Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn
and welcome again to Issues and
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Answers. Today we're going
to be talking about intercessory
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prayer. You know this of course
brings a scripture to mind,
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Ezekiel 22:30. Listen to
what the Lord says. He says:
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I sought for a man among them
who would build up the wall and
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stand in the gap before me
for the land that I should not
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destroy it, but I found
none. The Lord is looking for
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intercessory prayers. Now does
intercessory prayer really make
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a difference in people's lives?
Well, I've got my handy dandy
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book marker here, my little
Kleenex, because I want to read
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you a second scripture and
it comes from Psalm 106, and in
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this psalm it's talking about
how the Israelites had forgotten
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their God and they exchanged the
glory of God for an ox and they
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forgot God their Savior. Listen
to verse 23. Psalm 106:23:
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Therefore he said he would
destroy them and he would have
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done so had not Moses his chosen
one stepped into the breech
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before him to turn
away his threatening wrath.
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God was looking for an
intercessor and he found
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one in Moses who was a type of
Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us
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in Hebrews 7:25 that Jesus is at
the right hand of the throne of
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the Father right now interceding
on our behalf and he is able
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to save to the uttermost. So
that is what we are going to be
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talking about today. I am so
excited to welcome back again
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Janet and Jerry Page, two
dear friends and two wonderful
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servants of the Lord. Now Jerry
you are the conference president
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for the Central California
Conference. Janet you're the
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Women's Ministries director
and the Prayer Ministries
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coordinator. I have to tell you
as I have traveled throughout
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California and particularly in
your conference, when I talk to
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people about you, they all say
how much the conference changed
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when you came aboard and
they all attribute it to your
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devotion to the Lord and your
devotion to prayer. So we're
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really excited that you're
back and that we are going to be
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talking about intercessory
prayer. So Jerry, does
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intercessory prayer make a
difference in people's lives?
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Yes it does and I guess if
people say something about us
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we're always nervous when people
say that, but it's because we
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have come to find out how much
we can't do trying to lead in
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God's church at this time in
history. There's just too much
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coming at us from Satan and all
the things happening, so we've
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just learned to cry out, Help!
We can't handle it and we get a
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lot of people praying for us.
I love a little story told by
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Tony Campolo who is quite a
dynamic speaker. He tells that
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he went to preach at a Bible
college for their commencement
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and eight guys got him in the
back room. They circled around
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him and they put their hands on
his head and they began to pray
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over him. He said that's good,
I need all the prayer I can get.
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But he said these guys they
prayed long prayers and they
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went on and on and on. He said,
this one guy, he wasn't even
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praying for me. He said as they
prayed long prayers, he said
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they started to get tired and
they leaned on my head. He said
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I kind of wished they'd quit.
But this one guy, he wasn't even
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praying for me. He was praying
for some guy named Charlie
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Stoslus. He said, O Lord, you
know Charlie Stoslus. He lives
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about a mile down the road
on the right hand side in that
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silver trailer. He said, Lord,
step in and do something. You
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know Charlie left his wife
and his three kids this morning.
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Save him, Lord, do something.
Tony said every time he get done
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he'd circle around and hit
it again. He'd say, O Lord, you
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know Charlie Stoslus. He lives a
mile down the road on the right
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hand side in that silver
trailer. Tony said, I felt like
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saying to him, What do you
think God is asking what's that
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address again? But Tony said
he kept on and finally he quit.
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I was able to preach my sermon
and I got in the car to go and I
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was driving to get on the
turnpike, the freeway, and he
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there was this guy at the on
ramp with his thumb stuck out.
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He said, I know you're not
supposed to pick up hitchhikers,
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that's dangerous. But, he said,
I'm a preacher and any time
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I can get a captive audience in
my car to tell them about Jesus
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I do it. So he said, I picked
the guy up. We're headed down
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the road. I looked over at him
and I said, Hi, my name's Tony,
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what's yours? He said my name's
Charlie Stoslus. Tony said my
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eyes got big. I looked at him
and I got off at the next exit
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and I started driving across the
bridge to turn around and his
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eyes got big. He plastered
himself up against the door
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and he said, Hey mister, where
are you taking me? Tony said
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I'm taking you home. He said,
Why. He said, because you left
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your wife and your three kids
this morning didn't you? And
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Charlie says, Yeah, how did you
know that? And Tony said because
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God told me. You know what,
I believe God did tell him.
