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>>John Bradshaw:
This is "It Is Written."
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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Prayer is one
of the cornerstones
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of the Christian life.
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But what if it feels like your
prayer life is stuck in a rut?
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How can you pray
more effectively?
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Now, there's no
question God wants you to pray.
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Paul wrote,
"Pray without ceasing."
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One of Jesus' parables
was taught for the purpose
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of teaching that
people "always ought to pray
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and not lose heart."
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His disciples asked Him
one day to teach them to pray,
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and He did.
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So, what is prayer?
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Prayer is
communicating with God,
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intentionally communicating,
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entering into
closeness with God to tell Him
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what's on your heart.
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It's opening up your heart
to God as you would to a friend.
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According to the
Pew Research Center,
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59% of Catholics in the United
States say they pray daily,
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79% of evangelical Protestants,
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69% of Muslims,
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43% of Buddhists,
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and 51% of Hindus.
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Although, not to be
cynical, but you might wonder
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how accurate those figures are
and what people mean by praying.
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You don't want to pray
casual prayers, empty prayers,
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insipid prayers.
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Jesus prayed, and
people came back from the dead.
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Elijah prayed, and
fire came down from heaven,
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and then the heavens opened,
and it rained for the first time
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in three and a half years.
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Paul and Silas prayed,
and prison doors opened,
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and their chains fell off.
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A tax collector prayed, and
he was forgiven of his sins,
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justified by God.
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You want to pray
prayers that move mountains
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and, if not literal mountains,
then certainly mountains
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of difficulty and challenges,
mountains of burdens,
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mountains of guilt or confusion
or illness or financial trouble.
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I'm going to share
with you how you can pray
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powerful, effective prayers.
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I'll share with you
several prayers from the Bible
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that will take you deep inside
the minds and hearts of people
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who pray powerful prayers.
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So, what did
Jesus say about prayer?
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In John 14:14, He said,
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"If you ask anything
in my name, I will do it."
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Now, that almost seems
just a bit too good to be true,
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as though He's exaggerating.
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I mean, anything?
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Well, yes. That's what He says.
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Except...you prayed
for a shiny red sports car,
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and you didn't get it. You
prayed to go to Disneyland,
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and your parents never took you.
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You prayed that grandma would
get well, and grandma died.
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So, what's up with that?
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Well, here's an
important principle.
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Prayer isn't a magic wand.
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It, it isn't a stick with which
you beat God to convince Him
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to do everything that you want.
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God isn't Santa.
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You don't sit on His
knee at the mall and tell Him
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that you want a
bicycle and lots of candy,
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and poof! That's that.
That's because God knows best.
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God is all wise, and we
don't often ask for things
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that in the big
picture aren't the very best.
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Wait! Not best
that grandma lives?
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Right, I see your
point, but let's not forget
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that if God answered
every prayer that people live,
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you'd have neighbors
that are 3,000 years old.
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And we have to understand that
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we don't always
understand the big picture.
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God, on the other hand, does.
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He promises that ultimately
"all things work together
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for good to them that love God."
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So, we pray and trust,
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even when we don't get the
answers to prayer that we want.
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Jesus said in
Matthew 18, verses 19 and 20,
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"Again I say unto you, that if
two of you shall agree on earth
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"as touching any
thing that they shall ask,
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"it shall be done for them
of my Father which is in heaven.
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"For where two or three are
gathered together in my name,
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there am I in
the midst of them."
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That is powerful.
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And James wrote, "You
ask and do not receive,
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because you ask amiss, that you
may spend it on your pleasure."
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You're praying
for a million dollars,
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and you might not
get it because God knows
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you're only going to waste it,
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or it might end up being
a curse and not a blessing,
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indicating that prayer
shouldn't be self-centered.
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Oh, yes, pray for
yourself, absolutely,
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but not for
selfish, personal gain.
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That cuts against the point
of Christianity altogether.
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When the disciples came to Jesus
and asked Him to teach them
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to pray, this is what He said:
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"Our Father in
heaven, hallowed be Your name.
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"Your kingdom come.
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"Your will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.
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"Give us this
day our daily bread.
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"And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
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"And do not lead
us into temptation,
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but deliver us
from the evil one."
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That's what we
call the Lord's Prayer,
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with some versions
of this prayer adding,
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"For Yours is the kingdom and
the power and the glory forever.
