Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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And welcome again to
"Issues and Answers".
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Today, we're gonna
be talking about prayer,
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something that is so important
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because this is the way
that we communicate with God.
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I want to share a
scripture with you
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that you may
wonder what this has to do
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with probe that you'll soon see.
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It comes from
Hebrews Chapter 12.
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I'm gonna read verses 1 and 2.
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And the Bible says, "Therefore,
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since we are surrounded by
so great a cloud of witnesses."
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This is following the
faith Chapter of Hebrews 11
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talking about those
who walked by faith.
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It says, "Let us strip off
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and throw aside every
encumbrance and every sin
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which so readily
clings to us and entangles us.
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Let us run with
patient endurance
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that appointed course of
the race that is set before us.
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Looking unto Jesus,
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the author and
finisher of faith."
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And that's what this
whole life is all about,
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is learning to
run the race of faith,
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keeping our
eyes focused on Jesus
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and throwing off that
sin that easily entangles us.
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I hope that you've
had the opportunity
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to see our guest before.
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His returning today, his
name is Pastor Pavel Goia
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and he is from
Janesville, Wisconsin District,
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where he pastors three churches.
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Pavel, we're so
glad to have you back.
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Thank you for inviting me.
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You know, we could
probably do hundred programs
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and never run out of the stories
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that you have to
tell us about prayer.
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It's just amazing to me
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how God has led you in your life
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and taught you to be
such a man of faith in prayer.
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And you've seen many
miracles in your life.
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God is wonderful.
He is wonderful indeed.
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So we are talking about
the-- I want to say problems
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'cause it is a
problem in the way
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some of this approach the Lord.
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And we have
already talked about,
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sometimes what we
do is we go to God
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and ask Him to do for
us what He wants us to do,
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what He will empower us to do.
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Like, we say,
"Lord, feed the poor."
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And God is saying, "You
get out and help feed the poor.
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Pray for laborers in the field."
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We've also talked
about focusing on problems
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instead of focusing on promises.
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We've talked about
putting the focus on ourselves.
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In other words, we go to God
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and it's all about us
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when that's just the
reverse of what it should be.
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It should be all about
Him saying, "Lord, what--
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You do Your will for
the glory of Your name.
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Whatever will
glorify Your name."
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So we're going to continue today
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and talk about some
more of the problems
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how people are
approaching prayer
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with a wrong attitude.
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What's another one
you want to share with us?
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Yes. Excuse me.
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Very often people struggle
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with the same scene
again and again and again.
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Sin is a big issue in our lives.
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And people love and
hate sin in the same time
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and people want to
change and they don't have power
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and they go back
with the same sin
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and they ask forgiveness
and then they do it again
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and then they feel bad
to ask for forgiveness again
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because they know
they're gonna do it again.
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And it seems that
they never actually
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have the power to overcome sin.
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So people come and ask,
how can we overcome sin?
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And I was praying for this
very subject for a long time.
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And in this prayer
seminar, God showed me
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some that I never,
never observed before,
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never noticed
and just gave me joy.
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Actually, I could say, it seems
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that the God started to
show me how to overcome sin,
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how to gain victory over sin.
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Oh, I know that everyone
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who is listening to
your voice right now
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wants to hear that answer.
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And I'm gonna first name it
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and then eventually
give a story about it.
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Okay.
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It seems that when we pray
for forgiveness and for change,
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we pray again and
again and again and again
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over the same sin and
it's an attitude problem,
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a perspective problem.
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We keep our eyes on the sin.
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God, help me get rid of the sin.
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God, so--The more you
pray against that sin,
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where is our mind and our eyes?
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On the sin. On the sin.
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God wants us to confess.
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But after confession,
in faith, if we confess,
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that's a deal
between God and us.
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If we do our part and confess,
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God is certainly going to do
His part too and forgive and,
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not just to forgive
that would not good enough,
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but cleanse us, too.
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He says in 1 John 1:9 that,
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"If we will confess our sins,
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He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins
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and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness."
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Amen. And this is a big verse,
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excuse me, that
we read and go over.
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And you don't
understand the value.
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If we confess, God
is faithful and just.
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He forgives and He
cleanses right there,
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right then when you confess.
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Reading in Great Controversy,
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I believe it's
between Chapter 40 and 42,
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it is a quotation that
says, "When we confess,
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we should be
rejoiced, we should be happy
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that we're
forgiven and cleansed.
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And if we're in faith,
take God's word for it.
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We are not in sin anymore.
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We have power over that sin."
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The problem is that
we stand up for prayer
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and we're not
sure we're forgiven,
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so we remain in sin.
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And I cannot
understand so I said,
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"So what am I supposed to do?"
