Hello, I'm Shelley
Quinn and welcome again to
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Issues and Answers. We're
so glad that you've joined
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us today. You're going to be
glad that you've joined us today
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if you're interested in prayer.
You know, if you ever want to
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get a pulse on your spiritual
life, put your finger on the
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pulse of your spiritual life
figure out how much time you're
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spending in the Word and
how much time you're spending in
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prayer. Let me share a scripture
with you. It comes from 1 John
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5. I'm going to read verses
14 and 15 from the Amplified
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Version. It says: This is the
confidence which we have in him
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(in Christ) that if we ask
anything according to his will,
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he listens, he hears us, and if
we know that he listens to us in
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whatever we ask, we also know
that we have the request that
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we have made of him. I am
so excited to welcome back
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to 3ABN Pastor Pavel Goia.
Pastor, thank you so much for
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coming back to 3ABN.
Thank you for inviting me.
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Now this is you first time
on Issues and Answers but I had
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the privilege of interviewing
you on a Today program.
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We talked about prayer and you
do a lot of seminars on prayer
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don't you? Yes. I am glad that
you've come back because when
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we were talking before we didn't
get to cover everything that we
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wanted to and I really felt
like the Lord has led you on an
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incredible prayer journey. So
for our viewers who've never had
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the opportunity to meet you
before, please share a little
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bit of the story of how
you came to be a pastor.
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It's a two-fold story. First
part when I was about 5-6 years
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old right before going to school
there was a pastor in Romania
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that came from the Union to
visit our church and he talked
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on Jeremiah 29:11: I know the
plans I have for you. He said
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God has designed a specific
plan for each one's life and we
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should search for that plan so
God could use us for his glory
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and we should have a purpose
that God created for us. I went
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home and I went to my Dad and
said do you think he has a plan
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for kids too? And my father
said he has a plan for anybody.
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Some people feel that they
may be sick or poor or not have
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enough training God doesn't have
a plan for them. What if they
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are too young like you, but my
father said God has a plan for
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everybody because he said it's
not you for feeling the plan, it
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is God's power in you. I said,
Okay, okay, how do I get a plan?
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And my father said, you must
pray. I said, Oh easy. I went
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into my room. I said, please
show me the plan, then went to
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my dad and said, he didn't,
he didn't show me anything.
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My father said, you don't just
pray and leave. People do that.
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But after you pray you study.
What you study. He said the word
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I said, but I don't know how to
read. So I took the Bible and I
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will never forget that moment.
I opened it. I said, would you
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read here for me. It was
Jeremiah chapter 1, that very
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verse, don't say I am a child
because I chose you and I'm
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going to send you and you will
speak for me and so on and so
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forth. Don't be afraid to speak
for me. I closed the Bible.
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I said, God wants
me to be a pastor.
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How old were you?
About 5. Five years old.
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So that was the message. I
said I know God wants me to be a
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pastor. That always stayed in my
mind. That's the very first part
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of my decision to
actually serve God.
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Then now Pavel, if I remember
correctly, as you grew older you
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left the church
for a while didn't you?
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Yes. I didn't literally
leave the church but I left God.
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Boy! What an excellent point
because there are people who are
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going to church as a cultural
thing. It's something that's
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a habitual thing. They do it as
habit but they don't have that
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intimate personal relationship
with the Lord. That's what
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you're saying isn't it?
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Yeah, even more. I kind of
doubted in my mind if there is
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any God anywhere. Wow! So I
was a teenager spending too much
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time with my friends from school
and I first stopped praying.
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and then slowly going
down without even realizing it.
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I remember I would go to church
because I didn't want to hurt my
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father; I loved him too
much. But I didn't care much for
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church. They started first
to say very bad jokes. Then they
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started to more you know drink
and smoke and go a lot deeper
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into bad things you know. I was
not a part of it. I never used
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alcohol or... I was not part
of it but I was with them there.
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I would go home and I would not
have peace. I could not sleep
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because when they would say
a bad joke I was laughing too.
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So I was part of it like Saul
when they killed Stephen. He was
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part of it. He was involved
somehow. So I would lay in my
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bed and I would say, that's not
good. But then I said who cares?
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It's fun. You know
the Bible says that
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bad company corrupts good morals
and when you're talking about
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being part of it, it reminds me
of Romans 1:32 where Paul said
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we not only show our approval
for these things and then we
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do it ourselves. So even though
you did not drink or smoke by
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continuing to associate with
them, laughing at their jokes,
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it was like you were approving
of what they were doing even
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though you knew it
was against God's will.
