The Prayers You’re Not Proud Of
Pastor Steven Furtick
Sermon Summary
Angry? Pray. Confused? Pray. Doubting? Pray. Ready to give up? Pray. Because the prayer you're not proud of is better than the one you won't pray. God isn't asking you to clean up your emotions or find the perfect words before you come to Him. Whatever you're carrying, bring it to Him honestly today and pray anyway.
Sermon Highlights
The prayer that you're not proud of is better than the prayer you won't pray.
You've got to start where you are to get where God is.
Righteousness is not something that you did, it's a gift that you receive.
The question isn’t: Are you holy enough for God to hear you?
The question is: Are you humble enough to ask Him?
God can turn a mumble into a miracle — pray anyway.
We’ve got to stop just praying about our situation and start praying about our sin that creates the situation…The condition on forgiveness is confession.
I'm not too proud to tell you that I need prayer.
Three things you'll learn about Elijah's life. When you pray to God with a humble heart, expect:
Provision you can't predict
You can expect God to move but you don’t get to tell Him how to do it.
Process that isn't pretty
The process doesn't have to be pretty for the prayer to be powerful.
Prayers you're not proud of
Even when you pray a "give up" prayer, you serve a "get up" God.
God can use the prayer that you’re not proud of.
He’s not gonna make IT stop. He’s gonna make YOU strong
Scriptures
Read this week’s Scriptures. Ask your group what stands out to them.
Sermon Discussion
Conversation Starter
Choose the one that works best for your group!
Pastor Steven told us, “Henry Ford once said that if he had asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse, they wouldn't have known to ask for a car.” What’s an invention you use all the time that you genuinely don’t know how people lived without?
Chandler Moore often sends Pastor Steven mumbled voice memos that eventually become songs. What’s something you have to write down or record immediately because you know you’ll forget it?
Highlights Questions
“The prayer that you’re not proud of is better than the prayer you won’t pray.” Share a prayer that you’ve prayed that you’re not proud of.
“The question isn’t: Are you holy enough for God to hear you? The question is: Are you humble enough to ask Him?” What is one thing that you're going to stop praying and start obeying God about this week?
“He’s not gonna make IT stop. He’s gonna make YOU strong.” Share about a time you were ready to give up, but looking back, you are stronger now.
Additional Questions
“You can expect God to move, but you don’t get to tell Him how to do it.” When have you seen God answer a prayer differently than you expected, and what did that experience teach you about trusting Him?
“I’m not too proud to tell you that I need prayer.” What can make it difficult to ask other people to pray for you, and what helps you feel safe enough to share when you need prayer?
Prayer Prompt
Pastor Steven said, "I'm not too proud to tell you I need prayer." Ask your eGroup if they have any prayer requests they’d like to share, and then leave 1-2 minutes for your eGroup members to silently lay their emotions, thoughts, doubts, and fears before God and pray the prayers they're not proud of.
Pray this prayer over your eGroup to close, and/or send it to them throughout the week to let them know you’re praying for them!
Lord, thank You for making us righteous through Jesus. Today, we receive that righteousness and commit to praying with humility by bringing You what’s on our minds. We bring You our emotions, our doubts, our fears, and everything else we might not be proud of, because we believe You can use it all for good. Thank You for hearing our prayers and providing for us, even if it’s not the way we expected. We love You and we’re grateful for You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Additional Content
Here’s some additional content you can use to encourage your group this week.
Need an encouraging reminder that you have a “get up” God? Play this song from ELEVATION RHYTHM & Josiah Queen whenever you feel tempted to give up this week.