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And he said then when I got off
at the next exit, drove a mile
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down the road and pulled in
front of his silver trailer that
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really blew him away. His eyes
got big and he said, Mister how
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did know I lived here? Tony said
because God told me. His wife
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came to the door and she said,
You're back, you're back! So
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Charlie went up, whispered in
his wife's ear, pointed at Tony
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and her eyes got big. Then Tony
said, Now listen, I want you two
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to get in that trailer.
You sit down. I'm going to talk
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and you listen. He said, Man
did they listen just like I was
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God himself or something. That
afternoon he was able to lead
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those two young people to
Jesus Christ and that guy is a
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preacher in California today.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah. But to
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me, Jeremiah 33:3 is a promise
from God, some have said it's
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God's phone number. Jeremiah
33:3 says, Call to me and I
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will answer you. But it doesn't
stop there. We sometimes think
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of intercessory pray as pulling
a lever and God gives us what we
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need or ask him just for
what we want. But what we've
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discovered in our journey with
him is, Call to me and I will
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answer you and show you great
and might things which you don't
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know. The beautiful about God
and what he is doing dragging
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us kicking and screaming
into this relationship with him
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sometimes trying to get away
from him or whatever, he keeps
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teaching us more and more about
his character, who he is. He
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never answers my prayers exactly
the same way twice. He's always
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got a little twist. He says,
I'm the creator; I'll do it a
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different way this time. I'll
show you how really special I am
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and he teaches me, grows me,
shows me things about myself.
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So that's really our testimony
about intercessory prayer, but
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it is an issue. I talked to
someone just very recently who
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said, You know, why do we
have to pray, why do we have to
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intercede and why do we have
to have groups praying together?
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Doesn't God do everything he
can for people. All I can say is
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that God's word says yes we do.
You look at Jesus. All through
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the scriptures, but in Luke
11 he's got a whole chapter. He
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teaches the disciples to
intercede in the Lord's prayer.
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Then he gives the example of
the persistent friend and says
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we need to persist in prayer.
Jesus himself spent nights in
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prayer before he made important
decisions and did things. He was
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always with the Father. Here
he was God become man. And on it
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goes; he says and I say unto you
ask and it will be given you,
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seek and you find, knock and
it will be opened unto you for
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everyone who asks receives and
he who seeks finds and to him
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who knocks it will be opened.
Then later in that same chapter
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he tells us to seek and ask and
pray for the Holy Spirit and he
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will be given to us, which is
our greatest need. And it goes
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on. Paul, of course, all through
the New Testament is saying we
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need to pray. James says you
have not because you ask not.
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Then one of my favorite authors,
Ellen White, has a number of
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powerful quotes about how
intercessory prayer works.
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I believe, Shelley, that it's
got something to do with the
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war that's going on behind
the scenes between Satan and his
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forces and Jesus and the forces
of God. Somehow God has limited
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himself, I believe, to our
prayers. Now he's always working
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in everybody's life. He's doing
things, but he says some things
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I can't give you unless you ask.
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Because he won't
force himself on you.
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It's about his character, it's
about rules he's set up limiting
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himself because he will
not come across a person's will
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or whatever. I don't know how it
all works. All I know is like a
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computer, like television, it
just works. We're going to share
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not just from the scriptures
today but Janet's going to share
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some stories. Our experience,
too, has just been amazing.
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The more we pray, the more
we intercede and the more people
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intercede with us, the more we
see his hand working in power.
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A couple of these statements
that I like. She says in Second
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Selected Messages p. 377:
Ministering angels are waiting
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about the throne to instantly
obey the mandate of Jesus Christ
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to answer every prayer offered
in earnest, living faith.
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So you think whenever we pray,
get into a group, we're asking
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him to dispatch the angels,
to do something in the great
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controversy. Again, Isaiah
42 says he opens the blind eyes
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sets the captives free, makes
the crooked things straight.
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Somehow he helps people see him
better. Somehow he gives them
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the freedom to come out from
under the bondages maybe Satan
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has put on them and be able to
really make a decision through
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their own choice for him.
Another one: Great Controversy,
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a book that I love, page 525,
she says, it is part of God's
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to grant us in answer to the
prayer of faith that which he
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would not bestow if we don't
thus ask. In another place, she
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says when he sees earnest prayer
Satan's hosts tremble because he
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knows he'll suffer loss. Maybe
just one or so more and then
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I'll turn it over to Janet
to share maybe a story or two.
