Sisters 2024: Praying Like Jesus

Seeking God’s Face in Prayer

Scripture References

Primary text

• Luke 11
• Luke 10
• Psalm 63

Other references

• Galatians 3:26
• Psalm 105

Overview

Prayer is not a duty to secure results; it is an invitation into intimate friendship with our Father. Moving from transactional requests to relational connection, the message calls us to “seek God’s face” in every moment. By contrasting Mary and Martha, examining Jesus’ “Our Father,” and offering practical helps, the talk dismantles common prayer struggles and invites each listener to begin (or begin again) a life-giving, continual conversation with God.

Main Points

1. Common Prayer Struggles

• Feeling insecure—“I’m not good at this; I don’t know what to say.”
• Discouragement when nothing seems to change.
• Lack of motivation: “What’s the point?”
• Overwhelm: too many needs, too little time.
• “I pray but never hear God” or pray with doubt.
• Inconsistency—good seasons followed by silence.
• Busyness and distraction crowd prayer out.

• Quote (Pete Greig):

  Sometimes prayer can be neatly placed in the “boring but important” category, along with Leviticus, algebra and flossing.

2. Prayer Is Fundamentally Relational

• Jesus begins the model prayer with “Our Father,” a deeply personal term.
• Galatians 3:26 affirms believers are God’s children; prayer is family conversation.
• Treating prayer only as a means to an end makes God the “fix-it dad” rather than the beloved Father.

3. Mary & Martha: Transaction vs. Relationship

• Story: Martha busied herself with preparations (Luke 10) and became frustrated, while Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet” listening.

• Martha’s focus on outcomes led to accusation and anxiety.
• Jesus named Mary’s choice—proximity and attentiveness—as “the one thing…better.”
• The contrast exposes our tendency to value productivity over presence.

4. The Transforming Word “Seek”

• Relational prayer “seeks” intimacy with the Father.
• Psalm 105 commands us to “seek his face always.”
• Seeking God’s face, not merely His helping hands, turns every prayer—mealtime included—into meaningful encounter.

• Illustration: Comparing prayer to vegetables: we know they’re good, but prefer processed food. When we truly taste the Lord we discover He is far better than “junk food” substitutes.

5. Delighting in God Changes Us

• David’s cry in Psalm 63 models hungry, personal pursuit: “I thirst for You…Your love is better than life.”
• Believing prayer is boring is a lie; the soul’s greatest delight is talking with the One who loves us.
• Prayer becomes “home”—the place we meet Father, Friend, Counselor, Surgeon, Commander, and King.

6. Practical Ways to Seek God’s Face

1. Pray Scripture and pray while reading it—slow down and converse with God through every line.
2. Pray as you go—ongoing dialogue, questions, thanks and listening throughout the day.
3. Offer spontaneous praise whenever gratitude or beauty strikes.
4. Keep prayer lists to remain faithful for people and needs.
5. Invite others—prayer partners and groups multiply strength.
6. Above all: Turn off & Tune in—silence phones, noise and hurry; be still like Mary and simply say, “Jesus, here I am.”

Key Truths

• Prayer’s heart is intimate relationship, not religious ritual.
• Every prayer matters because every moment can be shared with the Father who is already present.
• Seeking God’s face satisfies the soul more deeply than any earthly pleasure.
• Distraction is the primary thief of a vibrant prayer life; intentional stillness opens the door.
• When believers pray, they enter God’s classroom, counseling room, operating table, mission headquarters and throne room—all in one conversation.

Response

• Turn off distractions and sit quietly with God today.
• Begin reading Scripture aloud, stopping to talk with the Father as you go.
• Replace a routine “blessing over food” with a genuine moment of thanks and connection.
• Write a short prayer list and commit to it daily.
• Ask a trusted friend to become a prayer partner this week.
• Throughout the day, pause and whisper, “Father, I love You—what are You saying right now?”

Closing

The Father is calling, “Child, draw near—come messy, needy, distracted, but come.” Hands were raised in fresh surrender to a deeper life of prayer and some for first-time salvation.

Seek God’s face.
Whether overwhelmed or hungry for more, choose Mary’s better part and begin the lifelong, joy-filled conversation with your Father today.

Prayer

The speaker led two prayers. First, believers committed to a new journey in prayer, asking God to teach them and deepen intimacy. Second, those wanting salvation confessed their sin, asked Jesus to forgive them, and invited the Holy Spirit to fill them, declaring, “I am Yours; You are mine.”

Resources

• Pete Greig, founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement