Is the Lord the most important person in your life? Don’t fixate on your own objectives and thereby miss out on His blessings and purpose for you.

1. Prayer Meeting
Worship Songs
Sharing of Testimony
Message
Thanksgiving
Closing Prayer

2. What A Friend We Have in Jesus
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.

3. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.

4. Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge,
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.
(end)

5. At Calvary
Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died on
Calvary.
Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at
Calvary.

6. By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned to
Calvary.
Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at
Calvary.

7. Now I’ve given to Jesus everything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing of
Calvary
Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at
Calvary.

8. Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at
Calvary
Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at
Calvary.
(end)

9. Count Your Blessings
When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by
one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath
done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath
done.

10. Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to
bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath
done.

11. When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

12. So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s
end.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath
done. (end)

13. Holding Too Tightly

14. Luke 12:13-21
13 And one of the company said to 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull
him, Master, speak to my brother, that down my barns, and build greater; and
he divide the inheritance with me. there will I bestow all my fruits and my
14 And he said to him, Man, who made goods.
me a judge or a divider over you? 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you
15 And he said to them, Take heed, and have much goods laid up for many
beware of covetousness: for a man's years; take your ease, eat, drink, and
life consists not in the abundance of be merry.
the things which he possesses. 20 But God said to him, You fool, this
16 And he spoke a parable to night your soul shall be required of you:
them, saying, The ground of a certain then whose shall those things be,
rich man brought forth plentifully: which you have provided?
17 And he thought within 21 So is he that lays up treasure for
himself, saying, What shall I himself, and is not rich toward God.
do, because I have no room where to
bestow my fruits?

16. II. There is more to life than living for
yourself
• A. In the parable, God blessed a rich man with abundance.
But the one who received this great provision failed to
acknowledge the Lord as its source. In arrogance, he planned
to take life easy, but God ended his life that very night.
• B. It is foolish to ignore our Maker and think only of what we
can experience, achieve, or accumulate.
Luke 12:15 And he said to them, Take heed, and beware
of covetousness: for a man's life consists not in the abundance of
the things which he possesses.

17. III. What do people hold too tightly?
• Relationships
A sure way to
destroy a relationship is
to smother or try to
control someone.
• Goals and dreams
We should ask the
Lord to show us which
goals to pursue.

18. • The past
One of the most destructive things
you can cling to is the past.
• Old hurts
Surrender those difficulties,
heartaches, and problems to the
Lord.

19. E.Wrong ideas and
perceptions
Every thought should be
tested against the
Word of God
F. Timing
We must learn to
submit to God’s
schedule.
G. Possessions
We should be careful not
to make anything into an
idol.

20. IV. Benefits of Intimacy with the Father
A. Stability
In the midst of life’s storms, a solid
relationship with God is your anchor.
B. Security
You can have the assurance that He
is always with you, ready to help in any
situation or circumstance.

21. C. Serenity
Intimacy gives you quietness and peace
in your spirit, no matter what happens.
You can trust that the Lord will guide you
through difficulty.
D. Sensitivity
God will give you greater spiritual
understanding and increased awareness to
the needs of others.

22. V. Biblical Examples
A. Some people believe that Judas betrayed Christ in hopes
of forcing Him to take military action and set up an
earthly kingdom.
B. Pilate agreed to have Jesus crucified because he feared
losing political power.
C. King Saul relentlessly pursued David, who had been
anointed as the next king.
D. Peter tried to protect the Lord, even when his good
intentions hindered Christ’s divine mission.
E. Potiphar’s wife forfeited all interaction with Joseph when
her false accusations put him in jail.
F. When the children of Israel tried to hoard manna, it
always spoiled.

23. V. Biblical Examples
• Fear of loss
Remember that if God gives you something, He can
guard it for you.
• Failure to trust God
When we start to love His gifts more than we love
Him, we lose our contentment and joy.
• Pride
We can grasp our positions, possessions, or
prominence in a way that deeply hurts other people.

24. • Wrong sense of values
Many folks place too much importance on worldly
goals, such as accumulating wealth. Don’t let anything
ruin your relationship with God.
• Jealousy
Do you ever wish you could have someone else’s
looks, accomplishments, or wealth? Most likely, you
wouldn’t be prepared for it. God gives each of us what
we are equipped to handle.

25. V. Biblical Examples
• When we make anything a higher priority than our
relationship with the Lord, He sees it as competition.
• God will target whatever comes between Him and us.
• The Lord may allow us to experience brokenness so
that we turn from sin. He doesn’t want any idol to
hinder our fellowship with Him.

26. VI. How can you release your grip?
A. Begin by recognizing that God is not first in your
life.
B. Then ask Him, “How much of my
time, thoughts, or energy do I put towards this
item, position, or person?”
C. Acknowledge that you devote more time and
energy to something other than the Lord.
D. Decide to put everything in its proper place. Let
Jesus be first, and He will help you arrange all
other priorities.

27. Conclusion
• Is the Lord the most important person in your life?
Don’t fixate on your own objectives and thereby
miss out on His blessings and purpose for you.
• I pray that you will make the Lord top priority.
Open your hands and let Him have what you’re
holding. When you allow God to be number one in
your life, the blessings will flow beyond human
explanation.