Participants: Karen Pierson & Pierre Quinn (Host)
Series Code: SOR
Program Code: SOR000012A
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00:22 Hello, I'm Karen Pearson
00:24 and I'm here again today with my co-host Pierre Quinn. 00:27 Hello, Pierre. Hey, Karen. 00:28 How are you? Good. 00:30 We're here to bring you another episode of 00:32 "Stones of Remembrance," 00:33 the program where we visit 00:35 with one of your favorite authors 00:36 and look at some of the experiences in their life 00:39 that helped to shape them 00:40 and the message found in their books. 00:43 So often in life, Pierre, as you know, 00:46 when we go through life's deep waters, 00:48 just as Joshua did, 00:50 we can meet up with some unexpected blessings 00:52 along the way that can turn the whole direction 00:56 and determine the future of our lives. 00:58 But before I introduce you to today's guest, 01:00 I'd like to share something with you from the word. 01:04 It is found in Isaiah 65:24 and it reads this way, 01:09 "It shall come to pass, that before they call, 01:12 I will answer, 01:14 and while they are still speaking, 01:16 I will hear." 01:19 I just love this passage so much 01:21 and I know that our guest does too, 01:23 because she's written a wonderful book 01:25 about the topic of prayer, "Passionate Prayer." 01:28 Brenda Walsh, welcome to our program. 01:31 Thank you, Karen. 01:32 Thank you, Pierre, for having me. 01:33 It's a privilege to be here. 01:35 We're so-- we're so excited to have you here. 01:37 We really are. Thank you. 01:38 Oh, thank you so much. 01:39 Brenda, you hardly need an introduction 01:43 to the 3ABN family. 01:45 Your face is recognized and known. 01:47 You are loved around the world 01:49 from the very young to the very old. 01:52 People whom you will never meet who have been blessed 01:55 and whose lives have been changed... 01:57 by your faithfulness 01:59 and your obedience to God's call on your life. 02:02 So, we would just like to say thank you. 02:04 Thank you for being obedient. 02:06 It's, I think it's me that thanks God 02:08 for the privilege to serve Him. 02:09 There is no greater joy than serving Jesus 02:11 and it's not something I just say, I truly mean it. 02:14 Yes, yes. "Passionate Prayer." 02:18 Tell us how did you come to write that book? 02:22 Well, the reason that um... 02:24 uh, I wrote that book actually was... 02:27 I speak somewhere in... 02:29 almost every weekend and, and places where I'd speak 02:32 I'd be sharing the experiences and the witnessing experiences 02:35 and then answered the prayer experiences that God has, 02:38 had been giving me everywhere I was going. 02:41 And so I would speak about them and share these experiences 02:44 and people as I was shaking their hands, 02:45 going out the door, 02:47 "these stories need to be in a book, 02:48 these stories need to be in a book." 02:49 And, and so, I'll um... about... 02:53 uh, I don't know, know how many times 02:54 after that one time but someone shook my hand and said 02:57 "No, I mean it." You know, they are... and I... 02:59 "These stories need a book." 03:01 And I got home that night and been having my worship 03:03 and I was like, "Lord, are you trying to tell me something?" 03:06 And I said, "If you want these stories in a book, 03:08 Lord, you know, um... 03:10 I'm willing and I'm obedient and I'll be joyful 03:13 about whatever it is you want me to do 03:15 but I need to know it's Your Will." 03:16 And then I prayed, and I believe that you know, 03:18 the story of Gideon is in the Bible for a reason. 03:21 And uh, and I said, "Lord..." 03:23 you know, if I didn't have no time on my schedule. 03:26 I said, "So, Lord, if these stories, I supposed, 03:28 if you want me to write this stories..." 03:30 Um, because God does like us to share stories, 03:33 because they are faith building to others. 