Ask, Seek, Knock (Taglish) - Jeff Eliscupidez

[Applause] [Music] thank you for joining us this afternoon i'm pastor jeff i'm one of the pastors here and uh it's been a rainy week and it's been a hectic week for us we attended the couple's weekend for past stores musical instrument in fact i bought myself a ukelele you see him example working along time okay but but seriously i'm so thankful okay traffic anybody can guess what's this what is this initial musical instrument for one okay but then i found out okay she never [Music] okay but anyway it just dawned on me listen up it just dawned on me it took a lot of time and effort and money just to make few bars of subs and all you know what i realize in this world that we're living in where everything is instant we want instant i mean we have instant coffee instant noodles everything is instant okay i'm calling i mean i told my wife i mean through the advancement of technologies we all fall into this trap of immediate gratification we no longer value the time of waiting and the procedure of in the process of just maturing and curing and in fact anybody millennials burrito any millennials in the house born 1980 to 2000. millennials studies say that millennials want everything fast and they are in uh driven by instant gratification from one column center to another they just want something fast and immediate because they grow up as a digital world i mean browse kind of website delete delete delete because of too much availability of everything we become too we want instant in everything instant gratification it's a relationship instant there are you aware millennials much less anniversary happy week serena three weeks time oh my gosh it's something to celebrate um lingo is a relationship i mean we want everything instant we have no time to persist which leads me to my topic this week connected okay we're gonna talk about how to pray but that was a topic six weeks ago it's our week number ten remember when we are on our what uh fourteenth week six weeks ago we talked about um how to pray and we've settled already last and the importance of prayer that more than ritual it's really a relational thing but you see here's the problem with most christians often times we stop in the middle of the journey and it has never become our lifestyle parang nasaling attire to just simply pray in the pampa tool it's part of your spiritual discipline but it was reduced to a prayer in that manner it's just out of routineary it's out of mechanical thing that you do you never persist that's why uh to in connection to the series to the topic 10 week 10 we're going to talk about today persistent prayer the bible commanded us to pray without ceasing and in this particular uh segment the sermon on the mount jesus is introducing or redefining to them the topic of praying persistently that god is different from the other pagan gods that they're worshiping around them nasa is a hellenistic view or this greek view about gods now see god is someone detached that god because the greek gods created human being by working on earth and to be a slave that's why we cannot have a relationship with god much less to be among father but then of course the jews they grew up in this mentality that god is their father but then they lose sight of that and jesus was just redefining and reintroducing to them the reason why i'm here because you have no idea of how the father loves him prodigal son and all because here's how the father loves through me you will see the father and he longs to have an intimate relationship with them but you know as as much as they want to see god as their father to the concept of a great awesome god daddy the word abba father means bad it's so closely intimate relationship which the jews cannot fully comprehend and that's why jesus kept on pounding then the sermon on the mount this is the second time he's introducing prayer to them and this time it's not just a prayer but it's really persistent praying let's open the bible to matthew chapter seven okay first uh verses seven to eleven it says he ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you for everyone who ask receives and the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks it will be opened verse nine or which one of you if his son asking for bread will give him a stone or if he asks for a fish we'll give him a serpent last verse if you then were evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him let's bow our heads lord we thank you lord we know that prayer is our communication to you but often times lord madalas out of him routine or mechanical thing that we do or oftentimes we just ask something but lord today help us to pray persistently if we're believing you for something help us to ask seek and not open our hearts this afternoon to receive your word in jesus name amen persistent prayer all of us who are christians have struggled with the problem of unanswered prayer talk about sometimes it hinders us from trusting god in fact look up here that problem can discourage us so much we start thinking baking this in a second prayer what's the use of god what's the use of asking god na mag pray pakun namak pray i know what's the use of praying what's the use of really knocking on heaven's door tapas you're gonna hear stories of someone that didn't ignore your prayer entitled to that and that's a problem right there we hear stories of how god answered prayers for others but for us it just it doesn't seem the pattern like will work or she got married but here's here's what we do sometimes we try again make the break and then a month for breakthrough financially whatever relationally uh whatever prayer request that you've been praying for antagon we're going to pray again we're going to knock but then we look like this we're like that we don't stick around long enough to find out if god is home and if he's going to open the door and answer your request so today allow me to make latak to you okay to make latak to you how to have a persistent prayer life not just a per need basis type of prayer but a lifestyle you're believing god for something and you're not going to surrender you're not going to give up you're going to persist i'm just going to believe god for that but before we jump there let's be aware first of what hinders that that that heart to pray persistently what are the barriers to persistent praying and even wrong mindsets nothing when it comes to praying some of us we think one of the main barriers of praying persistently is this performance driven mentality what do you mean by that you feeling more if you do something for god apparently you have twisted this arm to answer your prayer and it