Pray First - Repurposing My Life

All things work together for good, 

for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.

Heavenly Father, we invite the Holy Spirit to come speak to us. He is the author of the word we open today . Let your word bring light, illumine our hearts, illumine our understanding, so that our mind, the opposite of being darkened, would be filled with the light of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The wisdom and understanding in the face of the Lord Jesus, to know him, to know the power of his resurrection, to know him in his suffering and to know him in his resurrection. This is our yearning as believers, as disciples of Jesus Christ. 

We're thanking you, Lord, for everyday mercies, everyday journeying mercies, protection mercies, mercy over our failings and falterings and , mercy over our unfaithfulness. We thank you, Lord, for every day, the way you touch us, lift us, care for us. We love you, Lord. Lord Jesus, we love you. We know our lives don't line up to that statement, but we love you. And we want to be loved by you and receive and be filled and be satiated in your love and your love alone.We want to be empowered by your presence in our life. We want to know that you are here, that you are near, that you are present. We want to know your power so that we don't act and walk in our own strength, but in yours. If we have begun in the spirit, it would be foolish to continue in the flesh, as Galatians says. So God, open our eyes as the word is open to us. In Jesus' name I pray, amenAmen.

All things work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.

We began a study in prayer to challenge us to consult the spirit, to consult the spirit on the move, as we go every day. Interviews, class, get on the bus, get off the bus, in and out the metro, going to visit somebody, going to do a project, start a project, finish a project, consult the spirit on the move at all times. Pray first is the , pray first. That was our series (if you have not read that yet, here is the link) we that we started last week.We talked about how prayer brings our spiritual life and our physical life into alignment. So we're not living two separate lives.We accepted the challenge last week to pray before we step into anything that raises fears, that raises tensions. If we know that resentment is going to rise to the top, or perhaps an undesirable response is going to come our way, before we do that, before we step into that, we pray, we pray. So in this article, we are talking about how God can re-script our lives, even re-script our day. 

We all have bad days. Yes? We have wasted weeks. Oh, this week was a waste. I didn't get much done this week. I feel like I could redo that. We have painful seasons. Oh, that's been a tough few months. That's been a tough season. Either we're broke, or we're sick, or we're just dealing with something, or we have painful, we have tough years. Oh, 2025 was a tough year. 2024 was a tough year. Oh, I'll never forget 2018, that was a tough year.… God is inviting us to a deeper life of prayer , you, your family, as a couple, as a community, as a home group, as a church,  of prayer where we can ask him to repurpose the things that have happened to us. We think we've failed, d. We think we've been robbed, .We think we've been sidelined, . We think we've been shortchanged. We think we've been walked all over, . We think we've been neglected or even . We think we've lost. 

But, if God is the God of the impossible, can he change what has already happened? What can God do with broken pieces? It's broken. It's gone. It's lost its value. It can't be used again.

What can God do with wounded hearts? I can't trust anymore. I cannot move forward. I cannot love. I cannot trust. I cannot. What can God do with missed opportunities? Oh, that was a good opportunity. It's gone now. Never again. That's it. I'll never get this chance again. That's it. It's gone. Would you put on your study spectacles and would you look deeply into Romans 8:, 24- 28. 

For in this hope, we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise… the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself… intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

For in this hope, we are saved. This is the hope that leads to salvation. Now, hope that is seen is not hope. So there is an evidence of faith that is attached to hope. There's an evidence of uncertainty, . There's an evidence of walking in faith rather than in sight. Because if you can see it, then it's not hope. It's not faith. Now, hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he can see? You don't sit down for a dinner and you see chicken on your plate and you see it and then you say, I hope I have chicken for dinner. You see it. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Faith, hope, patience. We wait for it with patience. In the same way, the Spirit , (capital S, that means it's talking about the Holy Spirit) . The Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. What's our weakness? What's our weakness? Next sentence. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought to. That is the problem. That's the weakness we have. So hope is great if you have the faith. Faith will give us the patience to wait and endure with the stamina that is required to see eventually what we have hoped for. But while we're doing that, and because we're doing that, the prayer life that is required for faith to grow so that hope stays, that prayer life is missing because we don't know what to pray for. Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness for we do not know what to pray for as we ought. But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. The Holy Spirit goes to task. He goes to work to pray for that which we don't even know what to pray for. So where we are weak, he is strong. Where we fail, he succeeds. Where we do not know what to do, he picks up and he takes it. No matter what you win, no matter how, no matter how far, no matter what you do not know, no matter how weak, the Holy Spirit fills the gap and takes care of it. But the Spirit himself, but the Spirit himself, he intercedes for us. So he's not saying, okay, I'll give you the list. This is what you should be praying for. Instead, No, that's a stupid prayer. Put that aside. No, that's not gonna, no, God's not gonna answer that. Here's what you should. No, he doesn't say, he doesn't tell you what to pray for. He prays., he prays. 

