>>John Bradshaw: This  It
Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
00:00:19.95\00:00:22.68
Thanks for joining me.e.
00:00:22.72\00:00:24.12
I'in Moldova, a little
country in Eastern Europe
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sandwiched
betweenRomania and Ukraine.
00:00:27.42\00:00:31.23
It's a quarter of t size has the
population of of the state of
Tennessee, the state of
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Connectcticut, about ththree
and a half million people.
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¤[Music]¤
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FoFor 50 years, Moldova
was a Soviet socialistepublic.
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It was under communist r rule
as part of the Soviet Union.
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But a remarkable thing happened,
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the most significantnt political
change of the 20th century.
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And it affected the
life of every pern here.
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¤[Music]¤
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¤[Music]¤
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As far as
Euroropean communism went,
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the winds of c change really
began to blow in the 1980s.
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In Poland, the
lidarity movement,
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led by Lech Walesa,
called for a serieies of strikes
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which crippled that
countntry's economy.
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In Hungagary, Czechoslovakia,
East Germany and Roman,
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governments me under
pressure to roll back
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the oppressive
restrictions of f communism.
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In previous times,
the Soviet Union's reonse
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would have been
swift and sesevere.
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But this time ings
would be different.
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On November ththe tenth,
1989, the Bein Wall came down.
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It was a serpente, 12-feet-tall,
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100-mile-long barrier
that separated d West Germany
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from communist EasGermany.
00:02:07.96\00:02:10.73
st Germans celebrated,
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and that falling
domino set ofa chain reaction
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that led to the dissolution of
communism in Eastetern Europe.
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And by the te
the dust had settled,
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the Soviet Union was no more.
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But thstory many
people haven't heard
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is how the fall of
communism had lessss to do with
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Lech Walesa and protest
and more to doith prayer.
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In 1982, in the city of ipzig,
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a Protestant pastor
named Christian Fuhrer
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begaholding Monday evening
prayer meetings in his chuhurch,
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St. Nicholas Church.
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Pastor Fuhrer
conducted those prayereetings
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in spitef the East German
government's strong oppositition
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to religious activities.s.
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So the goverernment pushed back,
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saying they'd do whatever
they had to to stop what had
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morphed from simple prayer
meeting to peacefuful protests.
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But on October the 9th, 89,
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eit thousand people
gathered in the church,
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and another
seventy ousand people
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mamassed in the streets outside.
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In the end, the
government let them protest.
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The BBC later reported thahat
East German officials said that
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they were ready for athing at
all, except candles and prayer.
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¤[Music]¤
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Exactly one month
after that h historic night,
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the wall came down.
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And so too did a whole series
of atheistic dictatorships.
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¤[Music]¤
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So whilehere were certainly
other factors involved,
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it can't bebe denied that prayer
00:04:02.97\00:04:04.61
play an incredibly
important role in bringing about
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inast Germany and
throughout Eastern Europe
00:04:08.34\00:04:11.71
an incredible change,
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which not long before
would haveve been completely
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unimaginable. So wt's the
secret to effective prayer?
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Can anyone learn
toto pray effectively?
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Or do you have
tobe specially qualified
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to get yr prayers answered?
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¤[Music]¤
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It seems to me a former
Soviet s socialist republic
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is a pretty good place to ask,
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and then t to
answer those questions.
00:04:39.37\00:04:43.61
So what is prayer?
00:04:43.65\00:04:45.21
A dictionary wilill tell you
that prayer is a petition to,
00:04:45.25\00:04:48.92
or communion with,
God or another object.
00:04:48.95\00:04:53.22
Now, for the
purpose of this discussion,
00:04:53.25\00:04:55.29
we'll limit ourselves to
the ideaea of praying to God.
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Someone once saiaid that prayer
is the opening up of the hea
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to G God as to a friend.
00:05:02.50\00:05:05.67
Now, God has asked that we pray.
00:05:05.70\00:05:08.60
And He's promised that
He'll answeour prayers.
00:05:08.64\00:05:12.17
Now, listen to this: i it's
Second Chronicles 7, verse 14.
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Solomon has just
dedicated the temple to d.
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It's in the tenth century B.C.
00:05:19.21\00:05:21.48
And God spoke to
Solomon and saidhis:
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“If My people, which
are called by My name,e,
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shall humble themselves,
anand pray, and seek my face,
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and turn from their wicked ways;
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then will l I hear from heaven,
and will forgive theirin,
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and will heal their land.”
00:05:38.57\00:05:40.90
The Sovereign of
the ununiverse says,
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“I will answer your prayer”
00:05:43.74\00:05:46.91
And you noticece He
makes it nice and simple.