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Amen."
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Now, you could choose to
pray this prayer just like that.
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But that's not
really what Jesus intended.
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This was a model for prayer,
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to help spur or
motivate your prayers,
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to have you think about
what you want to remember
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and not forget in prayer.
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And I want to share with
you a guideline or an outline,
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a method for prayer
that I know can help you
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to jump-start your prayer life.
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It'll lift your
prayer out of the doldrums,
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enabling the thermals
of blessing to lift you up
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so that you're not stuck
in the downdrafts of life.
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God wants you to "mount
up with wings as eagles,"
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and prayer is the key to
living that vibrant life.
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You might be familiar
with other methods of prayer,
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and I'm going to say,
use whatever works for you.
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But praying
effective, life-changing,
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transformative prayers
is as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4.
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And we're drawing
from the Lord's Prayer.
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One, two, three, four--
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first, one: How does
the Lord's Prayer begin?
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"Our Father which art in
heaven, hallowed be Thy name."
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We're remembering that the God
of heaven is the one true God.
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One: one true God--
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this is where you take time
to praise God and to thank God.
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Praise and thanks are the
foundations of prevailing prayer
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because they put
everything in perspective.
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To whom are you
praying? To the one true God.
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Offering praise to God
reminds you just who He is
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and what He's capable of.
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And it reminds you how
small and incapable you are
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and how much you need God to
intervene in your experience.
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Praise and thanks are
two very different things.
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Praise is praise.
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You magnify God because of
who He is and what He's like.
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Who is He? He's the Creator.
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Praise Him for
His creative power,
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the power that brought
the world into existence,
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the power that gave
life, that gave life to you.
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David wrote,
"Remember His marvelous works
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which He has done, His wonders,
and the judgments of His mouth,"
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in Psalm 105.
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When you pray to the
Creator, you have zero doubt
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that He's able to do anything
for you, to provide for you,
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to be there for you
because He is the Creator.
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You can praise God for Calvary,
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for His goodness, His
patience, His mercy, His love.
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You realize quickly that you've
got plenty to praise God for
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and that doing so
gets you out of yourself,
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out of your own head.
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You're opening up
yourself to the mind of God.
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He brought down
the walls of Jericho;
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He can bring down
the walls in your life.
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He carpeted the ground with
manna; He can provide for you.
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He brought water out of a rock;
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He's mighty enough to do what
needs to be done in your life.
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And we're only getting started.
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One, two, three, four, prayer--
we're not even through one.
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Well, what about
thanks as well as praise?
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We'll look at
that in just a moment.
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¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
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>>John: Be sure you call now
and get today's free resource,
00:08:35.01\00:08:38.18
"1, 2, 3, 4, Prayer!"
00:08:38.21\00:08:41.55
This could
revolutionize your life.
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Learn to pray
prayers that make an impact,
00:08:44.92\00:08:47.82
prayers that change lives,
00:08:47.86\00:08:49.89
prayers that connect you
with the mind and heart of God.
00:08:49.92\00:08:54.36
Call now: 800-253-3000.
00:08:54.36\00:08:57.90
That number
again is 800-253-3000.
00:08:57.93\00:09:02.27
Or you could text the
word "freeprayer" to 71392.
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Just text "freeprayer" to 71392.
00:09:07.18\00:09:11.65
You could also request
this resource at iiwoffer.com
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or write to the
address on your screen.
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Call 800-253-3000,
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text "freeprayer" to 71392,
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or request "1, 2, 3, 4,
Prayer!" at iiwoffer.com.
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This could change your world.
00:09:32.03\00:09:34.34
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on "It Is Written."
00:09:35.84\00:09:38.44
Prayer is essential
to Christian living.
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In fact, it's
essential to living.
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But rather than
looking at prayer as a duty,
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it's important to
consider prayer a privilege.
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You get
one-on-one time with God,
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the self-existent One
who made heaven and earth.
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He invites you to
spend time with Him.
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"Come now,...let us
reason together," God says.
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Where Jesus says, "Come to me,
...and I will give you rest,"
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we come to Him
today through prayer.
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Prayer is as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4.
00:10:06.17\00:10:10.54
What's one?
00:10:10.57\00:10:12.21
You pray to the one
true God, and knowing that,
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you can pray big prayers
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because you know
that God is big enough.
