Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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Please join us today on
"Pressing into His Presence"
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as we summarize the prayer steps
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that help us to seek God's face.
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Welcome to
"Pressing in to His Presence."
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On our last program I shared
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how the Lord had taught
me to listen for His voice
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at the end of my hour of
prayer and how He subsequent,
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subsequently called me
into full time ministry.
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We ran out of time
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so today I'll
finish that testimony
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and then we'll summarize
the entire prayer process.
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Our resource for this
series has been a book
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that I was very
privileged to write
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it's a God teaching to me
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and it's called
"Pressing in to His Presence."
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Today we'll begin on page 186.
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Let me recap where
we left of last program.
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When God first impressed me
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that by praying an hour each day
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I would be
delivered from back sliding,
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I was intimidated
at the thought of it.
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On that first day
in September of 1999
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as He was
teaching me how to do this,
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I sat at my computer
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writing my
prayer out to God hoping
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that I would find enough
to pray about for an hour
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but to my surprise
it turned to be out
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to be over two hours
for this prayer session
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and it passed rapidly.
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So I typed Amen to bring
our time to a conclusion.
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But God had a
life changing surprise
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for me at the end of this first,
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my first time of pressing
into His presence in prayer.
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He impressed this
thought upon my mind.
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He said, be still
and know that I'm God.
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From that day forward
He began training my ear
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to hear His
words of encouragement,
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instruction and
discipline through this process.
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Soon I knew He was calling
me into full time ministry
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and my husband and I decided
that I should accept His call
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and our loving Lord
rewarded our leap of faith.
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He immediately put me
on a Christian network
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where I frequently spoke
over the next eight months.
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The ministry was
progressing nicely
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until the network offered
to produce a series of my own
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and their unusual request
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for full copy
right to my materials
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which meant that I wouldn't
have been able to write a book
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or share this
teaching in any other way
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except on their
sponsored series,
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it was a great disappointment
and we had a great disagreement
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and we parted ways.
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God had for warned me
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that He was calling
me out of where I was
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which I did not understand
until after this happened.
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But once again God immediately
opened doors for ministry
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and soon I was sharing His word
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on a weekly bases in
five different cities.
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Life was pleasant for me
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but perplexing
for my poor husband.
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J.D. was not only
caring the full financial load
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for our personal
expenses and debt
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but now he had the
cover the ministry expenses.
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He was convinced,
absolutely convinced
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that I was following
God, but he was confused
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about how I heard
the Lord's leading.
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J.D. was working out of
town and one day over the phone
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he said Shelly, I
prayed through out the day
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why haven't I ever heard God?
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I responded well, have you
ever been still and listened?
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Several days later
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during one of
our many daily calls
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he cautiously
shared a new experience
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from his payer
time that morning.
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He said well, I
tried what you said.
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I prayed and then I listened
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and I don't know I might have
heard from God I am not sure.
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How do you know for certain?
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And I gently
encouraged him to tell me
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what was
impressed upon his mind.
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And he said the thought
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that was impressed
upon my mind was this,
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I'm the potter you are the clay.
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I mold you and shape you
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then set you on
the shelf to cure
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but you do not stay settled.
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You move out of place
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always trying
to live on the edge
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before you can be made firm
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you lean to fall
in the wrong direction
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and topple off the shelf.
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Then when you cry
out I must pick you up
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to mold you and shape you again.
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Move back from the edge.
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Oh, my when he was telling me
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what he had heard tears
were brimming in my eyes.
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I knew he had heard
from God. I knew it.
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J.D. was one of the best
men I had ever met in my life.
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He is compassionate,
honest, humble, tender hearted
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but he was just
some how afraid to make
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the 100% commitment
of his life to the Lord.
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God had called
J.D. to be a pastor
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when he was
younger and he regretted
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that he had not
responded to that call.
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A few weeks
later as I was praying,
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I was praying about the
future of my own calling
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the Lord shared
this thought with me.
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He said, I will join you to
one who is running fast after me
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and J.D. will work
shoulder to shoulder
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with you and this one.
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I knew this was God's
voice and not my own imagination
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because I was somewhat
disappointed initially.
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I mean, besteaded
vivid but I remember thinking
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well, I thought You called me
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to a full time
teaching ministry.
