Back in July 2007, Steven Furtick at Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC (The 8th fastest-growing church in America according to Outreach Magazine) preached a 5-week series titled “Confessions of a Pastor.” This message was the 5th week and was preached by Shawn Wood, Weekend Experience Pastor of Seacoast Church.
We think of prayer like this:
- 1.] We should do it
2.] Jesus did it
What do we think about prayer? We don’t know what to say. It’s boring. We talk about the “weather” (you know, like people talk about the weather when they don’t have ANYTHING else to talk about?). When it really boils down to it, how many of us would say we should pray more? But what if we didn’t need to pray more? Maybe that’s wrong. Bigger isn’t always better. We live in a super-sized world where we want more, more, more. But maybe in our prayer lives, bigger [more] isn’t better. Maybe better is better.
Ephesians 3:20-21:
Now to [God] who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to [God’s] power that is at work within us, to [God] be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
1.]Now to God…
My prayers are usually about me, but they need to be centered around God. It’s kind of like Santa Claus prayers: here’s what I want, I was good, so I should get them.
2.]…who is able…
It’s about a God who can do big things. We tend to be boring people with boring lives who pray boring prayers. We have framed our prayers in terms of what WE can think up or imagine, but God is able to do so much more.
3.]…to do immeasurable more…
We need to believe that God can do what God is capable of doing.
4.]…throughout all generations…
When only God could possible do what we pray, “to God be the glory.” We need to pray prayers that could change generations — not just what our small, boring prayers could dream up. We need to pray prayers that can change a life, change a church and change a city.
Are your prayers boring? Stop praying small prayers.
