21 Days of Prayer || Day 17 | Erika | Bible Study Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

21 Days of Prayer || Day 17

One Life Church • Jan 28, 2025 • 21 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this daily devotional during One Life Church's 21 Days of Prayer, Pastor Erika teaches from Jeremiah 29:11–13 about discovering God's purpose for our lives. While verse 11 offers the comforting promise that God holds plans for our hope and future, verses 12 and 13 call believers to actively pray, seek Him, and call upon Him with all their heart. Rather than looking to the world to define our identity, we must turn directly to our Creator in every season—whether difficult or joyful—to learn how He wants to use us to advance His kingdom.

Themes

PurposePrayerSeeking GodIdentityGod's Will

Key Points

1.
Understanding the 'why' behind what we are called to do empowers us to fully engage in God's divine design.
2.
God created each person intentionally for a specific purpose and reveals that purpose throughout His Word.
3.
Jeremiah 29:11 promises that God has plans to prosper us, give us hope, and assure our future.
4.
God's promises in Jeremiah 29:11 are coupled with an active command in verses 12 and 13 to call upon Him, pray, and seek Him.
5.
Our divine identity and purpose can only be defined by our Creator, not by the opinions or standards of the world.
6.
Whether navigating a painful trial or celebrating a joyful season, believers should ask God how He wants to use them to advance His kingdom.
7.
God meets us directly in our present situations to give us insight into who He made us to be.
8.
Even when the reasons behind difficult circumstances are unclear on this side of heaven, we can rest in the promise that God holds an intentional plan for our lives.

Sermon Moments

“"When I know the purpose of something, when I know the why behind it, it's so much easier for me to get on board."”

“"God doesn't stop there; He goes on to say, 'Then you will call on me and come and pray to me... You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'"”

“"When it comes to things like our purpose, the world wants to tell us so many different things... but we can't look to anybody but the Creator for our real purpose."”

“"Whether you're in a really difficult time right now or an incredible season, ask God: 'What is my purpose in all of this? How can I best advance Your kingdom?'"”

“"Father, we're thankful that we're not here on accident, and we give our lives up to You."”

This Week

Dedicate time in prayer this week to ask God directly, "What is my purpose in this season?"

Resist looking to society or social media for your identity, seeking your purpose directly from your Creator instead.

If you are facing a difficult trial, ask God how He wants to use that season to draw you closer to Him and glorify His name.

If you are in a season of blessing or success, ask God how you can leverage where He has placed you to advance His kingdom.

Read Jeremiah 29:11–13 in full, remembering that God's promise of a hopeful future is paired with a call to seek Him with all your heart.

Surrender your daily plans to God, acknowledging that you were created on purpose and not by accident.

Trust God's overarching plan for your life even when you cannot fully understand your current circumstances.

Remember This

God created you on purpose for a purpose, and discovering that purpose requires actively seeking and calling upon your Creator with all your heart.

A Challenge for You

"I challenge you in this time of prayer and as you continue on to really sit down and ask God, to seek Him: 'God, what is my purpose? What is the purpose of this season?'"

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.