03:35 And I said, "Then Lord, I need to open up my calendar 03:38 because I have no time." 03:40 And the very next day, I'm looking at... 03:43 I get a call from, from Hawaii, 03:46 asking me to do an evangelistic series on, 03:49 you know um, there and they had actually asked. 03:52 I was already booked to do it but they had given me a call 03:54 of very next day just to go over some of those things 03:56 that I'd been talking about and, and then I realized. 03:59 I said, "So, do I have anything during the day?" 04:01 And they said, "Oh, no, you'll just be speaking 04:03 each night, 7 o' clock." 04:04 And I was like, "Okay, I'm gonna have every single day 04:07 for three weeks, um, open." 04:09 And you know, Karen and Pierre, that's what I did. 04:12 I was like, "Okay, Lord, You just opened 04:14 three of my weeks right there." 04:15 You had no idea. 04:16 So I flew to Hawaii 04:18 and here I have a beautiful place. 04:19 I'm right on there. 04:21 I wish I could have really walked out everyday. 04:22 And my feet never hit the sand 04:24 the whole time of the three weeks. 04:25 I stayed in my little room and with my laptop 04:29 and I would just literally just sit up in bed 04:30 and I wrote all day long. 04:32 Page after page, 04:34 and many of those stories I cried my way through. 04:35 I mean, there are some stories in the book that are just, 04:39 you know, just I literally, you can know when I am writing, 04:42 I'm literally crying my way through those stories, 04:44 some of them. 04:46 And, um... and then at 5 o' clock, I'm like, 04:47 I'm a high maintenance woman, 04:49 I have a two-hour-get-ready process. 04:50 So, at 5 o' clock, I'd quit everyday to go get ready 04:53 and be at the church at seven to speak and then um... 04:56 uh, then the next day hit it all day. 04:59 So for three weeks, I wrote that book, um, 05:02 "Passionate Prayer." Wow. 05:03 And that all I did all day long. 05:05 Never once even did my feet hit the sand, near the ocean. 05:09 I'm probably the only person that goes to Hawaii 05:11 and doesn't pack a bathing suit. 05:14 I was working. 05:15 Well, you called the book, "Passionate Prayer," 05:18 instead of just labeling in a book on prayer. 05:21 What, why is that, that term there "passion," 05:24 so important and how should it impact our prayer lives? 05:28 Pierre, I'm so glad you asked that because I think there is, 05:31 you're not the only one that would ask that question. 05:33 There's many people confused that what, 05:35 like what is the difference between 05:36 prayer and passionate prayer. 05:38 And the difference is um... 05:40 many people when they pray, 05:42 they just go through the motions of prayer. 05:44 They just hit all their highlights, 05:46 they'd hit every single day, 05:47 telling God the same thing day in, day out. 05:50 And they forget that they are like in the throne room, 05:55 with the King of the universe. 05:57 They forget that we really have the incredible privilege 06:00 of speaking directly one-on-one to our Lord and Savior. 06:04 And so, they are just going through the motions of prayer, 06:06 saying the things there and even during prayer, 06:08 sometimes their mind just start wandering. 06:10 They'll start thinking about the laundry, 06:12 they'll start thinking what they gotta do 06:13 at the office that next day 06:15 or what's going on in their job. 06:16 "Oh, oh, wait a minute. I'm back. 06:18 Oh, oh I'm praying." 06:19 You know, and then back to their prayer. 06:21 They forget that passionate prayer 06:25 is really sharing our heart with God, 06:28 telling him one-on-one 06:30 what we are feeling, what are our thoughts. 06:32 And also, you know, 06:33 sometimes I love to come to God just to praise Him. 06:36 I'd say, "Lord, You are the most awesome God. 06:38 I don't want to ask You for anything. 06:40 I just really want to spend this time in Your presence, 06:43 Lord, to tell you what an awesome God You are 06:46 and how much I love You 06:47 and Lord, I am so unworthy to be Your child and yet, 06:50 You gave Your life for me, Lord. 06:52 I just want to tell you how much I love You. 06:54 You are worthy of my praise." 