(Theme Song) ? Jesus is worthy ? 00:00:00.66\00:00:11.50 ? oh yes, he's worthy ? ? worthy of all... ? 00:00:11.50\00:00:17.76 (Music) PB: I'd like to welcome 00:00:17.76\00:00:21.00 those who are watching the Breath of Life 00:00:21.00\00:00:21.96 television broadcast. 00:00:21.96\00:00:23.06 I'm Dr. Carlton Byrd here at the Berean Seventh-Day 00:00:23.06\00:00:25.70 Adventist Church in Atlanta, Georgia and we ask at this 00:00:25.70\00:00:28.06 time that everyone would take their Bibles and turn with me 00:00:28.06\00:00:31.46 to the book of Luke, Chapter 11, and we're going to begin 00:00:31.46\00:00:34.46 reading verse 1. 00:00:34.46\00:00:40.43 Luke 11:1. 00:00:40.43\00:00:47.36 The word of God says, "And it came to pass, that, as he was 00:00:47.36\00:00:53.16 praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his 00:00:53.16\00:01:03.46 disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray as John also 00:01:03.46\00:01:08.10 taught his disciples." 00:01:08.10\00:01:10.70 Verse 2: "And he said unto them, 00:01:10.70\00:01:14.03 When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed 00:01:14.03\00:01:16.83 be thy name. 00:01:16.83\00:01:17.60 Thy kingdom come. 00:01:17.60\00:01:18.73 Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 00:01:18.73\00:01:22.43 Give us day by day our daily bread. 00:01:22.43\00:01:26.53 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that 00:01:26.53\00:01:29.86 is indebted to us. 00:01:29.86\00:01:31.13 And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us 00:01:31.13\00:01:35.43 from evil." Now, go back to verse 1. 00:01:35.43\00:01:38.60 "It came to pass that as he was praying in a certain 00:01:38.60\00:01:43.86 place." Now go with me. 00:01:43.86\00:01:45.60 Our companion says, Matthew, Chapter 6, verse 6, our 00:01:45.60\00:01:49.76 companion text. 00:01:49.76\00:01:51.30 Matthew 6:6. 00:01:51.30\00:01:54.26 The word of God says, "But thou, when thou prayest, enter 00:01:54.26\00:01:58.10 into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to 00:01:58.10\00:02:06.50 thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in 00:02:06.50\00:02:10.06 secret shall reward thee openly." Today I want to speak 00:02:10.06\00:02:17.60 with you on the subject "Find a Place to Pray." Find a place 00:02:17.60\00:02:23.70 to pray. 00:02:23.70\00:02:24.46 God, right now breathe in this place. 00:02:24.46\00:02:28.03 We ask your Holy Ghost to come in copious measures right now 00:02:28.03\00:02:31.03 so that, Lord, we can hear a word from thee. 00:02:31.03\00:02:33.96 Disappoint us not, hide me behind your cross, forgive me 00:02:33.96\00:02:36.53 of my sins, may your word come alive for your people today. 00:02:36.53\00:02:41.83 And God, when the appeal is made, I pray that individuals 00:02:41.83\00:02:44.33 would accept you as their personal savior. 00:02:44.33\00:02:46.16 Hide me behind your cross, in Jesus" name I pray, begging 00:02:46.16\00:02:48.60 for forgiveness of sin. 00:02:48.60\00:02:50.90 Let everyone say Amen. 00:02:50.90\00:02:52.50 And Amen. 00:02:52.50\00:02:53.93 Find a place to pray. 00:02:53.93\00:02:55.60 Find a place to what, everybody? 00:02:55.60\00:02:58.36 It's very important that you understand today the 00:02:58.36\00:03:01.33 importance of prayer. 00:03:01.33\00:03:03.16 Do I have a witness in this place? 00:03:03.16\00:03:05.03 Everybody in here, everybody watching, everybody needs 00:03:05.03\00:03:09.53 prayer. 00:03:09.53\00:03:10.73 And if you don't know how to pray, you better learn how to 00:03:10.73\00:03:13.56 pray because the world we're living in is a mess. 00:03:13.56\00:03:16.53 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 00:03:16.53\00:03:18.06 And the only thing that's going to help us get through 00:03:18.06\00:03:20.36 stress relationships, wayward children, back-stabbing 00:03:20.36\00:03:25.40 friends, trifling employees, oppressive, unappreciative 00:03:25.40\00:03:29.66 employers, gossiping coworkers, nagging illnesses, 00:03:29.66\00:03:34.30 foreclosed homes, bankrupt cases and political unrest is 00:03:34.30\00:03:40.33 some downright, knees falling, prostrate bowing, crying out 00:03:40.33\00:03:47.80 to the Lord in prayer. 00:03:47.80\00:03:49.13 Do I have a witness in this place? 