by Pastor Chad Harrison
Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3: 5 & 6
The word I would like to focus on within the text is the word “acknowledge.” As you walked down the hall at work, through the store, to your locker at school or any public place, you may have encountered another person. You may have taken the time and used the energy to say hello or offer a smile. You may have asked if they were having a good day or simply said good morning.
No matter what you said, if you said anything at all it was because you realized you were in the presence of another individual and purposely interacted with them. You were friendly, you were kind, and you attempted to brighten their day. Simply put, you acknowledged them.
You may remember a time when you met someone on the street or in the hall and simply looked other way, or you may never have realized they were even there. In that case, you failed to acknowledge them. The message today is not about the importance of speaking to those we meet day to day, although that is a good thing to do. The message today is a question that every Christian should ask themselves daily. Have you acknowledged God?
If you know the Lord as your savior, if you are trusting in Him and Him alone for your salvation, then not a day or even an hour should go by without stopping and taking the time to acknowledge Him. I am referring to the prayer life that every Christian should have. Allow me to share a very simple perspective on what biblical prayer should include.
-
Praise
Spend time praising Him for all he has done in your life. He has been good!
-
Search
Ask God to search you and bring to mind anything in your life that might offend Him. Take the time to confess in detail the sins that have been committed since you last prayed. He has already forgiven the sin at Calvary, but to be right before God you must confess that sin to him in prayer.
-
Needs
Everyone has needs and God is a need meeting God. Be specific with God and pray believing Him to answer, and he will. He will always answer with a “Yes,” “No,” or “Wait.”
-
Surrender
This is where we ask God for His direction in our lives. We need His direction day to day, hour to hour, moment to moment. You will never know what opportunities you may receive by simply asking God to direct you in the way He wants you to go.
Have you acknowledged God today? It would be well worth your time.
