Go a little deeper
Pastor Keith Kirkpatrick opens this Fullness message by acknowledging that a sermon can offer only a cup of God's goodness when there is an ocean of his excellence, and he urges listeners to seek God for themselves. He frames the message around one conviction: no one experiences the fullness of God without prayer—not prayer as a formality before meals or at church, but the ceaseless, passionate pursuit Paul commends to the Thessalonians. Powerful prayer, he says, has nothing to do with the one praying and everything to do with the God being prayed to.
He grounds this in Scripture. From James 5 he retells the story of Elijah, an ordinary human being like the rest of us, whose fervent and repeated prayer preceded years of drought and then rain. From 1 John 3 and 5 he draws two conditions for effective prayer: praying according to God's word and God's will, with confidence that he hears. He then moves to intercessory prayer, defining it as standing in the gap for others and pointing to Jesus' prayer in John 17. When we don't know what to pray, Romans 8 says the Spirit intercedes for us in our weakness, and God works all things together for good for those who love him—not that all things are good.
The sermon closes with Acts 12: Herod imprisons Peter, the church prays earnestly, an angel frees Peter, and Rhoda's report is dismissed—yet the church is amazed when the answer stands at the door. Pastor Keith draws three responses from the story: get up, get out, and get ready for more, and he applies this candidly to habits and struggles in the church and city. He ends with an invitation to salvation and a prayer of confession, reminding listeners that the words themselves are not magic—belief and trust in God are what matter.
Take this with you
Prayer is the doorway to fullness
Pastor Keith insists that the fullness of God is not experienced apart from prayer—not merely occasional or routine prayer, but ceaseless, passionate prayer, echoing Paul's instruction to the Thessalonians. Everything else in the sermon hangs on this claim: the one who does not pray will not experience what God has for them.
Powerful prayer is about the one you pray to
The secret of powerful prayer, he says, has nothing to do with the person praying and everything to do with God. From James 5 he notes that Elijah was an ordinary human being like us; what made his prayers powerful was the God he prayed to. As we pray, we come to know a God who is able to do more abundantly than we can ask or think.
Pray according to God's word and will
Drawing on 1 John 3 and 5, Pastor Keith says effective prayer is aligned with God's commands and will, not an attempt to bargain with or direct God. Confidence in prayer grows from obeying God's word and trusting that he hears—thanking him in advance rather than only begging.
Maturity moves prayer toward others
New believers tend to pray mostly for themselves; maturing prayer becomes intercessory, standing in the gap for others as Jesus does in John 17, and even praying for those who persecute you. When we don't know what to pray, Romans 8 says the Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us.
Get up, get out, get ready for more
From Acts 12 Pastor Keith draws three responses after God answers prayer: get up and act, get out of what holds you back, and get ready for more. He warns against praying for freedom while staying chained in old habits, and calls the church to earnest intercession so that God gets the glory and his word multiplies.
The conversation,
in their words.
Transcript from the recording’s captions. Select any timestamp to hear the original audio.
I believe that God wants to do greater things in you we've been talking about what it means to experience the fullness of God and you know the job of a Preacher to come before you and try to explain anything of God is tremendously difficult to do in just a few minutes it would be as if I I was to come before you and explain to you the expanse of the oceans all around the world and I only had a few minutes to tell you about all the sea creatures and all the plants and about the depth of of the oceans and about the shallow Shores with the the coral reefs if if I was to tell you about how wonderful all the oceans were in just a few minutes time would not do justice for me to explain all that there is to tell and I feel like when I come before you on a Sunday and I know I only have just but a few minutes I'm not here to talk about the ocean's Waters I'm here to talk about the maker and the creator of
the oceans and I feel like sometimes all I can give you is just a cup of his goodness and in reality there's an ocean of his excellence there's so much more than what I can do in just a few minutes and so all I can do is spur you on is to go seek him because Jesus said blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied you go after God you're going to get God Jesus said you should seek first the kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you if you seek God you're going to find him some are here today are hurting and you don't even know what to do or where to go next and Jesus gives you a great invitation not to do life on your own but he says come to me
not a preacher not another person Jesus have come to me and I will give you rest he says learn from me so I stand before you recognizing today that I cannot do God justice but he's confirmed and reminded me that I'm not the one that does the work he is I'm just the vessel and like David prayed in Psalm 23 I pray that my cup would overflow that what God's done in me he would do in you because I stand before you today and say if God can change me he can change you if God can save me I'm here to tell you he can save you if God can give me a vision and in the wisdom of Proverbs where there is no
vision Revelation the people will perish they'll live without restraint God can give you a vision for your life this is a very miracle of God sometimes we think of Miracles as something Supernatural like a physical healing or a financial Miracle or or something spectacular but I'm here to tell you salvation is a great miracle I should not be saved I am a sinner I did nothing to earn my salvation God gives you the free gift of Grace that by believing in him he gives you the gift of Salvation this is a miracle and when you receive this miracle it just keeps multiplying he gives you the miracle of Hope he gives you the miracle of a purpose for your life he gives you the miracle