00:03:49.13\00:03:51.53 So, you have to do this. 00:03:51.53\00:03:54.40 Nobody can do this for you. 00:03:54.40\00:03:57.26 Your pastor can't do it, your family can't do it, your 00:03:57.26\00:04:02.46 church can't do it, you have to pray. 00:04:02.46\00:04:06.50 You need some you-and-God time. 00:04:06.50\00:04:10.03 Now, we're discovering that in Luke 11:1, that Jesus is a 00:04:10.03\00:04:13.43 praying man, for one cannot teach prayer if one does not 00:04:13.43\00:04:16.73 practice prayer. 00:04:16.73\00:04:18.20 The fact that the disciples ask Jesus, "Lord, teach us to 00:04:18.20\00:04:23.30 pray" is a testimony to their having seen Jesus pray. 00:04:23.30\00:04:28.76 Jesus not only told his disciples how to pray, but the 00:04:28.76\00:04:31.40 disciples saw Jesus pray. 00:04:31.40\00:04:34.83 Let this be a lesson for us as we begin today. 00:04:34.83\00:04:38.00 You can't just talk the talk, but you've got to walk the 00:04:38.00\00:04:42.70 walk. 00:04:42.70\00:04:43.43 I wish somebody knew what I was talking about in this 00:04:43.43\00:04:45.23 place. 00:04:45.23\00:04:46.40 Based on this text, the disciples believed that prayer 00:04:46.40\00:04:51.40 was a learned behavior. 00:04:51.40\00:04:54.93 Immediately after the disciples appealed to Jesus to 00:04:54.93\00:04:56.56 teach them how to pray, Jesus begins teaching in verse 1 and 00:04:56.56\00:05:00.60 2, and he says, when you pray say, Our Father, but let me 00:05:00.60\00:05:07.10 suggest to you today that Jesus did not teach the 00:05:07.10\00:05:10.33 disciples to pray only by the words in the text, but Jesus 00:05:10.33\00:05:13.53 modeled prayer in his lifestyle. 00:05:13.53\00:05:17.16 In other words, my friends, don't just tell me you believe 00:05:17.16\00:05:21.93 in prayer, but show me that you believe in prayer. 00:05:21.93\00:05:26.23 Show me that when you come down to this altar and you get 00:05:26.23\00:05:31.16 on your knees and you cry out to God, show me that you 00:05:31.16\00:05:34.30 believe that God is a prayer answering God. 00:05:34.30\00:05:37.40 Now, I've learned over the years, I must say this and be 00:05:37.40\00:05:39.86 candid with you today, I've learned over the years you can 00:05:39.86\00:05:43.63 have a church that looks holy. 00:05:43.63\00:05:46.70 The furniture looks holy, the flowers, the plants look holy, 00:05:46.70\00:05:54.60 the pulpit looks holy, the organ will be playing and 00:05:54.60\00:05:59.70 everything seems holy. 00:05:59.70\00:06:01.56 The church even smells holy. 00:06:01.56\00:06:04.60 But everything that looks and smells like holy is not holy. 00:06:04.60\00:06:11.96 Because some people, I've learned in my experience, can 00:06:11.96\00:06:14.30 pray these flowery, flattering, well articulated 00:06:14.30\00:06:19.73 prayers and people will think they are the biggest saint in 00:06:19.73\00:06:24.10 the world. 00:06:24.10\00:06:25.36 They will think they are the best Christian in the world. 00:06:25.36\00:06:28.06 But let me tell you something. 00:06:28.06\00:06:29.70 They may say the finest prayer, but that doesn't make 00:06:29.70\00:06:34.36 them the finest Christian. 00:06:34.36\00:06:36.60 Because remember, the devil talked to the Lord, too. 00:06:36.60\00:06:40.93 "I've been knowing the Lord 20 years." Do you know the Lord 00:06:40.93\00:06:45.46 or have you just been talking to him? 00:06:45.46\00:06:48.10 "I met the Lord when I was 12." And you haven't spoken to 00:06:48.10\00:06:51.33 him since and now you're 45. 00:06:51.33\00:06:54.80 Today I'm not talking about a formal, public display of 00:06:54.80\00:06:59.06 piety, I'm talking about a personal place, a personal 00:06:59.06\00:07:03.06 place in your hearts of consecration that is 00:07:03.06\00:07:06.56 exclusively for the use of the Lord. 00:07:06.56\00:07:10.13 Now, let me break this down, because I believe that in this 00:07:10.13\00:07:12.03 post-modern generation there are some people who don't 00:07:12.03\00:07:13.96 understand what I'm trying to say today. 00:07:13.96\00:07:16.10 There is a difference between church members and saints. 00:07:16.10\00:07:23.63 Let me say that one more time. 00:07:23.63\00:07:25.83 There's a difference between church members and saints. 00:07:25.83\00:07:30.73 We've got a lot of church members today, people who come 00:07:30.73\00:07:37.26 to church. 00:07:37.26\00:07:38.73 But there's a major difference between church members and 00:07:38.73\00:07:42.96 saints. 