II Perseverance
1 Corinthians 9:24-25
24You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So, run to win! 25Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever.
The apostle compares himself to the racers and combatants in the Isthmian games, well known by the Corinthians. But in the Christian race all of us run to get to the end and get the prize and the prize is eternal life! Now don’t misunderstand, I am not saying that we have to wait till we get to heaven to obtain the abundance of God, in fact the word of God states that the sole reason for Jesus coming was for our abundant living. We must realize in order to get to the end of the race, you must go through the course. Perseverance! But to get to it, you got to go through it. This is a simple encouragement to endure. One main reason we don’t persevere is because of lack of purpose. In order to obtain a purpose you have to talk to your father… However, there is a process that we must begin in order to do just this. The problem many of us have is the fact we don’t take the necessary steps to persevere. We simply get an urge, jump into the water… and since we didn’t take swimming lessons…. We sink like a rock… somebody has to come and rescue us… and then we are to scared to do anything else but sit on the shore and watch the waves.
Last week we learned (at least some of us did) in order to persevere, that you have to focus, you have to be fearless, and you have to be faithful. By the time we conclude this dialogue next week, you will have nine points to assist you to obtain all God desires for your life. The number nine represents the “final” project… or the completion. There are 9 individual fruit of the spirit… that will complete a Christian. There are 9 spiritual gifts.. Jesus was crucified at 9:00 a.m… representing the finality of sins control over our life, so it is not ironic that God provided nine elements for us to be able to persevere. Many of us fall out before we get started, but as the scripture writer lets us know, you got to go through it to get to it. Turn to somebody and tell hang on….. you got to go through it to get to it!
We are going to touch on three things today
Petition
Pray
Prepare
Step 1 Petition
Before you begin doing anything, since the word of God tells us we
don’t know what to ask God, we need to petition the one who does.
The word of God tells us in
Jude 1:20
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit
In Acts as the people gathered together, in one place on one accord – the word stated that:
Acts 2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
This utterance give us the ability to let our Father know exactly what the need is…..because utterance gives us the wisdom and the knowledge….
1 Corinthians 12:8
To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
It is necessary, because of who we are and what we are wrapped up in (flesh) that there is something provided to get past who we are to connect us to who’s we are.
Romans 8:26 In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don’t know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words
Step 2 Pray!
Now that you have petitioned the Holy Spirit it is time to pray. You have called on the Holy Spirit and it will now pull out of you what is necessary to go to the mercy seat. But there is a catch, in order for Him to pull something out… you got to put something in. Because in order to get to the next step of this perseverance you have to pray… but you have to pray the word!
What! I got to know the Word to talk to my Daddy! Why!. . Because in the word is power! The word is the seed that will allow your blessing to bloom.
If you look in Genesis with a word, God created the heaven and the earth. Brought them into existence and said… it’s all good. With a word God spoke a word and there was light. He spoke a word and it separated the day from the night. He spoke a word and rivers, lakes, creeks, ponds, and oceans and even waterfalls came to pass. With a word, He created every species of animal, every critter, everything that walks, creeps, slithers, and flies. Every tree with their multiple species came into existence because God said a word… so there is power in the word of God… In fact the word says
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
You need to begin getting some word in you so the Holy Spirit can pull out of you the word that will change the situation so you can get through it so you can get to it!
If you know the word, and there is some word in you, the Holy Spirit has a file so to speak to pull out of and attack the issues in your life. Many of us can’t get through it because of the lack of word, we run out of gas and are too tuckered out to get to the end. So all those times you make excuses for not reading… all those instances you put the word on the back burner, you are merely sealing your inability to persevere.
Someone in here wants a husband, been praying for a husband, but the word of God says at Proverbs 18:22 “he that finds a good wife, finds a good thing”, so all this time you have been praying out of order… but because you got some word in you.. you have petitioned the Holy Ghost… He can go down in you and pray… God place me in the path of my mate so that when he finds we he will find a good thing!
Someone in here has been struggling with lack of hope, but when you petitioned the Holy Spirit and you know some word, he will look in your arsenal of weapontry and pull out of the books of Acts 2:25-27
25David said about him:
" ’I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will live in hope,
27because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
Begin praying the word over the problem, over the mess, over the situation, over the stuff, over the thing that you need addressed in your life. Let the Holy Spirit dig down into your belly and pull out the solution. The word of God was given to empower and to provide us with a dialogue with our Father. Some of us only talk to him when we are in trouble, and that is probably why your trouble never ends, otherwise He wouldn’t get to talk to His Kid…. But when you talk to your Father on a daily bases, this will become second nature. Because the more you petition and pray the word, the deeper your relationship will become because you are aware of the will of God. He did it so when you need help you can Pray…..
Psalm 5:2
You are my King and my God. Answer my cry for help because I pray to you
Anybody getting the word…. Anybody reading the word…. Are we ready to stop that five minute research we do preparing for Sunday School or Bible Study and now begin to actually spend daily time with God. Researching and remembering the word of God so that when you are lacking you can pray and say Lord I’m like Abraham
believing….
Genesis 22:7b
"God will provide the lamb."
