Lesson 4: Now what? How do I grow?
NOW WHAT? HOW DO I GROW?
As a new Christian there are several practical steps that you can take to continue to grow and to enjoy the great life that God has prepared for you.
These include: prayer, reading/studying the Bible (Word of God) and becoming part of a local fellowship (church).
1. PRAYER.
Effective prayer is a major key to us enjoying the victorious life Jesus paid for with His precious blood.
“Prayer is the key in the hand of faith which unlocks heaven’s storehouse”.
Powerful prayer life = powerful life.
Effective prayer life = effective life.
Many people around the world in various religions believe they are praying and hope that their prayers will be answered.
As Christians the way we are to pray must be in line with the Word of God.
God has a plan for every area of our lives as believers including prayer.
The Bible has a lot to say about prayer, about the One who answers our prayers.
Q - What is prayer?
Q - More importantly what is biblical prayer?
There are many "good" ideas re-prayer.
But we need God's ideas re-prayer!
Biblical prayer is:
· Our personal contact, fellowship, communion, and conversation with God.
· It is our two-way communication between us and God i.e., involves talking and listening.
· It involves practising the presence of God i.e., becoming more God-conscious on a moment-by-moment basis.
Prayer is one of the greatest privileges we have as believers, for it is through prayer that we able to communicate with Almighty God and develop an intimate relationship with Him.
Q – When we pray to God does this ever happen?
"Hello, this is God. I'm away from the throne right now. But if you leave a number and a brief message at the sound of the beep, I will return your call.”
Good news – there is no voicemail in the throne room.
God is on call 24 hours a day, every day.
He is always ready to listen and respond to you.
In fact, He sent His Spirit to live in you so He could communicate with you every moment of the day.
Prayer is God's idea!
It begins with Him and it ends with Him.
This privilege is available to every believer, regardless of their position in life, age, gender, etc.
God even hears the prayers of little children.
Own testimony – Donita prayed for her “husband to be” from the age of about 7.. for his safety and protection, etc. We believe it is these prayers that saved Andrew from drowning when he was 17 years of age… And several other dangerous incidents.
Psalm 145:18 “The Lord is near all those that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.”
Praise God we have direct access to God!
We don't need a priest, or holy temple, or candles, etc to gain access to God.
We can speak directly to Him, for He lives and dwells in us!
Prayer is a daily gift from God.
It is a vital necessity in our daily lives as Christians because it is via prayer that we seek God as our vital necessity (Psalm 119:2).
If there is no communication in a relationship, there can be no relationship.
Our walk with God does not end when we are born again, this is just the beginning.
Illustration: A husband and wife get married and living together without speaking to each other after the wedding ceremony.
If we do not pray, we cut ourselves off from our power source which is God.
Illustration: disconnect a power tool from electricity cannot function.
Prayer is a vital part of victorious Christian living.
True communication involves two people - one listening while the other speaks, then vice versa.
God wants to talk to you and to listen to you.
He wants to share your life with you.
Scriptural communication (prayer) with God will enable you to develop an intimate, honest and flourishing relationship with Him.
While at times we may “feel” or sense the presence of God in a tangible way most often He communicates with us via our spirit.
John 4: 24 God is a spirit.
Romans 8:16 He communicates with our spirit.
God communicates with your spirit via the Holy Spirit this communication is then translated into your mind i.e. thought life.
We can grow in sensitivity to the Father.
We can learn to tune into His voice and learn to tune out distractions.
Illustration: antenna = picks up radio signals… Constantly being sent out… “I can't hear the ABC”… The ABC is sending out radio signals but if you are tuned to the wrong station you will not be able to pick up what they are saying.
The problem with communication in this case is not the ones sending the message, but the one tuning in to hear the message.
God is speaking to us but we have to learn to pick up HIS frequency.
There are many voices in the world influenced by satan telling us what to do, where to go, how to live, etc - including our own flesh (mind, will, emotions and body).
We have to train our spiritual years to hear God's voice.
Scriptural prayer helps develop sensitivity to the Father's voice.
When you pray you need to know who you are talking to.
When you know the true character of God i.e. you know who He is and how He thinks this gives you confidence when you communicate with Him.
You will come to know that your heavenly Father is bigger than anything that may be confronting you.
You will come to know that your Heavenly Father will never let you down.
You will come to know that your Heavenly Father wants you to be well.
You will come to know that your Heavenly Father wants you to receive when you pray.
The Bible is our prayer manual.
Illustration: appliance manual – the “how to”.