00:07:42.96\00:07:45.03 How do I know? 00:07:45.03\00:07:45.93 Back in the day, you could tell the saints something and 00:07:45.93\00:07:51.06 they wouldn't gossip, they would pray about it. 00:07:51.06\00:07:52.96 Do I have a witness in this place? 00:07:52.96\00:07:55.26 The saints would come together in agreement and pray for you. 00:07:55.26\00:08:00.06 And so I must admit, I'm used to saints and sometimes I get 00:08:00.06\00:08:05.56 weary because we've got a lot church folk now. 00:08:05.56\00:08:08.76 But I want to know, are you a saint? 00:08:08.76\00:08:11.73 You see, back in the day, if I can testify a bit, when the 00:08:11.73\00:08:14.23 saints got ready to come over to your house and you were in 00:08:14.23\00:08:17.00 trouble, they'd go to cooking and they'd go to cleaning and 00:08:17.00\00:08:20.03 they'd go to washing up stuff and they didn't want money. 00:08:20.03\00:08:23.00 They just did it because they were saints. 00:08:23.00\00:08:25.30 And we live now in a world that if you make a cupcake, 00:08:25.30\00:08:30.80 somebody is talking about, well, you know, flour is sure 00:08:30.80\00:08:33.36 high. 00:08:33.36\00:08:34.60 Cake mix is not what it used to be. 00:08:34.60\00:08:38.00 But I'm used to saints who loved you, cared for you, 00:08:38.00\00:08:42.86 prayed for you. 00:08:42.86\00:08:45.23 I'm so glad somebody prayed for me. 00:08:45.23\00:08:47.16 Ministered to you and did things out of their hearts and 00:08:47.16\00:08:52.33 out of their spirits and they had something that was called 00:08:52.33\00:08:55.10 consecration, which means that you conducted yourself in a 00:08:55.10\00:08:58.93 certain way. 00:08:58.93\00:09:01.66 There was consecration. 00:09:01.66\00:09:03.10 They didn't always have music blaring in the car. 00:09:03.10\00:09:06.10 Sometimes they just be walking, walking down the 00:09:06.10\00:09:10.36 road, walking down the street talking to the Lord. 00:09:10.36\00:09:14.03 Somebody knows what I'm talking about. 00:09:14.03\00:09:16.20 Singing songs, making up stuff because they had an intimate 00:09:16.20\00:09:21.20 relationship with the Lord, and you could feel the glory 00:09:21.20\00:09:24.63 of God around them. 00:09:24.63\00:09:27.00 When you came into their presence, there was just 00:09:27.00\00:09:30.00 something that emanated out of their spirit. 00:09:30.00\00:09:32.60 They didn't have to tell you that they were praying, you 00:09:32.60\00:09:35.33 could feel that they were praying because there was a 00:09:35.33\00:09:38.43 certain level of consecration. 00:09:38.43\00:09:40.70 They had a prayer place, not just on the outside, but they 00:09:40.70\00:09:44.36 had a prayer place on the inside of their hearts. 00:09:44.36\00:09:46.80 Do I have a witness in this place? 00:09:46.80\00:09:49.46 I've got to describe this today and taking time because 00:09:49.46\00:09:51.26 this generation doesn't understand this. 00:09:51.26\00:09:54.06 Brothers and sisters, there ought to be an inner sanctuary 00:09:54.06\00:09:55.80 in you, a place you don't give to anybody, not your husband, 00:09:55.80\00:10:01.10 not your wife, not your boyfriend, not your 00:10:01.10\00:10:03.80 girlfriend, not your momma, not your daddy, not your 00:10:03.80\00:10:06.90 children, that's what's wrong with somebody right now. 00:10:06.90\00:10:09.73 That's why somebody is suicidal and depressed, ready 00:10:09.73\00:10:14.06 to blow your brains out, because you've given that 00:10:14.06\00:10:17.70 place to Larry, Terry, Harry, Gary, Billy Bob, Mary Sue, and 00:10:17.70\00:10:29.20 you've got to snatch that place back. 00:10:29.20\00:10:32.23 You've got to snatch that place back in your hearts and 00:10:32.23\00:10:34.96 give that to God and God alone. 00:10:34.96\00:10:40.46 Are you hearing me everybody? 