by The Father's House on Oct 20, 2024
In today's message, we explored the concept of aligning our spiritual compass with God's true north, using His word as our guide. Just as a compass points to true north, our lives should be directed by the unchanging truth of God's word. We delved into the importance of breaking the cycle of spiritual entropy, where neglect leads to chaos, and instead, consistently realigning ourselves with God's will. This involves recognizing when we veer off course and making necessary corrections to stay true to His path.
We examined Daniel's example in chapter 9, where he prayed God's promises back to Him, demonstrating a powerful way to connect with God's heart and purposes. Daniel didn't just pray for what he wanted; he prayed for what he knew God wanted, based on the scriptures. This teaches us to seek out God's promises in the Bible and use them as the foundation for our prayers, ensuring that our desires align with His divine will.
Furthermore, we discussed the significance of having faith in the power of God's word. When we pray His promises, we activate His power in our lives, trusting that His word will not return void. This requires us to pray with expectancy, believing that God is faithful to fulfill His promises. We also emphasized the importance of trusting in God's timing, understanding that His plans are perfect even when they don't align with our immediate desires.
As we navigate our spiritual journey, it's crucial to familiarize ourselves with God's promises, align our hearts with His will, and have unwavering faith in His word. By doing so, we set our spiritual compass to true north, ensuring that our lives are guided by His eternal truth rather than the fleeting opinions of the world.
**Key Takeaways:**
1. **Aligning with True North:** Just as a compass points to true north, our lives should be directed by the unchanging truth of God's word. When we veer off course, we must make corrections to stay aligned with His will, ensuring that our spiritual journey remains on track. [33:23]
2. **Praying God's Promises:** Daniel's example in chapter 9 shows us the power of praying God's promises back to Him. By doing so, we connect with His heart and purposes, ensuring that our desires align with His divine will. This practice strengthens our faith and keeps us focused on His eternal truth. [40:32]
3. **Faith in God's Word:** Having faith in the power of God's word is essential. When we pray His promises, we activate His power in our lives, trusting that His word will not return void. This requires us to pray with expectancy, believing that God is faithful to fulfill His promises. [59:09]
4. **Trusting God's Timing:** Understanding that God's plans are perfect, even when they don't align with our immediate desires, is crucial. Trusting in His timing allows us to remain patient and faithful, knowing that He is working on our behalf and that His timing is always right. [01:01:36]
5. **Living by God's Word:** Familiarizing ourselves with God's promises and aligning our hearts with His will ensures that our lives are guided by His eternal truth. By doing so, we set our spiritual compass to true north, allowing His word to illuminate our path and direct our steps. [54:20]
**Youtube Chapters:**
- [0:00] - Welcome
- [31:47] - Introduction to the Freedom Ride
- [33:23] - Understanding True North
- [40:32] - Praying God's Promises
- [41:48] - Seeking God's Promises
- [43:10] - God's Word as a Lamp
- [44:07] - Familiarizing with God's Promises
- [45:37] - Highlighting and Memorizing Verses
- [47:16] - Praying with Personal Application
- [48:46] - Aligning with God's Will
- [50:09] - Aligning Desires with God's Will
- [51:14] - Focusing on Eternity
- [53:05] - Trusting God's Plan
- [54:20] - Living by God's Word
- [55:48] - Being Open to the Holy Spirit
- [57:05] - Intimacy with God
- [59:09] - Faith in God's Word
- [01:01:36] - Trusting God's Timing
- [01:03:47] - Conclusion and Call to Action
**Bible Study Discussion Guide**
**Bible Reading:**
1. Daniel 9:4-5
2. Proverbs 3:5-6
3. Hebrews 4:12
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**Observation Questions:**
1. In Daniel 9:4-5, what does Daniel acknowledge about the people of Israel in his prayer? How does this reflect his understanding of their relationship with God?
2. According to Proverbs 3:5-6, what are the instructions given for trusting in the Lord, and what is promised as a result?
3. How does Hebrews 4:12 describe the nature of God's word, and what implications does this have for how we engage with scripture?
4. In the sermon, what is the significance of aligning our spiritual compass with God's true north, and how does this relate to the concept of spiritual entropy? [33:23]
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**Interpretation Questions:**
1. How does Daniel's approach to prayer in Daniel 9:4-5 serve as a model for aligning our desires with God's will? What can we learn from his example about the importance of confession and humility in prayer?
2. Proverbs 3:5-6 emphasizes not leaning on our own understanding. What might this look like in practical terms when making decisions in our daily lives?