We do not know everything we need to know about our relationship with God and prayer the moment we are born again.
SOME COMMON ERRORS RE PRAYER:
· Our prayers must be long – the length of our prayers does not make our prayers more or less effective - sometimes just using the name of Jesus is all we need and in some circumstances there is no other time to say anything else – Matthew 6:7.
· Our prayers must be loud – Sometimes people seem to pray as if God is “deaf”..sometimes our prayers may be loud..again the volume does not change the result.
· Our prayers are just for significant or major things - God is interested in the tiniest details of our life Illustration: Donita’s earing – asked God to show me where it was….and He led me to it!
· Our prayers need to be impressive - God knows us and sees who we are and accepts us. We do not have to try to impress Him or others. Just being honest and natural. The world tries to impress – illustration: man speaking on his mobile phone on a train – Matthew 6:5 & 6.
· We need to kneel down when we pray - not the position of our bodies but the condition of our hearts..may kneel..be led by the Holy Spirit..sometimes walk, sit, lie, dance!!
· We can only pray in certain “holy” places - we can talk to God while we are travelling or doing many of our daily tasks..we are the temple of the Holy Spirit so we can pray anywhere!!
· Our prayers need to be spoken in perfect English - speak to God naturally and respectfully as you would a friend… Our prayers do not need to be eloquent…but they may be..
· Our prayers should be emotional - we do not need to feel certain emotions when we pray. Our emotions don't move God but our faith does.. Sometimes we may feel “stirred up” or led by the Holy Spirit to “stir ourselves up” but, don’t get legalistic about this..or put this onto pthers…sometimes we may feel “flat” or “sad” but pray in faith anyway.
· We can only pray at certain times – we can talk to God at any time, night or day.
· God only answers the prayers of special “spiritual people” – God has NO favourite children!
· We can only pray out loud - God is a spirit he can hear our silent prayers.
· We can only pray silently – there are times to pray out loud - Whether our prayers are verbal or in thought they can be equally effective.
· If we get more people to pray = more power - God only needs one person praying in faith or two people praying in agreement to accomplish His will.
Prayer is simple.
If you can talk and listen then you can pray!
1. We pray from our heart i.e. our spirit.
We do not need to feel certain emotions or get our body in certain positions to pray.
True prayer comes from our spirit.
As we mature, we will learn to pickup and yield to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to pray, sometimes specific ways and for specific things.
Without prayer - a sense of distance or disconnection from our heavenly Father
2. We pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus
It isn't by our own power or holiness that we get an answer to prayer.
We don't get our prayers answered because we are good; they’re answered because of Jesus, because He is good.
It is only via Jesus and what He accomplished at Calvary and his ascension that we can approach the Father.
Hebrews 10:19 "Having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus”
We can't get access to God the Father any other way.
We come to the Father in His Name because His blood has obtained for us eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12).
Jesus gave us the right and the authority to use His Name.
The key to seeing answers to our prayers is through the mighty Name of Jesus.
John 16:23 and in that day you will ask me nothing. Surely, surely, I say to you, what ever you ask the Father in my Name, He will give it to you.
3. We pray according to God's will.
1 John the 5:14 – 15 “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that is, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us: And if we know that He hears us, what-so-ever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him"
Q – What is God's will?
God's will = God's word.
When we pray we use the word = God's will.
Q – Why do we base our prayer on scripture?
Isaiah 55:11 God's word cannot return to Him void (useless, without effect), but it will accomplish what pleases God and it will prosper in the thing for which He sent it.
Jeremiah 1:12 God is alert and active watching over His Word to perform it.
Isaiah 62:6 Instructs us to put the Lord in remembrance of His promises – why? As we do this we remind ourselves of the covenant God has made with us.
We pray in line with the word i.e. THE truth.
John 17:17 the Word is truth.
John 8:31-32 you will know the truth i.e. the word "know" = implies intimacy.
It takes time for us to grow in intimacy with the Word and with God.
It takes time takes time for us to develop our personal prayer life.
4. Make prayer priority in your life.
The most important appointment we can keep each day is the time we set aside to spend alone with God.
While we can pray anywhere and at any time it is vital that we set aside time is to get quiet and communicate with our Father.
This should not become a hard religious duty, but a source of joy and strength.
God is not angry at us.
He is longing to spend time with us and fellowship with us (Revelation 3:20, James 4:8 draw near to God and He would draw near to you..).
You are never alone in what you face in your life.
When we pray, we are acknowledging that we need God's help in our lives.