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So simple, just so
simple to accept fully
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that I'm
forgiven and to praise God
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that I'm cleansed and praise God
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that I didn't do it
actually because I'm--
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It's all erased,
it's all forgiven.
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And Jesus gave
me His righteousness
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and suddenly came in my mind
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that Abraham believed
God and in the Hebrew says
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it was considered righteousness,
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but he says as
righteous as God Himself.
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So when we accept in
faith, that's forgiveness.
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Jesus takes it and we
get His righteousness,
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we are as
righteous as Jesus Himself.
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Amen. So I just rejoiced.
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And suddenly I
got the new start.
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I had new motivation,
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not to look over
that sin anymore,
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but to actually
praise God for a new life.
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You know, the Bible tells us
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in Lamentations Chapter 3
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that He is the
God of new beginnings.
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It actually
says that His mercies
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are new every morning,
greatest as faithfulness.
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But, you know, one
thing that I add to that,
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Pavel, is when I
pray and ask Him,
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I confess my sin, I
know He's forgiving me,
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but I also add Acts 5:31 that--
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It says that Jesus is the one
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Who grants forgiveness of
sin and grants repentance.
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So I pray, Lord,
grant me repentance,
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give me repentance,
turn me away from the sin,
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give me the power
to overcome the sin.
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And then I just
accept by faith that He has.
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He will. Amen.
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It's like, Jacob.
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His father
asked him who are you?
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He pretended to
be who he was not,
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as we many times do
and he-- 21 years later,
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after trying to solve his
problems on his own power,
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in his own power,
through his own methods.
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He was a good Christian.
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In fact, he had
that dream of the ladder
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and he dedicated
his life to God praying,
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if You bless me, if
You take care of me,
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if You give me
food, if You provide,
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if You bring me back,
then You'll be my God.
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When God said, "I'm
the God of your father,
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Abraham and Isaiah."
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But He didn't say also your God.
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Just the father of your--
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The God of your
parents, fathers.
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And he says that strange pair,
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if You take care of
me then You'll be my God.
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God walks with him.
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And after 21 years when
he is 60, and that night,
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he was fighting God
and running away from God
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without realizing
that he was fighting God.
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And he says when God touched him
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and he realized that He's God,
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He's not a
stranger, He's not a thief.
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He says, "I'm
not gonna let you go
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before you bless me."
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And that's persistent,
consistent, serious prayer,
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I call it-- I compare it
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with the anemic prayers we pray.
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Anemic? Anemic prayers we pray.
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That's the real
deal, the real prayer.
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I'm not gonna let you go.
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I die here, but I'm determined.
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And God instead of
saying, "Okay, I bless you."
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God says, "Tell me your
name." And this is good.
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It's excellent
because it is a repentance
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that you just mentioned.
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God said you pretended
you to be who you're not.
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I want you to own who you
are and then I can bless you.
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So he says, "I'm the deceiver,
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I'm the heel-catcher, I'm Jacob.
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I'm not your son."
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So God says, "Okay, I'm gonna--"
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And as soon as we repent,
we have knowledge who we are.
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Confess and repent. God
does a few things for us.
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First, God changed His
name that means a new name
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and you start a new character.
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He was adopted.
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Secondly, God gave him
a new life, a new start.
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Amen. God gave him the blessing.
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And God may him the
blessing for many other nations.
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And the fourth
one, the same night
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God show to His brother in dream
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and said, "Do not
touch your brother."
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So God started to
fight His battles.
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Exactly, and that was
after that persistent prayer.
00:10:00.69\00:10:04.67
It was more, you
know, we've discussed
00:10:04.70\00:10:06.59
how sometimes people come
and they lay their plans up
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before the Lord and say, "Lord,
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I want You to do this, this,
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and this and this for me."
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And not really
confess their sins,
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but when he came
to him after praying
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that way before
and not realizing
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he really had made
him God of his life.
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When he came to--
When Jacob came to God
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and really prayed in
such a way as to say,
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"This is who I am.
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Oh, Lord, don't
leave me this way.
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Let me be like the one
who is holding on to you,
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I will not let You
go till You bless me."
00:10:37.77\00:10:40.07
Then God became his God.
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It reminds me of Luke 18:8,
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Jesus is talking about the
story of the persistent widow
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and how she kept
asking Him, kept asking
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and Jesus is
commending her for this
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because it says in Luke 18:8,
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"When the Son of Man,
will he find faith on earth
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when he returns?"
00:11:00.91\00:11:02.33
And that's that
persistent pressing into prayer
00:11:02.36\00:11:05.53
and saying, "God,
I'm not gonna let You go
00:11:05.56\00:11:07.37
till You find me."
00:11:07.40\00:11:09.22
It is so nice
the fact that God--
00:11:09.25\00:11:14.78
This is God's covenant with us.