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There are very few
conditions involved.
00:05:49.18\00:05:51.28
God simply says that
if you come to m humbly,
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and if y turn away from sin,
00:05:54.35\00:05:56.65
He will hear and
answer yr prayers.
00:05:56.69\00:06:01.02
Now, o over in
the New Testament,
00:06:01.06\00:06:02.89
we read this in First
John,chapter 5, verses 14 and
00:06:02.92\00:06:08.60
15: “Now this is e
confidence that we have in Him,
00:06:08.63\00:06:11.10
that if we ask
anything according to His will,
00:06:11.13\00:06:13.97
He hears us.
00:06:14.00\00:06:15.27
And d if we know that He
hears us, whatever we ask,
00:06:15.30\00:06:18.61
we know that we
have t the petitions
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that we have asked of HiHim.”
00:06:20.68\00:06:22.68
JoJohn, the man who
wrote the Gospel of John
00:06:22.71\00:06:24.85
and the book of Revelation,
00:06:24.88\00:06:26.41
man who spent
three and a half years
00:06:26.45\00:06:28.72
as o of Jesus' closest friends,
says that if you prayay,
00:06:28.75\00:06:32.55
you can know t
that God hears you,
00:06:32.59\00:06:34.92
and in knowing
that He hears you,
00:06:34.96\00:06:37.19
you can be confident that
He will grant yourur petitions.
00:06:37.23\00:06:41.43
Now,w, that has to be one
of the most remarkable ings
00:06:41.46\00:06:44.33
ev written.
00:06:44.37\00:06:46.57
So, how do you go
about aying in a way
00:06:46.60\00:06:50.07
that you can be certain
your prayers will be e answered?
00:06:50.11\00:06:53.34
Tell you that in just a moment.
00:06:53.38\00:06:54.84
¤[Music]¤
00:06:54.88\00:06:59.55
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>>John: There is
power in the Word of God,
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anpower available to you
through the promises of GoGod.
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God wants you to experience
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'd like you to
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¤[Music]¤
00:08:01.88\00:08:06.85
>>John: This is It Is
Written. Thanks for joining me.
00:08:06.88\00:08:09.82
The first prayer in the Bible
00:08:09.85\00:08:11.72
appears  the third
chapter of Genesis.
00:08:11.75\00:08:14.19
The last prayer in the
Bible is in Revelation,
00:08:14.22\00:08:17.36
chapter 22, in the
second last verse of theible,
00:08:17.39\00:08:20.56
where JoJohn rights,
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
00:08:20.60\00:08:24.60
God wants us to pray.
00:08:24.63\00:08:26.80
He wants to communicatwith us.
00:08:26.84\00:08:29.20
So how do you pray effectively?
00:08:29.24\00:08:31.57
What's the secret?
00:08:31.61\00:08:33.27
've come to Orheiul Vechi,
00:08:33.31\00:08:35.24
fascinating place
about an hour from Chisinau,
00:08:35.28\00:08:38.15
the capital of Moldova.
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Until 19, Moldova
was a communist land,
00:08:39.78\00:08:43.32
part of the viet Union.
00:08:43.35\00:08:45.32
Most people don't know how
significant a part prarayer
00:08:45.35\00:08:48.89
played in bringing
about the end d of communism.
00:08:48.92\00:08:51.43
And this histoc little place
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gives us an
opportunity to reflectn prayer.
00:08:55.13\00:08:59.17
They say the medieval town was
built herere around 700 years
00:08:59.20\00:09:03.87
ago. Mongol invers came
through a little after that.
00:09:03.91\00:09:06.68
And then there was a a
time of peace under kings
00:09:06.71\00:09:09.31
ch as Alexander the
Kind and Stephen the Great.
00:09:09.34\00:09:13.42
There was a
palace here  one time.
00:09:13.45\00:09:15.48
Governors lived here.
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There was a mosque
and d a minaret from which
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the call to prayer was made.
00:09:19.25\00:09:21.16
Ruins of an old
Christian church can be se.
00:09:21.19\00:09:23.99
And today, there's
still a nastery here.
00:09:24.03\00:09:27.46
The cave monasastery
goes back hundreds of years.
00:09:27.50\00:09:32.17
can't have been easy to build.
00:09:32.20\00:09:34.84
Monasteries are
placaces of reflection.
00:09:34.87\00:09:37.94
Some have en built in
the unlikeliest of settings.
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In most every monastery,
00:09:41.48\00:09:43.41
prayer is highn
the list of priorities.
00:09:43.45\00:09:47.22
Here at Orheiul Vechi,
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the monastery is runun by
the Eastern Orthodox Church.
