Louie Giglio - 3 Keys to a Fresh Perspective on Prayer
Well, does anybody at Passion City Church today need a shift to make changes in our own lives, in our thinking, in our hearts, in our attitudes, in our emotions, in our relationships, in our families, in our businesses, in our futures, and in the direction that we’re going—in our communities, in our cities, in our towns, in the atmosphere of Atlanta, Georgia, across the nation, and in the world? God is giving you the opportunity to be a shifter. Today, maybe what God wants to do is change our perspective slightly so that we can see prayer in a whole new light. During the U.S. conference earlier this year for our door holders, there was an amazing installation out in our oval, made up of columns that were freestanding.
As you walked in, depending on your angle, you could or couldn’t discern what was happening. But as you reached a certain point, you could see that what had been painted on each column came together to form an image—namely, the name of Jesus. Initially, when you approached, it just looked like abstract art, but when you reached the right spot, your perspective changed. God wants to get us to that spot today, especially regarding prayer. He wants to move us from seeing prayer as an emergency response in the face of loss or need—which, while a good thing to do, is limited—into something more profound. We shouldn’t pray just because there’s a need, or because we don’t know what to do, or because we’re facing loss. We should be in a constant mindset of a relationship with God, who brings shifts to life.
I’m not trying to redefine or define prayer today, but so we can grasp a working definition: prayer is a steady state awareness of Father, Son, and Spirit, creating a constant and seamless union of heart and mind with the Almighty that shifts earthly perspectives, plans, and purposes as heaven becomes visible on Earth. You might say, «Prayer is just talking to God,» but it’s more than that. It’s an ongoing awareness of Father, Son, and Spirit. It’s not reactionary, like, «Oh my goodness, did you hear what happened? We should pray!» Instead, it involves moving through the day with an awareness of Father, Son, and Spirit, creating an inseparable and constant union of our heart and mind with the Almighty. This leads to shifting things—specifically, earthly things like perspective, plans, and purposes—so that ultimately, heaven is seen on Earth.
We see this in the epicenter of teaching on prayer, a passage that almost everyone in the house today could likely quote: Jesus' teaching on prayer in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 6, verse 9. I want us to focus on a portion of this prayer today and identify three major shifts of perspective. In verse 9, as Jesus speaks, he says, «This then is how you should pray.» Earlier, in verse 5, he stated that when you pray, here are a few things to think about. Now, he reinforces that assumption; he expects us to live a lifestyle of prayer. And as obvious as that is, we’ve all heard the statistics: the average person who goes to church doesn’t pray very much each day. Yet, we have the possibility of a steady state relationship of prayer with God, and Jesus invites us into that, giving us some perspective shifts as we do. He said, «As you pray, this is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.» Can I get an amen?
So, let’s look at these perspective shifts. Shift number one is this: you and I today need to reach a place where we can fully understand that there is a mind-blowing relationship on the table. Jesus begins with «Our Father,» initiating this perspective shift of prayer—the kind of prayer that moves the heart of God—by understanding that we are in a miraculous relationship. The people of that time understood they were sons of Abraham, but now Jesus is saying a significant shift is coming. Although you are sons of Abraham, you are about to be sons and daughters of Yahweh, enjoying a direct connection to the Almighty through new birth. The miracle of the Gospel is new birth, and downstream from new birth is an unimaginable state of intimacy with the Creator. As we pray, we approach through relationship to the point where we can call the Almighty our Father—Abba. Not quite «Daddy,» but very close. We aren’t just talking to some supernatural being; we are speaking with our dad.
Jesus states this is the Kingdom’s way in Matthew 18. Truly, I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, Jesus applauds the mindset of a child—one who often starts requests with «Daddy.» That phrase penetrates the heart of a father and prompts him into action. When you are in that position, in that relationship, and you understand it, it’s not a formal address of «Our Father in heaven.» It’s not just, «Oh, our heavenly Father.» It’s about knowing the miracle of the relationship and saying, «Daddy, Father,» knowing that it pierces the heart of Yahweh. This establishes a mentality where you know He is moving out of love, purpose, and a desire to bless you. He is not against you; He is for you.
Now, we talk about this all the time, and for some of you, beginning with «Our Father» might not be encouraging due to your relationship with your earthly father, which may not have met your hopes. But I say again, God is not a bigger version of your earthly dad; He’s not the reflection of your earthly dad. He is the perfection of your earthly dad. He is everything you ever wished your earthly dad would be and more. If you’ve had a great earthly dad, that’s amazing—we celebrate him! But God is exponentially greater. If you’ve had no earthly dad, the heavenly Father wants to teach you what it means to be blessed by a father and to bring you into a new perspective where you understand that you are not just someone standing in line, taking a ticket, emailing a request, or texting a hope. You are a son or daughter of God, and when you come to Him, He invites you first as His child.
The second big shift, which is amazing to see side by side, is that not only is there a mind-blowing relationship in the equation, but also a glorious reframing of every moment. «Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name.» We quickly move from «Daddy, Father» to the realization that «hallowed» means «holy.» Holy means «set apart.» There is no one like our father. I’m holding two things together at the same time: intimacy and awe. I come to God in prayer, recognizing both His closeness and His holiness. Notice how the prayer begins—we haven’t asked for anything. We haven’t offered God specific instructions, advice, or ultimatums. We’ve just come to Him, acknowledging, «I am your child, and You are holy.» That is where the mindset shifts, capturing the power of prayer.
