💭 Consider this: What is one specific change you can make this week to cultivate a more prayerful, watchful, and thankful walk with the Lord?
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Do you only pray when problems arise?
Many of us are busy, comfortable, and self-sufficient. We have our homes, our careers, our families, and our plans. Very often we forget who our provider is and are not aware of our real need in life.
Join us as we learn that prayer is not merely a religious duty but the lifeline of the new man in Christ and the evidence of spiritual maturity.
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript:
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:16 Introduction
03:24 I. ALWAYS BE PRAYERFUL
14:18 II. ALWAYS BE WATCHFUL
25:05 III. ALWAYS BE THANKFUL
50:04 Closing Prayer
51:52 Reflection Questions
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Highlights
Most of the time we are spiritually sleeping, as in we do not discern the times. We do not understand the situations. We do not comprehend the seriousness of the temptations. So we do not pray as we ought to.
At other times we do not even know what we are praying. Our prayers are so vague and general. So in reality we are not asking for anything specific. How can we expect God to answer our prayers when we do not ask for anything specific? To continue in prayers and be watchful means something we are concerned about, something we are watchful, we are aware of, we are awake and alert, and we want to pray. In other words, what is the thing that we are particularly concerned about will also be the thing that will lead us to continue in prayer and be watchful.
Most Christians never get serious about prayers until a problem creeps into their lives or into the life of someone they love dearly. Then they are inclined to pray intensely and persistently. But that is exactly the way Christians should always pray, at all times, intensely and persistently. When we are sensitive to the problems and the needs of others, especially believers, that will lead us to pray day and night.
Dear friend, do we only pray for physical needs? What about spiritual needs? Our greatest problems are always spiritual. So our greatest prayer, whether for ourtselves or for others, should be for spiritual strength and protection. There is nothing wrong with bringing our physical needs before God. But our greatest focus should be our spiritual needs, the forgiveness of sins, repentance, cleansing us, transforming our lives, for the believers to be strong in the Lord.
Dear friend, when we are not watchful, as in we are not aware of our real needs, it is like telling God, “I don't really sense my need for you.” Then something drastic happens in our lives. Something that we do not have control of. What do we do spontaneously? What do we do instinctively? Pray.
If we are true believers, if we know who God is, if we truly believe who is in control of all things, if we understand what God has done for us by sending his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to save us, we do not need a drastic situation to turn us to him. And pray whether in sickness or in health, in joy or in sadness, in prosperity or in poverty. In every situation, we commune with God who loves us with an everlasting love. We must always be watchful.