Golden Gate Missionary Baptist Church Living in Expectancy Prayer Guide In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3 (NIV84)
December 27, 2015 Dear Golden Gate Family, When a farmer plants seeds in his field, he plants in expectation of a coming harvest. He looks for/anticipates the seeds planted to produce fruit beyond what he has planted. Once planted, the farmer does not sit back and watch for the plants to come up, he also fertilizes, pulls weeds, cultivates the soil around the plants and even seeks to provide water if rain is lacking. In other words, he works hard in expectancy of a great harvest. Golden Gate, we have seen God plant the seeds of revival in our midst, producing repentant and confessing hearts, free and spontaneous worship, generous giving, and consistent and powerful praying. God has surely begun a new work among us. Like the farmer, I trust that we have planted in expectation and are willing to continue the work necessary for the seeds to become fully grown, producing grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold. (Mark 4:8) Surely we will not be like the people of Jesus hometown among whom he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief (Mark 6:5 6a). We are looking for a mighty work! Our theme for 2016 is. The Psalmist pleads - May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! (Psalm 72:6) Because he has already demonstrated his commitment to us and answered our prayers in unexpected ways, we want to demonstrate our faith in his desire to do Even Greater Things through us. And we expect him to do so because he promised. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (John 14:12 14) Let me say though, there is a difference between having expectations and living in expectancy. Expectations not based on the Word of God become demands based on our desires and our will. Living in expectancy is based on the great and precious promises of God and working in cooperation with him, watching and waiting for him to fulfill his Word. When we live in expectancy we trust his timing and his process for bringing about his will. When we live with expectations, we are subject to discouragement and bitterness when our expectations go unmet. When we pray in expectancy, we work with all our might and leave the results to God. When we pray with expectations, we sit around waiting for God to do something and presume he will do what we ask. Leading up to 2016, I am asking you to spend this week opening your spirit and heart in preparation for God to rain on us. Consider whether you are living with expectations or living in expectancy. Seek the promises of God s Word which apply to your life. Then! Please carve 15-20 minutes each day walk through the four movements of reading, meditating, praying and listening. Come prepared 1 st Sunday in January 2016 for rain! Pastor Parker
Monday, December 28 - God s Activity in My Life o In 2015 what has God done in my life, that only he could do? o What have you learned this year about God? o Thank God for all that he has accomplished, especially for those things that were unexpected. o Find a Promise then : Is there a promise God has already made to you that he has not fulfilled yet? Then keep asking, seeking and knocking. o My soul, wait thou only upon God; For my expectation is from him. Psalm 62:5 (KJV)
Tuesday, December 27 - God s Expectations for My Life Movement 1 - Reading The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the LORD of Heaven s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence. Isaiah 5:7 (NLT) o How am I doing at fulfilling God s expectations? Some of God s expectations include Matthew 22: 37-40; 28:19-20 o What do I need to confess and repent of regarding his expectations? o Find a Promise then : Is there a promise you have already made to God that you have not kept? Ask God to help you fulfill that promise. o I wait expectantly for your salvation; GOD, I do what you tell me. Psalm 119:166 (The Message)
Wednesday, December 30 - God s Expectations vs. My Expectations You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD Almighty. Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Haggai 1:9, (NIV84) o How have I been living with expectations, rather than with expectancy? (See opening letter from Pastor Parker) o What is God telling me about my expectations? o Pray for a heart of expectancy Ask God to move your expectations from yourself to him alone. o My soul, wait thou only upon God; For my expectation is from him. Psalm 62:5, (KJV 1900) o Find a Promise then : Is there a promise God has made to you, but you are trying to fulfill it in your own wisdom and strength? Ask God to transfer the responsibility from you to him. o As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. Philippians 1:20
Thursday, December 31 - God s Future for Me For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) o Do I believe God has a plan (expectations) for my life? What are some signs that God s plan is coming to past? o How is my patience as I wait for God work out his plan for me? Movement 3 Prayer o In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. (Luke 2:25, The Message) o Find a Promise then : For what is God asking you to live in prayerful expectancy? _ Movement 4 Listen o I m glad from the inside out, ecstatic; I ve pitched my tent in the land of hope. Acts 2:26, (The Message)
Friday, January 1 God s Expectations for Our Golden Gate Family. And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. Acts 3:5 (ESV) o Like the man lame from birth expected to receive something from Peter and John, what should we expect to receive from God for The Gate? o The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. Romans 8:19, (NIV84) o For what do we wait in eager expectation for Golden Gate? o Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24, (NIV84) o Find a Promise then : Is there a specific promise that I am willing to pray on The Gate s behalf? o I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; Psalm 130:5