¤[Theme music]¤
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>>John Bradshaw: Hudson
Taylor was a missionary to China
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in the 19th century.
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He spent 51 years there,
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and his medical missionary
work drew huge numbers
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of people to make
decisions for Christ.
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Hudson Taylor was
a real man of faith,
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and he believed in
the power of prayer.
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Now, the story goes that
there was a time when the boat
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in which he was
sailing became becalmed;
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it was just drifting
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because there was no
wind to fill its sails.
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As a result, the vessel
drifted dangerously close
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to an island
inhabited by cannibals,
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who were
apparently waiting excitedly
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to have these
sailors over for dinner.
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The captain came to
Taylor and asked him to pray
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for the winds to come up.
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Now, Missionary
Taylor agreed to pray
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but only if the captain raised
the sails on the boat first.
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The captain refused
because he said he didn't want
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to make a
laughingstock of himself.
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When the captain
later repeated his request,
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Taylor replied again,
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“I will not pray unless
you first put up the sails.”
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This time the
captain agreed to do so,
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and Taylor went
to his room to pray.
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It wasn't long and
there was a knock at his door.
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[raises voice]
"Have you begun to pray?"
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"Yes, I have,” was the reply.
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"Well, would you please stop.
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We've got more wind now
that we can safely handle!"
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Great story.
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True story.
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But let me ask a question:
Does it always happen that way?
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¤[Music in background begins]¤
What happens when you pray,
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and it seems as though God
didn't answer your prayers?
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Today, “Prayer
in the Real World.”
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What happens when you pray
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and it doesn't
work out perfectly.
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Now our story illustrates
something very important:
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God's in the
business of doing great things
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in answer to our prayers.
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There is power in prayer.
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The Bible encourages us
to pray without ceasing.
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Prayer has been described as
being "the breath of the soul."
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Through prayer we
communicate with God.
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There can't be a
real relationship with God
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without communication with God,
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and a person who
communicates with God in prayer,
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opens himself or herself up to
the blessing of God's presence.
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Prayer lifts a person up to God
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and opens us up to
God's mind and God's purposes.
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In that famous
passage in the Bible
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where Paul writes
about the armor of God,
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he writes that we should be
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"praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the Spirit,
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and watching
thereunto with all perseverance
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and supplication
for all saints..."
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Now, let's
analyze this a little bit.
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You'll see that the Bible writer
Paul urges us to pray always;
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also, to bring our
requests, our petitions to God,
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and to persevere in prayer,
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to pray and pray and
pray, and not give up.
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And Jesus taught us
exactly the same thing.
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I'm going to look at a
passage in the gospel of Luke,
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Luke chapter 18.
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We start off in verse 1.
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Here's what Jesus did:
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“And He spoke a
parable unto them to this end,
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that men ought always to pray,
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and not to faint...”
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It's very evident that
God wants to hear from us,
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and He cares about
what we think and we feel.
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And that line that says
God wants us not only to pray,
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but to persevere in prayer,
God's serious about that.
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He wants us to
pray and not to quit.
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Now, that passage
goes on to say this:
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Hang in there with me.
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We're going to read
several verses together.
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Still in Luke 18:
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“There was in a
certain city a judge
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who did not fear
God nor regard man.
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Now there was a
widow in that city;
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and she came to him, saying,
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‘Get justice for
me from my adversary.'
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And he would not for a while;
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but afterward he
said within himself,
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‘Though I do not
fear God or regard man,
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yet because this widow
troubles me I will avenge her,
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lest by her
continual coming she weary me.'
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Then the Lord said,
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‘Hear what the
unjust judge said.
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And shall God not
avenge His own elect
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who cry out day
and night to Him,
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though He bears long with them?
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I tell you that He
will avenge them speedily.
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Nevertheless, when
the Son of Man comes,
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will He really find
faith on the earth?'”
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This passage
suggests several things to us.
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To begin with, it teaches
us about the character of God,
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not by example but by contrast.
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Unlike that unjust judge,
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God is willing to come
to the aid of His people.
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And He's willing to do so
“speedily,” the Bible says.
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God wants to bless us.
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He wants us to thrive.
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Now, that's not to say God
wants to make all of us rich,
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or that He wants to make us all
architects or brain surgeons,
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or school teachers or
physicists or anything else.
