BREATH OF LIFE MINISTRIES
PRESENTS: B515 I Dare You to Ask
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PB: Matthew 7:7-8. The Word
of God says to us today, “Ask,
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and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock,
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and it shall be opened unto
you: For every one that asketh
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receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened.”
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“Ask, and it shall be given
you; seek, and ye shall find;
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knock, and it shall be opened
unto you: For every one that
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asketh receiveth; and he
that seeketh findeth; and to him
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that knocketh it
shall be opened.”
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Dare, I dare you to
ask.  Father in Heaven, Lord,
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bless us now, as we open
your Word and we expound on it,
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we pray that your Spirit
would speak to our hearts today.
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Forgive us for our sins
and, Lord, do what you do at the
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appeal time we pray. 
It's in Jesus' name I pray and
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ask these things.  And
everyone say Amen.  And Amen.
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I dare yo to ask.  The intent
of prayer is not to inform
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God of something.  Because
if the intent of prayer were to
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inform God of something, it
would suggest that God isn't
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all-knowing.  But God, the
Bible says, knows what you need
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before you even ask.  So if
God knows, then, what I need
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before I ask, why do I pray
in the first place?  I love this
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text, but this text poses a
dilemma. It poses somewhat of a
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dilemma because God knows what
we need before we ask, but yet
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God still tells us to ask for
whatever we want in prayer, and
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that he will give us whatever we
ask.  But don't misinterpret the
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text. God doesn't give us
what we want when we ask, but
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somebody knows God gives us
what we need when we ask.  I'm
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learning that every prayer is
heard and answered by God.  But
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if the request is wrong, God
says no. If the timing is wrong,
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God says slow.  If you
are wrong, God says, grow.
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But if the request is
right, the timing is right and
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you are right, God says, go.
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Jesus said, “Ask, and
it shall be given; seek,
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and ye shall find; knock, and
it shall be opened unto you.”
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Now, notice quickly that in
the text, these three verbs,
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all three verbs--ask, seek,
and knock--are what we call
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imperative commands. 
Everybody say imperative.   Aud:
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Imperative. PB:  Commands. 
Which means they are the
necessary directives.
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Which means Jesus wouldn't have
said it if he didn't mean it.
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The Lord expects all of us,
every believer, to be active in
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prayer. Prayer is not an option.
 He knows what we need, but we
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have to ask. But in deeper study
of this, not only that, when you
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study the Greek in the New
Testament, there are two basic
kinds of imperatives.
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The first imperative is the
aoris imperative.  Everybody say
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aoris. Aud:  aoris.    PB:  The
second imperative is the passive
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imperative. Everybody
say passive.  Aud: Passive.
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PB:  Or I should say present
tense.  Present imperative.
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Say present imperative. 
 Aud: Present imperative.
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PB:  All right, so we
have aoris and we have present.
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All right.  The aoris is a
command, the aoris imperative,
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to do a particular
thing at one specific time.
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But the present imperative
is a command not only to
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do something, but to keep
on doing it.  Present tense
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implies continuous,
persistent action.  Aoris tense
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implies one time at a
specific time.  Somebody's going
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to get this in a minute. 
The verbs ask, seek and knock
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in the text, these verbs are
in the present imperative tense.
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So then what Jesus is saying
is not only that we must ask,
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but He says we gotta
ask and keep on asking.
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He says we've got to
seek and keep on seeking.
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We must knock and
keep on knocking.  Which is
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why we associate with
the acronym prayer PUSH,
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because we've got to
pray until something happens.
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But then there's more.  The
present tense imperative verbs
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ask, seek and knock have a
natural progression from action
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from the least aggressive to
the most aggressive.  In other
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words, there's a reason Jesus
put these words in the order
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that they're in. Jesus is not
only saying we must engage in
persistent, continuous
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action, but Jesus is also saying
that the words ask, seek and
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knock suggest an ever-increasing
intensity in your prayer.  Step
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one is asking. When you ask
somebody to do something, you're
making a request of them.
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Asking in prayer, then, is to
make a request of God.  We ask
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something of God when we have
a need.  We ask something of God
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because God can provide for
all of our needs.  If we want to
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receive, we must ask.  But step
two is seeking. Seeking, then,
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is action, asking plus
action. We seek when we need
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something of value to us.