3. The sermon mentions the power of praying God's promises back to Him. How does this practice strengthen our faith and keep us focused on His eternal truth? [40:32]
4. Hebrews 4:12 describes God's word as living and active. How can this understanding transform the way we read and apply scripture in our lives?
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**Application Questions:**
1. Reflect on a time when you veered off course in your spiritual journey. What steps did you take to realign with God's true north, and how can you apply those lessons to your current walk with God? [33:23]
2. Identify a promise from God's word that speaks to a current challenge you are facing. How can you incorporate this promise into your daily prayers, and what changes do you expect to see as a result? [41:48]
3. Consider an area of your life where you have been relying on your own understanding rather than trusting in the Lord. What practical steps can you take this week to shift your trust to God, as instructed in Proverbs 3:5-6?
4. The sermon emphasizes the importance of trusting in God's timing. Is there a situation in your life where you are struggling to wait on God's timing? How can you cultivate patience and trust in His perfect plan? [01:01:36]
5. How can you make a habit of familiarizing yourself with God's promises? What resources or strategies can you use to ensure that His word is a constant guide in your life? [44:07]
6. Think of a specific decision you need to make. How can you use scripture to guide your choice, ensuring it aligns with God's will and glorifies Him? [50:09]
7. Reflect on a testimony of God's faithfulness in your life or someone else's. How can sharing this testimony with others encourage them and strengthen your own faith in the power of God's word? [59:46]
Day 1: Aligning Our Lives with God's True North
Our lives, like a compass, should be directed by the unchanging truth of God's word. This involves recognizing when we veer off course and making necessary corrections to stay aligned with His will. Spiritual entropy, where neglect leads to chaos, can be avoided by consistently realigning ourselves with God's path. By doing so, we ensure that our spiritual journey remains on track, guided by His eternal truth rather than the fleeting opinions of the world. [33:23]
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area in your life where you feel spiritually off course? How can you realign this area with God's word today?
Day 2: Praying God's Promises
Daniel's example in chapter 9 shows us the power of praying God's promises back to Him. By doing so, we connect with His heart and purposes, ensuring that our desires align with His divine will. This practice strengthens our faith and keeps us focused on His eternal truth. Daniel didn't just pray for what he wanted; he prayed for what he knew God wanted, based on the scriptures. This teaches us to seek out God's promises in the Bible and use them as the foundation for our prayers. [40:32]
"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." (1 John 5:14, ESV)
Reflection: Identify a promise from the Bible that resonates with you. How can you incorporate this promise into your prayers this week?
Day 3: Faith in the Power of God's Word
Having faith in the power of God's word is essential. When we pray His promises, we activate His power in our lives, trusting that His word will not return void. This requires us to pray with expectancy, believing that God is faithful to fulfill His promises. By doing so, we demonstrate our trust in His word and His ability to work in our lives. This faith is not passive but active, requiring us to engage with God's word and trust in its power. [59:09]
"So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11, ESV)
Reflection: What is one promise from God's word that you need to trust in today? How can you actively demonstrate your faith in this promise?
Day 4: Trusting in God's Timing
Understanding that God's plans are perfect, even when they don't align with our immediate desires, is crucial. Trusting in His timing allows us to remain patient and faithful, knowing that He is working on our behalf and that His timing is always right. This trust requires us to surrender our own timelines and expectations, believing that God's plans are for our ultimate good. By doing so, we can find peace and assurance in His perfect timing. [01:01:36]
"For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:3, ESV)
Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you are struggling to trust God's timing? How can you surrender this to Him today?
Day 5: Living by God's Word
Familiarizing ourselves with God's promises and aligning our hearts with His will ensures that our lives are guided by His eternal truth. By doing so, we set our spiritual compass to true north, allowing His word to illuminate our path and direct our steps. This involves a commitment to studying and meditating on His word, allowing it to shape our thoughts, actions, and decisions. By living according to God's word, we can navigate life's challenges with confidence and clarity. [54:20]
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16, ESV)
Reflection: How can you incorporate more of God's word into your daily routine? What specific steps can you take to ensure His word guides your decisions and actions?
Well, hey, good morning. How's everybody? You're looking good today. I get the honor and the privilege of sharing the word today because somebody is recovering from total knee replacement, but he's in the back. I said, "What do you mean you're not going to sit by me?" He said, "I don't know what I'm going to be doing, but I won't be up front." So he's back there. But thanks for all your prayers. He's doing well. It hasn't even been two weeks since the surgery, but he's doing well. Yeah, so keep the prayers going.