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I didn't know You wanted me
to be another man's assistant.
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Now I know that it
sounds selfish and prideful
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because it was but
soon God worked it out of me
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and I look forward to serving
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whatever
capacity He had planned.
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I was just excited
that J.D. and I would work
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shoulder to shoulder.
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God frequently told me
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He would do a
quick work in my husband
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and make him a
leader in his church
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and indeed He did.
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Well, anyway at that
time one of the Bible studies
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that I was
leading was women only
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and it was in a town
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about an hours
drive from her home.
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And we had just completed
ten hours of a teaching series
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that God had given me
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and I had witnessed how rapidly
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the Lord was changing this group
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the metamorphosis
in such a short time
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was as dramatic as watching
larvae become butterflies.
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In on the way home in the car
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I lamented my own
seemingly slow growth.
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So as usual I was
praying and I cried out
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oh, Lord, you are
changing them so rapidly,
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change me Father, change me.
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And suddenly this thought
was impressed upon my mind.
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Do you not recognize the changes
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that I have wrought in you child
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and you have yet to thank Me.
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Oh, boy, that was one of
those shut my mouth moments.
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It's true the Lord
often does a work in my heart
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that I'm slow to
recognize and by the time
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I do I have to pray
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and ask him to show me
how He accomplished it.
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I want to recognize
and know His workings
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to enable me to teach others
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but also to mark the trail
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so that I can find my way back
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should I ever slip
off His narrow path.
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In March of 2001
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which was a
little over six months
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after leaving that
first television network
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I was happily
leading home group studies
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in surrounding cities
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and attendance range
from maybe 12 to 40 people.
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It certainly was not as far
reaching as television ministry
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but I was busy being
faithful with the little things
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to demonstrate to God
that He could trust me
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to be faithful over much.
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That is one of the
kingdom principles you know.
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Jesus shared
that in Luke 16:10-13.
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God had
miraculously opened a door of--
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for television ministry.
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The very day after
we accepted the call
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to full time ministry
then the door slam shut
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immediately God opened the doors
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for weekly
small group ministries
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in five different cities.
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Now our responsibility
was to be satisfied
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with what the Lord gave us
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and be faithful in
fulfilling the duty.
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One morning during my time
of being still before the Lord
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He spoke something to my
heart that made it leap for joy.
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He said, I will open
doors for you to minister
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in television,
radio and publishing
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and you will speak
into all the world.
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Well, J.D. was home that day.
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I was thrilled I
jumped up and I ran downstairs
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to share God's
exciting report with him
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and he looked at
me and he said honey,
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and his brow
was rather furrowed.
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He said, it seems to me
that God already did that
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and you walked away.
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Now how is
anyone gonna notice you
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in this little
town of Coleman, Texas,
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with a population
of only 5,100 people.
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You are stuck in
the middle of nowhere.
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I looked at him and
I spoke paraphrasing
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a Bible verse
found in Luke 1:38.
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And I said that
often as an affirmation
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so I said it to my husband
with my hand raised to heaven.
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I said, "I am
handmaiden of the Lord,
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let it be done to me
according to His word."
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I knew God would be faithful.
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All I had to do
was exercise patience
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in the time of waiting upon Him.
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When God first
called me into ministry
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He clearly instructed
me not to promote myself.
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I was not to seek
ministry opportunities rather
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He would open the doors
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and I was
simply to walk through.
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God knew where I lived
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and He would lead
me to those places
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where He wanted me to minister.
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You know, I encountered
many, many rocky places
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as I ploughed
God's harvest fields
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but when discouragement came
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I never removed my
hand from the plough.
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How could I?
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God's hand was cupped over
mine just to as He promised.
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And together we
ploughed the straight line.
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You know when
David had fled from Saul
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and he was in a cave
he said in Psalms 57:2
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let me read the
amplified version to you.
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David said "I will
cry to God Most High,
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Who performs on my
behalf and rewards me.
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Who brings to pass
His purposes for me
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and surely completes them!
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I knew that God would
perform His purposes in my life.
00:11:36.91\00:11:42.34
First He led me to
study to understand the truth
00:11:42.37\00:11:44.94
about His covenants,
the truth about the Sabbath,
00:11:44.97\00:11:47.42
the truth about
resting in the grave,
00:11:47.45\00:11:49.06
and the truth about hell.
