Gospel fluency—God is great
The following prayer guide is one of four where we will focus our prayers around one of the 4Gs of Gospel Fluency. To explore the 4Gs of Gospel Fluency further, you can check out this pdf by Tim Chester who developed this tool, or purchase Tim Chester’s book called You Can Change, or you can pick up Gospel Fluency by Jeff Vanderstelt. The 4Gs are covered in chapter 6.
The 4G’s of Gospel Fluency are:
God is great, so I/we don’t have to be in control.
God is glorious, so I/we don’t have to fear others.
God is good, so I/we don’t have to look elsewhere.
God is gracious, so I/we don’t have to prove ourselves.
There’s so much more to God’s character than what is written above, to be sure. But much of what distracts our hearts on a consistent basis can be traced back to not believing one of these four essential truths.
In this guide, we will focus on “God is great, so I/we don’t have to be in control.”
Consider: We all worry about things to some extent or another. We all have concerns. Sometimes, these thoughts begin to consume us. We might desire certain outcomes in a situation and become upset when they don’t work out. We might be angry that something isn’t happening on the timeline we hoped for.
Is there something currently consuming your thoughts? What are you concerned or worried about? What do you fear? Is there an area of your life that you’re trying to control, but in reality, you feel out of control?
Take a few moments in silence and ask Holy Spirit to highlight any of these areas. You don’t need to do anything else but take a note. Write them down in a journal if it is helpful.
Consider these passages and write down what stands out to you.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28
What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31
O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you! Jeremiah 32:17
For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Colossians 1:16-17
Scripture is full of passages like this. They are declarations of God’s power and control. The Bible begins by describing how God speaks, and the universe is formed. The Bible ends as all of creation is filled with the fullness of the Kingdom of God, and we celebrate that from Him, to Him, and through Him are all things.
Your Father knows what you need—every need. When we become preoccupied with what we feel are our needs, we lose sight of God’s sovereignty. He knows what we need and is in control of all things. And He cares for our needs.
Prayer of confession, unbelief:
Consider taking what you have written above and beginning with a prayer of confession. You might pray something like, “Jesus, I believe I was in control and that I had the power to change [insert what you’ve written]. Jesus, I confess that I did not believe that you were fully in control or that you cared as deeply as you do for what I am going through.” Write your prayer or pray whatever comes to mind. Explore what you are feeling and tell Him whatever comes to mind as you confess.
Prayer of confession, belief:
Now that you have confessed your unbelief. Take a few moments to confess your belief. Take a few moments to declare, “You are great, so I don’t have to be in control. I know this because [insert your own experiences of where you have seen God active in your life, demonstrating his love for you and his authority over all things.] Declare, “You are great, so I don’t have to be in control. I know this because [insert passages of Scripture or truths from Scripture that prove that God is in control].
Consider and pray: When we pray together, we collectively “focus our prayer beam.” This has always been a desire as we share prayer guides. Today, let’s take a few moments to pray for other believers across our city to remember, “God is in control, so we don’t have to be.” Here are a few ideas to consider during this time. You may know people in your network of relationships or your microchurch who are struggling with fear or the need to be in control of a situation. As Holy Spirit brings these people to mind, intercede for them. Pray that today they will be reminded of God’s love for them and His power in their life. Bless them with courage to lay down their need or desire for control and surrender to their Father. Pray that God’s people across our city will model lives that are not power-hungry, but that demonstrate a radical dependence on the authority of Christ.
Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
Pray that we will be a people today who surrender to the Lordship of Jesus in every area of our life.
