Pray First Part 5
Next Steps
Sunday, May 26, 2024
I. Pray First
A. Pray First – Download the Pray First App and my notes are always available on our website/App
1. We’ve been talking about the purpose, priority, perpetuity, place, plan, power and Persons of prayer.
B.Going All In
1. (Jer. 29:11-14 NLT) 11“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD. “They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me. 14I will be found by you,” says the LORD. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes…”
a. Wholeheartedness! All your heart! Are you all in!
~“I’ll never get the best of what God has for me until I give God my best.”
b.How engaged are you in your faith?
2. My job as a pastor is to take you on a spiritual growth journey to (1) Know God, (2) Find freedom, (3) Discover Destiny (4) Make a difference.
a.Jesus calls this Discipleship.
~Discipleship: How I grow after my decision to follow Christ.
~What are my next steps?
3. (Eph. 2:8-10 NIV) 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
a. (Phil. 2:12-13 NLT) …Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.
b. (Gal. 4:19 NLT) Oh my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.
C.What Are My Next Steps after accepting Christ?
1.Make my relationship with God public.
a.Share my faith.
~(Matt. 10:32-33 NIV) Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before My Father in heaven.
b.Get water baptized.
~(Mark 16:16 NIV) Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
~To demonstrate my changed life.
~To let the world know I belong to Jesus.
~Believers baptism is the wedding band of Christianity.
2. Spend time daily with God.
a. (Ps. 5:3 NIV) In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
b. God would rather hear from you every day, than once a month all day!
~5 minutes reading God’s Word
~5 minutes in Worship
~5 minutes in Prayer
3. Choose the right relationships.
a. (Prov. 13:20 NIV) Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.
b. (1 Cor. 15:33 NIV) Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.
~Relationship with a local church.
-Revamping “Level Up”
~Relationship with a small group.
~Relationship with a team.
4. Make a difference in the lives of others.
a. We are spiritual contributors, not spiritual
consumers.
b.We are the church and we exist for the world.
[Pastor Lee Stokes]