Hello, friends, and welcome
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to another
Wednesday night live here
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at A Sharper Focus in
Thompsonville, Illinois
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at 3ABN Worship Center.
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Thank you for tuning in again.
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As we continue
our topic on prayer,
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something that
tonight we are painfully aware
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that our nation
really is in need of.
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Since this is a live program
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we are praying incessantly
for those on the East Coast
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that have lost their homes,
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their lives have been
ripped from the Moore's
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and their
day-to-day's have been disturbed
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for quite a long time.
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And even with the loss of life,
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we continue to pray for
there to be a recovery effort
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to go forth successfully
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and that those who
have been painfully aware
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of what nature does and can do
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will take the
time to turn to God
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at this very critical
hour in our earth's history.
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And so tonight
as we welcome you,
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we also welcome you
with a prayerful attitude
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that we not just
talk about prayer,
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but we do pray
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in a very real
way for those lives
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to be reorganized
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and for people to turn to
the Lord before worst things
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transpire in our world
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which we know if
we read our Bible.
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This is just the
beginning of sorrows
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but the end is not yet.
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So tonight,
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as we begin our
study before we tell you
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where to find a
copy of the lesson,
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bow your heads with me tonight
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as we pray and ask
for the Lord's presence
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to be with us.
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Our Father in
heaven we thank You so much
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for Your
goodness and Your mercy.
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When we talk about mercy,
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we think of the anticipation
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of so many
hunkering a bunkering down
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and boarding up
their homes not realizing
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that within just a mere
period of 24 hours or less
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that many lives will be taken,
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homes will be destroyed,
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property washed away
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and those things that
we thought were constant
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were no longer in existence.
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And so heavenly Father tonight
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as we talk about
the very important topic
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of prayer,
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we know that right now,
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there are millions praying,
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praying for their lives
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to be put back together,
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praying for answers in
the midst of this world
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that is in mental
anguish and perplexity.
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And so Lord
tonight come near to us,
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not just in the
rebuilding of physical houses
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but the rebuilding of our lives,
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our homes,
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our relationships,
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and our walk with You.
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So come near to us,
Lord, speak to our hearts
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that we may draw
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closer to You through prayer.
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In Jesus name we pray,
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amen.
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Now before I tell you...
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Well, let me just
tell you right now,
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before we have our song tonight,
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you can go to this website,
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asf.3abn.org
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and download a copy
of lesson number 10.
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We're continuing, we're gonna
begin on question number 10
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from lesson number 10.
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But keep your Bibles nearby
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because a lot of times we
make reference to the Bible
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that is not
necessarily encompassed
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in one of the scriptures
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that are covered
in the lesson itself.
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So keep that with you
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and follow us along
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in our lesson
tonight about prayer.
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But invite your
friends and family too,
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you may want to
call them and say hey,
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tune into 3ABN right now.
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This is a
vitally important topic.
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So let's begin
by singing our song,
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"Victory in Jesus,"
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which is what
every one of us needs
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and we can find that
as we turn to Christ.
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Let's sing tonight.
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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
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I'll sing up there
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The song of 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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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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Amen? Amen.
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You know, when I think
about the topic tonight,
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and I'm singing the words,
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the cleansing flood,
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right now I'm
thinking about a flood
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in a completely different way.
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I'm a native New Yorker
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and I look at what has happened
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in the city of New York City
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and the floods that have,
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the waters that have
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crossed over their boundaries
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there in downtown
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Manhattan flooded
the subway stations
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and homes have been swept away
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and sand has been brought way
into the streets of New Jersey.
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They said in one
particular instance,
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100 feet of
shoreline have been washed away
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where there was 125
feet, there's only 25 feet now.
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And in some cases,
the ocean is right there
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in front of people's homes
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and so continue to pray tonight
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that this would...
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And it's said,
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I want to put this
in the right context
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that I don't want
to sound insensitive.
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But we hope that
before it gets worse,
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people will turn to the Lord.
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This is one of those indications
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that we're
living in the last days
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and things that
would never have occurred
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in 108 years of
the establishment
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of mass transit
in New York City,
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this has never happened.
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And so this tells us
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we are at very
critical times in history,
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very fragile moments.
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And we're gonna see a
lot more things happening
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in the future that
have not yet occurred.
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One news reporter said,
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we're seeing a lot of things
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that should only
occur once every 100 years.
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Well, the last three years,
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we've seen three
events that are major,
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that should not occur
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but once in every 100 years.
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So that tells us where we are
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in the course of human history
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and how close it is
to the time of the end.
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Which says to me all the more
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we do need to
pray and talk to God.
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Can you say amen to that?
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Prayer is something
that people often do
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after a crisis comes
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and not necessarily
before the crisis comes.
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Prayer is something that
people do when they have,
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sometimes they're
at their wits ends
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and they know
not what else to do.
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They say, well, let me pray.
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And it is a sad reality
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that sometimes people only think
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about communicating with God
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only when they
really have no other avenue.
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Now speaking
about communication,
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I have a couple of devices,
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I'm not gonna turn them on
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because they may
interrupt some of the signals
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and I'm using a
wireless microphone
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and I have a try square.
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We could use that old
Layman's term walkie-talkie.
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That's the old way
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but it's a communication device.
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Which when I first bought it,
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I thought
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a whole lot of buttons,
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which means a whole
lot of buttons to press.
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And I'm a button presser,
I like a lot of buttons.
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I had a
communication device before,
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a very simple one.
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And I thought, man,
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I'm more complicated than that.
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I need me a serious
communication device.
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So let me go back to the
term of serious walkie-talkie.
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So I had a Motorola in this hand
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and a try square in this hand
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and we took
these to Africa with us
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a few years ago,
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I couldn't get the
things to work for nothing.
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Because I didn't
know how to set it up.
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And I read
through the 34 page manual
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and, you know, how to squelch
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and make sure that
if you call waiting,
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how many of us know
that there's call waiting
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and texting and all this.
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And I'm thinking all I
want to do is call my wife.
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She's in one
portion of Zimbabwe,
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I'm in the other,
I just want to say,
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Honey, are you okay?
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And I was pressing the button
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and it acted like a
normal communications device
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and but I didn't hear anything.
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And she said, "How come
you didn't call me today."
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I said, "I was
calling and I was yelling
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but how come
you didn't hear me,"
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and we had our signals locked in
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and I thought
it seems so simple.
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Then I went back
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to my old trusty
single button Motorola.
00:09:37.47\00:09:40.74
And I pressed the button
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and she got the message
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and I got her message.
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You know,
sometimes we make prayer
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more complicated
than it needs to be.
00:09:47.25\00:09:50.19
If we think about
prayer, in some sense,
00:09:50.22\00:09:51.95
prayer to some people is like
00:09:51.99\00:09:53.32
this multi-button
communication device
00:09:53.36\00:09:56.22
that could kind
of secondarily act
00:09:56.26\00:09:59.26
as a short wave
radio to some degree.
00:09:59.29\00:10:01.73
And so we look
at this and we say,
00:10:01.76\00:10:03.43
do I really want that,
that looks too communicated.
00:10:03.47\00:10:05.67
And sometimes we buy it
00:10:05.70\00:10:07.57
and don't know
how to get through.
00:10:07.60\00:10:09.70
But then God says,
00:10:09.74\00:10:11.07
prayer is not that difficult.
00:10:11.11\00:10:12.61
Sometimes all you need
to do is bend your knees
00:10:12.64\00:10:14.44
or bow your head
and hit the button
00:10:14.48\00:10:16.18
and I'll be on the other end.
00:10:16.21\00:10:18.05
And so tonight, we want to begin
00:10:18.08\00:10:19.41
by talking about
ways to communicate
00:10:19.45\00:10:21.52
because right now,
in this day and age,
00:10:21.55\00:10:23.55
we have so many kinds
of communication devices.
00:10:23.59\00:10:26.25
Everybody has a cell phone,
00:10:26.29\00:10:28.29
children have cell phones,
00:10:28.32\00:10:30.29
our trucker
still have CB radios,
00:10:30.33\00:10:33.50
walkie-talkies, we call them.
00:10:33.53\00:10:35.76
Police and emergency personnel
00:10:35.80\00:10:38.13
all use these
communication devices.
00:10:38.17\00:10:41.00
But we're gonna begin
tonight with a question
00:10:41.04\00:10:43.77
that really begs to be answered.
00:10:43.81\00:10:47.38
And I want to go right now
00:10:47.41\00:10:48.74
to question number 10
00:10:48.78\00:10:50.11
and lay the foundation
00:10:50.15\00:10:51.48
on a very significant question.
00:10:51.51\00:10:52.85
In light of the fact
that people are right now
00:10:52.88\00:10:54.68
praying more on the East Coast
00:10:54.72\00:10:57.49
than they prayed
in the last few days.
00:10:57.52\00:11:00.12
Here's the question
we begin with tonight.
00:11:00.16\00:11:02.69
Where and how are
we instructed to pray?
00:11:02.72\00:11:06.29
Where and how are
we instructed to pray?
00:11:06.33\00:11:10.07
I want to say as we go
to the Book of 1 Timothy
00:11:10.10\00:11:13.40
and we're gonna look
at Chapter 2 and verse 8.
00:11:13.44\00:11:15.24
I want to say tonight,
00:11:15.27\00:11:16.74
you know, whenever you
see that prayer is needed,
00:11:16.77\00:11:19.67
you need to pray.
00:11:19.71\00:11:22.81
And sometimes it's
good to communicate
00:11:22.84\00:11:24.31
before you have to
communicate in a dire
00:11:24.35\00:11:26.08
and difficult circumstance.
00:11:26.11\00:11:27.45
For example, if I didn't
have somebody's phone number,
00:11:27.48\00:11:30.39
and I needed to call
them at a crisis moment,
00:11:30.42\00:11:33.79
what's my biggest challenge?
00:11:33.82\00:11:35.49
What's their phone number,
00:11:35.52\00:11:36.86
how do I call them,
00:11:36.89\00:11:38.23
how do I get in touch with them?
00:11:38.26\00:11:39.59
That's the biggest challenge.
00:11:39.63\00:11:40.96
And so tonight as
we talk about that,
00:11:41.00\00:11:42.33
how to communicate.
00:11:42.36\00:11:43.70
I want to go with
you to 1 Timothy 2:8
00:11:43.73\00:11:46.70
and we'll see the answer there.
00:11:46.74\00:11:48.07
It's gonna be on the screen.
00:11:48.10\00:11:49.44
And for those of you tuning in,
00:11:49.47\00:11:50.81
the answer will be on the screen
00:11:50.84\00:11:52.17
as we turn to that, okay?
00:11:52.21\00:11:53.54
Here's the answer.
00:11:53.58\00:11:55.01
1 Timothy 2:8 reads as follows.
00:11:55.04\00:11:57.31
"I desire
therefore that men pray,"
00:11:57.35\00:12:01.12
how many places?
00:12:01.15\00:12:02.98
"Everywhere,
00:12:03.02\00:12:04.35
lifting up holy hands,
00:12:04.39\00:12:06.42
without wrath, and doubting."
00:12:06.45\00:12:09.82
Without two
things. Without what?
00:12:09.86\00:12:11.66
Wrath and without doubting.
00:12:11.69\00:12:13.56
Now let me tell
you what that means
00:12:13.60\00:12:14.93
when it says lift up holy hands.
00:12:14.96\00:12:16.30
I'll look into that
because a lot of times,
00:12:16.33\00:12:17.67
you know, we have this exercise
00:12:17.70\00:12:19.03
where people
raise their hands today.
00:12:19.07\00:12:20.40
And some people pray that way,
00:12:20.44\00:12:21.77
nothing wrong with that.
00:12:21.80\00:12:23.14
But when they prayed, and
this is truly an exercise,
00:12:23.17\00:12:27.21
when you read the Book
of 1 Timothy Chapter 2,
00:12:27.24\00:12:29.74
you'll see that verses before
00:12:29.78\00:12:32.38
Timothy or Paul
is addressing issues
00:12:32.41\00:12:35.75
that were common among men
00:12:35.78\00:12:38.65
and an issue that
was common among women.