00:11:49.09\00:11:50.43
And I was begging the Lord
00:11:50.46\00:11:52.42
to teach me the
truth about revelation
00:11:52.45\00:11:54.72
because I just knew
that what I had been taught
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over my lifetime
contradicting some scriptures
00:11:58.06\00:12:01.36
and they just
couldn't be explained away.
00:12:01.39\00:12:04.15
Then after all of this
God saw through that 3ABN
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began broadcasting
in my little hometown
00:12:07.94\00:12:10.99
and I learned that Daniel
00:12:11.02\00:12:12.65
was the key to unlock revelation
00:12:12.68\00:12:15.12
and that all the
symbols of that apocalyptic book
00:12:15.15\00:12:18.77
were found within scripture.
00:12:18.80\00:12:21.24
I studied my way
00:12:21.27\00:12:23.01
into the
Seventh-day Adventist church.
00:12:23.04\00:12:25.37
And in December 2002, 21 months
00:12:25.40\00:12:29.65
after I had walked away
00:12:29.68\00:12:31.22
from the other
television network
00:12:31.25\00:12:33.35
J.D. and I arrived
00:12:33.38\00:12:35.18
at Three Angels
Broadcasting Network
00:12:35.21\00:12:37.26
for my first
scheduled appearance.
00:12:37.29\00:12:39.65
God had opened
the doors miraculously
00:12:39.68\00:12:42.63
and bubbling
over with enthusiasm
00:12:42.66\00:12:45.14
I said to J.D. just
think about it honey,
00:12:45.17\00:12:48.73
Psalms 139:16 says that
all the days about lives
00:12:48.76\00:12:53.29
were written in God's book
before they ever took shape.
00:12:53.32\00:12:58.61
God already knew that
we would be here tonight.
00:12:58.64\00:13:02.66
Well, J.D. was
silent for a moment
00:13:02.69\00:13:05.10
and then he softly responded
wow, that's a heavy thought.
00:13:05.13\00:13:10.59
It was December 31,
2002 and is God had purposed
00:13:10.62\00:13:16.25
I spoke into all the
world with a teaching
00:13:16.28\00:13:19.97
for 3ABNs New
Year's eve live broadcast
00:13:20.00\00:13:23.79
and after several more
appearances on the network
00:13:23.82\00:13:26.30
3ABN offered to produce
and air teaching series of mine
00:13:26.33\00:13:30.39
and they published my companion
book, Exalting His Word.
00:13:30.42\00:13:34.67
The program
aired internationally
00:13:34.70\00:13:36.22
on 3ABNs
television's and radio networks
00:13:36.25\00:13:40.34
and I was invited to make
00:13:40.37\00:13:41.91
a number of
additional guest appearances
00:13:41.94\00:13:44.15
over the next two years.
00:13:44.18\00:13:45.96
God had fulfilled His promise.
00:13:45.99\00:13:48.79
And then in February
2005, J.D. and I relocated here
00:13:48.82\00:13:54.57
to accept fulltime positions
00:13:54.60\00:13:56.52
at the networks
world headquarters.
00:13:56.55\00:13:59.11
We were working
shoulder to shoulder.
00:13:59.14\00:14:02.13
My precious husband went to work
00:14:02.16\00:14:03.62
in the pastoral department
00:14:03.65\00:14:05.11
and now just as God had promised
00:14:05.14\00:14:07.13
here we are shoulder to shoulder
00:14:07.16\00:14:09.04
and J.D. walks in
absolute surrender to the Lord.
00:14:09.07\00:14:12.84
He is one of the
most godly men I know.
00:14:12.87\00:14:15.48
I would say the most
godly if he would let me
00:14:15.51\00:14:19.23
but the Lord has opened his ears
00:14:19.26\00:14:22.00
and J.D. relies on the
leading of the Holy Spirit
00:14:22.03\00:14:24.95
as he goes about his daily
work of praying with people
00:14:24.98\00:14:27.90
and managing 3ABNs
pastoral department.
00:14:27.93\00:14:31.90
I wonder, I
wonder where we would be
00:14:31.93\00:14:36.08
if I had refused God's request
to press into His presence.
00:14:36.11\00:14:40.42
I wonder, how would
we be investing our lives
00:14:40.45\00:14:44.22
if we had not learned to listen
for God's still small voice.