Now what's the advantage of the Holy Spirit stepping in to pray for us? So we know that the Lord Jesus is praying for us, John 17. Now we know that the Holy Spirit is also praying for us. The Holy Spirit is praying for us with words and groanings that take it to the next level to be able to unpack and express the deepest hurt, pain, desires, dreams, ambitions, losses, disappointments, which we can't even express. We don't even know that that's what we were dealing with, and the Holy Spirit's already praying for it.

But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Now what is the benefit of the Holy Spirit doing the prayer thing for me? And he who searches hearts, who's that? He who searches hearts, who's that? God the Father. He who searches hearts (God the Father) knows the mind of the Spirit, (capital S). So God the Father knows the mind of the Holy Spirit as he intercedes because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Now what prayers get answered? Prayers that are in line with God's will. Who knows the will of God? God.  God the Holy Spirit. And God the Father who searches every heart knows the mind of the Spirit that no matter what the Spirit prays, the Spirit is gonna going to pray according to God's will. And the Spirit searches our hearts,  he searches our hearts and he intercedes for us according to God's will. So the prayers that are getting most answered for us in our life are the prayers of the Holy Spirit, which he's doing whether you like it or not, with or without you, on your behalf, because he loves you, because he's there for you, because his goal, his purpose is to be with you and to strengthen you. He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God, verse 28. And, and we know. Okay, so God the Father knows the mind of the Spirit. The Spirit knows our weaknesses. And what do we know? Men and womenFriends, what do we know? And when we say know, we mean ginosko, we know what we mean, we know for sure. We don't just have the data, we know by experience. And we know that for those who love God, and go to the last sentence, and those who are called according to his purpose., 

Let's qualify these people first before we throw out a wonderful declaration of promise. And we know that for those who love God, love meaning embrace God, love meaning have a fear for God, love meaning have abandoned themselves and wanted to obey God. If you love me, you will obey my commandments. For those who love God, and for those who are called according to his purpose, which the Holy Spirit knows- , say it with me. All things work together for good. Pastor, are you brainwashing us? Yes, all things work together for good. 

Change your script, reprogram, rewire your brain to know who you are, whose you are, and what's working for you, instead of whinging and whining about how life is working against you. Can God do it? Can God change things? Can God work with broken hearts? Can God work with deep losses, the loss of loved ones, the loss of opportunities, the loss of big amounts of money that you were hoping will be an investment turned out to be…? Can God change things around? People are at us, against us, working against us, speaking against us, conniving against us. Can God move things around? Can I walk in confidence that what is happening to me and happening around me is in God's control and God can do something much more with it than I can? 

Let me take you to a story. Back in the Old Testament, you remember a guy called Joseph? He was part of twelve brothers. And these eleven, his brothers were jealous of Joseph because he got a technicolour coat and so . And they decided to sell him into slavery . Some slave traders were coming by, they throw him in a pit, he goes off into slavery, and then he lands up in Egypt…. (Genesis 37-50). Many years later, the brothers come in to get food from Egypt because there was a famine in their land and they don't recognize this Joseph because now he's in Levi's jeans (pun intended) and he's looking good. (pun intended). And he turns to them and the whole script has changed and he says these most powerful statements in Genesis- 50: 20 of Genesis.:   As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

I really like the NCV version. It says this. You meant to hurt me, (do you know anybody like that in your life?), but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many, which is being done as you see. Let's shorten that to what applies to us today. You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good. Can God change circumstances? Can God change the outcomes? Can God work with broken pieces? Can God work with lost opportunities? Can God move and change as you're walking through life and he walks with you and things happen, things don't happen, things are said, things are not said? Missed opportunities, missed promotions, missed interest and savings and losses. Can God turn things around for you? 

All things for good,

You meant, but God turned.

God is never stumped. He can turn any situation, any pain, anything around. Does he cause it? No, he doesn't cause it. But the creativity and the power and the almightiness of God is so for us, not against us, but for us, if anybody else meant it for evil, he'll turn that very same thing around for good. Basically, we have the author of life walking with us, ready to re-script our lives on the go. People will turn our script in a direction that is favorable to them or against us. And God almighty will re-script our lives. Then, Pastor, what happened to inshallah? What happened to God's almighty sovereign will? What happened to that? This is the will of God. This is the will of God. You know, we have to follow,  you've gone off the will of God. The will of God is that you stay close to him. The will of God is that you stay right with him. The will of God is that you act in hope and faith and love as you pray. And where you can't pray and where your prayers end, the Holy Spirit picks it up. And the Holy Spirit knows the mind of God, and God knows the mind of the Spirit because he's always praying in tandem with the will of God. So he answers every prayer of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit knows me inside out and he knows my weaknesses because he doesn't, he knows I don't know what to pray for and in the way that I should be praying for. So he prays what I should be praying for in the way that I pray for. And God answers my prayers, which I didn't even pray. Boy, am I advantaged! I am going through life highly benefited,  highly privileged. I'm not minorities by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not weak. I'm not lost. Come, come against me. Do anything you want. Use all your brains, Satan, people, cultures, families, wicked ones, do whatever you want. You change the script how many ever times you want. Edit it to your heart's content. And my God shall supply all my needs according to his riches, which is in glory. My God will re-script my life just the way he wants it to go. And you can't do a thing about it. You have no idea how privileged I am and perhaps a little spoiled. Because all things for good. You meant,. God turned.