must he said really nothing because we grew up in this kind of mentality study hard you will get a bike foreign but you see we grew up in this kind of mentality study hard you'll get a prize you no work no pay santa claus mindset he has a list of who's naughty or nice so it's kind of we're so busy we think we're serving god but in our business okay in our business we lose sight of god just like the pharisees you know the pharisaical mindset they think by obeying the 613 laws 613 okay and they're thinking if i obey each law there's an entitlement for me you can say god you have to answer my prayer that's the problem if you are in this performance driven mentality but in good works you feel entitled you're on the side of the rim now on the other side if you feel you're not doing enough you're not doing enough penance hindi paku pedigo mira god i need to volunteer asharin i need to volunteer so kids church i need to be everywhere in this church i need to be a victory group leader if you do good works for god he will be forced to answer your prayer isn't it perfect that's one way that can hinder to pray persistently because the tendency is i've done enough i almost i'm just going to stop now there's another group of people they are hindered by shame and guilt from past sins and they're thinking i'm not worthy of any more blessings from god the fact that i am now a child of god we prayed before but we stopped and we realized that it's too much to ask from god that's why it hinders us from praying persistently maybe you're the performance driven christian or you're still condemned as a christian you're full of condemnation and guilt because of your past life okay these people are logical performance they're asking this question why are we to continue to pray for something it means if if the first time we pray we already believe god for our request that's a form of unbelief if you keep on praying and praying and praying the logical thing to do is just pray once and then that's it or maybe what about this what about those times when we pray and are certain of an answer is god's will you said in your word that what god has joined together let not man separate so you're praying for your husband baha'i lord you know [Applause] you're thinking lord this is your will and nothing is happening so you end up rationalizing thereby you stop praying so i don't know there are i'm sure there's more barriers but for now italian issue some of you have this sense of entitlement because you're doing a lot of good works some of you there's this feeling of unworthiness i'm unworthy and some of you you're just logical so maybe you can check it why did that why did that stop i mean it's you've been praying for six years on the seventh year so what are the reasons we stop believing god for whatever you're believing god for now next question three questions let's just a good thing happen all right what are the barriers now how can we pray persistently how can we pray persistently and and the last thing is why why we can pray persistently so next question jeff seger now i'm aware of the barriers so bakama a martha mindset i want to serve jesus i want to serve jesus i want to serve him but in the process i lose him okay means too much condemnation and catholics so jeff or you're too logical so jeff how to pray persistently it says in matthew verse uh chapter seven verse seven the next verse that we'll read it says here keep on asking i like the nlt version okay keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for it's in the present tense by the way the verse that was used here was in the present tense okay keep on asking and you will receive what you asked for keep on seeking and you will find keep on knocking in the door will be open to you you need to keep on banging and banging and banging on heavens you've been praying for financial breakthrough despite doing everything right i've been doing what god has told me to do and yet what are you going to do you will stop trusting in and this verse is saying just just keep on asking keep on seeking keep on knocking in james four my condition happens in james chapter four verse two you desire and you do not have so what you do what do you do you fight in quarrel okay so so sabirito so what do you do you do not have because you do not ask kayak and james is saying the reason why you do not have because you do not ask have you seen a child what's wrong we become we think we become smarter we're no longer trusting god for provision maybe that's the reason why should not be jesus unless you have a child like faith you will not see the kingdom of god because a child is so dependent on their parents like the children in malaya they just they just open the ramp they just go to school and then it says here okay for everyone who ask receives look up here how can we pray persistently you just kept to keep on banging and banging and asking and knocking and seeking you know why i'll tell you why machining your crooks of this preaching four what this verse is saying you want to get what you want you want to get this the word for it is conditional for everyone who asks what this verse is saying young man what this verse is saying it is conditional that's why persistently praying for something it demands an act of faith for everyone who seeks that's why it's conditional and the converse is true if you're not seeking you will not find if you're not asking you will not receive if you're not knocking you will not be opened it's conditional you have to fight for it you have to demand it you have to shake it you have to knock on the door have you ever longed for something [Laughter] reaction [Applause] but seriously so we were there okay chris and we were there in berger [Applause] but seriously i mean we went there we knocked on their door hindi gaming because you ordered from yesterday's order so about two days advance [Applause] but seriously if you want something so bad you're going to go out of your way to get that baby because you you decided so much because the the the hassle and the hardship far outweighs the benefit and today the there's a parallel actually this verse we found in in matthew chapter seven there's a parallel scripture in exactly in luke chapter 11 jesus preaches the same thing it's it's different uh time and different place i believe in richard gonna ask sick verodition within a galaxy look before jesus preached on this ask sick and not in in luke chapter 11 menoshan singing the parable you know the parable you can see the parable in luke 11 5-8 and the parable goes something like this the parable is the parable of a persistent friend and then that guy when you invited someone