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male announcer: This
presentation is brought to you
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by the friends of the
Amazing Facts ministry.
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Doug Batchelor:
Prayer for the Christian
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should be like breathing.
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If the Bible is the bread of
life and if witnessing is like
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letting your light shine and
exercising, then prayer would be
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the breath of the soul.
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Doug Batchelor: You know,
I remember hearing a story
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years ago, I believe it was
A.W. Tozer, a famous pastor.
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He was sailing across the
Atlantic Ocean on this ship, and
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while he was there, the captain
knew he was there, and he said,
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"Could you please speak to
our first class passengers?"
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Well, a number of people came
to one of the main cabins and he
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talked to them about the power
of prayer, and an agnostic,
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he's on the ship back
then, they didn't have a lot
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of entertainment, he thought,
"Well, I'll go, and I'll listen
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to this preacher and
see what he has to say."
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And he listened and then
some of the people that were
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in third class said,
"Any chance that Pastor Tozer
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could come talk to us?"
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He said, "I'd be
happy to talk to them."
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Someone asked the atheist
or agnostic what he thought, he
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said, "Well don't believe a word
of it, I don't believe there's
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a God, and I don't
believe that He answers prayer."
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But they invited them to
come hear him talk, then, to the
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third class passengers, and on
his way he thought, "Well, I'll
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stop by my room, I'm getting a
little hungry, I'm going to get
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a couple of oranges."
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He got his oranges and he was
walking back across the deck,
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and there was a woman, an
old woman sleeping on the deck,
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she had fallen asleep trying to
get some fresh air and she had
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her hands down in her lap.
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And the atheist, he had a sense
of humor, he thought, "I can't
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resist this," he quietly took
two oranges out of his pocket
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and he put one in each of her
open hands as she was sleeping;
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then he went on and he
heard Tozer preach to the third
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class passengers.
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Well, he again talked about the
power of prayer and he felt his
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heart being stirred, but he
said, "No, how could God answer
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prayer, there really can't
be a God that answers prayer."
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At this point, he leaves
the meeting, a friend said,
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"Well, what did you think of
Pastor Tozer's talk on prayer?"
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He said, "I'm still not
sure I agree with that babbler."
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Then he walks down the deck and
he sees the woman, that he had
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placed the oranges in her
hands, she's eating one of
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the two oranges.
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He said, "Well that looks like
you're enjoying that," she said,
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"Mister, you will
never believe what happened."
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She said, "I came up on deck
because I've been struggling
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with sea sickness, and I
fell asleep, and I was dreaming
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if I could only have an
orange I would feel better,
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and I started praying.
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I said, 'Lord, I know I'm
out in the middle of the ocean,
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but if I could just have
an orange I just feel like
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that's what I need
and I'd feel better.'"
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She said, "I woke up and there
was an orange in each hand," and
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he was kinda stunned to hear
that, that here he had been the
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means of answering her prayer.
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He said, "Madam, I probably
ought to let you know that
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I'm the one that put
the oranges in your hands."
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And she said, "Praise the
Lord, He can even use an atheist
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to answer my prayers."
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So God is a God
that answers prayer.
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"Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing."
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This is something that we all
need to do friends, understand
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the priority of prayer.
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Getting into this, let's talk a
little bit about the foundation
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of prayer.
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Now if you're at all involved
in real estate, you've probably
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heard it said that
there are three rules
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for success in real estate.
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I can almost hear it
echoing through the online fiber
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optics right now, it's
location, location, location.
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It doesn't matter if you
buy a mansion that's out in the
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desert, and nobody can get to
it, and there is no facilities
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or water around,
doesn't do you any good.
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Yet if you buy an old broken
down house and it's in a really
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nice neighborhood and it's
located near transportation and
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near services, you can put a
mansion on it and then you've
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got something, location.
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They say there are three
rules when it comes to raising
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children:
Example, example, example.
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And in prayer, in
living the Christian life,
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that's really the answer,
it's prayer, prayer, prayer.
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You're going to find it from
cover to cover in the Bible.
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Sometimes we get distracted
with things that are of
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less importance.