There are times that we have to
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take an active role in our
prayer process.  If we must
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find, we must seek.  Somebody
said we ask and seek when we
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pray as if everything depended
on God and work as if everything
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depended on us. You gotta ask
but you also have to act.  But
then step three is knocking.
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Knocking is asking, plus action,
plus attitude.  This implies our
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petition in asking, our purpose
in seeking, and our persistence
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in knocking. When we knock, we
shut out from what we need and
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desire interest. When we're
trying to get in a door, we
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knock on that door until we gain
entrance.  If we want entrance
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in the door, we must knock.
 “Ask, and it shall be given;
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seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened.”
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It's continuous action,
it's intensify a present action
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until we get what we need. 
So Paul said, “Let us not be
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weary in well-doing.”  If
we feign not, we're going to
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receive our just reward. 
Which means we've got to ask and
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keep on asking.  Seek,
and keep on seeking.  Knock,
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and keep on knocking.  But
again, don't misinterpret the
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text. Don't make these verses,
Matthew 7:7-8, the bread and
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butter of the health, wealth and
prosperity movement.  The name
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it and claim it. The blab it and
grab it theology.  Because too
many people use this
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text and see God as some
celestial slot machine, where if
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you pull the handle long enough
 you all don't know anything
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about slot machines  you'll get
what you want.  But God is not a
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slot machine. Don't approach
prayer like you do a vending
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machine. What do you do when
you go up to a vending machine?
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You put in your money,
you make your selection,
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you punch the button, and
you wait for the soft drink
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or the chips or the snacks
to drop out of the machine.
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The whole
transaction takes a few seconds.
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If your item doesn't
drop out of the machine,
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however, you get mad.
 You push the machine.
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You hit the machine.
 You kick the machine.
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And if that doesn't work,
you write a note to the manager
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of where the machine is, saying,
“That machine took my money.”
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Some people approach prayer
like that.  Some people think
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that God is always going to
answer their prayers the way
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they want them answered,
and at the time they want them
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answered. And when God doesn't
perform in the way they think
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God ought to perform, they feel
cheated. But I heard somebody
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say, it may not come when you
want it.  But it's always right
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on time. But too many people
think that God is not a good
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God, that God is not a loving
God, that God is not a
prayer-answering God,
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that God is not a
burden-answering and
burden-bearing God.
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I've had people tell me that
they no longer believe in God
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because their prayers weren't
answered. It's like they were
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saying, God, if you don't
do what I want, then I won't
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believe in you. But prayer's not
given to us as a way to present
our demands to God.
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Prayer is not like presenting
our Christmas wish list to Santa
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Claus. Prayer is more than
asking God to run errands for
us.  God is the Creator.
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We are the creation.  Prayer
is the prelude to peace, the
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prologue to power, the preface
to purpose, and the pathway to
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perfection. [Aud. reaction]  
Prayer is not about getting what
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we want. Prayer is about getting
what we need.  The story is told
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of a woman who was at this slot
machine, vending machine
understanding of prayer.
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She wanted a swimming pool
in her backyard.  Her husband,
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however, didn't want a swimming
pool.  He said, we can't afford
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a swimming pool and we don't
need a swimming pool.  So no
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way, no how, were they going
to have a swimming pool in their
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backyard. But this woman,
his wife, believed that if she
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prayed for a swimming pool
that God would make it happen.
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So she prayed for a
swimming pool in her backyard.
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Then she helped her
prayer  you know how some of us
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help our prayers  she
helped her prayer by calling
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the swimming pool
company and ordering a pool.
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And when the pool was
delivered to their home,
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she charged the swimming pool
to her husband's credit card.
00:11:17.14\00:11:21.44
All the while she was
proclaiming and testifying that
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God gave her the
swimming pool. The woman said,
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look at God, won't He
do it? [Aud: laughter]
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But prayer is not about
swimming pools, new cars,
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houses or clothes.  Prayer
is all about our relationship
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with our God.  Ellen White
says prayer is the opening of
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the heart to God as a
friend. Ellen White goes on,
00:11:46.97\00:11:49.90
I love this ___ from the
Mount of Blessings, she says,
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“Whatever spiritual blessing
we need, it is our privilege
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to claim through Jesus.” 
