David [00:00:04]:
You know, every year I ask God what’s my theme for the year? And once I received the word from Him, I began to study and pray and declare and expect what he gives me to come to pass what he has shown me. Last year the Lord said to me, 2024 will be a year of seeing greater things than these. He said to me, you have seen great things, but I’m challenging you to see greater things than these. And he gave me this verse, and this is from John 1:47:50. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and saith of him, behold, an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile.
David [00:01:14]:
Nathanael said unto him, whence thou knowest me? Jesus answered and said unto him, before that Philip came and called thee when thou wast under the tree, the fig tree, I saw thee, Nathanael. Nathanael answered and said unto him, rabbi, thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel. And Jesus answered and said unto him, because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree. Believest thou, Thou shalt see greater things than these. And when I read that first, that phrase popped out at me as the Lord spoke to me and said, that’s for 2024 for you. So every day throughout 2024, I’ve expected to see greater things than these. I look for them.
David [00:02:12]:
I got up every day expecting it. This is a word that I shared with you at the beginning of last year. For this is a word for all of us. And it’s not just for 24. It’s ongoing. Expect God to do greater things. Because God, as Conia says, is always more and better. Look for and expect to see greater things, and you will.
David [00:02:42]:
So keep looking for them. As I begin seeking God this year, about 2025, he began to talk with me about pressing in. And he gave me four ways to press, which we’re going to look at over the next few weeks. We’ll study those. And the four ways to press are to press in, to press on, to press through, and to press out. Today we’ll begin to look into what it means to press in again. As I was seeking God about this, he said to me, 2025 is a year of pressing into me. This is an invitation from the Lord to press in to know Him.
David [00:03:29]:
Now, pressing in to know him is not just about knowing more about Him. It’s about truly knowing him personally. The Lord is inviting us to deepen our personal relationship with him and to know him deeply and personally. Pressing in is an intentional pursuit of an intimate relationship with God. Jeremiah 29:13, this is from the Amplified version, says this, then you will seek me, inquire for and require me as a vital necessity, and find me when you search for me with all of your heart. What Jeremiah is saying there, what the Lord is saying to Jeremiah, when you press in to know me, when you press in and inquire for me and require Me as a vital necessity, like you need air to breathe, you’re gonna find me. God wants to have an intimate, personal relationship with us. And so as we press in and seek him and search for him with all of our heart, we’re gonna find Him.
David [00:04:59]:
Two words stand out to me in this verse. The first one is seek, and the second one is search. To seek him and search for him is pressing into Him. God assures us here that we will find him by our pressing in with our whole heart, intentionally pursuing him. Psalm 42, verses 1 and 2. And this is from the Passion translation. I like the way it says this. I long to drink of you, O God.
David [00:05:36]:
To drink deeply from the streams of pleasure flowing from your presence. Wow. My longings overwhelm me for more of you. My soul thirsts, pants, and longs for the living God. I want to come and see the face of God. This verse describes a deep longing for God, a passionate pursuit and pressing desire to know him intimately. And I believe that in this year 2025, God is inviting all of us to press into a deeper level of relationship with Him. You may think, well, I believe I have a close relationship with God.
David [00:06:24]:
Well, let me assure you of this. God always has more for us and desires to be more to us and with us. We can always go deeper in our relationship with Him. Now, there are three words that define the word press in the Greek. And those three key words are diligence, pursuit, and perseverance. And diligence means this. It means being determined, a determined decision. It means constant effort to accomplish what is undertaken.
David [00:07:06]:
It’s consistency. It means taking action mentally or physically, without unnecessary delay. One version says, one definition says, or sloth, don’t be slothful. It means giving due attention to something or someone. It means focused intention. So when we’re being diligent, we’re focusing our intention and our attention on that something or someone. And the Lord is inviting us, come, focus your attention on me. Come spend time with me.
David [00:07:50]:
Invest time with me. In Philippians 3:10 in the Amplified and We’ll look at this verse in more depth here in a moment. But Paul said this, and I love the way it says it. He starts this verse by saying, for my determined purpose is that I may know him. My determined purpose is that I may know him. This was Paul’s daily purpose. It wasn’t something he was thinking about doing. It was his focused intention.
