Comments on: Secret Confessions of a Pastor - I’ve Wondered If Prayer Really Works http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/ Listen, Grow, Act Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:05:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Paul Steinbrueck http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-3 Paul Steinbrueck Sun, 29 Apr 2007 20:13:55 +0000 http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-3 Thanks to everyone who texted your questions about prayer during the services this morning. If you have questions that didn't get answered, please post them here in the blog. Thanks to everyone who texted your questions about prayer during the services this morning. If you have questions that didn’t get answered, please post them here in the blog.

]]> By: Laura Manville http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-4 Laura Manville Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:21:02 +0000 http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-4 I enjoyed the teaching and I can't believe Douglas is showing signs of becoming a techie! That was a great way to take questions/feedback and I'd like to see more of that. I also like the changes to the website and the additions of the blog and podcast. Great job! Keep bringing the teachings on prayer and meditation. Our family got a lot out of today's message. God bless! I enjoyed the teaching and I can’t believe Douglas is showing signs of becoming a techie! That was a great way to take questions/feedback and I’d like to see more of that. I also like the changes to the website and the additions of the blog and podcast. Great job!
Keep bringing the teachings on prayer and meditation. Our family got a lot out of today’s message. God bless!

]]> By: Chris http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-5 Chris Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:34:25 +0000 http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-5 I thought this was a great idea - I liked being able to text in questions. Good way to create interaction and engage us. I would be interested in discussing some of the questions that Douglas didn't have time to read. Anybody ask any that didn't get read? I thought this was a great idea - I liked being able to text in questions. Good way to create interaction and engage us. I would be interested in discussing some of the questions that Douglas didn’t have time to read. Anybody ask any that didn’t get read?

]]> By: Chris http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-6 Chris Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:37:11 +0000 http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-6 Oh yeah - just read Paul's post - oops...should have finished reading. Oh yeah - just read Paul’s post - oops…should have finished reading.

]]> By: Marq http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-7 Marq Tue, 01 May 2007 16:21:09 +0000 http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-7 In my life, the Lord's work has been abundantly clear. In the past year alone, so much has happened that cannot be attributed to "luck" or good timing. To sum up: I started my career, got married, bought a house and had my first child - a beautiful baby girl. Going even further back, the circumstances that lead to my reconnection with a friend from my childhood at a mutual friend's wedding (when we spent our high school and college years at different schools) were undeniably divine as friendship quickly blossomed into Love. Wedding planning was a whirlwind of positive experiences as nearly every last little detail came together perfectly, with some awesome help from Cypress members and the minor miracle of weather cooperation in Florida's summer. The next experiences served to remind me (now us) of how active and amazing of a God we serve. After searching our area high and low for a place to live, and becoming increasingly distressed at how nonexistent a quality home in a safe neighborhood (in our price range) seemed to be, I was talked into attending small group for the first time (and found it wasn't so bad). The time came for prayer requests and this specific session had us divided for prayer into seperate groups for men and women. That very night, our first night with the group, my wife was requesting prayer to find a house as another woman was requesting prayer to sell a house. Nothing can be that simple I thought, but guess what house we ended up buying? That was definitely the God-version of "two birds with one stone." I could continue to list blessings received for several more paragraphs, and I'm only stopping to keep this from rambling on for pages, not because the rest are any less awesome. The movie "Signs" summed it up pretty nicely: "See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?" Me? I don't believe in coincidence. In my life, the Lord’s work has been abundantly clear. In the past year alone, so much has happened that cannot be attributed to “luck” or good timing.
To sum up: I started my career, got married, bought a house and had my first child - a beautiful baby girl. Going even further back, the circumstances that lead to my reconnection with a friend from my childhood at a mutual friend’s wedding (when we spent our high school and college years at different schools) were undeniably divine as friendship quickly blossomed into Love. Wedding planning was a whirlwind of positive experiences as nearly every last little detail came together perfectly, with some awesome help from Cypress members and the minor miracle of weather cooperation in Florida’s summer.
The next experiences served to remind me (now us) of how active and amazing of a God we serve.
After searching our area high and low for a place to live, and becoming increasingly distressed at how nonexistent a quality home in a safe neighborhood (in our price range) seemed to be, I was talked into attending small group for the first time (and found it wasn’t so bad). The time came for prayer requests and this specific session had us divided for prayer into seperate groups for men and women. That very night, our first night with the group, my wife was requesting prayer to find a house as another woman was requesting prayer to sell a house.
Nothing can be that simple I thought, but guess what house we ended up buying? That was definitely the God-version of “two birds with one stone.”

