Key points
- 1
1Pain and hardship do not have to define your identity; your identity in Christ is greater than your trauma or struggles.
“pain will always do one of two things to you. It can define you or it can begin to become something that that that crafts you into who God wants you to be, but you've gotta make a decision”
“what will either define you is the intensity of your problems or the intensity of your prayers”
- 2
2Pray boldly for God's blessing, understanding that blessing follows order—God blesses lives that are aligned with His ways.
- 3
3Pray for enlarged territory—an increase in influence, resources, and impact—not for ego but for kingdom impact and generosity.
“Blessing follows order. We serve a God of order, and he will not bless that which is out of order”
Illustration
A man in the congregation who is funding a run for a senate seat and argues that Christians must take ground in government or darkness will fill the void.
- 4
4Pray for God's presence to remain with you, recognizing that nothing of eternal value can be accomplished without His Spirit.
Related passageZechariah 4 (implied)“We are going to be we will always be a presence driven church. I think we should be a presence driven people”
“Dependency is the goal”
Illustration
The story of Samson in Judges — a man of great power who, through repeated choices, lost the presence of God without realizing it.
- 5
5Pray for protection—both from spiritual opposition and from situations that tempt you—using wisdom to avoid battles you don't need to fight.
A story from life
Pastor Daniel recounts ongoing pastoral conversations with men struggling with pornography, some of whom chose to give up their smartphones to protect their integrity.
- 6
6God cannot answer prayers that go unprayed; He waits for you to bring your specific requests before Him, just as He asked Bartimaeus what he wanted.
“God can't answer prayers that you don't pray. He can't answer requests that you don't bring to him”
Illustration
The story of blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10 — Jesus asks him to name what he wants before healing him, illustrating that God invites specific requests.
Application
The sermon calls every listener to stop treating prayer as a last resort and start making it their first response—especially in pain. Practically, this means praying the four requests of Jabez daily: ask God to bless you and enlarge your influence, invite His presence to go before you, and ask for protection from harm. But praying for blessing also requires honest self-examination—are your finances, relationships, and habits ordered in a way that positions you for God's favor? Where they are not, bring them back into alignment. Finally, bring your single most pressing need before God by name. He is not waiting for a perfect prayer; He is waiting for an honest one.
