TRUE PURPOSE DRIVEN PRAYER
OR
TRUE PURPOSE DRIVEN PREACHING
SUNDAY JAN. 20, 2019
Scripture To Consider:
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, Jesus went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.”
“When they found Jesus, they said to Him, ‘Everyone is looking for You.’ But He said, ‘Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.’ And He was preaching in the synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.” Mark 1.35-39
Something To Consider:
What better way to bring in the new year of 2019 but by studying true purpose driven prayer and true purpose driven preaching? Therefore, one of Jesus’ main purposes while here on earth was to seek and to save the lost. And yet, how will the people hear and believe without a preacher? Jesus came to preach repentance from sin. He also came to preach that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Even though Jesus knew very well what His mission, purpose, and reason for living was, He regularly checked in with His Father in heaven through the power and privilege of daily private prayer.
Jesus often sought out a solitary place to pray to His Father concerning His purpose and plan. How can we do any less as followers of His example? As we fast approach what may become perilous and trouble-some end times, let us do so seeking God’s divine guidance through private prayer with our creator. Jesus declared in Luke 18.1; “…that men [women and young people] always ought to pray and not lose heart…” Are we therefore praying or are we more often prone to losing heart?
There is no better advice to be given and received as we begin a brand-new year! But what was it that caused Jesus to instruct that all men ought to always pray rather than losing heart? In Luke chapter 17 Jesus was asked by some of the religious leaders when the kingdom of God would come. Even then there was interest in end time events. And Jesus went on to state some of the false prophet’s messages that will be declared during the end of this age.
Knowing the religious leaders were not in search of the truth, Jesus then said to His disciples beginning in verse 23 of Luke chapter 17, “And they [false end time religious leaders] will say to you [true end time believer], ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man [Jesus] will be in His day.” In other words, the end time second coming of Jesus will not be a secret or hidden event!
Something Else To Consider:
How many so-called spiritual leaders would find it difficult to go to their private prayer closets as did Jesus in our text the next morning after a successful city-wide healing and demon casting out service? For most of us the flesh cries out for recognition rather than prayerful retreat for further instructions. Many leaders would have been placing phone calls or planning huge healing services in some of the largest auditoriums to be found.
Every potential leader and leader in training must resist the temptation to be recognized, and are commanded by Jesus to so let our lights shine for Him, that others see our good works and glorify God alone. Our kneeling in prayer in a solitary place early in the morning to the creator of all heaven and earth, will burn away the fog and darkness of night, giving us a more purposeful and eternal perspective. Jesus, the Son of God realized His need for private prayer.
Therefore, there is no better way of resisting the evil that lies in us all, than our rising early to pray. And let us not forget to set our spiritual alarm clocks, for there is no way any of us will endure to the end without true purpose driven prayer!
Something More To Consider:
Purpose driven prayer leads to purpose driven preaching, teaching, and or sharing the Word of God in whatever form in the power of God’s Holy Spirit with others. Jesus continued His preaching in the synagogues throughout Galilee and the power of God was evidenced in the casting out of tormenting demonic spirits from people’s lives. Purpose driven prayer along with purpose driven preaching has delivered many generations of spiritually bankrupt captive prisoners.
Purpose driven prayer coupled with purpose driven preaching has brought divine and meaningful purpose and passion to millions of new born-again true believers in Jesus Christ. And yet, millions more are still imprisoned in the darkness of doubt, fear, and deception that is brought about by the continuation of false prophets and their false messages of deceit and disinformation. Can we hear their cries for help? If not, then maybe we should return to our private places of prayer for further instruction from our heavenly Father as did Jesus on a regular basis!
Prayer is nothing more than our communicating with God our Father and nothing less than our receiving further marching orders for the rest of our lives! True purpose driven prayer properly prepares our hearts for the unknown of each new day. True purpose driven prayer deposits within us the grace that is sufficient for every unknown situation and circumstance of life that attempts to take us totally by surprise. True purpose driven prayer protects us from the enemy of our souls who has come to steal, kill, and to destroy our personal relationship with God our Father, and His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
A Few Final Words:
If the spiritual bond between us and Christ can be broken through our neglect of true purpose driven prayer, the enemy has succeeded in his divide and conquer strategy. And yet the Word of God has warned us in advance of this divide and conquer battle procedure as far back as in the Garden of Eden in the very beginning.
There the enemy skillfully divided Adam and Eve concerning the Word of God and the fact that God had declared that if Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would surely die. The serpent declared, “You will not surely die.” Since then, men, women, and young people have died both physically and spiritually due to their disobedience to God’s Word.
Satan’s strategy of divide and conquer has been his spiritual battle plan for some six thousand years. For those of us who can remember just following 911, small signs started appearing on the side of the road as if everywhere, declaring 2 Chronicles 7.14; “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
The Lord followed up in the very next verse by promising, “Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now, I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” These above Scriptures were spoken by God to Solomon and the nation of Israel as they were dedicating the newly built Jewish temple constructed by Solomon, King David’s son.
And in 1 Corinthians 3.16 Paul writing to Christian believers declared under the influence of the Holy Spirit; “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” God is very attentive to the purpose driven prayer that extends from our temple of God. His desire is that we humble ourselves and pray and seek His face while turning from our wicked ways. Has America as a whole been successful in fulfilling 2 Chronicles 7.14? Have we as individual true end time believers been successful in the same?
Determined spiritual leaders and leaders in training who have been called by God, chosen by God, and equipped by God’s Word for a particular purpose in this life, should not be easily persuaded from the path of true purpose driven prayer and true purpose driven preaching. Therefore, Jesus proclaimed, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, for this purpose I have come forth.” What purpose have we come forth to accomplish? If that has yet to be determined, purpose driven prayer may be the clearest path to the truth!
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, as we meet with You in private prayer, give us purpose and passion according to Your Word and perfect will for our lives. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 