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E.M. Bounds said, "What the
church needs today is not more
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machinery or better new
organizations or more novel
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methods but men and women whom
the Holy Spirit can use, men of
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prayer, mighty men in prayer."
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Now if you come to church
and you sing like an angel
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but you seldom pray, your
singing will not save you.
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If you give
generously to Christian causes,
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that's wonderful, much
appreciated, but you cannot buy
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your way into heaven
if you're not praying.
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If you show up at every church
work bee and you slave in the
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kitchen but you don't pray,
you're not going to be saved by
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your good works.
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At the same time, if you are
praying the way you should pray,
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you'll be singing and giving and
serving, and so prayer is really
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the foundation for
the Christian experience.
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So, let's talk a little bit
about the formula for prayer.
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Now, I'm not gonna suggest
to you mixed a combination of
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chemicals or kitchen ingredients
and voila, you're going to have
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secret prayer, but the Bible
does say prayer is something
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that we can study
and learn to do better.
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Luke chapter 11, verse 1, "It
came to pass that as He, Jesus,
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was praying in a certain place,
when He ceased, one of his
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disciples said to Him,
'Lord, teach us to pray--'"
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not only did he say, "Jesus,
teach us to pray, as John--"
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John the Baptist--
"taught his disciples."
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And Jesus never said, well,
no, prayer's just something
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you'll learn by feeling.
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He agreed that it was
something that could be taught.
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And at that point Christ began
to recite the Lord's Prayer,
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He says, "When you pray,
say, 'Our Father, which art
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in heaven,'" so forth.
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And when He gave the Lord's
prayer, He didn't say make sure
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and repeat this prayer, never
said that, He said, "In this
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manner therefore pray."
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So in the Lord's Prayer you've
got an outline for how we should
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approach God in prayer,
you've got seven petitions
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in the Lord's Prayer.
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It says, "Our Father," it's
talking about God, asking Him to
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lead us, to forgive us, and then
you've got the petitions between
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man and man, and it says, well,
there it says, you know, lead
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us, forgive us, feed us; talks
about Thy name, Thy kingdom.
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And so you've got the
relationship between man
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and God in the Lord's
Prayer, and then you've got the
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horizontal relationship.
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Something else about the Lord's
Prayer, never do you find the
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word me, doesn't say lead me,
guide me, feed me, deliver me,
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it's lead us, guide
us, feed us, deliver us,
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and it's Thy
kingdom, Thy glory, Thy name.
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And so the key to successful
prayer is it starts with God,
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and it's thinking about others,
what are the great commandments?
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"Love the Lord with all your
heart, love your neighbor as
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yourself," someone once said
that that's the secret to joy.
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Jesus, others, you, J-O-Y.
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Start with Jesus, others, you,
if you keep that sequence the
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way it should be, you end up
finding happiness by blessing
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and serving others
and praying for others.
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And so, well what do you do if
you pray and your mind wanders?
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Anyone out there
you struggle with that?
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You know, it just takes
discipline, it's like you know,
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when you're a child you're
easily distracted, and one of
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the things kids learn in school
is they're taught to focus and
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give their attention to things.
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As you grow as a Christian,
you'll notice that your mind
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wanders when you're praying and
just whenever you're aware of it
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you bring it back.
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Pray for the Holy Spirit as
you pray, talked about that last
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night, say, "Lord, help
me to pray in the Spirit."
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When your mind begins to wander
with trivia, 'cause your mind is
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swimming with millions of
thoughts, bring it back, focus.
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And when you talk to God, keep
in mind you're not going through
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a religious exercise, you are in
the presence of the King of the
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Universe and so focus
on who you're talking to.
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You know, it's something that
your parents usually teach when
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you're children and says
when you're talking to someone
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or we're there and
talking to you, look at them,
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give them your attention.
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If you're talking to your kids,
they're just going like this,
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you say, "That's kind of rude."
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Well, sometimes we do that
with our prayers, we're just you
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know, I've got to go through
this ritual of repeating the
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same thing, which
brings me to the next point.
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When you pray, try not to keep
saying the same thing, because
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it's not that God doesn't know
what you want, but it's good for
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you to really think about
different ways to articulate
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what the needs are, and don't
always have your prayers just be
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about you and your needs or what
your wants are, intercede on
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behalf of others.
