(Clip) God Is Seeking A Love Relationship
Zac Poonen emphasizes that God desires a genuine love relationship with believers, marked not by the quantity of prayer but by heartfelt, answered prayer.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of not just praying, but seeking answered prayers by having a genuine heart-to-heart connection with God. It challenges the notion of measuring spirituality by the quantity of prayer rather than the quality of relationship with God. The message highlights the need for sincere love and devotion in prayer, rather than a mechanical routine based on time spent.
Full Transcript
Dear wife, verse 13, even as you go on in life, a practical word of warning, see this message is so relevant to our 20th or 21st century Christianity. He says in verse 13, you cover the Lord's altar with tears, you pray, you weep, you have fasting and praying, all night prayer meetings, but he doesn't listen to you. I want to ask you a question, you know I heard this expression many years ago, I said what this expression was this, what we need these days is not more prayer, what we need is more answered prayer.
You know the difference between prayer and answered prayer? Bayal's prophets prayed for hours, Elijah prayed for one minute, this was prayer, this was answered prayer. What we need is more answered prayer. Why do I say that? Because sometimes we can get a comfort in our heart, every week I'm going for fasting and prayer for seven hours a week, every morning I pray for one hour.
And we glory in that, secretly you glory in that. You measure your prayer, not by fellowship with God, but by a wretched thing called a watch. Is that how you measure prayer? That proves that you don't love God at all, and I'll prove it to you.
Supposing a young boy and girl says we are deeply in love with each other, we want to be by ourselves, and always the girl is looking at the watch. You know that they don't really love one another. If they love one another, they'll put their watch away and say forget time, we just got to be with each other.
But if the boy and girl are always looking at the watch, ok half an hour is up, you got to go. You can be sure, that's an arranged marriage, not a love marriage. If they love one another, they don't look at the clock.
I want to ask you my brothers and sisters, how many of you measure your fellowship with God by the watch? I have never done it once in 41 years. I say no, it may be one minute, it may be one hour. It's love relationship, it's answered prayer meeting, it's a heart God looks at.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Warning against superficial prayer practices
- Many pray long hours but lack answered prayer
- God desires answered prayer, not just lengthy prayer
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II
- Difference between prayer and answered prayer illustrated by Elijah and Baal's prophets
- The importance of quality over quantity in prayer
- Answered prayer reflects God's listening heart
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III
- Analogy of love relationship between a boy and girl
- True love ignores the watch, focusing on fellowship
- Measuring prayer by time shows lack of true love for God
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IV
- Encouragement to cultivate a love relationship with God
- Prayer should be measured by heart connection, not duration
- God looks at the heart, not the clock
Key Quotes
“What we need these days is not more prayer, what we need is more answered prayer.” — Zac Poonen
“If they love one another, they'll put their watch away and say forget time, we just got to be with each other.” — Zac Poonen
“God looks at the heart, not the clock.” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- Focus on cultivating a heartfelt love relationship with God rather than measuring prayer by time.
- Seek answered prayer by aligning your heart sincerely with God’s will.
- Avoid superficial religious practices and prioritize genuine fellowship with God.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between prayer and answered prayer?
Prayer is the act of communicating with God, while answered prayer is when God responds and acts upon those prayers.
Why does Zac Poonen say we should not measure prayer by time?
Because measuring prayer by time shows a lack of genuine love and fellowship with God, which should be the true focus.
What does God desire from believers in their prayer life?
God desires a heartfelt love relationship with believers, characterized by sincere and answered prayers.
How does the analogy of a boy and girl in love relate to prayer?
Just as lovers ignore the clock to enjoy each other's presence, believers should focus on fellowship with God rather than the duration of prayer.
Can long hours of prayer be meaningless?
Yes, if the prayer lacks genuine love and connection with God, the length of time spent praying does not guarantee answered prayer.