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>>Eric Flicklinger:
Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
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brought to you
by "It Is Written."
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We're back once again
as we continue our study
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in the Book of Psalms,
and this is week number two,
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"Teach Us to Pray," an
exciting study we have today.
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But let's begin with prayer.
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Father, we want to thank you
for bringing us together again
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this week as we
continue our journey
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through the Book of Psalms.
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And this week,
we're going to be looking
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at the importance of prayer
and what the Book of Psalms
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can teach us
about that very subject.
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We ask that you'll guide us
through our time together today,
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and we thank you
in Jesus's name, amen.
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Well, we're delighted once
again this week to welcome back
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the author of this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson,
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Dr. Dragoslava Santrac.
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She is the managing editor
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of the "Encyclopedia of
Seventh Day Adventists."
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Slava, welcome back once again.
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>>Dragoslava Santrac: Thank you.
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>>Eric: So, this week
we're looking at prayer,
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the importance of
prayer, "Teach Us How to Pray."
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Well, I mean, the
title of this week's lesson
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may make some people
feel a little uncomfortable.
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"Teach Us How to Pray."
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I know how to pray, do we
really need to know how to pray?
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And what are
some of the benefits
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or drawbacks of
spontaneous prayer versus prayer
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that we might learn
from the Book of Psalms?
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Help us to
understand this a little bit.
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>>Dragoslava: Yes, yes,
well, I will start with maybe
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sharing a short
story that I read.
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This particular
author shared the anecdote
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from his friend's life.
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One evangelist
was visiting them,
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and as they sat to
share a meal together,
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the father of the
house began with prayer,
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and he recited a few
lines from Psalm 145,
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and he began the prayer saying,
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"O Lord, the eyes of
all look expectantly to You,
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and You give them
their food in due season."
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And as he was in the
middle of his prayer,
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the evangelist
interrupted him, saying,
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"Lord, we thank
you that we don't need
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to burn our lamps
with borrowed oil."
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See, with this critique,
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this man
disregarded the invaluable,
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irreplaceable value
of Psalms as prayers.
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And it doesn't take much just
to remember Jesus's disciples
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in the gospels who said,
"Lord, teach us to pray."
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Who knows,
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if they didn't
ask that question,
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would the Lord's
Prayer be in the Bible?
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We don't know, but
we are very grateful
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to the disciples for asking
that and Jesus did not say,
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"Why are you asking me that?
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You should know."
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But he taught them,
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because Jesus
understood that prayer,
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yes, it comes from heart,
but prayer needs to have content
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and understanding
of to whom we pray,
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why we pray, and
all of that we learn
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through the Scripture
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and of course
with the Holy Spirit.
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>>Eric: Right, so we're
looking at the Book of Psalms,
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and we want to know how to pray,
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how can we
incorporate the Psalms
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into our own prayer life?
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Are there easy ways
that we might do that?
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>>Dragoslava: If
we think of the Psalms
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as biblical
prayers par excellence,
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we would love
and want to have them
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every day in our life.
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It's like when we
talk about healthy diet,
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how to be
physically strong and healthy.
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We recommend a change
of lifestyle, isn't it?
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Something that's long-term.
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One healthy meal is beneficial,
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but if it's taken
only sporadically,
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it won't produce
the effects and benefits
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that a healthy
diet is meant for.
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The same is with the Psalms.
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If we just
sporadically, from time to time,
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read a Psalm and
then forget about it,
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yes, we will be
blessed, but not as much as
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if we make the Book of
Psalms, reading of the Psalms,
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praying with the
Psalms a daily, daily habit.
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>>Eric: You, you've
been studying the Psalms,
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letting the Psalms
work on you for many,
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many years.
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What kind of experiences
have you had as you interact
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or interconnect your own
prayer life with the Psalms?
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How has it been
a blessing to you
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and how might it be a blessing
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to someone else who's thinking,
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well, how could I do this?
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How could I have my
prayer life enlivened?
