Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn
and welcome again to Issues and
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Answers. Today the issue is
going to be how to get to know
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God better. The answer is
we're going to offering you some
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practical helps how to develop
an intimate devotional life with
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the Lord. Let me share one
of my favorite scriptures with
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you. This is something that
David wrote and it comes from
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Psalm 63 beginning with verse 1.
Listen to David's heart. He said
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Oh God, you are my God.
Earnestly will I seek you. My
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flesh thirsts for you and
longs for you in a dry and weary
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land where there is no water.
Do you ever feel like you're in
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a dry and weary land where there
is no water. He said, So I have
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looked upon you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your
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glory. Because your love is
better than life, my lips shall
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praise you. So I will bless
you while I live and I will
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lift up my hands in your
name. When I read what David's
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thoughts were toward the Lord,
his love is so intimate the only
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word that I can think to
describe it, and this sounds
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somehow askew, but it's almost
like David had a romantic love
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for the Lord, because it was so
intimate. What we are going to
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do today is talk with a couple
who know how to share this type
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of intimacy with the Lord. God
has led them into a devotional
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life where they really came
to know their loving Father for
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the magnificent Father that
he is. Let me introduce to you
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again Janet Page and Jerry Page.
They come to us from the Central
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California Conference.
Jerry what do you do?
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Well, I'm president of the
Central California Conference
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and the el hephae, the chief.
Janet, I know that you are the
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director of Women's Ministries,
but you also play a very
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important part in the conference
when it comes to prayer.
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What do you do there. Oh, the
same thing, Prayer Ministries,
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trying to encourage that
throughout the conference.
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You know, you are a marvelous
director of prayer ministries
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because I have been, and I
just have to share this with the
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audience, I have spoken
in California at the Soquel
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camp meeting. I think that's one
of the largest isn't it? Yes.
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and then at the Women's Retreat,
I did a couple of Women's
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Retreats. I've never been so
prayed up in my life. I mean,
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you have really taught
the people how to be prayer
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warriors. Now what is the
difference between having a
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real living, dynamic, breathing
devotional life with God and one
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that's just dry,
everyday ordinary?
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Well, Shelley, Janet and I
sure don't think we have it all
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together, but God has just been
teaching us some things along
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the way that make it different
for us. A friend of my named
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Gordon has a little routine.
He tells about a story every
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day with his cat, Slippers.
He'd come sleepy in his bathrobe
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to feed his cat in the garage
and Slippers would see him
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out of one eye like cats do
and sort of not be interested.
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He'd pick up the dry cat food,
pour it in the bowl. Finally
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about the time he'd leave
Slippers would get up and go
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over and start eating. Then
he said one day when he came out
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same routine, dry cat food,
Slippers not interested, but as
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he was pouring the food out
of the bag, out tumbled a living
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mouse. And he said suddenly
Slippers was alert, at attention
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and the words great taste
and fresh on the bag meant a lot
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more than they had before. So
devotional life is kind of like
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that. I find many times it's
pretty dry for me. It's like
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studying an old history book
or something, but at other times
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when I really ask God to help
me and I begin to focus on him
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instead of myself and my sins
and really go to the Word and
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say, Speak to me out or it,
it becomes alive. It's God's
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presence there, you know, and
so today we would like to share
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a few things that have helped us
even though we sure don't have
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it together. One little story
maybe just gives an example.
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You know I am an administrator
and I have to work with a lot
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of people. I got back from a
trip and this guy was doing it
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again. He just loved to have a
juicy little tid bit of gossip.
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I know nobody around 3ABN ever
does that. But anyway, it upset
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me, annoyed me because I had
talked to him about it before.
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He was going around behind this
couple's back and saying things
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about them that was hurting
their reputation. So I made an
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appointment with him for
the next Tuesday and I made my
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little list, a legal brief,
of the things he had been doing.
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My plan was to sit down with
him and kind of go over that
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list and watch him squirm and
then change his behavior. But
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that morning I did what is so
important; I decided I'd spend
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some time with God and that's
the first principle obviously
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is just doing it, spend time,
take the time in a busy life
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to do it, and I did. As I
went I said, God, you know, my
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devotions have really been
getting boring and dry lately.
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It's like trying to draw
something out of an old textbook
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I said, Please, will you speak
to me today. You know, there is
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a lot of evidence in the word
and other places that says when
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we go to God's word, it is
his voice really speaking to us
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just as though we've heard
it with our ears. You teach that
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and know it. So anyway, that day
I happened to be reading through
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Proverbs. When I got to Proverbs
12, I was reading down through
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it, the Lord started speaking
to me. These texts began to
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jump off the page there in
Proverbs 12 and we won't look
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them up now, but a fool
shows his annoyance at once.