I could continue to list blessings received for several more paragraphs, and I’m only stopping to keep this from rambling on for pages, not because the rest are any less awesome.

The movie “Signs” summed it up pretty nicely:
“See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?”

Me? I don’t believe in coincidence.

]]> By: Kim Stilwell http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-10 Kim Stilwell Fri, 25 May 2007 18:55:18 +0000 http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-10 I have seen that when I sought God with all my heart about something, I received an answer. By that I don't necessarily mean I spent alot of time praying, but sometimes did, but that my talks with God and the subject of my petition were very deeply sincere. If we pray according to our will we may not get an answer, but if we ask anything according to His will, when we know He hears us we know we receive the petition we desired. Recently I had a great spiritual deliverance in my life. I was deluded about something for a whole year, that was leading me in the wrong direction. My desperate husband had to turn to God, and prayed hard for a long time. It took months before I could finally "See' the truth, and many events...that didn't always look like any progress was happening, but often like things were just getting worse. He kept praying...and he kept seeing the truth, though I didn't. The events all lead up to a time when God did show up in our house...Phil saw him and I saw Phil see Him...during a miraculous healing Phil had, which WAS related to me...he was half here and half gone during this...as if he was dying...and that's when he saw the Lord, and I saw the amazing expression on his face. He was instantly healed obviously. (It's a long story) But I know today that all his praying brought this great victory. He prayed hard for months; he was praying for God's will; it wasn't God's will for me or anyone to follow a deception delusion that would alter their life for the worst. He prayed without ceasing; he trusted God above what seemed impossible conditions; and when he saw no progress happening. He had to...God was his only hope. And God did answer in a mighty way...not instantly...it took time for the events to happen that would finally allow me to "See." I have seen that when I sought God with all my heart about something, I received an answer. By that I don’t necessarily mean I spent alot of time praying, but sometimes did, but that my talks with God and the subject of my petition were very deeply sincere. If we pray according to our will we may not get an answer, but if we ask anything according to His will, when we know He hears us we know we receive the petition we desired.

Recently I had a great spiritual deliverance in my life. I was deluded about something for a whole year, that was leading me in the wrong direction. My desperate husband had to turn to God, and prayed hard for a long time. It took months before I could finally “See’ the truth, and many events…that didn’t always look like any progress was happening, but often like things were just getting worse. He kept praying…and he kept seeing the truth, though I didn’t. The events all lead up to a time when God did show up in our house…Phil saw him and I saw Phil see Him…during a miraculous healing Phil had, which WAS related to me…he was half here and half gone during this…as if he was dying…and that’s when he saw the Lord, and I saw the amazing expression on his face.

He was instantly healed obviously. (It’s a long story) But I know today that all his praying brought this great victory. He prayed hard for months; he was praying for God’s will; it wasn’t God’s will for me or anyone to follow a deception delusion that would alter their life for the worst.

He prayed without ceasing; he trusted God above what seemed impossible conditions; and when he saw no progress happening. He had to…God was his only hope. And God did answer in a mighty way…not instantly…it took time for the events to happen that would finally allow me to “See.”

]]> By: » Pastor Asks Congregation to Turn Cell Phones ON During Church Service http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-11 » Pastor Asks Congregation to Turn Cell Phones ON During Church Service Wed, 30 May 2007 12:38:14 +0000 http://www.cypressmeadows.org/sermons/2007/04/29/secret-confessions-of-a-pastor-ive-wondered-if-prayer-really-works/#comment-11 [...] Audio of the sermon and questions addressed is available on the church’s sermon blog. [...] […] Audio of the sermon and questions addressed is available on the church’s sermon blog. […]

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