Enjoyable Prayer
        John 5:39-40

    You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
    But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. (John 5:39-40)

I.        ACTS OF DEVOTION

A.        Prayer is not only about petition – making requests of God; though that is an important part. Prayer is about
relationship first, and petition second. The core value of prayer is that we dialogue with the person of Jesus Christ.

B.        The way the Pharisees are described in John 5:39 bears a resemblance to us today in that they had a reputation
for knowing the word. But in the same way they did not come to the living Word for true life, it is possible for us to be
known as a people of prayer and fasting, searching the Scriptures; yet not come to Jesus and encounter Him as our life.

C.        Bible study, fasting, petition – these are all important in our devotion to God, but the main point is to enter into
relationship with God. The acts of devotion themselves do not provide us with a source of life, therefore if we miss the
main point, we miss the whole.

D.        Searching the Scriptures is important, but if we do not bring the Bible into dialogue with God, it does not move
the heart. We must study the Bible in such a way that it becomes the dialogue piece we use to communicate with Jesus.

II.        ENJOYABLE PRAYER

I will…make them joyful in My house of prayer… (Isaiah 56:7)

I have…caused them to rejoice in My house of prayer... (Isaiah 56:7 YLT)

A.        Enjoyable prayer is a promise to every believer.

B.        When we bring the Scriptures into dialogue with Jesus, it is imperative that we think of Him rightly. If our understanding
of God is wrong, we can easily misunderstand His words and His activity. For example: mistaking His discipline as
rejection, instead of knowing His discipline as an expression of His love and desire for us.

C.        We are not just coming before the King of kings. We are coming before the King Who is our husband. He is a king,
but He is a bridegroom king. We must come before Him as Esther did, coming before the One who is our King and the
One who loves us.