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Yeah, I was annoyed with this
guy all right. I wasn't thinking
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about him but God was
speaking to me. Then it goes on,
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reckless words pierce like
a sword, but the tongue of the
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wise brings healing. I began to
hear God was rebuking me about
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how I was going to deal with
this man. A prudent man keeps
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his knowledge to himself; and
I was going to pour the whole
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load on his that day. A
righteous man is cautious in his
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friendships. When I got done
I said, Okay, Lord, I hear you.
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Ah, you're speaking to me. And
you know, even thought he was
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rebuking me I was so glad he was
there and he was speaking to me.
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It was real and I felt
like he led me to Galatians 6:1
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that morning, which
says, Brothers, if any man is
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overtaken in a trespass, you
who are spiritual restore such
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a one in a spirit of gentleness,
remembering yourself lest you
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also be tempted and it goes
on talking about bearing each
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other's burdens. I thought, Okay
God, I'm right about the facts,
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but I'm so wrong in spirit.
You know, I have another friend
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who says I do my best sinning
when I'm right. That's been my
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problem, too. Anyway that day
when I went to meet with that
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man I started by reading
Galatians 6:1 and I said,
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You know, friend, I have a
problem; I say negative things
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about people behind their back
sometimes. I said, Would you
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pray for me that I'll be more
like Jesus. Then I told him a
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little bit of what I knew. He
got the point. We ended up with
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our arms around each other,
Shelley, praying for each other
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that we'd be more like Christ.
That was much better ending
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to that meeting. You know, I
could tell you lots of stories
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that didn't turn out so good,
but that's one that did and I'm
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thankful. But, you know, that
night when I got home... this
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is what's so good about
God and which excites me is...
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there was a pastor on the
phone to me. He was really upset
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because some of his members
was going around behind his
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back and saying things about
him that weren't true. He said
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tomorrow I'm going to sit
them down and I'm really going
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to straighten them out. Isn't
God wonderful. He got me up
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early and worked me over so I
would have a better meeting with
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my man at the office and then
got me ready to speak a word
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as you say out of Isaiah 50,
a word to the one who needed it
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later that night to help
him have a better experience.
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So to me a living experience
is when I ask God to really say
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something to me. Then I journal
those things, write them down,
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so that I won't forget them and
then I come back and I think,
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God, that was wonderful
how you spoke to me that day.
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I want to go to his word
every day realizing that it's an
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audience with him and he will
literally take verses written
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1000s of years ago and make
them real for the day for me.
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That's what I need. That's what
I was just getting ready to say;
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ready to say; here's those
verses from Proverbs, Solomon
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wrote them 1000s of years ago,
yet this word is alive, active,
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sharper than any two-edged
sword isn't it. Praise the Lord!
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Janet, in this life we talked
the last time you were here
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about how busy things can
become and how it's one of the
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devil's tactics just to keep
us going at this helter-skelter
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pace, which we all do now days.
It seems this is the common
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complaint. We're all
time starved. What are some
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practical ways that
we can make time for God?
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Practical way we can make time?
Well, I ask God to wake me up.
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I let him know that I have
to begin my day at six or seven,
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whatever time it is I need
to get in the shower and start
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getting ready for work. So
it is up to God how much time he
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wants before that, so I let him
wake me up. For a while I fought
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against that, I saying if I
get up now, I'll have a headache
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or I'll be irritable and kept
fighting against it, but God,
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if I'd ask, would keep trying
to wake me up. I finally decided
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okay I'm going to do it, but if
I'm irritable, I'm going to tell
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everybody its God's fault if
I've got a headache or whatever.
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But what I found was I was
way less irritable, had way less
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headaches when I'd get up when
God wanted me to and spend that
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time with him. I don't
know how it is for your or our
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audience, but that are
some times that life is in such
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turmoil, so much going on, I
cannot concentrate on reading
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God's word. It's like moving,
moving across country, when we
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moved to California, just that
trip across country it was just
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my little boy and I
driving across because Jerry was
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already out there. I was so
anxious about it all. I just
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couldn't concentrate. There
have been other times when just
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everything is coming at me. The
thing I found that I used to do
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was I'd take one verse and say
Lord, just help me get something
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out of this verse, and I'd just
keep saying it over and over
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out loud and asking God to speak
to me through it and just keep
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trying to focus on that.
