Engage God First

Jun 06, 2023

Engage God First

Scripture

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
John 15:5

I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.

Dig Deeper: John 15:1-17
John 17:6-26

Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 “I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, 8 because I have given them the words you gave me. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me.

9 “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, because they are yours. 10 Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I was protecting them by your name that you have given me. I guarded them and not one of them is lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture may be fulfilled. 13 Now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them. 14 I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 I sanctify myself for them, so that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. 21 May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you, and they have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”
1 Corinthians 2:11-16

11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. 14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. 15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate[e] everything, and yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. 16 For who has known the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Timothy 2:1

First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone...
James 5:13-16

Effective Prayer
13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.

Like the feeling we get on game day, engaging others with the hope of Jesus Christ is thrilling. We can’t wait to get started. However, we can get ahead of ourselves and Engage people before engaging God. Jesus says that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). Therefore, engaging God first is the essential primary step in the discipleship process.

Jesus both modeled and instructed His disciples to step back from people and pray to their Father in Heaven. He told them to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33). While we can be tempted to pursue people first, God says start with Me!

Therefore, we Engage God first in prayer, acknowledging that all Gospel transformation and multiplication comes from Him. Before we Engage others, Scripture says, “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…” (1 Timothy 2:1).

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