Dec. 28, 2025

On this cold winter morning, Pastor Lance warms us with his knowledge and encouragement on how to think about praying with your Heavenly Father.

Pastor Lance's sermon begins at 18:58 min into the video. The music "Go Tell It On The Mountain", "What a Friend We Have in Jesus", "Good Good Father", "The Power Of Your Love", "Lord I Need You", and "The Blessing" are licensed under CCLI Copyright #2723035 and Streaming Media #22024223 licenses.

The Power and Practice of Prayer

He opened with Luke 11:1-13 and with refreshing honesty about his first time preaching, then dove into what he's most passionate about: PRAYER. His central message was clear—nothing of eternal significance happens apart from prayer. Rather than heaping shame about our prayer lives, he wanted to encourage us to pray, encourage us in our prayers, and give us practical tools for our prayer time.

Jesus Was Praying

Pastor Lance started with a striking observation: Jesus, who had been in constant communication with the Father for all eternity, still prayed. "I think that's remarkable," he said. When people ask why they should pray if God already knows their needs, Lance shared a touching illustration about his young son who constantly talks about trains, helicopters, and airplanes. "As his father, I already know that he loves these things... I am excited when my son comes to me and talks about these things. They don't change me... They help build our relationship."

He drove the point home with a marriage analogy—if he never spoke to his wife Maria, only sang songs about her or served her, would that be a healthy marriage? "We are called to be the bride of Christ. We're in relationship with God. How are we doing in that communication with God?"

The Lord's Prayer as Template

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, Pastor Lance noted they were admitting their need to grow—just like us. Jesus gave them what we know as the Lord's Prayer, which Pastor Lance broke down as a template for our own prayers. It includes worship ("Father, hallowed be Your name"), surrender ("Your kingdom come"), petition ("Give us each day our daily bread"), confession ("Forgive us our sins"), and protection ("Lead us not into temptation").

Pastor Lance challenged us with bold prayers: "Pray, Lord, save my family. Lord, move in this nation. Lord, heal this city... May I be a light and a witness and a testimony for You." These are prayers for God's kingdom, not our own comfort.

Persistent Prayer Changes Us

Using Jesus's parable of the persistent neighbor, Pastor Lance explained that continuous prayer changes us more than it changes God. When we pray for something repeatedly, we begin to answer the question: Is this really of eternal significance? He shared how his prayers during breakups eventually changed from "restore this relationship" to trusting God had someone better planned—which led him to Maria.

He closed with a personal testimony about eight months of waiting and praying while living with his parents, seeking God's direction for ministry. Just when they were ready to give up and move back to Idaho, God opened the door to Faith Community Church. "All of you are the answer to our prayers. You have been an answer whether you know it or not."

His practical tool? The acronym PRAY: Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield. Pastor Lance's final encouragement was to keep praying persistently because God is good and knows how to give good gifts in His timing.