Sermon Notes - Say It, Believe It, Live It - Littleby Baptist Church - January 4, 2026

1.     Prayer is something we are to do as Christ followers.

a.      I want to start with a couple of questions to get us thinking about our prayer life.

b.     Do you bring everything to the Lord in prayer?

c.      How about the things you need help with to our God?

d.     Do you believe that God will answer your prayers?

2.     Each week we take prayer requests here at Littleby.

a.      They tend to range from medical needs, relationships, jobs, safe travels.

b.     And anything else that might come up.

3.     When we pray as a church, do you believe God will answer those prayers?

a.      What about the little things?

b.     Do you believe God will answer those “trivial” prayers?

c.      Do you even pray for those trivial things?

4.     Whatever the prayer request is, we need to take our prayers to God and believe that He answer them.

5.     James 4:2

a.      We need to present our requests to our God.

b.     Laying out our needs and desires.

c.      If we do not ask, we cannot receive.

d.     If we do not ask, we won’t know if it is God’s will or not.

6.     The first step in a healthy prayer life should be to Say It.

7.     1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray Constantly”

a.      Your translation may state continually, regularly, without ceasing, or in all circumstances.

b.     What that means is…

c.      We need to pray when we are happy.

d.     When we are sad, we need to pray.

e.      If life is going great, we need to pray.

f.      We need to pray when the challenges are overwhelming.

g.     When we feel like we have been kicked in the gut, we need to talk to our God.

8.     Prayer is something we need to do always.

a.      It is to be part of every day as we walk this earth.

9.     Matthew 7:7

a.      What Jesus is telling us here, is that we need to be persistent in prayer.

b.     Ask for what we need.

c.      Seek what we are missing.

d.     And knock so that the door will be opened.

e.      Prayer is to be a vital part of our lives.

10.  If we think about what Paul told us in 1 Thessalonians and reflect on what Jesus is saying.

a.      We need to continually, without ceasing, Ask, Seek, and Knock.

b.     We need to talk to our God always.

c.      Laying our concerns before Him.

d.     Not because our God wants the repetition.

e.      He does not want us to babble on and on.

f.      He wants us to come before Him and lay our hearts desires at His feet.

g.     All of it.

h.     The major prayers that can only happen by God’s hand.

i.       And the minor trivial things.

11.  Matthew 7:7-8

a.      Jesus tells us that if we ask for what we need.

b.     Seek for what is missing.

c.      And knock for the door to be opened.

d.     We will get answers to our prayers.

e.      God wants to hear from us.

f.      He wants to answer our prayers.

12.  Matthew 7:9-11

a.      God wants to answer our prayers.

b.     The struggle is that we may not receive the answer we are hoping for.

c.      Our God knows what is best for us.

d.     And will answer prayers accordingly.

e.      That does not mean our lives are going to be simple.

f.      Does not mean they will be free of trouble.

g.     It does not mean we will always be safe.

h.     We won’t always understand the answer, but our God does answer our prayers.

13.  I have a couple of more questions for us to reflect on.

a.      If God always answered our prayers as we think they should be answered.

b.     Life would be easy in our eyes.

c.      We would have nice jobs, a good family life, and our health.

d.     But, what does living a life full of blessings like that do for us?

e.      Would we learn to depend on God if that was the case?

f.      How would our faith grow without struggles?

14.  We would not learn to depend on God if it was always easy.

15.  What kind of testimony would we have without learning to depend on God through our trials?

a.      Some of the most inspiring and moving testimonies are from those who have faced hell on earth.

b.     God uses those who were inches from spending forever in weeping and gnashing, to reach those that some of us could never relate to.

c.      God uses our history to reach those who are walking in the same shoes we have walked in.

16.  We may not understand why.

a.      But our God will answer prayers according to His will.

b.     Giving us what we need to serve Him and others.

