Dangerous Prayers
- Craig Groeschel
- Aug 27, 2022
- 25 min read
Speaker 1:
Heavenly Father, as hard as this is for me, I am asking you to search me. Search
me, God, and know my heart. God, test my motives. Reveal to me my anxious
thoughts. Show me anything in me that offends you. God, I want to see in me
what you see in me, so I can become more like Jesus. God, I ask you to search
me.
Craig Groeschel:
I am very excited to dive into this three part message series. I want to welcome
all our churches. Excuse me. All of our Network Churches, everybody at Church
Online.
The reason I'm really excited about this, and I just want to tell you upfront is I
have this very real sense that for some of you, one of the next three messages
will become what I call an anchor message. What is an anchor message? As I
look back over my relationship with God over the past almost three decades,
there are maybe three or four different messages that I remember when I heard
that, everything changed. I call it an anchor message. When I heard that one
message and was in God's presence, my life really took a different direction. I
really believe that for a significant portion of you, one of the next three weeks
has the potential to be an anchor message, where you hear from God in such a
way that it impacts your life, and the trajectory of your life actually changes for
the better.
What we're going to do is we're really going to start praying three new prayers,
and I want to warn you, these are not easy prayers. These are not safe prayers.
These are not benign prayers. We're calling them dangerous prayers, but they're
dangerous in a good way. In fact, if you ask my opinion, most people I know in
this part of the world, most people's prayers are way too safe. What do we
often pray for? God bless us. Safe? God help us. Good, but safe? God protect us
as we travel. Doubly safe, right?
What I want to do is I want to arm you with some prayers that are not safe to
pray. In fact, just know going into them, when you pray these prayers, you're
really asking God to do something that will often take you out of your comfort
zone. Next week, for some of you, next week will be one of those anchor
messages. We're going to talk about a very dangerous prayer, where we ask
God to break us, break me, God. If you want to pray a dangerous prayer, you ask
God to break you. That's the last thing any of us want, but, on the other side of
brokenness, is a real intimacy with God and a dependence on him that you
cannot get to any other way but through brokenness.
Week number three, for some of you this will be it. It will change the direction
of your life. We're going to pray send me. In other words, instead of saying,
"God, I'll do what I want to do for you," we're going to say, "God, I'm signing a
blank contract. Basically whatever, whenever, however, God, I'm available to
you. Whatever you want to do, my life is yours. You send me."
Today, we're going to start with an equally dangerous prayer, and we're going
to look at a prayer that David prayed in Psalm 139. David prayed this after his
enemies and God's enemies were on the attack, and accusing David of having
wrong motives. Instead of saying, "No, no, no," and defending himself, he
actually prayed a very dangerous prayer before God, when he asked God to
search his heart. Psalm 139 will introduce our dangerous prayer for the day. I'll
read verses twenty-three and twenty-four. Then I'm going to ask all of our
churches to just say this prayer aloud the second time.
This is what David prayed, a very dangerous prayer. He prayed, "Search me,
God, and know my heart. Test me, and know my anxious thoughts. See if there
is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." A very
dangerous prayer.
If you wouldn't mind at all of our churches, just to move our hearts toward
prayer, let's just say this aloud together. "Search me, God, and know my heart.
Test me, and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."
In order to digest this, what I want to do is break this prayer down into four sub
parts, and we'll talk through each of these, and this will arm and equip you to
make this prayer a regular part of your prayer life.
The first thing that David prays is this: Number one, he prays, "Search my
heart." He says it very directly in verse twenty-three, "Search me, God, and
know my heart." For some of you, you may look at that and go, "Now, why
would we ask God to search our heart. He knows it, and I've got a good heart
anyway." You've got a good heart, and I've got a good heart. We got a good
heart, right?
Actually, we need to understand that without Christ, we do not have a good
heart. It's a very common saying. "Well, she's got a good heart." Actually, she's
got a wicked heart, if you want to be completely accurate. Jeremiah 17:9 says
this: "The human heart," is what? Let's all say it aloud. "The human heart is the
most deceitful of all things," and what is it? "It is desperately wicked." Who
really knows how bad it is?
We need to understand that without Christ, our heart is not a good heart, that
we deceive others, we deceive ourselves. In fact, we're all liars. How many of
you are liars? Raise your hands. Raise them up. Leave them up for a second.
