THE PRAYER LIFE OF JESUS

-Jesus was always praying, in times of happy or sorrowful
-why Jesus pray all the time.. its how we can connect with God

Hebrews 5:7
luke 18:7
acts 4:24,31
*there's nothing as great as prayer

*the secret to enjoy praying is mediation
   -mediating on God's word
   -remembering the scriptures and pray using them

don't be sad or ashamed of what you are weak at for God will use them for His glory

PRAYER IN TROUBLED TIMES

knowing God's name is being close to prayer

what to do when we are in the mist of challenges...how shall we pray
1. be honest

-God knows what we need even before we ask
   -negative words are more harmful than swords and guns
         -words hurt deeper

-David was rejected by his own ppl, but David called upon God in Psalm
   -Johovah - I am who I am

-God reveals Himself as merciful, gracious, long-suffering and abounding in goodness and truth

2. be focused

-David turned his focus on the Lord
   -shield is the image of protection and refuge

 -David is confident cos he took refuge in God
   *God i always near to those who calls upon Him

3. trust

 -prayer is absolute trust in God who will protect and fight for us

4. expect

-expect God to do what is consistent to His nature and character

the cost of following Jesus check pic

ppl followed then years later turned away

  
Luke 18
   -he knew the Bible, he kept the commandments, very spiritual
   -Jesus saw that this young ruler does not keep the 10th commandment... This man has greed, he values money, power, status
   *we cannot trust faith in Jesus and in money
   -Jesus wants us to be rich but not greed to take over our heart
   18:23   -he chose wealth
   18:24.  -
Luke 9:23

1. Deny self
   -if we are lovers of self, we can't be lovers of God
      2 Timothy
   -reject the unrighteous craving and do the opposite

Temptation Jesus faced picture
-self gratification --- Jesus lived a life of fasting and prayer
-self vincication --- Jesus denied himself of pride and humbled himself.. He didn't carry Himself as though He is so impt
-self exaltation --- Jesus lived His whole life serving our Heavenly Father
   -in the process of going after bigger things, ppl sell their soul away.. what's the point of getting the whole world and lose our soul
*We can overcome them cos Jesus has and He is in us!

How to develop the fruit of the Spirit
   -there is only 1 way that is to deny self
LOVE 
  -forgiveness is not for others...but for ourselves! We are angry and the other party don't care!
JOY
   -happiness depends on the situation
   -joy is from heaven
   -though we may be in sadness, but still we have joy in our heart cos we know that God is with us! "The Joy of the Lord is my strength"
PEACE
   -resist tt worry
   -"be still and know that I'm God"
   -be wise and don't walk in fear
   -stay in peace
LONG-SUFFERING
   -learn forbearance : bear all things, endure, perserve
KINDNESS
   -we get tired and worn out after years
   -be kind to others
GOODNESS
   -purity
   -dont give in to cravings
   -dont put ourself in a risk to temptation
FAITHFULNESS
   -the agreement and promises made and keep it
GENTLENESS
   -Jesus never once lose His cool
   -allow the Holy Spirit to calm us
   -nothing to wrong to be angry but not lose cool
SELF CONTROL
   -resist the craving
   -dont keep talking abt things that we crave for and put our lives ard it
   -dont feed our greed

Galatians  5:24
   *We got to take up the cross daily
      -means taking all unrighteousness and put to death
Luke 9 23
   *Only the Holy Spirit can set us free..but we need to surrender daily

*Out of

Following Jesus add pic.

Matt 4:19-20
   -we got to have a total surrender in our heart
Matt 4:21
Matt 9:9
   -Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector who is a terrible person to follow Him.. Jesus even went to dine tgt with him
John 8:12
John 21
John 22
1peter 2:21
   -Peter gone through many failures, but He ended well
Revelation 14:4

To follow a person means to stay close, to do what the person does, to become like the person in character, virtues

Eph 1:4

Romans 8:29
Corinthians 3:18

1john 3:2
   -till the day we met the Lord, we shall be like Jesus

*Our first, primary calling is to be like Jesus
   -our vocation comes and goes

1john 2:6
   -in faith, power, in suffering,
   *Yes, we will suffer but we will be victorious in the mist of suffering
Galatians 4:19

How is Jesus like?
The fruit of the spirit
   -the more you walk in the spirit, the more Jesus like
Galatians 5:22-23
   -the 9 fruits of the Spirit
      -we won't know the real us until we are in pressure
      -it is very difficult... We need the help of the Holy Spirit!
   -long suffering is to have the fruit of spirit even if all things are thrown in your life
   -type A personality..the bigger the organization the more excuse you make to be not in the fruits of the spirit
      -but Jesus who owns the largest organization (the universe) does not forgo any of the fruit of the spirit!

*Following and imitating Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit.. it's more impt than anything in the world

John 15
   -fruit of the spirit
John 15:8
   -we may be very successful in life, but we need to have the fruit!!
John 15:16

*Happiness depends of the situation.. but the Joy is from the Lord!

