Hello, friends, welcome to
our another Wednesday Night,
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A Sharper Focus Study.
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We thank you for
tuning in tonight
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for a very
vitally important topic,
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it's about communicating.
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And we'll make it more
specific in just a few moments.
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But if you wanna be
stronger in your communication
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with your
fellowman and with the Lord
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this program is definitely
one you wanna tune in for
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and stay tuned in.
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We're gonna be
talking about prayer,
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the importance of
prayer, and necessity of prayer,
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the power of prayer, how power,
how prayer changes our lives
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and strengthen our lives.
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And if you want a
copy of the lesson
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to follow us with,
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go to asf.3abn.org.
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Don't put www.
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And download lesson
number 10, the Power of Prayer.
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And so for the next
hour, so stay tuned with us
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so that we can walk through
the Word of God together.
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But before we do
anything, we'd like to invite
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the Lord's presence
to continue with us.
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So let's pray.
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Our Father in
heaven, we thank You so much,
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Lord, for Your
presence here tonight.
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We thank You that You
will guide us and direct us
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that Your heart will be
pulsating with a desire, Lord,
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to draw us closer to You
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and we know that is the truth.
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But, Lord, may our
hearts also join with Yours
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and may Your Holy
Spirit tonight be our teacher
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when it comes to communicating
and staying in touch with You
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and strengthening our lives
through the important daily
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exercise of prayer.
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This is my prayer in
Jesus name I pray, amen.
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Now, before we do anything,
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we always like
to sing a theme song
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and it'll appear on
our screen right here.
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It's "Victory in Jesus."
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So I'd like you to join us.
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And if you hear it,
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and you know the song
you'd like to join with us,
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I invite you to do so.
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Let's sing the song
together, "Victory in Jesus."
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I heard an old, old story
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How the Savior came from glory
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How He gave His life on Calvary
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To save a wretch like me
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I heard about His groaning
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Of His precious blood's atoning
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Then I repented of my sin
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And won the victory
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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I heard about a mansion
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He has built for me in glory
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And I heard about
the streets of gold
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Beyond the crystal sea
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About the angels singing
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And the old redemption story
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And some sweet
day I'll sing up there
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The song of victory
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Key change.
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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Can you say amen to that?
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Amen.
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Tonight, the topic
is The Power of Prayer.
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Say that with me. What is it?
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The Power of Prayer.
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Dr. Michio Kaku
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a name that you may or may
not have heard about before.
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He is a theoretical physicist.
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He's also been
on Discovery Channel
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and also how the universe works.
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And he's written a
number of books about science
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and plausible theories.
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He's also written a book
about things that we can expect
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in the near future, such
as virtual shopping malls
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and putting
contact lenses in our eyes
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that just on the
flip of the contact lens,
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we can look at information
that pertains to the person
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that we're looking at.
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And as far and
futuristic as that sounds,
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he has been warning
over the last two years,
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about a
possibility of a sun flare
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that could exist in 2012.
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The year is almost done.
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So hopefully it
wouldn't happen this year.
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But he said, "Earth is
due for a massive sun flare
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that could knock out
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all communication on
this planet as we know it."
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And he said, "It
happened once before
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and it happened at a time
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when we were
not very developed."
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So the only thing that was fried
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were telegraph poles.
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But how many
things do we have nowadays
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that relies on electricity?
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Almost everything.
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Our cell phones, he
said would cease to work,
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all satellite
communication will be destroyed
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for two to three years.
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And the east coast in particular
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would be heavily damaged
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if a sun flare that
they expect to occur
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would occur anytime
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between this year
and the next year.
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And I wonder about
that, what will our planet do
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if all of a sudden
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every means of
communication was destroyed?
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Now think about
that for a brief moment,
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no more satellite.
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No more satellite, anything.
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No more GPSs.
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But it gets
even worse than that.
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Airplanes rely on
satellites to navigate.
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They often use
what they call a CAT,
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CAT5 system, or
there's some terminology
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that I'm not
familiar with totally.
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But they navigate
based on five satellites
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continuing to
position their plane
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keeping them on track
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to wherever they're headed.
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And as they fly
around the planet,
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they go from
satellite to satellite
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to keep them on track
at least five satellites,
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I understand, that's
my layman understanding.
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So if satellites
and communication
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was completely destroyed,
that would ground permanently,
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at least until
satellites were restored
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all commercial airlines,
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they would go
back to what's that?
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VHF.
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Visual flight rules?
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Oh, VFR sorry,
visual flight rules.
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But you can't fly a jet
with visual flight rules
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because you can't see
the ground from 30,000 feet.
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So that would
ground jets as we know it.
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Let's keep going.
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Satellites, how many
things that we have today
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relies on satellites?
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Let's go through the list.
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GPSs, all phone communication,
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all television
signals that circle our planet
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will be completely knocked out.
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And they said that it would
be at least six months to a year
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before we even begin to build,
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rebuild the
infrastructure on earth,
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let alone put
satellites back up in the skies.
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And they're saying,
this is a real concern
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because the sun has been
acting quite erratically,
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and they said we're
due for massive sun flare
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that will cripple
civilization as we know it.
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But let's go a step further.
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Communication, also
televisions, radios,
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anything that
requires electricity
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would cease to function
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and all communication on earth
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would be completely cut off.
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Now the reason why
I'm not so much concerned
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about that prediction that
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Dr. Michio Kaku
is talking about,
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even if it may happen,
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there is no
communication on earth
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that can cut off our...
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There's no sun flare
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that can cut off our
communication with God.
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Can you say amen to that?
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So tonight while the world
is maybe trying to figure out
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how to prepare themselves
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with their underground
bungalows or bunkers,
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buying homes 900,000
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to a million dollars to
build in old refurbished,
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old missile silos
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that go stories into the ground.
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People are storing
food for whenever this event
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could possibly occur.
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People are fearful
of what's gonna happen
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in the future,
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and they hope
that it does not occur
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and I feel the same.
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But tonight, there is a
power that resides in prayer
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that no sun flare can disable.
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And we're gonna
talk about that tonight.
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If you've just tuned
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and you want a
copy of the lesson,
00:09:07.01\00:09:08.38
go to asf.3abn.org.
00:09:08.41\00:09:10.68
Don't put www.
00:09:10.71\00:09:12.38
And download lesson
number 10, The Power of Prayer.
00:09:12.41\00:09:16.89
So tonight, let's open up
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on this vitally important topic,
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the Power of
Prayer, with encouragement,
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because I led with
a story that maybe,
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may some of you think
wow, what about my cell phone?
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We didn't talk
about GPSs in cars
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because there'll be no
more talking voice telling you
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make a left or right,
and all our cell phones.
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All those highly
technical cell phones
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will be of no value at
all, if satellite communication
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and communication in
general was knocked out.
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But question number one
tonight is an encouraging one.
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Question number one
tonight is an encouraging one
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and here it is.
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What encouragement
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does Isaiah the prophet
give us concerning prayer?
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It's so good to
know that mankind
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and all of his
inventions are totally incapable
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of disabling
anything that God has in place
00:10:08.27\00:10:10.14
when it comes to communication.
00:10:10.17\00:10:11.91
And we'll see that by
this very first answer.
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By this very first answer.
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Isaiah 55:6 is where
we're looking for our answer.
00:10:16.98\00:10:21.38
Okay.
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Let's read this together,
since it's our first one.
00:10:23.22\00:10:25.95
And what does it say, together?
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"Seek the Lord
while He may be found,
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call upon Him
while He is," what?
00:10:32.59\00:10:34.76
"Near" So what's
the encouragement
00:10:34.80\00:10:36.60
that Isaiah gives us?
00:10:36.63\00:10:37.97
What is he saying to us?
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What should we do?
00:10:39.37\00:10:42.47
"Seek the Lord
while He may be found,
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call on Him while He's near.
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Let me go back to
my opening scenario.
00:10:46.78\00:10:49.18
If you plan on
making a phone call
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and you waited till
satellite communication
00:10:50.61\00:10:52.15
was completely knocked out.
00:10:52.18\00:10:53.75
This text would have fit.
00:10:53.78\00:10:55.15
Call while you
can, seek while you can,
00:10:55.18\00:10:58.79
seek the Lord
while He may be found.
00:10:58.82\00:11:00.59
So what this is suggesting
is, there's coming a time
00:11:00.62\00:11:03.56
when those who look for God
00:11:03.59\00:11:04.93
are not going to
be able to find Him.
00:11:04.96\00:11:08.76
But you'll also
discover tonight in the study
00:11:08.80\00:11:11.20
that there are
reasons that exists today,
00:11:11.23\00:11:13.97
while some people
still can't find the Lord,
00:11:14.00\00:11:16.30
it's not that God
has changed His address.
00:11:16.34\00:11:18.87
But there's some
communication barrier
00:11:18.91\00:11:21.41
between us and God
00:11:21.44\00:11:22.88
that keeps people from
getting in touch with God.
00:11:22.91\00:11:25.48
That even keeps God from,
00:11:25.51\00:11:27.58
as I would say,
communicating with us.
00:11:27.62\00:11:30.29
But the encouraging word
that Isaiah gives to us is,
00:11:30.32\00:11:33.49
seek the Lord
while He may be found.
00:11:33.52\00:11:35.16
So if you answer
that, what encouragement
00:11:35.19\00:11:37.46
does Isaiah the prophet
give us concerning prayer?
00:11:37.49\00:11:40.10
Put those first
three words, what is it?
00:11:40.13\00:11:42.90
Seek the Lord.
00:11:42.93\00:11:45.27
Seek the Lord.
00:11:45.30\00:11:46.63
And understand
according to this verse,
00:11:46.67\00:11:48.27
there is a time
to seek the Lord.
00:11:48.30\00:11:50.14
And there's a
time that we may say,
00:11:50.17\00:11:52.81
"I should have
asked God about it."
00:11:52.84\00:11:54.41
You know, nowadays,
00:11:54.44\00:11:55.78
a lot of times
people make decisions
00:11:55.81\00:11:57.15
and they don't
consult God before they do it.
00:11:57.18\00:11:59.51
And then they have
something called lament.
00:11:59.55\00:12:01.78
Another word for lament is...
00:12:01.82\00:12:04.12
What's another word for lament?
00:12:04.15\00:12:06.15
Disappointment.
00:12:06.19\00:12:08.02
Or phrases such
as I should have,
00:12:08.06\00:12:10.29
or I wish I did.
00:12:10.33\00:12:11.66
I wish I prayed about this
before I made this decision.
00:12:11.69\00:12:14.86
And so when we seek the
Lord, and when we call on Him,
00:12:14.90\00:12:18.47
while He may be found,
00:12:18.50\00:12:19.83
that is before we
make critical decisions,
00:12:19.87\00:12:21.84
we can go into
any kind of decision
00:12:21.87\00:12:23.41
knowing that we
sought God on it,
00:12:23.44\00:12:24.97
and He responded to us.
00:12:25.01\00:12:26.54
So it's not just
seeking the Lord.
00:12:26.57\00:12:28.48
But you'll discover
also, in seeking God,
00:12:28.51\00:12:31.48
we also have to be
willing to listen to God.
00:12:31.51\00:12:34.05
Because if you
make a phone call,
00:12:34.08\00:12:36.08
and you don't get
communication back,
00:12:36.12\00:12:39.55
it really wouldn't be
a beneficial phone call.
00:12:39.59\00:12:42.12
The Lord speaks to us.
00:12:42.16\00:12:43.73
He wants us also to
speak to Him, all right?
00:12:43.76\00:12:46.63
That's number one.
Let's go to number two.
00:12:46.66\00:12:48.83
How powerful does
00:12:48.86\00:12:50.23
John the apostle
tell us prayer is?
