Talk

Prayer: Remix

Louie Giglio

October 9, 2022

Louie Giglio challenges how we come before God in prayer.

As he breaks down the many requests we put before God out of habit and religion, he instead encourages us to pray out of a desire to have a close relationship with the creator of the universe and remix our ritualistic prayers.

Key Takeaway

When we say certain prayers by rote, we aren't saying what we really mean to say. We can shift our minds and thinking so that we have fresh words and a more accurate theology. When we shift from the basic things that we pray, we move from rote to relationship, from routine to real.

Prayer is the steady state of awareness of the Father, Son, and Holy 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.

Matthew 6:5-8 points out the hypocrisy of the praying for show. That is not what God desires. So after Jesus tells us to pray in humility, he reminds us that the Father already knows what we need before we ask Him. So then, why ask Him? Because we are His children, there is a relationship, and are confident that He is working everything out in motion before we even know what to ask for.

When we pray, pray to heaven! Call on heaven! We can be anywhere on earth and have direct access to heaven.

What routine prayers need to be remixed?

1. "Lord bless me," bless us, bless this gathering, bless this meal, etc

We have already come under God's extraordinary blessing. Ephesians 1:3 refocuses us from "I don't" to "I do", "I need" to "I have", "I'm not" to "I am". Matthew 5: 3-11 starts every line with blessed. Exodus 33:12-17 is where Moses asks how he will know he has God's favor and God says He will give him His Presence. Moses is so certain of the Lord's blessing and knows he needs it so bad that he tells the Lord, if you're blessing doesn't go there, then we don't go there. God promised His Presence.

It's not moving first and asking God to bless it last minute. It's a shift to constantly moving in the blessing all along.

Remix: Thank you, Father, that I am blessed. Let me in this moment bless Your Name.

2. "Lord, be with us, be with me."

We are really saying that we need to know He is in the midst, we need evidence of this God that dwells within moving with us in this moment. (So just say that.)

Asking God to "be with us" is ridiculous. Galatians 2:20 tells us that Christ lives IN us. We are asking God who lives in us to be with us. If He is living in you, He is most definitely with you.

Remix: Thank you, Lord, that you are here and You dwell in me. Jesus lives through me.

3. "Watch over and protect me."

We don't want to pray for hardship or difficulty. This isn't saying that we should pray for the Lord to not watch over and protect us, it's just a shift to understanding that we have a Heavenly Father who is always watching over us and His angels are working on our behalf. He knows what we need before we do

What is your mission? If your mission is safety and security; this will keep being your prayer. However, if it is to advance the Gospel to the ends of the earth, this probably isn't going to be your primary prayer. Remember Acts 4:29-30, the prayer was "consider their threats and enable your servants", at no point did they pray for God to watch over and protect them, instead they asked God to stretch out His hand and move in power. They asked for God's power to be used through them.

Remix: Lord, we commit our way to you. Empower and use us.

4. "Please forgive me."

Some people are stuck in this cycle. Colossians 2:13-14 states that God has forgiven all of our sins. Past, present, future. All. What we are really trying to say is it's good to confess our sin, it clears the air in the relationship. We want to admit our sin and say we're sorry for doing something foolish even though we are forgiven children of God. (So just say that.)

Shift out of the routine and express the reality of where you are. It doesn't honor God to keep asking for forgiveness. Thank God that you're forgiven.

Remix: Father, I confess my sin to You. I own it. Thank you for the forgiveness I have in Jesus. I receive it and I choose to turn to you and follow your ways.

Pray the Real Truth that uses Real words that foster a Real connection in a Real Relationship with God, not prayers prayed in rote that does nothing to invigorate the Spirit within us.

“

"Pray the Real Truth that uses Real words that foster a Real connection in a Real Relationship with God, not prayers prayed in rote that do nothing to invigorate the Spirit within us."

”

Louie Giglio

Discussion Questions

Louie Giglio gave the example of a typical dinner prayer. What are some examples of prayers that are always said the same way?
Do you find that you tend to say the same prayers over and over without much thought? Possibly not even solid theology?
Matthew 6:8 talks about the Father already knowing what we need before we even ask, so why should we ask?
What does Ephesians 1:3 have to say about God's blessing?
Do you walk in awareness of God's blessing and presence constantly or do you do your own thing and then ask God to bless it?
What are we really saying when we pray, "Lord, be with me."? What does Galatians 2:20 say about it?
Do you walk confidently knowing that God is always watching over you and dispatching angels to work on your behalf?
What is the remix to the prayer, "Watch over and protect me."?
What are we really trying to say when we ask for forgiveness?
What does Colossians 2:13-14 say about our sin and forgiveness?

Scripture References

13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

14having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

1Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

2These are the names of the twelve apostles:

first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew;

James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

3Philip and Bartholomew;

Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;

James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:

“Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.

Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,

drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—

no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.

Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.

As you enter the home, give it your greeting.

If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.

Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.

On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,

for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.

You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.

It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.

What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to turn

“ ‘a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—

a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.

Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

12Moses said to the

Lord

, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’

13If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

14The

Lord

replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

15Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

17And the

Lord

said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

22“Joseph is a fruitful vine,

a fruitful vine near a spring,

whose branches climb over a wall.

23With bitterness archers attacked him;

they shot at him with hostility.

24But his bow remained steady,

his strong arms stayed limber,

because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,

because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25because of your father’s God, who helps you,

because of the Almighty, who blesses you

with blessings of the skies above,

blessings of the deep springs below,

blessings of the breast and womb.

26Your father’s blessings are greater

than the blessings of the ancient mountains,

than the bounty of the age-old hills.

Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,

on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

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

30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

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.