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When you pray to
the one true God,
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you pray with praise and thanks,
praising God for who He is.
00:10:22.65\00:10:27.99
Four times in one
psalm the Bible says,
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"Oh that men would praise
the Lord for His goodness,
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and for His wonderful
works to the children of men!"
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Hebrews 13:15 says,
"Let us continually offer
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"the sacrifice of praise to God,
that is, the fruit of our lips,
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giving thanks to His name."
00:10:46.47\00:10:49.24
And coupled with that--
00:10:49.28\00:10:50.55
and we're in the "one"
of 1, 2, 3, 4, prayer--
00:10:50.58\00:10:54.22
is thanks.
00:10:54.25\00:10:55.88
That one leper came back
to thank Jesus for cleansing,
00:10:55.92\00:10:59.85
and Jesus
commended him for that.
00:10:59.89\00:11:02.26
You have so much
to be thankful for:
00:11:02.29\00:11:05.26
You're alive. You know Jesus.
00:11:05.29\00:11:07.46
You have health, to some degree,
00:11:07.50\00:11:09.43
family, friends, work, purpose,
good weather, good news,
00:11:09.46\00:11:13.50
the hope of the return
of Jesus, the Bible, church,
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your church family,
food, rest--the list goes on.
00:11:16.64\00:11:20.61
In fact, it's a good
idea that before you pray,
00:11:20.64\00:11:22.94
you make a list.
00:11:22.98\00:11:24.88
What am I going to
praise God for today?
00:11:24.91\00:11:26.95
What should I thank God for?
00:11:26.98\00:11:29.28
Make a list--otherwise
you might forget.
00:11:29.32\00:11:31.85
You don't have to make a list,
00:11:31.89\00:11:33.25
but you'll find that
doing so can be a great help.
00:11:33.29\00:11:35.62
So remember, one,
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give thanks and
praise to the one true God.
00:11:37.36\00:11:42.53
So, what's the two
of 1, 2, 3, 4, prayer?
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How does the Lord's Prayer go?
00:11:47.50\00:11:49.14
"Our Father which art in
heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.
00:11:49.17\00:11:52.04
"Thy kingdom come,
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Thy will be done in
earth, as it is in heaven."
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There you go:
"Thy will be done."
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You pray to God
according to the will of God.
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You surrender to Him.
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Surrendering to Him
is about living your life
00:12:08.12\00:12:10.26
according to the will of God.
00:12:10.29\00:12:11.79
In the Garden of
Gethsemane, Jesus prayed,
00:12:11.83\00:12:14.23
"Nevertheless not my
will, but Yours, be done."
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That wasn't
just about the cross.
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That was Jesus' rule for life.
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"Thy will be done" is
about your life, your actions,
00:12:22.60\00:12:26.01
your attitudes, the
way you conduct your life,
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the way you relate to others.
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One thing a lot of
Christians fail to realize
00:12:30.75\00:12:32.81
is that faith in
God is about surrender.
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Romans 6, verse 16:
00:12:36.89\00:12:38.55
"Know ye not, that to
whom ye yield yourselves
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"servants to obey, his
servants ye are to whom ye obey;
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whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness?"
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You are the servant
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of the one you yield to.
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Enough of living a
casual Christian life--
00:12:53.80\00:12:57.17
we're getting close
to the return of Jesus.
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You want to be
surrendered to God's will
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in all areas of your life.
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If all you've been
doing is going to church
00:13:03.91\00:13:05.48
to keep up with the neighbors,
it's time to turn things around.
00:13:05.51\00:13:09.15
And God can do that.
00:13:09.18\00:13:11.12
If you're half committed,
not fully surrendered,
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we're going to change things.
00:13:15.59\00:13:16.79
Remember, "Love the Lord
your God with all your heart,...
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soul,...mind, and...strength."
00:13:20.03\00:13:21.76
So you want to
surrender in prayer.
00:13:21.80\00:13:23.77
"I'm praying about whether
or not we should get a puppy
00:13:23.80\00:13:26.60
from that person at work."
00:13:26.63\00:13:27.80
Good.
00:13:27.84\00:13:29.10
But you're also saying, "Lord,
I want You to take my will
00:13:29.14\00:13:32.04
and blend it with
Your will for my life."
00:13:32.07\00:13:34.24
Now, I'll take this further.
