YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY: TO SEEK AFTER GOD
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: Church Growth
1. Johnny’s mother looked out the window and noticed him “playing church” with their cat. The cat was sitting quietly and he was preaching to it. She smiled and went about her work.
2. A while later she heard loud meowing and hissing and ran back to the open window to see Johnny baptizing the cat in a tub of water. She called out, “Johnny, stop that! The cat’s afraid of water!”
3. Johnny looked up at her and said, “He should have thought about that before he joined my church.”
B. A THOUGHT ABOUT PRAYER
Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Aug. 28:
“Prayer is not a normal part of the life of the natural man. We hear it said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a person is born again from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve or nourish that life. Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished….We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.”
C. THESIS
1. Whether we really pray or not, will make all the difference in how carnal/worldly we are, the impact of our life in this world, and maybe our position in Heaven.
2. Today we’re looking at what prayer is, different aspects of prayer, and how prayer should be our highest priority.
3. The title of this message is “Your Highest Priority: To Seek After God.”
I. WHAT IS PRAYER?
A. DIFFERENT FORMS OF PRAYER
1. Bowing Ps. 95:6
2. Kneeling Ps. 95:6; Dan. 6:10.
3. Standing Ps. 135:1-3
4. Laying prostrate, Lk. 17:16
5. Laying down in bed, Ps. 63:6
6. Silently, Ps. 46:10; Hab. 2:20;
7. Speaking Ps. 71:8; 98:1;
8. Shouting Ps. 89:15; 98:6; Ezra 3:11;
9. Lifting up Hands Ps. 63:3-5; 141:2; 1 Tim. 2:8;
10. Walking & Leaping 2 Sam. 6:16; Acts 3:7-8.
B. HUMOR: FOUR TYPES OF PRAYER
1. Mark Gellman, a rabbi who often appears on the Today Show and writes periodically for Newsweek says there are four kinds of prayer: Gimme, Thanks, Oops, and Wow! Thanks is obvious. Oops means confessing our sins. Wow is when we overflow in praise for who God is, not just for what he’s done for us lately.
2. We have a tendency to overemphasize the first element of prayer. We can turn asking into “Gimmie.” James says, “You do not have, because you don’t ask God. When you ask, you don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” James 4:2-3.
C. DEFINITION
1. Prayer is defined as “the act or practice of praying to God; a supplication, expression, earnest request or wish addressed to God.”
2. But I want to add that prayer (should) form a connection between us and God, through which flows the life of God into our spiritual beings.
3. Jesus talked about this in the analogy of the Vine & Branches, John 15:4-6. The sap of life must flow from the trunk of a tree into its branches, or they’ll die. So with us.
4. “And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing (as in a mirror) the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from glory to glory…” 2 Cor. 3:18, AMP.
5. ILLUS. There was a king’s son who was born with a bent back, bending over. His father, the king, hired a sculptor to make a statue of his son walking erectly, as if he were well. The king placed the statue where his son would see it all day. As the boy grew up, he saw himself walking erect & straight. With this vision, the boy became conformed to the image in the statue!
6. As we continually look at Jesus in prayer, we’re transformed into His image! Hallelujah!
II. THE VAST IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER
A. ROOT MEANINGS OF “PRAYER”
1. Ge. 20:7 “palal,” Abram was told to pray for Abimelech. This word involved the sense of “judging” as part of the prayer.
2. 2 Chron. 6:32 “chanah.” Solomon’s prayer that God would hear the prayer of the scattered Israelites if they turned back to Him. It means “to bend or to stoop.” (humbling)
3. Ezra 6:10 “tsela,” Chaldean, from “tsame”--“to thirst.”
4. Job 21:15 “paga” means to “impinge” or to ‘drive something in,’ like a wedge. Thus to Intercede is to drive in the wedge of the supernatural.
5. Job 33:26 “athar.” Elihu tells of the restoration of a righteous man. His prayer is to God like one who “burns incense.”
6. Ps. 55:17 “siyach,” “to ponder or converse with.” Prayer is a conversation, not a one-sided monologue. It’s also translated as “commune, meditate, muse.”
7. Ps. 122:6 “shael,” “to inquire or demand.” It is translated as “consult and enquire.” This points to our seeking wisdom, direction from God.
