Toure Roberts - The Habit of Prayer (01/15/2026)
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This sermon, part of a «Perspective» series, expounds on Matthew 6:5-13—the Lord’s Prayer as a model for shaping divine perspective. The preacher emphasizes that prayer aligns believers with God’s heavenly viewpoint, shifting focus from earthly limitations to kingdom advancement, daily provision, forgiveness, guidance, protection, and God’s eternal preeminence. Key prophetic declarations include God rewarding secret faithfulness openly, clearing paths for kingdom-focused people, and shaking unstable things while establishing the unshakable kingdom amid global pressures.
Opening Greeting and Scripture Reading (Matthew 6:5-13)
So wonderful to be here with you this morning. I want to get right into the word as we continue in our perspective series. Today, I’m going to do a lot more teaching. I want to lay some foundations as a release of perspective, so I want to draw your attention to Matthew, the sixth chapter. We’ll begin our reading in verse five and read from verse five through verse thirteen.
Matthew chapter six, beginning at verse five. This is not an unfamiliar passage of Scripture. We’ve heard it, we’ve seen it, and some of us may have a portion of this passage memorized, but we’re going to break it down and look at it perhaps more closely than we ever have before. It reads like this:
«And when you pray, » and when you pray, just turn to your neighbor and say, «Prayer is not optional.» And when you pray, not if you pray, not if you feel like praying, and when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
«But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place.» Oh, hallelujah! And your Father, watch this, who sees in secret—that’ll preach all by itself right there—your Father who sees in secret, God, he dwells in the secret place. He doesn’t dwell in the place of performance, he does not dwell in the place of putting on your best face or trying to be something he dwells in the secret place. That is the place of reality.
Our relationship with God is not really a public relationship. The fruit is public, but the relationship is private. It is a secret relationship and it is played out in the hidden places of our hearts, our minds, and our souls; and that’s what God is looking at. He is looking at something completely different than what man is looking at. I feel the Holy Ghost! He’s looking at something completely different.
Some of you have been doing good in secret, and what you’ve been doing in secret has not manifested openly yet, but I hear God saying don’t stop doing what you’re doing in secret. Even though man is not celebrating you yet, man is not applauding you yet, don’t worry about it. Stay at it because God is looking at every seed. See, even when you sow a seed into the ground, that seed is in secret, but when that seed sprouts up, it doesn’t sprout up in the secret place; it sprouts up so that everybody can see.
I feel the Spirit of God. There are some people in Los Angeles, California; there are some people in Denver, Colorado, and you have been sowing in secret. I decree and declare right now, I prophesy over you right now, it is going to spring up openly, and the world is going to see your faithfulness in secret. That’s what it says; it says, «And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly!» I feel that for somebody. If that hit you right in the chest, take about ten seconds and just claim it—that’s for me! That might be the word you came for—that might be the word right there.
God says I’m going to honor your secret life; I’m going to honor the fact that you committed to intercession. I’m going to honor the fact that you serve me without recognition. I’m going to honor the fact that it looked like you were serving me for nothing, not realizing that God was increasing your bank account. You have an earthly bank account, and you’ve got a heavenly bank account. Are you hearing what I’m saying?
That’s what it means when he says, «I’ll supply all of your needs according to my riches and glory by Christ Jesus.» I’m not preaching today; I’m teaching. I’m not doing that to see—don’t do that, y’all. I know what you’re trying to do! He says, «And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions.» In other words, prayer doesn’t always have to be fresh. Oh, hallelujah! It always has to be fresh, don’t know! Prayer is not a routine necessarily; it can be part of your routine, but it in and of itself is not a routine.
«Do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them, for your Father—oh, this is powerful! —look at this: for your Father knows the things that you have need of before you ask him.» Wow!
He says, «In this manner, therefore, pray.» In fact, in Luke chapter 11, I believe there’s another account of this very same text and the disciples saying, «Teach us how to pray.» I understand prayer is about, «Teach us how to pray, » and Jesus says, «All right, all right! In this manner, verse 9, therefore pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.»
Opening Prayer
Father, you want to feed your people today. Bethlehem is the house of bread. Lord, turn the Potter’s House right now, one in L.A. and the Potter’s House in Denver. The Potter’s House all over the world, turn this house into a house of bread. Father, every person at the sound of my voice is hungry in some area. Feed us! We need you. Feed our hearts, feed our minds, feed our souls, and feed our spirits. Father, I surrender myself to you, and I take full advantage of the resources of heaven. I thank you that not one spiritual and divine resource will be kept back from me in this moment to reach your people by the power of God expressed through the love of God, and that the end result will be healed lives, healed minds, healed souls, edification, wisdom learned, understanding established in your children, and that we will be better upon leaving, more equipped than we were upon entering. Thank you, God! Have your way in Jesus’ name. Amen!
God bless you; you may be seated, family. You may be seated, Los Angeles. God bless you! Hallelujah!
