Hi and welcome to day
ten of, Ten Days of Prayer;
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a prayer strategy from
the Revival and Reformation
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initiative of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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It's my hope that if you
have made this 30 minutes
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a regular part of your
evening for the past few days,
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that you have
felt a nearness to God
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that you'll want to continue
throughout January, February,
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and throughout the year.
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But it won't happen without
an effort on your and my part
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to meet with God
on a daily basis.
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As you may remember, the
theme of our time together
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has been, seeking God for
a deeper experience with Him.
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That's really
important, because some of you
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may have had some really
bad relationship experiences
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leaving you scarred for life.
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I can say for sure that
as much as you long for a
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closer walk with God, He
desires for you to trust Him.
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And He wants you to know
that you can depend on Him.
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Listen to this testimony.
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"My older brother
and I were abandoned
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by our biological father.
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Because he left our
mother when we were very young,
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we never met him.
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All we knew of him
was that he was a sailor,
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tall and handsome with
fiery red hair and freckles,
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and spoke with
a southern accent.
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All attempts to locate
him failed, so we gave up.
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I grew up wondering
why he didn't want us,
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which left a scar
on my young heart."
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The person goes on to talk
about circumstances at school
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where they were often picked
on, and pretty just crummy,
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bullying situations.
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Then the testimony continues,
"Insecurity and low self-esteem
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stayed with me into
my teens and adulthood.
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Events in early childhood
can affect who we become,
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but we don't
have to stay that way.
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I had every right
to be bitter and angry;
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after all, I was rejected
by my father, friendless,
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and easily taken advantage of
because I longed to be accepted.
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The more I dwelt on it,
the more it became a reality.
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I gathered a bouquet of thorns.
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But holding onto
past experiences,
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as bitter as they may have
been, becomes too heavy to bear
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and may
eventually affect our health.
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We become
slaves to our feelings.
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I read this account
by Ellen White recently:
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'Many walking along
the path of life dwell upon
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their mistakes and
failures and disappointments,
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and their hearts are filled
with grief and discouragement.
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While I was in Europe, a
sister who had been doing this
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and who was in deep
distress wrote to me
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asking for some
word of encouragement.
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The night after I
had read her letter
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I dreamed that I was
in a garden, and one who
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seemed to be the
owner of the garden
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was conducting me
through its paths.
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I was gathering the flowers
and enjoying their fragrance
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when this sister who
had been walking by my side
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called my attention
to some unsightly briers
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that were impeding her way.
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There she was
mourning and grieving.
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She was not walking in the
pathway, following the guide,
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but was walking among
the briers and the thorns.
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"Oh," she mourned, "is
it not a pity that this
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beautiful garden is
spoiled with thorns?"
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Then the guide said,
"Let the thorns alone,
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for they will only wound you.
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Gather the roses, the
lilies, and the pinks."
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Have there not been some
bright spots in your experience?
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When you look back into the
chapters of your life experience
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do you not find
some pleasant pages?
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Are not God's promises,
like the fragrant flowers,
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growing beside
your path on every hand?
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Will you not let
their beauty and sweetness
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fill your heart with joy?'"
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I like this:
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"It is not wise to gather
together all the unpleasant
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recollections of a past life,
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its iniquities
and disappointments,
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to talk over them and
to mourn over them until
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we are overwhelmed
with discouragement.
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A discouraged soul
is filled with darkness,
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shutting out the light
of God from his own soul
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and casting a shadow
upon the pathway of others."
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So when Christ
comes into our lives,
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we discover who we are in Him.
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We become a child of God,
a royal prince or princess
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of the King of kings.
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If you were fatherless
before, you aren't anymore.
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God has become your Father.
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No longer are we
rejected or friendless.
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Our Father in heaven,
He calls us His friend.
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You and I have great value,
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for Jesus Christ
gave His life for us.
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We truly have reason to rejoice.
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My Father is rich
in houses and land,
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He holdeth the wealth
of the world in His hands.
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Of rubies and
diamonds, of silver and gold,
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His coffers are
full, He has riches untold.
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I'm a child of the
King, a child of the King:
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with Jesus my Savior,
I'm a child of the King.
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My Father's own
Son, the Savior of men,
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once wandered on earth
as the poorest of them.
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But now He is
pleading our pardon on high,
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that we may be His
when He comes by and by.
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I'm a child of the
King, a child of the King:
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with Jesus my Savior,
I'm a child of the King.