00:10:40.46\00:10:42.26 Find a place to pray. 00:10:42.26\00:10:46.90 You don't fall in love with anybody so much so that you 00:10:46.90\00:10:48.93 let them have your space and time with God. 00:10:48.93\00:10:52.10 I've got to tie in this valentines 00:10:52.10\00:10:53.33 Come on, say Amen. 00:10:53.33\00:10:54.63 When you put people in that place and they know when 00:10:54.63\00:10:58.16 you've let them get in that place, then you have nowhere 00:10:58.16\00:11:01.30 to go because you've allowed people to become so 00:11:01.30\00:11:04.66 significant that they have become an idol in your life 00:11:04.66\00:11:07.33 and you have to cast that idol aside and let God be God. 00:11:07.33\00:11:13.96 The reason why some of you are so bitter and upset with 00:11:13.96\00:11:16.36 people is because you put people in the place of God and 00:11:16.36\00:11:19.46 then when they let you down, you're frustrated because they 00:11:19.46\00:11:21.76 couldn't come through for you. 00:11:21.76\00:11:23.56 But as long as you know that people, I've learned this, are 00:11:23.56\00:11:26.50 people and people are going to do people things, and people 00:11:26.50\00:11:31.13 are going to fail you, and you've got to keep them in 00:11:31.13\00:11:34.40 their place. 00:11:34.40\00:11:35.76 You can love people without worshipping people. 00:11:35.76\00:11:39.13 But when you start worshipping people and say, I would die 00:11:39.13\00:11:44.30 for you, I just love you, I'm not anything besides you, 00:11:44.30\00:11:51.53 you've got a problem. 00:11:51.53\00:11:53.00 You've got a problem. 00:11:53.00\00:11:54.33 I want you to know is there any space in you where God has 00:11:54.33\00:12:00.36 exclusivity? 00:12:00.36\00:12:02.50 Is there any time in your life where it's just you and the 00:12:02.50\00:12:07.40 Lord, where you get into the very presence of God and you 00:12:07.40\00:12:13.23 bask in the glory of God? 00:12:13.23\00:12:15.96 That ought to make somebody want to shout, right there. 00:12:15.96\00:12:19.36 Because in his presence there's fullness of joy and at 00:12:19.36\00:12:24.86 his right hand there are pleasures forevermore. 00:12:24.86\00:12:29.33 Let me tell you all something. 00:12:29.33\00:12:30.60 Whether you want to admit it or not, there are some folk in 00:12:30.60\00:12:33.23 this room who have had a past. 00:12:33.23\00:12:35.73 Oh, come on now. 00:12:35.73\00:12:40.20 I know you've got your hat on, gloves on, but you have a 00:12:40.20\00:12:43.73 past. 00:12:43.73\00:12:44.60 Come on, say Amen. 00:12:44.60\00:12:46.56 You haven't always been missionary cornflakes and 00:12:46.56\00:12:48.50 evangelist banana. 00:12:48.50\00:12:49.83 Come on, say Amen. 00:12:49.83\00:12:51.60 You haven't always been deacon fried Striples, you haven't 00:12:51.60\00:12:54.60 always been who you are right now and sometimes, even since 00:12:54.60\00:12:59.10 you've been evangelist banana pudding. 00:12:59.10\00:13:02.00 You know you've slipped a bit. 00:13:02.00\00:13:03.66 Tell the truth, shame the devil. 00:13:03.66\00:13:05.33 Some of you fell a little bit. 00:13:05.33\00:13:07.00 You're wallowing around. 00:13:07.00\00:13:08.10 Some of you are still swimming in that stuff right now. 00:13:08.10\00:13:11.23 But we have a God who loves you so much that he says, if 00:13:11.23\00:13:17.03 you just open up the door, I will come in and sup with you 00:13:17.03\00:13:20.46 and I will be your God and you shall be my people. 00:13:20.46\00:13:23.46 I want to talk with you. 00:13:23.46\00:13:26.00 Even while you're in prison, even when you're wrong, even 00:13:26.00\00:13:31.20 when you're slothful, even when you're down, I want to 00:13:31.20\00:13:34.43 talk with you. 00:13:34.43\00:13:37.20 I want to be with you. 00:13:37.20\00:13:38.80 But the problem is, some of us, and that's why I have to 00:13:38.80\00:13:41.46 be careful, some of us, we've gotten so busy we don't even 00:13:41.46\00:13:44.50 take time to pray. 00:13:44.50\00:13:47.23 Some people are so busy today that they pay people to pray 00:13:47.23\00:13:50.26 for them. 00:13:50.26\00:13:53.10 Dial-a-Prayer line, somebody's on the other end 00:13:53.10\00:13:56.00 getting paid to pray. 00:13:56.00\00:13:57.86 You've got intercessors who intercede for us when it ought 00:13:57.86\00:14:01.93 to be us, because you can't beat me praying for me. 00:14:01.93\00:14:07.13 Oh, you can't hear me today. 00:14:07.13\00:14:12.46 You can help me pray, but you can't beat me praying for me. 00:14:12.46\00:14:19.76 I have a vested interest in praying for me. 00:14:19.76\00:14:26.06 You know what? 00:14:26.06\00:14:26.76 I like me. 00:14:26.76\00:14:28.66 I know what's wrong with me. 00:14:28.66\00:14:30.90 I know what it's going to take to straighten me out. 00:14:30.90\00:14:33.66 I tell me some stuff about me that I'm not going to tell 00:14:33.66\00:14:36.93 you, so you can help me pray but you can't pray for me 00:14:36.93\00:14:42.46 because I've got some stuff that I've got to bring up to 00:14:42.46\00:14:46.20 the Almighty God that I just don't trust you enough to tell 00:14:46.20\00:14:55.46 you what you really need to say to God for me. 00:14:55.46\00:15:02.16 I don't trust you enough. 