And guess what? Yesterday was our 33rd anniversary. Amen. Sometimes it feels like that, and other times it feels like double that. But anyway, no, it's been an amazing ride, really.
So this coming November 11th is Veterans Day, and on the 9th we're going to have our Freedom Ride, and on the 10th we're going to honor our veterans. But if you want to be a part of the Freedom Ride in this fabulous new shirt that was designed, look at the front and the back. You can be a part of the Freedom Ride. All the ways to be involved is up there. You see to register for the ride, you can text the word RIDE. If you just want a T-shirt, you're not riding, you want a T-shirt, you text the word SHIRT to the number. And if you want Bible sticks, you just want to help us support Bible sticks for our military, that's going to go on probably through the end of the year. So we want you to participate in all those things.
So how many of you know what a compass is? Okay. How many of you know how to use a compass? A whole lot less hands. So I know because, you know, it's a little interesting, and there's many, many kinds of compasses in the world, but I just got me a kind of a cool one that has a scripture on it. But when I was a kid and I picked up a compass, I'm like, "I don't know what I'm doing. Where is this going? I want to go that way," and then the needle would point over there, and then what am I doing?
So really what a compass does is it's constantly— a magnetic compass is always pointing to north. It's always pointing to north. So no matter what I do, this compass is staying north, which happens to be that way. Okay. So there's a difference between magnetic north and true north. True north is the North Pole, and magnetic north has to do with the magnetic pole of the earth, which very interestingly will change over time.
So true north is a fixed location, and it's constant and unchanging. But magnetic north is not a fixed point, and it keeps moving and moving and moving. And you have to do what's called a correction or declination, where you have to say, "Well, it started here, but over time it moves," so we have to take that angle. We have to take that angle from here to here and make a subtraction and figure it out.
And guess what? I want to parallel this to our spiritual life, because if God is true north, and his word is true north, and I start veering, I'm going to be off, and I have to make an adjustment, because if I don't make an adjustment, I'm not going to be following after what God is saying. So we have to be careful that we don't get off of what God is trying to show us.
There's, you know, people say trying to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result is what? Insanity. And people do that. There's something called entropy, that cycle that we said, breaking the cycle. It's called, in the world, entropy is just if you don't pay attention to something, it goes to just chaos. Well, spiritually, that happens to us. Pastor Terry mentioned it a couple weeks ago. We are doing good with God. We start to live. We start to live, veer a little bit, and then we're in trouble, and then we call out to God, and he gets us back on track, and we get back to true north, and we go yay, and then we veer because we're not consistent.
So we have to be careful that we don't allow that to happen. My life verse is Proverbs 3:5 and 6 because I'm a thinker, I'm an analyzer, and I can't rely on what I think. I have to rely on God's word: "Trust in the Lord with your whole heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path." If I'm a follower of Jesus, my path is going to be north. If I'm having trouble staying on that path, I have to make some corrections, and I have to figure out, "Why am I veering? Why am I doing this?"
So this series is called "Breaking the Cycle" because it's about chapter nine of Daniel, but breaking the cycle because they kept doing the same thing. Have you ever read the Old Testament and go, "These people were crazy, really?" But guess what? They did that so we could realize they're not so crazy because we do the same thing. You know, they followed after God, they did what was right in the Lord's sight, and then the next group did bad. Then they went around, then they went around, then they did good, then they did bad. I mean, it's just constantly going around and around.
But we want to keep our focus on true north. We want to follow in the Lord's sight, and then the next group did bad, and then they went around, then they did good in the footsteps of those that went before us who used the word of God to set their course straight to see God move powerfully. Daniel based his prayers on the promises of God.
So Pastor Terry talked about hope in the hopeless situations. Pastor Tim last week, what a great job, did choices matter? When you come to that moment of a choice, true north or somewhere else, think about what you're thinking about at that moment. We most of the time know what the right choice is. Sometimes the "but I want to" outweighs the "but I shouldn't."
Be really careful. It's not about what we want; it's about what God wants. So we want to be in God's will. That's where the power is. We're following in the footsteps of those people who base their promises—I mean, base their prayers on the promises of God.
So we want to be in God's will. That's where the power is. We're going to use scripture as the basis and the foundation of our prayers to keep headed true north. Think of prayer as the needle that points to north—not a popular opinion, not the culture of today's world, not what everybody else is doing. No, we see that needle pointed to true north.