The Year of Perspective
We’ve been talking about perspective, and we’re going to be talking about perspective for a long time because I believe that perspective is everything. I believe that this is the year of perspective, and I believe that this is a year where God is going to ground you and establish you in his perspectives. He’s going to ground you and establish you in a way that you will see things rightly. And as you see things rightly, you’re going to move differently.
I feel the Holy Spirit! Your perspective is going to be aligned with God’s perspective, and I believe—and I hear this prophetically—that this is going to create an acceleration. There are times when things lag and drag because there is a wrestling match between God’s perspective, as he has communicated to us through the words that he speaks to us, and our perspective, because our perspective is our reality.
God will not superimpose his will in your life if you don’t believe because you are so consumed with your perspective. I believe that this year, we’re going to see incredible things because I believe that God is going to lock some of you into his mentality. You know, the Bible says in Colossians chapter 3, it says, «Set your mind on things above.» It doesn’t say put your mind on things above; it says «set, » set, establish your mind in God’s perspective that you may prosper.
Would anybody want to prosper? Would anybody want to stop vacillating to and fro—I’m in, I’m out, I’m happy one day, sad the next day? Do I have any people that just want to set your mind on the good news of God? The good plans that God has for you—you want to wake up in the morning with the joy of the Lord because you know that it’s just a matter of time before everything that God has promised will manifest!
That’s what I believe God is doing this year. I believe he’s going to set your mind, he’s going to lock in your perspective, and your whole universe is going to be recolored! You’re going to see things that were there that you did not know were there because there were blinders on your mind and blinders on your heart because of all sorts of things that have been thrown at you. But God is getting ready to bring you to a place where you are no longer confused. He’s going to give you clarity where there was once confusion, and it’s going to be wonderful and awesome!
You’re going to start moving differently! I see it! You’re going to start walking differently, talking differently, and expecting differently. You’re going to see things that are so much bigger, and you’re going to begin to experience the exceedingly abundantly far above what you can ask for or imagine. It’s coming! It’s coming! That’s why we’ve got to get this perspective thing worked out.
Prayer Shapes Divine Perspective
No longer will I walk around with a negative expectation or a negative perspective. The gospel is good news; there is a good story over my life right now. It is an incredible story; it is an amazing story, and I’m going to do everything in my power to fight back every negative thing that tries to keep me from a divine perspective. If you are going to do that this year, fight for a true perspective—a healthy perspective, a divine perspective—I dare you to claim it right now as I’m saying it. Claim it right now! I’m going to see right! I’m going to see right! God, if you’ve got to make me blind in order for me to see, do it! Are you tracking with me? Do it! I need to see right this year! I need to see right!
I feel like something wants to break out in here! I feel like something needs to break out in here. I believe that God wants something to break out in here. I’ve got some teaching to do, but I feel the glory of God in this house.
Now there’s a crisis; let me anoint something for you to say right. What’s sad? Come on! I can’t see for you! I can’t see for you! I can’t see for you! There are some people, and you are so walked in, and you’re going to be Paul living out—you are getting ready just to see right! Open my eyes, Lord! Open my eyes, Lord! Open my eyes, Lord! Take the sleep out of my eyes, Lord! Take the shame out of my eyes, Lord! Take the pain out of my eyes, Lord! Take the doubt out of my eyes! I need to see this thing! I need to see this thing!
Come on! Some of you say, I need to see this thing! I need to see this thing! Jesus came to open blind eyes! My perspective in this season is going to make me or break me! I’ve got to fight for my sight! I’ve got to fight for my sight! David said, «Open my eyes that I might see wondrous things out of your law, » and one of the things I can think of—there’s no greater activity that helps shape our perspective than the model prayer, and that’s what I want to talk about. That’s what I want to talk about. Prayer brings us into God’s perspective.
So much so that when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, he teaches them how to access God in such a way that it would change their perspective. I can’t think of a better daily habit than prayer, and I think that this is important, so early on in the year, to develop the habit of prayer so that you can flow in the rhythm of perspective. The habit of prayer keeps you in the rhythm of divine perspective.
Breaking Down the Model Prayer
It’s interesting—when I begin to quote what we call the Lord’s Prayer, I understand why you might call it the Lord’s Prayer because it’s the prayer that the Lord taught us. But really, beyond it being the Lord’s Prayer, it’s really a model prayer. Jesus, the master of prayer, one who understands prayer more than anyone else, says, «I need you to pray like this.» If you don’t pray like this, you’re missing it. Oh God!
He simplifies prayer into a few things that I believe alter and shape our perspective—our perspective about the heavenly realm, our perspective about our mission and purpose, our perspective about each day, our perspective about provision, our perspective about others, our perspective about divine protection, our perspective about spirit-led living, and our perspective about the preeminence of God.
It’s interesting, as we go through these things one by one, that before he gets into this model prayer, he says first, «Let it be known; God already knows what you need!» Wow! Just think about this for a second. I’m a firm believer in praying for what you need, and that’s wonderful, but if the majority of your time praying is spent begging for your needs, we have missed the power of what prayer is for!
«Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name» — Heavenly Perspective
But you understand what I’m saying? So let’s look at it. Let’s unpack it a little bit. I want to teach today. I’ll be just up for about seven or eight hours and then we’ll be off! I’ll finish today, but let’s break it down. He says, «When you pray, first of all, when you pray, do this.» He says, «Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.»
First of all, the reason why he tells us to start the prayer off by acknowledging where God is—watch this—is to bring us out of the limitations of the earthly realm. He is laying the foundation of prayer. He doesn’t say, «Our Father who I just met.» No, no, no, no! Our Father in heaven! Our Father who art in heaven!
It immediately elevates your perspective from the limits and the confines of what you can produce in your own strength to the unlimited and untapped realm of heaven. That’s why I do not have to see what I need in the natural realm; all I’ve got to do is believe that there is a realm greater than the realm that I am functioning in.
In fact, the reason why I can function in this realm is because the reality of the other realm—are you tracking with me? So, the first thing that God is introducing to us as it relates to perspective is the perspective of the heavenly realm. Is anybody grateful that there is a heavenly realm? Aren’t you glad that there’s something greater than what you can see?
«Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.» I am sanctifying your name; I am setting apart your name. There is none like you. It gives me perspective about heaven, and sometimes we need an escape from this realm! Oh, hallelujah! That’s what prayer is—the beginning of prayer is an escape from the confines of this realm!
Oh, I feel it! I’ve got somewhere to go! Sometimes when life boxes you in—anybody ever been boxed in by life? Come on, Los Angeles! Has life ever boxed you in? You feel like you can’t go to the left or go to the right? You ever feel boxed in? The only reason why you and I ever feel boxed in is because we don’t know how to escape to the secret place. We don’t know how to escape to the realm where all things are possible, the realm where all of our promises are «yes» and «amen» in Christ.
So, it allows me an escape. Before we enter into our workday or any day, we need to enter into the heavenly realm. That’s what prayer does! It is a meeting on earth with the realities of heaven. I need to be reminded that there’s something greater than this world that I’m living in! There’s something greater than government shutdowns and furloughs and bickering in government!
I need to be reminded that I’m not living by man’s system alone, but I am a citizen of heaven! I’ve got dual citizenship, baby! I’m a citizen of L.A., or not L.A., of the U.S., or Zimbabwe, or whatever, but most importantly, I am a citizen of heaven! I have rights!
We are praying for our government leaders, and we are praying for those who work for the government and those who don’t work for the government but are affected by the government shutdowns, because maybe you didn’t work for the government, but the person who did work for the government has been contributing to your food.
Can we just take a minute and say in the name of Jesus, «I thank you that I’m a citizen of heaven, » and, «God, I pray you turn it around in the earth.» But if you don’t, open up heaven over your sons and daughters who are going through this difficult time, and provide for them just like you did manna from heaven! In the mighty name of Jesus, can we just take a minute and celebrate the fact that God is not going to let his children starve?
I’ve got a feeling they’re not going to stop, but I want to stay on course—I want to stay on course. I want you to know that there are many people that watch this via livestream. People are sitting here, sitting in the L.A. campus or wherever you might be; the reality of it is there’s some in need to know that God is going to take care of you.
Some in this room right now affected—some in California right now affected; some watching from the DMV right now, a heavily populated government area that are concerned. But I’m here to declare to you right now, and you know what, I’ll just talk to that one person if I have to, or those five people that I have to. God is going to take care of you. You will never ever solely be a citizen of the United States; you are a citizen of heaven if you trust God, and God’s going to come through for you.
Okay, I’ve got to keep moving because we’ve got to go some places. So, we have a perspective about heaven. That’s why I’ve got to pray every day, because if I don’t continue to connect with heaven, I will think that earth is all there is. If I don’t daily and consistently go vertical— I mean every day—then life on earth will be terrorized. All of the fears of «what ifs» will consume me.
And there are some in here right now—I feel this so strongly—there are some in this room right now who forgot that you have a God in heaven! You forgot, and because you forgot that, because you have not been regularly visiting heaven via prayer, there are some fears and some anxieties that you were never intended to have, that have crept into your life.
I just want you to do me a favor, just in case it’s the person sitting next to you. I just want you to turn to your neighbor and say, «Go to heaven! Go to heaven! I need you to go to heaven! Go to heaven! Go to heaven! Go to heaven!»
So, it gives us perspective about heaven. It gives us perspective that we are not limited to the confines and the constructs of the earthly realm, but we’re not from here! We didn’t start here! Hello, somebody! We didn’t start here, and we’re not going to end up here, but we’re part of something else.
«Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done» — Mission Perspective
And then he goes into something and now he begins to give us perspective about mission. He says, «Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.» There’s so much there! You’ve heard this a million times! Sometimes the reason why perhaps we’re not fulfilled in life, or perhaps we’re not experiencing the power of God the way we believe we should, is because we forget that our sole purpose as believers in the earth—our sole purpose, watch this—is to advance the kingdom of God.