Leave them up, if you will. Leave them up. Look at everybody's hands not up in
the air. Just stare at them for a moment. Just go ahead and say it, "Liar, liar,
pants on fire." We're all liars. We lie. We lie. Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie. I'm going to
argue that often the most common lie that we tell is to ourselves. We lie to
ourselves. The most common lie that most of us tell is to ourselves. The heart is
deceitful. We deceive ourselves. We don't even know how bad we are.
We lie to ourselves, like, "I don't need a lot. I don't need that much. Excuse me.
[inaudible 00:06:17] I don't need that much. I'm only going to have one drink.
Page 2 of 12
DangerousPrayers_1_Message
I'm only going to have too many drinks. I'm not full of pride. I'm not full of pride.
I can't help it if I'm better than anybody else. I'm not full of pride. I don't lust. I
don't lust at all. I just appreciate a nice, fine physique. I'm not materialistic. I just
need nice things. I'm not a gossip. I never gossip. I'm just telling people so they
can pray for all these people who are doing bad things."
The heart is deceitful above all things, and we need a really dangerous prayer
when we go before God and say, "Search my heart, God. Show me what is in
there. Search my heart, oh God." In fact, I remember the first time I was
exposed to this verse. I was in high school. I was in the UMYF. That was the
name of our youth group, the most cutting edge title for any youth group in the
history of the world. UMYF stood for United Methodist Youth Fellowship. That
was a good title. In my UMYF, the youth pastors didn't last very long. They were
there a year and they would go.
We had this one old guy who came in. It seemed like he was only there for
about six weeks or so, which is really disappointing to me because he almost
reached me. I was a kid. I went to church, but I did not know Jesus personally. I
was just going, playing four square, playing truth or dare in the back of the van
on the way to the ski trip, which was awesome. Ask me the truth so you can get
to the dare, so you can dare me to kiss the girl. I don't know where God was in
that, but that's what happened in the back of the van at UMYF. That was all it
was: four square champion, and it was all about the ranking of four square.
This guy came in, and he had business to accomplish, and he was talking about
God and how you could know God, and I was going, "Can you really?" It was
intriguing to me. He read this verse, and he talked about David, search me, God,
and how David had courage to pray this. I just remember going, "Wow, I kind of
understand this," and he said, "I want you all to go take about half an hour and
pray this prayer. Then when you pray, I want you to listen, and listen for God to
speak to you." I was like, "Dude, maybe I could hear from God?" This was crazy,
and so I went and sincerely prayed this prayer, "Search me, God. Know my
heart. Test me, and show me anything that's offensive in me," and I prayed this
prayer, and then I listened, and God said, "You have an amazing heart. You're
the best kid I know. I can't believe I created you. You're so good."
No. You know what happened is I'm praying this prayer, and I heard it ... It
wasn't audible, but I had this overwhelming sense of this presence going,
"You're faking it." I was like, "Oh, that's encouraging." But it was so true, and it
might have been because I always wanted to wear Izod or Acosta, depending on
what you call them, but we couldn't afford them, and so my mom would go to a
garage sale and buy Izod socks and cut the alligator off and put it on a generic
shirt. I was the guy with the crooked alligator going this way. Maybe that's why.
I don't know.
The real sense at that moment was, "I am faking it." I'm at this youth group,
pretending like I'm a Christian, and I'm not. More so, I'm with my parents or
Page 3 of 12
DangerousPrayers_1_Message
teachers and I'm one guy, and then I'm with my party friends and I'm somebody
else. I'm with my athlete friends, I'm somebody. I'm with the girl ... I just was
not ever true to who I was anywhere, and I was faking it. In this moment, I had
this real sense and awareness of my sinfulness and my need for God, and I just
remember being drawn to God. Somehow I managed to shake it off. He got
fired. Maybe he was too excited about God for UMYF. I don't know, but he got
fired, and I went on my life without God.
When you pray, "Search my heart," it's a dangerous prayer, because God is
going to show you things in your heart that are not pure. Not to be cruel, but to
bring you into deeper intimacy with Him as his Holy Spirit transforms you to be
conformed to the image of Christ. It's a dangerous prayer, you need to
understand, but it's one that can make you so much closer to God.