00:12:50.27\00:12:53.84
And we're going
to 1 John Chapter 3,
00:12:59.71\00:13:02.34
and we're gonna look
together at verse 22.
00:13:02.38\00:13:05.41
1 John 3:22.
00:13:05.45\00:13:09.02
All right, here's the answer.
00:13:09.05\00:13:12.95
Here's the answer.
00:13:12.99\00:13:15.12
And the Bible says,
00:13:15.16\00:13:16.49
"And whatever we
ask, we receive from Him,"
00:13:16.52\00:13:21.13
and here are the
conditions because we do what?
00:13:21.16\00:13:23.00
Say that with me,
"Keep His commandments,
00:13:23.03\00:13:25.93
and do those
things that are," what?
00:13:25.97\00:13:28.24
"Pleasing in His sight."
00:13:28.27\00:13:30.01
Now, let's get that.
00:13:30.04\00:13:31.74
The Lord said,
00:13:31.77\00:13:33.11
"Whatever we ask
Him we will receive."
00:13:33.14\00:13:34.74
Didn't He say that?
00:13:34.78\00:13:36.11
Didn't He say that?
00:13:36.14\00:13:37.48
Yes or no?
00:13:37.51\00:13:38.95
But is that unconditional?
00:13:38.98\00:13:41.22
Ah, the word there.
00:13:41.25\00:13:44.02
Because is the condition.
00:13:44.05\00:13:46.86
Whenever we ask our
parents for something,
00:13:46.89\00:13:48.52
or we ask anybody for anything,
00:13:48.56\00:13:50.86
often they would be
open to granting it to us
00:13:50.89\00:13:52.86
if the conditions are favorable.
00:13:52.89\00:13:55.03
If somebody says, "Well,
now let me think about that.
00:13:55.06\00:13:57.80
Have you done your homework?"
00:13:57.83\00:13:59.17
Okay, well,
that's out of the way.
00:13:59.20\00:14:00.54
Have you cleaned up your room?
Well, that's out of the way.
00:14:00.57\00:14:03.20
Do you have any
missing assignments?
00:14:03.24\00:14:04.57
Well, that's out of the way.
00:14:04.61\00:14:05.94
Parents like to...
00:14:05.97\00:14:07.51
They like to take inventory
to find out whether or not
00:14:07.54\00:14:10.28
the child is worthy
of receiving the request.
00:14:10.31\00:14:12.81
In the very same way
the Lord wants to know
00:14:12.85\00:14:14.65
whether or not we are
at the place in our walk
00:14:14.68\00:14:16.99
with Him
00:14:17.02\00:14:18.82
that we are worthy
to receive the requests
00:14:18.85\00:14:21.72
that we have made of Him.
00:14:21.76\00:14:23.12
So notice the conditions here.
00:14:23.16\00:14:25.36
So if you answered that,
00:14:25.39\00:14:26.73
how powerful does John
the apostle tell us prayer is?
00:14:26.76\00:14:30.87
Whatever we ask, we receive.
00:14:30.90\00:14:33.23
Write that down.
Whatever we ask, we receive.
00:14:33.27\00:14:35.70
And put next to
that, if we are obedient.
00:14:35.74\00:14:38.97
If we are obedient,
you wanna write that down.
00:14:39.01\00:14:41.11
Because God does not
give us whatever we ask,
00:14:41.14\00:14:45.78
especially if He doesn't think
it's something that we need.
00:14:45.81\00:14:48.25
Secondly, if He knows that
00:14:48.28\00:14:49.88
what we're asking is not
in harmony with His will,
00:14:49.92\00:14:51.55
He's not gonna grant it.
00:14:51.59\00:14:52.92
And somebody may say,
"Well, that's not fair.
00:14:52.95\00:14:54.56
What if I asked
God for Maserati?
00:14:54.59\00:14:56.52
Why don't He
answer that question?
00:14:56.56\00:14:58.06
Well, what He knows
is you just need a car.
00:14:58.09\00:15:00.90
I remember years ago,
00:15:00.93\00:15:02.63
in 1976 if you
were born after 1976,
00:15:02.66\00:15:07.20
bare with me.
00:15:07.24\00:15:08.70
But the Honda
Accord came out in 1976.
00:15:08.74\00:15:11.74
Now Honda Accord is still out
00:15:11.77\00:15:13.11
and finally we
were able to own one.
00:15:13.14\00:15:14.78
But I remember when Honda Accord
00:15:14.81\00:15:16.18
first came out in 1976,
00:15:16.21\00:15:17.68
I was living in New York City,
I was just about to graduate
00:15:17.71\00:15:20.12
from high school.
00:15:20.15\00:15:21.68
And that off green,
00:15:21.72\00:15:24.49
kind of like the
green in our background,
00:15:24.52\00:15:25.89
almost the same color as
the green that we have here,
00:15:25.92\00:15:28.56
that Honda Accord,
four-door Honda Accord,
00:15:28.59\00:15:30.96
they finally came up
with an Accord that replaced
00:15:30.99\00:15:33.70
with the very tiny
miniature Honda Civic.
00:15:33.73\00:15:36.30
Remember that?
00:15:36.33\00:15:37.67
The Civic was so small,
00:15:37.70\00:15:39.03
I mean, you could
put the entire thing
00:15:39.07\00:15:40.40
in an ambulance in
case of an accident.
00:15:40.44\00:15:43.61
But they finally came up
with a four-door Honda Accord
00:15:43.64\00:15:45.91
and I was so...
00:15:45.94\00:15:47.28
I love Civics, but this
Accord just stole my heart.
00:15:47.31\00:15:49.94
And I went to the
Honda dealer, I bought some,
00:15:49.98\00:15:52.11
got some
brochures, you know, those,
00:15:52.15\00:15:54.38
the thing that
gets you excited about
00:15:54.42\00:15:55.75
something you can't afford.
00:15:55.78\00:15:57.72
And this beautiful and I
put it right over my bed head.
00:15:57.75\00:15:59.99
Matter of fact,
some of the pictures
00:16:00.02\00:16:01.36
I have today in my room
where I live in New York,
00:16:01.39\00:16:03.56
you can see
right above my bed head
00:16:03.59\00:16:05.29
pictures of this Honda Accord.
00:16:05.33\00:16:07.33
I took all the staples out
00:16:07.36\00:16:08.70
and pasted
straight across the wall.
00:16:08.73\00:16:10.60
And I went to my father.
00:16:10.63\00:16:12.63
I said, "Papa."
00:16:12.67\00:16:14.00
Here's what I
said, "I need a car."
00:16:14.04\00:16:15.97
I need a car.
00:16:19.11\00:16:21.58
He said, "What kind
of car do you need?"
00:16:21.61\00:16:23.88
I said, "I need a Honda Accord."
00:16:23.91\00:16:26.72
And they're not that expensive.
00:16:26.75\00:16:28.08
And at that time, if
you think about prices, now,
00:16:28.12\00:16:29.88
they were little under $6,000.
00:16:29.92\00:16:33.09
That was low for
cars, $5,700, $5,800
00:16:33.12\00:16:36.56
around that time for
four-door Honda Accord.
00:16:36.59\00:16:39.03
And I said, "Papa,
wherever you want to go,
00:16:39.06\00:16:41.10
I can take you."
00:16:41.13\00:16:42.46
Now, you know, we
don't really want a car
00:16:45.93\00:16:48.27
because we wanna drive
our parents around, right?
00:16:48.30\00:16:51.04
So wherever you go, I
promise I'll take you.
00:16:51.07\00:16:55.94
So I showed him the brochure.
00:16:55.98\00:16:57.55
He was not as
excited about it as I was.
00:16:57.58\00:17:01.68
And the answer was no.
00:17:01.72\00:17:04.89
Because he said to me, he
was raised during the time
00:17:04.92\00:17:07.12
when Japanese and Americans
were at war with each other.
00:17:07.16\00:17:10.93
So his attitude was
anything from Japan is junk
00:17:10.96\00:17:13.90
because he was born in 1910.
00:17:13.93\00:17:16.10
And you can understand
the framework of his mindset.
00:17:16.13\00:17:19.60
So I had to flip my script.
00:17:19.63\00:17:22.44
And I had to
decide to maybe try again,
00:17:22.47\00:17:24.41
but this time an American car.
00:17:24.44\00:17:26.81
So I said, "Papa, I
found a car, an American car,
00:17:26.84\00:17:30.41
a Buick Electra 225."
00:17:30.45\00:17:33.62
And back then they used to
call the deuce and a quarter,
00:17:33.65\00:17:35.45
that was the terminology
they used because it's 225,
00:17:35.48\00:17:37.85
a deuce two and a quarter.
00:17:37.89\00:17:40.66
And he said, "How much is it?"
00:17:40.69\00:17:42.92
And I told him how much it
was, I can't remember right now.
00:17:42.96\00:17:45.76
And the answer was no.
00:17:45.79\00:17:49.33
Okay, so I just decided
American car, Japanese car,
00:17:49.36\00:17:53.00
I'm just not gonna get a car.
00:17:53.03\00:17:55.24
While I tried one more
time, I got excited about this.
00:17:55.27\00:17:57.54
And I said, I'll
let some time go by,
00:17:57.57\00:17:58.91
you know, if you
don't get your request.
00:17:58.94\00:18:01.04
Because at that
moment your father knows
00:18:01.08\00:18:02.84
is that's not
really what you need.
00:18:02.88\00:18:04.45
In New York, I
really didn't need a car
00:18:04.48\00:18:05.91
because they have mass transit
00:18:05.95\00:18:07.28
better than almost
any city on the earth.
00:18:07.32\00:18:09.02
You can get
anywhere by bus or by cab,
00:18:09.05\00:18:11.22
and you're in the city,
00:18:11.25\00:18:12.59
you could pretty much
walk anywhere you need to go.
00:18:12.62\00:18:14.79
And we had subways, we
had buses, we had trains,
00:18:14.82\00:18:17.03
and they didn't stop
running for 24 hours a day.
00:18:17.06\00:18:19.23
So I didn't need a car.
00:18:19.26\00:18:21.56
But all young people want a car.
00:18:21.60\00:18:24.30
Well, I stopped asking him.
00:18:24.33\00:18:25.67
One day I tried again.
00:18:25.70\00:18:27.04
I said, "Papa, I saw
this really nice car,
00:18:27.07\00:18:30.11
I want to get."
00:18:30.14\00:18:31.71
"What is it?" I
said, "It's a Toyota."
00:18:31.74\00:18:33.07
I went back to the
Japanese thing, a Toyota.
00:18:33.11\00:18:37.38
You got to be
persistent sometimes.
00:18:37.41\00:18:39.95
And he gave me $1,000
00:18:39.98\00:18:42.52
to put down on my
used 1976 Toyota Corona.
00:18:42.55\00:18:48.39
I got that a few years later,
00:18:48.42\00:18:50.13
I let three years
lapse before I asked again.
00:18:50.16\00:18:53.06
And he shocked me
by giving me $1,000,
00:18:53.09\00:18:55.63
went down and bought that car.
00:18:55.66\00:18:57.40
You see, one of
the things about prayer
00:18:57.43\00:18:59.13
is you have to first of all,
00:18:59.17\00:19:00.77
come to the conclusion that
00:19:00.80\00:19:02.47
if your father
doesn't grant it to you
00:19:02.50\00:19:04.24
at the moment that you ask,
00:19:04.27\00:19:05.61
maybe you don't
need it right away.
00:19:05.64\00:19:07.44
Or maybe the answer
is wait, like in my case.
00:19:07.48\00:19:10.95
Or maybe your father's waiting
to see if you're responsible.
00:19:10.98\00:19:14.12
And I want to say I
was lot more responsible
00:19:14.15\00:19:15.92
in 1979 than I was in 1976
00:19:15.95\00:19:18.85
when I was just
getting out of high school.