06:55 And just give Him, you know, that time to just... 06:58 it's like God loves to hear us 06:59 tell Him how much we love Him too, 07:01 not just to go and ask Him for things, 07:03 so if you want to know the difference 07:05 between prayer and passionate prayer, 07:08 that's the difference, 07:09 really sharing your heart with God. 07:12 Yeah. Amen. 07:13 Brenda, I love your subtitle that you chose, 07:15 "Expect Great Things." Yes. 07:18 Isn't that true, 07:19 that we can expect great things? 07:21 Can you think of a specific example 07:23 or specific story where you learnt 07:26 that you could expect great things from God? 07:29 Oh, I have a million of those kind of stories 07:31 because I grew up in Christ-centered home. 07:34 I'm a pastor's daughter 07:35 and my mom and dad raised five children, 07:37 we're all five of us in fulltime ministry today. 07:39 And we grew up knowing that in claiming Jeremiah 33:3, 07:44 "Call upon me and I will answer you 07:46 and show you great and mighty things 07:48 that you know not of." 07:49 And that subtitle was really coming off Jeremiah 33:3, uh, 07:53 because I think so many of us when we pray, we pray hoping, 07:56 hoping, hoping that our prayers are going to get answered 07:58 but we don't pray with faith, 08:00 we don't pray absolutely believing 08:02 that God will answer our prayers. 08:05 And so, um, I, I could tell you a million different ones, 08:10 we wouldn't have time in this, in this, you know, 08:12 half hour to able to be talk about that. 08:14 But if you wanted just to say that one prayer that I know 08:19 I prayed, you know, with the... 08:22 even the amount of faith I thought that um... 08:25 that I should have, is a story in the book called 08:28 "Unloaded Suitcase," or "The Loaded Suitcase." 08:32 I'm sorry, it's called, "The Loaded Suitcase," 08:34 and if you read that story, that is such a, that's, 08:39 that's such a powerful story in that book 08:40 because it represents to me, Pierre, um... 08:44 that how God will honor even the smallest amount of faith. 08:47 You know, how in the Bible, we are told that God will honor 08:49 even though his faith is small as a grain of a mustard seed. 08:52 That story is in the book for people that are still... 08:55 their faith is still growing. 08:57 And maybe they don't have 08:58 the kind of faith they should have, 09:00 but God honors even the smallest amount of faith. 09:03 And that story, "The Loaded Suitcase," 09:05 is the story you read, if you are lacking faith, 09:07 God honored even my small amount of faith 09:10 because I was praying with not very much faith at all 09:13 and yet God still honored my prayer. 09:15 That's an amazing story in the book. 09:17 Amen. Yes, it is. 09:18 In fact you traveled around the world... Yes. 09:20 Were you always happy to go when God first told you 09:24 this is part of your mission to go and travel? 09:27 Were you just excited that first time around? 09:29 Do you know, I believe and claim Matthew 7:21-23. 09:33 In fact, I think it's probably, if I had to choose um... 09:37 a scripture in the Bible 09:39 that has an impact in my life the most, it's that. 09:42 Mathew 7:21-22. I preach it everywhere I go. 09:45 I tell people to underline it in their Bibles 09:47 because in it, here God is telling us in that text, 09:51 that unless we are doing the will of our Father, 09:53 it is for nothing. 09:54 He will say He never knew us. 09:56 I'm paraphrasing that you know, 09:58 unless we are doing what God wants us to do, 10:00 He says we can be all baptizing in His name, 10:01 doing many wonderful works but unless He tells us to do it 10:04 He'll say He never knew us. 10:07 That means, guess what? We're not going to heaven. 10:10 If God says, He never knew, well, never knows us, 10:12 we're not going. 10:14 And so, that tells me 10:15 the importance of doing what's God's will. 10:16 So, that tells me, first of all, 10:19 we have to be willing to do what God wants us to do. 10:20 He's not gonna makes us. 10:22 And then we have to be obedient, Matthew 7:21-23. 