#1. Probabilities, Possibilities, and God’s Grace

Luke 4:18 ESV “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”

Psalm 91:5-7 NIV You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

“Fear trades in the market of possibility. It can become the Tyrant of the Imagination.”

—David Jeremiah

I. Defining the Ground Rules

A. A Common Problem - We are a broken race.

B. A Common Enemy - Everybody is afraid of something.

C. A Common Perspective - Fear is future-based.

D. A Common Process - We must deal with this at the soulish level (mind, will, emotions).

E. A Common Solution - We must stake EVERYTHING on God’s goodness and faithfulness.

II. We need to focus, not ignore.

A. Remember, there is legitimate fear, and even healthy fear.

B. Identify the destructive fear - What is it that…

1. Immobilizes you?

2. Steals your joy and peace?

3. Hinders your sense of destiny?

III. Dealing with Fear

A. Levels of Warfare:

1. Have courage and trust God.

2. Deliverance from strongholds (Some demons are cast out; some demons are crowded out).

3. Develop a transformed mind.

4. Understand the principle of Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh.

B. “Get on the Right Train.”

1. Clarify the logical (intellectual understanding).

2. Deal with the panic (emotional control).

3. Specify the next steps (practical action).

IV. Steps toward Freedom

A. Discernment - what and why?

B. Discover the truth.

C. Design a Scripture arsenal.

D. Bring thoughts captive.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

Understanding and Embracing our Prayer Assignments September 7, 2022

Prayer Assignments – Culture and Ethos (Atmosphere)

Awakening

Reconciliation and Unity

Signs and Wonders

A. This is what it means when we pray for:

1. Awakening

a. “We don’t know we have been asleep until we are awakened.” – Pastor Stephen

b. When we are asleep, we are not aware of who we are, whose we are or what we are doing.

c. We are asking the Lord to move in His church by the power of the Holy Spirit.

i. To be equipped and equip others

ii. To be spotless and blameless

iii. To be alert

iv. To stand

v. To intercede

vi. To influence

2. Reconciliation and Unity

a. Generational - asking the Lord to break generational curses and to expand generational blessings.

b. Marriage/Family – asking the Lord to cause Christians to value what God values, in light of generations and generational transfer (physical, as well as, spiritual).

c. Racial – asking the Lord to tear down walls created by arrogance, fear, ignorance, selfishness, and misunderstanding.

d. Socio-economic – asking the Lord to show us how to bridge easily created divisions in society and culture that are based on wealth, poverty, and finances.

e. Educational - asking the Lord to show us how to bridge easily created divisions in society and culture that are based on levels of education and knowledge.

3. Signs and Wonders

a. In the church – Gifts of the Spirit and Fruit of the Spirit

b. In the world – Gifts of the Spirit and Fruit of the Spirit

c. In everyday life – becoming “naturally supernatural”

B. This is how we pray for:

1. Awakening

a. Pray the Scripture.

i. 1 Kings 18 – The God of Elijah who answers by fire

ii. 1 Kings 18:39 NASB When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”

iii. Ephesians 1:17-19 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spiritof wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength

2. Reconciliation and Unity

a. Pray the Scripture

i. John 17:6-26 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

ii. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

3. Signs and Wonders

a. Pray the Scripture – Acts 4:29-31 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

C. Results we can expect when we pray for:

1. Awakening:

a. For the church to awaken from its sleep in order to do the Father’s will, in the earth.

b. For the church to prepare herself for the return of her Bridegroom, Jesus.

c. For the church to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth until all can hear, understand, and know Him.

2. Reconciliation & Unity:

a. For love to increase in the body of Christ for one another – “they will know we are Christ’s followers by our love for one another.”

b. For the church’s love for the lost to increase!

c. For an urgency and motivation to be established and grow, in order to reach out to unbelievers.

3. Signs and Wonders:

a. For our church services and gatherings (including life groups, prayer meetings, outreaches, and service projects) to provoke the two questions found in the book of Acts: “What does this mean?” and “What must I do to be saved?”

b. For an increase in healing and miracles in everyday life, as the church is led by the Holy Spirit.

c. For the gift of Faith and the gift of Miracles to increase in the body of believers!