00:14:44.25\00:14:49.38
Jesus says in Revelation 3:20.
00:14:49.41\00:14:52.26
"Behold, I stand
at the door and knock.
00:14:52.29\00:14:55.73
If anyone hears My
voice and opens the door,
00:14:55.76\00:15:00.18
I will come in to him."
00:15:00.21\00:15:03.44
Your loving Lord is calling you.
00:15:03.47\00:15:07.54
Will you listen?
00:15:07.57\00:15:09.41
Will you let
Him come to you now?
00:15:09.44\00:15:12.49
Will you be still
and know that He is God?
00:15:12.52\00:15:16.98
We have reached the end
of out journey together.
00:15:19.16\00:15:23.03
I think it's has
been an exciting journey
00:15:23.06\00:15:24.83
on this series
but we hope in pray
00:15:24.86\00:15:28.06
it's just the
beginning of a new journey
00:15:28.09\00:15:30.32
that you will
experience with the Lord
00:15:30.35\00:15:32.51
as you press into
His presence in prayer.
00:15:32.54\00:15:35.38
It seems been official
this being our last program
00:15:35.41\00:15:37.75
to review the various segments
of the praise prayer patter
00:15:37.78\00:15:42.51
that we have learned to use
to press in to God's presence.
00:15:42.54\00:15:46.92
Here's the prayer
segments we have followed.
00:15:46.95\00:15:49.88
Praise,
Repentance, Affirmations,
00:15:49.91\00:15:54.37
Intercession, Supplication,
and Enter and Be Still.
00:15:54.40\00:16:00.40
And you notice the first letter
00:16:00.43\00:16:02.16
of each of those
words forms the word Praise
00:16:02.19\00:16:05.11
so I also call it the
praise prayer pattern.
00:16:05.14\00:16:08.41
You know, God
corrected my backsliding
00:16:08.44\00:16:11.24
when he taught me to tearing
an hour each day with Him
00:16:11.27\00:16:14.53
and He will do the same for you.
00:16:14.56\00:16:18.25
Perhaps it's impossible
for you to pray an hour
00:16:18.28\00:16:20.57
everyday at this
stage in your life
00:16:20.60\00:16:23.04
but if you schedule
this time even once a week
00:16:23.07\00:16:26.64
I promise
you'll begin to develop
00:16:26.67\00:16:29.17
a closer relationship with Him.
00:16:29.20\00:16:31.50
You can use the praise pattern
00:16:31.53\00:16:33.79
for shorter
sessions of prayer as well.
00:16:33.82\00:16:36.33
I begin every
morning in this manner.
00:16:36.36\00:16:39.25
Though not a requirement
00:16:39.28\00:16:41.06
I encourage you to
follow God's advice to Habakkuk
00:16:41.09\00:16:44.79
and try
journaling which simply means
00:16:44.82\00:16:47.25
to write out your
prayer like a letter.
00:16:47.28\00:16:50.69
Let me read that to
you Habakkuk 2:1-3 says,
00:16:50.72\00:16:57.60
"I will stand my
watch" Habakkuk says
00:16:57.63\00:17:01.27
"to see what He will say to me.
00:17:01.30\00:17:04.83
Then the Lord
answered me and said,
00:17:04.86\00:17:07.88
'Write the vision and
make it plain on tablets
00:17:07.91\00:17:11.11
that he may run who reads it.'"
00:17:11.14\00:17:14.31
I hope you will
try it at least once.
00:17:14.34\00:17:17.61
As I had mentioned before
00:17:17.64\00:17:19.69
journaling truly
increases your focus.
00:17:19.72\00:17:22.82
It blocks out the
detracting thoughts
00:17:22.85\00:17:25.54
that often disrupt the
intimacy of our prayers.
00:17:25.57\00:17:29.24
But let me also repeat this
journaling is not for everyone.
00:17:29.27\00:17:34.49
My precious husband probably
spends more time in prayer
00:17:34.52\00:17:38.26
then any other person I
know yet if someone told J.D.
00:17:38.29\00:17:42.07
that he must journal to
press into God's presence
00:17:42.10\00:17:45.74
I doubt he would ever try.
00:17:45.77\00:17:48.29
And something
else bears repeating.