of a plan do you know what the Bible says you are God's workmanship he's got special things planned for you that you don't even know about he made you to fulfill his plan that's a miracle you're his Masterpiece you look in the mirror and say oh but me oh yes you God made you and he did a great job you are loved you are made by God he wants to do a great work in you and through you but believe in his miracles that he's not done yet so how can you receive these Miracles how could you be a part of what God's doing how could you receive the fullness of God there's one word with four letters that you have to do to experience the fullness of God and that is the word pray
if you do not pray you will never experience the fullness of God I'm not talking about prayer sometimes I'm not talking about prayer at church I'm not talking about praying before a meal I'm talking about doing what Paul said to the Thessalonians pray without ceasing don't stop praying you really want to experience the miracles of god you really want to experience the fullness of God you want to know what God's plan is for your life you must pray so the title of today's sermon is just no ordinary prayer but powerful prayer come on God did not make you to have a an easy prayer life a simple prayer life you think God made you to have an ordinary prayer life
he wants you to have powerful prayer so I'm going to tell you the secret to powerful prayer and it has nothing to do with you has everything to do with God it's the one you pray to it's the one who works through you when you pray that when you pray something spectacular happens I just said this earlier God is able to do more abundantly you can't think big enough for An Almighty infinite all-knowing God you just can't do it so the more you pray the more you get to know this God and the more he interrupts your prayer life that all of a sudden Everything Changes if you've settled in your life with an ordinary God
or ordinary prayers may God resurrect that dead dream and bring to life who he is Jesus wants you to know who he is that he has all power and authority over the enemy he's got power over your life and over your family he's got all power over all sickness I'm telling you we have a great and mighty God and to start with powerful prayer you've got to recognize Who You Are and who you are will change who God is let me just explain what I mean for a moment when Jesus encountered lepers not to be mistaken with leopards the animal lepers those with Leprosy those with disease this was a time where they would
have to cry out unclean they were unable to go to the temple they were unable to enter into the marketplaces they they were set apart they were marginalized because of their disease and Jesus was not afraid of them he did not move away from them but Jesus was able to see them for who they are and when they recognize who they were Jesus was able to touch the untouchable I don't know what kind of sickness you have today but I'm here to tell you Jesus is not afraid of it Jesus was not afraid of those who were disabled in fact instead he said your disability is meant to give God the glory he switches our paradigms for those that seem like they just don't have faith you can actually pray to God help my unbelief he does not condemn you he does not
shame you yet he joins you on that Journey of Faith to show you that he's the one you can believe in when you're grieving God doesn't leave you to grieve alone but Jesus steps into that grief and we we witness a god that actually was willing to cry how great is almighty God when he steps into our grief you've got to start by recognizing who you are because if at just the right time you have an encounter with God one of the greatest questions Jesus would ask is what do you want me to do for you and if you can't answer that question you won't be prepared to give God what only God can do you'll say silly things like bless this
food in the hands that prepared it give us traveling Mercies which if you want to pray for your food and you want to pray for your travels that's fine I'm just saying God can do more he can do more when you're ready to say I'm tired of not seen give me my sight I'm tired of not walking I want to leap I'm ready to be whole I'm ready to be clean so so the way we do this is we allow God to be involved in our lives and our prayers will be powerful and effective when we go to God we will see God do what only he can do we will get to do what Elijah did Elijah was a prophet in the Old Testament that
was able to call down fire from heaven he didn't do it but that was some powerful prayer in fact James tells us in the New Testament referring to this prophet in the Old Testament he says in James 5 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours he was just a human he was just like you don't think that Elijah had something that you don't have the reason Elijah's prayers were powerful was because the same God that you prayed to is the god that he prayed to Elijah was a man with the nature like ours and he prayed fervently this is what the church needs today some fervent prayer some Earnest prayer we need some passionate prayer he prayed fervently this means it's not one time it's not two times it's not three times
he kept coming back to God that it might not rain he prayed and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth James goes on to say then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the Earth bore its fruit do you know what we call that today a coincidence Elijah prayed that it wouldn't rain and it didn't rain Elijah prayed that it would rain and it rained as a staff this week we talked about this how so many times we deflect the glory off of God and onto the ways of this world we we pray for something God does and says that's weird the more you have powerful prayer the more you see it's effective it works that we ought to keep coming back to God now Elijah was a man just like us he
watched God do great things then he ran off and was in fear out in the wilderness which helps me to understand that we don't always get it right we will sometimes carry the anxiety and God will interrupt that and actually say no listen I am for you as the promise of the scripture say if God is for you who can be against you now Elijah did was what's Impossible by man humans cannot change the weather I've tried the weather app changes all the time but but at the end of the day you have no power over the weather we can do a lot of things in this world we live in an amazing technological informational age we can do a lot of things we can create AI but we cannot create the weather you can create a lot of things with your hands but you cannot create the weather