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In Matthew 18:19 and 20 Jesus
said, Wherever two or three of
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you... He said, Again I say
to you that if two of you agree
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on earth concerning anything
that they ask, it will be done
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for them by my father in heaven,
for where two or three are
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gathered together in my name
I am there in the midst of them.
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Now commenting on that, again,
Ellen White says this: This
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promise is made on condition
that the united prayers of the
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church are offered and in answer
to these prayers there may be
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expected a power... What do you
think?... a power greater than
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that which comes in answer
even to private prayer. Why? The
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power given will be
proportionate to the unity of
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the members and their love
of God and for one another.
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Really the Lord's prayer in
some ways was John 17 as he was
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going to the cross. He prayed
for unity among his believers
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so the world would know that he
really came. I believe that when
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he sees people willing to take
the time and the effort to get
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together and to pray, he pours
our his Spirit power in special
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ways. So not only does every
earnest prayer of a person get
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answered but when we come
together and when we take the
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time as people, as a church to
really pray, I think God is able
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to do the kinds of things
we can barely believe. We could
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tell stories for hours here
of just the things we've seen
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recently happening. Yes, we've
got our prayers that haven't
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been answered yet. He says no
sometimes like he did to Jesus
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in Gethsemane. There are wait
answers, but we've just come
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to focus on the fact that the
more we ask the more we see his
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power, the more we learn about
him. I just praise him for that.
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You know, see if you agree with
this statement. I often make
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this statement; I know you've
heard me even at the retreats
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say this, I believe that
intercessory prayer is the
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highest calling to ministry
that there is and the reason
00:11:08.19\00:11:11.15
I say that is that I have
a scripture to support it and
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that's Hebrews 7:25 that says
that Jesus is at the right hand
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of the throne of the Father
interceding on our behalf.
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If this is ministry of our
risen and exalted Savior, what
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higher calling to ministry could
there be? You know what Janet,
00:11:27.42\00:11:30.42
I believe that some day when
the Lord is passing out rewards
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there's going to be
televangelists who are going to
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be at the front row thinking,
Okay, you know, I'm ready
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to get my reward and the Lord
is going to say, Sister Ruby,
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come through and here's going to
come this precious little saint
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who was 100 years old and
thought well Lord what can I do
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for you. All I can do now is
pray. And she had this prayer
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of interceding for God's saints
and the workers and everybody
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and the Lord is going to
say that she did more by praying
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than many people did in their
televangelism. You've got a
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lot of experience; you've shared
some wonderful stories with me.
00:12:06.21\00:12:10.37
I would just like to agree with
what you just said. A lot of
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people who are retired think
there is nothing left for them
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to do. They don't feel like
they're useful. If we could get
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them all praying and praying
together. There's such a power
00:12:21.36\00:12:24.91
to be unleashed that we need
their prayer. People who are
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handicapped, people who
are bedridden, house-bound, who
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have to stay in their homes.
If we could get them to pray and
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pray God's scripture
into people's lives. Oh it...
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Let me give them a verse to
hold onto and that's Psalm 92
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in verses 13 and 14 says,
Planted in the house of the
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Lord they shall flourish in the
courts of our God. Growing in
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grace they shall still bring
forth fruit in old age, they
00:12:54.70\00:12:58.23
shall be full of sap, spiritual
vitality, and rich in the
00:12:58.26\00:13:02.58
verdure of the trust and the
love and contentment. They are
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living memorials to show that
the Lord is upright and faithful
00:13:06.10\00:13:09.53
to his promises. I
think that if you are sitting
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at home right now and you may
be house-bound and think I can't
00:13:13.83\00:13:16.96
work for the Lord anymore,
all you've got to do is remember
00:13:17.00\00:13:20.13
that the greatest call to
ministry is intercessory prayer.
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You can do much. Pray for all
of our church leaders, pray for
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our world leaders, pray for
everyone; pray for the children,
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pray for the
babies. We need prayer.
