the attitude that gets gods attention

7/31/2019 The Attitude That Gets Gods Attention

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THE ATTITUDE THAT GETS GODS

ATTENTION

By Pastor Michael Olawore

New Wine Church, London

Foundation Scripture: Genesis 1:1-5; Romans 4: 17

Sunday 17 June 2012

Over the past few weeks we have been talking about reconstructing our lives according to Gods original design.

In the message, The Power of Prayerwe examined prayer as a mechanism by which we can reconstruct our lives

and its ability to affect our destiny. We looked at various characters from scripture and their engagement inprayer including Abraham, Moses, Hezekiah, Elijah and also Jesus understanding that without prayer, God does

nothing but that heaven responds to the prayer of faith. We considered Gods position as far as prayer is

concerned namely, that He does not have a problem with answering our prayers, having issued the guarantee in

Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, but the enduring problem was a reluctance on our part to call

upon the Lord, essentially, a shortage of prayer. We looked at the example of Hannah who engaged with God at a

unique level at Shiloh which resulted in Gods provision of Samuel, the meaning of which Because I have asked

for him from the Lord, represented her repeated requests for a child. From this account in particular we

understood that there is always something to show for our efforts in the place of prayer; there is always an

answer.

Today, in continuation of this theme, I want us to look together at the things that we can do to ensure that wereceive the answers to our prayers; the posture that we can adopt that gets Gods attention. In the bible we see

many accounts of men and women who persisted in the place of prayer. From this we can extract the truth that

God is a prayer-answering God. There is nothing that He cannot handle and nothing takes Him by surprise,

irrespective of how intimidating the challenge may appear. He is more than able and has promised to answer us

when we call upon Him. We must embrace these truths fully in our spirits. If we fail to do so and are not

completely convinced beyond all doubt that God answers prayers we will, in all likelihood, give up rather than

persist in the place of prayer. It is important to recognise that giving up rather than persisting and travailing in the

place of prayer, has implications for not just our lives but for those who are, and may be connected to us; literally

countless destinies. It is for this reason, too costly an option to consider; giving up therefore, is simply not an

option.

In 1 Kings 18: 41 we see the account of Elijah whom, having heard Gods promise to send rain after more than

three years of famine, bowed to the ground and put his head between his knees and although the scripture does


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a mans hand could be seen rising out of the sea. By verse 45, we are told that there was heavy rain. How, we

may ask, did the story change? How did an emphatic There is nothing, become there was heavy rain? The key

to the change from one report to the other is encapsulated in one word: persistence.

In life, these two distinct options, namely there is nothing and there is heavy rain are always available to us. It is

up to us to choose which option to settle for, whether we refuse to accept no or whether we will press in until

we see that which we have prayed for come to pass. We choose the reality that we get. What you permit to

happen between these two options, the there is nothing and there is heavy rain determines what youexperience and therefore determines your destiny. For the avoidance of any doubt, Gods preference is always

there is heavy rain. The question that remains is this: Will you line up with Him?

It is with this in mind that I want to introduce you to a concept that is key to your walk with God: Persistence in

the Place of Prayer. In Luke 18:1 Jesus spoke a parable, the essence of which was that men ought always to pray

and not lose heart. The word always here is key. This means that whether we want to or not, whether the

conditions are conducive or hostile, we ought always to pray and refuse to give up. We will face situations that

seem impossible and we may feel like giving up but to that prospect God says No! Men ought always to pray.

Regardless of the circumstances that you face and how long you may have faced them, you must with all

determination, absolutely refuse to lose heart, give up, cave in or quit. In response to the question as to why

Jesus admonished us not to give up, it is clear that He guarantees that God will come through for us. Without thatabsolute certainty that God is a prayer-answering God and will answer when we call, it would be perverse for

Jesus to instruct us not to lose heart if ultimately God would refuse to answer our prayers.

In Isaiah 62: 6 we are instructed to pray continually and to give the Lord no rest until He completes his

work. The use of the word until should assure us that there is an end-point in sight. God is working on

that which concerns us and His answer is guaranteed. Our prayers are the raw material with which He

manufactures the answer to our petitions. We cannot afford therefore to stop the supply.