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It is to say that
God wants to bless us,
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that is, to, to
prosper us, to encourage us,
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maybe to challenge us,
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or whatever us in the way
that God sees is best for us.
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“I will never leave you nor
forsake you,” the Bible says.
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We know that for sure.
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God is willing to give
us good gifts more readily
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than earthly parents are
willing to give good things
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to their children,
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according to what
it says in the Bible.
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When you come to God in prayer,
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you can afford
to believe that God
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is wanting to give to you
the very best of blessings.
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Now, think about what the
Bible says to us about prayer.
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Jesus said,
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“...whatever you ask in
My name, I will do it...”
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He said, “Ask and
you shall receive;
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seek, and you shall find; knock,
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and the door shall
be opened to you...”
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That's a bit like
being given a blank check!
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Now, of course, there are some
conditions that apply to this.
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David wrote that if we
regard iniquity in our hearts
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the Lord will not hear us.
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And if we're serious about
having our prayers answered,
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we've got to, to hunger
and thirst after righteousness,
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those are the ones
who will be filled.
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God said that He would
pour water upon dry ground.
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And one of the most remarkable
verses in the entire Bible
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says this: “He that
spared not His own Son,
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but delivered Him
up freely for us all,
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how shall He not with Him
also freely give us all things?”
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That's Romans 8:32.
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Now that's God saying,
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"If I've given you Jesus,
then what would I not give you?"
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And all that is good.
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It's great!
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It's incredible!
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It's indispensable!
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But as we go back
to our Bible story,
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we notice something.
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This woman who was
appealing to the judge
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finally wore him down
by her "continual coming."
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She's known as the
“importunate widow,”
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importunate means
"troublesomely urgent,”
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or "persistent in
request or demand."
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Which indicates that
this woman did not get
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what she was seeking
on the first go-round.
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She had to ask, and ask again.
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And that sometimes
raises questions in our minds.
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Let's be honest here.
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If we were doing a
reality show about prayer,
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we'd probably have a dozen
people living in a big house
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sharing their
experiences about prayer.
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And you know for sure
there'd be at least one person
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driving a new car and
enjoying great health,
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tons of money, just
got a promotion at work,
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and this person would be
praising the Lord because God
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is answering her or his prayers.
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But then
there'd be someone else,
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who prayed for their child to
get well and their child died.
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Even though they prayed and
fasted and prayed and fasted.
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¤[Music]¤
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[Soft crying]
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¤[Music and crying fade]¤
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There'd be
someone in that house,
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maybe a wife who'd been
praying for the salvation
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of her husband, and he,
never becomes a Christian.
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A man prays for safe travel,
winds up being cut out of his
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car by the "Jaws of Life" and,
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and he can never
walk normally again.
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¤[Music]¤
00:09:01.47\00:09:05.41
[Sound of cane on table]
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Most people can
relate to that on some level,
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because many
people, maybe most people,
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have prayed for
sunshine, and got rain instead.
00:09:15.55\00:09:20.26
And you wonder,
did God hear my prayer?
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In a moment, I'm going to expose
prayer, for what it really is.
00:09:24.09\00:09:29.56
Fasting.
00:09:30.57\00:09:31.77
It's a very biblical concept,
00:09:31.80\00:09:34.14
but it's also
very misunderstood.
00:09:34.17\00:09:37.24
Jesus fasted, we know that,
00:09:37.27\00:09:38.84
but does He want
people to fast today?
00:09:38.87\00:09:42.04
I'd like to send
you a book from our
00:09:42.08\00:09:43.41
“Healing
Insights” series called,
00:09:43.45\00:09:45.65
“Fasting and Prayer.”
00:09:45.68\00:09:47.52
This book is absolutely free.
00:09:47.55\00:09:49.55
Just call 800-253-3000,
00:09:49.58\00:09:52.75
and ask for
“Fasting and Prayer.”
00:09:52.79\00:09:55.52
Or you can find us
online at: iiwoffer.com.
00:09:55.56\00:10:00.36
[Crickets chirping]
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¤[Music]¤
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[Camera rattling]
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[People talking]
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[Wind]
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¤[Music]¤
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[Cheering]
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¤[Music]¤
00:10:54.55\00:11:08.36
Today, we are looking at
prayer in the real world.
00:11:09.76\00:11:13.10
You know, it's a
wonder that people
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don't pray more than they do.