00:13:31.23\00:13:34.25
In our conference, we have
a group of prayer partners all
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through the conference and some
of them work, some don't, but
00:13:36.62\00:13:39.17
we have some retired people
that come in every Wednesday for
00:13:39.20\00:13:41.83
three hours with Janet and
just go over a 10-page list of
00:13:41.86\00:13:44.42
the latest crises I can't handle
and problems. I tell you we've
00:13:44.46\00:13:47.95
just seen such miracles
and it's because of the simple
00:13:47.99\00:13:50.26
people of God who will take
the time. They are not better
00:13:50.29\00:13:52.49
people, they just take the time
and the effort to actually call
00:13:52.52\00:13:55.13
on God and believe his
word and claim his promises.
00:13:55.17\00:13:57.79
Amen, amen. Well Janet share a
couple of your experiences with
00:13:57.83\00:14:02.16
answers to intercessory prayer.
00:14:02.19\00:14:05.26
How I've gotten
into intercessory prayer
00:14:05.30\00:14:06.68
is because of people praying for
me as I shared a while ago in
00:14:06.71\00:14:11.85
one of these series. So many
have prayed for me and my life
00:14:11.89\00:14:16.70
was changed. As God started
helping me to realize that, God
00:14:16.73\00:14:20.90
started putting on my heart to
pray. I like to encourage people
00:14:20.94\00:14:25.12
to pray, but they need to ask
God for what does he want them
00:14:25.16\00:14:29.27
to pray about. Because there are
a million things out there and I
00:14:29.31\00:14:33.08
can't pray for them all. But I
can pray for what God puts on my
00:14:33.11\00:14:36.97
heart. The biggest thing we pray
like on Wednesdays, we start off
00:14:37.00\00:14:41.06
with Lord what is on your heart?
God help us to be able to see
00:14:41.09\00:14:44.86
what's on your heart that we
might pray with you about what
00:14:44.89\00:14:48.79
is your desire. I can come
up with all kinds of things, but
00:14:48.83\00:14:51.73
the thing that's going to be
powerful is if I'm praying what
00:14:51.77\00:14:55.66
he wants. One time I had...
this was early on when God was
00:14:55.69\00:14:59.51
trying to show me the difference
prayer makes. I had this woman
00:14:59.55\00:15:03.18
call and I didn't know her
real well. She said hello or
00:15:03.22\00:15:06.74
whatever and she finally said,
I've been married 32 years and I
00:15:06.77\00:15:10.48
want out of the marriage. She
said, It's been terrible. And
00:15:10.51\00:15:13.32
I'm going whoa you know I'm not
a marriage counselor. What am I
00:15:13.36\00:15:15.98
supposed to do with this? Of
course, I'm kind of praying this
00:15:16.02\00:15:19.16
privately in my mind and I felt
like God was saying ask her to
00:15:19.19\00:15:22.61
get together to pray with you
once a week. I thought you know
00:15:22.64\00:15:25.71
I'm busy, how can I find the
time to do that, I don't know
00:15:25.74\00:15:29.00
that she's going to want to do
that. She went through telling
00:15:29.03\00:15:31.90
me, you know, he's miserable,
I'm miserable, I want out.
00:15:31.93\00:15:34.76
She said, in fact I left. I
packed my car with the things
00:15:34.79\00:15:36.78
I thought I can't live without
and I'm on the highway driving
00:15:36.81\00:15:39.90
down the highway saying, God I
know you don't like divorce and
00:15:39.93\00:15:42.34
you want me to stay married, but
I'm miserable, he's miserable.
00:15:42.37\00:15:44.68
What should I do, God?
Right then she saw a sign,
00:15:44.71\00:15:47.08
a big white sign; in big black
letters it said TURN BACK NOW
00:15:47.11\00:15:51.37
NEXT EXIT. So she turned around
and went back home and then she
00:15:51.40\00:15:56.61
said, God, what do I do and he
told her to call me. So I said
00:15:56.64\00:16:00.40
well the only thing I know is to
ask you to get together once a
00:16:00.43\00:16:02.93
week and pray about your
marriage. I said, I'm not a
00:16:02.96\00:16:04.99
marriage counselor. She said,
Oh I'd love that. So we started
00:16:05.02\00:16:08.48
getting together once a week
to pray about her marriage and
00:16:08.51\00:16:10.91
at first she was saying, God
help my husband. He is miserable
00:16:10.94\00:16:14.75
and just all the bad things
about her husband. Lord change
00:16:14.78\00:16:17.21
and convert him. Gradually
though I gently kept trying to
00:16:17.24\00:16:21.47
lead her, let's spend
more of our time praising God
00:16:21.50\00:16:24.96
worshipping him. I said the more
we focus on God instead of the
00:16:24.99\00:16:29.44
problem. We're so quick, at
least I am, to just boy this is
00:16:29.47\00:16:32.70
my problem, help me, help
me, help me. But instead first
00:16:32.73\00:16:35.83
focusing on and worship God
and focusing on his power. We
00:16:35.86\00:16:40.43
started doing that. But I also
got her to commit to spending
00:16:40.46\00:16:43.45
an hour a day with God by
herself alone, just reading the
00:16:43.48\00:16:48.49
word, getting to know him. I
said, you've got to get to know
00:16:48.52\00:16:50.54
God. She'd kind of given
that all up because of her bad
00:16:50.57\00:16:53.63
marriage. So she started
spending time alone with God.
