Hello, and welcome
to "A Sharper Focus."
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We're coming to you
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live from the Thompsonville
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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And this particular program is
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a Wednesday night
Bible study program.
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So I know that
your custom is to say,
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"Welcome to everyone
from around the world."
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So would you all join me?
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We welcome you wherever
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you're watching
from around the world.
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And tonight before we begin,
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our topic tonight is
praying outside the box.
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And I have to tell you that
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this is "Fresh Manna."
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I thought I knew what I
was going to teach on tonight
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and the Lord
changed the direction,
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just a few hours ago.
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So I really feel
that this is something
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if you all don't need to hear it
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I know that I need to hear it
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because God was
speaking to my heart.
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So before we begin let's
go to the Lord in prayer.
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Our Father in heaven,
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we come before
your throne of grace,
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and Lord we come to
present to your presence.
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We thank You Father that
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we have become your
children through Christ Jesus.
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We thank You
Father for the opportunity
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to get to know You better
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and Lord we want more of You.
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Oh Lord, forgive us
for the many services that
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we have that were not
really seeking your heart,
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seeking your face.
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Help us, Lord,
everyday to come before you
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to get to know you better.
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And Father we ask in
the name of Jesus that
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you'll send
your Holy Spirit now.
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And Father we pray in Jesus name
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not only will Holy
Spirit be our teacher tonight,
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but that you'll
give us ears to hear
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what you want us to hear.
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So thank you, Father God,
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we're asking these
things in the name of Jesus
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and we received them in
the name of Jesus. Amen.
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You know, I've to tell
you there's a little bird,
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it's called the titmouse.
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And you know about
those little birds.
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Well, there is
this bird that has been
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for the last several weeks.
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Everyday he comes to our window
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and he just flings
himself against the window
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all day long, everyday.
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And so I shut the blinds,
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and he goes to the next window.
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You shut the blinds
then he finds windows that
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don't have blinds on them.
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And I thought
about that and I thought,
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you know, this
poor crazy little bird,
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this has been
going on four weeks.
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As soon as it gets
light until it gets dark.
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This poor crazy little bird
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just keeps flinging
himself against this window.
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I don't know if
he's trying to get in
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or if he just sees a reflection,
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maybe it's mating season.
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I don't know.
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But what is the
definition of insanity?
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To keep doing the same thing
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the way you've
always done it before
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and to think that
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you're going to
have different results.
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Well, I thought about
that is as our topic tonight is
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"praying outside the box".
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And I guess the
best place to begin is
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to say that a good
indicator of the value that
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we place on
something is the amount of time
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we devote to it.
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So let me ask, how
do you value prayer?
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Prayer is not something that
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we should just
put on our to-do list.
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Prayer should be
for the child of God
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as instinctive úas breathing
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because it is the
breath of the soul.
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And in our world of
dizzying distractions,
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every now and then
we just need to stop
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and we need to take,
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put a finger on
our spiritual pulse
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and see what is going on.
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And how do we put a
finger on our spiritual pulse?
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The amount of
time we spend in prayer
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and the amount of time
we spend in Bible study
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will tell us how
well we're doing, right.
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And when we find that
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we have negligence of prayer
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or when we have
misplaced priorities
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what does that
show us about our lives.
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To me it says that
we're not surrendered to God.
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So when you know that
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when you're not
spending enough time in prayer
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or you know that you--
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your priorities are
completely misplaced,
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then realize you're not walking
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in the power of God's surrender.
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We don't pray enough
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because we don't
recognize the joy of prayer,
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the joy of communicating,
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communing witha loving Father
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who's wanting to
guide us, who's wanting
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and willing to
give us all things.
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And so, we also
don't pray enough
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because we don't
recognize the power of God that
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is unleashed in prayer.
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I want us to
read three scriptures
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if you'll turn to
Matthew 21 and verse 22
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and I hope you at home
will get out your Bibles
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because, you
know, this is called
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"Wednesday
night prayer meeting."
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Prayer is more than
just us talking to God.
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It's listening to God.
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And the way we hear
from God is through His word.
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So what we're going to do is
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read three scriptures
just back to back here,
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and we'll come back and
revisit them in a moment.
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But listen to Matthew 21:22,
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these are Jesus
words and He says,
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"Whatever things
you ask in prayer,
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believing, you will receive."
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Whatever things
you ask in prayer,
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believing, you will receive.
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Now, turn to John
15:7, John 15 and verse 7.
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Again these are Jesus words.
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And in John 15, say
Amen if you're there. Okay.
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In John 15 and
verse 7, Jesus says,
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"If you abide in Me,
and My words abide in you,
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you will ask what you desire,
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and it shall be
done for you." All right.
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Turn to first John 5,
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First John chapter
5, verses 14 and 15.
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We're gonna come
back in a little bit.
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We'll come back and
unpack these scriptures,
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but I want to
show you something.
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First John 5, versus 14 and 15,
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and the Apostle
John echoes Jesus words.
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He says, "Now this
is the confidence that
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we have in Him,
that if we ask anything
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according to His
will, He hears us.
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And if we know that He hears us,
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whatever we ask, we know that
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we have the petitions
that we have asked of Him."
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Now just let me
repeat this, real quickly.
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Matthew 21:22 says,
"Whatever we ask in prayer,
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believing, we will receive."
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John 15:7 says, Jesus said,
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"If you abide in me
and my words abide in you,
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ask anything you desire,
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and you shall receive it."
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And then, here
John is telling us
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in 1 John 5:14 and 15 that
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the confidence
that we can have is that
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if we ask anything
according to God's will,
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whatever it is that
we ask, we will receive.
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Let me ask you, do
you believe that? You do.
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You know what I believe?
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I believe that we
believe it up here.
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I think it is purely
mental assent that we think.
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Yes, this is the word of God.
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We know the word of God is true.
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And so, we have it up here
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and we read it and we
say yes, but it's not here.
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You know why it's not here?
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I can tell you
because I can prove it.
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Why do we pray
such little prayers?
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Why do we pray
such small prayers?
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You know, these are
little boxed in prayers.
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We box God in.
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We limit God by our
little thoughts. Admit it.
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None of us know how to pray.
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Turn to Romans 8:26.
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That's a strong
statement to say that
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no one knows how to pray.
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Sometimes we'll hear people
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who sound so eloquent in prayer
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and they just
sound so beautiful.
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And a lot of
times there's not really
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any praying going on.
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It's just people talking
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and they're not really
knowing and seeking God.
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Romans 8:26, listen to this
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and I'll support that
statement of scripture
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'cause I got a few
funny looks when I said that.
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But here's what Paul
tells us in Romans 8:26.
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He says, "Likewise the Spirit
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also helps us in our weaknesses.
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For we do not know what
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we should pray for as
we ought" Paul saying here,
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"I don't know how to pray."
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He says "we" he doesn't say
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"You don't know how to pray."
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He says, "We
know not what to pray
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for as we ought,
but the Spirit himself
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makes intercession
for us with groanings,
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which cannot be uttered."
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We don't know how to pray.
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You know, we
don't know how to pray
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as it is necessary to pray.
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What God's been working
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in my heart is to
help me understand,
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we can't see the end from
the beginning like He does.
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So we don't know when
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we're asking for
a certain blessing
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for ourselves or
for someone else,
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we don't know if that's
really what's best for them.
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And in our
littleness and in our pride,
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we pray little
self-centered prayers
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with self-centered
plans, self-centered desires.
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We're always asking
God to bless our plans,
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rather than asking God
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to fulfill His plan
in our life for the day.
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You know, when
you think about it,
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why is there not more
power in the churches?
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Why is there not more
power in our Christian lives?
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I believe it's
because we haven't learned
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God's perfect plan and that
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is to be totally
dependent upon Him.
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To be totally dependent upon
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the Holy Spirit as Christ was.
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We need to be
delivered of our pride
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and our self will.
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James 4:6 says that,
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"God resists the proud,
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but He gives
grace to the humble."
00:12:19.80\00:12:22.97
And you know,
maybe that explains
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why there is not more
grace being poured out
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because it's difficult
to find truly humble people.
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But we need to
admit to ourselves that
00:12:31.45\00:12:33.28
we don't know how to pray
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and recognize our utter
helplessness without God.
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Humility in prayer is
what the Lord is looking for.
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That's what He's
looking for is for us
00:12:45.66\00:12:47.30
to come before
Him humbly in prayer
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and recognizing our dependence
00:12:50.47\00:12:52.57
upon the Holy Spirit.
00:12:52.60\00:12:54.30
You know, Jesus said in
Second Corinthians 12:9,
00:12:54.34\00:12:58.04
"My grace is sufficient for you.
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For My power is made
perfect in your weakness."
00:13:00.98\00:13:03.81
And I've just
finished a series that
00:13:03.85\00:13:07.08
taping over the
last couple of weeks.