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Sometimes we can,
if we're not careful,
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get into a rut when we
pray and we pray the same things
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over and over again
without even thinking about it.
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How might
incorporating the Psalms
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into a prayer
life make a difference?
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How has it made a
difference for you?
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>> Dragoslava: Yes,
well, I mentioned earlier
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that I grew up with the
Bible, and the biblical stories,
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and the Psalms,
and all these images,
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but I have to admit,
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it wasn't until in my later life
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that I embraced the
Psalms fully in my life.
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And it took one unfortunate
event in my life to help me,
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or should I say open my
eyes, to fully appreciate,
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and I'm still growing
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in the
appreciation of the Psalms.
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When my husband and
I lost our first child
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due to some
complications at the delivery,
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that Friday evening I was
alone in my hospital room,
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and I was left
without any spiritual oil
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in my lamp, to use a
metaphor from the illustration.
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And almost just by
habit I took the Bible,
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I was
exhausted, physically, yes,
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but spiritually even more.
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But I took the
Bible, nevertheless,
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as it was my custom,
and I opened the Bible
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where the bookmarker
stood, and I was like,
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yeah, I'll just read,
and that's going to be that.
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And for that day, the
marker was on Isaiah chapter 49,
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and that's the Song of Zion.
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It is Zion
celebrating the goodness
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and love of God.
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And as I was reading, each word,
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it looks as if it was meant
to pierce my heart even more.
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I read verse 13,
"Sing, O heavens, be joyful,
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O earth, and
break out in singing,
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O mountains, for the
Lord has comforted His people
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and will have
mercy on the afflicted."
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But then I read
verse 14, "But Zion said,
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'The Lord has forsaken me
and my Lord has forgotten me.'"
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When I read this verse,
these words became my words.
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The words that I lost,
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the words I didn't
have to pray that evening,
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I found them
right there in this.
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And I kept repeating this
verse over and over again,
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and then I finally,
after really pouring out
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all my soul into that verse,
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I read the next one which says,
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"Can a woman
forget her nursing child,
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and not have compassion
on the son of her womb?
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Surely they may forget,
yet I will not forget you."
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And since that time,
Eric, I can tell you,
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I realized what a
treasure, prayer treasure,
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not just theological, doctrinal,
which is also crucial,
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but what a prayer treasure
do we have in the Bible.
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And since then,
the Psalms especially,
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they help me
articulate my words.
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They help me
articulate my feelings,
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what I want to tell the Lord,
and they lead me in prayer.
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They help me create and
maintain a regular prayer life.
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>>Eric: So, it's not
just something theoretical
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or theological,
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it's a very real
help in challenging times,
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and people face
real challenges today.
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Life is very complex,
prayer can sometimes be complex,
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and the Book of Psalms,
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it helps us to understand
the perplexity of human life,
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the perplexity of prayer.
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When you have somebody
who's on a pilgrimage of faith,
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they may be at different
points in their journey,
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how can the Psalms help someone
who is trying to find their way
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through a complex life,
through a difficult pilgrimage,
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to get where they wanna go?
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>>Dragoslava: Yes, yes, you
see, when difficulty struck us,
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when something
bad happens to us,
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especially as believers,
because we have this faith
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that God is good,
God is in control,
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He protects,
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and then we get
bitterly surprised
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when sickness hits, or worse,
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and some people have
tendency to stop praying,
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to turn away from God,
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because it is too
heavy to understand.
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And the Psalms,
they don't run away
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from these
challenging questions,
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but you see, they also
promote one crucial idea
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that no matter what,
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the communication
with God must go on.
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So, when the psalmists cry out,
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"O, God, how long?
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Why have you forsaken me?
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How long will you be
angry with us forever?"
00:10:14.44\00:10:18.38
You see, they
express this longing,
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this maybe disappointment,
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and even
challenging language sometimes,
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but what's crucial here is
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that they continue
talking to God, why?
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Because they know that prayer
is directed to a living God
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who may for a time seem
to have hidden his face,
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but it is a
merciful, longsuffering God
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who hears and answers prayers.
