Praying with an abundance mindset

05/11/2024 - Jamie Haxby






Praying with an Abundance Mindset

Praying with an Abundance Mindset

Persistent Presumptuous Prayer Produces People’s Provisions

“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; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which of you, if your 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!”
— Matthew 7:7-11

Summary

These slides discuss the importance of asking, seeking, and knocking in prayer, emphasizing that these actions switch us into a spiritual mode, express our faith, and help us deal with doubts.

Importance of Asking, Seeking, and Knocking

  • Asking, seeking, and knocking switch us out of “flesh/ego” mode into “spiritual” mode.
  • These actions are an expression of our faith.
  • They bring our doubts to the surface so we can deal with them.

We will only be motivated to persistently ask, knock, and seek if we have the right prayer paradigm. The key to the right prayer paradigm is to understand that God loves us — like a father — and is willing and able to help us and provide for us.

The Right Prayer Paradigm

  • God, like a parent, gives good gifts to those who ask.
  • Our thinking influences our behavior and, therefore, our results.
  • Trusting God as our provider leads to peace and abundance, while relying on ourselves leads to fear and scarcity.

Changing Our Prayer Paradigm

In terms of our prayer paradigm, we all sit somewhere on the spectrum between trusting ourselves and trusting God. The challenge is to migrate our trust away from ourselves and towards the Lord as our provider. The three main ways we can accomplish this are to:

  1. Repent (Change our mind)
  2. Steep ourselves in the Word
  3. Allow the testimony of others to build our faith

Questions/Activation

  1. What (if anything) has stuck in your mind/heart from the preach on Sunday? Discuss.
  2. Read the passage (above) from Matthew 7:7-11 out loud.
  3. Question: How well does your prayer paradigm sit with this passage? What challenges your prayer paradigm from the passage? What affirms your prayer paradigm from this passage?
  4. What scriptures do you regularly use to inspire your prayer life?
  5. What testimonies have you got of God’s miraculous provision (money, wisdom, breakthroughs, etc.)?


Contact Info

Hope Church Lancaster

Psalm 119:114

'You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.'

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Hope Church is a part of the Free Methodist Church UK

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