Last week I spoke about “the bravest of prayers” and today I want to speak about another dangerous prayer!
When you pray this kind of prayer you’re really asking God to do something that often takes you out of your comfort zone and confronts you.
Last week I spoke about not lying to yourselves !
We should pray : Search my heart , test me , try me , show me anything that is in me that doesn’t please you !
We are learning to pray some different types of prayers.
Prayers that people don’t normally pray.
Today we are going to see another kind of prayer.
Why ? Because on observing what I noticed is that every week many of you come to church with prayers requests and :
Most of the time what people want prayers for – are things that directly impact them or those that they love !
Examples:
God would you do this for me !
God would you heal my mother , heal my wife , heal my daughter!
God would you give me a new job or help me to get into this.
God give me a better and newer car !
Would you bless me !
This is not wrong and you should continue to pray those prayers.
But instead of just praying God would you do this for me , The bravest way prayer to pray is : God what can I do for you ?
Not just saying: God do this for me , help me , keep me safe , but God I’m your servant and I want to be available for whatever you might call me to do !
This is a prayer for you to fulfil your calling , what God called you to do.
If you had an encounter with God , if you are Jesus’ follower you have to offer yourself to God and this is a dangerous prayer .
If you pray this prayer , God could direct you in a lot of different ways:
He may led you to a different city, He may reveal a calling in your life that you never ever expected before.
He may led you to stay somewhere when you were supposed to go somewhere else.
He might led you to a different job .
He might call you to serve somewhere.
He may led you to work and help in some areas of church’s needs.
He might move you from boring to an exciting life if you make yourself available to God and with a life of surrender !
If you read the Bible all throughout scripture, Old and New Testament you are going to see that God calls people!
What does that mean ?
Doesn’t mean He’ll give you a ring on your phone !
It means that He speak to people, He moves them, He leads them to say something, to do something, to go somewhere, to encourage someone, to speak truth !
God will call those who know Him to do something He wants done.[4]
There are different responses to God’s call , even in the Bible !
Some people respond to God’s calling other don’t.
Let’s now to talk about different responses to God’s call.
1- The first one is Jonah’s . Jonah responded to God’s called like this : He said , here I am but I’m not going !
Maybe some of you can relate !
Here I’m in church God but I’m not going!
““The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.”
Jonah 1:1-3 NIV
The Lord said: Go to Nineveh , he said: here I am , I’m not Going !
I wander how many of you have had a similar experience.
You felt prompted to do something for God or for the kingdom of God.
You were supposed to reach out or supposed to do something for God , or felt in your heart to give an offering , or to help or visit someone in need , to disciple or o teach the bible to someone…
Here I am God , but not today , I am not going !
Jonah said : I am not going !
2 – The second one is Moses.
Moses said : Here I am but send someone else.
Here I am God , send my brother instead.
“Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.””
Exodus 3:10 NKJV
But instead of saying sure I’ll go God !
Moses said to God : Who am I , I’m not good enough, I’m not talented enough , I don’t know show to speak properly , send someone else !
“Then Moses said to the LORD, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.””
Exodus 4:10 NKJV
Many people in church are giving the same excuses!
My brother and sisters you are enough “because God chose you”.
God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the ones He called.
Understanding and remembering this is the key to our every step in faith. The only thing God need is your availability!
A person’s eloquence or success in the business world means nothing to God on their own. Without a intimate relationship with Jesus, even the most well-intentioned expert can do nothing for God.
There are many qualified people in church but only a few are available to be used by God !
The only thing God need is your availability!
Here I am send send someone else! I am not the right person !
I don’t want to give, they should give because they’ve got more money to give .
I’m not going , I don’t have as much time !
She’s a stay at home mom , she’s got more time than I do.
She can do it or he can do it because they are better equipped !
The truth is , those who have less time are doing more and God is using always the less talented but they are available to God and because they have a surrendered life !
3- The third one is Isaiah.
Isaiah prays a very brave prayer ! This is the prayer that I want us to pray today.
Isaiah chapter 6:8
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.””
Isaiah 6:8 NKJV
He didn’t say : where are you sending me to ?
Is the weather there nice ?
Is there any beaches and sunshine over there?
What’s the cost of living there ?
