Priorities for 2015

Intro: As we have just entered the New Year, it’s time to think about our priorities for 2015. Our top priorities should be of the spiritual nature.  Those things that will help us grow in our relationship with God. Our spiritual life controls how we respond to all other things. God’s will for us all is stated in; 3 John 1:2 (NKJV)  Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

I. The first letter “P” in priority stands for prayer. (Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)  'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'

  A. We have an open invitation from God to call on Him in prayer.

Only through prayer can believers stay in contact with God, know what he wants them to do, and then have the strength to do God’s will in all areas of life.

  B. The promise is (V:33b)

     1. He will answer us. We should pray in confidence, complete trust in God and His word to us.

     2. He will show us the things we don’t know. God’s plans for the future are inaccessible to ordinary people. Only God can unlock the secrets of the future, and He offered this knowledge to Jeremiah and to every one of us who are children of Abraham by faith.

II. Jesus invites us to call on God in prayer.  Matthew 7:7-8 (NKJV)
⁷ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

 In (Matt. 6:9-13) Jesus had given the disciples a model prayer. Now He assured them that God welcomes prayer, and urged them to come to Him through their own prayers in His name.

 A. Conditions of prayer

    1. Asking – Continuous and persistent action.  Emphasized by the present tenses in the verbs:

    2. Seeking- Like seeking some lost treasure that means the most to you.

    3. Knocking - You don't knock one time on a door and then leave before someone has a chance to answer. You continue to knock till the door is opened. God will always be at home waiting for your knock. His promise is found in (Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)  'Call to Me, and I will answer you.

B. Some things to ask in prayer.

   God’s wisdom for daily living and for clear direction in our daily lives in the choices we make and paths we follow. Pray for God’s help in being faithful, disciplined and committed to Him in the use of our time and resources all year long. Pray for help in seeking His Kingdom first and living righteously.

C. The promise if we do these things faithfully. (V:8)

   1. It will be given you. The answers we need to make right choices that will keep us faithful to Him.

   2. You will find. We will find God more than ready and willing to help us along life’s journey this year.

   3. It will be opened to you. Every door that leads to the abundant life and His blessings for us will be opened to us.

III. These promises are for everyone who asks.  Matthew 7:9-11 (NKJV) 

⁹ Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

   A. The Father is willing to answer us because He delights in granting our request.

   B. He will give us the good things that we need to promote our well being.

Prayer makes sure we live with a humble acknowledgement of our need for His grace, knowing He is our only hope for staying on course and fulfilling our created purpose.

God rewards those who call on Him. He will turn no one away!

Invitation: For the abundant life, make prayer your top priority for this year. Pray about everything from church, family and Nation, to all your own needs.  Ask God regularly to show you His agenda and priorities for your life, to order your steps so you can fulfill His Kingdom purposes in and through your life. First priority of prayer is salvation. If you have never called on Jesus to save you, now is the time! Ask Jesus to forgive your sins against God and invite Jesus into your life to take charge.