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Prayer That Impacts God
Brian Mashburn
February 12, 2017
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Prayer That Impacts God
When I take my place before God in prayer, it is usually with something in mind that interests me. By that, I mean that, even when it is subconscious, I am moved to prayer when I am moved to prayer. I am not saying that this is wrong, I am just saying that rarely am I focused on how God feels about me meeting with Him in prayer.
In contrast, with my wife, I will often do things for her strictly for her. There are certain things I do simply because I love her and want her to be impacted in a positive way.
So before we discuss how prayer impacts us (next week), or how prayer impacts others (week after that), let us go to Jesus asking how we can pray in a way that simply has God - His pleasure, His desires, His heart - in mind.
I have often explained to my children that how they approach me is at least as important to me as what they are approaching me for.
This has been true for parents throughout the ages, and in fact, in all relationships. Think about it. Two people can ask you for the same favor, can have the exact same need, but each leave with a different reaction from you... all based on how they approached you.
Well, as it turns out, this is also true for God. Jesus tells us how God likes to be approached in prayer, in word and in attitude. So, before we talk about how we can get what we can from God in prayer, let us consider what we can bring to God in prayer.
If you would like a study on the prayer life of Jesus, there are copies of an excellent resource for you in the lobby. Two locations: Ushers Desk and Small Group Central