but yet Elijah when he prays is able to do that which man cannot do how can Elijah do the impossible God Elijah didn't do it he prayed and God did the work this is where prayer is powerful that you ask God to do what you can never do on your own you ask the one that gives the rain to stop the rain you asked the one to give the rain to start the rain and all of a sudden we witness God doing a tremendous work now some of you say well I've done that before I've asked God to stop the rain he didn't stop the rain I've asked God to start the rain he didn't start the ring I want to look
carefully at the promises of God so that we don't misunderstand this because our God is not a Genie in a Bottle Our God does not work like Santa Claus where we get to ask him whatever we want as long as you've been a good boy or girl then he's going to give it to you if you've been naughty then he won't that's not how it works according to God's word there's two things that happen with with a powerful and effective prayer number one is this according to God's word and number two it's God's will so you've got to know God's word to know God's will John who wrote three little letters that are found near the end of the Bible describes what it means to follow Jesus in this world and he talks about prayer in first John chapter 3 he says whatever we ask I love that whatever this is Broad this is how great God is whatever we ask
we've received from him how awesome is that whatever you ask God he's going to give it to you because here's a condition the condition is God will give you whatever you ask for with this condition we keep his Commandments and do what pleases him now if we actually believe this we would actually keep his Commandments if you do what God asks of you God will do what you ask of him do you see how that works so many times we actually make a clause with God as if somehow you have some authority over God and say listen God if you do this for me then I'll do this for you we have it backwards we cannot take the role of God and give an ultimatum to God listen I'll obey you if you give me a husband
or wife or help me win the lottery come on anybody ever prayed that prayer a bunch of liars in the house I saw a great meme just yesterday that said something along the lines of there are no atheists when you've clogged the toilet at someone else's house tell me that's not theologically sound and you don't know that unless you've done it or you see red and blue lights in your rearview mirror please be for someone else I believe in you God John says if you would keep the word of God God will move mightily no no what is the
Commandments that God's asking you verse 23 in the same chapter says and this is his Commandment that we believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ this is what actually changes everything it's not what you can do it's about who he is John wrote in chapter 1 of his biography about Jesus life he says to all who did believe in Jesus and received his name he calls he gives you the right to be called the child of God so when you believe in Jesus you understand who you are that you're now going to your father and you're asking of God to do what God's able to do so you receive his name you believe in the name of Jesus the only son and then you go on and love one another just as he commanded us you do what God has asked you to do which is to believe in him and love others so you pray according to God's
word you do what God says and now you're fulfilling God's will in your life we see this a few chapters later in first John 5 verse 14. this is the confidence I want you to have a confidence that when you pray this is the confidence you should have a confidence every time you talk to God you can have a confidence that whatever we have this is the confidence that we have toward him that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us so if we obey his word as according to his will he'll do it and verse 15 says and if we know that he hears Us in whatever we ask we know that we have the requests that we've asked of him
the more you pray powerful prayers you are already thanking God because you know he's already done it this is how you know you're maturing in your faith that you no longer are just begging of God you're actually thanking God because you know he's already done what you haven't seen him do you don't even know how he's going to do it or when he's going to do it you just trust that he's going to do this I wonder today what you're asking for I wonder today how you're praying how often you're praying powerful prayers happen when God changes your life and you continually trust in him turn to him run to him ask of him seek of him you keep knocking and knocking until God gives you what you're asking for and you know what starts to happen this
is what I've learned and it's so interesting that the longer you follow Jesus the more you realize how much more you need to know of Jesus I'm learning so much about God right now and so much about the church and so much about what it means to to follow Jesus and live in the spirit that is so shaping me and changing me that here's here's what I've learned When you pray and you mature in your faith you become an intercessor in prayer your prayers change from prayers about me to prayers about others now intercessory prayer is powerful prayer I've got to explain intercessory prayer because it's something new that unfortunately I didn't learn the first few Decades of following Jesus intercessory prayer is the way that Jesus prays go read John chapter 17. it's intercessory prayer Jesus is praying the entire chapter now let me just explain intercession for a moment the word intercession means to intervene
another way to think is is to stand in the Gap that if there's an enemy and you're the target to intercede is someone standing in the gap between the enemy and you intercession is to intervene on behalf of someone else so when you're praying for someone else that's intercessory prayer now someone who's typically new to the faith only prays for themselves because Lord my life is a hot mess and I need you to fix it I need you to give me what I don't have I need you to heal me where I'm sick I need you to do this but the more you mature in your faith you start to deflect all of that power of God onto other people that God what you've done in me I want another people you really start to get this when you have kids because it's one thing when you're sick and you pray that that sickness would be gone but when your kids get sick it's like Lord just take that sickness away that's intercession