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So, my encouragement
here to everyone is,
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no matter to what
you're going through right now,
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don't stop talking to
God, because God hears you.
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The Psalms will
give you words, but also,
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they will lead you to
hope that you don't feel now.
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>>Eric: So, many people around
the world are looking for hope.
00:11:08.80\00:11:11.43
The Book of Psalms contains
a lot of that hope or points us
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to the one can
can give us that hope,
00:11:14.17\00:11:16.17
maybe that's a more
appropriate way of saying it.
00:11:16.20\00:11:18.14
If somebody wants to dig more
deeply into the Book of Psalms,
00:11:18.17\00:11:21.48
there is a companion
book for the Book of Psalms.
00:11:21.51\00:11:24.01
Share with us a little
bit about that companion book.
00:11:24.05\00:11:27.28
>>Dragoslava: Yes, the companion
book accompanies the quarterly,
00:11:27.32\00:11:32.09
and it follows the
week-by-week segments,
00:11:32.12\00:11:35.82
and provides
additional information,
00:11:35.86\00:11:39.33
provides
illustrations and explanation,
00:11:39.36\00:11:42.93
and it's a wonderful resource,
I definitely recommend.
00:11:42.96\00:11:46.43
>>Eric: And the
person who wrote it,
00:11:46.47\00:11:47.77
tell us a little bit about him.
00:11:47.80\00:11:49.14
>>Dragoslava: Yes,
Dr. Martin Klingbeil,
00:11:49.17\00:11:50.84
he is an Old Testament
specialist and a teacher
00:11:50.87\00:11:55.31
here at Southern
Adventist University,
00:11:55.34\00:11:57.95
a great scholar.
00:11:57.98\00:11:59.75
He coauthored the commentary
on the Book of Psalms with me.
00:11:59.78\00:12:04.02
He did the first
part, Psalms 1 to 75,
00:12:04.05\00:12:07.12
I did 76 to 150, so a
wonderful companion book,
00:12:07.16\00:12:14.00
definitely a
must-have read for everyone.
00:12:14.03\00:12:18.07
>>Eric: Fantastic, and
if you're wanting to pick up
00:12:18.10\00:12:20.50
that companion book,
that's very easy to do.
00:12:20.54\00:12:23.20
Just go to itiswritten.shop,
itiswritten.shop,
00:12:23.24\00:12:27.61
and look for the
companion book to this quarter's
00:12:27.64\00:12:30.28
"Sabbath School"
lesson on the Book of Psalms
00:12:30.31\00:12:32.38
by Dr. Martin Klingbeil.
00:12:32.41\00:12:34.82
You will be blessed
immensely as you read that
00:12:34.85\00:12:38.62
as we study week by week
00:12:38.65\00:12:40.66
through the
adult "Sabbath School"
00:12:40.69\00:12:43.02
Bible study guide,
as you study through it,
00:12:43.06\00:12:45.76
then come here to the
"Sabbath School" program,
00:12:45.79\00:12:48.56
and you get to
hear from the author.
00:12:48.60\00:12:50.93
Couple that together
with the companion book,
00:12:50.97\00:12:54.17
and you're going to be
able to not just deepen
00:12:54.20\00:12:57.61
and strengthen and broaden
00:12:57.64\00:13:01.14
your own understanding
of the Book of Psalms,
00:13:01.18\00:13:03.55
but you'll be able to
share these things with others,
00:13:03.58\00:13:06.55
because no doubt
you know some people
00:13:06.58\00:13:08.65
who are going
through some challenges.
00:13:08.68\00:13:10.22
So, I trust you already
know and believe that you do,
00:13:10.25\00:13:13.46
that this is not just for
our own intellectual gain,
00:13:13.49\00:13:16.96
but it plays a very real
work on our spiritual lives
00:13:16.99\00:13:21.36
and we can be an encouragement
to others as we share it
00:13:21.40\00:13:24.53
with them as well.