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Absolutely. So I could not sleep
and I would say there is no God.
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But what if there is a God?
I remember after a few months
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of coming 1, 2, 3 a. m. at home.
They would meet in a park and
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spend the whole night there.
And I would get home and I would
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give my father... It was an
apartment that you would walk
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from room to room and he was
still praying and I knew he was
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praying for me. He would come
to me and he would get his hand
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around my shoulder and he said
I am praying for you. I wished
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he'd pick a fight with me
because I would just leave home,
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but he didn't. I wished that
during that time because I was
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very stubborn. Right now I am
happy he didn't. I remember one
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night those young men, they
started to plan some very bad
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stuff. I felt that I should
not be there. So I decided that
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night that I am going to leave
earlier. I left and after that
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they stopped a girl who was
coming from work and they abused
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her. All of them went to prison
for many years except me that
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I was not there. So
glory to God. I believe that
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was the Holy Spirit
leading you wasn't he?
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The next day when I found out I
was convinced that God prevented
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me from being there because he
had a plan for me. It came back
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in my mind Jeremiah chapter 1.
So I got home and I was crying
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and I was wondering if God would
be able to forgive me and to
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restore me and to give back
my plan that I lost on the way.
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My father noticed that the light
was still on and it was 2 or 3
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a. m. So he came and I said is
there any hope for me. He talked
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about King David. God didn't
just forgive him but restored
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him. My father said our God
is a wonderful, wonderful God.
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His mercy is infinite. He is
longsuffering. So he said let
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me pray for you. And he had a
prayer for me and then he left.
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He said now it's your turn to
pray, to discover God, to learn
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how God is. So I prayed until
5 or 6 in the morning. I said if
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you forgive me and if you show
me today that you restore me
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I'm going to change. I don't
know if I will be able but I
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know you can help me. Around
morning I started to study the
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Bible because I remember when I
was 5 he told me you don't just
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pray and leave but you give God
a chance to talk to you. So I
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opened the Bible and it
was Isaiah 54. For a moment I'm
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translating from the Romanian
Bible in my mind but you know
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what I am talking about. Isaiah
54, I believe verses 10 and 11,
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For a moment I was angry with
you but I receive you back even
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if the mountains move my
love will never move from you.
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I cried and I said thank you. So
that was my second how to call
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it time when I knew that
God wants me to serve him.
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Amen. Jeremiah 31 verse 3
that he has loved you with an
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everlasting love and underneath
are his everlasting arms he
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tells us in Deuteronomy 32:37 I
think. Glory to God that you had
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a praying father. A father, as
Isaiah says in chapter 50 verse
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4: A father with the tongue of
an instructed disciple. He knew
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and was being led by the Holy
Spirit. He knew to hold you up
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in prayer, to cover you in
prayer and God gave him great
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wisdom how to deal with a
rebellious son. So as you then
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accepted the call of God
on your life to be a pastor,
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and you are now pastoring
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you're a district pastor
in Janesville, Wisconsin.
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You pastor three churches.
Did you immediately from this
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experience, did you move into
this realm of prayer that you're
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now enjoying or did you
find that you got caught up in
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churchy things, I mean, in the
studies and all that? How long
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did it take you and when did you
really establish that intimate
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one on one
relationship with the Lord?
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It was an up and down road. At
that time I started to wake up
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early in the morning. In fact,
I didn't decide I'll wake up at
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6. I started to pray that
God would wake me up whenever he
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knows that I need to pray.
Sometimes he would wake me up at
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5. Sometimes he would wake me up
at 2 a. m. and I said isn't it
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too early. But I knew God was
calling me to pray. In fact even
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during the army service I
remember God would wake me up.
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They took us because there were
floods in Romania in that time
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and they took us to one site to
help with that catastrophe and I
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remember we were working
and soldiers were very tired and
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could not wake up in the
morning. I would be the first
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one to be up and the lieutenant
would say how do you manage to
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wake up so early and I would say
well God wakes me up. He would
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smile and he would say,
how could God wake somebody up?
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He would say listen I would
like you tomorrow morning at 6
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o'clock to wake everybody up.
So I would pray and I would say
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God you know when I need to
wake up for prayer and study.