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I once was an
outcast, a stranger on earth,
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a sinner by choice,
and an alien by birth.
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But I've been adopted,
my name's written down;
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an heir to a
mansion, a robe, and a crown.
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I'm a child of the
King, a child of the King:
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with Jesus my Savior,
I'm a child of the King.
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Amen? I hope you can say that.
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As we enter into a time
of praise, let us praise Him
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for adopting us into His family.
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Lord, we truly do praise You
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for Your transforming power.
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We praise You, oh Lord, that
You have called us Your friend.
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We praise you, God.
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We praise You for
choosing us to be Your children.
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What a privilege
to be Your child.
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May we bear the name
of Christ with honor,
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that we not do any damage,
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that we cause no
shame to Your name.
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And Lord, as we
confess our sin before You
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and we claim victory
over sin in our lives,
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we pray, Holy
Spirit, that You will show us
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if there is anything that
is separating us from You.
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Anything we may have said
or done that we didn't even
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realized we had said or done it.
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God, forgive us.
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Lord, I'm reminded, Your
Word says, if Your people will
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humble themselves and pray,
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You will hear from
heaven and heal their land.
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Father, forgive us when we
choose to dwell on the thorns
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of the past and we allow those
experiences to discourage us.
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God, if there's something
that we just can't seem to get
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rid of, we can't seem to shake
it, we're so offended by it,
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Lord, help us
to get rid of that.
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Burn the brambles, the thorns,
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the dead weeds.
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Forget it.
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Help us to move on
and to claim the victory
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that You have given us.
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We thank You that Your
Word states if we confess
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our sin, You are faithful
and just to forgive us...
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...and give us peace.
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Far away in the
depths of my spirit tonight
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rolls a melody
sweeter than psalm;
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In celestial-like
strains it unceasingly falls
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o'er my soul
like an infinite calm.
00:11:49.14\00:11:57.65
Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
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coming down from
the Father above;
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sweep over my
spirit forever, I pray,
00:12:20.34\00:12:30.08
in fathomless billows of love.
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I am resting tonight
in this wonderful peace,
00:12:48.23\00:12:57.31
I'm resting
sweetly in Jesus' control;
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For I'm kept from all
danger by night and by day,
00:13:05.98\00:13:15.92
and His glory is
flooding my soul.
00:13:16.62\00:13:26.33
Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
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coming down from
the Father above;
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sweep over my
spirit forever, I pray,
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in fathomless billows of love.
00:13:59.53\00:14:09.28
How long has it been
since you felt that peace.
00:14:20.76\00:14:23.29
Just reach out and
claim that peace as your own.
00:14:27.56\00:14:31.33
Claim Him as the
Prince of Peace that He is,
00:14:33.07\00:14:35.94
and that He wants
to be in your life.
00:14:35.97\00:14:38.21
As we enter into
this time of intercession,
00:14:43.14\00:14:45.35
praying for the
needs one more night,
00:14:45.38\00:14:53.42
I'm reminded of the
millions of people that we've
00:14:54.69\00:14:59.29
prayed for over
the past ten days.
00:14:59.33\00:15:03.13
And we've prayed for
volunteers and missionaries
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and workers to be sent
to those who need to hear
00:15:13.07\00:15:17.71
that Jesus saves
and that He loves them.
00:15:18.71\00:15:21.08
And Lord, we continue, as
we lift up our church leaders
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around the world, asking You,
God, that You would grant them
00:15:29.66\00:15:35.66
wisdom as they
make important decisions
00:15:35.70\00:15:39.07
and lead Your people.
00:15:40.44\00:15:41.97
God, we ask You for
Your grace to forgive those
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who have wronged us.
00:15:52.05\00:15:53.55
Lord, please bring
healing and restoration
00:15:55.68\00:15:58.42
to our lives and to
the lives of our families.
00:15:59.39\00:16:03.53
Lord, may each of us be
a friend to the friendless,
00:16:07.63\00:16:13.17
revealing Your love to
those in need of affection.
00:16:15.64\00:16:18.94
God...
00:16:20.51\00:16:22.34
...everyone needs compassion,
everyone needs a Savior.
00:16:26.45\00:16:34.66
Love the friendless through us.
00:16:38.89\00:16:44.53
Lord, we pray for our children.
00:16:49.00\00:16:51.07
Please empower them
to stand boldly for You
00:16:53.88\00:16:56.58
when they encounter
obstacles and pressure.