What does that mean to you? What does that mean to you? What does that mean to you? What does that mean to you? What does that mean to you? What does that mean to you? What does that mean to you? What does that mean to you? What does God's word say about this? We talk about that in all the things. Every decision that you make, will it glorify God? Is it what God's word says? How am I going to vote? Does it follow what God's word says? Don't go after an opinion or a person or a personality. What does God's word say? That's what I want to get behind because his word never returns void, right?
So let's dive in today, look at the word today, and praying scripture—how that can transform our prayer life. Most of the time, you know, when you ask two people what is the hardest thing in your life, they'll say public speaking and prayer because they don't think that they can do either one. And really, it's not that difficult. Prayer is just talking to God. But more specifically today, we're going to talk about using his word to pray it back to him.
So the main text is from Daniel chapter 9. I hope you've read Daniel chapter 9. If you haven't, you can go home today and just kind of review that. But Daniel was in a desperate situation, right? Israel was in exile for many years, and he knew that the time was coming because he read the prophecies of Jeremiah. He took the scrolls with him and said, "70 years, this is going to change." So he realized that the time of their return was near.
And I just want to quickly read to you Daniel chapter 9, verse 4. This isn't on the screen, so if you have your Bible, look it up for yourself. If you want to use your phone, you can do that too. But listen to what Daniel said in chapter 9, verse 4: "And I prayed to the Lord my God, and I confessed, 'O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of loving devotion to those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have acted wickedly and rebelled. We have turned away from your commandments and ordinances. We have not listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, and fathers, and to all the people of Israel.'"
Wow. He made a realization: "We have sinned." So instead of passively waiting, Daniel takes God's promises to heart, and he prays them back to God. And this is a powerful example of how we can do the same thing—praying the word back to God. His prayer was both a plea and a declaration for his people. And he didn't say "they." He said "we." Whether he did every single thing wrong that they all did, he said, "We have sinned." Let's take responsibility for what's going on around us. We have sinned.
Hebrews 4:12 says God's word is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword. You know what I forgot to tell you? It's sitting right here. But we have a new Bible study to go along with this. So Jennifer, if you would. Joanne, the other J, activating the power of God's word. If you go to our website and scroll down, you'll see that graphic. Click on there. You can join the YouVersion. We're going to do it together. I think it's six days, but we want to do that. That's going to help us.
So he prays the promises back to God. God's word is living and active. When we pray God's word back to him, we're not just reciting scripture. We're connecting with his promises, his purposes, and his heart. I mean, he said it; he means it. So when we pray it, we're praying it back to him.
So how are we going to do that? Number one is seek out God's promises in the scripture. Now, there's over seven thousand promises. That'll keep you busy for a minute. And I don't mean just the ones that go, "Oh Lord, bless me and make me rich and make me this." No, no, no. All of it is a promise of God.
So we're going to seek out his promises for you, for your family, for your community, for your nation, for your business, for whatever it is. Seek out God's promises in scripture. When Daniel prayed for the release of Israel, he didn't make up his own requests. He didn't try to manipulate God into doing something outside of the will of God. He said, "Look, this is what you said, God. This is what I'm praying." He opened the scroll. So he found that prophecy of Jeremiah, and he knew that it was time to pray. He knew that God was faithful to his word. So he used that as the foundation for his prayers.
Now, Jeremiah 29:12 and 13, he probably had the whole book of Jeremiah, but 29:12 says, "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." This is God telling him, "Jeremiah, come to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." We can do the same thing. We're going to God, speaking his promises back.
So we have the same access that they had. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Remember, we're following Jesus. He's ahead of us. He's not like, "I'll see you tomorrow. Hope you can catch up." He's right in front of us. But the word of God is a lamp. Imagine it's pitch black, pitch black dark outside. You got nothing. You don't have your phone with the flashlight. You don't have your little headlamp on. You don't have anything. There's no street lights. There's not even any stars.
Now imagine the word of God illuminates that path for you—a light unto your path, a lamp unto your feet. So guess what that means? I can't see way out there. I know I'm pointed north, and I'm taking one step. Then I'm taking another step. Because that's all he's showing me. See, some of us try to go way over there before we even take our first step. So if that's you, one step at a time.
So how are we going to do this? How are we going to apply this? In your notes, you'll see I have a few things there. Number one, not one, but the first bullet: familiarize yourself with God's promises. How can I declare the promises of God if I don't even know what they are? So I have to familiarize myself.
Now, how am I going to do that? So if you have your old school paper Bible, not in every one of them, but in the back is what's called a concordance. So that will list different words out for you. And you can say, "Man, today I really need to look at the promises of God for health." So you look up that word, health, healing, wholeness, and it'll give you scripture specifically for that. Out in our church merge area, I think we still have it. It's called "God's Word for Every Circumstance."
