Chapter 11: The Privilege of Prayer. 00:00:33.18\00:00:36.56 Hello and Welcome to Steps to Christ in song. 00:00:38.16\00:00:40.20 Today, we're gonna be looking at the privilege 00:00:40.23\00:00:42.12 of prayer. Let me tell you a little personal secret 00:00:42.15\00:00:45.30 I used to be afraid to pray, I grew up in the 00:00:45.33\00:00:48.94 Anglican Church and there was a Reverend Blackstock. 00:00:48.97\00:00:52.38 They used to wear these big robes and he would 00:00:52.41\00:00:55.27 pray in a very formal way to God and so I thought 00:00:55.30\00:00:59.03 if I can't pray to God that way then he is probably 00:00:59.06\00:01:02.04 not interested in my prayers and there were 00:01:02.07\00:01:04.04 other people in the church, adults, 00:01:04.07\00:01:05.52 who would pray like that and so that's where 00:01:05.55\00:01:07.68 I formed this idea. So, as I came to different 00:01:07.71\00:01:13.89 situations, where I would have to pray always 00:01:13.92\00:01:15.47 be terrified. And so there was a situation 00:01:15.50\00:01:18.15 where I was asked to pray in public and I was so 00:01:18.18\00:01:22.03 terrified I refused and afterwards the person 00:01:22.06\00:01:25.25 who ask me to pray came to me and said 00:01:25.28\00:01:26.93 why are you so afraid to pray in public 00:01:26.96\00:01:29.61 and I told him that I was afraid not to use the 00:01:30.11\00:01:33.30 right language and that I couldn't pray like that. 00:01:33.33\00:01:35.51 And so he said to me something that I 00:01:35.54\00:01:37.68 would never forget, he said prayer is the opening 00:01:37.71\00:01:41.00 of the heart to God as to a friend and when I heard 00:01:41.03\00:01:44.23 that it made me feel warm and comfortable inside 00:01:44.26\00:01:47.89 like I could talk to God about my worries, 00:01:47.92\00:01:50.66 my fears whether I was happy or sad 00:01:50.69\00:01:53.78 and he'd be very interested, and so today 00:01:53.81\00:01:56.95 we're gonna talk about prayer and before we get 00:01:56.98\00:01:59.97 too far into it, I'm gonna ask Jennifer 00:02:00.00\00:02:02.24 if she will lead us in a word of prayer. 00:02:02.27\00:02:04.92 Could you do that Jennifer? Sure. Let's pray. 00:02:04.95\00:02:07.69 Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for the 00:02:09.05\00:02:11.37 privilege we have to communicate with you. 00:02:11.40\00:02:13.20 I ask this in your Holy Spirit to mend our hearts 00:02:14.21\00:02:17.19 as we learn more about our need for you, 00:02:17.80\00:02:21.47 thank you in your name, amen. 00:02:22.13\00:02:23.82 Understanding what I do about God's love and power, 00:02:25.95\00:02:28.62 I sometimes wonder why we don't talk to him 00:02:29.18\00:02:31.38 more often about our problems. 00:02:31.41\00:02:32.97 I mean talking to God should be like talking to a 00:02:33.67\00:02:36.34 friend, the difference is that this friend has all 00:02:36.37\00:02:39.76 the answers to all our problems. 00:02:39.79\00:02:41.83 Jesus says in Matthew 7:9 through 11 what man 00:02:42.89\00:02:46.36 is there among you who, if the son asks for bread, 00:02:46.39\00:02:49.47 will give him a stone or if he asks for a fish, 00:02:49.50\00:02:52.76 will he give him a serpent. If you then being evil, 00:02:53.43\00:02:56.62 know how to give good gifts to your children 00:02:56.65\00:02:59.16 how much more will your Father who is in heaven 00:02:59.19\00:03:01.59 give good things to those who ask him. God is on your 00:03:01.62\00:03:05.36 side and he wants you to be happy, 00:03:05.39\00:03:07.13 so why not ask him to help you find that 00:03:07.69\00:03:09.82 true happiness which nothing can take away. 00:03:09.85\00:03:13.11 My Jesus Knows When I'm Lonely 00:03:16.75\00:03:20.55 He Knows Each Pain, He Sees Each Tear 00:03:20.58\00:03:26.39 He Understands Each Lonely Heartache 00:03:26.42\00:03:30.66 He Understands Because He Cares 00:03:30.69\00:03:35.68 My Jesus Knows Just What I