Teach Us To Pray...in Alignment with God

·34 min·3 clips

Adam Darris reveals why his wife insists her prayer journals must be burned after she dies.

This episode is the second week of Calvary Church's 'Teach Us to Pray' series, delivered by Adam Darris, who serves young adults. Darris opens by noting over 800 people have signed up for prayer prompts and highlights prayer's centrality in scripture, citing over 650 recorded prayers. He shares a personal anecdote about his wife's prayer journals to emphasize prayer's intimacy. The teaching is structured into two main parts: aligning to God in prayer and avoiding spiritual misalignment. For alignment, Darris explains three principles from scripture. First, pray in Jesus' name, referencing John 16:23-24 and John 14:13-14, clarifying it's not a 'vending machine theology' but an acknowledgment of Christ's role as mediator. Second, pray in God's will, citing 1 John 5:14-15 and the Lord's Prayer, emphasizing that prayer changes us rather than God, illustrated by a quote from E. Stanley Jones about pulling oneself to the shore. He tells the story of Ivan in a Soviet prison camp to show prioritizing God's will. Third, pray as a child of God, using Hudson Taylor's missionary story and Hebrews 4:16 to describe believers' privileged access. For misalignment, Darris lists three hindrances: personal sin, with examples from Isaiah 59 and 1 Samuel 15 about obedience; lack of forgiveness, from Mark 11:25 on hypocrisy; and doubt, from James 1 on faith's object. He concludes with a reflective prayer moment and announcements about church resources. The tone is educational and pastoral, blending biblical exposition with practical application.

As heard by us

A pastoral message ties confidence in prayer to belonging in God's family and alignment with God's will.

Prayer is framed as a matter of belonging in Calvary Church's second Teach Us to Pray message. Adam Darris, serving the church's young adults, centers the sermon on alignment with God's will and the confidence that comes from identity as God's child and abiding in Christ.

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Why you'd press play

Press play when you want prayer framed as a child's confident return to a faithful Father.

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