Hard Rock Praying

We have to get in tune to what God is doing.

We must stay in tune to what God is saying.

God is speaking whether you realize it or not.  

Sometimes God is saying one thing, but we're listening to others.  

We need to tune down the world to hear God speak and obey immediately. 

Romans 12:12 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.

Our hope does not come from here. We have the hope of heaven.  This earth is not our end.  

We must live for the God who gives the blessings and not for the blessings themselves.

After salvation, everything else is extra.  I'm grateful just to breath.  

When I'm going through hard times, I'm going to be faithful in prayer. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

17 pray constantly,

We must cultivate a prayer life and never let up.  

The source of Jesus's power was the secret of His prayers.  

That's why his disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and not to walk on the water. (Luke 11:1)   

Prayer is not a request line, but it is a part of it.  We go into prayer in worship and thanksgiving. 

Psalm 100:4 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

4 Enter his gates with thanksgivingand his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.

Why don't we pray more powerful prayers?  

Why don't you believe in your own prayers?

Do you rely on other people's prayers?

If God created language, He can understand your language.  

God is for you.  

He loves it when you pray.  

He is for you in the midst of your sin and pain. 

When you understand that God is for you, you will pray differently.  

John 3:16 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  

Get in step with what God is saying in your praying. 

Joshua 6:1-2 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

 

6 Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites—no one leaving or entering. 

2 The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you.

Jericho falling hadn't happened yet in the natural.  

God talks in past tense. 

Romans 4:17 B New King James Version (NKJV)

17 (God) calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

God is trying to get you to see something than what you currently see. 

We have to start seeing what God is seeing.

When God takes you to another level, God assigns to you to a new enemy. 

Joshua 6:3-5 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

3 March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. 

Do this for six days. 

4 Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. 

But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the trumpets. 

5 When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a mighty shout. 

Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops will advance, each man straight ahead.” 

Sometimes God will tell you to do something impossible to give you something that is impossible. 

Joshua did not negotiate with God, but got started right away. 

   

Joshua 6:7-10 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

7 He said to the troops, “Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed men go ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

8 After Joshua had spoken to the troops, seven priests carrying seven trumpets before the Lord moved forward and blew the trumpets; the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. 

9 While the trumpets were blowing, the armed men went in front of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard went behind the ark. 

10 But Joshua had commanded the troops: “Do not shout or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Shout!’ Then you are to shout.”

Joshua told everyone to shut up because He knew that speaking against God's command could circumvent God's promise. 

They could have talked themselves out of believing and being obedient.   

Sometimes we hear from God then we get everyone's opinion.  

Sometimes when you're obeying God you look silly.  When God's people walk in unity and obedience, walls fall. This was a victory march before the battle was fought.  

What if you started declaring victory before the victory is fought?  Satan doesn't know everything.  He's just putting walls in front of you, but He can hear what you say about them.  

When was the last time that you shouted with the voice of triumph?  What if you shouted before the walls fell?  What if the walls fell because of your shout?

If you want to get in frequency with God, you have to tune out the world. 

What if you shouted... 

God is fighting for us.  

God is fighting for us.  

God is fighting for us.

God is fighting for us. 

God is fighting for us. (Romans 8:31)

Romans 8:31 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?  

God is for you if you'll just let him. Pray Lord Jesus, I give you my past and my future.  Be my Lord and Savior.  

Notes from Jeremy Foster, Hope City Church. 

https://hopecity.com/sermons/frequency-part-2/

The Voice of Victory

I'm not always joyful in my surroundings. I'm joyful in my hope of eternity with God. 

Romans 12:12 New King James Version (NKJV)

12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

If you put your hope in anything that can be lost, it is a mistake. 

If you put your heart in the hands of a Holy God, you can be confident in Him.

There are two many wonderful blessings in God's Book that He has promised us.  One of those promises is pain.  

John 16:33B Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

33 (Jesus speaking) You will have suffering in this world.  

Grieving is a gift from God.  It is a transition period, so you won't get stuck in your pain. Jesus suffered too. 

Isaiah 53:3 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

3 He (Jesus) was despised and rejected by men,

a man of suffering who knew what sickness was.
He was like someone people turned away from;
he was despised, and we didn’t value him.

If you are mad at God, tell Him. We must walk with God in the tragedy.  You must know someone before you trust. 

To know Him, you must be talking with Him before the pain. 

If you want God to do a public miracle, you need to have a private prayer life.

Joshua 6:1-2 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

6 Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites—no one leaving or entering. 

2 The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you.

  

God gave Joshua the city before it actually happened.  

God commanded Joshua to "Look" as if it could already be seen.  

Declared God's promise not the problem.

  

I'm not talking about being weird.  

Don't stay in the problem stage. 

In Psalm, David started with the problem and transitioned to the promise.  

The Bible is filled with the promises of God.  

Crack it open and read it. Go to  Biblegateway.com for the promises that you need.

Isaiah 40:30-31 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

30 Youths may become faint and weary,
and young men stumble and fall,
31 but those who trust in the Lord
will renew their strength;
they will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not become weary,
they will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 43:1-2 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)43 

Now this is what the Lord says—
the one who created you, Jacob,
and the one who formed you, Israel—
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; you are mine.
2 I will be with you
when you pass through the waters,
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not overwhelm you.
You will not be scorched
when you walk through the fire,
and the flame will not burn you.

Declare the promises of God like you mean it.  The enemy knows the Bible better than you.

Worship has to happen before the battle.  Use your voice of victory.

Joshua told the people to be quiet as they walked around Jericho's wall. (Joshua 6)

Sometimes someone will talk you out of what God is trying to talk you into. 

Joshua blew the trumpet on the first day of the walk. 

God had told Him to do it on the seventh day. 

He did it to overcome the fears within his warriors.

Sometimes you have to replace the sound of worry with worship. 

Your problem does not have to go away for the promise within you to get bigger.

You've got to hear what God is saying.

You've got to see what God is seeing. 

You've got to worship God for His promise of deliverance beforehand.

God's promises are not determined by surroundings. 

Worship is being less self aware, and more God aware.

Whether our situation is good or bad.  It will not influence our decision to worship Him.

I may still go into the fire, but I  lose by bounds because they are burned off in the furnace. 

Worship is remembering who God is and what He has done, so I can now know who I am.  

It's not about what I've done, but who He is.   

If you are far from God, will you call out to Him. 

Lord Jesus, forgive me for my sins.  You are the only one who can.  

Father thank you for sending Jesus for me.  

Jesus, I put my faith in You.  

Be my Lord and Savior.  

    

Notes from Jeremy Foster, Hope City Church 

https://hopecity.com/sermons/frequency-part-3/