“Spending Time With God Through Prayer”
Psalm 63:1-8 Sermon Series: “Step Up”
Introduction: The challenge for the next two weeks is going to be to step and spend time with God. Spending time with God is foundational to everything else in our Christian lives. Today, I am going to explain the concept of spending time with God and then talk specifically about spending time with Him through prayer. Next week, the plan is to talk about spending time with Him through His Word. When we do this on a consistent basis, it is a life-changing discipline. Remember that we become is a product of our daily habits.
1. The Theology Behind Spending Time With God (Psalm 63:1-8): A. We have a personal relationship with God (v. 1, 8).
B. We are to be on a personal pursuit to know God (v. 1-8).
2. The Definition of Spending Time With God: Essentially, we are talking about spending time in communion with God. It is spending time relating to the person of God. It is vital to remember that the end is knowing God, and these spiritual practices are simply the means. We follow the example of Christ when we do this. When he was on the earth, Jesus practiced the custom of getting alone and spending time talking to His Father, which is the real essence of prayer (Mark 1:35). Spending time with God is getting alone with God, talking to Him through prayer, listening to His Spirit, reading His Word, worshipping Him, and receiving guidance from Him.
3. The Benefits of Spending Time With God: Here are some of the spiritual benefits that come from spending time with God:
A. Personal Knowledge of God: Hosea 4:6a says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
- Life Transformation: Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Andy Stanley says of this verse, “Renewed minds result in changed lives.”
- God’s Protection: Psalm 91:1 says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
- Peace: Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because He trusts in You.”
- Proper Perspective on Difficult Times: Psalm 73:16-17 says, “When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me-until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end.”
- Production of Spiritual Fruit: John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
G. Strength to Carry Out Great Exploits For God: Daniel 11:32b says, “But the people who know their God shall be strong; and carry out great exploits.”
4. The Priority of Spending Time With God: If we are going to spend time with God, we must make it a priority. We have busy lives with many things competing for our time. We must set aside the time and make an appointment with God. Ephesians 5:16 tells us to redeem the time. 1 Timothy 4:7 tells us to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness. Look at the example of Jesus in Mark 1:35, which says, “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”
5. Practical Outline for Prayer (Matthew 6:5-13): In other words, what are we doing when we pray?
A. We are having a personal conversation with our Heavenly Father (v. 7-9).
More than anything else, prayer is talking to our Father through Jesus under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is a conversation instead of something to get all religious about.
B. We are worshipping God through praise and thanksgiving (v. 9, 13).
Psalm 29:1-2 says, “Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” Psalm 34:1 says, “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Praise relates to who God is and thanksgiving relates to what He has done for us.
C. We are surrendering our will to God (v. 10). Prayer is more about getting us lined up with God’s will than it is getting God to do what we want Him to do for us. In prayer, God breaks our self will and causes us to listen to His will. Prayer is not just talking, but it is also listening to God. We should ask Him for wisdom, guidance, and the knowledge of His will. However, that knowledge flows out of our surrender to Him.
D. We are repenting of sin (v. 12-13). This involves confessing our sin and asking for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). It also involves being genuinely sorry and turning from our sin (2 Corinthians 7:8-11, Hebrews 12:14-17). We often feel stuck and miserable in our lives, but we are often only a step of repentance and obedience away from being set free. Repentance also sometimes involves forgiving others, going to others to ask their forgiveness, or trying to resolve some type of conflict.
E. We are asking God to meet needs (v. 11). The good news is that He knows our needs and has promised to meet them. This involves praying for our own needs, which is called supplication, and praying for the needs of others, which is called intercession. Our Father invites us to pray for any and everything. Prayer is an expression of faith.