So the other way is the Bible app. You can put—I mean, come on. There's no reason not to know how to find a scripture in the Bible. You can put it in your phone. You can put it in your computer. "Give me all the scripture about overcoming fear." And there they are, you know, in two seconds. But read in the word.
And now let me just say this as a side note. Whatever issue you're going through, focus on that. If you have finance issues, don't be going to, you know, fear or anger. You need some help on your finances. You're going to go look for scripture that talk about finances. You see what I'm saying? You're getting focused in.
The second bullet is highlight verses that speak to your current situation and write them down. Now, even better, that's a start, but even better, what does Psalm 119:11 say? "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." What does that mean? I'm out and about, and I don't have my phone, and I don't have my Bible, but I've got scripture in my heart. So you may not be able to know the chapter and the verse, but you know it's God's word. You're like, "Well, God said that I don't have a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind." So I'm not going to walk around scared. I'm going to be standing on God's word.
So get it in your heart. How do you do that? You keep reading it. You keep reciting it. You keep using it. You keep hearing yourself. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Let your brain hear your own self saying the word of God.
And the next thing is pray these promises back to God, knowing he is faithful. That's what Daniel said. He said, "God, I'm telling you, you said this, and I'm believing it because you are faithful to perform your word."
Now, here's a cool way to do it. So if you read a scripture, that's fantastic. But if you want to pray it back to God, using yourself as the example, here's an example of Philippians 4:6 and 7. I want us all to read this. It's based on the scripture, but it's turned to yourself. So let's pray it together.
"Lord, you have said not to be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, to present my request to you. Please give me your peace that transcends all understanding as you promised."
So see, that's what I did. I took that and I turned it around. Now, your notes came in a little brochure today of a lot. This isn't all the 7,000 of who God says you are and all the promises, but this is a nice brochure for you to look at and say, "Put yourself in there. I have compassion and understanding for all people."
You know, when you're in the line at the grocery store, and you keep going back and forth and back and forth and back and forth, and every one you pick is the long one, you're going to say that. "I have love and compassion for God's people." See, that one you should put in your heart because you need that a lot. We need that a lot.
But just as that compass is pointing to true north, it's pointing us in the right direction. God's promises keep us oriented towards his purpose for our life. I don't want to do anything that God hasn't purposed for me. I mean, when you go with God, you can't go wrong. When you go by yourself, you're like, "Lord, are you there?" He's like, "I didn't tell you to do that. What do you want me to bless it for? I didn't ask you to do that. Why are you doing that?"
Be careful. Pray God's promises for you and the purpose he has for you. When we pray God's promises, it's like setting our spiritual compass to true north—not my opinion, not the world's opinion, not culture, not people, God's word.
So the second thing is we're going to align our heart with God's will. That is so important. That's kind of what I was saying. We sometimes have a long list of an agenda of what we want. What do you want to do? God, bless this, bless this, bless this. Instead of, "God, what are you doing? What do you want to do in me that you will bless that I need to start doing?" That's flipping that around.
Align your heart with God's will. So Daniel did that. He said, "What does it say in the word? That's what I want to do." He begins by confessing the sins of himself and the people, right? "We have sinned." And he didn't just pray for what he wanted. He prayed for what he knew God wanted based on the scripture for the people that were in exile for 70 years. He prayed what God wanted for the people.
When we pray his word, we are aligning our desires with his divine will. When we submit ourselves to God, he gives us those desires, but those desires are lined up with his will. Have you ever tried something so many times, so many ways, and it keeps falling and failing and breaking, and then you're like, "God, you probably don't love me?" No, he's like, "I don't know why you're even trying to do that."
When we pray with a heart that's aligned with God's will, our desires begin to mirror his desires. Wow, that's amazing. That would be awesome. So we start seeking things that are eternal and significant, not just immediately. We start seeking things that are immediate or fleeting.
Anybody do that? Sometimes you find yourself in a downward spiral of now. The world is horrible, my life is terrible, everything is falling apart, and you're not looking beyond your circumstance. You're looking right there, right now, and it's horrible. Now, I'm not saying we don't go through things, but we have to go beyond that. We have to think eternal. We have to think things of God.
We have to think, I never thought I would say this, P.T. His favorite thing to say to me is, "In the scheme of eternity, what does it matter?" Oh, that gets the—I start looking on, do not be angry. So now, you know what? I'm trying to keep my eyes focused on eternity. In the scheme of eternity, what does that matter? It doesn't. Keep your eyes focused. Focus on eternity and what God wants to do.