00:19:18.89\00:19:20.72
Whatever the reason,
the request was granted.
00:19:20.76\00:19:24.66
But the Lord says, you
have to get to the place
00:19:24.69\00:19:28.00
where you believe that if
I ask and I keep on asking,
00:19:28.03\00:19:32.93
then maybe the
request will come through.
00:19:32.97\00:19:35.47
So let's go on that note
to question number three.
00:19:35.50\00:19:37.97
When you ask about something,
if you don't believe you're
00:19:38.01\00:19:39.84
going to get it,
then don't even ask.
00:19:39.87\00:19:42.68
Because it's defeating
to even ask for something
00:19:42.71\00:19:45.08
that you believe
you're not going to get.
00:19:45.11\00:19:47.15
Look at question number three.
00:19:47.18\00:19:49.05
What does Matthew tell us
00:19:49.08\00:19:50.72
is included in
having our prayers answered?
00:19:50.75\00:19:54.16
All right.
00:20:00.60\00:20:02.36
What's included?
00:20:02.40\00:20:04.70
Here it is. Go to Matthew 21:22.
00:20:04.73\00:20:08.34
Matthew 21:22.
00:20:08.37\00:20:10.71
And let's read this together.
00:20:10.74\00:20:12.07
It's gonna be on the screen.
00:20:12.11\00:20:13.44
Are you ready? Here
we go. Let's read this.
00:20:13.48\00:20:15.04
"And whatever
things you ask in prayer,"
00:20:15.08\00:20:18.31
what's the next word?
00:20:18.35\00:20:19.88
"Believing, you will receive."
00:20:19.91\00:20:23.49
So the condition,
what is Matthew tell us
00:20:23.52\00:20:25.55
is included in
having our prayers answered?
00:20:25.59\00:20:27.82
What is it? Believing.
00:20:27.86\00:20:30.09
Say that together with me.
00:20:30.13\00:20:31.56
Believing.
00:20:31.59\00:20:32.93
When children
went to their parents
00:20:32.96\00:20:34.30
they have every fiber
locked into believing.
00:20:34.33\00:20:37.67
That's why they get excited
about it, "I'm gonna ask."
00:20:37.70\00:20:41.20
Some children say, "My parents
will give it to me, watch."
00:20:41.24\00:20:43.71
and they believe that
would happen until otherwise.
00:20:43.74\00:20:47.18
They come with
all the excitement.
00:20:47.21\00:20:48.54
They believe that if
they ask they'll get it.
00:20:48.58\00:20:50.78
And nowadays I wanna say,
children get a lot more today
00:20:50.81\00:20:55.78
than I got when
I was being raised.
00:20:55.82\00:20:58.59
Right?
00:20:58.62\00:20:59.95
Remember that?
00:20:59.99\00:21:02.59
I was raised in the era
00:21:02.62\00:21:03.96
where the phone in the
house was a dial phone,
00:21:03.99\00:21:06.66
and it had a lock on the zero.
00:21:06.70\00:21:10.13
Does anyone remember that?
00:21:10.17\00:21:12.83
There is a lock on the zero,
00:21:12.87\00:21:14.20
so the best thing you could do
is dial zero for the operator,
00:21:14.24\00:21:17.67
that's as far as
it's going to go to zero.
00:21:17.71\00:21:19.87
I was raised in the house
00:21:19.91\00:21:21.44
where there were no cell phones,
00:21:21.48\00:21:22.81
you wanna make a phone call,
00:21:22.84\00:21:24.18
you first have to get
the lock off the phone.
00:21:24.21\00:21:26.72
It was back then when
they use letters in phones
00:21:26.75\00:21:28.98
instead of 789, it was a ST9.
00:21:29.02\00:21:31.95
Anybody old
enough to remember that?
00:21:31.99\00:21:34.36
Am I telling on myself?
00:21:34.39\00:21:35.82
I'm younger than I look.
00:21:35.86\00:21:38.56
But the key is believing.
00:21:38.59\00:21:40.33
What's the key, friends?
00:21:40.36\00:21:42.00
Now we found two
conditions so far.
00:21:42.03\00:21:43.67
One is obedience,
the second is believing.
00:21:43.70\00:21:46.10
You will receive if you do
what's pleasing in my sight,
00:21:46.13\00:21:49.90
and if you believe.
00:21:49.94\00:21:51.97
So if you look at those
and put that in perspective,
00:21:52.01\00:21:56.01
I'm living my
life and I'm gonna say,
00:21:56.04\00:21:57.38
"Okay, great.
00:21:57.41\00:21:58.75
I'm doing what my
parents want me to do.
00:21:58.78\00:22:00.12
So I believe I'm gonna get it."
00:22:00.15\00:22:01.48
If we live in
harmony with God's will
00:22:01.52\00:22:02.85
and we know that our
lives are pleasing to Him,
00:22:02.88\00:22:05.65
then we can ask Him
00:22:05.69\00:22:07.02
and because we
are taking inventory
00:22:07.06\00:22:08.79
that we have removed
00:22:08.82\00:22:10.16
the prayer answering blockers.
00:22:10.19\00:22:13.19
Doing what's
pleasing and also believing.
00:22:13.23\00:22:15.83
So if you want to
put the answer down
00:22:15.86\00:22:17.20
for number three,
00:22:17.23\00:22:18.57
what's the single
word that we include there?
00:22:18.60\00:22:20.54
Believing. Believing.
00:22:20.57\00:22:22.64
That's right.
00:22:22.67\00:22:24.01
You get whatever you
can, if you simply believe.
00:22:24.04\00:22:27.68
Okay, number four.
00:22:27.71\00:22:30.18
Question number four.
00:22:30.21\00:22:32.38
What characteristic
does the Bible reveal blocks
00:22:32.41\00:22:36.75
the answers to our prayers?
00:22:36.79\00:22:39.12
We're gonna go to
the Book of James 1:7-8.
00:22:47.46\00:22:53.20
James 1:7-8.
00:22:53.23\00:22:58.61
Very significant text.
00:22:58.64\00:23:00.58
I was doing a series
on James, matter of fact,
00:23:00.61\00:23:02.44
I think we're still in
the middle of that series.
00:23:02.48\00:23:04.81
But this one
really opens our eyes
00:23:04.85\00:23:06.72
to a very
important condition about
00:23:06.75\00:23:09.22
how to eliminate
all the prayer blockers.
00:23:09.25\00:23:12.19
Here it is, James 1:7-8.
00:23:12.22\00:23:16.22
Now,
00:23:16.26\00:23:17.96
"For let not that man suppose
00:23:17.99\00:23:21.96
that he will receive
anything from the Lord, he is,"
00:23:22.00\00:23:25.47
what's the next word?
00:23:25.50\00:23:27.60
"Double-minded,
unstable in," what?
00:23:27.64\00:23:30.41
"All his ways."
00:23:30.44\00:23:32.24
So now, what is one of
the prayer blockers that
00:23:32.27\00:23:34.78
we just read about right there?
00:23:34.81\00:23:38.11
Double-minded.
00:23:38.15\00:23:39.48
You know, what it
means to be double-minded?
00:23:39.51\00:23:41.78
One minute you want this,
the next minute you want that.
00:23:41.82\00:23:45.79
One minute you're going,
the next minute you're staying.
00:23:45.82\00:23:49.66
One minute you believe,
00:23:49.69\00:23:51.59
the next minute
you don't believe.
00:23:51.63\00:23:53.26
One minute you're
saying, "Lord, I need this.
00:23:53.29\00:23:56.26
Well, no, no,
change that, Lord, Lord."
00:23:56.30\00:23:58.93
And it's like
we're sending out emails,
00:23:58.97\00:24:01.00
updated emails to the Lord,
00:24:01.04\00:24:02.64
changing our
request in the emails
00:24:02.67\00:24:04.17
from one to the next.
00:24:04.21\00:24:05.77
And so, if you look at a parent,
00:24:05.81\00:24:07.38
a parent would say,
00:24:07.41\00:24:08.94
"When you make up your mind,
00:24:08.98\00:24:12.11
then come and
tell me what you need."
00:24:12.15\00:24:14.18
So one of the other
prayer blocker is this.
00:24:14.22\00:24:16.18
And by the way,
00:24:16.22\00:24:17.55
if you read the
verse before that,
00:24:17.59\00:24:19.19
let me go with you
to the Book of James,
00:24:19.22\00:24:20.82
I want you to see the
verse right before that.
00:24:20.86\00:24:23.46
Very significant,
00:24:23.49\00:24:24.83
I was thinking
of including that,
00:24:24.86\00:24:26.19
and I might have.
00:24:26.23\00:24:28.36
But since we have our Bibles,
00:24:28.40\00:24:31.37
I'll go ahead and read verse 6.
00:24:31.40\00:24:33.77
"But let him ask
in faith, with," what?
00:24:36.81\00:24:40.28
"With no doubting,
for he who doubts is like
00:24:40.31\00:24:43.58
a wave of the sea
driven and tossed by the wind."
00:24:43.61\00:24:49.02
So if you want to put
another word double-minded.
00:24:49.05\00:24:51.19
Another word for
double-minded is what?
00:24:51.22\00:24:52.82
Doubt.
00:24:52.85\00:24:54.19
You cannot pray with
doubt because doubt makes...
00:24:54.22\00:24:57.89
If you go to a restaurant
00:24:57.93\00:24:59.26
and you don't
know what you want,
00:24:59.29\00:25:00.63
how's the waitress
or waiter going to know
00:25:00.66\00:25:02.00
what to give you, right?
00:25:02.03\00:25:04.03
Now, let me ask you a question.
00:25:04.07\00:25:05.40
Does God know what we need?
00:25:05.43\00:25:07.90
Does He know what we want?
00:25:07.94\00:25:10.47
So what was His promise,
to supply all of our wants?
00:25:10.51\00:25:15.21
Okay, and my God shall
supply all of our need,
00:25:15.24\00:25:19.61
according to
His riches in glory.
00:25:19.65\00:25:21.68
Sometimes parents say,
00:25:21.72\00:25:23.05
I heard the story of
a father with his son.
00:25:23.08\00:25:25.89
And he took the son to
the mall, and the son said,
00:25:25.92\00:25:27.82
"I need a pair of sneakers."
00:25:27.86\00:25:29.19
He said, "Which ones?"
00:25:29.22\00:25:30.56
And he says,
"Those right there."
00:25:30.59\00:25:31.93
He said, "How much are
they?" He said, "$125."
00:25:31.96\00:25:33.66
How much do you...
00:25:33.70\00:25:35.03
He said, "You need
$80, I'm only giving you 40.
00:25:35.06\00:25:39.00
You need $85.
00:25:39.03\00:25:40.37
That's what you need.
00:25:40.40\00:25:41.74
If you're gonna
wear those sneakers,
00:25:41.77\00:25:43.10
what you really need is $85.
00:25:43.14\00:25:44.47
I'm just giving you 40."
00:25:44.51\00:25:47.31
He needed $85.
00:25:47.34\00:25:48.68
And dad said, "Now,
what you need is a job."
00:25:48.71\00:25:50.91
So sometimes what we
need and what we want
00:25:50.95\00:25:55.62
are not always on the same page.
00:25:55.65\00:25:57.59
Because children
nowadays there's some cities
00:25:57.62\00:25:59.65
where children
couldn't afford anything,
00:25:59.69\00:26:03.36
but they want to buy
$125 pair of sneakers
00:26:03.39\00:26:05.49
and the best, and the brightest,
00:26:05.53\00:26:06.86
and the most expensive,
00:26:06.90\00:26:08.26
but what they really
need is just some sneakers.
