In prayer, Jesus shares His finished works with those who humble themselves. Prayer is the humble communion with the living God as we surrender all in complete humility, allowing Him to prepare our hearts for absolute obedience to His will.

We, the humble ones, learn God’s plan and purpose for the New Humanity through prayer.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship." Romans 12:1

In prayer, Jesus shares His works, which He prepared for us before the world was. Jesus completed our works before He created any of us. Jesus is waiting for us to humble ourselves and find our new identity and purpose IN HIM.

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5

The Bible declares that Jesus fulfilled His works in us and through us before the foundation of the world. Remember, God is sovereign and we are not. God is the Creator, and we are the created. It is only fitting that we wait on God in prayer. In prayer, we await the King to do His bidding in His Kingdom. As His ambassadors, we wait for His humility, instructions, and the power to fulfill them (Grace).

Prayer is all about learning God's will and being transformed into a surrendered, obedient person who can be called upon at any time to fulfill God’s purpose and will.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

We pray to learn what God has done, what God is doing, and how we can join in and contribute to the cause.

We are to do everything for the Glory of God. In prayer, we receive instructions and empowerment to complete His task. In prayer, we can ask for and receive the patience to wait upon God.

"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

In prayer, we join Heaven, which is already in motion. Heaven has been in motion forever and is following God’s will. The work in Heaven never stops, and in prayer, we get to join the parade in Heaven, God’s perfect will already in motion.

"Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. John 5:19-21

• In prayer, we receive impartations of His Sovereign Word (instructions of His will) and the Grace to fulfill it.
• In prayer, we can ask God anything in His name.
• In prayer, we confess our weaknesses, trials, tribulations, and fears–nothingness, complete humility, and helplessness.
• In prayer, we confess our absolute dependence on God’s Grace and Mercy for everything.
• In prayer, we confess an attitude of gratefulness, thanksgiving, and appreciation for God, our Savior, providing for our every need through Grace.
• In prayer, we can seek God's perfect will, purpose, and plan, knowing He is faithful in fulfilling them.
• In prayer, we can admit our nothingness and God’s Sovereignty while expecting His empowerment to work miracles through our humility.
• In prayer, we can renounce selfishness and self-seeking pleasure while setting it at Jesus' feet, ready to receive His love, humility, and self-giving love in return.
• In prayer, we glorify God. In our humbled state, worshiping God as our Father, in complete humility and dependence on God’s Grace as our only source, His light of Glory shines in us and through us.
• In prayer, our humility is His will, purpose, and plan. He fills the humble. Our choice is to receive God’s entire life in prayer or walk in our self life all alone, under our own power and might.
• In prayer, we give away our troubles, trials, and weaknesses to God, and in exchange, we receive the very power and might of God to overcome and to SHINE THROUGH HIS GLORY.

We get to do prayer, the most incredible honor in the universe. In prayer, we give ourselves ultimately. In prayer, we give all of our weakness and fallenness to Jesus, and in return, we receive Jesus’ life and Grace. Giving up our weaknesses and shortcomings in exchange for God’s Grace Glorifies the Father and the Son. We give weakness and He gives life and power to live it to the fullness.

The HAUGHTY will be leveled, and the HUMBLE will be exalted. In prayer, we don’t tell God what to do or ask God to do things on our behalf UNLESS IT IS HIS WILL. We ask to join God in His ongoing prayers and His preordained works.

"and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." James 5:15-16

God’s way is so much better than ours; why would we even try to change, alter, adjust, or tweak God’s perfect will for our lives? Instead, why not ask for the Grace to fulfill His purpose and perfect plan?

"Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself." John 5:25-26

God is SOVEREIGN and ETERNAL

Can God fulfill His eternal purpose and plan? YES! Only God can fulfill it.

Can God fulfill His eternal purpose and plan if we fail to pray or fail to pray right? YES, ABSOLUTELY!

"pray without ceasing;" 1 Thessalonians 5:17

When we seek God, we listen and look for Him. We know that we did not create anything, but God did, and He did it long ago. We know that God is sovereign, and we are not. So, let’s seek and receive God just as He plans and intends, following His complete will by His Grace.