All things for good,

You meant, but God turned.

God walks with you. You hear an insult, HeI'll turn it around. Oh, we missed the bus. HeI'll bring another one around. Oh, you're hurting? That was painful? Yeah, that's, come, let meHe will carry you. I'll turn this around. HeIt'll heal. It'll heal. You'll get through this. Nothing is so bad that we you can’t get through it.  together. We can get through it. In fact, HeI can turn it around to be a blessing through you for others because nobody else can handle a pain situation, a sickness situation and a deliverance situation more than you can because God promises to beI am with you. I am with you. So we you can do this.  and we can turn around. WeYou can get you through and we He can turn it around and make it a ministry. So everybody who goes through the most difficult times becomes ministers of those most difficult times for others who are going through that. And with the comfort with which you have been comforted, you can comfort others. And then we have a whole community that is comforted with the comfort that only God can give. Are we putting all this together?  

But some foolish pastors and some wicked evangelists go on TV and tell you that you have the right to live a life that's free of pain, free of hurt, free of encumbrance, free of hurdles, free of anything that comes in your way—that is Satan. Get out of my way. No, you don't have that right. What you do have is a privilege. What you do have is the company of the Spirit of God. What you do have is guaranteed prayer answer. If you don't know what to pray, he'll pray for it. If you don't know how to pray, he'll pray it correctly. So it's him who's praying in a language that you and I don't understand with groanings that cannot be uttered constantly. 

So God walks with you. God talks to you. God carries you. God shows you. God turns things around for you. God works all things for good, those who love God. But the mentality needs to change. The script needs to change. You need to be rewired into thinking, this is happening to me. This always happens to me. SeeSo now onward, whenever ‘this always happens to me’, change that script to ‘things always work out for me’. God always finds a purpose in it. I can handle it because God is with me. I have enough strength and enough resources from anchored on the throne above to get through anything that might come my way. Anything that Satan can think of in all of his creative genius to come against me, I have the resource, I'm covered. So hit me. You're gonna rob me? You're gonna make my child sick? You're gonna test me? 

In our unceasing heartbeat of prayer, the constant prayer where we align the spirit world with the physical world, my spirit with my flesh, where I align and the spirit that gave life to my spirit will give life to my mind, which also will give life to my mortal bodies. Romans chapter eight. In this unceasing heartbeat of prayer, three things. Number one, we ask God to repurpose evil. Have there been words spoken against you that were meant for evil? God can turn it for good. God can turn it around for good. Have there been actions that were done with a malicious intent, with an evil intent for you, against you, even planned even? God can turn it around. Your prayer life needs to now be about constantly working with the Holy Spirit to change the script, to repurpose the day, to change the script, rewrite the script. I'm not gonna play it that way. I'm not gonna play that game. No, no, no, you can't get me down. I know whom I have believed in. And I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that, which I've committed to him against that day. So we ask God to repurpose evil, words, actions. 

Number two, we ask God to repurpose pain. Oh God, I'm going through this pain. It could be physical pain. It could be a sickness pain. It could be a mental pain. It could be an emotional pain. I'm going through this, but repurpose it so that meaning is injected into every day. And while I draw on comfort and strength to get through the pain and the stamina and endurance to get through the pain, Lord, let this matter. Let this count. Let this matter. Seventy years, maybe eighty years, you have given to me on earth to be trained and prepared for an eternity of love, of comfort, of health, of joy, of praise, of worship, an eternity. But seventy years you have given that I may know you and the power of your resurrection. Lord God, repurpose my pain. Rather than grumbling, rather than despairing, rather than feeling sorry for oneself, your prayer life is what turns everything around and rewires your brain, because you understand that where your prayers end, the Holy Spirit picks up and you are at an advantage. Always, always at an advantage. All things for good. You meant but . God turned. 

We ask God to repurpose curses.Turn a curse into a blessing. A situation, has that become a curse for you? Okay, God can turn that into a blessing. A person's presence in your life has become a curse for you. Then there's real curses, actual curses, generation curses. And there are curses that have come into your home, come into your life because of the portals you have opened up by allowing those things and those people into your home and into your life. So we ask God to repurpose those curses. Turn it around for because God who can take a curse and make it a blessing. Remove a curse and replace with a blessing is the God I want to worship every day of my life. 

All things for good,

You meant, but God turned.

All things… for good. You meant… but God turned.…

God bless you.