Sunday, July 30, 2023
Our Ultimate Prayer Partner
Music
Introit
Hymn #794
Hymn #470
Hymn #469
Hymn #539
Sermon Notes
By Jeff Gilstrap
Scripture:
Romans 8:26-39Theme:
Prayer does not change God but prayer changes us. The spirit leads us in prayer so that our hearts will be transformed into witnesses for Jesus Christ.
Reflections:
Our scripture is short but is chock full of theological nuggets. One of Paul’s themes is we live by the Spirit and not by the Law. It is the spirit that guides us in our living. Paul recognizes that a key ingredient in living with the spirit is our prayer life – communication with God. But sometimes we do not know what to pray for or our prayers are self-centered. Paul reminds us that when we do not know how to pray or know what to pray for, we should not worry because the spirit intercedes for us. God knows our hearts through the spirit and guides us in our prayers. This may sound odd but the reality is prayer does not change God but prayer changes us. God will lead us in our prayer so our hearts will be molded and transformed into being better followers of Christ. In life we have a great prayer partner in the Spirit.
Questions:
1. How do you define prayer?
2. What are the ways you pray? Conversation? Contemplative?
3. How does prayer bring us in line with God’s will?
4. How can you improve your prayer life?
Music Notes
By Kenneth Jones
Reflections:
Once again, direct scripture reference was not a great help in selecting hymns, so the focus of the music is on “Prayer”.
Introit: “I Waited Patiently for God”, from Psalm 40, a prayer of thanksgiving and lament, the first verse: “…God bent down to where I sank and listened to me there.”
Opening Hymn: Our opening hymn is a prayer for healing, “O Savior, in This Quiet Place”. The footnotes state, “As hymns often do, it provides a model for how to pray honestly but not selfishly.
Special Music: An arrangement of “I Need Thee Every Hour”, by Denny Crockett and McKray Crockett, sund by Kenneth Jones.
Responsive Hymn: “There Is a Longing in Our Hearts”, another sung prayer. The refrain describes why we pray, the verses what we we pray for.
Sending Hymn: “Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying”
Benediction: July’s Congregational Benediction is “We Will Go Out with Joy”