Pouring Out Our Hearts: The Power of Prayer

1. "We are people of the scripture. Yeah. That we are people that affirm the, uh, reality of the scripture, that we allow the scripture to shape our lives and to lead us and to guide us, that we have a high view of scripture. Amen. Amen. And so that's what we're leaning into, uh, and pushing further into this year. And so we're starting this year in this month with this idea that we should pray the book. Amen. Amen. That we should pray the book." [01:11:31] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "As we read in 1 Samuel what Hannah does, she demonstrates for you and I what it means to pray bold prayers, to ask God more confidently, and to pray in such a way that holds nothing back, not those timid kind of prayers, not those shy kind of prayers, not those if you can and maybe if you will kind of prayers, but those bold askings of God to do something in our lives and to be vulnerable in our emotions with God as we pray." [01:19:17] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "Every time God gets ready to do something special in his people and in the world, it always starts with a birth. When he was getting ready to deliver Israel out of Egypt, it started with the birth of Moses. When he was getting ready to establish the monarchy, which was to be a shadow of the throne in which Jesus is going to sit upon and never depart, it starts with the birth of Samuel. Yes. And when God wanted to reconcile us back to himself, when he had to step out of eternity down and into time, he didn't just appear in a puff of smoke one day, but it started with a birth through a woman by the name of Mary." [01:21:36] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "Have you ever had people around you who were compassionate, but they were unable to fix what you were going through? They saw you. They cared for you. They loved you deeply, and they would even try and sometimes be clumsy in their attempts to speak words to you or to help you through your issue. They loved you. They were compassionate, but they were incapable of fixing your issues. This is Hannah's problem. She's barren, but she's also got a husband who's compassionate, but incapable of fixing what she's going through." [01:25:08] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "What do you do when you are missing something in your life that you so desperately desire for God to give you? What do you do when you're wrestling with something in your life and you're needing God to make a way out of no way and you're feeling the frustration because you've been asking for a long time and you've been seeking for a long time and you've been wondering for a long time. What do you do when you feel barren in your life? And then on top of that barrenness, you are burdened by people who consistently misunderstand you or people who are consistently poking at you, voices that are nagging at you about what you're dealing with. And then you've got people who are compassionate and care about you, but they can't fix your problem. What do you do? We do what Hannah did." [01:31:55] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "God responds to poured out prayers, y'all. God responds to a heart that bleeds in front of him. God responds to a heart that is unafraid to be vulnerable with him. And God responds to somebody that asks him for something big, despite what your circumstances and your situation says is possible. God responds to poured out prayers. And hear me, brothers and sisters, that's what we got to hold on to as we are in this month of prayer. As you're seeking God's face about what you're inquiring of him to do in your life and what you want or what he wants you to do in your life this year. Here it is, y'all. Pour yourself out to God." [01:34:31] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "How do I pray in the most vulnerable way possible? How am I to come before God? Do I have to be all put together? Do I have to pray the way the pastor prays? Do I have to start out with the Lord's prayer? Is that a thing or do I end with it? How do I pray in the most vulnerable way possible? In the most heartfelt way possible? Can I tell God I'm mad? Yes, you can. Can I tell God I'm hurt? Yes, you can. Can I weep bitterly before him about my circumstances and situation? Yes, you can. How do I pour? How do I pray? I pour myself out before God. I hold nothing back in what I'm asking him and in the emotions that I feel." [01:35:21] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "You and I, we ought to commit and declare that, God, I'm going to be faithful and give it back to you for your glory and for your purposes. God, you gave me this child. Lord, I declare that this child shall be for your glory. I don't know what they're going to do. I don't know if they'll work in corporate or in ministry. I don't know if they'll live across the seas or they'll stay in the States. But whatever they do, God, I declare that this child is going to be for your glory, that I'm going to teach them about the love of the Lord. I'm going to teach them the scripture, that I'm going to pray for them and cover them. So, God, if you give them to me, I'm going to give them back to you." [01:38:43] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9. "If you thank God for the house, that's great. If you thank God for the car, that's amazing. If you thank God for the job and the opportunity, hallelujah. But always thank him for Jesus. Don't forget to thank God for Jesus. That God decided to step out of eternity down. Into time, send himself through 40 and two generations, be born to a virgin by the name of Mary, live a sinless life, die a vicarious death. But then on the third day, on a Sunday morning, get up out of that grave with all power in his hands to the degree that we can sing this song and we can raise this kind of praise that at the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light and the burdens of my heart rolled away. It was. Where by faith I received my sight and now I'm happy all the day." [01:43:50] (56 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)