Easter | Week 2
Seek First the Kingdom of God
How effective are we in our prayer lives?
Better yet, how do you put metrics on your prayer life?
More answered prayers, higher value, less answered, somethings wrong?
Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
Ask? We want to maximize the effectiveness of our prayer.
Godly wisdom.
Seek?...to go after, to explore to SEE
Knock. To gain entrance to the truth.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Seek first the good things of life?
Relationships, housing, health, work life, food, drink…
No.
Seek first the KINGDOM of God AND His righteousness.
THEN all the other things will be added in God’s perfect wisdom
I had made the good things the greater things and the greater things (not bad, but) the good things.
The problem with this is Almighty God will never be second.
Flawed Process: I seek my greater things, then I recognize God’s good things. WRONG.
Godly Process: I seek the best things, God’s kingdom and His righteousness, then God adds to our lives the good things that He chooses
This was giving me a lot of anxiety. I was so focused on what I thought were the BEST things, that I was wasting a lot of spiritual and emotional energy that affected me physically. Here was a verse I pondered quite a bit:
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything but in everything through prayer and petition, thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus
Don’t be anxious! Easier said than done, amen? Anyone?
Let’s study this passage a bit more and it will take us right back to Matthew 6:
Don’t be anxious…do what instead?
3 THINGS to combat anxiety:
Pray
Petition
Be thankful
Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
1st Part — Prayer of Adoration:
Our Father
Holy is your name
Your kingdom forever
Your will be done in heaven and on earth
2nd Part — Prayer of petition:
Give us our daily needs
Forgive us our sins
Enable us to forgive others
Keep us away from temptation
Deliver us from evil
3rd Part — Prayer of Adoration:
Your kingdom
Your power
Your glory