It’s Time to

Seek The Lord

It’s Time to Seek The Lord

““Sow for yourselves Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for unplowed ground; for it is time to it is time to seek the LORDseek the LORD, until he comes , until he comes and and showersshowers righteousness on righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12you.” Hosea 10:12

When we seek Him, He comes When we seek Him, He comes and showers us with His and showers us with His righteousnessrighteousness

It’s Time to Seek The Lord

Early Rain and Latter RainEarly Rain and Latter Rain Deut. 11:14 then I will send rain on Deut. 11:14 then I will send rain on

your land in its season, both autumn your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and gather in your grain, new wine and oil. oil.

Jeremiah 5:24 …'Let us fear the Lord Jeremiah 5:24 …'Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives autumn and our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.' us of the regular weeks of harvest.'

Early Rain Planting Season (November)Planting Season (November) Seeds start to growSeeds start to grow Isaiah 30:23 Isaiah 30:23

He will also send you rain for the He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad day your cattle will graze in broad meadows.meadows.

Latter Rain Before Harvest (July)Before Harvest (July) Latter Rain ensures a bountiful harvestLatter Rain ensures a bountiful harvest Leviticus 26:4 I will send you rain in its Leviticus 26:4 I will send you rain in its

season, and the ground will yield its crops season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. and the trees of the field their fruit.

Ezekiel 34:26-27 I will bless them and the Ezekiel 34:26-27 I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. [27] The trees of the field will yield blessing. [27] The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.the hands of those who enslaved them.

Rain of Grace and Blessing

Rain of grace is a gift from God; Rain of grace is a gift from God; without His initiative we cannot without His initiative we cannot even start to groweven start to grow

Job 5:10 He bestows rain on the earth; Job 5:10 He bestows rain on the earth; he sends water upon the countryside. he sends water upon the countryside.

Psalm 147:8 He covers the sky with Psalm 147:8 He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. and makes grass grow on the hills.

Rain of Grace and Blessing

Rain of blessings because without Rain of blessings because without “favor” from the Lord there will be no “favor” from the Lord there will be no abundance in our lives.abundance in our lives.

Joel 2:23 Be glad, O people of Zion, Joel 2:23 Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. spring rains, as before.

Rain of Grace and BlessingWe need to ask God for

rainAsk the LORD for rain in

the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone.” (ZEC 10:1)

When there is no rain

When there is no rain, the When there is no rain, the harvest failed, no matter how harvest failed, no matter how hard and diligent we laboredhard and diligent we labored

Jeremiah 14:4 The ground is Jeremiah 14:4 The ground is cracked because there is no rain cracked because there is no rain in the land; the farmers are in the land; the farmers are dismayed and cover their heads. dismayed and cover their heads.

Why is there no rain?

Amos 4:7 "I also withheld rain from Amos 4:7 "I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up. another had none and dried up.

Jeremiah 3:3 Therefore the showers Jeremiah 3:3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to blush with shame. refuse to blush with shame.

Drought Brings

Famine Deut. 11:17 Then the Lord's anger will burn Deut. 11:17 Then the Lord's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. land the Lord is giving you.

Jeremiah 5:25 Your wrongdoings have kept these Jeremiah 5:25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good.away; your sins have deprived you of good.

1 Kings 18:1-2 After a long time, in the third 1 Kings 18:1-2 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: "Go year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land." [2] So Elijah went to present on the land." [2] So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Now the famine was severe in SamariaSamaria, ,

How to Ask For Rain

““Sow for yourselves righteousness, Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORDit is time to seek the LORD, until he , until he comes and comes and showersshowers righteousness righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12on you.” Hosea 10:12

Asking for rain starts with “seeking Asking for rain starts with “seeking the Lord” through worship and the Lord” through worship and prayerprayer

How to Ask For Rain

Seeking “the Lord” means “not Seeking “the Lord” means “not seeking your own interest”seeking your own interest”

It’s all about God, not us. It’s all about God, not us.

Steps to Seek The Lord

““Sow for yourselves righteousness”Sow for yourselves righteousness” Get right with GodGet right with God Mal. 1: 6 A son honor his Father, Mal. 1: 6 A son honor his Father,

and a servant his Master. and a servant his Master. We are His sons and daughters! We are His sons and daughters!

What does a son owe his father? What does a son owe his father? Honor “Honor you father and Honor “Honor you father and

mother.”mother.” >>>attach weight to something. >>>attach weight to something.

Take something with seriousness. Take something with seriousness.

Steps to Seek The Lord

If you don’t take God seriously, worship If you don’t take God seriously, worship is going to be a bother to you. But when is going to be a bother to you. But when you understand that God is your Father, you understand that God is your Father, that you’ve been born into a new family that you’ve been born into a new family through new birth….through new birth….

You’re going to come with love, You’re going to come with love, dedication and honor towards God.dedication and honor towards God.

People who don’t honor God are simply People who don’t honor God are simply people who don’t take God seriously. It’s people who don’t take God seriously. It’s better not to go to church than to go to better not to go to church than to go to church and not take Him seriously. Rev. church and not take Him seriously. Rev. 3: 15- 163: 15- 16

Steps to Seek The Lord

G. Campbell Morgan: Half hearted G. Campbell Morgan: Half hearted worship is the worst form of worship is the worst form of blasphemy. It’s worse than not blasphemy. It’s worse than not believing God. Why? Because it says: believing God. Why? Because it says: God, I believe in You, but You just God, I believe in You, but You just don’t inspire me. You’re not worthy of don’t inspire me. You’re not worthy of my whole hearted worship.my whole hearted worship.

So: when you come to church, bow So: when you come to church, bow your head and say, “Dear God, in your head and say, “Dear God, in everything I do, the way I sit, talk, everything I do, the way I sit, talk, smile, sing, listen, may it honor You.”smile, sing, listen, may it honor You.”

Steps to Seek The Lord

““break up your unplowed ground”break up your unplowed ground” Psalm 65:8-13 (NIV) Those living Psalm 65:8-13 (NIV) Those living

far away fear your wonders; where far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy. [9] You you call forth songs of joy. [9] You care for the land and water it; you care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. so you have ordained it.

Steps to Seek The Lord

[10] [10] You drench its furrows and You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its cropsshowers and bless its crops. [11] You . [11] You crown the year with your bounty, and crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. your carts overflow with abundance. [12] The grasslands of the desert [12] The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. [13] The meadows are gladness. [13] The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.for joy and sing.

How to Ask For Rain

““Sow for yourselves Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for unplowed ground; for it is time it is time to seek the LORDto seek the LORD, until he comes , until he comes and and showersshowers righteousness on righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12you.” Hosea 10:12