00:13:24.57\00:13:25.87
We're going to be
back in just a moment
00:13:25.90\00:13:27.54
as we continue
looking at teaching us
00:13:27.57\00:13:29.84
how to pray here
on "Sabbath School,"
00:13:29.87\00:13:32.81
brought to you
by "It Is Written".
00:13:32.84\00:13:34.84
>>John Bradshaw: There's
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Jesus made for them.
00:14:16.05\00:14:18.89
As well, take your children
to Journey Through the Bible,
00:14:18.92\00:14:22.16
it's there at
myplacewithjesus.com.
00:14:22.19\00:14:24.53
It's a special
Bible reading program
00:14:24.56\00:14:27.30
that will get
children into the habit
00:14:27.30\00:14:29.33
of reading their
Bible daily and connecting
00:14:29.36\00:14:31.67
with God regularly.
00:14:31.70\00:14:33.23
So, don't forget,
myplacewithjesus.com
00:14:33.27\00:14:36.24
from "It Is Written".
00:14:36.27\00:14:37.77
¤¤¤
00:14:38.31\00:14:42.94
>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School"
00:14:42.98\00:14:44.28
brought to you
by "It Is Written".
00:14:44.31\00:14:45.61
We're continuing
looking at week number two,
00:14:45.65\00:14:47.48
lesson number two on
teaching us how to pray.
00:14:47.52\00:14:51.62
Slava, let me ask
you this question,
00:14:51.65\00:14:53.29
how can our prayer life
benefit as we incorporate
00:14:53.32\00:14:58.09
the Psalms into it?
00:14:58.13\00:14:59.89
What are some ways
that it can be strengthened,
00:14:59.93\00:15:02.63
made more
powerful, more impactful?
00:15:02.66\00:15:05.73
>>Dragoslava: Yes, as
we mentioned just earlier,
00:15:05.77\00:15:08.44
the Psalms help us
articulate our prayers
00:15:08.47\00:15:12.37
and they give us
a freedom of speech.
00:15:12.41\00:15:15.28
Sometimes we think that we
have to center our words and
00:15:15.31\00:15:21.85
be very careful what
we express in our prayers,
00:15:21.88\00:15:25.35
especially in
communal or church prayers.
00:15:25.39\00:15:28.12
However, the Psalms give
us this freedom of speech,
00:15:28.16\00:15:32.16
and God wants us to come to him
as we are and with what we have.
00:15:32.19\00:15:38.13
So, one of the
benefits is that the Psalms make
00:15:38.17\00:15:41.64
the believing community aware
of the whole range of emotions
00:15:41.67\00:15:48.04
and situations
in believer's lives.
00:15:48.08\00:15:50.75
By default, we believe
that many times that happiness
00:15:50.78\00:15:54.98
should be that main mood
that's appropriate for worship,
00:15:55.02\00:15:59.65
but then we
will go to the Psalms
00:15:59.69\00:16:01.82
and realize that if we are going
through these stressful moments,
00:16:01.86\00:16:06.76
that it is appropriate
to cry, even express anger.
00:16:06.80\00:16:11.03
But you see, the
Psalms are giving us
00:16:11.07\00:16:13.07
these proper words to do that,
00:16:13.10\00:16:16.07
but they don't
just leave us there.
00:16:16.10\00:16:19.51
They do give us words,
but then they also broaden
00:16:19.54\00:16:24.61
our perspective by
introducing hope and elements
00:16:24.65\00:16:28.92
that we at the
moment don't have.
00:16:28.95\00:16:31.52
And they even
transform our experience,
00:16:31.55\00:16:35.66
because as the Word of
God, by the Holy Spirit,
00:16:35.69\00:16:39.23
God is able to make us
believe and live by the words
00:16:39.26\00:16:45.70
that we read in these prayers.
00:16:45.73\00:16:48.47
So, it's really
an entire process
00:16:48.50\00:16:51.77
that the Psalms lead us
00:16:51.81\00:16:53.88
through in our
spiritual journey.