10:26 And God, there's one more a component, 10:28 if you really want to serve Jesus. 10:29 It's not enough to be willing, not enough to be obedient 10:32 but we must be joyful and... 10:34 Oh, I like that. 10:36 And because God doesn't want an attitude of, 10:38 "Oh, all right, Lord, I'll do it." 10:41 That's not an attitude God can use. 10:43 If someone says that to us 10:44 when we ask him to do something, 10:46 what do we gonna say? 10:47 Don't bother. You know, don't bother. 10:48 I'll do it myself. 10:50 Well, how do you think God feels? 10:51 So when you ask me, am I joyful? 10:53 And the truthful, honored answer is, "Not always." 10:56 I'm, I'm willing and I'm obedient. 10:59 I'm-- I can get those two 11:00 but I don't always have the joy God wants me to have. 11:03 And I pray for it, and I can say, 11:05 "Lord, you know, I'm not-- 11:09 I don't have the joy, I don't want to go. 11:11 Lord, I want to be in my own kitchen. 11:13 I want to be... pets around my own house. 11:15 I want to be able to, 11:16 you know, linger a little bit longer, 11:17 my worship time with You. 11:19 Lord, I just want a house hug a little." 11:21 And then, I'll hear God's voice speaking to me saying, 11:24 "Brenda, did you really mean it when you said 11:26 I can use you however I want to use you? 11:29 And I will have that voice so strong and I will say, 11:32 "Lord, forgive me. Lord, please give me the joy. 11:35 I'm willing and obedient. Please give me the joy." 11:37 And God will always give me the joy, 11:39 unless I'm going out there, joyfully to serve Jesus, 11:42 it is for nothing. 11:43 I won't get on that plane. 11:44 I'm not gonna get in that car, 11:46 unless I haven't already worked that out with God that says, 11:49 "Lord, give me that joy." 11:51 And He will always give me that joy. 11:52 But in my human, in my weak, are there, 11:54 do I have those moments when I, I'm like, travel so much. 11:57 I want a house hug. 11:59 And that's just the human side of me, 12:01 but God will give me that joy when I ask Him. 12:04 Amen. Right. 12:05 Brenda, what would you say 12:06 is the most important reason for us to pray? 12:11 Well, I think that's a really great question, Karen, 12:15 because the most important reason to pray 12:18 isn't to get things. 12:19 It's not to get all the answers to your prayers. 12:22 It's not to, you know, have every thing 12:24 turn out wonderful in your life. 12:26 The most important reason 12:27 is to have that one-on-one relationship with Jesus. 12:31 The most important reason for prayer is, 12:34 to have that communication, 12:36 because without it we're nothing. 12:38 Without that direct link with God, 12:41 we have, we couldn't accomplish any thing. 12:43 We'll be lost. 12:45 And so that's the most important, really. Right. 12:47 And like with, with any of our relationships that we have, 12:49 if there is no communication, 12:51 the relationship starts to break down. 12:54 If, and also how many um... 12:56 let's just say how many relationships, uh, 12:58 not just between husband and wife, 13:00 any relationship we have, 13:01 when we are receiving your best friend. 13:02 If you told each other the same thing every single day 13:05 the next time that phone ring, and you saw in your id, 13:08 "Oh, that's says, oh, Susie's calling me again Oh. 13:11 I know what she's going to say." 13:12 Are you going to be tempted not to take that call? 13:15 You know, pretty soon you are gonna 13:16 want to talk to her at all. 13:17 You know what she is going to say. 13:19 Right. You see? 13:20 God feel, He's got to feel the same way, 13:23 if we are coming to Him, 13:24 saying the same thing every single day. 13:26 You know, we're not really sharing our heart. 