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I've got a text message
the other day and someone said,
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"Please pray about this or
that," right there in my office
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by my chair, I dropped to
my knees and I prayed for them.
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Frequently, people will say,
"Pastor Doug, can you pray for
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me about this and that?"
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and I say yes and
then later I forget.
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So a few years ago I learned
that if I don't want all these
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things to rise up against me in
the judgment, when someone says,
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"Pastor Doug, can you pray
about this or that?" I say,
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"Let's do it right now."
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And so whenever you're impressed
about praying for something,
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no time like the present,
you pray at that moment.
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Something else I think is
helpful in prayer is I've got an
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acronym that's on the screen,
it's sorta a summarization
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of what's in the Lord's Prayer,
adoration, confession, that
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would be another repentance,
confession, thanksgiving, always
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thank the God before you
give Him your shopping list,
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and supplication, part
of supplication is not only
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for your needs, it's talking
about the needs of others.
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And so there's a formula to
successful prayer and so focus
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on these things.
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Talk a little bit, point number
three, about the frequency
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of prayer.
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Well, I think everyone knows the
story about Daniel in the lion's
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den, and it tells us in chapter
6, verse 10, that, "When he knew
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the writing was signed, he went
to his upper room and he opened
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his window and he got on his
knees, and he prayed three times
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that day just like he had
done ever since he was young."
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And I think one reason that
Daniel prayed three times is
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Daniel was also a Bible reader,
and he read where King David
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said, in Psalm 55, verse 17,
"Evening and morning and at noon
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will I pray and cry aloud,
and He will hear my voice."
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It's not a mandate that you must
pray three times a day, here it
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talks about a morning and
an evening prayer, and it says,
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again, 2 Chronicles 13:11,
"And they burn to the Lord every
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morning and every evening burnt
sacrifices and sweet incense."
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And so they had this pattern in
the temple that incense, you can
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read about this in Revelation
also, that altar of incense
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represented the prayers of God's
people, so these sacrifices and
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the incense aroma
that was ascending to God,
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that would happen with
the priest's intercession,
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and Jesus is our high priest.
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So, take time every day for
feeding your soul, communion
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with God, sometimes our morning
prayers, we're asking for
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guidance and particulars,
evening prayers we're praying
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for mercy and asking for
power to do better the next day,
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thanking God for His blessings.
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So, talking a little bit about
the frequency of prayer, why
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don't we talk about how often
we should pray, and I don't just
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mean two or three times a day.
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1 Thessalonians 5:16, now
friends, if we capture what I'm
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about to talk about now, I think
you'll be able to embrace just
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what's so
important about a revival.
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"Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing."
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"Pastor Doug, how do
you pray without ceasing?"
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You walk around all the
time looking up or looking down
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you're gonna collide with
things, and how can you do your
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work if you're
praying without ceasing?
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Well you know the Bible says
that Enoch walked with God, the
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Bible says Noah walked with God,
no doubt Abraham and Moses and
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many of these patriarchs and
prophets, they walked with God.
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And I think it's interesting the
Bible tells us Enoch walked with
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God, he was the seventh from
Adam and he was not, for God
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took him, he went up, he was
translated without seeing death.
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We are now living in what I
think is the last generation and
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I think it's the--we're in the
last millennium before we spend
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the millennium with Christ,
and this is the time where God
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is looking for people
that will be translated.
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One of the characteristics
of those who are translated when
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Christ comes,
translated means, like Elijah,
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you're caught up without
dying, they walk with God.
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Doug: Here at
Amazing Facts International
00:13:17.93\00:13:20.10
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Doug Batchelor: We need
to have an experience where
00:14:06.57\00:14:08.04
we're walking with God.
00:14:08.08\00:14:09.71
That means you might be working
in a bakery making bread and you
00:14:09.74\00:14:13.18
do your work and you make your
bread but you continue to talk
00:14:13.21\00:14:16.05
to the Lord, you thank the Lord
while you're talking to others.