00:12:38.69\00:12:41.22
The issue that
was common among women
00:12:41.26\00:12:42.99
is that they were
adorning themselves
00:12:43.02\00:12:45.79
in gold and
pearls and costly array,
00:12:45.83\00:12:49.03
but men weren't praying.
00:12:49.06\00:12:51.00
And so Paul is
literally saying to Timothy,
00:12:51.03\00:12:54.67
his younger understudy
00:12:54.70\00:12:56.50
that you need to let men
know that they need to pray.
00:12:56.54\00:12:59.64
Men need to pray
more than they do.
00:12:59.67\00:13:02.11
I've discovered that
women pray more than men.
00:13:02.14\00:13:05.61
It's a sad reality
00:13:05.65\00:13:07.22
because men sometimes appear
to be very self-sufficient.
00:13:07.25\00:13:10.12
Men sometimes appear to be,
00:13:10.15\00:13:11.49
well, I got this, so
I don't need to pray.
00:13:11.52\00:13:13.79
The Lord is saying
here that when you pray,
00:13:13.82\00:13:15.96
you lift up, what kind of hands?
00:13:15.99\00:13:18.83
Holy hands, not just hands.
00:13:18.86\00:13:20.93
See, lifting the hand
doesn't mean anything to God.
00:13:20.96\00:13:23.06
But if that hand is holy,
00:13:23.10\00:13:24.80
if that hand is holy,
00:13:24.83\00:13:26.47
then that's all
the difference between
00:13:26.50\00:13:27.94
whether not your
prayer gets through.
00:13:27.97\00:13:29.30
So let's go ahead
and answer the question.
00:13:29.34\00:13:31.41
How and where are
we instructed to pray?
00:13:31.44\00:13:34.48
How are we instructed to pray?
00:13:34.51\00:13:37.25
Huh?
00:13:37.28\00:13:38.61
Or where are we
instructed to pray?
00:13:38.65\00:13:40.12
Every way.
00:13:40.15\00:13:41.48
How are we instructed to pray?
00:13:41.52\00:13:43.85
Okay, with holy
hands, that's the key.
00:13:43.89\00:13:46.79
He that has clean
hands and a pure heart.
00:13:46.82\00:13:50.93
So when the Bible
talks about holy hands,
00:13:50.96\00:13:52.53
it's simply saying,
00:13:52.56\00:13:53.90
make sure that when
you come before God,
00:13:53.93\00:13:55.56
your life is where
God wants that life to be.
00:13:55.60\00:13:57.83
Now let me put this
in the proper context.
00:13:57.87\00:13:59.83
If a sinner comes before God,
00:13:59.87\00:14:01.40
a man struggling,
a woman struggling
00:14:01.44\00:14:03.57
never, never expected,
00:14:03.61\00:14:06.27
never even turned to God before.
00:14:06.31\00:14:08.18
Living a life that's down
to the level of the gutter,
00:14:08.21\00:14:11.85
just from one sin,
00:14:11.88\00:14:13.48
one transgression to the other
00:14:13.52\00:14:15.28
and that person
turns to God in prayer,
00:14:15.32\00:14:16.82
God will hear,
00:14:16.85\00:14:18.29
God will deliver.
00:14:18.32\00:14:19.65
Matter of fact, we read
that last week in Psalms 50:15,
00:14:19.69\00:14:22.32
"Call upon me in
the day of trouble,
00:14:22.36\00:14:24.03
I will deliver you."
00:14:24.06\00:14:25.39
We discover that, right?
00:14:25.43\00:14:26.83
So God isn't saying,
00:14:26.86\00:14:28.20
well, you got to be a
perfect person to pray to me.
00:14:28.23\00:14:29.86
That's not what He's saying.
00:14:29.90\00:14:31.50
But He's saying
for those who know,
00:14:31.53\00:14:33.64
those who call themselves
holy men and holy women,
00:14:33.67\00:14:36.94
make sure that
when you come before Me,
00:14:36.97\00:14:38.61
you come before Me acknowledging
00:14:38.64\00:14:40.44
that I am holy.
00:14:40.48\00:14:42.54
So don't come to Me.
00:14:42.58\00:14:43.91
And we'll talk about
some prayer blockers tonight.
00:14:43.95\00:14:46.98
Don't come to me any old way,
00:14:47.02\00:14:50.49
and expect for your prayers
00:14:50.52\00:14:51.85
to not only be heard
00:14:51.89\00:14:53.22
but on the other
side to be answered
00:14:53.25\00:14:55.66
because the Bible
talks about things
00:14:55.69\00:14:57.13
that block our
prayers from being heard.
00:14:57.16\00:14:59.89
Like if a child
comes to a parent
00:14:59.93\00:15:02.56
and they asked for a request
00:15:02.60\00:15:04.90
and the parent know the
child has not been obedient,
00:15:04.93\00:15:06.84
will they
respond to their request?
00:15:06.87\00:15:08.80
They will but with what?
00:15:08.84\00:15:10.81
No, with what?
00:15:10.84\00:15:12.71
Wait, till you
get your life together
00:15:12.74\00:15:15.18
and then I'll see whether or not
00:15:15.21\00:15:16.54
I could trust you
with that or this.
00:15:16.58\00:15:19.18
But what I want to do tonight
00:15:19.21\00:15:20.55
is talk about these
types of prayers in the Bible.
00:15:20.58\00:15:23.02
There are examples in Scripture
00:15:23.05\00:15:24.39
that talks about
different kinds of prayer.
00:15:24.42\00:15:27.12
Go with me to the Book of Luke.
00:15:27.16\00:15:29.39
Luke Chapter 18. I
want you to see this.
00:15:29.42\00:15:32.69
Luke Chapter 18,
00:15:32.73\00:15:34.06
I want to show you
from verse 9 to verse 14.
00:15:34.10\00:15:38.00
This is not on your syllabus,
but it's very important.
00:15:38.03\00:15:41.17
Talk about
different kinds of prayers.
00:15:41.20\00:15:42.90
The kind of prayer not to pray,
00:15:45.94\00:15:48.11
in the way not to pray
00:15:48.14\00:15:49.64
because we talked
about how to pray,
00:15:49.68\00:15:51.61
but then there's
a way not to pray.
00:15:51.65\00:15:53.92
All right, Luke 18,
00:15:53.95\00:15:56.38
you'll find this.
00:15:56.42\00:15:58.89
I was just gonna
give the page number,
00:15:58.92\00:16:00.29
I'm so used to doing that
00:16:00.32\00:16:01.72
in our Sabbath School class.
00:16:01.76\00:16:03.59
But
00:16:03.63\00:16:06.76
starting with verse
9, starting with verse 9,
00:16:06.80\00:16:10.87
this is the
parable of the Pharisee
00:16:10.90\00:16:12.83
and the tax collector.
00:16:12.87\00:16:15.30
The Pharisee and
the tax collector,
00:16:15.34\00:16:16.84
two kinds of individuals,
00:16:16.87\00:16:19.21
one very religious,
00:16:19.24\00:16:21.08
and one labeled as
not religious at all.
00:16:21.11\00:16:23.98
But let's start with verse 9.
00:16:24.01\00:16:28.58
Also, he spoke
this parable to some
00:16:28.62\00:16:32.35
who did what?
00:16:32.39\00:16:33.99
Trusted in themselves
00:16:34.02\00:16:36.79
that they were
righteous and despised others.
00:16:36.83\00:16:40.70
One of the first
things you have to do
00:16:40.73\00:16:42.53
when you come to God in prayer
00:16:42.56\00:16:44.87
is not despise people
00:16:44.90\00:16:46.80
and think that you are
more righteous than they.
00:16:46.84\00:16:49.24
And that was one of the examples
00:16:49.27\00:16:51.34
that Christ put forth here
00:16:51.37\00:16:52.71
because the Pharisees,
00:16:52.74\00:16:54.08
you'll see as
the prayer unfolds,
00:16:54.11\00:16:55.54
the Pharisees had that
righteous over others attitude.
00:16:55.58\00:17:00.58
That's why it's
also to tap on our back.
00:17:00.62\00:17:03.15
We look at people that
are living in the world
00:17:03.18\00:17:05.05
and the Lord in essence
in this particular parable
00:17:05.09\00:17:07.16
is saying to us, wait
a minute, wait a minute,
00:17:07.19\00:17:09.39
if you think
you're better than them,
00:17:09.42\00:17:10.76
be very, very careful
00:17:10.79\00:17:12.66
because that's the
caution in this verse.
00:17:12.69\00:17:15.63
Look at verse 10.
00:17:15.66\00:17:17.10
"Two men went up
to the temple to pray,
00:17:17.13\00:17:20.84
one a Pharisee
00:17:20.87\00:17:22.50
and the other a tax collector.
00:17:22.54\00:17:26.17
The Pharisee stood and
prayed thus with himself,
00:17:26.21\00:17:31.28
'God, I thank You
00:17:31.31\00:17:33.55
that I am not like other men,'"
00:17:33.58\00:17:36.25
and here's how he
labeled the other men,
00:17:36.28\00:17:38.72
"extortioners,"
00:17:38.75\00:17:40.36
that means stealing people money
00:17:40.39\00:17:42.12
under pretense,
00:17:42.16\00:17:43.53
"unjust, adulterers,
00:17:43.56\00:17:45.69
or even as this tax collector."
00:17:45.73\00:17:48.20
And the tax collector evidently
had to be in his visible range
00:17:48.23\00:17:51.63
because even as
this tax collector,
00:17:51.67\00:17:54.80
tax collectors
will look down upon
00:17:54.84\00:17:56.91
because many tax collectors
00:17:56.94\00:17:58.27
like Matthew
before his conversion,
00:17:58.31\00:17:59.91
would rob the individuals,
00:17:59.94\00:18:01.28
would raise the taxes,
00:18:01.31\00:18:03.45
would get some for themselves.
00:18:03.48\00:18:05.45
Would put some
money in their pockets,
00:18:05.48\00:18:07.28
as well as in the
pocket of the government,
00:18:07.32\00:18:09.75
stealing under the table.
00:18:09.78\00:18:11.19
And so the
Pharisee thinking himself
00:18:11.22\00:18:12.62
to be above that tax collector,
00:18:12.65\00:18:14.72
no longer a
sinner and extortioner.
00:18:14.76\00:18:18.13
He's thinking,
God, I'm not like him.
00:18:18.16\00:18:20.06
So that's the reason
00:18:20.10\00:18:21.43
why you should
listen to my prayer.
00:18:21.46\00:18:23.10
And now he goes on,
00:18:23.13\00:18:24.53
the first thing you'll discover
00:18:24.57\00:18:25.90
is he felt that
prayer was exclusive.
00:18:25.93\00:18:28.60
What words did I use?
00:18:28.64\00:18:30.57
Exclusive.
00:18:30.61\00:18:31.94
He felt well, I'm a Pharisee,
00:18:31.97\00:18:34.91
you listening to me, God,
00:18:34.94\00:18:36.48
I'm in an exclusive category,
00:18:36.51\00:18:38.38
I am not like other men.
00:18:38.41\00:18:42.12
So that's why my
prayer should be heard.
00:18:42.15\00:18:43.59
I'm not like the extortioner,
I'm not like the adulterer,
00:18:43.62\00:18:46.72
I'm not like the tax collector,
I'm not like the sinners,
00:18:46.76\00:18:49.39
I am not like them.
00:18:49.42\00:18:50.76
So God, here's a
reason, I'm exclusive,
00:18:50.79\00:18:52.66
we have an
exclusive relationship.
00:18:52.69\00:18:54.30
Never think of your relationship
00:18:54.33\00:18:55.66
between you and
God as exclusive.
00:18:55.70\00:18:57.53
Think of it as privileged. Amen?
00:18:57.57\00:19:00.24
To have that connection
with God is a privilege,
00:19:00.27\00:19:02.04
not an
exclusitive and exclusivity.
00:19:02.07\00:19:05.87
Let's go on.
00:19:05.91\00:19:07.88
He begins to now
goes from exclusive prayer
00:19:07.91\00:19:10.58
to self righteous prayer.
00:19:10.61\00:19:12.85
I fast twice a week,
00:19:12.88\00:19:14.85
I give tithes of
all that I possess.
