{"id":8367,"date":"2019-05-17T10:38:51","date_gmt":"2019-05-17T14:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mdkumc.org\/?p=8367"},"modified":"2019-05-17T10:38:51","modified_gmt":"2019-05-17T14:38:51","slug":"%e2%9c%8d%ef%b8%8fsupplicationjohn-1516philippians419","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mdkumc.org\/?p=8367","title":{"rendered":"\u270d\ufe0fSupplication(John 15:16;Philippians4:19)"},"content":{"rendered":"

SUPPLICATION<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\n“You do not choose me but I chose you.\u00a0I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit, and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you.”\u00a0\u00a0John 15:16<\/em><\/p>\n

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”\u00a0Philippians 4:19<\/em><\/div>\n

\nThese two verses show us how the prayer cycle starts.\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
\nFirst, God CHOOSES\u00a0us to carry out some aspect of the work of the kingdom.\u00a0That work will be beyond our ability to do on our own, but it will not be beyond Christ’s ability to do through us.<\/p>\n

“I am the vine, you are the branches, if you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.” John 15:5.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Therefore, as we go about doing the work God has commanded us to do, we will discover\u00a0that we lack something<\/em> to accomplish that work\u00a0– either resources, connections, or some other vital\u00a0and integral piece.<\/p>\n

The passage from Philippians 4 (“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”)\u00a0<\/em>tells us that Christ fully intends to provide what we need to do this work, but we have to ask.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified through the Son.”\u00a0John 14:13. <\/em>\n<\/div>\n

This\u00a0is how the relationship with Christ is built.<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/strong>
\nGod puts us in an impossible situation, to do an impossible job that is well beyond our abilities.\u00a0That need drives us to go to Him in prayer; to call out to Him – desperately seeking what we need to accomplish the work He has assigned us to do.<\/p>\n

We cry out in desperation because of the impossibility of what faces us.\u00a0The mountains in front of us seem absolutely impossible for us to get over. NOTE: this is by design (read John 15:5, again).<\/p>\n

We think the goal is to get the job done, but God\u2019s goal is to build the relationship with us.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>So we ask, and we\u00a0seek to know His plan so we can ask according to His will, His purposes, His ways, and His character.\u00a0Then we KNOE\u00a0He will provide (see John 14:13, again).<\/p>\n

Presenting our requests before God is important.\u00a0He\u00a0designed it to be important.\u00a0It is not unimportant, because it is an integral part of our accomplishing the work He assigned us to do – and in accomplishing that work, it brings glory to Him.<\/p>\n

“I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” John 17:4<\/em><\/p>\n

The prayer cycle starts with God making us aware of the need, either because of the impossibilities\u00a0we face or because of the\u00a0\u00a0great needs of others. Then we pray, first searching the Scriptures and searching our prayer journal to determine God’s will in the matter, then claim\u00a0His promises, such as Philippians 4:19, and pray\u00a0for the need. In response,\u00a0He meets that need.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

We then bring glory and honor to His name for that provision.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0The praise and honor to Him completes the prayer cycle.<\/p>\n

So, early in the morning:<\/p><\/div>\n