Hear me out! Our sole purpose as believers is not God blessing us, and not God taking care of us! Those are advantages; in fact, those are add-ons! You know when the Bible says, «Seek first the kingdom, and all those other things will be added on»?
So, if my expectation of what it means to be a believer is that God is going to bless me, we’ve missed it! Because the only reason why you don’t get saved and get zapped to heaven is because you are a part of God’s plan to perpetuate the kingdom of heaven in the earth.
I know this is not sexy preaching—it’s just true! Are you tracking with me? Jesus says, «Let me teach you how to pray.» Jesus doesn’t talk about your bills; he doesn’t talk about your relationships; hello, somebody! He doesn’t talk about your finances. He doesn’t talk about the bully at work; he doesn’t talk about any of that. He says, «If you pray, My kingdom come, My will be done in earth as it is in heaven, it will take care of everything that ails you every single day.»
Your assignment, in your own unique expression of God, is to move his kingdom forward! I want to see your kingdom advance! I want to hear your name lifted up! I want to see your power in the earth! Do I have any real Christians in God’s house? God has saved you; he has redeemed you, and now all you want to see is the whole earth full of his glory!
«God, I’m praying every day—your kingdom come, your will be done in earth as it is in heaven!» Everything that is needed in the earth, the kingdom remedies! I need your kingdom in government! I need your kingdom where there is poverty! I need your kingdom in my marriage! I need your kingdom in my business!
If you are a kingdom citizen, I dare you to shout, «Your kingdom come!» Come, Jesus! Jesus could have asked for anything! He could have asked for anything! If there was anyone who had the excuse to feel entitled, it was Jesus! He could have been a complete spoiled brat!
Son of God! He knew it from earlier! People coming from all over, bringing gifts, anointing him with oil, coming to see him lifted up, lifting him up, praying for him, respecting and honoring him—but at 12 years old, instead of trying to see what he can get out of life, he says out of his own mouth, «I must be about my Father’s business!»
Something is going to break loose for kingdom people! I’ve got a prophetic word for kingdom people! Hear this clearly! I feel that God gave this to me, and I’ve got to release it over you right now. This is not for everybody; I’ll be honest with you, it’s for kingdom people! Many are called, but few are chosen! What does that mean? Everybody’s called—come one, come all—but I can only choose the person who’s about my business!
Are you tracking with me? I’ve got a word for this year. I see it! God spoke this to me. He says, «I am clearing the path for kingdom people!» I wish I could say it the way I see it: «I am clearing the path! I am moving things out of the way! I am shaking everything!»
And you’re going to go from obscurity in Jesus to places of prominence overnight because your prayer is, «God, your kingdom come! Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven! I am yours! I belong to you! If you are for it, I’m for it! If you’re against it, I’m against it! I am sold out for you!»
And God is getting ready to part—he’s getting ready to part something for you. I feel the Holy Ghost! If you’re a kingdom person, holla at me! Because something is getting ready to happen here! I feel it! God is getting ready for something! Promotion comes from the Lord! He sets down one and raises up another!
God, I’m so glad that you’ve been faithful in secret. I’m so glad that you’ve been praying in secret. I’m so glad that you opened your heart in secret because God is ready for you! You’ve got to catch that; you’ve got to catch that! L.A., are you catching it? I see it! God is shaking some things up!
It’s not going to look like what it always looked at! In a moment, boom! You’re going to see something! The tables are going to turn in your favor! If you believe that’s a word from God for you, do me a favor and celebrate him with me! Oh, it’s true! He’s clearing the path! He’s clearing the path! The walls of Jericho are getting ready to fall on your behalf!
Oh, it’s getting ready to happen! He’s clearing the path! Stay there, stay there! Don’t move too quick because that mountain in front of you is getting ready to become a molehill! I know what I’m talking about! He’s not going to teach you to pray a futile prayer!
And watch this! He’s also not going to teach you to pray a prayer that is not going to come to pass! How many of us know that the kingdom is coming? The kingdom is coming! We’re not begging heaven! Jesus wants us to pray in alignment with what he is doing! His kingdom is coming!
In order for his kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, he needs some kings. He’s handing out crowns! I feel the Holy Ghost! He’s handing out crowns! Kings and queens! He’s handing out crowns!
Hallelujah! Some of you have had a crown, but it’s felt like a crown of thorns, not realizing that that crown of thorns is getting ready to become a golden crown, a royal diadem on your head! I feel the Holy Ghost! Yes, you’ve had to bleed; you’ve had to suffer.
But I hear God saying, «For I reckon the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed!» I came to prophesy to you this morning, and I pray that there are some people in here who say I hear God speaking to me, and I’m going to allow every word that God speaks to me to change my perspective!