Need 00:03:35.71\00:03:40.43 Oh, Yes He Knows Just What I Need 00:03:40.46\00:03:45.02 He Satisfies And Every Need's Supplied 00:03:45.05\00:03:49.85 Yes, He Knows Just What I Need 00:03:49.88\00:03:54.65 When Other Friend Seem To Forget Me 00:03:54.68\00:03:59.23 When Skies Are Dark Can Hope Scenes Gone 00:03:59.26\00:04:04.12 By Faith I Feel He Surrounds Around Me 00:04:04.15\00:04:08.68 And Hear Him Say You're Not Alone 00:04:08.71\00:04:13.48 My Jesus Knows Just What I Need 00:04:13.51\00:04:18.26 Oh, Yes He Knows Just What I Need 00:04:18.29\00:04:22.99 He Satisfies And Every Need's Supplied 00:04:23.02\00:04:27.80 Yes, He Knows Just What I Need 00:04:27.83\00:04:32.67 Yes, He Knows Just What I Need. 00:04:32.70\00:04:40.45 In James 4:2, it says we have not because we ask not. 00:04:43.27\00:04:46.42 And even though Jesus knows what we need 00:04:47.13\00:04:48.96 before we ask him, he still wants us to ask. 00:04:48.99\00:04:51.40 Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to come boldly 00:04:52.76\00:04:55.32 before the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy 00:04:55.35\00:04:58.16 and find help in time of need. But Rebecca what about 00:04:58.19\00:05:01.33 little children, does that apply to little children. 00:05:01.36\00:05:03.75 I think it does, when I was little me and my sister 00:05:03.78\00:05:06.83 really wanted a playhouse and so we prayed 00:05:06.86\00:05:09.52 and asked God to give us a playhouse, 00:05:09.55\00:05:11.34 but not just any playhouse. We wanted a playhouse 00:05:11.37\00:05:14.04 that had a deck, two windows and a door with 00:05:14.07\00:05:17.12 the handles, so we could open it and like 00:05:17.15\00:05:18.47 walk-in it. Specific details, yes, okay. 00:05:18.50\00:05:20.67 And so we prayed every night and asked God 00:05:20.70\00:05:22.81 and mom and dad, they prayed too but they're 00:05:22.84\00:05:25.18 kind of little bit skeptical because we had a lot, 00:05:25.21\00:05:27.62 we wanted specifics and, but we trusted that 00:05:27.65\00:05:30.20 God would, you know, listen and answer our prayer 00:05:30.23\00:05:32.39 and so we prayed and prayed and. 00:05:32.42\00:05:34.52 One night my mom and dad were looking through 00:05:34.55\00:05:36.32 the newspaper and they saw an ad for a playhouse 00:05:36.35\00:05:38.93 and we read about it, but we weren't quite sure 00:05:38.96\00:05:41.63 if there was and so we want to go and look at it. 00:05:41.66\00:05:43.48 And we went and my sister and I saw it, 00:05:43.51\00:05:46.24 we were so excited because it had exactly 00:05:46.27\00:05:48.88 what we prayed for. Wow, it is a little playhouse 00:05:48.91\00:05:51.56 and had a deck, had two windows, 00:05:51.59\00:05:53.30 the windows opened, had a door with the handle 00:05:53.33\00:05:56.15 and then when you walked in there is a rainbow 00:05:56.18\00:05:58.21 inside and then up on the roof there is blue sky with 00:05:59.07\00:06:03.40 clouds and it was like absolutely amazing 00:06:03.43\00:06:05.84 and I don't know it was just a real blessing 00:06:05.87\00:06:09.12 because you know even though we were so little 00:06:09.15\00:06:11.21 we had that faith, yeah, and you know faith is the 00:06:11.24\00:06:16.81 key in the hand of, prayer is the key in the hand of 00:06:16.84\00:06:19.80 faith to open heaven's door house. And we had that 00:06:19.83\00:06:23.15 and God answered our prayer and 00:06:23.18\00:06:24.67 I just think that's what we need. 00:06:24.70\00:06:26.30 That's a good promise, prayer is a key in the 00:06:26.33\00:06:29.26 hand of faith to unlock heaven's door house. 