On "The Prayer that Changes You." Part 3

This is an observations review of Rick Warren' Sermon, 

The Prayer that Changes You.

Step 3- The Prayer of Trust... 

This is based upon the Lord's prayer..."Give us this day our daily bread."

Rick tells us that in this step we learn to tell God that we are expecting him to meet all of our needs.  And if you disagree about telling God this or if you think something about this sounds unusual, Rick reminds those listening that it's okay to “tell God “you are expecting him to meet all your needs, because, “Jesus said to do it.” 

Then, he says that we are to be generous, because, "generosity unlocks God's blessing in your life." Rick takes the opportunity to mention how generous Saddleback is, and as an example, he tells about how much good the Saddleback food bank is doing.  We are told that they are feeding thousands of people... and not only that, they are “sharing Jesus Christ with everyone who comes in.”  He then petitions people to donate fruit from their fruit trees to the cause, to bring in and give any extra fruit they might have from their trees to the Saddleback food bank.  

He recites Philippians 4:19, from “the Message,”  (a novel based on the scriptures by Eugene Peterson)  saying, "You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need." 

He is right, God will.

Step 4 Prayer of Forgiveness.

 Rick then goes on to talk about how selfish we are.  He says that we thinking more about ourselves than anybody else. 

          Yes, instead of mentioning us needing forgiveness for sin against God

 he simply tell us how selfish we all are. 

He says we hurt each other both un-intentionally and on purpose and how we need “forgiveness” to get rid of the emotional baggage of guilt that we carry with us, the things that keep us from reaching our goal.  

Yes, instead of mentioning us needing 

forgiveness for sin against God he talks about how our 

emotional baggage keeps us from reaching our goal.

He then says we need to “ask for forgiveness... accept forgiveness and offer forgiveness to others” and he talks about the importance of us forgiving our selves.

No mention of needing to ask forgiveness 

for sin from  God.

Something is drastically amiss! 

Where is the part about the forgiveness of God,

 or of  him cleaning us from all unrighteousness? 

It is just plain missing. 

Rick says we are not going reach our goals "if you do not forgive yourself." 

Yes, again, no mention of needing to 

ask forgiveness for sin from  God.

He then recited a part of the Lords prayer... "Forgive us our sin as we forgive others" and told how step four is to receive God's forgiveness (there it is!)  and release others.  Then he takes us to another scripture... James 3:18, saying, “Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and, what do they do, they reap a harvest of goodness.  " Rick says, " Those peace makers...they are "going to meet their goals, they are going to be successful in life." 

Did you hear him mention anything about the gospel,

or Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sin? 

Did you her anything about eternal life?

 IT is not about salvation here, but about 

your sucess and meeting your goals.

Those “peacemakers".. you see…  

 they are going to "meet their goals

and be successful in life.”

Those “peacemakers?” 

Could these be they who  do Rick’s P.E.A.C.E. Plan,

helping Rick bring "peace" on earth 

by working together to slay

 the five evil giants of the world?

Step 5- The Prayer of Protection

Rick tells us that this is another important element of change, and it's the key to mental and physical health.  This is the part of the Lord's prayer that goes,  "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Rick says, this is "asking God for help" to get out of those areas I know I am struggling in... like to get out of debt, or to get out of poor health.  Rick says that the moment you set a goal, Satan will do anything to keep you from reaching that goal... this is because he does not want you to succeed in life.

(As you heard Rick say just now, ,

Satan does not want YOU to succeed in life,

and you need to know that Satan will

do everything he can

to keep you from the success that comes

when you listen to pastor Rick!

Probably this means all those confused Christians ..

(the ones who warm you about Rick)

 are hindrances “from the evil one” himself, trying to keep others from SUCCESS!

You see, Satan does not want you to succeed,

but Rick does.

Heck, he gives away keys of success all the time,

just listen to him speak!!

Rick says, “Pull out your goal sheet and ask God to help meet that goal.”

He doesn’t bother to mention however

 that in the Bible, James, Chapter 4,

says a little something about the goals we make. 

It says, "Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow

we will go to this or that city, spend a year there,

 carry on business and make money."

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.”

No, Rick says to hang your goals on display

 all around your house..

"I want to give you two verses," says Rick, and then we hear Phil 4:13.." I can do everything with the help of…. Tony Robbins; Oh no!" (he jokes) Then, after the laughter in the crowd he finishes it biblically, " with the help of Christ who strengthens me..." adding that, “I get plugged into the power."  He tells us to write down and memorize 1 Cor 10 :13  so the people write as he recites:

"Remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience… The good news is that wherever there are common temptations, there are common solutions... so we all have the same temptation and it says, God is faithful, he will keep the temptation from becoming so strong, that you can't stand up against it and when you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in."

Rick says, “If you are a Christian, and if you say you cannot help yourself, you are lying." 

Step 6 The Prayer of Victory..

"For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory."

Rick says that no matter how much I mess things up, the end of my life is assured. 

He is right… assuredly, we will reach the end of our life.

Rick says he likes to think about “the end” because...  no matter what happens ultimately we win.  "Nobody can take sways my salvation."  

Thinking of the end, Rick tells us that he likes to think about how, “One day, there will be no more pain in my life, no more suffering; one day there is going to be no more insecurity, no more loneliness, no depression in the world, no sadness in the world, no more jealousy anger, no more conflict, no more broken bodies, minds, mental illness." He says, "One day I am going to heaven and no one can take that from me.  This is all just "small potatoes" compared to what is going to happen for eternity."