00:15:02.16\00:15:03.80 That's right. 00:15:03.80\00:15:05.56 I'll tell you a little some, some, some, but I don't trust 00:15:05.56\00:15:07.63 you enough. 00:15:07.63\00:15:08.73 Are you hearing what I'm saying to you, everybody? 00:15:08.73\00:15:11.50 When you (laughs), when you talk to God, you go in your 00:15:11.50\00:15:16.20 secret closet, because Jesus said in the companion text, 00:15:16.20\00:15:20.66 Matthew 6:6, but you, when you pray, enter into your closet 00:15:20.66\00:15:25.03 and when you shut the door, so when you go in your closet and 00:15:25.03\00:15:30.73 shut the door, pray to your Father who is in secret in the 00:15:30.73\00:15:32.33 problem, who sees you in secret, shall reward you 00:15:32.33\00:15:36.63 openly. 00:15:36.63\00:15:37.90 You see, when you go into your secret closet, you're able to 00:15:37.90\00:15:41.10 talk to God and God don't tell your business. 00:15:41.10\00:15:43.86 You're able to dump your cares on him, that inner place that 00:15:43.86\00:15:47.93 belongs to God that you don't let anything or 00:15:47.93\00:15:51.03 anyone in there. 00:15:51.03\00:15:51.93 Somebody can feel depression when it starts coming. 00:15:51.93\00:15:54.90 And when it starts coming, you ought to say, 00:15:54.90\00:15:57.16 no, no, no, no, no. 00:15:57.16\00:15:57.83 I don't play with that, because it fools around and 00:15:57.83\00:16:00.16 gets in this place, it will take me all the way down. 00:16:00.16\00:16:04.73 You got angry, but don't let anger get down in that inner 00:16:04.73\00:16:07.83 place in you, because you don't know what you might do 00:16:07.83\00:16:10.36 if anger got all the way down in your basement, if it got 00:16:10.36\00:16:14.16 down in your cellar, you might swing on a ceiling fan 00:16:14.16\00:16:17.53 and mess yourself up. 00:16:17.53\00:16:20.06 You don't know what it might do. 00:16:20.06\00:16:21.96 You can get angry a little bit, but let 00:16:21.96\00:16:23.90 me tell you this clearly. 00:16:23.90\00:16:24.60 Everybody listen to me clearly. 00:16:24.60\00:16:25.53 Don't you let anybody get on your nerves so bad that you 00:16:25.53\00:16:28.46 want to die. 00:16:28.46\00:16:32.10 Don't you let anybody get on your nerves so much 00:16:32.10\00:16:35.53 that it drives you crazy. 00:16:35.53\00:16:36.23 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 00:16:36.23\00:16:38.36 The devil is a liar. 00:16:38.36\00:16:41.30 You better tell somebody. 00:16:41.30\00:16:42.16 If you can make it without me, then I can make it without you. 00:16:42.16\00:16:45.66 You're not slitting your wrists, I'm not going to slit 00:16:45.66\00:16:48.20 my wrists either. 00:16:48.20\00:16:48.93 I can make it in the name (laughs) in the name 00:16:48.93\00:16:53.36 of Jesus. 00:16:53.36\00:16:54.16 I serve a risen savior. 00:16:54.16\00:16:55.90 He's in the world today, I know He is living. 00:16:55.90\00:16:59.33 I know He is living. 00:16:59.33\00:17:01.43 Whatever men may say, God sits high, but you better believe 00:17:01.43\00:17:05.00 God looks low. 00:17:05.00\00:17:05.90 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 00:17:05.90\00:17:07.80 So in Luke, Chapter 11, verse 1, the Bible says that Jesus 00:17:07.80\00:17:09.83 was praying in a certain place. 00:17:09.83\00:17:14.60 I like the way Luke says, certain place. 00:17:14.60\00:17:17.43 When he had finished praying, the disciples asked him, 00:17:17.43\00:17:19.96 "Lord, teach us to pray." The disciples had learned that 00:17:19.96\00:17:24.93 Jesus took prayer seriously. 00:17:24.93\00:17:26.53 They knew Jesus was sitting down in a certain place to 00:17:26.53\00:17:31.86 pray, that it was a special place and that no one should 00:17:31.86\00:17:33.80 interrupt the conversation between Jesus and his Father. 00:17:33.80\00:17:37.33 I don't understand this postmodern generation. 00:17:37.33\00:17:40.10 I grew up in a home, when we started praying in church, you 00:17:40.10\00:17:42.70 stopped walking. 00:17:42.70\00:17:45.33 I grew up in a home, when we stared praying, you stopped 00:17:45.33\00:17:47.70 talking. 00:17:47.70\00:17:48.43 I wish I had a witness in this place. 00:17:48.43\00:17:51.16 We all need a certain place. 