00:11:14.47\00:11:16.47
I read where someone
wrote that the darkness
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of the evil one encloses
those who neglect to pray.
00:11:19.07\00:11:22.18
Now, I think that's right.
00:11:22.21\00:11:24.11
And prayer doesn't
have to be drudgery.
00:11:24.15\00:11:25.75
In prayer, you're
opening up your heart to God
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as to a friend,
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you're talking about
things that clearly interest you
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and things that
are important to you,
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and you're
inviting the presence of God
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more and more into your life.
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And don't think for a
moment that your prayers
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have to be flowery,
eloquent masterpieces.
00:11:40.36\00:11:43.23
They just don't need to be.
00:11:43.26\00:11:44.57
Prayer is about honest
communication with God.
00:11:44.60\00:11:47.90
But if we're being
honest, if we're being honest,
00:11:47.94\00:11:51.21
we'd have to
admit that sometimes God
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doesn't give us what
we want when we pray.
00:11:53.98\00:11:55.78
And that's not only when
we pray the “selfish” prayers.
00:11:55.81\00:11:58.61
You know, you pray for a million
dollars and you don't get it;
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it isn't always hard to
figure out why that might be so.
00:12:01.18\00:12:03.28
You pray for fine weather
for your daughter's wedding
00:12:03.32\00:12:05.75
and it rains; well, you know,
00:12:05.79\00:12:07.39
that's just the
way it goes sometimes.
00:12:07.42\00:12:08.99
But if I can go way
deeper than that for a moment,
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think about this.
00:12:12.73\00:12:14.36
You pray and
pray for a pregnancy,
00:12:14.40\00:12:16.13
and finally the
pregnancy test is positive,
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two red lines!
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And you look forward
to this prayed-for baby,
00:12:19.97\00:12:21.94
and the big day arrives,
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and the child is
born severely disabled.
00:12:26.04\00:12:29.41
That can be not only difficult,
it can be faith-shaking.
00:12:29.44\00:12:33.01
You pray for God's
blessing on your day,
00:12:33.05\00:12:35.95
and you find out two hours later
that the company you work for
00:12:35.98\00:12:39.02
is downsizing,
and it's “well, sorry,
00:12:39.05\00:12:40.59
Joe, we appreciate all
you've done for us, but...”
00:12:40.62\00:12:42.96
And now you're facing
serious financial difficulty.
00:12:42.99\00:12:47.50
So what happened to
"Ask and you shall receive?"
00:12:47.56\00:12:50.37
Now, here is where prayer is
exposed for what it really is.
00:12:50.40\00:12:54.37
You see kids in the department
stores at Christmas time.
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They sit on Santa's knee
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and they tell him what
they want for Christmas.
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No, that's not what prayer is.
00:12:59.81\00:13:02.74
A child with his
or her grandparents
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on a hot summer's
day equals ice cream.
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If a kid can't get ice cream
out of Grandpa on a hot day,
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Grandpa has to
have a heart of granite.
00:13:10.82\00:13:13.79
But that's not what prayer is.
00:13:13.82\00:13:16.49
What prayer really is is
this: Prayer is an exercise in
00:13:16.52\00:13:19.76
learning to trust
the sovereignty of God.
00:13:19.79\00:13:23.16
Let me explain.
00:13:23.20\00:13:23.80
Question: Who knows best?
00:13:23.83\00:13:26.03
Answer?
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God does. That's right.
00:13:27.37\00:13:29.07
Does God want what's best
for our lives and best for us?
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Oh, yes, He does.
00:13:32.91\00:13:34.68
It, is it always
easy to understand?
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No, no it isn't.
00:13:37.41\00:13:39.05
A woman set out for work and
a maniac driver runs her off the
00:13:39.08\00:13:41.98
road and she totals her car.
00:13:42.02\00:13:43.42
Now, she gets in a
squabble with insurance,
00:13:43.45\00:13:45.72
her broken shoulder never heals,
it never works the same again...
00:13:45.75\00:13:48.56
>>Actress: Yes, please!
00:13:48.59\00:13:49.96
Somebody needs to
call me back on this claim.
00:13:49.99\00:13:52.46
I have not received any money
00:13:52.49\00:13:54.13
and I am going to be
losing my apartment...
00:13:54.20\00:13:57.53
Yes, thank you.
