Praying For Failure by Kris Emerson

Devotional

Day 1: The Wall Climber’s Illusion of Success

A man trains relentlessly to scale a brick wall, only to plummet after his greatest triumph. His story mirrors our pursuit of earthly achievements that promise fulfillment but end in emptiness. Success without eternal perspective becomes a trap, leaving us broken by the weight of our own ambitions. Jesus warned that gaining the world means nothing if we lose our souls. True victory lies not in reaching heights but in surrendering to the One who holds eternity. [07:27]

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26, ESV)

Reflection: What “wall” are you striving to conquer today? How might this pursuit distract you from eternal priorities?

Day 2: Praying for Defeat Before Destruction

God often intervenes through failure to save us from unseen dangers. Like a parent stopping a child from touching a hot stove, His “no” may feel harsh but flows from love. The wall climber’s tragedy began with unchecked determination; sometimes our boldest plans need divine interruption. Praying for God to thwart our misguided ambitions requires humility but leads to life. [06:04]

“Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:7–9, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you need God to “trip you” today? What prayer for intervention feels hardest to voice?

Day 3: Wisdom That Defies Our Ambitions

Heavenly wisdom clashes with human logic. James describes it as pure, peaceable, and merciful—qualities that rarely align with our hunger for achievement. The wall climber’s single-minded focus blinded him to the fall awaiting him. True wisdom asks not “How high can I climb?” but “What path honors God?” It requires surrendering our plans to the One who sees beyond the wall. [12:32]

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17, ESV)

Reflection: When has God’s wisdom conflicted with your desires? How did you respond?

Day 4: When God’s “No” Becomes Our Salvation

Paul begged three times for his thorn’s removal, but God’s refusal became his salvation. The wall climber’s greatest achievement destroyed him, while a lesser failure might have spared his life. Christ’s “not my will” in Gethsemane models trust in the Father’s greater story. God’s denials are not rejections but redirections toward eternal gain. [19:47]

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Corinthians 12:8–9, ESV)

Reflection: What past “no” from God now reveals His protection? How can you thank Him for it today?

Day 5: Attaching Eternal Purpose to Earthly Requests

Agur prayed for neither poverty nor riches, linking physical needs to spiritual consequences. Like the wall climber, we often fixate on the climb without considering the fall. Every prayer for success should include a plea for eternal impact: “God, give me this only if it draws me closer to You.” Trusting Him means embracing outcomes that glorify Him, not just gratify us. [30:34]

“Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:8–9, ESV)

Reflection: How can you attach an eternal “why” to your most urgent request today?

Sermon Summary

The contrast between pure contextual work and illustration-led topical teaching frames a simple point about prayer: the method can help memory, but only Scripture must rule what the heart wants. A strange image does the heavy lifting: a man trains for years to sprint up a forty-foot brick wall and actually does it, only to meet gravity and the end. The better he does, the worse he does. Jesus names that impulse in Matthew 16: a person can “gain the whole world” and lose the soul. The call of Christ denies the self, shoulders the cross, and follows, because the momentum of ambition often runs a person straight up a wall.

Spiritual maturity grows from toddler-will to respectful trust. A small child wants what he wants and cannot see danger; a grown disciple learns to honor a wise “no” even when he does not understand it. The question then lands hard: should a person ever pray for failure? The answer takes shape like this. James says to ask for wisdom beyond self. Wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, unwavering, sincere. If wisdom requested is truly “from above,” it will often cut across instincts from below, and that is mercy, not cruelty.

The Holy Spirit’s help belongs in the request. Jesus promised, “how much more will your Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” If the holy will of the Spirit is sought, the unholy will of the self must yield. So pray for success in good things, but only “according to his will.” Be ready for a gracious no. Jesus in Gethsemane asks for the cup to pass, then rests in “your will be done,” and heaven sends an angel, not an exit. Paul pleads three times about his thorn and hears, “My grace is sufficient for you,” then learns to boast in weakness. Hebrews 11 shows both deliverance and death inside the same love; God’s aim is better than sight lines two inches long. God is about heaven.

Application lands concrete. Ask the Father to defeat a limited mind, not merely a desired outcome. Invite the Spirit to shut any door that resists his path, and watch for guidance through passages, people, and providence. Tie earthly requests to spiritual ends like Agur: “neither poverty nor riches,” lest plenty forget God or lack profane his name. Then praise God come what may. Looking back, gratitude grows for all the ways God has saved a person from his worst enemy, himself, and bitterness loses its grip when eternity sets the scale.