00:17:51.16\00:17:56.93 A certain spot. 00:17:56.93\00:17:59.33 A secret closet with God. 00:17:59.33\00:18:01.90 Find a place to pray. 00:18:01.90\00:18:04.60 Now let me be clear. 00:18:04.60\00:18:06.00 It doesn't have to be an actual closet, but we have 00:18:06.00\00:18:08.20 some place where people will not disturb us, where we can 00:18:08.20\00:18:11.20 feel the presence of God and know that God is near. 00:18:11.20\00:18:16.83 The word of God says, be still and know that I am God. 00:18:16.83\00:18:21.66 We all need a burning bush in our lives where we're standing 00:18:21.66\00:18:26.36 on holy ground. 00:18:26.36\00:18:28.30 Now quickly, let me tell you why we need our place, a 00:18:28.30\00:18:31.10 certain place to pray. 00:18:31.10\00:18:32.16 Number one, a certain place. 00:18:32.16\00:18:33.80 We need a certain place, a place of sanctity. 00:18:33.80\00:18:36.80 Everybody say sanctity. 00:18:36.80\00:18:39.13 We're talking about an inner sanctuary, a place of 00:18:39.13\00:18:40.66 sanctity, specifically belongs to God, a place of purity and 00:18:40.66\00:18:43.06 consecration. 00:18:43.06\00:18:44.66 It's a place where you worship from. 00:18:44.66\00:18:48.93 And take my time. 00:18:48.93\00:18:50.43 A place where you worship from, this place of sanctity. 00:18:50.43\00:18:54.03 I mean, you come to church and you come and worship and we're 00:18:54.03\00:18:58.23 supposed to come to church and come to worship. 00:18:58.23\00:19:00.80 The Bible says in Hebrews 10:25, let us not forsake the 00:19:00.80\00:19:03.03 assembling of ourselves together. 00:19:03.03\00:19:06.00 But let me be clear with you all today. 00:19:06.00\00:19:08.10 Everyone watching on the broadcast, everyone who's in 00:19:08.10\00:19:10.36 this church right now, I don't have to come to church to 00:19:10.36\00:19:12.70 worship. 00:19:12.70\00:19:16.83 In fact, my best worship is before I even get to church. 00:19:16.83\00:19:25.23 Because see, some of you all are too quick in here. 00:19:25.23\00:19:27.26 You've got other stuff to do. 00:19:27.26\00:19:29.16 You want church to hurry up, get this over here, get that 00:19:29.16\00:19:31.30 over there. 00:19:31.30\00:19:32.93 But when I've got real issues, I have to lay in a state of 00:19:32.93\00:19:37.63 worship and sometimes when I'm driving down the road and I'm 00:19:37.63\00:19:42.70 not finished with my worship yet, sometimes when I've got 00:19:42.70\00:19:46.40 tears in the corners of my eyes, I'm not through yet and 00:19:46.40\00:19:49.90 sometimes I'll be in the shower and I'll be calling on 00:19:49.90\00:19:53.46 the name of the Lord and I'm still worshipping God because 00:19:53.46\00:19:58.20 I need God more today than I've ever needed him before in 00:19:58.20\00:20:02.60 my life. 00:20:02.60\00:20:03.20 Do I have a witness in this place? 00:20:03.20\00:20:04.86 Somebody knows what I'm talking about. 00:20:04.86\00:20:09.20 Sometimes you've got to call him on your job. 00:20:09.20\00:20:14.13 Your coworkers wonder where you're going. 00:20:14.13\00:20:16.43 You slip into a room by yourself. 00:20:16.43\00:20:18.76 You slip into an office, slip into a closet, maybe slip into 00:20:18.76\00:20:21.83 the bathroom, hey, and say, Lord, I'm going in this stall 00:20:21.83\00:20:25.63 because I need to make contact with you today. 00:20:25.63\00:20:28.63 Not tomorrow, not next week, but today. 00:20:28.63\00:20:31.80 I don't need drums, I don't need an organ, I don't need a 00:20:31.80\00:20:34.23 praise team, I don't need choirs, I don't need preaching 00:20:34.23\00:20:36.86 in order for me to worship God, I don't even have to 00:20:36.86\00:20:40.16 carry a tune, not in my certain place. 00:20:40.16\00:20:44.90 Not in my sanctuary, my inner sanctuary. 00:20:44.90\00:20:47.80 I don't need the latest gospel song. 00:20:47.80\00:20:50.03 You all don't know, I'm a song writer in and of myself. 00:20:50.03\00:20:53.36 I'll make up a song. 00:20:53.36\00:20:55.90 I'll be walking Berean making up songs. 00:20:55.90\00:20:58.96 You healed me before, you healed me again. 00:20:58.96\00:21:03.36 When I think about what you did for me way back then. 00:21:03.36\00:21:06.93 You all hear what I'm saying. 00:21:06.93\00:21:07.70 I'll even wrap it up, praise the Lord. 00:21:07.70\00:21:12.83 For goodness sake, we're all going to take a Bible break. 