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We live in a world of distraction. There always seems to be something more attractive on the other side of the life many of us live. I believe that the principality's of darkness anticipate that the human brain can easily be swayed from the most important things in life to things that have no real value, yet seem to succeed in wearing us out emotionally, physically, financially, and spiritually. Day after day we continue to follow the same mindset, the same routine, while our Heavenly Father waits patiently for us to spend time with Him.
“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” Isaiah 29:13 How do you become more compassionate towards others and fall completely in love with Him? The more time you spend with the person of the Holy Spirit, the more you get to know Him. The more you know Him, the more you love Him. It's not about you and how much you love Him. It's about Him, it's all about Him and how much you realize His love for you. It is in that place where you become saturated with love for Him. It's about posturing your heart before Him in the quiet place of rest with Him. Not being distracted by the things of this world but sitting at His feet. Worship doesn't always have to be in the song. Worship is having a heart of peace amid the storm. Worship is sitting at His feet when others are rushing about. Worshiping Him is loving Him and accepting His love for you. “As Jesus and the disciples continued on their journey, they came to a village where a woman welcomed Jesus into her home. Her name was Martha, and she had a sister named Mary. Mary sat down attentively before the Master, absorbing every revelation He shared. But Martha became exasperated with finishing the numerous household chores in preparation for her guest, so she interrupted Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t you think it’s unfair that my sister left me to do all the work by myself? You should tell her to get up and help me.” The Lord answered her, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted and I won’t take this privilege from her.” Luke 10:38-42 (TPT) The more time you spend with Him, with the posture of your heart in the place of worship, the more you will become like Him. You will no longer see men as trees walking, but you will see them as Christ see's them with compassion and love. When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, begging him to touch him and heal him. So Jesus led him, as his sighted guide, outside the village. He placed His saliva on the man’s eyes and covered them with His hands. Then He asked him, "Now do you see anything?" "Yes," he said. "My sight is coming back! I'm beginning to see people, but they look like trees walking ." Jesus put his hands over the man's eyes a second time and made him lookup. The man opened his eyes wide and he could see everything perfectly. His eyesight was completely restored! Mark 8:22-25 (TPT) It is not about the quantity of time you spend with Him but rather the quality of time spent with Him, and the posture of our heart in that place. Some do not know the voice of God because they have never taken the time to listen. Will you allow yourself to be still, quiet your mind from the distractions all around you, and know that He is God? Will you allow yourself to be saturated in His love for you so that you can fall completely in love with Him? “Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.” Matthew 11:28-30 (TPT)
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"Seek first the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously and he will give you everything you need." Matt. 6:33 What is a Kingdom? A kingdom is a government or a country headed by a king or queen. A realm, a domain, or a territory. The spiritual realm of God is a kingdom. In a kingdom there is a constitution or a covenant between the king and the citizens. There are principals which it functions by. Our citizenship is in heaven (which is a kingdom) Phil. 3:20 As citizens we have a legal right to the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matt. 16:19 If I give you the keys to my home, I have given you authority to access my home. If you have access to my home then you have access to all that is in my home. The keys to the kingdom of heaven represent God’s delegated authority. Jesus taught us how to access the keys to the kingdom of Heaven when He taught us how to pray in Matthew 6. "Our Father who is in Heaven, Holy is your Name." We are to Praise and glorify him. (Stop grumbling and complaining.) "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Humble submission (Giving up selfishness and pride) "Give us this day our daily bread" Acceptance / being able to receive (giving up rejection) "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." Walking in Forgiveness (Forgiveness for others and accepting His forgiveness for us) "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil." Trust/Faith (giving up doubt, fear and unbelief) "For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever." Acknowledgment of Him / His Identity and who you are in Him. (walking away from false identity and acknowledging who God says you are.) "Above all you must live as citizens of heaven." Philippians 1:27 We sometimes forget or have never realized that we are citizens of the kingdom of heaven. When we understand who we are, we will know what we have access to. As sons and daughters of God, we have access to everything in the Father’s house. The enemy doesn’t come against what your doing he comes against who you are. One of his biggest fears is that we will realize our true identity as sons and daughters of the King and began to walk in it. But nothing is yours, until you understand it. "As a man thinks in his heart so is he." Proverbs 23:7 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans. 12:2 So how do we seek after and become a citizen of a kingdom that we can not see, a kingdom that we have only read about or been told of? In order to seek the kingdom, we must first seek the Lord of the kingdom, God himself. It’s about the quality of time you spend with Him more than the quantity of time you spend with Him. “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29;13 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you.” Matthew 7:7 When you give your heavenly Father the keys to the kingdom of your heart, He will give you the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. The keys are given to us by the choices we make. The choice to become a son or daughter and live as a citizen of heaven or the choice to remain an orphan never really knowing who we were created to be or where you belong. "Choose today whom you will serve, the God of this world or the God of Heaven." Joshua 24:15 Giving God first place in your life, will be the best choice you ever made. Why not give it a try? We live in an instant world with instant information, instant meals, instant coffee. We often expect instant results in whatever we do. Modern technology has allowed us to connect with others far away, and gain information quickly. Some people even develop instant friendships on social media. In this fast pace life, many have developed the mindset of an instant prayer life, and bible reading /study.