00:26:08.30\00:26:10.33
Whereas people say in
the West Coast tennis shoes.
00:26:10.37\00:26:13.67
All right? So the
answer is, don't doubt.
00:26:13.70\00:26:18.14
Don't be double-minded.
00:26:18.17\00:26:20.44
Don't doubt and
don't be double-minded.
00:26:20.48\00:26:23.35
Let's go to the next one.
00:26:23.38\00:26:25.15
Number five.
00:26:25.18\00:26:27.25
Number five.
00:26:27.28\00:26:31.35
What examples do
we find in the Bible
00:26:31.39\00:26:34.06
about the frequency of prayer?
00:26:34.09\00:26:36.22
We're gonna go to
00:26:41.46\00:26:42.80
one of the famous
ones in the Bible,
00:26:42.83\00:26:44.17
Daniel Chapter 6.
00:26:44.20\00:26:48.94
This is not all the examples
we find in the Scripture,
00:26:48.97\00:26:51.24
but this one is very well-known.
00:26:51.27\00:26:53.48
This one is very well-known.
00:26:53.51\00:26:57.08
When you know the story
that this is referring to...
00:26:57.11\00:27:00.22
The Medes and the
Persians had passed a law
00:27:00.25\00:27:02.75
against praying to
anybody except the king,
00:27:02.78\00:27:06.96
or the approved gods of
the Medo-Persian Empire.
00:27:06.99\00:27:10.76
They could not pray to
the God of their choosing.
00:27:10.79\00:27:14.83
And Daniel, as it was,
00:27:14.86\00:27:16.90
the reason why he was in trouble
00:27:16.93\00:27:18.27
is because they knew
that Daniel always pray.
00:27:18.30\00:27:22.17
Now, if you were Daniel,
what would you have done?
00:27:22.20\00:27:25.47
Some people would
have gone home and said,
00:27:25.51\00:27:28.18
"I don't want to get in trouble
so I'm gonna close my windows.
00:27:28.21\00:27:31.08
And I'm going to
pray behind closed doors."
00:27:31.11\00:27:34.18
But the most
important thing about prayer,
00:27:34.22\00:27:36.28
is prayer has a
witnessing aspect to it.
00:27:36.32\00:27:39.02
Let me just tell you about
that before we go to the answer.
00:27:39.05\00:27:42.16
When you go out to have dinner,
00:27:42.19\00:27:43.53
and you're in the
public restaurant,
00:27:43.56\00:27:44.89
don't be ashamed to pray.
00:27:44.93\00:27:46.26
Amen.
00:27:46.29\00:27:47.90
Don't do this with the
menu and pray behind the menu.
00:27:47.93\00:27:53.54
Pray.
00:27:53.57\00:27:54.90
Let people see you,
just bow your heads,
00:27:54.94\00:27:56.37
maybe you clasp your hand
with your family, let's pray.
00:27:56.40\00:27:59.81
That is so wonderful
because there are people
00:27:59.84\00:28:01.68
of the earth that they worship,
00:28:01.71\00:28:03.58
you know, worship
is always happening.
00:28:03.61\00:28:05.41
There are those who acknowledge
the gods of the earth,
00:28:05.45\00:28:07.42
the gods of materialism,
00:28:07.45\00:28:09.12
the gods of wealth, the
gods of fame and fortune,
00:28:09.15\00:28:11.59
and demonic gods to
be very candid about it.
00:28:11.62\00:28:15.32
So why would I
refuse to acknowledge
00:28:15.36\00:28:18.19
the God that blesses me,
00:28:18.23\00:28:20.36
the God that
provides all of my need,
00:28:20.40\00:28:23.03
the God that I know,
00:28:23.06\00:28:24.73
put the
nourishment that is in the food
00:28:24.77\00:28:26.33
in front of me
so I'm thanking God,
00:28:26.37\00:28:27.97
first of all, for giving me
the money to be able to buy it.
00:28:28.00\00:28:30.81
Secondly, I'm thanking Him
00:28:30.84\00:28:32.17
for the ability
to be able to eat
00:28:32.21\00:28:33.64
because not everybody can eat.
00:28:33.68\00:28:36.21
Thirdly, I'm thinking
into the fact that I'm alive.
00:28:36.24\00:28:39.31
And I'm thanking
Him for the strength
00:28:39.35\00:28:40.68
and nourishment
that's in the food.
00:28:40.72\00:28:42.05
So when we bow
our heads to pray,
00:28:42.08\00:28:43.42
we've got to be like
Daniel, don't be ashamed,
00:28:43.45\00:28:45.85
don't be afraid,
00:28:45.89\00:28:47.56
because the
world could care less
00:28:47.59\00:28:48.92
at whether or not we
look at what they do.
00:28:48.96\00:28:51.56
But notice the answer.
00:28:51.59\00:28:53.33
Talking about the frequency
of prayer, Daniel Chapter 6.
00:28:53.36\00:28:56.93
Let's read this together.
00:28:56.97\00:28:58.47
"Now, when Daniel knew
that the writing was signed,"
00:28:58.50\00:29:01.44
what did he do?
00:29:01.47\00:29:02.80
"He went home,
and in his upper room,
00:29:02.84\00:29:06.81
with his windows
open toward Jerusalem,"
00:29:06.84\00:29:09.64
what did he do?
00:29:09.68\00:29:11.01
"He knelt down on
his knees," how often?
00:29:11.05\00:29:15.12
"Three times a day,
00:29:15.15\00:29:17.39
and prayed and gave
thanks before his God,
00:29:17.42\00:29:21.49
as was his custom since," what?
00:29:21.52\00:29:24.26
"Early days."
00:29:24.29\00:29:26.56
So what is that saying?
00:29:26.59\00:29:27.93
How frequently shall we pray?
00:29:27.96\00:29:30.47
What example do we find?
00:29:30.50\00:29:31.97
In the example how
many times did Daniel pray?
00:29:32.00\00:29:34.04
Three times.
00:29:34.07\00:29:35.40
So which will be naturally what?
00:29:35.44\00:29:37.51
When he woke up,
noon, and even tide,
00:29:37.54\00:29:42.34
or evening time.
00:29:42.38\00:29:44.78
He thank God when he woke up,
00:29:44.81\00:29:46.61
he thank God
probably during the noon day
00:29:46.65\00:29:49.22
when he paused to have lunch,
00:29:49.25\00:29:50.99
that's if he had
lunch during the noon time.
00:29:51.02\00:29:53.09
But if you look
at the customs then,
00:29:53.12\00:29:54.52
they had established
times of day when they prayed.
00:29:54.56\00:29:58.56
And being in the
empire which he was in,
00:29:58.59\00:30:02.10
I would hate to
say because of probably
00:30:02.13\00:30:04.73
some of the
influence that was there.
00:30:04.77\00:30:06.87
They also had established
times of day to pray.
00:30:06.90\00:30:10.17
Evidently, they
knew Daniel's pattern.
00:30:10.21\00:30:12.71
They knew that he
prayed three times a day.
00:30:12.74\00:30:14.51
So one thing he didn't
do, he didn't pray in secret.
00:30:14.54\00:30:18.48
Secondly, when he prayed,
00:30:18.51\00:30:20.18
he always prayed as
the Bible points out,
00:30:20.22\00:30:22.62
he looked toward Jerusalem.
00:30:22.65\00:30:25.65
The place he
longed to return to.
00:30:25.69\00:30:27.92
And by the way,
00:30:27.96\00:30:29.29
Jerusalem means
the city of peace.
00:30:29.32\00:30:30.66
He longed to be
back in a place of peace.
00:30:30.69\00:30:33.36
And when you pray,
you can have a peace.
00:30:33.40\00:30:36.10
You don't necessarily have
to be in the location of peace,
00:30:36.13\00:30:38.60
to have inner peace.
00:30:38.63\00:30:39.97
So Daniel, while
he was in bondage,
00:30:40.00\00:30:41.57
a slave in Babylon, sorry,
in the Medo-Persian Empire,
00:30:41.60\00:30:44.84
he prayed, although
not in his own country,
00:30:44.87\00:30:47.51
he found peace through prayer.
00:30:47.54\00:30:49.18
So what was the answer here?
00:30:49.21\00:30:50.61
What example do
we find in the Bible
00:30:50.65\00:30:51.98
about the frequency?
00:30:52.01\00:30:53.35
How many times a day?
00:30:53.38\00:30:54.72
Three times a day.
00:30:54.75\00:30:56.18
Make that a
pattern in your life,
00:30:56.22\00:30:57.69
if you pray just once a day,
00:30:57.72\00:30:59.89
you may have heard
the saying little prayer,
00:30:59.92\00:31:03.22
little power.
00:31:03.26\00:31:06.29
Some prayer, some power.
00:31:06.33\00:31:07.66
Little prayer, no power.
00:31:07.70\00:31:09.03
Much prayer, much power.
00:31:09.06\00:31:10.40
That's kind of how it
goes, I'm not exactly sure,
00:31:10.43\00:31:12.97
but it some way.
00:31:13.00\00:31:15.80
Put it this way, you should pray
00:31:15.84\00:31:17.17
more than you make phone calls.
00:31:17.21\00:31:18.64
Amen.
00:31:18.67\00:31:21.68
The one reason is,
00:31:21.71\00:31:23.04
you're not going to
get a bill from God.
00:31:23.08\00:31:25.18
And your
communication will be so strong.
00:31:25.21\00:31:27.68
And by the way,
let me also add this,
00:31:27.72\00:31:29.28
you don't have to be
on your knees to pray.
00:31:29.32\00:31:33.15
Because
sometimes you're in traffic
00:31:33.19\00:31:34.52
and you see something
developing in front of you,
00:31:34.56\00:31:36.02
and you call it to God
like Peter did, "Lord save me."
00:31:36.06\00:31:39.86
And you better not kneel down
00:31:39.89\00:31:41.73
while you're driving.
00:31:41.76\00:31:44.27
But Daniel prayed
three times a day.
00:31:44.30\00:31:46.87
The request there
is or the suggestion is
00:31:46.90\00:31:48.84
if you can't pray
about three times a day,
00:31:48.87\00:31:50.87
establish in your
life a time to pray.
00:31:50.91\00:31:54.44
In the morning when you wake up,
00:31:54.48\00:31:55.91
whether do you do that
before you brush your teeth,
00:31:55.94\00:31:58.98
doesn't matter,
God accepts prayers
00:31:59.01\00:32:01.08
from those who
haven't brushed their teeth.
00:32:01.12\00:32:03.59
Doesn't really matter
what your condition is.
00:32:03.62\00:32:05.42
If you hair is not done,
if you're not showered yet,
00:32:05.45\00:32:07.46
not dressed up,
God accepts prayers
00:32:07.49\00:32:09.16
no matter what
your condition is.
00:32:09.19\00:32:11.29
Wake up in the morning, say,
00:32:11.33\00:32:12.86
"God, thank You for
opening my eyes today.
00:32:12.89\00:32:14.70
Thank You for giving me breath."
00:32:14.73\00:32:16.36
Because you know what?
00:32:16.40\00:32:17.73
Every night, there
are people that go to bed
00:32:17.77\00:32:19.83
that don't wake up the next day.
00:32:19.87\00:32:21.97
People that are in hospitals
who close their eyes in rest,
00:32:22.00\00:32:26.47
people that are driving
home that won't make it home.
00:32:26.51\00:32:29.34
That's the sad
reality in our world.
00:32:29.38\00:32:31.11
So just to be alive,
00:32:31.15\00:32:32.48
if somebody say
why should I pray?
00:32:32.51\00:32:34.22
Why should you pray?
00:32:34.25\00:32:35.58
Because you're alive.
00:32:35.62\00:32:36.95
Amen.