00:06:29.29\00:06:32.25 That's true and I've experienced the same type 00:06:32.28\00:06:34.31 of thing. I've prayed for people in different 00:06:34.34\00:06:36.58 situations I remember one time with the elder 00:06:36.61\00:06:38.82 of our church, we went and prayed for a little baby, 00:06:38.85\00:06:42.09 who had had a number of operations on her. 00:06:42.12\00:06:44.50 She was, she had so many operations that she was 00:06:44.53\00:06:47.34 afraid of anyone wearing a white coat 00:06:47.37\00:06:49.42 because these doctors used to wear white you know 00:06:49.45\00:06:52.10 when they would come in and so we went to pray for her. 00:06:52.13\00:06:55.09 They, the doctors had given up and they said the next 00:06:55.12\00:06:57.46 day she would die and we just heard about this at 00:06:57.49\00:06:59.92 our church and so we went and prayed for her 00:06:59.95\00:07:01.85 and she was completely healed, 00:07:01.88\00:07:03.48 they didn't have to do anymore operations 00:07:03.51\00:07:05.03 and her parents came to us and they were just crying 00:07:05.06\00:07:07.79 and they said thank you praying for this little baby 00:07:07.82\00:07:10.87 and it wasn't us it was God who healed her 00:07:10.90\00:07:13.61 and just yesterday, I had an answered prayer. 00:07:13.64\00:07:16.85 I mean we had many answered prayer 00:07:16.88\00:07:18.37 that I could talk about, but this was yesterday 00:07:18.40\00:07:21.41 I was feeling this kind of an abdominal pain, 00:07:21.44\00:07:23.76 it was really a strange sort of pain, it was all 00:07:23.79\00:07:26.12 morning, it was going on for hours and then finally 00:07:26.15\00:07:28.76 I had to teach a class it was social studies nine 00:07:28.79\00:07:31.37 and before class I went to the cafeteria you were 00:07:31.40\00:07:36.22 there Rebecca and I looked for some charcoal 00:07:36.25\00:07:38.65 tablets to take away maybe or something I ate 00:07:38.68\00:07:41.30 or something inside, so I took these tablets 00:07:41.33\00:07:43.07 and about two or three minutes later 00:07:43.82\00:07:45.76 I was back in the class and I was in so much pain 00:07:45.79\00:07:48.15 I couldn't even kneel down to pray and before class 00:07:48.18\00:07:50.65 we always pray and I asked Benjamin to pray 00:07:50.68\00:07:53.23 and Benjamin prayed for the rest of the class 00:07:53.26\00:07:55.22 and then he prayed for me that I would be healed 00:07:55.25\00:07:57.35 and when I got up off my knees I was healed, 00:07:58.02\00:08:01.46 it was gone, it was completely gone. 00:08:01.49\00:08:03.49 Yesterday you know and it was an immediate 00:08:03.52\00:08:06.22 answer to prayer. Have any of you had lately an 00:08:06.25\00:08:11.45 answer to prayer to see how God was leading in 00:08:11.48\00:08:13.50 your life. Oh actually I have something I really 00:08:13.53\00:08:18.35 like to share do you don't mind I share it real quick? 00:08:18.38\00:08:20.03 Sure go ahead, Leighton. Well, okay being on the 00:08:20.06\00:08:23.57 Steps to Christ Filming Crew has been a big 00:08:23.60\00:08:26.55 blessing for me and just lately like 00:08:26.58\00:08:30.29 when we've been filming these Bible studies, 00:08:30.32\00:08:32.21 we had so many answers to prayer like the first day, 00:08:32.92\00:08:35.79 we were out here at the river, I remember that, 00:08:36.50\00:08:39.73 and yeah the wind was blowing and okay it would 00:08:39.76\00:08:43.94 not stop, we were just waiting for it to stop 00:08:43.97\00:08:46.89 and so we decided okay let's pray. 00:08:47.39\00:08:50.25 So we stopped and we prayed and like while 00:08:50.28\00:08:55.37 we were praying the wind stopped, 00:08:55.40\00:08:57.44 wow and I was like wow, you know, 00:08:57.47\00:08:59.76 and that was such an answer to prayer 00:08:59.79\00:09:02.09 and it was great, the second day we were filming, 00:09:02.12\00:09:07.04 we were going up to a lake and so we're driving in the 00:09:07.07\00:09:11.70 van and we're going up this hill and all of a sudden 00:09:11.73\00:09:15.48 the van just stutters to a stop. Yes, that's true, 00:09:15.51\00:09:18.62 I was driving that van, yeah, it wouldn't go, 00:09:18.65\00:09:20.76 it sputtered and then it just cut out completely. 