I believe that God values the time we spend with Him, but the desire of His heart is that we put Him first in all we do. It doesn’t matter if we spend ten minutes or three hours with Him in prayer or study, its all about the posture of our heart. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37 (NIV) Jesus and His disciples came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister, Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to help me!” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 (NLT) In this fast pace world, it’s easy to get distracted and lose focus. Our focus must not be on man or things, but on God. If we put Him first in our life, the other things will fall into place. It’s not about the quantity of time we spend with the Lord but rather the quality. Have you ever had lunch with someone who wasn’t really present? In all appearance they are there physically but their mind and heart are somewhere else. Perhaps they were texting or answering phone calls during your lunch, in the time that you had set aside special to meet with them. How does it make you feel? Is that how it is when you meet with God to pray and read His word? Are you in His presence with all your heart soul and mind? Or are you just appearing to make an effort, but your heart and mind is somewhere else? “His grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in our weaknesses.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) “Those who wait on the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:31 (NAS) Spending quality time with God does not ensure that you will not have problems. But you can have peace in the midst of the storms that come in your life. “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45 (ESV) “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NLT) Although God can change things in an instant, His desire to meet you in the quiet place of His love is everlasting. I encourage you to make special time to meet with Him daily and allow Him to speak to you through His word (the bible). It will change your life. One of the most frequent questions I have been asked through the years is: How do you hear and know God’s Voice? As a child I learned to recognize the voice of my parents, siblings and friends. Still today when I hear their voice I recognize them, because I have spent time with them, their voice has become familiar to me. Samuel served God yet did not know God Although Samuel was just a boy he served the Lord, and he grew up in the presence of the Lord. 1 Samuel 2:18 -21 Samuel did not know the Lord, because he had not yet had a message from the Lord. 1Samuel 3:7 But God called to Samuel three times one night before Eli or Samuel realized it was God calling and Eli instructed Samuel to answer Gods call to him by saying “Yes, Lord Speak your servant is listening. 1 Samuel 3:2-14 The more time I spend with God. Just me and him in the quiet place. The more familiar his voice becomes to me. He says My sheep know my voice and they hear me when I call. John 10:27 He speaks in the quiet hours. He speaks in a still small voice that only those who are listening can hear. He speaks in a song, an action, or a kind word from a stranger. He speaks through his love letter to you which is the Holy Bible. As Elijah stood on the mountain the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. 1Kings 19:12 However he speaks, it is always kind and loving. He never goes against his word (the Bible). Sometimes to explain in a simpler way how to know if its God or not speaking to you I tell people to pay attention to the voice: Is the voice saying: I am not good enough. That’s you You are not good enough. That’s principalities of darkness You are fearfully and wonderfully made. That’s God He loves you so much and he would never tell you anything that does not line up with his word. I encourage you to spend time alone in a quiet place with him. As that place becomes more and more familiar to you, his presence and his voice will become familiar to you as well. But remember spending time alone with God is not about you doing all the talking. Or doing anything for that matter for he tells us Be still and know that He is God. Psalm 46:10 Many times I have gone into my prayers room (my secret place with God), with my own agenda. Telling God my plans, my needs and expecting him to come on board, because I use scripture to justify my action. But I have found through the years of ritual - all the while as a good thing because I am spending time with God. I have failed to go to him asking him what his agenda for me and my life holds. I am reminded of Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." Quiet your mind, soul and body. Just wait on him, allow him to speak. For your time alone with God should not only be about you and your needs. It should be a two way relationship. Sit back, Listen and Wait. Allow him to speak to you in the quiet place. "For only in him do we live and move and have your being." Acts 17:28
Prayer is the key to heaven but faith unlocks the door (song by Don Gibson)
The phrase of this song is true, But we must remember that our faith must not be in the words that we speak but in the one who can bring it to pass. Jesus didn’t teach his disciples to preach. He taught them to pray. Because he knew if they could pray they would be able to preach, teach, prophecy and heal in the name of the father. He knew if they could pray the rest would come. They could do whatever he called them to do. Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples to pray. Jesus said, this is how you pray.” Luke 11:1-13 Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be your name. We are to Praise him! For his name is holy! Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. His kingdom is in heaven, His will is his word the Bible, Give him the situation His will be done. Not ours. He doesn’t need us to dictate how he should handle things Give us this day our daily bread Ask him to supply your needs Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us Ask him to forgive you as you forgive others this means unless we forgive we will not be forgiven But if you do not forgive others, your heavenly father will not forgive you. Matt. 6:14-15, Mark 11:26 Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Ask him to help you overcome temptation and do what is right in his sight. For yours is all the glory, honor and power. Praise him! Always remember who he is and Praise him that he even hears you and listens to your prayer! Be still and know that he is God. Psalms 46:10 If I have a friend and every time I am with that friend, I do all the talking and never let my friend talk to me. What kind of a friendship is it? It is the same with God. Many times we go into our prayer time, and we forget to listen. Being still does not mean you are simply sitting still. It means your spirit and your mind is still. So you can listen for his voice. Sometimes it is in a whisper, sometimes it is in a scripture, sometimes it is simply in the peace that he gives. But whatever you hear him saying to you will always line up with his word the Bible which is his love letter to you. It is not about the amount of time you spend with him. It is about the quality of that time. Many years ago when God spoke this to me, I began to take the time I had with him and divide it into fourths. If I had 20 minutes to spend with God I would spend 5 minutes praising him. 5 minutes reading his word, 5 minutes praying to him and then 5 minutes listening to him. Giving him a chance to speak. I may not always hear his voice but I will always feel his presence. For he says: If you draw near to me, I will draw near to you James 4:8 |
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