David [00:08:26]:
He set his heart to press in and know the Lord. And he was very diligent in that. Proverbs 12:27 says this. The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting. But diligence is man’s precious possession. The writer here in Proverbs tells us, diligence is considered man’s precious possession. It’s precious. It’s like a jewel.
David [00:09:02]:
Diligence embodies the qualities of perseverance and consistency, consistent effort toward walking in all God has for us. It reflects a disciplined attitude that helps overcome challenges and maintain focus. It leads to success and fulfillment. Let me share with you some key reasons why diligence is so highly valued. And the Word says this, Number one. Diligence puts us on the path to success. One aspect of diligence is its ability to lead us to wisdom, understanding and insight, which is what the word success actually means in the Hebrew. It means wisdom, understanding and insight.
David [00:10:00]:
To have success is to have wisdom, to have understanding and to have insight. When we are diligently seeking the Lord and pressing into him, it ensures steady progress in any endeavor we’re involved with the Lord in. It transforms potential into tangible results, making it essential for achieving long term growth spiritually and mentally. The second thing about diligence, second quality, is it helps build character. Being diligent fosters traits like responsibility, discipline and reliability, which are essential for spiritual and personal growth. These traits are based on a determined decision. They’re not based on feelings. They’re based on a determined decision.
David [00:11:05]:
Or like Paul said there, my determined purpose is. So we want to build character through our diligence. The third thing, the third quality is diligence helps us overcome obstacles. Life often presents challenges, but diligence empowers us to persist despite setbacks, thereby finding solutions through sustained effort, not giving up and quitting. It’s what Zig Ziglar called being persistently consistent. He said persistence gets it and consistency keeps it. The fourth quality of diligence is it creates opportunities. Consistent, positive effort opens doors to new possibilities as others recognize and value the dedication and effort put forth.
David [00:12:07]:
The Lord is saying to us, if you will come press in to know me, new doors and new opportunities will open for you to go deeper with me, to walk not only go deeper, your roots go deeper in him, but you walk at a higher level with Him. Which brings us to the fifth quality of diligence. Diligence leads to self worth. Accomplishments gained through diligence bring a sense of joy and fulfillment. And God wants us rejoicing every day, being fulfilled, celebrating every day, being glad every day. And so diligent selves us go there. It reinforces our confidence and sense of purpose in God. Diligence is a precious jewel because it shapes a person’s heart and mind and approach to life, making it a cornerstone of growth and resilience.
David [00:13:16]:
So God is challenging all of us. Come with the heart of diligence and press in to know me. This year the Apostle Paul said in Hebrews 11 this is verse 6 in Hebrews 11. This is from the Amplified. But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to him. For whoever would come near to God must necessarily believe that God exists and that he is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek him out. So God’s not just laying down a challenge before us. He’s saying, come, spend time with me.
David [00:14:00]:
Know me. Press into know me. There’s a reward that I would love to give you. It’s waiting right here for you. Proverbs 8:17 New King James Version says this. I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me. God’s not holding out on us. He has more for us.
David [00:14:27]:
He’s going, come on, come with me. Come find me. Let me show you what I have for you. When we see what we see in these verses is God is a rewarder of those who press in to know Him. He is inviting us to press in to know Him. Then we know this. It’s for our good. Whatever God is challenging us to do, calling us to do, charging us to do, commanding us to do, it’s always for our good.
David [00:15:07]:
God wants to walk in the fullness of all he is and all he has for us. As the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 3:19. I’m reading this from the Amplified that you may really come to know practically through experience for yourselves the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience, that you may be filled through all your being unto all the fullness of God, and may have the richest measure of the Divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself. Wow. As we press in to know him, we can become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself. Let me say it again. Wow. You can have the fullness of God, the fullness of God himself in you each and every day by simply, consistently and diligently pursuing him daily.