00:19:14.88\00:19:19.75
In other words,
00:19:19.79\00:19:21.56
the two reasons why
you should listen to me
00:19:21.59\00:19:23.12
Lord, as I'm right,
00:19:23.16\00:19:24.49
I do what's right
00:19:24.53\00:19:25.86
and I'm not a sinner,
00:19:25.89\00:19:27.23
that's why you
should listen to me.
00:19:27.26\00:19:29.16
But now our transitions,
00:19:29.20\00:19:31.63
and the tax collector standing,
00:19:31.67\00:19:35.37
how?
00:19:35.40\00:19:36.74
A far off as translation say,
00:19:36.77\00:19:38.91
at a distance
00:19:38.94\00:19:40.74
would not so much as
raise his eyes to heaven.
00:19:40.78\00:19:44.31
Now notice, I want you to get
00:19:44.35\00:19:45.68
because when we
read in 1 Timothy 2:8,
00:19:45.71\00:19:47.68
what did they do?
They lifted their hands.
00:19:47.72\00:19:49.92
And in which direction
they lifted their hands up?
00:19:49.95\00:19:52.39
But not only do
they lift their hands,
00:19:52.42\00:19:54.09
they lifted their hands
and their eyes to heaven.
00:19:54.12\00:19:56.93
They didn't do this.
00:19:56.96\00:19:58.86
Hey guys, I'm praying.
00:19:58.89\00:20:00.73
They lifted their hands
and their eyes to heaven,
00:20:00.76\00:20:02.73
they look to God.
00:20:02.76\00:20:04.10
That's why when you find,
00:20:04.13\00:20:05.47
look to Me and be ye saved,
00:20:05.50\00:20:07.07
that's the context of that.
00:20:07.10\00:20:08.50
Look unto Me and be safer,
00:20:08.54\00:20:10.07
I'm God and there is no other.
00:20:10.11\00:20:11.94
Like a child
looks to the parent,
00:20:11.97\00:20:14.34
we look to our Heavenly Father,
00:20:14.38\00:20:15.71
so the eyes and the
hand looking toward heaven.
00:20:15.74\00:20:18.65
That's how Daniel
prayed with his hands
00:20:18.68\00:20:20.95
and his eyes towards heaven.
00:20:20.98\00:20:23.05
I looked in the
light, now I'm blind.
00:20:23.08\00:20:25.75
And it says and tax
collector standing afar off
00:20:25.79\00:20:28.56
with not so much as
raised his eyes to heaven,
00:20:28.59\00:20:31.19
but beat his breaths saying,
00:20:31.23\00:20:32.79
God, let's read that together.
00:20:32.83\00:20:35.26
Be merciful to me a, what?
00:20:35.30\00:20:39.17
A sinner.
00:20:39.20\00:20:40.57
So when we come before God,
00:20:40.60\00:20:42.54
what are one of the ways
00:20:42.57\00:20:44.67
that we should
00:20:44.71\00:20:48.61
package our prayer?
00:20:48.64\00:20:50.75
What should we ask God for?
00:20:50.78\00:20:54.28
Forgiveness, and what
did he asked for God here?
00:20:54.32\00:20:57.39
Mercy, it's better
to fall in the hands
00:20:57.42\00:21:00.06
of a loving God
00:21:00.09\00:21:02.99
than to fall in
the hands of angry man.
00:21:03.02\00:21:06.83
So he said, God, if
I fall into Your hands,
00:21:06.86\00:21:08.66
at least You are
loving and merciful
00:21:08.70\00:21:10.27
and kind, be
merciful to me a sinner.
00:21:10.30\00:21:13.50
We've got to acknowledge
when we come before God
00:21:13.54\00:21:15.30
that we are sinners.
00:21:15.34\00:21:16.67
He humbled himself
and he was dependent.
00:21:16.71\00:21:19.47
He looked to God,
be merciful to me.
00:21:19.51\00:21:22.14
He knew that he needed God.
00:21:22.18\00:21:24.08
The difference between
the two is in verse 14.
00:21:24.11\00:21:26.51
I tell you, this man,
that is the tax collector,
00:21:26.55\00:21:29.15
went down to his house, how?
00:21:29.18\00:21:31.95
Justified,
00:21:31.99\00:21:33.36
rather than the other.
00:21:33.39\00:21:35.02
For everyone who exalts himself
00:21:35.06\00:21:37.03
will be humbled
00:21:37.06\00:21:39.39
and he who humbles
himself will be, what?
00:21:39.43\00:21:41.96
Exalted.
00:21:42.00\00:21:43.33
The Pharisee,
you will go further
00:21:43.37\00:21:44.77
in this particular book,
00:21:44.80\00:21:46.23
as well as
Matthew, Mark, and John,
00:21:46.27\00:21:48.84
where the Lord said,
00:21:48.87\00:21:50.21
beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees.
00:21:50.24\00:21:52.97
And He also says,
except your righteousness
00:21:53.01\00:21:55.04
exceeds that of the
scribes and Pharisees.
00:21:55.08\00:21:58.65
These were men
that had this idea
00:21:58.68\00:22:00.15
that they were exclusive.
00:22:00.18\00:22:01.58
So for us who are Christians,
00:22:01.62\00:22:04.19
we should still come before God
00:22:04.22\00:22:05.55
with a humble attitude,
00:22:05.59\00:22:07.56
seeking God's mercy,
00:22:07.59\00:22:09.09
understanding that
in the sight of God,
00:22:09.12\00:22:10.89
every one of us is a sinner.
00:22:10.93\00:22:13.40
Where should we
pray? Where should we pray?
00:22:13.43\00:22:16.67
Where should we
pray? Everywhere.
00:22:16.70\00:22:18.30
How should we pray?
00:22:18.33\00:22:19.80
Humbly before God.
00:22:19.83\00:22:22.94
Now let's look at
another kind of prayer.
00:22:22.97\00:22:24.84
Matthew 6:7,
00:22:24.87\00:22:27.28
Matthew 6:7, right.
00:22:27.31\00:22:32.11
This one, I've
seen this displayed,
00:22:32.15\00:22:33.48
I've traveled and I've
been in a lot of churches.
00:22:33.52\00:22:36.32
Frankly, this
one, I always wonder,
00:22:36.35\00:22:39.25
at what point
00:22:39.29\00:22:41.09
will God get it?
00:22:41.12\00:22:42.82
And you see exactly
00:22:42.86\00:22:44.19
what I'm talking
about right here.
00:22:44.23\00:22:47.30
Matthew 6:7.
00:22:47.33\00:22:49.66
Right.
00:22:53.30\00:22:54.64
I want to start with
verse 5 down to verse 7.
00:22:58.77\00:23:00.78
And when you pray,
00:23:03.85\00:23:07.05
you shall not be like the what?
00:23:07.08\00:23:09.52
The hypocrite.
00:23:09.55\00:23:11.12
For they love to pray standing
00:23:11.15\00:23:13.29
in the synagogues
00:23:13.32\00:23:14.66
and on the
corners of the streets,
00:23:14.69\00:23:16.66
that they may be seen by men.
00:23:16.69\00:23:19.83
Assuredly, I say to you,
00:23:19.86\00:23:21.53
they have their reward.
00:23:21.56\00:23:23.26
In other words, men say, ah.
00:23:23.30\00:23:24.83
Now let me just make some points
00:23:24.87\00:23:26.43
on this because
sometime I was growing up
00:23:26.47\00:23:27.84
and sometimes, before
people get to the prayer,
00:23:27.87\00:23:30.67
they started like this,
00:23:30.71\00:23:32.07
before the
mountains were brought forth
00:23:32.11\00:23:34.28
wherever thou art form
00:23:34.31\00:23:35.68
the world and the earth,
00:23:35.71\00:23:37.58
even from everlasting to
everlasting, thou our God,
00:23:37.61\00:23:40.32
and they get into the
soliloquy of repetition
00:23:40.35\00:23:42.68
and wonderful
things, that's wonderful.
00:23:42.72\00:23:44.92
Those are things that
we sometimes must say,
00:23:44.95\00:23:47.02
as we come
before our exalted God,
00:23:47.06\00:23:49.36
as you've seen, David has done,
00:23:49.39\00:23:51.03
Isaiah have done,
00:23:51.06\00:23:52.39
and a lot of the
prophets come before God
00:23:52.43\00:23:54.13
and they acknowledge
his ability to create.
00:23:54.16\00:23:56.63
But sometimes you just
need a three word prayer,
00:23:56.67\00:23:59.37
like Peter, Lord, save me.
00:23:59.40\00:24:02.60
And so there's sometimes
people come to the Lord
00:24:02.64\00:24:04.97
and say,
00:24:05.01\00:24:06.34
well, sometimes
people come to me and say,
00:24:06.37\00:24:07.71
well, I'm having
a hard time praying.
00:24:07.74\00:24:10.25
I mean, I don't
know how to pray.
00:24:10.28\00:24:12.38
Well, Peter
learned really quickly.
00:24:12.41\00:24:14.78
What did he say,
00:24:14.82\00:24:16.28
Lord, the one to whom we pray,
00:24:16.32\00:24:18.55
say the very thing we need me,
00:24:18.59\00:24:21.76
the one who needs it.
00:24:21.79\00:24:23.73
I call that my three point
plan for national security.
00:24:23.76\00:24:27.26
Lord, the one to whom we pray,
00:24:27.30\00:24:29.80
save the thing we need, me,
00:24:29.83\00:24:32.60
the one who needed.
00:24:32.63\00:24:33.97
That three point plan
00:24:34.00\00:24:35.34
for national security
or spiritual security.
00:24:35.37\00:24:38.31
But it continues in verse 6.
00:24:38.34\00:24:40.08
And it talks
about a kind of prayer
00:24:40.11\00:24:41.44
that is exercised today.
00:24:41.48\00:24:42.84
And I've seen this
among many churches,
00:24:42.88\00:24:44.95
unfortunately.
00:24:44.98\00:24:46.31
And it says, when you pray.
00:24:46.35\00:24:49.28
I'm in verse 6.
00:24:49.32\00:24:50.75
Let me start with verse 6
because I went to verse 7.
00:24:50.79\00:24:53.09
"But when you pray,
00:24:53.12\00:24:54.82
go into your room,"
00:24:54.86\00:24:56.26
some translations, say closet, "
00:24:56.29\00:24:58.69
and when you have shut the door,
00:24:58.73\00:25:00.80
pray to your Father
who is in the," what?
00:25:00.83\00:25:04.13
"In heaven or the secret place.
00:25:04.17\00:25:06.03
And your Father
who sees in secret
00:25:06.07\00:25:08.57
will reward you," how?
00:25:08.60\00:25:10.37
"Openly."
00:25:10.41\00:25:11.74
So what's being said here,
00:25:11.77\00:25:13.94
let prayer between you
and your father at times.
00:25:13.98\00:25:17.95
Because not always
do people need to know
00:25:17.98\00:25:20.45
what you're praying about.
00:25:20.48\00:25:21.82
But here's how they'll know.
00:25:21.85\00:25:23.32
Your father
will answer publicly,
00:25:23.35\00:25:25.19
your father will
reward you publicly.
00:25:25.22\00:25:28.06
Now if you
notice the comparison,
00:25:28.09\00:25:29.59
those who pray to be seen
00:25:29.62\00:25:30.96
already got their public reward.
00:25:30.99\00:25:32.86
Right?
00:25:32.89\00:25:34.23
Those who prayed for visible...
00:25:34.26\00:25:35.60
Oh, what a...
00:25:35.63\00:25:36.97
Oh, that was a dynamic prayer.
00:25:37.00\00:25:38.33
Oh, really good prayer.
00:25:38.37\00:25:40.04
Let's not pray
for man's accolade
00:25:40.07\00:25:42.24
but for God's approval,
00:25:42.27\00:25:43.61
that's what's
actually being said.
00:25:43.64\00:25:45.64
And then he points
out exactly what they do
00:25:45.67\00:25:47.98
with this entire public display.
00:25:48.01\00:25:50.95
Verse 7, "And when you pray,
00:25:50.98\00:25:52.35
do not use vain
repetitions as the heathens do.
