Grow Your Relationship with God Through Prayer: Part 1 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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Transcript

Good morning. As we get started with a new work week, let’s start it the best way possible, the way we always start each weekday morning at this time, by taking some time with God.

And you know, in your life, what you want is for God to be at the centre of your life. You want to hear from God. You want to be guided by God.

And as you walk the way God is guiding you, then God gets so involved in your life. He’s answering your prayers, He’s enabling you to have real significant spiritual impact in the lives of the people around you. That’s the kind of Christian life you want.

Well, all this week I want to talk with you about growing your relationship with God through prayer.

I want to start off today on Monday by talking with you about the priority of prayer in your life.

You know, when we look at the life of Jesus, we see the priority of prayer so clearly in his life, from the very beginning of his, ministry, we see he was praying. When he was baptised and God anointed him with the Holy Spirit for his ministry. We find throughout his ministry, Jesus praying, when he begins his ministry so publicly and everyone wants to see him, where do the disciples find him? – Out in the hills praying, spending time with his Father.

When you come later in Jesus’ ministry, everyone wants to see Jesus. They want to hear his message. They want to encounter His miraculous healings and miracles. Let me read you one account from this period in Jesus’ life. It’s in Luke chapter 5, starting in verse 12. It says:

While he was in one of the cities there came a man full of leprosy, and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.

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Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

And Jesus charged him to tell no one.

Jesus is already so mobbed with people he’s not wanting it to get any worse. So he says, Don’t tell anyone. I’ve healed you. But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them, that is of your healing. But now even more, the report about him went abroad.

And great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. Listen, but he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Well, I want to say to you, when you’re deciding how to balance your time, don’t forget that spending time with God is the most important thing you can do.

You can see this value at work in Jesus’ life, can’t you? News about Him is spreading. The crowds are gathering to hear Him, ministry opportunities, and it would seem like the crucial time to capitalise on the spiritual hunger, the responsiveness of the people.

But Jesus would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. It must have driven the disciples crazy when he would disappear. They’d have to come up with something to do with the crowds. But nothing was going to keep Jesus from His first priority in life.

When you learn from Jesus to put your relationship with God first in your life, you’re going to be amazed at how well the rest of your schedule, all your other responsibilities come together and fall into place.

You’ll see God’s hand guiding your steps. Put God first in your life. Don’t let even good things distract you from your time with God. Jesus had so many good things to do, but he put prayer first and then fit the other things in his life around it.

Business is one of the devil’s most effective weapons in attacking your life. Be careful not to ignore this principle just because your busyness is about good things.

God’s message to us today from Jesus’ own life is a warning. Don’t let busyness keep you from spending time with God each day.

Start even your busiest day with prayer, as Jesus did.

I’m John North.

To go deeper in your faith, visit AFCI.com.au.

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