00:17:48.32\00:17:51.14
Prayer is an extremely
intimidate communication
00:17:51.17\00:17:56.08
with an extremely
intimate being our God of love
00:17:56.11\00:18:00.43
and it takes on many forms.
00:18:00.46\00:18:03.39
We are not suggesting here
a perfect formula for prayer
00:18:03.42\00:18:07.89
as that doesn't exist.
00:18:07.92\00:18:10.16
In fact, I don't
think of the praise prayer
00:18:10.19\00:18:13.68
as a formula but
rather just important segments
00:18:13.71\00:18:18.14
that are been
official to include
00:18:18.17\00:18:20.25
as we sincerely try to press
into the presence of our God.
00:18:20.28\00:18:25.68
I pray many different
prayers throughout the day
00:18:25.71\00:18:29.56
of varying links
and varying types.
00:18:29.59\00:18:32.85
But, you know, when I rush
in and out of God's presence
00:18:32.88\00:18:37.67
I don't hear His
still small voice
00:18:37.70\00:18:40.69
and the praise prayer pattern
00:18:40.72\00:18:42.91
seems to solve my
problem of being hasty.
00:18:42.94\00:18:46.50
Now I do believe
that it is quite possible
00:18:46.53\00:18:50.46
that God inspired the order
of the praise prayer purposely
00:18:50.49\00:18:56.54
to follow the divine
pattern of His sanctuary.
00:18:56.57\00:19:00.90
Since the New Testament
00:19:00.93\00:19:02.64
calls Christian believers
you and me a Holy priesthood
00:19:02.67\00:19:07.31
this comparison
to how the priest
00:19:07.34\00:19:09.38
of old approached
God is most interesting.
00:19:09.41\00:19:14.20
During this
series we have taken note
00:19:14.23\00:19:17.53
as a matter of observation only
00:19:17.56\00:19:20.22
how each of these
prayers segments correlates
00:19:20.25\00:19:23.51
to the ancient sanctuary theme.
00:19:23.54\00:19:26.57
So let's also recap those now.
00:19:26.60\00:19:30.01
The temple priest
entered into God's presence
00:19:30.04\00:19:33.37
in a very specific order.
00:19:33.40\00:19:35.35
First, they had to
enter through a gate
00:19:35.38\00:19:38.28
to reach the outer court
00:19:38.31\00:19:40.54
and as they
moved through the gate
00:19:40.57\00:19:43.16
they did so with thanksgiving
00:19:43.19\00:19:45.36
as they move through the court
00:19:45.39\00:19:47.58
they sang songs of praise.
00:19:47.61\00:19:51.20
So like wise as
we begin our prayer
00:19:51.23\00:19:53.90
to press in before
His throne of grace
00:19:53.93\00:19:56.82
we start with the praise segment
00:19:56.85\00:20:00.20
and this portion
of prayer teaches us
00:20:00.23\00:20:03.47
to enter His
gates with thanksgiving
00:20:03.50\00:20:06.19
and into His
court's with praise.
00:20:06.22\00:20:08.86
And it's amazing have
faith building this is.
00:20:08.89\00:20:13.09
Now the second
segment of our prayer
00:20:13.12\00:20:15.79
is our daily
sacrifice of repentance
00:20:15.82\00:20:19.73
which is the process of applying
00:20:19.76\00:20:22.37
the blood of Christ
personally to our lives.
00:20:22.40\00:20:26.10
This reminds us
of the first article
00:20:26.13\00:20:29.78
that the ancient priest would
encounter in the court yard
00:20:29.81\00:20:34.36
which was the
altar of burnt offering
00:20:34.39\00:20:37.61
where the
sacrifice for sin was offered
00:20:37.64\00:20:41.91
and the blood
was made available.
00:20:41.94\00:20:44.58
And then midway
between the altar
00:20:44.61\00:20:48.34
and the door of the temple
00:20:48.37\00:20:50.02
stood the shinning bronze laver,
00:20:50.05\00:20:53.14
the sacred wash
bowl of the sanctuary.
00:20:53.17\00:20:56.82
The priest were
required to inspect themselves
00:20:56.85\00:21:00.53
and to wash away all impurities
00:21:00.56\00:21:03.66
and present themselves
00:21:03.69\00:21:05.40
spotlessly
clean before the Lord.