Adam and Eve, the first humanity, screwed everything up. How can a man be trusted with the eternal things of God? He can’t. I have screwed up everything in my life; how can I be trusted with the eternal things of God? I can’t. I confess I can’t do it. Therefore, in prayer, I WILL NOT SEEK MY OWN WILL, BUT I WILL SEEK GOD AND HIS WILL AND HIS POWER TO FULFILL IT.

"By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me... yet you refuse to come to me to have life." John 5:30, 40

Because of my fallen state (Adam’s flesh), I won’t seek God’s permission to change His will for my life to fulfill my pleasure and convenience, NO MATTER HOW AMAZING THEY ARE. Instead, I will ask for Grace to deny myself, die to self, and follow Jesus.

When the serpent came to Eve, Adam and Eve did not seek God’s will; instead, they acted apart from God. Eve and Adam believed in the serpent. They thought God was limiting them. They were deceived. So, apart from God’s will and purpose, they acted on their own–REBELLION and DISOBEDIENCE.

"Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart," Luke 18:1

So, to go into prayer and ask for anything outside of God’s will is sin. To go into prayer hoping God will change His will to fit your convenience or pleasure is a sin. We enter prayer in total surrender and obedience to the Creator of the Universe to seek His plan, His will, and His empowerment to fulfill it. We don’t enter prayer to tweak God’s perfect will to fit our pleasures and ease.

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:29-32

In prayer, we don’t steer God, move Him, or get Him to listen to our prayers. God already knows exactly what we need before we know we need it. God wants us to humble ourselves and ask Him to reveal His perfect will and empower us to fulfill it in His way and in His time.

In prayer, we seek to know and do His will. We seek His mission, vision, purpose, and power. Jesus is our only teacher and leader, and we are to call no one our Father. Jesus is our creator. He is the best teacher ever, and there is no better leader, and there won’t be a better leader. Our part is to humble ourselves, seek His wisdom and will in prayer, listen, surrender, and obey. He promises to empower us to obey by Grace.

In prayer, Jesus directs the humble, blind, oppressed, and powerless back to the Garden of Eden. We got ourselves in trouble by trusting ourselves and following our way. Now is the time to abandon everything to God, our Father, and His Son, Jesus, and follow the TRINITY with absolute surrender and obedience.

In humility and prayer, Jesus gives us status, identity, position, and power to fulfill the FATHER’S WILL.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

Jesus directs our lives through trials, tribulations, and afflictions. As we surrender in absolute trust to Him, Jesus works in His life (humility, surrender, and obedience) through our troubles and weaknesses. But only if we confess, humble ourselves, and give it all to Him to recover, restore, and relaunch.

The testing of our faith through trials and tribulations strengthens us. As we pray over our weaknesses and failures to Jesus, He gives us His righteousness. We receive His gift of Grace by faith through prayer. Instead of going to God and asking Him for a bunch of stuff, let’s ask Him for the Grace to know and to fulfill HIS WILL FOR OUR LIVES. His will is much better than ours.

"to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment – to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,"
Ephesians 1:10-11

Think about how big the universe is and all the parts we know about. Think about all the space, material, and people. God, the Father of it all, must be ENORMOUS. GOD IS BIG, AND NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM–NOTHING.

God has a plan, and it has been the same for eternity. God’s plan will not change but can be revealed and experienced. To live your best life, your highest and best life, join God in prayer, collaborate with Him, and fulfill His perfect will for your life. Don’t go into prayer asking for God to be your personal genie. Surrender yourself absolutely to His obedience.

Think how old the universe is. It’s not only HUGE, it is OLD. Think about the unseen world, the spiritual world, the Heavens–so vast and so unknown, lots to learn. Creation is so BIG, and God is even bigger than His creation. We are tiny. Surrender to God’s perfect will and stop trying to tell God how to run your life on your terms–How dumb!

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

Think about the spiritual world for just a second. Think about all the uncertainties in your life, all the things that can harm you, yet you have no control over them. How did you get here? Who created you? What is your purpose here now and in the afterlife?

After pondering your options regarding prayer for a while now, don’t you think it is time to stop making your silly requests in prayer and instead fully surrender and let God form you into His image of Love? Isn’t it time to rest, listen, and then let Him empower you to fulfill your mission, the one He created for you, to glorify the Father?