intercessory prayer reflects the heart of God now you want to be a powerful prayer Warrior you'll pray like God now here's where this changes absolutely everything because powerful prayer is when you pray for others and you actually have to pray that what you don't want to pray Jesus teaches us that in Matthew 5 he says but I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you you know you've entered that powerful prayer life when you're actually praying for people you don't want to pray for this changes everything the Bible says and we're going to study this this summer in second Timothy that The Godly will be persecuted so if you're not persecuted it's either
not yet or you're not godly and Jesus says you pray for those who persecute now let me just be really clear here because I've wrestled with this a lot in my life Jesus does not say go ahead and get used and abused and walked on by other people no he said pray for them Jesus was persecuted Jesus was questioned about his authority they wanted to take Jesus and kill him before he was crucified but you know what he did every time as he slipped out he didn't engage in the argument he prayed he went away to be with the father so the Lord's not asking you to stand in the Gap and get walked on and get abused by people he's asking you to pray for them because they're not doing what they ought to be doing because Jesus when he died he gave up his life
it looks like he was arrested but let me tell you when Jesus was arrested even the glory of God showed up in that moment in the garden Jesus gave up his life and while he was hanging on the cross you know how he interceded he said father forgive them they know not what they do you start to see the world differently you don't pray ordinarily because when it's all about you you're praying for you Lord protect me Lord my feelings are hurt Lord this is about me listen Jesus said The more you understand him and walk in his ways you understand this if they hate you Jesus said actually they hated me first I didn't come here to create peace Jesus said I came here with a sword wait all this doesn't make sense no it starts to make sense the more you pray you start to understand that Lord I'm not going to fight in the ways of this world I'm going to fight a spiritual battle I'm going to stand firm against the devil's schemes I'm going to armor
up with everything you gave me and when I've done everything Paul says in Ephesians 6 you pray you pray do you know Jesus not only prayed in John 17 an intercession for you he said that you'd be Sanctified by the truth your word is the truth God wants you to be Sanctified the word Sanctified is to be brought to your original purpose to be set apart God does not want you to live like the world Jesus wants you to be more like him how do you know him the word you get in the word of God the more you get in the word of God you obey the word of God now you know the will of God now you start praying powerful prayers how many of you have ever prayed and you didn't know what to pray just show of hands be honest vulnerable religiously real me too keep your hands up look around a bunch of people who want to pray but don't know how to pray you put your hands down that's a lot of us maybe all of us you want to pray for somebody you want to pray for somebody you don't like you don't know what to pray may I just say
you're in good company because the Bible actually instructs us that when you don't know what to pray you should still pray let me give you an example Romans chapter 8. Paul is talking about hope hope is not what's seen if the whole world was like like Disneyland where everything was just happy all the time that wouldn't be hope hope is not having what you want but you believe God's able to give it to you does that make sense you hope and what you don't have now when Paul says that he goes on to say in Romans 8 26 likewise so just like you hope in something you don't have likewise the spirit that's God himself the Lord God Almighty the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness some of you need to receive the word of God today God does not leave you in your weakness he meets you in your weakness the spirit helps us in our weakness for we do not know what to pray so you don't have the words as we ought to but the
spirit God himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words you see there's a myth out there that you have to pray the right prayer for God to answer you you do not need to say the right words you don't need to pray eloquently you do not need any King James uh version of prayer God Thou Art the most holy thee thou uh did I say the right thing Lord the uh hallowed you do not need to say words you don't understand in fact the Bible says that when you pray and you get real with God and say I don't even know what to pray but I just know it's not right the holy spirit groans with you which is so important that at church when you see someone else hurting the Holy Spirit might be working you might not even hear words but something might be happening in the spirit when you're in your car when you're in the shower when you're at home
sometimes the holy spirit is just going to meet you and you're groaning and all that is prayer according to the Bible and the one who searches the heart knows what is in the mind of the spirit because the spirit intercedes God is interceding for you for the Saints according to the will of God God wants you to experience all that he has for you and even if you don't have the words you keep coming back to God you let God work in you through you say Fill Me Lord less of me and more of you look at verse 28 and we know that when you pray when you let the Holy Spirit into your life we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose I need you to note this here