00:16:53.91\00:16:55.71
>>Eric: So,
it's an amazing book,
00:16:55.74\00:16:57.71
a compilation of
songs and prayers,
00:16:57.75\00:17:00.48
and you just
shared a wonderful example
00:17:00.52\00:17:03.49
of how some Bible passages
meant a great deal to you
00:17:03.52\00:17:06.99
and your family
when you were going
00:17:07.02\00:17:09.02
through some
significant challenges.
00:17:09.06\00:17:10.99
What if somebody's going through
a challenge and they pick up
00:17:11.03\00:17:14.66
the Psalms, and they say,
"Okay, how can this help me?"
00:17:14.73\00:17:18.03
And they open it up
and they start reading,
00:17:18.07\00:17:19.50
and it doesn't seem
to apply to them at all.
00:17:19.53\00:17:22.57
My suspicion is that
the Bible didn't fail,
00:17:22.60\00:17:24.87
but that there may be something
else to take into consideration.
00:17:24.91\00:17:29.38
>>Dragoslava:
Yes, exactly, you see,
00:17:29.41\00:17:31.11
when we read
and pray the Psalms,
00:17:31.15\00:17:33.18
we do that as
individual believers,
00:17:33.21\00:17:36.28
but we also learn
that while we do that,
00:17:36.32\00:17:39.85
we keep in mind our
entire community of faith.
00:17:39.89\00:17:43.66
We are not lonely rangers,
we are the people of God,
00:17:43.69\00:17:47.96
and this peoplehood is
very important in the Psalms.
00:17:47.96\00:17:51.60
So, let's say currently
00:17:51.63\00:17:53.54
I'm going
through wonderful times,
00:17:53.57\00:17:56.07
maybe someone got a
promotion, or graduated,
00:17:56.10\00:18:01.11
or something like
that, and then it happens
00:18:01.14\00:18:04.05
that I read a Psalm of lament.
00:18:04.08\00:18:06.28
As you said, did
the Bible fail me?
00:18:06.31\00:18:08.25
No, the Psalm of lament,
reading it in joyous times
00:18:08.28\00:18:13.49
can be beneficial
for at least two reasons.
00:18:13.52\00:18:16.09
First, it teaches me compassion
towards the suffering.
00:18:16.12\00:18:20.73
It teaches me that there
are people around the world
00:18:20.76\00:18:24.83
who are not enjoying the peace
and blessings that we have,
00:18:24.87\00:18:30.11
and it calls us to
pray for them, to intercede.
00:18:30.14\00:18:34.41
It could be somebody
in our near environment,
00:18:34.44\00:18:39.01
or people around the world,
00:18:39.05\00:18:41.38
not to mention all
the wars and crisis.
00:18:41.42\00:18:44.09
It teaches us compassion.
00:18:44.12\00:18:46.29
And second, it
teaches us that bad,
00:18:46.32\00:18:50.09
just as good, is part
of this earthly living,
00:18:50.13\00:18:54.56
and that it can
happen to anyone,
00:18:54.56\00:18:57.57
to God's children as well.
00:18:57.60\00:19:00.37
So, it prepares
us to stay strong
00:19:00.40\00:19:03.10
in those times as well.
00:19:03.14\00:19:06.01
>>Eric: So, it may apply
to us immediately directly,
00:19:06.04\00:19:09.08
it may apply to someone
else that we're not thinking of,
00:19:09.11\00:19:12.58
and it may just help
to help us appreciate
00:19:12.61\00:19:16.28
the complexities of life
00:19:16.32\00:19:18.25
and prepare us for
something that is to come.
00:19:18.29\00:19:20.89
We've talked about
how the Book of Psalms
00:19:20.92\00:19:22.86
contains prayers, is prayers,
00:19:22.89\00:19:25.29
it's communion
between Jesus and us,
00:19:25.33\00:19:28.60
but they're also songs.
00:19:28.63\00:19:31.27
Share with us a little bit
more about the songlike nature
00:19:31.30\00:19:35.00
of the Book of Psalms.