00:13:07.12\00:13:09.58
And it's on grace and, you know,
00:13:09.62\00:13:12.59
the three
greatest gifts of grace.
00:13:12.62\00:13:15.39
What's the three
greatest gifts that
00:13:15.42\00:13:17.06
God has ever given
to human, humankind?
00:13:17.09\00:13:20.80
First, Jesus
Christ our Lord and Savior
00:13:20.83\00:13:24.60
and then the Holy
Spirit and the word of God.
00:13:24.63\00:13:27.60
And if we
recognize the gifts of grace,
00:13:27.64\00:13:30.11
we'll recognize
the effects of grace.
00:13:30.14\00:13:32.94
Grace gives us power
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when the life
of Christ is in us.
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When the Holy
Spirit dwells in our hearts
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and Christ lives in
our hearts by faith,
00:13:39.65\00:13:41.95
grace gives us power
and we should be like
00:13:41.98\00:13:44.89
Paul who, here he is
praying for deliverance
00:13:44.92\00:13:48.22
from something and Jesus says,
00:13:48.26\00:13:50.39
"No, my son, you don't know
00:13:50.43\00:13:52.83
how to pray as you ought.
00:13:52.86\00:13:54.36
I know that
00:13:54.36\00:13:55.66
you need this
thorn in your flesh.
00:13:55.70\00:13:58.07
It is going to
keep you secure in me"
00:13:58.10\00:14:02.07
And so, He says, "My
grace is sufficient for you."
00:14:02.10\00:14:06.68
And that thorn in the
flesh proved it to Paul that
00:14:06.71\00:14:09.51
the grace was
sufficient and that His power,
00:14:09.54\00:14:12.78
God's power would be
made perfect in his weakness.
00:14:12.81\00:14:16.18
And that's what
we need to recognize.
00:14:16.22\00:14:18.59
We need to be
like Paul who said,
00:14:18.62\00:14:20.26
"Oh! I glory in my weakness that
00:14:20.29\00:14:23.39
His power may rest upon me."
00:14:23.43\00:14:26.09
And we need to bring
this attitude to prayer.
00:14:26.13\00:14:29.76
You know there in
Romans 8:26 said that,
00:14:29.80\00:14:32.13
"The Spirit himself intercedes
00:14:32.17\00:14:35.24
with unspoken groanings."
00:14:35.27\00:14:38.21
Now a lot of
churches will teach that
00:14:38.24\00:14:41.44
this is praying in
tongues, but you know what?
00:14:41.48\00:14:44.61
The word is not
glossolalia there.
00:14:44.65\00:14:47.62
What the word
means in the Greek?
00:14:47.65\00:14:49.85
What it is saying is
that that this is a wordless,
00:14:49.88\00:14:55.09
heart-to-heart
communication with the Lord.
00:14:55.12\00:14:58.56
In words, there's sometimes
00:14:58.59\00:15:01.23
we agree that
in our own language
00:15:01.26\00:15:04.00
there are things
that we can't express
00:15:04.03\00:15:07.04
where the Holy
Spirit has this wordless
00:15:07.07\00:15:10.81
heart-to-heart communication.
00:15:10.84\00:15:12.57
He knows our hearts.
00:15:12.61\00:15:14.24
He knows God's heart and
he is so close to the Lord,
00:15:14.28\00:15:18.25
He is one with Him that
00:15:18.28\00:15:20.48
He prays this way for us,
00:15:20.52\00:15:23.39
the Holy Spirit is
our intercessor on earth
00:15:23.42\00:15:27.19
dwelling within us
00:15:27.22\00:15:29.09
just as Jesus Christ is
our intercessor in heaven.
00:15:29.12\00:15:32.96
You know the
greatest prayers that
00:15:32.99\00:15:34.83
I have ever prayed had been when
00:15:34.86\00:15:38.50
I freely admitted that
I didn't know how to pray.
00:15:38.53\00:15:43.07
And I would ask for
the spirits guidance.
00:15:43.10\00:15:45.71
And it's amazing when you ask
00:15:45.74\00:15:50.18
for the Holy
Spirit to help you pray
00:15:50.21\00:15:52.55
how it changes your prayer.
00:15:52.58\00:15:54.75
But I have to confess something.
00:15:54.78\00:15:57.12
They say
confessions good for the soul
00:15:57.15\00:15:59.52
and bad for the reputation.
00:15:59.55\00:16:02.06
I didn't recognize my own pride,
00:16:02.09\00:16:06.36
the pride of the
flesh in me until
00:16:06.39\00:16:09.26
God was showing
me how, you know,
00:16:09.30\00:16:11.80
I've considered
myself a prayer warrior,
00:16:11.83\00:16:13.90
other people will tell
you I'm a prayer warrior.
00:16:13.94\00:16:17.11
But I don't know how to
pray as I ought. None of us do.
00:16:17.14\00:16:21.88
And when we are praying without
00:16:21.91\00:16:25.11
first coming in that
humility to surrender to God
00:16:25.15\00:16:29.55
and ask the Holy
Spirit to guide the prayer,
00:16:29.58\00:16:32.79
we are not praying the
way God wants us to pray.
00:16:32.82\00:16:36.93
I remember once that
I was doing a meeting
00:16:36.96\00:16:40.76
and after this
meeting, a woman came up to me
00:16:40.80\00:16:43.53
and she said, I
need healing, sister.
00:16:43.57\00:16:46.07
I need healing.
00:16:46.10\00:16:47.44
You know, I've
got a lung condition.
00:16:47.47\00:16:50.17
It was, what is it
when you have? Emphysema.
00:16:50.21\00:16:55.01
I've got emphysema she
said, and I need healing.
00:16:55.04\00:16:58.18
And boy, if you know me,
you know I pray the promises.
00:16:58.21\00:17:01.75
So I began praying earnestly.
00:17:01.78\00:17:04.32
I mean, I've thought it
was effective fervent prayer.
00:17:04.35\00:17:07.26
I am praying the
promises over her.
00:17:07.29\00:17:10.76
I'm calling down
God's power for healing.
00:17:10.79\00:17:13.60
And you know what happens.
00:17:13.63\00:17:15.23
In the midst of this,
00:17:15.26\00:17:17.30
the still small
voice of the Lord impresses
00:17:17.33\00:17:19.63
this thought upon
my mind and He says,
00:17:19.67\00:17:22.24
"Who is this that
darkens my council
00:17:22.27\00:17:25.87
with words without wisdom?"
00:17:25.91\00:17:28.94
I'm pleading the promises.
00:17:28.98\00:17:30.81
And all of a
sudden then I stopped
00:17:30.85\00:17:32.81
and I backed up and I asked her.
00:17:32.85\00:17:35.32
I said, you
know, I need to ask you
00:17:35.35\00:17:37.59
a few questions before we pray
00:17:37.62\00:17:39.35
and we really need to
have the Holy Spirit to come in
00:17:39.39\00:17:42.36
and help us with this prayer.
00:17:42.39\00:17:44.29
And I asked her, I
said, are you still smoking?
00:17:44.33\00:17:49.60
And she said, yes.
00:17:49.63\00:17:53.23
And I told her, do you realize
00:17:53.27\00:17:55.37
we can't ask God to heal
00:17:55.40\00:17:57.91
you if you're doing
something to harm yourself?
00:17:57.94\00:18:02.38
We can't ask God to
bless what you're doing.
00:18:02.41\00:18:05.51
You've got, we've got to pray
00:18:05.55\00:18:07.28
for your
deliverance from smoking.
00:18:07.32\00:18:10.55
Does that make sense? Amen.
00:18:10.59\00:18:13.36
So what we need,
God wants us to get
00:18:13.39\00:18:17.03
to that place of
humility of recognizing that
00:18:17.06\00:18:21.16
we're absolutely
dependent upon Him
00:18:21.20\00:18:23.67
and then our prayers
won't be mere formalism.
00:18:23.70\00:18:28.44
They won't be
just vain babbling.
00:18:28.47\00:18:31.41
And what God was
showing me right there
00:18:31.44\00:18:33.38
with that woman
is that even pleading
00:18:33.41\00:18:35.94
the promises of God
can be vain babbling
00:18:35.98\00:18:38.91
if I'm not praying
according to God's will.
00:18:38.95\00:18:41.88
Is this making sense? Wow!
00:18:41.92\00:18:45.15
So earnest
heart-felt prayer will lead
00:18:45.19\00:18:48.72
to a dynamic
relationship with the Lord,
00:18:48.76\00:18:52.16
an intimate personal
relationship with God,
00:18:52.19\00:18:55.90
and God is wooing us.
00:18:55.93\00:18:58.20
He is wooing you by
the power of His love.
00:18:58.23\00:19:02.80
He is drawing you by
His everlasting love.
00:19:02.84\00:19:07.11
And as we draw closer to God,
00:19:07.14\00:19:09.88
God will draw nearer to us.
