It is common for our prayer lives to become a last line of defense rather than a daily rhythm. In this 4-day track, Louie Giglio teaches us how to maintain a right-perspective of God and grasp how His love for us beckons us into a deeper relationship with Him.

While we do have access to God through prayer in times of need, He actually desires us to go so much deeper with Him and ignite a faith that can change the world.

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! Prayer is moving through the day with the awareness that God is sovereign.

This shifts our earthly perspectives, plans, and purposes so that Heaven is seen on earth. Jesus assumes you are in the habit of praying according to Matthew 6:9. He says, “As you pray, this is how.” He tells us how!

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-10

There is a mind-blowing relationship on the table for you today.

Matthew 6:9 starts with “Our Father.” Therefore, we start with an 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.

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 Heavenly Father. God moves out of love and purpose to bless, and He wants the best for us. He is saying, “Come first as my child.”

Through Jesus, we have been adopted as sons and daughters of God and get to call Him Dad. He is for you, and that reality has the power to completely shift how you move through your life.

See Ephesians 1:5. He’s the God of the universe. He created all things, knows all things, and is in control of all things…and He’s your Dad.

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 world is 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.

Are you willing to commit to a divine exchange of wills? Are you willing to say to God, “I know what I want to see happen in my life, but I’m willing to open my hands and lay down my plans because I believe that you know best, and so however you want to use me, I’m yours”?

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”).

As Jesus prayed in Gethsemane (Luke 22:41-42), He asked 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 wants 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.”

Just look at what happens after Peter and John pray this prayer, a prayer not to change the circumstances but to empower them to do God’s will.

After 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.

All 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. With 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 that 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 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
Acts 4:31-35

Peter and John’s prayer in the middle of persecution, a prayer of surrender and empowerment, was a plea for God to accomplish His will, not their own, and He did. Herod and Pontius Pilate had conspired against them, but what they meant for evil, God used for good. The word of God was flung far and wide, and generosity sprung up.

So, today, in your circumstances, amidst all that may be happening, are you praying as a loved child? Are you pausing to remember who you are praying to? And are you willing to not just pray for the answer but to pray for God to use you as a part of the answer?

Are you praying for God to change the situation, or are you praying for Him to change you?

This is the mindset that He is calling you to internalize. Write this down, and keep it somewhere you can see it often:

I want to be constantly aware that my Father is the Sovereign King, and He looks after me, but He’s 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.

There may be days when it doesn’t look like God is looking after you, but remember that all of us walk by faith and not by sight, and despite what we can see with our eyes, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that even a trying situation will result in the best outcome.

And so we will pray for God:
To move
To heal
To deliver
To bring salvation
To bring peace
To bring light
To break chains
To open doors
To break strongholds
To release kingdom truth in power and love

But MORE than to ask for answers, we will ask to BE the answer. We’ll move from asking God to do something to asking God what He wants us to do so that on Earth, the people around us will see Heaven in us.