00:14:16.08\00:14:19.09
You know, most of us can do more
than one thing at a time, stay
00:14:19.12\00:14:23.02
in a state of awareness of God's
presence, and it's a wonderful
00:14:23.06\00:14:27.10
thing if you can
do that, friends.
00:14:27.13\00:14:29.16
You know, it's a lot easier
to live a holy life if you sense
00:14:29.20\00:14:31.80
God is right there with
you, it's when we have separated
00:14:31.83\00:14:35.17
ourselves from God or we try
to follow Him from a distance we
00:14:35.20\00:14:38.71
get into trouble,
"Pray without ceasing."
00:14:38.74\00:14:42.78
Luke 18:1, Jesus said, "Men
ought always to pray and not
00:14:42.81\00:14:49.25
lose heart," don't get
discouraged in your prayers.
00:14:49.28\00:14:51.99
You say, "Oh, but Pastor, I've
been praying about this thing
00:14:52.02\00:14:55.09
20 times," or, "I
prayed about this for years."
00:14:55.12\00:14:57.59
You know Elijah prayed seven
times before the rain came,
00:14:57.63\00:15:01.86
prayed one time the fire came,
he prayed seven times before the
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cloud came that brought the
rain; be persistent in prayer.
00:15:05.70\00:15:09.87
I've talked to many spouses,
might be a husband or wife,
00:15:09.90\00:15:14.64
and they either married
an unbeliever or they were
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converted and their spouse
wasn't, or they got married when
00:15:16.34\00:15:22.18
they weren't believers
and they got reconverted.
00:15:22.22\00:15:24.72
And they say, "You know now I
want my spouse to be converted,"
00:15:24.75\00:15:28.36
and they prayed for them 15,
20, 25, 30 years and they think,
00:15:28.39\00:15:35.80
"Is the Lord ever
gonna hear my prayers?"
00:15:35.83\00:15:37.20
and then they're converted.
00:15:37.23\00:15:38.80
I know parents that prayed for
their kids for 50 years and then
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they were converted, and I know
parents that they prayed for
00:15:43.17\00:15:47.61
their kids till their dying day
and they don't realize that God
00:15:47.64\00:15:52.51
made a withdrawal on their
prayers after they died, and
00:15:52.55\00:15:56.05
their children were saved and
they're gonna be so happy to see
00:15:56.08\00:15:58.22
them in heaven.
00:15:58.25\00:15:59.55
So they've been storing prayers
so to speak, and then God's
00:15:59.59\00:16:02.62
gonna surprise them, might even
answer the prayers after the
00:16:02.66\00:16:05.46
parents are already gone.
00:16:05.49\00:16:06.83
Do not lose hope or become
indifferent, or discouraged is
00:16:06.86\00:16:12.93
the word I'm looking
for, in your prayers.
00:16:12.97\00:16:15.00
Colossians 4:2,
"Continue earnestly in prayer,
00:16:15.04\00:16:19.54
being vigilant in
it with thanksgiving."
00:16:19.57\00:16:23.04
Colossians 1, verse 3, it
says, "We give thanks to God the
00:16:23.08\00:16:27.38
Father, our Lord Jesus Christ,
praying always for you," and as
00:16:27.42\00:16:31.52
I mentioned, in your prayers,
make sure to mingle in your
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gratitude and your thanks.
00:16:35.09\00:16:37.39
Someone once said that, "When
you're grateful you make the way
00:16:37.43\00:16:43.26
for further or future benefits."
00:16:43.30\00:16:46.17
You know, if I ever helped
somebody, and they never say
00:16:46.20\00:16:48.90
thank you, you know I
might not make a big deal of it,
00:16:48.94\00:16:51.41
but I'm less inclined
to help them next time.
00:16:51.44\00:16:53.98
When we're grateful to
God, I think you pave the way
00:16:54.01\00:16:57.28
for future benefits,
always incorporate thanks in
00:16:57.31\00:17:00.05
your prayer.
00:17:00.08\00:17:01.32
"Oh, but Pastor Doug, I'm going
through such trials I forget to
00:17:01.35\00:17:03.42
be thankful," you know Daniel
thanked the Lord before he went
00:17:03.45\00:17:06.09
to the lion's den?
