Going to New Levels with God!

Session 1 with Richard Blackaby. Some Highlights!

• Text: John 14:8-9 - The story where Phillip asks Jesus to show him the Father - Check the passage out!!!
• It is not about how long you been with God, but how deep is your relationship with God! (There are so many Christians who have been like Phillip and have walked with God for a long time and yet you see not depth!)
• (Speaking to a room of pastors) You can not give to people what you don't have. You cannot lead where you haven't been. (So many pastors and myself included - its hard to get people to grow deeper in than Lord if their shepherd is not! Wow...very convicting!
• As Christians we get too far satisfied with our current relationship with Christ. (Isn't that the truth!)
• Don't you just being around Christians who you KNOW HAVE WALKED WITH GOD!!! I know I do!
• How deep is our prayers....or has our prayer life gotten so superficial where we pray the same thing every day?
• "Some Christians are still riding the kiddie rides and wont take the chance to get on the Rollar Coaster, but once they experience the power of the Rollar Coaster they won't go back to the kiddie ride! Christians who have grown deeper in their walk with God have experienced the majestic power of God and will not be satisfied with a kiddie ride experience with God.

Easter Tomorrow

As I sit in my office at 5:50 pm on Saturday night. I am just so burdened by tomorrow's service. Easter is huge - it is everything! I sit here in go over my notes for tomorrow and I just need God's people to pray for me and for the service! Please be in prayer for our Easter Service tomorrow!

Pray with passion!
God hears our prayers and beg you to pray on our behalf that the King of Kings will fill His glory in our church - that the Spirit of God will dwell amongst us!

Pray with urgency!
I cry out to you that you will pray as if there is no tomorrow, pray right now, where ever you are!

Pray with desperation!
Please pray with a sense that you want to crack the very walls of heaven so that God will be so moved by your prayers. Pray that the gates of hell will be pushed back by the harvest of souls!

PRAY!

Prayer - First Step

How do you pray?

Most prayers are like mine....help me, bless me, keep me, lead me, strengthen me, oh yeah take care of my family, but mostly me..me...me. What if we went our whole adult life and missed the point of prayer?

In Matthew 6, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray! These men were good Jewish boys they had been praying all their life...why did they need to be taught? Because maybe they had done wrong. Could be they had went their whole life and missed the point of prayer?

What is the point of prayer? What if prayer was not about my needs and wishes? What if we prayed all our life and missed...Him.

In Matthew 6, Jesus said the FIRST step in learning to pray...is to go in your room and close the door. Location is important. Jesus said if you want to take the next step in prayer, and really learn what prayer is all about than go in your room and close the door. We also learned this passage that Prayer is not about HOW you say it, or HOW WELL you said it...prayers are not about being eloquent. It also does not matter how long you pray. And here is the major issue...this is key...Jesus said that he already knows what we need before we ask.

So if I go in my room and close the door and He already knows what I need, than what am I supposed to say in there? If you are thinking that, than you are ready to truly understand what prayer is all about.

REMEMBER THIS WEEK

• Go in your room and close the door.
• Don't worry about how eloquent your words are.
• It does not matter how long or how short your prayer are.
• Don't worry about telling God what you need, He already knows.

Next time....will talk about how to pray! What do you say behind close doors to God?