Guidelines For Seeking First His Kingdom

How to Seek First His Kingdom

Illustration: God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.

Andrew Murray.

Quote:In order to seek first the kingdom, we must begin by seeking first the King: His praise, His purpose, and His plan. Paul J. Fritz

Illustration: Bruce Larson tells how he helped people struggling to surrender their lives to Christ:

For many years I worked in New York City and counseled at my office any number of people who were wrestling with this yes-or-no decision. Often I would suggest they walk with me from my office down to the RCA Building on Fifth Avenue. In the entrance of that building is a gigantic statue of Atlas, a beautifully proportioned man who, with all his muscles straining, is holding the world upon his shoulders. There he is, the most powerfully built man in the world, and he can barely stand up under this burden. ’Now that’s one way to live,’ I would point out to my companion, ’trying to carry the world on your shoulders. But now come across the street with me.’

"On the other side of Fifth Avenue is Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and there behind the high altar is a little shrine of the boy Jesus, perhaps eight or nine years old, and with no effort he is holding the world in one hand. My point was illustrated graphically.

"We have a choice. We can carry the world on our shoulders, or we can say, ’I give up, Lord; here’s my life. I give you my world, the whole world.’"

Bruce Larson, Believe and Belong.

Begin by asking the Lord for His kingdom to come in greater quantity and quality in your own heart. Allow the Lord to rule, reign and regulate your thinking so that the Spirit of God is in control of all aspects of your life, relationship and ministry.

The kingdom of God has its primary meaning both from the Old Testament Hebrew word Malkruth and the New Testament Greek word basileia as rank, authority and sovereign control exercised by a king. A basileia also includes the realm over which a sovereign exercises authority and may also include the people who belong to that realm and over whom authority is exercised, but these are secondary and derived meanings. The essence of the kingdom is the authority to rule, the sovereign power of the king.

The synonyms for Kingdom include power, might, glory as all are expressions of authority.

Here are some guidelines for seeking first His kingdom:

1. Pray that the Lord of the harvest would have dominion, control and rule over all aspects of our own heart and mind. Only when the Lord Jesus Christ is given complete control over our heart, soul, strength and mind are we able to gain the perspective that is necessary to see from the mind of Christ. Paul writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Col. 3:16) When we have memorized and meditated on scripture then we will gain a richer sense of what it is to have the king reigning over all aspects of our thought life.

2. Praise God that His kingdom is greater than any other kingdom. Praise has away of focusing our attention of the attributes of the king. Praise has the power to help us realize that the Lord Jesus Christ as our King is greater than any problem. Honor the Lord as David did when he prayed before the whole assembly, “Praise be to you, O Lord. God of our father Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.” (I Chron. 29:10-13)

3. Resist, reject and renounce all rival kingdoms to that of the kingdom of God. There are many kingdoms that will attempt to compete with the kingdom of God that include egotistical, monetary, fleshly, worldly and devilish influences. We must take seriously what James says about resisting, renouncing and rejecting any other kingdom’s attempt to resist the ruling of Christ in their hearts and lives. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:6-10) There needs to be a process that we go through in repentance, relinquishing, renouncing and the receiving Christ as the Lord of all aspects of our lives, hearts and minds.