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Wake me up so I have enough
time to spend with you. And God
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would wake me up like 4 a. m.
to study and pray and spend time
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with God and then around 6 I
would go and hey it's time to
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wake up and they would be amazed
I remember one morning when God
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woke me up around 1:30. I
said God I'm tired. I worked
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yesterday so hard and I said do
I really need to be up so early?
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I was kind of arguing with God
you know. But God is patient,
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God is good. He didn't get upset
with me. So I felt that I do
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need to pray. So I prayed. My
wife, at that time my girlfriend
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used to send me Bible verses
and quotations on small letters
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because you are not allowed
to have Bibles. So I got the
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letters and read them after
I prayed and then I spent time
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again with God contemplating
what I read and letting him
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impress me. As soon as I
finished I got dressed and it
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was about, I don't remember, 3
or 4 a. m. when we had a drill.
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Like it was a false attack,
you know. So when the trumpet
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started to sound everybody was
supposed to get up and within 3
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minutes to be ready for war.
I mean have all your equipment;
00:14:08.88\00:14:13.60
that takes forever. We used
to get dressed by the light of a
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match. You light it and you've
got to be dressed until the
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flame is off you know. None
of them were ready so they got
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punished except me.
That's because God got you up
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early and had you prepared.
It's so amazing though now;
00:14:30.31\00:14:34.41
you said it was an up and down
thing. First of all you were
00:14:34.45\00:14:38.48
very blessed. It took me a long
time and when I go out and teach
00:14:38.52\00:14:42.93
on prayer I always teach that
God intends prayer to be a two
00:14:42.97\00:14:47.46
way communication. So many
people rush into the presence of
00:14:47.49\00:14:51.91
the Lord. They lay out their
requests and they leave and
00:14:51.95\00:14:56.00
they don't know that they can
make the word... God speaks to
00:14:56.03\00:14:59.84
us primarily through the word.
They don't know to make the
00:14:59.87\00:15:03.61
word a part of their prayer time
How blessed you were that your
00:15:03.65\00:15:07.73
father taught you this at an
early age. Yet at the same time
00:15:07.76\00:15:11.88
as I'm listening to you it
has to be encouraging to people
00:15:11.91\00:15:16.45
who have been Christians for
a long time who have known this
00:15:16.48\00:15:20.71
great one on one intimacy in
prayer and then find themselves
00:15:20.74\00:15:24.94
kind of dipping down
occasionally only to come back.
00:15:24.97\00:15:28.67
You know sometimes we think...
and I know I pray Lord I believe
00:15:28.70\00:15:33.13
what you're trying to teach me
is consistency. I had a prayer
00:15:33.16\00:15:37.03
time with the Lord for seven
years. I'd get up and pray two
00:15:37.06\00:15:42.11
or three hours every morning
early. Now I'm struggling to
00:15:42.15\00:15:46.51
keep that and I think what's
wrong with me. But that's what
00:15:46.55\00:15:50.69
we're going to be talking about
is how prayer is something that
00:15:50.72\00:15:56.28
is a progressive, sanctifying
process of learning and redoing
00:15:56.32\00:16:02.07
and just coming to know God.
Your focus when you were praying
00:16:02.10\00:16:07.43
what I'm hearing you say Pavel,
your focus wasn't rushing before
00:16:07.46\00:16:12.75
the Lord and saying Lord
here's what I want you to do.
00:16:12.79\00:16:17.41
Your focus was coming to
the Lord to know him, to really
00:16:17.45\00:16:21.73
speak to him as your heavenly
Father and intimate friend.
00:16:21.76\00:16:26.75
How is that different that
people who just come before him
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and say, here it is, here's my
request? Explain that a little
00:16:31.76\00:16:36.67
bit. It is
amazing to see how things
00:16:36.71\00:16:41.96
change when we don't place
ourselves in the center, but we
00:16:41.99\00:16:47.52
realize that God is the center.
It took me a long time to
00:16:47.55\00:16:53.04
realize that though
theoretically I knew it.
00:16:53.08\00:16:55.18
I want to give a few examples.
This is a funny example but I
00:16:55.22\00:17:03.59
love it. No offense, I'm not
talking about Chrysler or Dodge.
00:17:03.63\00:17:09.65
But if somebody has a Dodge
and they hear this story, I hope
00:17:09.69\00:17:15.20
they're okay. I use to have
a Dodge Grand Caravan. Great
00:17:15.24\00:17:20.98
comfort. TV, VCR, wood around
the doors and I mean luxury.
