The Keys To Success: Part 2

SEEK GOD FIRST
Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

A person can seek God in one of three ways: through prayer, through the Word of God, and through advice/counsel from fellow Christians whose words lineup with the Bible. These are the essential ways that the Christian’s spirit is nourished and strengthened.

God does not ask us to seek Him first because He is a dictator. We are instructed to seek God first, because any worldly desire that we place ahead of God will eventually lead us into big trouble. Making the choice to seek God first and apply Godly principles to our words and action will always ultimately produce success. I’m not saying that we won’t face some adversity or that people won’t ridicule us for standing for God, but we will always come out victorious in the end when we make God our top priority.

We can love God, We can be comfortable in our own skin…But our quality time with God will be the first place that Satan will attack and try to hinder. Ex. You commit to getting up at 5:00am each morning for 45min. of prayer and Bible Study…And wen the wake-up alarm sounds, the enemy will bring thoughts to your mind about resting in bed a little longer. Your church sets aside one night of the week for members to gather and have Intercessory Prayer…And you find out that your favorite professional ball team is either in town or on TV that same night.

As believers, we are instructed in God’s Word to gather together in a physical church setting, to pray, worship, hear a Word from a pastor, and provide accountability to one another in remaining strong in the faith. While technology is nice; And has made it possible for the Gospel to be shared in various formats all around the world…The downside of technology is that it has also created an excuse for many people to not bother getting up to assemble at church. During the Pandemic, many churches closed their physical doors and went online, but when the church doors opened again many people chose not to return. Some are still concerned about the ongoing Pandemic(which is understandable), some just love the convenience of laying in bed while they hear the music and sermon, and tragically many people fell away from the faith.

My advice here(and this is something I had to apply to my life) Is to sit down and take a serious inventory of how you’re spending your time. Evaluate the priority that you are placing on other things that truly aren’t related to your spiritual growth. Take out your calendar, and block off some special time to devote to prayer and Bible Study. Find a good accountability partner to help you honor your commitment.

As believers, we are all a work in progress. When we do stumble, we mustn’t attempt to cover-up or justify our sin, but instead we must go to God with a contrite and repentant heart. He will forgive us and help us not to continue to stumble over the same pitfalls.

There are many voices around us offering perspectives on how to be successful; And you might be saying, “How do I know what voices to listen to?”

I assure you that if you are willing to apply what I have shared here and in Part 1(from last Sunday), which simply put means, you truly want to do what is right and Godly…Then I promise you that God will make the right choices clear to you; And you will be successful in life.

If you are reading this and do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, I would like to extend this invitation to you to receive the gift of salvation today. You can do so by praying and truly believing the prayer below, or by praying to God in your own Words.

PRAYER:
God,
I confess that I have sinned against You, and I know that there is nothing I can do by my own efforts to change my condition. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His blood and died on the cross for my sins; And that He rose from the grave on the Third Day to grant me eternal life. I know You love me, God, and I love You. I place my faith and trust only in You to conform my heart to Your will; And to order my steps everyday, from this day forward. Thank You , Lord, for saving me.

When we accept salvation, God saves us immediately, and makes us fit for entrance into Heaven, however some changes God will empower you to make easily, while making other changes will be a process that may take months or even years to make. Regardless of your situation, I assure you that the Lord loves you more than you could ever comprehend, and He will be with you every step of the way.

Pray, study God’s Word and ask Him to give you revelation of what you are reading. I also pray that the Lord will direct you to a true Bible teaching, Jesus loving church, where you can have the support of other believers.

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