1 John 5:14 and 15 says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us, and if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we would have that, well, what we asked of him."
Now, I know I'm getting in line with you, but I prayed. I prayed God's word. I prayed, and I prayed, and I prayed, and I prayed, and it never happened. That happened to me. I could never have a child, but I prayed every month, all the time, every month I would pray, "Thank you, God, for this child," and it didn't happen. Now, what can I do about that? I did the prescription. I followed the whole thing, and it didn't happen. I don't know. I really don't know.
If I stay there, though, it gets me kind of bothered, right? I say, "Lord, you know better than I know. I don't know. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I'm not sure." I'm not saying you withheld anything from me. I really don't know. We live in a sin-cursed world. I don't know. Help me to get past all of that. Realize that you love me. You care for me. You have a good plan, a good purpose for me.
So, I understand. I prayed, and I prayed, and I prayed, and I prayed, and it didn't happen, but don't quit. You just keep praying. Now, if it happened, I'd be like, "Almost 65? P.T., what do you think?" He's like, "No." He likes to practice, but you know, the other part—that's why you have grandchildren.
This ain't your grandma's church. All right, when we read the Bible, we're not just absorbing information. It's filled with information, but we're discovering God's heart and his plan for us. What is his heart, and what is his plan for us?
So, here's some application points that you can put under there, fill in the blank. Ask God what he wants to accomplish in this situation. Sometimes, he's trying to teach us something. Sometimes, he's trying to use us to help somebody else. I mean, ask him, "What do you want to accomplish in this situation?"
And then, use scripture to pray God's priorities. In that, obviously, your Bible, but in this little brochure, in all the things, you know, what are God's priorities? Listen, Matthew 6:33: "Seek the kingdom of God." That's what you do. Well, I don't know how to live my life for Jesus. Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously. Let's not forget that. Live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Wow. Okay, well, that seems to work.
This verse captures Jesus's humility and challenges us to put God first. Don't be a selfish pray-er, pray-er, person who prays. Pray selfishly, and then stay open to God's leading as you pray. The Holy Spirit might take you down a whole nother lane of your prayers. Keep your ears open to hear what he's saying. He might shift your perspective, you know, of what you're praying about, or reveal something new to you.
Just as Daniel prayed for the fulfillment of God's promises, we should also pray that our lives align with God's purposes and not just our own desires. I know I've said that a couple of times, but sometimes we forget that we are his hands and feet, that he wants to use us in this dark world. We are light in the darkness. We are salt and light. But if we're constantly praying about us and me and my and my things and my stuff and all about me, he can't use us.
Now, I want you to be in a place where you're healthy in your spiritual walk. Remember, we don't want that cycle to keep going around and around. You know, those of you that have kids, you know what they do. They'll test you, right, over and over. Didn't we just talk about this? Didn't we talk about not doing this anymore? And there they go, doing it again. God's going, "Come on now. We've been through this. You did so good."
And he will never leave you. He will never forsake you. He will never say, "Are you seriously going to do this again and expect me to forgive you?" He's not going to do that. He loves us, and he wants to get us to that spiritually healthy place.
So be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. It keeps us focused on the things of God. When we pray, it brings us closer. You know, think about it. Your relationship with God can be very distant or it can be very close, intimate. And in order to be intimate with someone, you have to be close.
If God whispers, will you hear him? Or is he so far away that you can't hear what he's saying? Like when I say to P.T., "Did you hear me? Are you ignoring me? Or are you processing? I need some feedback." Because if you didn't hear me, I'll say it again. If you're ignoring me, I'm not going to be happy. If you're processing, I'll give you a minute. Right?
Praying God's word reorients us back to north. It reminds us that his priorities become our priorities. And he's directing us to seek his will above our own desires. So we're going to seek out God's promises in scripture. We're going to align our hearts with God's will.
And number three, we're going to have faith in the power of God's word. I mean, why pray it? Why declare it? Why speak it if you don't believe it? You know, it doesn't make any sense for you to do it. Now, sometimes out of pure obedience, you have to renew your mind in the word of God. If you don't quite believe it yet, you have to keep renewing your mind to what God's word says, what God's word says.
And then all of a sudden, "Okay, I get it. I believe it. I hear what you're saying, Lord." We need to believe it. So you're going to have faith in the power of God's word. God's word has power, sharper than any two-edged sword, okay? And it will not return void. If you use God's word, it will not return void.