She said, it's through the name
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of Jesus that every favor
is received.  That's why we
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pray in the name of Jesus.  She
says God will honor that name,
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and will supply your necessities
from the riches of His
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liberality. All we have to do is
ask.    But God isn't going to
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give us what we necessarily
want, but He's going to give us
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what we need. And what we
need may not be what we want.
00:12:18.83\00:12:21.77
[Aud. reaction]   Next point.
When you pray, when you ask
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because we ___ ask today, I've
learned that you've got to ask
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in the spirit of sacrifice.  You
must learn to say, not my will,
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but Thy will be done.  Now
let me just pause right now.
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Yes, we have to ask, and
ask, and ask continually.
00:12:40.89\00:12:46.23
But asking in prayer
is also about sacrifice.
00:12:46.26\00:12:50.30
Asking isn't about being
selfish.  Asking isn't about
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being arrogant. Asking is about
sacrifice. That's why when we
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talk about fasting and prayer,
when we fast we're sacrificing
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something physically so
that we might gain something
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spiritually; I wish I had a
witness in this place. But I'm
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learning in 2016, it's not
popular to talk about sacrifice
00:13:10.79\00:13:14.89
anymore. It's more
popular to talk about success.
00:13:14.92\00:13:18.36
Nobody wants to
talk about sacrifice,
00:13:18.39\00:13:21.03
but you can't have
success without sacrifice.
00:13:21.06\00:13:24.47
But people don't
want to sacrifice today.
00:13:24.50\00:13:27.07
They want to hobo
in on what you've got.
00:13:27.10\00:13:30.67
They want to hobo
in on your anointing.
00:13:30.71\00:13:33.78
They want to hobo in
on what somebody else has.
00:13:33.81\00:13:36.88
Their name is Jimmy,
and they want you to gimme,
00:13:36.91\00:13:39.61
but it doesn't work
that way. You've got to have
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some sacrifice.  You've
got to give up something.
00:13:42.55\00:13:45.69
You can't snatch what
God has for you while you're
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still holding on
what you did for yourself.
00:13:48.96\00:13:51.36
You gotta let go of some
things so you can lay hold
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on some things.  If there's
anything in your life that
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you're holding onto
that's greater than God, baby,
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you gotta get rid of
it.   [Aud. reaction]
00:13:59.17\00:14:01.87
Let me bowl down this
alley a little longer.
00:14:01.90\00:14:04.81
We're raising a
generation of kids, of young
00:14:04.84\00:14:07.01
people who know
nothing about sacrifice.
00:14:07.04\00:14:10.61
And that's why we're
failing, because no sacrifice
00:14:10.65\00:14:14.15
means no success.  Pastor Byrd,
I need help with my tuition.
00:14:14.18\00:14:18.25
Do you have a job?  Are
you hearing what I'm saying?
00:14:18.29\00:14:21.46
Sometimes little
Johnny needs to go to school:
00:14:21.49\00:14:25.39
But I stubbed my toe. 
Get a Band-Aid.  Put it on,
00:14:25.43\00:14:32.03
go to school.  See
you at three o'clock.
00:14:32.07\00:14:36.20
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:14:36.24\00:14:38.11
[Aud. reaction]   Back in
the day, they raised you to be
00:14:38.14\00:14:42.41
tough. My daddy said sick, as
long as you don't give anything
00:14:42.44\00:14:45.45
to anybody, you're going to
school. You didn't wimp out on
00:14:45.48\00:14:49.52
everything. But now we're
raising young people to fail.  I
00:14:49.55\00:14:54.86
don't feel good. Something
is just on my mind, I don't feel
00:14:54.89\00:14:58.43
good. Well, just stay
home ‘til you get over it.  No!
00:14:58.46\00:15:01.96
Get up, get dressed. 
You're going to school today.
00:15:02.00\00:15:08.74
Here's some fruit,
here's some toast, and there's a
00:15:08.77\00:15:11.77
water fountain at the school.
 I wish I had a witness in this
00:15:11.81\00:15:15.24
place. [Aud. reaction]  
Sometimes you gotta sacrifice.
00:15:15.28\00:15:19.65
In life there are good days.
 In life there are bad days.
00:15:19.68\00:15:25.02
And sometimes you have to endure
some things and sacrifice.
00:15:25.05\00:15:28.62
You give up something to get
something.  You fast and pray.
00:15:28.66\00:15:32.43
But some folk don't
want to make sacrifices.