00:32:36.99\00:32:38.32
Because God is
still giving you life.
00:32:38.35\00:32:40.92
All right?
00:32:40.96\00:32:42.36
Let's go to number six.
00:32:42.39\00:32:44.29
Number six.
00:32:44.33\00:32:45.79
How are
Christians called to exercise
00:32:45.83\00:32:49.86
the privilege of prayer?
00:32:49.90\00:32:52.10
How are
Christians called to exercise
00:32:52.13\00:32:55.70
the privilege of prayer?
00:32:55.74\00:32:58.17
Philippians 4:6-7.
00:32:58.21\00:33:01.04
Turn there with
us in your Bible,
00:33:01.08\00:33:02.41
Philippians 4:6-7.
00:33:02.44\00:33:04.65
And most of you know
00:33:04.68\00:33:06.01
that it's gonna
be on the screen,
00:33:06.05\00:33:07.38
but just get used to
turning in your Bibles.
00:33:07.42\00:33:08.78
Our people here
have their Bibles open,
00:33:08.82\00:33:10.52
although they know
it's gonna be on the screen.
00:33:10.55\00:33:12.12
Kind of helps you navigate
and know where you've been.
00:33:12.15\00:33:15.89
It's like when
you go to the mall,
00:33:15.92\00:33:17.26
if you've been to all
the stores in the mall,
00:33:17.29\00:33:19.19
and you take a guest, they said,
00:33:19.23\00:33:20.60
"Do you have a certain set?"
00:33:20.63\00:33:21.96
I know exactly where it
is, and you run right to it.
00:33:22.00\00:33:24.53
The more you use your Bible,
00:33:24.57\00:33:25.90
the easier it will be to
find the books and the text.
00:33:25.93\00:33:28.60
Philippians
4:6-7, here's the answer.
00:33:28.64\00:33:32.81
The Bible says,
"Be anxious," for what?
00:33:32.84\00:33:35.04
"For nothing,
but," in how many things?
00:33:35.08\00:33:38.91
"Everything by
prayer and supplication
00:33:38.95\00:33:43.69
with thanksgiving,
00:33:43.72\00:33:46.12
let your requests
be made known to God."
00:33:46.15\00:33:49.62
And look at the promise.
00:33:49.66\00:33:51.03
"And the peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
00:33:51.06\00:33:55.70
will guard your hearts and minds
00:33:55.73\00:33:58.50
through Christ Jesus."
00:33:58.53\00:34:01.04
Let me bring out two things
that we just talked about.
00:34:01.07\00:34:03.27
The question again is,
00:34:03.30\00:34:04.64
how are Christians
called to exercise,
00:34:04.67\00:34:07.04
exercise the privilege
of prayer in everything?
00:34:07.08\00:34:11.45
In how many things?
00:34:11.48\00:34:13.38
Say that again. How many things?
00:34:13.42\00:34:15.18
In everything.
00:34:15.22\00:34:16.55
There is nothing too small.
00:34:16.58\00:34:17.92
There's nothing too
large to pray about.
00:34:17.95\00:34:20.62
There's nothing too small,
00:34:20.66\00:34:22.06
there's nothing too
large to pray about.
00:34:22.09\00:34:24.66
The more we get used to praying,
00:34:24.69\00:34:27.10
sometimes you walk into
malls, and they would say,
00:34:27.13\00:34:31.90
"This 75 inch
television's on sale,
00:34:31.93\00:34:35.14
we have one left,
00:34:35.17\00:34:36.50
we can get you a
great low monthly payment,
00:34:36.54\00:34:39.77
zero interest rate for 30 days.
00:34:39.81\00:34:41.31
And after that the
interest is gonna be 19%.
00:34:41.34\00:34:43.48
But if you pay it
off in six months,
00:34:43.51\00:34:45.18
it's same as cash."
00:34:45.21\00:34:46.55
And they get you all fired up.
00:34:46.58\00:34:50.95
But the way that you can
tone down the salesperson,
00:34:50.99\00:34:53.76
the salesman or
saleswoman, you could say,
00:34:53.79\00:34:56.46
"I need to pray about this."
00:34:56.49\00:34:58.69
They don't have
any answer to it.
00:34:58.73\00:35:00.16
That will catch
them completely off.
00:35:00.20\00:35:01.53
"But there's only one left."
00:35:01.56\00:35:03.73
"If God wants me to have it,
00:35:03.77\00:35:05.97
it'll be there
when I come back."
00:35:06.00\00:35:07.34
Amen?
00:35:07.37\00:35:08.70
Try not to be
anxious because it says,
00:35:08.74\00:35:10.14
"Be anxious for nothing."
00:35:10.17\00:35:14.08
Don't live your life in anxiety.
00:35:14.11\00:35:16.51
Don't live your
life always rushing,
00:35:16.54\00:35:18.18
it's the last one.
00:35:18.21\00:35:19.55
They play that up in
America really, really well.
00:35:19.58\00:35:22.75
Tonight at midnight,
00:35:22.78\00:35:24.79
well, we're
leasing the new whatever
00:35:24.82\00:35:27.26
and they get so excited.
00:35:27.29\00:35:28.62
People line up from
4:30 the day before,
00:35:28.66\00:35:31.46
and they sleep in tents,
00:35:31.49\00:35:32.83
and they park their car
right next to the entrance,
00:35:32.86\00:35:34.56
and they're laying on the ground
00:35:34.60\00:35:35.96
for something that's
gonna be outdated in three weeks
00:35:36.00\00:35:38.90
to six weeks to a month.
00:35:38.93\00:35:41.40
I remember being
in New York City,
00:35:41.44\00:35:42.77
my wife and I
were in Times Square.
00:35:42.80\00:35:44.47
I forgot what year it was.
00:35:44.51\00:35:45.84
It was a while ago,
not terribly long ago,
00:35:45.87\00:35:47.98
but I think that's when
the Xbox first came out.
00:35:48.01\00:35:51.18
First generation
I believe it was.
00:35:51.21\00:35:53.72
And it was a long line
on Broadway and it went down
00:35:53.75\00:35:57.25
and it went around the corner
00:35:57.29\00:35:58.62
two blocks down
and around the corner,
00:35:58.65\00:36:00.22
and I looked at the end of it,
00:36:00.26\00:36:01.59
it ended right in
front of Toys"R"Us,
00:36:01.62\00:36:03.83
but Toys"R"Us was closed.
00:36:03.86\00:36:07.06
And I wondered, so
I asked him about it,
00:36:07.10\00:36:08.46
what's that long
line at midnight?
00:36:08.50\00:36:11.53
They're opening up
to sell the new Xbox.
00:36:11.57\00:36:16.77
You're not
talking about pandemonium,
00:36:16.81\00:36:18.97
talking about people getting in.
00:36:19.01\00:36:20.34
You know what happened over here
00:36:20.38\00:36:21.71
in some of our local Walmarts,
00:36:21.74\00:36:23.28
people have
been crushed to death
00:36:23.31\00:36:24.71
and trampled to death.
00:36:24.75\00:36:26.08
Why? Because they're anxious.
00:36:26.11\00:36:27.95
They are what?
00:36:27.98\00:36:29.42
They're anxious
for material things.
00:36:29.45\00:36:31.45
The Lord is saying,
"We've got to be people
00:36:31.49\00:36:33.15
that are not anxious."
00:36:33.19\00:36:34.69
A person that prays
before he or she does something
00:36:34.72\00:36:37.73
is a person who has
advice and direction from above.
00:36:37.76\00:36:41.76
But if you're anxious,
you make all these decisions.
00:36:41.80\00:36:44.30
For example, somebody will
say, "So what's the price?"
00:36:44.33\00:36:47.37
"It's $69.95.
00:36:47.40\00:36:48.94
But today, 50%
discount, and you can get two
00:36:48.97\00:36:54.31
for the price of one."
00:36:54.34\00:36:55.98
So what happens?
00:36:56.01\00:36:57.55
What's the price now?
00:36:57.58\00:36:58.91
Thirty five
dollars, so it's not $69.95,
00:36:58.95\00:37:02.02
because I can't afford 69.95.
00:37:02.05\00:37:03.52
So it's $35.
00:37:03.55\00:37:04.89
Okay, I'll buy two.
00:37:04.92\00:37:06.25
Are you adding it up?
00:37:06.29\00:37:08.92
Seventy dollars, you get two,
00:37:08.96\00:37:11.19
you couldn't afford one for 69,
00:37:11.23\00:37:12.76
but you get two
because you thought about it.
00:37:12.79\00:37:15.40
And that's the methods
that we use in America.
00:37:15.43\00:37:17.17
They find ways to
manipulate you to buy things
00:37:17.20\00:37:19.53
that you really don't need.
00:37:19.57\00:37:21.04
But if you are a
people of prayer,
00:37:21.07\00:37:23.81
and you talk to God, you
know what supplication is?
00:37:23.84\00:37:27.14
Somebody tell me
what supplication is?
00:37:27.18\00:37:29.78
Supplication is more than just
a prayer that is continually
00:37:29.81\00:37:33.35
directed toward God.
00:37:33.38\00:37:34.72
Supplication is, when
you sup with somebody,
00:37:34.75\00:37:37.02
let's talk about,
let's shorten the word
00:37:37.05\00:37:39.69
so I could lead
you into definition.
00:37:39.72\00:37:41.06
When the Lord says,
00:37:41.09\00:37:42.42
I will come in and sup with you.
00:37:42.46\00:37:45.59
Okay.
00:37:45.63\00:37:47.16
Have a drink, eat with you.
00:37:47.20\00:37:48.56
Supplication is
more than just saying,
00:37:48.60\00:37:50.83
"Would you have dinner with me?"
00:37:50.87\00:37:52.20
Supplication is abiding
in the presence of Christ,
00:37:52.23\00:37:55.44
enjoying His presence.
00:37:55.47\00:37:56.84
So when you
pray, say, "Okay, Lord,
00:37:56.87\00:37:58.81
thank You for the prayer.
00:37:58.84\00:38:00.78
Thank You for the
answer to prayer."
00:38:00.81\00:38:02.14
Now would you go with me?
00:38:02.18\00:38:03.98
So in prayer and
supplication, in praying to God,
00:38:04.01\00:38:08.02
and asking God but then
also abiding in the answer,
00:38:08.05\00:38:11.62
abiding in the promise,
abiding in the presence of God
00:38:11.65\00:38:15.02
is another way of supplication.
00:38:15.06\00:38:16.93
Come in and I'll sup
with you and you with me.
00:38:16.96\00:38:19.43
That is staying in
the presence of God.
00:38:19.46\00:38:21.20
And sometimes the
reason why it's important
00:38:21.23\00:38:23.16
to have supplication is
because sometimes we pray,
00:38:23.20\00:38:26.33
but we don't stay
in the presence of God.
00:38:26.37\00:38:29.50
We pray and then as
soon as our prayer is done,
00:38:29.54\00:38:31.94
I'm out of here.
00:38:31.97\00:38:33.31
I'm guilty of that too.
00:38:33.34\00:38:34.68
I'm a type A, sometimes
I gotta learn to supplicate
00:38:34.71\00:38:39.18
because I'm the kind of
guy that, "Okay, I gotta go.
00:38:39.21\00:38:41.52
I got so much to do.
00:38:41.55\00:38:43.55
Okay, Father in
heaven, thank You.
00:38:43.59\00:38:44.92
Be with me, I ask for that.
00:38:44.95\00:38:46.29
Be with me as I
run out the door."
00:38:46.32\00:38:47.72
Hold my foot,
because as soon as I'm done,
00:38:47.76\00:38:49.59
I'm gonna fall into the car.
00:38:49.62\00:38:51.56
Have we done that before?
00:38:51.59\00:38:53.06
We've all done that before.
