Why I Wish I Prayed Before Big Choices! | Bobby Schuller | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Why I Wish I Prayed Before Big Choices!

Shepherd's Grove • May 24, 2025 • 34 min

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

Summary

Real spiritual satisfaction does not come from physical food or human accomplishment, but from doing the will of God and finishing His work. When believers earnestly seek the Lord in prayer before making decisions, the Holy Spirit provides clear guidance, inner peace, and power—even when obedience leads into intimidating situations. Even when we make mistakes or run from God's call like Jonah, returning to His voice reveals that earthly fears are merely "lying vanities" compared to His saving presence.

Themes

Prayer and GuidanceHearing God's VoiceObedience and FaithfulnessTrusting God in Fearful SituationsSpiritual Nourishment

Key Points

1.
Doing the will of God and finishing His work provides true spiritual nourishment that satisfies a believer's soul far beyond physical food.
2.
Every major and minor life decision should be brought before the Lord in earnest prayer so that we walk under the King's authority rather than our own strength.
3.
Following the Holy Spirit into obedience may lead into scary circumstances, but God's presence remains with His people through every trial.
4.
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose obedience over compromise, Christ stood with them as the fourth man in the fiery furnace.
5.
Daniel was preserved in the lion's den because God's presence turned a place of danger into a place of peace and rest.
6.
Jonah realized that putting trust in worthless idols or deceptive circumstances causes believers to turn away from God's mercy and call dark obstacles "lying vanities."
7.
Running away from God's assignment does not erase it; God lovingly brings us back to face our "Nineveh" with His power and presence.
8.
Jesus promises that His sheep hear His voice, so believers should declare their ability to hear God rather than believing they are spiritually deaf.

Sermon Moments

“"My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work."”

“"I regret all of the big decisions in my life that I did not earnestly bring before the Lord in prayer."”

“"Daniel was not in the lion's den. The lions were in the Daniel den."”

“"They who observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy."”

“"God does not tell the fish to spit him out in Spain. No tapas for Jonah... You are going back to Nineveh."”

This Week

Bring every major and minor decision before the Lord in earnest prayer this week, asking for His direction rather than relying on your own strength.

Commit to a 40-day daily declaration saying, "I hear from God, I know His voice, and I follow where He leads."

Identify an area where fear has kept you from obeying the Holy Spirit, and take a bold step of trust.

Release your reliance on worldly security—such as career, money, or circumstances—declaring that your trust is in God alone.

Offer grateful praise and worship to God in the middle of difficult or dark situations before you see the breakthrough.

Stop declaring that you cannot hear God's voice; instead, affirm Jesus' promise that His sheep recognize and hear Him.

Face any "Nineveh" in your life that you have been avoiding, knowing that God's freedom and victory are waiting for you there.

Remember This

True spiritual peace and fulfillment come when we bring every decision to God in prayer and follow the Holy Spirit's guidance into obedient action.

A Challenge for You

I want to challenge you to make a commitment in your heart for the next 40 days to declare once a day, "I hear from God," and watch as your spiritual ears turn on.

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