18 Sep Power Up | Part 2 “Prayer Brings Power” | Apollo Beach

Apollo Beach went to two services this past Sunday and SoCo had it’s soft launch! NA will be going back to Saturday on October 15.

Financial Peace University is starting this Thursday in NA – please check announcements below for Apollo Beach dates.

Announcements:

UPCOMING EVENTS: GO TO WATERSCHURCH.ORG/EVENTS TO REGISTER

APOLLO BEACH ONLY:

FINANCIAL PEACE (FPU): 9/15/22

DISCOVER ISRAEL (INFO ABOUT THE ISRAEL TRIP): ZOOM MEETING 10/19/22

WOONSOCKET ONLY: TWO FESTIVALS WOONIE IS PARTICIPATING IN AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO SERVE AT THEM.

PUMPKIN FEST – NORTH SMITHFIELD – SEPT 17

AUTUMNFEST – WOONSOCKET – OCT 8 & 9

NA and WOONIE:

FINANCIAL PEACE (FPU):  9/13/22

NEW DATE** PARENTS NIGHT OUT: 9/17

PING PONG TOURNAMENT: 9/12 – 10/24

ENCOUNTER MEET UP: AGES 19-35 – 9/23/22

SERVE TEAM BBQ: 9/25/22

ALPHA: 9/26/22

CONCERT: DANNY GOKEY, JORDAN FELIZ, AND TASHA LAYTON Oct. 1st Volunteer sign-up sheets are out.  Please contact your Serve Team Leader for how you can take part.

DISCOVER ISRAEL: INFO ON TRIP TO ISRAEL – 10/16

All announcements and the Waters Event Calendar can be found at:  waterschurch.guide

Alpha: New ministry – conversation style Small Group called Alpha that Mehdi and April will be leading.It is for seekers, those on the fence about faith, or disenfranchised from faith.It is to reach lost people. Join the conversation today @ waterschurch.org/alpha

All announcements and the Waters Event Calendar can be found at:  waterschurch.org/events

Alpha: New ministry – conversation style Small Group called Alpha that Mehdi and April will be leading.It is for seekers, those on the fence about faith, or disenfranchised from faith.It is to reach lost people.  Join the conversation today @ waterschurch.org/alpha

Location Text Alerts:

North Attleboro		Text “subscribe” to 508 695-1300
Norwood		Text “subscribe” to 781 762-3357
Apollo Beach		Text “subscribe” to 813 642-6979
Woonsocket		Text “subscribe” to 833 241-4837
Southcoast		Text “subscribe” to 508 809-3490
Waters ELC NA		Text “subscribe” to 774 643-6322

 

Pastor Tim has 3 podcasts: The Deep End, the Deep Dive Bible Study on Romans, and 10 questions with Tim only available on timhatchlive./live  Be sure to like and subscribe to the channel to be notified of each new podcast.

*********************

Key Verse: James 5

Prayer is the POWER PLUG of your life. 

Prayer is the plug connecting us to the power of God.  Electricity operates on a circuit. Electricity is where the power houses the electrons to find the positive side of the electrical circuit. When God speaks to us, and the positive electrical spiritual power comes into us, there has to be a circuit where we can speak to God. When we hear God’s voice, the best thing can do is pray.  Prayer is exhausting the negative things in our life and in our world around us and gives it back to God who brings the positive back into our lives.

Eliminating the excuses for not praying (7 common reasons):

1. I’m not SURE I should PRAY about THIS.

We sometimes tend to think: ‘Is this something God wants me to pray about?’  Maybe we think God is punishing us and therefore should not pray about a situation or we are not sure God would care about these things.

James 5:13 (ESV) 

Anyone – this is the qualifier. When we are suffering, going through something we should lift it up to God, thus completing the circuit.  We may have had bad things happened simply because we don’t pray. Prayer changes everything because God is able to do anything.

Q. What might be something you do not believe that God wants you to pray about and why?

Philippians 4:6 (ESV)

Anything/Everything – Anxiety is a huge deal right now. We don’t have anxiety, we get anxious or have worries but we should not give ourselves owner ship over a spirit that wants to torture us.  We should start saying we have Jesus, peace in our heart, and the Holy Spirit in us, not anxiety. 