00:09:49.12\00:09:53.05
Monks actutually used to
stay in these little cells,
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once upon a time.
00:09:57.13\00:09:58.53
Considering that the
tempereratures here can be
00:09:58.53\00:10:00.26
absolutely frigid,
that's really somethihing.
00:10:00.30\00:10:04.23
It's not unusual for
monks, or othehers who live in a
00:10:04.27\00:10:07.84
monastery, to withdraw from the
world and give themsels over to
00:10:07.87\00:10:12.41
working, to reading
the Bible, and to prayer.r.
00:10:12.44\00:10:15.74
You don't see a monastic life
00:10:19.71\00:10:21.68
modeled or
recommded in the Bible.
00:10:21.72\00:10:24.45
w, it's true there were
times that people cameme aside
00:10:24.49\00:10:27.09
for periods of
spiritual devotion
00:10:27.12\00:10:29.46
But they were connected
toto active ministry for others.
00:10:29.49\00:10:33.36
The six weeks or so that
Jesus ent in the wilderness
00:10:33.40\00:10:36.36
ter his baptism
were immediately prior to
00:10:36.40\00:10:39.40
the beginning of h
active earthly ministry.
00:10:39.43\00:10:42.87
In Mark 6 and verse 31,
Jesus saido his disciples,
00:10:42.90\00:10:47.58
“Come apart by yourselves
into a desererted place
00:10:47.61\00:10:51.35
and rest a while.”
00:10:51.38\00:10:52.88
Jesus could see th needed rest.
00:10:52.91\00:10:54.92
They needed time with him
00:10:54.95\00:10:57.12
to be rengthened for the
ministry he called them to.
00:10:57.15\00:11:00.29
Does God hear prayers prayed in
a monastery anany more clearly
00:11:01.46\00:11:05.23
than he hears prayers ayed in
Does God hear the prayers of a
the middle of a bustling city?
00:11:08.40\00:11:11.23
monk or a prpriest or a minister
anmore clearly than he hears the
00:11:11.27\00:11:13.13
prayers of a construction
worker or taxi driver?
00:11:13.17\00:11:16.94
Absolutely not.
00:11:17.54\00:11:20.01
The kekey to
successful prayer is...to pray.
00:11:20.04\00:11:25.35
Whoever you e, wherever you are,
00:11:25.38\00:11:28.58
whatever you are:
00:11:28.62\00:11:30.39
if you'll pray, God
will hear your prarayers.
00:11:30.42\00:11:35.42
Now, there's a common mistake
at far too many people make
00:11:35.46\00:11:38.76
when it comes to prayer,
00:11:38.79\00:11:40.26
and that is thinking that
prprayer is all about getting.
00:11:40.30\00:11:45.27
Now, it's true, when
you me to God in prayer,
00:11:45.30\00:11:47.27
it's okay to do your
fair share o of asking.
00:11:47.30\00:11:49.84
But prayer is so mucuch more
00:11:49.87\00:11:51.74
than coming tood
with a shopping list.
00:11:51.77\00:11:55.01
Prayer is communion.
00:11:55.04\00:11:56.81
It's communication.
00:11:56.85\00:11:58.65
It's spending
time in God's presence
00:11:58.68\00:12:00.75
so that you and God are
on the same wawavelength,
00:12:00.78\00:12:03.55
so that God's s
thoughts become your thoughts,
00:12:03.59\00:12:07.12
and so that you are strengthened
to live a Christiaian life
00:12:07.16\00:12:10.53
in the very center
of the will l of God.
00:12:10.56\00:12:13.06
I got an email
a couple of da ago
00:12:13.80\00:12:15.80
from somebody asking
about a difffficult temptation
00:12:15.83\00:12:19.03
he was facining.
00:12:19.07\00:12:20.00
As a matter of facact,
00:12:20.04\00:12:21.14
he said  was beating him
and he was feeling crushed,
00:12:21.20\00:12:24.61
and he couldn't get the
victory ov a certain sin.
00:12:24.64\00:12:28.24
And in that email he said,
00:12:28.28\00:12:30.85
“But I don't read my
Bible, and I don't pray.”
00:12:30.88\00:12:34.92
Wellll, ladies and
gentlemen, there it is.
00:12:34.95\00:12:38.29
He wasn't pring.
00:12:38.32\00:12:39.25
So of course h
was being defeated.
00:12:39.29\00:12:41.76
If he e had prayed,
00:12:41.79\00:12:43.22
well,  might not have
got that shiny red truck
00:12:43.26\00:12:45.43
that he was wantg, for example,
00:12:45.46\00:12:47.50
but he would have been
strengthened t to meet the
00:12:47.56\00:12:50.97
trials that were
cocoming into his life.