00:13:57.57\00:13:59.43
>>John: She loses time
off work; she loses money;
00:13:59.47\00:14:01.44
finally, she has to move
into another apartment because
00:14:01.47\00:14:03.77
she gets behind on the
rent in the one she's in.
00:14:03.81\00:14:05.94
Can you easily
call that "God's will"?
00:14:05.97\00:14:09.74
Not easily.
00:14:09.78\00:14:10.95
It's possible that
its God's will, sure,
00:14:10.98\00:14:13.48
but you wouldn't easily
entertain the idea that God
00:14:13.52\00:14:16.28
thought it was a good
idea for this woman's life
00:14:16.32\00:14:18.42
to become miserable.
00:14:18.45\00:14:20.69
Yet, is it possible that God can
bring something beautiful out of
00:14:20.72\00:14:26.46
the brokenness of
this woman's situation?
00:14:26.49\00:14:28.80
Sure it is.
00:14:28.83\00:14:29.86
Maybe not right away,
but maybe sooner or later.
00:14:29.90\00:14:32.83
I heard about a man who
worked in a Christian school,
00:14:32.87\00:14:36.47
lost his job in
shaky circumstances.
00:14:36.50\00:14:39.61
No income, no
insurance, no explanation,
00:14:39.64\00:14:42.48
just discarded like
he didn't even matter.
00:14:42.51\00:14:46.18
Was it God's will for him to
be treated so badly and to meet
00:14:46.21\00:14:50.35
with so much misfortune,
00:14:50.39\00:14:51.62
in a place where
he expected to always
00:14:51.65\00:14:53.76
be treated with
dignity and respect?
00:14:53.79\00:14:56.83
You'd find it hard to say that
God was wanting this man's life
00:14:56.86\00:15:00.56
to take a turn for the worse.
00:15:00.60\00:15:03.10
But is it possible that
God could bring something good
00:15:03.13\00:15:06.40
out of this man's situation?
00:15:06.43\00:15:08.47
There's a Bible verse
that suggests that this is so.
00:15:08.50\00:15:11.37
It's in Romans
chapter 8 and verse 28:
00:15:11.41\00:15:14.64
“And we know that all
things work together for good
00:15:14.68\00:15:19.08
to them that love God.”
00:15:19.11\00:15:22.18
You know what?
00:15:22.22\00:15:23.62
I had a lady tell me
one time that she believed
00:15:23.65\00:15:26.02
the terrible illness
that claimed her mother's life
00:15:26.05\00:15:30.19
was the best thing that
ever happened to her mother.
00:15:30.23\00:15:32.43
Now, she wasn't
bitter or ugly either.
00:15:32.46\00:15:34.20
She was, she was
meaning that in a kind,
00:15:34.20\00:15:35.73
Christian way.
00:15:35.76\00:15:37.37
A young wife told me that
her husband's very serious,
00:15:37.40\00:15:41.94
life-threatening
illness was the best thing
00:15:41.97\00:15:45.04
that ever
happened to their family.
00:15:45.07\00:15:46.98
The husband agreed.
00:15:47.01\00:15:49.54
Sometimes life doesn't
make a whole lot of sense.
00:15:49.58\00:15:52.85
An illness.
00:15:52.88\00:15:53.65
An injury.
00:15:53.68\00:15:54.55
A job loss.
00:15:54.58\00:15:55.72
A death.
00:15:55.75\00:15:57.25
And we pray that
God will change things,
00:15:57.29\00:15:58.75
and so very often He doesn't.
00:15:58.79\00:16:02.59
You know what we're called
upon to do in times like that?
00:16:02.62\00:16:06.80
We're called upon
to trust God, to say,
00:16:06.83\00:16:10.60
"I might not understand this,
00:16:10.63\00:16:12.97
but I'm willing
to trust God anyway."
00:16:13.00\00:16:15.70
A dear friend of
mine, an elderly man,
00:16:15.74\00:16:17.44
told me several times
that his grief at times
00:16:17.47\00:16:20.01
was so overwhelming,
00:16:20.04\00:16:22.34
having lost his
wife and his only child,
00:16:22.38\00:16:26.05
that he'd pull up a chair,
00:16:26.08\00:16:27.08
he'd ask Jesus to
sit down in that chair,
00:16:27.12\00:16:30.32
and then he'd talk to
Jesus and he'd say this,
00:16:30.35\00:16:32.59
he'd say, "Do you
not like me very much,
00:16:32.62\00:16:36.46
to allow these
things to happen to me?"