00:16:56.68\00:17:00.15
Help them to make wise choices
and, God, to stand for truth,
00:17:00.18\00:17:05.52
no matter the cost.
00:17:07.02\00:17:08.72
Teach us to follow
Christ's selfless example
00:17:14.90\00:17:17.93
by meeting the daily
needs of people close to us.
00:17:17.97\00:17:22.40
Lord, we know we
come in contact with them.
00:17:24.77\00:17:27.28
Instead of skirting them,
instead of trying to avoid them,
00:17:28.44\00:17:36.05
God, may we confront
them and show them Your love.
00:17:36.08\00:17:40.36
Oh God, fill us with
compassion for the friendless.
00:17:42.09\00:17:45.26
for the
homeless, for the hopeless.
00:17:45.29\00:17:47.66
Teach us to follow
Your selfless example,
00:17:55.44\00:17:59.71
equipping us to serve
as medical missionaries,
00:18:01.78\00:18:05.65
community volunteers, and
simply a friend to the needy.
00:18:05.68\00:18:13.02
Lord, may a mighty
revival of primitive godliness
00:18:20.53\00:18:24.37
sweep Your church
in the final days.
00:18:25.30\00:18:28.04
May we stand for truth
though the heavens fall.
00:18:29.77\00:18:33.31
Lord, show us how
to share the gospel
00:18:36.91\00:18:39.41
with Muslim people groups.
00:18:41.05\00:18:43.28
We pray that they hear and
respond to Your offer of grace.
00:18:44.72\00:18:49.02
God, give us wisdom.
00:18:50.59\00:18:52.39
Lord, we pray for the seeds
of truth that were sown in Japan
00:18:58.03\00:19:03.64
during last year's Total
Member Involvement outreach.
00:19:03.74\00:19:07.34
Please send laborers to
work and pray for Japan.
00:19:08.48\00:19:12.95
God, we know right here
in our country in America,
00:19:17.95\00:19:21.99
we're going through a
time of political unrest and
00:19:23.63\00:19:29.63
government shutdown, partially.
00:19:30.07\00:19:33.03
Father, we know that
we need to hear from You.
00:19:35.77\00:19:43.35
We know that our
leaders need wisdom.
00:19:45.25\00:19:47.52
Dear God, for those
families who are affected
00:19:53.15\00:19:58.36
by the shutdown, Lord,
I pray in Jesus' name that
00:19:59.29\00:20:02.70
You'll simply have
Your will and Your way, God.
00:20:05.53\00:20:08.30
God, when tragedy
comes close to our home,
00:20:13.64\00:20:17.21
Lord, may we cry out
to You to be our Savior,
00:20:23.08\00:20:29.06
to be our
Supplier, to be our peace.
00:20:29.09\00:20:32.16
Thank You, God, that
You do care for Your people
00:20:42.00\00:20:47.11
all around the world.
00:20:47.14\00:20:48.84
You do care for the
homeless, for the refugee,
00:20:51.08\00:20:59.05
Fill us with
compassion to do the same.
00:21:05.83\00:21:08.30
So Father, we thank You.
00:21:15.70\00:21:17.54
Thank You for Your
promise in Philippians 1:6,
00:21:19.61\00:21:23.18
"He who has begun a good
work in you will complete it
00:21:24.38\00:21:27.25
until the day of Jesus Christ."
00:21:27.28\00:21:29.48
Thank you, Lord, that You
can fill us with joy and peace.
00:21:34.32\00:21:38.46
Thank You that You are
already working in the hearts
00:21:41.60\00:21:44.97
of the people that we've prayed
for over these past ten days.
00:21:45.00\00:21:50.37
Father, thank You
simply for hearing our prayer.
00:21:55.81\00:21:58.71
And thank You
just for setting up
00:21:59.81\00:22:03.39
this opportunity
of communing with You,
00:22:05.29\00:22:09.69
of conversing with You.
00:22:11.13\00:22:13.03
We want to just take a
moment to hear from You.
00:22:14.76\00:22:18.13
So speak to Your children.
00:22:18.17\00:22:20.40
Speak to those
that are watching.
00:22:20.90\00:22:22.87
Blessed
assurance, Jesus is mine;
00:23:31.17\00:23:39.51
O what a
foretaste of glory divine.
00:23:39.81\00:23:48.02
Heir of
salvation, purchase of God;
00:23:48.32\00:23:56.13
Born of His Spirit,
washed in His blood.
00:23:56.23\00:24:04.67
This is my
story, this is my song;
00:24:04.87\00:24:13.11
Praising my
Savior all the day long.