00:12:51.00\00:12:52.63
PrPrayer would have
made the difference.
00:12:52.67\00:12:57.64
No while it's a good thing
to pray in a peaceful l place,
00:12:57.67\00:13:00.41
itit's good to
get away from it all,
00:13:00.44\00:13:02.11
it's good to be someplace
that you'u're not going to be
00:13:02.14\00:13:04.88
bothered, what you need to know
is how you cacan pray wherever
00:13:04.91\00:13:08.42
you are and still be heard bGod.
00:13:08.45\00:13:10.02
There'no special
place that you must pray
00:13:10.05\00:13:12.75
in order to  heard.
00:13:12.79\00:13:13.92
You can pray
anywhere at all and anytime.
00:13:13.96\00:13:17.46
Prayer i is where
your desires become molded
00:13:21.63\00:13:25.03
to the will of G.
00:13:25.07\00:13:26.53
In fact, prar is more
about you trying to find out
00:13:26.57\00:13:29.40
what God's will is  something,
00:13:29.44\00:13:31.61
rather than trying to
bend God to suit yourill.
00:13:31.64\00:13:35.88
d prayer is not a
get-out-of-jail-free card.
00:13:35.91\00:13:39.38
You can prayay all you want,
but your dog might still die
00:13:39.41\00:13:42.15
anand you might
still lose your job.
00:13:42.18\00:13:44.52
But if you pray,
00:13:44.55\00:13:45.95
you'll be strengthened to meet
the trls life brings your way.
00:13:45.99\00:13:49.89
So how's your prayer life?
00:13:49.92\00:13:51.86
God is waiting to he
and answer your prayers.
00:13:51.89\00:13:55.50
I'll be back with
more in just a moment.
00:13:55.53\00:13:56.87
¤[Music]¤
00:13:56.90\00:14:01.90
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Call 800-253-3000.
00:14:27.20\00:14:31.03
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00:14:31.07\00:14:34.50
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00:14:35.10\00:14:36.10
>>Announcer: IMatthew
4:4, the Word of God says,
00:14:36.14\00:14:38.01
"“It is written, ‘Man
shall not live by be alone,
00:14:38.04\00:14:40.91
but by every word that
proceeds fr the mouth of God.'”
00:14:40.94\00:14:45.08
Every Word is s a one-minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:14:45.11\00:14:48.32
presented byastor John Bradshaw,
00:14:48.35\00:14:50.05
and designed especiay
for busy people like you.
00:14:50.09\00:14:53.19
Look for Everyord
on selected networks,
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or watch it online
everday on our website,
00:14:55.92\00:14:58.43
ItIsWritten.com.
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Receive a dailspiritual boost.
00:15:00.80\00:15:02.90
Watch Every Word.
00:15:02.93\00:15:04.27
You'll be glad you did.
00:15:04.30\00:15:05.83
Here's a samplele.
00:15:05.87\00:15:08.07
¤[Every Word theme music]¤
00:15:08.54\00:15:13.41
>>John: Joseph, sosold as
a slave by his own brothers
00:15:13.44\00:15:16.51
and taken off to
a foreign country,
00:15:16.54\00:15:18.55
where's he's propositioned
by his master's wife.
00:15:18.58\00:15:21.25
To betrahis master's trust
00:15:21.28\00:15:22.65
and to sin against God
would have been disarous.
00:15:22.68\00:15:25.32
But to spurn t this woman,
well, we know how that turned ou
00:15:25.35\00:15:29.06
Buwhen Potiphar's wife
was turning up the heat,,
00:15:29.09\00:15:31.59
Genesis 39, verse 8
speaksks of Joseph when it says,
00:15:31.63\00:15:35.80
“But he refused.”
00:15:35.83\00:15:37.57
Three simple words
ththat could change
00:15:37.60\00:15:39.13
or maybe even saveve your life.
00:15:39.17\00:15:41.47
Temptation comes at us
every day it attacks us,
00:15:41.50\00:15:43.64
and often when we're
weak owhere we're weak.
00:15:43.67\00:15:46.94
But  challenging as temptation
can be, think of Joseph.h.
00:15:46.98\00:15:50.25
“t he refused.”
00:15:50.28\00:15:51.51
He cou have
acquiesced, but he refused.
00:15:51.55\00:15:53.85
He could have
fallen, but heefused.
00:15:53.85\00:15:56.75
Temptation offers you a choice.
00:15:56.79\00:15:58.15
Let it be said oyou,
“But he or she refused.”
00:15:58.19\00:16:00.79
And let God's Spirit
keep y in the will of God.
00:16:00.82\00:16:03.83
I'm John Bradshaw
for ItIt Is Written.
