"DANGEROUS PRAYERS'

Rev. Juliet Schimpf By Rev. Juliet Schimpf     ___________________________ Broadcast Notes

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LINK to CFRA broadcast of Sunday, February 21^st, 201) 

http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/40526/good_news_197_feb21.mp3

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I’d like to thank the sponsor of today’s broadcast, namely Thomas A. Pegg Plumbing and Heating. A special thank you for this organization who has made today’s show possible.

'Dangerous Prayers'

HOW SHOULD WE PRAY? (“DANGEROUS PRAYERS”)

• C.S.  Lewis:  “God isn’t so concerned about our happiness as he is our holiness.  His chief concern is that we grow up!”

1.    SEARCH ME—A Prayer of Transparency

2.    BREAK ME—A Prayer of Vulnerability

3.    SEND ME—A Prayer of Availability

1.    SEARCH ME---A Prayer of Transparency

Psalm 139:  ^23 “Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Notice that God has already “searched” David.

LOOK AT VERRSES 1-4  “¹ You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.  ² You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.³ You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.  ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.”

Notice that David gives God permission to “investigate” and “expose” him.

Psalm 139:23-24The Message (MSG)

^23-24 “Investigate my life, O God,
    find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
    get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
    then guide me on the road to eternal life.”

Re. Verse 23:  “Know my heart”--Martin Luther once said, "Grant that I may not pray with my mouth alone; help me that I may pray from depths of my heart."

Jeremiah 17: 9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?”

Why is a truthful heart to important?

Matt. 6:21  “Where your heart is….there your treasure is also…”

Prov. 4:23  “Above all else, guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life….”

Re. Verse 23 “know my anxious thoughts”—“What we fear the most reveals where we trust God the least!”

Re. Verse 24 “offensive ways”—Often we focus upon the offense of others.  But Matthew 7 states,  1“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.3“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”

2.    BREAK ME==a prayer of vulnerability

Matthew 5:3The Message (MSG)  ³ “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.”

2 Cor. 12:  ^8”Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹ Each time he said,“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. ¹⁰ That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Jesus Christ was “broken” for us.  Are we willing to be “broken” for Him?

Luke 22:19 ►

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

3.    SEND ME==a prayer of availability

There are three responses to God’s call:

1.    Jonah:  “Here I am, I’m not going…” [prompted to do something but didn’t do it]

[I was prompted to have lunch with lady on Sunday, but didn’t]

2.    Moses:  “Here I am, send someone else…” [who am I that I should go?  I’m not good enough or talented enough?  I’m not the right person]

3.    Isaiah:  “Here I am, send me….”

Isaiah 6:8  ^8”And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for ^cus?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Psalm 27:8  "My heart has heard you say, 'Come and talk with me'.  And my heart responds, 'Lord, I am coming.'”

Prayer:

God, we thank you. We thank you that you are a big God and no prayer can be too big for you, nothing is impossible for you. We ask that you would hear us when we pray.

I pray for the listeners today, that they would dare to pray big. That they would dare to ask you to search them, that they would dare to ask you to break them, so that their heart beats for what your heart beats.

And I pray for the listeners that they would dare that you would send them.

And for the listeners who know that you are calling, to send them, that they wouldn’t say, “here am I, send someone else ...here am I, I’m not going.”

That today would be the day, once and for all, that they would say, “Here am I, send me!”

Lord, just comfort and encourage our listeners today, to hear our prayers, and answer our thoughts, for our good and ultimate glory.

In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Rev. Juliet Schimpf

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To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:

http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/40526/good_news_197_feb21.mp3