13:29 So it's really important. Okay, very good. 13:32 We're gonna take a break right now 13:34 and if you want to find out 13:36 about the story of "The Loaded Suitcase," 13:38 you are going to want to watch this 13:39 because we are gonna tell you how you can get Brenda's book 13:42 "Passionate Prayer". 13:43 Don't go away, we'll be right back. 13:45 Thank you so much. 13:48 Brenda Walsh has learnt by experience, 13:50 the power of "Passionate Prayer". 13:52 This book is filled with miracle stories 13:54 of God's intervention in her life 13:56 and in the lives of those for whom she has prayed. 13:59 These exciting stories will amaze and inspire you. 14:03 Brenda invites you to a prayer life 14:05 that goes beyond prayer as a duty or a habit 14:08 to something effective. 14:09 "Passionate Prayer," 14:11 that brings life changing results, 14:13 not only for yourself but for others. 14:15 She reveals the most important reason for prayer, 14:18 because we want to know Jesus better. 14:21 Prayer is not just words in a one way conversation, 14:24 it's a transforming relationship 14:26 with God and Savior. 14:28 To get your copy of "Passionate Prayer," 14:30 call 1800-765-6955. 14:35 Stop by your local Adventist Book Center 14:38 or order online at www.AdventistBookCenter.com 14:48 Welcome back, we are visiting today with Brenda Walsh, 14:51 a famous, familiar face 14:53 to our 3ABN audiences around the world. 14:57 Brenda, we talk about in this program 14:59 those middle of the river experiences, 15:01 those things that we go through in life, um... 15:04 where we can come away with a story, 15:07 some kind of a memorial, umm... 15:09 You know, the altar that Joshua 15:11 built in the middle of the river? 15:13 Yes. The water is covered over it? 15:15 Sometimes some of those personal stories are things 15:18 that we don't share um..whatever, 15:20 but they take us and they shape us 15:22 and the heart of their message 15:24 is found in our books as, as writers. 15:28 And I was wondering 15:30 what kind of a middle of the river experience 15:33 have you had, where you saw Jesus 15:37 perhaps in a way that you had never seen Him before? 15:41 Well, that's an easy one. 15:43 Karen, um... my first book, "Battered to Blessed." 15:47 I was a battered wife in my first marriage 15:49 and I told my story in this book. 15:51 In fact, "Passionate Prayer" is like the sequel. 15:53 If you read "Battered to Blessed," 15:54 and then you just like put those books together, 15:56 it'd be like, keep reading. 15:58 And so, it really is "Passionate Prayer" 16:00 is the sequel of "Battered to Blessed," 16:01 but, um, there is, there is a lot of people 16:05 that would ask me, you know, 16:06 like how did you get out of that, 16:08 that dangerous situation? 16:09 And of course, you gonna have to read the book 16:11 to find that out 'cause another book. 16:13 But it was an experience 16:15 when it was my last night in that situation, 16:18 and when I knew that I would die. 16:20 I knew that, you know, he had really, 16:22 my ex-husband had beat me up so badly that, 16:25 I mean, my teeth were buried in my bottom lip 16:27 and you know, these are no longer my teeth 16:29 and, and I was, um. 16:32 I was beat up so badly, holding my little baby, 16:34 you know, with, you know, she's covered in blood, 16:37 I'm covered in blood and, and I, 16:40 I can hear those footsteps coming and I, you know, 16:44 'cause he had left and now I know he's coming back 16:46 and I knew I probably had seconds to live. 16:47 I knew this time I would die. 16:50 And I remember praying and, and... 16:52 reciting, you know, um...why these, 16:57 these Bible texts come into your mind? 16:58 But they do when you put God's word in your heart, 17:02 He can bring those to your memory right when you need them 17:05 And the "Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." 