00:16:03.86\00:16:05.46
Let's live today by every word.
00:16:05.49\00:16:08.23
¤[Music]¤
00:16:09.10\00:16:14.17
>>John: Thanks for jning
me today on It Is Written.
00:16:14.20\00:16:16.64
People come to monasteries
l like this one in Moldova to
00:16:16.67\00:16:21.74
pray. Prayer is fundamentatal
to the Christian experience.
00:16:21.78\00:16:24.48
In fact, you cannot rely
call yourself a genuine believer
00:16:24.51\00:16:27.62
in God witithout
habitual, personal prayer.
00:16:27.65\00:16:32.09
Prayayer is where your
mind meets with the mind  God.
00:16:32.12\00:16:36.89
Prayer i is like
breathing the air God breathes.
00:16:36.93\00:16:39.49
It's likeownloading
God's thoughts into your own.
00:16:39.53\00:16:43.70
Now, remember Psalm
66, verse 18, which ys,
00:16:43.73\00:16:47.04
"If I regard iniquity in
my heart, the Lord will notot
00:16:47.07\00:16:51.11
hear.” Now, that
does not mean that God
00:16:51.14\00:16:52.51
doesn't t hear the
prayers of sinners.
00:16:52.54\00:16:54.08
If that were true,
none of us would be heard.
00:16:54.11\00:16:56.81
But what it does mean is that
if we choose to cling to sin,
00:16:56.85\00:17:00.82
and refu to surrender it to God,
00:17:00.85\00:17:04.19
we're really telling God thatat
we're just not serious about
00:17:04.22\00:17:07.52
his will being
done in our life.e.
00:17:07.56\00:17:10.26
As John Bunyan, who wrote
"“The Pilgrim's Progress,” said,
00:17:10.29\00:17:13.66
“In prayer heart
without words is better
00:17:13.70\00:17:19.10
th words without a heart.”
00:17:19.13\00:17:22.64
Consider the
Lord's Prayer w with me.
00:17:22.67\00:17:25.04
It's the model
prayayer given in the Bible.
00:17:25.07\00:17:28.08
The disciples came to
Jesus in Matthew, chapter 6,
00:17:28.11\00:17:30.55
and they said,
“Lord, teach us to pra”
00:17:30.58\00:17:34.32
And what prompted them to make
that request was s what Jesus
00:17:34.35\00:17:37.45
had been talking about t
immediately prior to this.
00:17:37.49\00:17:41.26
Jesus warned them against
prayaying like the hypocrites,
00:17:41.29\00:17:44.83
who prayayed so
that other people
00:17:44.89\00:17:46.80
would see their
religious devotion.
00:17:46.83\00:17:49.46
Now that word, hypocris,
is translated from a word
00:17:49.50\00:17:52.70
that means a an actor.
00:17:52.73\00:17:55.30
Insincere prayers,s,
just acting the part,
00:17:55.34\00:17:58.91
He went on to say in aren't
geing anyone anywhere. Matthew
00:18:01.38\00:18:03.98
6, verse 6, “BuBut you, when
you pray, go into your room,
00:18:04.01\00:18:07.05
and when you
have shut your door,
00:18:07.08\00:18:08.52
pray to yourather who
is in the secret place;
00:18:08.55\00:18:11.42
and your Father who se in
secret will reward you openly.”
00:18:11.45\00:18:15.92
Prive prayer should be private.
00:18:15.96\00:18:18.56
When you're pouring
out t your heart to God
00:18:18.59\00:18:20.06
about what's neart to you,
00:18:20.10\00:18:21.63
you want to have a place to
goto pray that's your own space.
00:18:21.66\00:18:25.43
That's importan
00:18:25.47\00:18:26.50
And noti that Jesus
in that passage suggested
00:18:26.53\00:18:29.00
You find that thought expressed
that God will all the way
ththrough the Bible. answer your
00:18:31.64\00:18:34.98
prayers. In the next verse,
00:18:35.01\00:18:36.11
Jesus said
there's no placen prayer
00:18:36.14\00:18:38.58
for what He referrrred
to as vain repetition.
00:18:38.61\00:18:42.12
That's saying t same prayer
over and over and over again.
00:18:42.15\00:18:46.92
You see, when
it comes to prayer,
00:18:46.96\00:18:49.56
what God wants
usto know is that prayer
00:18:49.59\00:18:51.63
is a meeting o
of minds and hearts.
00:18:51.66\00:18:55.33
God wants to hear
what's on yr heart.
00:18:55.36\00:18:58.37
He wants to ar from
you in communication
00:18:58.40\00:19:01.04
about what's important to y.