00:21:05.43\00:21:09.29
Our prayer segment on repentance
00:21:09.32\00:21:12.04
includes our
confession and helps us
00:21:12.07\00:21:15.09
understand our need to
come with purity of heart
00:21:15.12\00:21:19.79
before a holy
God's throne of grace.
00:21:19.82\00:21:23.27
When leaving the
shining bronze laver
00:21:23.30\00:21:26.48
the priest were
prepared to enter
00:21:26.51\00:21:29.33
into the first compartment
of the sanctuary the holy place
00:21:29.36\00:21:35.18
and the three
articles that furniture there
00:21:35.21\00:21:38.26
were the table of
showbread on the right,
00:21:38.29\00:21:41.17
the golden altar of
incense across the compartment
00:21:41.20\00:21:45.32
directly in front of the veil
00:21:45.35\00:21:47.36
that separated the holy
place from the most holy
00:21:47.39\00:21:50.67
and the seven
branched golden candlestick.
00:21:50.70\00:21:54.38
And the next three
segments of our prayer
00:21:54.41\00:21:57.22
correlate to these
items in the following way.
00:21:57.25\00:22:00.67
The prayer segment of making
affirmations from scripture
00:22:00.70\00:22:04.77
correlates to the
table of showbread.
00:22:04.80\00:22:07.54
It is like our symbolic
entry into the holy place
00:22:07.57\00:22:11.31
and setting out the
showbread on the table,
00:22:11.34\00:22:14.41
a duty of the priest.
00:22:14.44\00:22:16.22
You know, God's word is
our spiritual nutrition.
00:22:16.25\00:22:19.06
It was given to us
as a constant provision
00:22:19.09\00:22:22.95
for nourishment to maintain
vibrant spiritual lives.
00:22:22.98\00:22:27.56
And Jesus said in Matthew 4:4
00:22:27.59\00:22:30.68
"Man does not
live by bread alone,
00:22:30.71\00:22:33.02
but by every word that
comes from the mouth of God."
00:22:33.05\00:22:37.79
So that's our affirmations.
00:22:37.82\00:22:41.04
Now when we consider
00:22:41.07\00:22:43.80
the intercession
part of our prayer
00:22:43.83\00:22:46.78
it correlates to the
golden altar of incense
00:22:46.81\00:22:51.31
were special incense
burned morning and night.
00:22:51.34\00:22:56.24
Psalms 141:2 says,
00:22:56.27\00:22:58.93
"Let my prayer be set
before you like incense."
00:22:58.96\00:23:03.30
And as we are interceding,
pleading for the perishing
00:23:03.33\00:23:07.71
we know that Christ is at
the right hand of His Father
00:23:07.74\00:23:11.65
interceding as well.
00:23:11.68\00:23:13.56
He adds His special
incense to our prayers.
00:23:13.59\00:23:17.87
Now this
supplication part of our prayer
00:23:17.90\00:23:21.51
we correlated to the seven
branched golden candle stick
00:23:21.54\00:23:26.53
which the priest of old were
required to dress each morning,
00:23:26.56\00:23:31.32
throwing out the
ashes and refilling the oil.
00:23:31.35\00:23:35.49
This portion of our prayer
00:23:35.52\00:23:37.34
is when we are seeking
our greatest personal need
00:23:37.37\00:23:42.45
to be filled
with the Holy Spirit
00:23:42.48\00:23:45.25
who is represented
by the symbol of oil.
00:23:45.28\00:23:49.20
And then once we're
filled with a spirit
00:23:49.23\00:23:52.47
we are reflecting the
light of Jesus Christ.
00:23:52.50\00:23:56.89
Now once we had
finished with entering His gates
00:23:56.92\00:24:02.03
with thanksgiving and His courts
00:24:02.06\00:24:03.95
with praise with our repentance,
00:24:03.98\00:24:06.53
with affirmation,
intercession and supplication
00:24:06.56\00:24:11.09
we have reached that
segment of our prayer
00:24:11.12\00:24:14.52
titled enter and be
still we are ready to press
00:24:14.55\00:24:19.24
into the most holy
place were God's ark,
00:24:19.27\00:24:23.98
His throne of
grace was seated there
00:24:24.01\00:24:27.87
and where His
Shekinah presence resided.
