All last year we were in one sermon series: Preach Jesus. The point of that was simply that you and I would see Jesus. But, once you see Jesus: what's next? You worship Him. But then what? What's next? There is a simple phrase Jesus used over and over again when interacting with people, "Follow Me." Jesus was inviting people (then and now) to go with Him on a journey. He was offering to be their guide, and as their guide, he was going to take them to places they could not and would not go without Him..  The words "Follow Me" were mission-critical for the church. It was an invitation to a way of life. So, for much of the year to come, we are going to talk about "going through the motions" with Jesus. How are you following Him?

Until we learn to go through the motions and rhythms and disciplines of our faith journey, we will not experience all that Jesus has to show us. Prayer is the first essential movement of going deeper with Him.  There was a prayer rhythm to Jesus' life.  What is your rhythm? Maybe you can pray in the early morning - before daylight time. Maybe you can pray before you take that first sip of coffee. Maybe you could pause to pray at lunchtime or at bedtime.  In the weeks to come, we will be laying out for you many rhythms of prayer that you can weave into your life.

Going Through the Motions of Prayer

Ask

Luke 11:1-12, Philippians 4:6-7

“We fear looking needy, looking foolish or stupid. We fear rejection, hearing no, and many times we are just plain scared to take a risk.”

“The Power of the Ask”

 James 4:2, “you have not because you ask not!”

 Asking is the place in prayer where our greatest needs are met by the GREATNESS of God’s Goodness. 

 Why should we ask?

1. It is relational
   
   
2. It is vulnerable
   
   
3. It is intentional
   
   
4. It grows gratitude

 Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

What should we ask?

Petition - Give us.

Confession - Forgive us.

Psalm 139:1, “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.”

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

Intercession - Lead us, Deliver us

Key Question: If God gave you EVERYTHING you prayed for this past week; how would your life be different?