David [00:16:27]:
Jesus said this. John 10:10. And this is from the Passion. Translation A thief only has one thing in mind. He wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect. Life in its fullness until you overflow. That’s the heart of God right there, guys.
David [00:16:55]:
That’s the heart of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Pressing in to know him rewards us with life in its fullness. Until you overflow out of the overflow of God’s life in you. Then others are drawn to him, others are blessed. And that’s what we want to do. We want to share this good news, the love of God with others so they become part of the family and experience this also. So that’s what diligence is all about. That second word we said that that defined pressing in is pursuit.
David [00:17:42]:
And to pursue means this. I love this definition of this. To pursue ardently, passionately, to seek after eagerly, to earnestly endeavor, to acquire, to run or follow after someone. Now, there’s a story that we’re all familiar with in the Book of Mark. I’m going to read it here to you, but it’s a story of someone who does these four things. And let me read that to you right now before I say anything else. Mark 5:25 34 says this. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood 12 years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind and touched his garment.
David [00:18:47]:
For she said, if I may touch but its clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press and said, who touched my clothes? And his disciples said to him, thou seest a multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou who touched me? And he looked around about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, daughter, thy faith had made thee whole. Go in peace, and be whole of this plague. Now we’re all familiar with the story We’ve heard it before many times. But Jesus was on his way to the ruler of the synagogue’s house to pray for the ruler’s daughter.
David [00:19:58]:
He was being thronged by the crowd following him. They were pressing in around him, wanting to be close to him. So this lady heard of Jesus and knew he was coming by. And she said, if I may but touch his clothes, I shall be whole. And the Scripture says she came in the press behind him. She began to press in behind him, and she got close enough to touch his clothes. And when she did, she was healed. The fountain of her blood was dried up.
David [00:20:34]:
She knew in her body that she was healed. She did all of this as she pressed into him. She pursued him passionately. She was seeking after him eagerly. She was earnestly endeavoring to acquire her healing. She was running after and following after Jesus. She pressed in to touch him, expecting his power to reward her with healing and wholeness. Everyone else wanted to be close to him, but they didn’t come with faith expecting anything.
David [00:21:15]:
She came with expectation, endeavoring to acquire her healing. And she received what she was expecting. Press in to know him. Come with expectation. Pursue him passionately. You will be rewarded. Psalm 63:1 says this. O God, you are my God.
David [00:21:44]:
Earnestly I seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. This verse expresses the deep longing and desire to pursue God wholeheartedly. God is inviting us to pursue him wholeheartedly every day. Isaiah 55, 6 says, Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. We are being called to pursue intimacy with God urgently and intentionally. Why? Because God has more for you in 2025.
David [00:22:34]:
He wants to take you to a new level of being in him because he’s got great things coming forth and he wants you prepared and ready to walk in those. We all know this verse, Matthew 6:33 but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Everything in life, everything you need will be added to you. Press in to know him first. When we prioritize the pursuit of God above all else, we are blessed with everything. As Jesus was saying here, focus on God first and don’t be distracted with what you need day to day. God is always there to meet your needs. Hallelujah.
David [00:23:35]:
James 4:8 James said, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. God promises closeness to those who pursue Him. Pursue him and he will pursue you. Press into him and he will press into you. John said in John 17:3 and this is eternal life that they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Wow. Know your father God. Know your Savior Jesus Christ.
David [00:24:16]:
Know the Holy Spirit. Press in. To know God is the essence of eternal life. Life is not about all the stuff true life is found in. Knowing God and relationship with him and pursuing God is an active action. It’s not us just sitting around wishing and waiting. Pressing in to know him is an eternal activity. We’re going to be pressing in to know him forever because he is new every day and he will be throughout eternity.
David [00:25:01]:
There’s always going to be something new to know and learn and enjoy and experience with the Lord. Hallelujah. And here’s something the Lord told me one day. He said, not only is that true about me, it’s true about you too, David. Because you’re going to continue learning and growing throughout eternity. And you’re going to become new every day too. You’re created in my image and likeness. Why wouldn’t you? The third word that we said define pressing is perseverance, which means persistency.