00:21:12.83\00:21:15.70 You all hear what I'm saying. 00:21:15.70\00:21:16.30 I'll whoop it up because when I think of the goodness of 00:21:16.30\00:21:20.96 Jesus and all he's done for me, because there's this certain 00:21:20.96\00:21:32.43 place. 00:21:32.43\00:21:33.86 You have this place of sanctity. 00:21:33.86\00:21:36.83 You don't let your weakness get in the way of your 00:21:36.83\00:21:39.60 sanctity. 00:21:39.60\00:21:41.53 You don't let carnality get in the way of your sanctity. 00:21:41.53\00:21:45.46 You don't let addictions or habits or drugs get in the way 00:21:45.46\00:21:48.93 of your spot. 00:21:48.93\00:21:49.70 Devil, yes, I've got issues. 00:21:49.70\00:21:53.33 But the issues don't have me. 00:21:53.33\00:21:54.23 I'm not going to let that thing get inside of me, 00:21:54.23\00:21:59.30 because this place, this temple belongs to God. 00:21:59.30\00:22:03.23 It is a place of sanctity, a place of holiness where you go 00:22:03.23\00:22:07.36 to God alone and you don't mind being alone with God. 00:22:07.36\00:22:11.96 I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the 00:22:11.96\00:22:15.96 roses because sometimes you don't want everybody else 00:22:15.96\00:22:19.63 around you because it's you and God at your place. 00:22:19.63\00:22:26.53 Maybe you're in your back yard walking around and you're 00:22:26.53\00:22:30.53 walking around in circles, the neighbor's looking at you like 00:22:30.53\00:22:33.50 you've lost your mind. 00:22:33.50\00:22:35.13 If they saw you they would think you were crazy because 00:22:35.13\00:22:37.20 they can't see anybody in the back yard but you. 00:22:37.20\00:22:40.43 But you're in the back yard, releasing all of your cares, 00:22:40.43\00:22:45.50 all of your burdens, all of your issues for that specific 00:22:45.50\00:22:48.96 time, specific situation, that specific place, because it's 00:22:48.96\00:22:53.20 your place, your place with God. 00:22:53.20\00:22:56.06 I'll be honest. 00:22:56.06\00:22:56.60 I don't see much of that today. 00:22:56.60\00:22:58.83 I see a lot of people come to church trying to benefit from 00:22:58.83\00:23:01.63 people who have a place. 00:23:01.63\00:23:03.60 They go to church to hear somebody preach who's been 00:23:03.60\00:23:09.73 with Jesus. 00:23:09.73\00:23:11.10 They go to hear somebody else sing who's been with Jesus. 00:23:11.10\00:23:13.60 But it used to be that you'd been with Jesus for yourself 00:23:13.60\00:23:17.80 and if nobody sang, If nobody preaches, you could 00:23:17.80\00:23:22.86 still get blessed because they enter into his gates with 00:23:22.86\00:23:27.26 thanksgiving, you came into his court with praise, you 00:23:27.26\00:23:31.06 were thankful unto him and you blessed his name. 00:23:31.06\00:23:35.60 I'm going to be real with you all. 00:23:35.60\00:23:38.23 I praise God for the large fellowship and the growing 00:23:38.23\00:23:39.96 fellowship we have, but let me be honest, I don't have to 00:23:39.96\00:23:42.53 have anybody in here to have church. 00:23:42.53\00:23:48.40 Not one of you. 00:23:48.40\00:23:48.96 Everyone can leave. 00:23:48.96\00:23:49.93 Me and the Lord. 00:23:49.93\00:23:50.96 I can get happy all by myself. 00:23:50.96\00:23:51.80 Jump up and down. 00:23:51.80\00:23:55.60 Don't have to worry about you all being critical. 00:23:55.60\00:23:57.20 I can dance on God's pulpit. 00:23:57.20\00:23:59.60 I can start crying, start shouting, start saying Amen, 00:23:59.60\00:24:02.10 start clapping my hands, start singing, start praising, all 00:24:02.10\00:24:05.00 by myself. 00:24:05.00\00:24:07.93 You walk in church going, what's wrong with Pastor Byrd? 00:24:07.93\00:24:10.20 Oh, he's just praising God. 00:24:10.20\00:24:12.43 In an insane world you need a place, inner place, a 00:24:12.43\00:24:17.66 sanctity. 00:24:17.66\00:24:19.43 It can't be bought. 00:24:19.43\00:24:20.93 And praise and worship and this place of sanctity is not 00:24:20.93\00:24:25.06 for sale. 00:24:25.06\00:24:27.26 A place that has nothing to do with money. 00:24:27.26\00:24:29.13 It's exclusively God's and you must learn to protect that 00:24:29.13\00:24:31.93 place. 00:24:31.93\00:24:34.03 You don't let anybody sweet talk you into that spot, 00:24:34.03\00:24:36.76 because, guess what, they're going to leave you, they're 00:24:36.76\00:24:39.76 going to disappoint you, but Jesus said, I will never leave 00:24:39.76\00:24:42.10 nor forsake you. 00:24:42.10\00:24:44.23 I know you don't think somebody, they're going to 00:24:44.23\00:24:46.26 leave you, but keep on living. 