00:16:53.66\00:16:56.20
Then when we would get together
she had so much to praise God
00:16:56.23\00:16:59.44
about and give thanksgiving
because of what was happening
00:16:59.47\00:17:01.84
in her private time. God was
making himself real in her life.
00:17:01.87\00:17:05.50
Also the other thing we did was
we started praying, Lord, how do
00:17:05.53\00:17:10.81
we pray for this marriage. How
do we pray for him and for her.
00:17:10.84\00:17:14.35
God led us to pray that it would
be put in his mind to love her
00:17:14.38\00:17:19.71
the way he did when he first met
her, when they got married and
00:17:19.74\00:17:22.56
that she would love him the way
she did when she first married
00:17:22.59\00:17:24.89
him; also that she would see
her husband through God's eyes.
00:17:24.92\00:17:29.28
We also started praying for him
to have a pure mind because that
00:17:29.31\00:17:33.62
was part of his problem. So
we ended up spending more of the
00:17:33.65\00:17:38.42
time worshipping and praising.
But do you know what happened?
00:17:38.45\00:17:40.11
When you start meeting together
to pray for somebody or to pray
00:17:40.14\00:17:44.35
for a situation or even a church
coming together to pray for the
00:17:44.38\00:17:47.73
Holy Spirit, you know what
happens? You're releasing the
00:17:47.76\00:17:51.17
power of God somehow, in most
cases problems start happening.
00:17:51.20\00:17:55.07
Trouble starts being dumped out.
I have had so many mothers come
00:17:55.10\00:17:59.42
to me. They come and say, pray
for my son. I want him to be
00:17:59.45\00:18:02.63
converted. We're having so much
trouble. We pray for him and the
00:18:02.66\00:18:04.30
next week they come back crying,
We shouldn't have prayed for him
00:18:04.33\00:18:07.29
He got fired from his job, now
he and his wife are fighting and
00:18:07.32\00:18:09.96
she's threatening divorce. You
know things are worse. I try to
00:18:09.99\00:18:13.55
encourage people... you have
to be careful how you do this
00:18:13.58\00:18:15.83
because it can be
offensive... but praise God.
00:18:15.86\00:18:18.64
In II Corinthians 5:7 it says
walk by faith, not by sight.
00:18:18.67\00:18:24.30
In Isaiah 55 it says his ways
are not our ways, his thoughts
00:18:24.33\00:18:27.80
are not our thoughts. We don't
know how God has to work in
00:18:27.83\00:18:31.29
order to save that person
or to heal that situation or in
00:18:31.32\00:18:35.04
order for the Holy Spirit to
be poured out in the church. We
00:18:35.07\00:18:37.11
don't know what's got to happen,
but I can promise you that if
00:18:37.14\00:18:40.24
your praying and claiming God's
promises and his word, God is
00:18:40.27\00:18:45.00
working, even though it may
not look like it. He desperately
00:18:45.03\00:18:47.81
needs a people that will step
out in faith and praise him and
00:18:47.84\00:18:50.46
thank him. In saying that, I
don't always do it. I'm a big
00:18:50.49\00:18:56.40
one to whine ah I'm not sure
this is going to turn out right.
00:18:56.43\00:18:58.90
I believe thought that if
I could do that even more, it
00:18:58.93\00:19:02.31
would release more of God's
power. But in this marriage
00:19:02.34\00:19:05.03
we saw things get worse and it
got discouraging after a while.