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

God knows the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning. God created time and everything in it, including you and me. Only God, omnipotent, the Almighty One, and able to do all things, can fulfill our purpose. Only God can give us a perfect will.

"Praise 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. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love" Ephesians 1:3-4

God does not need to change His plan for us. It is a perfect plan, and His will for us is perfect–HE IS GOD. Therefore, we do not need to request God make changes in His will/plan for us. How can we possibly improve upon God’s perfect plan for us? He created us.

God does not need to make changes, adjustments, or improvements to His plan for us, nor do we. God is the only all-sufficient, omnipotent creator of all things. How would we know to improve upon God’s perfect plan?

"But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. ‘You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’"
Matthew 8:33

You know yourself. You know how much you have messed up your life. You know of all your bad decisions. You know your faults, failures, bad habits, and moral failures. How can you trust yourself to improve upon God’s perfect plan for your life? Aren’t you afraid you’ll ask God to make a change on your behalf? Aren’t you afraid, with your track record, your request will screw everything up in haste and unintentionally ruin your life and much of the universe?

"Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalms 139:16

Do you realize that anything outside of God’s perfect will is sin? Why would you ever ask God for anything other than His perfect will in prayer? If you don’t know God’s perfect will, why would you ask Him for anything except to know and fulfill it? Are you willing to settle for anything less than God’s perfect will? Knowing yourself, why would you even risk it, even a little?

God announced His plans for humanity to all of creation. Satan did not like God’s plans for humanity. Satan did not want to give up his lofty position to man. Satan asked to change God’s will regarding man. Satan fell in disgrace. In disgrace, Satan deceived Eve and tricked her into questioning God’s heart and questioning His intentions and will.

Eve sought a change without God’s permission. Taking matters into their own hands, using their own opinion and judgment, Adam and Eve fell disgracefully from Grace. Why would you, in prayer, follow satan or Adam and Eve and even request God make changes to His will regarding your life?

"‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’ Jeremiah 1:5

God Created Everything, Making Him Sovereign

God is Sovereign, and He Created everything, including you and me. He gave purpose to everything He created. God finished His work long ago. God’s creatures, us, through prayer, should not be able to reshape God's plans, purposes, or perfect will.

No creature should expect to approach God in prayer and ask Him to change His plans, purpose, and will for them or anyone else. Instead, every creature should seek God’s perfect will, plan, and purpose in prayer.

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
2 Corinthians 3:18

It is silly to think we can shape God’s plans and purpose for our lives. So far, we have not been able to do it on our own. However, we are invited to join God and Heaven as He transforms us into His image through humility and prayer.

Who are we to ask God to change anything? How would that affect others? Jesus asked the Father three times if His cup could be taken from Him, BUT ALWAYS PROCLAIMING GOD’S WILL BE DONE! Jesus did not ask for one thing to change, but that God’s will be done DESPITE THE PAIN, SUFFERING, and HUMILITATION.

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves," Colossians 1:13

As we surrender ourselves entirely to Jesus in prayer, confessing every weakness, fault, and flaw, HE perfects us from the inside out. It is HIS JOB. Only God can transform us. Our part is to confess our weaknesses in prayer, asking Grace to overcome, grow, and thrive, and TRUST He will do it.

A toilet can’t tell the plumber it wants to be the bathtub. The toilet can’t earnestly pray to God, begging to become a drinking pitcher and expecting God to listen and comply. That would be disobedience, following the same behavior that kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden.

"You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures... But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ " James 4:2-3, 6

God is not a Camilian or a magician, and He is not our Genie made ready with three wishes. He is not moved by our self-driven displeasures or begging. Through prayer, God reshapes us (transforms us) so that we can fulfill His perfect plan for our lives.

God does not change His mind about you or me. He is not wishy-washy. He is the only trustworthy one in the universe. No one is trustworthy like the TRIUNE GOD. Fortunately, God does not change His plans and purposes for us on a whim. He certainly will not change our purpose based on our emotional temper tantrums.