00:15:32.46\00:15:35.33
Can't compromise anything
today. I left her because
00:15:35.36\00:15:37.77
she can't cook.  Well,
go get some microwave meals.
00:15:37.80\00:15:42.37
[Aud. reaction]   I left her
because her hair is coming out.
00:15:42.40\00:15:45.67
Go get her some wigs and keep
it going.  Come on, say Amen.
00:15:45.71\00:15:49.28
I left him because his
hair is coming out.  Go buy some
00:15:49.31\00:15:54.38
Rogaine and keep it
moving! [Aud. reaction]
00:15:54.42\00:15:58.69
I believe in it. 
He's lost his job.  Well,
00:15:58.72\00:16:02.96
take him on a job
search.  Learn how to say,
00:16:02.99\00:16:05.69
come on, baby, I know
you've been knocked down,
00:16:05.73\00:16:08.33
but you're going to get
up again.  I got your back.
00:16:08.36\00:16:11.97
I believe in God for you.
 “The Earth is the Lord's,
00:16:12.00\00:16:15.87
and the fullness
thereof.”  I pressed your shirt,
00:16:15.90\00:16:19.44
here's your tie, let's
get outta here, we're gonna
00:16:19.47\00:16:22.68
get this job in the
name of Jesus!  Sacrifice!
00:16:22.71\00:16:27.68
[Aud. reaction]  
You've got to learn how to be
00:16:27.72\00:16:29.95
with somebody who's
going to be with you through
00:16:29.98\00:16:31.75
the good and the bad.
 The ups and the downs.
00:16:31.79\00:16:34.26
Rights and your
wrongs. Sacrifice.  You've got
00:16:34.29\00:16:38.13
to give up something to get
something.  Through the ___.
00:16:38.16\00:16:41.33
Through the rain. 
Through sickness.  Through pain.
00:16:41.36\00:16:47.07
Somebody knows you gotta
push, you gotta pray until
00:16:47.10\00:16:51.84
something happens.  I dare you
to pray until something happens.
00:16:51.87\00:16:56.78
Pray your children off those
drugs.  Pray those children
00:16:56.81\00:16:59.18
out of the street.  Pray
them out, don't fuss them out,
00:16:59.21\00:17:03.92
don't cuss them out. 
Pray them out! [Aud. reaction]
00:17:03.95\00:17:08.02
I dare you.  I dare you to
ask God for your children back.
00:17:08.06\00:17:14.00
I dare you to ask God
for your marriage back.
00:17:14.03\00:17:17.43
I tell you to ask
God for your health back,
00:17:17.47\00:17:20.50
your job back, your
finances back.  You better
00:17:20.54\00:17:23.91
get back what
the devil has stolen.
00:17:23.94\00:17:26.44
“Ask, and it shall be
given; seek, and ye shall find;
00:17:26.47\00:17:29.98
knock, and the door
shall be opened.”  You gotta
00:17:30.01\00:17:35.65
learn how to pray. 
I'm talking about pray.
00:17:35.68\00:17:38.69
I'm so glad Momma prayed
for me. I'm so glad Grandmomma
00:17:38.72\00:17:42.92
prayed for me.  I don't
know what you're going through,
00:17:42.96\00:17:45.59
but some things come
by prayer and fasting.
00:17:45.63\00:17:47.96
You've got to sacrifice
and pray.  People don't
00:17:47.96\00:17:50.80
want to sacrifice,
running up to me, talking about,
00:17:50.83\00:17:52.93
I want your anointing,
Pastor. Lay your hands on me.
00:17:52.97\00:17:57.04
Let me tell you something:
I can lay my hands on you
00:17:57.07\00:17:59.57
until my handprint is
fully in your forehead.
00:17:59.61\00:18:02.61
[Aud. reaction]   And
you still wouldn't get any
00:18:02.64\00:18:04.98
anointing until
you're willing to sacrifice,
00:18:05.01\00:18:07.58
until you learn to go
through what I've gone through.
00:18:07.62\00:18:10.09
Suffer like I've
suffered.  Cry like I've cried.
00:18:10.12\00:18:14.36
Endure what I endure. 
The Bible says after you've
00:18:14.39\00:18:17.99
suffered a while, then God
says, “I will establish you,
00:18:18.03\00:18:21.90
I will ___ you, I
will make you perfect.”