00:09:20.79\00:09:24.67 Yeah and so one of the students that was with us, 00:09:24.70\00:09:29.20 he is like well we should pray, so we are like you 00:09:29.23\00:09:31.13 know that's a good idea. So we prayed and just like 00:09:31.16\00:09:36.25 as soon as we try starting the van again it fired 00:09:36.28\00:09:39.01 right up and just went like normal. 00:09:39.04\00:09:40.69 Yeah, it went straight up the hill, we went out 00:09:40.72\00:09:42.60 and we filmed and we came back, 00:09:42.63\00:09:43.98 there was no problem with the van after that, yeah. 00:09:44.01\00:09:46.05 And so, then the third day I was like wow we've had 00:09:46.08\00:09:50.42 so much answer to prayer and so we're out filming 00:09:50.45\00:09:54.05 actually here on campus and we're filming away 00:09:54.08\00:09:58.43 and everything was just fine and then we hear 00:09:58.46\00:10:02.11 this engine that was all the way across the river 00:10:02.14\00:10:04.65 and it fired out and we're like oh you know yeah 00:10:04.68\00:10:08.43 it was some guy on his motorcycle just winding it 00:10:08.46\00:10:11.08 out and it wasn't that loud, but it is just like 00:10:11.11\00:10:15.10 you know just enough to disturb our filming 00:10:15.49\00:10:18.22 and so we again we prayed and the engine 00:10:18.25\00:10:23.78 it stopped after I don't know it was a few minutes, 00:10:23.81\00:10:26.50 about a couple of minutes and when we were ready 00:10:26.53\00:10:28.39 to film it stopped, it was just totally silent. 00:10:28.42\00:10:30.86 And it's just been such a blessing, it has been, 00:10:30.89\00:10:34.33 filming here on the Steps to Christ. 00:10:34.36\00:10:35.87 So, those are real answers to prayer, yeah, 00:10:35.90\00:10:38.71 and thanks for interrupting the program to tell us 00:10:38.74\00:10:41.04 about that answer to prayer, 00:10:41.07\00:10:42.30 yeah, thanks Leighton. 00:10:42.33\00:10:43.54 God like a wise parent doesn't always give us 00:10:45.92\00:10:48.67 everything we want. He knows what will make us 00:10:48.70\00:10:51.24 happy and what won't. Paul puts it in this way in 00:10:51.27\00:10:54.92 Romans 8:26, the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. 00:10:54.95\00:10:58.97 For we don't even know what we should pray for, 00:10:59.00\00:11:01.66 nor how we should pray, but the Holy Spirit prays 00:11:01.69\00:11:05.05 for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in 00:11:05.08\00:11:07.84 words. So go ahead and pray knowing that your prayer 00:11:07.87\00:11:13.33 will be answered in a way that will turn out even 00:11:13.36\00:11:15.64 better then you expected, but remember God's first 00:11:15.67\00:11:19.33 priority is to get you into heaven. 00:11:19.36\00:11:21.29 So if you're doing things that you know are wrong 00:11:21.96\00:11:24.06 he makes sure to help you with those things first. 00:11:24.62\00:11:26.74 Trust in God, because he is much wiser and more 00:11:27.88\00:11:30.81 experienced than you are and in the end you'll be 00:11:30.84\00:11:33.54 eternally grateful that you did. 00:11:33.57\00:11:35.30 When we have close friends, we like to communicate 00:11:38.11\00:11:40.47 with them often, in the same way God wants us to 00:11:40.50\00:11:44.23 communicate with him often. So you can talk to him 00:11:44.26\00:11:47.51 anytime, even when you're busy during the day. 00:11:47.54\00:11:50.48 You don't have to say anything because God 00:11:51.25\00:11:53.25 can read your mind. So simply lift up your 00:11:53.28\00:11:56.06 thoughts, concerns, and questions to him 00:11:56.09\00:11:58.33 and he'll understand exactly what you are thinking. 