Why Are You Sitting?
Prayer 365 // Finding the Flow (Day 3)
More From This Week:
Today's Scripture:
“Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”” - 1 Samuel 16:10-11 NIV
Today's Devotional:
Our theme this week is Finding the Flow. Say aloud, “It’s my desire to find the flow!” Yes, when you find the flow, that means you’ve found the thing that God has approved. You’ve found the place, the idea, the system, the relationship where God is flowing – where His anointing can be released. We’ve been looking at Samuel throughout this week, studying how he was able to obtain or find the place where God’s anointing was approved to flow. There are two things that we’ve identified so far this week: 1) Samuel valued God’s presence, 2) Samuel valued God’s word. Friend, if you want to find the flow, you must value in both God’s presence and His word.
Today, my question for you is this: why are you sitting? Ask yourself this, say “Self, why are you sitting?” We are going to address this question and your answer in just a moment. First, in order to give us context, I want to bring our attention back to today’s text (1 Samuel 16:10-11). Here we find Samuel standing with Jesse, God has sent him on assignment to anoint the next king. Jesse brings before Samuel each of his sons. Every time a young man stood before him, God told Samuel "he’s not the one.” No matter how good he looks, God has not chosen him. Samuel then expressed this to Jesse “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse said “There is still the youngest but he is tending the sheep. He probably smells bad and needs to take a bath but he’s out there with the sheep." Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
Friend, understand that sitting is a sign of settling. Sitting is a sign of settling. Are you sitting down when God has sent you out on assignment in this season? You have been assigned the purpose of being effective and growing. God has called you and designed you to thryve. Are you sitting down in this season? If you are, then I ask “Why are you sitting?” Sitting is a sign of settling. Do not sit down until you’ve found the flow! Samuel had a made up mind saying, “You’ve brought me this person and that person, but I’m not sitting down until I find the one that God has sent me to anoint. When he says that “we’re not sitting down,” this was a word of determination, this shows us that Samuel was locked in on the thing God had assigned him to do.
Today, I first want you to find out why you are sitting and then I want you to GET UP! But before we conclude, there’s something else I find interesting about Samuel’s refusal to sit down until the new king arrived. I learned there’s a Jewish custom called sitting shiva, this is a week long period of time following the burial of a loved one. This is where family and friends come and sit with the bereaved and offer them comfort through food, conversation and most importantly their presence. The bereaved individual normally postures themself in a sitting position, on or near the ground during the this time of grieving. At the start of this chapter Samuel was weeping over king Saul as though he had passed away. You see, Saul had been rejected by God as king of Israel. Although Saul was still alive, I believe in Samuel’s eyes, the weight of God’s rejection was as significant as death itself. It was so bad that God had regretted he made Saul king. This hit close to home for Samuel because he witnessed the consequence of ignoring God’s command through the death of his mentor, Eli.
Nevertheless, Samuel wept over Saul. He mourned over him as though a family member had passed away. There’s no record of how long he mourned him, but the word says in 1 Samuel 16:1, “The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” God allowed Samuel to mourn for a period of time, but then He called him to attention, briefing him of his next assignment – anointing the next king.
We fast forward to find Samuel standing there with Jesse, waiting to anoint the king. One by one, Jesse’s sons are brought before him but seven times God said that’s not the one. Samuel, determined, asked if there were anymore sons and Jesse confirms there’s still the youngest (David). Samuel then says “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” You may ask, why was Samuel so adamant about this? I believe that in addition to what I shared earlier about sitting is a sign of settling, I believe that sitting was also a time of mourning, a time of grieving. Samuel’s refusal to sit was because Samuel was there on assignment! I believe in Samuel’s mind that he’s saying to himself, “Listen, I’ve already grieved over failure before, I’ve already grieved over loss before, I’ve already grieved over a king that failed but understand that I am here to anoint the next one! I’m not sitting down! I’m not walking away until I anoint the next king!”
Friend, can you get it in your spirit today that you refuse to sit down?! Yes, I know you have gone through some things in your past and you may have experienced some failure, you may have experienced rejection, you may have experienced loss but will you get up in this season? Will you refuse to sit down? Will you stand up? And will you pursue the thing that God has assigned you to? Will you walk after it? Will you move after it? Will you stand steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord? Will you stand up and do the thing that God has assigned to your life? Why are you sitting down? God has given you an assignment to be effective and to grow – God has assigned you to thryve. It’s time to find the flow. You cannot find the flow sitting. You cannot find the flow comfortable. You cannot find the flow in self-pity. You cannot find the flow wallowing in your failure and shame. It’s time to get up. God has an assignment on your life. You have purpose and you shall find the flow as long as you don't give up.