00:38:53.09\00:38:54.43
In a rushing world, in a world
that's going by so rapidly,
00:38:54.46\00:38:57.90
we don't supplicate,
00:38:57.93\00:38:59.27
we don't stay in
the presence of God.
00:38:59.30\00:39:01.00
But you'll find that
00:39:01.04\00:39:02.37
when you stay in
the presence of God,
00:39:02.40\00:39:03.77
it's like going
to visit a friend
00:39:03.81\00:39:05.21
you haven't
visited in a long time.
00:39:05.24\00:39:08.84
And you say to them, "I
am in no hurry to leave.
00:39:08.88\00:39:12.58
I'm just
catching up on old times.
00:39:12.61\00:39:15.78
I just enjoy talking,
having a good connection,
00:39:15.82\00:39:19.02
having a good friendship."
00:39:19.05\00:39:20.39
When you supplicate with God,
00:39:20.42\00:39:21.76
you are in the
presence of somebody
00:39:21.79\00:39:23.76
who sticks
closer than a brother.
00:39:23.79\00:39:25.59
He's a friend that
will never leave you,
00:39:25.63\00:39:27.56
never forsake you.
00:39:27.60\00:39:29.16
And you will not understand
the beauty of that until you
00:39:29.20\00:39:31.47
through prayer and supplication.
00:39:31.50\00:39:33.87
And then the peace of God comes.
00:39:33.90\00:39:35.37
So what's the answer?
00:39:35.40\00:39:36.74
How are
Christians called to exercise
00:39:36.77\00:39:38.54
the privilege of prayer?
00:39:38.57\00:39:41.58
Prayer and supplication.
00:39:41.61\00:39:43.91
Prayer and supplication.
00:39:43.95\00:39:46.68
You could also
put, "Don't be anxious."
00:39:46.72\00:39:49.48
There's so many
answers in those two verses.
00:39:49.52\00:39:51.79
The heart is guarded,
00:39:51.82\00:39:53.32
you have an attitude of peace
00:39:53.36\00:39:55.22
when you spend time in
prayer and supplication.
00:39:55.26\00:39:58.16
Sometimes you could
be in complete silence.
00:39:58.19\00:40:01.03
Some of us don't
know but there are people
00:40:01.06\00:40:02.66
that believe in meditation.
00:40:02.70\00:40:04.23
Now when I say meditation,
I don't mean like, hum, hum.
00:40:04.27\00:40:08.87
No, no, we're not
looking to empty ours,
00:40:08.90\00:40:11.74
we're not looking to
look within ourselves.
00:40:11.77\00:40:13.81
Prayer for the Christian
is the searching of ourselves,
00:40:13.84\00:40:17.48
Lord, search me, and try me,
00:40:17.51\00:40:19.75
and see if there be
any wicked way in me.
00:40:19.78\00:40:22.92
We're not looking
for peace in ourselves,
00:40:22.95\00:40:25.05
we're looking for peace
that passes all understanding
00:40:25.09\00:40:27.06
that comes from being
in God, not in ourselves.
00:40:27.09\00:40:31.86
But you'll never find that peace
00:40:31.89\00:40:34.30
that surpasses
all understanding,
00:40:34.33\00:40:36.26
I think the New
International Translation
00:40:36.30\00:40:38.00
or New International
Version says it this way,
00:40:38.03\00:40:40.74
"A peace that does
not need to be explained."
00:40:40.77\00:40:45.11
"A piece that does
not need to be explained."
00:40:45.14\00:40:47.94
Somebody said to me,
"How are you so peaceful?"
00:40:47.98\00:40:50.11
"I can't explain it."
00:40:50.15\00:40:51.85
When you have that
kind of confidence in God,
00:40:51.88\00:40:54.08
when you have the
kind of connection
00:40:54.12\00:40:55.45
between you and God,
and you have to remember,
00:40:55.48\00:40:57.39
we're not talking
about a guy that just
00:40:57.42\00:40:59.45
is able to hang a few planets.
00:40:59.49\00:41:03.46
We're talking about a God
who is not ever at the point
00:41:03.49\00:41:06.39
where He's not
able to do something.
00:41:06.43\00:41:09.76
All powerful, all knowing.
00:41:09.80\00:41:11.90
Anyway, that's an
entire sermon by itself,
00:41:11.93\00:41:13.57
just those two verses.
00:41:13.60\00:41:15.20
Number seven. Number seven.
00:41:15.24\00:41:18.17
How does the Bible remind
us of the power of prayer?
00:41:18.21\00:41:22.84
How does the Bible remind
us of the power of prayer?
00:41:22.88\00:41:27.82
The emphasis in
this verse particularly
00:41:27.85\00:41:29.62
is the power of prayer.
00:41:29.65\00:41:31.52
In other words, what
example does the Bible give us
00:41:31.55\00:41:33.39
of the power of prayer?
00:41:33.42\00:41:35.56
And remember, the
overreaching topic is still
00:41:35.59\00:41:37.76
how to live a spiritual
life in the natural body.
00:41:37.79\00:41:40.60
One of the things that we do
to maintain our spiritual life
00:41:40.63\00:41:43.67
is we have to have a
spiritual time with God,
00:41:43.70\00:41:46.23
we have to live in the spirit.
00:41:46.27\00:41:47.84
Can you see God?
00:41:47.87\00:41:49.20
The answer is what, yes or no?
00:41:49.24\00:41:50.57
But you know
that God is a Spirit,
00:41:50.61\00:41:51.94
you know that God is there.
00:41:51.97\00:41:53.48
You stay in touch with God,
but God manifests His presence.
00:41:53.51\00:41:57.71
And this verse talks
about the manifestation
00:41:57.75\00:42:00.08
of the presence
and power of God.
00:42:00.12\00:42:02.75
Acts 4:31
00:42:02.78\00:42:04.52
is where you're turning with me.
00:42:04.55\00:42:06.02
And it appears on the screen.
00:42:06.05\00:42:08.42
Acts 4:31, is
where we find our answer
00:42:08.46\00:42:11.26
to how does the Bible remind
us of the power of prayer.
00:42:11.29\00:42:13.73
Here's what it says,
00:42:13.76\00:42:15.50
"And when they had prayed,
00:42:15.53\00:42:17.60
the place where they were
assembled together was," what?
00:42:17.63\00:42:21.74
"Shaken and they were all filled
00:42:21.77\00:42:25.24
with the Holy Spirit,
00:42:25.27\00:42:27.41
and they spoke the
word of God with," what?
00:42:27.44\00:42:30.48
"Boldness.'
00:42:30.51\00:42:31.85
Now let's look at this.
00:42:31.88\00:42:33.31
How does the Bible remind
us of the power of prayer?
00:42:33.35\00:42:37.02
How did God
respond? How did God respond?
00:42:37.05\00:42:41.62
He manifested Himself in
this particular instance,
00:42:41.66\00:42:44.59
and this by the
way was the outpouring
00:42:44.63\00:42:46.26
of the Holy Spirit
on the day of Pentecost.
00:42:46.29\00:42:48.20
What's going to happen?
00:42:48.23\00:42:49.56
Let's translate that
into our lives today,
00:42:49.60\00:42:51.30
God will shake up your life.
00:42:51.33\00:42:54.17
If your life
needs to be shaken up,
00:42:54.20\00:42:55.67
and you supplicate
and you pray before God,
00:42:55.70\00:42:57.77
God will shake up your life.
00:42:57.81\00:42:59.44
So be careful.
00:42:59.47\00:43:00.81
Somebody once said,
00:43:00.84\00:43:02.18
"Prayer, they
should put a warning on it.
00:43:02.21\00:43:03.55
They should put a
warning on the Christian life,
00:43:03.58\00:43:05.38
'Handle with prayer.'
00:43:05.41\00:43:07.18
" You ever seen it before?
00:43:07.22\00:43:08.55
Not handle with care,
but handle with prayer.
00:43:08.58\00:43:12.82
You got to be very careful
00:43:12.85\00:43:14.19
because prayer
is a powerful thing,
00:43:14.22\00:43:15.66
we cannot take
prayer as something that,
00:43:15.69\00:43:17.73
when people say
it always troubles me
00:43:17.76\00:43:19.23
when people say, "Oh,
00:43:19.26\00:43:21.43
I can't do much,
I'll pray for you."
00:43:21.46\00:43:24.23
You mean you'll talk to God
for me, that's a good thing.
00:43:24.27\00:43:27.64
Amen someone?
00:43:27.67\00:43:29.94
When we all agree together,
00:43:29.97\00:43:31.74
when we begin to
all pray together,
00:43:31.77\00:43:33.54
my wife just recently,
she put on the Facebook page,
00:43:33.58\00:43:35.88
their prayer
requests for her sister
00:43:35.91\00:43:37.68
who is going through
some health challenges.
00:43:37.71\00:43:40.75
And she put
that on the Facebook.
00:43:40.78\00:43:42.52
And the moment she
put it on Facebook,
00:43:42.55\00:43:45.45
people started responding.
00:43:45.49\00:43:46.99
I'm praying for, I'm
praying for her right now.
00:43:47.02\00:43:49.52
People started typing prayers.
00:43:49.56\00:43:51.23
Now get this, if
mankind would respond,
00:43:51.26\00:43:54.60
and you go back
on the Facebook page
00:43:54.63\00:43:56.16
a day later, and they said,
00:43:56.20\00:43:57.93
posted three minutes
ago, posted two hours ago,
00:43:57.97\00:44:00.64
posted a day and a half
ago, you ever noticed that?
00:44:00.67\00:44:03.24
Those of you who
are Facebook posters,
00:44:03.27\00:44:04.77
you begin to notice,
the longer it's on there,
00:44:04.81\00:44:07.18
posted three days ago,
00:44:07.21\00:44:08.68
that request you
made three days earlier,
00:44:08.71\00:44:11.55
people are still
responding to it.
00:44:11.58\00:44:13.82
Now get this.
00:44:13.85\00:44:16.79
Do you think that
God won't keep responding
00:44:16.82\00:44:19.02
to their prayer?
00:44:19.05\00:44:20.69
Do you think that He
won't send His angels
00:44:20.72\00:44:22.46
to respond to our prayers?
00:44:22.49\00:44:24.69
He sends them so quickly.
00:44:24.73\00:44:27.46
That the Bible says
in the Book of Daniel,
00:44:27.50\00:44:29.16
when Daniel began to pray
00:44:29.20\00:44:30.53
at the time of the
evening of sacrifice,
00:44:30.57\00:44:34.37
the angel was sent to him,
he was caused to fly swiftly.
00:44:34.40\00:44:38.71
And before Daniel's
prayer was done, the angel said,
00:44:38.74\00:44:41.38
"Daniel, Daniel,
00:44:41.41\00:44:43.78
Daniel.
00:44:43.81\00:44:47.38
I've been sent to
tell you that you are.
00:44:47.42\00:44:50.05
God loves you.
00:44:50.09\00:44:51.95
He heard your prayer."
00:44:51.99\00:44:53.89
He's just not going to
tell you everything right now
00:44:53.92\00:44:55.46
so don't be concerned.
00:44:55.49\00:44:56.83
Because some of what I'm going
to tell you, just shut it up,
00:44:56.86\00:44:59.33
seal it up, and people
in the end will understand.
00:44:59.36\00:45:01.36
But you are
loved, God favors you,
00:45:01.40\00:45:03.63
don't worry about it.
00:45:03.67\00:45:05.00
That's a beautiful thing.
00:45:05.03\00:45:06.37
We've got to know
that when we pray,
00:45:06.40\00:45:07.74
we're talking to a God,
00:45:07.77\00:45:09.50
He doesn't have to send UPS,
00:45:09.54\00:45:10.87
He doesn't have to
send Federal Express.
