Transforming Lives Through Prayer and Blessings
Summary
Today, we embark on a new series titled "Prayer Evangelism," focusing on the transformative power of prayer in our mission to change the world. As Christians, we are called to be active participants in God's work, helping to transform our world through our faith. This series will explore four steps to effectively use prayer evangelism, beginning with the act of speaking blessings to others. Our scripture from Luke 10:5-9 illustrates Jesus sending out His disciples to spread peace and healing, emphasizing the importance of speaking blessings as a foundational step in our mission.
The story of the Pioneer 10 space probe serves as a metaphor for our Christian journey. Despite its small size and limited power, Pioneer 10 achieved extraordinary feats, much like how we, as ordinary individuals, can accomplish great things through God's power. We are reminded that we are chosen people, a royal priesthood, called to be ministers in the world. Our words have the power to bless and transform, and we are encouraged to speak peace and blessings into the lives of those around us.
In a world where many are lost or disenfranchised, our role is to reach out with words of kindness and encouragement. Proverbs 16:24 highlights the healing power of gracious words, and we are urged to use our words to build up rather than tear down. By speaking blessings, we can begin to break down barriers and build relationships, paving the way for transformation.
As we pray for those around us, we should focus on God's promises for their lives, asking for His blessings and guidance. This approach helps to penetrate the spiritual blindness that often prevents people from seeing the light of the gospel. By speaking blessings and praying for others, we can help open their eyes to the truth and love of Christ.
In conclusion, we are reminded of our responsibility to transform the world through our words and actions. By speaking blessings and praying for others, we can shine the light of Christ into their lives, helping to bring about the transformation that God desires for all His creation.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Power of Blessings: Speaking blessings to others is a powerful way to initiate transformation. Our words can bring peace and healing, as illustrated in Luke 10:5-9. By speaking peace, we open doors for deeper relationships and opportunities to share God's love. [31:45]
2. Ordinary Yet Extraordinary: Like the Pioneer 10 probe, we may feel small and insignificant, but God has equipped us to achieve great things. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, called to be His hands and feet in the world. [37:18]
3. Building Up, Not Tearing Down: Proverbs 16:24 reminds us of the sweetness and healing power of gracious words. We are called to use our words to bless and build up others, rather than judge or condemn. [40:49]
4. Praying God's Promises: When praying for others, focus on God's promises for their lives. This approach helps to break through spiritual blindness and opens hearts to the gospel. [46:53]
5. Transforming Through Relationship: Building relationships and trust is key to transforming the world. By speaking blessings and praying for others, we create opportunities for God's light to shine through us. [51:32]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[26:24] - Honoring Our Veterans
[31:45] - Speaking Blessings
[32:57] - Prayer for Transformation
[34:40] - Pioneer 10: A Metaphor for Faith
[37:18] - Ordinary Yet Extraordinary
[38:40] - We Are Ministers
[40:49] - The Power of Gracious Words
[44:35] - Transforming the Lost
[46:53] - Praying God's Promises
[51:32] - Building Relationships
[54:00] - Responding in Prayer
[55:11] - Closing Worship and Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Prayer Evangelism
Bible Reading:
- Luke 10:5-9
- Proverbs 16:24
- 1 Peter 2:9
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Observation Questions:
1. In Luke 10:5-9, what specific instructions does Jesus give to His disciples when they enter a house? How does this relate to the concept of speaking blessings? [31:45]
2. How does the story of the Pioneer 10 space probe serve as a metaphor for our Christian journey, according to the sermon? [34:40]
3. What does Proverbs 16:24 say about the power of gracious words, and how is this relevant to our mission as Christians? [40:49]
4. According to 1 Peter 2:9, what identity and role are Christians called to embrace, and how does this empower us in our mission? [38:40]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How might speaking blessings to others, as instructed in Luke 10:5-9, open doors for deeper relationships and opportunities to share God's love? [31:45]
2. In what ways does the metaphor of the Pioneer 10 probe illustrate the potential impact of ordinary individuals in God's mission? [37:18]
3. How can the healing power of gracious words, as described in Proverbs 16:24, be applied in our daily interactions to build up rather than tear down? [40:49]
4. What does it mean to be a "royal priesthood" as described in 1 Peter 2:9, and how does this identity influence our approach to prayer evangelism? [38:40]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent interaction where you could have spoken blessings instead of criticism. How might that have changed the outcome? [44:35]
2. Identify someone in your life who seems lost or disenfranchised. What specific words of blessing and encouragement can you speak into their life this week? [46:53]
3. Consider the metaphor of the Pioneer 10 probe. In what areas of your life do you feel small or insignificant, and how can you rely on God's power to achieve extraordinary things? [37:18]
4. How can you incorporate the practice of praying God's promises for others into your daily routine? Choose one person to pray for this week and identify a specific promise from Scripture to focus on. [46:53]
5. Think about a relationship in your life that needs transformation. What steps can you take to build trust and speak blessings into that relationship? [51:32]
6. How can you remind yourself of your identity as a "royal priesthood" in moments of doubt or insecurity? What practical steps can you take to live out this calling? [38:40]
7. Reflect on a time when you judged someone quickly. How can you change your approach to be more like Jesus, who came to save rather than condemn? [44:35]
Devotional
Day 1: The Transformative Power of Blessings
Speaking blessings to others is a profound act that can initiate transformation in their lives. In Luke 10:5-9, Jesus instructs His disciples to speak peace and blessings as they enter homes, highlighting the power of words to bring healing and open doors for deeper relationships. As Christians, we are called to use our words to bless others, creating opportunities to share God's love and peace. By intentionally speaking blessings, we can break down barriers and build bridges, allowing God's transformative power to work through us. [31:45]
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight." (Romans 12:14-16, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear a blessing from you today? How can you intentionally speak words of peace and encouragement to them?
