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Prayer, Making Room for God - Pastor Craig Winnington

 

 

 

    As we approach the festive season our thoughts are directed to one GREAT

    event – the birth of our Saviour. In Matthew 1:23 it is prophesied that

    “…...they shall call His Name Emmanuel, ie..God with us.” This is Gods

    desire for all humanity – he loves us and wants to be with us. This truth

    poses a question :- Do we want to be with Him ?

 

    In Luke 2:7 the Bible says :- “She brought forth her first born son…….and

    laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn”. Our

    western thinking often interprets this being – ‘there is no room in the

    local hotel/motel but there is a barn out the back’.

 

    (Sounds so Aussie eh!)

 

    This is not the case. The word “inn” is “Kataluma” meaning the upper room

    of a home, or a “guest chamber” . In the east many homes had ‘upper rooms’

    or guest chambers that the travelling public could occupy. The lower level

    or ground level was a general purpose room which had a manger or feeding

    trough in it. This is where Jesus was born. (Matthew 2:11 - “when they came

    into the house they saw the young child”)

 

    Matthew 2:2 “ Where is He that is born King”. - Another question that

    demands an answer. Jesus was born King, lived and died a King, and is now

    the risen exalted King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Does Christ the King

    occupy the “Guest Chamber” of our lives or is He just relegated to a place

    of insignificance?

 

    How do we make the “Guest Chamber” of our lives available to God? - through

    PRAYER!

 

    In Matthew 6:5-13 Jesus teaches us the pattern of Prayer :-

 

    V6 “WHEN YOU PRAY” - not IF . - Prayer is the key to building the “Upper

    Room” in our heart.

 

    “Go into YOUR room, shut YOUR door, pray to YOUR Father.”

 

    Your ‘upper room can be any place you choose – but it is a place to draw

    aside and spend time with Him. It also must be a place in our hearts where

    we ‘ shut the door’ on other distractions.

 

    V9-10 “In this manner therefore PRAY!” “Your Kingdom come.……..on earth as

    in Heaven.” That is Heavens atmosphere invading earth. Three Keys To Gods

    Kingdom :-

 

    V11. 1. God is our Source ‘Give us this day our daily bread’. Daily bread

    is the result of daily prayer.

 

    V12 2. God is our Strength ‘Forgive us, as we forgive others.’ Keep short

    accounts with God and man.

 

    V13 3. God is our Security ‘Deliver us from evil’. (Read Prov. 3:5-6).

 

    ‘Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart…...and He will direct your paths’.

 

    “For YOU are the KING who rules with POWER and GLORY Forever. AMEN!” (The

    Passion Translation) Emmanuel! God with us. When we make room for God – He

    will come.

 

    Have a ChristMAX ! Christmas.

 

    Pastor Craig Winnington