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How does our attitude during prayer affect how God responds? This week, Joshua West joins the Gary Wilkerson Podcast to explore how the gospels describe Jesus' healings and the way people approached him as either a miracle-maker or the Son of God. When we come to the Lord with our felt-needs but without a clear picture of who he is, he may still heal and provide, but we miss a critical aspect of how God wants us to engage with him. Do we desire to see who Christ is more than an answer to our prayers?
Key Points from the Podcast
• Jesus begins by simply calling those who are weary and heavy-laden to come to him.
• Christ has an agenda, but it is pure, holy, and spotless. His greatest glory is for our greatest good.
• Many people initially approach Jesus with a presenting problem or felt need. Will you heal my daughter? Will you help me get off drugs? Will you help me with my anxiety?
• Once someone realizes that Jesus will compassionately meet their need, they hopefully begin to ask, “Who is this man?” That is the next step in going deeper with Christ. It moves our focus from our self to Christ.
• As we go deeper in the things of God, it doesn’t mean we leave behind that stage of going to Jesus for felt needs. We will have needs all throughout life that we need to take to Jesus.
• The Bible tells us that as we behold Christ, as we start to be curious about who Jesus is, we will become more like him. God has called us to be conformed into the image of his Son.
• After asking the ‘who is’ question, God will take us deeper by revealing himself to us as ‘I am’.
• In the book of John, Jesus reveals that he is the light of the world, bread of life, door, good shepherd, resurrection, life, way, truth, and vine.
• Maturity and depth in Christ will move our prayers into the context of God’s will, not ours, being done and his kingdom coming.
• Christ’s trajectory for our life is to call us to himself, keep us in himself, and to one day be glorified with him.
Bible Verses Referenced in the Podcast
Matthew 11:28; Matthew 18:11; Luke 19:10; Matthew 7:13–14; Philippians 2:7–8; Matthew 8:2–10, 21–27; Matthew 9:36; Luke 17:11–19; John 6; Proverbs 1:7; Luke 10:27–28; Mark 12:29–31; Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23; Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 12:10; Philippians 4:13; Acts 1:1–6; John 20:30–31; John 1:1–3, 14; John 8:12, 24, 39–44; Matthew 6:9–13; Matthew 12:8; Mark 2:28; John 10:9, 11; John 11:24; John 14:6; John 15:5; Romans 11:17; Hebrews 10:39; Hebrews 2:1; Hebrews 12:2
Resources Mentioned in the Podcast
• Fire in Our Bones Conferences
• Joshua West’s John sermon series
• Joshua West’s Romans sermon series
• Fire in His Bones
A Collection of the Fifty Most Powerful Sermons of David Wilkerson
• Sermons from the San Diego Fire in Our Bones conference
About Joshua West
Joshua West serves as the Church Leadership Network Director at World Challenge helping equip and empower pastors all over the world. Joshua’s desire is to raise up ministers who will correctly and boldly preach the word with passion and integrity. The point of all his work and writings is to preach the gospel, glorify God and to teach sound doctrine.
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