Watch this! God doesn’t even need our prayers! He doesn’t need our prayers! He doesn’t say, «If you don’t pray, my Father’s kingdom come, my Father’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven; if you don’t pray, that’s not going to happen.»
He didn’t say that! He’s saying, «I want you to be aligned with my perspective! I want you to be aligned with my perspective! The kingdom wins! The kingdom wins! The kingdom is already won! And anybody that aligns with the kingdom is going to win in every season of their life!»
Do you hear what I’m saying? You can’t have the perspective of a loser! «Keep them comfy, Lord! I want my life to be that which can be blessed and utilized to advance your kingdom! Hallelujah! In whatever lane you give me, I’m going to advance your kingdom. I’m going to study your kingdom; I’m going to seek your kingdom!»
It says «Seek the kingdom»; in other words, if I don’t see the kingdom in it, I’m not in it! Are you tracking with me? I am seeking the kingdom like someone searching for riches. You know the parable is about the kingdom like a merchant who goes looking for rare stones and finds a pearl of great price, finds it and sells everything that he has to buy it because he realized that in it was everything that he needed and then some!
So, my perspective is God’s perspective! I’m here to see your kingdom come! See, your kingdom come! That’s why I’m here! I’m not even here to have a great life! If I seek your kingdom, I’ll have a great life! But I have prioritized my perspective.
So, he says, «My Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name! Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, » which means that now I am the connection between heaven and earth.
Oh God! See, I want you to see yourself right! You, my sister and brother, are God’s connection between heaven and earth! Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven! You know what I love about that? It says your kingdom come, your will be done—the kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven.
So heaven is not trying to figure it out; it’s settled in heaven! Now our job is to bring to earth what heaven has already pre-ordered every day! That’s what we ought to live for! In some way, that’s perspective! And if you don’t have perspective, you’ll be living for other stuff, and you’ll forget about the most important thing!
«Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread» — Perspective on Each Day
I’ve got to kind of—I’ve got to move through this! There’s hope we can finish this today! «Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!» Now, he says, «Give us this day our daily bread, » and herein he is giving us perspective about each day.
Here’s what I mean by that: A lot of us—you know you hear people say, «How you doing? Oh, just the same stuff, different day. Just another day!» You’ve heard it: «Just another day, just another dollar!»
But here, as the Lord is teaching us how to pray and giving perspective, he is also giving us perspective about the value of each day! Oh God! I feel the Holy Ghost! Each day has great value! And in each day, the value of that day is more valuable than yesterday and tomorrow!
Oh, you’ve got to catch what I’m saying! I wish I could say it the way I see it! The most valuable day you have is not tomorrow; it is not yesterday. The most valuable day you have is the day you are in right now! Because if yesterday was the most valuable day, then you would have already gone on to be with Jesus yesterday!
And everything goes higher; we go from glory to glory! Which means that the statement, «Oh, I wish I was in the old glory days, » is a lie! The devil is a liar! That is a former glory! The latter glory is always greater than the former glory!
And if you get your perspective together, you will be able to seize the glory that’s in this day! Are you tracking with me?
The most powerful day you have is today! Oh God! That’s why procrastination is one of the greatest sins! Can I talk to you like this, Los Angeles?
That’s why procrastination is one of the greatest sins, because what it does is it forsakes the glory of today, hoping that you’ll even see tomorrow! Bishop Rosie O’Neil said something profound: «I cannot get this out of my spirit. She says, 'Procrastination is the arrogant assumption that God will give you another opportunity to do tomorrow what he anointed you to do today.'»
It is an arrogant assumption! «Give us this day!» You notice that in that prayer, he’s not talking about tomorrow! He doesn’t say, «God, give me my bread for today and tomorrow and for next week!» No, no, no, no! He says, «Give us this day!» This day! This day! Our daily bread!
He’s giving you perspective about the day! I want some people in this room—you’re going to have to forgive yesterday, see the mercy of God in each day he grants you! Oh, feel the Holy Ghost! You’ve got to see each day boldly!
Each day is loaded with benefits! Every single day, there is something!
I’ve got to run through this—I’ve got to run through this! I’m sorry; I wanted to do it differently! «Give us each day our daily bread!» That means there is something in this day for me! That means that God has placed provision!
Oh, Moshe! Everything I need for today is in today! Some of you are worried about something that might happen in two weeks! It is a waste of creative energy; it is a waste of cognitive energy! You’ve been worried, worried, worried about something that might happen in a month!
He wouldn’t tell you to pray, «Give us each day our daily bread!» Daily bread! I hear God saying, «I’ve got you!» And see, I’ve got to do it that way, because you don’t trust me in the time of abundance when you have enough for today, tomorrow, next week, six months from now, and a year from now!
It is wonderful; I believe in savings! I save all the time! Right? I’ve got all kinds of stashes! Thank God! Hallelujah! But I’ll tell you, some of those stashes are my liability because it is difficult—the more you can see, the more difficult it is for you to trust God on the level that you need to trust him!