00:17:06.12\00:17:07.46
In his prayer he gave thanks,
so we should always, Paul says,
00:17:07.49\00:17:11.16
"Thank God in everything,"
don't forget to be thankful,
00:17:11.19\00:17:14.83
world becomes a
better place when we do.
00:17:14.83\00:17:17.40
Luke 21:36, Jesus said, "Watch
therefore, and pray always that
00:17:17.43\00:17:22.87
you might be counted worthy
to escape all these things,"
00:17:22.90\00:17:26.01
talking about the trials at the
end of time, we might be there
00:17:26.04\00:17:28.58
now friends.
00:17:28.61\00:17:29.91
"Watch therefore, pray always
that you might be counted worthy
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to escape all these things that
are going to come to pass, and
00:17:32.35\00:17:36.02
stand before the Son of Man,"
when Jesus comes in His glory.
00:17:36.05\00:17:40.02
You want to be ready for
the Second Coming, we should be
00:17:40.06\00:17:42.49
watching and praying now.
00:17:42.52\00:17:44.69
Ephesians 6:18, "Praying always
with all prayer and supplication
00:17:44.73\00:17:50.20
in the Spirit, being watchful to
this end with all perseverance
00:17:50.23\00:17:54.44
and supplication for all the
saints," well, there's a lot of
00:17:54.47\00:17:57.21
alls in there; all prayer,
being watchful, all perseverance
00:17:57.24\00:18:02.34
and supplication for the saints.
00:18:02.38\00:18:04.81
Now, I talk about
the fortitude of prayer.
00:18:04.85\00:18:07.25
John 15, verse 4, Jesus
said, "Abide in Me and I in you.
00:18:07.28\00:18:12.92
The branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, unless it abides in the
00:18:12.95\00:18:16.16
vine, neither can you
unless you abide in Me.
00:18:16.19\00:18:19.89
I am the vine, you are the
branches, he that abides in Me,
00:18:19.93\00:18:23.77
and I in him, bears much fruit."
00:18:23.80\00:18:27.30
This abiding in Christ
talking about, in our prayers,
00:18:27.34\00:18:31.21
just be in Christ, pray in
His name, pray in His Spirit,
00:18:31.24\00:18:34.48
praying in His name really
is more than just using His name
00:18:34.51\00:18:38.85
like it is the period
at the end of a sentence.
00:18:38.88\00:18:41.62
You say, "In Jesus's name,
amen," and say, "Okay, I guess
00:18:41.65\00:18:43.79
my prayer is done," it's not
like the stamp of approval on
00:18:43.82\00:18:47.42
the end of your prayer.
00:18:47.46\00:18:48.79
You're saying that through
His name, that's what gives your
00:18:48.82\00:18:52.13
prayers efficacy, it's through
His name, that's what gives our
00:18:52.16\00:18:56.33
prayers authority, and it's
in the Spirit of Christ we're
00:18:56.36\00:18:59.83
praying in His name.
00:18:59.87\00:19:02.44
John, 1 John 2, verse 24,
"Therefore let that abide in you
00:19:02.47\00:19:08.31
which you heard
from the beginning.
00:19:08.34\00:19:10.11
If what you heard from the
beginning abides in you, you
00:19:10.15\00:19:12.51
will also abide in the Son and
the Father, and whoever abides
00:19:12.55\00:19:17.19
in Him, perseveres in
prayer, does not sin."
00:19:17.22\00:19:22.36
Now just a couple of words about
the physics of prayer, and what
00:19:22.39\00:19:25.86
I mean by that is, might
even talk a little bit about
00:19:25.89\00:19:28.60
a reverent posture when we pray.
00:19:28.63\00:19:31.50
Acts 21, verse 5, "When
we accomplish those days, we
00:19:31.53\00:19:35.64
departed and we want our way;
and they all brought us on our
00:19:35.67\00:19:39.31
way with wives and children,
until we were all out of the
00:19:39.34\00:19:42.14
city, and we knelt down
on the shore and we prayed."
