Grace Community Church - Nashville

This week's Words of Grace Podcast was originally published on October 5, 2016. Justin and Scott discuss the vital reasons why Christians should be praying for the filling of the Holy Spirit.

John 17:6-20

We often treat prayer casually, as though it were something trivial. But how is it that we are even able to pray? How can sinful people have access to a holy God? On our own, we cannot. But we see in the prayer of Jesus that we are able to pray because God had a plan from eternity past to give us eternal life, and Jesus accomplished that plan by doing everything the Father sent him to do. Jesus has torn down the barrier between us and God, giving us access to him. This humbles us and frees us to see prayer not as a burden, but as a gift of grace, and to run to God in prayer with joy and gratitude.

This week Justin and Scott talked about how we practically go after a person who has wondered from the faith. What should be our attitude when we approach these kinds of people? When should we wait rather than approach? These questions were addressed as we look back on Sunday's sermon.

James has called us to pray for each other in the situations and circumstances of life. Now he is calling us to put feet to our prayers and actually help the one who wanders from the truth return home. Our service to one another includes praying and pleading. God works through both to keep us faithful until the coming of the Lord.

The Bible teaches us many kinds of prayer. Christians pray in various ways. In this passage, James calls us to pray simple prayers of faith. Using Elijah as the example, James shows us that prayers prayed according to God’s word and will, from a heart of faith, have great power to accomplish much.

How does prayer give us a vision for our lives and the church? This week Justin and Scott take time to talk about James 5 and prayer.

James said to be patient until the coming of the Lord. Jesus asked if he would find faith on earth when he returns. The evidence of patience and faith is found in prayer. At Grace Community Church, we are being called to a life of prayer. In our suffering, rejoicing, sickness, and sin, we turn to the Lord together.

As Christians how do we think about unmet desires that may or may not get fulfilled? How does patience play a role into our thinking? These questions were addressed in today’s podcast with Scott & Justin.

One of the great Christian disciplines is the regular, mental rehearsal of the coming of the Lord, reminding ourselves of what will be then. Doing so focuses our minds and establishes our hearts for living in faithfulness to Christ now. The coming of the Lord is at hand. This is the reality that breeds patience and hope, and shapes how we live until then.