FCC LIVE

Year of Prayer        1.24.21

    Pastor Blake Wood

The Powerful Prayers of ‘imperfect’ people
Insights from the prayers of Abraham (3)
Genesis 17 and 20

 

Story and insight #1

 ^17:18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”  ¹⁹ Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. ²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.

• The LORD forgives our mistakes/sins when we confess them. He does not usually, however, take away the consequences of those “faith-less choices.”

Story and insight #2

^20:16 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live….¹⁷Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, ¹⁸ for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.

 

• The LORD calls me and empowers me to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. However, my righteousness is by faith in Jesus not by my good works. Therefore, I should not allow my spiritual “blemishes” or even “gaping wounds” prevent me from praying boldly. Rather, I should confess ___ ______, receive the LORD’s ____________ because of Jesus’ death, and pray boldly because of my faith (trust) in Jesus’ _______________.

So what?

Question: When have you been surprised by the power of an “obviously imperfect” person? (Be careful/respectful.)

 

 Next step: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” in every way.

 

Year of Prayer: Read Growing in Prayer: a 100 Day Journey

 Worship Song Lyrics

Surrounded (Fight My Battles)

Verse 1

There’s a table that You’ve prepared for me
In the presence of my enemies
It’s Your body and Your blood You shed for me
This is how I fight my battles

Pre-Chorus

And I believe You’ve overcome
And I will lift my song of praise
For all You’ve done

Chorus

This is how I fight my battles (3X)
(This is how)
This is how I fight my battles (3X)
(This is how)

Verse 2

In the valley I know that You’re with me
And surely Your goodness and Your mercy follow me
So my weapons are praise and thanksgiving
This is how I fight my battles

Bridge

There’s Nothing That Our God Can’t Do

Verse 1

Just one word
You calm the storm that surrounds me
Just one word
The darkness has to retreat
Just one touch
I feel the presence of heaven
Just one touch
My eyes were opened to see
My heart can’t help but believe

Chorus 1

There’s nothing that our God can’t do
There’s not a mountain that He can’t move
Oh praise the name that makes a way
There’s nothing that our God can’t do

Verse 2

Just one word
You heal what’s broken inside me
Just one word
And you revive ev’ry dream
Just one touch
I feel the power of heaven
Just one touch
My eyes were opened to see
My heart can’t help but believe

Chorus 2

There’s nothing that our God can’t do
There’s not a mountain that He can’t move
Oh praise the name that makes a way
There’s nothing that our God can’t do

There’s nothing that our God can’t do
There’s not a prison wall He can’t break through
Oh praise the name that makes a way
There’s nothing that our God can’t do

Bridge

I will believe for greater things
There’s no power like the power of Jesus
Let faith arise let all agree
There’s no power like the power of Jesus

Bridge