00:17:21.02\00:17:29.31
However, the transmission
broke and I struggled. I found a
00:17:29.35\00:17:36.30
transmission in a junk yard.
I found somebody who knew how to
00:17:36.34\00:17:41.82
fix it, install the transmission
paid for it and finally the van
00:17:41.86\00:17:47.31
was good again. I drove
it for three months and the
00:17:47.34\00:17:51.33
transmission broke again. Oh it
was so frustrating. So I prayed
00:17:51.37\00:17:57.33
and I found another transmission
in the junk yard and I paid
00:17:57.37\00:18:01.82
again for the labor and he
installed the transmission and
00:18:01.85\00:18:06.23
I decided not to drive the van
anymore but to put it for sale.
00:18:06.27\00:18:12.02
So I put it in the newspaper and
I put a nice paper on the wind
00:18:12.05\00:18:17.76
shield FOR SALE you know
enumerating how many qualities
00:18:17.80\00:18:22.84
that van has. Nobody called.
And I was praying God please
00:18:22.87\00:18:27.53
you know that I cannot afford
to fix this van again. Please
00:18:27.57\00:18:32.54
help me to sell the van. About
three months, no phone call.
00:18:32.58\00:18:36.71
I dropped the price several
times. It was like people didn't
00:18:36.75\00:18:40.15
even care. It's like people knew
the transmission is going to
00:18:40.18\00:18:43.55
break again. So I was driving
from one church to another
00:18:43.58\00:18:48.43
church in my district and I
was thinking about the prayer
00:18:48.47\00:18:53.25
seminar. Here I am and I say to
myself it's like God was talking
00:18:53.28\00:18:57.83
in my mind. You teach people
to make God the focus of their
00:18:57.87\00:19:02.23
prayers and you make
your van the focus of your
00:19:02.26\00:19:05.02
prayer. Big difference. And
I said God please forgive me.
00:19:05.06\00:19:09.74
What is this van? And I said if
you want me to keep the van let
00:19:09.77\00:19:16.10
me use it for you as long as it
goes. If it breaks, it breaks.
00:19:16.14\00:19:21.26
If it goes, it goes, as long as
you want it used and if you want
00:19:21.30\00:19:26.39
the van sold you sell it to
whoever you want for the price
00:19:26.43\00:19:30.82
you want and maybe just for your
work, because this is what is
00:19:30.86\00:19:35.41
what is important. Your plan,
not mine. So I said use it for
00:19:35.45\00:19:39.71
your glory for your plan because
you are the center. It is more
00:19:39.74\00:19:43.21
important what you think about
the van than what I think about
00:19:43.25\00:19:47.42
it. I finished that prayer.
Within seconds I got the phone
00:19:47.45\00:19:51.29
call on my cell phone. It
was a church member and she says
00:19:51.33\00:19:56.08
Pastor, do you still have that
van? Now that was after the van
00:19:56.12\00:19:59.86
was for several months in the
newspaper. It was not sold and
00:19:59.89\00:20:03.43
and it was not in the newspaper
anymore and the paper FOR SALE
00:20:03.46\00:20:07.49
was not on the wind shield any
more. I said yes I still have
00:20:07.52\00:20:12.33
the van. Do you still want to
sell it. Yes I do, but I said I
00:20:12.36\00:20:16.47
need to warn you, I had
transmission problems. She says
00:20:16.51\00:20:20.56
well you forgot that my brother
fixed it for you. And she said,
00:20:20.60\00:20:24.80
my brother is a mechanic and he
has transmission as a reserve if
00:20:24.84\00:20:29.53
he needs one. She said, I was
thinking about our school and
00:20:29.57\00:20:32.90
I know there are children who
want to come to our school and
00:20:32.94\00:20:36.42
don't have transportation and
they need a van and I would like
00:20:36.46\00:20:39.91
to serve God transporting
the children who have no
00:20:39.94\00:20:42.37
transportation to the school.
So God inspired me to call you.
00:20:42.41\00:20:46.55
How much do you want for
the van. I said, you know what,
00:20:46.58\00:20:49.70
whatever you can afford. And she
said that's the price then, that
00:20:49.73\00:20:54.91
price is good. She was happy.
