Talk

3 Keys to a Fresh Perspective on Prayer

Louie Giglio

October 2, 2022

Louie Giglio launches our House into a new collection of talks, titled, Shift. God is giving us the opportunity to be shifters through the gift of Prayer, and we are prayerful because God wants us to possess a powerful, influential awareness of Him.

Key Takeaway

How we come to God will determine our perspective, not just of the situation, but of our relationship to God. Before one request is made, consider who He is, your relationship with Him, and what He desires.

Prayer is the steady state of awareness of Father, Son, and Spirit, creating a constant and seamless union of the heart and mind with the Almighty that SHIFTS earthly perspectives, plans, and purposes as heaven becomes visible on earth.

Prayer isn't just talking to God, it's not reactionary. Something bad happens; better pray! It is moving through the day with awareness that God is sovereign. Jesus assumes you are in the habit of praying. "As you pray, this is how".

Shift #1: There is a mind-blowing relationship on the table.

Matthew 6:9 starts with "Our Father", therefore we start with the understanding that God is our Father. We have been graced with an intimate relationship with the God of the universe. We get to call God our "Abba", which is a term of endearment, similar to "Daddy".

Matthew 18:3-4 applauds the mindset of a child. Whenever a father hears, "Daddy, will you...", "Daddy, could you...", "Daddy, can you..." it pierces his heart and grabs his attention. The same is true for Our Father. God is moving out of love and purpose, to bless us because He wants the best for us. He is saying, "Come first as my child."

Calling out to your Father moves His heart...God's heart! He is not against you, He is for you. He's also not another version of your earthly dad, He is the perfection of your earthly dad. Everything you needed your dad to be, God is that and more.

Shift #2: Reframing every moment.

Matthew 6:9 continues "Hallowed be Your name". Hallowed means holy and holy means set apart. So we come to Our Father as a child and are embraced by Him, but we also are aware that he is set apart, it's a Holy Hug. We still have not asked for or told God anything at this point, all we have said is that We are His children and He is holy.

See 2 Chronicles 20:5-12 and Acts 4:23-29. In both passages, the people of God are in trouble, but instead of asking for anything, they focus on who God is. When the rulers are plotting to take you out, this is a glorious reframe.

Our God is sovereign and running the affairs of the universe, hallowed be His name! We gaze upon His Majesty. He is reframing the chaos on earth. Take one minute before you speak in prayer and just consider who He is. See Revelation 19:11-16

Shift #3: Divine exchange of wills.

Matthew 6:10 says "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." When Jesus told us to pray, the Greek word is Proseuxomai which means "Properly, to exchange wishes; pray. Literally, to intercede with the Lord by switching human wishes (ideas) for His wishes as He imparts faith ("divine persuasion").

Luke 22:41-42 is where Jesus is praying in Gethsemane and as He is praying, He asks not for His will, but the Father's will be done. This exchange of prayer is where "My will" becomes "Thy will". Instead of telling God what we need Him to do, we ask Him what He want us to do. We get to be a part of heaven coming to earth.

Just like in Acts 4:29, when we face a difficult situation, instead of telling God what to do, we can remember we are His children, He is God, and trust Him. We too can ask God to "consider the threats, enable your servants"!

Goal: To be constantly aware that my Father is the Sovereign King and He looks after me but He is also ruling everything. I don't give Him directives, I ask Him to direct me, and more than asking for answers, I ask to be the answer so that earth can see heaven in me.

Are you praying as a loved child?

Are you pausing to remember who He is?

Are you being molded from "My" to "Thy" will be done?

“

"Prayer is the steady state of awareness of Father, Son, and Spirit, creating a constant and seamless union of the heart and mind with the Almighty that SHIFTS earthly perspectives, plans, and purposes as heaven becomes visible on earth."

”

Louie Giglio

Discussion Questions

What is your normal mode of prayer? Constant communication? Reactionary? Last Resort?
Are you praying as a loved child?
Do you believe God is moving on your behalf? For you?
No matter your relationship with your earthly father, how does the Father far exceed it?
Are you pausing to remember who God the Father is?
How have we as a society pushed past hallowing the name of God?
What does hallowed mean?
Have you ever thought of prayer as the definition Louie Giglio gave?
Have you ever had to put into action the words of Acts 4:29?
Are you being molded from "My" will to "Thy" will?

Scripture References

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“ ‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

’

11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.

12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.

13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.

15Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.

16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

king of kings and lord of lords.

5Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the

Lord

in the front of the new courtyard

6and said:

“

Lord

, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

7Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?

8They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying,

9‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

10“But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them.

11See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance.

12Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.

25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“ ‘Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

26The kings of the earth rise up

and the rulers band together

against the Lord

and against his anointed one.’

27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.

28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.

29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

3And he said:

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Louie Giglio

Louie Giglio is the Visionary Architect and Director of the Passion Movement, comprised of Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, Passion Publishing and sixstepsrecords, and the founder of Passion Institute.