00:19:05.06\00:19:08.51
We'd keep meeting every week,
meeting, praying together and I
00:19:08.54\00:19:11.51
pretty soon got sick of praying
for this marriage. These people
00:19:11.54\00:19:15.22
we started praying for their
kids, because they were young
00:19:15.25\00:19:21.19
adults who had never accepted
the Lord. During the couple of
00:19:21.22\00:19:24.21
years that we prayed we saw
the children all get baptized
00:19:24.24\00:19:27.63
plus the families came to the
Lord. Eventually thought this
00:19:27.66\00:19:31.51
woman who was so angry and just
so depressed and just miserable
00:19:31.54\00:19:36.27
because of spending time
with God, the marriage had not
00:19:36.30\00:19:39.47
changed, but because of spending
time with God she became a woman
00:19:39.50\00:19:42.38
of joy. She became so thrilled
with that relationship with God.
00:19:42.41\00:19:45.58
She was just exuberant and her
husband started to take notice.
00:19:45.61\00:19:48.80
Her face went from anger to
happiness and joy and he started
00:19:48.83\00:19:52.72
trying to talk to her again
and pretty soon they became like
00:19:52.75\00:19:56.52
this. You couldn't get them
apart. They became like young
00:19:56.55\00:19:58.27
lovers, always had to be holding
hands, she had to go with him
00:19:58.30\00:20:01.10
wherever he went with his work
and sit right next to him in the
00:20:01.13\00:20:04.08
car. It was so exciting to see.
00:20:04.11\00:20:05.45
What you're saying to me is...
let me put it this way... in my
00:20:05.48\00:20:11.66
life every time I have a problem
I know it's a spiritual problem
00:20:11.69\00:20:14.66
as the root of it. Whatever is
being manifested in my life and
00:20:14.69\00:20:19.09
she had a spiritual problem. She
was empty. She had her eyes off
00:20:19.12\00:20:22.89
the Lord. She didn't have any
joy in her. The joy of the Lord
00:20:22.92\00:20:26.69
was not her strength. So
she was empty inside and looking
00:20:26.72\00:20:30.80
for her husband to meet all of
her needs, which he could not,
00:20:30.83\00:20:34.04
and she was angry and bitter.
Once you got her into that hour
00:20:34.07\00:20:38.84
a day she was in the Word,
feeding on God's word and coming
00:20:38.87\00:20:42.28
to know God. Then all of
a sudden she started getting
00:20:42.31\00:20:46.12
filled, she started changing
because her spiritual life was
00:20:46.15\00:20:49.23
changing which made her a
whole lot more attractive to her
00:20:49.26\00:20:53.24
husband. It just works that way.
But the intercessory prayer for
00:20:53.27\00:20:58.52
the husband and the
family. God really moved.
00:20:58.55\00:21:02.41
As I said, we saw a lot of
problems start happening, so
00:21:02.44\00:21:06.36
many, but we just kept praising
and thanking God that we trusted
00:21:06.39\00:21:10.09
he was working. We were claiming
his promises. But one of the
00:21:10.12\00:21:14.08
beautiful things was her
heart desire was they could be
00:21:14.55\00:21:17.10
spiritually one. He said, Lets
start praying together, let's
00:21:17.13\00:21:22.08
start studying together. That's
on top of their own private
00:21:22.11\00:21:24.92
devotional time that they
started doing it together.
00:21:24.95\00:21:28.63
One of the things he started
praying, he did not know we'd
00:21:28.66\00:21:31.34
been praying this for him, but
it was Lord give me a pure mind.
00:21:31.37\00:21:34.83
It was so precious. Years later
she was dying of a disease and
00:21:34.86\00:21:43.24
he would pray for God to heal
her and I believe God has, but
00:21:43.27\00:21:47.51
it will be at the resurrection
morning. But before she passed
00:21:47.54\00:21:51.20
away, she called me to her
bedside and she said, I just
00:21:51.23\00:21:53.76
wanted to thank you. I can't
tell you how grateful I am that
00:21:53.79\00:21:59.34
you'd take time out of your busy
schedule to pray with me once a
00:21:59.37\00:22:03.46
week for my marriage. She said
I would not have been ready to
00:22:03.49\00:22:06.18
face death, because I had no
assurance of salvation. I was
00:22:06.21\00:22:09.58
miserable. I hated my husband
and what he did. She said now
00:22:09.61\00:22:13.81
our marriage is healed, I know
God loves me. She said I'm ready
00:22:13.84\00:22:16.99
to die. During
that process, they saw
00:22:17.02\00:22:18.91
several of the children
converted too. They had children
00:22:18.94\00:22:21.53
that had gone away from the Lord
and they prayed and prayed for
00:22:21.56\00:22:23.39
them as well. So, just over and
over and over we see these kind
00:22:23.42\00:22:27.56
of experiences happen. The
husband, too, later took me
00:22:27.59\00:22:30.40
aside and said, I can't thank
you enough for what you did.
