Prayers For Walking On Water

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Would you be talking about how to walk on water. Well, not exactly right.

So what we are going to talk about two people who did something of you think about that moment they can really help was pretty okay I'm in and I'm guessing you're talking about Jesus and Peter in the night Jesus sent the disciples out on the water and enjoins an hours later anything he's a ghost directly.

Matthew writes about the 14th chapter of his gospel. So let me just read that part when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified at theSaturn cried out in fear, but Jesus immediately said to them, take courage, it is I don't be afraid. Lord Eva Q Peter replied tell me to come to you on the water column. He said then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, cried out, Lord save me immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught it.

You of little faith, he said, why did you doubt. Reading right there, but there are two things about what happened that night really jumped out at me when it comes to crating and especially praying with faith and the first thing is, did you notice how Jesus described Peter's faith. Yeah, he said you of little faith that's exactly right.

But think about that for a moment if it's actually an amazing thing to say because looking at this rate. If even with just a little faith. Peter was still walking on water that's pretty wild rice is the I never thought about it that way. You know what we don't tend to eat what we tend to think of Peter mustering up the space to go out, you know, to step out of the boat but by the way, that's an interesting thing as well.

You know when we talk about this passage were usually pretty critical of Peter right know Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and sank like a stone. Yeah, you got a wonder there are 11 other guys just sit there in the boat and they never stepped out of it. So don't you want to be the guy that does but you know, think about about it this way. It's really all Jesus.

Beneath its Jesus power that that he's walking in and the reason I say that is look at the way it start this this whole encounter. What happens is, Peter says, Lord, give it's you write and there's not a lot of faith in that then he is asking the Lord to prove himself. So Lord if it's you tell me to come to you on water but the beautiful thing about this is that still Jesus meets him right in that place. I find that very cool and it also shows us the power of just a little bit of a in Jesus hand is a powerful thing. I mean if it's an amazing thing because again with just a little faith you of little faith there is. He's walking on water.

So remember what Jesus said elsewhere about just a little faith and he said that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains exactly yeah but but again it's faith in him. And sometimes I think we tend to turn faith on ourselves. So we like as if it's something we work ourselves up into but no it's faith placed in Jesus hands so as soon as Peter took his eyes off of Jesus. That's when he think and we can't let go of the facts so that again. Still little little faith very what I mean look at Peter go get him before he got to that point in and by the time he finally did something. He was so close.

Jesus just reached out and grabbed so he almost made it.

Yeah, and he also said there was a second thing about this encounter teaches us something about prayer. What was that well if just a little faith in Jesus walks on water.

What kind of faith would he like us to have inner Jesus is saying, right after Peter's walk on water you little faith, why did you doubt. I know he's he's really being critical, especially Peter's doubting that moment, but I think that a take away from this is, we need to ask him as the disciples did to increase our faith because when we get our faith from him, then it's a powerful thing. Can you give my listeners a practical example about this from everyday life. Yeah, actually I think of something that God did for my wife Carrie when we were praying for our son Jeff come out of heroin addiction and return to Jesus and one of the things when Jeff was still very much in addiction but one of the things that God did for my wife was that she gave the or God gave her the gift of faith that he was going to use our son in ministry. Someday and I couldn't see that United that was the farthest thing from my mind just because of the way my son had been in for years and yet she believed it and the thing that takes my breath away is that that is what he's doing today.

He's he's a senior high youth pastor in a very large church in the same city where he wants abuse terawatts and only God can make that happen, but what happened here is that again my wife saw it long before it ever came to be so that's that's what I mean about getting our faith from him and and I'd emphasize that he has things that are uniquely for us. I mean, you know, II wouldn't go down to the marina and try to walk on water that was special for Peter between Peter and Jesus just in that moment, but he has other thing that are special for us that are just waiting for us if it will turn to him in faith. And you know you gotta wonder what will that be and there's really only one way to find think that's Philip assistance yeah go there and let's pray right now to look.

Please help us increase our faith.

Help us to look to you and say Lord we look forward what only you can do in those things you have just for us as we look to Jesus to hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you to pray.

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