How to Pray: Help Me Chase What's Good for Me

In this episode, we dive into the powerful lessons of Jeremiah 17 to uncover how to pray and trust God in difficult times. Through the prophet's words, we explore the dangers of relying on people, possessions, or even our own hearts—and the blessings that come from putting full confidence in God. Learn what it means to be rooted like a tree planted by the waters, flourishing in seasons of drought, and how the power of prayer anchors us beyond temporary circumstances. If you’re seeking wisdom on how to pray with faith and endure with hope, this message is for you.

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Transcript

Press means to apply force. When God said, "Press," prayer reaches every single situation. He gave us permission to apply force to every situation that we will go through. And in this podcast, we are going to learn to apply force to what's applying pressure to us. Greetings, everyone. Welcome to the Press Movement Podcast. Thank you for joining me.

So glad that you're here today. We're headed to the book of Jeremiah, the 17th chapter. And I've got to tell you, there are so many scriptures in this chapter that are worth looking at multiple times, but we're not going to do it justice today. As we're going through this book of Jeremiah and looking at the prayers of Jeremiah, we see that, as we've stated, he's living in a time of much judgment. How do you pray in these different scenarios? Well, we'll see another theme evolve here because we see God talking to them in Jeremiah 17 about what they should not trust. He's tired of them trusting man. Why will we trust people over God? He said, "Cursed, in verse 5, be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm." In other words, you rely on other people to get things actually done for you. He's not talking about picking up the trash or running to the grocery store necessarily, but he's saying to the people, "You think they're going to protect you? You think they're going to fight for you? You think they're going to be an extension of what you need, and they're not. You have to put that confidence in God to be the one you need, to be your sustainer and your protector."

And so, as we look at this scripture, He also points out in this chapter His issue with them trusting their own hearts. And I know I've said this multiple times throughout this podcast, but He points out, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" What makes you think you should trust yourself? Especially when you know how many times you've changed your mind. How many times you've been wrong? How many times you thought, "I should go this way, surely that's right," and it wasn't? What really makes you think you should trust yourself? What makes you think you should follow your heart, your emotions? Your emotions have changed on you so many times regarding the exact same thing that even you know you've gone through changes in the way you look at it when you're three years old, or 13 years old, or 23, or 33. The same scenario looks different at different stages. Why? Because we change, our heart towards something changes. And God asks them, "What makes you think you know your own heart?"

And so, as we look at the scripture, we continue going through these things. He also points out about riches. In verse 11, "As the partridge sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not, so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool." Your money, your things, all these things we work in life to acquire, you cannot take them with you. You're going to have to leave them behind. You can't afford to trust the things you have and gain in this life because this life is as far as they go. But God's view is eternal. Sometimes, when we look at God as a judge, we have a problem with understanding His decisions. It seems so harsh to say, "I'm going to destroy you. I'm going to leave you." And He makes that promise again here. He tells them things like, "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron and with the point of a diamond. In other words, it's permanent. It's sharp. It is engraved into who they are. It is upon the table of their heart."

He says, and He goes on to tell them, "And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee. And I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not, for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn forever." Yes, it is harsh. Yes, it is heavy. But again, God's perspective is not our perspective. We get caught up in the things we can see, the things we can touch, what we feel. But He came into our lives so that we're not limited or bound by those things. He came so we could see that there's something beyond this life. And He's gone so far to show His love, His kindness, and that His love and kindness would be eternal. That when He's rejected for these things that are temporal, that are worthless in the long run, He has a problem with that.

And a lot of times, when we start talking about judgment, people just think God has to be merciful. Unquestionably, He has a right to His reaction. Because He's offering us something priceless. And a lot of times, we give it up for things that are temporary.