00:11:14.81\00:11:16.37
God offers to care of
it and we try to fight
00:11:16.40\00:11:20.26
a supernatural
battle in natural powers.
00:11:20.29\00:11:24.23
And for a supernatural,
we need supernatural powers.
00:11:24.26\00:11:28.30
So that's the
reason we need to go to God
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as we are, confess
and then ask Him for help
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and believing His promise.
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It's way to
control of our lives to Him
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and believe in His power.
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We cannot please
God without faith.
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I want to share a scripture
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'cause I know you
love this one too.
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But I just want you to
hear that in the audience.
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In 1
Thessalonians 5:23, it says,
00:11:50.40\00:11:54.38
"May the God of peace
himself sanctify you."
00:11:54.41\00:11:57.50
He is the one that's
going to make you holy
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and set you apart.
00:11:59.46\00:12:00.96
It says, "And may your spirit,
00:12:00.99\00:12:02.75
soul and the body
be preserved sound,
00:12:02.78\00:12:05.57
completely blameless until
the coming of our Lord Jesus."
00:12:05.60\00:12:08.97
Then verse 24 says,
"Faithful is he who calls you
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and he will also do it."
00:12:14.47\00:12:17.81
What you're saying to me is that
00:12:17.84\00:12:20.98
when we get to that point,
if we're focusing on our sin
00:12:21.01\00:12:24.96
and not focusing on God's power,
00:12:24.99\00:12:27.24
transforming power of the word
and the spirit to change us,
00:12:27.27\00:12:31.07
we're gonna be as
long as we continually
00:12:31.10\00:12:34.97
confess the same
sin over and over
00:12:35.00\00:12:36.73
with our focus on the sin,
00:12:36.76\00:12:38.62
we'll never gonna be
victorious over that sin
00:12:38.65\00:12:40.98
till we get to that
point where you're saying,
00:12:41.01\00:12:42.85
"Lord, You're the
one that sanctifies me,
00:12:42.88\00:12:44.85
You're the one that's
working in me to willing to act,
00:12:44.88\00:12:47.38
You're the one
that's gonna give me
00:12:47.41\00:12:48.93
the power to overcome the sin."
00:12:48.96\00:12:51.28
We seek in Mary, she
goes again and again and again
00:12:51.31\00:12:54.34
to the same place and
when finally Jesus says,
00:12:54.37\00:12:58.58
"I do not condemn you."
00:12:58.61\00:13:01.33
And Jesus says,
"Go and sin no more
00:13:01.36\00:13:03.46
But it also can be translated,
00:13:03.49\00:13:05.14
therefore you can
go and sin no more.
00:13:05.17\00:13:07.40
Only accept this gift
of-- I'm not condemned.
00:13:07.43\00:13:11.22
Pray for me."
00:13:11.25\00:13:12.28
He is offering this gift
to me then we have motivation
00:13:12.31\00:13:15.72
and we can go and sin no more.
00:13:15.75\00:13:18.24
What impresses me the
most in this Jacob's story
00:13:18.27\00:13:21.65
is that after God
forgave him and changed him,
00:13:21.68\00:13:26.04
it's forgiveness and
cleanseness and the new life.
00:13:26.07\00:13:29.38
Jacob got it and now he says,
00:13:29.41\00:13:32.13
"Now I want you to
tell me your name."
00:13:32.16\00:13:34.99
So he says kind of like,
"Moses, I want to know you,
00:13:35.02\00:13:38.07
I want to show-- I
want to know who you are,
00:13:38.10\00:13:40.19
I want to know my God.
00:13:40.22\00:13:41.94
If I know my God, I'm
safe. I want to know you."
00:13:41.97\00:13:45.18
And end of the verse
says as the light came
00:13:45.21\00:13:48.29
that next morning
as the sun was bright,
00:13:48.32\00:13:51.81
he called that place Peniel.
00:13:51.84\00:13:54.03
I've seen God's face
00:13:54.06\00:13:55.86
and I know that I'm
redeemed, I'm saved.
00:13:55.89\00:13:59.41
And he was limping,
but he was saved. Amen.
00:13:59.44\00:14:05.60
Like Moses, I
want to see your face.
00:14:05.63\00:14:07.60
When you have that
privilege to get to know him
00:14:07.63\00:14:10.33
and to focus on
him not on the sin,
00:14:10.36\00:14:12.32
we know that we are saved.
00:14:12.35\00:14:14.45
That's wonderful.
I love that point.
00:14:14.48\00:14:16.92
So and what is the next
point that you want to make?
00:14:16.95\00:14:20.03
Next point, next point.
00:14:20.06\00:14:21.55
We usually go to
God with an agenda
00:14:21.58\00:14:26.32
that we prepared and
doesn't have to be a bad one
00:14:26.35\00:14:31.20
and we say please bless
me and held me in this plans.