00:19:01.07\00:19:03.34
Simply
regurgitating a lelearned prayer
00:19:03.37\00:19:06.54
doesn't really
constitute true pray.
00:19:06.57\00:19:09.21
I'll give you a case in point.
00:19:09.24\00:19:11.68
In my life I must have
prayed ththe Lord's Prayer,
00:19:11.71\00:19:13.85
oh, thousands of times.
00:19:13.88\00:19:16.62
Becausas a child we were
taught to pray that prayer
00:19:16.69\00:19:19.42
over and over and over,
and again d again and again.
00:19:19.45\00:19:22.89
But think about it.
00:19:22.92\00:19:25.06
You'd be far betetter
off praying that prayer once,
00:19:25.09\00:19:28.10
and thinking about
it, and reflting on it,
00:19:28.13\00:19:32.27
really getting
something out of the expience,
00:19:32.30\00:19:35.00
an you would saying
that prayer a hundred times
00:19:35.04\00:19:38.17
without giving it any thought.
00:19:38.21\00:19:40.64
And then Jesus
said in Matthew 6, verse
00:19:40.68\00:19:43.95
“In this
manner, therefore, pray:
00:19:43.98\00:19:46.28
r Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.”
00:19:46.31\00:19:50.39
Now, who are you praying to?
00:19:50.42\00:19:51.89
You're prayi to your Father.
00:19:51.92\00:19:54.96
And that ought to give y
confidence and assurance.
00:19:55.02\00:19:58.56
And involved in that
little phrase sus taught
00:19:58.59\00:20:01.03
was the idea of praise.
00:20:01.06\00:20:04.77
You're to praise
God whwhen you pray.
00:20:04.80\00:20:07.40
PrPraise Him for who He is, for
what He's done, for what He
means toto you. for what He is,
00:20:10.87\00:20:14.94
Just that can keep you busy
prayining for quite a while.
00:20:15.01\00:20:19.15
Verse 10:“Your kingdom come.
00:20:19.18\00:20:21.72
Your will be done on
earth as it is i in heaven.”
00:20:21.75\00:20:25.62
We're to pray for the
coming oGod's kingdom,
00:20:25.65\00:20:28.39
e setting up of His eternal
kingdom when Jesus r returns.
00:20:28.42\00:20:32.49
You see, prayer focuses
your mi on the important things
00:20:32.53\00:20:36.10
on the big picture.
00:20:36.13\00:20:38.10
And notice we're to
prpray that God's will is done.
00:20:38.13\00:20:43.47
Now, you and I both know that
we don''t always see our prayers
00:20:43.51\00:20:47.24
answered the
way we wish th were.
00:20:47.28\00:20:49.51
Anmaybe that's because God knows
00:20:49.54\00:20:51.35
you don't reallyly
need a raise right now.
00:20:51.38\00:20:54.45
Or you c can actually get by
00:20:54.48\00:20:55.85
without fine
weatheher this weekend.
00:20:55.88\00:20:58.05
And that's fine.
00:20:58.09\00:20:59.69
But whwhat about when your
child doesn't recover om cancer,
00:20:59.89\00:21:02.99
or Dad doesn't come
back from the hospit?
00:21:03.02\00:21:05.76
What then?
00:21:05.79\00:21:07.46
Well, the fact is, that's life.
00:21:07.50\00:21:10.67
That's life in
this sinful world.
00:21:10.70\00:21:13.44
w, it's not God's will
that children should s suffer
00:21:13.47\00:21:15.87
or that parents should die.
00:21:15.90\00:21:17.34
That's not God's will at all.
00:21:17.37\00:21:19.74
t what is God's
will is that you're saved
00:21:19.77\00:21:22.51
into Hisis eternal kingdom,
00:21:22.51\00:21:23.75
that you spend
eternity with God.
00:21:23.78\00:21:26.51
And people who snd
eternity with God are people
00:21:26.55\00:21:28.75
whwho've learned
to say, like Job said,
00:21:28.78\00:21:31.62
“Though He sl me,
yet will I trust in Him.”
00:21:31.65\00:21:35.42
Now, we don't
always get what we want.
00:21:35.46\00:21:37.49
But we can trust God anyway, Our
prayers are't always and say,
“ThThy will be done.” answered
00:21:41.33\00:21:48.07
the way we wish. Mattw 6:11,
“Give us this day our daily
00:21:48.10\00:21:52.94
bread.” God wants us to ask m
for what we need and for what we
00:21:52.97\00:21:56.64
want. But we need to rememember,
God's not Santa Claus.
00:21:56.68\00:22:00.35
He knows what's best
for us in eversituation
00:22:00.38\00:22:03.02
as He considers the big piure.