00:19:09.91\00:19:12.18
Turn to Jeremiah 29,
00:19:12.21\00:19:15.12
and you probably
know where I'm going.
00:19:15.15\00:19:18.19
While you're turning there,
00:19:18.22\00:19:19.32
I just want to take a
moment to recognize Jay McGrath,
00:19:19.35\00:19:23.56
oh, Jay Rosario, oh excuse me.
00:19:23.59\00:19:26.73
And Dan McGrath,
who are with us tonight
00:19:26.76\00:19:29.46
and who are taping,
00:19:29.50\00:19:31.10
here taping a new
series for engage.
00:19:31.13\00:19:33.70
We also wanna welcome
you, Mike Johnson. All right.
00:19:33.74\00:19:38.61
Jeremiah 29,
verses 11 through 14
00:19:38.64\00:19:42.91
and I hope you're
following long with us
00:19:42.94\00:19:44.85
at home in your Bibles.
00:19:44.88\00:19:48.02
So let's look at this
very familiar passage,
00:19:48.05\00:19:50.85
but I want to do something
a little bit different.
00:19:50.89\00:19:54.92
In Jeremiah
29:11-14. This is God speaking.
00:19:54.96\00:20:00.96
He says, "For I
know the thoughts that
00:20:01.00\00:20:02.83
I think toward
you, says the Lord,
00:20:02.86\00:20:05.10
thoughts of
peace and not of evil
00:20:05.13\00:20:06.90
to give you a future and a hope.
00:20:06.94\00:20:09.27
Then you will call upon
me and go and pray to me."
00:20:09.30\00:20:12.71
Let's stop. When? Wait a minute.
00:20:12.74\00:20:17.45
It just seems like this--
00:20:17.48\00:20:18.48
this whole verse should
be-- should be reversed.
00:20:18.51\00:20:22.98
He says, "I know
the thoughts that
00:20:23.02\00:20:24.45
I think toward
you, says the Lord,
00:20:24.49\00:20:25.85
thoughts of
peace and not of evil
00:20:25.89\00:20:27.46
to give you a future and a hope.
00:20:27.49\00:20:28.92
Then you will call upon me
and go and pray to me." When?
00:20:28.96\00:20:36.56
When we recognize that
00:20:36.60\00:20:38.23
God has a plan for our lives,
00:20:38.27\00:20:42.87
then we will go and pray to Him.
00:20:42.90\00:20:46.78
And when we recognize
and understand God's plan,
00:20:46.81\00:20:50.48
He goes on to say
I will listen to you,
00:20:50.51\00:20:53.11
you will seek Me and find Me,
00:20:53.15\00:20:54.65
when you search for
Me with all your heart,
00:20:54.68\00:20:56.99
I will be found by
you, says the Lord.
00:20:57.02\00:21:00.76
See when we
understand God's plan,
00:21:00.79\00:21:03.89
it will give us a
passion for His presence.
00:21:03.93\00:21:08.33
And when we have a
passion for His presence,
00:21:08.36\00:21:11.50
prayer becomes
something that is as natural
00:21:11.53\00:21:15.40
and instinctive as breathing.
00:21:15.44\00:21:17.44
And we will not come
in what we think is our--
00:21:17.47\00:21:23.55
we won't come in pride.
00:21:23.58\00:21:25.38
We will come in pure
humility before the Lord
00:21:25.41\00:21:28.08
and we will give Him,
acknowledge His presence
00:21:28.12\00:21:31.52
and give Him
His place in prayer.
00:21:31.55\00:21:35.12
Turn to Hebrews
5:7. Hebrews 5:7.
00:21:35.16\00:21:41.86
Prayer is a form of worship,
00:21:41.90\00:21:46.13
so we should approach
in reverent submission.
00:21:46.17\00:21:51.51
Jesus set the example for us
00:21:51.54\00:21:54.08
in Hebrews,
chapter 5 and verse 7.
00:21:54.11\00:21:58.48
And it says, who,
speaking of Christ,
00:21:58.51\00:22:02.52
in the days of His
flesh, His life here on earth,
00:22:02.55\00:22:06.99
when He had offered a
prayers and supplications
00:22:07.02\00:22:09.82
with vehement
cries and tears to Him
00:22:09.86\00:22:12.83
who was able to save
Him from death was heard
00:22:12.86\00:22:17.07
because of His godly
fear, his reverent submission.
00:22:17.10\00:22:22.80
This is God praying
to God, the same God,
00:22:22.84\00:22:27.98
Christ the Son
praying to the Father
00:22:28.01\00:22:30.65
in reverent submission when
00:22:30.68\00:22:33.62
He in His great agony as
He considered the trial that
00:22:33.65\00:22:38.95
He was about to face in Calvary.
00:22:38.99\00:22:41.29
The shame of
hanging naked on a cross.
00:22:41.32\00:22:45.43
The pain and humiliation.
00:22:45.46\00:22:48.06
The separation from His Father.
00:22:48.10\00:22:51.50
He was still
willing to do God's will.
00:22:51.53\00:22:56.20
And in times of trial what
00:22:56.24\00:22:58.57
we need to do is let the
obedience of Jesus Christ
00:22:58.61\00:23:03.35
encourage us
and the grace of God
00:23:03.38\00:23:06.21
sustain us just as it did Him.
00:23:06.25\00:23:09.12
We need to be like Jesus.
00:23:09.15\00:23:11.75
Here it says that He was hurt
00:23:11.79\00:23:14.29
because of His godly
fear, His reverent submission.
00:23:14.32\00:23:18.19
When we come before the Lord,
00:23:18.23\00:23:20.50
we need to pause to consider
who we're coming before.
00:23:20.53\00:23:25.13
And it is not only the
holy God of the universe,
00:23:25.17\00:23:30.07
the creator, but He
is our Abba, our Father.
00:23:30.11\00:23:35.24
Please turn
to--well, let's--we're gonna--
00:23:35.28\00:23:39.01
I'm running a little
low, so let me just low--
00:23:39.05\00:23:41.45
I'm running a little long,
00:23:41.48\00:23:42.58
so let me just
read this one to you.
00:23:42.62\00:23:45.55
Christ redeemed us.
00:23:45.59\00:23:47.92
God redeemed us by
sending Christ that
00:23:47.96\00:23:50.26
we might receive
adoptions as sons.
00:23:50.29\00:23:54.10
And Galatians 4:6
says, because you are sons.
00:23:54.13\00:23:59.73
God has sent forth
the spirit of His son
00:23:59.77\00:24:02.10
into our hearts,
crying out, Abba! Father!
00:24:02.14\00:24:06.01
Now "Abba" is an Aramaic term
00:24:06.04\00:24:08.64
that has a very intimate term.
00:24:08.68\00:24:11.25
It's a term for Father.
00:24:11.28\00:24:13.98
But it means
something like papa or daddy.
00:24:14.02\00:24:17.55
And, you know, what?
This is really interesting.
00:24:17.59\00:24:20.32
Roman law if you
were-- it didn't matter
00:24:20.36\00:24:24.33
if you were formally a slave,
00:24:24.36\00:24:27.00
if you were
adopted by a Roman man,
00:24:27.03\00:24:33.44
you had full rights,
guaranteed a full rights
00:24:33.47\00:24:37.77
to your portion
of the inheritance.
00:24:37.81\00:24:40.38
An equal portion
of the inheritance,
00:24:40.41\00:24:43.04
did it matter, you
were-- there were no second--
00:24:43.08\00:24:45.98
if you were adopted you
were not a second class son.
00:24:46.01\00:24:49.15
You had full, equal,
00:24:49.18\00:24:52.79
whether you are
biological or adopted,
00:24:52.82\00:24:54.66
you had equal rights.
00:24:54.69\00:24:56.42
So our full identity as
adopted children of God,
00:24:56.46\00:25:02.73
do you realize that
we share with Jesus,
00:25:02.76\00:25:06.87
all the rights
to God's resources,
00:25:06.90\00:25:10.14
isn't that exciting?
00:25:10.17\00:25:11.67
So as God's heirs, we
can claim the promises.
00:25:11.71\00:25:16.18
Second Corinthians 1:20 says,
00:25:16.21\00:25:17.51
all of those promises are ours.
00:25:17.55\00:25:19.48
But we have to remember this
00:25:19.51\00:25:21.12
and we're gonna
get to that is that
00:25:21.15\00:25:22.95
the promises are conditional.
00:25:22.98\00:25:26.19
God's love is unconditional,
but promises are conditional.
00:25:26.22\00:25:30.09
Now Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 4:16,
00:25:30.13\00:25:37.57
"Our approach to
God is through prayer."
00:25:37.60\00:25:41.54
And Hebrews 4:16 says,
00:25:41.57\00:25:44.04
"Let us therefore come boldly
to the throne of grace that
00:25:44.07\00:25:49.04
we may obtain
mercy and find grace
00:25:49.08\00:25:52.65
to help in our time of need."