17:07 And I remembered that just, I just kept saying that 17:09 over and over to me and then, 17:11 other text would come that would encouraged me. 17:13 And I remember sitting there and praying 17:15 and surrendering my heart to Lord knowing that 17:18 I probably only have a short time to live. 17:20 And praying and asking God to let my baby die with me 17:24 'cause I didn't want her to be left alone 17:26 in the world with this man. 17:28 And after praying and asking God, 17:30 I didn't even pray and asked Him to save me anymore, 17:33 just if He could let us go quickly and, and go together, 17:36 and hearing those footsteps and then I could hardly see 17:40 'cause my eyes were swollen shut. 17:42 I could just see through barely just the slits in my eyes. 17:45 And I'm looking up and I see this form 17:48 and I hear the voice of my sister, Linda. 17:53 And um, that's when I knew 17:55 how much Jesus loved me for sure. 17:58 What an amazing story! 18:01 Yeah, I think we all are. 18:03 So getting out, out of that situation, 18:07 nothing short of a miracle, right? 18:08 Oh, it's a miracle. 18:10 I know how much Jesus loves me. 18:11 I didn't deserve for Him to save me, 18:13 'cause I was there because of own mistakes, 18:16 my own foolish pride, you know, put me in that situation. 18:20 I took a path 18:21 and I chose a path God didn't choose for me. 18:23 I make that very clear. 18:24 It was my own foolish pride that got me in that situation 18:28 and yet, Jesus saved me. 18:31 Now you have that story. 18:34 There are some people who might say though, 18:36 miracles, uh, those things only really happen in the Bible, 18:40 but as we are reading "Passionate Prayer," 18:42 you are praying for miracles. 18:44 Can you share one of those experiences 18:46 where you are praying 18:47 and it's nothing short of a miracle that, 18:50 that the situation was able to turn around? 18:52 Oh, my goodness, I think it's every chapter. 18:55 Um... I think about um... 18:59 a little in every chapter in that book, it's just, 19:01 faith-building miracles that are today miracles. 19:03 And you are right, so many people don't believe 19:05 that God is a God of miracles. 19:07 Just in the Bible times, 19:08 but God is miracle-making God today. 19:10 Um...Marge's mission, you know, the Bookmark Ministry and, 19:15 and we know, it's my precious friend 19:17 and she's laying on her death bed, 19:19 dying and, you know I the, I'm pleading and praying. 19:24 God knows that I want to say goodbye to her. 19:26 And you know, I don't even know what hospital she's in. 19:29 I just I don't even know she's in the hospital. 19:31 I just knew that she had to be-- 19:33 God, the Holy Spirit was pressing me 19:34 and here for me to call and, 19:36 and be able to share with the nurse 19:40 and have her take 19:41 and let her have those last minute conversation with her, 19:43 that was a miracle. 19:45 That was an absolute miracle. 19:46 I think about the miracle um... you know, of just 19:50 the "Reluctant Missionary," you know. 19:53 Then you are gonna laugh lot now in that one too 19:55 but there's a miracle story that is in there. 19:57 I have the miracle stories of my friend Donna Kline, 20:01 and praying for her husband who, 20:03 you know, had a brain tumor. 20:05 "Sarah makes a wish." 20:07 You know, this was the girls that, um, uh, 20:09 I met through Make-A-Wish Foundation. 20:11 I mean, how incredible 20:13 that a little eight year old girl, 20:15 that, you know, is not expected to live, 20:17 has a brain tumor, 20:18 Make-A-Wish Foundation contacts her to say, 20:21 "Where would you like to um, you know, go? 20:24 What would, what would you like? 20:25 Anything in the world that they want, they can choose 20:28 and they are gonna make that wish come to happen. 20:30 And she says, "She didn't want to wish 20:31 unless she could come and be on Kids Time. 20:33 And that was her wish. 20:34 And look out how incredible miracle 20:37 that God worked in her life. 20:38 She's still alive today. 20:40 I mean, some people don't know that, 20:41 I'm glad to have an opportunity to tell. 20:43 I mean, you talk about miracles, 20:45 God created a miracle. 