Are you tracking with me? So, some of you are wishing, «Oh God, I wish I had six or seven figures in the bank! I wish I had that saved up!» Not realizing that the real value is that you can give God a hallelujah and a «Thank you, Jesus!» every single day because you’re convinced that there is provision in each day.
Sometimes God does not give you abundance all at once; sometimes God gives you abundance in rations! Are you tracking with me?
In fact, if you go over your life and look at all the times that you were worried and God came through just for that day, you will see a history of abundance! And if I can see a history of abundance, then I can thank God, and I can believe him for a future of abundance!
«Give us this day our daily bread!» Because family, all you really need—I’m going to let you in on something revolutionary—all you really need is your daily bread! The other guy lies to you and tells you you need bread for tomorrow and the next day!
That is a lie! You couldn’t even consume bread dispersed in that fashion! God says, «I’ve got you!» And see, you’re worried about having the answer to a problem that hasn’t even showed up yet! I wish you would catch what I just said!
Because daily bread is not simply the provision of resources; it is also the provision of wisdom! When it’s time for you to cross that bridge, there will be wisdom and revelation and clarity and favor and whatever it is you need! Jesus told his disciples, «I’ve got to stop.»
Jesus told his disciples, «When you go before the magistrates, don’t even worry about what you’re going to say! It will be given to you that very hour!» Hallelujah! I’m trying to change your perspective!
«Give us this day our daily bread!» That means that in every day I am loaded with benefits! There is provision in that day! There is wisdom for that day! If I seek him—if I seek him! If I lean not on my own understanding but acknowledge him in all of my ways, he is going to order my steps and direct my path even if it’s a place I’ve never been before!
Because there are some of you that God is calling out; he’s calling you to go to lands that are unfamiliar to you! But I hear God saying, «If you trust me, if you seek me, I’m going to order your steps! I’m not going to give you the map; I’m going to give you the step that’s in front of you. If you step, I’ll catch you, and I will not reveal to you step two until you make step one!»
That’s why you’ve got to stop disqualifying yourself! You don’t have to know! All you’ve got to know is how to hear God’s voice—that’s all you need! And he will order your steps!
Perspective! I don’t have to have it all figured out. I just have to know how to hear! I just have to know how to sense! I just have to know how to see!
Perspective! «Give us this day our daily bread!» It’s perspective about each day!
«Forgive Us Our Debts… Lead Us Not Into Temptation… Deliver Us From Evil» — Humility, Guidance, Protection
And then he says, «And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.» There’s so much in that! I can’t even do it—there’s so much there! But he’s basically saying, «I need you to have perspective about yourself! Forgive us our debts!»
You notice that Jesus doesn’t say, «If you have any!» He doesn’t say, «Forgive us of our trespasses if you have any!» No! He says, «Pray!» It’s humility! Humility!
It says, «I don’t have it figured out! And right now, I’m probably wrong in some area about something. Right now, with my smart self—everybody’s quiet! Now it’s quiet, now it’s quiet!» Even right now, with my smart, intelligent, educated, experienced self, I am probably just—even if it’s just a little bit wrong about something!
«Right now, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors!» But I believe kingdom people have to learn how to navigate others. You have to learn how to navigate others!
And it’s difficult! I talked about a little bit on New Year’s Eve, but you’ve got to learn how to navigate people! Jesus was a master navigator! He navigated many personalities from Peter to Judas! He navigated them!
And I can’t teach it now, but you have to see yourself right! You have to see others right! And you have to walk in humility!
And then he says, «And lead us not into temptation!» That is to say that it is again rather arrogant to step out into a day—to step out into a day without seeking God’s wisdom! There are lions, tigers, and bears out there!
Every single day, particularly if you’re living for God, «Lead me not into temptation!» In other words, temptation is waiting for you! Hey, even right now, temptation wants to pull right up! Come on, somebody! Right out on Florida Avenue!
Right there on the corner, temptation wants to pull up and say, «Hey, we’re rolling again!» «Lead us not into temptation» is to say, «Holy Spirit, lead me today! I don’t want to lean into my own understanding! I don’t want to lean into my own tendencies! I don’t want to lean into my own proclivities! I have perspective about guidance, and that is, I need your guidance!»
He says, «And keep me from evil!» That’s the divine protection! Again, lions, tigers, and bears—there are all sorts of things out there! And there’s not a day I leave my house where I don’t cover my family! Hello, somebody! I don’t cover my family!
I don’t cover these churches and these campuses! Hello, somebody! Not a day I do not take for granted, if Jesus said pray that you will be kept from evil!
See, all these things keep you aligned!
«For Yours Is the Kingdom…» — God’s Preeminence
And then it goes into «For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever and ever! Amen!»
I need to tie this up! How can I tie this up? I believe that prayer is one of the number one things that keeps you with a healthy perspective! And in particular, if you’re not big on prayer—in fact, the disciples themselves were asking to be taught how to pray—if you’re not big on prayer, just pray these things!