00:22:30.43\00:22:33.14
It's not me, you know, it's
a God thing, but I was being
00:22:33.17\00:22:36.81
obedient to what God's asking
me to do. He said, I wouldn't
00:22:36.84\00:22:40.54
have been ready for my wife to
die, but our marriage is healed
00:22:40.57\00:22:43.41
now and we can handle it.
00:22:43.44\00:22:45.41
You know, Janet, I'm thinking
you're sitting here telling her
00:22:45.44\00:22:47.65
I'm not a marriage counselor,
but you know the best marriage
00:22:47.68\00:22:51.37
counselor that there was.
You could usher her right before
00:22:51.40\00:22:54.39
the throne of the Lord to
approach that throne of grace
00:22:54.42\00:22:57.98
to find mercy and
help in at times of need.
00:22:58.01\00:22:59.81
Well, so many times somebody has
a problem and they share that
00:22:59.84\00:23:04.41
problem with us and so many
times we'll say you know I told
00:23:04.44\00:23:07.23
them everything I could think
of to help them and I don't know
00:23:07.26\00:23:10.28
what else to do to help them.
The thing we need to do is to
00:23:10.31\00:23:13.34
pray with them, not just for
them, but to pray with them and
00:23:13.37\00:23:17.29
not just once. At times I'll
have people say oh we've got
00:23:17.32\00:23:21.68
this problem with their school
or whatever it is in their
00:23:21.71\00:23:24.97
church and I say well are
you meeting together and praying
00:23:25.00\00:23:27.02
about it? Oh, we've tried that.
I said, well how many times did
00:23:27.05\00:23:29.92
you meet? Oh, well we met at
least three times. It's got to
00:23:30.98\00:23:35.67
be way more than that. It
does not always; sometimes God
00:23:35.70\00:23:39.65
answers instantly, but it has
to be that earnestness and some
00:23:39.68\00:23:43.91
times we give up too quickly and
it shows that we really don't
00:23:43.94\00:23:46.71
have the faith to
believe some times.
00:23:46.74\00:23:48.41
Yes, look at I Kings, Elijah.
Elijah knew God was going to
00:23:48.45\00:23:53.24
send the rain after no rain for
three years. Elijah was on the
00:23:53.27\00:23:58.12
mountain. God pours down fire on
the altar and all these miracles
00:23:58.16\00:24:01.97
are happening, but Elijah knows
God is going to send the rain
00:24:02.00\00:24:05.52
but yet Elijah kneels, he
gets in a position like a woman
00:24:05.55\00:24:09.54
having a baby in labor, not
the way women have them now, but
00:24:09.58\00:24:14.20
used to. He is just pleading for
God and he prays; seven times
00:24:14.23\00:24:18.04
he is asking God. So much I hear
people say oh we don't need to
00:24:18.08\00:24:21.38
pray about it; we prayed about
it once or what will be will be.
00:24:21.41\00:24:25.52
God's word is not that way.
Elijah pleaded before God seven
00:24:25.55\00:24:30.23
times. Daniel in Daniel 9 and
10 read this prophecy in God's
00:24:30.26\00:24:34.20
scripture showing that God is
about to fulfill at the end of
00:24:34.23\00:24:37.44
70 years, this prophecy. Well
Daniel could have looked at that
00:24:37.47\00:24:40.19
and said Oh that's wonderful,
wow, our captivity is about to
00:24:40.22\00:24:42.79
end. God's going to take care
of this. He could have stopped
00:24:42.82\00:24:46.10
there, but he didn't. He went
into fasting and prayer, praying
00:24:46.13\00:24:49.37
for God to fulfill that.
Now let me ask you a question.