hospitality is top of the line you will serve food kind of like us but unfortunately see fred walang maserv and that is something nah unacceptable in that culture you have a visitor from far away duma things say you know hot ingabe you have to serve something aside from water you have to serve food the problem is food are you getting the point now what this guy didn't get on his friend indeed anymore the door is already locked and my children and i are in bed sabine i cannot get up and give you anything what do you do you know what fred did just keeps on knocking and knocking and knocking after maybe after 30 minutes of knocking and now indeed well then in verse 8 it says i tell you even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship yet because here's the here's the reason of your can you read this with me shameless audacity this shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need wow because of his shameless audacity to ask now these are like like four verses but we can glean a lot of truth when it comes to persistent prayer out of this parable number one necessity drives persistent prayer you see prayer is an admission of need anything that's beyond me i'm going to pray there's a necessity in an accord fred he has a need to provide for his friend at wallachian resources to meet that need all too often we fail to pray because we assume of our own self-sufficiency and competence and all of a sudden your business can go bankrupt in a matter of days and then oh my gosh i need to pray in every situation we must recognize our desperate need and call on god for help it is an awareness of great needs coupled it with our own lack of resources to meet those needs that will drive us to prayer in fact your prayer life is a good barometer of the true condition of our spiritual life how you pray determines your dependence on god if you're not praying it means god set aside i can go on with this day without you that's what you're saying indica that pray in the morning what you're simply saying god is god i don't need you for now i can handle this can you just junk along stay put submitting this month i'm gonna call on you that the apparent genie is a god and not only that not only necessity look up here from the the parable the needs of others should spur us to pray persistently i like this i receive all your prayer requests every tuesday morning it is confidential okay don't worry you're my prayer request no confidential it's in our cabinet the secretary will put it in our cabinets it's luck we only have the key as much as possible i'm trying to pray for every one of you lord i'm just being honest okay needs nila okay no no i'm trying my best to pray me and my wife okay and i just notice we have like six lead pastors here who preaches 95 of all those requests are all personal requests and there's nothing wrong with that you see the need of others should spur us to pray persistently if the man himself see fred gutom okay i don't think no doubt he would have waited the following day to get to his friend's house while we should go boldly to god to find help for our own needs we should keep in mind that the main stress of prayer is not just to meet our needs that's why the bible says give us this day our daily not monthly daily bread just enough but he's asking us to pray for others need there are two types of prayer requests just in case you're not aware there's this what we call petition you're praying for your own needs but there's one intercession you're praying for the needs of others ninety-five percent of our prayer requests are petitioned it's all about you at the very least immediate family more not afraid for my mother and then you don't pray for my mother-in-law at the very least by the way lord but majority of us 90 of our prayers are all personal and as i've said there's nothing wrong with that but most of the time we're too occupied by our own concern and needs we are seldom sensitive of the needs of others jesus christ when he was at the cross being crucified with his prayer and praying to jesus while he is being crucified forgive them wow i mean if i was jesus christ lord annihilate if you're jesus on that cross jesus right but he was being crucified and yet he can say forgive them for they don't know what they're doing wow you see in first peter 2 5 we have a calling you yourselves that's for those who are born again you yourselves are like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house to be what there's a purpose to be a holy priesthood to do what to offer everybody say offer you you have a calling to be a royal priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifice acceptable to god through jesus christ actually if you're a christian you have a ministry of intercession because the priest his role is to intercede the plot of priests is to pray in behalf of the sin of the nation that's your role to pray for somebody else's need to be the gap between god and his lost children when was the last time you visited the friendship hospital and prayed for them when was the last time you called a friend that was a facebook made you problematic when was the last time you pm them oh i just read some facebook are you okay with your marriage can we meet for a coffee and i'll just pray with you when was the last time you became sensitive to the needs of others and not too preoccupied with our own needs i get that we all have that but you see as christians there's already a promise to us that never will i leave you nor forsake you so your role as a christian is to be an intercessor to somebody else's name why because we are holy priesthood god has turned us into a holy priest to minister to others need that's your role so please pray more try to be sensitive of other people's need as well instead of browsing facebook and like and like picture friend of mine so high to pray persistently how to pray just keep on asking keep on seeking and keep on knocking it start with the necessity be sensitive to the needs of others and understand that we have been entrusted a ministry of frequency of intercession and lastly as we end why i'd like to answer the question why because what and and how and even the healing so that we can be persistent in our praying and then it says here in verse nine or which one of you if a son asking for bread he will give him a stone he's talking about a relationship a father and son relationship or if he asks for a fish he will give him a serpent so what he's saying evil last week you hypocrite okay if you then were evil and still know how to give good gifts to your children here's the phrase how much more how much more will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him