Pray First Part 2
A Lifestyle of Prayer
Sunday, May 5, 2024
I. Pray First
A. The God-First Life (Part 1)
1. The secret sauce to the “Much More in Store life” and the 1st and most important principle in life that will bring it to pass is putting God First.
a. 4 Applications of the God-First Life: Give God…
~the first of your year. (Prayer & Fasting)
~the first of your month. (First-fruits/tithe)
~the first of your week. (Weekly church)
~the first of your day. (Pray first)
b. “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily.”
c. I think every true believer knows they should and even wants to pray daily but just doesn’t know how to pray effectively and enjoy it.
B. A Lifestyle of Prayer (John 15:4-5 NLT) God wants more than a Sunday date with you. He wants an intimate lifelong relationship with you.
7 “P’s” of Prayer
1. Understand the purpose of prayer.
a. Prayer is relational communication with God. It’s simply talking with and listening to God.
b. Prayer is the access point that brings heavens solutions into earthly matters.
~(2 Chron. 7:14) Prayer changes circumstances.
~(ref. Jas. 4:2 NLT) Ask God in prayer.
~(ref. Jer. 29:11-14 NIV) Prayer accesses God’s plans for your life.
2. Make prayer a priority. PRAY FIRST!
a. Let’s learn to make prayer our first response, and not our last resort.
b. Just like you would prioritize an appointment on your calendar, prioritize daily time in prayer.
~(Dan. 6:10 NLT)
c. Satan hates this because He knows the changes this will bring to your life. Here’s the problems you will face to stop you.
~(discipline/distraction/dryness/diligence)
3. Prayer should be perpetual. (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
a. Prayer doesn’t have to have a start and stop like exercise. It can be continuous and ongoing.
~(ref. Luke 18:1 NLT)
4. Find a dedicated place of prayer. (Mark 1:35 NIV)
a. The morning… (ref. Ps. 5:3)
~Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel, Hezekiah, Job, the apostles…
5. Have a plan of prayer. (Luke 11:1-2 NLT)
a.Everything usually works better with a plan.
~(ref. Eph. 5:18 AMP)
~Download the “Pray First” App
~Prayer models: The Lord’s Prayer; the Tabernacle Prayer, The Prayer of Jabez, etc.
6. Pray with energy and power. (Jas. 5:16b AMP) “…The earnest heartfelt, continued prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available dynamic in its working.”
a. (ref. Acts 1:8) praying in the Holy Spirit in other tongues accesses the power of God to be a witness, the gifts of the Spirit.
7.Relate to the Persons of prayer. (2 Cor. 13:14 MSG)
a. Amazing grace of Jesus.
~(ref. Heb. 4:15-16 NIV) Jesus is our High Priest who empathizes with all our human weaknesses because He was tempted just like us yet without sin.
b. Extravagant love of the Father.
~(Ps. 103:8-13 NIV)
c. Intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit.
~(ref. John 14) The Holy Spirit will be with you and in you to help, teach, lead and guide you forever.
Closing: (ref. Luke 10:38-42) “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
[Pastor Lee Stokes]