Heya! I liked the notes I took at church today so decided I should share them here! I had so much fun putting together the scripture slides, hope you like them! 😉 I always start my notes with the title, the pastor of the day, the introductory notes / thoughts, and then the “meat” of the subject. Lez gooo!!
Matt preaching today!!
– “Easter jam is upon us” WHY DID THAT SOUND SO OMINOUS 🤣🤣🤣
– Sausage biscuits next Sunday inbetween services
– I FORGOT THEYRE DOING BAPTISM AGAIN!! :DDD
– Matt is wearing a LLMC shirt ♥️
– (it’s athletic font) (OH MY GOSH STOP IT, TURN OFF WORK BRAIN)
Christians who pray are more productive to an incredible extent. They plant more seeds, they see more moves of God, they hear his voice more often, they find more comfort and peace, they are more fulfilled in their own lives, they handle challenges better, they have more joy, their health is better… in short, it influences them in every area. And many of the statistical studies that confirm these positive effects come from SECULAR sources!
Even if you decide to remove God from the equation, prayer is powerful and everybody knows it.
🚨I don’t know the accuracy or legitimacy of these quotes, I’m just scribing what he’s dictating.🚨
Mind Health Report 2014 – “People who engage in private prayer, intercessory prayer and church activities tend to be healthier and live longer.”
Florida State University – “Praying for someone daily for four weeks increases the willingness to forgive, which is associated with better health and life satisfaction.”
Miami University – “Prayer and religious practices improve self-control and determination in pursuing long-term goals.”
Columbia University – “People who value religion and regularly attend church are 90% less likely to suffer from depression compared to non-religious peers.”
St. Luke’s Hospital – “Cardiac patients who received prayer from their family or friends faired 11% better than those who didn’t. They experienced fewer complications, chest pain, pneumonia, and overall health moving forward.”
Frank Fincham – “Praying for a romantic partner and friend increases willingness to forgive and enhance cooperation even after being hurt.”
Central State Healthcare – “Prayer will reduce stress and anxiety and promote a positive outlook and strengthen the will to live.” (Yeah I’d know a thing or two about that huh..)
The placebo effect can’t explain the miracles received through prayer and talking to God. Prayer is effective. Because we have a God who hears.
“Prayer is the most influential activity a leader can undertake.”
-Dave Earley, Prayer: the Timeless Secret of High-Impact Leaders
Replace “leader” with “Christian” and it’s even more accurate. It’s the difference between trying to do something yourself, and leaning on the One who can do all things.
God can put something on your heart and it can still fail. What is the most common reason for that? Because you take it, run with it in faith, and forget to ask for his help. “God won’t give you anything you can’t handle” is a total lie. He absolutely will. But he will never give you something you can’t handle with his help.
God answers prayers. But he doesn’t always answer them the way we want him to or think he should.
Sometimes we want him to move our mountains and he doesn’t. But when that happens, he’ll give us the strength to climb it, conquer it, and overcome it.
Are you doing, or just asking? Sometimes prayers he wants to answer are prayers that are waiting on us. Sometimes our answers involve and require us, not just divine intervention. Some prayers are a call to action for us too, not just God. He wants us to get involved and trust in him to get us through.
Keep in mind, an unanswered prayer does not always equal weak faith. We assume our faith wasn’t strong enough, and we even go so far as to tell others the same when they’re struggling. We assume that we, or others, did something wrong to deserve God’s silence. But sometimes the answer is just a no. Sometimes it’s just a wait. Don’t miss out on the things that are happening now by focusing on what isn’t happening. We have a good Father. We pray in all seasons, because the answer is up to him. When you doubt, bring it to God. Don’t just wallow in it. He can handle your doubts and fears and mistakes. Whatever it is, just bring it to God. And trust him to respond with what’s truly best.
It’s sometimes hard to do – and easy to put off – but make an effort to pray more, and be stubbornly genuine about it. What’s more important than talking to your Father, the God of the universe? Who created you and wants to spend time with you? Who loves and sustains you?
Hold your head high when you don’t get the answer you want, because he is good in all seasons. You can trust that he is never changing, and always on your team when you put your faith in him. He loves you. Don’t listen to your flesh- it doesn’t care about your eternity, cause it’s not going with you.
God, your way’s better.
♡ ~ Skippy