00:16:36.49\00:16:39.49
That's honest, isn't it?
00:16:39.53\00:16:41.26
See, there's a
struggle sometimes.
00:16:41.30\00:16:43.10
Think about Joseph.
00:16:43.13\00:16:44.63
Joseph was horribly treated.
00:16:44.67\00:16:46.77
He was sold by his brothers to
be a slave in another country.
00:16:46.80\00:16:51.01
What else happened?
00:16:51.04\00:16:52.14
Falsely accused
when he got there,
00:16:52.17\00:16:54.41
thrown into prison,
forgotten in his prison cell,
00:16:54.44\00:16:58.15
but in all of
that, what did Joseph do?
00:16:58.18\00:17:00.58
He trusted God and then,
00:17:00.62\00:17:04.02
then it worked out okay for him.
00:17:04.05\00:17:05.39
¤[Music]¤
00:17:05.42\00:17:06.45
Now, what about the
martyrs of yesteryear.
00:17:06.49\00:17:09.29
They trusted God; they
still lost their lives.
00:17:09.32\00:17:15.13
I'm going to
suggest something to you:
00:17:15.16\00:17:17.27
Before we pray,
00:17:17.30\00:17:18.33
it would be good
for us to understand
00:17:18.37\00:17:19.93
something about who God is.
00:17:19.97\00:17:22.07
God is the
Majesty of the universe.
00:17:22.10\00:17:27.01
He's the
Sovereign of the heavens.
00:17:27.04\00:17:29.54
And even though
we might sometimes
00:17:29.58\00:17:30.68
have a hard time understanding
the vagaries of life,
00:17:30.71\00:17:34.72
we can afford to trust God
00:17:34.75\00:17:36.95
no matter what our
experiences bring us.
00:17:36.99\00:17:40.66
God has never given you a reason
to doubt Him or mistrust Him.
00:17:40.69\00:17:44.33
What He asks is this: Trust me.
00:17:44.36\00:17:49.46
Remember, way back
in the book of Genesis,
00:17:49.50\00:17:51.50
the Word of God says this:
00:17:51.53\00:17:52.83
"Shall not the God of
all the earth do right?"
00:17:52.87\00:17:57.54
And we ought to be able to say:
00:17:57.57\00:17:58.47
"Yes, He will."
00:17:58.51\00:18:00.34
Now, did you ever
hear the story of Job?
00:18:00.38\00:18:05.38
A good man,
described by God as “perfect,”
00:18:05.41\00:18:10.82
a man who, yes, prayed.
00:18:10.85\00:18:14.39
Yet Job was a man who
experienced real hardship.
00:18:14.42\00:18:18.59
He didn't understand
that for a long time,
00:18:18.63\00:18:20.20
couldn't make sense of it.
00:18:20.23\00:18:21.86
We'll make sense of Job's
experience straight ahead.
00:18:21.90\00:18:26.57
Every Word is a one minute,
Bible-based daily devotional
00:18:27.90\00:18:31.57
presented by
Pastor John Bradshaw
00:18:31.61\00:18:33.44
and designed especially
for busy people like you.
00:18:33.48\00:18:36.11
Look for Every Word on selected
networks or watch it online
00:18:36.14\00:18:40.18
everyday on our website:
00:18:40.22\00:18:41.45
itiswritten.com.
00:18:41.48\00:18:43.49
¤[Music]¤
00:18:44.52\00:18:50.99
If you were to
call the White House
00:18:51.69\00:18:53.03
and ask to speak
to the President,
00:18:53.06\00:18:54.36
the simple truth is you're
not going to be put through
00:18:54.36\00:18:57.20
to his office for a chat.
00:18:57.23\00:18:58.73
Not going to happen.
00:18:58.77\00:19:00.04
If you were to
call the United Nations
00:19:00.07\00:19:01.34
and ask to speak to
the Secretary General,
00:19:01.37\00:19:03.17
you're going to be
disappointed again.
00:19:03.20\00:19:05.07
These are busy people.
00:19:05.11\00:19:06.24
Important people.
00:19:06.27\00:19:07.31
And unless there's a
spectacular reason to do so,
00:19:07.34\00:19:10.61
they're not going to take a call
from the likes of you and me.
00:19:10.65\00:19:13.88
But listen to this.
