is doing around us.
In Luke 10, Jesus sends out the 72 disciples, empowering them to proclaim the good news. This moment is significant because it marks a turning point in the spiritual battle against darkness. Jesus expresses immense joy as he sees his followers stepping out in faith, bringing light to dark places. This joy is a reminder that our mission is to expand our circle of concern beyond our immediate loved ones, reaching out with love and compassion to those around us.
We are challenged to engage in prayer walking as a tangible way to intercede for our community. Prayer walking is intentional, informed, incarnational, and interesting. It allows us to pray specific prayers for our neighbors and the places we inhabit, aligning our hearts with God's heart for our community. As we walk and pray, we participate in the spiritual battle, believing that our prayers can bring about real change.
The invitation is to cover every street in our town with prayer by Easter Sunday. This act of intercession is not just a symbolic gesture but a commitment to be a people of prayer, seeking God's kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. As we engage in this spiritual discipline, we are reminded of the power of prayer to move the heart of God and bring about transformation in our world.
Key Takeaways:
- The Holy Spirit moves like the wind, and our role is to discern and join in with what God is doing. Just as kite surfers catch the wind at the right moment, we are called to be attentive to the Spirit's leading and step into the opportunities God presents. [05:04]
- Jesus' joy is found in seeing his followers bring light to dark places. When we step out in faith and proclaim the good news, we participate in the spiritual battle against darkness, marking the end of Satan's reign. Our mission is to expand our circle of concern and reach out with love and compassion. [10:08]
- Prayer walking is a powerful way to intercede for our community. It is intentional, informed, incarnational, and interesting, allowing us to pray specific prayers for our neighbors and the places we inhabit. Through prayer walking, we align our hearts with God's heart for our community. [13:01]
- Our prayers have the power to bring about real change. While some aspects of God's will are certain, other things depend on the prayers of God's people. We are called to pray big, audacious prayers, believing that our intercession can bring heaven to earth. [21:59]
- The challenge is to cover every street in our town with prayer by Easter Sunday. This act of intercession is a commitment to be a people of prayer, seeking God's kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. As we engage in this spiritual discipline, we participate in the spiritual battle and bring about transformation in our world. [32:06]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Introduction to Today's Focus
- [01:45] - Preparing for Easter
- [03:20] - The Spirit's Movement
- [05:04] - Jesus Sends the 72
- [07:15] - The Joy of Jesus
- [10:08] - Expanding Our Circle of Concern
- [13:01] - The Power of Prayer Walking
- [16:26] - The Battle in the Air
- [18:45] - Intentional and Informed Prayer
- [21:59] - The Impact of Our Prayers
- [24:30] - Keep It Simple and Keep It Up
- [27:26] - Finding Promises in Scripture
- [30:00] - Stories of Prayer Impact
- [32:06] - The Challenge to Prayer Walk
- [36:03] - Practical Considerations and Safety
- [38:45] - Closing and Call to Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Luke 10:1-20
Observation Questions:
1. What instructions did Jesus give to the 72 disciples when he sent them out, and what was their mission? [05:04]
2. How did Jesus react when the disciples returned from their mission, and what did he say about Satan? [05:04]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the significance of Jesus' joy when his followers bring light to dark places? [10:08]
Interpretation Questions:
1. Why might Jesus have chosen to send the disciples out in pairs, and what does this suggest about the nature of their mission? [05:04]
2. How does the sermon interpret the moment when Jesus saw "Satan fall like lightning," and what does this imply about the power of the disciples' actions? [05:04]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that expanding our circle of concern can impact our community and spiritual life? [10:08]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt the Holy Spirit leading you to take action. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? [05:04]
2. The sermon challenges us to expand our circle of concern. Identify one person outside your immediate circle who you can reach out to with love and compassion this week. [10:08]
3. Have you ever participated in prayer walking? If so, what was your experience? If not, what might be a first step for you to try it in your community? [13:01]
4. The sermon emphasizes the power of specific prayers. Choose a specific location or group of people in your community to pray for this week. What specific prayers will you offer? [21:59]
5. Consider the idea that our prayers can bring about real change. What is one "big, audacious" prayer you feel led to pray for your community or personal life? [21:59]
6. The sermon invites us to cover every street in prayer by Easter Sunday. How can you incorporate this challenge into your daily routine, and who can you invite to join you? [32:06]
7. Reflect on the statement, "Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscle of omnipotence." How does this perspective on prayer influence your approach to intercession? [21:59]
Devotional
Day 1: Discerning the Spirit's Movement
The Holy Spirit moves like the wind, and our role is to discern and join in with what God is doing. Just as kite surfers catch the wind at the right moment, we are called to be attentive to the Spirit's leading and step into the opportunities God presents. This requires a sensitivity to the Spirit's presence and a willingness to act when prompted. It is about being in tune with God's timing and purposes, allowing ourselves to be carried by His power and direction. [05:04]
John 3:8 (ESV): "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Reflection: In what ways can you become more attentive to the Holy Spirit's leading in your daily life? Consider a specific situation where you can practice this attentiveness today.