00:25:52.38\00:25:55.42
For they think that they
will be heard for their," what?
00:25:55.45\00:25:58.35
Many words or for
their much speaking.
00:25:58.39\00:26:01.16
That's the way I think
the King James Version says,
00:26:01.19\00:26:03.19
for their much speaking.
00:26:03.22\00:26:05.33
And here's the reason why,
00:26:05.36\00:26:07.60
verse 8,
00:26:07.63\00:26:08.96
"Therefore do not be like them.
00:26:09.00\00:26:10.50
For your Father knows
00:26:10.53\00:26:13.07
the things you
have need of," how?
00:26:13.10\00:26:16.00
"Before you ask him."
00:26:16.04\00:26:17.94
Now let's just put this
into a practical exercise here.
00:26:17.97\00:26:21.74
I'm gonna use Yannick.
Yannick, could you help me?
00:26:21.78\00:26:23.95
Yannick, please
help me, help me Yannick.
00:26:23.98\00:26:25.35
Yannick, please give me a hand.
00:26:25.38\00:26:26.72
Help me, Yannick.
00:26:26.75\00:26:28.22
After a while, he's
gonna say, okay, I got it.
00:26:28.25\00:26:30.65
I got it. All right.
00:26:30.69\00:26:32.15
I got it.
00:26:32.19\00:26:34.26
What do you need? I got it.
00:26:34.29\00:26:35.86
It's like writing a letter.
00:26:35.89\00:26:37.23
Dear John, I want
you John to do this,
00:26:37.26\00:26:38.83
John and John, you
know, by the way, John,
00:26:38.86\00:26:40.80
things have
been happening, John.
00:26:40.83\00:26:42.63
What happens is the
name of God is so holy
00:26:42.66\00:26:44.53
when the Jews prayed.
00:26:44.57\00:26:46.03
Matter of fact, even
when they wrote His name,
00:26:46.07\00:26:48.24
they will put down one pen
00:26:48.27\00:26:49.64
and pick up a different scribe
00:26:49.67\00:26:51.14
and begin to write His name
00:26:51.17\00:26:52.51
because His name was so holy.
00:26:52.54\00:26:53.88
And so when the Bible says,
00:26:53.91\00:26:55.78
don't take the name
of the Lord in vain,
00:26:55.81\00:26:57.81
they use vain repetition.
00:26:57.85\00:27:00.28
And sometimes it
was the repetitive
00:27:00.32\00:27:01.95
nature of God's name.
00:27:01.98\00:27:04.29
God, God, God, God, God.
00:27:04.32\00:27:07.92
And he's almost,
00:27:07.96\00:27:10.89
I hear you,
00:27:10.93\00:27:12.59
I got it,
00:27:12.63\00:27:14.56
see.
00:27:14.60\00:27:15.93
And so to understand fully
00:27:15.96\00:27:17.30
what this is
actually talking about,
00:27:17.33\00:27:18.67
I want to nail this thing.
00:27:18.70\00:27:20.04
To understand fully
what this is talking about.
00:27:20.07\00:27:21.40
Let's go to 1
Kings Chapter 18 now,
00:27:21.44\00:27:23.57
because I'm gonna
show you an example.
00:27:23.61\00:27:25.27
Because sometimes people say,
00:27:25.31\00:27:26.64
okay, that's what
they said but actually,
00:27:26.68\00:27:28.01
what is vain repetition?
00:27:28.04\00:27:29.38
I see verse 6 to verse 9,
00:27:29.41\00:27:30.75
or verse 6 to verse 8
00:27:30.78\00:27:32.11
and then the Lord teaches them
00:27:32.15\00:27:33.48
how to pray in this manner.
00:27:33.52\00:27:36.62
Pray and then he
talks about our father,
00:27:36.65\00:27:38.22
which art in heaven.
00:27:38.25\00:27:39.75
By the way, when he
repeated that prayer,
00:27:39.79\00:27:42.19
he didn't say, use this prayer,
00:27:42.22\00:27:44.56
he said, this is an
example of how you should pray.
00:27:44.59\00:27:47.66
Lot of times you
say, repeat after me,
00:27:47.70\00:27:49.23
our Father, which art in heaven
00:27:49.26\00:27:51.27
hallowed be thy name.
00:27:51.30\00:27:52.63
That was an example.
00:27:52.67\00:27:54.00
So God is saying,
here's the pattern,
00:27:54.04\00:27:55.64
notice how many times
His name is mentioned,
00:27:55.67\00:27:58.14
that's what He's
in essence saying.
00:27:58.17\00:27:59.51
Don't over repeat my name.
00:27:59.54\00:28:01.38
Okay,
00:28:01.41\00:28:02.74
but now 1 Kings 18:25-29
00:28:02.78\00:28:06.82
is where we're
gonna first start.
00:28:06.85\00:28:08.58
We're gonna first
look at the heathen prayer.
00:28:08.62\00:28:10.72
This is the
showdown on Mount Carmel.
00:28:10.75\00:28:14.39
And you have one man
there representing God,
00:28:14.42\00:28:16.49
His name is who?
00:28:16.52\00:28:18.09
Elijah.
00:28:18.13\00:28:19.53
And he's at a place
00:28:19.56\00:28:20.96
where God wants
to recover His people
00:28:21.00\00:28:23.37
that had been stolen
by spiritual extortioners
00:28:23.40\00:28:28.80
and those that have joined sides
00:28:28.84\00:28:30.81
with Jezebel and Ahab
00:28:30.84\00:28:33.07
and the false
prophet Ba'al or Baal,
00:28:33.11\00:28:35.34
however you say that name.
00:28:35.38\00:28:37.15
And so now,
00:28:37.18\00:28:38.71
Elijah is giving
them an opportunity
00:28:38.75\00:28:41.78
to prove that
their God really is God.
00:28:41.82\00:28:44.49
And he's going to use prayer
00:28:44.52\00:28:45.89
to determine that.
00:28:45.92\00:28:47.62
You'll even see that
in the life of Jonah.
00:28:47.66\00:28:49.92
When the boat was rocking,
00:28:49.96\00:28:51.99
they found Jonah sleeping
in the bottom of the ship,
00:28:52.03\00:28:54.26
and they said, could
you pray to your God?
00:28:54.30\00:28:57.53
Because they knew their
God wasn't doing them any good.
00:28:57.57\00:29:00.17
They evidently
was calling their God
00:29:00.20\00:29:01.54
and their God wasn't responding,
00:29:01.57\00:29:02.90
so they wake up a
man that they knew.
00:29:02.94\00:29:04.31
Once he said, I am a Hebrew,
00:29:04.34\00:29:06.27
I believe in the God.
00:29:06.31\00:29:08.14
He's okay now,
could you pray to him?
00:29:08.18\00:29:09.54
Maybe he'll help us out
00:29:09.58\00:29:11.75
and that's a big significance.
00:29:11.78\00:29:13.11
And what I want to say
before I read the story is,
00:29:13.15\00:29:14.88
when you live a
life before the world,
00:29:14.92\00:29:16.58
and people know that you
are connected to the true God,
00:29:16.62\00:29:18.75
they know who to
ask to pray for them.
00:29:18.79\00:29:21.36
They know when difficulty comes,
00:29:21.39\00:29:23.43
sometimes we get together
00:29:23.46\00:29:25.79
with the guys
on the flying field
00:29:25.83\00:29:27.16
and I remember on
one particular instance,
00:29:27.20\00:29:29.30
everybody knows
that I'm a pastor,
00:29:29.33\00:29:31.03
and one of the
guys that I don't know
00:29:31.07\00:29:32.60
if he's a Christian or not
but he had a particular issue
00:29:32.63\00:29:35.10
and he said, hey, I
got this thing coming up,
00:29:35.14\00:29:36.91
could you pray about it for me?
00:29:36.94\00:29:38.27
And he told me what it was.
00:29:38.31\00:29:39.71
And I said, "Well,
let's pray right now."
00:29:39.74\00:29:41.21
And I didn't think he was,
that I'm praying right now.
00:29:41.24\00:29:44.05
Because we're at
the flying field,
00:29:44.08\00:29:45.41
flying helicopters and airplanes
00:29:45.45\00:29:46.78
but he mentioned it to me
00:29:46.82\00:29:48.15
and sometimes in
the busyness of my life,
00:29:48.18\00:29:50.22
I'll get home and
not remember that.
00:29:50.25\00:29:51.72
So I said,
"Let's pray right now."
00:29:51.75\00:29:53.86
And you want to pray at 90.
00:29:53.89\00:29:56.12
Okay.
00:29:56.16\00:29:57.49
And we prayed right there.
00:29:57.53\00:29:58.86
But now let's
look at the example.
00:29:58.89\00:30:00.56
Elijah is proving through prayer
00:30:00.60\00:30:03.30
that is not heathen based.
00:30:03.33\00:30:05.67
That God does respond to honest,
00:30:05.70\00:30:07.74
simple prayers.
00:30:07.77\00:30:09.30
Verse 25,
00:30:09.34\00:30:10.81
"Now Elijah said to
the prophets of Baal,
00:30:10.84\00:30:13.64
'Choose one bull for
yourself and prepare it first,
00:30:13.68\00:30:16.61
for you are many,
00:30:16.64\00:30:17.98
and call on the
name of your God,
00:30:18.01\00:30:21.68
but put no fire under it."
00:30:21.72\00:30:23.45
When it says call on,
00:30:23.49\00:30:25.12
that's prayer.
00:30:25.15\00:30:26.49
When you call on God,
00:30:26.52\00:30:27.86
you call on God, that's prayer.
00:30:27.89\00:30:29.42
You're calling on the Lord.
00:30:29.46\00:30:30.79
Whosoever calls on the
name of the Lord shall be saved.
00:30:30.83\00:30:33.53
Call upon me in
the day of trouble,
00:30:33.56\00:30:34.96
and I will deliver you.
00:30:35.00\00:30:36.33
Calling on God is
another way of praying.
00:30:36.36\00:30:38.77
And it says in verse 26,
00:30:38.80\00:30:40.14
"For they took the
bull which was given them,
00:30:40.17\00:30:42.67
they prepared it,
00:30:42.70\00:30:44.04
and called on the name of Baal
00:30:44.07\00:30:45.77
from," how long?
00:30:45.81\00:30:47.44
"Morning until," what?
00:30:47.48\00:30:49.11
"Noon," and look at
the vain repetition,
00:30:49.14\00:30:51.15
saying, "O Baal, hear us!
00:30:51.18\00:30:54.88
But there was no voice,
00:30:54.92\00:30:56.48
no one answered."
00:30:56.52\00:30:58.19
Look at the heathen prayer,
00:30:58.22\00:30:59.65
"Then they
leaped about the altar
00:30:59.69\00:31:01.42
which they had made.
00:31:01.46\00:31:02.79
And so it was, at noon,
00:31:02.82\00:31:04.19
that Elijah
mocked them and said,
00:31:04.23\00:31:06.73
'Cry aloud, for he is a god,
00:31:06.76\00:31:09.90
either he is
meditating, or he is busy,
00:31:09.93\00:31:12.80
or he is on a journey,
00:31:12.83\00:31:14.17
or perhaps he is
sleeping and must be awakened.'
00:31:14.20\00:31:16.67
So they cried," How? "Aloud,
00:31:16.71\00:31:19.01
and cut themselves,
as was their custom,"
00:31:19.04\00:31:22.41
this was normal to them,
00:31:22.44\00:31:25.91
"with knives and lances,
00:31:25.95\00:31:27.98
until the blood
gushed out on them.'"
00:31:28.02\00:31:30.55
God doesn't require that,
00:31:30.59\00:31:32.32
God has not asked us to do that.
00:31:32.35\00:31:34.26
And by the way,
00:31:34.29\00:31:35.62
some people interpret this is
as the afflicting of your souls
00:31:35.66\00:31:38.33
and some still
do to this very day.
00:31:38.36\00:31:40.20
Some cultures still,
00:31:40.23\00:31:41.83
you know, they,
00:31:41.86\00:31:43.20
when the time of Easter
comes around, some people,
00:31:43.23\00:31:45.97
I've seen this done in
some foreign countries,
00:31:46.00\00:31:47.54
I don't want to
label any of them now
00:31:47.57\00:31:48.90
but some of them literally
nail through their hands,
00:31:48.94\00:31:51.81
literally have in their culture.