Here's how radical God is.
00:13:34.28\00:13:37.31
In Romans 6 in verse 1, Paul
asks, "What shall we say then?
00:13:37.35\00:13:41.82
Shall we continue in
sin, that grace may abound?"
00:13:41.85\00:13:45.92
Then he says, "God forbid.
00:13:45.95\00:13:49.16
"How shall we,
that are dead to sin,
00:13:49.19\00:13:52.09
"live any longer therein?...
00:13:52.13\00:13:54.03
"For he that is
dead is freed from sin.
00:13:54.10\00:13:57.57
"Now if we be dead with Christ,
00:13:57.60\00:14:00.04
we believe that we
shall also live with Him."
00:14:00.07\00:14:03.37
Instead of being led
around by your carnal nature,
00:14:03.41\00:14:07.01
the Bible says you may be
dead to sin, dead to self.
00:14:07.04\00:14:12.25
Paul wrote to the Corinthians
that he died "daily."
00:14:12.28\00:14:16.25
So, every day as you
pray, let there be a funeral
00:14:16.28\00:14:22.26
where the old you
dies and is buried
00:14:22.29\00:14:25.76
and a new you is created to walk
00:14:25.79\00:14:28.43
with what Paul
described as "newness of life."
00:14:28.46\00:14:33.34
You see, people miss this.
00:14:33.37\00:14:34.44
Faith in Jesus isn't a
modification of the old life.
00:14:34.47\00:14:38.64
It's God's power
remaking you in God's image,
00:14:38.67\00:14:42.21
and that won't happen
unless you make the decision
00:14:42.24\00:14:44.71
to die to the old life, and
you may through faith in God.
00:14:44.75\00:14:49.12
This will change your life.
00:14:49.15\00:14:51.65
And when
surrendering your life to God,
00:14:51.69\00:14:53.56
you want to pray
according to the will of God.
00:14:53.59\00:14:56.46
As you're praying for a raise,
00:14:56.49\00:14:58.23
you're asking that
God's will is done.
00:14:58.26\00:15:00.76
A raise? Good health?
00:15:00.80\00:15:02.96
Your children to marry
someone committed to God?
00:15:03.00\00:15:05.97
Good weather so that you
can harvest your soybeans?
00:15:06.00\00:15:09.17
Those things are in line with
the will of God for your life,
00:15:09.20\00:15:11.64
so you can pray with confidence.
00:15:11.67\00:15:13.54
But when you're praying for your
neighbor to recover from ALS,
00:15:13.58\00:15:16.28
you don't know if
maybe God sees it's better
00:15:16.31\00:15:18.81
that he or she
should quickly pass away.
00:15:18.85\00:15:21.58
You want a
vacation in South Dakota.
00:15:21.62\00:15:23.12
It might be there's a blessing
waiting for you in Indiana.
00:15:23.15\00:15:26.22
You pray that your kid
gets into police academy,
00:15:26.25\00:15:28.12
but you don't know that
God may have a different plan
00:15:28.16\00:15:31.49
for your child
and wants him or her
00:15:31.53\00:15:33.36
working in IT or in ministry.
00:15:33.40\00:15:35.76
Praying according to the
will of God is to recognize
00:15:35.80\00:15:38.30
that God's way is the right way.
00:15:38.33\00:15:41.60
One, two, three, four, prayer--
00:15:41.64\00:15:44.01
that's one, praise and
thanks to the one true God,
00:15:44.04\00:15:48.91
and two, surrender to Him
00:15:48.94\00:15:53.42
by dying to sin and self
00:15:53.45\00:15:55.98
and asking that God's will is
done in all areas of your life.
00:15:56.02\00:16:01.32
Okay, so what
are three and four?
00:16:01.36\00:16:06.09
We'll look at
those in just a moment.
00:16:06.13\00:16:08.86
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:16:08.90\00:16:15.90
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:16:17.94\00:16:19.97
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:16:20.01\00:16:23.78
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:16:23.81\00:16:26.31
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:16:26.35\00:16:30.72
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:16:30.75\00:16:32.42
to the address on your screen,
00:16:32.45\00:16:33.86
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:16:33.89\00:16:37.89
Thank you for your prayers
and your financial support.
00:16:37.93\00:16:40.13
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:16:40.16\00:16:43.83
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:16:43.87\00:16:47.37
>>John: It's so important
that if you don't do it,
00:16:48.84\00:16:52.01
there's no way
you'll have eternal life.