I was happy. It just changed my
00:20:54.94\00:20:59.95
paradigm. I said what a change
when you don't put yourself in
00:20:59.98\00:21:04.95
the center, but
you worry about God.
00:21:04.99\00:21:07.21
Amen. This is a paradigm
shift that so many people need
00:21:07.24\00:21:12.34
because what we find is that
most people are bringing their
00:21:12.37\00:21:16.38
problems to God, they're
focusing on the problem rather
00:21:16.42\00:21:20.35
than on the Problem Solver. They
are the center and I mean this
00:21:20.39\00:21:23.94
is something that I prayed that
way many, many years. I would
00:21:23.97\00:21:27.52
bring my problems to God and my
focus was on self rather than on
00:21:27.56\00:21:32.20
the Lord. But as we look at what
John had to say in 1 John 5:14
00:21:32.24\00:21:36.32
This is the confidence that we
have in prayer, if we're asking
00:21:36.36\00:21:40.63
according to his will, it will
be done and that's what you did
00:21:40.67\00:21:45.34
Tell the rest of the story.
After you sold the van were you
00:21:45.37\00:21:50.01
without good transportation?
00:21:50.05\00:21:51.85
No not at all. In fact she
is still using the van today and
00:21:51.88\00:21:55.48
the van never broke again.
00:21:55.52\00:21:57.10
How about you? Did the Lord
provide for your transportation?
00:21:57.14\00:21:59.76
Absolutely. So what
would you tell to people
00:21:59.79\00:22:04.20
who are focused on the problem
rather than on the promises
00:22:04.23\00:22:10.68
of God? It
happens that people go to
00:22:10.71\00:22:17.54
prayer struggling, or they go to
church struggling and they leave
00:22:17.58\00:22:23.03
prayer still struggling
regardless they may pray one
00:22:23.07\00:22:28.30
hour, one day or one
year. Things don't change much.
00:22:28.33\00:22:33.50
I know people who have prayed
for a problem for many years or
00:22:33.53\00:22:36.85
have been going to church
for many years. They say things
00:22:36.88\00:22:40.13
don't change much. I notice that
when they put God in the center
00:22:40.17\00:22:44.83
beside that we order the
way that he knows that is best.
00:22:44.87\00:22:48.97
We have peace, we have joy and I
believe that instead of focusing
00:22:49.01\00:22:57.27
on the problems and
getting depressed, the more you
00:22:57.31\00:23:00.48
contemplate problems the more
discouraged we are. We should
00:23:00.52\00:23:04.93
rather focus on God and his
greatness and his love and his
00:23:04.97\00:23:09.59
will and his plans. We have an
amazing God. We don't give him
00:23:09.62\00:23:14.20
a chance to show who he is.
00:23:14.24\00:23:15.61
This is something that I'll
never forget. I was claiming
00:23:15.64\00:23:19.85
the promise of Isaiah 26
verse 3 that God says that he is
00:23:19.89\00:23:24.16
righteous and he promises to
keep us in perfect peace if we
00:23:24.19\00:23:27.88
will keep our mind steadfastly
fixed on him trusting in him.
00:23:27.92\00:23:32.58
As I was praying this, Pavel,
about an hour later after my
00:23:32.62\00:23:37.22
prayer, I got a troubling phone
call. It was terrible and I was
00:23:37.25\00:23:41.10
wringing my hands for about an
hour I was wringing my hands and
00:23:41.13\00:23:44.95
focusing on the problem and
suddenly the still small voice
00:23:44.98\00:23:48.08
of the Lord impressed this
thought upon my mind: Where are
00:23:48.12\00:23:51.19
your eyes focused, on
the problem or on the problem
00:23:51.22\00:23:52.65
solver. I had totally lost my
peace but as soon as I returned
00:23:52.69\00:23:58.14
my focus to God saying Lord you
knew this was going to happen
00:23:58.17\00:24:02.27
before it happened. You're
the one that's got the solution.
00:24:02.31\00:24:06.72
And I trusted in him. He
restored that perfect peace, the
00:24:06.76\00:24:10.49
peace that transcends all
understanding and within 24
00:24:10.53\00:24:14.23
hours he had worked
everything out. Amen.
00:24:14.26\00:24:17.39
Studying a little some Bible
prayers God impressed me that
00:24:17.42\00:24:25.53
they have some common
characteristics, some common
00:24:25.56\00:24:29.68
points and this is what got my
attention. This is one of them.