00:19:35.04\00:19:37.01
How does that play into things?
00:19:37.04\00:19:39.21
>>Dragoslava: Yes,
yes, Eric, if I may,
00:19:39.24\00:19:40.84
before I try to answer
that beautiful question,
00:19:40.88\00:19:45.11
I would like just
to add that the Psalms
00:19:45.15\00:19:47.68
also supply new
motives for prayers.
00:19:47.72\00:19:52.35
Sometimes we tend to be
00:19:52.39\00:19:54.39
very
self-centered in our prayers
00:19:54.42\00:19:57.19
and pray mostly
about physical needs,
00:19:57.23\00:20:00.76
but the Psalms
will teach us to pray
00:20:00.80\00:20:04.40
about many more things
that God wants us to pray for.
00:20:04.43\00:20:09.37
And just the other day
as I was reading this Psalm,
00:20:09.40\00:20:12.91
Psalm 122, "Pray for
the peace of Jerusalem."
00:20:12.94\00:20:18.25
I was surprised how
relevant that prayer is.
00:20:18.28\00:20:23.08
Pray about other things.
00:20:23.12\00:20:25.39
So, it supplies
these new motives
00:20:25.42\00:20:27.82
so our prayers are much broader
00:20:27.86\00:20:30.19
than sometimes what
we tend to pray for.
00:20:30.23\00:20:33.90
>>Eric: That's very powerful.
00:20:33.93\00:20:35.30
>>Dragoslava: Yes,
and Psalms is songs,
00:20:35.33\00:20:37.83
because there are
prayers and songs.
00:20:37.87\00:20:41.94
Ancient Christians, when we read
00:20:41.97\00:20:43.91
the Book of Ephesians, chapter 5
00:20:43.94\00:20:45.94
and other texts
in the New Testament,
00:20:45.97\00:20:48.24
the orders of the epistles say
singing in the psalms and songs,
00:20:48.28\00:20:54.68
they had tunes and they sang,
00:20:54.72\00:20:57.72
because that's a
pneumonic device,
00:20:57.75\00:20:59.92
a way to remember a Psalm.
00:20:59.95\00:21:01.99
And we do have Psalm
music today by various artists,
00:21:02.02\00:21:06.73
but it's a beautiful way to
learn a Psalm, by singing it.
00:21:06.76\00:21:10.27
Sometimes I like
to invent my own tune,
00:21:10.30\00:21:13.40
of course I sing only
for myself and the Lord
00:21:13.44\00:21:17.07
who is very gracious to
listen, but it's a wonderful,
00:21:17.11\00:21:22.28
wonderful way.
00:21:22.31\00:21:23.95
And Ellen White, in
"Education," she wrote,
00:21:23.98\00:21:28.22
"How often by words of Holy song
00:21:28.25\00:21:31.52
are unsealed in the
soul the springs of penitence
00:21:31.55\00:21:36.29
and faith, of
hope and love and joy."
00:21:36.32\00:21:40.10
And when we have these songs,
these Psalm verses in our minds,
00:21:40.13\00:21:45.93
they just pop out whenever,
you know, we need them.
00:21:45.97\00:21:49.47
They're just
there and surprise us
00:21:49.50\00:21:51.77
and we start
singing in our heart,
00:21:51.81\00:21:53.74
and it changes
the whole perspective
00:21:53.78\00:21:56.44
we look on a day or a situation.
00:21:56.48\00:21:59.11
>>Eric: You
mentioned a moment ago
00:21:59.15\00:22:00.52
about how singing a Psalm
00:22:00.55\00:22:03.42
might help it to
stick in our minds.
00:22:03.45\00:22:08.29
Now, without
singing a song or a Psalm,
00:22:08.32\00:22:10.99
what are some Psalms
that you've found for yourself
00:22:11.03\00:22:15.70
that maybe in
singing them in your mind
00:22:15.73\00:22:18.83
or even singing them outwardly,
00:22:18.87\00:22:21.44
have been able to kind of settle
in there a little bit better?