00:16:52.04\00:16:55.14
It's something that
confronts everyone frequently,
00:16:55.18\00:16:58.15
and without it, life
simply wouldn't run well.
00:16:58.18\00:17:02.22
So how do you
practice forgiveness,
00:17:02.25\00:17:04.45
even when you're
wronged, mistreated, and hurt?
00:17:04.49\00:17:07.92
Don't miss "Forgiveness:
Preparation for Eternity"
00:17:07.96\00:17:11.76
and discover that the
forgiveness God grants you,
00:17:11.79\00:17:14.93
you can extend to others.
00:17:14.96\00:17:17.33
Hear inspiring stories of
forgiveness and understand
00:17:17.37\00:17:20.87
how you can forgive under the
most challenging circumstances.
00:17:20.90\00:17:25.11
How do you forgive a
spouse? A former spouse?
00:17:25.14\00:17:28.01
Or something that
happened years ago
00:17:28.04\00:17:30.25
that you've never
been able to forget?
00:17:30.28\00:17:32.51
What about forgiving yourself?
00:17:32.55\00:17:34.58
And how can you be sure to
experience God's forgiveness
00:17:34.62\00:17:38.02
even when you're
convinced you've gone too far?
00:17:38.05\00:17:41.36
"Forgiveness:
Preparation for Eternity,"
00:17:41.39\00:17:43.99
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:17:44.03\00:17:47.03
>>John Bradshaw: One, you're
praying to the one true God,
00:17:49.93\00:17:53.30
and you pray with
praise and thanks.
00:17:53.34\00:17:55.84
When the armies of Moab and
Ammon and others came in battle
00:17:55.87\00:17:59.51
against Judah, King Jehoshaphat
sent the singers out first,
00:17:59.54\00:18:04.05
"who should praise the beauty
of holiness, as they went out
00:18:04.08\00:18:06.38
"before the army and
were saying: 'Praise the Lord,
00:18:06.41\00:18:09.02
for His mercy endures forever.'"
00:18:09.05\00:18:11.12
And Judah was triumphant.
00:18:11.15\00:18:12.95
When they led with
praise, God worked powerfully.
00:18:12.99\00:18:17.29
Now, two, surrender to Him.
00:18:17.33\00:18:21.10
Yield your life to God.
00:18:21.13\00:18:23.50
Die to sin and self,
00:18:23.53\00:18:26.03
and live and pray
according to His will.
00:18:26.07\00:18:30.87
Now, for three,
00:18:30.91\00:18:32.87
I want you to
remember three important words.
00:18:32.91\00:18:36.38
In the Lord's Prayer,
Jesus taught us to pray,
00:18:36.41\00:18:39.45
"Give us this
day our daily bread."
00:18:39.48\00:18:44.35
God has asked us to
pray for our needs and wants.
00:18:44.39\00:18:49.49
Now, while you're doing an
inventory of what that might be,
00:18:49.52\00:18:52.36
I'm going to suggest to
you that your greatest need
00:18:52.39\00:18:55.16
is the need of the Holy Spirit.
00:18:55.20\00:18:56.73
You want God
active in your life.
00:18:56.77\00:18:58.97
Jesus promised you that God
would give you the Holy Spirit.
00:18:59.00\00:19:02.40
"If you then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts
00:19:02.44\00:19:04.74
"to your children, how much
more will your heavenly Father
00:19:04.77\00:19:07.31
"give the Holy Spirit
00:19:07.34\00:19:08.64
to those who ask Him!"
00:19:08.68\00:19:09.98
Luke 11:13.
00:19:10.01\00:19:11.51
The power of God's
Holy Spirit in your life
00:19:11.55\00:19:13.88
has to be your first need:
00:19:13.92\00:19:16.22
God's presence,
power against sin,
00:19:16.25\00:19:19.09
Jesus living His life in you.
00:19:19.12\00:19:21.22
Pray for the baptism
of the Holy Spirit daily.
00:19:21.26\00:19:25.06
Now, your "daily bread"
includes the things you need
00:19:25.09\00:19:28.33
and the things you want.
00:19:28.36\00:19:30.87
And notice: "Give us
this day our daily bread."