Day 2: Expanding Our Circle of Concern
Jesus' joy is found in seeing his followers bring light to dark places. When we step out in faith and proclaim the good news, we participate in the spiritual battle against darkness, marking the end of Satan's reign. Our mission is to expand our circle of concern and reach out with love and compassion. This means looking beyond our immediate loved ones and considering how we can impact those around us with the love of Christ. [10:08]
Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV): "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Reflection: Who in your life is outside your immediate circle of concern that you can reach out to with love and compassion today? What specific action can you take to show them the light of Christ?
Day 3: The Power of Prayer Walking
Prayer walking is a powerful way to intercede for our community. It is intentional, informed, incarnational, and interesting, allowing us to pray specific prayers for our neighbors and the places we inhabit. Through prayer walking, we align our hearts with God's heart for our community. This practice involves walking through our neighborhoods, praying for the people and places we encounter, and seeking God's presence and transformation in those areas. [13:01]
Nehemiah 1:3-4 (ESV): "And they said to me, 'The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.' As soon as I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven."
Reflection: As you walk through your neighborhood today, what specific prayers can you lift up for your community? How can you make prayer walking a regular practice in your life?
Day 4: The Impact of Our Prayers
Our prayers have the power to bring about real change. While some aspects of God's will are certain, other things depend on the prayers of God's people. We are called to pray big, audacious prayers, believing that our intercession can bring heaven to earth. This means having faith that our prayers can influence situations and bring about God's purposes in the world. [21:59]
James 5:16 (ESV): "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Reflection: What is one big, audacious prayer you can pray today, believing in its power to bring about change? How can you cultivate a habit of praying with bold faith?
Day 5: The Challenge to Prayer Walk
The challenge is to cover every street in our town with prayer by Easter Sunday. This act of intercession is a commitment to be a people of prayer, seeking God's kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. As we engage in this spiritual discipline, we participate in the spiritual battle and bring about transformation in our world. This challenge invites us to be intentional about our prayer life and to see the impact of our prayers on our community. [32:06]
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (ESV): "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way."
Reflection: How can you commit to participating in the challenge to prayer walk every street in your town by Easter Sunday? What steps will you take to ensure you follow through on this commitment?
Quotes
Isn't it interesting that Luke, who's laying out this gospel, it's not at the incarnation when Jesus arrives on earth. It's not in the wilderness where Jesus comes face to face with Satan. It's not on the cross or at the resurrection where Jesus says he sees Satan fall like lightning. [00:05:04] (20 seconds)
And what Jesus says is that when you encounter the good news of the gospel, and when you feel the overwhelming love of the Heavenly Father, something should happen in your heart that the boundaries of that circle of concern begin to get pushed out. Now, you have encountered something so overwhelming, so divine, so wonderful, that what you find is that the boundaries of your circle begin to expand and expand until more and more and more people fall inside. [00:11:41] (38 seconds)
Prayer walking helps us to pray specific prayers you walk past real estates you walk past real houses you walk past real other churches you walk past hospitals and care homes and schools and police stations and you get to pray specific prayers sometimes I think that our prayers can be so generic we wouldn't even know if Jesus answered them or not. [00:18:57] (29 seconds)
Hudson Taylor, who felt called to be one of the first missionaries to China in 1858, he arrived at a great time of upheaval, of persecution, of the Christian faith, and what he described as a completely ineffective mission attempt in China. Now, if you read about Hudson Taylor, it says that he wasn't a particularly gifted person. [00:29:43] (23 seconds)
In 1900, there were 100,000 Christians in China. Today, they estimate there is probably 150 million. Do not underestimate what God can do with prayer. The sun has never risen in China without finding me in prayer. And he was probably one of the only people there doing that. [00:31:06] (27 seconds)
And if there's any truth in that, I would love us to be a church that prays big, audacious, Jesus-sized prayers over this town. And so we're calling the church to see if we can prayer walk every street in the build-up to Easter Sunday. So what we're going to ask you to do is find a street. [00:32:40] (23 seconds)
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