The thing that has really helped
00:10:08.08\00:10:11.48
me in the last year or so
now that I've learned it is your
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book, "Exalting God's Word"
because I can take those life
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affirmations in the back
and just start speaking them out
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loud. A lot of times I can't
sit still because there is so
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much coming at me, so I'll
go out and walk, walk outdoors,
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and I'll take those and just
keep saying them out loud over
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my life. I pray first for God
to bless me, for the Holy Spirit
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to speak to me through
it and just keep doing them.
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And I'll feel like I'm not
getting a thing out of it, but
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when it's all done with, I have
such a joy and a peace and it's
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just like I'm renewed in
God when I take time to do that.
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You know, my experience has been
much the same in exalting his
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word. Someone said to me at a
camp meeting that they had read
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the book through twice and I'm
on the third time. Well I said
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I've already read it over
20 times and it still ministers
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to me and I give God all
the glory for that. But when you
00:11:02.86\00:11:06.46
are taking his scriptures...
One thing I always do is I pray
00:11:06.49\00:11:09.30
before I come to the word and
open it and I always pray and
00:11:09.33\00:11:15.23
claim John 17:17: Lord sanctify
me by this word. Set me apart
00:11:15.26\00:11:21.13
from evil by this word and
ask God to speak to you and he
00:11:21.16\00:11:24.42
really, really does. So
praise the Lord for that.
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Well, I want to be sure
that our audience realizes we're
00:11:26.75\00:11:30.93
talking about God's word when
I talk about your book "Exalting
00:11:30.96\00:11:34.12
God's Word" because what
I'm talking about is in the last
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pages of it are all these
scriptures and just taking
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God's word, but I just like the
order that they're in because
00:11:39.49\00:11:42.96
they each deal with a certain
subject, certain area of my
00:11:42.99\00:11:47.03
life. The other thing is, the
last time we met and I talked
00:11:47.06\00:11:52.09
about how I started getting into
spending that time every day
00:11:52.12\00:11:54.81
with God and how God just
started speaking to me through
00:11:54.84\00:11:59.52
his word. It was so exciting
to me that I loved to share with
00:11:59.55\00:12:02.35
people how he'd spoken to me
that day. Then it stopped and
00:12:02.38\00:12:07.19
I started saying, God why don't
you talk to me. Again, I'm not
00:12:07.22\00:12:10.66
hearing voices; it's his word.
00:12:10.69\00:12:13.59
Let me set this straight. It's
I Kings 19:12 that talks about
00:12:13.62\00:12:17.08
the still small voice of the
Lord and that's when the Holy
00:12:17.11\00:12:21.19
Spirit impresses God's thought
upon your mind and I believe
00:12:21.22\00:12:25.71
most Christians have heard the
voice of the Lord that thought
00:12:25.74\00:12:29.59
that's being impressed upon you.
00:12:29.62\00:12:30.62
Once in a while when I talk
to her I wish she'd think it
00:12:30.65\00:12:32.37
was coming from the Lord.
00:12:32.40\00:12:33.40
Well, it's like your heart
is quickened as you read it and
00:12:33.43\00:12:38.60
it just applies to just what you
need right now. But it stopped
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and I started praying and asking
God, Why aren't you talking me
00:12:43.42\00:12:47.20
through your word like you did?
I loved it and it took me a few
00:12:47.23\00:12:51.31
days before God finally answered
me. It was just that quiet
00:12:51.34\00:12:54.82
faint thought was, You don't
care about what I show you.
00:12:54.85\00:12:57.30
I said, What do you mean I don't
care. Of course I care, I get
00:12:57.33\00:13:00.91
all excited about it and I share
it with others. He said, You
00:13:00.94\00:13:04.60
forget, you forget what I've
said to you, you forget what I
00:13:04.63\00:13:07.77
told you to do. Because a
lot of times it's something he's
00:13:07.80\00:13:10.22
wanting me to do and I'll go,
Oh, yeah, yeah, I need to do.
00:13:10.25\00:13:12.72
that, but then I don't ever do
it. I forget about it. What he
00:13:12.75\00:13:17.20
started showing me in the Old
Testament over and over again
00:13:17.23\00:13:19.25
what Israel's biggest
problem was they forgot, they
00:13:19.28\00:13:23.68
forgot what God had said,
they forgot what God had done in
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their lives and because of that
they ended up going away from
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him. I found it's really
important to God that I write
00:13:30.19\00:13:34.60
down what he has said to me or
what it is he wants me to do, to
00:13:34.63\00:13:39.08
write down the things he's
saying. If I want him to keep
00:13:39.11\00:13:41.68
speaking to me, if I really
value it I'll write it down.
