Dallas Willard - Beyond Belief 6: Prayer ~ What It Is and How It Works

In the closing session of this conference, Dallas shares valuable insights into prayer, bookending the session with Philippians 4:6-7 and the promise of peace that surpasses human understanding. He touches on a wide range of topics including what prayer is, how it works, why there's such an arrangement as prayer, when we might pray and when we might act, and more. Don't miss the part where he discusses if God really knows everything already! Throughout, Dallas dives into many Scriptures and wraps up tying it back to where we started, showing how prayer relates to who we are becoming and our destiny to reign with God forever and ever. Although a longer session, it's worth every minute. May you know God smiling upon you as you walk and talk with Him in a life that is, today, beyond belief.
Link to fill-in-the-blank notes: dwillard.s3.us-west-1.amazona...

[@philliphumble1]

The best, most concise, most comprehensive, and most insight into the teaching and power of prayer for disciples of Jesus I’ve heard or read … thank you Dallas!

[@BaronReed-rj9rz]

We can be as comfortable with prayer as we are with breathing.

[@ronwatkins7730]

Thanks for making these be available. They are so uplifting and helpful!

[@dacoolfruit]

Dear brother, so grateful for him

[@curiousgeorge555]

Text and visuals are a nice touch. Dallas is great as usual.

[@andrewrichards8587]

🎯 Key points for quick navigation: 00:01 *🙏 Understanding the Basics of Prayer* - Prayer is meant to permeate every aspect of life. - Philippians 4:6 emphasizes praying without anxiety. - Jesus' prayer for Peter illustrates divine support in challenging times. 04:31 *🌟 Transformative Power of Prayer* - Prayer changes our spiritual appearance. - It connects us deeply with the reality of God. - Matthew 7:12 underscores prayer as foundational in how we treat others. 10:24 *🔍 The Nature of God and Prayer* - Jabez's prayer reflects a personal plea for blessing. - Misconceptions about God's knowledge and intentions influence prayer. - Prayer engages us in a causative relationship with God's will. 17:16 *🙌 Prayer as Divine Invitation* - Prayer involves tapping into a vast system of divine causality. - It transcends human limitations and impacts beyond immediate desires. - Understanding prayer as a dialogue with God, involving both speaking and listening. 29:08 *🙏 Prayer focus and responsibility* - Prayer is about personal responsibility and engagement with God. - We pray about our own lives and what concerns us, not just broader issues. - God invites us to partner with Him in prayer for the things directly involving us. 32:42 *🌍 Extending influence through prayer* - Through prayer, our sphere of influence and care expands. - Starting with personal concerns in prayer leads to caring deeply about others. - Prayer is a transformative process that extends God's kingdom through us. 33:09 *✨ The power of asking in prayer* - Persistent asking in prayer demonstrates faith and aligns with God's principles. - Examples from Luke illustrate that continuous asking brings results. - Prayer is not about a one-time request but a relational, ongoing process. Made with HARPA AI

[@beverlybanks234]

Wonderful

[@chareec]

Powerful‼️

[@lindalukebrown]

Is a transcription of this talk available?

[@curiousgeorge555]

I wonder how Dallas can know this statement to be true: "God is powerful enough that if He doesnt want to know something , He can not know it". Seems unknowable unless God were to reveal it.

[@Luke1532]

Dallas’ words put me in mind of a few Bible passages where God says he "remembers [our] sins no more” - Hebrews 10:17 refers back to Jeremiah 31:34, I think. And then there's Micah’s (7:18-20) lovely image of God being kind and ‘throwing all our sins in to the sea’, and, from Isaiah (38:17) a beautiful picture of God ‘putting our sins behind his back’: in both cases I guess the idea is that God is saying He just won’t see or know them anymore. Then in Jesus’ story of the two messed up kids, there’s the Father who, because of his overriding love for his wayward son, seems, or chooses, to forget his son’s sins and shortcomings as he just runs out to accept and welcome him back in his arms. Or the time after the resurrection when Jesus very carefully helped Peter to know that his painful earlier denials were cancelled out and no longer held against him; that seemed to be solely for Peter’s benefit rather than Jesus’s! It’s so reassuring and moving to know this - God can and will forget our bad stuff as he makes us and all things new. And I guess if he remembers or lets us remember, it's because it's so wonderful to know things that were true of us are true no longer! Thank you for helping me think about and take hold of this again.

[@curiousgeorge555]

@@Luke1532 Lovely reply. I still have philosophical issues with his statement but I don't think the question is very important.

[@wmalgal]

Did Dallas have any Roman Catholic friends? What did he think about Catholicism?

[@dallaswillard]

Allen, I would recommend a video on this channel, "Three Paths of Christian Progress." Dallas never criticized or praised movements, denominations or groups, but he did criticize wrong or incomplete ideas that have influenced millions of Christians. He did commend Catholic teachers, like Ignatius of Loyola, for their contributions, especially in the area of spiritual disciplines, but he also identified some of their shortcomings. Dallas had Catholic friends, but in all the years I knew him, I don't think I ever him him ask anyone where they went to church. He wanted to know about their life in Christ. Bill Dwyer DWM

[@wmalgal]

@@dallaswillard thank you for answering my question. And thank you for great work. If it weren't for Dallas' work and legacy I would have left Christianity a long time ago.

[@SummisseOrator]

Dallas recommended reading "The Interior Castle" on prayer by Teresa of Avila (Carmelite Nun circa 1550's), I found all her writings life-changing..