Michael Koelling: Seven week 2 Perseverance Prayer

1. Being tested through perseverance.

1 Samuel 17:38-40 (NLT) "Then Saul gave David his own armor-a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. [39] David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. "I can't go in these," he protested to Saul. "I'm not used to them." So David took them off again. [40] He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd's bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd's staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine."

· Other people’s armor doesn’t protect you, it paralyzes you.

o God will teach you, train you, bring you through every battle and situation but He will not do that through a class or course but personal situations, personal battles, personal training.

· As I have been through tough times in my own personal life God has used those moments to teach me about perseverance. I choose to learn from those moments, I choose to understand the big picture of the plan of God for my life.

o If God has a plan, and I believe He does, the experiencing every moment of it, then learning is my purpose.

§ I will never learn anything if I always run away from the test.

§ I will never learn anything if I just wiggle my way out of every problem.

§ I will never learn anything of value if I don't stay in the heat of the situation/battle. I’ve always said, "The tougher the battle the greater the purpose."

· Man God has a plan for me.

· His purpose is so great.

1 Timothy 6:11 (NLT) "But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness."

2. Pray don't just say prayers.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NLT) "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. [2] Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. [3] This is good and pleases God our Savior, [4] who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth."

· Pray for all people.

o You pray.

o Have a mindset for others.

o Have a mindset for the good of others.

§ Don't be selfish about the blessings of God.

§ If someone is being blessed be happy for them it's their season.

§ Your season in God doesn't happen daily, it's seasonal.

§ Embrace it when it moves upon you.

· Intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

o Intercede-To act in behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble.

o Stepping up for others.

§ Talking to God for others about others who are in difficulty that's selfless!

§ Helping others through their worst trials will make you so many friends.

o Real friends don't let friends live life alone.

· The bible teaches us that this is good and that it pleases God. That's powerful.

1 Peter 3:12 (NLT) "The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil."

· God purposefully watches over us when we do right and turns away when we do wrong.

o That teaches us true perseverance.

· Watches over us not to make sure we do right but because we are doing right.

o Turns away from us not because of the shame but because it is sinful.

§ God loves you but can not, will not, wink at our sin to okay it.

§ Legal does not make something moral.

· Praying more doesn't mean that you can sin more in fact it will make you sin less.

· God desires us to be a people of conviction and compassionate.

o God never meant for us to compartmentalize our lives into secular and spiritual.

· People who pray know the heart of God, hear the heart of God from His own lips, and react to the rhythms of God by doing.

· Prayer is private power for public purpose.

o Prayer is communication that will motivate, challenge and prepare you for the miraculous.

______________________________________

Coming Next Month a Free Purity Conference entitled: 16 and not pregnant.

As you may or may not know MTV's Reality TV show "16 and pregnant" has been the number 1 reality TV show of 2011. So to combat the enemy of our culture we are launching a "Purity Campaign" against it. You don't want to miss this event.