11 Mar The Real You & the Real God

When we look at Jesus’ life, his followers asked him many questions about life and connecting with God. Through the Bible we not only get a look at these questions but at the replies of Jesus.

One day, his followers asked him how to pray and how to talk with God. This is what he said:

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.(Matt. 6.9-13)’” 

In summary, in order to connect with God – for the real you and the real God to have a real conversation, there are four steps that we can take in talking to God. Over the past weeks at United, we’ve walked through these four steps.

But, we don’t want these conversations with the real God to end with this series. Like all relationships, they take work, continued investment, and real, honest conversations.

Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve talked through to help you as you continue to take steps toward God and talk with him.

1. Praise – Part of talking to God is praise, reflecting back on who God is and thanking Him for what He has done – from the hundreds of little things in life to the greatest thing when God sent Jesus to show his love for us. When we remember who the real God is and his incredible love for us, it doesn’t change him, but it changes our hearts and reminds us who we’re talking to.
2. Yield – Invite God’s will in and pray “your kingdom come, your will be done.”  Prayer isn’t just about us trying to change God’s mind. Jesus sometimes wants to change our lives and our hearts so we have to be prepared to slow down enough to listen to the voice of God. A helpful question here is: If God answered everything we prayed for, whose kingdom would’ve increased more? Your’s or God’s?
3. Ask – Ask God boldly for things in a way that reflects your dependency on God and then let your asks lead you to action. Do your prayers reflect a desperation for God to move and work in your life and in the lives of those around you?
4. Repent (and resist) – God knows your every thought and every move. He made you and knows the REAL you fully, and he still loves you more than anything. That’s why he sent Jesus to die for our sins, and why he asks us to come to him in repentance. It’s not so he can watch us feel guilty. It’s because coming to him allows us to draw closer to him and have peace knowing that we’ve been forgiven. It also pushes us to resist that same sin when it surfaces next in our lives. While we’re 100% guaranteed to mess up again, as we get into this pattern of repenting and resisting, it starts to become a part of our daily lives.

Set aside five minutes today to continue in this pattern – just the real you and the real God having a real conversation.

If you missed any of the messages, or want to go back and listen again, check them out here on the podcast.