Day 2: Embracing Our Extraordinary Calling
The story of the Pioneer 10 space probe serves as a metaphor for our Christian journey. Despite its small size and limited power, Pioneer 10 achieved extraordinary feats, much like how we, as ordinary individuals, can accomplish great things through God's power. We are reminded that we are chosen people, a royal priesthood, called to be ministers in the world. Our seemingly small actions, when empowered by God, can have a significant impact. Embrace your calling and trust that God has equipped you to achieve great things for His kingdom. [37:18]
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
Reflection: What is one small action you can take today to live out your calling as part of God's royal priesthood?
Day 3: The Healing Power of Gracious Words
Proverbs 16:24 reminds us of the sweetness and healing power of gracious words. In a world where many are lost or disenfranchised, our role is to reach out with words of kindness and encouragement. We are called to use our words to build up rather than tear down, to bless rather than judge or condemn. By speaking gracious words, we can bring healing and hope to those around us, reflecting the love and grace of Christ. Consider how your words can be a source of healing and encouragement to others. [40:49]
"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (Colossians 4:6, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on your recent conversations. How can you ensure your words are gracious and uplifting, especially in challenging situations?
Day 4: Praying God's Promises for Others
When praying for others, focusing on God's promises for their lives can help break through spiritual blindness and open hearts to the gospel. By praying blessings and guidance over others, we align our prayers with God's will and invite His transformative power into their lives. This approach not only strengthens our faith but also helps others see the light of Christ. Consider how you can incorporate God's promises into your prayers for those around you, trusting that He will work in their lives. [46:53]
"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." (1 John 5:14-15, ESV)
Reflection: Who is someone you can pray for today, focusing on God's promises for their life? How can you incorporate specific promises from Scripture into your prayer for them?
Day 5: Building Transformative Relationships
Building relationships and trust is key to transforming the world. By speaking blessings and praying for others, we create opportunities for God's light to shine through us. As we invest in relationships, we pave the way for transformation, allowing God's love to flow through us and impact those around us. Consider how you can be intentional in building relationships that reflect Christ's love and create opportunities for transformation. [51:32]
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a relationship in your life that needs strengthening. What steps can you take today to build trust and reflect Christ's love in that relationship?
Quotes
Here are the selected quotes from the sermon transcript:
"Church, today as we prepare to hear God's Word, we do want to take a moment and just remember, celebrate our veterans. And so if you are a veteran here today, please stand where you are. Go ahead, please stand. Look around the room. Yeah, please give God a praise offering. Thank you for your service. We are able to worship each and every Sunday. We're able to live into the freedom. We hold so dear, able to hold elections and peaceful transitions of power. And the list goes on and on because of what our men and women who serve this great country with their time and their sacrifice. And so thank you." [00:25:54] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Today we start a new series entitled prayer evangelism uh actually it's entitled prayer evangelism and we're going to be talking about prayer evangelism titled uh transform our world but it is about prayer evangelism we are called as christians to help god to help jesus transform our world uh and whether we like that man or not we don't have a choice either we believe or we don't and if we believe then there are certain things that jesus calls us in our faith to do to live out our faith to do to live out our faith to do to live out our faith to do to live out our faith our lives as christians in this world prayer evangelism is pretty simple overall i'm although i'm going to be talking about it for three weeks i could talk about it probably for three months but in short it is talking to god about our neighbors before we talk about god to our neighbors right so talking to god about our neighbors before we talk about god to our neighbors before we talk to our neighbors about god uh and so uh that's in short what it is uh it's uh allowing god to work in and through us uh to bring about his will for all people and for the world asbury church as a global methodist church one of our main concerns is to help save the lost to help reach out to the disenfranchised uh... to be able to help help point the way to jesus and help all people come into a relationship with jesus and live that out and so over these next few weeks we'll talk about transform the world our scripture today as we start the series and in this series we're gonna uh... go over four steps on how we can use the concept the idea of prayer evangelism to live out our call to transform the world and so we'll start today by speaking blessings speaking blessing to others our scripture this morning comes from luke chapter ten i'll be reading verses five through nine uh... and in this passage jesus is sending al his disciples but also seventy we're told not just the twelve that he had chosen but those who were following him" [00:27:56] (154 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Friends, as we live out our Christian faith, you and I are created as ordinary men and women. We are created as ordinary humans. We are created as human beings to be together in this collective that God has created on this earth. And we are called to do great things. We may feel little, like Pioneer 10. We may feel like we don't have much value, like an 8 -watt transmitter. But in essence, you and I are so important to God. I want you to hear that today. If you don't hear anything else, you and I are so important to God that He desires a