"Go Before Me"
Week 1 - Activate
Gary Moritz
Part of Activate—Effective Prayers for the Church
January 7, 2024

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INTRODUCTION

Do you ever doubt that God hears your prayers and that your prayers make a real difference? The people who faithfully prayed to God in the past were part of creating a story of divine help and significant influence on the Church’s journey. In the Bible, these prayer champions stand as examples and sources of inspiration, showing us how to connect with God and unleash His transformative power.

“I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? 2My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” —Psalms 121:1-2

In this collection, we will discover the key ideas behind powerful prayers, revealing the secrets that turned these leaders into instruments of God’s divine help. Whether it’s asking for help or praying for others, we’ll discover how to sync our hearts with God’s plans, creating a prayerful atmosphere that drives our church ahead.

We will focus on the following powerful and activating prayers:

January 4/7
”Go Before Me” - Moses

January 11/14
”Strengthen My Hands” - Nehemiah

January 18/21
”Give Me Wisdom” - Solomon

January 25/28
”Increase My Faith” - The Apostles

February 1/4
”Forgive Them” - Jesus

February 8/11
”Activating Our Church” - Super Vision Sunday


ACTIVATE 21-Day Prayer and Fasting Guide


Text: Exodus 33:12-23 (CSB, Old Testament)

Today’s Takeaway: We must be willing to let God lead us.

Week 1 - “GO BEFORE ME”


I. PRAYER MUST BE A

A. God must become our first focus.

“Do not have other gods besides me.” —Exodus 20:3

B. God must become our sounding board.

“But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God: “Lord, why does your anger burn against your people you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a strong hand? 12Why should the Egyptians say, ‘He brought them out with an evil intent to kill them in the mountains and eliminate them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger and relent concerning this disaster planned for your people. 13Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel ​— ​you swore to them by yourself and declared, ‘I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and will give your offspring all this land that I have promised, and they will inherit it forever.’ ” 14So the Lord relented concerning the disaster he had said he would bring on his people.” —Exodus 32:11-14

II. PRAYER MUST DESIRE GOD’S

A. Our desire for God’s presence should be

.

“Now Moses took a tent and pitched it outside the camp, at a distance from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. Anyone who wanted to consult the Lord would go to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp. 8Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would stand up, each one at the door of his tent, and they would watch Moses until he entered the tent. 9When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance to the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. 10As all the people saw the pillar of cloud remaining at the entrance to the tent, they would stand up, then bow in worship, each one at the door of his tent. 11The Lord would speak with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend, then Moses would return to the camp. His assistant, the young man Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the inside of the tent.” —Exodus 33:7-11

B. God’s presence must be behind all

.

C. God’s presence distinguishes us from other

.

D. God’s presence brings

.

E. God’s presence brings

.

III. PRAYER MUST RELY ON GOD’S

A. God’s power is

power.

B. God’s power is

in Jesus Christ.

“For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47But if you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe my words?” —John 5:46-47

C. God’s power is

when we surrender to Jesus.

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” —Hebrews 1:3


CONCLUSION: What steps do you need to take to let God lead you?


Your Next Steps In House Final 8.5 X 11.jpg


DEEP DIVES:

  1. How can you practically ensure that prayer becomes your first focus, aligning with Exodus 20:3?

  2. xplore the idea of desiring God’s presence, as outlined in Exodus 33:7-11. How does this desire distinguish us from others, and how can it impact our daily lives?

  3. How does relying on God’s power, as discussed in the sermon, affect the way we approach challenges and decisions? Share examples of how you have experienced God’s power in your life through prayer and surrender to Jesus.


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