English Sermon (03/21/21) – B.L.E.S.S – Begin with Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
If a stranger comes to your house to try and sell you something, you may not be all that interested (even if they have a good deal to offer). But, if a friend approaches you to point out something that serves to benefit you and your interest, you may be inclined to listen (even if they are doing it to sell something). In the same way, there can be a big difference in the effectiveness of expanding God’s kingdom based on how we approach others. Rather than trying to “convert” others to know Christ (no matter how strategically we try to do it), a better approach is to do so by BLESSING others, just as Jesus did. Pastor Dave Ferguson created the acronym B.L.E.S.S to help us remember how to bless others in our lives practically.
Today, we will focus on the first letter of B.L.E.S.S. which is ‘B’ – Begin with Prayer. Prayer is extremely important not only because Jesus himself did so before his ministry, but also because we must remember that we ourselves do not have the power to change and transform people’s hearts – only Jesus can reveal his Kingdom in other’s lives! So how do we pray? Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13 which is more commonly known as the ‘Lord’s Prayer’. Jesus teaches us to pray for: 1) God to rule and reign in people’s lives and 2) for God to make us available for his mission.
When we start praying for those who are far away from God, that leads us to be more available and more perceptive of those around us who are in need of Jesus. Therefore, ask God to reveal himself to those around you – who is he calling you to reach today?
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