00:18:21.93\00:18:24.73
I can't give you what
it's taken me 44 years to get,
00:18:24.77\00:18:27.70
and you give me 44
minutes. [Aud. reaction]
00:18:27.74\00:18:30.34
The devil is a lie.  You've
got to learn how to sacrifice.
00:18:30.37\00:18:34.48
I've learned, coming up on
20 years now, I've learned,
00:18:34.51\00:18:40.08
more than 20 years, 22
years, Lord have mercy.
00:18:40.12\00:18:44.39
I've learned you've got to
preach with your feelings hurt,
00:18:44.42\00:18:47.99
you've gotta preach sometimes
with your heart broken,
00:18:48.02\00:18:50.99
you've gotta preach sometimes
when you're being talked about,
00:18:51.03\00:18:54.03
you've gotta preach
when you've lost a loved one.
00:18:54.10\00:18:56.90
And after you've proven
yourself to be faithful,
00:18:56.93\00:19:00.20
God will allow his
anointing ____ on you.
00:19:00.24\00:19:03.37
Do I have a
witness in this place?
00:19:03.41\00:19:06.34
[Aud. reaction]   Somebody
knows what I'm talking about.
00:19:06.37\00:19:08.94
Somebody had to go through
something to get where they are
00:19:08.98\00:19:11.85
right now. That's how you
got the house: you sacrificed.
00:19:11.88\00:19:14.15
That's how you got
the car: you sacrificed.
00:19:14.18\00:19:16.92
That's how you got the
degree: you sacrificed.
00:19:16.95\00:19:19.55
That's how we got
this church: we sacrificed.
00:19:19.59\00:19:23.29
We need to fight back
and take a lickin' and
00:19:23.32\00:19:26.66
keep on tickin'.  Am I
preaching to anybody up
00:19:26.70\00:19:28.36
in this place
today? [Aud. reaction]
00:19:28.40\00:19:30.23
Let me tell you
something.  I'm learning.
00:19:30.27\00:19:32.07
Quit your pity party. 
You don't get to be happy
00:19:32.10\00:19:34.17
every day.  There are
some things you learn by being
00:19:34.20\00:19:39.54
miserable. You can't learn it
being happy. You've got to learn
00:19:39.57\00:19:42.84
it while somebody's lying
on you, while you're being
00:19:42.88\00:19:45.41
talked about, while somebody's
stabbing you in the back.
00:19:45.45\00:19:48.98
That's how you know, if God be
for you, who can be against you?
00:19:49.02\00:19:53.62
Sacrifice.  Is there anybody who
knows anything about sacrifice?
00:19:53.66\00:19:58.56
You prayed and you cried.  You
did without.  And God blessed
00:19:58.59\00:20:02.93
you. That's why you can't worry
about your haters.  They're your
00:20:02.96\00:20:06.40
elevators. [Aud. reaction]  
I tell folk, you don't know what
00:20:06.43\00:20:11.34
I've been through. You don't
know my story.  You don't know
the things I've been through.
00:20:11.37\00:20:15.48
I've been through too much not
to worship Him.  Work 14-hour
00:20:15.51\00:20:20.82
days. No vacation.  Preach for
years with two suits, a black
one and a blue one.
00:20:20.85\00:20:26.45
All I did was change
shirts and ties.  Hallelujah.
00:20:26.49\00:20:28.82
Prejudice against because
I was a preacher's child.
00:20:28.86\00:20:32.76
Talked about because I
had good morals and ethics.
00:20:32.79\00:20:35.40
Criticized because I had
vision and was passionate
00:20:35.43\00:20:38.00
about that vision.  Lost a
daughter in a car accident.
00:20:38.03\00:20:41.67
You don't know me. 
You better ask somebody.
00:20:41.70\00:20:45.87
Anybody been through some
sacrifice up in this place?
00:20:45.91\00:20:49.34
[Aud. reaction]   If you
sacrifice, you suffer with Him,
00:20:49.38\00:20:52.41
God will open up the
windows of Heaven, pour you out
00:20:52.45\00:20:55.75
a blessing that there shall
not be room enough to receive
00:20:55.78\00:20:58.52
hey, hey, hey, I
feel like preaching today
00:20:58.55\00:21:01.19
you'll never [organ music]
have success without sacrifice.