David prayed, "Search my heart." Then he prays essentially, "Reveal my fears.
Reveal my fears." He says this in verse twenty-three, "Search me, God, and
know my heart. Test me," and then know what? Let's all say it aloud, all over
churches. He says, "And know my anxious thoughts. Know my anxious
thoughts." What is it that makes you anxious? "Know my anxious thoughts." A
lot of times, we don't even acknowledge them. We just think, "Well, everybody
has to worry about this." What is that makes you afraid? I'm not talking about
snakes and spiders, and the man behind the shower curtain who is there in the
dark waiting for you when you when you come into the bathroom. I'm not
talking about that guy. He might be there. He's never been there, but I check for
him every time. If you ever think you're going to be him, just understand, I'm
cocked and ready every single time, every single time, every single time.
What is it that internally makes you afraid? What is that makes you anxious?
Afraid of losing your job? Afraid of not getting married by such and such age?
Afraid of being stuck in the marriage that you're in and it not getting any better?
Afraid of the future, the unknown? Afraid of failing? Some people are afraid of
succeeding. Afraid of loss? What if I lose somebody? What if I lose something
that I value so dearly?
Why does this matter? Why would we say, "God, show me my anxious
thoughts?" I would argue because of this ... If you're taking notes, you can jot
this down. Because what we fear the most reveals where we trust God the least.
Think about that. What we fear the most reveals where we trust God the least.
If I'm scared to death that my marriage isn't going to work, well, I'm not trusting
God with my marriage. If I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to pay the bills,
I'm not trusting God to be my provider. If I'm afraid that ... I got to keep my
children safe. [inaudible 00:12:31] I'm not trusting my children to God. What
you fear the most reveals where you trust God the least.
"God, reveal my fears. Test me, God, and show me where my anxious thoughts
fall." I prayed this prayer this week. Every day I started the day praying this
prayer, dangerous prayer, "Search me, God. Know my heart. Reveal my anxious
Page 4 of 12
DangerousPrayers_1_Message
thoughts," and what God showed me about what I fear the most is not
something I'm really proud of, but I am scared to death of failing. If I succeed,
it's often because I'm so driven by fear of failing, and I prayed through more of
that, and I recognized actually what I fear is not just failing, but it's letting
people down, and then I got to the deeper level as I was praying through it, and
I realize I just have a massive fear of being inadequate, of not being enough, not
being good enough, not being righteous enough, not being wise enough, not
being whatever enough. This is my fear.
This is a real issue, because in the church and in my role, I cannot be driven by
fear. I have to be lead by faith. Without faith, it's impossible to please God, and
there are some things that I really believe God wants our church to do, but
there's no guarantees it's always going to work. Often my fear will keep from
being obedient. I'm just telling you maybe more than you want to know, but it's
really meaningful to me. As I was praying through it this week, what I really
believe God showed me is that I have to love pleasing Him more than I fear
failing, and that was really powerful to me. I have to love pleasing Him and
being obedient to Him, more than I am afraid of failing.
In my own time of praying this, "God, test me. Know my anxious thoughts," this
comes to mind, and so what am I doing? I'm quoting scripture to renew my
mind. "Perfect love, cast out all fear." God has not given me a spirit of fear, but
of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
I just dare you, double dog dare you, pray this prayer, "Search my heart, oh God.
Test me, and know my anxious thoughts." Why does what you fear matter?
What you fear the most reveals where you trust God the least, and suddenly,
you recognize in this one area, I'm really not trusting God, and, suddenly, as you
start to do what I did, you get down to the root of it, and then God's word can
speak to the root of the problem, and that can become an anchor moment,
when, suddenly, you say, "No, I will take that step of faith," or, "I will do what
God is calling me to do." It's a dangerous prayer.
When you pray this, God will reveal things to you about yourself that you may
not have been willing to acknowledge for years and years and years, because
the most common lie we tell is often to ourselves. That's an issue for me. I've
got this. I'm fine. Oh, yeah, I'm whatever. "Search my heart, God. Reveal my
fears."
