Putting God First Movement Series Part IV: God Will Stir Your Spirit
Haggai 1:13–14
Putting God First — Joining the God First Movement.
And as always, we begin with our reminder:
Family, put God first.
Put Him first in your day.
Put Him first in your thoughts.
Put Him first in your planning.
Put Him first in your emotions.
Because when you put God first…
God begins to stir everything in your life that was stuck, stagnant, or sleeping.
Today’s message is simply titled:
“God Will Stir Your Spirit.”
SCRIPTURE READING — Haggai 1:13–14
“Then spake Haggai the Lord’s messenger… saying, I am with you, saith the Lord. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel… and the spirit of Joshua… and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord.”
When they put God first…
God stirred their spirits.
The first thing God says in this passage is:
“I am with you.”
Not, “I’m watching you.”
Not, “I’m judging you.”
Not, “I’m waiting on you to fail.”
But:
“I am with you.”
Family, something shifts in your spirit
when you know God is with you.
You walk differently.
You think differently.
You pray differently.
You face challenges differently.
But notice when God said it:
Not when they finished building…
but when they made the decision to put God first.
The decision triggered the presence.
The priority invited the power.
When the Bible says God “stirred their spirit,”
it means:
✔ He awakened what was asleep
✔ He reignited passion
✔ He renewed strength
✔ He restored spiritual hunger
✔ He revived their desire to obey
✔ He refreshed their inner fire
✔ He reset their motivation
Family, sometimes your problem is not that you don’t love God…
it’s that your spirit needs stirring.
You’re not rebellious.
You’re just tired.
You’re not rejecting God.
You’re just drained.
You’re not running from God.
Life has simply worn you down.
But hear me:
When you put God first… God stirs your spirit back to life.
We need the Holy Spirit for that.
We can stir our emotions…
We can stir our plans…
But only God can stir our spirit.
Only God can put fire back in your prayer life.
Only God can resurrect your purpose.
Only God can give you energy you didn’t have.
Only God can break the heaviness off of you.
Only God can breathe on you again.
When God stirs you, you become:
In the text, God stirred:
• Zerubbabel — a leader
• Joshua — a spiritual figure
• The remnant — everyday people
In other words:
God stirred
the top,
the middle,
and everybody in between.
And today God wants to stir:
✔ Leaders
✔ Mothers
✔ Fathers
✔ Youth
✔ Seniors
✔ Business owners
✔ Ministry workers
✔ The tired
✔ The discouraged
✔ The hopeful
✔ The ones who feel spiritually numb
✔ The ones who say “Lord, I need You to touch me again”
Nobody is left out of the stirring.
When you put God first,
God stirs every level of your life.
The Bible says:
“…and they came and did work in the house of the Lord.”
The stirring moved them
from delay to action,
from excuses to obedience,
from being stuck to being committed.
Hear this:
A stirred spirit leads to a strong life.
A stirred spirit leads to spiritual power.
A stirred spirit leads to breakthrough.
A stirred spirit leads to clarity.
A stirred spirit leads to obedience.
If you want to see movement in your life, ask God to stir your spirit.
You simply:
1️⃣ Put God first
2️⃣ Give God time
3️⃣ Seek God in the morning
4️⃣ Invite the Holy Spirit
5️⃣ Surrender your day
6️⃣ Join the God First Movement
When you do that,
God begins to stir your:
• Prayer life
• Hope
• Direction
• Purpose
• Wisdom
• Strength
• Peace
And suddenly,
everything that felt dry, dead, or dormant
starts moving again.
CONCLUSION — JOIN THE GOD FIRST MOVEMENT
Family, hear me:
You don’t need another program.
You don’t need another self-help book.
You don’t need another New Year’s resolution.
You need a stirring.
And the stirring comes
when God becomes first.
Join the God First Movement.
Make the decision.
Give God the first.
Watch God stir everything inside you.
Because when God stirs your spirit…
your whole life wakes up.
Thank you for joining me on Live With Dorothy today.
And as always, we begin with our reminder:
Family, put God first.
Put Him first in your day.
Put Him first in your thoughts.
Put Him first in your planning.
Put Him first in your emotions.
Because when you put God first…
God begins to stir everything in your life that was stuck, stagnant, or sleeping.
