The Bridge RSM

Ever felt completely overlooked — like nobody sees what you're carrying? Meet Hagar: a foreigner, a slave, running for her life in the desert... and somehow the one person in the whole Bible who gets to name God. In this message from Epic Stories of Prayer, we dig into Genesis 16 and find out that prayer isn't about getting the right answers — it's about actually knowing God, which is how we end up knowing ourselves. Wherever you feel like you don't quite fit, this one's for you: He's the God who sees.

Have you ever fought with God? Have you wanted to? Pastor Taylor continues our series through Epic Stories of Prayer by looking at the audacity of Abraham to push back on God's stated plan through intercession for the people of Sodom. But what does audacity in prayer really look like?

What is your core framework for prayer? We're beginning a series of Epic Stories of Prayer and our first story reminds us that prayer is an encounter with God. Pastor Cami Brings us to the foot of Mount Sinai with the Israelites. The invitation for them was to come meet with God. Ours is the same and so the question is, will we learn from their mistake and enter into a life giving encounter with God? Will we meet Him in prayer?

Do you know about God's voice? Over the past week we had Mega Skills Camp on campus where kids learned fun skills like cooking, technology, survival skills, and performing arts while also learning how to hear God's voice and what it can mean for their lives. So, have you heard God's voice lately? Would you like to?

Do you ever feel like the weight of being "good at prayer" rests entirely on you? God isn't looking for professional Christians or professional prayers. He's looking for disciples who love Him, want to draw near to Him, and partner with Him. He delights to speak to us and direct us as we partner with Him to see His Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.

Do you ever need boldness to pray or to follow Jesus publicly? Do you ever feel intimidated in prayer? We can learn a lesson from Jesus' first followers who prayed for boldness from the Holy Spirit to continue representing Jesus in power and unashamedly. That same Spirit is available today to give us courage and power to follow the way of Jesus and love the world in His name.

What grounds do you have to go to God in prayer? Do you feel like you need to figure things out and then tell God what to do? Do you just go to Him when you have a list of requests? The Church of the book of Acts understood something incredibly important about prayer: it's power flows from relationship. Power in prayer doesn't come from knowing the right things about God. It flows from knowing God! And that doesn't happen over night. It takes time leaning into His goodness in prayer that we might know Him and begin to walk confidently in our identities as sons and daughters of the Most High.

What do you run to when challenges come your way? What's your initial response to adversity? God has invited us to make that thing prayer. He continues to invite us to pray first, to prioritize prayer, to learn to respond with prayer reflexively, and to do so in community that aligns our hearts with His and with each other. Who can you pray with for the things going on in their lives this week? Who can you ask to pray with you for the things going on in yours?

Do you ever try to go through life, figuring things out on your own? Do you try to trust your own good ideas and ability to create a leg up in life? The book of Genesis tells the story of a man who did the same. His name was Jacob, but he learned a valuable lesson when he came face to face with God and wrestled honestly with Him. He learned to have dependence on God before grasping at the destiny he thought was His and to seek the favor of God first and foremost. He received the identity that God spoke over him and was never the same again, walking into his calling in life with new surrender to God the Father.

Will you let God see you in the desert places of your life? Will you meet Him in the depths of your most severe brokenness? Pastor Russell Joyce visits us from B4 Church to unpack the story of Hagar naming God "El Roi", The God Who Sees Me.