Welcome back to part 6 of our series a word in season for 2024.
In our last part I shared two more keys found in the story of the Samaritan woman in John 4. That led her from simply living life to living a life more abundantly. Lets recap !
Key 4
Truly being honest, vulnerable and transparent in front of God, is the way to enter into Life more abundantly. It was the posture of David’s heart, when He asked the Lord to search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)
I once was asked a remarkable question I will share with you.
If the Father is all knowing, why would David ask Him to search his heart ?
This was the answer the Lord asked me to reply with. Which holds some incredible revelation and Godly wisdom.
You are correct the Father is all knowing, But He honours freedom of choice so much ! He only chooses to see, what you invite Him to see. This is what Jesus was trying to do with this lady and she allowed it to happen to her !
And
Key 5
Truly being honest, vulnerable and transparent in front of God is an entry point to His promises, provision and your promotion.
Both of the above keys came from Jesus’s question to the Samaritan woman and her reply in the following verses.
John 4:16-17
Jesus said, “Go get your husband and bring him back here.”
“But I’m not married,” the woman answered.
So let’s carry on and see what Jesus does next !
John 4:18
“That’s true,” Jesus said, “for you’ve been married five times and now you’re living with a man who is not your husband. You have told the truth.”
Jesus is now sharing what is in her heart, those things that were stopping her from becoming. All she was created to be. This was our challenge, in our last part, now seen here in action.
The woman then does something interesting, which reveals where she is, in mind,heart and spirit. As she tries to make sense of what Jesus has just said. Let’s read how she responds.
John 4:19-20
The woman said, “You must be a prophet! So tell me this: Why do our fathers worship God here on this nearby mountain, but your people teach that Jerusalem is the place where we must worship. Which is right?”
Here she is trying to comprehend who this man in front of her is . A man who knows so much about her, But this is the first time they have met.
The closest thing or role that could make sense to her, she knows is a prophet. So she says “You must be a prophet”
Then she does something even more interesting, she test’s Jesus. She doesn’t test him with something easy. But she totally goes all out with one of the hardest test questions relating to her culture and time. Whether this was a question that puzzled her for along time or whether she had just thought about it in the moment. We will never know, but on a scale of 1 to10 for test, this was a 11 or 12. It related to the main thing, that had divided and separated the Jews from the Samaritans for a very long time. Guess what it was ? ‘custom and culture belief’. This was her question
“Why do our fathers worship God here on this nearby mountain, but your people teach that Jerusalem is the place where we must worship.” Which is right? (John 4:20)
The Samaritan temple dedicated to Yahweh was built on Mount Gerizim during the 5th century BC. Which the Jews considered due to location was a pagan temple . This had brought division between them. And she ends the question with” who is right ? Meaning Samaritans or the Jews.
But Jesus has a remarkable answer straight from the Father. Lets read it
John 4:21-22
“Believe me, dear woman, the time has come when you won’t worship the Father on a mountain nor in Jerusalem, but in your heart.
Wow that is good and so important for us today too. This is key 7 for living in life more abundantly.
Key 7
The most important place to worship/pray to the Lord is not corporately in a specific place . But personally in your quiet place, one on one with the Lord.
Jesus modelled this, He would slip away from his closest disciples, to spend time with only His Father . This model of practice was seen by Jesus disciples to be so essential, the number one key to His successful ministry . That, out of all the things they saw Jesus do. Which was a lot, including walking on water, feeding 4000 and 5000, healing the sick ,casting out demons from people, also raising people from the dead. The one thing, one of His disciples questioned Jesus about was ‘teach us how to pray”. How was he spending time with the Father and what was the conversations like. Seen in the following verse.
Luke 11:1
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray……
Let’s finish here today !
Challenge time !
This week’s challenge is simply to spend an extended time with the Father. This will be different for everyone, as each of you may already be doing this and for others it might be the first time. Some an hour will be a challenge for some of you. Where others of you this is easy or normal.
So let’s make the challenge between 1 and 3 hours, you can choose.
Before I finish, I will share a story about a man who ask me how he could increase His time with the Lord. As he was unable to get past about half an hour. I remember asking him what he did in the space and time with the Lord. He mentioned, reading the word, mediating on the word, journaling and worship. I said how about going for a walk with the Lord, or doing another activity you like with the Lord. Even working together with the Lord on a project. We need to become mature in our time with the Lord,. To learn how to transition from praying out of obligation, to seeing prayer as a lifestyle.
I personally have found that by doing this, we have on occasions, worshiped the Lord for 24 hours. The interesting thing I found out during these times. Was on throughout the last hour of these sessions. I just want to spend even more time with Him. So I was more hungry for Him at the end than the beginning.
Father I pray, as Your children seek You and spend time with You, in prayer. Will You take them, deeper into Your understanding, Your ways and what’s on Your heart. Amen
Craig Patten
Founding Pastor/Prophet
Encounter Centre & Ministries