00:31:51.84\00:31:53.88
And it's an
honor in some cultures
00:31:53.91\00:31:55.24
to literally have a nail driven
00:31:55.28\00:31:56.61
through your hand during Easter
00:31:56.64\00:31:58.28
to prove that you
are somehow worthy
00:31:58.31\00:32:00.42
of God's attention.
00:32:00.45\00:32:01.78
There's some people that
00:32:01.82\00:32:03.15
literally I've seen
the picture of people,
00:32:03.18\00:32:04.52
in some cultures, they
put like 30 or 40 hooks
00:32:04.55\00:32:07.06
through their back, fish hooks
00:32:07.09\00:32:08.89
and hang a
person just in midair,
00:32:08.92\00:32:10.76
thinking that somehow by cutting
00:32:10.79\00:32:12.13
and afflicting themselves,
00:32:12.16\00:32:13.50
they get the attention of God.
00:32:13.53\00:32:14.86
But he said, this is
not what you need to do.
00:32:14.90\00:32:17.63
Let's go on, verse 29.
00:32:17.67\00:32:20.30
"And when midday was passed,
00:32:20.34\00:32:22.40
they prophesied
00:32:22.44\00:32:24.14
until the time of the offering
of the evening sacrifice."
00:32:24.17\00:32:28.44
Now do you get it?
00:32:28.48\00:32:29.81
"When the Lord will say,
00:32:29.84\00:32:31.18
many will say to Me in that day,
00:32:31.21\00:32:32.55
have I not
prophesied in Thy name?
00:32:32.58\00:32:36.38
Cast out devils,
done many wonder,"
00:32:36.42\00:32:39.19
they prophesied.
00:32:39.22\00:32:40.66
But it says, "But
there was no voice,
00:32:40.69\00:32:43.09
no one answered,"
00:32:43.12\00:32:44.69
and look what it said.
00:32:44.73\00:32:46.16
"No one paid attention."
00:32:46.19\00:32:48.20
Because who
were they praying to?
00:32:48.23\00:32:49.76
A God who had eyes
can't see, ears can't hear,
00:32:49.80\00:32:52.40
fingers can't touch.
00:32:52.43\00:32:53.77
They were praying to idols.
00:32:53.80\00:32:55.20
They were praying to someone
00:32:55.24\00:32:56.57
who evidently was
not on the other end.
00:32:56.60\00:33:00.01
But now, that's
the heathen prayer.
00:33:00.04\00:33:02.24
But now look at
the true worshiper.
00:33:02.28\00:33:03.85
Verse 36 to verse 38.
00:33:03.88\00:33:07.98
And you can look at
all the other things
00:33:08.02\00:33:10.29
that Elijah did
after he realized,
00:33:10.32\00:33:12.35
after he made them realize
00:33:12.39\00:33:13.72
that their God
is not responding.
00:33:13.76\00:33:16.32
Elijah set up the altar,
00:33:16.36\00:33:17.69
double the water, stone,
00:33:17.73\00:33:19.43
made sure that
there was nothing there
00:33:19.46\00:33:20.80
that could be ignited,
flooded the altar twice,
00:33:20.83\00:33:23.73
flooded again,
00:33:23.77\00:33:25.10
making sure that
nobody could say,
00:33:25.13\00:33:28.07
hey, he's not gonna
match and lit the water,
00:33:28.10\00:33:29.94
you can't light water.
00:33:29.97\00:33:31.47
But he was showing
the power of his God.
00:33:31.51\00:33:34.08
And it says in verse 36,
00:33:34.11\00:33:35.84
"And it came to pass,
00:33:35.88\00:33:37.21
at the time of the offering
of the evening sacrifice."
00:33:37.25\00:33:39.51
In other words,
when they were done,
00:33:39.55\00:33:41.25
God took over.
00:33:41.28\00:33:43.52
"That Elijah the
prophet came near and said,
00:33:43.55\00:33:46.32
'Lord God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
00:33:46.35\00:33:50.89
let it be known
this day that You are God
00:33:50.93\00:33:54.66
in Israel and I am Your servant,
00:33:54.70\00:33:57.57
and that I have done
all these things at," what?
00:33:57.60\00:34:02.17
"At Your word."
00:34:02.20\00:34:03.54
When you're praying and you're
doing things at God's word,
00:34:03.57\00:34:06.14
you're in the right pattern.
00:34:06.17\00:34:07.94
Then it says in verse 37,
00:34:07.98\00:34:09.34
"Hear me, O Lord, hear me,
00:34:09.38\00:34:11.95
that this people may know
00:34:11.98\00:34:13.31
that You are the Lord God,
00:34:13.35\00:34:15.42
and that You have
turned their hearts
00:34:15.45\00:34:18.75
back to You again."
00:34:18.79\00:34:21.26
And the result.
00:34:21.29\00:34:23.06
"Then the fire of the Lord
00:34:23.09\00:34:24.43
fell and consumed
the burnt sacrifice,
00:34:24.46\00:34:26.59
and the wood and the stones
00:34:26.63\00:34:28.40
and the dust, and
it licked up the water
00:34:28.43\00:34:30.70
that was in the trench."
00:34:30.73\00:34:32.17
Did God respond?
00:34:32.20\00:34:34.20
What did Elijah do?
00:34:34.24\00:34:35.57
He just simply
knelt down and pray.
00:34:35.60\00:34:37.61
So you don't need to
have some kind of lesson
00:34:37.64\00:34:40.18
or some kind of
instruction on how to pray.
00:34:40.21\00:34:43.45
Here it is,
00:34:43.48\00:34:44.85
bend your knees,
00:34:44.88\00:34:46.58
or bow your heads,
00:34:46.61\00:34:48.28
or simply as you're driving call
00:34:48.32\00:34:50.55
on the name of the
Lord out of a pure heart.
00:34:50.59\00:34:54.66
Even if you're in trouble
00:34:54.69\00:34:56.02
and your heart is not
pure and God understands
00:34:56.06\00:34:57.53
that you're being sincere,
00:34:57.56\00:34:58.96
call on the name of the Lord.
00:34:58.99\00:35:00.63
He said,
00:35:00.66\00:35:02.16
"You will call me
and I will deliver you
00:35:02.20\00:35:04.73
out of your trouble."
00:35:04.77\00:35:06.10
That's how God
is. Amen for that?
00:35:06.13\00:35:07.87
That's why question
number 11 is so significant.
00:35:07.90\00:35:10.34
When you look at this,
00:35:10.37\00:35:11.71
it set the groundwork
00:35:11.74\00:35:13.07
of what Elijah did
00:35:13.11\00:35:15.21
and why he did it
and why God responded?
00:35:15.24\00:35:17.21
Look at question number 11.
00:35:17.25\00:35:19.08
Right?
00:35:19.11\00:35:20.45
Don't use vain repetition.
00:35:20.48\00:35:22.18
And here it is.
00:35:22.22\00:35:24.75
What is one of the reasons
00:35:24.79\00:35:26.22
that John tells us
00:35:26.25\00:35:27.79
prayers are not answered?
00:35:27.82\00:35:31.69
What is one reason
00:35:31.73\00:35:33.06
that John tells us
prayers are not answered?
00:35:33.09\00:35:35.60
John 16:24.
00:35:35.63\00:35:38.07
Not all prayers are answered.
00:35:38.10\00:35:39.70
And he tells us why.
00:35:39.73\00:35:42.84
Okay.
00:35:42.87\00:35:44.61
And I'll give you
a hint after this.
00:35:48.44\00:35:50.31
John 16:24. Here's the answer.
00:35:53.45\00:35:55.88
"Until now you have
asked nothing," how?
00:35:55.92\00:36:00.59
"In my name.
00:36:00.62\00:36:02.12
Ask, and you will receive,
00:36:02.16\00:36:03.89
that your joy may be full."
00:36:03.93\00:36:05.69
Sometimes when you,
if you wrote a letter...
00:36:05.73\00:36:09.10
I have this thing
about people sending me notes
00:36:09.13\00:36:11.27
without a name on it,
00:36:11.30\00:36:12.97
I don't read it.
00:36:13.00\00:36:15.47
When a person sends me a letter,
00:36:15.50\00:36:17.24
when a person puts a note
under my door and no name,
00:36:17.27\00:36:19.27
I don't read it
00:36:19.31\00:36:20.64
because I don't
know who's it for.
00:36:20.68\00:36:24.58
The Lord is saying,
00:36:24.61\00:36:26.08
are you talking to me?
00:36:26.11\00:36:27.98
Well then ask in whose name?
00:36:28.02\00:36:30.05
My name.
00:36:30.09\00:36:31.85
That's what He's saying.
00:36:31.89\00:36:33.46
I know what you want
but who you're asking.
00:36:33.49\00:36:37.93
When you are vague,
00:36:37.96\00:36:39.29
God is saying make sure
that your prayers are specific.
00:36:39.33\00:36:42.66
That's why whenever
you end your prayer,
00:36:42.70\00:36:44.47
you should always say
in Jesus' name, I pray.
00:36:44.50\00:36:50.07
Because no one
comes to the Father
00:36:50.11\00:36:51.81
except through Christ.
00:36:51.84\00:36:53.17
There is no other name,
00:36:53.21\00:36:54.54
there's no other
salvation connection.
00:36:54.58\00:36:56.11
You can't come to God like,
00:36:56.14\00:36:59.31
hey, God, I got a
request, I need a car,
00:36:59.35\00:37:02.05
send me a car, and I
need a Buick by the way.
00:37:02.08\00:37:06.39
Who you are talking to?
00:37:06.42\00:37:08.19
Come in my Son's name,
00:37:08.22\00:37:10.23
come ask in My name.
00:37:10.26\00:37:12.99
Up until now you
haven't gotten anything
00:37:13.03\00:37:14.60
because you
haven't asked in My name.
00:37:14.63\00:37:16.06
So here's the answer.
00:37:16.10\00:37:17.43
What is the one reason
00:37:17.47\00:37:18.80
why John tells us our
prayers are not answered
00:37:18.83\00:37:20.17
because we don't
ask in whose name?
00:37:20.20\00:37:22.30
We don't come to the
Father in the name of Jesus.
00:37:22.34\00:37:26.34
Heathens didn't say, Lord,
00:37:26.37\00:37:29.24
they didn't
acknowledge the true God,
00:37:29.28\00:37:30.61
they came in the
attitude of prayer
00:37:30.65\00:37:34.15
but they came in the attitude
of speaking to a false God.
00:37:34.18\00:37:39.29
He says, "Acknowledge Me,
00:37:39.32\00:37:41.46
acknowledge Me,
00:37:41.49\00:37:42.86
and your prayers will be heard."
00:37:42.89\00:37:47.13
And then
sometimes you think that,
00:37:47.16\00:37:48.50
well, man, I don't want to pray
00:37:48.53\00:37:50.13
'cause, I don't know
if God could do this.
00:37:50.17\00:37:52.03
I've had people say why,
00:37:52.07\00:37:53.40
you know, this is
really difficult situation
00:37:53.44\00:37:55.70
I'm in but,
00:37:55.74\00:37:58.74
I've been working it out.
00:37:58.77\00:38:00.94
And I say to
them, "Did you pray?"
00:38:00.98\00:38:04.28
"Yeah, I'm working on it."
00:38:04.31\00:38:07.42
"Did you pray?"
00:38:07.45\00:38:09.22
"Well, I'm getting
there." They're not saying this.
00:38:09.25\00:38:11.45
But I could sense
00:38:11.49\00:38:12.82
that there's some
kind of hesitance to pray.
00:38:12.85\00:38:16.32
Because somehow,
Lorraine, they feel that,
00:38:16.36\00:38:18.86
well, you know, I
know God has a lot to do
00:38:18.89\00:38:22.66
and I need to work on this one,
00:38:22.70\00:38:24.23
maybe because I'm afraid that
00:38:24.27\00:38:26.07
this may be too
difficult for God.
00:38:26.10\00:38:29.67
Okay, so let's
go to the next one.
