Faith that Captures the Attention of Heaven

October 23, 2022

“If God already knows everything, then why pray?”

Louie Giglio answers this question by encouraging our House to take heart, teaching that it moves the heart of God when prayer is bold and faith-filled. Our prayers have the power to surround His throne like incense.

Key Takeaway

Don't be fooled into thinking that just because we don't necessarily see the miracle happen in front of us that it's not happening. God is always at work. Yes, God does whatever He pleases, but He is inviting us to believe Him for the miraculous and to ask Him for the impossible.

When it comes to our prayer lives, we are living in a realm full of tension.

God knows everything, He does whatever He pleases, His plans cannot be thwarted, we know that He can move the mountain...but does He want to? Therein lies the tension, but that doesn't change the fact that God calls us to bold prayers.

He's calling us to a faith that captures the attention of Heaven. So why would we pray? Because God is inviting us to believe Him for the miraculous and ask Him for the impossible.

Luke 7:1-10- tells the story of a centurion who had a servant that was sick. He had shown favor to the Jewish community and the elders asked Jesus to heal his servant. Jesus was on His way when the centurion sent friends to say that he was not worthy to have Him in His home, but if He just spoke the word, the servant would be saved. Jesus is amazed by the centurion who believed in His authority and that with just a word, Jesus could save the life of his servant. God loves the posture of a heart of humility.

We can marvel at the possibility to amaze Jesus by our faith. The centurion understood that there is a Throne that has authority, God, the Father. He recognized that Jesus is under that authority working out His Father's will and therefore has authority as well. All He has to do is speak and something gets dispatched in the spiritual realm and things start happening. This is what amazes Jesus.

1. Great Faith Captures The Attention of Heaven.

We can cause heaven to be amazed. There are many stories of miracles, so there is an obvious tension when what we pray for doesn't come to pass. It is important to know that just because the miracle didn't happen does not mean that we didn't have enough faith, it just means that ultimately God is using that particular circumstance in a different plan.

John 12:23-28 shows how Jesus prays in two ways. He explains how one seed by itself is good, but if it chooses to go into the ground and die, it actually produces many seeds. This is a parallel of what will happen to Him. So Jesus says he can pray 1) save Him from this hour, but He knows that there is a greater plan at work, so he actually prays 2) glorify Your Name. God could have saved Jesus off the cross, but He didn't because He was working all of the madness into a different plan. Jesus knew that in God's choosing, He would glorify His Name.

2. To pray, "Father, Glorify Your Name" is the prayer that God always answers.

We should pray for the impossible and miracles being informed by a desire to advance the Gospel in the world. We don't live detached from what God's doing and then ask Him to intervene when we need Him to. We live walking in His mission and then our prayers will focus on wanting what He wants, not for our benefit, but for the glory of His Name. Again, this takes us to Acts 4:29, the believers understood God's mission, so they prayed that God would consider the threats against them and asked that He would enable them to spread the Gospel boldly.

Louie Giglio told a story of revival in (what was once) Burma after a little girl was raised from the dead after burning in a fire. God did the same thing in Mark 5:41-42, and Luke 8:54-55 when He raised Jairus's daughter. God can absolutely raise the dead. It's not His normal operating mode, but He can do it. He does it for the demonstration of His power and the proclamation of Jesus so that people will be saved.

3. Every prayer of great faith results in a miracle.

It ends up being incense at the Throne of God. What do you do when you've fasted, prayed, believed, and stepped out in faith, but the miracle does not happen? Your prayer still shook heaven. When we get to heaven, we will see the miracles that did happen that we never saw. Our faith touched the heart of Almighty God- that's a miracle. Everything can change when we focus on God and His character. It becomes a tipping point and allows us to exercise faith that ends up as incense before the Lord.

Revelation 5:6-9 speaks of bowls filled with the prayers of the saints. They rise like incense around the Throne. Our prayers are still at the Throne of God and He is working. There's no time limit on our prayers.

5 Practical Things to Remember About Prayer

Don't get stuck trying to resolve the tension that if God knows everything, why do we need to pray? Just lean into the mystery and know He has invited you. That's all you need: an invitation to pray big prayers.

Pray prayers that are as big as God. There is no prayer too small, but also get bold in your prayer.

Don't fixate on the way God is moving; trust that He's moving.

Make yourself available to pray for things that don't directly involve you. Pray for things that matter to God. Spend a lot less time informing God and the people around us. He knows all the details.

Link miracle prayers to bold mission. Don't try to use God's mission to get Him to do what you want Him to do, but make sure you're connected to God's mission when you ask Him what you want Him to do.

“

"So what do you do when you have prayed and the miracle didn't happen? Your prayer (of faith) still shook heaven. When we get to heaven, we will see the miracles that did happen that we never saw. Our faith touched the heart of Almighty God- that's a miracle!"

”

Louie Giglio

Discussion Questions

Read Psalm 115:3, 134:4, and Job 42:2. What does this tell you about God and how does it affect prayer?
What was the posture of the heart that the centurion portrayed?
How did Jesus respond to the centurion both in word and in action? Luke 7:9.
How did Jesus pray in John 12:23-28? What were His options?
Louie Giglio explained how praying that the Father gets glory is a prayer that is always answered. How have you experienced this?
What do we need to shift in our mind when we pray fervently and the miracle we are begging God for does not happen?
How are our prayers represented in Revelation 5: 6-9?
Do you pray prayers that are as big as God is, or do you pray tiny prayers that don't embolden your faith?
In Acts 4:29, what 2 things did the believers pray for?
What was the result of their prayer?

Scripture References

The Scroll and the Lamb

1Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

and with your blood you purchased for God

persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

10You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

and they will reign on the earth.”

11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength

and honor and glory and praise!”

13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise and honor and glory and power,

for ever and ever!”

14The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

3Our God is in heaven;

he does whatever pleases him.

4Before a word is on my tongue

you,

Lord

, know it completely.

2“I know that you can do all things;

no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

20He replied,

“Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

1When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum.

2There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.

3The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.

4When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this,

5because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”

6So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

7That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.

8For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said,

“I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”

10Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

23Jesus replied,

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.

Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin

1The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.

5The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11Jesus is

“ ‘the stone you builders rejected,

which has become the cornerstone.’

12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

13When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16“What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

21After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

The Believers Pray

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

31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

The Believers Share Their Possessions

32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

36Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

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.