8. Isa. 26:16 “lachash,” to “whisper, private prayer.” God hears our whispered prayer, as he did Hannah’s.
9. Zech. 7:2 “chalah,” which means “to be rubbed.” NIV says “mourn & fast” in place of ‘pray.’ Dan. 9:13 (NIV) translates it as “sought the favor” of God.
B. THE DANGER OF NOT SEEKING GOD
1. “And he [Rehoboam] did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord” 2 Chr. 12:14. Our hearts don’t automatically incline to prayer; we must structure our lives and thoughts to so that we’ll be people of prayer.
2. You see, TO FAIL TO PLAN (a relationship with God), IS TO PLAN TO FAIL! Being in connection with the King of Kings is the most important thing you can do.
3. If you were to going to visit the Queen of England, you would prepare carefully, and learn the correct conduct when
entering Her Majesty’s presence. How much more is this necessary to properly seek the King of Kings & Lord of Lords!
4. Every holy duty ought to be thought over carefully. Our prayers, our giving, etc. should be done in the right manner, at the right time, and in the right spirit.
5. Make sure you stay humble. Don’t let material things or entertainments overpower the whispers of God’s Spirit calling us to pray!
6. We must be PROACTIVE to develop our relationship with God.
III. THE GREAT BENEFITS OF SEEKING THE LORD:
A. YOU WILL HAVE THE VISION OF GOD
1. PRAYER CHANGES OUR VIEW OF GOD. Vision is important. Our lives can never be greater than our vision of God!
a. Elijah was discouraged and decided to give up until he got a new vision of God at Mt. Sinai; he saw things differently.
b. Moses served the God of Hebrews slaves until heard a voice speaking from a burning bush on Mt. Horeb and met the mighty Creator of the Universe.
c. Isaiah, struggling with his sinfulness, prayed and saw a vision of Angels, who told him of God’s atonement.
2. PRAYER CHANGES OUR CIRCUMSTANCES. After prayer, Paul said that “our present sufferings aren’t worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us” Rom. 8:18. Persecution flipped to victory!
3. IT CHANGES OUR VIEW OF OURSELVES & OTHERS
We’ll see ourselves as God sees us and be changed. We’ll see others as Saved or Lost.
B. YOU’LL BE RENEWED IN YOUR SPIRITUAL NATURE
1. The Bible say, as Jesus was praying, He was transfigured before them (Mt. 17:2; Lk. 9:29). Prayer is transfiguring!
2. Rechargeable batteries have changed our technological frontiers – all our portable electronics – because the Nickel-Cadmium solution can be efficiently recharged, not once, but hundreds of times.
3. The Early Church was not only filled on the Day of Pentecost, but they were refilled over and over again. That’s why they had power to change the world!
4. It’s only as we get into prayer and allow ourselves to be refilled with the Holy Spirit that we’re going to be people
who’re transformed! Without it, we’re not transformed.
C. YOU’LL BE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH THE MOST HIGH
1. We sometimes sing the song, “I am a Friend of God.” True. Abraham was called “the friend of God.” God wants friends, not lip service. Are we a friend or just religious? Is God our “rabbit’s foot” or a Person we love?
2. “…that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” 1 Jn 1:3.
D. YOU’LL BE IN LINE OF AUTHORITY & BLESSING
1. The Centurion who had a sick servant and sent for Jesus knew that he was in the line of authority all the way back to Rome. All the power of the Rome would back him up, because he was part of that structure.
2. When you’re in fellowship with God, and obedient, you’re in the line of authority and blessing.
3. IMPORTANT THINGS HAPPENED AT THE FEET OF JESUS…
a. THE SICK WERE HEALED (The 10th leper fell at His feet to give thanks for his healing, Luke 17:16),
b. THE DEAD WERE RAISED (Jairus fell at His feet & got his daughter raised from the dead, Mk. 5:22),
c. THE DEMONS CRINGED AND SCREAMED! [The Syrophoenician woman’s daughter was delivered,( Mk. 7:25); The Gadarene Demoniac was found clothed and in his right mind (Luke 8:35)],
d. THE APOSTLE JOHN GOT HIS REVELATION of the End Times (Revelation 1:17),
e. EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW & EVERY TONGUE CONFESS!
f. & THE DEVIL IS UNDER HIS FEET! PRAISE GOD!
g. At the feet of Jesus is where the miracles happen, so get to the feet of Jesus!