00:19:30.90\00:19:34.87
That means you're
praying not just for yourself
00:19:34.90\00:19:38.37
but for others--family, friends,
church, work, your community.
00:19:38.41\00:19:43.88
Remember, you're not an island.
00:19:43.91\00:19:45.11
Now, you can and
should pray for others.
00:19:45.15\00:19:48.45
"Our daily bread"--Jesus prayed
that God would strengthen Him.
00:19:48.48\00:19:53.09
There were times He
spent whole nights in prayer.
00:19:53.12\00:19:55.76
Notice, it was after
Peter, James, and John slept,
00:19:55.79\00:19:58.79
and did not pray,
that Peter didn't have
00:19:58.83\00:20:02.66
the spiritual strength to admit
that he was a follower of Jesus.
00:20:02.70\00:20:06.23
He didn't pray, and he
wasn't able to stand up
00:20:06.27\00:20:09.04
in the face of temptation.
00:20:09.07\00:20:10.54
Look at this incredible prayer
in 2 Chronicles, chapter 20.
00:20:10.57\00:20:15.18
Jehoshaphat is staring
down the barrel of an onslaught
00:20:15.21\00:20:17.81
by enemy armies.
00:20:17.85\00:20:19.08
He's outnumbered and
overwhelmed, and he prays.
00:20:19.11\00:20:21.95
In fact, he had
all of Judah praying.
00:20:21.98\00:20:23.82
There is power in much prayer.
00:20:23.85\00:20:26.15
"O Lord God of our
fathers," he began,
00:20:26.19\00:20:28.82
"are You not God in
heaven, and do You not rule
00:20:28.86\00:20:32.93
"over all the
kingdoms of the nations,
00:20:32.96\00:20:34.96
"and in Your hand is
there not power and might,
00:20:35.00\00:20:37.57
so that no one is
able to withstand You?"
00:20:37.60\00:20:39.80
Notice that? That's one.
00:20:39.83\00:20:42.04
He's praying to the
one true God, the Creator,
00:20:42.07\00:20:45.11
and he's telling God,
00:20:45.14\00:20:46.41
"I believe You are
powerful enough to do this."
00:20:46.44\00:20:49.18
He reminds God that He drove
out the inhabitants of the land
00:20:49.21\00:20:52.01
and gave it to Abraham.
00:20:52.05\00:20:53.62
Therefore, Judah should not be
dispossessed of their land now.
00:20:53.65\00:20:58.02
He reminds God of the
promises God had made:
00:20:58.05\00:21:00.69
"You have promised
to hear us and save us
00:21:00.72\00:21:02.62
when disaster comes."
00:21:02.66\00:21:04.03
He reminds God
that years before,
00:21:04.06\00:21:05.76
Judah's enemies
would have been destroyed,
00:21:05.79\00:21:07.73
but God told Israel to hold off.
00:21:07.76\00:21:10.17
Now, notice this: "O our
God, will You not judge them,
00:21:10.20\00:21:13.67
"for we have no power
against this great multitude
00:21:13.70\00:21:16.91
"that is coming against
us; nor do we know what to do,
00:21:16.94\00:21:20.64
but our eyes are upon You."
00:21:20.68\00:21:23.41
Notice this? "We have no power
against this great multitude."
00:21:23.45\00:21:27.75
We don't know what to do.
00:21:27.78\00:21:29.42
"But our eyes are upon You."
00:21:29.45\00:21:32.25
They knew where their hope
was, where their power was--
00:21:32.29\00:21:35.99
not in them, but
in the God of heaven.
00:21:36.02\00:21:38.73
When you pray like that,
00:21:38.76\00:21:40.13
telling God that He is
able, that you are not,
00:21:40.16\00:21:42.96
but that you are looking
to Him and trusting in Him,
00:21:43.00\00:21:45.90
great things will happen.
00:21:45.93\00:21:47.87
Three words, "our daily
bread"-- pray for your needs,
00:21:47.90\00:21:52.47
pray for your
wants, and remember,
00:21:52.51\00:21:54.98
your greatest need is
the Holy Spirit in your life.
00:21:55.01\00:21:59.28
One, two,
three--four is "four"-given.
00:22:00.35\00:22:07.26
Confess your sins and
believe that God forgives you.
00:22:07.29\00:22:11.49
Be specific. Be honest.
00:22:11.53\00:22:14.23
And be hopeful.