00:38:29.70\00:38:32.41
Number 12.
00:38:32.44\00:38:33.78
So if you want
to answer number 11,
00:38:33.81\00:38:35.14
you put down that
under, don't forget,
00:38:35.18\00:38:36.51
pray in Jesus' name.
00:38:36.54\00:38:37.88
Number 12. Here it is.
00:38:37.91\00:38:39.91
What are we told about prayers
that seem impossible to answer?
00:38:39.95\00:38:43.62
To understand
how capable God is,
00:38:48.76\00:38:51.09
you got to ask
Him difficult things.
00:38:51.13\00:38:55.43
You got to ask God for things.
00:38:55.46\00:38:57.50
I've always said,
00:38:57.53\00:38:58.87
"Don't ask a billionaire for $5,
00:38:58.90\00:39:02.27
when you can ask
a poor man for $5."
00:39:02.30\00:39:05.84
When you realize
that God has no...
00:39:05.87\00:39:08.48
He has no limit,
00:39:08.51\00:39:11.61
He has no credit limit,
00:39:11.65\00:39:13.72
He has no
ceiling on His ability.
00:39:13.75\00:39:16.72
He has no place that
God can be harnessed.
00:39:16.75\00:39:19.02
So when you bring before Lord,
00:39:19.05\00:39:20.39
the prayers that you have,
00:39:20.42\00:39:21.76
when you say God
deal with this situation.
00:39:21.79\00:39:24.99
He's not saying,
00:39:25.03\00:39:27.16
"I don't know about this one?
00:39:27.20\00:39:28.66
This is a tough one."
00:39:28.70\00:39:31.07
But Jeremiah brings us
00:39:31.10\00:39:32.43
before the God that never fails.
00:39:32.47\00:39:34.64
Look at the
answer. Jeremiah 32:27.
00:39:34.67\00:39:39.91
I want us to read
this one together.
00:39:39.94\00:39:41.41
This one's doesn't
sink in all the time
00:39:41.44\00:39:43.61
because people find themselves
in difficult situations.
00:39:43.65\00:39:45.98
And yes, we
should call on each other
00:39:46.01\00:39:47.58
to pray and bear
one of those burdens.
00:39:47.62\00:39:49.68
But sometimes it's just
got to be between us and God,
00:39:49.72\00:39:53.36
and don't ever think
00:39:53.39\00:39:54.72
that just because
it's between you and God
00:39:54.76\00:39:56.89
that somehow
something's missing.
00:39:56.93\00:39:58.79
Look at what He
says when we come to Him.
00:39:58.83\00:40:00.60
Are you ready,
let's read this together.
00:40:00.63\00:40:01.96
Here we go,
"Behold, I am the Lord,
00:40:02.00\00:40:05.37
the God of all flesh."
00:40:05.40\00:40:07.94
Now together.
00:40:07.97\00:40:09.30
"Is there
anything too hard for Me?"
00:40:09.34\00:40:12.77
I don't know about any man
00:40:15.91\00:40:17.25
that has ever
asked me that question.
00:40:17.28\00:40:19.81
So, you know, we
have some people say,
00:40:19.85\00:40:21.35
you think I can't do that.
00:40:21.38\00:40:22.72
Okay, okay, do that.
Good. Do it, I'm standing back.
00:40:22.75\00:40:24.65
We give people room
00:40:24.69\00:40:26.59
to make an idiot of themselves
00:40:26.62\00:40:27.96
because we know
that there's some things
00:40:27.99\00:40:29.32
that man can't do.
00:40:29.36\00:40:30.69
I once said Shaquille O'Neal,
00:40:30.73\00:40:32.43
as good a
basketball player as he is,
00:40:32.46\00:40:34.33
he'll never be a
successful jockey.
00:40:34.36\00:40:37.50
He's just too heavy.
00:40:37.53\00:40:39.57
You can't put 300
pounds of man on the horse
00:40:39.60\00:40:42.10
and expect to win a race.
00:40:42.14\00:40:43.94
It's just not gonna happen.
00:40:43.97\00:40:46.21
And Charles
Barkley is not gonna be
00:40:46.24\00:40:47.64
a successful ballerina.
00:40:47.68\00:40:49.51
He just doesn't
have it like that.
00:40:49.54\00:40:51.61
That's the whole point.
00:40:51.65\00:40:52.98
So there are certain things
for men that are not possible,
00:40:53.01\00:40:54.78
but with God, is there
anything impossible for God?
00:40:54.82\00:40:57.75
Is there anything hard for God?
00:40:57.79\00:40:59.85
No, absolutely not.
00:40:59.89\00:41:01.22
So one of the reasons why...
00:41:01.26\00:41:03.39
One of the reasons why
we come up to our walls
00:41:03.43\00:41:09.03
is because we try to
resolve matters ourselves.
00:41:09.06\00:41:12.37
And God is
saying, "Give me the shot.
00:41:12.40\00:41:14.64
There's nothing
too difficult for me."
00:41:14.67\00:41:16.20
So here's the answer.
00:41:16.24\00:41:18.07
What are we told about prayers
that seem impossible to answer?
00:41:18.11\00:41:20.84
Are they impossible?
00:41:20.88\00:41:22.54
No, there are no
impossible requests of God,
00:41:22.58\00:41:26.78
no impossible requests.
00:41:26.82\00:41:29.55
Put Him to the test.
00:41:29.58\00:41:30.95
He says, Malachi prove me,
00:41:30.99\00:41:33.36
check me out, try Me.
00:41:33.39\00:41:35.19
And I know my wife and I
had instances where we have.
00:41:35.22\00:41:39.33
We get so excited when
the prayer comes through.
00:41:39.36\00:41:41.56
Not that we didn't
think God could do it
00:41:41.60\00:41:44.13
but sometimes He does it
00:41:44.17\00:41:45.77
far above the way we ask.
00:41:45.80\00:41:49.20
And that's what makes
the prayer so beautiful
00:41:49.24\00:41:51.11
when He responds far
above our expectation.
00:41:51.14\00:41:53.78
And He said,
He's able to do that
00:41:53.81\00:41:55.41
far beyond our expectation.
00:41:55.44\00:41:58.31
All Right.
00:41:58.35\00:41:59.68
Now let's go to number 13.
00:41:59.71\00:42:01.05
Number 13.
00:42:01.08\00:42:02.52
Moving right along.
00:42:02.55\00:42:04.52
Number 13.
00:42:04.55\00:42:06.15
Okay.
00:42:06.19\00:42:08.29
What is the time lapse
00:42:08.32\00:42:09.66
between our
prayers and God's response?
00:42:09.69\00:42:14.96
One thing I'll say
before we go to Isaiah 65:24,
00:42:24.71\00:42:28.54
is God's timetable is way
better than our timetable.
00:42:28.58\00:42:33.88
We will pray for a job
00:42:33.92\00:42:35.25
and we want a job like when,
00:42:35.28\00:42:36.62
when do we want a job?
00:42:36.65\00:42:39.25
I like that. Yesterday, okay.
00:42:39.29\00:42:41.09
We want that phone
call to come in yesterday,
00:42:41.12\00:42:43.36
we want that first application
00:42:43.39\00:42:44.89
that we submit to be
answered like right now.
00:42:44.93\00:42:47.46
But I need a job, I
need some money now.
00:42:47.50\00:42:50.27
But if the company that
God wants you to work for
00:42:53.64\00:42:55.87
doesn't have the opening yet,
00:42:55.90\00:42:57.24
he'll say I got you, I got you.
00:42:57.27\00:42:59.34
There's a place
I want you to work.
00:42:59.37\00:43:01.28
And the
position is not open yet,
00:43:01.31\00:43:03.01
but it'll be
open in about a month,
00:43:03.04\00:43:05.15
I'll cover you till then.
00:43:05.18\00:43:07.08
And there are some jobs
00:43:07.12\00:43:08.45
that God does
not want us to have.
00:43:08.48\00:43:10.95
Some people...
00:43:10.99\00:43:12.42
We had a person that
once prayed for a job
00:43:12.45\00:43:14.16
and she got the job
00:43:14.19\00:43:15.52
and required her
to work on Sabbath
00:43:15.56\00:43:16.89
and she said, "God
answered my prayer."
00:43:16.93\00:43:20.40
God will never
answer your prayer
00:43:20.43\00:43:22.10
to violate His requirements.
00:43:22.13\00:43:25.23
He'll never send you anything
00:43:25.27\00:43:26.60
that is out of
harmony with His will.
00:43:26.63\00:43:28.44
But let's look at the timetable.
00:43:28.47\00:43:30.04
Isaiah 65:24.
00:43:30.07\00:43:31.94
What kind of
timetable does God have?
00:43:31.97\00:43:34.24
He says, "It shall
come to pass that," what?
00:43:34.28\00:43:39.75
"Before they
call, I will," do what?
00:43:39.78\00:43:44.39
"Answer and while
they are still," what?
00:43:44.42\00:43:47.16
"Speaking, I will do," what?
00:43:47.19\00:43:48.92
"Hear."
00:43:48.96\00:43:50.29
Do you have any
examples in the Bible?
00:43:50.33\00:43:51.89
When Daniel was praying,
00:43:51.93\00:43:56.46
Daniel, stop, I'm praying.
00:43:56.50\00:43:58.77
Daniel, hold on,
I'm not done yet.
00:43:58.80\00:44:01.74
Daniel.
00:44:01.77\00:44:04.11
At the beginning of your prayer,
00:44:04.14\00:44:05.81
God sent me to talk to you
00:44:05.84\00:44:07.68
and since you're not done yet,
00:44:07.71\00:44:09.04
I got something to say.
00:44:09.08\00:44:10.41
Is that a response?
00:44:10.45\00:44:11.91
Then what about Rhoda?
00:44:11.95\00:44:13.72
What about Rhoda praying
00:44:13.75\00:44:15.08
for Peter to be
set free from prison?
00:44:15.12\00:44:16.99
All these young
people are, older people,
00:44:17.02\00:44:19.85
church members at a house
00:44:19.89\00:44:22.02
praying for Peter to
be set free from prison.
00:44:22.06\00:44:25.99
They have a prayer meeting.
00:44:26.03\00:44:27.50
There's nothing
wrong with prayer.
00:44:27.53\00:44:28.86
But here's the point.
00:44:28.90\00:44:30.23
You got to pray,
00:44:30.27\00:44:31.60
you got to
believe less in the prayer
00:44:31.63\00:44:34.40
and more in the
God to whom you pray.
00:44:34.44\00:44:37.41
Let's keep going.
00:44:37.44\00:44:39.67
Little light out of
shape but we can keep going.
00:44:39.71\00:44:42.04
You have to
believe less in the prayer,
00:44:42.08\00:44:45.11
the exercise of prayer
00:44:45.15\00:44:46.61
and more in the
one to whom you pray.
00:44:46.65\00:44:48.92
Am I right? That's the key.
00:44:48.95\00:44:50.89
Sometimes people
believe in the act of prayer,
00:44:50.92\00:44:53.79
but it's the
one to whom you pray
00:44:53.82\00:44:55.52
that makes the difference.
00:44:55.56\00:44:57.19
See, pray. There you go.
00:44:57.23\00:44:58.83
Prayer gets answered real fast.
00:44:58.86\00:45:00.66
See, sometimes you
got, God gives us examples.
00:45:00.70\00:45:03.80
Wonderful. Thank you, Lord.
00:45:03.83\00:45:06.03
How quick was that answered?
00:45:06.07\00:45:07.80
Praise the Lord.
00:45:07.84\00:45:09.17
So you got to keep on going
00:45:09.20\00:45:10.54
through the circumstances
00:45:10.57\00:45:11.91
and that's a great example.
00:45:11.94\00:45:13.27
Thank you, God for that.
00:45:13.31\00:45:14.64
In the midst of darkness,
00:45:14.68\00:45:16.01
keep on communicating,
00:45:16.04\00:45:17.38
keep on going forward.
00:45:17.41\00:45:18.75
God responds to those prayers
00:45:18.78\00:45:20.45
that come from a
heart of sincerity.