00:24:13.15\00:24:21.46
This is my
story, this is my song;
00:24:21.49\00:24:29.96
Praising my
Savior all the day long.
00:24:30.07\00:24:39.71
Perfect
submission, all is at rest;
00:24:40.38\00:24:48.52
I, in my Savior,
am happy and blessed.
00:24:48.55\00:24:56.32
Watching and
waiting, looking above;
00:24:56.36\00:25:03.93
Filled with His
goodness, lost in His love.
00:25:03.97\00:25:12.57
This is my
story, this is my song;
00:25:12.61\00:25:21.18
Praising my
Savior all the day long.
00:25:21.22\00:25:30.03
This is my
story, this is my song;
00:25:30.06\00:25:39.37
Praising my
Savior all the day long.
00:25:39.57\00:25:46.34
Sing that with me again.
00:25:46.37\00:25:47.91
This is my
story, this is my song;
00:25:48.54\00:25:57.39
Praising my
Savior all the day long.
00:25:57.42\00:26:05.29
This is my
story, this is my song;
00:26:05.33\00:26:14.14
Praising my
Savior all the day long.
00:26:14.17\00:26:23.58
I'm praising my Savior
00:26:30.99\00:26:37.09
all the day long.
00:26:37.39\00:26:43.83
And remember, when you
are praising your Savior
00:26:43.93\00:26:46.37
all the day long,
you don't have time to
00:26:46.40\00:26:49.80
hold on to the...
00:26:49.84\00:26:51.51
...the regrets of the
past, the bitterness that
00:26:52.61\00:26:58.25
you may feel towards
someone for something
00:26:58.85\00:27:01.55
they did to you in the past.
00:27:01.58\00:27:03.62
Because when you
praise Him, I like to see
00:27:05.39\00:27:07.82
myself as praising
Him with open hands,
00:27:08.96\00:27:12.79
with hands lifted up to heaven.
00:27:12.83\00:27:14.50
And I can't hold
onto anything that way.
00:27:14.96\00:27:17.37
Because it just
slides right off.
00:27:18.40\00:27:20.40
So keep that mindset of
praising Him all the day long.
00:27:22.27\00:27:30.61
If you've been
wronged by your brother,
00:27:32.18\00:27:34.22
go to him, go to her.
00:27:34.68\00:27:37.29
If you've wronged someone,
go to them and make it right...
00:27:37.32\00:27:42.29
...so that you
can get rid of that
00:27:44.39\00:27:46.19
and move on with
your walk in Christ.
00:27:46.49\00:27:50.17
Praising the
Savior all the day long.
00:27:50.50\00:27:52.53
Psalm 27:10 says,
"When my father and my mother
00:27:53.44\00:27:56.77
forsake me, then the
Lord will take care of me."
00:27:56.81\00:28:01.34
He wants to be a Father
and a mother to the orphan.
00:28:02.84\00:28:07.38
And Romans 8:31 says, "What then
shall we say to these things?
00:28:09.08\00:28:14.56
If God be for us,
who can be against us?"
00:28:14.92\00:28:19.43
That's a
wonderful promise, right?
00:28:19.53\00:28:21.43
"If God be for us,
who can be against us?"
00:28:21.80\00:28:25.60
That's going to be on my lips
00:28:28.37\00:28:30.07
throughout the
rest of this evening.
00:28:31.54\00:28:33.27
I invite you to tune
in tomorrow as we offer up
00:28:36.28\00:28:39.21
praise to God for
hearing our prayers
00:28:39.25\00:28:42.25
and for the mighty
answers He has given us
00:28:42.58\00:28:44.65
and will continue to
give us in His own time.
00:28:44.69\00:28:47.59
So yes, there is a day eleven
in the ten days of prayer.
00:28:47.62\00:28:51.99
But in that program, we'll
be singing and sharing promises
00:28:53.76\00:28:58.87
from God's Word, and we'd love
for you to join us, join me.
00:28:58.90\00:29:04.11
I'll also be sharing a challenge
from the ten days of prayer:
00:29:04.97\00:29:08.71
ways that you can share your
faith now that these ten days
00:29:09.64\00:29:13.28
are finished.
00:29:14.88\00:29:16.35
I continue to
encourage you to pray on,
00:29:17.12\00:29:21.82
to tell someone about Jesus.
00:29:24.56\00:29:26.59
Tell someone that you love them.
00:29:26.63\00:29:28.43