00:25:52.68\00:25:54.85
Grace that we
might find Jesus Christ,
00:25:54.88\00:25:58.82
the Holy Spirit,
the word, the power,
00:25:58.85\00:26:02.32
God's supernatural
power for salvation.
00:26:02.36\00:26:05.19
His divine assistance.
00:26:05.23\00:26:06.93
So we should come with reverence
00:26:06.96\00:26:09.60
because He is the holy God.
00:26:09.63\00:26:13.00
But we don't need to come
00:26:13.03\00:26:14.40
with our heads hung down low
00:26:14.44\00:26:17.21
because He is our Abba, Father.
00:26:17.24\00:26:20.38
And we also
need to remember that
00:26:20.41\00:26:22.71
when we come before the
Lord, don't come flippantly.
00:26:22.74\00:26:27.02
When you approach
the throne of grace,
00:26:27.05\00:26:30.22
I don't care if you're
just saying thank you at a meal.
00:26:30.25\00:26:32.99
When you approach
God's throne of grace,
00:26:33.02\00:26:36.59
you are walking on holy ground.
00:26:36.62\00:26:39.53
So turn to
Psalms 105, Psalms 105.
00:26:39.56\00:26:45.43
We need to come
to seek His face,
00:26:45.47\00:26:48.67
not just His hand.
00:26:48.70\00:26:50.47
We don't wanna
rush into His presence
00:26:50.51\00:26:52.74
with a laundry list of requests.
00:26:52.77\00:26:55.94
We need to be still before God.
00:26:55.98\00:26:58.38
We need to want more of God.
00:26:58.41\00:27:00.92
That's what prayer is all about.
00:27:00.95\00:27:03.22
And we need to give
God His place in prayer.
00:27:03.25\00:27:07.12
We should come with a
humble worshiping heart
00:27:07.16\00:27:11.89
that is willing to wait for God.
00:27:11.93\00:27:13.66
Psalms 105, verse 4 says this,
00:27:13.70\00:27:18.07
"Seek the Lord and His strength,
00:27:18.10\00:27:20.47
seek His face forevermore."
00:27:20.50\00:27:24.24
You know, David wrote Psalms 27,
00:27:24.27\00:27:26.51
you might wanna
jot this one down.
00:27:26.54\00:27:27.88
Psalms 27:7 and 8, he said,
00:27:27.91\00:27:31.05
"Hear, O' Lord,
when I cry with my voice,
00:27:31.08\00:27:33.88
have mercy upon
me and answer me.
00:27:33.92\00:27:35.98
When you said, "seek my face,"
00:27:36.02\00:27:38.82
I said, Lord,
your face, I will seek.
00:27:38.85\00:27:43.53
To seek His face is in
the context of worship.
00:27:43.56\00:27:48.93
This is
complete devotion to God.
00:27:48.96\00:27:51.27
And if we start with an
earnest desire to know God
00:27:51.30\00:27:56.30
and His will that's what
00:27:56.34\00:27:58.71
eternal salvation
is all about, isn't it?
00:27:58.74\00:28:01.88
Jesus said in John 17:3,
00:28:01.91\00:28:04.18
"This is eternal
life that you may know Him
00:28:04.21\00:28:09.92
and the one whom He sent."
00:28:09.95\00:28:12.55
See, we come in our
prayers so often to say
00:28:12.59\00:28:17.33
God bless so and so.
00:28:17.36\00:28:19.03
Bless this one. Bless my child.
00:28:19.06\00:28:21.10
Bless me. Do this.
00:28:21.13\00:28:23.03
Help us to pay the mortgage.
00:28:23.06\00:28:25.33
And God is saying,
Come here my child,
00:28:25.37\00:28:29.04
I want you to draw near to me,
00:28:29.07\00:28:31.64
to sit at my feet,
let me talk with you,
00:28:31.67\00:28:34.18
get to know me,
and when you know me,
00:28:34.21\00:28:37.35
when you-- if
we could even begin
00:28:37.38\00:28:39.81
to fathom the depth
of God's love, the width,
00:28:39.85\00:28:43.85
the length, the height,
the depth of God's love,
00:28:43.89\00:28:46.15
we don't understand it.
00:28:46.19\00:28:47.92
Divine love has no equal.
00:28:47.96\00:28:50.39
And there is no way
for us to understand it,
00:28:50.43\00:28:52.69
but God is saying, I'm
trying to reveal myself to you.
00:28:52.73\00:28:56.53
I wanna show you
how much I love you.
00:28:56.56\00:28:58.97
Come get to know me
00:28:59.00\00:29:00.07
and then you'll
understand better how to pray.
00:29:00.10\00:29:03.84
We come with bold assurance
00:29:03.87\00:29:05.91
because He is our Abba, Father.
00:29:05.94\00:29:09.11
Now turn if you
will to Psalms 63.
00:29:09.14\00:29:16.05
To really have
effective fervent prayer,
00:29:18.12\00:29:21.82
to pray outside of the box,
00:29:21.86\00:29:24.06
it requires pressing in
to find joy in His presence.
00:29:24.09\00:29:28.33
And I want to
say to you at home.
00:29:28.36\00:29:30.63
If you feel that your
prayers are not being answered,
00:29:30.67\00:29:35.67
persist in prayer
to get to know God.
00:29:35.70\00:29:39.37
Hebrews 11:6 promises that
00:29:39.41\00:29:41.84
God is a rewarder of
those who earnestly seek Him,
00:29:41.88\00:29:45.85
and Jesus said
that in Luke 11:9 that
00:29:45.88\00:29:48.88
if we will ask
and seek and knock,
00:29:48.92\00:29:52.92
we will find the answer.
00:29:52.95\00:29:54.92
So we want to come with
an intense and sincere effort
00:29:54.96\00:30:00.16
not just a sentimental effort.
00:30:00.20\00:30:02.23
We wanna come
early, seek earnestly
00:30:02.26\00:30:05.50
and don't give God leftovers
just at the end of the day.
00:30:05.53\00:30:09.40
Let's read Psalms 63.
00:30:09.44\00:30:12.34
We're gonna read verses 1"4
00:30:12.37\00:30:14.58
if you're following us at home.
00:30:14.61\00:30:16.44
Oh, God, you are my God.
00:30:16.48\00:30:18.81
Early will I seek you,
my soul thirsts for you,
00:30:18.85\00:30:21.55
my flesh longs for you
in a dry and thirsty land
00:30:21.58\00:30:25.25
where there is no water.
00:30:25.29\00:30:27.39
Can we identify
with that? Mercy.
00:30:27.42\00:30:31.09
Spiritually we
live in a dry land.
00:30:31.13\00:30:34.23
This picture is
a prolonged drought
00:30:34.30\00:30:36.40
where your tongue cleaves
to the roof of your mouth
00:30:36.43\00:30:39.17
and nothing can
refresh, but the water of life.
00:30:39.20\00:30:44.11
Oh, I feel that why so
often when I come to prayer.
00:30:44.14\00:30:47.01
It's like
nothing can refresh me,
00:30:47.04\00:30:49.61
but the living water
that God has to give me.
00:30:49.64\00:30:52.51
And He says, so I looked for you
00:30:52.55\00:30:54.78
in the sanctuary to see
your power and your glory.
00:30:54.82\00:30:58.45
Because your loving
kindness is better than life,
00:30:58.49\00:31:03.36
your love is
better than life, Lord.
00:31:03.39\00:31:06.49
My lips shall praise you.
00:31:06.53\00:31:08.70
Thus I will
bless you while I live.
00:31:08.73\00:31:11.20
I will lift up my
hands in your name.
00:31:11.23\00:31:15.17
Oh! Let that be our heart cry.
00:31:15.20\00:31:18.54
When we get up in the morning,
00:31:18.57\00:31:19.91
we need to say, oh,
Lord, I long for you.
00:31:19.94\00:31:23.14
I need you. I am thirsty.
00:31:23.18\00:31:25.88
My tongue is clinging to
the roof of my--my mouth.
00:31:25.91\00:31:30.32
I need you,
Father. I want more of you.
00:31:30.35\00:31:33.79
And that's a prayer that
God is anxious to answer.
00:31:33.82\00:31:37.19
Now if you will quickly,
let's turn to 1 Kings 18
00:31:37.23\00:31:40.53
'cause I want to
show you something
00:31:40.56\00:31:42.33
about persistent intense
prayer, a sincere prayer.
00:31:42.36\00:31:49.37
In First Kings in Chapter 18,
00:31:49.40\00:31:54.14
let's look at
verses 41 through 45.
00:31:54.18\00:31:58.38
First Kings 18 and
we'll begin with verse 41.
00:31:58.41\00:32:03.28
Then Elijah said to
Ahab, "go up, eat and drink,
00:32:03.32\00:32:07.59
for there is the
sound of abundance of rain."
00:32:07.62\00:32:10.89
Let me stop right there.