00:11:58.36\00:12:00.91 In this way God can be your constant companion 00:12:01.89\00:12:04.94 and you can have the assurance that he not 00:12:05.36\00:12:07.20 only knows what you're going through, 00:12:07.23\00:12:08.71 but he is with you through it all. 00:12:09.41\00:12:11.36 Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine; 00:12:13.72\00:12:20.42 Living with Jesus, a new life divine; 00:12:20.45\00:12:28.22 Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine, 00:12:28.25\00:12:36.12 Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine. 00:12:36.15\00:12:47.78 Moment by moment I'm kept in His love; 00:12:47.81\00:12:55.18 Moment by moment I've life from above; 00:12:55.21\00:13:03.34 Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine; 00:13:03.37\00:13:11.54 Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine. 00:13:11.57\00:13:23.45 Never a trial that He is not there, 00:13:23.48\00:13:31.96 Never a burden that He doth not bear, 00:13:31.99\00:13:40.23 Never a sorrow that He doth not share, 00:13:40.26\00:13:48.37 Moment by moment, I'm under His care. 00:13:48.40\00:14:00.19 Moment by moment I'm kept in His love; 00:14:00.22\00:14:07.73 Moment by moment I've life from above; 00:14:07.76\00:14:15.90 Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine; 00:14:15.93\00:14:24.36 Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine. 00:14:24.39\00:14:36.68 Never a weakness that He doth not feel, 00:14:37.40\00:14:44.64 Never a sickness that He cannot heal; 00:14:44.67\00:14:52.40 Moment by moment, in woe or in weal, 00:14:52.43\00:15:00.15 Jesus, my Savior, abides with me still. 00:15:00.18\00:15:11.73 Moment by moment I'm kept in His love; 00:15:11.76\00:15:18.99 Moment by moment I've life from above; 00:15:19.02\00:15:27.32 Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine; 00:15:27.35\00:15:35.54 Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine. 00:15:35.57\00:15:50.11 The fact that God knows what I'm going through, 00:15:52.76\00:15:55.06 makes me want to be in his presence more and more. 00:15:55.09\00:15:58.12 The Bible says in Isaiah 53 that Jesus bore our guilt 00:15:58.15\00:16:02.78 and carried our sorrows. He loves us so much 00:16:02.81\00:16:05.72 and he hates to see us in pain or suffering. 00:16:05.75\00:16:08.47 So if we keep our eyes on him and listen to 00:16:09.03\00:16:10.94 what he has to tell us he'll see us 00:16:10.97\00:16:12.97 through any storm that we encounter. 00:16:13.00\00:16:15.21 That's true Robby and there are times though 00:16:15.24\00:16:17.74 when God answers our prayers in very 00:16:17.77\00:16:20.40 unexpected ways. I know that Jennifer told me a 00:16:20.43\00:16:22.69 story about how she was planning for her future, 00:16:22.72\00:16:25.52 where she was gonna go to school and she 00:16:25.55\00:16:28.09 and her parents were praying diligently 00:16:28.12\00:16:30.81 and she got an answer to prayer that was in an 00:16:30.84\00:16:33.30 unexpected way. Jennifer, since you're here, 00:16:33.33\00:16:35.92 can you tell us that experience. 00:16:35.95\00:16:38.14 Sure, well, I was home schooled at that time 00:16:39.12\00:16:42.39 and I was in junior high and both my parents had to go 00:16:42.42\00:16:45.71 work. So, I was alone most of the time and I needed to 00:16:45.74\00:16:50.72 find an academy to go to, so I was the age for it 00:16:50.75\00:16:53.77 and I didn't know where yet, so we just prayed about it 00:16:53.80\00:16:57.69 nothing really came up, so I just stayed at home 00:16:57.72\00:17:00.20 and then one day, is this was Sunday and my mom came 00:17:00.23\00:17:09.01 in, I was on the computer. My mom comes in and 00:17:09.04\00:17:11.62 informed me that a man from our church had passed 00:17:11.65\00:17:13.90 away that morning, did you know that man? 00:17:13.93\00:17:15.83 Yeah, I know him pretty well yeah, 00:17:16.53\00:17:17.87 and I was shocked because I just seen him at the church 00:17:17.90\00:17:22.75 the day before and came closer at the time of 00:17:22.78\00:17:26.95 funeral and the day before I got asked to 00:17:26.98\00:17:29.40 play my violin. So I told my word and then after the 00:17:29.43\00:17:36.27 memorial and after the dinner. My mom needed to 00:17:36.30\00:17:39.92 go to