00:21:01.22\00:21:07.86
[Aud. reaction]  So when
you pray, you've got to come
00:21:07.93\00:21:11.67
in a spirit of sacrifice. 
Not a spirit of selfishness.
00:21:11.70\00:21:15.37
You've got to ask
and keep on asking.
00:21:15.40\00:21:18.77
Seek, and keep on seeking.
Knock, and keep on knocking.
00:21:18.81\00:21:25.38
And then ask, seek and
knock in a spirit of sacrifice.
00:21:25.41\00:21:32.09
But there's one more
thing before I catch my flight.
00:21:32.12\00:21:34.52
When you finish asking,
don't forget to say thank you.
00:21:34.56\00:21:40.40
[Aud. reaction]    Because
the only prayer you'll ever  oh,
00:21:40.43\00:21:44.80
I feel like preachin' in this
place [organ]  the only prayer
00:21:44.83\00:21:48.20
that you'll pray in your life
is thank you.  And that'll be
00:21:48.24\00:21:55.38
enough. The story is told of
a woman who showed up at church.
00:21:55.41\00:21:58.55
She prayed the same simple
prayer every week at church.
00:21:58.58\00:22:02.72
Oh Lord, thank you, Jesus.
 Oh Lord, thank you, Jesus.
00:22:02.75\00:22:08.92
Week after week she prayed that
same prayer.  Oh Lord, thank
00:22:08.96\00:22:15.13
you, Jesus. The children
at church started mocking her.
00:22:15.16\00:22:17.50
They started laughing,
[mocking] Oh Lord, thank you,
00:22:17.53\00:22:19.33
Jesus, Oh Lord, thank you,
Jesus, every time she opened her
00:22:19.37\00:22:22.04
mouth, because they knew it'd
be the same prayer.  Oh Lord,
00:22:22.07\00:22:25.31
thank you, Jesus. Somebody
finally had the nerve to ask
00:22:25.34\00:22:29.54
her, why do you keep praying
the same old prayer?  She said,
00:22:29.58\00:22:35.58
well, I'm just combining the two
prayers that I know.  You see,
00:22:35.62\00:22:40.42
I live, she said, in a bad
neighborhood, and some nights
00:22:40.46\00:22:44.39
there are bullets flying,
and I have to grab my daughter
00:22:44.43\00:22:49.86
and hide her on the floor. 
And in that desperate state,
00:22:49.90\00:22:53.90
all I know how to do is
cry out, Oh Lord!  But when I
00:22:53.94\00:22:58.37
wake up in the morning
and see that we're okay,
00:22:58.41\00:23:02.71
all I know how to do is say,
Thank you, Jesus! [organ music]
00:23:02.74\00:23:08.78
[Aud. reaction]   She said,
those are the only two prayers I
00:23:08.82\00:23:12.62
know. She said, when I go to
take my baby to the bus stop and
00:23:12.65\00:23:15.59
she gets on that bus, I don't
know what's going to happen
00:23:15.62\00:23:18.73
to her while she's
away, so I cry, Oh Lord!
00:23:18.76\00:23:22.16
[organ]  But she said,
at 3 p.m. [Aud. reaction]
00:23:22.20\00:23:25.33
At 3 p.m., when the bus
arrives at the bus stop in
00:23:25.37\00:23:30.97
front of my house and my baby is
safe, all I know how to say is,
00:23:31.01\00:23:37.08
Thank you, Jesus!  She said,
those are the only two prayers I
00:23:37.11\00:23:43.99
know. And when I get to church,
because God has been so good,
00:23:44.02\00:23:49.62
and when I think of the
goodness of Jesus and of all
00:23:49.66\00:23:53.63
He's done for me, I just
put my two prayers together
00:23:53.66\00:23:57.73
[organ music], Oh Lord,
thank you, Jesus!  Oh Lord,
00:23:57.77\00:24:04.17
thank you, Jesus!  Oh Lord,
thank you, Jesus!  [organ music]
00:24:04.21\00:24:10.78
So when you finish asking,
don't forget to say thank you.
00:24:10.81\00:24:22.26
Thank you for keeping me. 
Thank you for protecting me,
00:24:22.29\00:24:27.13
thank you for saving me,
thank you for delivering me,
00:24:27.13\00:24:31.10
thank you for waking me,
thank you for feeding me,
00:24:31.13\00:24:35.17
thank you for providing for me.
Can anybody just say, thank you!
