Bishop Trey and Pastor Cynthia Wright Zion Community Church
One of the most important responsibilities we have as humans is to invite God to get involved in human affairs of all levels.
Pro 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.
No one is going to Hell just because any one particular sin. The reason why anyone is condemned to Hell is because they failed to acknowledge the sin in their lives and failed to believe God’s plan of deliverance and healing. The secret is hidden in praying the simple prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray with a sincere heart. Many of us know it and have prayed it thousands of times without understanding it or meaning it from our hearts.
The Lord’s Prayer
Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3Give us day by day our daily bread.
4And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Ask, Seek, Knock
5And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if [he ask] a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Matt 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread.12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
When a person is born again by receiving the Spirit of Christ, God is seen as a loving Father who is willing to pay our sin debt and adopt us as his children.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together.
The phrase Hallowed be thy name, simply means you recognize that you are approaching God whose name, authority and/or reputation is perfectly pure, holy and set a part from all others man made deities.
Ex 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.” Is a statement of faith in God’s power and invitation to an almighty God to be our King and work His will into the affairs of men.
Give us this day our daily bread is a recognition of His continual provisions both spiritually and naturally.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors shows that we are aware that we are indebted to God for His mercy and grace and are willing to forgive others like God continually forgives us when we acknowledge our transgressions.
And in conclusion, because we know that the true Kingdom, power and glory that matters, belongs to him alone forever, we ask Him to direct us away from temptation and deliver us from the evil within us as well as externally.
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
See-be aware, behold, consider, perceive—I know, remember, appreciate.
“I see what you mean”
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of faith; 7Or ministry, [let us wait] on [our] ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, [let him do it] with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
World – age- characterized by a specific quality (type of existence).
conformed – assuming a similar outward form (expression) by following the same pattern (model, mold).
Transformed -“changing form in keeping with inner reality”)
Love, Zeal, Hope, Hospitality
(John 13:31-35; 1 John 3:11-24)
9[Let] love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10[Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
warmth (friendliness) shown to strangers; (figuratively) the readiness to share hospitality (generosity) by entertaining in one’s home, etc.