wow good thing ama even though you're evil you're still good to your children how much more do you think your father in heaven which is good will he not give you good things as well you know from the parable that we just studied an established relationship is the foundation of that guy's shameless audacity i mean he has a relationship he wasn't just introducing himself for the first time hello but even that in friendship it's because of his audacity but before china got an audacity it's because of an established relationship that the personal relationship that he was acting upon i like john calvin's phrase okay he's a french theologian and a pastor okay nothing is better adopted to excite us to prayer than a full conviction that we shall be heard whom you hear would like to have an audience with let's say for example president duterte or president trump or for sequined queen cinema latifah she will hear you for like 30 minutes wow you're going to go to the queen of england and you'll give him a 30-minute audience she will listen to you imagine that for a moment the queen of england will listen to you for 30 minutes now imagine for a moment the king of kings and the lord of lords has an ear for you every time you pray wow wow i mean like it gets moba or your relationship have been stuck to just a religious practice lord cognac lord is that how you relate your father in heaven i'm a father of two daughters and believe me if they need me as much as i can i'll be there but i'm limited station as much as i love her i'm i myself is stuck here in bgc i cannot do anything i'm not omnipresent i'm not omnipotent i'm not omniscient i cannot help her but i love her but you see god loves you and it's all powerful you see when we pray william barkley says when we pray remember this the love of god that wants the best for you when we pray it's the wisdom of god that knows what's best for you and it's the power of god that can accomplish it wow when we pray god wants to give the best for you lord christian lord sign of the cross and christianity and you've been praying and maybe because the love of god wants the best for you say no to say learn how to say no to the better or for the good because god is maybe reserving you for the best and know that the wisdom of god knows what's best for you and he has the power to do and accomplish it jesus promises that he will not okay what's happening here that he will not be sent away empty-handed we will not be sent away empty-handed we will always receive answer now antano your answer banya will always be aligned to yours look at this boyfriend great one catalog yeah believe me because sometimes we think that we can box god and we know what's best for us lord bless me negotiate the lord so you think you know what's best and she got when we pray for just god for your information bless this i know what's best for me really now i have a question for you could it be okay could it be that god could it be that god wants to give you okay could it be that god wants to give us more than what we are praying for could it be that what you're believing god for could it be that god has more in store for you because of our limited capacity to think and comprehend which by the way ten percent of your brain is working could it be that god wants more for you could it be that you may be praying for healing of your cancer but god wants to heal your soul could it be that you're praying for your salvation of your husband could it be that god wants you to know that you are prideful wife and you are a dominant wife could it be that god wants you healed of the pride and dominant spirit so that your husband will go home hello could it be that you're praying for financial breakthrough could it be that god wanted you to learn how to uh have self-control and to diminish that self and and delayed gratification so that the discipline of self-control mega gamut mode when you have a boyfriend and you will practice sexual purity wow you're praying for financial breakthrough he's teaching you breakthrough impurity could it be possible that you're believing for something and god wants more than what you're thinking is the best for you that's why if you were evil know how to give good gifts god wants to give good gifts to those who ask him because why god is our father we are his children that's why we can just ask and seek and knock and he will answer he will give us you will receive you will find the doors will be opened because you are his son and daughter but not in your own terms because his term is better than ours right his ways are higher than our ways his thoughts are higher than our thoughts let's all stand and let's give god praise we're not yet done we're we'll be praying one of our good friend pastors pastor john was sharing that oftentimes we forget this this truth that god is our father and one time i mean he was sharing because out of the blue somebody gave him a vitamin i mean it's kind of important vitamins but it's not about the vitamins it's about the thought that god is concerned that's why the thought that god remembers you as a father is really and some of you have lost that you're a christian and you forgot that god is your father and he wants he wants to use you he wants you to be a blessing to others that's why today this afternoon we can pray persistently with an understanding i am a child of god amen let's bow down our health lord we often forget this i'm feeling that i mean you're a god from afar you're a goddess that we have a father in heaven that we have a father who is concerned lord god's amen so lord help us today because we're so preoccupied when we pray for our own selfish need some of them are valid but most of them help us to be sensitive of the needs of others help us to open our minds lord god to the needs of others so me some self-absorbed christians when we neglect to see you are you even concerned about genitals elevators hello help us to be sensitive of the needs of others lord god help us to pray persistently for the needs of others help us lord to to administer to them our ministry the ministry of intercession as priests to pray for the nation to pray for the people to pray for the lost lord we repent today because at times we're so selfish when we pray it's all about me me me me amen so lord help us this afternoon help us to trust in your will your will be done in our lives in jesus name amen amen here come on god let's go down

Channel: Victory Fort

Views: 61,418

Rating: 4.7924528 out of 5

Keywords: victory, victory fort, honor god, make disciples

Id: 9_BvVSwguXM

Length: 54min 21sec (3261 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 18 2017