00:24:35.20\00:24:41.41
[organ music]  Paul said the
promises of God are a yes and
00:24:41.44\00:24:47.28
Amen. That's why when
you get through prayer,
00:24:47.32\00:24:50.05
it's impossible to say
Amen without thanking Him.
00:24:50.09\00:24:54.72
Because when you say Amen,
you're saying it's finished.
00:24:54.76\00:24:59.89
It's done.  And that's
what prayer is.  When you get
00:24:59.93\00:25:07.27
through praying, just go
on and start saying, Lord, I'm
00:25:07.30\00:25:12.27
expecting it. [Aud. reaction] 
  Lord, I'm believing it.  Lord,
00:25:12.31\00:25:15.61
I'm thanking you for it.
Let them call me crazy all they
00:25:15.64\00:25:21.08
want, but I know help is on the
way. Amen.  It's done.  Amen.
00:25:21.12\00:25:28.39
It's finished. 
Amen.  It's sealed.
00:25:28.42\00:25:33.66
Let me close.  As a rain drought
continued for what seemed
00:25:33.70\00:25:40.80
an eternity, a small community
of farmers was in a quandary
00:25:40.84\00:25:48.51
as to what to do.  Rain was
important to keep their crops
00:25:48.54\00:25:52.85
healthy and sustain the
town people's way of life.
00:25:52.88\00:25:56.75
As the problem of a rain
drought became more pronounced,
00:25:56.79\00:26:01.56
a local pastor called a
prayer meeting of all the people
00:26:01.59\00:26:06.46
in the town to come to
prayer meeting to ask for rain.
00:26:06.49\00:26:11.83
Some things only come by
prayer and fasting; I wish I
00:26:11.87\00:26:13.94
had a witness in this place.
 So at this prayer meeting
00:26:13.97\00:26:16.71
many people in the little
town came.  The pastor greeted
00:26:16.74\00:26:20.41
them as they filed in, and
as they walked to the front of
00:26:20.44\00:26:24.51
the church to officially
begin the prayer meeting,
00:26:24.55\00:26:26.38
he noticed most people
were chatting across the aisles
00:26:26.41\00:26:29.72
and socializing with their
friends.  When he reached the
00:26:29.75\00:26:33.49
front, grabbed the mike, his
thoughts were on quieting and
00:26:33.52\00:26:38.69
hushing the people and starting
the prayer meeting.  But as he
00:26:38.73\00:26:42.66
asked for quiet, he scanned
the audience and he scanned the
00:26:42.70\00:26:51.17
crowd, and he noticed a little
11-year-old girl sitting on the
00:26:51.21\00:26:56.28
front row. Her face was beaming
with excitement.  She was
00:26:56.31\00:27:02.45
excited. And he looked next
to her, and poised and ready for
00:27:02.48\00:27:07.62
use was a bright red umbrella.
The little girl's beauty and
00:27:07.66\00:27:14.03
innocence made the pastor
smile as he realized how much
00:27:14.10\00:27:17.70
faith she possessed.  No
one else in the audience brought
00:27:17.73\00:27:24.67
an umbrella.  All the
people came to prayer for rain,
00:27:24.71\00:27:30.01
but the little girl had
come expecting God to answer.
00:27:30.05\00:27:40.22
[Aud. reaction]  
Ask, and keep on asking.
00:27:40.26\00:27:44.36
Seek, and keep on seeking.
Knock, and keep on knocking.
00:27:44.39\00:27:50.33
This is the confidence
we have in approaching God,
00:27:50.37\00:27:53.90
that whatever we
ask, we know we have.
00:27:53.94\00:27:58.54
We have not because we ask not.
But if my people abide in me,
00:27:58.57\00:28:06.38
and my words abide you, you
shall ask what you will, and it
00:28:06.41\00:28:13.72
shall be done. >: Thank you for
joining us for another exciting
00:28:13.76\00:28:15.99
Breath of Life
television broadcast.
00:28:16.02\00:28:18.53
Tune in next
week at the same time,
00:28:18.56\00:28:20.56
as Dr. Byrd will
deliver another dynamic message
00:28:20.60\00:28:23.50
from the Lord, just for you.
00:28:23.53\00:28:25.87
Until next time,
may God bless you.
00:28:25.90\00:28:27.57
END
00:28:27.60\00:28:42.62