00:32:10.93\00:32:12.96
That's a prophetic statement.
00:32:12.99\00:32:15.16
There's not a cloud in the sky.
00:32:15.20\00:32:17.83
So Elijah is talking to king,
00:32:17.87\00:32:19.53
the wicked king,
Ahab who is married to
00:32:19.57\00:32:21.44
the even more
wicked Queen, Jezebel.
00:32:21.47\00:32:24.11
And he says, hey, go on
up there and eat and drink,
00:32:24.14\00:32:27.04
but there is a sound
of abundance of rain.
00:32:27.08\00:32:29.51
So, verse 42, Ahab
went up to eat and drink.
00:32:29.54\00:32:33.55
And Elijah went up
to the top of Carmel,
00:32:33.58\00:32:37.79
then he bowed
down on the ground,
00:32:37.82\00:32:39.55
and put his face
between his knees
00:32:39.59\00:32:41.12
and he said to his
servant, go up now,
00:32:41.16\00:32:44.26
look toward the sea.
00:32:44.29\00:32:45.83
So he, the
servant, went up and looked
00:32:45.86\00:32:47.66
and he came back and
said there is nothing.
00:32:47.66\00:32:50.50
And seven times
he said, go again.
00:32:50.53\00:32:54.67
Then it shall came to
pass the seventh time that
00:32:54.70\00:32:58.81
the servant says to
him, there is a cloud,
00:32:58.84\00:33:01.94
as small as a man's
hand, rising out of the sea.
00:33:01.98\00:33:06.31
So Elijah said, go
up to Ahab, say to Ahab,
00:33:06.35\00:33:09.58
prepare your chariot and go down
00:33:09.62\00:33:12.45
before the rain stops you.
00:33:12.49\00:33:14.56
Now what happened
in the meantime that
00:33:14.59\00:33:16.99
the sky became
black with clouds and wind
00:33:17.03\00:33:19.89
and there was a heavy rain.
00:33:19.93\00:33:22.43
The coming of the rain was
the result of earnest prayer,
00:33:22.46\00:33:28.40
praying with his
face to the ground
00:33:28.44\00:33:31.54
between his
knees, earnest prayer.
00:33:31.57\00:33:34.54
I mean, he was
speaking and saying,
00:33:34.58\00:33:37.01
hey, there's the
sound of abundance of rain
00:33:37.05\00:33:39.98
and there was no rain.
00:33:40.02\00:33:41.15
God must've told him or he
just spoke it prophetically.
00:33:41.18\00:33:45.75
But he prayed in the rain.
00:33:45.79\00:33:48.42
The effectual, fervent prayer
00:33:48.46\00:33:51.83
of a righteous man avails much.
00:33:51.86\00:33:55.30
That's what James
says in 5 and verse 16.
00:33:55.33\00:33:58.53
And I wanna tell
you, all prophets,
00:33:58.57\00:34:01.17
preachers and praying mummers
00:34:01.20\00:34:03.97
who have moved
their generation for God,
00:34:04.01\00:34:06.84
have been
people of great prayer.
00:34:06.88\00:34:10.75
People who found
God's power through prayer
00:34:10.78\00:34:14.35
and that is the
way they've done it.
00:34:14.38\00:34:17.69
That is the most
powerful weapon that
00:34:17.72\00:34:20.19
we have and those
who have fully developed
00:34:20.22\00:34:22.99
Christ's character
and those who've done
00:34:23.02\00:34:26.59
the most for the Christian world
00:34:26.63\00:34:30.20
and the
advancement of Christianity.
00:34:30.23\00:34:32.47
They've all one notable
feature of all of their lives
00:34:32.50\00:34:35.27
has been that they
were people of prayer.
00:34:35.30\00:34:38.61
Now let's revisit
our three scriptures.
00:34:38.64\00:34:42.44
Let's look at Matthew 21:22
00:34:42.48\00:34:46.05
because when we started
this, we said, do we believe it?
00:34:46.08\00:34:52.19
I think that we're praying
00:34:52.22\00:34:54.32
we limit God
with our littleness.
00:34:54.36\00:34:58.79
You know, we think
so much of ourselves,
00:34:58.83\00:35:00.96
but do you realize that
even the human intellect
00:35:01.00\00:35:03.93
has been defiled by sin.
00:35:03.97\00:35:06.13
I mean if we're not walking
in absolute surrender to God
00:35:06.17\00:35:09.54
filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:35:09.57\00:35:10.91
if it's not the Holy
Spirit working for us,
00:35:10.94\00:35:12.97
there is really
nothing good in us, is there.
00:35:13.01\00:35:15.64
Matthew 21:22, Jesus said,
00:35:15.68\00:35:19.21
whatever things
you ask in prayer.
00:35:19.25\00:35:22.98
How broad is "whatever"?
00:35:23.02\00:35:25.19
That's pretty
comprehensive, isn't it?
00:35:25.22\00:35:27.69
Whatever things
you ask in prayer,
00:35:27.72\00:35:30.36
believing, you
will receive. All right.
00:35:30.39\00:35:34.73
That's comprehensive,
00:35:34.73\00:35:36.03
but it's
conditional on a promise.
00:35:36.06\00:35:38.40
So what is the
condition? Believing.
00:35:38.43\00:35:43.77
We must pray and
employ the faith factor.
00:35:43.81\00:35:49.01
We must absolutely believe,
00:35:49.04\00:35:53.28
but we have to have
a basis for believing.
00:35:53.31\00:35:56.89
You know, I knew
a woman in college,
00:35:56.92\00:36:01.32
a young woman who is
madly in love with a senator.
00:36:01.36\00:36:06.63
Now this woman was
very active Christian.
00:36:06.66\00:36:09.26
And she--I, we roomed
together for a little while.
00:36:09.30\00:36:12.43
And she had her
prayer an hour every morning.
00:36:12.47\00:36:15.27
You didn't dare speak to her.
00:36:15.30\00:36:16.77
She always do at the living room
00:36:16.81\00:36:17.84
and I have to sneak past her
00:36:17.87\00:36:19.84
because she didn't speak,
00:36:19.87\00:36:21.31
didn't even say hello or wave.
00:36:21.34\00:36:22.74
She was very
dedicated to that prayer.
00:36:22.78\00:36:26.08
But she got in her mind that
00:36:26.11\00:36:27.92
she was gonna marry the senator,
00:36:27.95\00:36:30.15
who was already
married by the way.
00:36:30.19\00:36:33.82
And she prayed and she prayed
00:36:33.86\00:36:35.32
and she prayed and I'm--
00:36:35.36\00:36:36.83
and it's like, are you nuts?
00:36:36.86\00:36:39.46
We, you know, we
had to have a basis,
00:36:39.49\00:36:42.56
I mean, she believed it.
00:36:42.60\00:36:44.23
So when Jesus
says whatever things
00:36:44.27\00:36:46.13
you asked in prayer believing,
00:36:46.17\00:36:48.47
He's not talking
about what you believe.
00:36:48.50\00:36:53.34
What is the basis
for our believing?
00:36:53.38\00:36:57.25
The word of
God. The word of God.
00:36:57.28\00:36:59.75
It has to be.
00:36:59.78\00:37:00.82
You cannot ask for anything that
00:37:00.85\00:37:03.52
violates the principle that
00:37:03.55\00:37:04.99
God lays down in His
word and expect to receive it.
00:37:05.02\00:37:08.66
Can we? No.
00:37:08.69\00:37:10.49
So we have to have
a basis for believing.
00:37:10.53\00:37:15.06
We've got to know the words that
00:37:15.10\00:37:16.97
we're praying in harmony.
00:37:17.00\00:37:19.37
You know what I say little
word, how does faith come.
00:37:19.40\00:37:23.27
Romans 10:17,
"faith comes by hearing
00:37:23.30\00:37:26.47
and hearing by the word of God."
00:37:26.51\00:37:29.28
Little word, little faith.
Little faith, little prayers.
00:37:29.31\00:37:35.48
We must know and believe that
00:37:35.52\00:37:39.29
Ephesians 3:21
where it says that
00:37:39.32\00:37:41.76
God is able to do exceedingly,
abundantly beyond anything
00:37:41.79\00:37:46.33
we could ask or think
00:37:46.36\00:37:47.60
according to the power
that is at work within us.
00:37:47.60\00:37:51.07
What is the power
that's at work within us?
00:37:51.10\00:37:53.80
The Holy Spirit.
00:37:53.84\00:37:56.44
But James says,
he adds to this that
00:37:56.47\00:38:00.24
he says in James
1:6:8, "let him ask in faith,
00:38:00.28\00:38:04.21
with no
doubting, for he who doubts
00:38:04.25\00:38:06.98
is like a wave of
the sea that is tossed
00:38:07.02\00:38:10.12
and driven by the wind.
00:38:10.15\00:38:11.42
Let not that man suppose
he will receive anything."
