First Things First

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Luke 18:1

18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray , and not to faint;

Every promise in the Bible comes with a condition.

Matt. 6:33, Seek ye first..., Mal. 3:10 ..open the windows...

Before you can touch paint it has to be applied and dried.

Before you can enjoy ice it must be frozen.

Before the paycheck there must be labor.

Before the answer there must be the question.

What kind of premium does God put on communicating with His people.

Someone may say “I don’t get anything out of prayer,” but let me say with love here that you will not get anything from God unless do you pray.

The real problem today is not only that we don’t have ears to hear God, (I believe the largest segment of our faith wouldn’t know God’s voive if they heard it)

God does not have ears to hear us.

The reason?

Isa 59:2

2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

God has given us the standards whereby we are to conduct ourselves and if we fail to yeild to those standards, we practice lawlessness.

He hides Himself from us and will not hear any prayer we pray except the prayer of repentance.

So what we need the most, (not money,material things, positions or fame) is only received through prayer.

Before you can get what you need from God you must pray.

Earnest prayer, from the heart, not only opens the ears of God, but it also opens your ears to receive what God would say to you.

James 4:2

ye have not, because ye ask not .

I want to look at a few reasons why we need to pray.

Acts 8:22 (Peter said)

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

Before mercy and forgiveness comes the prayer of repentance.

Matt 5:44

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

To be able to preserver through times of persecution and also love those who oppose you, you must pray.

Matt 6:6

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

We are needy people and to have those needs met we must pray.

Matt 9:37-38

The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Before the laborers will come, we must pray.

Matt 26:41

41 Watch and pray , that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Strength to overcome temptation comes through prayer.

Mark 11:24

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray , believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

The desires of your heart are received through prayer.

I mean, before the blessing there must be prayer and a heart felt expression of gratitude.

Phil 4:6

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Mark 13:32-33

32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

33 Take ye heed, watch and pray : for ye know not when the time is.

To be rapture ready, you must pray.

Luke 18:1

18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray , and not to faint;

Grace to carry on comes through prayer.

1 Cor 14:13

13 Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

One of our greatest challenges is to edify the body of Christ and that comes through prayer.

James 5:13-16

13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray . Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.