God does not say to those who love him all things will be good I've totally bought into that line when things are bad I'm like what happened Lord no he says I will work all things together for good meaning if you go through something difficult that does not mean that God is absent from this God's going to get you through this how many of you have ever been there before you're in the place you don't want to be and God doesn't remove you from that he gets you through that I want to look at one example before we leave today because it's an example all of us will find ourselves in at least metaphorically in our lives at some point and it's found in Acts chapter 12. if you got a Bible you got to read this story It's So Good by Acts chapter 12 the church is spreading all over the world God is using the church through
the Holy Spirit through real people who believe in Jesus and Jews are believing in Jesus Gentiles are believing in Jesus Gentiles are non-jews and the church is spreading around the world fulfilling the mission Jesus sent us on the church to make disciples of all the nations but by chapter 12 the government is getting involved in all this let me just read this to you and go with me here about that time chapter 12 verse 1 Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belong to the church so you got the government intervening in the church Herod the king killed James the brother of John with the sword and when he saw that it pleased the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also a time out if you don't know who Peter is Peter was a follower of Jesus a disciple he's the one that walked on water he's also the guy that tried to cut off an ear when
Jesus no he didn't try to cut off the ear tried to cut off the head but only got an ear when Jesus was arrested Peter he loved Jesus but he made a lot of mistakes and if you've ever looked at someone that could be used by God Peter is a great example Peter made mistakes he lied and God never gave up on him and so Peter becomes a great preacher in the church is a great example saying if God can use me he can use you but look what happens to Peter here he's preaching about Jesus he gets arrested verse three this was during the days of unleavened bread and when Herod verse 4 had seized Peter he put him in prison delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people he got put in Maximum Security Prison for preaching
about Jesus the world will not always understand Jesus verse five so Peter was kept in prison now let's just pause there for a moment all of us will find ourselves in a metaphorical prison of life sometimes that could be a health problem a relational problem a family problem that could be a financial problem that could be a spiritual problem depression is a prison addiction is a prison when things aren't right in your life you're stuck in the place you don't want to be God never wants to leave you in the place you're not supposed to be Peter should not have been in prison but he's in prison so Peter was kept in prison but Earnest prayer sounds a little bit like Elijah fervent prayer Earnest prayer
intercessory prayer they couldn't be with Peter in prison but but but there was prayer for Peter there was Earnest prayer for me this wasn't like a oh Lord keep Peter safe no this is earnest prayer I'm gonna keep praying Earnest prayer for Peter was made to God the almighty God that can do anything the maker of heaven and Earth Earnest prayer was made to for Peter to God by the church the church was interceding for Peter this is how you know you've matured in prayer you're praying for others they were praying for Peter in prison they're praying earnestly look at verse six now when Herod was about to bring Peter out on that very night Peter was
sleeping Between Two Soldiers bound with two chains and centuries before the door were guarding the prison and behold everyone say behold behold all it takes with God is a beholder a moment a second a day one night when you're sleeping behold an angel of the Lord stood next to Peter and a light Shone in the cell and he struck Peter on the side you don't think that God doesn't slap you sometimes up the side and it woke Peter up saying get up quickly everyone said get up get up get up get up get up quickly and the chains fell off his hands and the angel said to him dress yourself and put on your sandals and he did so and he said ah put it wrap your cloak
around you and follow me there's an image here that he was naked he was in a posture of of humility a humiliation here he is naked the age is like no no you're not naked anymore you're not gonna be humiliated anymore get up we're getting out look at verse 9 and he went out and followed him but Peter did not know what was being done by the angel was real but he thought he was seeing a vision this was so surreal he thought he was in one of those weird dreams that you know it's not real but it feels real and you're kind of half asleep but you're also dreaming anybody ever been there before Peter's like this is just a dream no way this is real life chains falling off a light in a dark place in the middle of the night he walks right by the prison he he thinks this whole thing is a dream that's
because what God does is impossible when there's Earnest Prayer by the church when they had passed the first and second guard they came to the Iron Gate I'm in verse 10 leading into the city it opened for them like those doors at the grocery store before those doors were created of its own accord and they went out and went along the street and immediately the angel left him now when Peter came to himself he realized he's pinching himself over and over when he came to himself he realized that he said now I'm sure that the Lord has sent an angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting Peter would later write he says listen you should be careful who you're interacting with
because you might be entertaining angels I think he understood that sometimes Angels come in the form of man and you don't even know it that happens right here in this church it's happened with car accidents it happened recently with a an accident with water I'm just telling you sometimes you just don't know what God's gonna do when he realized this Peter verse 12 when he realized this when you really wait that was a God thing that was an angel where'd he go hey where'd you go he realized now he's standing in the street in the middle Night by himself when he realized this he went to the house of Mary the mother of John whose other name was Mark where many were gathered together and what were they doing there that's right they were binge watching Netflix what else do you do when the world is going to hell in a handbasket just get your mind off this a little me time would be nice wouldn't it