00:19:13.92\00:19:14.88
This is God
speaking, in 2 Chronicles 7:14:
00:19:14.92\00:19:17.39
"If My people, which
are called by My name,
00:19:17.42\00:19:21.22
shall humble themselves,
00:19:21.26\00:19:22.46
and pray, and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways;
00:19:22.49\00:19:26.29
then will I hear from Heaven,
and will forgive their sin,
00:19:26.33\00:19:29.76
and will heal their land."
00:19:29.80\00:19:31.83
Incredible!
00:19:31.87\00:19:33.10
The architect of the universe
is willing to take your call.
00:19:33.13\00:19:38.07
Anytime.
00:19:38.11\00:19:39.61
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:19:39.64\00:19:40.98
Let's live today by Every Word.
00:19:41.01\00:19:44.05
¤[Music]¤
00:19:45.11\00:19:47.35
>>Announcer: Planning
for your financial future
00:19:47.38\00:19:48.98
is a vital aspect of
Christian stewardship.
00:19:49.02\00:19:52.89
For this reason, It Is
Written is pleased to offer
00:19:52.92\00:19:55.66
free planned giving
and estate services.
00:19:55.69\00:19:58.53
For information on
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00:19:58.56\00:20:00.70
please call 800-992-2219.
00:20:00.73\00:20:05.50
Call today or visit our website,
00:20:05.53\00:20:07.64
hislegacy.com.
00:20:07.67\00:20:10.04
Call 800-992-2219.
00:20:10.07\00:20:14.71
>>John: The book of Job tells
the story of a man who struggled
00:20:15.98\00:20:19.05
to come to grips with the,
with the Sovereignty of God.
00:20:19.08\00:20:22.58
Now, Job was a man of prayer.
00:20:22.62\00:20:24.42
Yet, in spite of his prayers,
he suffered and he struggled,
00:20:24.45\00:20:29.62
and he cried out to God
and complained in his anguish.
00:20:29.66\00:20:33.80
It was as though Job was
trying to get God's attention.
00:20:33.83\00:20:36.73
But ultimately God was
wanting to get Job's attention.
00:20:36.77\00:20:42.27
In Job chapter 38, we read what
I believe is one of the most,
00:20:42.30\00:20:45.31
one of the most potent passages
of Scripture in the Bible.
00:20:45.34\00:20:48.88
God speaks to Job
and He says in Job 38,
00:20:48.91\00:20:51.15
starting in verse 4,
00:20:51.18\00:20:53.95
Where were you when I laid
the foundations of the earth?
00:20:53.98\00:20:57.95
Tell Me, if you
have understanding.
00:20:57.99\00:21:00.96
Who shut in the sea with
doors, when it burst forth..?
00:21:00.99\00:21:04.19
When I said,
‘This far you may come,
00:21:04.23\00:21:06.73
but no farther, and here
your proud waves must stop!'”
00:21:06.76\00:21:11.33
Have you entered
the springs of the sea?
00:21:11.37\00:21:14.07
Or have you walked
in search of the depths?
00:21:14.10\00:21:16.97
Have the gates of
death been revealed to you?
00:21:17.01\00:21:19.67
Or have you seen the
doors of the shadow of death?"
00:21:19.71\00:21:23.01
God asks Job, “Have you
entered the treasury of snow,
00:21:23.04\00:21:26.92
or have you seen
the treasury of hail?
00:21:26.95\00:21:30.29
Who provides food
for the raven...?”
00:21:30.32\00:21:33.32
That's all from Job chapter 38.
00:21:33.36\00:21:35.56
God was saying,
00:21:35.59\00:21:36.46
"Job, just how
big are you anyway?
00:21:36.49\00:21:40.36
Can you send out lightnings,
00:21:40.40\00:21:42.56
that they may
go, and say to you,
00:21:42.60\00:21:44.57
'Here we are?'"
00:21:44.60\00:21:47.24
What Job had to
realize was this:
00:21:47.27\00:21:49.97
he was just a little man,
and God is a transcendent,
00:21:50.01\00:21:55.14
God is a great,
God is a perfect,
00:21:55.18\00:21:58.28
God is a mighty God.
00:21:58.31\00:22:01.15
Earlier in the book
of Job, Job had said,
00:22:01.18\00:22:03.65
“Though He slay me,
yet will I trust in Him...”