When we pray, we are recognising God's authority.
When we pray, we give God access to our circumstances.
When we pray, we can express appreciation to God for who He is and what He has done for us.
We can train ourselves to practice the presence of God, so that it becomes a natural and automatic part of our lives.
Prayer is not something we do occasionally.
Prayer or communicating with God is a lifestyle.
KEY – when communicating with God begin calling Him “Father” - He wants to share an intimate and loving relationship with you.
Allow prayer to become just like breathing - do it everywhere you go in what ever situation arises.
Start where you are and let God by the power of the Holy Spirit which is that work within you teach you to pray more effectively.
He is calling you to fellowship with Him because He lovesyou and desires to have a relationship with you.
He wantsto answer your prayers.
And you can be confident when you pray that if you're praying in line with His word (which is His will) the answer will always be YES!
God wants you to have a fruitful prayer life.
Our confidence is not in our prayers.
Our confidence is in the One we pray to – in our Heavenly Father.
He is:
1. Willing
2. Able
Romans 5:18 – 20, Hebrews 11:11
God does not withhold any good thing from us!
He wants to answer your prayers, more than you want them answered! - Romans 8:32, Matthew 7:11.
2. THE BIBLE
Q - Why study the Bible/Word of God??
1. So we can become a skillful “swordsman” 11 Timothy 2:15.
2. Not knowing or wrong knowledge = captivity Hosea 4:6.
3. Spending time in God’s Word is the best investment
- it is profitable 11 Timothy 3:16-17.
4. Renew our minds - so we can grow – progress, mature, etc Romans 12:2.
5. So we can stand in the midst of real pressures/ hard times Luke 6: 46-49:
· Build on a strong foundation.
· Word of God/Bible = the rock.
· Storms will come.
· Your house/life will stand despite the storms of life.
· Weak house? Weak foundation = faulty info, thinking.
· Go higher? Go deeper.
· Foundations unseen but they support the whole house.
6. So we can come to know God. John 17:3.
7. Produces freedom John 8:31 & 32:
· Disciples = disciplined ones.
· Knowing the truth = freedom.
Once we are born again our lives are not magically made perfect.
John 10:10 we have a real enemy – we face real problems, challenges, etc.
But as Christians we are never without a solution/answer to the challenges we face.
For every problem we can ever face God has provided a solution in His Word/the Bible.
Q – What is your life based on?
Q - What do you base your decisions upon?
Q - What do you stand upon when the storms of life at beating vehemently against you?
There is only one solid rock that we can build our lives upon - that rock is Jesus Christ.
Everything is subject to change except for the Word of God.
Q – Why do we dig into the Word of God?
We dig into the Word of God to gain revelation knowledge concerning Jesus.
Q - Why do we want to dig deep and lay our foundation upon the rock?
1. So that we can live and enjoy a victorious life on earth.
2. So that our lives bring glory to God and draw people to Him.
Q - What is unshakeable? The truth of God's Word.
Facts are real but they will yield to The Truth.
There is nothing superior to the Word of God.
The Word of God must be the first place we turn when we are seeking answers to problems in our lives.
God has given us His precious Holy Spirit to illuminate/teach the Word to us - to bring us understanding.
John 16: 13 The Holy Spirit = the Spirit of Truth i.e. the Truth-giving Spirit - He will guide you into all the truth in every area of our life.
You need to hide the Word in your heart so that you can access it immediately when the storm comes.
Joshua 1:8 We are to meditate upon the Word of God.
Q - Why? So that we know?...No.
We meditate to know in order to DO!
Result? Good success.
Mediate = mutter, ponder, think, chew the “cud”.
Illustration: A cow has more than one stomach - it chews, swallows and chews again.
Q - Why study the Word of God?
Tests of life come to everybody.
But you build an unshakeable life as a believer this will not only bless you, but it can also become a source of blessing and stability to others around you.
Seasons of learning - increased stability, soundness, maturity, and faithfulness.
We do not base our lives on what other people do or say, but on what God has done and said.
We base our life upon the Word of God.
Every day we are building our life.
We alone can choose what we build our life upon and how we build our life.
Listen to His Word of grace and righteousness:
Faith will spring up in your heart.
Peace will guard your mind.
You will find wisdom for the day.
You will be secure in God's love for you.
You will be reminded of the covenant you have with God through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Confident expectation - hope of good things happening to you.
Cause you to live a life that glorifies God.
And when the storms of life come, you will be seated peacefully inside your strong house fellowshipping with the Jesus, unaffected by the winds and the rain that are beating vehemently against your house.
