WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.600 Today we are going to take a posture of peace by praying not for an answer, but with the answer 2 00:00:08.920 --> 00:00:13.640 Posture is a short audible fist bump to remind you God is with you in everything 3 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:18.320 Together we're going to be emboldened to take a daily posture of perfect. Peace 4 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:26.080 Romans chapter 8 verses 26 and 27 says 5 00:00:26.200 --> 00:00:30.360 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness 6 00:00:30.360 --> 00:00:37.060 That is good news for we do not know what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself 7 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:44.560 intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words and he who searches hearts knows 8 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:48.720 What is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the Saints? 9 00:00:49.320 --> 00:00:51.320 According to the will of God 10 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:55.800 Now let's bounce down to verse 34 in Romans 8. It says who is to condemn? 11 00:00:56.760 --> 00:01:04.720 Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised who is at the right hand of God and 12 00:01:05.319 --> 00:01:07.320 is also 13 00:01:07.720 --> 00:01:09.520 interceding for us 14 00:01:09.520 --> 00:01:11.680 Isn't that's wildly good news 15 00:01:12.320 --> 00:01:18.880 Last week we talked about how the way that we approach our learning even our learning in God even learning good things 16 00:01:19.160 --> 00:01:26.040 Can often be powered by pressure instead of peace and we talked about the shift that we can make so that all 17 00:01:26.080 --> 00:01:28.320 of our learning is peace filled and 18 00:01:29.240 --> 00:01:36.520 Delightful as it should be if you missed that episode. It's episode 179. I would encourage you to check it out today 19 00:01:36.520 --> 00:01:43.440 I want to I want to continue that conversation and I want to talk about another aspect of our relationship with God that can sometimes be 20 00:01:43.520 --> 00:01:48.600 Packed with pressure if we let it and that is prayer 21 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:55.680 Let me ask you a few questions. Do you feel like your prayers aren't making any differences? 22 00:01:56.080 --> 00:01:58.080 in your circumstances 23 00:01:58.960 --> 00:02:02.040 Do you lack confidence in your prayers 24 00:02:03.440 --> 00:02:07.840 I'm gonna just be the first to admit I have felt those things. Yes, and yes 25 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:14.800 If you have felt that way before I want to encourage you today to make the same switch that we have been making 26 00:02:15.320 --> 00:02:17.320 Together in the last few episodes 27 00:02:17.720 --> 00:02:23.320 Make your prayer life about God first before you make it about you 28 00:02:23.640 --> 00:02:28.080 And I'm gonna pack unpack that a little bit in case you've missed the previous episodes 29 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:30.800 I'm not talking about 30 00:02:31.440 --> 00:02:33.960 Let's not make your prayers about your circumstances 31 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:42.200 Sometimes we make it about us meaning we make our prayers about our behavior our skill or our 32 00:02:42.480 --> 00:02:48.720 Lack thereof what we perceive that we lack we believe things like well if I just prayed more 33 00:02:49.320 --> 00:02:51.320 things would change or 34 00:02:52.040 --> 00:02:53.360 We believe you know 35 00:02:53.360 --> 00:03:00.120 If I knew how to pray correctly or if I prayed like that person whoever that person is in your life that prayer warrior if I 36 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:06.400 Prayed like them then my prayers would be answered and when we believe those lies when we focus on ourselves 37 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:13.120 Our focus and prayer becomes consumed with what we think we don't have instead of being 38 00:03:13.880 --> 00:03:19.360 Consumed by the one who is with us and for us and in us 39 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:21.520 What 40 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:28.640 Happens when we first focus on ourselves our circumstances and negativity the misery just like what happens in our learning 41 00:03:29.080 --> 00:03:34.920 We make our prayers about passing and failing about doing and demonstrating 42 00:03:35.400 --> 00:03:42.840 Instead of our prayer life being about being with God and being in God and becoming like God 43 00:03:44.160 --> 00:03:47.640 Remember you have been brought to fullness in Christ 44 00:03:48.440 --> 00:03:53.800 Fullness is now your starting point in every circumstance and in every prayer in 45 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:58.940 Jesus you and I live life overwhelmed 46 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:05.120 Filled by his goodness and grace, which means we can never be overwhelmed by anything else 47 00:04:05.560 --> 00:04:10.200 So full of him that we can never be emptied or depleted by anything else 48 00:04:10.640 --> 00:04:14.000 You are a new creation in Christ and that newness 49 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:18.320 Infuses it fills every aspect of your life 50 00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:21.160 including your prayer life 51 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:23.680 including your prayers 52 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:26.280 Instead of praying for an answer 53 00:04:26.920 --> 00:04:29.600 Start praying with the answer 54 00:04:30.360 --> 00:04:36.360 The Bible tells us that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are praying they are interceding for us 55 00:04:37.240 --> 00:04:41.960 Hebrews 7 25 says that Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us 56 00:04:41.960 --> 00:04:47.320 and I just read Romans 8 where it says the Holy Spirit is praying prayers that go beyond words and 57 00:04:47.840 --> 00:04:53.240 Jesus is interceding for us, which means you have a divine prayer team 58 00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:58.720 I mean doesn't that just blow your mind and open your heart to possibility? 