00:24:46.26\00:24:48.26 You'll find out, they will leave. 00:24:48.26\00:24:50.80 Johnny will leave. 00:24:50.80\00:24:51.90 Mary will leave. 00:24:51.90\00:24:53.73 You have to have a place of sanctity. 00:24:53.73\00:24:55.80 Say sanctity, everybody. 00:24:55.80\00:24:57.43 You don't let anybody or anything in that spot. 00:24:57.43\00:24:59.70 No bills, no worries, no stress, no mess, no kids, no 00:24:59.70\00:25:03.00 job, nothing. 00:25:03.00\00:25:04.00 That is God's place. 00:25:04.00\00:25:06.26 Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, 00:25:06.26\00:25:14.53 tried and true, with thanksgiving. 00:25:14.53\00:25:21.36 I'll be a living sanctuary, Lord, just for you. 00:25:21.36\00:25:29.26 Number two, you need a place of sacrifice. 00:25:29.26\00:25:36.16 Everybody say sacrifice. 00:25:36.16\00:25:37.56 Now, I know it's not popular to talk about sacrifice 00:25:37.56\00:25:38.90 anymore. 00:25:38.90\00:25:39.56 It's more popular to talk about success. 00:25:39.56\00:25:41.23 Nobody wants to talk about sacrifice but you can't have 00:25:41.23\00:25:44.36 success without sacrifice. 00:25:44.36\00:25:45.46 Preach it, Pastor Byrd, I'm doing the best I can. 00:25:45.46\00:25:48.90 That's what's wrong with people today. 00:25:48.90\00:25:51.30 Do you understand? 00:25:51.30\00:25:52.10 Ms. Palmer, Mr. Womack, they didn't get where they 00:25:52.10\00:25:55.73 are just by success, there was some sacrifice. 00:25:55.73\00:25:59.06 That's what's wrong with people today, they want 00:25:59.06\00:26:00.93 success without sacrifice. 00:26:00.93\00:26:03.46 They want to hobo in on what somebody else has got. 00:26:03.46\00:26:06.56 Their name is Jimmy and they want you to gimme. 00:26:06.56\00:26:08.50 I wish I had a witness in this place. 00:26:08.50\00:26:10.63 But it doesn't work that way. 00:26:10.63\00:26:14.36 You've got to have some sacrifice along 00:26:14.36\00:26:18.90 with your success. 00:26:18.90\00:26:20.63 You have to give up something. 00:26:20.63\00:26:23.20 You can't snatch what God has for you while you're sitting 00:26:23.20\00:26:27.36 there holding on to what you did for yourself. 00:26:27.36\00:26:31.00 You've got to let go a few things so you can lay hold 00:26:31.00\00:26:33.66 on some more things. 00:26:33.66\00:26:35.16 If there's anything in your life that you're holding 00:26:35.16\00:26:37.96 onto that's greater than God, you've got to get rid of it. 00:26:37.96\00:26:39.13 PB: Be sure to join us again next week as we continue to 00:26:39.13\00:26:42.50 explore God's word. 00:26:42.50\00:26:45.50 Remember, God has a word just for you from the holy Bible. 00:26:45.50\00:26:50.96 Also, I'd like to invite you to become a partner of the 00:26:50.96\00:26:54.40 Breath of Life ministry. 00:26:54.40\00:26:55.80 If you would like to join us as we seek to share the gospel 00:26:55.80\00:26:58.96 of Jesus Christ with others, feel free to give us a call at 00:26:58.96\00:27:02.26 877-BOL-OFFER. 00:27:02.26\00:27:15.86 Or feel free to write us at the address shown on your 00:27:15.86\00:27:19.40 screen. 00:27:19.40\00:27:20.80 Finally, you can reach us by logging on to our web site at 00:27:20.80\00:27:23.86 www.breathoflife.tv. 00:27:23.86\00:27:33.43 Thank you for tuning in, thank you for joining us and may God 00:27:33.43\00:27:36.00 continue to bless you. 00:27:36.00\00:27:38.93 >: Two thousand years ago Jesus did something 00:27:38.93\00:27:42.73 especially for you. 00:27:42.73\00:27:45.06 He died on the cross of Calvary. 00:27:45.06\00:27:46.63 That day you were on His mind. 00:27:46.63\00:27:48.46 Our offer this week is Max Lucado's, "He Did 00:27:48.46\00:27:51.13 This Just for You." 00:27:51.13\00:27:52.86 The toll free number is 877-BOL-OFFER. 00:27:52.86\00:27:55.80 That's 877-265-6333. 00:27:55.80\00:27:59.60 Or you may write to Breath of Life, Box 340, Newbury Park, 00:27:59.60\00:28:03.33 CA 91319. 00:28:03.33\00:28:06.66 Remember to include your gift of $5 or more. 00:28:06.66\00:28:09.30 ...Because this place, this temple belongs to God. 00:28:12.06\00:28:15.76 It is a place of sanctity, a place of holiness 00:28:15.76\00:28:20.23 where you go to God alone... 00:28:20.23\00:28:24.26 ...Find a place to pray. 00:28:24.26\00:28:28.66