Intimacy with God: The Power of Prayer and Worship
Summary
In this sermon, I discussed the importance of prayer and intimacy with God, emphasizing that God desires us to have an intimate relationship with Him. I highlighted that God has given us the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which are supernatural and can only be manifested through God in us. I also warned about the dangers of having supernatural things in our lives without having an intimate relationship with God. I further discussed the danger of forgetting God when we become prosperous or powerful, reminding the congregation that God is the source of our power and prosperity.
In the second part of the sermon, I emphasized the importance of obedience to God and cautioned against pride, reminding the congregation that signs, wonders, and miracles are not a sign that God is happy with us, but rather that God is God. I stressed the importance of prayer in developing a close relationship with God, and encouraged the congregation to desire a prayer life. I also discussed the importance of worship, clarifying that worship is not just about music but about intimacy with God.
Key Takeaways:
- God desires us to have an intimate relationship with Him, and this relationship is cultivated through prayer and obedience. ([01:59])
- Prosperity and power are gifts from God, and we should not forget Him when we attain these. ([04:23])
- Signs, wonders, and miracles are not a sign that God is happy with us, but rather that God is God. ([22:33])
- Prayer is crucial in developing a close relationship with God. Without prayer, we cannot have an intimate relationship with Him. ([25:03])
- Worship is not just about music but about intimacy with God. ([27:05])
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Second 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 I will forgive their sin and heal their land." [54:23]
2. Psalms 91:1 - "He who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." [57:57]
3. John 15:15 - "No longer do I call you servants for a servant does not know what his master is doing but I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my father I have made known to you." [40:17]
Observation Questions:
1. In Second Chronicles 7:14, what are the conditions that God sets for His people to be heard and forgiven?
2. What does it mean to dwell in the secret place of the most high as mentioned in Psalms 91:1?
3. In John 15:15, how does Jesus redefine the relationship between Him and His followers?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the promise in Second Chronicles 7:14 relate to the concept of repentance and seeking God's face?
2. How can we apply the concept of dwelling in the secret place of the most high in our daily lives?
3. What implications does Jesus' statement in John 15:15 have on our understanding of our relationship with God?
Application Questions:
1. How can you demonstrate humility and seek God's face in your daily life as instructed in Second Chronicles 7:14?
2. What practical steps can you take to dwell in the secret place of the most high as described in Psalms 91:1?
3. Considering Jesus' words in John 15:15, how can you deepen your friendship with God this week?
4. Can you think of a situation where you struggled to seek God's face? How can you approach it differently based on Second Chronicles 7:14?
5. How can you apply the promise in Psalms 91:1 to find peace in times of anxiety or fear?
Devotional
Day 1: Prioritize Prayer
Prayer is not just a spiritual discipline, but a priority that requires time and commitment. It's not about the quantity of time, but the quality of our engagement with God. It's about setting aside distractions and focusing on God, even if it's just for a few minutes each day. It's about showing God that He is a priority in our lives. [54:23]
Psalm 63:1 - "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water."
Reflection: How can you make prayer a priority in your daily routine?
Day 2: Power Follows Prayer
The power of God is not the main priority, it is the result of our intimacy with God. When we spend time with God in prayer, we become vessels of His power. This power is not for our own glory, but for the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom. [42:07]
Acts 1:8 - "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Reflection: How have you experienced the power of God in your life as a result of prayer?
Day 3: Intimacy with God
When we spend time with God, we become filled with His presence. This intimacy with God is not just about gaining knowledge about Him, but about experiencing His love, power, and presence in our lives. When people meet us, they should not just see us, but the God who lives in us. [49:00]
John 15:4 - "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."
Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper intimacy with God in your daily life?
Day 4: The Purpose of Prayer
The main purpose of prayer is not to receive something from God, but to know God intimately. We cannot develop a close relationship with God without prayer. Prayer is not just about asking God for things, but about seeking His face and desiring to know Him more. [25:03]
Jeremiah 29:13 - "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."
Reflection: How can you shift your focus in prayer from asking to seeking?
Day 5: Worship Beyond Music
Worship is not just about singing songs on a Sunday morning, but about living a life that honors God. It's about expressing our love for God in the way we live our lives. Worship is a lifestyle, not just a moment in a church service. [27:05]
Romans 12:1 - "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
Reflection: How can you live a life of worship beyond the music?
Quotes
1. "Our relationship with God is where we are active, where we live and where we move. For in him we live and move and have our being. We are his children, we are his offsprings. In him we live, in him we move, and in him we have our being." - 38:40
2. "If you have impossibilities in your life, you have to pray and pray and pray to see breakthroughs. If you have impossibilities, you haven't prayed enough. We are nothing without the Lord. We are nothing without the Lord." - 56:59
3. "Jesus was so filled with God. So when people met Jesus the man, they were meeting God. People need to recognize not that we know Jesus, not that we follow Jesus, not just that we believe in Jesus but that we have been with Jesus." - 49:54
4. "What God is speaking about, what's called overspray, is Godly love. That when Jesus addressed people, even though he corrected them, they felt love. They don't need our flesh, they need Jesus. They need everything that is within Jesus. They need the power, they need the love." - 51:31
5. "If you are in pain, if you are in depression, if you are in fear, get into the presence of God. If you don't know which direction to go, get into the presence of God. What you need most is the presence. It's the tangible, manifest presence of God." - 01:01:11
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