00:24:29.72\00:24:34.50
For instance instead of focusing
so much on needs and problems
00:24:34.53\00:24:39.11
while it is actually okay to
go with our problems before God
00:24:39.15\00:24:43.66
and present them. But instead of
keeping our eyes on the problems
00:24:43.69\00:24:48.37
we should rather switch and put
God in the center and fix our
00:24:48.41\00:24:53.93
eyes on God's glory. I would use
a Bible example. For instance,
00:24:53.96\00:24:59.44
Moses. After they made the
golden calf, Moses goes to God
00:24:59.48\00:25:03.52
and he says instead of please,
please forgive them, please let
00:25:03.56\00:25:07.14
them live, please let them go
to the promised land, Moses said
00:25:07.17\00:25:11.06
Yes they sinned and they deserve
to die but what are the nations
00:25:11.10\00:25:14.95
going to say about you? What
happens to your name and your
00:25:14.99\00:25:18.96
glory? Think about your
name. So he put God right in the
00:25:18.99\00:25:22.93
center, not people.
Excellent point. Now I know
00:25:22.97\00:25:26.96
you've got a lot of answers to
prayer. Tell us a quick one in
00:25:26.99\00:25:29.61
the time we have left.
00:25:29.65\00:25:31.02
I remember when I was in
the university, they wanted to
00:25:31.05\00:25:36.97
expel me for not
going Saturdays to school.
00:25:37.01\00:25:39.98
Because of the Sabbath and
your religious convictions.
00:25:40.01\00:25:42.45
Yes. And the dean told me that
I would be expelled without any
00:25:42.49\00:25:47.21
right to ever register in any
school for the rest of my life.
00:25:47.25\00:25:52.18
So I prayed hard for a long time
that God would help me because
00:25:52.21\00:25:56.77
I wanted to have an education.
I remember that Thursday the
00:25:56.81\00:26:01.16
secretary of the school said
give up God. There is nobody who
00:26:01.20\00:26:05.66
can save you. Come to school
this Saturday. And I said God
00:26:05.69\00:26:09.77
can help me if he wants. So
I prayed different. I said God
00:26:09.81\00:26:13.49
I'm not going to pray until I
prayed until now for me but I'm
00:26:13.52\00:26:17.16
going to pray for you.
That Friday the president of the
00:26:17.20\00:26:20.95
the country, Coscescue, gave
a law that from that Friday on
00:26:20.98\00:26:24.81
there would be no school
Saturdays to save power and heat
00:26:24.85\00:26:29.49
So I remember the secretary
being pale and saying wow it has
00:26:29.52\00:26:33.75
never happened in the history
of the country. Who do you know
00:26:33.78\00:26:37.47
in the government. They changed
the law for you. I said well I
00:26:37.51\00:26:41.16
don't know anybody in the
government but I know that God
00:26:41.20\00:26:44.20
can change nations
and can do great things.
00:26:44.23\00:26:47.90
Amen! And it reminds me of what
James wrote when he said that
00:26:47.94\00:26:53.79
the earnest prayers, the
effective, fervent prayers of a
00:26:53.82\00:26:57.73
righteous man availeth much.
When you were praying instead
00:26:57.76\00:27:02.06
of Lord fix my problem,
Lord let your name be glorified.
00:27:02.10\00:27:06.33
God moved heaven and earth not
only to see that you stayed in
00:27:06.37\00:27:12.38
school and had his plan for your
life fulfilled but it gave glory
00:27:12.42\00:27:18.40
to his name because this woman
saw that your God was bigger
00:27:18.43\00:27:23.06
than the government. What
an amazing story! Thank you,
00:27:23.09\00:27:26.97
Pavel, for joining us today.
You will come back and share
00:27:27.01\00:27:30.45
some more that the Lord has
taught you about prayer won't
00:27:30.49\00:27:33.90
you? Thank you for inviting me.
00:27:33.93\00:27:35.44
It will be my privilege to come.
00:27:35.48\00:27:36.92
Praise God! For those of you
at home remember to make God the
00:27:36.95\00:27:41.49
focus of your prayer not your
problems. It's okay to present
00:27:41.52\00:27:45.61
your problems to God but
let him be the focus and ask for
00:27:45.65\00:27:49.67
the glory of his name. Now may
he multiply his mercy, love and
00:27:49.70\00:27:53.11
grace to you. Thank you.
00:27:53.15\00:27:56.72