When I was just starting to drive, I didn't have a lot of money, and as a result, I developed a fundamental tension with fuel stations. Since I would always buy a minimum amount of gas, I often pulled away from the pumps, my gauge still reading “E” for empty. It was a very “unfulfilling” experience; especially, as I pushed my “fill up” as far as possible before the next stop. The result of this twisted cycle: I often ran out of gas on the side of the road. Needing a roadside fill-up, many times I had to call others for help! First on my call list was one of my uncles. Every time I would call, he would ask, “Where are you at this time?” Over time, I called him and requested refueling assistance so frequently that he finally bought a one-gallon fuel jug and wrote my name on it.
Are you running on “E,” not in your vehicle but rather your soul?
Even when you leave spiritual filling stations like church services or small groups, do you still feel like your spiritual fuel tank is on E?
Maybe, out of exhaustion and fatigue, you’ve had to call God for roadside assistance so many times that you’re starting to feel like he’s got a jug with your name on it?
Know this truth, while God can most certainly visit you roadside, he doesn't intend for you to live life running on empty. He has designed an opportunity for you to live life running on full!
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10 NKJV)
We have an enemy, he is the devil, and he comes to wreak havoc and bring chaos in our lives. Most often, his attack is progressive. First, he tries to steal something from you. Next, he tries to kill something in your life. Ultimately, he wants to bring destruction to your life. Knowing our enemy is this vicious, we should then become very grateful to our risen Lord, Jesus, who has decreed, “I have come so that you may have life and you may have it more abundantly!”
Since abundantly means extremely plentiful and overflowing, we can celebrate that our God wants us to experience His presence in such a way that it is overflowing with life. The exact opposite of what our enemy intends for us! And, thankfully, Jesus exemplified through His ministry precisely what it looked like to live an abundant, overflowing life. The disciples knew this fact when they pleaded, “Lord, TEACH US how to pray!” The disciples recognized how Jesus valued and placed importance on prayer, and they desired to mimic this model in their own lives. I believe they wisely understood that Jesus’ life was full of abundance because of His prayer life.
Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray...” 2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” (Luke 11:1-4 NKJV)
In last week's message, Grave to Garden, we talked about living our lives full of prayer, praise, purpose, and power! If you haven't watched last week's message, I invite you to do so now. It could open some things up for you in an “overflowing” kind of way! (Watch Here)
In this week's message, Running on Full, I continue to move through Jesus’ model for prayer and teach three additional ways we can access the abundant and overflowing life God intends for us to live.
Let’s start here, “Give us day by day our daily bread.” (Luke 11:3 NKJV)
Our Lord is a provider, and He wants you to live a life that is full of provision. God can get you in, God can get you through, and God can get you out of it! Our Heavenly Father is the God of provision! He will provide you with physical and spiritual provisions within your life daily by honoring His promise, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us… (Luke 11:4 NKJV)
We need to be very intentional about asking God to forgive our sins. But we also need to be very intentional about forgiving others. We must live life full of pardons. Your willingness to live in abundance correlates directly with your ability to forgive and be forgiven. If you want to be effective in your prayer life, you MUST be willing to forgive (ref. Mark 11:25). Creating offense and bitterness among us is one tactic the enemy uses to stifle our prayer lives; stealing, killing, destroying. The enemy understands that if he can get you to refuse to pardon others, he can rob you of the abundance God has for you. Examine your heart. Is there anyone you've chosen not to pardon?
Cancel culture has taken over our whole world, but this is an excellent time for the gospel to shine. Because when you live a Christian life, you don’t get to cancel anyone! Because if you did, you and I are canceled too. Aren’t you glad that Jesus didn’t cancel us because of all of our sins and mistakes? He gave us the ultimate example of what pardons look like!
And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. (Luke 11:4 NKJV)
We must choose to live life on the right path. Not by our standards, but by the example the Word of God provides, and with Jesus as our shepherd. Making this decision is how we get to walk in an overflowing life and abundance. God reveals this path to anyone who asks Him to do so. The enemy will always try to draw you away from the narrow path God has for you. Don’t let the enemy distract you. Stay on the right path. Jesus is your light. He is your help. He will lead you to the overflowing and abundant life God has for you!
Through God, we can experience incredible, abundant, overflowing life. Not just on the other side of eternity, but here and now! God can and will give you a lifestyle in the peace, joy, and love of His presence that is exceedingly above anything you could ever ask for or imagine. And now you know how to access it.
Choose to live a life that is full of prayer, praising God, and receiving His power and purpose. If you do, you will discover that you aren’t running on empty. You will be running on FULL!
FULL OF PROVISION
FULL OF PARDONS
& ON THE RIGHT PATH
Check out this message by Pastor Eric as he continues to walk us through Luke 11:1-4 and teaches us some compelling practical applications to start applying to our own lives!