So, as we continue looking at Jeremiah 17, we see some promises, some beautiful commitments, though, that God makes to His people. He never just leaves it where He's done with us, and I thank God for that. But rather, when He says, "Cursed is the man that trusteth in man," He also points out, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is." In other words, when I'm what you're expecting, when I'm what you're anticipating, when I'm what you're leaning on, there is a blessing behind that. Blessed is a word that has been taken out of context, but here that word means adored, kneeled. You're going to find yourself in a great place with God because you put your trust in Him, and one thing about God is He doesn't disappoint His own self, His name. He always lives up to it. And so, when you put your confidence in Him, and it becomes about Him, He's going to live up to who He is.

He says, "The man that trusts in Him, he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh. But her leaf shall be green, and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." In other words, you're going to flourish when nothing else can. You're going to grow when things and conditions around you change because the roots, when they start growing out, they grow towards water. Y'all, when these roots extend, they're extending for the resources they need in the ground. When you go after God and what you need from Him, and you're going after His substance, and you're growing in Him, you will not be moved by the drought, by the sunlight. In other words, you won't be drained by what drains other things. You won't be stopped by what stops other things. You won't be unproductive because it's an unproductive time. You no longer become someone who is subject to what's happening around them.

I told them on Sunday in our Sunday school class that I believe that, as saints, as Christians, we're not just to react to situations. We're to just act. We make decisions, and we act. We act because all of our decisions are guided by the word of God. We're not reactionary people, meaning always waiting to see what's happening to us or even how something's going to be determined before we know how we're going to respond. I'm reminded in the book of Luke how Jesus was prophesying to the apostles, and He said, "Nation is going to rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom. And they're going to lay their hands on you and persecute you, and deliver you up in the synagogues, to the prisons, and you're going to be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake." He said, "But it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate before what you shall answer. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist."

In other words, He told them to settle in their hearts, even before they saw the situation, even before they knew what they were going to say, even before they knew how they were going to react. Even knowing things could go very badly, He said, "No, you don't have to see it to be set. When you walk with God, you're not just constantly reacting to something; you are acting based on your walk." So when things come, the way you act does not change. You can handle the circumstances around you.

Jeremiah goes on to pray, "O Lord, hope of Israel," in verse 13. "All that forsake Thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters." He says, "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed. Save me, and I shall be saved, for Thou art my praise." Behold, they say unto me, "Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come now." As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor who follow Thee. Neither have I desired the woeful day. Thou knowest that which came out of my lips was right before Thee. Be not a terror unto me. Thou art my hope in the day of evil. Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded. Let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed. Bring upon them the day of evil and destroy them with double destruction."

I love this whole passage because, God, if You do it, it is going to be done, is how Jeremiah starts. "You heal me, I'm going to be healed. You save me, I'm going to be saved." And he reaffirms, "I still hope in You. I still trust in You. I'm not changing direction based on them. But God, I'm asking You, don't let me look like them. In this time, I don't want to look like what we're seeing ourselves go through. God, if they're confounded, don't leave me confounded. If they're dismayed, don't leave me dismayed. When You bring them evil, God, remember me. Don't be a terror to me. I don't want to look like I have failed You."

Jeremiah had a heart that wanted to be right before God. And when you want to be right before God, God will help you, and whatever He does, it will be permanently done. That's why you can ask Him, "Heal me, and I shall be healed. Save me, and I shall be saved," because Thou art my praise. You get the glory, O God.

Today, whatever you're asking for, give Him glory as you ask Him. Give Him glory when He responds, and give Him glory in it, because He is your hope. We have hope today, no matter what's going on. Lord, let us be as trees planted by the rivers of the waters. Let us be settled. Let us be rooted. Let us chase You and the things that will help us grow on You, and God be glorified. That is our prayer today because we know no matter what's happening, prayer reaches every single situation.

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Did you know that when you are quiet, your voice is missing to God's ears? I know some of us have prayed, and we're wondering, "How long should I pray about this? Why should I pray if God already knows? How will I know God is answering, and what do I do when I feel like God's not listening?" But God is listening for your voice. It's too quiet in this world for the troubles we have. You have to raise your voice, and God wants to hear from you. It's too quiet.

A book about prayer is designed to answer your prayer questions and build your faith. Visit PressToPray.com.