Yesterday at the Clarity gathering we began our series on prayer. What would happen if we truly UNDERSTOOD, BELIEVED, and ENGAGED in what Jesus teaches us about prayer! It would be the beginning of a revolution of the world.
THE CHALLENGE
I challenged each person to spend time TODAY in prayer and listening to God through His Word by using the S.O.A.P. exercise. You can use your new Life Journal or just any piece of paper. Remember, you'll also need a STOP list to go along with this START list. You can never start something new without stopping something else. Maybe for today, no online browsing, no social media, skip a meal, no TV, no gaming, etc. Here is a recap on what to do...
S.O.A.P.
The S.O.A.P. Model is simply a tool we use for reading the bible, discovering what it is saying, and applying its teachings to our lives. Below is a breakdown of how it works:
S :: read the Scriptures given for the day (use your daily reading plan in your Life Journal, or, try Philippians 4:6-7 today).
O :: use a journal to write down any Observations that come to mind. Ask yourself questions like “Who is doing what and why?” “Where is this happening?” “What does this passage tell me about God?” “What does this passage tell me about me?” “How is the gospel on display in this passage?”
A :: list the Application to the verses—the ‘what you will do’ in response to this. Ask yourself questions like “How does this passage change how I see God, myself, and the world?” “What will I do in response to this?”
P :: spend time in Prayer with God in relation to what He has shown you. Try writing your prayers down on your Prayer List.
THE ENVIRONMENT
I also talked about creating an environment for your usual PLACE of PRAYER. It was said of Jesus that he had usual places of prayer, so we should too. It is good to have a place where you can focus without distractions. You may even want to have a piece of paper by you so you can write down anything that comes to mind that you need to do later, then you won't have to think about it at that moment and you can keep focusing on prayer.
WORSHIP
A HUGE part of prayer is worship; honoring God for who he is and thanking Him for all He has done. Music is a powerful tool to help us engage in worship. I said yesterday that I would post some links to great worship music to check out. Here are some links to Youtube videos so you can check them out for free, then decide if you want to buy...
Gungor
The Glorious Unseen
John Mark McMillan
Aaron Keyes
Trinity Grace Church
Vineyard
Jason Upton
Hillsong United
Israel Houghton (gospel flavor)
Matt Redman
Chris Tomlin
Keith Green (oldie but one of my favorites)
Enjoy!
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