00:38:11.45\00:38:16.09
He is a double-minded
man, unstable in all he does.
00:38:16.12\00:38:20.16
When we pray we've to
have a basis for the prayer,
00:38:20.20\00:38:24.47
knowing the principles of God,
00:38:24.50\00:38:26.23
the word of God and we
have to pray using faith.
00:38:26.27\00:38:30.57
And when we do that
00:38:30.61\00:38:31.77
we remember
prayer is the vehicle,
00:38:31.81\00:38:34.64
but faith is the fuel.
00:38:34.68\00:38:38.01
And that's--it takes both to
reach our desired destination.
00:38:38.05\00:38:45.45
Without faith,
00:38:45.49\00:38:46.72
it is impossible
to please the Lord.
00:38:46.76\00:38:52.29
So let's look at John 15:7.
00:38:52.33\00:38:54.83
Our time is going by quickly.
00:38:54.83\00:39:00.47
And for those
of you at home that
00:39:00.50\00:39:01.67
was Hebrews 11:6, without faith,
00:39:01.70\00:39:03.71
it is impossible to please God
00:39:03.74\00:39:06.21
because he who comes
to God must believe that
00:39:06.24\00:39:09.48
He exists and that He
is a rewarder of those
00:39:09.51\00:39:12.81
who diligently
seek Him. All right.
00:39:12.85\00:39:15.85
Let's look at John 15:5, again
00:39:15.88\00:39:19.62
we've got a comprehensive
promise and a condition.
00:39:19.65\00:39:24.29
"If you abide in me
and my words abide in you,
00:39:24.33\00:39:28.56
you will ask what you desire
00:39:28.60\00:39:31.37
and it shall be done for you."
00:39:31.40\00:39:33.40
How comprehensive is that?
00:39:33.44\00:39:36.71
Well, Ask what we desire.
00:39:36.74\00:39:39.14
What's the
condition? What's the condition?
00:39:39.17\00:39:42.58
"If you abide in me
and my words abide in you,"
00:39:42.61\00:39:48.08
that means we've got
to be living in Christ.
00:39:48.12\00:39:51.89
Believing in Christ is
to be living in Christ.
00:39:51.92\00:39:56.76
And we've got to have
His word in our heart.
00:39:56.79\00:40:00.03
You know, a lot of
people really get nervous
00:40:00.06\00:40:03.10
when we start preaching on what
00:40:03.13\00:40:06.13
Jesus said about prayer.
00:40:06.17\00:40:09.97
Because they think
of Psalms 37 verse 4,
00:40:10.01\00:40:13.61
and--and unfortunately
in Psalms 37 verse 4,
00:40:13.64\00:40:17.51
it says that, "God will give you
00:40:17.55\00:40:19.48
the desires of your heart."
00:40:19.51\00:40:21.72
Oh, boy, and have--
had some denominations
00:40:21.75\00:40:26.02
had a feel that
they would with that.
00:40:26.05\00:40:28.36
But, you know, they don't
quote the whole scriptures.
00:40:28.39\00:40:31.09
It says in Psalms 37, verse 4,
00:40:31.13\00:40:34.93
"Delight yourself
also in the Lord."
00:40:34.93\00:40:38.50
There's the condition.
00:40:38.53\00:40:40.57
Then He will give you
the desires of your heart.
00:40:40.60\00:40:43.20
See when we delight,
00:40:43.24\00:40:44.77
when we find our delight in God,
00:40:44.81\00:40:47.54
you know what happens?
00:40:47.58\00:40:49.14
He lines our
desires up with His desires.
00:40:49.18\00:40:53.48
And we--if we find
our delight in Him,
00:40:53.52\00:40:56.79
we want His will to be done.
00:40:56.82\00:40:58.95
So our desires
are lined up with His
00:40:58.99\00:41:01.76
and we pray for His will.
00:41:01.79\00:41:04.46
And we--His desires become ours
00:41:04.49\00:41:07.66
and then
naturally He would give us
00:41:07.66\00:41:10.37
anything desires of our heart.
00:41:10.40\00:41:13.30
So that condition
is, first we've got to--
00:41:13.34\00:41:17.21
we look, we have to
employ the faith factor.
00:41:17.24\00:41:19.87
Secondly, we
must abide in Christ
00:41:19.91\00:41:22.58
with His word abiding in us.
00:41:22.61\00:41:23.95
Let's look at First
John 5:14 and 15 again.
00:41:23.98\00:41:28.82
First John, chapter 5
and this is verse 14 and 15.
00:41:28.85\00:41:35.99
We have to pray
according to the will of God.
00:41:40.40\00:41:46.87
John writes, "Now
this is the confidence that
00:41:46.90\00:41:49.74
we have in Him,
that if we ask anything
00:41:49.77\00:41:52.91
according to His
will, He hears us."
00:41:52.94\00:41:56.01
How
comprehensive is this. Listen.
00:41:56.04\00:41:58.91
"And if we know that He
hears us whatever we ask,
00:41:58.95\00:42:02.98
we know that we
have the petitions that
00:42:03.02\00:42:05.62
we have asked of Him." Wow.
00:42:05.65\00:42:10.66
If we ask anything, what
is-- what is the condition here?
00:42:10.69\00:42:15.66
According to His will
00:42:15.70\00:42:17.87
when our prayers
align with God's will,
00:42:17.90\00:42:22.40
He hears and grants our request.
00:42:22.44\00:42:25.24
We can have
communication confidence
00:42:25.27\00:42:27.51
as we come before Him,
00:42:27.54\00:42:29.01
but we must remember that
00:42:29.04\00:42:31.28
it has to be in
submission to His will.
00:42:31.31\00:42:35.08
You know, Luke
22:42, Jesus said,
00:42:35.12\00:42:38.42
"Oh, Father, if it's possible
let this cup pass from me,
00:42:38.45\00:42:42.99
yet not My will,
but Yours be done."
00:42:43.02\00:42:46.23
He was facing the
agony of the cross,
00:42:46.26\00:42:50.47
the shame of
hanging naked on the cross,
00:42:50.50\00:42:53.74
and Jesus shows us here that
00:42:53.77\00:42:56.87
He had a very
real personal struggle
00:42:56.91\00:43:00.21
in the garden of Gethsemane.
00:43:00.24\00:43:02.61
I think this verse,
Luke 22:42 demonstrates,
00:43:02.64\00:43:06.45
it's okay if we
express our true feelings
00:43:06.48\00:43:09.15
to God in prayer, He
knows our hearts anyway.
00:43:09.18\00:43:13.19
He knows our thoughts anyway.
00:43:13.22\00:43:15.49
But the Christ who
came His total focus
00:43:15.52\00:43:20.16
while He was on earth was to
do the pleasure of God's will
00:43:20.20\00:43:25.20
and our struggle
will only be resolved
00:43:25.23\00:43:28.47
when we become like Christ
00:43:28.50\00:43:29.90
and are willing
to do God's will.
00:43:29.94\00:43:34.08
Christ life was one of
absolute trust in the Father.
00:43:34.11\00:43:38.85
His life was one of absolute
obedience to the Father,
00:43:38.88\00:43:44.19
of absolute
dependence upon the Father.
00:43:44.22\00:43:48.56
And He lived a life
of absolute humility.
00:43:48.59\00:43:52.26
Should we do anything less?
00:43:52.29\00:43:54.96
Jesus said, "I only say what
00:43:55.00\00:43:57.23
the Father tells me to say.
00:43:57.27\00:43:58.60
I only do what He
shows Me to do." Right.
00:43:58.63\00:44:01.14
Or what I know He is doing.
00:44:01.17\00:44:03.54
So if He can be that
humble from His humble birth,
00:44:03.57\00:44:08.48
He lived for nothing,
00:44:08.51\00:44:10.78
but to do God's will
even to the point of becoming
00:44:10.81\00:44:15.78
obedient and experiencing
00:44:15.82\00:44:19.29
humiliation of
death on the cross.
00:44:19.32\00:44:22.02
Now, I want to add.
00:44:22.06\00:44:23.56
We've got enough
time, I was hoping we would.
00:44:23.59\00:44:25.99
I wanna add to
our three scriptures.
00:44:26.03\00:44:28.76
Let's turn to I John chapter 3.
00:44:28.80\00:44:32.80
I John chapter
3, verses 21 and 22,
00:44:32.83\00:44:38.77
because this is another
condition for answered prayer
00:44:38.81\00:44:42.34
and we've got to start
praying outside the box.
00:44:42.38\00:44:46.75
We need to pray bigger prayers.
00:44:46.78\00:44:48.72
We need to rely
on the Holy Spirit,
00:44:48.75\00:44:51.42
but first we've
got to understand
00:44:51.45\00:44:54.49
how our prayers
will be answered.
00:44:54.52\00:44:56.89
I John 3:21 and 22,
00:44:56.93\00:45:00.60
"Beloved, if our
heart does not condemn us,
00:45:00.63\00:45:03.97
we have confidence toward God."