00:19:42.18\00:19:46.48
Now I wanna make it clear,
you can pray in just about any
00:19:46.51\00:19:50.02
situation, you can pray
in a lion's den when you're
00:19:50.05\00:19:54.19
surrounded by cats, you can pray
while you're swimming like Peter
00:19:54.22\00:19:58.13
when he was drowning,
Jehoshaphat prayed while he was
00:19:58.16\00:20:02.43
leading an army, Jehu prayed
while he was driving a chariot.
00:20:02.46\00:20:06.03
Jonah prayed while he was being
digested, Nehemiah prayed while
00:20:06.07\00:20:09.64
he was building, he also prayed
standing there before the King.
00:20:09.67\00:20:13.51
Elijah prayed out in the
desert, Paul prayed while he was
00:20:13.54\00:20:15.94
sailing, Elisha prayed in an
attic, David prayed in a cave,
00:20:15.98\00:20:20.18
Philip prayed under a
tree, so you can pray anywhere,
00:20:20.22\00:20:23.35
you can pray all the time.
00:20:23.39\00:20:25.42
But I think that it's important
that at some point during the
00:20:25.45\00:20:27.76
day and in every worship
service, God's people get on
00:20:27.79\00:20:30.63
their knees before the Lord and
pray, just a few words on that.
00:20:30.66\00:20:35.50
Acts 9, verse 40,
"Peter put them all forth
00:20:35.53\00:20:39.43
and he knelt down and
prayed," and resurrected Dorcas.
00:20:39.47\00:20:43.97
Acts 20, verse 36, "When he had
thus spoken, he knelt down and
00:20:44.01\00:20:48.11
he prayed with them all."
00:20:48.14\00:20:50.15
Acts 7, verse 59, "They stoned
Stephen, calling upon God,"
00:20:50.18\00:20:55.18
Stephen was calling upon
God, "And saying, 'Lord Jesus,
00:20:55.22\00:20:57.95
receive my spirit.'
00:20:57.99\00:20:59.32
And he knelt down and he cried
with a loud voice, 'Lay not this
00:20:59.35\00:21:03.46
sin to their charge.'"
00:21:03.49\00:21:04.83
The last words of Stephen
was a prayer for those that were
00:21:04.86\00:21:07.36
killing him; some of the last
words of Jesus was, "Father,
00:21:07.40\00:21:10.83
forgive them, they
don't know what they do."
00:21:10.87\00:21:12.23
It's interesting, these
converted people, their dying
00:21:12.27\00:21:15.64
prayer was for others, tells
us something about the Spirit.
00:21:15.67\00:21:20.34
And then you've
got Ephesians 3:14,
00:21:20.38\00:21:22.78
"For this cause I bow
my knee unto the Father
00:21:22.81\00:21:25.55
of our Lord Jesus Christ."
00:21:25.58\00:21:26.82
Now, I'm just giving you a few,
but it seems like you know we're
00:21:26.85\00:21:30.45
living in an age where church
is just become, it's a marketing
00:21:30.49\00:21:34.69
thing, let's find out what the
people want and let's give it to
00:21:34.72\00:21:36.93
them, and if they're
uncomfortable kneeling down then
00:21:36.96\00:21:38.99
don't make them kneel; and
I think we're losing the sense
00:21:39.03\00:21:42.00
of reverence.
00:21:42.03\00:21:43.53
You know, when we come
before the Lord in our personal
00:21:43.57\00:21:45.90
devotions we should try to
kneel, now some people when you
00:21:45.93\00:21:48.44
get old, you get down and
you can't get back up, God
00:21:48.47\00:21:50.77
understands that, or you
know if it's not practical.
00:21:50.81\00:21:54.51
I've been places where someone
says, "Let's kneel," and they
00:21:54.54\00:21:57.05
have you all kneel on rocky
ground and it's digging into
00:21:57.08\00:21:59.58
your knees and you can
think about your prayer.
00:21:59.61\00:22:01.48
So God wants us to be practical,
but let's, in our interest of
00:22:01.52\00:22:05.32
being practical, let's not start
drifting from the importance
00:22:05.35\00:22:08.49
of a posture of
reverence when we talk to God.
00:22:08.52\00:22:12.89
And then there's the fervency of
prayer, that means you just put
00:22:12.93\00:22:17.43
in your heart and soul into it.