00:24:27.90\00:24:31.46
This is the most
sacred time of our prayer
00:24:31.49\00:24:34.72
when we press in
the closest to God
00:24:34.75\00:24:38.12
and we be still and listen.
00:24:38.15\00:24:42.18
We listen for His counsel
either through allowing Him
00:24:42.21\00:24:46.54
to speak to us
through the scriptures
00:24:46.57\00:24:50.19
or through hearing the
still small voice of God.
00:24:50.22\00:24:55.76
A favorite verse of mine
00:24:58.06\00:25:04.05
and it tells us,
00:25:04.08\00:25:05.57
"Seek the Lord and His strength,
00:25:05.60\00:25:09.42
Seek His face evermore!"
00:25:09.45\00:25:14.22
You know when
God told David this,
00:25:14.25\00:25:17.88
David said you said seek My face
00:25:17.91\00:25:20.75
and I said Lord,
your face I will seek.
00:25:20.78\00:25:25.20
David was a man
who followed after God,
00:25:25.23\00:25:29.71
God called him a
man after His own heart.
00:25:29.74\00:25:34.33
How
disappointing it must be to God
00:25:34.36\00:25:37.91
to have His children
those whom He has adopted
00:25:37.94\00:25:42.50
into His family
to have His children
00:25:42.53\00:25:45.90
only be praying
to seek His hand.
00:25:45.93\00:25:49.82
God is good to
those who seek Him.
00:25:49.85\00:25:54.07
God wants us to seek His face.
00:25:54.10\00:25:56.38
He wants us to
wait expectedly for Him.
00:25:56.41\00:26:01.11
As your father God desires
are deeper communing with you.
00:26:01.14\00:26:07.37
Oh, draw near to Him and
He will draw near to you.
00:26:07.40\00:26:13.93
He knows your weaknesses.
00:26:13.96\00:26:15.96
He will exchange
His strength for yours.
00:26:15.99\00:26:19.57
God is calling
His people to develop
00:26:19.60\00:26:22.59
an intimate relationship
with Him through prayer.
00:26:22.62\00:26:26.41
Can you hear Him
calling your name?
00:26:26.44\00:26:30.29
He is inviting you to
press into His presence
00:26:30.32\00:26:35.52
that you may know Him
00:26:35.55\00:26:37.88
and that you may know the plan
00:26:37.91\00:26:40.68
that He has for your life.
00:26:40.71\00:26:43.56
I know He will show
you the path of life.
00:26:43.59\00:26:47.94
And as David
said in Psalms 16:11
00:26:47.97\00:26:51.51
and when he said,
00:26:51.54\00:26:52.80
"You will show
me the path of life,
00:26:52.83\00:26:55.95
in Your presence
is fullness of joy."
00:26:55.98\00:27:01.22
I just have to
tell you from my heart
00:27:01.25\00:27:04.73
that this practice of
pressing into His presence
00:27:04.76\00:27:11.62
was completely
life changing for me.
00:27:11.65\00:27:16.03
It was life changing in
every sense of the word.
00:27:16.06\00:27:21.12
God plucked me up out
of a corporate setting.
00:27:21.15\00:27:24.68
He put me into ministry
00:27:24.71\00:27:26.93
and He
completely changed my life
00:27:26.96\00:27:30.46
because I tuned my ear.
00:27:30.49\00:27:33.21
I didn't tune it the Holy Spirit
00:27:33.24\00:27:35.46
helped tune my ear.
00:27:35.49\00:27:36.97
He taught me how
to listen to my God.
00:27:37.00\00:27:41.64
I want to encourage you
to press into His presence.
00:27:41.67\00:27:46.07
You will never regret the time
00:27:46.10\00:27:49.08
that you spend
with the Lord in prayer.
00:27:49.11\00:27:52.41
It is something
that will make your life
00:27:52.44\00:27:55.50
so much more
beautiful and productive.
00:27:55.53\00:27:59.30
Now our continued
prayer for you is,
00:27:59.33\00:28:01.75
may the grace of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
00:28:01.78\00:28:05.05
the love of the Father,
00:28:05.08\00:28:06.50
and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:28:06.53\00:28:09.10
be with you always.
00:28:09.13\00:28:11.50