00:14:31.23\00:14:35.24
And many times
that agenda maybe good,
00:14:35.27\00:14:39.34
but we have to place
it before God and say,
00:14:39.37\00:14:41.83
"These are my
plans, You bless them
00:14:41.86\00:14:43.96
the way You want,
whenever You want."
00:14:43.99\00:14:45.58
What are your plans?
00:14:45.61\00:14:48.46
That reminds of me something
00:14:48.49\00:14:50.56
when I was first
in ministry full time
00:14:50.59\00:14:52.48
and I came up here
to do a program on 3ABN
00:14:52.51\00:14:54.53
and we were running a ministry
out of our home in Texas
00:14:54.56\00:14:57.42
and just the exposure on 3ABN,
00:14:57.45\00:14:59.56
I was getting all
these phone calls,
00:14:59.59\00:15:01.49
people were calling
for prayer and counseling
00:15:01.52\00:15:04.14
and I was
trying to write a book.
00:15:04.17\00:15:06.02
And I had a
conference president who called
00:15:06.05\00:15:08.66
and we were
talking and I told him,
00:15:08.69\00:15:10.66
"I'm spending 8 hours a
day on the phone on prayer."
00:15:10.69\00:15:14.74
And I said, "These
poor people just need help."
00:15:14.77\00:15:17.68
And he made a
comment to me and he said,
00:15:17.71\00:15:19.76
"Shelley, do think
that's God's will?"
00:15:19.79\00:15:21.39
And I'm
thinking, "Well, of course
00:15:21.42\00:15:22.96
that would be God's will
00:15:22.99\00:15:24.46
because this is a good work
I'm working with His people."
00:15:24.49\00:15:28.40
And so more or
less how I responded,
00:15:28.43\00:15:31.32
but I'm still at
the same time frustrated
00:15:31.35\00:15:33.43
'cause I know
God's given me a project
00:15:33.46\00:15:35.38
that I'm not getting completed.
00:15:35.41\00:15:37.10
And this pastor who
was a conference president
00:15:37.13\00:15:39.77
said to me,
"Sometimes, Shelly--"
00:15:39.80\00:15:42.07
He said, "If you don't
take your plans to the Lord,
00:15:42.10\00:15:44.36
you'll end up doing the good
00:15:44.39\00:15:46.77
and sacrificing the best."
00:15:46.80\00:15:49.38
That's what you're saying. Yeah.
00:15:49.41\00:15:52.27
God has not just
a plan for our life,
00:15:52.30\00:15:55.79
a generic big plan,
00:15:55.82\00:15:57.19
but He has a plan
for everyday, every hour.
00:15:57.22\00:15:59.46
I believe that.
00:15:59.49\00:16:00.54
And we many times walk by
00:16:00.57\00:16:03.36
because we don't know that plan.
00:16:03.39\00:16:05.27
And I learnt in the morning
to go before God and I say,
00:16:05.30\00:16:07.71
"Make me sensitive,
00:16:07.74\00:16:09.04
open my eyes to
see Your plan today.
00:16:09.07\00:16:11.17
I want to fulfill my
plan, I want to be part of it."
00:16:11.20\00:16:14.02
I don't say this is my--
I do say this is my plan,
00:16:14.05\00:16:16.58
but then I say, "Open
my eyes to see Your plan
00:16:16.61\00:16:19.10
because Yours has
priority over to mine."
00:16:19.13\00:16:21.65
And I'll give you a
small, very short example.
00:16:21.68\00:16:24.74
My wife and I were driving
from Tennessee to Wisconsin,
00:16:24.77\00:16:28.20
we were visiting
our kids for few days
00:16:28.23\00:16:31.11
and before getting in
the car as usually we prayed
00:16:31.14\00:16:33.66
and I said, "God, now
we'll be driving 12 hours,
00:16:33.69\00:16:37.62
I don't want to loose 12 hours.
00:16:37.65\00:16:39.47
We need to do something,
maybe we listen to tapes,
00:16:39.50\00:16:42.11
maybe we talk, maybe we
call people on the phone,
00:16:42.14\00:16:44.75
but if You have plan for
us, please make it clear."
00:16:44.78\00:16:49.16
We got in the car, no answer
00:16:49.19\00:16:51.55
then we were driving,
after about 5, 6 hours drive,
00:16:51.58\00:16:55.26
we're on the
interstate and I hear the voice
00:16:55.29\00:16:57.64
talking to me, "Call
your classmate and the name."
00:16:57.67\00:17:02.45
And I smile and I said,
"I'm not gonna call him,
00:17:02.48\00:17:05.08
that guys talks too much.
00:17:05.11\00:17:07.84
He doesn't stop."