Then number three, this is where it gets even a little more difficult, uncover my
sins. Uncover my sins, God. This is what David prays. I love the courage it takes
to pray this dangerous prayer. He prays, "God, see if there is any offensive way
in me. Show me, God, anything about my life that is inconsistent with your
truth. God, show me anything that I'm doing that's displeasing to you. See if
there is any offensive way in me," because have you noticed, it's really difficult
to see our sins in the mirror? Oh, it's so easy to find everybody else's. Can you
believe the way she walks, like she's all hot stuff. She's [inaudible 00:16:09]. He
Page 5 of 12
DangerousPrayers_1_Message
comes here saying ... If I were him I'd tell him to say ... Oh, they just [inaudible
00:16:12]. If I had one moment with her, I'd just [inaudible 00:16:14]. "Me, oh,
no. No, no. Bless Jesus, I am holy."
Have you noticed that? We tend to accuse others, and what do we do with
ourselves? Excuse ourselves. "I just have to do it. This is how I get through. It's
not that big a deal. It's none of your business. Judge not least you be judged."
It's so easy to see everybody else's sins, but not our own. I'll give you a crazy
example. This is crazy, and it's completely true. Years ago, I was going off on a
Sunday morning, having fun. Making fun of people, and this may be some of
you, and if it's you, I am making fun of you. You're struck in traffic and you're
not moving on a highway, and somebody thinks they're so important they can
drive on the right side down the shoulder. Who knows what I'm talking about?
Like who do you thing you are, you arrogant. Oh, you're so important, Mr.
Sports Car, driving [inaudible 00:17:10] down the side, while we're all law
abiding, God fearing, faithful Americans. Here you are. I just went off on it, just
went off on it, just unleashed on it. That's on a Sunday.
Monday, I'm driving to my office. I to office at the campus. Now I don't
anymore. I'm driving there. There's a wreck or something. Nobody's moving. I'm
about fifty yards, only fifty yards away from the drive in, the little place to get
into church. I'm sitting there going, "This is ridiculous." I'm like, "I can through a
tennis ball and hit it." There's not a shoulder, but grass on the side, and it's the
church grass. You see where my mind is going. It all belongs to God. I'm a
servant of the most high God. It's kind of my grass. Next thing you know, I'm just
driving on the grass, passing these people. There's a kid, his name is Alex [Doss
00:17:59]. He's actually on staff now. He was a little kid at the time. He looks out
the window with terror, and he goes, "Dad, there's one of those guys. Pastor
Craig hates." He looked and he started crying, "Dad, that is Pastor Greg." Where
did that come from? Twenty-four hours later, less than that, I'm doing the very
same thing.
The heart is deceitful above all things. The most common lies are the ones that
we tell ourselves. That's why it takes tremendous courage to say, "Search my
heart, God. Test me. Know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive
way in me," and this can be one of the most game changing prayers you ever
pray, when you give God permission to point out any sin that's dwelling within
your heart.
I want to give you three questions that are really helpful to ask yourself as
you're praying, "Uncover my sins." Three questions that really help you with
self-awareness. The first question to ask is what are others trying to tell me?
What are other people trying to tell me. In other words, if you've had three or
four people tell you they love you, "I think you might have a problem with this.
This is an issue. I'm a little bit concerned about you here." If you've got
consistently people that love you tell you that, that might be something you
Page 6 of 12
DangerousPrayers_1_Message
want to pay a little close attention to. There is a common denominator here,
and it is you. Pay attention to that.
The second question is this: Ask yourself what have I rationalized for some
time? What have I rationalized? In other words, "Yeah, this may not be right,
but it's not that big of a deal, and this is just how I deal with things. This is how I
cope. It's nobody else's business anyway. This isn't really hurting anybody. This
is my one thing," or whatever. What do you rationalize? "I'm going to quit. It's
not that big of a deal."
Then the third thing is this: Where am I most defensive? Where am I most
defensive? "No, we're not going there. No, we're not talking about that. No,
don't you judge me. No, no. I don't have a problem with that. No, back off. I told
you we're not talking about that." Where are you most defensive?
You see, when I see those three questions, it takes my mind right back to a
significant issue that I had, and denied for quite some time, until I gave God
permission to reveal my sinfulness. I told a version of this story before. I'll tell it
again. In the early years of the church, I had person after person set
appointments with me. We had like two hundred people coming at the time,
and they would set appointments with me. I thought we were going to talk
about whatever, and their appointment was to lovingly confront me, saying that
I was too crude in my preaching. In other words, I had potty humor or whatever,
and they'd said, "Hey, we like the church, but, Craig, you're too crude." I'm like,
"Well, you're just a big old prude, aren't you? You just don't have a sense of
humor. I mean he who the son sets free is free indeed, and obviously you're still
in legalism and bondage, because if you were free like me, it wouldn't be that
big of a deal."
And person after person, literally probably twelve to fifteen times I had
appointments, where people would come in, people I respected and say, "Hey,
we think you're being too crude." Hear this, the heart is deceitful above all
things.
Finally, this one guy came in. To me, he was so wise, looking back on it. He said,
"Hey, Craig, I just want you to know, I'm in. This is my church home. I'm going to
serve you. I got your back no matter what, but, as you know, a lot of people
think you might be too crude. Maybe you, maybe you aren't. I know you really
want to please God. I know that about you, and so would you mind just praying
and asking God? Ask God to show you if you're being too crude. If you are, he'll
show you. If you're not, he won't. Either way, I'm here, but maybe you can do
this, because I know you want to please God." I thought, "That sounds
reasonable enough," so I thought, "Okay, I'll do this." I did. I prayed. It wasn't
like a deep [inaudible 00:21:55]. It was just, "God, show me. If I am, you will."
That was it.
Page 7 of 12
DangerousPrayers_1_Message
The very next weekend, I'm preaching, and I had a zinger. You would have liked
it. The sinful side, you would have liked. It was maybe up to the line, maybe a
little over the line, maybe five steps over the line. I don't know. But it was a
zinger, and I was about to say it, and that was the week that my oldest
daughter, Katie, had been promoted from kid's church into big church, and she
was sitting right over to my side, and right as I was about to say it, my mind just
went racing, "Wait a minute, I wouldn't want her to say this, and I don't even
really even want her to hear it, and I'm a pastor, and, oh, all these people have
been right. Dear God, I've been crude. I can't believe this," and it just hit me like
that. Just like that, boom.
Some of you are saying, "Well, why haven't you done anything about it all these
years?" To my defense, if you've been with us for eighteen or nineteen years,
you will say, "Oh, he has done a lot. You would have ... He's like [inaudible
00:22:55]." It's a work in progress. It was at that moment that I was massively
convicted, "Oh, my gosh, I have been saying things that would be a bad example
to my daughter. Therefore, it's a bad example to the church."
When you have the courage to pray this prayer, "See if there is any offensive
way in me," let me make you a promise. God will point some things out. God
will point some things out that you've been trying to explain away for a long
time. God will point some things out that you're trying to deny. Do not deny the
truth. Denying the truth does not make truth false. Submit yourself to what God
is trying to show you, and then what do we do, is we have the courage when
God shows us something, to bring it to light. There's different types of
confession. We confess to God for forgiveness, and we confess to people for
healing. We confess to God for forgiveness. Scripture says if we confess our sins
to God, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin, and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness, but we, also, confess to people. Confess your sins to one
another, and pray for each other that you might be healed. We confess to God
for forgiveness, but we confess to people for healing.
This is why life groups, they're an absolute vital part of what we do, because we
come together as a part of the community of God, and we say, "I need help
here. Would you hold me accountable? Would you pray for me? God is showing
me this. God is showing me that," and, suddenly, we recognize, "He's not
perfect, and she's not perfect, and, therefore, I can show my imperfections." By
the way, if you are perfect, this is the wrong church for you. There's no perfect
people allowed, so if you're like perfect, and holy, and all that kind of stuff, go
polish your halo somewhere else. This is a place where imperfect people are
being transformed by a perfect God, and we just open up about our faults to
one another, and we recognize we're all in process. We all need to help
[inaudible 00:24:50], and so, "Search my heart, God. Reveal my fears. Uncover
my sins."
When I put all of what I just told you about me together, let's see what it points
to. You're a fake, so I'm performing for people. We see that back in high school.
Page 8 of 12
DangerousPrayers_1_Message
I don't want to fail. I don't want to let people down. I want to live up to people's
expectation. I don't want to be inadequate, because I don't want other people
to think I don't have what it takes. I'm saying jokes that are maybe
inappropriate. I'm performing for people. When you add all these things up,
what I see is, for the vast majority of my life, I've battled with living for the
approval of people, instead of living for the approval of God. How's that for
disturbing? How's that for honest? A battle, living for the approval of people,
instead of living for the approval of God. That's not encouraging for anybody,
especially when you're a pastor.