"All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No-one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’" Daniel 4:35

The Bible tells us that every spiritual blessing has already blessed us, and we have the fullness of God IN CHRIST–we lack nothing. To approach God in prayer, asking to change his plan, purpose, or will for our lives is unbelief, doubt, and fear. Our attitude should be your will, not our will be done.

God’s original plan is perfect and does not need change. God’s original plan is always being fulfilled and we are invited to join by witnessing the final fulfillment of His will–IN JESUS.

In prayer, we are not to seek God as if He has a reluctant heart and might be persuaded to change His mind. Who are we to even ask?

"according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Ephesians 3:11

Why Pray?

So, then, why do we pray? Why do we pray if we can’t change God’s mind, will, or plans? For one, in prayer, we find our identity IN CHRIST. We find Jesus and His heart for God in prayer.

Prayer is not for us as it is for HIM, Jesus, and the fulfillment of His Kingdom on earth. We are His colaborers and cobuilders. We are invited to join Jesus IN PRAYER and participate in fulfilling and establishing His Kingdom, the Father’s reign and rule on Earth.

We pray to join God’s mission on earth and thus fulfill Christ’s mission in Heaven. We pray to receive clarity, vision, prophecy, understanding, and wisdom so that we can colabor with Christ, bringing glory to the Father.

"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will," Ephesians 1:11

Why pray? We receive God’s wisdom, understanding, empowerment, favor, and strength in prayer.

Why pray? In prayer, we receive God’s JOY, REST, FAITHFULNESS, and PEACE by Grace working through love. How could we ever miss praying?

In prayer, as a free gift of His Grace, we are transformed and receive Jesus’ patience, kindness, humility, surrender, obedience, trust, and faith. If we did not pray, we would miss these things.

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor? ‘Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?’’
Romans 11:33-35

Prayer is an acceptable act of humility and worship and is pleasing to the Lord. We pray to worship the King. We pray to Honor the King. Jesus is our ALL-IN-ALL, and in prayer, through humility, we worship and honor Him as Lord, Savior, High Priest, Prophet, and King.

We are honored to call upon Jesus and His great name in prayer. We get to call upon His Sovereignty and know His perfect will. In prayer, we can cast ourselves and our cares upon His great Mercy and receive forgiveness and Grace to REIGN IN LIFE BY GRACE, overcoming every sin, fault, and failure.

In prayer, we are honored to express our confidence in His Grace for our protection, safety, and provision.

"For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.' Romans 11:36

In prayer, we call upon God’s name and surrender all to Him, humbly asking Him to use us to restore His great name throughout the universe–become TROPHIES OF HIS GRACE!

In prayer, we grow in Wisdom and Grace. We grow in His humility as He supplies our every need by Grace. In prayer, we exercise and experience His faith and faithfulness. In prayer, we grow in love, patience, and kindness. HIS LOVE GROWS THROUGH HIS GRACE.

"In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." John 16:23

In prayer, we receive the WORKS GOD HAS ORDAINED since before the foundation of the world. In humble prayer, God will reveal His perfect plan, with every work He has preordained fulfilled in us through Jesus, His Grace.

God is not our servant or our genie. In prayer, we humbly acknowledge God’s Sovereignty, present our weaknesses, confess our sins, present our needs, and then leave it all with Him to sort out, fix, remove, restore, or fulfill. We have to let everything go–every outcome and result.

"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:8

Prayer is going to God in humility, telling Him my needs, sharing my weaknesses, and committing myself to Him and His Kingdom. In prayer, by Grace, I commit myself entirely to His ways and strength, giving Him the outcome and result alone.

Prayer is trusting God to do His will in His time. It reminds God how beautiful He is and how much He loves us. Prayer is living thankful for His Grace.

In closing, remember, embracing the truth of God's sovereignty in prayer transforms our approach from mere wishful thinking to a divine partnership. By aligning our desires with His perfect will, we unlock the fullness of His blessings and purpose for our lives.

Instead of treating God like a genie, let's embrace Him as the loving Father who desires our ultimate good. Surrendering our selfish desires opens the door to a life filled with joy, peace, and fulfillment beyond our wildest dreams. So, let's step into the boundless possibilities of prayer, trusting in His wisdom, grace, and unfailing love to guide us every step.