LOVE and FORGIVENESS add pic

Matt 17:20
   -the mustard seed faith is to believe...
   -the disciples can't perform the miracles cos they are thinking Jesus will perform the miracles

 
Reason why you cannot earn $1 every mth ///picture//

Matt 17:14-18
   -the disciples have to believe even if they don't see evidences amg them
   -the disciples needs assurance for their faith..
Therefore they are unable to perform the miracles
The presence of a storm //picture//

Mustard seed faith //picture//

Hebrews 11:1

//Picture considering...//

//Picture// Eugene Peterson

What is in your hand //picture//

* God only supplies our needs but not our needs according to His riches and glory
   -

What is the problem with the disciples
-unbelief!

With unbelief
*God does a miracle cos He loves you.. not to prove for you
   -with unbelief, we will be waiting to see miracles which is what the devil does
      -with unbelief, no matter what will nv be enough

Matt 4:3
   -Jesus no need to prove that He is the Son of God

*God's prove of love to us is not through miracles but by dying on the cross for us!

John 7:1-5
   -the brothers have unbelief and pressured Jesus to perform a miracle

//Picture // pressure

Luke 17:1-10
   -offenses, betrayal and hurt are part of life
      -what we are unable to handle is the offender is someone you love or respect
Luke 17:1-10 (2nd and 3rd picture //
   -forgiveness is not a matter of needing more faith.. it's a matter of duty!

**To obey and forgive
to forgive is a bare minimum
   -is a duty!

Mark 12:30
   -we have received forgiveness from God... Freely we receive, freely we give

Bring Back The Ark of God

2 Samuel 6:12

The Ark represents the manifested presence of God
   *Just presence, we are unable to see or touch.. but it's the manifested presence that we can see and touch
   - reminds the children of Israel
 1. Something tangible for the Israelites to attach their faith to
 2. Specific ways to carry of the ark
 3. The poles were to carried by the Levites

The children of Israel is so used to the Ark that they lost the Ark.. for 20 years!!
   -life is still the same but no Ark!
John 10:10
   -the devil came and steal but the children of Israel have gotten used to not having the manifested presence of God
   -the only way to bring back is when we are tired of our life

David was annointed 3 times
1.A the house of Jesse
2. David became the king of Judah
3. 6 years

2 Samuel 6:3-5
   *We can have the good intensions, but do it the wrong way!

Samuel 6:6
*we can have all the spiritual activities but be spiritual dead

Samuel 6:12
   -his house was blessed cos of the Ark!
Hebrew 9:4
   -3 things in the Ark
      -golden pot if manna: supernatural provision of God
      -Aaron's rod that budded : miraculous life of God
      -tablets if the law in the ark : men have no power to keep the law
   *Chase for the Ark (the presence of God)! --- power, miracles, provision
      - this is why the enemies are steals the ark from the children of Israel

How you know how you lost the Ark
   -no desire / hungry for God's presence
   -no longer cares abt the spiritual discipline
   -no longer make the house of God our priority
   *Sabbath is not a day for resting.. but a day to honour the Lord
   -no longer praying

I Prefer You

1 Samuel 1:4-6
  - Elkanah loves Hannah not based in whether she's fruitful or not
   *God gives us what we deserved but He gives us what He desires

 1.Hannah waited on the Lord
   -Hannah didn't give herself excuse in her situation to sin against God
      -we always find excuses for what we do cos of our situation
 *  We may not be responsible to what happen but we are responsible to how we respond to our situation
   -sometimes we do what we need to do again and again but still things don't happen
     Isiah 40:31

2. Hannah went to the house of the Lord
   -Hannah didn't complain or fight against Petanah
   *Nv allow your troubles to keep you away from the Lord and from the house of God

3. Hannah was thankful when she had nothing
   -turn your bitterness into Thanksgiving
Psalm 34:1
John 10:10
   -we survived but we lost our thankfulness
Habakkuk 3:17-19
1 Samuel 1:19
   -God remembered Hannah


4. Hannah was thankful when she had something
1 Samuel 2:21
   -whatever we are thankful for, God is going to multiply


Isiah 54:1-4
*Sing! Sing our way to our breakthrough!

Isiah 46:9-10
Why baby Jesus came from eternity
 1.  -God wants to tell us that;our ending will always be better than the begining!
 Matt 1:23
   -God wants to let us know tt He was with us

Luke 1:28-31

*God can bless you for who you are and not what you pretend to be

Responsibly picture

2.
   -why  did Jesus came as a baby and not an adult?only when he was with us then He can identify with us then he can save us to the utmost
   John
Pic

With Jesus, don't give up..

What does not picture

Thanksgiving

Habakkuk 3:17-18
   *Unless we get what we think we should get, we don't have to be thankful..but in Habakkuk, we should rejoice
   -dont choose to see using our limited sight.. but choose to trust in God!

1thrdsalonians 5:16-18

4things we can give thanks to God for
1.

2.
Psalms 136:1
3. Thank God for our church
Colossians 3:15-17
Acts 4:42-47
   -10 things we need to be involved in in the church and thank God for
      Continued steadfastly in
      1. Apostle's doctrines
      2. Fellowship
            -having things in common.. the same hope, same believe
      3. In breaking of bread
            -eat together
      4. Prayers
      5. Many wonders and signs
      6. Offerings
            Giving good for soul picture
      7. Church services
      8. Home cell groups
            -that is where we get to learn to accept ppl of diff style
      9. Praise and worship
      10. Evangelism
  Ephedians 5:18

4. Thank God for everything
   Ephesians 5:19-20