00:17:07.87\00:17:09.17
You knew you wouldn't
get off the phone, huh?
00:17:09.20\00:17:11.15
He is like--He is-- You
don't need to unplug him
00:17:11.18\00:17:14.17
because he goes on battery,
you know, he goes forever.
00:17:14.20\00:17:18.43
And I said, "I'm
not gonna call him."
00:17:18.46\00:17:20.33
But the voice
said, "Didn't you pray
00:17:20.36\00:17:21.67
that I show you My plan."
00:17:21.70\00:17:23.32
So I said, "Honey,
00:17:23.35\00:17:24.57
God is impressing
me to call this man."
00:17:24.60\00:17:27.79
I said, "Honey, if you call him,
00:17:27.82\00:17:29.95
we end up visiting
with him 5, 6, 7 hours.
00:17:29.98\00:17:32.75
We never get to the
board meeting tonight,
00:17:32.78\00:17:34.80
we don't get home in time."
00:17:34.83\00:17:36.25
And I said, "Do not call him."
00:17:36.28\00:17:37.95
I said, "Honey,
didn't we pray that."
00:17:37.98\00:17:39.95
I said then call
him. So I called him.
00:17:39.98\00:17:43.53
When I called him, he
said, "Where are you?"
00:17:43.56\00:17:46.14
Well, I'm just
driving by your exit.
00:17:46.17\00:17:48.37
He said, "Listen, I was
praying for the last two hours."
00:17:48.40\00:17:51.16
It was that snow storm in
the late winter this year.
00:17:51.19\00:17:56.71
And he said, "I was going
on a mission trip overseas
00:17:56.74\00:18:00.73
and because of the
storm the bus didn't come.
00:18:00.76\00:18:03.45
My car doesn't work
00:18:03.48\00:18:04.70
and I cannot find
anybody to give me a ride."
00:18:04.73\00:18:07.00
He said, "I know you
have four wheel drive,
00:18:07.03\00:18:09.39
I know you go that direction,
00:18:09.42\00:18:11.21
would you drop me to airport?"
00:18:11.24\00:18:13.12
So I pick him up, I
got him right in time
00:18:13.15\00:18:15.38
to catch the plane.
00:18:15.41\00:18:16.80
I was so happy. I got late for--
00:18:16.83\00:18:18.42
I didn't even go
to the board meeting.
00:18:18.45\00:18:20.05
Do it, I know you told me.
00:18:20.08\00:18:22.09
And I had such a fulfillment,
00:18:22.12\00:18:24.64
so much joy that I said, "God,
00:18:24.67\00:18:27.46
show me the plans
we have for this tape."
00:18:27.49\00:18:30.00
You know, every time
00:18:30.03\00:18:32.27
I have prayed for
divine appointment.
00:18:32.30\00:18:35.33
And I just
challenge you to do this
00:18:35.36\00:18:37.12
at home sometime try it.
00:18:37.15\00:18:38.83
If you pray in
the day and you say--
00:18:38.86\00:18:40.72
You know, the Bible
does say in Proverbs,
00:18:40.75\00:18:42.19
"Commit your plans to the Lord
00:18:42.22\00:18:43.50
and He will
cause them to succeed."
00:18:43.53\00:18:45.38
Well, that's after
you spent a lot of time
00:18:45.41\00:18:47.76
with the Lord saying,
"Lord, are these Your plans?"
00:18:47.79\00:18:50.19
But if you would get
up in the morning and say,
00:18:50.22\00:18:52.41
Lord, this is my
plan for the day.
00:18:52.44\00:18:54.96
Now you may interrupt-- If
this isn't Your perfect plan
00:18:54.99\00:18:58.11
then interrupt in anyway
00:18:58.14\00:18:59.62
and if you say Lord
give me a divine appointment.
00:18:59.65\00:19:02.56
He will every time.
00:19:02.59\00:19:04.46
He'll bring some stranger
that you can witness to.
00:19:04.49\00:19:07.09
And here you had
a divine appointment
00:19:07.12\00:19:09.05
to get this
pastor to the airport
00:19:09.08\00:19:11.41
so that he could go
on this missionary trip.
00:19:11.44\00:19:13.27
And it doesn't have
to be a big miracle.
00:19:13.30\00:19:16.02
It's just--God has His
plans every second, every hour.
00:19:16.05\00:19:20.83
And if He doesn't talk
now then you must wait.
00:19:20.86\00:19:24.36
Whenever He
talks, we must be ready.
00:19:24.39\00:19:26.32
You know, you said
something about Jacob
00:19:26.35\00:19:30.34
that toward the end
after he had confessed
00:19:30.37\00:19:33.67
who he was to God
and God changed His name
00:19:33.70\00:19:36.54
from Jacob to
Israel right there.