In various places in Scripture that we know well, we see this. Take 2 Chronicles chapter 20. Most of you have heard the story of Jehoshaphat and the armies coming against him. In verse 5, Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord, in front of the new courtyard, and prayed. You would expect him to cry out, «Dear God, help us! Stop these armies! Save us!» But look what he does: «Oh Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven?» That declaration instantly pleases God. He’s not saying, «Hey God, where are you?» Instead, he acknowledges, «I know where you are; You are in the heavens.» He goes on to affirm, «You are the God of our fathers. You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can withstand You.» He reminds God of what He have done, saying, «O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham?» He doesn’t jump straight to the request; instead, he reaffirms God’s sovereignty and past actions. This is a beautiful reframing of a really sticky situation.
Acts chapter 4 presents the same scenario. Peter and John have been detained; they are finally released and return to the believers. They begin to pray. Verse 23 recounts that upon release, they gathered their people, reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said—namely, «Stop talking about Jesus, or you will suffer consequences.» When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. «Sovereign Lord,» they said—that’s a great place to start. «You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them.» They acknowledge God’s power right away. Their prayer shifts from fear of the threat to confidence in His sovereignty. They pray, «Now Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.» There it is—what a glorious reframing!
God has graciously provided us with the book of Revelation, a prophecy detailing the end of time and what is happening in heaven right now. What a blessing to have this insight! God sends someone up to survey the situation and report back to us. He says, «Do you want to know how this all plays out at the end? Great! I’ll provide you with this revelation.» It’s fascinating how heavenly awareness can shift our perspective on earthly chaos. In Revelation 19:11, it states, «I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.» This powerful imagery serves as a glorious reframing, showcasing that our sovereign God reigns. We recognize that we haven’t asked for anything—that hasn’t even been our focus. We’re simply standing in awe of the fact that we are sons and daughters of Yahweh, and Yahweh is hallowed.
I encourage us to take just one minute before we pray to consider who He is. Watching the coverage of the Queen’s funeral, I was struck by the pageantry. It made me think, «What must it be like to see the pageantry of everlasting victory and life?» This is our God, and this is His throne, His crown. Can you imagine the trumpet blasts? We’re in awe, and He’s saying, «Yes, son!» How should we speak differently if we paused to consider His majesty?
This leads us to the last shift in perspective, the biggest shift of all: the divine exchange of wills. The prayer Jesus teaches us to consider is, «Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.» Sometimes this can become the core of Christian faith—"on Earth as it is in heaven.» Yet, we must remember that there will be a new earth and a new heaven. We’re not simply looking for streets of gold here on Earth; we’re anticipating a new and glorious city. However, during this time, we have the opportunity to be visible carriers of heaven on a broken planet. We shouldn’t only seek an external atmospheric change but, more importantly, an internal transformation: «God, I want an internal change here as it is in heaven.»
As we pray for our neighborhoods and communities, we also need to reflect on how we can be instruments of that change. This is where the exchange of wills comes in. When Jesus instructs us on prayer, He uses a beautiful Greek word that can be defined as «to exchange wishes.» Properly, this word signifies interacting with the Lord by switching human desires for His. So when I pray, «Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven,» I’m expressing a desire to exchange my plans for His. Isn’t that powerful?
Jesus doesn’t just teach us to pray this way; He models it in Luke 22. He withdrew a stone’s throw beyond the disciples, knelt down, and prayed, using the same word as in Matthew 6. «Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.» Prayer, therefore, involves this steady state awareness of Father, Son, and Spirit, producing a constant sense of union with the Almighty. This shifts earthly perspectives, plans, and purposes, allowing heaven to influence Earth.
Amidst this process, my «will» must continually be refined into «Thy will be done.» Though I may know what I want in the situation, I surrender to His will. I may envision what my kingdom would look like if He came through as I desire, but I ultimately seek His Kingdom to be established. In this relationship, I’m astounded that I can partake in bringing heaven to Earth.
I love the prayer found in Acts 4. The believers were under pressure, on the brink of persecution and death. You’d expect prayers like, «God, stop them!» But instead, they asked, «Consider their threats, and enable Your servants.» This mindset significantly shifted. In light of history, we see how God propelled the Gospel through those threats. Their prayer was answered, and they moved forward in power, performing miracles and signs by the grace of God.
Do you see how differently they viewed their circumstances? This prompts you and me today to ask God, «You see the challenges? Enable Your child.» We must recognize—while we may think of changing situations, that’s not the primary request. We are inviting Him to change us.
Take note of this concluding sentiment: I want to be continuously aware that my Father is the Sovereign King who looks after me. Amen! Does anyone here want to affirm that today? My Father is the Sovereign King, and He looks after me! You may wonder, «Yeah, but it doesn’t seem like that’s happening.» I know—it rarely looks that way on Earth, which is why we walk by faith, not by sight. I trust my God is sovereign and watches over me.
So while this situation is trying, I believe it’s producing the best outcome for me, because my God truly looks after me. However, He simultaneously governs everything. I’m not issuing directives; I’m asking Him to guide me. More than seeking answers, I’m asking to be the answer. My neighbors are experiencing difficulty; I’ve told them I’d pray. Did I just say that, or am I genuinely praying? Oftentimes, the prayer shouldn’t merely be, «God, help them!» Instead, it should be, «What can I do to be the answer?»
So today, three perspective shifts to consider: Are you praying as a beloved child? Are you pausing to remember who He is? And in this process, are you being molded from a «my» to a «Thy will be done»?