00:24:49.40\00:24:52.67
I often will use this. What if
Elijah, he prayed once, servant
00:24:52.70\00:24:58.02
came back and said there's no
rain; twice, no rain; third time
00:24:58.05\00:25:03.30
fourth time. What if he had
stopped at six times? He could
00:25:03.33\00:25:07.92
have just finally said, there's
still no rain. We've got to
00:25:07.95\00:25:11.80
continue when God has impressed
something upon us, when there's
00:25:11.83\00:25:15.64
a promise in the Bible that
we can stand on, when there's
00:25:15.67\00:25:18.88
something that we know God
is showing us to do, we need to
00:25:18.92\00:25:22.15
keep pressing in and pressing
in until we get that answer.
00:25:22.18\00:25:25.98
But with joy, with praise
and thanksgiving. I've done this
00:25:26.02\00:25:29.52
and I see other people do
this. We can get so anxious and
00:25:29.55\00:25:32.99
distraught about it and just so
upset that we can make ourselves
00:25:33.02\00:25:37.31
sick. That is not the kind
of intercession that God's word
00:25:37.35\00:25:41.15
teaches. Well see,
to me that's a lack of
00:25:41.18\00:25:43.62
faith almost, I mean, if you get
to where you're so distraught
00:25:43.65\00:25:46.72
you're making yourself
sick over it, isn't it?
00:25:46.76\00:25:48.90
But people can do that,
especially about their children.
00:25:48.94\00:25:53.06
It's really got to be a focus
on the word and claiming and
00:25:53.10\00:25:56.47
and praying his promises,
praying his word. I love Psalms
00:25:56.50\00:25:59.88
because you find through it
over and over again where he
00:25:59.91\00:26:03.22
expresses a problem but then
he makes these faith statements.
00:26:03.26\00:26:06.51
I have written FS by all of
these faith statements; God you
00:26:06.55\00:26:09.77
will do this, God you
are going to come through.
00:26:09.80\00:26:12.76
So that's kind of praying the
promises, praying back to God,
00:26:12.80\00:26:16.25
returning his word to him
knowing it won't return void and
00:26:16.29\00:26:19.92
then thanking him, saying
Lord I know you're going to come
00:26:19.95\00:26:23.33
through with thanksgiving.
We have one minute left. What's
00:26:23.37\00:26:26.71
a final thought on
intercessory prayer?
00:26:26.75\00:26:29.50
To me it's knowing God's heart.
There's no point in intercessory
00:26:29.54\00:26:34.40
prayer if you don't spend time
knowing God's heart and it's
00:26:34.43\00:26:38.09
such a joy to know his heart.
It's the most thrilling thing in
00:26:38.13\00:26:41.75
life. We get so caught up
chasing after things we think
00:26:41.78\00:26:44.60
will make us happy when the
thing that will make us happy
00:26:44.63\00:26:47.74
is being still in his presence
and letting him hold us and
00:26:47.78\00:26:50.45
finding out what's on his heart
and how he wants us to pray
00:26:50.48\00:26:53.12
about it. You know,
I love you Janet, and
00:26:53.15\00:26:55.02
I love the zeal and
the passion that you have.
00:26:55.06\00:26:57.75
I love her, too, you know.
Well you all are such a precious
00:26:57.78\00:27:01.29
couple. I want to thank you
so much. We're enjoying so much
00:27:01.32\00:27:04.43
each of one of these programs
that you've done and I thank you
00:27:04.46\00:27:07.53
that you're going to
be coming back again soon.
00:27:07.57\00:27:09.36
You know, when we think about it
a God of love does not force his
00:27:09.39\00:27:14.27
will on you, but it's like he's
put self-imposed handcuffs of
00:27:14.30\00:27:19.14
love and when we pray for
someone in intercessory prayer
00:27:19.18\00:27:24.08
it is the key that unlocks those
cuffs and we give God permission
00:27:24.11\00:27:28.06
to work in someone's life.
That's what this story was all
00:27:28.10\00:27:31.94
about that Janet shared is this
wife and Janet prayed for her
00:27:31.98\00:27:35.84
husband giving God permission
to do a work in his life. I just
00:27:35.87\00:27:39.51
want you to stand in the gap.
Be one of those who says Lord
00:27:39.54\00:27:43.15
here am I; I'll be
one who prays for others.
00:27:43.18\00:27:46.69
Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of the
00:27:46.73\00:27:49.98
Father and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:27:50.01\00:27:51.94
be with you today
and always. Thank you.
00:27:51.97\00:27:54.93