4. “The steps of a good man/ woman are ordered by the Lord” Ps. 37:23. God works out the details as we go along so that everything works out for our good. We are in the stream of blessings!
E. YOU’LL BE PRIVY TO THE COUNSEL OF GOD
1. “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” Amos 3:7. “But if they had stood in My counsel…” Jer. 23:22.
2. One of the great benefits of walking with God is to be in the Spirit and be aware of what’s happening in the spiritual realm. Then we won’t be blindsided by events and will be prepared to take the correct action.
3. William Temple replied to his critics who didn’t believe in prayer, “When I pray, coincidences happen; when I don’t, they don’t.”
IV. HOW ARE YOU TO SEEK GOD?
A. TIME ALONE WITH GOD - REGULARLY
1. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Ps. 46:10.
2. You can get a lot from God in corporate worship services, Bible studies, and seminars. But if there’s no one-on-one between you and God, then your knowledge of Him is 2nd hand, or dependent on others.
3. You REALLY only get to know God intimately when you’re alone with Him. A poor analogy of a young couple who get married. The 2 of them, alone, come to know each other as no one else knows them. They couldn’t really gain that kind of soul-joining intimacy in a group setting.
4. That’s why we need to be alone with God; to know Him and be known of by Him.
B. LET GOD BE YOUR GUIDE EACH DAY
1. Some laugh at the idea that we should look to God for direction. "God can’t be bothered with such mundane things as guiding our petty affairs."
2. One lady said, “I only take the big things to God!” The Pastor said, “Lady, anything YOU take to God is small!”
3. My God is big enough that He knows the number of hairs on your head; He calls each of the trillions of stars by its own name. He knows if even one sparrow falls to the ground. I think he can handle anything He wants to!
4. Dare to let God be your compass; let Him steer your ship through the dark storms of life; put the tiller into His Almighty hand and you’ll see how many a rocky shoals, sandbars, or other shipwrecks He’ll save you from!
C. SPEND MUCH TIME IN THE WORD
1. Alexander Duff, missionary, was on his way to India, when he was ship-wrecked. He had brought on the ship a library of 800 books, but all were lost in the storm.
2. He sat mournfully on the shore gazing out into the ocean, hoping to see something float from the wreck. All at once he
jumped up. There was something very small floating on the water. When he picked it up he found it was his own Bible!
3. How strange: that out of 800 books, the only one that should be saved was the Bible! He perceived that God wanted him to know that one Book was worth more than the other 799 put together.
4. Alexander Duff took that as his cue and used the Bible only as his teaching source at his Bible school and a few years later there were 1,000 Bible scholars!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION # 1: Power of Jesus’ Blood
1. INS News Service reported that Rose L. McMullin has traveled from coast to coast, donating her blood for more than 400 transfusions in 40 states. Why? Because she is one of the very few persons whose blood can resist the staphylococcus blood virus. She carries in her bloodstream antibodies unique to her that saves other people from death.
2. But there is one Person whose blood transfusion can do even more - Jesus Christ. Only HIS blood can defeat the sin in your bloodstream. You need to apply to Heaven for a blood transfusion so you can be healed. How many need that?
B. ILLUS. # 2: WHAT COLOR FLAG ARE YOU WAVING?
1. Some years ago a terrible railroad accident occurred, killing a lot of people. A commuter train had stalled on the tracks and a freight train was due to arrive. The conductor was quickly sent to flag down the approaching train.
2. But for some reason the freight train didn’t stop, but just slowed down. It smashed into the rear of the commuter train and train cars were thrown around like toys, crushing many of the occupants.
3. The engineer on the freight train had survived by jumping out of the cab of the locomotive just moments before the impact. He was brought to a court of inquiry and asked if he’d seen the conductor flagging him down.
4. He said, “I saw the man waving a flag, but it wasn’t red, it was yellow and yellow flags mean slow down, not stop. Then it was too late to stop, so I jumped.”
5. The warning flag was then introduced as evidence and it truly was no longer bright red. It had been red at one time, but because of long exposure to the sun and weather it had become a dirty yellow. Neglect and abuse had turned a powerful warning into a deadly mistake.
6. People are on their way to hell. What color a flag are we waving to warn them?
C. THE CALL
1. Call for Salvation.
2. Prayer for dedication to daily prayer and relationship to God.