00:19:36.57\00:19:38.32
He gave him spiritual
name, but now Jacob looks to Him
00:19:38.35\00:19:42.68
and says I want to
know your name, who are You?
00:19:42.71\00:19:46.25
Don't you feel that one of
the important parts of prayer
00:19:46.28\00:19:50.77
is not just to lay our
request before the Lord
00:19:50.80\00:19:54.05
which we're supposed to
do, but the important part--
00:19:54.08\00:19:57.41
Most important
part of prayer is coming
00:19:57.44\00:19:59.93
and saying, "Lord, I
want to know who You are,
00:19:59.96\00:20:03.07
I want to understand
Your love, lead me, guide me,
00:20:03.10\00:20:05.78
direct me, you know,
take me in Your word,
00:20:05.81\00:20:08.20
show me who You are.
00:20:08.23\00:20:10.02
I want to expand my
vision of who You are
00:20:10.05\00:20:12.84
and I want to understand
who I am in Christ Jesus."
00:20:12.87\00:20:16.27
Absolutely.
00:20:16.30\00:20:19.09
When I used to date my
wife-- Actually I started to--
00:20:19.12\00:20:24.59
I put my eyes on her
since she was three years old
00:20:24.62\00:20:28.05
she was my very
first and last girl friend.
00:20:28.08\00:20:31.26
How old were you? Six.
00:20:31.29\00:20:32.96
You were six, okay.
00:20:32.99\00:20:34.13
And sure my sister
was making fun of me.
00:20:34.16\00:20:36.84
She said, you're gonna
change your mind many times.
00:20:36.87\00:20:40.58
Well, when I was dating her,
00:20:40.61\00:20:44.82
we were meeting at the
school or at the church
00:20:44.85\00:20:47.27
or in the park and I
was watching her face
00:20:47.30\00:20:50.59
and closing my eyes and trying
to picture her in my mind.
00:20:50.62\00:20:54.30
Her eyes, her cheeks, her
mouth, her lips, her nose.
00:20:54.33\00:20:59.32
Close enough that when I go home
00:20:59.35\00:21:01.29
I could imagine her and
then I got to understand
00:21:01.32\00:21:05.24
why God would compare our
relationship with marriage
00:21:05.27\00:21:09.27
because I started to
learn when I got to prayer
00:21:09.30\00:21:11.80
instead of just asking,
asking, asking, you know,
00:21:11.83\00:21:14.67
it was spiritual thinks asking.
00:21:14.70\00:21:17.23
I'm trying to learn how is God,
00:21:17.26\00:21:20.19
who is God, how He looks?
00:21:20.22\00:21:22.47
What is His character?
00:21:22.50\00:21:24.35
And that's mediation and
not the oriental mediation
00:21:24.38\00:21:26.59
that you focus on
nothing or focus on yourself.
00:21:26.62\00:21:29.06
But the Biblical
mediation that you talk
00:21:29.09\00:21:31.68
and then you let God talk to you
00:21:31.71\00:21:33.54
and you open the word and read
00:21:33.57\00:21:35.51
and then you
contemplate upon God's character
00:21:35.54\00:21:38.73
what He has done for you.
00:21:38.76\00:21:40.06
And not-- When we praise God,
00:21:40.09\00:21:43.02
we say, thank You,
for Your blessings.
00:21:43.05\00:21:44.92
That's not good enough.
He is like forgive my sins.
00:21:44.95\00:21:46.93
That's not good
enough. You got to be specific.
00:21:46.96\00:21:49.53
Do not forget
any of His blessings.
00:21:49.56\00:21:51.63
So I start
mentioning one by one.
00:21:51.66\00:21:54.29
You have helped me that
time when I was specific.
00:21:54.32\00:21:56.21
I praise You.
00:21:56.24\00:21:57.30
And then I contemplate of
what or what God has done for me
00:21:57.33\00:22:02.29
and then what I contemplate,
00:22:02.32\00:22:03.42
then what I contemplate
on His cross and His love
00:22:03.45\00:22:05.81
and His blessing
and His miracles.
00:22:05.84\00:22:07.66
The more I--The
happier I am and the more
00:22:07.69\00:22:09.86
I get to know Him.
00:22:09.89\00:22:11.22
So when I spend time with God,
00:22:11.25\00:22:14.04
that's the best
prayer and it happens
00:22:14.07\00:22:16.36
that throughout the
day I have more victories
00:22:16.39\00:22:18.97
then in the days
when I pray for my needs.
00:22:19.00\00:22:21.02
It's true, it's true.
00:22:21.05\00:22:22.93
And it's reminding me,
I believe it's Psalm 100
00:22:22.96\00:22:25.04
that says, "Enter His gates
with Thanksgiving in your heart,
00:22:25.07\00:22:28.76
enter His courts with praise."