00:13:41.71\00:13:45.44
As Jerry mentioned before,
journaling; I found it's a
00:13:45.47\00:13:49.19
really important part to try to
write down things God saying to
00:13:49.22\00:13:51.56
me through his word. You
know, I have journaled since
00:13:51.59\00:13:55.57
1999 every day. I shouldn't
say every day this year because
00:13:55.60\00:14:00.61
there have been some gaps there
unfortunately. But as you were
00:14:00.64\00:14:04.75
saying, there's a time or
two that the Lord has come to me
00:14:04.78\00:14:07.32
and I realize that what is
saying is, You're forgetting
00:14:07.35\00:14:10.66
what I've told you, but I can
go back through 1999 and see how
00:14:10.69\00:14:15.16
the Lord has led and what
he said and it's so meaningful.
00:14:15.19\00:14:19.10
Sometimes even though we do
journal it, it's just good to go
00:14:19.13\00:14:22.94
back and review occasionally.
00:14:22.97\00:14:24.48
My personality and schedule are
not such that I journal every
00:14:24.51\00:14:26.89
day. I think if I had to do that
I may quit. But I journal those
00:14:26.92\00:14:30.57
times that it's something very
special or I'm going through a
00:14:30.60\00:14:32.90
crisis or things are coming
at me in my church business that
00:14:32.93\00:14:35.91
I can't handle especially and
so those are the times that I
00:14:35.94\00:14:39.46
want to remember and then I
go back on January 1 every year
00:14:39.49\00:14:42.31
I go over my whole journal for
the year and I'm amazed again
00:14:42.34\00:14:45.23
at what God has done for me and
all the things I've forgotten:
00:14:45.26\00:14:48.55
the little answers to prayer
and the little providences and
00:14:48.58\00:14:50.51
all those things and it just
pumps me up and I'm ready for
00:14:50.54\00:14:53.52
the year. That's
a great way to start
00:14:53.55\00:14:55.85
the new year off. That's
a good New Year's tradition.
00:14:55.88\00:14:58.45
Better than a football game.
One time we were asked to speak
00:14:58.48\00:15:00.63
somewhere where we had been
before and Jerry says what are
00:15:00.66\00:15:02.33
we going to do? We have a whole
hour. I said, Well, why don't
00:15:02.36\00:15:05.02
you go read your journal over
the last year to see what God's
00:15:05.05\00:15:08.25
done. Let's talk about what
God's done. He said, Janet we
00:15:08.28\00:15:10.88
have a whole hour. He said
there's no way. I said, Well
00:15:10.91\00:15:13.55
just go read your journal. So
he did and he comes back later
00:15:13.58\00:15:16.91
and he says, Wow! God did
so many things this last year.
00:15:16.94\00:15:19.87
And we have only got
an hour to talk about it.
00:15:19.90\00:15:22.12
That's right! Exactly. I
said I've got to share it with
00:15:22.15\00:15:24.65
you. He said,
I've got to split the
00:15:24.68\00:15:25.99
hour with you. But we forget
what God has done. I don't
00:15:26.02\00:15:29.83
journal every day. There isn't
always that time or God doesn't
00:15:29.86\00:15:33.71
lead to do that. But I try to
do it pretty regularly to keep
00:15:33.74\00:15:37.84
track of all he's done. Because
it makes such a difference;
00:15:38.13\00:15:40.43
it builds your faith.
Amen, praise the Lord.
00:15:40.47\00:15:42.66
Now, you all also talked about
a type... and we're not trying
00:15:42.69\00:15:48.51
to give you a formula for prayer
because there are so many ways
00:15:48.54\00:15:52.63
to pray. There's not a wrong
way to pray, if you pray with a
00:15:52.66\00:15:56.10
believing, repentant heart,
that's the most important thing.
00:15:56.13\00:15:59.42
But you have a format that
you call ACTS. Would you tell us
00:15:59.45\00:16:03.38
about that. Well,
there are a number of
00:16:03.41\00:16:04.74
formats: There's the Lord's
prayer and things and like you
00:16:04.77\00:16:06.82
said, Shelley, it's not that
we have to do it "right" or a
00:16:06.85\00:16:09.32
certain way; we just pour out
our hearts. But lots of times
00:16:09.35\00:16:11.83
I find my mind wandering in
prayer and thinking about my
00:16:11.86\00:16:13.92
work and thinking about this
or that and that may be okay to
00:16:13.95\00:16:16.47
pray about that too, but
sometimes I follow the format
00:16:16.50\00:16:19.62
just to keep me going down
through. Maybe we could just
00:16:19.65\00:16:21.42
read several scriptures.
