Summary of Hi God, it’s me
Preamble
Kirk begins by explaining that God really nudged him throughout the week that he should speak on prayer. He tells us it became pretty obvious God was really wanted a message about prayer delivered to SouthRidge.
Kirk moves on and begins to tell a story about a book he read on the second world war and D-Day. He also connects this to a teacher he had in middle school who taught history. Kirk continues to explain operation “overlord,” which was an Allied military action against the Germans.
Kirk tells us that General Patton “invited” all his soldiers to pray for good weather. Gen. Patton’s army ended up taking the worst battlefield loss of the war! (Yikes!) The reason they lost was also due to bad weather, which was the very thing he asked his soldiers to pray against. Gen. Patton went and then prayed again to God a very passionate prayer called The Patton Prayer. (Add Google link.)
Why did Gen. Patton pray? We can’t be entirely sure of his motives, but Kirk does provide some good logical insight into Patton’s motivations.
Why do we pray?
Kirk goes on to point out reasons why many of us turn to prayer:
- Life’s hardships
- Our needs
- For guidance
- Desperation
- Anger about a terrible life event
Kirk points out that he remembers time when he only leaned on God through prayer when things were bad, yet forgot about prayer when “the weather was good and the waters were calm.”
Philippians 4:6-7 – prayer brings calm
Turning to God will bring a calm into our lives.
Prayer can be a public display that links us to God
Prayer that is visible displays our dependence on God. Kirk tells a personal story about how he prayed for the meal he was about to eat. A woman approached him and they discussed his prayer.
(Matthew 6:5 – but Jesus reminds us not to brag while praying; a hypothetical style prayer where we focus on ourselves and less about God.)
I’ll pray for you vs. let’s stop and pray
Kirk puts a challenge our regarding praying for someone verses praying with someone. He suggested praying with someone might be more powerful. Sometimes just saying “I’ll pray for you” is as far as it goes.
Philippians 4:7 – peace because of prayer
Kirk discusses the concept that peace is connected to prayer. Don’t be deceived that prayer will bring you a perfectly calm life. “Name it and claim it” is not a biblical truth. The “peace” that prayer brings is the trait of God himself. The peace we experience is brought through our connection with God – which prayer is part of that connection.
Prayer is a spoken at of Worship
Patton, while he was irreverent towards God, was still an act of worship because he had to admit that God was Lord over Patton’s life. Kirk shifts to tell us about Nehemiah, and how this old testament man prayed about the destroyed city of Jerusalem and it’s destroyed wall. (Neh 1:4-6). God had a calling on Nehemiah’s life. It’s important to note that Nehemiah fasted and prayed to understand what God wanted him to do.
Conclusion
Kirk points out that God rarely explains everything to each of us. Instead he wants us to turn to him with questions and wonder and communion. God wants to enter into a conversation (a connection) with us, and prayer is an important vehicle for connection.
About the Speaker
Kirk Wood is the associate pastor of community engagement at SouthRidge Church in Langley. He grew up loving hockey and even became a pro hockey ref, as well as a fire fighter, all before becoming a pastor.