New attacks against the 'power of prayer'
Spirited Debate: Dr. Robert Jeffress on why prayer is 'not a cop out'
Christians must push themselves to pray the "dangerous prayer" of availability, Pastor James Brown of Crossroads Church said in a recent sermon, telling his congregation that when "God calls you, he equips you."
Brown, who serves as the executive pastor of discipleship at the Minnesota-based evangelical church, said in a March sermon that Christians need to be more like children in their service to God, pushing themselves to "fearlessly" invite God's presence into their lives.
While Christians may come up with several excuses as to why they should not allow themselves to be available to God, they must remember that when "God calls you, he also equips you."
"God is less concerned with your ability than he is with your availability," the pastor says.
The pastor calls on members of Crossroads Church to have a "childlike faith in action" by having excitement, fearlessness and courage about their faith.
Fearlessly following God's plan allows Him to use you as an instrument for His will, Brown explains, saying that all Christians, especially those who are feeling "bored" in their faith, need to embrace the "bold, courageous [and] fearless […] prayer of availability."
This prayer is a "powerfully dangerous" prayer of adventure, the evangelical pastor continues, because it may result in God calling you to do different things, like move to a different state, break up with a significant other, or allow another big change in your life so His plan for you may better be achieved.
"God may call you to do something that you never imagined that you would do," Brown tells the audience.
The pastor adds that Christians will frequently have three typical responses when God calls them to change direction in their life, with two of them being negative and one being positive.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
