PURPOSE OF PRAYER: TO INVITE GOD’S WISDOM AND THE HOLY SPIRIT INTO OUR LIVES.
We open up our 21 days of prayer and fasting with a fancy word, consecration. Consecration is simply separating ourselves from anything that would contaminate our relationship with our Perfect Father God. The focus of today is laying down anything that would hinder a greater connection to God; our sins, our distractions, our motives our ideas about our value. We are also asking God, specifically, for His wisdom as we seek Him in the next few weeks (and really, for the rest of our lives!). Likewise, we are inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives as a vehicle for God’s wisdom to be made clear. We are asking the Holy Spirit to be with us and to speak to us about our situations and concerns as well as the situations and concerns in our community and world.
Illustration:
“In 2004, a painting by Anna Mary Robertson, better known as Grandma Moses, was brought to the Antiques Roadshow for appraisal. Born before the Civil War, Robertson did not take up painting until late in her life. Her primitive style eventually became extremely popular, and her work commanded a high price. The man who brought the painting to be evaluated had lived nearby and his mother was a friend of Grandma Moses. He said, ‘She was just a wonderful friend of the family. And she would let my mother buy these paintings, which she thought had relatively little value. I guess my mother did, too. She probably bought eight or ten paintings in all, and my guess would be for perhaps under ten dollars each.’
The painting that was bought for around $10 was appraised as being worth $60,000! In her early days of painting, Grandma Moses did not think of her works as being very valuable, so she parted with them for next to nothing. How often do we give up that which is priceless for a little temporary pleasure or advantage? How often do we abandon that which matters most for that which matters least?
The best way to determine what matters the most to someone is not to hear what they say but to see what they do. The things we pursue and give our lives to are the things that we truly value the most. Fools do not seek wisdom because they do not place any value on it. Wise people will seek wisdom even at great expenses because they understand how important it is to successful living. When we value what God values we are on the path to wisdom.” (https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/the-things-we-value)
Today, we lay down what we value and instead ask God what He values. We lay down our understanding of wisdom and seek His wisdom in all things.
————————————————————
Kids SEEK, too!
* Note to caretakers: Be assured - there is no junior Holy Spirit! As we head into SEEK this year, take time to teach your kids to listen to the Holy Spirit. Truth be told, it is often much easier for them than it is for us. As adults, we can muddle the language surrounding the things of God whereas, for children, it can be so simple. Explain to the kids that God speaks to us through the Word, through the Holy Spirit, and through things in our world. Ask them to keep their eyes and ears open for clues that God is trying to tell them something. Perhaps share a story of God speaking to you or revealing something to you. Then let them know that we can test what we’re hearing to see if it is coming from the Holy Spirit by looking at what the Bible says about it. Oh, and remember, don’t be concerned if they act distracted or aren’t sure how to answer questions right away. We want them to have confidence in approaching God and hearing Him, not condemnation.
Kids’ Illustration:
“There is an ancient legend of a king who loved chess. He challenged visitors to a game, and was usually victorious. One day a traveling sage visited the kingdom and was challenged to a game. To entice him to play, the king offered to give the sage whatever reward he asked if he won. When the king was defeated, to honor his word he asked the sage what prize he would like. The sage asked for one grain of rice to placed on the first square of the chessboard, and then that it be doubled on each following square.
The request seemed modest, and the king ordered a bag of rice to be brought. One grain was placed on the first square, two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth and so on. But it quickly became apparent the terms of the request were impossible to meet. By the twenty-first square more than one million grains of rice would be required. By the thirty-first square the total would go over one billion—with more than half of the chessboard still left to go.
Small things have a big impact when they are added together. It is important that we seek God’s wisdom for every decision we make, regardless of how small it seems to us. When we add to our wisdom and understanding, it grows stronger and stronger.” (https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/the-growth-of-wisdom)
Kids’ Activities for Today’s Prayer Focus:
Gather art supplies and pray together for the Holy Spirit to assist your creativity in completing an art project. This could be a drawing, a painting, a molding clay activity, or a myriad of other things.
————————————————————
Bible:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5 ESV)
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14 ESV)
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6 ESV)
————————————————————
Quote for Today:
“The chief means for attaining wisdom, and suitable gifts for the ministry, are the Holy Scriptures, and prayer.” - John Newton
“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.” - Abraham Lincoln
————————————————————
Points to Ponder:
We commit to devote ourselves to prayer.
We commit to listen to the nudging of the Holy Spirit.
We commit to lay down those things that attempt to contaminate our relationship with God.
As we ask God for help and guidance, we must recognize that His Word, the Bible, is a vital part of how we hear from Him.
————————————————————
CLOSING PRAYER: Father God, we come to you today and consecrate our lives to you. We lay aside anything that stands in the way of us having a relationship with You. Generous Father, you have told us to ask you for whatever we need. You said that if we ask, it will be given. If we seek, we will find. If we knock, the door will be opened to us. We ask you for guidance and direction, Lord, and pray that you would answer our request. We pray that you would grant us wisdom as we walk in line with your Word and the Holy Spirit’s promptings. We set aside these next few weeks in expectation of honoring you and learning from you. We invite your Holy Spirit into our lives to work in us as You see fit and we ask for wisdom as we move throughout our days. We lay aside our own motives and we pray that you would clearly reveal things to us as we invest our time in seeking you in your Word, in your world, and by the assistance of the Holy Spirit.
————————————————————