Prayer Focus: For the strength and the courage to get up and pursue the flow of God.
I’m praying for you and with you,
Pastor Enrique Brooks
Today, my question for you is this: why are you sitting? Ask yourself this, say “Self, why are you sitting?” We are going to address this question and your answer in just a moment. First, in order to give us context, I want to bring our attention back to today’s text (1 Samuel 16:10-11). Here we find Samuel standing with Jesse, God has sent him on assignment to anoint the next king. Jesse brings before Samuel each of his sons. Every time a young man stood before him, God told Samuel "he’s not the one.” No matter how good he looks, God has not chosen him. Samuel then expressed this to Jesse “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse said “There is still the youngest but he is tending the sheep. He probably smells bad and needs to take a bath but he’s out there with the sheep." Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
Friend, understand that sitting is a sign of settling. Sitting is a sign of settling. Are you sitting down when God has sent you out on assignment in this season? You have been assigned the purpose of being effective and growing. God has called you and designed you to thryve. Are you sitting down in this season? If you are, then I ask “Why are you sitting?” Sitting is a sign of settling. Do not sit down until you’ve found the flow! Samuel had a made up mind saying, “You’ve brought me this person and that person, but I’m not sitting down until I find the one that God has sent me to anoint. When he says that “we’re not sitting down,” this was a word of determination, this shows us that Samuel was locked in on the thing God had assigned him to do.
Today, I first want you to find out why you are sitting and then I want you to GET UP! But before we conclude, there’s something else I find interesting about Samuel’s refusal to sit down until the new king arrived. I learned there’s a Jewish custom called sitting shiva, this is a week long period of time following the burial of a loved one. This is where family and friends come and sit with the bereaved and offer them comfort through food, conversation and most importantly their presence. The bereaved individual normally postures themself in a sitting position, on or near the ground during the this time of grieving. At the start of this chapter Samuel was weeping over king Saul as though he had passed away. You see, Saul had been rejected by God as king of Israel. Although Saul was still alive, I believe in Samuel’s eyes, the weight of God’s rejection was as significant as death itself. It was so bad that God had regretted he made Saul king. This hit close to home for Samuel because he witnessed the consequence of ignoring God’s command through the death of his mentor, Eli.
Nevertheless, Samuel wept over Saul. He mourned over him as though a family member had passed away. There’s no record of how long he mourned him, but the word says in 1 Samuel 16:1, “The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” God allowed Samuel to mourn for a period of time, but then He called him to attention, briefing him of his next assignment – anointing the next king.
We fast forward to find Samuel standing there with Jesse, waiting to anoint the king. One by one, Jesse’s sons are brought before him but seven times God said that’s not the one. Samuel, determined, asked if there were anymore sons and Jesse confirms there’s still the youngest (David). Samuel then says “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” You may ask, why was Samuel so adamant about this? I believe that in addition to what I shared earlier about sitting is a sign of settling, I believe that sitting was also a time of mourning, a time of grieving. Samuel’s refusal to sit was because Samuel was there on assignment! I believe in Samuel’s mind that he’s saying to himself, “Listen, I’ve already grieved over failure before, I’ve already grieved over loss before, I’ve already grieved over a king that failed but understand that I am here to anoint the next one! I’m not sitting down! I’m not walking away until I anoint the next king!”
Friend, can you get it in your spirit today that you refuse to sit down?! Yes, I know you have gone through some things in your past and you may have experienced some failure, you may have experienced rejection, you may have experienced loss but will you get up in this season? Will you refuse to sit down? Will you stand up? And will you pursue the thing that God has assigned you to? Will you walk after it? Will you move after it? Will you stand steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord? Will you stand up and do the thing that God has assigned to your life? Why are you sitting down? God has given you an assignment to be effective and to grow – God has assigned you to thryve. It’s time to find the flow. You cannot find the flow sitting. You cannot find the flow comfortable. You cannot find the flow in self-pity. You cannot find the flow wallowing in your failure and shame. It’s time to get up. God has an assignment on your life. You have purpose and you shall find the flow as long as you don't give up.
Prayer Focus: For the strength and the courage to get up and pursue the flow of God.
I’m praying for you and with you,
Pastor Enrique Brooks
Did you know that Thryve Church prays together 365 days a year? Join us Monday-Friday at 6:30am & Saturdays at 8am for "Prayer at the Altar" by dialing 339- 207-7471 and then join us Sundays at 11am for Worship Service! Learn More