Daniel had faith in the promises of God, and that's what fueled his prayers. He trusted that what God said was going to happen. He trusted that. I love to pray, "God, you said." You said. Back in the 20-some years ago, we used to sing a song that was called, "You Said." You said all the things. God, you said this. I mean, how beautiful is that, to pray that way to God, because he said it. I believe it.
There's a song like that, isn't there? "You said it, I believe it." And it's going to come to pass. Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith, it's impossible to please God." So if you don't have faith to believe that his word is true and it's going to come to pass, it's impossible to please him. You can try all the things, but you're not going to please him without faith.
"Lord, I believe that what you've spoken is true and that you will bring it to pass." And when we pray that word back to him, we know that it has power. We know that it has power, and we have to expect the results. Expect those results. Isaiah 40, verse 8 says, "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever." Endures forever.
So how can we apply this to our life? Pray with expectancy. Pray with expectancy, knowing that his word never fails. And when you pray his promises, believe that he's faithful to bring it to pass. Regularly recall testimonies. This is important. This is like building your faith. "God, you said it. You said it. You said it. You said it. You said it. You said it."
But I also see that when my friend prayed, and you answered her prayer, man, that's a testimony of God's faith. Molly shared with me this morning. She had heart issues, and they had her on all kinds of medication and said her heart wasn't working right. And then we prayed, and we believed, and we spoke God's word. And guess what? She went back to the doctor, and he said, "You don't need your medication. Your heart is healed."
I said, "You get him to write that down and say, 'Miracle of God.'" In writing, share testimonies of God's goodness, yours and other people's, of how he answered prayers based on his word. That helps yourself, and it helps other people.
And then trust in God's timing. This is the hard one. I mean, we pray it, and we want it to be now. We pray it, and we want it to be yesterday. Daniel, remember, he prayed, and he had to wait, and he's waiting, and he's waiting, and the angels are like, "Hey, it's coming. Don't give up. It's on its way. It got stuck for a second, but it's coming. Don't give up."
Believe that God's working on your behalf, and that he never doubted. He believed it would happen. He believed that it would come to pass. Don't give up if you don't see it right away. There's this cute little kid on social media. His name is Jack, and he's very profound. He tells little stories. He tells little stories all the time, and he's like from the deep south. I mean, like really far down. Like, I'm from New York, but he's from like, I said, what did he say? But anyway, I'm gonna do it because it makes it sound better.
His little baby sister had a boo-boo, and she said, "My boo-boo won't go away." And he said, "Boo-boos just don't go away. They go away when they want to." Just like God don't answer your prayers right away. And the mama said, "Well, when does he answer your prayers?" And he said, "When he wants to." Isn't that true? God's working. He's got a master plan. Sometimes if he would answer the prayer when you prayed it, you'd be like, "Oh no, no, no, no, no. That's not what I meant."
How many of you prayed for somebody to marry and then God didn't answer that prayer and you didn't marry them, and now you're married to the right one? But if he had answered that first one, you'd be in a heap of trouble. Anybody? Come on, look at all the hands. I mean, that's the point of it's in God's timing. It's in God's timing.
As we pray with faith, we can expect to see God's power manifest in our lives. Why would we pray if we didn't believe there was power? And his word will accomplish what it's set out to do. Our part is to hold on and have faith and believe that what he said is going to happen. His word is reliable, his word is effective, and his word is true.
When we pray God's word, we're activating those promises that are stable and unshakable. His word never changes. It was the same yesterday, today, and forever. Praying God's word back to him connects us to his promises, aligns us with his will, and activates his power in our lives.
And just as Daniel prayed the scripture back to him, back to God, we can do the same thing, trusting that God is going to be faithful to respond. Remember, our true north is not found in the world's wisdom, in Uncle Billy Bob's wisdom, even in Little Jack's wisdom. Our true north is found in God's everlasting word that never changes. Never changes. Never changes.
When I take this compass and I find north, which I told you is straight ahead of me, if I move the compass, guess what? North is still that way. Even though now I'm heading in a different direction. If I got to get back on track, I've got to line it back up so that needle points to north.
So I challenge you this week: find one promise in God's word that speaks to a need in your life that maybe you're going through right now, or if you don't have any, that's awesome. How about in a friend's life or family or somebody else? Pray it every day, declaring that God's will will be done, and watch how God moves and honors the word.
"God, you said. God, you said."
Before we close, I want to speak to anyone here today who may not have a personal relationship with Jesus. Maybe you're hearing about the promises of God, and you want to experience his faithfulness firsthand. And Jesus is the ultimate promise keeper. He doesn't break his promises. He came to give us life and forgiveness and to reconcile us to God. Amen.