the church to do something and so my dad 00:17:39.95\00:17:42.40 and I are waiting for her and while we were waiting 00:17:42.43\00:17:45.07 the daughter of the man that had died came up to me 00:17:45.10\00:17:47.85 and thanked me for playing my violin, and she said 00:17:47.88\00:17:51.20 that her daughter also plays violin and then she 00:17:51.23\00:17:55.09 asked me what grade I was in I told her junior high 00:17:55.12\00:17:57.26 and I was home schooled and so then just out of the blue she, 00:17:57.29\00:18:03.92 she started to tell me about a school that her 00:18:03.95\00:18:06.22 daughter is going to up in Montana and, 00:18:06.25\00:18:09.43 you were interested because you were looking 00:18:09.46\00:18:12.13 for a school to go to, yeah. So, I was in Washington, 00:18:12.16\00:18:18.20 so this was like two states away maybe 00:18:18.23\00:18:21.10 and just this couple ran the school and at the most 00:18:21.13\00:18:27.86 they take 10 students. So, when my parents 00:18:27.89\00:18:32.26 listened and they didn't think much of it 00:18:32.88\00:18:35.48 they just thought it is pretty neat, 00:18:35.51\00:18:36.54 but when we got home I told my dad that this school 00:18:36.57\00:18:40.41 would be kind of, I might be interested in going 00:18:40.44\00:18:43.66 to this school. He looked to me and he was, 00:18:43.69\00:18:46.05 he was like are you serious, I don't think you 00:18:46.48\00:18:48.93 would be because it's too far from home and yeah, 00:18:48.96\00:18:52.62 out in the middle of nowhere, and look why 00:18:52.65\00:18:54.32 can't, I'm not interested. So, we got on the phone 00:18:54.35\00:18:57.91 right away contacted the lady and she told us 00:18:57.94\00:19:01.63 more information and gave us the phone number, 00:19:01.66\00:19:03.54 so we contacted the school and they send some 00:19:03.57\00:19:06.53 information and the more I read about it, 00:19:06.56\00:19:09.07 the more I liked about it, and at the end of that 00:19:09.10\00:19:11.90 month this was in April, I, we drove up to check out 00:19:11.93\00:19:17.11 the school and when we got there and looked at it, 00:19:17.14\00:19:23.07 we're all very impressed with it and I wanted to go 00:19:23.10\00:19:26.18 there, but there is one problem and that was 00:19:26.21\00:19:29.82 they had a waiting line, wailing list, 00:19:29.85\00:19:31.95 but I wasn't the only one in line, there was 00:19:32.53\00:19:34.76 another girl that wanted to go there too. 00:19:34.79\00:19:36.59 And the day that I was gonna come back home the guy, 00:19:36.62\00:19:40.17 the school told us that he would have accepted me 00:19:41.48\00:19:44.42 right on the spot except the had to be fair with the 00:19:44.45\00:19:46.84 other girl they think about it at least for a few more 00:19:46.87\00:19:50.20 days, so they told me that they have let me know in 00:19:50.23\00:19:53.00 one week. So, exactly one week later, 00:19:53.85\00:19:56.40 this was Tuesday night, so just before 8:30 00:19:56.43\00:19:59.22 we got a phone call and my mom picked it up 00:19:59.68\00:20:01.61 and pretty soon I heard her say, oh thank you, 00:20:01.64\00:20:05.31 I'll tell her, I tell the whole world then 00:20:05.93\00:20:09.04 you're right, then I had been accepted. 00:20:09.07\00:20:12.35 That's an answer to prayer, but it was totally unexpected 00:20:12.38\00:20:14.85 the way you had expected. You didn't know this man 00:20:14.89\00:20:17.51 was going to die, you didn't know that you were going to 00:20:17.54\00:20:19.25 meet his daughter and all those other things that happened. 00:20:19.28\00:20:22.36 So God is interested in, and he answers our prayers, 00:20:22.40\00:20:25.76 not exactly the way we expected, but he still answers our 00:20:25.79\00:20:28.87 prayers. Thank you for that experience. 