maybe go on vacation everyone else is going to Mexico maybe you should go there too you know what the church is doing during that time praying so they were there praying middle of the night middle of the night some of y'all think I don't know if I can come back to Pursuit and I do Church two times in one day this is the middle of the night the church is praying we just ask you to come for an hour five o'clock we're going to change it to six starting in June when Peter verse 13 when Peter knocked on the when he knocked on the door the Gateway a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer you know not many people are noticed in the Bible but this servant girl Rhoda is I believe it's because what she does next she she was excited recognizing Peter's voice in her in her Joy she did not open the gate but she ran and reported to those who remember they're praying and said Peter
would stand the gate they're praying for Peter Peter's at the gate and they said here you're out of your mind they're praying for Peter Peter's right there and they're saying you're crazy you know sometimes we miss it when God is working how may I hear so I'm not alone sometimes we're praying for one thing God does that thing and it's right there at our doorstep and it's like you're you're the you're the crazy one we call that gaslighting today but it happened back in the early church too we should have a little more Grace with each other recognizing Peter's voice she goes and they said you're out of your mind verse 15 but she kept insisting that it was so and they kept saying that must be his angel so they're believing in a different Miracle than what the miracle God gave verse 16 but Peter continued knocking guys let me in I mean he's worried the Sun is going to come up the the guard's going to come he
kept knocking and when they opened they saw Peter and they were amazed you ever been in that place like amazed that God did the very thing you were praying they should have been like we knew this was going to happen Peter we were just praying for this but they were amazed verse 17 but Motion in them with his hands to be silent he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison it was the Lord that brought him out of the prison it was the Lord that brought him out of the prison I don't know what prison you're in right now but the Lord's going to bring you out of this and he said tell these things to James and to the brothers then he departed and went to another place he wasn't going to stay there to be persecuted I'm gonna take Jesus at his word and just pray for them I'm gonna get out of here I'm gonna pray for that I'm gonna put some boundaries in my life I'm not going to keep
repeating this Verse 18 now when the day came there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had happened to Peter you know everybody's blaming each other you must have unlocked those those chains I didn't unlock the change you unlocked I didn't do that man you know how hard I sleep I didn't do that either and everybody's blaming each other for why Peter's not there look at verse 19. after Herod searched for him and did not find him he examined all the soldiers and ordered that they should be put to death then he went down from Judea to caesarea and spent time there listen when you follow Jesus he can't keep you in the place where you are don't stay stuck don't stay in prison it might not be the place you want to be but God's going to get you there and there's three things I want you to know with this when there's intercessory prayer when you're a Praying person I'll tell you what happens God's going to take you to the place he wants you to be he might let you go through this but here's what you
got to do three three little things we learn from this number one get up you got to do something about this too some of us are going through something and we're blaming everybody else while we're still stuck and god Set You Free from the chains he's given you an open door and it's time for you to do what get up you got to do something about this God gave you his word now you got to obey the word it's too much for us to think that somehow God's going to work when when you're still stuck and he's trying to get you out get up the next thing I got to do is get out get out let the Lord speak to someone here today that's got to stop doing what they're doing if you're surrounding yourself with friends that are bringing you down get out
get out listen I'm going to say this I probably don't have time to say as much as I want to say about this I'm going to get myself a more trouble about this there's so much marijuana in this city and the more I preach against marijuana the more I find out how many people in our church are smoking marijuana and it's for medicinal purposes all right and if it is for medicinal purpose for you good for you go to God with this all right Jesus said it's not what goes into a man that makes him unclean it's what comes out of man meaning God cares about your heart I floated the river with my wife yesterday and there was a guy floating the river who was not doing this for medicinal purposes the two beers in his tube told me that as he was smoking so much that I didn't even get to enjoy that part of the river
I'm telling you that if you keep doing the same thing you're not going to see the power of God at work in your life get up and get out you're coming to Pursuit night every night asking God to free you of whatever that is you're using marijuana for medicinal purposes for I'm gonna have a little more respect for you but you're not powerfully asking God to petition the Heavens to do what only God can do but looking for answers to this world that's a little hard for me I'm not saying doctors aren't Miracles and that drugs aren't Miracles but what I am saying is sometimes we got to get up and get out and when you do that I'm telling you get ready for this get ready for more you thought the prison was stopping you God's just getting started to do greater things I don't know why God lets so many bad
things happen in our lives but my wife and I can testify and we've been vulnerable before you all about our own Journey that sometimes people come into your life when they're absolutely making you miserable is to get you to another place and you wonder why am I chained up to this person why sometimes God say no get up get out and get ready I'm going to do more you pass the test you stay in the prison and God's gonna be like oh I sent you an angel I took off the chains I opened the door but you stayed there look what happens and I'm going to close with this this is the best part of the story now Herod remember the hair the guy that arrested Peter I read the Bible sometimes it's so real now Herod watch out politicians for praying church