59 00:04:59.400 --> 00:05:01.400 What if? 60 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:08.120 A great benefit of prayer for us as new creations in Christ is discovering what Jesus and the 61 00:05:08.120 --> 00:05:12.960 Holy Spirit are praying and then praying that. 62 00:05:12.960 --> 00:05:18.320 Instead of praying for an answer, instead of praying to find an answer, instead of praying 63 00:05:18.320 --> 00:05:23.480 out of desperation, we get to start praying with the answer, full of confidence because 64 00:05:23.480 --> 00:05:26.960 we are full of Him. 65 00:05:26.960 --> 00:05:34.560 The delight of praying with God is that we can constantly experience the beauty of His 66 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:36.480 empowering presence in our life. 67 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:40.320 It is a presence that never leaves nor forsakes us. 68 00:05:40.320 --> 00:05:46.560 And the presence of a never changing God changes things. 69 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:53.960 Atmosphere shifts, hearts are healed, minds are renewed, circumstances are impacted, lives 70 00:05:53.960 --> 00:05:55.520 are transformed. 71 00:05:55.520 --> 00:06:02.600 This is the beauty that we get to explore when we put our focus on Him first instead 72 00:06:02.600 --> 00:06:03.600 of us. 73 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:08.080 When we first ask who instead of why. 74 00:06:08.080 --> 00:06:14.480 When we are leaning into discovering who God is, what He is really, really like, that discovery 75 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:20.400 aligns us with the truth and empowers our becoming, our being made into His image and 76 00:06:20.400 --> 00:06:23.040 lightness. 77 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:27.520 Our prayers don't have to be a shot in the dark. 78 00:06:27.520 --> 00:06:31.360 Your prayers do not have to be a shot in the dark. 79 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:35.480 They should be a part of your connection, your fellowship with the light who shines 80 00:06:35.480 --> 00:06:36.960 in the darkness. 81 00:06:36.960 --> 00:06:42.560 And that connection is a conduit in which transformation flows. 82 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:45.880 And here's some wildly good news. 83 00:06:45.880 --> 00:06:50.760 It's not something you have to strive to get right because it's something you have been 84 00:06:50.760 --> 00:06:54.000 given the right to. 85 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:57.920 Because of Jesus, you are now a partaker of the divine nature. 86 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:05.000 That's 2 Peter 1.4, meaning you now have full access to be in community, in relationship, 87 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:09.380 in fellowship with Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. 88 00:07:09.380 --> 00:07:15.200 So when you pray, you're not on the outside looking in to what's going on with them, and 89 00:07:15.200 --> 00:07:20.160 they are not on the outside looking in to what's going on with you. 90 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:22.720 No, you are now one with them. 91 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:27.440 There's no distance, there's no separation, not even a little bit. 92 00:07:27.440 --> 00:07:30.280 You're together in this prayer. 93 00:07:30.280 --> 00:07:33.440 God's nature is now our nature. 94 00:07:33.440 --> 00:07:35.560 This is the new creation. 95 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:40.640 And when we discover who He is, we are discovering who we are. 96 00:07:40.640 --> 00:07:44.920 And we get to walk in that newness of life. 97 00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:47.600 So let's start practicing that walk today. 98 00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:55.480 Instead of praying to find an answer, know that you are praying with the answer. 99 00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:59.920 I know there is so much more to say on this topic that can't be fit into one Posture episode, 100 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:04.520 but if you are interested in diving even deeper into this topic on prayer, I'm going to be 101 00:08:04.520 --> 00:08:08.720 joining my friend and mentor Graham Cook this week, okay? 102 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:10.480 So August 18th. 103 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:17.840 We are going to be doing a three-day, online, live challenge all about praying like this. 104 00:08:17.840 --> 00:08:20.520 And in this challenge, it's our heart's desire. 105 00:08:20.520 --> 00:08:25.320 We just want to inspire and teach and coach you in this joyful, relational, and compelling 106 00:08:25.320 --> 00:08:27.160 life of prayer. 107 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:29.400 You can tell, I'm passionate about it. 108 00:08:29.400 --> 00:08:30.680 It is life-changing. 109 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:32.000 So I hope you can join us. 110 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:35.440 If you are interested in joining us or learning more about what we're going to be doing in 111 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:39.559 those three days, I'm going to put a link in the description below that you can click 112 00:08:39.559 --> 00:08:41.880 on and check out all about what's going to be going on. 113 00:08:41.880 --> 00:08:44.000 It starts August 18th. 114 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:45.000 I hope you can join us.