00:22:17.47\00:22:19.40
Hebrews 11, verse 6, "But
without faith it's impossible to
00:22:19.43\00:22:23.57
please Him, for he who comes to
God must believe that He is," we
00:22:23.61\00:22:27.48
read this last night but notice,
"And He is the rewarder of those
00:22:27.51\00:22:32.05
who diligently
seek Him in prayer."
00:22:32.08\00:22:35.25
You know, I wonder how many
miracles have happened because
00:22:35.28\00:22:38.22
somebody prayed five minutes
longer; some people give up.
00:22:38.25\00:22:42.46
You know, we just read where
Jesus said that parable about
00:22:42.49\00:22:45.49
the woman who persisted in
prayer, she just kept coming
00:22:45.53\00:22:48.73
back, she kept coming back.
00:22:48.76\00:22:50.00
And finally, that unrighteous
judge says, "Give her what she
00:22:50.03\00:22:53.10
wants, she is wearing me out,"
and Jesus said, "Look what the
00:22:53.13\00:22:56.64
unrighteous judge says, how much
more will your Father in heaven
00:22:56.67\00:23:00.18
answer His children that
cry to Him day and night?"
00:23:00.21\00:23:03.68
So be
persistent in your prayers.
00:23:03.71\00:23:06.38
Jeremiah 29:13, "You will seek
for Me and you will find Me when
00:23:06.41\00:23:11.29
you search for Me
with all of your heart."
00:23:11.32\00:23:14.59
You need to put all your weight
into that prayer when you're
00:23:14.62\00:23:17.89
praying for those
miracles, and then you know,
00:23:17.93\00:23:20.96
you've got the
effectiveness of prayer.
00:23:21.00\00:23:23.67
Miracles happen
when God's people pray.
00:23:23.70\00:23:26.77
The Bible, from cover to
cover, is the story of how
00:23:26.80\00:23:29.27
prayer works.
00:23:29.30\00:23:31.04
Joshua prays and the sun stands
still; children of Israel,
00:23:31.07\00:23:35.58
caught with the Egyptians
breathing down their necks,
00:23:35.61\00:23:37.98
and it says, "They
cried unto the Lord,"
00:23:38.01\00:23:40.48
the Lord parts the Red Sea.
00:23:40.52\00:23:42.78
Hezekiah prays,
angel of the Lord goes out
00:23:42.82\00:23:45.79
and 185,000 enemy
are slain in one night.
00:23:45.82\00:23:49.39
God fights for
them when they pray.
00:23:49.42\00:23:52.09
The Bible tells us Jonah prayed,
and you know, even when you
00:23:52.13\00:23:55.36
think your situation is
hopeless, that's when I think
00:23:55.40\00:23:59.37
God does His best work.
00:23:59.40\00:24:00.80
When you think, "Lord, I'm gonna
pray but it's not looking good,"
00:24:00.84\00:24:04.04
He said, "Well,
I can do anything."
00:24:04.07\00:24:06.14
Jonah is in, he's in the
digestive system of a sea
00:24:06.17\00:24:09.61
monster at the bottom of the
mountains, he's in the dark and
00:24:09.64\00:24:12.61
he's suffering for his own sins.
00:24:12.65\00:24:14.92
But in that dying moment he
lifts his prayer and somehow his
00:24:14.95\00:24:19.59
prayer gets from the farthest
point from heaven you could be
00:24:19.62\00:24:22.12
on earth, submarine, God
hears his prayer and He works a
00:24:22.16\00:24:26.70
miracle, and not only does the
fish bring Jonah to the surface,
00:24:26.73\00:24:31.37
he then deposits him on
dry land; God is a good God.
00:24:31.40\00:24:35.67
Elijah prays, fire and rain
comes out of heaven; Shadrach,
00:24:35.70\00:24:40.31
Meshach and Abednego I think
they claimed the promise that
00:24:40.34\00:24:42.71
says, "When you go through
the fire I will be with you,"
00:24:42.74\00:24:45.78
God answered their prayer and
He air-conditioned the furnace,
00:24:45.81\00:24:49.35
so God is a God
that works miracles.
