* A picture of prayer that leads to maturity.
* Prayer becomes powerful when we learn to PIVOT!
* A pivot is a rapid change of direction, not a slow turn.
* A pivot takes place in the MIND.
* Your heart will follow where your mind takes it - the battleground of your soul……
* Two parts of a pivot:
* 1) From negativity - negative thoughts focus on problems and people.
* When negativity is reality we need to express these thoughts.
* Why? Negativity only has power when held inside.
* Rule of Thumb - talk to God first, then let Him guide you to another if He chooses.
* 2) To positivity - positive thoughts focus on the PERSON (God).
* Positive thoughts literally bond you to the person you’re thinking about.
* In marriage, concentration leads to captivation - SoS shows us a pic of a captivated man.
* When you’re captivated, the things you used to criticize become cute.
* **NOTE - the difference between being critical and complaining.
* vs 22-23 - “great is Your faithfulness” - this is all about SECURITY.
* vs 24-25 - waiting and seeking - this looks like a contradiction. Two Keys:
* KEY 1 - We will wait for what we seek!
* JO’s ribs - I waited for them because I was seeking to eat them.
* We wait for Him by FAITH.
* We seek Him by PRAYER - this is why praying is so hard, Satan doesn’t want you to do it.
* KEY 2 - Seeking is the fuel for waiting.
* vs 26-32 - all about young men going through tough times - it matures them!
Lamentations 3:21 (11/2/17)
Pivot
November 2, 2017 • Benham Brothers
Lamentations 1:9 (11/11/21)
November 11, 2021 • Benham Brothers • Lamentations 1:9
* Those who only consider the short-term consequences of their decisions may experience temporary comfort but will end up with permanent chaos. * But those who consider the long-term consequences of their decisions may experience temporary pain but will end up with permanent gain. * EX: Eat one dessert a day with no workout for 180 days. * EX: Workout once a day for 180 days w/no dessert. * EX: Would you take $1 million today or 1 penny a day for 31 days if it doubles? (Over $10 million) * This is from compound interest - Ben Franklin tried it. * In 1790 he left $4,000 to each to the cities of Boston and Philadelphia when he died in 1790. * For the first 100 years they were to invest that money at 5% interest and loan it to fund entrepreneurs starting out in business. * At 100 years they could pull out 75% and spend on public works (biz first, then roads!). * For the next 100 years they were to invest it, and at the 200 year mark they could take the money and use it for whatever they wanted. * In 1990 both cities received their money - Boston got $5.5 million and Philly got $2.5 million. * Compound Interest - Principle Amount + Interest = Ending Amount * a physical manifestation of a spiritual truth. * When you’re faithful, God compounds it! * Matthew 25 parable of talents - Faithfulness = MULTIPLICATION. * You won’t multiply unless you have a long-term vision for your life that is the filter for your decisions. * Kingdom Agenda book - what we do today determines our position in Christ’s millennial kingdom. * BACKSTORY - Israel fell prey to the danger of not considering her future, and it cost her dearly. * Now they had been taken away to Babylon. * Jeremiah wrote a book of lamentations, weeping over her demise. * It’s a book of reflection. * Vs 1 - God punishes nations! * Vs 5a - people who hate her rule over her. * Vs 5b - the Lord is the one who did it. * Vs 9 - she was near-sighted, not far-sighted. * Hebrews 12:2 - “Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross …” * And we today are still reaping the rewards from that decision!
Lamentations 1:20 (5/8/25)
May 8, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Lamentations 1:20
* Anxiety has many root causes. * Trauma, ambition, self-consciousness, over-work, etc. * Another cause of anxiety is sin (often unconscious). * Conviction and anxiety often feel the same. * Jeremiah had his bout with anxiety and he found the cause: * vs 20 - “See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death.” * The root cause of heartache and despair was rebellion against God. * A great place to start is to ask, “Have I rebelled against God in any way?” * It may not always be the case, but quite often our experience of brokenness is due to our lack of surrender to Him. * Psalms 88:7 - “Your wrath lies heavily on me; and you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.” * The term for “wrath” is ḥēmâ and it’s used a few times to indicate physical heat in body. * Like the heat from a fever. * The term is used to convey the concept of an inner, emotional heat that rises from within. * In various places where ḥēmâ appears it refers to God’s reaction to people who have been unfaithful to Him in some way. * God is aroused to great heat because he, as a jealous God, sees the people He loves disobey him. * According to this verse, the psalmist is feeling divine heat. * In fact, it’s a weight that is almost too much for him to bear. * God is pressing, pressing, pressing—squeezing the life out of him. * Why? * Because He wants us to need Him, to draw close to Him. * Conviction draws us close. * EX: My bout with anxiety. * God revealed some things I needed to get right.
Lamentations 2:14 (10/29/15)
October 29, 2015 • Benham Brothers
• Paul talked about how Titus and Timothy were to use the Scripture - to teach, train, reprove (expose), rebuke (forbid), exhort (make courageous). • He then said “you have many teachers, but few fathers.” • A father not only teaches and trains but exposes and forbids. • God tells Jeremiah that the spiritual leaders of his day are not exposing their sin so as to restore them. • We gather two things from this: • 1) We must expose sin. How? By being the light. • How we live & Words we speak. • 2) We need to have hearts of restoration. • A dad always wants a good relationship with his kids. • Focus must be on the Person of God, not anything else. • If we focus on anything else then we operate strategically and not spiritually.