sermon notes

My pastor preached a really great message yesterday.  It was the first in a new series he just started, called Prayer 101.  I thought I would share on here the highlights of what he preached, because I got so much out of it; maybe you will, too.

Praying in Faith
{Matthew 7:7-11}


~There is authority for praying in faith.

Matthew 7:7 says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

1 Chronicles 16:11 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.


~There is assurance for praying in faith.

Matthew 7:7-8 says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."  {In these two verses, Jesus reassured them six times.}


~There is an approach for praying in faith.

Matthew 7:9-11 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

In these verses, Jesus appealed to them as a loving and caring father would to his son.  God is our loving and caring heavenly Father, and He hears us when we pray.

Chuck Herring is our pastor at Collierville First Baptist Church, and all of the above was his sermon yesterday.  If you are interested in hearing the whole sermon, you can probably find it on our church's website.  Google is your friend in times like this.  :)

As a side note, and in my own observation from his message yesterday, one thing I am learning more and more as I grow in faith and stature is that God will only answer our prayers if that is His will for our life.  If you pray for healing and you're not seeing results, that is because He has a reason.  If you pray for a job and you don't get it, that is because He has a reason.  I am learning more and more that all that I have (husband, kids, home, cars) is His, and I am to live in surrender to God's plan for our life.  In knowing this, I don't pray the same way that I used to pray.  When I pray, I talk to Him like I would my dad, but I also tell Him that I submit to whatever His plan is for my life.  His ways are perfect, after all.  I don't always "get" this like I do right at this present moment, but He is teaching me more and more to depend on Him.

I pray that this reaches someone who needed to hear this today.  Love to all.