If you pray this prayer every day with understanding—not vain repetition—or rather like, «I don’t ever, I love a day, my kingdom come, » no, that’s not what I’m talking about! But pray with fresh understanding!
It will bless you! «Our Father, who art in heaven!» Whoa! All of a sudden, things will open up! The moment that your words align with the reality of God, «Our Father, who art in heaven!»
And then, «Kingdom come, that will be done!» You’ll feel a strength come over you! Wow! I’m a part of something! I’ve been praying this week about this thing that’s going on. God, I pray that your kingdom would come to this situation! Your kingdom would come to this obstacle!
Your kingdom would come to this assignment! Your kingdom would come to this nation! Your kingdom would come to this community! Your kingdom would come!
And all of a sudden, a boldness will begin to come over you! «And then God, give us this day!» Give us this day! Thank you, God, for this brand-new day! And thank you, God, for being both my source and my resource in this day!
This is a day unlike any other! And I want to have a successful day! I want this day to be fruitful! I don’t want it to come and go, and I never had the opportunity to be awake to all the opportunities!
Because I feel this! Today is strategic! Today is part of God’s strategy for the whole of your life! Today is strategic! Oh, hallelujah!
I posted something on Instagram the other day: «I will not be strategistless in 2019!»
So if today is a part of God’s strategy for my life, then I cannot go randomly, recklessly—watch this—or whiningly into this day! There’s a strategy! And today—oh, hallelujah! —there’s a strategy!
There’s a strategy! Everything for a reason! Everything—everything for a reason! There’s a strategy in today! I can’t be lazy! I’ve got to be awake! I’ve got to be alert!
There’s a strategy! And I don’t want to miss it! «Give us this day our daily bread!» Lord, have mercy on me! And Lord, help me to have mercy on others!
God, the only way I will be able to actualize that strategy is if you lead me by your Spirit! Your Spirit knows, like in a video game, where all the hidden prizes are—lead me by your Spirit so I can uncover the hidden treasure hidden in this underrated thing called today!
And keep me from evil! Evil is lurking! You know one form of evil? The counterfeit version of you! The counterfeit version of you! Evil! Don’t think of the boogeyman; think of distraction as evil! If there is a strategy that’s designed to be a building block for my life, then—if the enemy cannot kill me, because there are limits to the enemy’s influence in our lives—then what’s the most evil thing that can happen to me? If he can’t kill me, what’s the most evil thing that could happen to me?
To distract me! For yours is the kingdom! The glory and the power—forever, amen! Your Alpha and your Omega! It starts with you! You are everything in between, and it ends with you! And then it starts with you again the next day, and everything in between ends with you!
Altar Call and Prophetic Word on Shaking
Family, I believe with all of my heart—I’m done! I’m way over time! I’m done! I believe with all of my heart that your prayer life is going to be your most critical tool in maintaining the perspective that you need to have this year!
I want you to pray this prayer every single day and pray it with understanding! And watch God show up in your life! I want to pray for you! Once you stand while we pray if you don’t mind! L.A., come on! Stand whilst we pray!
If you’re here and the Lord spoke to you today, and you know he spoke to you today, and you want to recommit yourself to the kingdom of God—if that’s you, I want you to meet me here at this altar! You’re here! Come on! L.A., I’m talking to you too! I see you!
If you’re here and you say, «You know what? I haven’t been praying like I should; I haven’t been focused on the kingdom! I’ve been focused on trying to build my kingdom!» I want you to come! I want you to come wherever you are! Come to the altar! You say, «God, 2019, my perspective, my perspective!»
I see you coming! I see you, L.A.! I see you! I see you coming! I see you! Come on, Denver! My perspective! My perspective! I want my perspective to be your perspective! I want to lay down my agenda for your agenda!
Family, I’m stepping back! I see people coming! I see you, L.A.! I see you! Come on! Some of you ought to celebrate! Come on, let’s celebrate! What’s happening? Family! Listen to me!
This is not out of a sense of religious repetition. Let me tell you something—for you to pay attention—we’re going to play just a little softly because this is important.
We’re coming into a time in our world— a time in our—just real soft, please! Real soft! Turn it way down! We’re coming into a time in our world where everything that can be shaken is being shaken! Everything that can be shaken is being shaken!
And we’re not going to be—and there are a lot of things that are going to happen in the next five years! A lot of things! And the fluff that is on our country and our world is getting ready to be diminished! And it’s going to drive humanity to its core!
Whatever that is, whatever that is—the fluff, the fluff of comfort, the fluff of compromise—God is shaking a lot of things right now! And it’s not just going to go away! What we’re experiencing right now is a bit of a norm! I love you too much to play with you!
I want you to be ready for what we’re experiencing right now! We’re like, «Oh, you know, when are these things going to end?» The debate and the argument that’s happening in the White House and in Congress and the Senate— all that kind of stuff— all that— that might end!