00:45:10.91\00:45:12.44
There is never a
disconnect between us and God
00:45:12.47\00:45:15.14
and that's what
a prayer line does.
00:45:15.18\00:45:17.11
So there's some people that,
00:45:17.15\00:45:18.48
you know, you
turn on television,
00:45:18.51\00:45:19.85
they say, hotline,
prayer hotline, call 24 hours,
00:45:19.88\00:45:22.88
there's always
someone standing by.
00:45:22.92\00:45:24.72
Well, if mankind is standing by,
00:45:24.75\00:45:26.62
is God not standing by?
00:45:26.65\00:45:27.99
Amen.
00:45:28.02\00:45:29.36
He's an ever present
help in time of need,
00:45:29.39\00:45:32.09
ever present
help, time of trouble,
00:45:32.13\00:45:33.70
time of need, He's always there.
00:45:33.73\00:45:35.26
And when He
comes into your life,
00:45:35.30\00:45:36.63
so let's look
at the answers here
00:45:36.67\00:45:38.00
because there's a lot
of answers in this verse.
00:45:38.03\00:45:39.37
How does the Bible remind
us of the power of prayer?
00:45:39.40\00:45:41.44
First of all, it
shakes up your life.
00:45:41.47\00:45:43.67
Secondly, the Lord will fill you
00:45:43.71\00:45:45.24
with the power that you need.
00:45:45.27\00:45:47.84
And thirdly, when you pray,
depending on what you ask for,
00:45:47.88\00:45:51.41
you'll be able to go
forth in the boldness
00:45:51.45\00:45:54.98
that God is important to you.
00:45:55.02\00:45:56.65
That's why I said
when you say to the person,
00:45:56.69\00:45:58.09
the merchant, "I
have to pray about it."
00:45:58.12\00:45:59.95
You have to say
that in a boldness,
00:45:59.99\00:46:02.29
not in frightfulness.
00:46:02.32\00:46:03.86
Don't back them up and
say, "I'll pray about it.
00:46:03.89\00:46:05.46
I'll be back when
I'm done praying."
00:46:05.49\00:46:07.40
But you're gonna say, "I
need to pray about that."
00:46:07.43\00:46:10.10
And use it and do it
00:46:10.13\00:46:11.47
in such a
confidence that they say,
00:46:11.50\00:46:15.14
"I don't remember any
customers ever saying to me,
00:46:15.17\00:46:16.94
they have to pray about it."
00:46:16.97\00:46:18.94
You will surely be remembered,
if you respond that way.
00:46:18.97\00:46:22.58
Prayer shakes up our lives.
00:46:22.61\00:46:24.71
Prayer fills us with the
power that we are in need of.
00:46:24.75\00:46:28.35
The Spirit of God guiding us.
00:46:28.38\00:46:31.12
And then we can go
forth in the Word of God
00:46:31.15\00:46:33.59
and live in that
Word in boldness.
00:46:33.62\00:46:37.16
All right?
00:46:37.19\00:46:38.53
Number eight.
00:46:38.56\00:46:40.13
We're moving at a
good pace tonight.
00:46:40.16\00:46:42.00
Number eight.
00:46:42.03\00:46:43.57
Praise the Lord.
00:46:43.60\00:46:44.93
Here it is.
00:46:44.97\00:46:46.94
What were the results
00:46:46.97\00:46:48.44
of the simple prayers of Elijah?
00:46:48.47\00:46:52.51
Those of you
that know the story,
00:46:52.54\00:46:54.74
know exactly where we're headed.
00:46:54.78\00:46:57.21
What were the results
00:46:57.25\00:46:58.88
of the simple prayer of Elijah?
00:46:58.91\00:47:01.25
Turn with me to James 5:17-18.
00:47:01.28\00:47:05.69
What were the results?
00:47:05.72\00:47:08.46
When we read
about Bible writers,
00:47:08.49\00:47:10.43
and those men and
women that were used by God,
00:47:10.46\00:47:13.80
you have, Deborah,
00:47:13.83\00:47:15.86
the prophetess, you have Miriam,
00:47:15.90\00:47:19.17
you have God speaking through
men and women in the Bible,
00:47:19.20\00:47:22.77
you have the
penmen of the Bible.
00:47:22.80\00:47:25.11
And we look at them oftentimes
00:47:25.14\00:47:26.68
as these guys that
sat on high chairs way up,
00:47:26.71\00:47:31.81
and you walked up to
them and say, "Isaiah."
00:47:31.85\00:47:35.68
"Yes, my son."
00:47:35.72\00:47:39.09
We sometimes get
this disconnected,
00:47:39.12\00:47:40.86
all hard to
approach kind of guy.
00:47:40.89\00:47:43.32
The Bible writers were men
and women just like you and me,
00:47:43.36\00:47:47.30
whose lives were
under the direction
00:47:47.33\00:47:49.50
and the infilling
of the Holy Spirit.
00:47:49.53\00:47:51.50
These were holy men,
God didn't just choose men,
00:47:51.53\00:47:53.57
He chose what kind of men?
00:47:53.60\00:47:55.40
Holy men of God.
00:47:55.44\00:47:57.61
But God spoke through these men,
00:47:57.64\00:47:59.61
and one of those
that we admire so much
00:47:59.64\00:48:02.01
when we talk about Elijah.
00:48:02.04\00:48:04.25
Elijah was swept
away in a chariot of fire.
00:48:04.28\00:48:07.88
What a powerful man.
00:48:07.92\00:48:09.25
That's the kind of guy
you don't want to mess with.
00:48:09.28\00:48:11.95
I always
thought, I did a sermon.
00:48:11.99\00:48:13.66
If you knew that
Elijah just simply prayed
00:48:13.69\00:48:17.13
and things happened instantly,
00:48:17.16\00:48:18.49
you don't want
to mess with Elijah.
00:48:18.53\00:48:20.10
You heard about when...
00:48:20.13\00:48:21.46
Anyway I don't want to
go into the story too much.
00:48:21.50\00:48:23.67
When the children were
mocking him, was mocking.
00:48:23.70\00:48:25.73
They were mocking
Elijah, mocking him,
00:48:25.77\00:48:27.57
calling him baldheaded.
00:48:27.60\00:48:31.07
It was Elisha.
00:48:31.11\00:48:32.51
Well, what's nice about that
00:48:32.54\00:48:34.14
Elisha had a double
portion of Elijah's spirit.
00:48:34.18\00:48:38.15
And so
00:48:38.18\00:48:41.35
Elisha just
00:48:41.38\00:48:44.65
leaned on the power of God.
00:48:44.69\00:48:46.96
And I don't think
00:48:46.99\00:48:48.32
those children
mocked anybody after that.
00:48:48.36\00:48:50.73
You know the story, right?
00:48:50.76\00:48:52.63
They were swept away,
not in a chariot of fire,
00:48:52.66\00:48:55.03
but in the claw of a bear.
00:48:55.06\00:48:58.07
Very important.
00:48:58.10\00:48:59.43
Look at the power
of Elijah's prayer.
00:48:59.47\00:49:03.14
James 5:17.
00:49:03.17\00:49:05.84
And the Bible says,
00:49:05.87\00:49:07.21
"Elijah was a man
with a nature like ours."
00:49:07.24\00:49:12.85
The King James says,
00:49:12.88\00:49:14.22
"Subject to like
passions as we are."
00:49:14.25\00:49:15.92
I use the New King James
00:49:15.95\00:49:17.29
because he made it
a little clear here.
00:49:17.32\00:49:19.12
"Elijah was a man
with a nature like ours.
00:49:19.15\00:49:22.66
And he prayed,"
how did he prayed?
00:49:22.69\00:49:25.79
"Earnestly that
it would not rain.
00:49:25.83\00:49:28.36
And it did not rain on the land
00:49:28.40\00:49:30.37
for three years and six months."
00:49:30.40\00:49:34.70
And it goes on.
00:49:34.74\00:49:36.07
"And he prayed again,
and the heaven gave rain,
00:49:36.10\00:49:40.74
and the earth produced," what?
00:49:40.78\00:49:43.18
"Its fruit."
00:49:43.21\00:49:45.01
What were the results
00:49:45.05\00:49:46.38
of the simple prayers of Elijah?
00:49:46.41\00:49:48.35
What were the results?
00:49:48.38\00:49:52.15
I like that fact that
says, and he prayed again.
00:49:52.19\00:49:55.82
He prayed, and God stopped
00:49:55.86\00:49:57.53
when Elijah
prayed for God to stop.
00:49:57.56\00:49:59.73
He prayed again.
00:49:59.76\00:50:01.10
God poured the rain out
00:50:01.13\00:50:03.47
when Elijah requested for
the rain to be poured out.
00:50:03.50\00:50:06.74
And for how long
00:50:06.77\00:50:08.10
did they not have
rain on the earth?
00:50:08.14\00:50:09.47
For three and a half years.
00:50:09.50\00:50:11.74
For three and a
half years, no rain.
00:50:11.77\00:50:15.31
But the key of this
verse is prayer works.
00:50:15.34\00:50:19.68
Prayer works.
00:50:19.71\00:50:21.05
Or more specifically,
00:50:21.08\00:50:22.85
think of prayer as a light bulb.
00:50:22.88\00:50:25.52
I want to give
prayer the proper place,
00:50:25.55\00:50:27.89
because it is not the
exercise of prayer works
00:50:27.92\00:50:30.46
but it's the power of God
that works through prayer.
00:50:30.49\00:50:33.40
Bulbs work, but can a
bulb work without electricity?
00:50:33.43\00:50:36.93
So think of your prayer
as connecting with a power
00:50:36.97\00:50:40.00
that's far beyond
our own human abilities.
00:50:40.04\00:50:43.94
So when you pray,
you're connecting to who? God.
00:50:43.97\00:50:46.78
Prayer connects us to God.
00:50:46.81\00:50:48.14
So Elijah, it was not
Elijah who made the rain come.
00:50:48.18\00:50:50.85
It was not Elijah
who kept the rain back.
00:50:50.88\00:50:52.61
It was Elijah praying to God,
and God turned the water off,
00:50:52.65\00:50:56.45
and then God
turned the water on.
00:50:56.48\00:50:59.19
So here's the answer.
00:50:59.22\00:51:00.56
What were the results
00:51:00.59\00:51:01.92
of the simple prayers of Elijah?
00:51:01.96\00:51:03.56
God answered.
00:51:03.59\00:51:05.66
That's what you wanna get.
00:51:05.69\00:51:07.03
God answered.
00:51:07.06\00:51:09.43
There's another portion of that
00:51:09.46\00:51:10.80
I don't want to run
ahead of it very quickly
00:51:10.83\00:51:12.20
because I'm going to
bring this out later on.
00:51:12.23\00:51:14.30
If we get to it
tonight, but just go ahead
00:51:14.34\00:51:16.07
for the benefit
of seeing this twice.
00:51:16.10\00:51:19.04
Underline if you'd
like the word, the phrase,
00:51:19.07\00:51:21.94
"He prayed earnestly."
00:51:21.98\00:51:24.88
Sometimes we
don't pray earnestly.
00:51:24.91\00:51:27.42
Sometimes we pray frivolously.
00:51:27.45\00:51:32.02
Please help me, God.
00:51:32.05\00:51:33.39
Sometimes you say,
00:51:35.82\00:51:37.16
"Okay, Lord, I need your
help right now. Thank. Amen."
00:51:37.19\00:51:40.93
Earnest prayer is like a
guy hanging over a cliff.
00:51:40.96\00:51:44.80
He's not saying,
00:51:44.83\00:51:47.20
"Is there anybody up there?"
00:51:47.24\00:51:49.44
Do you think he's
saying it that way?