00:22:03.05\00:22:05.49
But He does wantnt
us to pray big prayers.
00:22:05.52\00:22:08.99
John Knox, the
gat Scottish reformer,
00:22:09.02\00:22:10.96
didn'just pray for the
salvation of a family member
00:22:10.99\00:22:13.70
or a neighbor.
00:22:13.73\00:22:14.96
He prayed to God and sai
00:22:15.00\00:22:16.30
“Give me Scotland or I die.”
00:22:16.33\00:22:18.73
He prayed for thee
salvation of a country.
00:22:18.77\00:22:22.77
In Second Kings, chaer 13, a
king came to the prophet Elisha.
00:22:22.80\00:22:26.37
Elisha said to him,
“StStrike the ground,”
00:22:26.41\00:22:29.28
which the king d
did, three times.
00:22:29.31\00:22:32.35
Elisha was upset.
00:22:32.38\00:22:33.72
He sd, “If you had pounded on
the ground five or six x times,
00:22:33.75\00:22:37.62
God would have given youcomplete
deliverance from Syria.
00:22:37.65\00:22:40.99
But you only pounded on
the ground ththree times.”
00:22:41.02\00:22:43.29
You see, God
understood the king's timidity
00:22:43.32\00:22:46.23
in striking the ground as
an expression of lack of faith.
00:22:46.26\00:22:50.30
God wanteded to
do more for the king.
00:22:50.33\00:22:52.83
And often God
wants too more for you.
00:22:52.87\00:22:56.07
Pray big prayers.
00:22:56.10\00:22:57.71
Now, if you're praying for a
bigger house and a nicer car,
00:22:57.74\00:23:02.44
well, you want to
be careful abouthat.
00:23:02.48\00:23:04.11
Sotimes that
might be appropriate,
00:23:04.15\00:23:05.71
bufar too often
it's just greed or ego.
00:23:05.75\00:23:09.95
But do pray big
prayers, really big prayeyers,
00:23:09.98\00:23:13.49
and d know that God is
big enough to answer them.
00:23:13.56\00:23:17.86
In verse 1 the
model prayer goes on:
00:23:17.89\00:23:20.46
“And forgive us our debts,,
as we forgive our debtors.”
00:23:20.50\00:23:24.07
First, it's importan
to pray for forgiveness.
00:23:24.10\00:23:28.87
If you've sinned against God
00:23:28.90\00:23:30.01
and you have,
then confess that sin.
00:23:30.04\00:23:34.11
John wrote directly about
this in First Jo 1, verse 9:
00:23:34.14\00:23:36.91
“ we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to f forgive
00:23:36.95\00:23:41.52
us our si and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.”
00:23:41.55\00:23:45.32
There's s your
assurance right there that God
00:23:45.35\00:23:47.86
will forgive your sins.
00:23:47.89\00:23:49.72
That's settled.
00:23:49.76\00:23:50.43
Don't doubt thatat.
00:23:50.46\00:23:52.29
But notice that caveat
“as we forgive our debtors.”
00:23:52.33\00:23:56.30
how's that working out for you?
00:23:56.33\00:23:58.40
If you harbor
unfoforgiveness toward others,
00:23:58.43\00:24:00.77
you're essentially
begging God not to fgive you.
00:24:00.80\00:24:04.37
Pretty simple.
00:24:04.41\00:24:05.91
Verse 13: “And lead
us not into temptatation,
00:24:05.94\00:24:10.05
but deliver us from m evil.
00:24:10.08\00:24:12.21
FoFor thine is the
kingdom, and the power,
00:24:12.25\00:24:14.62
and the glory, for er. Amen.”
00:24:14.65\00:24:18.02
Your battle with
sin, yoyour temptations,
00:24:18.05\00:24:21.09
your struggles, that's
all material for prayer.
00:24:21.12\00:24:24.99
Talk to God about itit.
00:24:25.03\00:24:26.76
Appealal to God.
Wrestle with God.
00:24:26.80\00:24:30.03
Paul prayed about
healing three times,
00:24:30.07\00:24:32.20
and d then God told him
to pray about that no more.
00:24:32.23\00:24:35.20
But as the great man o
faith George Muller said,
00:24:35.27\00:24:37.74
“The great point [of
prayer] isever to give up
00:24:37.77\00:24:41.71
until the answer comes.” Amen.
00:24:41.74\00:24:44.91
So t today, little
Moldova is a free country.
00:24:44.95\00:24:50.39
You could createte
a politics for that.
00:24:50.42\00:24:53.02
Or you could
recognize thatod on His throne
00:24:53.05\00:24:57.26
hearars the
prayers of those who pray.
