The God that created Heavens and Earth, that made every creature that swims, flies and crawls among the ground, is the same God that is working in your life. And our God that rose mountains and filled the seas is the same God that is working in your life. The God that split the waters for Moses is the same God that is working in your life. Listen. Our God that sent His Son to die for the sins of the world is the same God working in your life. Why is this important? Why is this the first thing I wanted you to hear today?
The God Of The Universe Has No Limits
Here’s the game-changer. Are you ready? God knows no limits. I want you to realize that our Lord has no limits. Focus on God because, in prayer, that’s what matters the most. In life, putting God first, at the head of the table, should be your top priority. When we talk to God we are heard even if we feel like we aren’t. We have to look at him with our hearts wide open, like the Creed song Arms Wide Open. He is always able to be found. He is
literally RIGHT THERE!
When you’re praying, there should be passion. Where there is hurt, there will also be healing. Remember that one time, just before His arrest, when Jesus prayed for the world and He was so afraid, not of death but of being separated from God? Jesus was in so much anguish and hurt that He sweat blood! Fun fact: sweating blood while in distress has been scientifically proven but we’re not here to talk about that.
We’re here to talk about praying not only for ourselves but for those around us. Jesus had a passion when He prayed. The stronger the passion, the greater the pain and discomfort you are willing to endure. A passion for God is grounded in faith and begins with honesty. Humbling yourself before God starts a restoration process in your heart. That restoration begins with a passion for God. We begin to be healed from the inside out.
A Different Response Than We’d expect
Before you start to think or tell me that you’ve been praying for something and your prayer hasn’t been answered, let me ask you something. Hasn’t it? Like, really, hasn’t it? God answers all prayers, but sometimes with different responses than we’d expect or like. He’ll either say, “I never thought you’d ask,” or He’ll say, “Yes, but not right now.” Other responses like, “I love you too much,” or, my favorite, “Yes, but not in the way that you ask.” You see, He wants what’s best for you and He is going to do what is best. He has a plan for every life He has created. That’s where we find the blessing in our trials.
Being thankful for the time we got with a loved one gone too soon, and finding the joy and good out of the trial is what God wants from us. We are to find the blessing and glorify the Lord. Just look at Paul! He went blind and instead of holding that against God and being angry and bitter, he chose to count it as a blessing. If he had never gone blind he would most likely still be Saul. We probably wouldn’t know him as this amazing warrior for Christ if he hadn’t had a trial such as that. That is the power of Christ. Praying for others should be on your priority list. Sure, you need to help yourself, but so do other people. Especially the lost and afraid.
Let It Grow
Paul was so grateful for the people in Rome. He had never met them, but still, he loved them and cared about them and most importantly, he prayed for them. You need to pray about everything in your life, without ceasing but you also need to pray for others. The Gospel is about Jesus, yes, but it also about the people Jesus came for. A seed does not go into the ground to die but to live. You must release it. Until you release it cannot grow.