He recited Romans 8 38, saying, "I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love, nothing".... and he goes through a list of things that cannot "separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." He references also, 2 Timothy 1:12, "I know the one in whom I trust and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return." Rick says we do not have to keep ourselves "saved." and he talks about how he, himself is a sinner.

Instructing the people in the audience he gave the first assignment... saying that in our first “quiet time” tomorrow morning, he wanted people to use the "carrot and the stick."

He says, John 13 7 is "the carrot." It says, "Now that you know these things". (Rick says this refers to his teaching on setting goals and having a quiet time...) "You will be blessed if you do them." 

The he gives the "the stick": James 4:17.... if you know the right thing to do and do not do it, that is sin... But Rick says he does not want you to sin, so he doesn't want to teach you anymore... else he’d be guilty of causing you to sin more. 

“Tomorrow morning,” he concluded, “set some faith goals in these seven areas… do these seven things…

God loves me

Offer my life to be used

Tell God I am expecting him to meet all my needs.. 

Set some goals, you have not done this yet, you are going to have to do it.   

Thank God for ultimate victory.. then he went over his  main titles of his “components” and “steps” while telling people to do these things.  

Rick said, in your quiet time, set some goals... (He calls them F.A.I.T.H. goals, he said that these were specific, each letter of the word also has a word it represents in the acronym for “FAITH” )

These goals must be track-able... measurable, personable.  He suggested that to meet your goals, set a date, set a number… and above all, don't be vague. He talked about letting some goals “die on the vine” a term he attributed to  Joseph Schumpeter… a well know economist.

Joseph Shumpeter,  according to Wikipedia,

made the phrase “creative destruction” to describe the process

through which the old ways of doing things

would be destroyed from within themselves,

 and replaced by new ways.

And he told us what the acronym meant as he elaborated on it.

F (Focused) This means they are specific…

A (attainable) Be realistic!

I (individual) You can’t set goals for others, Goals you set are for YOU!

T (trackable) He encourages people to set up an account in his database system at danielplan.com where one can keep track of, and set goals.   

H (heart felt) Does it motivate you?  “Am I passionate about it?  He tells people to look at him as he says, “…be sure not to set the goals you ought to do, but the ones you want to.”

He goes down the list of the areas to set goals in:

Physical Health:  What would make you feel better about you?

Spiritual Health: How would I like to grow?… 

Rick reccomends joining a small group, picking up the Daniel Plan small group book and starting a small daniel plan group.

Intiellectual Growth.: Will you be smarter a year from today? Is there a new skill you want to learn?  Learn a skill…

Relational : Which ones do I want to prove?  He says, “maybe some you want to let die on the s vine… you know,” systematic abandonment” (and then he mentions Joseph Sumpeter…)

Vocational Skills… He says, We are going to help you learn some skills.

Financial

Fun.. set some fun goals… They are all part of life.

In prayer… he says,

“ Heavenly Father, your word is so practical and helpful,  but it is useless unless we act on it.  Knowledge is not power, but acting on knowledge, gives us power…and you said, it is the truth that sets us free… and may people find new freedom as they begin to set goals for their lives in faith, “according to your faith it will be done to you… Thank you for your word;   thank you that it’s practical and relevant…

And may every person here, come to know you, if they have not known you yet, may they say, even tonight, I want to know you I want to trust you …I want to live for you,

In your name I pray, Amen.

Nice prayer.

He even mentions Jesus. 

Now…

What did we learn?

We learned how great Saddleback church is,

how smart Rick and his sister are,

how many great things Saddleback church does

and that Rick spends time every morning with God

 and because he does thing God gives him words to give others..

and that people who listen to him feel like Rick is speaking directly to them, (from God.) 

He is a little like the prophet Isaiah and all those other Bible greats.

We learned that Jesus taught his disciples the Lord’s Prayer,

but they were not to pray it, they were just to use it as a pattern.

To pray the Lord’s prayers, reciting it as it is, Rick said, was merely vain repetition,

like the heathens do. 

We also learned that some Christians are confused

because they think Rick is teaching new age thinking in the church,

 but Rick has it right and they are wrong. 

We learned that meditation is biblical… the bible commands it

and Rick, being the man of God he is, does it himself, every day…

When he talks about” meditation” he is merely advocating  “quiet time” with God.

.it means nothing more than quiet time in prayer with God.

We also learned today from Rick that there are four components

and six steps to prayer, and these you need to  do,

in your quiet time with God

and you need to learn to forgive yourself.

We learned from Rick  that to have victory, 
we need to use the carrot and the stick…

which equates to doing what Rick has taught us today

about the four components and six steps of  prayer.

His steps are the "carrot"…and we must do them, 
or else, we are in "sin," (as per Rick's  instruction)
and we do not want to get the stick ...
so we better do the steps 
and not get this praying 
of the Lord’s Prayer wrong.

And finally, we learned from Rick, the importance of setting goals,
and we were told to set some in our times of prayer.  
We learned the importance of writing them down 
and displaying them all through our house.  We used FAITH
to show us what kinds of goals to set and were encouraged us 
to set goals that were not about doing that which we ought to do,

 but in meeting the goals we want. 

The end.