00:22:21.47\00:22:25.37
Any that stick out to you?
00:22:25.41\00:22:27.41
>>Dragoslava: Yes, well,
there are several Psalms.
00:22:27.44\00:22:29.98
Sometimes what I like to do,
I go to YouTube and try to see
00:22:30.01\00:22:34.18
if any artists
already made a song,
00:22:34.22\00:22:37.49
and there are truly
some wonderful songs.
00:22:37.52\00:22:40.29
By the means of a song I
was able to memorize Psalm 77,
00:22:40.32\00:22:46.70
which is one of
my favorite Psalms,
00:22:46.73\00:22:48.93
and perhaps later in our study
we will refer to this Psalm.
00:22:48.96\00:22:53.37
Psalm 119, I'm on a
journey of memorizing Psalm 119,
00:22:53.40\00:22:59.47
and singing it
definitely helps a lot.
00:22:59.51\00:23:04.71
And it brings a kind
of joy and personal touch
00:23:04.75\00:23:08.75
to the Psalm when we sing it.
00:23:08.78\00:23:12.39
>>Eric: Let's say somebody
doesn't consider themselves
00:23:12.42\00:23:15.96
a singer, as you said,
they sing between maybe
00:23:15.99\00:23:19.29
themselves and the Lord
and not too many other people,
00:23:19.33\00:23:22.10
but it can still be a
blessing for them, can't it?
00:23:22.13\00:23:23.77
>>Dragoslava:
Absolutely, absolutely,
00:23:23.80\00:23:25.10
and I believe God
created us with a musical fiber
00:23:25.13\00:23:29.50
in our hearts, and
it brings so much joy.
00:23:29.54\00:23:33.31
And even if it's a
eulogy, like a sad song,
00:23:33.34\00:23:36.51
it becomes so much
deeper than just reading it.
00:23:36.54\00:23:42.15
>>Eric: Are there any
Psalms that you can think of
00:23:42.18\00:23:47.02
that lend themselves very nicely
to a song-type memorization?
00:23:47.06\00:23:54.00
You mentioned right now you
were on a journey for Psalm 119.
00:23:54.03\00:23:56.50
That's an impressive journey.
00:23:56.53\00:23:58.83
That's a good long
Psalm, and my suspicion is that
00:23:58.87\00:24:04.21
that song may twist
and turn along the way
00:24:04.24\00:24:06.88
as you memorize it.
00:24:06.91\00:24:08.68
What would be some easy ones
that people might start with
00:24:08.71\00:24:13.28
when thinking
about singing the Psalms?
00:24:13.31\00:24:16.92
>>Dragoslava: Perhaps
I'm thinking now of hymns.
00:24:16.95\00:24:19.79
Hymns are a
wonderful way to sing,
00:24:19.82\00:24:22.42
and even in the church.
00:24:22.46\00:24:24.26
For example, Psalm 29,
00:24:24.29\00:24:26.63
it's a beautiful
hymn to the Lord.
00:24:26.66\00:24:28.90
"Give unto the
Lord, O mighty ones,
00:24:28.93\00:24:31.17
give unto the Lord
glory and strength.
00:24:31.20\00:24:33.50
Worship the Lord in
the beauty of holiness."
00:24:33.54\00:24:36.30
A beautiful Psalm to sing.
00:24:36.34\00:24:38.67
Perhaps Psalm 8
and some other Psalms.
00:24:38.71\00:24:41.84
Psalm 136 is also
a beautiful Psalm,
00:24:41.88\00:24:46.61
and perhaps if there are
some musicians who can compose,
00:24:46.65\00:24:53.09
it could be sang antiphonally,
meaning that one part
00:24:53.12\00:24:57.66
of the group
sings the first line,
00:24:57.69\00:24:59.86
and then the
second group echoes,
00:24:59.89\00:25:02.43
"For his mercy endures forever."
00:25:02.46\00:25:05.13
"Oh, give thanks
to the God of gods!