Romans 10:9 says, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." If you've never accepted Jesus today, I want to give you an opportunity. Today's the perfect day to begin this journey with him. His arms are open wide, ready to receive you and welcome you into his family.
Let's bow our heads. And if you're ready to make that decision, raise up your hand and let me see. Raise up your hand real quick. You're ready to surrender your life today to Jesus. I don't see any hands, but that doesn't mean somebody's not here saying, "I really need that."
So let's all pray this, everyone together. Some of you prayed it for the first time a long, long time ago. Some of you may want to just recommit your life to Jesus, but let's pray this together.
"Jesus, I acknowledge that I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner in need of your grace. I thank you for forgiving me. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and that you rose from the dead. I surrender my life to you today. Be my Lord and Savior. Help me to follow you and to trust in your promises every day of my life."
Amen. In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Yes. Amen.
Now, whether you raised your hand or not, if you prayed that sincerely in your heart and you want to, be sure and tell somebody about it. And also, stop by our First Steps table. We have some resources for you that will help you in your journey.
But for all of us this week, let's go into this week committed to praying God's word and watching as he fulfills his promise in our lives. Amen. Amen. Let's continue to worship, and they'll dismiss us.
1) "So really what a compass does is it's constantly, a magnetic compass is always pointing to north. It's always pointing to north. So no matter what I do, this compass is staying north, which happens to be that way. Okay. So there's a difference between magnetic north and true north. True north is the north pole, and magnetic north has to do with the magnetic pole of the earth, which very interestingly will change over time. So true north is a fixed location, and it's constant and unchanging." [33:23] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2) "If God is true north, and his word is true north, and I start veering, I'm going to be off, and I have to make an adjustment, because if I don't make an adjustment, I'm not going to be following after what God is saying. So we have to be careful that we don't get off of what God is trying to show us. There's, you know, people say trying to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result is what? Insanity." [34:00] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3) "Think of prayer as the needle that points to north not a popular opinion not the culture of today's world not what what everybody else is doing it no we see that needle pointed to true north what does that mean to you what does that mean to you what does that mean to you what does that mean to you what does that mean to you what does that mean to you what does that mean to you what does that mean to you God's word say about this we talk about that in all the things every decision that you make will it glorify God is it what God's word says how am I going to vote does it follow what God's word says don't go after an opinion or a person or a personality what does God's word say that's what I want to get behind because his word never returns void right so let's dive in today look at the word today and praying scripture how that can transform our prayer life" [38:00] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4) "When we pray God's word back to him, we're not just reciting scripture. We're connecting with his promises, his purposes, and his heart. I mean, he said it. He means it. So when we pray it, we're praying it back to him. So how are we going to do that? Number one is seek out God's promises in the scripture. Now, there's over seven, a thousand promises. promises. That'll keep you busy for a minute." [41:48] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5) "So how are we going to do this? How are we going to apply this? In your notes, you'll see I have a few things there. Number one, not one, but the first bullet, familiarize yourself with God's promises. How can I declare the promises of God if I don't even know what they are? So I have to familiarize myself. Now, how am I going to do that? So if you have your old school paper Bible, not in every one of them, but in the back is what's called a concordance." [44:07] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6) "When we pray his word, we are aligning our desires with his divine will. When we submit ourselves to God, he gives us those desires, but those desires are lined up with his will. Have you ever tried something so many times? So many ways, and it keeps falling and failing and breaking, and then you're like, God, you probably don't love me. No, he's like, I don't know why you're even trying to do that. When we pray with a heart that's aligned with God's will, our desires begin to mirror his desires." [51:14] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7) "Praying God's word reorients us back to north. It reminds us that his priorities become our priorities. And he's directing us to seek his will above our own desires. So we're going to seek out God's promises in scripture. We're going to align our hearts with God's will. And number three, we're going to have faith in the power of God's word. I mean, why pray it? Why declare it? Why speak it if you don't believe it? You know, it doesn't make any sense for you to do it." [57:37] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8) "As we pray with faith, we can expect to see God's power manifest in our lives. Why would we pray if we didn't believe there was power? And his word will accomplish what it's set out to do. Our part is to hold on and have faith and believe that what he said is going to happen. His word is reliable, his word is effective, and his word is true. When we pray God's word, we're activating those promises that are stable and unshakable. His word never changes. It was the same yesterday, today, and forever." [01:03:47] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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