00:22:14.30\00:22:15.76
That's why I
call this "forgiven"
00:22:15.80\00:22:18.53
and not "forgiveness."
00:22:18.57\00:22:21.14
Because when you ask God
to forgive you, genuinely,
00:22:21.17\00:22:23.91
you should believe that He will.
00:22:23.94\00:22:25.84
David prayed, "For You, Lord,
are good, and ready to forgive."
00:22:25.87\00:22:31.11
All right, some quick
hits now, make time to pray.
00:22:31.15\00:22:34.68
Find time. You
can't be too busy to pray.
00:22:34.72\00:22:37.72
You might need to get
creative, but make time to pray.
00:22:37.75\00:22:40.99
Make a list--
00:22:41.02\00:22:42.32
remember, a list of
your praises, your thanks,
00:22:42.36\00:22:44.33
your requests, the
things you want to confess.
00:22:44.36\00:22:46.59
You might want to destroy
that list when you're done,
00:22:46.63\00:22:48.40
unless you're keeping a
personal prayer journal.
00:22:48.43\00:22:50.80
Pray your
personal prayers privately.
00:22:50.83\00:22:54.84
Pray big! God is big.
00:22:54.87\00:22:56.84
Don't pray, "If it's
not too much trouble,
00:22:56.87\00:22:59.44
please would You...?"
00:22:59.47\00:23:01.01
There's one Bible story
where the king didn't place
00:23:01.04\00:23:02.98
big enough demands on God, and
the prophet was upset with him.
00:23:03.01\00:23:06.28
Pray, believing
that God is able.
00:23:06.31\00:23:09.42
John Knox prayed that
God would give him Scotland--
00:23:09.45\00:23:12.52
that is, for Scotland to
be won to faith in Christ.
00:23:12.55\00:23:16.49
Mary, Queen of
Scots, is said to have said,
00:23:16.52\00:23:19.33
"I fear the prayers of John Knox
00:23:19.36\00:23:21.70
more than all the
assembled armies of Europe."
00:23:21.73\00:23:24.70
How often should you pray?
00:23:24.73\00:23:26.03
Personal prayer with God in
the morning and in the evening,
00:23:26.07\00:23:29.27
both essential.
00:23:29.30\00:23:30.61
Daniel, the Bible says,
prayed three times a day.
00:23:30.64\00:23:33.64
Bottom line,
pray more, not less.
00:23:33.68\00:23:37.15
True story, a
man visited a doctor.
00:23:38.15\00:23:40.62
He'd seen every other
specialist he could find
00:23:40.65\00:23:44.09
but couldn't find relief
from what was bothering him.
00:23:44.12\00:23:46.32
Learning that other
doctors had tried everything,
00:23:46.35\00:23:49.16
this one said, "Sorry,
there's nothing I can do.
00:23:49.19\00:23:52.43
"Everything that
could have been done,
00:23:52.46\00:23:53.76
should have done has been done."
00:23:53.80\00:23:56.43
But then he said, "You
know, I could pray for you."
00:23:56.46\00:24:00.47
The man responded by saying
something like, "Well, doc,
00:24:00.50\00:24:02.77
if you think that would
help, you just go right ahead."
00:24:02.80\00:24:04.67
So, the physician prayed,
and the man went his way.
00:24:04.71\00:24:08.94
A week or so later, he was back.
00:24:08.98\00:24:11.11
He said, "Doctor, since
you prayed for me last time,
00:24:11.15\00:24:15.32
"my condition has disappeared.
00:24:15.35\00:24:17.89
Would you please
pray for me again?"
00:24:17.92\00:24:20.39
Now, he had seen 40 specialists.
00:24:20.42\00:24:24.39
The doctor prayed, and for weeks
that same man came back to visit
00:24:24.43\00:24:29.30
that same doctor just so
the doctor could pray for him.
00:24:29.33\00:24:35.47
Pray, and remember, 1, 2, 3, 4.
00:24:35.50\00:24:39.71
Pray to the one true
God with praise and thanks.
00:24:39.74\00:24:43.11
Surrender to Him.
00:24:43.14\00:24:45.75
Remember those three
words, "our daily bread."
00:24:45.78\00:24:48.72
And confess your sins
knowing you will be forgiven
00:24:48.75\00:24:53.39
because Jesus died for you.
