01.12 Sermon Notes
January 8, 2025

Prayer: Connection Over Perfection

Discovering the Heart of Prayer

Have you ever felt like prayer is for others—holier, more eloquent, or more experienced people? You’re not alone.

Prayer is important but can feel intimidating or inadequate.

“Prayer is so simple that the smallest child can pray, but it is so great that the mightiest man of God cannot be said to truly have mastered prayer.”
- Enduring Word Commentary


Why We Pray

Prayer is for Everyone:


    • “Prayer is not an optional extra.” - Pete Greig
  • Prayer is simply a “living conversation with a loving God.” - Pete Greig

Connection with God:

  • Have we left our first love? (Revelation 2:2-5)
  • Prayer is about relationship, not perfection.
  • It is an opportunity to abide in Him, to know Him deeper (John 15:5-8).
  • Without prayer, we wither spiritually.

Jesus’ Example:

  • Jesus often withdrew to quiet places to pray (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16).
  • Quiet times create space for connection with God.
  • Jesus’ disciples saw the ways Jesus prayed and asked to be taught to pray (Luke 11:1-4).

How We Pray

We Pause:

  • Create intentional time and space to connect with God.
  • Turn off external and internal noise.
  • Not transactional but relational—time to refocus on Jesus.

We Persist:

  • Matthew 7:7-87Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
  • 1 Thesselonians 5:17 “pray continually”
  • Luke 18:1 “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable [the persistent widow & judge] to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
  • “Delight without discipline eventually, inevitably dissapates.” -Pete Greig
  • As we keep on praying it changes us, develops in us a heart and a passion for what God wants.

We are Honest:

  • Share your struggles and doubts with God.
  • Trust Him even in unanswered prayers.
  • 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

What We Pray

Use the Lord’s Prayer as a Guide (Matthew 6:9-13):

Rejoice:

  • Matthew 6:9 “…Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”
  • Start with worship. We have the privilege to sit in the presence of the living God.
  • He is our Father, God knows us, we can rejoice in that we don’t have to bring eloquent words (Ecclesiates 5:2).
  • Recognize God’s holiness and goodness.

Ask:

  • Matthew 6:10-11 “10your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today our daily bread.”
  • Bring your needs and others’ before God.
    • Petition: Daily bread—our needs, not greeds.
    • Intercession: Your kingdom come—Pray for God’s will and kingdom.
    • Contemplation: On earth as it is in heaven—Be still and aware of His presence. Meditate on His Word.

Yield:

  • Matthew 6:12-13 “12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
  • Your will be done: we submit to His will (Luke 22:42).
  • Forgive us & help us forgive others: we submit to His grace (Romans 5:8).
  • Deliver us from the evil one: we submit to His sovereignty (Ephesians 6:12).

Call to Action: Practical Tips for Prayer

  • Commit to 5 minutes daily, use the 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting Devotional & other daily prayer trackers.
  • Try prayer walks or moments of gratitude.
  • Join community prayer at theBridge (Wednesday nights 6:30 pm, Saturday mornings 9 am).

Remember

  • Whether you feel seasoned or like a beginner, God delights in your prayers.
  • Take one step closer this week: five minutes a day, a whispered prayer, or simply saying, “Father, I’m here.”
  • It’s not about getting it perfect; it’s about getting connected.