20:47 But if I wanted to share with you 20:48 one of the most heart touching miracles, 20:50 it's actually the last chapter of the book. 20:54 When the book had already been written, 20:56 this was an added chapter. 20:57 Jerry Thomas, he's at 3ABN, 21:00 I mean, he's at Pacific Press 21:01 and God worked an incredible miracle 21:04 in my grandson's life. 21:06 I was actually here, taping cooking shows 21:08 when I got the call that he was not gonna live, 21:10 my little grandson. 21:11 And I mean, I raced to Boston. 21:15 I'm there by his side. I can see his lifeless body. 21:18 And I don't want give it away, 21:20 but God worked an incredible miracle 21:23 to save his life. 21:25 And as I'm driving home, even that next weekend, 21:29 and the books, going to press, it's in a printing. 21:32 You know what that's like. Yes, I do. 21:34 It's got a print date and I'm calling Jerry and said, 21:36 "Jerry..." "We've got another chapter coming!" 21:38 "I've got to add one more chapter in this book" 21:40 "Brenda, no, it's ready to go." 21:41 And I'm like, "Jerry, you don't understand. 21:43 There, God did not just let this miracle happen 21:46 to keep it to myself. 21:48 The world has to know 21:50 what a miracle making God we serve today." 21:52 And I shared the story with him. 21:54 I think he was in tears. 21:55 And he said, "You are right. 21:56 This story's got to make the book. 21:58 Okay, I'm going to hold the presses, 21:59 but can you get this story to me today?" 22:01 I said, "You know what, my husband..." 22:03 He had flown up and, I mean, drove up actually, 22:05 and he said, "We are driving back today." 22:08 "I will have my laptop. I will write on the road. 22:10 We'll stop at an Internet cafe, restaurant. 22:13 I will, you know, send it to you." 22:15 And he said, "Okay." And that's what happened. 22:17 I literally wrote that last chapter, 22:18 driving down the road and then we stopped, 22:20 I think at McDonald's for free Wi-Fi, 22:23 and downloaded it to Jerry 22:24 and he got it that day and it made the book. 22:27 And yet, it is one of the most powerful stories. 22:29 You read that story. Oh, wow. 22:33 You, there is no way you can read 22:34 and not know we served a miracle making God. 22:38 And that's really two miracles. 22:40 That the experience with your grandson 22:42 and then getting it into the book. 22:44 In the book, exactly 'cause that was ready go. 22:46 It should have not happened and yet, God allowed 22:49 and if Jerry Thomas had not been touched to say, "Look..." 22:51 You know, he could have easily said, "Brenda, the next one." 22:55 And actually there is going to be a next book. 22:57 It's called "Divine Appointments." 22:59 And it's all my witnessing stories, you know. 23:01 And there's some, 23:03 there's a witnessing story in the book that um... 23:05 you talk about a miracle making story and that 23:08 "Flying First Class?" 23:10 Do you remember that story in the book, 23:11 "Flying First Class?" 23:12 And, and God turned, you know, what should've been 23:16 a two hour plane ride into a six hour Bible study. 23:21 Right, right. And it's an amazing story. 23:24 I do remember that. 23:26 Brenda, I must just ask you quickly. Yes. 23:27 We just have a few seconds. 23:30 People listening to you 23:32 and seeing your passion and your enthusiasm, 23:35 what would you say to the person 23:36 who does not have as closer walk with Jesus and says, 23:40 "Well, no wonder God answers her prayers. 23:43 She knows how to pray. 23:44 She's an expert prayer, I'm not. 23:48 I'm just this, I'm just so ordinary." 23:50 What would you say to someone who is so timid 23:53 and just needs that encouragement 23:55 that they can become a prayer warrior 23:57 and a woman of faith, 23:58 a man of faith in their prayers as well? 24:01 Well, I was actually, 24:02 I am asked this question many times 24:04 and I just spend... 24:06 I was on a speaking tour in Australia and New Zealand, 24:08 I just came back from, for a month. 