00:20:28.91\00:20:30.82 There is a very important part of prayer 00:20:33.34\00:20:35.37 that's often neglected. When we are in trouble, 00:20:35.41\00:20:38.11 we naturally cry out to God for help, 00:20:38.15\00:20:40.34 but how often do we praise God for his constant 00:20:40.37\00:20:42.43 faithfulness. Prayer is not just about asking 00:20:42.47\00:20:46.86 and receiving, it is just as important to acknowledge 00:20:46.89\00:20:50.06 God for all he has done for us. You see, the main 00:20:50.10\00:20:53.79 purpose of prayer is not to convince God to bless us. 00:20:53.88\00:20:57.09 He already loves us and wants to give us all good 00:20:57.12\00:21:00.20 things. Matthew 6:8 says, your Father knows 00:21:00.23\00:21:04.17 exactly what you need even before you ask him, 00:21:04.20\00:21:07.45 but the purpose of prayer is to make a change in us. 00:21:07.48\00:21:10.92 Prayer helps us recognize how much God loves us 00:21:11.41\00:21:14.08 and does for us, even before you receive the 00:21:14.11\00:21:17.36 answer to your prayer you can thank God 00:21:17.39\00:21:20.24 because you know he is trustworthy and will do 00:21:20.27\00:21:23.30 what's best. So, why not thank God right now as this 00:21:23.33\00:21:27.11 psalmist says for his goodness and for his 00:21:27.14\00:21:29.81 wonderful works to the children of men. 00:21:29.84\00:21:32.24 Thy loving kindness Is better than life 00:22:01.77\00:22:22.24 My lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee 00:22:22.27\00:22:33.38 I will bless thee as long as I live 00:22:34.27\00:22:44.71 O I will bless thee as long as I live, 00:22:44.74\00:23:05.74 My lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee 00:23:05.77\00:23:16.89 I will bless thee as long as I live. 00:23:16.92\00:23:29.08 My heart shall make me and I shall be, 00:23:31.19\00:23:40.45 give me understanding that I may obey, 00:23:40.48\00:23:50.67 O, Lord the man blesses because I love thee. 00:23:50.70\00:24:02.09 I will bless thee as long as I live. 00:24:02.12\00:24:13.28 You know we can praise God for his loving 00:24:44.76\00:24:46.41 kindness towards us even at times 00:24:46.44\00:24:48.48 when the road of life that we were traveling 00:24:48.51\00:24:49.95 along seems to take some strange twists and turns. 00:24:49.98\00:24:52.71 I know that Amy's parents had an experience 00:24:53.42\00:24:56.16 when the road that they were, 00:24:56.19\00:24:57.55 literal road they were traveling on didn't seem 00:24:57.58\00:25:00.26 to be exactly straight. Amy, do you wanna tell 00:25:00.29\00:25:03.88 us about that experience? Sure, back in May of 1990 00:25:03.91\00:25:07.90 my parents were going on a road trip to Yellowstone 00:25:07.93\00:25:09.89 National Park and they were from Alberta, CA 00:25:09.92\00:25:13.15 and they went down there in a little town called 00:25:13.18\00:25:16.81 Old Montana. They stopped for gas and when they 00:25:16.84\00:25:20.82 stopped for some gas, I was chatting away with the gas 00:25:20.85\00:25:23.26 attendant and they got the gas and they went on down 00:25:23.29\00:25:25.68 the road, we went to the next town about 175 miles down the 00:25:25.71\00:25:29.91 road and they needed to get more gas and my dad went to pay for 00:25:29.94\00:25:32.86 with the credit card which they needed on the road for 00:25:32.89\00:25:35.10 any little emergency expenses and the gas 00:25:35.13\00:25:37.67 and stuff. And he realized he didn't have his credit 00:25:37.70\00:25:40.39 card anymore. So, he had left it at the other gas 00:25:40.42\00:25:43.38 station 175 miles away, so he's got to go back 00:25:43.41\00:25:45.62 and get his credit card. So they paid with what cash 00:25:45.65\00:25:49.11 they had and then they pulled away from, 00:25:49.14\00:25:50.51 mom is there discussing whether we should go back 00:25:50.54\00:25:52.27 or not, well they prayed about it. 00:25:52.30\00:25:54.75 Mom just kept being impressed, we need to go back, 00:25:54.78\00:25:56.84 we need to go back and so they finally decided to turn 00:25:56.87\00:26:00.30 around