What does that do? That points me to my need for Jesus. That points me to my
need for His grace. That points me to knowing that my identity must be in Him,
and not in what people think. What our need does is it always points us to the
area where we must call on and learn to depend on Christ, whatever he shows
you. "I'm addicted. I won't admit it, but I'm addicted." Listen, you need His
power to overcome your addiction. "I'm full of pride." You need His power to be
humbled and depend on him. "I've got a lust issue, and it's out of control." You
need His truth to renew your mind, and transform your heart. "I'm materialistic.
I'm loving the things of this world." You need to fall so in love with Him, that this
world is not your home, but heaven is your home. Whatever he shows you, it
always points directly to your need for Christ. It always points directly to your
need for Christ.
This is a dangerous prayer. It takes courage to pray it, because when you pray it,
He'll show you some things about yourself that you're not real proud of, but
there's always grace. There's always grace.
Then David, at the very end, what did he pray? He prays, number four, "Lead
me. Lead me." When you show me what I don't like about myself, and show me
what needs to be changed, now you lead me in the way of everlasting. Verse
twenty-four, he says this, "See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me
in the way of everlasting. Lead me in the way of everlasting."
When you have the courage to pray a very dangerous prayer, "Search me, God.
You have permission to look deep into the depths of my deceitful heart, and
show me, God, test me. Reveal to me my anxious thoughts. Show me the very
places that I fear the most, because that shows me where I trust you the least.
See if there's any offensive way in me. No, I'm not pointing a finger at anybody,
God. I'm letting you reveal to me what I need to hear."
You see, in the early years, you often get the big things out of the way. Then you
walk with Jesus, and, suddenly, it's the little things. You know what? You know
what I've found? The little things are often the big things. It's often the hard
issues that are the biggest things He'll reveal to you, and then when he shows
you, what does that do? It points us to our direct need for Christ. "Jesus, I need
your help. Jesus, I need your power. Jesus, I need your grace. Jesus, I need your
freedom," so, for me, Jesus, my identity must be completely in you, because I
Page 9 of 12
DangerousPrayers_1_Message
refuse to perform for people. I only, God, want to live for you. Help me to live
for an audience of one, by knowing so much who I am in Christ, that my security
is in Him and Him alone.
When you pray this prayer, it will show you your need, and you take that need
directly to Christ, and you let Christ meet that need and conform you to his
image. It's a dangerous prayer, but it's a prayer that can transform your life.
At all our churches, let's close together with this prayer from Psalm 139, and
here is our prayer. "Search me, God, and know my heart. Test me, and know my
anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the
way everlasting."
As you continue in prayer today, Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit would do a
work in us, and, God, I thank you that there a few people today that this will
become an anchor message for them, that if they start to pray and seek you,
you're going to show them something in their life that you're going to
transform. You're going to lead them in a way that takes them out of bondage,
and brings them into the life that you have planned for them. God, we thank
you that they'll have the courage to ask for help. God, we thank you, we'll all
have the courage to pray, "Search us, God," and trust you to reveal whatever is
in us that you need to change.
What I'm going to ask you to do today, at all of our churches, as you're praying,
nobody looking around. I'm going to ask you if you'll commit just to pray this
dangerous prayer every day this week, every day this week. In fact, for many of
you, this will become an ongoing part of your prayer life, so when you wake up
in the morning, the first thing we do is not look at Instagram. The first thing we
do is we're going to pray. We're going to pray this prayer. I'm going to ask you to
commit to do this, and I want to be real, real clear, do not raise your hand,
because you feel pressure. I don't want to manipulate anybody. If you'll do this
and make it a real serious commitment every day, I'm going to pray. Then I'm
going to listen. Just for a few moments, just listen, and see what God shows you,
and when He does, He will give you the power through His son, Jesus, to
become who He's calling you to become.