00:24:53.42\00:24:55.29
And remember that
you're not just praying
00:24:55.32\00:24:56.46
to get your needs met.
00:24:56.49\00:24:58.19
There's a greater need,
00:24:58.23\00:25:00.33
and that is learning to know
and trust the heart of God--
00:25:00.36\00:25:04.10
coming into such
close communion with Him
00:25:04.13\00:25:05.93
that whatever happens in
your life, you'll trust God,
00:25:05.97\00:25:09.50
surrendering completely to Him,
00:25:09.54\00:25:12.14
and believing His
heart is towards you,
00:25:12.17\00:25:15.01
and that you'll soon see
Jesus when Jesus returns.
00:25:15.04\00:25:19.51
>>John: Be sure you call now
and get today's free resource,
00:25:21.52\00:25:24.82
"1, 2, 3, 4, Prayer!"
00:25:24.85\00:25:28.19
This could
revolutionize your life.
00:25:28.22\00:25:31.53
Learn to pray
prayers that make an impact,
00:25:31.56\00:25:34.46
prayers that change lives,
00:25:34.46\00:25:36.50
prayers that connect you
with the mind and heart of God.
00:25:36.53\00:25:40.97
Call now: 800-253-3000.
00:25:41.00\00:25:44.54
That number
again is 800-253-3000.
00:25:44.57\00:25:48.91
Or you could text the
word "freeprayer" to 71392.
00:25:48.94\00:25:53.75
Just text "freeprayer" to 71392.
00:25:53.78\00:25:58.32
You could also request
this resource at iiwoffer.com
00:25:58.35\00:26:02.86
or write to the
address on your screen.
00:26:02.89\00:26:05.13
Call 800-253-3000,
00:26:05.16\00:26:07.66
text "freeprayer" to 71392,
00:26:07.73\00:26:11.80
or request "1, 2, 3, 4, Prayer!"
00:26:11.83\00:26:15.64
at iiwoffer.com.
00:26:15.67\00:26:18.64
This could change your world.
00:26:18.67\00:26:21.18
>>John: Let's pray together now.
00:26:22.51\00:26:24.31
Our Father in heaven, we thank
You for the privilege of prayer.
00:26:24.35\00:26:27.55
And I'm praying that as we pray,
we will see heaven come down;
00:26:27.58\00:26:31.32
as we pray,
we'll see heaven move;
00:26:31.35\00:26:33.25
as we pray,
we'll be transformed.
00:26:33.29\00:26:36.62
And I'm asking that
You would draw us to pray,
00:26:36.66\00:26:38.66
remind us to pray.
00:26:38.69\00:26:40.86
Instill in us a
willingness to pray,
00:26:40.90\00:26:43.77
a discipline to pray--and
a persistence in prayer
00:26:43.80\00:26:48.37
that we will believe that You
are able to provide our needs,
00:26:48.40\00:26:52.77
to provide many of our wants,
to do great things in our lives,
00:26:52.81\00:26:56.68
and also, most
importantly of all,
00:26:56.71\00:27:00.18
to change us more and more into
the image of Your Son Jesus.
00:27:00.22\00:27:06.52
Friend, would you say
now, "Lord, teach me to pray"?
00:27:06.55\00:27:08.96
Will you say,
"Lord, call me to pray"?
00:27:08.99\00:27:12.29
That's our prayer today,
Father, and You're asking
00:27:12.33\00:27:15.10
that as we discover prayer
is as simple as 1, 2, 3, 4,
00:27:15.13\00:27:20.84
we look forward to that
great day when Jesus returns,
00:27:20.87\00:27:24.87
and we leave
this old world behind,
00:27:24.91\00:27:27.38
and we spend
eternity in Your presence.
00:27:27.41\00:27:30.08
Thank You that we can enter into
Your presence through prayer.
00:27:31.08\00:27:34.02
Bless us as we do.
00:27:34.05\00:27:36.02
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:27:36.05\00:27:39.65
Thank you so
much for joining me.
00:27:39.69\00:27:41.02
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:41.06\00:27:43.19
Until then, remember:
00:27:43.22\00:27:44.83
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:44.86\00:27:48.70
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:48.73\00:27:53.67
¤[dramatic,
triumphant theme music]¤
00:27:53.70\00:27:57.71
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:28:25.83\00:28:27.84