Pastor's Sunday Sermon

April 14, 2024

Rich Relationship with God:

Rich Relationship with Others Rich Servant's Heart Reach the lost (James 1:22)
Does what we do, fall under this umbrella. If not, is it really something worth doing?
Salvation is instantaneous. But our spiritual journey, our heart change, is ongoing. And our most important weapon in this journey is prayer. No enemy can take prayer away from us. We GET to have this prayer life relationship with our God.
And one of the best uses for this weapon is to express our thanks. What an awesome God we have, who lets us cone to Him with anything!
Prayer is as simple as talking to God. Motive- why do we pray? (James 4:3) We need to come to our prayer time with the proper state of mind and heart.
Who do we pray for? It is great to be able to pray in a group, but that is not the target audience. Pray for ourselves not to look better in the eyes of others. (Matthew 6:5)
Stay in the habit. Pray in good times and in bad. (2 Thessalonians 5:17)
Have a powerful Bible reading habit, it will intensify your prayer time! 3 ideas to help put the pieces of prayer together:
1. Gratitude (1 Thessalonians 5:18) It is easy to come to God with prayers of petition. Our wants, our needs, things to make our lives better or easier. (Psalms 118:24-25)
2. Wisdom (James 1:5) If we want wisdom, all we have to do is ask! (James 4:2) And he will share His wisdom with us. (Psalms 104:24, James 3:17, proverbs 2:6, Proverbs 3:13&18)
3. Guidance (Proverbs 3:5-6) God will help you along your path in this world. (Isaiah 30:21) In our prayer time we need to be sure we are seeking His will and not trying to force our own.
God is open 24 hrs. a day and you can bring anything to him. Learn to talk to God, learn to listen to Him. You might be surprised at what happens!

James 1:22

But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 4:3

3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Matthew 6:5

5 “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalms 118:24-25

This is the day the Lord has made;
let’s rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Lord, save us!
Lord, please grant us success!

James 4:2

You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war.[a] You do not have because you do not ask.

Psalms 104:24

How countless are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.[a]

James 3:17

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.

Proverbs 2:6