David [00:25:38]:
It’s being persistent. Ephesians 6:18 New King James says this. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Pressing in to know him is a persistently consistent perseverance. And what God is calling us to guys is a lifestyle. God is saying, guys, this is the way to live. If you want to experience my fullness within you every day, you want to walk in the reward and the blessing of true life. This is the way to live.
David [00:26:27]:
This is the lifestyle. Don’t get distracted by everything else in life and all the things around you in the world. Make the Lord your priority and all these other things are going to fall into place. First Thessalonians First Thessalonians 5:16,18. I’m reading from the Amplified again. Be, be happy. Be happy in your faith and rejoice and be glad hearted continually always. Then he goes on to say, be unceasing in prayer.
David [00:27:07]:
Praying perseveringly. Thank God in everything, no matter what the circumstances may be. Be thankful and give thanks for this is the will of God for you who are in Christ, the revealer and Mediator of that will. Hallelujah. Be happy. Rejoice, be glad. Be unceasing in prayer. Persevere in prayer.
David [00:27:36]:
Be thankful. No matter what you are facing that word there can also be translated be grateful and give thanks. What are you grateful for today? I challenge you to start every day with your little grateful what are you grateful for today? I was grateful today to get up to be upright. I was grateful for my hot shower, that hot water that was coming out of the wall. Thank God for that, for the water department that makes that possible. I was grateful for my coffee that I was able to make. I was grateful for the time I had to spend with the Lord this morning, and I was thanking him for all these things. Be thankful, be grateful in all things.
David [00:28:31]:
Then the next thing the Lord said, press in to know me, and I want us to look at that word know here for a moment. The word know in the Greek means this intimacy, as in the intercourse between a husband and wife coming together. God is inviting us into a deep, intimate relationship. John 8:31 and 32 in the new King James says, then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, if you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Persistent, consistent time in God’s word will bring an intimate knowing of God holding fast to his teachings and living. That’s what the word abide means. It means living. Living in accordance with them brings freedom.
David [00:29:36]:
The seed of God’s Word produces hope in you and births faith through you, and you walk in freedom and blessing every day, as Paul said in Philippians 3, verses 10 and 11 for my determined purpose this is from the Amplified for my determined purpose is that I may know him that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of his purpose more strongly and more clearly. That I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from his resurrection, which exerts itself over believers. That I may so share his sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into his likeness, even to his death, in the hope that, if possible, I may attain to the spiritual and moral resurrection that lifts me out from among the dead, even while I’m in this body. Paul goes on to say in Ephesians 3:19 Let me read this to you again, so that you really may come to know practically through experience for yourself the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience. That you may be filled through all your being, unto all the fullness of God, and may have the richest measure of the Divine presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. God wants that for you for 2025.
David [00:31:29]:
Thank you. Let me go back and look at this again. That you may be filled throughout all your being unto all the fullness, not part of it, a little bit of it, but all the fullness of God and may have the richest measure. Think about that. The Lord wants you to have the richest measure of his divine presence and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself, pressing in through consistent, diligent pursuit and persistent perseverance in worship, prayer, study, meditating. His Word will bring a reward to you, his reward to you. You will come to know him and experience his fullness. And that’s what he wants for you.
David [00:32:22]:
That’s what he wants for all of his children. I challenge you today to press into know him in 2025 so you can be all he created you to be and journal and track everything you learn and see and all the great things that come this year. God bless you. Pastor Conia is coming with a closing word in prayer. And let me pray over you real quick before we transition to her. Father, thank you for this time. Thank you for this year. Thank you for this word you’ve given us.
David [00:33:01]:
You desire a close, intimate relationship with all of us, and you’re inviting us to come into that by pressing in to know you this year. So, God, we set our hearts, we’re going to pursue you, seek after you, follow after you, Lord, that we may become closer to you, grow our roots deeper in you, Father, walk in a higher place with you that we may know you and be filled with your fullness, Father, the richest measure of your presence. And we thank you for that today. In Jesus name, Amen. All right, go have a great week.
