NOTES: Defragment, Part 3

Sermon: Defragment 3: Prayer

Date: Sunday February 26, 2023

Text: Luke 10:17-24

Luke 10:17–24 (ESV)

Let’s Connect:

To Defragment: an invitation to simplify our whole lives around Jesus

— keeping company with him in his ways & practices

For memory:

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

YOKE:

The challenge and blessing of prayer:

Text Explained:

Luke 10:17–24 (ESV)17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Story: 72 Disciples

Jesus redirects their attention to the one thing that really matters— their living relationship with Him.

21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Jesus’ prayer to the Father:

 23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

Jesus turns to the disciples:

2 Corinthians 3:14–18 (ESV)”14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. … 7 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Our human senses cannot be the steward of our faith; faith must be the steward of our senses.

Seeking; Seeing:

Prayer is largely about the process, not the result—there can and will be results—

but what makes prayer simple is that we are coming to a Person more than seeking answers.

This means moving our goal for prayer away from something transactional, a

vending machine approach, into a life-journey

Let’s Relate:

Different ways/practices of prayer:

Perhaps new to you: Solitude, Examine, Centering/Silent,

Our Challenge:

Have a greater and growing awareness of the presence of God throughout our days.

As that happens, we can be one of the 72 who says “even _(that bondage/brokenness/challenge)____ is subject to Your Name”

Closing:

Closing Blessing: Isaac of Stella, “ May the Son of God who is already formed in you, grow in you, so that for you He will become immeasurable, and that in you He will become laughter, (and) the fullness of joy which no one can take from you.”