and go back to 175 miles and, 00:26:00.33\00:26:02.17 so we went back and like this was late in the 00:26:03.02\00:26:05.78 evening and by the time they got back there is like 00:26:05.81\00:26:07.69 9 in the evening. In small town stores usually close 00:26:07.72\00:26:10.07 around 6 or 7 right and he was still open, 00:26:10.10\00:26:12.82 he was planning on closing two hours before, 00:26:12.85\00:26:15.47 but he got so busy that he just stayed open until 9, 00:26:15.88\00:26:19.22 like when they got back. Praise the Lord, 00:26:19.25\00:26:21.19 that's an answer to prayer. And he 00:26:21.22\00:26:24.29 also been thinking about destroying the card 00:26:24.32\00:26:25.96 and calling the bank and stuff and he decided 00:26:25.99\00:26:28.86 to wait just a few more minutes and my parents 00:26:28.89\00:26:30.84 came along and they were able to get their credit card 00:26:30.87\00:26:32.80 back and actually it was a real blessing 00:26:32.83\00:26:35.05 because a few days later they're in another town 00:26:35.08\00:26:37.39 and the car broke down and like if they hadn't had 00:26:37.42\00:26:40.68 the credit card they would not have been able to 00:26:40.71\00:26:43.27 afford the repairs and get back safely 00:26:43.82\00:26:46.22 and everything. Wow, that seems like a kind of 00:26:46.25\00:26:48.59 not the straight way to go they had to go 00:26:49.48\00:26:51.92 and then they had to go back to get the credit card 00:26:51.95\00:26:53.55 that it was a good thing that God had answered 00:26:53.58\00:26:55.60 their prayer in that situation, thanks Amy 00:26:55.63\00:26:58.24 for that experience. You know we used to have 00:26:58.27\00:27:01.89 this little plant in our kitchen window 00:27:01.92\00:27:04.55 and every morning when I'd wake up it look like 00:27:05.14\00:27:07.57 it was kind of leaning outside towards the window 00:27:07.60\00:27:09.88 and so I would move it around because it look kind 00:27:09.91\00:27:12.68 of awkward and throughout the day it would 00:27:12.71\00:27:15.73 stand up straight, but the next morning guess 00:27:15.76\00:27:18.39 what it was leaning towards the window again. 00:27:18.42\00:27:20.71 Why was it doing that? Because the light that 00:27:20.74\00:27:23.83 was streaming in through the window from the 00:27:23.86\00:27:25.59 sun was attracting this plant and like all good 00:27:25.62\00:27:29.88 little plants it was leaning towards the window 00:27:29.91\00:27:31.99 and to the light, that little plant reminds me 00:27:32.02\00:27:35.74 of Jesus. In Mark chapter 1 verse 35 it tells us 00:27:35.77\00:27:39.85 that very early in the morning while it was still 00:27:40.41\00:27:42.73 dark Jesus would get up and go to a solitary place 00:27:42.76\00:27:46.52 and there he would pray. Now if Jesus the creator 00:27:46.55\00:27:50.78 of you and I needed to pray what about you 00:27:50.81\00:27:53.70 and I as weak sinful mortals. We also need to pray. 00:27:53.73\00:27:58.07 Let's take sometime right now to pray. 00:27:58.91\00:28:01.31 Heavenly Father, we thank you for the privilege 00:28:02.21\00:28:04.47 of prayer and we pray that you will convict our 00:28:04.50\00:28:07.02 hearts of our great need to be drawn to you 00:28:07.05\00:28:10.05 anytime or anywhere to be in the place of prayer, 00:28:10.08\00:28:13.26 in Jesus name we pray, amen. 00:28:13.29\00:28:16.45 Steps to Christ in Song is a 13 part series. 00:28:21.73\00:28:24.81 Designed to be an easy Non threatening way to 00:28:24.84\00:28:27.87 share the good news about Jesus Christ with friends, 00:28:27.90\00:28:31.06 relatives and co-workers. 00:28:31.10\00:28:32.67 Order your copies now by calling 00:28:32.70\00:28:34.96 1-877-490-4141 or visit us 00:28:34.99\00:28:40.42 online at www.fountainviewproductions.com. 00:28:40.45\00:28:45.25 Steps to Christ in Song is also available at your local 00:28:45.28\00:28:49.61 ABC Christian Book Store. 00:28:49.64\00:28:51.49