3. CHURCH INVOLVEMENT
Q - Why go to church?
Q - Can a Christian survive apart from a church?
Some Christians have no choice.
They are trapped in a hospital bed, or working in an isolated area where no church exists.
And God is certainly sufficient to care for their needs.
You can still get to heaven if you can't go to church.
But even though it's technically possible to live the Christian life in isolation, it's not God’s best plan for you and your life.
When you become a Christian, you are called into a relationship with God
But 1 John 1:3 makes it clear that we enter a fellowship that goes two ways: with God and with other Christians.
Acts 20:7 reveals the practice of the early church: "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them."
For Christians in every location, regular gathering was a part of life.
The church must be together to carry out many of its purposes.
1. USE OF SPIRITUALGIFTS - 1 Corinthians 12 makes it clear that God has given spiritual gifts to every Christian and these abilities are not provided to make you feel good; they are abilities to minister that should be used for the common good!
2.MUTUAL MINISTRY - The church is pictured as a body in 1 Corinthians 12, and Paul explains that each part of the body exists to meet the needs of other body parts.
In the same way, God intends each of us to meet the needs of other believers, using our strengths to help in their areas of weakness.
1 Corinthians 12:21expresses it this way: "The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you”.
Neither can a Christian claim to be self-sufficient today.
The New Testament is full of “one another” commands.
We are to comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18), build up one another
(1 Thessalonians 5:11), confess our sins to one another, and pray for one another (James 5:16), and many more.
Q - How can we obey these directives if we stay away from the gathering of believers?
3. ACCOUNTABILITY - God designed the church as a place where spiritual leaders could watch out for our welfare, as a shepherd guards the sheep (1 Peter 5:1-4; Hebrews 13:17).
A Christian who answers only to himself can easily rationalise sinful attitudes or actions; regular contact with other Christians can keep us “on track” and help provide support when we are facing hard times.
4. INSTRUCTED BY GOD TO DO SO – The Bible says that we should not forsake "our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:25a).
5. HEAR THE WORD TAUGHT/PREACHED - It is very important that we hear the word of God. We need to hear the word of God presented to us so that we can live better, accomplish what God desires for us, and can bring glory and honor to Him.
EXPERIENCE FAMILY - The other very good reason mentioned above for going to church is to experience friendship with other Christians. We need friends to be well balanced and healthy.
OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE - Also, in church we discover opportunities to serve and be served. Therefore, we learn to apply what is taught out of God's word and then we learn to extend it to others outside the church.
ENCOUNTER –We believe in the power of God to bring transformation through encounter with His presence and living Word – the Bible, and fellow believers. Jesus is the encounter.
Remember, God did not make us to be alone. We need the friendship of other believers.
Every Christian is a member of the body of Christ, and every member has unique talents and insights.
We come to receive a supply and to bring a supply.
Sharing these gifts with each other as a unified body strengthens us in our common task of glorifying God.
Prayer To Be Filled With The Holy Spirit
Heavenly Father I am a believer. I am your child and you are my Father. Jesus is my Lord. I believe with all my heart that your word is true.
Your word says that if I ask, I will receive the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:10-13). So, in the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord, I am asking you to fill me to overflowing with your precious Holy Spirit.
I recognise my need for Your power to live a new life and be a witness for You.
I ask you Jesus to baptise me now in the Holy Spirit.
Because of your word, I believe that I now receive the gift of the Holy Spirit by faith.
Thank you for baptising me in the Holy Spirit.
I believe by faith that the Holy Spirit dwells within me and is now upon me.
I believe the Holy Spirit will now rise up within me Heavenly Father and I expect to speak with other tongues as you give me the utterance”.
Start to allow the Holy Spirit to flow through you as you yield your tongue to Him by faith - it will feel strange at first to do this, and the new sounds and syllables from a language you don't recognise will rise up from your spirit to your mouth (1 Corinthians 14: 14).
These sounds will not make sense to your mind.
As you speak them out loud by faith, you're releasing God's power from within and building yourself up in the spirit (1 Corinthians 14: 14).
Over time you will become more fluent as you spend time praying and singing in tongues. You can do this whenever and wherever you like.
It doesn't really matter whether you felt anything or not when you prayed to receive the Lord and His Holy Spirt.
If you believe in your heart that you receive, then God's word promises you did.
“Therefore, I say unto you what whatever you desire when you pray believe you receive them and you will have them” (Mark 11: 24).
God always honours His word - we just simply believe it.