00:24:57.29\00:24:59.29
Pastor Christian Fuhrer said,
00:25:01.33\00:25:03.33
“Without the church,
00:25:03.37\00:25:05.37
it wouldld have been like
all other revolutions befo:
00:25:05.40\00:25:09.60
bloody and unsuccessful.”
00:25:09.64\00:25:11.34
He could have
said, without prprayer.
00:25:11.37\00:25:16.21
What would your
lifebe like without prayer?
00:25:16.24\00:25:19.65
Or should I be asking,
00:25:19.68\00:25:20.78
what would your life
be likike with prayer?
00:25:20.82\00:25:24.12
Take time  pray.
00:25:24.15\00:25:25.72
God is waiti to hear from you.
00:25:25.75\00:25:28.82
¤[Music]¤
00:25:28.86\00:25:33.40
There isis power
in the Word of God,
00:25:35.53\00:25:37.43
and power available to
youthrough the promises of God.
00:25:37.47\00:25:42.24
God wants you to experieience
that power, and so do I.
00:25:42.27\00:25:45.11
I'd like you to
havetoday's free offer,
00:25:45.14\00:25:46.88
"“Promises of
Power,” new from It Is Writt.
00:25:46.91\00:25:50.38
To receive “Promises of Power,”
00:25:50.41\00:25:51.85
call 800-253-3000,
00:25:51.88\00:25:54.98
800-253-3000.
00:25:55.02\00:25:57.52
Visit ItItIsWritten.com
00:25:57.55\00:25:59.19
or writeo the
address on your screen,
00:25:59.22\00:26:01.59
and be se you
receive “Promises of Power.”
00:26:01.62\00:26:05.83
Thank k you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:05.86\00:26:08.30
is a faith-bed
ministry, and it's your support
00:26:08.33\00:26:11.40
that makes it t possible
for us to share God's good news
00:26:11.43\00:26:14.44
with the entire world.
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Your tax-deductible gift
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can be s sent to the
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or through our website,
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itiswritten.com.
00:26:22.44\00:26:24.25
Thank you for yo
continued prayerful support.
00:26:24.28\00:26:26.85
Our tollree
number is 800-253-3000,
00:26:26.88\00:26:30.32
800-253-3000.
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Our web address
is itiswritten.com.
00:26:32.55\00:26:35.56
¤[Music]¤
00:26:36.39\00:26:41.10
Let's pray together now.
00:26:41.80\00:26:44.13
Our FaFather in heaven,
00:26:44.17\00:26:45.33
we thank Youoday for
the privilege of prayer.
00:26:45.40\00:26:48.67
I thank You that you
are a prayer-answeng God,
00:26:48.74\00:26:51.91
and that You are willing,
eager to din answer to prayer
00:26:51.94\00:26:56.04
those things that You
have placed on o heart.
00:26:56.08\00:26:59.35
ther, right now I know there's
someone needining a miracle.
00:26:59.38\00:27:02.35
is man, this
woman, this young person,
00:27:02.38\00:27:05.05
needs to see You
interve in a powerful way.
00:27:05.09\00:27:09.62
Were praying for this.
00:27:09.66\00:27:11.89
We know that Jesus has said,
00:27:11.93\00:27:13.86
“Ask and it shall be given,”
00:27:13.90\00:27:16.03
and we are asking.
00:27:16.06\00:27:18.00
He sd, “Seek and you will find.”
00:27:18.03\00:27:19.47
We are seeking through prayer.
00:27:19.50\00:27:22.27
So, Lord, grant
our heart's need.
00:27:22.30\00:27:24.64
Grant what You
know woulbe best for us
00:27:24.67\00:27:27.08
in the plan of salvation and in
the o overall flow of eternity.
00:27:27.14\00:27:32.41
And, Father, I'm m
praying right now for that one
00:27:32.45\00:27:34.18
who needs to give s
or her heart to You.
00:27:34.22\00:27:37.05
I pray for surnder.
I pray for conversion.
00:27:37.09\00:27:39.22
I pray for
salvation in so many lives
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So we praise You and honorou,
00:27:44.43\00:27:45.49
anagain we thank
You that You hear us,
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and that You act in our behalf.
00:27:48.56\00:27:50.73
And d we pray in Jesus' name,
00:27:50.77\00:27:52.90
amen.
00:27:52.90\00:27:54.74
Thank you so much
for joining me today..
00:27:54.77\00:27:56.20
I'm looking forward to seeeeing
you again next time. Until then,
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remember: "It t is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alon
00:28:00.28\00:28:03.78
but by e every word that
proceeds from the mouth of d.'"
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¤[Theme m music]¤
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