00:45:20.48\00:45:22.95
Before you call,
00:45:22.98\00:45:24.45
there was Peter
standing at the door knocking
00:45:24.49\00:45:26.96
and they said, "Shh!
00:45:26.99\00:45:29.12
We're praying. We're praying.
00:45:29.16\00:45:33.60
We're praying for you
00:45:33.63\00:45:36.40
to be set free for...
00:45:36.43\00:45:37.77
Well, hold on, I
will be right back.
00:45:37.80\00:45:39.13
And Rhoda goes
and tells people, ah,
00:45:39.17\00:45:41.30
Peter, Peter is at the door.
00:45:41.34\00:45:44.44
Shh!
00:45:44.47\00:45:45.81
We're praying for him.
00:45:45.84\00:45:47.18
Tell him we're praying for him.
00:45:47.21\00:45:49.28
They were more locked
into the act of prayer
00:45:49.31\00:45:52.51
than the one to
whom they prayed.
00:45:52.55\00:45:54.35
God was working that thing out
00:45:54.38\00:45:56.45
before they got the
prayer meeting together.
00:45:56.48\00:45:57.95
Amen for that?
00:45:57.99\00:45:59.32
We got to see that,
00:45:59.35\00:46:00.69
we read these
stories in the Bible
00:46:00.72\00:46:02.06
and we think, oh,
00:46:02.09\00:46:03.43
what a wonderful story, man,
00:46:03.46\00:46:04.79
I would have loved
to have been there.
00:46:04.83\00:46:06.80
But God was
working that thing out
00:46:06.83\00:46:08.70
before they got on their knees,
00:46:08.73\00:46:10.83
before they even began to call.
00:46:10.87\00:46:13.34
Peter was on
his way to the house
00:46:13.37\00:46:15.37
because God led him out.
00:46:15.40\00:46:16.74
That's the kind of God we serve.
00:46:16.77\00:46:18.11
Before we call, He will answer.
00:46:18.14\00:46:20.74
And while we're yet speaking,
00:46:20.78\00:46:22.64
He says, "I will hear."
00:46:22.68\00:46:25.61
And by the way,
this is so wonderful,
00:46:25.65\00:46:27.35
Peter wasn't even praying.
00:46:27.38\00:46:29.08
And this is an example.
00:46:29.12\00:46:30.45
Sometimes you've got to
pray for people that are bound.
00:46:30.49\00:46:33.66
You've got to
agree together to pray,
00:46:33.69\00:46:36.96
to set people
free that are bound,
00:46:36.99\00:46:38.89
and God will go
ahead and go to work.
00:46:38.93\00:46:40.90
Now who would you like
us to pray for tonight?
00:46:40.93\00:46:42.83
We're praying for Peter.
00:46:42.86\00:46:44.20
Oh, I got that, I'm on my way.
00:46:44.23\00:46:46.03
Peter, wake up.
00:46:46.07\00:46:49.04
Wake up, Peter.
00:46:49.07\00:46:50.87
And he doesn't know
until he passed the gates
00:46:50.91\00:46:53.24
into the city
and all of a sudden,
00:46:53.27\00:46:56.11
this is real.
00:46:56.14\00:46:57.81
That's how wonderful prayer is.
00:46:57.85\00:46:59.55
You sometimes at
the place, pray on Him.
00:46:59.58\00:47:01.42
This is real.
00:47:01.45\00:47:02.78
God actually answered my prayer.
00:47:02.82\00:47:04.92
So what's the answer?
00:47:04.95\00:47:06.42
What's the
answer in Isaiah 65:24,
00:47:06.45\00:47:08.56
is that where we were?
00:47:08.59\00:47:09.99
What's the time lapse
00:47:10.03\00:47:11.36
between our
prayers and God's response?
00:47:11.39\00:47:13.73
Before you call,
00:47:13.76\00:47:15.10
He's getting ready
to answer that prayer.
00:47:15.13\00:47:16.87
And you got to wait on the Lord.
00:47:16.90\00:47:18.23
That's the thing about prayer.
00:47:18.27\00:47:19.67
You got to
understand that God's timetable
00:47:19.70\00:47:22.30
is more of a
priority than our timetable.
00:47:22.34\00:47:26.88
Right?
00:47:26.91\00:47:28.24
Each of our
timetables are different.
00:47:28.28\00:47:29.61
God has, this is
what I'm gonna do it.
00:47:29.64\00:47:32.01
This is how I'm gonna do it.
00:47:32.05\00:47:33.38
I don't need to
tell you about it.
00:47:33.42\00:47:34.75
You just need to trust me.
00:47:34.78\00:47:36.55
Right?
00:47:36.58\00:47:37.92
So somebody says,
00:47:37.95\00:47:39.39
if you say to somebody,
could you buy this for me?
00:47:39.42\00:47:43.02
And you know, they got money?
00:47:43.06\00:47:44.39
I mean, you know
they got, they walk,
00:47:44.43\00:47:45.76
they got pockets.
00:47:45.79\00:47:47.30
I mean, those
pockets are never empty.
00:47:47.33\00:47:49.06
I mean you know for a fact
that they are deep pocketed.
00:47:49.10\00:47:52.23
And you say, could
you bring me back a soda?
00:47:52.27\00:47:54.20
I got it.
00:47:54.24\00:47:56.17
Do they have it?
00:47:56.20\00:47:58.14
You don't say, "Oh, I
wonder if they can afford it.
00:47:58.17\00:48:00.78
I wonder if it's gonna happen."
00:48:00.81\00:48:02.14
In the very same
way God's capabilities
00:48:02.18\00:48:03.91
never should
take us to the place
00:48:03.95\00:48:05.48
where we wonder
whether or not God can perform
00:48:05.51\00:48:07.68
what we asked Him
to perform or answer
00:48:07.72\00:48:10.19
what we send Him in
the form of a request.
00:48:10.22\00:48:12.69
God never knows failure.
00:48:12.72\00:48:14.06
Matter of fact,
00:48:14.09\00:48:15.42
that leads us right
to question number 14.
00:48:15.46\00:48:18.06
Okay, here it is. Number 14.
00:48:18.09\00:48:20.20
When we seek God in prayer,
00:48:20.23\00:48:23.00
what assurance has He given?
00:48:23.03\00:48:26.33
When we seek Him in prayer,
00:48:26.37\00:48:27.90
what assurance has He given?
00:48:27.94\00:48:29.70
Let's look to Psalms verse 34.
00:48:29.74\00:48:34.21
Psalms 34:4.
00:48:34.24\00:48:39.01
When we seek God in prayer,
00:48:39.05\00:48:40.38
what assurance are we given?
00:48:40.42\00:48:42.02
Got to have that assurance?
00:48:42.05\00:48:43.79
You know, if
you're trying to, like me,
00:48:43.82\00:48:45.59
if you're messing
around with the radio,
00:48:45.62\00:48:46.96
and you can't get through,
00:48:46.99\00:48:48.32
these radios don't
come with insurance.
00:48:48.36\00:48:49.96
They don't come with insurance
00:48:49.99\00:48:52.23
and they don't
come with assurance.
00:48:52.26\00:48:53.80
They come with instructions.
00:48:53.83\00:48:55.36
If you can't
follow the instructions,
00:48:55.40\00:48:56.90
then you're not
gonna get through.
00:48:56.93\00:48:58.27
But simply God says,
00:48:58.30\00:48:59.63
"Call on Me,
that's the instruction."
00:48:59.67\00:49:01.00
Here's the
answer. Here's the answer.
00:49:01.04\00:49:03.00
Psalms 34:4,
00:49:03.04\00:49:06.11
David said, I did what?
00:49:06.14\00:49:08.78
"I sought the
Lord, and He did," what?
00:49:08.81\00:49:12.55
"Heard me and delivered me
00:49:12.58\00:49:14.85
from most of my fears."
00:49:14.88\00:49:17.49
How many of
your fears, Lorraine?
00:49:17.52\00:49:19.72
How many of your fears?
00:49:19.75\00:49:21.09
How many of your
fears? How many of your fears?
00:49:21.12\00:49:23.63
How many of your fears?
00:49:23.66\00:49:26.76
No need to fear,
00:49:26.80\00:49:28.53
God is here.
00:49:28.56\00:49:30.87
He doesn't just deliver
us from all of our troubles,
00:49:30.90\00:49:34.10
which is Psalms 50:15,
00:49:34.14\00:49:35.80
"He delivers us from our," what?
00:49:35.84\00:49:37.67
"Fears."
00:49:37.71\00:49:39.44
That's so vitally important.
00:49:39.47\00:49:40.98
He doesn't just answer
prayer by giving something,
00:49:41.01\00:49:43.24
sometime he has to deliver us
00:49:43.28\00:49:44.85
from something
that's binding us.
00:49:44.88\00:49:46.72
Trouble binds us
and fear often binds us.
00:49:46.75\00:49:50.22
He delivers us from our fear
00:49:50.25\00:49:52.19
and from our trouble,
00:49:52.22\00:49:54.06
not just from our circumstances.
00:49:54.09\00:49:56.76
He doesn't just
want to give us things.
00:49:56.79\00:49:58.26
So often, our prayers
are in the basis of Lord,
00:49:58.29\00:50:00.23
I need, Lord, I need,
Lord, I need, now, Lord,
00:50:00.26\00:50:03.43
deliver me from my trouble.
00:50:03.47\00:50:05.83
Deliver me from my fear.
00:50:05.87\00:50:10.37
He says, "You
asked me, I'll do it."
00:50:10.41\00:50:12.47
But now verse...
00:50:12.51\00:50:13.84
Question 15 gives
us the next condition.
00:50:13.88\00:50:16.34
Question 15. So the
answer to number 14.
00:50:16.38\00:50:18.11
When we see God in prayer,
what assurance are we given?
00:50:18.15\00:50:21.58
He delivers, from
how many of our fears?
00:50:21.62\00:50:23.85
All our fears,
00:50:23.89\00:50:25.25
He delivers from all fear.
00:50:25.29\00:50:28.52
He takes it away.
00:50:28.56\00:50:30.33
Now this is the condition to it.
00:50:30.36\00:50:32.63
Everything has a condition.
00:50:32.66\00:50:34.00
And by the way,
when you seek the Lord,
00:50:36.77\00:50:38.77
when you seek the Lord,
00:50:38.80\00:50:41.80
seeking is like the word
there is diligently searching.
00:50:41.84\00:50:47.21
When you sought
the Lord, another word,
00:50:47.24\00:50:49.08
I turned to the Lord.
00:50:49.11\00:50:50.45
That's what that actually means.
00:50:50.48\00:50:52.41
Question number 15.
00:50:52.45\00:50:54.15
What key reason does the Bible
give for reluctance in prayer?
00:50:54.18\00:50:58.75
For reluctance him in prayer.
00:50:58.79\00:51:03.02
All right.
00:51:03.06\00:51:04.39
Hebrews 11:6,
00:51:04.43\00:51:05.99
you theologians
know this one by heart.
00:51:06.03\00:51:09.03
Okay, we're gonna go with it.
00:51:09.06\00:51:11.07
We're gonna go to this right now
00:51:11.10\00:51:12.43
in the interest of time.
00:51:12.47\00:51:13.80
Are you ready? Here we go.
00:51:13.84\00:51:16.10
"But without faith it is
impossible to please Him,
00:51:16.14\00:51:22.61
for he who comes to God
must believe that He is,
00:51:22.64\00:51:27.72
and that He is a
rewarder of those who," do what?
00:51:27.75\00:51:31.52
"Diligently seek Him."
00:51:31.55\00:51:33.62
So when the Word says,
00:51:33.66\00:51:35.66
I sought the Lord,
00:51:35.69\00:51:37.43
when we read in Psalms 34:4,
00:51:37.46\00:51:39.83
I saw the Lord.
00:51:39.86\00:51:41.46
How did you
think David sought him?
00:51:41.50\00:51:43.77
Diligently.
00:51:43.80\00:51:45.13
He diligently,
but here's the key.
00:51:45.17\00:51:46.84
One of the reasons why
prayers are not often...
00:51:46.87\00:51:49.90
One of the reasons why
we're reluctant to pray.
00:51:49.94\00:51:52.41
And I want you not to run
past this very important point.