relationship with us. He created us for that for all eternity." [00:37:28] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful life. We are a chosen people, you and I, a royal priesthood. You and I are ministers. We are priests. It's not just that Pastor Jonathan, that Pastor Andy, that we are ministers, that we are priests. You are ministers. You are priests. I want you to do something for a minute. I want you to say this. I am a minister. Great. Come on up here. No, I'm just kidding. No, I'm a minister. We are a minister. We are all ministers in the kingdom of God. And that is a great thing. He calls us. He created us to be that royal priesthood to go out in the world and to make a difference, to transform our world." [00:38:40] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Proverbs chapter 16, verse 24 says, gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones, right? Gracious words, words of blessing, words of peace are a sweet thing to the hearer's ears, right? They speak to the soul. They encourage the person they're spoken to. And they help to really get in there and can be even healing to an individual. And so we're called to speak peace and blessing into others." [00:40:49] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Along with this speaking blessing is, to begin, to begin praying for those who are around us. And how we want to pray is not, Lord, change them, ah, condemn them, ah, convince. We want to pray that they would find benefit from God's promises, right? If we know that they are unchurched, that they've told us they don't believe, or we sense that maybe their faith is just spoken and not lived out, right? One of the things we can do is pray, God's promises to come true in their life, right? Lord, please, I'll just pick on Ted, because Ted, he's already a strong Christian, but we could say, Lord, please bless Ted. Help him come to know you so his sins are wiped away and he has eternal life. Lord, please bless Ted, Jeremiah 29, 11, and help not bring him, protect him from harm, help him prosper, give him a hope, and a future with you for all eternity." [00:46:53] (66 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Why is this so important? 2 Corinthians 4, verse 4, The God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Now, notice the little G's and the big G's, right? 2 Corinthians 4, verse 4, uh the god of this age was satan was the evil one uh referred to in paul's day and so he was using everyday vernacular uh to talk about satan and the evil one and he what he's saying is the evil one blinds the that those who don't believe from seeing the kingdom it's why if you've ever tried to witness someone and you've ever tried to share your faith and you've gotten rejected or it's falling on deaf ears and what happens when we do that is then satan's working on us because then we're like i'm not good at this i'm not gonna do it anymore right or oh that was so embarrassing and it didn't have any success right uh and what it really is is that the evil one is blocking the eyes and the ears of that individual you're talking to and the way that we begin to penetrate that that hardness that uh the the wall that is put up we begin to penetrate that with words of blessing and peace for all those around us in acts chapter 26 verses 17 and 18 uh it says i will rescue you this is jesus talking i will rescue you from your own people and from the gentiles jesus called paul to this and paul was telling the people hey this is for all of us right i'll rescue you from non -believers i am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light from the power of satan to god so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and place among those who are sanctified by faith in me if we're going to begin to have a chance to transform the world we've got to build relationship and trust with the world and that's where speaking blessing into people's lives comes into play it's something we can do driving our car by houses that we drive it's something we can do sitting in the next cubicle from our co -workers it's something we can do sitting in the back or in front of the classroom to pray for our class right and our teachers for that matter uh it's something we can do sitting in the back or in front of the classroom it is something or if you're teaching you can pray over the class right uh it's something that we can do uh in our families uh we've all got thanksgiving coming up real soon we're going to be with 40 other people uh it is rare that a family has 40 other people who are truly uh believing active in their faith christians and so we've got opportunity even in our own families to pray for our families and we're going to be with 40 other people and we're going to be with 40 to speak blessing into family members maybe even some who have ruffled our feathers or maybe we've ruffled their feathers in the past and we can speak words of kindness words of blessing we can pray uh to ourselves blessings over them that that god's promises would be revealed and lived out and come to fruition in their lives friends may we not take this responsibility" [00:48:10] (0 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"possibility lightly. May we look at every opportunity as an opportunity to begin to transform the world. Every person, whether they live in our neighborhood, whether they're around our Christmas table, whether they are co -workers, whether they're people we see in the grocery store or our favorite restaurants on a regular basis, may we seek to speak words of blessing into their lives. It's a first step to help bring about transformation, to help us be able to shine the light of Christ into others' lives." [00:51:32] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Friends, remember, we are a royal priesthood. Say it again. I am a minister. May we go out and speak words of blessing to others. Amen. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your amazing, never -ending love for us. We thank you, Lord, that you have transformed our lives. That you love us so much that you have not looked at what we've done, but through faith, you've wiped the slate clean, and you strengthen us through the power of your Holy Spirit so we can be all that we can be for you." [00:55:11] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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