00:51:49.47\00:51:51.37
How do you think he's saying it?
00:51:51.41\00:51:52.74
Help!
00:51:55.58\00:51:56.91
There's anybody, help!
00:51:56.95\00:51:58.28
Somebody help, help!
00:51:58.31\00:52:01.12
He's calling out.
00:52:01.15\00:52:02.48
He doesn't care
what's happening.
00:52:02.52\00:52:04.29
He's breaking it
all conversations.
00:52:04.32\00:52:06.45
He's making sure that he
gets somebody's attention.
00:52:06.49\00:52:08.76
When you pray earnestly,
00:52:08.79\00:52:10.13
you are knocking on
the doors of heaven.
00:52:10.16\00:52:13.63
You are coming boldly
before the throne of grace.
00:52:13.66\00:52:17.23
You're not
tiptoeing through the tulips,
00:52:17.27\00:52:18.90
you're coming to
the presence of God
00:52:18.93\00:52:20.27
who invited you to come.
00:52:20.30\00:52:22.07
He says, "Come unto me, all you
who are weary and heavy laden,
00:52:22.10\00:52:25.27
and I will give you rest."
00:52:25.31\00:52:26.64
He's saying, "Come, ask of Me."
00:52:26.68\00:52:29.38
And you know what?
00:52:29.41\00:52:30.75
I believe that God is
more willing to give us
00:52:30.78\00:52:34.42
than we are willing to ask.
00:52:34.45\00:52:36.55
He prayed earnestly
00:52:36.58\00:52:38.32
and God answered.
00:52:38.35\00:52:41.02
To the next page.
00:52:41.06\00:52:43.09
We have about little
more than five minutes.
00:52:43.12\00:52:44.86
Praise the Lord
00:52:44.89\00:52:46.23
for the consistent pace tonight.
00:52:46.26\00:52:50.57
Shifting into the
beautiful dynamics of prayer.
00:52:50.60\00:52:53.60
What promise has the Lord made
00:52:53.64\00:52:56.00
to those who
call on Him in prayer?
00:52:56.04\00:53:00.58
What promise has the Lord made
00:53:00.61\00:53:02.44
to those that
call on Him in prayer?
00:53:02.48\00:53:06.18
Question number nine.
00:53:06.21\00:53:07.88
Yes, Psalms 50:15.
00:53:07.92\00:53:11.25
Psalms 50:15.
00:53:11.29\00:53:13.25
I pray as you're
listening to the program tonight
00:53:13.29\00:53:14.96
that you've
taken into real thought
00:53:14.99\00:53:17.89
what we're saying
about prayer tonight
00:53:17.93\00:53:19.59
because prayer is one
of the least exercised bits
00:53:19.63\00:53:24.40
of equipment in the
Christian's survival kit.
00:53:24.43\00:53:29.54
If you think about that,
00:53:29.57\00:53:30.91
it's one of the least
used pieces of equipment
00:53:30.94\00:53:33.78
in the Christian survival kit.
00:53:33.81\00:53:36.04
Because so many of us
are so self sufficient,
00:53:36.08\00:53:38.41
we have a good study life,
00:53:38.45\00:53:40.08
that is hopefully if
you have a good study life,
00:53:40.12\00:53:42.18
we sometimes attend church,
00:53:42.22\00:53:44.05
or maybe we are very
regular attendance of church
00:53:44.09\00:53:46.76
and prayer meeting
and all those good things.
00:53:46.79\00:53:48.92
We have a lot of activities,
we have community services,
00:53:48.96\00:53:50.96
we reach out, we witness.
00:53:50.99\00:53:53.76
But you can't be
powerful in your walk with God
00:53:53.80\00:53:55.76
unless there is a
constant connection
00:53:55.80\00:53:57.43
to the source of power.
00:53:57.47\00:53:58.83
So if you wanna
think about that,
00:53:58.87\00:54:00.20
if you wanna give
yourself an example of how weak
00:54:00.24\00:54:02.94
a Christian's life would
be when you go home tonight.
00:54:02.97\00:54:06.07
Now be careful
what you do this with.
00:54:06.11\00:54:08.08
When you go home tonight,
00:54:08.11\00:54:09.44
unplug as many things
as you can in the house.
00:54:09.48\00:54:12.55
Unplug the lights in your room.
00:54:12.58\00:54:15.72
If you did not...
00:54:15.75\00:54:17.09
You don't have to do this,
but if you really want to see
00:54:17.12\00:54:19.32
how dark and dismal a
Christian's life would be,
00:54:19.35\00:54:21.79
unplug all the lights
in your house tonight.
00:54:21.82\00:54:24.86
And try to walk
through the house.
00:54:24.89\00:54:27.96
Now some of you may have
lived long enough in that house,
00:54:28.00\00:54:30.07
so you can find your
way if you're blindfolded.
00:54:30.10\00:54:32.43
But my point is,
00:54:32.47\00:54:34.94
you have to walk
very, very carefully.
00:54:34.97\00:54:36.94
And you wouldn't
see very, very well.
00:54:36.97\00:54:39.27
And you wouldn't know...
00:54:39.31\00:54:40.64
You wouldn't be
able to identify anything
00:54:40.68\00:54:42.18
in the darkness of the room.
00:54:42.21\00:54:43.55
The Christian's
life without prayer
00:54:43.58\00:54:45.71
is like a house without light.
00:54:45.75\00:54:48.12
You can't see.
00:54:48.15\00:54:49.78
You have to live
your life very cautiously
00:54:49.82\00:54:52.79
because you can be
hurt at any moment.
00:54:52.82\00:54:55.06
Your path is not lighted,
your direction is not clear.
00:54:55.09\00:54:58.36
That's why this text
is so vitally important.
00:54:58.39\00:55:00.53
What promise has the Lord made
00:55:00.56\00:55:02.66
to those who
call on Him in prayer?
00:55:02.70\00:55:04.43
Psalms 50:15 reads as follows.
00:55:04.47\00:55:08.84
"Call upon me in
the day of trouble,"
00:55:08.87\00:55:13.54
what's the promise?
00:55:13.58\00:55:14.91
"I will deliver you
and you shall glorify Me."
00:55:14.94\00:55:20.55
Beautiful, I will deliver
you and you will glorify Me.
00:55:20.58\00:55:24.29
When God delivers us,
00:55:24.32\00:55:25.65
we have to tell people about it.
00:55:25.69\00:55:27.02
Don't we tell people about that?
00:55:27.06\00:55:28.39
Girl, I have some
of the kids come in.
00:55:28.42\00:55:30.03
My sister would say this way,
00:55:30.06\00:55:31.39
"Child, I need to tell
you what God did for me."
00:55:31.43\00:55:33.93
She's real New Yorker.
00:55:33.96\00:55:35.76
See some of those city people.
00:55:35.80\00:55:37.13
Child, girl, you
know how the girls talk.
00:55:37.17\00:55:40.27
And guys get together.
00:55:40.30\00:55:41.64
Man, I gotta tell you
00:55:41.67\00:55:43.00
what God did for
me and He does it.
00:55:43.04\00:55:44.97
It's most exciting
when God answers us
00:55:45.01\00:55:46.88
in our time of trouble.
00:55:46.91\00:55:48.24
And He always answers us.
00:55:48.28\00:55:49.61
But sometimes He says,
00:55:49.64\00:55:50.98
"Don't be anxious, I'm
working this thing out."
00:55:51.01\00:55:52.35
Sometimes we think
that we are in more trouble
00:55:52.38\00:55:55.95
than God knows we are in.
00:55:55.98\00:55:58.25
See, sometimes it
looks more troublesome to us
00:55:58.29\00:56:00.66
than it looks to God.
00:56:00.69\00:56:02.02
God said, "You
call that trouble.
00:56:02.06\00:56:06.63
Hang on, don't worry
about, I got it taken care of."
00:56:06.66\00:56:10.53
And we talked about, you know,
our lives gonna be turned off,
00:56:10.57\00:56:12.87
"Lord, I'm in trouble."
00:56:12.90\00:56:14.24
So what do you need,
how much do you need?
00:56:14.27\00:56:16.74
And somebody calls,
00:56:16.77\00:56:18.11
"Uh, do you know,
Lord just put on my heart
00:56:18.14\00:56:19.47
that your lights are
gonna be turned off."
00:56:19.51\00:56:23.61
"Did you do that, God?"
00:56:23.65\00:56:24.98
And you go,
"Honey, let me tell you,
00:56:25.01\00:56:26.72
two hours before the man
came and disconnected my lights,
00:56:26.75\00:56:29.02
I had to check.
00:56:29.05\00:56:30.85
God answers prayers.
00:56:30.89\00:56:32.69
That car sometimes, you know,
00:56:32.72\00:56:34.19
it breaks down
but all of a sudden
00:56:34.22\00:56:35.56
tonight it's just
performing flawlessly
00:56:35.59\00:56:37.79
in terribly bad weather.
00:56:37.83\00:56:39.43
And you get home and say,
00:56:39.46\00:56:40.80
"Honey, I don't
know what happened.
00:56:40.83\00:56:42.23
But that car
didn't even cough tonight
00:56:42.26\00:56:44.43
and look at the weather."
00:56:44.47\00:56:45.87
And you get them
thinking that was a car.
00:56:45.90\00:56:47.40
It was God.
00:56:47.44\00:56:49.40
You know what I'm saying?
00:56:49.44\00:56:50.77
It's God, you got
to understand that.
00:56:50.81\00:56:52.37
You got to understand that.
00:56:52.41\00:56:53.74
When you speak to
God, God responds.
00:56:53.78\00:56:56.11
And that's why He says,
00:56:56.14\00:56:57.48
"Call upon Me in
the day of trouble,
00:56:57.51\00:56:59.31
I will deliver you."
00:56:59.35\00:57:02.18
Friend of ours,
your husband Dave,
00:57:02.22\00:57:04.59
woke up just in time
00:57:04.62\00:57:06.82
to see this
vehicle in front of him
00:57:06.86\00:57:09.86
and didn't even
have time to respond.
00:57:09.89\00:57:11.73
And before he knew
it he was in the lane
00:57:11.76\00:57:13.16
right next to that vehicle.
00:57:13.19\00:57:14.53
And he knew in his heart,
all he could do was call on God
00:57:14.56\00:57:17.37
and God delivered him
in the moment of trouble.
00:57:17.40\00:57:20.20
And what happened?
00:57:20.24\00:57:21.57
He was glorifying God
through the testimony.
00:57:21.60\00:57:23.44
I need to tell you
00:57:23.47\00:57:24.81
how I almost rear
ended the car today.
00:57:24.84\00:57:26.88
But in the split second,
God moved that vehicle over.
00:57:26.91\00:57:30.55
I heard it crunching,
00:57:30.58\00:57:32.18
but God saved me in
my moment of trouble.
00:57:32.21\00:57:36.28
Well, friends, I
wanna encourage you,
00:57:36.32\00:57:37.65
we're going to
continue in our study of prayer,
00:57:37.69\00:57:39.35
how vitally important it is,
00:57:39.39\00:57:41.32
and how God works in our lives
through the power of prayer.
00:57:41.36\00:57:44.09
But tonight, go
over the questions
00:57:44.13\00:57:45.99
that we have gone
over and remember,
00:57:46.03\00:57:48.33
your life will be a
life filled with power,
00:57:48.36\00:57:50.77
if your life is a
life filled with prayer.
00:57:50.80\00:57:53.84
Pray and God answers.
00:57:53.87\00:57:55.90
God knows your need.
00:57:55.94\00:57:57.27
And when you pray,
00:57:57.31\00:57:58.64
those things that are blurry
will come into A Sharper Focus.
00:57:58.67\00:58:02.38
God bless you.
00:58:02.41\00:58:03.75