A House of Prayer
Scripture: Matthew 21:13Devotional Series: God's Strength
Teaching: God's Strength pt. 1 (SUN_AM 2021-10-31) by Pastor Star R Scott
We are the temple of God! Amen? When we gather, we’re the church. This building is just to keep the elements off of our heads. We are the church. My church… “My house, shall be called a house of prayer.” Hallelujah!
We heard about some of the men in the past, as they would come upon one another and greet one another and just greet one another, “Do I find you praying?” What’s God saying to you? You see, I can tell in a minute where you are spiritually by just asking that question, “What’s God been saying to you?” “Uh. Uh.” We go into our Home Fellowship Group, “What’s God saying to you?” “Uh, I need to read my Bible more.” “No! What’s God saying to you?” Amen?
You know what would be an answer? If we were really hearing from God, you know what almost every one of us could answer to that question if we were really hearing from God? “I’m too full of myself.” That’s the voice of God. “I’m too prideful. I’m too selfish.”
Self diminishes in the presence of God. Prayer and the true presence of God will not let you vaunt yourself and ask for all your little blessings. When you encounter God, we become undone, and one thing matters, His majesty, His lordship, His will to be done, praise God! The minute you find yourself wallowing in self-pity or wanting this “Bless Me Club” and give me, give me, give me, you can be assured of one thing: You are not praying according to the will of God.
Jesus, in His own life, the Bible says, He prayed more earnestly. He was sweating great drops of blood. He was aware of the agony that was coming by Him offering Himself up as the sin-bearer, to be made sin with your sin and my sin. And He cries out from the very depths of His soul, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless—” say it, “not my will, thy will be done” (Matthew 26:39).
When you’re in agony, and you’re in prayer, and you’re in pain, and your baby’s in pain, all that you have is in jeopardy, you must be able to pray in faith, in absolute confidence, that particular confession, “Not my will. I’m not looking for the easy way out. I’m not looking for momentary relief. I’m looking for Christ to be formed in me in the midst of this trial and this temptation where I can submit myself to the will of God and say, ‘The Lord is good. Blessed be the name of the Lord.’” Hallelujah! Is it possible? Yes! But God loves you too much to let the cup pass until it’s accomplished in us what needs to be accomplished, that we might come forth as pure gold.
What do you do with the answers from God when you are praying? What do you do when you’re before the face of God and you’re crying out, and you are not praying from a selfish motive? You’re not praying from carnal-mindedness. You are praying from the very Spirit of God. You are praying the Word of God, and you hear from God Almighty, “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:9). What do you do with that?
We heard about some of the men in the past, as they would come upon one another and greet one another and just greet one another, “Do I find you praying?” What’s God saying to you? You see, I can tell in a minute where you are spiritually by just asking that question, “What’s God been saying to you?” “Uh. Uh.” We go into our Home Fellowship Group, “What’s God saying to you?” “Uh, I need to read my Bible more.” “No! What’s God saying to you?” Amen?
You know what would be an answer? If we were really hearing from God, you know what almost every one of us could answer to that question if we were really hearing from God? “I’m too full of myself.” That’s the voice of God. “I’m too prideful. I’m too selfish.”
Self diminishes in the presence of God. Prayer and the true presence of God will not let you vaunt yourself and ask for all your little blessings. When you encounter God, we become undone, and one thing matters, His majesty, His lordship, His will to be done, praise God! The minute you find yourself wallowing in self-pity or wanting this “Bless Me Club” and give me, give me, give me, you can be assured of one thing: You are not praying according to the will of God.
Jesus, in His own life, the Bible says, He prayed more earnestly. He was sweating great drops of blood. He was aware of the agony that was coming by Him offering Himself up as the sin-bearer, to be made sin with your sin and my sin. And He cries out from the very depths of His soul, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless—” say it, “not my will, thy will be done” (Matthew 26:39).
When you’re in agony, and you’re in prayer, and you’re in pain, and your baby’s in pain, all that you have is in jeopardy, you must be able to pray in faith, in absolute confidence, that particular confession, “Not my will. I’m not looking for the easy way out. I’m not looking for momentary relief. I’m looking for Christ to be formed in me in the midst of this trial and this temptation where I can submit myself to the will of God and say, ‘The Lord is good. Blessed be the name of the Lord.’” Hallelujah! Is it possible? Yes! But God loves you too much to let the cup pass until it’s accomplished in us what needs to be accomplished, that we might come forth as pure gold.
What do you do with the answers from God when you are praying? What do you do when you’re before the face of God and you’re crying out, and you are not praying from a selfish motive? You’re not praying from carnal-mindedness. You are praying from the very Spirit of God. You are praying the Word of God, and you hear from God Almighty, “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:9). What do you do with that?