00:45:04.00\00:45:07.27
What he's saying is when
our consciences are clear,
00:45:07.30\00:45:10.54
we can come to the
heavenly Father without fear.
00:45:10.57\00:45:14.51
And we can be confident
that He hears our request.
00:45:14.54\00:45:18.05
And look at verse 22,
00:45:18.08\00:45:19.95
"Whatever we ask
we receive from Him."
00:45:19.98\00:45:25.02
How comprehensive is that?
00:45:25.05\00:45:27.49
I don't think
he's left anything out.
00:45:27.52\00:45:30.43
"Because we
keep His commandments
00:45:30.46\00:45:33.50
and do those things that
are pleasing in His sight."
00:45:33.53\00:45:36.87
"Whatever we ask
we receive from Him,
00:45:36.90\00:45:39.97
because we keep His commandments
00:45:40.00\00:45:42.40
and do that which is
pleasing in His sight."
00:45:42.44\00:45:46.21
So, we see the
comprehensive part, whatever.
00:45:46.24\00:45:50.05
What's--what's the condition?
Keeping His commandments.
00:45:50.08\00:45:55.22
God responds to
His obedient children.
00:45:55.25\00:45:59.55
Have you ever felt that
God didn't hear your prayers?
00:45:59.59\00:46:02.76
Are you praying in
reverent submission
00:46:02.79\00:46:05.83
willing to do God's will?
00:46:05.86\00:46:08.23
We've got to get to
that point where we are.
00:46:08.26\00:46:12.27
Jesus said in John 15:10 and 11,
00:46:12.30\00:46:15.40
"If you keep My commandments,
you will abide in My love,
00:46:15.44\00:46:19.51
just as I have kept
My Father's commandments
00:46:19.54\00:46:22.28
and abide in His love."
00:46:22.31\00:46:24.71
He said, 'These things
I have spoken to you that
00:46:24.75\00:46:26.61
your joy may remain
and it may be full."
00:46:26.65\00:46:32.52
Obedience is a
source of true joy.
00:46:32.55\00:46:36.32
It's not doom and gloom.
00:46:36.36\00:46:37.79
Obedience is the
pathway to God's blessings.
00:46:37.83\00:46:41.30
In Hebrews 10:36, I
do want you to turn there
00:46:41.33\00:46:44.33
because so many people
00:46:44.37\00:46:45.67
don't-- don't know
about the scripture.
00:46:45.70\00:46:48.84
When I mention it I want you
00:46:48.87\00:46:50.37
to put a little star by
there, if you underline--
00:46:50.41\00:46:52.81
underline this
because Hebrews 10:36
00:46:52.84\00:46:56.58
is crucial for us
to understand that
00:46:56.61\00:46:59.45
we must walk in obedience
to receive the promises of God.
00:46:59.48\00:47:03.92
And the author writes,
00:47:03.95\00:47:04.99
"For you've need of endurance,
00:47:05.02\00:47:07.76
so that after you
have done the will of God
00:47:07.79\00:47:12.63
you may receive the promise."
00:47:12.66\00:47:15.10
What comes first,
the promise or obedience?
00:47:15.13\00:47:19.03
Obedience. Your obedience.
00:47:19.07\00:47:21.87
You have need of endurance,
00:47:21.90\00:47:23.17
so that after you
had done the will of God
00:47:23.20\00:47:26.57
you may receive the promise.
00:47:26.61\00:47:30.58
And of course, we can
count not only are we praying
00:47:30.61\00:47:37.05
with the Holy Spirit as
our intercessor on earth,
00:47:37.09\00:47:41.72
but turn to
Hebrews 7 and verse 25.
00:47:41.76\00:47:46.90
Hebrews 7 and verse 25.
00:47:46.93\00:47:50.17
In Hebrews 7, it says,
talking-referring to Jesus,
00:47:57.07\00:48:02.78
"Therefore He is able
also to save to the uttermost
00:48:02.81\00:48:07.42
those who come
to God through Him,
00:48:07.45\00:48:10.09
since He always lives to
make intercession for them."
00:48:10.12\00:48:15.52
You've got an
intercessor on earth
00:48:15.56\00:48:17.33
who dwells within you if
the Holy Spirit is in you.
00:48:17.36\00:48:20.33
And you have an
intercessor in heaven who cries.
00:48:20.36\00:48:24.47
Do you realize that
the ministry of our risen
00:48:24.50\00:48:27.27
and exalted Savior
is intercessory prayer?
00:48:27.30\00:48:31.71
I had a lady once who called me
00:48:31.74\00:48:33.38
and she'd been a missionary
and she was 91 years old, 91.
00:48:33.41\00:48:38.38
And she said, Oh honey,
I pray for you everyday.
00:48:38.41\00:48:42.75
I love your
program exalting His word
00:48:42.78\00:48:45.35
and I pray for you everyday,
00:48:45.39\00:48:46.69
in fact I pray for
everybody at 3ABN everyday.
00:48:46.72\00:48:49.96
And then she was
talking about her prayer life
00:48:49.99\00:48:52.49
and then pretty
soon, she just chokes up
00:48:52.53\00:48:55.10
and she says to me,
"I'm in this nursing home
00:48:55.13\00:48:58.50
and I--I've
lived my life for God,
00:48:58.53\00:49:01.50
but now there is
nothing I can do.
00:49:01.54\00:49:04.47
I can't do ministry anymore.
00:49:04.51\00:49:07.38
And I said, now you told me that
00:49:07.41\00:49:10.65
you pray all
day long for people?
00:49:10.68\00:49:13.82
And she said, yes. And
I said, congratulations.
00:49:13.85\00:49:16.45
You have received the promotion
00:49:16.48\00:49:18.69
to the highest form
of ministry there is.
00:49:18.72\00:49:22.46
She said what do you mean?
00:49:22.49\00:49:23.99
And I said intercessory prayer.
00:49:24.03\00:49:26.09
That is the ministry of
our risen and exalted Savior.
00:49:26.13\00:49:31.17
See we think that going out
and do an evangelistic series,
00:49:31.20\00:49:34.50
and by the way, Jay
you're an evangelist,
00:49:34.54\00:49:36.91
if you go out and do
00:49:36.94\00:49:37.97
evangelistic
series be prayed up.
00:49:38.01\00:49:40.98
There is a man who was a Muslim,
00:49:41.01\00:49:44.91
who, when he was praying,
he is in the South Africa.
00:49:44.95\00:49:49.45
When he was praying
for healing, get this,
00:49:49.48\00:49:53.66
God, he was an earnest Muslim.
00:49:53.69\00:49:56.59
And as he was praying
for healing, God told him,
00:49:56.62\00:49:59.93
"I will heal you if you
become a Christian." What?
00:49:59.96\00:50:04.03
So he went out
and he bought a Bible.
00:50:04.07\00:50:05.60
I mean--I think he
struggled with the Lord
00:50:05.63\00:50:07.57
for a little while in prayer.
00:50:07.60\00:50:08.70
Went out and bought
a Bible. He read it.
00:50:08.74\00:50:13.07
He accepted Christ as his Savior
00:50:13.11\00:50:15.21
and then he went out to
find the church that he felt
00:50:15.24\00:50:18.88
most closely
identified with Bible teaching.
00:50:18.91\00:50:22.88
And he became a
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:50:22.92\00:50:25.65
This man was a
teacher and he became a farmer
00:50:25.69\00:50:32.29
to support his
evangelistic series.
00:50:32.33\00:50:34.73
I mean he went out full-time
to do evangelistic work.
00:50:34.73\00:50:40.24
His farming was
kind of part-time.
00:50:40.27\00:50:43.57
And guess what happened?
00:50:43.61\00:50:46.37
I don't, well I don't
have statistics in front of me.
00:50:46.41\00:50:48.94
It was
remarkable how many people
00:50:48.98\00:50:52.58
this man has
brought to the Lord.
00:50:52.61\00:50:55.42
Thousands, upon thousands
he has brought to the Lord.
00:50:55.45\00:50:58.72
He has planted hundreds
of churches. But get this.
00:50:58.75\00:51:04.53
You know, what he does
00:51:04.56\00:51:05.56
before he does an
evangelistic series.
00:51:05.59\00:51:08.10
He spends six
hours a day in prayer
00:51:08.13\00:51:12.40
for two months before
each evangelistic series.
00:51:12.43\00:51:16.57
That's his preparation.
00:51:16.60\00:51:19.57
When we go out to do
something in our own flesh,
00:51:19.61\00:51:24.45
we're not gonna
get merely the results.
00:51:24.48\00:51:26.35
Yeah, I mean, we're
speaking the word of God.
00:51:26.38\00:51:28.45
So there is going
to be some results
00:51:28.48\00:51:31.12
'cause the word is anointed.