17.  Which is why we need to ask according to God’s will not our own.

18.  James 4:3

a.      Our prayers are to be focused on God’s will.

b.     Praying for ways His Kingdom will grow.

c.      We need to approach God with the right intentions.

d.     Praying for things that will bring honor and glory to our God.

19.  Such as…

a.      How can our church have an impact on those in our lives.

b.     How we can take the blessings we have been given and be a blessing to others.

c.      For God’s healing touch on people.

d.     For restoration of broken relationships.

e.      Hearts to be open to accept the Gospel.

f.      For the boldness to be witnesses.

20.  When we pray for things like these.

a.      Our motives tend to be right.

b.     When we Say It, we need to do so with His will in mind.

21.  Back to Matthew 7:7-8

a.      In these verses Jesus is saying prayers WILL be answered.

b.     If we ask, seek, and knock.

c.      We will receive, find, and the door will be opened.

d.     God wants to answer our prayers.

e.      He promises to answer our prayers.

22.  The trick is we need to believe it.

23.  In Mark 9:14-19

a.      These verses are setting the stage for Jesus to teach us something very important.

24.  Mark 9:20-24

a.      The father has been dealing with this for a long time.

b.     Which is likely a big portion of why he is doubting that anything can be done.

c.      This is probably more common than we care to admit.

d.     It is easy for us to Say It.

e.      Easy for us to pray.

f.      But it is much harder for us to have faith that God will answer our prayers.

g.     I for one am guilty of this.

h.     There have been times I have read the words in vs. 24 and have been convicted.

i.       Times I know I have lacked faith.

25.  Have you ever prayed and thought that it was a stretch that God would do anything?

a.      Maybe questioned if God would really want to answer your prayers?

26.  Scripture tells us He does.

a.      The verses we read in Matthew are clear.

b.     Ask, seek, and knock.

c.      Receive, find, and the door will be opened.

27.  Going back to Mark.

28.  After the father cried out, “Help my unbelief,” Jesus acted.

29.  Mark 9:25-29

a.      As he overcame his doubt.

b.     Jesus cast out the demon.

c.      Jesus said this could only happen with prayer.

30.  God wants to answer our prayers.

a.      We need to Say It.

b.     Then we need to Believe It.

c.      Read vs. 23.

d.     We need to truly, 100% believe that God wants to answer our prayers.

e.      We need to have Faith.

31.  1 John 5:14-15

a.      Have faith.

b.     Believe that if we ask God to intervene according to His will.

c.      He will answer our prayers.

d.     We need to Say It.

e.      We need to Believe It.

f.      Then we need to Live It.

32.  2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

33.  Galatians 2:20

a.      If we are going to live it.

b.     We need to believe that God is still in the prayer answering business.

c.      We need to have faith that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

d.     Will follow through with what He told us.

34.  We need to believe the Bible.

a.      Scripture tells us that God will answer our prayers.

b.     We need to believe His Word.

c.      Then we need to Live it.

35.  How do we Live It?

a.      We need to proclaim that our God is in control.

b.     Walk in confidence that His will, will be done.

c.      Remembering that His answer may not be what we want or expect.

d.     Yet, we need to step out in faith.

e.      Not worrying about what the answer is.

f.      But knowing that our God is with us.

g.     That the results are up to Him.

h.     Then Praise God for His faithfulness, regardless of how things unfold.

36.  Prayer is a powerful thing.

a.      If you Say It, Believe It, and Live It.

37.  We need to talk to our God.

38.  Trust when His Word tells us that He wants to answer our prayers.

39.  Then step out in faith.

40.  It all starts with praying for God to deliver you from sin.

a.      If you don’t know Jesus.

b.     He died for you.

c.      To redeem you.

d.     If you believe that He is God.

e.      That He did die for you.

f.      That He is offering you a new life.

g.     If you are ready to make that commitment.

h.     I would love to talk with you.

41.  For the rest of us.

a.      Pray like there is no tomorrow.

b.     Believe what the Bible tells us.

c.      Live knowing that God will answer your prayers.