I want to share something called The Prayer of Kings. It's a prayer I want to put in your heart, that as you exit this year it'll be something that you'll begin to pray, and I'd love you just during the holidays to begin to get this prayer in your heart, a very simple prayer but it's a prayer concerning your coming year and concerning your future.
How many have found this last year a bit of a challenge aye? How many had some personal challenges? Yeah, they weren't very welcome were they, however the Bible says to welcome them as friends. I want to read you a scripture before we get started, then we'll read. In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 4, Verses 16 through to 18. It says: therefore we do not lose heart. How about that? See, we don't lose heart - in spite of any kind of difficulties. Now Paul is writing after having one of the most difficult ministry seasons in his life. He was under tremendous pressure. He felt resistance from everywhere, people had abandoned him, and he stood alone in Asia against all kinds of demonic powers, and all kinds of opposition and resistance. Yet having talked about how bad it is, then he ends up incredibly positively, and he doesn't deny that there were difficulties.
He said: I was so pressed down, I thought I was going to die. Now that's the apostle Paul saying he's had a bad time. He said he was so pressed down he was - this is what he says now. He says: but we don't lose heart! Even though the outward man is perishing, the inward man is renewed day by day. In other words he's saying: I might have gone through some difficulties. I had a couple of boats I took, and they sank unexpectedly. I spent two or three days in the water, treading water, holding onto driftwood. He said even though it was a bit hard, and my outer man got a bit of a bashing, he said nevertheless, I am stronger as a result of those things, than I was before. How about that? That's not a wimpy kind of response to life is it?
I hear so many people, and they go through troubles, and they get full of self pity. You can either be full of self pity, or full of faith. Here's where you get your faith. Look at this, look what it says here. It says: this light affliction which works is just for a moment, so he said: what I've gone through is only temporary. He says: it's working a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Now what he's saying is: no matter what I've gone through, no matter how hard it is, I know this; my life is in God's hands. I know that God is about His business of bringing me into my destiny, and I know whatever He dished up, whatever came my way, whatever troubles I had, whatever pain I had, whatever setbacks I had, he said it is working for me. It is helping me to grow into the fullness of what God wants me to be. It's bringing about in my life an increasing knowledge of Christ, an increasing awareness of His power, and His anointing in my life. That's a fantastic attitude to have isn't it aye? That's a faith attitude! That's the attitude of a king. It's a positive attitude based on the word of God.
But you notice it's got a condition attached? He says it depends all on where you're looking. He says while we look not at the things which are seen, for the things which are seen are temporary. But while we look at the things which are not seen, for the things which are not seen are eternal. He says the key to growing in times of difficulty and adversity is not to fix your eyes on the problems, not to fix your eyes on the things you can see, feel, taste, touch, experience. If you set your eyes on those things, then you will be overwhelmed with trouble and pressure and difficulty. He said: we set our eyes not on the things which are visible, but on things which are invisible. In other words, there are some things you see, but they're temporary. There are some things which cannot be seen, they're invisible to the naked eye, but they're real, they're there, they are eternal. It's the word of God, the promises of God, the goodness of God, the faithfulness of God. While I fix my eyes on those things he said, then whatever's happening for me is working for my good.