The ACTS prayer is one that many
00:16:21.45\00:16:25.00
have talked about and adoration
is the first step. I like to
00:16:25.03\00:16:28.48
focus on God first. If I start
thinking about me, my sins and
00:16:28.51\00:16:31.55
my needs, I get depressed. So
I think about God and all he can
00:16:31.58\00:16:34.69
do for me and his promises. I
get excited and actually if we
00:16:34.72\00:16:38.84
praise, things happen in our
brain, endorphins are shot out
00:16:38.87\00:16:41.63
and we actually change our
attitude. So I want to start
00:16:41.66\00:16:43.74
focusing on him. Of course
Psalm 100, David said that as
00:16:43.77\00:16:46.63
well. He said enter into
his gates how? With thanksgiving
00:16:46.66\00:16:49.85
and enter into his courts with
praise. So I believe we go in
00:16:49.88\00:16:53.43
first with praise and adoration.
So the A is adoration.
00:16:53.46\00:16:56.26
Then, of course, I John 1:9 and
if you're thinking of even going
00:16:56.29\00:16:59.41
into the sanctuary the next
thing was the altar sacrifice.
00:16:59.44\00:17:01.59
So confession, repentance.
So I do then ask God to show me
00:17:01.62\00:17:06.49
things. I John 1:9: If we
confess he is faithful and just
00:17:06.52\00:17:10.64
to forgive us but also to
cleanse us. See you have the
00:17:10.67\00:17:13.91
altar of sacrifice and the laver
there. So that is something
00:17:13.94\00:17:17.45
that I also want to do.
But then of course thirdly
00:17:17.48\00:17:20.67
thanksgiving, that's the
T, thanksgiving. I think of
00:17:20.70\00:17:23.84
Philippians 4 there
when you are thinking of that
00:17:23.87\00:17:26.02
Philippians 4:6: He says be
anxious about nothing. I'd like
00:17:26.05\00:17:29.81
to learn that one. But
in everything by prayer and
00:17:29.84\00:17:32.64
supplication with what?
Thanksgiving; let your requests
00:17:32.67\00:17:35.69
be made known to God.
Then the peace of God...
00:17:35.72\00:17:37.91
That's J.D.'s favorite scripture
I mean that's just his very
00:17:37.94\00:17:42.44
favorite. So
thanksgiving. Thanksgiving
00:17:42.47\00:17:44.38
and praise are different in
that praise talks about God and
00:17:44.41\00:17:47.15
his characteristics, his names,
who he is. Thanksgiving thanks
00:17:47.18\00:17:49.96
him for the specific things he's
done for me. Then lastly, of
00:17:49.99\00:17:52.93
course is S or supplication,
petitions and I like 1 John 4
00:17:52.96\00:17:56.14
on that one, or 1 John 5:14,
15. It says, Now this is the
00:17:56.17\00:18:03.40
confidence that we have in
him that if we ask anything
00:18:03.43\00:18:06.42
according to his will he hears
us and if we know that he hears
00:18:06.45\00:18:08.99
us whatever we ask, we know
that we have the petitions that
00:18:09.02\00:18:12.16
we've asked of him. Then,
you know, we'll share in other
00:18:12.19\00:18:15.20
programs and all the ways it's
so changed our lives to pray
00:18:15.23\00:18:18.38
together, to pray as a family
and just see God doing his
00:18:18.41\00:18:20.38
mighty miracles in our ministry.
You know he's there and it's
00:18:20.41\00:18:25.03
very specific, but putting the
hand on the promise just like
00:18:25.06\00:18:27.60
my parents did when they were
praying for me to come back to
00:18:27.63\00:18:29.66
him, claiming a specific promise
and then watching him work in a
00:18:29.69\00:18:32.82
specific way gives me great
faith. So if I pray through
00:18:32.85\00:18:36.00
those four things... And
you'll find the Lord's prayer
00:18:36.03\00:18:38.13
has the same components. Daniel
9 is another example. If you
00:18:38.16\00:18:40.63
look Daniel starts out praising,
then he goes to confessing, he
00:18:40.66\00:18:44.03
says we've sinned. Daniel 9 is
a powerful example of the ACTS
00:18:44.06\00:18:48.03
prayer if we have time. Daniel
says in verse 3, I set my face
00:18:48.06\00:18:57.57
toward God to make requests
by prayer and supplications with
00:18:57.60\00:19:00.63
fasting, sackcloth and
ashes. You see, Daniel had been
00:19:00.66\00:19:03.04
thinking about the prophecy,
verse 2, of Jeremiah the prophet
00:19:03.07\00:19:06.22
that they'd be delivered in
70 years. He goes to God and he
00:19:06.25\00:19:09.09
says, You know God, you got
this prophecy; you should be
00:19:09.12\00:19:11.89
acting, you should do something
for Jerusalem, you should set us
00:19:11.92\00:19:14.43
free here. He
prayed to the Lord into
00:19:14.46\00:19:16.53
remembrance of his word.