00:24:49.38\00:24:52.05
And make sure when you
come to the Lord and you pray,
00:24:52.09\00:24:56.06
as Jesus said, you've
been reconciled with others.
00:24:56.09\00:24:59.06
We talked about this.
00:24:59.09\00:25:01.40
When you bring your gift to
the altar, if you have odds with
00:25:01.43\00:25:04.37
someone else, be at peace
as far as you can humanly do,
00:25:04.40\00:25:08.40
can't change everything.
00:25:08.44\00:25:09.97
Be reconciled with
others and then come
00:25:10.01\00:25:11.64
in the Spirit of Christ,
and He will not turn you away.
00:25:11.67\00:25:15.31
God is more willing
to answer your prayers
00:25:15.34\00:25:17.98
than you
probably are to ask Him.
00:25:18.01\00:25:20.35
I heard a parable one time about
this man gets to heaven, angel's
00:25:20.38\00:25:23.99
showing him around the golden
streets and the palaces and it's
00:25:24.02\00:25:26.65
all very beautiful.
00:25:26.69\00:25:27.99
And then out there in the middle
of the City of God are these
00:25:28.02\00:25:32.16
huge Amazon warehouses,
there's just acres and acres of
00:25:32.19\00:25:35.23
warehouses, and he's thinking,
"What in the world would angels
00:25:35.26\00:25:39.30
be storing up here in heaven?"
00:25:39.33\00:25:41.20
And he asked the
angel, said, "What's with all
00:25:41.24\00:25:43.04
the warehouses?"
00:25:43.07\00:25:44.37
He said, "Those are full of
prayers that we wanted to answer
00:25:44.41\00:25:46.61
but nobody made a withdrawal."
00:25:46.64\00:25:49.34
There are so many prayers that
God wants to answer that have
00:25:49.38\00:25:52.98
not been answered
because we don't ask.
00:25:53.01\00:25:54.85
Jesus, "Up to now
you have not asked,
00:25:54.88\00:25:57.12
ask that your
joy might be full."
00:25:57.15\00:26:00.06
So friends, pray.
00:26:00.09\00:26:02.82
There's so many things to
pray about, but start making it
00:26:02.86\00:26:04.93
a habit to talk to
God and walk with God
00:26:04.96\00:26:07.50
and you will experience revival.
00:26:07.50\00:26:09.73
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shown on your screen.
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And be sure to select a
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request page.
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It's now easier than ever
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Amazing Facts
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and most important,
to share it with others.
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Doug: Terror
attacks, natural disasters,
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political instability,
and global, economic meltdown.
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These are the images
people generally associate
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with the Tribulation
and the Day of the Lord.
00:26:57.08\00:27:00.55
But did you know the
Bible speaks about another
00:27:00.58\00:27:02.68
Day of the Lord just
before the great Judgement Day?
00:27:02.72\00:27:06.05
Amazingly, imprinted on the
very fabric of time itself is
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a 24-hour period called
the Sabbath that was meant to
00:27:10.66\00:27:13.80
forever be a time of restoration
for every human being,
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a day the entire
world has largely forgotten.
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You'll be surprised to learn
how this special Day of the Lord
00:27:21.50\00:27:24.94
factors into last-day prophecies
such as the mark of the beast,
00:27:24.97\00:27:28.44
the seal of God, and the
great, final tribulation.
00:27:28.48\00:27:31.65
It's all contained in this new
eye-opening DVD series called,
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"The Last Day of Prophecy."
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To order call,
800-538-7275, or visit,
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afbookstore.com.
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female announcer: Did
you know Amazing Facts
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has a free Bible
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from the comfort
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It includes 27 study lessons to
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Sign up today by
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male announcer: Don't forget
to request today's free offer,
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it's sure to be a blessing.
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And thank you for your continued
support as we take the Gospel
00:28:12.32\00:28:15.26
of Jesus Christ to the world.
00:28:15.29\00:28:17.63
We hope you'll
join us next week.
00:28:17.66\00:28:18.99
announcer: This presentation was
brought to you by the friends
00:28:24.33\00:28:26.37
of the Amazing Facts ministry.
00:28:26.40\00:28:28.40