Give Expectation a Name

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men… For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. -  1 Timothy 2:1, 3–4

On Thursday, we talked about the chairs in this sanctuary. We looked at those open spaces and recognized that they are holding room for people God is still reaching for. We stopped calling them empty chairs and started calling them expectations. Today…we’re going to take it one step further. We’re going to name the expectations.

You should’ve been given a few slips of paper before service started. And as we worship today, I want you to use those slips to give some of those expectations a name. For some of us, that may be the name of a son, a daughter, a spouse, a friend, someone who has walked away from God… you may not even know their story.

For others….maybe God has placed a burden on your heart for someone battling addiction, someone lonely or grieving, someone who’s been abused, someone struggling with thoughts of suicide, or someone who feels discouraged and without hope.

You may not know their names, but God does and He knows every person represented by every burden, he knows where they are, and what it’ll take to reach their heart. Every slip represents a life. Every life represents someone that will one day find their way into one of these seats and encounter Jesus.

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. - 1 John 5:14

We’re placing these people before Him and saying, “Lord, let Your will be done. Draw them. Reach them. Heal what’s been wounded. Break what’s held them captive. Send the right person at the right time. Open the door that only You can open.”

The same God who is softening hearts is also stirring people to pray. The same God who sees the lost is placing a burden for them inside His church. And one day, someone will walk through those doors, sit in one of these chairs, and never know that a church had already been praying for them. But God will know.

This jar will remain here as a place for us to continue bringing names before the Lord. Whenever God places someone on your heart, you can add their name. Whenever you feel burdened for the lost, the hurting, the addicted, the grieving, or someone desperately in need of God, you can place that expectation here as a reminder for us to pray.

Before we place anything into this jar, though, I want you to take a moment and think about what you’ve written. That name represents a soul. That situation represents someone God sees, knows, and loves completely. And before we go into our next song, I’d like you to pray with me over every name, every life, and every expectation we’re holding before Him today.

Lord, we place every name and every person represented here into Your hands. Go where we can’t go. Speak where we can’t speak. Reach the hearts we can’t reach. Heal what’s been wounded, restore what’s been broken, and draw the lost unto You.

Let Your will be done in every life represented here. We believe that You’re already working, and we praise You, Lord God, for every testimony that will come from these prayers. In Jesus’ name, amen.

As we continue to worship, I want to invite you to bring your slips forward and place them into this prayer jar. We’re placing these expectations into the hands of the One who knows every name, sees every heart, and understands every need. Let’s worship with faith for every name we know and every name we don’t, knowing that God is already moving, already reaching, and already drawing hearts to Him.