00:22:28.79\00:22:30.72
The way I look at
it and I distinguish
00:22:30.75\00:22:33.11
Thanksgiving and praise.
00:22:33.14\00:22:34.42
Thanksgiving, I'm
thanking God for everything
00:22:34.45\00:22:37.02
He's done in my life, but praise
00:22:37.05\00:22:39.41
is where I'm praising
Him for His attributes,
00:22:39.44\00:22:43.27
His character,
His characteristics.
00:22:43.30\00:22:45.85
And you know,
we-- The Bible tells us
00:22:45.88\00:22:47.91
we were born.
00:22:47.94\00:22:49.65
I mean, we were
created to praise God.
00:22:49.68\00:22:51.95
And I always ask people why.
00:22:51.98\00:22:54.99
Do we feel that our
praise in anyway changes God?
00:22:55.02\00:22:59.54
Not so ever. But
praise changes us.
00:22:59.57\00:23:03.32
And we come into
the Lord, thanking Him
00:23:03.35\00:23:06.03
for what He's done,
remembering what He's done.
00:23:06.06\00:23:08.88
And then beginning to praise Him
00:23:08.91\00:23:10.52
for who He is all
of His characteristics,
00:23:10.55\00:23:13.81
it changes our attitude
so that as we're pressing
00:23:13.84\00:23:17.72
into His presence and in prayer.
00:23:17.75\00:23:19.91
We recognize who
were coming before.
00:23:19.94\00:23:23.17
Absolutely. And it is
so nice, it is so simple.
00:23:23.20\00:23:27.64
Paul says that we are changed
00:23:27.67\00:23:29.20
from glory to
glory by beholding.
00:23:29.23\00:23:31.36
As we behold Him,
He's worth all our praises
00:23:31.39\00:23:34.47
regardless how many.
00:23:34.50\00:23:35.72
As we praise Him and behold Him,
00:23:35.75\00:23:37.69
we don't even realizing,
we start shining like Moses,
00:23:37.72\00:23:41.03
reflecting His
character in our life. Yes, yes.
00:23:41.06\00:23:44.53
Have you found--
One of my favorite parts
00:23:44.56\00:23:49.51
for praise is I'll go
back through the Psalm
00:23:49.54\00:23:51.77
sometimes and read them
00:23:51.80\00:23:53.21
and right them out in
my own words or something
00:23:53.24\00:23:55.26
because David-- The only way--
00:23:55.29\00:23:57.70
And I don't mean
this to sound wrong.
00:23:57.73\00:23:59.31
I hope it doesn't, but
when I look at David's love
00:23:59.34\00:24:02.45
for the Lord, it was the word
00:24:02.48\00:24:05.66
that I would want to
describe it is as far as
00:24:05.69\00:24:09.35
an American word would be
or an English word would be.
00:24:09.38\00:24:13.02
It's almost
like a romantic love.
00:24:13.05\00:24:14.74
He had such an
intimate love for the Lord
00:24:14.77\00:24:17.06
that you read what He wrote
00:24:17.09\00:24:19.10
and it's almost
like what we with--
00:24:19.13\00:24:21.23
You're talking
about dating your wife.
00:24:21.26\00:24:22.93
He talked about God
in such glowing ways.
00:24:22.96\00:24:25.78
It's like a man who's
got this love for a bride.
00:24:25.81\00:24:30.02
I think that praise is something
00:24:30.05\00:24:32.41
that we really haven't
learned how to do very well.
00:24:32.44\00:24:35.80
What do you think? Absolutely.
00:24:35.83\00:24:37.83
I think that we spend
so much time in prayer
00:24:37.86\00:24:40.67
asking and just
so little praising.
00:24:40.70\00:24:43.37
We should switch it around
00:24:43.40\00:24:45.60
and should spend
just a little asking
00:24:45.63\00:24:47.42
because God knows,
He knows our needs.
00:24:47.45\00:24:50.65
What can we tell Him
that He doesn't know?
00:24:50.68\00:24:53.07
Now He cares for us more than
00:24:53.10\00:24:54.52
we do certainly He does.
00:24:54.55\00:24:56.50
So we don't need to inform Him,
00:24:56.53\00:24:58.30
to explain Him
to given Him methods
00:24:58.33\00:25:00.77
how to solve our problems.
00:25:00.80\00:25:02.26
He had a solution
before we had a problem.
00:25:02.29\00:25:04.76
So we'd rather say,
You know, my problems,
00:25:04.79\00:25:08.54
I just put them before You
just to give Your permission,
00:25:08.57\00:25:10.73
just to let You
know that I need You,
00:25:10.76\00:25:13.41
may your will be done.