You must begin speaking the word over your situation.. you must pray
the word over your stuff… you must pray your way to peace of mind..
to a place of restoration.
You must begin speaking victory over your circumstance – stop
speaking doom and gloom over your life. Stop feeding your life with
negatives. Stop looking for the worse case scenerio to be your
outcome. We should believe enough in God to pray and believe and speak like it has already happened.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things
But instead begin to speak what you want to take place….
Believe God can speak to the trouble
Pray:
1 Kings 5:4
Now, thanks to the LORD God, there is peace in my kingdom and no trouble or threat of war anywhere.
You can begin praying peace to your situation. Believing God to put
peace in your home, on your job, in your community….
Psalm 122:7
May there be peace inside your city walls and in your palaces.
Begin to pray triumph over your finances -
Daniel 4:4
I was enjoying a time of peace and prosperity,
Pray for direction and instruction
Psalm 25:4
Show me your paths and teach me to follow
Psalm 119:35
Direct me by your commands! I love to do what you say.
1 Corinthians 14:40
But do everything properly and in order
Pray for wisdom to deal with folk
Luke 21:15
I will give you the wisdom to know what to say. None of your enemies will be able to oppose you or to say that you are wrong.
Pray your success
Genesis 32:12
But you have promised that I would be a success and that someday it will be as hard to count my descendants as it is to count the stars in the sky.
Pray your victory
1 John 4:4
But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world
Pray healing – restoration – to your home, your spouse, your child,
your family member So what others tell you to give up on … your spirit
man can pray on pray for power over demonic presence
Speak life into your dead hope, your dead faith, your dead relationships, your dead finances, your dead hope, your dead dreams,
Psalm 118:17
I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done
We are so quick to say what isn’t going right… but how much easier it
would be if we began thanking God for what is right!
Now prepare!
Prepare to receive what God has allowed the spirit to poor into you to receive! You have prayed for wisdom and direction, now begin to step out on faith and implement the necessary things to obtain what God has already promised. After you receive a word from God, begin to work. Many of us hear God and than sit back and wait for signs and wonders… Well I’m certain God is wondering what sign you are waiting for since He has already given you instruction.
There has to be a level of faith on our part to begin to trust God enough to persistently push toward the prize. Even when you stumble, and get knocked down… saved folk are like weebles, we may wobble but we don’t stay down. Many times, we begin the going through process… we petition and we pray… but because things don’t happen as quickly as we think they should (immediately) we give up. We begin to grumble if it takes more than one or two years. But Abraham and Sarah are prime examples that God will not necessarily come on your time, but He will be on time. But nothing can happen until we begin to prepare for it to happen. Not fix it to happen… cuz we all know that when Abraham and Sarah did more than prepare for their blessing, where they instead began to help God – so they thought – obtain their blessing and made a big old mess – many of us have fall in either the wonders and sign watchers or the God little helpers… but today we want to teach you how to be preparers! Just like the opening scripture states… we are preparing for a battle, for a race.. we must train.
We must train to be successful, train to be prosperous, train to be a good spouse, train to be a good parent, train to work a ministry, train to receive the prize that God has secured for each race you have to run!
You’ve prayed over your children…
You want them to grow up and amount to something
God has given you the instruction
Proverbs 22:6
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it
Need to know your ministry and how to work it …Need to know how to gain the knowledge to do what he has directed you to do…Need understanding how to accomplish the fete He has given you…Need to know how to get to the success story God has already guaranteed for your life…. . God has given you instruction
2 Timothy 3:17
The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Prepare by putting on the armor and stepping out on faith…..
Petition, pray, and prepare, so you can persevere Cuz you got to go through it to get to it!
Petition – Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet Heavenly dove, stand right here with me, filling me your love.
Petition – Spirit of the living God, fall a fresh on me… Spirit of the living God fall a fresh on me…
Petition…. Send it on down… Send it on down,.. Lord let your holy ghost come on down….
Pray….
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
Pray…
11Your power is great, and your glory is seen everywhere in heaven and on earth. You are king of the entire world, 12and you rule with strength and power. You make people rich and powerful and famous. 13We thank you, our God, and praise you
Pray
"I will give thanks to You, O Lord. Even though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away and You comfort me. 2 See, God saves me. I will trust and not be afraid. For the Lord God is my strength and song. And He has become the One Who saves me." 3 As water from a well brings joy to the thirsty, so people have joy when He saves them. 4 In that day you will say, "Give thanks to the Lord. Call on His name. Make known His works among the people. Help them remember that His name is honored." 5 Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done great things. Let this be known in all the earth.
Pray
1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Than Prepare for your Victory….
Prepare for your breakthrough
Prepare to come to it because you went through it.
Prepare to receive
Prepare to receive
Prepare to receive
You got to go through it to get to it.
For you see, even Jesus petitioned the Holy Spirit that fell upon Him when He was baptized. Even Jesus prayed to the Father…. In the Garden of Gethsemane…. Even Jesus prepared --- for he said I am going to prepare a place for you… so that where I am you can be there also…
We are each striving to get to the places Jesus has prepared for us….
And the ultimate destination is Heaven!
But you got to go through it to get to it!