Then he says, I prayed to the
00:19:16.57\00:19:19.08
Lord and made confession, but
he starts out praising: O Lord
00:19:19.12\00:19:22.28
great and awesome God who keeps
his covenant and mercy to those
00:19:22.31\00:19:25.43
who love him and with
those who keep his commandments.
00:19:25.47\00:19:27.49
The confession: We have sinned
and committed iniquity, we have
00:19:27.52\00:19:30.86
done wickedly. With Daniel, you
never see any rebuke of Daniel
00:19:30.90\00:19:34.07
in the scripture, but he says,
We have sinned, we have done
00:19:34.11\00:19:37.23
wickedly, we have departed
from your precepts and verse 6,
00:19:37.26\00:19:40.35
neither have we heeded
your servants the prophets.
00:19:40.38\00:19:44.06
So it goes on, praise,
confession and then, of course,
00:19:44.10\00:19:47.80
throughout the verses,
especially over in verse 14, he
00:19:47.83\00:19:51.67
starts giving specific
thanksgiving for things God has
00:19:51.70\00:19:55.47
done for them. Then he comes
to petition in verse 16 and he
00:19:55.50\00:19:58.94
says, Lord according to
all your righteousness, I pray
00:19:58.97\00:20:01.74
let your anger and your fury
be turned away from your city
00:20:01.77\00:20:04.58
Jerusalem, your holy mountain,
and he goes into very specific
00:20:04.61\00:20:07.69
prayer there for the deliverance
of Jerusalem based on the
00:20:07.72\00:20:11.41
promise of Jeremiah that God
would do it. So you see the ACTS
00:20:11.44\00:20:14.40
in a beautiful way and then,
of course, God had already sent
00:20:14.43\00:20:17.36
Gabriel to come and answer the
prayer and then you follow the
00:20:17.39\00:20:20.28
prophecies and
you see what happens.
00:20:20.31\00:20:21.44
So the ACTS, you went through
that. You're from New York,
00:20:21.47\00:20:26.58
you went through that quite
rapidly. So that's Adoration,
00:20:26.62\00:20:31.73
that's the A, C is
for confession, T is for
00:20:31.76\00:20:35.06
Thanksgiving and S
is for supplication.
00:20:35.09\00:20:38.32
It's interesting because and
you're familiar, I've done this
00:20:38.35\00:20:42.66
teaching in your conference,
that it's so similar. You see
00:20:42.69\00:20:46.92
these different formats the Lord
gives us. When I asked the Lord
00:20:46.96\00:20:50.06
to teach me how to pray, I
didn't even realize as I was
00:20:50.09\00:20:53.83
journaling my prayer, writing
my prayer out like it was a
00:20:53.87\00:20:58.01
letter to God. I would label,
just being my personality, I'd
00:20:58.05\00:21:01.44
say okay Lord teach me how
to pray and the first thing was
00:21:01.48\00:21:04.80
praise, it was thanksgiving and
praise and I labeled it praise.
00:21:04.84\00:21:09.64
Then the next he led me
into repentance, I labeled it
00:21:09.68\00:21:13.39
repentance. Then affirmation,
getting into the word, praying
00:21:13.43\00:21:16.21
it back to him. Then
intercession, then supplication.
00:21:16.24\00:21:21.11
So I had PRAISE and then I
thought I was ready to say in
00:21:21.15\00:21:25.95
Jesus name, Amen, and he said
Be still and know that I am God.
00:21:25.99\00:21:30.53
Exalt my by listening. So
that was PRAISE. It's all very
00:21:30.56\00:21:38.49
familiar. You see that the Lord
leads in a similar way. I do
00:21:38.52\00:21:42.31
think that what you said is
critical that we get our eyes..
