Pst. Femi Oluwatimehin.
Date: Sunday 18th April 2021
Service: 1st
Venue: MFM INTN’L HQ YOUTH CHURCH
Text: Matthew 6:33
Its written in the scriptures that if any man encounters God, He will not by any means cast them away. When you find yourself loosing focus, you need to get your priorities right. First acknowledge that ‘I need God”. Second is to ask the father for an encounter for you to seek him diligently. When you cry out to God, you’d have different levels of encounter. As you have levels of encounter; you begin to seek God more.
I saw a video where a man of God was talking about prayer. He mentioned that when he gets to a place, he won’t be able to sit down until he has prayed. Such a man has had an encounter with God.
We had a vigil once and had one of our pastors from Ibadan as a minster. All through that day, I just felt like praying. Something will hit your spirit man today in the name of Jesus. When you encounter God, the desire and passion to seek God comes upon you. I encourage all those who are still complacent and without zeal, to seek for an encounter with God.
John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day” (KJV)
This scripture shows that no matter how you strive, you need an encounter with God. When you have an encounter and God draws you, you don’t need any man to tell you to pray or study the Bible, the spirit of God pushes you from the inside. May the Lord set us on fire in Jesus name.
After encountering God, other things build on the encounter. If you’re not born again, the first encounter you need is to be born again, be ignited to see God.
Another thing you need is Genuine repentance, i.e. going before the Lord to confess your sins.
2 chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
If you’re not born again, you need to get born again. If you’re born again and you’ve already drifted far from God, you need to repent and go back to God. Acknowledge where you have missed the mark and retrace your steps.
Another thing to do is to seek God in the place of Prayer.
I Thessalonians 5:17 says ‘Pray without Ceasing’ We seek God through constant communication with him.
Another means of seeking God is through the word of God. We seek God through his word. We come to church to be refired and reignited. In the church, the word of God is like oil that lubricates our spiritual engine. There are levels of seeking God through his word:
Reading
Studying
Meditation
Memorization
We shouldn’t stop at the level of reading alone. Staying here just gives you “bible knowledge” but you might not have the spiritual knowledge. Matthew 22: 29 says “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God”. A lot of people err today because they have knowledge of the scriptures that they have heard, but no personal knowledge of God by meditating on His word.
Our pastor advises us to compare multiple versions of the bible while studying. When you study the scriptures, you will not be bamboozled by all sorts of strange doctrines going about today. When you understand things from the scripture, nobody can change your mind. Go from the level of reading to studying, meditation and memorization. As you do this, your passion and quest for God increases.
Another important thing to do is to work on your weaknesses. Everyone has a weakness. You are to identify your own weakness, sometimes you need to ask God to help you identify them. As you begin to work on them, God begins to accredit you.
Another thing you need to do is Obedience. When God tells you something, obey him. When you do this, God begins to give you the grace to know Him more. I pray as we do all these, the Lord himself will encounter us in Jesus’ name.
Lastly, what you need to do is to fellowship with other Christians. Iron sharpens Iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friends. As brethren fellowship with one other, you start to have more zeal for God. As you pray with one another, something begins to jack up within you.
Before we got married, I and some pastors used to go to prayer city, and we discovered that so much zeal began to come up within us. When you start to feel down, as soon as you connect to another child of God, your spirit man becomes fired up. Don’t have deficits as friends, have friends that would draw your attention closer to God. In summary, ask God for an encounter. Once you get this, the quest for God will no longer be difficult.
If you are not born again, the first to do however is to surrender your life to Christ. If you’re ready to do this, say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come unto you today, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and I confess before you all my sins. I ask for forgiveness today. Lord Jesus, come into my heart, come, and take control of my heart, Write my name in the book of life. Thank you, Jesus, for accepting me. Amen’’
Prayer Point: Lord Jesus, show me yourself.