All of our churches, if you say, "I am in. I'm ready to pray some dangerous
prayers, and this week I'm going to ask God every single day to search me, and
listen for what He shows me, and be faithful to where He leads me." If that's
you today, would you lift up your hands high right now? Just at all of our
churches, just lift up your hands. Man, fantastic. I'm so thankful for so many
people hungry to know God in a personal way.
Father, I ask that over the next few days, that for those who maybe don't have a
morning time with you, that this would be the beginning of an intimate time of
putting you first. We put you in the first of our day, the first of our week, we
Page 10 of 12
DangerousPrayers_1_Message
worship you. The first of our income, we worship you. God, we want to put you
first. I pray, God, this would be the beginning of seeking you first in a day.
God, we'll just submit our hearts to you, recognizing that our hearts are impure
and deceitful above all things, but knowing with Christ you can transform our
hearts. God, we give you permission to search our hearts. We ask you to test us.
We ask you to reveal our anxious thoughts. God, uncover our sins. Show us
anything that is offensive in our lives, and then, God, we ask you to lead us.
I thank you in advance that, for some, this will be an anchor message, and this
will become an anchor pray, that we continue to seek you, and you continue to
transform us, God, as only you can do.
As you keep praying today, at all of our churches, there are some of you, if you
even just started to seek God, you're going to recognize your massive need for
God. This is what's so crazy. I grew up going to church. I was in the youth group.
I did not know Him. You can be in church today, you can be in church every
week, and some of you, when you pray this prayer, you're going to recognize,
you don't have an intimate relationship with God.
Others of you, you're not a church person. You can't even believe you're in
church or watching online right now. If this is pushing it for you, but there's
something that's drawing you toward God right now, let me tell you what that
is. That is His Holy Spirit, and when you pray and ask God to search you, what
you're going to realize is that you've done a lot of things wrong.
If you ever feel guilty for those things, listen, that's a good thing. It's, I believe, a
conscious that God has given you to recognize that we have all sinned, every
single one of us. How do we know we've done something wrong? Because God
put in us an inner device that says, "This is right and this is wrong," and so we
try to be better, and we try to work hard. We think maybe I'll be good enough
for God, and we don't recognize that it is totally and completely impossible for
us ever to perform or be good enough for God. We were not designed to be
good enough for Him on our own. The fact that we're sinners reveals to us our
need for a Savior, and that's how good God is.
He loved us so much that he became like us in the person of His son, Jesus.
Jesus hung out with people like us, the messed up ones, the ones that didn't get
it right, the ones who sinned and fell way short, and He loved them, but He
didn't leave them there. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. On the third day,
he rose again, so that anyone, and this includes you, who calls on His name
would be saved and forgiven. Some of you, this is your anchor message,
because today you recognize you need Christ, you need His forgiveness, you
need His grace, and that's why you're here. No one needs to tell you this. You
can sense it even now. You need his forgiveness, and you're ready to call on
Him.
Page 11 of 12
DangerousPrayers_1_Message
What do we do? We simply turn away from our sins and say, "I want to walk
away from that. Jesus, I'm walking towards you. I surrender my life. I ask you to
save me and be first in my life." At all of our churches, those who say, "Yep,
that's me," today is the day. I can sense it. "By faith, I give my life to Him." That's
your prayer.
At all of our churches, would you lift your hands right now and say, "Yes, Jesus. I
surrender to you." Right back over here, God bless you. Others today who say
yes, back here in this section. Right over here as well. Up here close to me.
Others today, right back over here. All the way toward the back, say, "Yes, Jesus,
I surrender to you." Church Online, you click right below me. Back here in this
section, praise God, for you. Others today, who say, "Yes, I call on him," would
you all pray aloud with those around you. Pray, "Heavenly Father, today I give
my life completely to you. Jesus, forgive me of all of my sins. Make me brand
new. Fill me with your spirit, so I can follow you for the rest of my life. I
surrender to you. My life is not my own. Today, it is yours. Thank you for new
life. Now you have mine. In Jesus' name I pray."
At all of our churches, would you worship big? Would you worship loud? Would
you welcome those born into God's family today, new life in Christ Jesus.
Page 12 of 12
DangerousPrayers_1_Message
Believe your big risks will be rewarded. Believe what you ask for is possible. If you’re ready to see a spark in your life, pray boldly. Pray daringly. Pray with fire. And remember God’s listening to your Dangerous Prayers.