Today’s message is simply titled:
“God Will Stir Your Spirit.”
SCRIPTURE READING — Haggai 1:13–14
“Then spake Haggai the Lord’s messenger… saying, I am with you, saith the Lord. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel… and the spirit of Joshua… and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord.”
When they put God first…
God stirred their spirits.
- POINT 1 — GOD’S PRESENCE COMES WHEN WE PUT HIM FIRST
The first thing God says in this passage is:
“I am with you.”
Not, “I’m watching you.”
Not, “I’m judging you.”
Not, “I’m waiting on you to fail.”
But:
“I am with you.”
Family, something shifts in your spirit
when you know God is with you.
You walk differently.
You think differently.
You pray differently.
You face challenges differently.
But notice when God said it:
Not when they finished building…
but when they made the decision to put God first.
The decision triggered the presence.
The priority invited the power.
- POINT 2 — WHAT DOES “STIRRING YOUR SPIRIT” MEAN?
When the Bible says God “stirred their spirit,”
it means:
✔ He awakened what was asleep
✔ He reignited passion
✔ He renewed strength
✔ He restored spiritual hunger
✔ He revived their desire to obey
✔ He refreshed their inner fire
✔ He reset their motivation
Family, sometimes your problem is not that you don’t love God…
it’s that your spirit needs stirring.
You’re not rebellious.
You’re just tired.
You’re not rejecting God.
You’re just drained.
You’re not running from God.
Life has simply worn you down.
But hear me:
When you put God first… God stirs your spirit back to life.
- POINT 3 — YOU CAN’T STIR YOUR OWN SPIRIT
We need the Holy Spirit for that.
We can stir our emotions…
We can stir our plans…
But only God can stir our spirit.
Only God can put fire back in your prayer life.
Only God can resurrect your purpose.
Only God can give you energy you didn’t have.
Only God can break the heaviness off of you.
Only God can breathe on you again.
When God stirs you, you become:
- more sensitive to His voice
- more willing to obey
- more hungry for His Word
- more intentional about your walk
- more committed to the God First Movement
- POINT 4 — GOD STIRS EVERY KIND OFPERSON
In the text, God stirred:
• Zerubbabel — a leader
• Joshua — a spiritual figure
• The remnant — everyday people
In other words:
God stirred
the top,
the middle,
and everybody in between.
And today God wants to stir:
✔ Leaders
✔ Mothers
✔ Fathers
✔ Youth
✔ Seniors
✔ Business owners
✔ Ministry workers
✔ The tired
✔ The discouraged
✔ The hopeful
✔ The ones who feel spiritually numb
✔ The ones who say “Lord, I need You to touch me again”
Nobody is left out of the stirring.
When you put God first,
God stirs every level of your life.
- POINT 5 — WHEN GOD STIRS YOUR SPIRIT, YOUR HANDS FOLLOW
The Bible says:
“…and they came and did work in the house of the Lord.”
The stirring moved them
from delay to action,
from excuses to obedience,
from being stuck to being committed.
Hear this:
A stirred spirit leads to a strong life.
A stirred spirit leads to spiritual power.
A stirred spirit leads to breakthrough.
A stirred spirit leads to clarity.
A stirred spirit leads to obedience.
If you want to see movement in your life, ask God to stir your spirit.
- POINT 6 — HOW DO YOU RECEIVE A “STIRRING”?
You simply:
1️⃣ Put God first
2️⃣ Give God time
3️⃣ Seek God in the morning
4️⃣ Invite the Holy Spirit
5️⃣ Surrender your day
6️⃣ Join the God First Movement
When you do that,
God begins to stir your:
• Prayer life
• Hope
• Direction
• Purpose
• Wisdom
• Strength
• Peace
And suddenly,
everything that felt dry, dead, or dormant
starts moving again.
CONCLUSION — JOIN THE GOD FIRST MOVEMENT
Family, hear me:
You don’t need another program.
You don’t need another self-help book.
You don’t need another New Year’s resolution.
You need a stirring.
And the stirring comes
when God becomes first.
Join the God First Movement.
Make the decision.
Give God the first.
Watch God stir everything inside you.
Because when God stirs your spirit…
your whole life wakes up.
Thank you for joining me on Live With Dorothy today.