What is the pay range , Whats are the benefits ? Will I have health insurance or medical card ?
Isaiah didn’t ask for any of that !
What he simply did was : He basically signed a blank contract and he said : Here I am , send me !
Here I am send me !
When you start praying that, I guarantee you , God is going to interrupt you , God will prompt you , God will move upon you and suddenly you will be amazed and happy for been used by Him.
How do we get there ? How do we fully surrender our lives to God ?
Let’s look up the verses of this prayer of surrender from the prophet Isaiah.
What do you need to fully surrender to God ?
1- You need to have an encounter with God ! You need a genuine experience with the presence of God.
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe (roub) filled the temple.”
Isaiah 6:1 NKJV
Isaiah saw the presence of God , he saw Him I all His majesty and all His Glory. And all His Angels worshipping and praising God crying out Holy , Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty!
And Isaiah saw the presence of God and when he experience the Glory of God it completely transformed who he was.
Why is it that you might not be very available to God ?
Perhaps because you have not recently experienced the presence of God.
I had some experiences with God that changed my life .
Sometimes I used to go to the countryside out in the mountains or forests just because you couldn’t hear anything or anybody and you could spend the night crying out to God.
One day when I was out there, I started to sense His presence and the presence of God was so real and that I could fell the very presence of a Holy God filling me , strengthening me , equipping me and speaking to me !
I could fell, I could see and I could hear Him !
This presence of God brought me a deeper place of real submission!
I just said : God I’m your servant , do anything you want of me !
God wants to reveal Himself to you !
James said : “Come near to God and he will come near to you” James 4:8 NIV
When you draw near to God , He will draw near to you.
This can happen in your house , your bedroom, your car listening to a song and you can sense God’s presence with you.
When you draw near to God , He will draw near to you.
Why are you not as available to God as you should be ? Because you haven’t seeking after him !
When you experience His presence you will be transformed.
- What do you need to fully surrender to God ? You need a genuine experience with God
- You need a genuine awareness of your sinfulness!
One of the biggest cultural lies that people believe today is they are good !
When Isaiah saw the Glory Of God he realised the all badness he had in him . When he saw how Holy God was he recognised his own unrighteousness!
Isaiah 6:5
““Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.””
Isaiah 6:5 NIV
Woe to me he cried out , I’m a sinner , He is Holy , I’m man of unclean lips.
When you have a genuine experience with God and a genuine awareness of you sin and repent from it then our only response to God will be : here I am God , send me !
Here I am God , use me !
God I’m all yours , anywhere, anytime, anything!
I’m going to serve God because He loved me and I will give Him everything!
This is not one time decision !
Maybe you gave your life to Jesus 20 years ago , or 10 or 5 years ago and you made that decision.
But this is a daily decision, when you give your life to Christ your spirit came to life but your flesh wants you to do what’s you wants to do !
Here I am , but I’m tired , send other people , here I’m but I’m not going !
I don’t have time to serve God , I don’t have for prayer meetings , I don’t have time to help people !
I love Jesus , I’m going to heaven but I’m not going to do anything!
You have to deny your flesh and feed your Spirit!
Paul said : I die daily !
1 Corinthians 15:31[28]
You have to feed yourself by going to meetings , going to Cell meetings (life groups) , going to prayer meetings , seeking God’s presence !
Because if you are faithful with little God will trust with much !
Why God is trusting some people with much ? Because they were faithful with the little and God gave them more !
Here I am , send me !
This is a brave and dangerous prayer ! I want the challenge you to do this prayer every day !
I try to pray this kind of prayer every morning and every day !
Thank you Lord for this day , here is my life , use me ! Here is my hands , use for your kingdom, here are my feet God , lead me where you want me to go , help me to do what you want me to do!
Here I am , send me !
I want challenge you , to dare you , to motivate you to pray a similar pray:
Here I am God , I am available!
Here I am God , You can count on me , here I am God , You have permission to interrupt me God if you want me to go somewhere I will go !
If you want me to stay in this town I will stay .
If you want me to say something to somebody I will say it
If you want me to pray I will pray
If you want me to give something away , if you want me to use my time ,
whatever you need me to do , here I am !
I am completely available to you God !
I’m your servant , you are my Lord and here I am God send me !
In Jesus Name !
God bless you !