1 - PURPOSE TO PRAY
a - SECRETLY
Mat 6:5-6 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. (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.
-Pray for your food openly, this is the one prayer that many neglect, the prayer of thansgiving.
-Get into your prayer closet and close it to the world and get hold of the Lord where He will hear you in secret
b - SELFLESSLY
Luk 22:41-42 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, (42) Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
-Will we put ourselves to the very end of the list when we pray?
-Jesus selflessly prayed to His Father placing even his very life after yours and mine.
c - STEADILY
Luk 18:1-8 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; (2) Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: (3) And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. (4) And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; (5) Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. (6) And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. (7) And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? (8) I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
d - SAVED
1Pe 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
-If you are unsaved, the Lord does not hear your prayers and does not know you.
-If you continue to reject Christ, then you reject the commandment of the Lord to believe on the name of His son Jesus in 1 John 3. Will you yield your life to Christ tonight? If not, the face of the Lord is against you tonight, and will continue to be tomorrow, and throughout 2010, and in eternity if you should die in your sin.
e - SINLESSLY
Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
-You know what it is to hold someone {Pastor} or something {material possession, activity} in high regard
-You hold affection for it, you esteem it, you may practice it
-Are you giving regards to sin in your life when praying? God does not hear you.
-How will you pray in 2010? Confess sins that may be present in your life to the Lord that your prayers will be heard and be more effective for those you are praying for.
2 - PURPOSE TO PONDER
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
-I am not talking about simply reading, but STUDYING the Word of God
-Reading through the Bible in a year is good, but at the end of that year, what have you learned? Have you fallen behind in the schedules and just played catch-up for the rest of the year? Does it become a chore?
Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Meditate - To dwell on any thing in thought; to contemplate; to study; to turn or revolve any subject in the mind
-Reading is fine, but if you get nothing out of it, what good does it do you?
-When we read, we let the Lord speak to us, if we are not completely focused on him, we'll not hear him {Our wives speaking to us and we are tuned out}
-How will your study in God's Word be in 2010?
3 - PURPOSE TO PROVIDE
2Co 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
-When you give your tithes and offerings, how do you give it?
-Does God have to practically rip it out of your hand?
-Do you have a spiritual string tied to your greenbacks?
-Is it near impossible for you to let go of what God has blessed you with?
-We all should purpose in our hearts to be a more cheerful giver, to be a more sacrificial giver...ooh, that one might hurt! We might have to give up that steak dinner at outback...we might have to give up going to the movies once in a while. We might have to take that $40 dinner out and bless a family in need!
-Let me contrast two people here in the book of Proverbs
Pro 22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
-Here we have one with a good eye, a loving eye, and he shares with those in need and the Bible says that he will be blessed
Pro 28:22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
-Here we have one with an evil eye for riches, one who is probably stingy and self-centered, looking out for number one, only considering his needs and never thinking of anyone else and the Bible says poverty will come his way.
-So which are you now? Which will you be in 2010?
4 - PURPOSE TO PROMOTE
a - WARN
Eze 33:2-5 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: (3) If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; (4) Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away,his blood shall be upon his own head. (5) He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
b - WITHHOLD
Eze 33:6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
-Which will you do?
5 - PURPOSE TO PRAISE
a - WITHIN
Psa 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
-If we can't praise God in this place, where can we?
b - WITHOUT
Psa 57:9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