But the pressure will not go away! It will not go away! And you study Matthew chapter 24, it’s not hearsay! It’s not going to get easy! It’s not going to get easy! It’s going to require authenticity!
And it’s going to require us coming under the covering—and the banner of the kingdom! Because the kingdom will ultimately be the only thing that cannot be shaken!
That’s why some may be watching and are being shaken right now! But here’s the thing—the real you is not being shaken! What’s being shaken is everything that is not you! You understand what I’m saying?
Everything that’s not you is being shaken so that we can get back down to basics! Because God moves from the place of authenticity! He moves from our core! We’ve been talking about that! And I truly believe there are some who have been walking with God, and there are some who have had a kingdom mentality, and it’s been difficult and rough!
See, here’s what’s going to happen. For kingdom people, in the previous season, it was very difficult and rough! You were sowing in tears, and it was challenging! And it seemed like everything else was doing well except you!
That’s getting ready to flip-flop! It’s getting ready to flip-flop! What you didn’t realize is that all of that adversity against you was building strength! And the type of lungs that can live on the elevated level that God is bringing you into in this season!
When everybody else is choking, you’re going to be soaring because of what you went through before things got flipped right-side up! So this moment is important! I’ve got a zillion really cute, fluffy things to preach about, but I want to lay a foundation for you—a foundation of reality so that you can be ready for what’s yours!
That’s why I’m calling you down here! That’s why I’m encouraging you! That’s why I’m talking about the kingdom! Jesus is not giving you a futile prayer! He’s saying pray this because this alignment is happening!
Baby, I started something when I came! I started something! So if you’re here and you say, «You know what? I’ve been kind of on the outskirts of the God thing, but I feel like God is calling me closer to him!» I want you to come meet me at this altar!
I want to pray just a second! We are out of time, but if that’s you, I want you to come! Because there’s more people! There’s more people! God is calling you close! I see you coming! I see you! I see you coming!
Come on! I see you coming! Denver! I see you coming! I see you coming! I see you coming! I see you coming! Come on! We’re getting it together! Yeah, come on! I see you!
Come on, come on! We’re getting it together! We’re getting aligned! We’re getting our perspective right! Oh yes, we are! Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Jesus!
Oh yes, come on! Under the covering! Come on, under the covering! Under the covering! Under the covering! Under the covering! Under the covering of the kingdom! Under the covering of the kingdom! When everything shakes and crumbles, the kingdom will still be standing!
It crumbles around the kingdom; it cannot crumble! The kingdom! Come on home! Come on home! Come on home! Hallelujah!
Closing Prayer
Father, we are yours! And when we call you Father, we mean Father! You are our Father! You are our Daddy! You’re more than our God; you are our Maker! We are the works of your hands! You delight in your children! You love us!
And you so loved us in spite of the worst of us or the worst in us! You so loved us that you gave your only begotten Son! You gave Christ for us! You gave your best for our worst as a sign to us that you are for us!
That you are passionately disposed in our favor! And I thank you! I thank you for those who are at this altar—in Los Angeles, in Denver! Those who have made their homes, their bedrooms, altars, their hospital rooms, and altars, their cars, and altars!
Even in this moment, I thank you that your presence is right here meeting us! You are the way, the truth, and the life! You are healing hearts right now-physically and spiritually! Healing hearts!
And we thank you, God! Hallelujah! And we’re here to say, «Your kingdom come!» Let your kingdom come to us first! Hallelujah! And then let your kingdom come through us!
And we hear, God, because we’re giving you our lives! We’re coming under covering! We thank you for our church! We thank you, God, for your word that leads us, guides us, and feeds us!
We thank you for your promise! You spoke many promises to us today! You gave us insight about many things! We receive it! You gave us bread! Yes, you did! And we’re grateful for that nourishment!
And may it take root in our lives and bear fruit! And, Father, I just plead the blood of Jesus over everyone at this altar! Everyone at the altar in California!
Everyone at the altar that they have set up wherever they might be! I plead the blood of Jesus over their minds, especially that this perspective will be sealed! I plead the blood of Jesus over their hearts, over their bodies, over their lives!
Cover them and keep them, God! Edify them! Build them up! Strengthen them! They are kingdom citizens! Yes, they are! And now, I just want you to repeat after me!
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your love! I receive it! I thank you for your grace! I receive it! I thank you for your word! I receive it! I thank you for Jesus! Thank you for making him who had no sin bear all of mine, all of my weakness, all of my shortcomings, all of my limitations!
You placed in his body, nailed it to the cross, and once and for all put it to death! That means all my brokenness was crushed in his body! Which means that through his resurrection, I’m healed, and I’m whole, and I’m on my way to everything he created me to be!
No more shackles! No more chains! I’m free indeed in Jesus Christ! Holy Spirit, I need you! I can’t do this by myself! Lead me not into temptation!
But lead me by your Spirit and keep me from evil! Be a hedge of protection all around me! I release my past! I’m not afraid of my future! This day, I lay hold of my promises and my identity in you! In Jesus' name, amen!