now Herod was angry with the people they came together with one Accord having persuaded blastus the king's Chamberlain they asked for peace because their country depended on the king's country for food the people are begging the politicians please don't be mad at us please please please please please please please please please we need you government we need your government and look at this what happens next and on a point of day Herod put on his Royal robes took a seat upon his throne and delivered an oration to him and the people started shouting the voice of a God and not a man this is my favorite part look at verse 23 this is in the Bible immediately an angel of the Lord struck Herod down because he did not give God the glory and he was eaten by worms and breeds his last come on
now that's not even the best part you got to keep reading don't stop there this was not for us to Mock and say oh politicians I hope you rot with worms that's not it I'm serious the church when we're praying this is the best part but the word of God increased and multiplied so that prison you were in that prayer you've been earnestly praying is so that the word of God would multiply God gets the glory god gets the glory god gets the glory for whatever happens the good the bad the ugly why why did God let this happen why to get the glory if you're praying and growing closer to
God that's great because I'll tell you this all of us are going to die at some point so make the most of your life while God has given you a breath see what sticks out to me in this story is Herod had a throne and God has a throne and I wonder today which Throne are you hoping in and they represent Two Worlds this world that you can see with your natural eyes or the one that we hope in which Throne do you hope in the Bible says that if you need help you can run to the throne of grace and God's going to give you help in a time of need God never gives up on you you need help he's going to give it to you some of you today have never surrendered your life to Jesus for the first time you've heard about Jesus you've heard about Hope but you've never actually said I'm Giving You Everything
today's your day listen I I'm so wrestling even with the whole pot thing because we live in a city with so much pot and I just I don't mean any condemnation towards it I don't hey I just I want to be sensitive to the hearts of those who are struggling in this room that Jesus is the one that sets you free so whether you're struggling with same-sex attraction or whether you're struggling with with being in the arms of many lovers or whether you're struggling with your insecurities because of how people have treated you or whether you're struggling because your marriage has been miserable and you thought it would be happy or maybe things haven't gone the way you wanted with your kids listen we're on a Level Playing Field today level equality in this place we all need Jesus if you don't obey Jesus though God can't
give you his will because you're seeking your way over his way so this is the part where this is between you and the Lord and this is the most serious part of what we're going to do in this church service I'm going to ask you do you have the hope of Salvation in your heart and if you don't right now is your time that you can say yes to Jesus the Bible says all you have to do is that one time and when you do you start following Jesus from this day forward doesn't mean you're perfect doesn't mean you have it figured out but it does mean you're taking Jesus so seriously you're giving him your whole life sometimes you got to give up friends sometimes you got to give up Hobbies [Music] and I'm gonna let the Lord speak to that in your life I'm a preacher I can get on soap boxes but it's the Holy Spirit that's going to do the change in your life they say if you're smoking marijuana there's probably people around you doing much worse so there's I just I got to be really
careful though that the sins have like you know a higher place you're either obedient to God or you're not I just want you to be obedient that's my heart to yours I just want you to be abused would you close your eyes I want to ask you today if you want Jesus as your savior would you just throw up your hand and let me know that you're saying yes to Jesus praise God so proud of you praise God praise God all over the place praise God praise God yes anyone else all over the place praise God you're never too young you're never too old you never sin too greatly praise God praise God the boldness in this place to just say yes to Jesus praise God it is not too late there's no sin that Jesus won't forgive he wants you to be a part of his family
his body he wants you to experience the power of answered prayer you can put your hands down let's all pray this prayer together if if you believe this if you're still on a journey of Faith don't pray these words out loud but if you confess Jesus as Lord let's pray it all all together out loud Lord Jesus I give you my heart I give you my life forgive me of my sins I receive the spirit I receive salvation I hope in you in Jesus name amen amen my friends that that prayer is not a magical prayer you just prayed to receive Jesus Christ the savior I tried to keep it simple so that you would understand what you're doing when you pray you're talking to God you're not just talking to God you're
receiving from God the Bible says all it takes is just just a prayer you don't need the right words it's a belief and a trust in God
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Why Prayer, and Why Ordinary Prayer Feels Normal
Pastor Keith opens by admitting no preacher can do God justice in a few minutes, then makes a bold claim: no prayer, no fullness. He distinguishes this from prayer at church, before meals, or before travel, calling instead for ceaseless prayer like Paul's instruction to the Thessalonians, and he points to David's prayer in Psalm 23 that his cup would overflow.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 · Psalm 23
- Where has prayer become a formality for you—meal, church, travel—and what would ceaseless prayer begin to look like in an ordinary week?