In Genesis 32, we come across the account of Jacob whom, on fleeing Labans house, wrestled with God

all night, refusing to let Him go without a blessing. Until that time Jacobs name was synonymous with

being cheat and a supplanter but his struggle with God changed everything, both his name and his

destiny. God changed his name to Israel, the literal meaning of which is Prince with God declaring Your

name shall no longer be called Jacob. But Israel for you have struggled with God and with men, and have

prevailed. Persistence, as we can see, always pays off.

Returning to Luke 18 and the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus instructed us to learn a lesson from

the unjust judge whom, because of the widows persistence, was forced to render a just decision. He

said And shall not God avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long

with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of Man comes will He

really find faith on the earth?We can be assured from Jesus instruction that God will grant us justice

and our persistence in the place of prayer will not go unanswered but there is a valuable learningopportunity that we cannot overlook, namely that we must be prepared to persist in the place of prayer

and petition. Many of our difficulties arise from the age in which we live. We live in a high-speed world

of microwaves, fast food and drive-through restaurants and consequently our expectation of an

immediate response to our every need has robbed us of the ability to appreciate the quality of

persistence. Jacob wrestled with God all night; Hannah petitioned God for a child at Shiloh with such

intensity that only her lips moved and the prophet Eli thought that she was drunk. We can be assured

that there is no promise of God that will be withheld from us. However, we must be able to stand firmly

on the word of God and hold our ground in the place of prayer. Our persistence is our faith.

In the account in 1 Kings 17, in response to the idolatry in the land, Elijah had pronounced judgement onthe nation of Israel and declared that there would be no rain except at his word. Over three years later,

God interrupted the famine with a promise to send rain In response to the word of the Lord Elijah


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prophets of Baal in the land and restoring the altar of the Lord. He then went into prayer, instructing his

servant to observe and report back to him.

Although God has spoken, you have the responsibility to travail in the place of prayer in order to see the

word of God manifested. Elijah prayed in response to the word of God. The first response however,

There is nothing was not what he was expecting. How could this be when having heard from God, he

had set about ridding the nation of idolatry and had prayed? Elijah however knew God and knew that He

could not fail and could not lie and that the word of God had to come to pass. He was tenacious and

unstoppable in the place of prayer, refusing to take no for an answer. The circumstances that you are

facing may appear to be a similar there is nothing response but allow me to encourage you to refuse to

accept this. Elijah stood his ground and sent his servant back to observe but was repeatedly told that

there was no improvement. You may have been told that there is no change and no improvement

however, I beg to differ! Standing on the word of God always brings about change.

The unexpressed dialogue between Elijah and his servant must have been tension-filled , with the

servant rapidly coming to the conclusion that the man of God had lost it and Elijah becoming more

doggedly determined that he had heard from God and therefore the word had to come to pass and

therefore repeatedly sending him back for another report. Elijah could have allowed his focus to shift onhaving been repeatedly told there is nothing but he stood his ground; He knew whom he believed and

knew His word to be infallible and therefore remained focussed. In Matthew 14 Peter, you will

remember, was able to walk on water as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, the living Word, the moment

his focus moved from the word, he began to sink. When you stand your ground on the word of God

change is inevitable and, therefore, I urge you to keep your sight firmly fixed on the promises of God.

On the seventh occasion that he sent his servant to observe, Elijah received a different report, There is

a cloud, as small as a mans hand, rising out of the sea!The very same people who have told you that

there is no change will witness firsthand the complete manifestation of Gods word over your life. This

was all that Elijah needed he immediately instructed the servant to go to Ahab and instruct him toprepare for a downpour. Soon enough the sky was black and there was heavy rain. This will be your

testimony in this season as you persist in the place of prayer and refuse to give in. I declare a change in

your circumstances and a turnaround for every impossible situation. The sky is black and the clouds are

gathering! As you stand firm on the word of God, your healing, your deliverance, your provision, your

restoration and advancement shall manifest - There is a heavy rain!

I declare that there will be something to show for your prayers in this season. Whatever it is that you may be

facing, I declare that you will see the answer to your prayers! All things are possible in God; nothing is impossible;

your impossibilities will be turned around and become realities. God will answer your prayers!


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