Scripture Reading:
-
Psalm 115:4–8
-
2 Corinthians 3:17–18
Introduction: The Power of Focus
For the past two week’s I have been dabbling with worshipping more in my daily life. I have quietly been growing in ways I didn’t realize, just by spending a few minutes of time each day on focused on hearing stories of how God answers prayer in big ways.
This is my story of quiet, soild growth that can be your story too. Let’s start with the most basic principle — What you look at, what you fix our attention on, has a way of shaping you. Over time, you start to resemble whatever you behold—whether it’s God’s glory or the lifeless idols of our culture.
Psalm 115 paints a sobering picture of idols—crafted from silver and gold, given mouths but unable to speak, eyes but unable to see. The psalmist warns: “Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.”
In other words, if we focus our lives on things that are spiritually lifeless, we risk becoming spiritually lifeless ourselves. But here is the good news — if we behold God’s glory, we are transformed into His likeness—alive, free, and full of purpose.
2 Corinthians 3:17–18 confirms this truth: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”
The Mirror and the Map
This message is, in some ways, a “throwback” to a previous sermon series on Revelation, where we talked about two key images: the mirror and the map. In Revelation, the mirror revealed the truth about the churches—what Jesus saw in them, including encouragements and warnings. The map was God’s instruction on how to move forward faithfully.
Psalm 115 functions like a mirror for us today. It reflects where our focus is. Are we gazing at idols—things that promise satisfaction but deliver emptiness? Or are we looking at the living God?
We Become What We Behold
It’s a simple but profound truth: the more you look at something, the more you start to resemble it.
If we’re constantly feeding ourselves a diet of comparison, anxiety, and curated images from social media, that’s what begins to shape our attitudes and behaviors. But if we continually place our attention on the living God, we become more like Him—full of life, peace, and purpose.
Beholding isn’t a passive glance. The Greek behind “beholding” in 2 Corinthians suggests contemplating, gazing deeply, even seeing something reflected back at you. It’s not about a one-time spiritual high on a mountaintop; it’s about daily, consistent focus.
A 40-Day Journey in Beholding
Recently, I committed to a 40-day discipline of worship and prayer, inspired by Mark Batterson’s Draw the Circle: The 40-Day Prayer Challenge. I expected it to be full of practical “assignments” for prayer. Instead, it became a daily time of soaking in bold stories of faith—stories where God answered prayers in miraculous ways. One of the first lessons that hit me was this: I believe too little too much.
I realized my prayers were often scaled to what I thought was reasonable or possible. But God isn’t limited by my imagination or my comfort zone. As Ephesians 3:20 reminds us, He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.
Praying Beyond Our Limits
Batterson tells the story of his church needing $2 million to purchase property in Washington, D.C. The largest gift they had ever received was under $50,000—humanly speaking, it seemed impossible. But he felt led to pray boldly for $2 million.
Months later, a couple—unaware of his prayer—came forward with a gift of $3 million. Why? Because they saw the vision and wanted to be part of it.
That story didn’t just inspire me; it challenged me. I began to see where I was limiting God by only praying for “manageable” outcomes.
When I Prayed for Ten… and God Delivered
As part of my 40-day prayer journey, I prayed for 10 participants for an upcoming spiritual retreat called Pilgrimage. In recent years, we had seen numbers as low as 4 or 5, so 10 felt like a big leap.
And sure enough, it looks like we are going to have 10 or more. Yay!
But then I realized—what if I had prayed for more? What if I had prayed for so many people to be impacted that we would have to figure out how to accommodate them all? God’s ability isn’t limited to our cautious expectations.
From Self-Centered to Kingdom-Centered Prayers
This experience also revealed another subtle trap: sometimes my prayers were more about preserving a program than advancing God’s kingdom. I was praying for survival, not revival.
When we shift from asking, “What’s enough to get by?” to “What would bring the most glory to God?”, our prayers change. They become bolder, riskier, and more in line with God’s heart.
Practical Steps to Beholding God’s Glory
You don’t need a mountaintop experience to behold the glory of God. Here are some simple, daily ways to start:
-
Set Aside Daily Time for Contemplation
Even 5–10 minutes spent reading scripture, praying, and reflecting can refocus your heart. Focus this time on just soaking in who God is and the miracles that God has done. -
Ask God to Expand Your Vision
Pray not just for what seems possible, but for what only God can accomplish. -
Name and Remove Idols
Identify the distractions or false sources of hope that pull your focus away from God. -
Record God’s Faithfulness
Keep a prayer journal of requests and answers—it will build your faith over time. -
Surround Yourself with Kingdom Stories
Read biographies, devotionals, or testimonies that showcase God’s power in action. This is the big one helping me the most right now.
A Challenge for You
What’s one bold, God-sized prayer you can start praying today?
It could be for your family, your church, your community, or even something global. Write it down. Pray for it daily. Ask God if it is in align it with His kingdom purposes.
And as you pray, keep beholding His glory—because what you behold shapes who you become.
Conclusion: Freedom in the Spirit
Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Freedom from the chains of lifeless idols. Freedom from small, self-centered thinking. Freedom to dream, pray, and live in the fullness of God’s power.
Beholding God’s glory isn’t a one-time event. It’s a way of life—one that transforms us from the inside out, one degree of glory to another.
Let’s stop praying safe prayers. Let’s start praying God-sized prayers that bring Him glory and transform the world around us.
If this message encouraged you, we’d love for you to join us at First Presbyterian Church of Rogers, either in person on Sundays at 10:30 AM or online through our livestream. You can find the livestream on our YouTube channel.