00:22:03.69\00:22:08.12
You know something?
00:22:08.16\00:22:08.99
God wants us to
pray like we mean it.
00:22:09.02\00:22:12.06
One thing I know
that every person needs
00:22:12.09\00:22:14.83
is the presence of God,
00:22:14.86\00:22:16.13
and God's presence is
manifested most powerfully
00:22:16.16\00:22:19.47
in answer to our prayers.
00:22:19.50\00:22:20.47
God said this:
00:22:20.50\00:22:23.00
“If My people who
are called by My name
00:22:23.04\00:22:25.21
shall humble themselves,
and pray and seek My face,
00:22:25.24\00:22:27.91
and turn from their wicked ways,
then will I hear from Heaven,
00:22:27.94\00:22:32.91
and forgive their sin,
00:22:32.95\00:22:34.85
and I will heal their land.”
00:22:34.88\00:22:37.49
God promises to do great
things in answer to our prayers.
00:22:37.52\00:22:41.69
But He doesn't
promise to always do things
00:22:41.72\00:22:44.86
that make a lot of sense
to us, at least at the time.
00:22:44.89\00:22:47.66
And in those moments
we're called to trust.
00:22:47.66\00:22:50.83
That's prayer in the real world.
00:22:50.87\00:22:53.27
And we can trust
the heart of God.
00:22:53.30\00:22:56.14
You know, it's my
conviction that we're living
00:22:56.17\00:22:57.71
on the edge of eternity.
00:22:57.74\00:22:59.21
No, I'm not
trying to set a date;
00:22:59.24\00:23:01.64
I simply believe
that on God's time clock
00:23:01.68\00:23:04.15
there's not a lot of
time left for Planet Earth.
00:23:04.18\00:23:07.22
And if you read the Bible,
00:23:07.25\00:23:09.05
the Bible indicates that
there are some times ahead
00:23:09.08\00:23:11.39
for people of faith that
will really try their faith.
00:23:11.42\00:23:16.12
What then?
00:23:16.16\00:23:17.43
God would have you and
me possess a faith so real
00:23:17.46\00:23:21.00
that regardless
of our experiences,
00:23:21.03\00:23:23.57
no matter what we're
called to go through,
00:23:23.60\00:23:25.23
we can still trust Him.
00:23:25.27\00:23:28.14
The reality is this:
00:23:28.17\00:23:29.37
the Bible says we have
a High Priest in Heaven,
00:23:29.40\00:23:33.58
His name is Jesus,
He's interceding for us.
00:23:33.61\00:23:37.01
You know, Satan knows that,
00:23:37.05\00:23:38.95
and he wants to keep us
from being connected to Jesus.
00:23:38.98\00:23:41.68
Jesus said that we are to come
boldly to the throne of grace
00:23:41.72\00:23:45.32
so that we could obtain mercy,
00:23:45.35\00:23:46.76
and grace to
help in time of need.
00:23:46.79\00:23:49.09
If we get mercy,
00:23:49.12\00:23:50.19
and if we get grace to
help us in our time of need,
00:23:50.23\00:23:52.79
via the practice of prayer,
00:23:52.83\00:23:56.00
you can be sure
Satan will do all he can
00:23:56.03\00:23:59.30
to keep you from praying.
00:23:59.33\00:24:02.87
Now keep in mind:
00:24:02.90\00:24:03.77
Prayer doesn't
work any change in God;
00:24:03.81\00:24:08.38
prayer is to bring us
into harmony with Him.
00:24:08.41\00:24:15.42
The greatest example
of what I'm talking about
00:24:15.45\00:24:17.55
was given to us
by Jesus Himself.
00:24:17.59\00:24:20.29
The spotless Lamb of God,
00:24:20.32\00:24:22.56
guilty of nothing
except faithfulness
00:24:22.59\00:24:24.99
and love and mercy and kindness.
00:24:25.03\00:24:28.00
Well, now He finds Himself being
propelled towards the cross
00:24:28.03\00:24:31.53
on which He would die.
00:24:31.57\00:24:33.64
As Jesus looked
ahead to the cross
00:24:33.67\00:24:35.50
He did not deserve to die on,
00:24:35.54\00:24:37.47
He actually shrank back from
that experience in His humanity.