24:10 And I was asked this, 24:12 this question in almost every place I went 24:14 and the answer is, God's not looking for, 24:18 you know, He doesn't just answer the prayers 24:20 that are the most eloquent. 24:21 He answers the prayers of somebody 24:24 speaking to Him heart to heart. 24:25 Sometimes the simplest prayer, 24:27 the most powerful pray you can pray is just three words, 24:30 "Jesus save me." 24:33 And He's not, it doesn't have to be a fancy prayer. 24:35 In fact, God prefers we talk to Him 24:38 just like we're talking to our best friend 24:39 because He is our best friend. 24:41 And He doesn't just answer the prayers of our preachers 24:45 or of our godly people that are, 24:48 that are lifted up, you know to, you know, 24:51 if somebody's idea of somebody on a pedestal 24:53 which we shouldn't be any one pedestal, 24:55 not even our pastors. 24:56 God created all of us equal. 24:58 He's given us different jobs to do, 25:00 but we are all ministers. 25:02 And, and here is what I say about prayer, 25:05 the closer we want to be to Jesus, 25:09 the more time we will spend with Him. 25:11 There's many, many people 25:13 who spend so many hours a day in prayer with Jesus 25:17 and they are going to be on a closer relationship. 25:20 If you just viewed our prayer walk with Jesus 25:22 like a ladder to heaven. 25:24 The ones that spend the most time with Him, 25:25 they are going to be 25:27 on the highest rung of the ladder. 25:28 But our baby Christians that are still learning 25:30 are going to be down here. 25:31 We shouldn't be stomping on the fingers of the people 25:33 climbing ladder, judging and complaining. 25:36 We need to be helping each other 25:37 and lifting each other up and helping them, 25:39 because the more we spend time with God, 25:43 the closer we will grow to Him. 25:45 Brenda, we thank you so much. 25:47 Unfortunately we've run out of time. 25:50 Already? I was just getting started! 25:51 I know. 25:53 We were having our conversation today with Brenda Walsh 25:55 about her book "Passionate Prayer." 25:57 And the book is really highlights 25:58 some stories of miracles of answered prayers. 26:02 And have you considered that one of the reasons 26:05 why people don't believe in miracles anymore, 26:08 is because you haven't shared your story? 26:10 As we've gone through Brenda's books, 26:12 she shares story after story, 26:14 after story to help us believe in miracles. 26:17 Again, miracles that are the answers to passionate prayer. 26:22 We don't know what your struggle is in your prayer life 26:24 but we want to encourage you. 26:25 I know Brenda wants to encourage you 26:27 to keep on praying 26:29 and take sometime to remember the stories 26:33 of where God has brought you from. 26:35 I'm Pierre Quinn and for my co-host Karen Pearson, 26:40 we've enjoyed another episode of "Stones of Remembrance," 26:43 and specially a call to "Passionate Prayer." 26:45 We want to thank you for watching another program, 26:48 and we encourage you to stay tuned for next time. 26:51 We've another conversation about "Stones of Remembrance." 26:56 Take care and we'll see you next time. 27:30 If you want a joyful, balanced life 27:33 and wish to have good health, 27:35 even in the imperfection of this world, 27:37 you would do well to follow Jesus' suggestion, 27:40 to "Remain in me, and I will remain in you." 27:44 A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that faith, 27:49 prayer, hope, forgiveness and trust 27:51 are beneficial to our physical and emotional health. 27:56 Dr. Julian Melgosa uses biblical examples 27:59 and personal illustrations to demonstrate 28:02 how abiding in Jesus, 28:04 being in intimate connection with him 28:07 is the way to foster spiritual growth, 28:10 well-being, and happiness. 28:12 Quantity pricing available. 28:14 To get your copy of 28:16 "Finding Calm in the Chaos of Life," 28:18 call 1-800-765-6955. 28:23 Stop by your local Adventist Book Center 28:26 or order online at AdventistBookCenter.com. |
Revised 2015-12-03