Luke 18:1 (ESV) 

God is not interested if we are wondering if we should pray, He is  interested in that we pray about it.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV) 

Q. What does it mean to pray without ceasing and how do you pray without ceasing?

2. The Lord ALREADY KNOWS what I NEED. 

We should not let God’s omniscience keep us from obtaining His omnipotence.  Yes, he knows what we need but wants us to pray anyway.

Matthew 6:7–8 (ESV)

Some think we have to pray long for God to hear us, but this is not true.  Prayer can be as simple as just one word.  When Peter was sinking in the water he said: ‘Lord, help me.’

The admonition is the circuit that completes the work in us.  God does not need us but He has chosen us and he has chosen to need us to do things in his name and in his power.  He has sovereignly chosen to work through people even though he could very well do everything himself.  When we pray we are activating the work of God in our world. He chooses to use us to bring the Gospel to our communities. 

Q. When have you allowed God’s knowledge of your situation keep you from allowing his power to change your situation?

3. God is SOVEREIGN, I can’t CHANGE His MIND. 

The mind of God is perfect.  He does not need to improve what He thinks. He thinks perfectly all the time, but many times, in response to prayer, he changes what he is going to do.

Jonah 3:6-10 (ESV) 

God changed what he was going to do because they prayed.  We can be an agent of change through the Lord Jesus and see God work.

Isaiah 38:1–5 (ESV)

We should want God’s goodness not his judgement in our life.  His mercies are new every morning not his judgment.  He wants to show goodness and mercy to us.

Q. How has God changed a situation that you prayed for even though you were certain he was not going to change his mind about? (‘I really did not think God was going to ____________ but I prayed anyway’).

4. It’s too LATE for my SITUATION.

It is never too late with God.  God can turn a situation around like that.

Psalm 50:15 (ESV)

Sometimes he waits until the ninth inning to hit the grand slam in our life.

Q. What is something God waited until the very last minute to change in your life?

Matthew 27:44 (ESV); Luke 23:42-43 (ESV) 

Both thieves started cursing Jesus, then one realizes he was facing eternity in hell and changed his mind and offered up a three word prayer. It is never too late for God.

Jonah 2:3–4 (ESV); Jonah 2:10 (ESV) 

Jonah ran from God. He went as far away from where God had wanted him to go.  He was running from God and then wanted to commit suicide.  God saved him by providing a great fish after he had prayed.  He is not even praying right and God saves him.

Q. In what ways have you prayed wrong but God still answered your prayer?

5. I don’t KNOW HOW to PRAY.

No one was born a great prayer.  We get good at praying by praying. We pray according to God’s word.  The best thing is to go to the Bible and read and pray over our life what the Psalmist is praying.

Luke 11:1 (ESV) 

Q. What are some examples of ways you pray God’s word over your life or pray according to God’s word?

6. I’m not WORTHY to PRAY.

James 5:17 (ESV). 

Elijah was just like us. 

1 Kings 19:2–3, 4 (ESV) 

The same man who stopped the rain and called down fire, was afraid.

He went from spiritual superstar to suicidal in three verses.  There is war between our flesh and spirit, and we all need to understand he accepts our prayers on the basis of His righteousness not ours.

Matthew 11:11 (ESV); Romans 3:21–22 (ESV) 

We are righteous because we believed Jesus died and rose again and he is Lord of Lords.  We are not Christians because of our performance. It is not what we do it was what Jesus did for us at the cross 2000 years ago. We are righteous before God so our prayers through Christ Jesus are righteous. 

1 John 5:13–14 (ESV) 

Q. When and why do you not feel worthy to pray?

7. I don’t SEE RESULTS when I pray.

We should not stop praying when we don’t see something happening.

James 5:17,18 (ESV); 1 Kings 18:41–45

Elijah kept praying and finally it rained.

Q. What do you do when you don’t see immediate results from your prayers?

Leader: Have each member of the group prayer just one word and encourage them to continue praying.

Example: Wow, Thanks, Help