Key Takeaways

1. Pray for wisdom beyond yourself [10:43] God’s wisdom runs on different rails than desire and momentum. James points toward a wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, unwavering, and sincere. When that wisdom arrives, it will not always validate plans already in motion, and that dissonance is a gift. The wise prayer asks to be taught, not rubber-stamped. [10:43]
2. Invite the Spirit to overrule you [14:57] Jesus promises the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. If the holy will is welcomed, then the unholy will must be crossed out, redirected, or slowed down. Asking for the Spirit’s help means consenting to closed doors as much as open ones, because guidance is mercy, not control. [14:57]
3. Seek success, surrender outcomes [17:00] First John promises confidence in prayer “according to his will.” Bold requests matter, but surrendered outcomes keep the soul safe when the answer is no or not yet. A heart that wants only what is good in God’s sight is free to rejoice either way. [17:00]
4. Attach earthly requests to eternity [30:34] Agur’s “neither poverty nor riches” ties money to holiness: too much may forget God, too little may tempt theft. Earthly petitions ripen when they are yoked to spiritual ends, because God loves to give what guards the soul. That shift often changes not only how a person asks but what a person asks for. [30:34]
5. Praise God for protective no’s [33:04] Looking back exposes a trail of “unanswered” prayers that were actually rescue missions. Providence trips the runner before the fatal height, and the saved life learns to say thank you. Gratitude disarms bitterness and trains the heart to trust God’s eternal scale. [33:04]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:43] - Two ways of learning Scripture
[01:50] - Why a weird illustration sticks
[03:08] - The wall-runner idea takes off
[04:25] - Forty feet and gravity’s truth
[06:52] - “Gain the world, lose your soul”
[08:38] - From toddler-will to trust
[09:56] - Should anyone pray for failure?
[10:43] - Ask for wisdom beyond self
[12:09] - Wisdom from above, not below
[13:41] - Praying for the Spirit’s help
[14:57] - The Father gives the Spirit
[16:21] - Pray for success, surrender outcomes
[20:27] - Jesus in Gethsemane’s cup
[21:51] - Paul’s thorn and sufficient grace
[23:44] - Hebrews 11: loved in both outcomes
[28:48] - Agur’s request: neither wealth nor want
[32:00] - Praise God come what may
[33:04] - Thank God for protective no’s
[34:21] - Two athletes: rescue or bitterness
[36:15] - Invitation to trust God’s will

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV)
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

Observation Questions

In Matthew 16:26, what does Jesus contrast with gaining the “whole world”? How does this relate to the story of the man who trained to sprint up a 40-foot wall? [06:52]
According to James 1:5 (referenced in the sermon), what does God promise to give generously when we ask? How does this differ from simply asking for what we want? [10:43]
The sermon describes a shift from “toddler-will” to “respectful trust” in spiritual growth. What practical example does Jesus give in Matthew 16:24 to illustrate this maturity? [08:38]
Proverbs 30:8-9 models a way to pray for “neither poverty nor riches.” What two spiritual dangers does Agur associate with these extremes? [30:34]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus use the metaphor of “gaining the whole world” to warn against self-driven ambition? How does the wall-runner illustration clarify this warning? [05:14]
James 3:17 describes wisdom from above as “pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, unwavering, sincere.” How might this kind of wisdom conflict with our natural instincts when making decisions? [12:32]
The sermon contrasts Paul’s “thorn” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9) with Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39). How do both examples show surrender to God’s will, even when the outcome is painful? [21:51]
Hebrews 11 lists both deliverance and suffering as outcomes for faithful people. How does this chapter challenge the idea that God’s “yes” or “no” reflects His favor? [23:44]

Application Questions

What is a current goal or desire where you need to pray, “Father, defeat my limited mind, not just my desired outcome”? How could this shift your perspective? [25:37]
When have you experienced a “gracious no” from God that later revealed His protection? How can gratitude for that “no” strengthen your trust in His plans today? [33:04]
Agur’s prayer in Proverbs 30:8-9 ties material requests to spiritual purposes. What earthly need are you praying about right now? How could you attach it to an eternal goal (e.g., holiness, service, dependence on God)? [30:34]
The sermon warns that bitterness grows when we resent God’s closed doors. Is there a disappointment or unmet expectation in your life where you need to “praise God come what may”? What step could you take to release that to Him? [32:00]
Jesus calls us to “lose our life” to find it (Matthew 16:25). What habit, relationship, or ambition might God be asking you to surrender for the sake of your soul’s health? [07:27]
The Holy Spirit’s guidance often involves closed doors. How can you actively “invite the Spirit to overrule you” in a decision you’re facing this week? [14:57]

Sermon Clips

35s

“``Ask one more time and you'll get it but you need to know it is not god's will for your life. What would you do? How bad do you want it? How many of us would go, okay, I I know that's the way you feel about it but go ahead and give it to me and then I will show, I will prove you wrong. I probably wouldn't word it that way. You can have it. But it's not god's will. How many of you would say, god's will be done. Who has to be defeated for that to happen? You do.”

25s

“That's what god said. God said, no. He just said it gracefully. He said, what I've given you is exactly what you need to have. I'm gonna do more work through you this way than your way. And Paul got it. He said, most gladly therefore, I would rather boast about my weaknesses. I think he was blind personally. Think, look, I can't see nothing. But I'm doing it in the name of the lord and god's using it.”

36s

“You see it? Like, if you're just praying for one thing and it's gotta be this way and god goes this way, you're gonna have a lot of trouble praising god for that. In fact, you'll probably go into those one of those fun little cycles of maybe it's because I'm a sinner and maybe I'm unworthy and maybe god doesn't love me and maybe like like kids do their parents. You hate me, don't you? No, I don't. You'll figure that out later. Like we get to those weird little self deprecating and and pouty cycles. But here's the thing, if I'm asking God only give it to me if it's good, and please don't give it to me if it's not good, then whatever god does, praise be the name of the lord.”

32s

“What am I talking about? I'm talking about you're running at that wall. You've been training for this. This is the single most important thing in the world and god just has somebody stick out their foot and trip you. Tumble, you go. But off you get to walk safely. How often has god saved you from your addiction? Your own passion, your own folk. There are plenty of times where he he backed you. How many times? The truth is, we don't even know. We don't even know but praise god for all the ways that he has done that.”

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