00:24:37.51\00:24:42.34
He prayed to His Father, saying,
00:24:42.38\00:24:43.71
"Lord, if it is possible,
let this cup pass from Me.”
00:24:43.75\00:24:47.88
If we can avoid this,
I'd be happy to do so.
00:24:47.92\00:24:50.65
I don't really
want to die on a cross."
00:24:50.69\00:24:53.52
But then Jesus added those
famous and wonderful words,
00:24:53.56\00:24:56.49
"Nevertheless, not My
will, but Thine be done.”
00:24:56.52\00:25:00.70
I don't want this,
but if it is Your will,
00:25:00.73\00:25:04.63
I'm all for it.
00:25:04.67\00:25:06.07
If You think
this is the way to go,
00:25:06.10\00:25:08.84
I'll go trusting You"
00:25:08.87\00:25:11.07
That's real trust.
00:25:11.11\00:25:13.38
And you and I can trust
God in just the same way.
00:25:13.41\00:25:16.78
That's prayer in the real world.
00:25:16.81\00:25:19.28
It doesn't always
work out the way we wish,
00:25:19.31\00:25:22.12
but it does work out if we
trust God and let God be God.
00:25:22.15\00:25:27.22
Let's pray together.
00:25:27.26\00:25:29.49
Our Father in Heaven,
00:25:29.52\00:25:31.33
we've had many experiences
00:25:31.36\00:25:32.83
where we have
prayed for something great,
00:25:32.86\00:25:34.56
maybe for somebody to be healed,
00:25:34.60\00:25:36.26
and it didn't work out our way.
00:25:36.30\00:25:38.87
We prayed for
experiences in our own lives
00:25:38.90\00:25:42.30
and we have ended up going
through difficult experiences.
00:25:42.34\00:25:46.54
I pray that You will
help us to trust You.
00:25:46.57\00:25:49.88
Remind us that prayer in the
real world isn't all about us
00:25:49.91\00:25:53.21
taking a shopping list to You
and having You fill that out.
00:25:53.25\00:25:57.15
It's about communication
and wrestling and trusting,
00:25:57.19\00:25:59.95
and having faith.
00:26:00.06\00:26:02.32
Let us be people of
prayer and people of faith
00:26:02.36\00:26:06.03
as we experience prayer
in the real world, I pray,
00:26:06.06\00:26:10.47
in Jesus' name,
00:26:10.50\00:26:11.83
Amen.
00:26:11.87\00:26:14.34
¤[Music]¤
00:26:14.37\00:26:24.41
¤[Music]¤
00:26:24.41\00:26:33.09
>>John: Fasting.
00:26:34.39\00:26:35.69
It's a very biblical concept,
00:26:35.72\00:26:38.03
but it's also
very misunderstood.
00:26:38.06\00:26:41.13
Jesus fasted, we know that,
00:26:41.16\00:26:42.73
but does He want
people to fast today?
00:26:42.76\00:26:46.03
And what does God
intend that fasting should be?
00:26:46.07\00:26:48.37
And, how can it benefit you?
00:26:48.40\00:26:51.01
I'd like to send you a book from
our “Healing Insights” series
00:26:51.04\00:26:53.91
called, “Fasting and Prayer.”
00:26:53.94\00:26:55.98
This book is absolutely free.
00:26:56.01\00:26:58.51
Just call 800-253-3000,
00:26:58.55\00:27:02.05
and ask for
“Fasting and Prayer.”
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And we'll mail a free copy to
your address in North America.
00:27:04.79\00:27:08.06
Or you can find us
online at: iiwoffer.com.
00:27:08.09\00:27:14.00
Thank you for remembering
that It Is Written exists
00:27:14.56\00:27:17.10
because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:27:17.13\00:27:19.57
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:27:19.60\00:27:23.17
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:27:23.20\00:27:27.41
You can send your
tax deductible gift
00:27:27.44\00:27:28.91
to the address on your screen,
00:27:28.94\00:27:30.38
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:27:30.41\00:27:34.28
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:27:34.32\00:27:37.12
Our number
again is 800-253-3000.
00:27:37.15\00:27:41.19
Or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:27:41.22\00:27:44.53
Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:45.53\00:27:46.66
I look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:46.70\00:27:49.03
Until then, remember:
00:27:49.06\00:27:50.63
"It is written,
00:27:50.67\00:27:51.87
'Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:27:51.90\00:27:53.84
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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¤[Music]¤
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