00:25:13.44\00:25:14.75
But now I'm gonna spend
all my time focusing on You
00:25:14.78\00:25:18.40
and knowing who You
are, I'm praising You.
00:25:18.43\00:25:20.28
So we should switches around
00:25:20.31\00:25:21.57
and I spend more
time praising God.
00:25:21.60\00:25:23.39
And one way that
you've discussed in the past
00:25:23.42\00:25:25.90
and something I
also do is to make prayer
00:25:25.93\00:25:28.73
a two way communication
you get into the word
00:25:28.76\00:25:31.87
and let the Lord speak
to you through the word.
00:25:31.90\00:25:33.84
So when you're
praying and asking God,
00:25:33.87\00:25:36.25
"Oh, Lord, I want to know You."
00:25:36.28\00:25:38.32
Don't just sit there say, Lord,
00:25:38.35\00:25:40.30
show me who You are in the word
00:25:40.33\00:25:41.98
and get into the
word in a new way
00:25:42.01\00:25:43.92
where you are contemplating
the character of God.
00:25:43.95\00:25:47.59
And sometimes we pray
00:25:47.62\00:25:49.81
and stand up and hurry to leave.
00:25:49.84\00:25:51.80
Oh, boy. That's
big mistake in prayer.
00:25:51.83\00:25:54.52
Exactly.
00:25:54.55\00:25:55.73
In "Thoughts From
The Mount Of Blessing"
00:25:55.76\00:26:00.35
I believe, the English
name page 52 I believe,
00:26:00.38\00:26:05.41
52 to 58 right there it says,
00:26:05.44\00:26:08.43
when every voice
from our mind is hush,
00:26:08.46\00:26:11.29
is quite after we study and pray
00:26:11.32\00:26:14.76
in the quietness of our soul,
we allow God to talk to us.
00:26:14.79\00:26:19.50
So when I pray, I pray, I study
00:26:19.53\00:26:22.35
and then I think
about it then I pray again,
00:26:22.38\00:26:24.34
I study and then I think.
00:26:24.37\00:26:25.65
I don't just pray and leave
00:26:25.68\00:26:27.84
or just stay quite for one hour.
00:26:27.87\00:26:29.60
Like, I just myself I
cannot do that. My mind goes.
00:26:29.63\00:26:33.53
You know, when the Lord
first started teaching me
00:26:33.56\00:26:36.47
to pray for an
hour, two hours at a time
00:26:36.50\00:26:38.59
in the morning, I
remember the very first time,
00:26:38.62\00:26:42.18
I thought I would
prayed for two hours
00:26:42.21\00:26:43.88
and I thought I
was through praying
00:26:43.91\00:26:45.58
and all of a sudden He said,
00:26:45.61\00:26:47.57
"Be still and
know that I am God."
00:26:47.60\00:26:50.25
And it is-- There is something.
00:26:50.28\00:26:51.89
Especially even when
we're praying for healing,
00:26:51.92\00:26:54.40
if we're praying sometimes
I'll pray with somebody
00:26:54.43\00:26:56.67
and we have earnest prayer
as soon as we finish praying,
00:26:56.70\00:26:59.67
everybody just
starts talking normally
00:26:59.70\00:27:01.83
and you go no,
no, no, no, sit here
00:27:01.86\00:27:03.47
and receive from the
Lord, you know, if we need to.
00:27:03.50\00:27:06.91
Our time is already
has slipped away so fast,
00:27:06.94\00:27:11.03
but we want you
to come back again.
00:27:11.06\00:27:13.01
And, Pastor Pavel
Goia, thank you so much
00:27:13.04\00:27:16.62
for being a man of God.
00:27:16.65\00:27:18.22
Thank you so
much for the witness
00:27:18.25\00:27:20.05
that you are for the Lord.
00:27:20.08\00:27:21.67
Praise the Lord. Thank
you for inviting me here.
00:27:21.70\00:27:23.82
Well, it's our joy.
00:27:23.85\00:27:25.39
And I hope those of you at home
00:27:25.42\00:27:27.97
will throw off those
sins that easily entangle,
00:27:28.00\00:27:31.39
you look at that
great cloud of witnesses
00:27:31.42\00:27:33.40
that we have in the Hebrews 11,
00:27:33.43\00:27:35.79
Chapter of Faith and pray to God
00:27:35.82\00:27:38.56
that He will help
you to keep your eyes
00:27:38.59\00:27:41.35
on our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:27:41.38\00:27:42.87
the Author and
Finisher of our faith
00:27:42.90\00:27:44.80
because when you've
got your eyes on Him,
00:27:44.83\00:27:46.94
you will become who you behold.
00:27:46.97\00:27:49.14
May the Lord multiply His
mercy, love and grace to you.
00:27:49.17\00:27:52.25
Please join us again.
00:27:52.28\00:27:53.85