00:51:31.15\00:51:32.79
But boy, if we're to get that
00:51:32.82\00:51:34.69
point of being so
totally surrendered,
00:51:34.72\00:51:37.79
people could look
at us and see God in us
00:51:37.83\00:51:41.50
and God could
get us out of the way
00:51:41.53\00:51:43.33
and our little bitty intellect
00:51:43.37\00:51:45.97
and we could pray
these souls into the kingdom.
00:51:46.00\00:51:50.11
Oh, how we need to
pray outside the box.
00:51:50.14\00:51:54.41
We're so boxed in
our little prayers.
00:51:54.44\00:51:57.78
And then finally, we
need to pray with persistence.
00:51:57.81\00:52:03.72
We need to be like Elijah.
00:52:03.75\00:52:06.29
We need to pray
until we keep on until
00:52:06.32\00:52:09.56
we receive the answer.
00:52:09.59\00:52:10.99
And the answer
won't always be what
00:52:11.03\00:52:14.66
we expect it to be.
00:52:14.73\00:52:16.33
But it will
always be God's best.
00:52:16.36\00:52:20.70
Luke 18, if you've
turned there, please.
00:52:20.74\00:52:23.94
Luke 18 verses 7 through 8.
00:52:23.97\00:52:28.14
Luke 18, verses 7:8.
00:52:28.18\00:52:34.48
Jesus is speaking
and He's just told
00:52:34.52\00:52:37.12
the parable of
the persistent widow.
00:52:37.15\00:52:40.09
And it starts off in
the chapter saying that
00:52:40.12\00:52:43.46
He told this parable to
show to His disciples that
00:52:43.49\00:52:47.20
they should pray
always and not give up.
00:52:47.23\00:52:50.03
Don't give up.
00:52:50.07\00:52:51.67
No matter how big the
mountain seems to you.
00:52:51.70\00:52:56.10
God can make your
mountain a molehill.
00:52:56.14\00:52:58.47
And He--with God
all things are possible.
00:52:58.51\00:53:01.94
So then He says in
Luke 18, verses 7 and 8,
00:53:01.98\00:53:06.28
"Shall God not
avenge His own elect
00:53:06.31\00:53:09.02
who cry out to
him day and night,
00:53:09.05\00:53:11.52
though He bears along with them?
00:53:11.55\00:53:13.56
I tell you that He
will avenge them speedily.
00:53:13.59\00:53:18.49
Nevertheless, when
the son of man comes,
00:53:18.53\00:53:22.43
will he really find
faith on the earth?"
00:53:22.46\00:53:26.77
Persevering prayer is a
greatest evidence of faith
00:53:26.80\00:53:31.21
that there is,
Little word, little faith,
00:53:31.24\00:53:35.54
little faith,
little persevering prayer.
00:53:35.58\00:53:39.15
But, we need to remember that
00:53:39.18\00:53:42.75
bold persistence pays off,
00:53:42.78\00:53:45.32
it's like when
Jacob was struggling with
00:53:45.35\00:53:47.89
the angel of the Lord
all nightlong and he said,
00:53:47.92\00:53:51.36
"I will not let you
go unless you bless me."
00:53:51.39\00:53:54.56
We need to come before the Lord
00:53:54.60\00:53:56.90
and we need to struggle
in prayer with Him like that
00:53:56.93\00:54:00.24
and say, "Lord,
forgive me for my pride.
00:54:00.27\00:54:04.47
Forgive me for my self-interest.
00:54:04.51\00:54:07.58
I don't know how to pray.
00:54:07.61\00:54:10.91
I need you, Lord."
00:54:10.95\00:54:12.98
We need to come, God created us
00:54:13.01\00:54:17.05
to be vessels for His spirit.
00:54:17.09\00:54:20.92
We're to be the living
temple of the living God.
00:54:20.96\00:54:24.69
We are
sanctified vessels set apart
00:54:24.73\00:54:27.66
and you know what if
I've got my table set,
00:54:27.73\00:54:33.03
do I--if I invite
you over for dinner,
00:54:33.07\00:54:36.94
I set the table and
put a bunch of trash
00:54:36.97\00:54:40.14
and stuff in the plates.
00:54:40.18\00:54:42.54
Well, what could I
put on top of that?
00:54:42.58\00:54:45.68
If the bowl is full,
if the vessel is full,
00:54:45.71\00:54:49.82
you can't add anything to it.
00:54:49.85\00:54:51.42
We need to come before
the Lord and be empty vessels.
00:54:51.45\00:54:55.52
We need to say,
Lord, empty me of me.
00:54:55.56\00:54:57.66
Help me put off the old
man and put on Christ Jesus.
00:54:57.69\00:55:01.30
Fill me with your
Holy Spirit, Lord.
00:55:01.33\00:55:04.47
And Jesus said, in
Luke 11:9, he said,
00:55:04.50\00:55:08.47
ask and you will
find, seek--and ask
00:55:08.50\00:55:13.84
and it will be given to
you, seek and you will find,
00:55:13.88\00:55:16.61
knock and the door will be open.
00:55:16.64\00:55:18.48
And you know what, in the Greek
00:55:18.51\00:55:20.05
these are linear verbs
that means they never stop.
00:55:20.08\00:55:24.09
It's like Jesus is
saying, ask and keep on asking,
00:55:24.12\00:55:26.96
seek and keep on seeking,
knock and keep on knocking.
00:55:26.99\00:55:31.09
And then in verse 13, He
tells us what we're asking for.
00:55:31.13\00:55:34.56
He says, if you,
being who you are,
00:55:34.60\00:55:39.37
know how to give good
gifts to your children,
00:55:39.40\00:55:41.27
how much more will
the Heavenly Father
00:55:41.30\00:55:44.67
give good gifts. No.
00:55:44.71\00:55:47.98
How much more will
the Heavenly Father
00:55:48.01\00:55:51.18
give the Holy Spirit to those
00:55:51.21\00:55:53.72
who ask and keep on asking.
00:55:53.75\00:55:57.89
And finally I wanna
make one more point,
00:55:57.92\00:56:01.49
when you finish
praying, linger a moment.
00:56:01.52\00:56:06.29
Don't just in Jesus name Amen
00:56:06.33\00:56:08.33
and start
talking to someone else.
00:56:08.36\00:56:12.60
Linger a moment and
receive the blessing.
00:56:12.63\00:56:16.00
When we were in
Jerusalem recently,
00:56:16.04\00:56:18.71
we were at the Wailing Wall.
00:56:18.74\00:56:20.84
And I didn't--I
wasn't aware of the custom,
00:56:20.88\00:56:25.11
I went up to the
Wailing Wall I was praying
00:56:25.15\00:56:28.28
and then I turned
around and walked away
00:56:28.32\00:56:30.92
and I noticed if
this was the Wailing Wall
00:56:30.95\00:56:34.06
I noticed that everybody else
00:56:34.09\00:56:35.36
who've been praying
was backing up like this.
00:56:35.39\00:56:40.36
And I asked someone,
why did they back away?
00:56:40.40\00:56:43.80
And I mean, they backed
away for many, many yards
00:56:43.83\00:56:47.57
and they said,
because we believe
00:56:47.60\00:56:49.07
the Wailing Wall
is the only place
00:56:49.10\00:56:51.07
where God's presence is
still here in Jerusalem.
00:56:51.11\00:56:55.31
And you never turn
your back on the king.
00:56:55.34\00:56:59.51
See, we rush
into God's presence,
00:56:59.55\00:57:03.59
then we rush out
of God's presence.
00:57:03.62\00:57:06.59
We don't acknowledge God.
00:57:06.62\00:57:09.22
We don't know
how we ought to pray,
00:57:09.26\00:57:11.83
but we can count
on the Holy Spirit.
00:57:11.86\00:57:15.30
Well, our time is
quickly coming to a close.
00:57:15.33\00:57:18.93
I want to--we're
going to stay here
00:57:18.97\00:57:21.74
and pray in just a moment,
00:57:21.77\00:57:22.97
but I don't--I'm
afraid we won't have time
00:57:23.00\00:57:24.84
to pray on the
air, but do know that
00:57:24.87\00:57:27.68
we always pray
for all of our viewers
00:57:27.71\00:57:30.18
and we thank you so much,
00:57:30.21\00:57:31.95
we're so glad that
you tuned in tonight
00:57:31.98\00:57:34.58
and I pray that the
Lord gave you a blessing,
00:57:34.62\00:57:38.25
I pray that the
Holy Spirit is stirring
00:57:38.29\00:57:41.06
something
within you to know that
00:57:41.09\00:57:44.59
you can pray outside the box
00:57:44.63\00:57:48.03
and ask whatever you will,
00:57:48.06\00:57:50.07
when you meet God's conditions,
00:57:50.10\00:57:52.10
ask whatever you will
and it will be done for you.
00:57:52.13\00:57:56.54
May God bless you more than
you could ever ask or think.
00:57:56.57\00:58:00.04