SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
- Praise and prayer are two things that many people don't participate in.
- They say they don't hear God.
- Prayer is nothing more than communication.
- Bible says 'Pray without ceasing.'
- God said 'my house will be a house of prayer'... Or a house of communication
- James 5 speaks of instances you should pray: when there's trouble or distress; when things aren't going your way (don't say things you don't mean)... PRAY, when you are in need of Spiritual guidance, pray for the nation)
- God will help in all of these.
- Communicate with God in everything, and pretty soon you'll hear God communicating back to you!
- Praise and prayer are essentially the same!
- If you want to hear from God, then you have to communicate to Him.
- We have the Bible and we have prayer, used in the right way we can communicate with God, and He with us.
THE MESSAGE ~ Pastor Keith Hazzard
- GIDEON: Judges 6:1-21
- He was a judge (didn't have a King until some time later)
- Things we can learn from Gideon...
- #1. We need to HEAR what God speaks (vs 10)
- Israel wouldn't have been in the mess they found themselves in if they had listened to God in the first place.
- God will not compete with our devices/distractions.
- He CALLS us... He doesn't demand our attention.
- #2. We need to SEE what God sees (vs 12)
- Gideon is just trying to keep his family fed and safe... Yet the angel calls him 'mighty Warrior.'
- We often don't see our selves as God sees us, agree?!
- When God calls us to do something much bigger than us, trust that God is right there with you.
- Gideon said 'How can I save Israel?'
- Moses said 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?'
- King Saul said 'But am I only a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel's tribes, and from the most insignificant clan in the tribe at that."
- #3. We need to GO where God calls (vs go into the strength.. Am I not sending you)
- We need to get our eyes off ourselves.
- God will show up. He is faithful
- In summary...
- Make time to hear from God every day... Read your Bible & pray.
- God doesn't make 'junk'.
- Realize how precious & amazing you are in God's sight.
- When God speaks... Do what He asks you to do... big or small.
- Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Pastor Keith closed the night with a couple songs...