00:25:05.17\00:25:07.47
For His mercy endures forever."
00:25:07.50\00:25:09.87
And the entire
Psalm goes that way,
00:25:09.90\00:25:12.27
and it kind of really
builds this true spiritual joy,
00:25:12.31\00:25:17.55
not the artificial
one, but the real one
00:25:17.58\00:25:20.72
coming out from the Lord's Word.
00:25:20.75\00:25:23.15
>>Eric: So, it may be,
in fact it probably is,
00:25:23.18\00:25:25.45
that since we don't
necessarily have the music
00:25:25.49\00:25:28.32
that originally
accompanied these,
00:25:28.36\00:25:30.06
we can get, to some
extent, creative ourselves
00:25:30.09\00:25:33.19
and let the Lord
impress us with how this should
00:25:33.23\00:25:36.53
all come together in a way
that's going to work for me
00:25:36.56\00:25:40.30
to memorize it and for
me to apply it to my life.
00:25:40.34\00:25:43.51
Do you have any final thoughts,
words of wisdom this week?
00:25:43.54\00:25:47.71
We're talking
about "Teach Us to Pray."
00:25:47.74\00:25:49.98
The disciples came to
Jesus, "Teach us to pray."
00:25:50.01\00:25:52.71
We're going through the Psalms
and the Psalms are helping us
00:25:52.75\00:25:55.52
to learn how to pray.
00:25:55.55\00:25:57.12
Someone who's wanting
to implement this element
00:25:57.15\00:26:01.69
a little bit
more in their lives,
00:26:01.72\00:26:03.43
any final words of wisdom,
00:26:03.46\00:26:05.13
thoughts to give to them on
how this might work for them?
00:26:05.16\00:26:09.76
>>Dragoslava: Yes, yes,
well, I will start with saying
00:26:09.80\00:26:12.90
that first of
all, make a commitment
00:26:12.93\00:26:18.71
to incorporate
reading or praying the Psalms
00:26:18.74\00:26:21.98
on a daily basis.
00:26:22.01\00:26:24.35
And I would
recommend starting from Psalm 1
00:26:24.38\00:26:27.62
and then continuing in
that way, in that order,
00:26:27.65\00:26:31.75
throughout the entire book.
00:26:31.79\00:26:34.46
What we can do is first
of all ruminate or reflect
00:26:34.49\00:26:38.66
on the various ways
the psalmist addresses God,
00:26:38.69\00:26:43.60
the motives for
prayer the psalmists include,
00:26:43.63\00:26:46.94
the way the
psalmist expresses himself.
00:26:46.97\00:26:51.34
How does that
relate to me when I read?
00:26:51.37\00:26:54.74
And if I read
and it relates to me,
00:26:54.78\00:26:57.45
then I supply something
of my personal situation.
00:26:57.48\00:27:02.75
The Psalms were
written in a very general way,
00:27:02.78\00:27:06.99
meaning that they want to
be applicable to all people.
00:27:07.02\00:27:11.43
And then, if the Psalm
challenges me in some way,
00:27:11.46\00:27:15.40
I should pause and in the
light of Christ's revelation,
00:27:15.43\00:27:20.37
think where I
should better myself.
00:27:20.40\00:27:23.10
Is there a
confession I should make?
00:27:23.14\00:27:25.14
And allow the Psalm
to lead me all the way.
00:27:25.17\00:27:27.74
>>Eric: Slava, thank you
for joining us or taking us
00:27:27.78\00:27:30.21
through this lesson this
week, learning how to pray,
00:27:30.25\00:27:34.78
and we hope and trust
00:27:34.82\00:27:36.12
that this has been a
blessing to you as well.
00:27:36.15\00:27:38.22
We'll be back again next
week as we continue our journey
00:27:38.25\00:27:41.06
through the Book of Psalms,
here on "Sabbath School,"
00:27:41.09\00:27:44.16
brought to you
by "It Is Written".
00:27:44.19\00:27:46.29
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