00:21:42.34\00:21:46.51
You know this, in the beginning
when you prayed, Janet, wasn't
00:21:46.54\00:21:50.41
it like you were going to God
for his hand, you were seeking
00:21:50.44\00:21:54.13
his hands, not his face. You
were seeking what God could do
00:21:54.17\00:21:58.38
for you. But we go to the Lord
to seek his face and to know
00:21:58.41\00:22:02.60
who he is. When we start of
by praise and thanksgiving and
00:22:02.63\00:22:06.88
and adoration, you can be down
in the dumps and come to the
00:22:06.91\00:22:10.37
Lord and start praying like that
and by the time you get around
00:22:10.41\00:22:13.83
to asking him, what you're
asking is to be more like him.
00:22:13.86\00:22:17.63
The beautiful to me though about
God that I've learned is in the
00:22:17.66\00:22:22.92
past, years ago, I would try
to spend time with God and I'd
00:22:22.95\00:22:25.79
give up and I'd say what's the
use. The only reason I'm doing
00:22:25.83\00:22:28.43
it is because I want to go to
heaven, I don't really love you.
00:22:28.46\00:22:31.03
Actually, did you
say this to the Lord?
00:22:31.06\00:22:34.85
Yeah. But what I found is it
does not matter what our motives
00:22:34.89\00:22:39.75
are in seeking God, he wants
so much to spend time with each
00:22:39.78\00:22:44.61
one of us to show us that
he loves us. He'll take us no
00:22:44.64\00:22:48.07
matter what the reason is.
It's just amazing to me the
00:22:48.10\00:22:51.45
difference the Holy Spirit makes
in helping you to understand
00:22:51.49\00:22:54.57
all that and to understand
his word, because I used to get
00:22:54.61\00:22:57.62
discouraged reading scriptures
where it talks about the
00:22:57.65\00:23:00.59
righteous, the righteous, the
righteous prayer, the prayer of
00:23:00.63\00:23:03.93
the righteous man and
that's not me because I'm not
00:23:03.97\00:23:07.25
righteous. But I came to realize
is, and I believe it was because
00:23:07.29\00:23:11.46
people were praying for the Holy
Spirit in my life, was I am the
00:23:11.50\00:23:15.32
righteous because of the blood
of Jesus, I am the righteous.
00:23:15.36\00:23:19.90
Praying every day for the
baptism of the Holy Spirit is so
00:23:19.94\00:23:23.44
important. We've seen it make
such a difference in our kids'
00:23:23.48\00:23:27.24
lives, in our lives, because
it just opens up your eyes to a
00:23:27.27\00:23:31.00
new experience with God
and how much he loves us.
00:23:31.04\00:23:33.45
You know, when we think about
the fact that God loved us so
00:23:33.49\00:23:37.27
much that he sent his son
to die for us while we are yet
00:23:37.31\00:23:41.02
sinners, I mean, it's so amazing
and the Bible tells us that he
00:23:41.05\00:23:45.91
made him who knew no sin to be
sin for us that we might become
00:23:45.94\00:23:51.33
the righteous of God in Christ
Jesus. So what is your day like?
00:23:51.37\00:23:56.87
We talked about your answers
to finding time. One of them was
00:23:56.90\00:24:01.39
to just pray and ask the Lord
to get you up earlier. Have you
00:24:01.43\00:24:05.22
every found it necessary, and
I'm going to ask you both this
00:24:05.26\00:24:08.41
because you both hold conference
positions, have you ever found
00:24:08.44\00:24:11.93
it necessary that you just look
at your schedule and think okay
00:24:11.96\00:24:16.87
I need to follow Matthew 6:33
to seek the Lord first and I'm
00:24:16.90\00:24:21.78
just getting overwhelmed,
overburdened. Have you ever
00:24:21.81\00:24:26.06
just had to go through and
cull out your schedule and say,
00:24:26.10\00:24:29.91
you know, I'm
into too many things?
00:24:29.94\00:24:31.04
Yes. You know and I really try
to prioritize that. You look at
00:24:31.08\00:24:35.77
Jesus' life. He was the busiest
one that ever lived. He was
00:24:35.80\00:24:39.66
just whole nights in prayer.
Martin Luther, you know the
00:24:39.69\00:24:43.48
story of him spending more time
in prayer because he was going
00:24:43.52\00:24:45.64
to be busier. It's hard
sometimes. You miss or get late
00:24:45.68\00:24:48.74
to a meeting or something
and people wonder why you aren't
00:24:48.77\00:24:51.61
there, but I've found that
if I will really prioritize that
00:24:51.65\00:24:55.10
time then I can be in the fruit
of the Spirit instead in the
00:24:55.14\00:24:58.44
fruit of Jerry Page which is
not very pleasant to live with.
