How Should Men Think About Being Prayerfully Dependent?

Dependence Humility Prayer Prayerfully Dependent Worship

How Should Men Think About Being Prayerfully Dependent?

Chris Rivers

In season two, episode 20, Chris Rivers and Brad Walbridge, along with Scott Puckett (campus pastor at Grace's TR campus), discuss why and how men should be prayerfully dependent. They explore the posture that makes prayer possible, the purpose of this most intimate spiritual discipline, and the daily practice that can help us stay connected to Christ and empowered to do the Father’s will.

APPLICATION

  • Christ modeled prayerful dependence and encouraged us to approach God as “Father.” How does this view of God differ or align with your own, and why?
  • What motivations often underlie your prayers and what posture do you take?
  • What is your current practice of prayer and what barriers may be keeping you from becoming prayerfully dependent?
  • What steps do you need to take to develop prayerful dependence? How will you move and to whom will you be accountable?

KEY POINTS

  • Scott shares the danger of self-reliance—how it leads to independence and disconnection from God the Father, the source of life. Jesus modeled what it looks like to stay connected to and dependent on the Father. He prayed regularly!
  • Brad and Scott unpack the difference between a transactional prayer life and a reliant one. Transactional prayer is trying to get what we want while reliant prayer is approaching God humbly—ready to hear, receive, and do whatever the Father tells us.
  • Our posture toward God flows out of our understanding of him as a loving Father who wants us to experience his presence. He also delights in meeting our needs and providing what is best for us, not necessarily what we want. Because we are united with Christ, the barriers between God and us are removed. We can come boldly to God as his children.
  • We are more inclined to pray when we realize the weight we carry for others. Apart from Christ, we do not have the strength or wisdom we need to help those we are responsible for. We serve as ambassadors for Christ, and we must daily fight the battle against self-reliance so we can be attuned to his work and his ways.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Jesus gave them this answer: Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 5:19

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word… Hebrews 1:3

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:2-3

RESOURCES

Books:

Teaching: Grace Church Core Value Prayerfully Dependent

Story: Dave & Sue Hooker Fasting and Prayer Brings Needed Renewal

If you know a man who would benefit from hearing this episode, share it with him. Having intentional conversations around these principles is a great way to disciple and help others move towards Christ.

Have questions or want us to discuss a topic? Email us at: menatgrace@gracechurchsc.org.