- Pastor Keith says powerful prayer has nothing to do with you and everything to do with God. Does that comfort you, unsettle you, or both?
- If you believed the fullness of God depended on drawing near in prayer, what would you change first?
Not a Genie: Word, Will, and Confidence
Pastor Keith clarifies that God is not a genie or Santa Claus—prayer is not a bargain where we take the role of God. From 1 John he names two conditions: praying according to God's word and his will, with confidence that he hears. Maturity shows up, he says, when we thank God in advance rather than only begging.
1 John 3 · 1 John 5:14-15
- Where might you be quietly trying to bargain with God, offering obedience in exchange for what you want?
- Pastor Keith says knowing God's word shapes knowing God's will. How is Scripture shaping what you ask for?
- What would change if you prayed with confident thanks for what God has promised, not only with requests?
Intercession: Praying Beyond Yourself
Pastor Keith defines intercessory prayer as standing in the gap for another, pointing to John 17 as the pattern. He distinguishes this from the early-faith habit of praying mostly about one's own life, and he addresses the common feeling of not knowing what to pray, pointing to Romans 8 and the Spirit's help in our weakness. He also connects intercession to Jesus' teaching about praying for those who persecute you.
John 17 · Romans 8:26-28 · Matthew 5
- Who is currently in your gap—someone you could carry before God regularly in prayer?
- Pastor Keith describes mature prayer as moving from prayers about ourselves toward prayers for others, including those who persecute us. Where is that shift happening in your prayer life?
- When you don't know what to pray, what does it do to your confidence to hear that the Spirit helps us in our weakness?
Acts 12: Chains, an Angel, and a Praying Church
The closing movement retells Herod's imprisonment of Peter, the church's earnest prayer, the angelic rescue, and Rhoda's report dismissed as madness. Pastor Keith notes that the church prayed for exactly what happened and was still amazed. He draws three responses—get up, get out, get ready for more—and applies them candidly to habits and struggles, closing with Herod's downfall and the multiplication of God's word.
Acts 12:1-24
- What is your prison right now, and what would it look like to respond to God's invitation to get up and get out of it?
- Rhoda's friends were praying earnestly and still called her crazy when the answer arrived. Where might that be happening in your own prayer life?
- Pastor Keith warns about praying for freedom while staying chained to old habits. Which habit needs honest attention this week?
Answers from this recording
Start a conversation.
What does Pastor Keith mean by powerful prayer?+
Powerful prayer, in this message, is not measured by eloquence or by how it is worded. He says the secret has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the God you pray to. Drawing on James 5 and the example of Elijah, an ordinary human being like us, he argues that the same God Elijah prayed to is the one we address. Effective prayer, he says, moves according to God's word and will, comes with confidence that he hears, and matures into intercession for others.
What is one way your own prayers have shifted as you have grown in faith?
Does this sermon teach that God will give you whatever you ask?+
Pastor Keith is careful here. From 1 John 3 he names a condition—that those who keep God's commands and do what pleases him can ask with confidence—and then clarifies the core command: believe in the name of Jesus and love one another. He insists God is not a genie or Santa Claus and that we must not reverse roles and issue ultimatums to God. From 1 John 5 he adds that prayer is answered according to God's will, not our leverage.
How would you recognize in your own life when a request is really a bargain with God?
What if I don't know what to pray?+
Pastor Keith pauses specifically for this, asking for a show of hands and acknowledging that many want to pray but don't know how. He points to Romans 8: the Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us when our prayers cannot be put into words. His point is that you don't need the right words or eloquent phrasing. Even wordless groaning can be real prayer, because the one who searches the heart knows the mind of the Spirit.
What would it change to bring your wordless, unpolished prayers to God this week?
