GOD Morning! June 20, 2016, Four Keys to Abundance

GOD Morning!  June 20, 2016

Four Keys to Abundance

Luke 18:1-23

Parables on Prayer

18 Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart, ² saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and had no respect for man. ³ There was a [desperate] widow in that city and she kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice and legal protection from my adversary.’ ⁴ For a time he would not; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.’” ⁶ Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says! ⁷ And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf? ⁸ I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?”

1. Prayer

This passage pops into my head frequently. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I should just shelve a prayer request and move on to something else. But it is still weighing on my mind. Sometimes I pray, “God if this is not Your will, please help me let go and move on!” Sometimes I let go and sometimes I just keep laying it down in prayer.

There have been times when God has placed a burden on my heart to move a certain direction and nothing, absolutely nothing was falling into place to make it happen. It was stressful and exhausting. That was when I gave it back to God. I said, “Jesus, I thought You laid this on my heart but I’m just going to give it back to You because I’m struggling here.” I made the tough decision to let go and then He rushed in and worked out all of the details for me!

This passage reminds me of the time when I was praying for my son. I moaned and groaned in prayer every day for at least a year. What I mean is I got real serious for about a year. When my regular prayer and fasting didn’t seem to be working, I took everything up a notch. I definitely was acting like the lady who was pestering the unjust judge. I was begging, crying and pleading. What a perfect example! This is the kind of praying that really works!

So if you are tempted to give up, instead, simply take everything up a notch!

I’ve written about this before, but sometimes when a person is on a weight loss journey or training for a marathon, for example, they reach a plateau. They are stuck at a certain weight or a certain level. So should they give up or intensify their efforts? Easy answer. Intensify. Increase.

It worked for me!

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹ He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous [posing outwardly as upright and in right standing with God], and who viewed others with contempt: ¹⁰ “Two men went up into the temple [enclosure] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood [ostentatiously] and began praying to himself [in a self-righteous way, saying]: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—swindlers, unjust (dishonest), adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ ¹³ But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but was striking his chest [in humility and repentance], saying, ‘God, be merciful and gracious to me, the [especially wicked] sinner [that I am]!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went to his home justified [forgiven of the guilt of sin and placed in right standing with God] rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself [forsaking self-righteous pride] will be exalted.”

2. Humility

Ahhhh, I love this scripture. If anyone would have had a struggle with self righteousness, it would have been me. Because I was raised in a pastor’s home and I didn’t ever fall into obvious sin. Sure, I have had my struggles, but I have been in church my whole life. Yes, there was a time in my youth when I looked down my nose at everyone. But God has humbled me too many times to count. He knows me better than I know myself! When I think I’m good to go, I fall flat on my face!

 “Therefore let the one who thinks she stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that she does not fall [into sin and condemnation].” 1 Cor. 10:12 AMP

¹⁵ Now they were also bringing their babies to Him, so that He would touch and bless them, and when the disciples noticed it, they began reprimanding them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them to Himself, saying [to the apostles], “Allow the children to come to Me, and do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁷ I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God [with faith and humility] like a child will not enter it at all.”

3. Add Childlike Faith. And then…

The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁸ A certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher [You who are essentially and morally good], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]?” ¹⁹ Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is [essentially and morally] good except God alone. ²⁰ You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not testify falsely, Honor your father and your mother.’” ²¹ He replied, “I have kept all these things from my youth.”²² When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “You still lack one thing; sell everything that you have and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have [abundant] treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].” ²³ But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

4. Surrendering All
We have to give everything up!

Okay, it’s all right here in Luke 18:1-23.

Prayer plus Humility plus Childlike Faith plus Surrendering All.

These four disciplines add up to what? An abundant life on earth and abundant treasure in heaven, that’s what!

Seems impossible? Nothing is impossible with God. I can do it! You can do it!

“Dear Jesus, thanks for Your RICH word. Your word is brand new to me every morning! How long have I been seriously digging into Your word consistently? For about five years now. And I am never disappointed. How long have I been seriously digging into Your word consistently? For about five years now. And I am never disappointed. I am always awed by Your insights for me. Every single morning. You NEVER disappoint. Never. How I love You, my Precious Jesus. AMEN.”