00:51:52.44\00:51:56.14
For he who comes to God
must believe that, what?
00:51:56.18\00:51:59.85
That He is.
00:51:59.88\00:52:01.22
We got to
believe that God exists.
00:52:01.25\00:52:04.19
Would you go to somebody's house
00:52:04.22\00:52:05.55
if they don't live there?
00:52:05.59\00:52:07.56
Would you call them
if they don't exist?
00:52:07.59\00:52:11.83
You couldn't call
them if they did not exist.
00:52:11.86\00:52:14.06
Sometimes we...
00:52:14.10\00:52:17.23
I got to spill the beans once.
00:52:17.27\00:52:18.60
When we were growing up,
00:52:18.63\00:52:19.97
I used to play call
anybody on our phone,
00:52:20.00\00:52:22.07
dial phones, kitty game.
00:52:22.10\00:52:24.71
And seven numbers,
00:52:24.74\00:52:26.07
I just pick any seven numbers,
00:52:26.11\00:52:27.48
and dialed and see who answers.
00:52:27.51\00:52:29.34
Hello,
00:52:29.38\00:52:30.71
and we giggle on
the phone or laughing,
00:52:30.75\00:52:32.08
don't even know who it is.
00:52:32.11\00:52:33.45
Kitty game, that's
back in the dial day.
00:52:33.48\00:52:35.28
Don't let your kids hear this.
00:52:35.32\00:52:37.49
Okay?
00:52:37.52\00:52:38.85
And we didn't know
who was on the phone,
00:52:38.89\00:52:40.22
we will giggle and laugh
00:52:40.26\00:52:41.59
and then hang up the phone,
00:52:41.62\00:52:42.96
and there were no
caller ID back there.
00:52:42.99\00:52:44.33
But nowadays they
call you back, who is it?
00:52:44.36\00:52:45.69
Who just called me?
00:52:45.73\00:52:47.30
So don't do that,
you get in trouble.
00:52:47.33\00:52:49.20
And, but
00:52:49.23\00:52:52.90
the key is,
00:52:52.93\00:52:54.27
you wouldn't call them
00:52:54.30\00:52:55.64
if you didn't think
they really existed.
00:52:55.67\00:52:57.97
But sometimes you
go to the phone book.
00:52:58.01\00:52:59.57
We used to go along
and just stop your finger,
00:52:59.61\00:53:02.31
okay, who's that?
00:53:02.34\00:53:03.68
Okay, call that
person, who's it?
00:53:03.71\00:53:05.05
I don't know,
just call the number.
00:53:05.08\00:53:07.38
My sister and I
used to play a game
00:53:07.42\00:53:08.75
when we were little
children, little kids.
00:53:08.78\00:53:10.79
It didn't last very long,
00:53:10.82\00:53:12.15
because papa found out about
and put a lock on the phone.
00:53:12.19\00:53:15.19
And then we couldn't
make any phone calls at all.
00:53:15.22\00:53:17.69
But the point of the matter
00:53:17.73\00:53:19.06
is that I want to
make very carefully here
00:53:19.09\00:53:20.43
and this is something
that I don't want to run past.
00:53:20.46\00:53:22.46
When you call God,
00:53:22.50\00:53:24.27
you must believe that He is.
00:53:24.30\00:53:26.94
If you got trouble
believing that God is,
00:53:26.97\00:53:29.30
get out of your living
room on a very dark night
00:53:29.34\00:53:33.81
and make sure
the skies are clear.
00:53:33.84\00:53:35.94
If it's cold, put
on a very warm coat.
00:53:35.98\00:53:39.28
Go outside and
stand in very dark place.
00:53:39.31\00:53:41.55
If you're in the country,
you have nothing to fear
00:53:41.58\00:53:43.62
except maybe a
deer may run into you.
00:53:43.65\00:53:45.69
That's it.
00:53:45.72\00:53:47.06
Stand up and look
toward the heavens,
00:53:47.09\00:53:48.62
and ask yourself the question.
00:53:48.66\00:53:50.33
If God can hold
all that together,
00:53:50.36\00:53:53.03
can He not hold
your life together?
00:53:53.06\00:53:56.03
If God can do all that,
00:53:56.06\00:53:58.20
then there must
be somebody out there
00:53:58.23\00:54:01.60
that's willing
to hear my prayer.
00:54:01.64\00:54:03.41
And then you call on that one
00:54:03.44\00:54:04.94
that is the God that
holds the world together,
00:54:04.97\00:54:08.24
that make sure the
stars follow the same course
00:54:08.28\00:54:10.88
as they started
following ever since
00:54:10.91\00:54:13.01
the days He created the earth.
00:54:13.05\00:54:15.28
See, earth is in trouble,
00:54:15.32\00:54:16.65
but the heavens
are not in trouble.
00:54:16.69\00:54:18.02
The heavens
declare the glory of God.
00:54:18.05\00:54:20.32
And the firmament
shows His handiwork.
00:54:20.36\00:54:22.46
Day after day,
night after night,
00:54:22.49\00:54:24.46
they pour forth speech.
00:54:24.49\00:54:26.63
There is no place where
their voice is not heard,
00:54:26.66\00:54:29.40
the Bible says.
00:54:29.43\00:54:31.50
Creation knows that God exists.
00:54:31.53\00:54:34.57
Demons know that God exists.
00:54:34.60\00:54:36.54
They know it so
well, they tremble.
00:54:36.57\00:54:38.87
But the barrier
to having our prayers
00:54:38.91\00:54:41.38
even offered is
sometimes we are praying
00:54:41.41\00:54:44.31
to someone but we
don't believe that He is.
00:54:44.35\00:54:48.58
Because if you
believe that He is,
00:54:48.62\00:54:50.15
you wouldn't feel
that you have to beg.
00:54:50.19\00:54:52.09
You know what?
00:54:52.12\00:54:53.46
Let me just make
this point right here.
00:54:53.49\00:54:54.82
You don't have to beg God,
00:54:57.96\00:55:00.10
you got to simply pray to God.
00:55:00.13\00:55:02.73
Here's what I mean by that.
00:55:02.76\00:55:04.10
Some people say,
00:55:04.13\00:55:05.47
"Lord, please,
Lord, please help me.
00:55:05.50\00:55:08.77
Lord, please deliver."
00:55:08.80\00:55:11.07
God is saying, "I'll do it.
00:55:11.11\00:55:12.94
I promise, I'm gonna do it."
00:55:12.97\00:55:14.44
We don't have to beg God.
00:55:14.48\00:55:16.81
Please have mercy on me.
00:55:16.85\00:55:18.88
When we come to God and believe
00:55:18.91\00:55:20.35
that God is the one
who wants to give us mercy,
00:55:20.38\00:55:22.98
wants to respond to our needs,
00:55:23.02\00:55:25.22
wants to bring
us out of trouble,
00:55:25.25\00:55:26.69
wants to take away our fears.
00:55:26.72\00:55:28.42
We don't have to come before God
00:55:28.46\00:55:29.79
as though we
have to convince Him.
00:55:29.82\00:55:31.33
This is really
something you should answer
00:55:31.36\00:55:33.70
because God wants to.
00:55:33.73\00:55:35.06
He says, "Before you call,
00:55:35.10\00:55:36.43
I will answer,
while you're yet speaking,
00:55:36.46\00:55:38.47
I will hear.
00:55:38.50\00:55:39.83
Call on Me and I'll respond."
00:55:39.87\00:55:41.77
So here's the key tonight.
00:55:41.80\00:55:45.14
We must believe that God exists
00:55:45.17\00:55:47.74
in order for God to hear.
00:55:47.78\00:55:49.31
So if you write the answer down
00:55:49.34\00:55:50.68
to question 15.
00:55:50.71\00:55:52.05
What key reason does the Bible
give for reluctance in prayer?
00:55:52.08\00:55:54.65
We don't
believe that God exists.
00:55:54.68\00:55:56.95
We believe but not really.
00:55:56.99\00:55:59.42
It's a huge difference
00:55:59.45\00:56:00.79
between just believing
and having complete confidence
00:56:00.82\00:56:04.16
that He's listening to you,
00:56:04.19\00:56:05.53
He wants to hear you,
00:56:05.56\00:56:07.03
He'll respond to your request.
00:56:07.06\00:56:09.53
Now I'm gonna end with
a very quick one tonight.
00:56:09.56\00:56:12.03
Because I'm
gonna spend some time
00:56:12.07\00:56:13.40
on this one
00:56:13.44\00:56:14.77
when we begin on next Wednesday
00:56:14.80\00:56:16.14
we have our week of prayer.
00:56:16.17\00:56:17.51
So if you're gonna
tune in next Wednesday,
00:56:17.54\00:56:18.87
it's gonna be the
beginning of our week of prayer.
00:56:18.91\00:56:21.68
Seven different
preachers are gonna be speaking
00:56:21.71\00:56:23.55
so not next Wednesday.
00:56:23.58\00:56:25.25
It's not gonna
be prayer meeting,
00:56:25.28\00:56:26.61
but it's gonna
be a week of prayer,
00:56:26.65\00:56:27.98
tune into the very same channel
00:56:28.02\00:56:29.35
and you'll be able
to enjoy that with us.
00:56:29.38\00:56:31.49
But the last one,
question number 16.
00:56:31.52\00:56:35.49
Question number 16.
00:56:35.52\00:56:37.53
What must we do to assure
00:56:37.56\00:56:39.59
that our
prayers are being heard?
00:56:39.63\00:56:41.76
What must we do to assure
00:56:41.80\00:56:43.47
that our
prayers are being heard?
00:56:43.50\00:56:45.43
The answer is very
simple, but very quick.
00:56:45.47\00:56:47.57
And this is where
soul searching comes in.
00:56:47.60\00:56:50.31
Psalm 66:18.
00:56:50.34\00:56:52.47
Let's read that together.
00:56:52.51\00:56:53.84
The Bible says, what?
00:56:53.88\00:56:55.28
"If I regard
iniquity in my heart,
00:56:55.31\00:56:58.75
the Lord will not hear."
00:56:58.78\00:57:00.68
Do your homework
to see the difference
00:57:00.72\00:57:02.05
between sin and iniquity.
00:57:02.08\00:57:04.62
Sin, we struggle
00:57:04.65\00:57:07.09
but when you
become a habitual person
00:57:07.12\00:57:09.39
that's locked into
practicing iniquity,
00:57:09.42\00:57:11.63
practicing something that's
not acceptable to God and you,
00:57:11.66\00:57:14.80
you hunker down
and hold on to that
00:57:14.83\00:57:16.97
more than you
hold on to the Lord,
00:57:17.00\00:57:18.80
then the difficulty will come.
00:57:18.83\00:57:20.54
So here it is,
00:57:20.57\00:57:21.90
trust God, believe God,
00:57:21.94\00:57:25.51
know that He's
there when you pray.
00:57:25.54\00:57:28.21
Come before Him in faith,
00:57:28.24\00:57:29.58
knowing He'll
take away your fears
00:57:29.61\00:57:31.41
and take away your trouble.
00:57:31.45\00:57:32.91
And, friends, you'll understand
00:57:32.95\00:57:34.42
that prayer is
not that difficult.
00:57:34.45\00:57:36.28
I told you tonight,
00:57:36.32\00:57:37.85
don't get one of
these kinds of prayer lives,
00:57:37.89\00:57:39.65
trying to figure
out how it's gonna work.
00:57:39.69\00:57:41.06
Get one of these, just
simply press the button,
00:57:41.09\00:57:43.39
get on your knees,
00:57:43.43\00:57:44.76
call on God and He will hear you
00:57:44.79\00:57:46.66
and then you'll
discover how powerful
00:57:46.70\00:57:49.06
and how ready
God is to bring you
00:57:49.10\00:57:51.50
out of your troubles.
00:57:51.53\00:57:53.34
Here at Sharper Focus,
00:57:53.37\00:57:54.70
sometimes we think
it's difficult to pray,
00:57:54.74\00:57:57.11
but I tell you when
you pray whatever is cloudy
00:57:57.14\00:57:59.51
will come into A Sharper Focus.
00:57:59.54\00:58:02.14
God bless you.
00:58:02.18\00:58:03.51