(Dave DeVries)
Few people seem satisfied with their prayer life and those who are seem to talk to God as a friend or as a child to a father, rather than as a duty. What we pray about reveals what we depend on God for, and keeps us abiding in Him. What stays with you from the sermon? What is God calling you to do as an action step? Please post your comment here.
3 comments:
In reflecting on the sermon what stands out for me is the stated purpose of prayer: Oneness with God. To embrace this is to find help with what might seem to be "No" answers to prayer or delayed answers to prayer. If I can see the purpose of my praying being oneness with God then the "No" or the delay is merely an opportunity to grow in intimacy with the One who loves me and gave His Son to bring me into the relationship that allows me to call Him, Abba Father.
(A visitor this morning.)
For me, the part of the sermon that stands out the most is how Jesus taught the disciples to pray. I have always loved how He used “ask”, “seek “and “knock” to illustrate this. I also like to be reminded of being reverent when I pray as in "hallowed be your name" (Matthew 6:9). This is the first item in the model prayer after acknowledgement of God's place in heaven.
It also made me think more about “seeking” and how this has manifested itself in my own walk with God.
God wants us to seek Him with all of our hearts and He promises we will find Him if we do this (Jeremiah 29: 13).
Whether it is seeking God in general to begin a relationship with Him, seeking His will for our lives once we know and love Him, or seeking a specific answer to a prayer, it requires action. God also calls us to act on his promises to pray and never give up.
On a daily basis, it is easy for me to ask and knock with regard to my prayer life. It is the seeking part that is the hardest, because it requires patience and listening for His answers—in the various ways He reveals them to me. This type of seeking is a spiritual discipline that I always need to work on.
Praying to my Father in heaven is a privilege and I never want to take it for granted. Having an attitude of gratitude, with thanksgiving, is how I want to always pray. Phillipians 4: 6 says "....but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiing, present your requests to God".
Thanks for the sermon Pastor Dave.
In Christ, Kristine
Pastor Dave's sermon taught me to not just pray my usual prayers~but to ask,seek and knock. Jesus tells us to ask in faith~without wavering~to seek Him out diligently and knock until He opens the door to us. We need to keep praying to God for answers and in His time~usually not in record time~He will always answer our prayers and open the door to receive us. We need to be persistent. Paul~especially taught us that the mark of a true Christian is perseverance. If His answer is "no" then we need to understand that it is to bring us closer to Him. I do see it as my duty to pray~not in a bad way but in a good way. I do see Him in my mind and heart as a father,best friend,husband,the almighty king~it might sound odd~but that is how I always pictured Him. There is no one that loves me more than Jesus. I need to know he is with me all the time or else fear sets in and worry. He helps me understand that He is in control and all that happens in this world~from the goodness of His miracles to the horrors of war is all part of His master plan.Blessings, Rose
Post a Comment