00:24:58.47\00:25:02.44
So for me, I don't do it well
all the time, but when I do I'm
00:25:02.47\00:25:06.40
far ahead. Amen.
How about you Janet?
00:25:06.44\00:25:11.21
Well Mark 1:35 to me is the
answer. Everybody I've talked
00:25:11.24\00:25:14.98
to say how are you doing?
I'm busy, I'm so busy, I'm so
00:25:15.01\00:25:18.68
overwhelmed. And I'm that way
too. I think it's something that
00:25:18.71\00:25:22.47
the evil one is trying to do
to all of us, to get us so busy.
00:25:22.51\00:25:26.23
But I found Mark 1:35 is
becoming an answer for me.
00:25:26.26\00:25:30.04
It says, Very early in the
morning, while it was still
00:25:30.07\00:25:33.77
dark, Jesus got up, left the
house and went off to a solitary
00:25:33.81\00:25:37.55
place where he prayed. Then
on down in verse 37 you know the
00:25:37.59\00:25:41.81
disciples are looking for him in
verse 36. In verse 37 it says,
00:25:41.84\00:25:45.24
They found him and they said
you've got to come, everyone is
00:25:45.28\00:25:49.05
looking for you. It's like
they are coming and saying, hey
00:25:49.08\00:25:52.08
people are dying over here, they
need to be healed. You got to
00:25:52.11\00:25:55.47
come over to this village right
now. But what does Jesus say
00:25:55.51\00:25:59.26
in verse 38. He replies and
he says let us go somewhere else
00:25:59.29\00:26:02.83
to the nearby villages so I can
preach there also. That is why
00:26:02.86\00:26:06.31
I have come. Now if you were
Jesus and your disciples came to
00:26:06.35\00:26:09.76
you and said, You've got
to come here right now because
00:26:09.79\00:26:12.41
these people are dying, they
need you, could you tell them
00:26:12.44\00:26:14.99
no? The only way Jesus could
tell them no is because he had
00:26:15.02\00:26:18.21
been with the father and he
knew. So I have to take my list
00:26:18.25\00:26:21.14
all these things I have to
do before God every day and say,
00:26:21.17\00:26:25.14
God, what do I do today? I can't
do all of this and I know what
00:26:25.17\00:26:28.79
I think is important, but what's
really important? I've literally
00:26:28.82\00:26:32.41
had him take me through the
list and say don't do this one
00:26:32.44\00:26:35.87
today. Get somebody to do
this one and on down through the
00:26:35.90\00:26:39.20
list. He'll bring somebody, he
will have somebody call me who
00:26:39.24\00:26:42.76
will offer. But that's all
coming out of my being willing
00:26:42.79\00:26:45.72
to grit my teeth, literally
sometimes, and say I'm going to
00:26:45.75\00:26:48.76
spend this time with you no
matter what even if I don't get
00:26:48.80\00:26:51.78
anything out of
it, I'm going to do it.
00:26:51.81\00:26:54.74
We have come to really believe
like John 15 without him we can
00:26:54.77\00:26:57.98
to nothing, with him we can do
all things. If we really believe
00:26:58.01\00:27:00.97
the fruit comes from tapping in
we'll stop trying to do so much
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without him and realize we can't
do anything valuable for him.
00:27:03.93\00:27:06.80
That is the secret. Our time
is already gone, I can't believe
00:27:06.83\00:27:11.13
it. I just want to thank you all
so much for coming again today.
00:27:11.16\00:27:16.02
It's been a joy having you both.
Now for the rest of you at home,
00:27:16.05\00:27:20.87
I hope that you will remember
the ACTS if nothing else for a
00:27:20.90\00:27:24.58
format for prayer:
There's adoration, confession,
00:27:24.61\00:27:28.35
thanksgiving and supplication.
If you just come to the Lord and
00:27:28.38\00:27:33.34
focus in the beginning of your
prayer on who God is, it will
00:27:33.37\00:27:38.30
lift your spirits. Praise does
something in us, it changes us.
00:27:38.34\00:27:42.61
And then you can really press
into the presence of the Lord.
00:27:42.64\00:27:46.50
Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of the
00:27:46.53\00:27:50.36
father and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:27:50.39\00:27:52.55
be with you today and always.
00:27:52.59\00:27:56.98