P.R.A.Y.E.R. - Results 1 of 2

When I prepare for writing this blog each week, I sometimes listen to a sermon or two for some additional thoughts on the topic. It’s usually pretty easy to find what I am looking for from one of my favorite pastors; however, it was interesting what I found this week when I did my standard internet search.

There was certainly no shortage of unfamiliar pastors giving sermons on the topic “results of prayer,” but I was surprised to see mostly a different take than I was looking for. Their primary focus seemed to be on “How to get the results that you are looking for from prayer.” I want to be careful what I say here because I am not trying to discredit the pastors that gave these sermons but It felt like it was mostly geared towards just helping you get certain outcomes from prayer.

There are definitely times that we are looking for and anticipating certain outcomes in prayer but I believe that the greatest blessing of prayer is the impact that prayer has on us.

Jeremiah 29:12-13 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you. And you will seek me and find Me, when you search for Me with all of your heart.

Prayer turns our beliefs and theology into experience. It allows us to encounter God in the primary way that he choose for us to experience Him. Experiencing God through prayer was part of His design for us and it shapes our Christian character.

Prayer doesn’t just reorder our lives, it reorders our “loves”

The more exposure we have to God, the more we begin to understand His heart, His loves, His priorities - and then they become ours. That’s when our “loves” change from mostly worldly things to be more in line with His. They are not just reordered but “rightly ordered.”

Extended exposure to the sun changes our skin color - extended exposure to God changes everything.

That is the impact of prayer.

Stay hungry,

Big E