Culture Flip: Week 10, July 28, 2019

Two weeks ago Hurricane Barry threatened South Louisiana with the potential for historic floods.  The waters in the Gulf of Mexico were unusually warm which typically energizes a storm.  The tropical storm was inching northward slowly which meant that any rains would likely be prolonged and drenching.  The Mississippi River was already above flood stage even before Barry’s landfall. 

 

Everything was set up for it to be another “perfect” storm that would devastate our area. 

 

But then something really unexpected occurred.  A “dry air mass” materialized and covered Louisiana.  It became a virtual storm wall that held Hurricane Barry’s torrential rains at bay.  The catastrophic floods predicted for our area never arrived. 

 

Meteorologists were left scratching their heads at this unusual phenomenon.  What happened? 

 

Let me offer an explanation: God’s people prayed and, in response, God stilled the storm (it wouldn’t be the first time).  In anticipation of the storm, one weatherman had tweeted, in effect, that our best hope was prayer—and he was right!

 

Someone might counter, “But didn’t God’s people pray in 2016 when the flood waters ravaged our area?”  Yes.  Of course we prayed back then too.  And God answered those prayers as well, though not, perhaps, as we expected or hoped.  Though he did not hold back the waters, he brought us through them—and he taught us through them!  Both experiences worked together for our good and his glory!

 

The important thing is that, by prayer, we fellowship with God.  By prayer we partner with him in the ushering in of his kingdom and are molded more into his image.

 

More than once in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus impresses on his disciples—upon us—the privilege and power of prayer!  This Sunday we’ll look at the “big a.s.k.” that he instructs us to make—ask, seek, knock.  Join us!

 

Culture Flip

“Ask”   

Matthew 7:7-11

 

1. An invitation to pray

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (7:7).

 

1. 1. Synonymous commands
   2. Sequential commands
2. An incentiveto pray

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened (7:7-8).

 

1. 1. Guaranteed promise
   2. General principle
2. An illustrationof prayer

Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!(7:9-11).

 

1. Simple comparison 
2. Stark contrast