Pray. Be Neutral. God is in Control.

WORSHIP
Suggested Worship Songs:
Today is the Day, Forever, I Could Sing of Your Love, Holy Holy Holy, Jesus at the Center of it All
WELCOME
Priorities.What do your calendar and financial report say about your priorities?
WORD
Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Gods promises in Psalm 37:4 and Matthew 6:33
do not simply mean that if we put God first, He will
meet our desires. However, if you delight in the
Lord, He will give you the desires of His heart.
To better understand the truth about this promise,
you must study its context and its content.
Context of Gods Promise
The surrounding context of the passage is about
the righteous versus the wicked (v.1). The
psalmists Asaph and David observed that there is
tension and frustrations in the hearts of the
righteous when they see the wicked prosper and
have their way (Psalm 73:1-12).
The prophets Jeremiah and Malachi also saw how
the righteous struggle because they want to obey
yet they also want what the wicked people have
(Jeremiah 12:1, Malachi 3:14-15).
This is true even today. But God gives you wisdom
to see it the way He let the psalmists Asaph and
David understand it from divine perspective.
When I tried to understand all this it was
oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of
God then I understood their final destiny.
Psalm 73:16-17
A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
Psalm 37:10, 13-20
The desires of a godly man are unnatural. The man
who is after Gods own heart desires nothing but
God. He is like the man who sold everything when
he found out where the real treasure is.
David describes the righteous from Gods
perspective (Psalm 37).
Does not fret
Trusts in the Lord
Delights himself in the Lord
Commits himself to the Lord
Stays still before the Lord
Refrains from anger
Keeps the law of the Lord in his heart
A righteous man surrenders results to God
because he knows that God will not forsake His
children. Trusting God to take control of
everything is what it means to be a neutral man.
The desires of a neutral man are godly desires.
Content of Gods Promise
If you delight yourself in the Lord, He will put His
desires in your heart. If you delight yourself in the
world, it will give you worldly desires. Your
desires are a byproduct of what you delight in.
Where your heart lies is where your treasure will
lie also. To delight in the Lord is to put Jesus first,
others second, and yourself last.
King Solomon is an example of a man who desired
godly desires when he asked God for wisdom and
discernment instead of wealth, power or long life
(1 Kings 3:9-13). To delight in the Lord is to desire
wisdom and discernment. Wisdom is knowing God
and understanding His ways (Jeremiah 29:23-24).
Wisdom is knowingand obeying God and His
ways. But it is foolishness to disobey despite
knowingHimand His ways. It is foolishness not to
claimGods promises because of busyness, fear,
selfish motives, ignorance, disbelief, unrepented
sin or unsurrendered will.
August 11, 2013
Vol. 13, No. 32

WORD(contd)
Natural Man vs. Neutral Man
A natural man has natural worldly desires. A
righteous man learns to be neutral and submits his
natural desires to Gods. He knows that God is
sovereign and in control of all things.
To think that Psalm 37:4 is all about getting what
you want if you put God first is shallow and selfish
thinking. Gods promise is so much deeper than
that. God desires the righteous to serve. If you
delight in the Lord, He will replace your selfish
desires with His desires.
Discussion Questions:
(Leaders: Please choose questions that are appropriate to the level of spiritual maturity of your members)
1. Needs & Wants.How do you compare Gods promise in Psalm 37:4 and Matthew 6:33?
2. Godly & Worldly Desires.How do you describe a neutral man from a natural man based on their
desires? Give examples of godly and worldly desires.
3. Neutral or Natural Man. Are you a neutral or natural man? Why? What radical steps of action are you
willing to take on to become a neutral man for God?
WORKS
Your Hearts Desire
God asked Solomon in a dream what Solomon most
desired. If God were to ask you, What is it that you
desire in your life? what would be your answer?
Write down your answer and explain why.



Weekly Prayer Points
I. Thanksgiving
Worship God for Who He is, what He has
done, and what He will do in our lives
II. Country and the World
Upright and moral governance of Public
Servants and a God-centered Philippines
Repentance and Salvation
III. Church
CCF Members - Honor and love God, and
make disciples
Elders, Pastors, Leaders & Families
Ministries & Churches worldwide
IV. CCF Facilities
New Worship and Training Center
Prayer Mountain
V. Personal Concerns
Deeper intimate relationship with God
Righteous living
Salvation of family and friends