Participants: Marshall McKenzie
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021710A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:37 IT IS BY NO ACCIDENT THAT YOU HAVE JOINED US, WHETHER YOU'RE 00:40 LIVE ON THE INTERNET, OUT ON THE AIRWAVES, STUDYING WITH US 00:43 DURING THE WEEK - WE LOVE TO STUDY TOGETHER, WE LOVE TO SING 00:47 TOGETHER, AND SOMEDAY VERY SOON WE ARE GOING TO BE IN HEAVEN 00:51 TOGETHER AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT DAY. 00:54 SO, FOR THOSE OF YOU AT HOME, IF YOU WANT TO SING ALONG WITH US, 00:57 WE'RE GOING TO OPEN OUR HYMNAL TO HYMN #520 - HE HIDETH MY SOUL 01:03 - I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT CONCEPT TODAY, THAT I CAN BE HELD IN HIS 01:07 HAND IN THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK AND THAT'S WHERE I CAN RESIDE 01:11 UNTIL HE COMES. WE'RE GOING TO SING THE FIRST, 01:14 THE THIRD, AND THE FOURTH VERSES - #520. (PIANO MUSIC) 04:53 >>I KNOW YOU SEE A FAMILIAR FACE THAT YOU DON'T USUALLY SEE WITH 04:57 - SINGING WITH US - KULA IS JOINING US TODAY FROM SAC 05:01 CENTRAL. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE WE STEAL SOMEBODY AWAY. IF YOU 05:06 HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PRAYER - IF, SOMETIMES, YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR 05:11 PRAYERS ARE JUST HITTING THE CEILING AND YOU WANT A BETTER 05:14 PRAYER LIFE, WELL, PASTOR DOUG HAS AN OFFER FOR YOU. 05:18 HE WROTE A LITTLE BOOK CALLED TEACH US TO PRAY AND, I THINK - 05:23 I KNOW I'M SPEAKING FOR ME, PERSONALLY. 05:25 EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE I NEED A LITTLE HELP. 05:28 SO, IF YOU WANT TO READ WHAT PASTOR DOUG HAS TO SAY ABOUT 05:33 HAVING A BETTER PRAYER LIFE, I INVITE YOU TO GO TO OUR WEBSITE 05:37 AND IT IS BOOK OFFER #717 - TEACH US TO PRAY - THE PHONE 05:42 NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 OR 866-STUDY-MORE - SAME THING - 05:50 STUDY MORE IS EASIER. PRAYER LIFE - THERE'S 05:56 NOTHING LIKE IT. IT IS TRULY HOW WE COMMUNICATE 05:59 WITH GOD AND HE WANTS TO SPEAK TO US. 06:03 HEAVENLY MUSIC IS ANOTHER WAY HE SPEAKS TO US THROUGH MUSIC - 06:07 THROUGH HIS WORD - HYMN #452 - WE'RE GOING TO SING, OH - WHAT 06:11 HEAVENLY MUSIC - ALL THREE VERSES. 06:14 (PIANO MUSIC) 08:31 >>I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT DAY - TO BE IN 08:33 HEAVEN - I CAN HARDLY WAIT. LET'S PRAY. 08:37 OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, IT IS SO DARK HERE. 08:40 AND WE SO LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN YOU BREAK THROUGH THOSE 08:43 CLOUDS AND WE SEE YOU FACE TO FACE AND WE LIVE WITH YOU 08:46 FOREVER. IT IS WHAT WE LONG FOR - IT IS WHAT WE LIVE FOR. 08:50 SO LORD, UNTIL THAT TIME COMES, PLEASE JUST KEEP US FAITHFUL. 08:54 LIVE IN OUR HEARTS. HELP US TO BE SHINING LIGHTS FOR 08:57 YOU SO THAT THE PEOPLE AROUND US IN OUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE CAN 09:01 SEE YOU SHINING THROUGH US AND THAT THEY WILL BE DRAWN TO YOU 09:05 BECAUSE YOU PROMISED THAT IF WE LIFT YOU UP, YOU WILL 09:08 DRAW ALL MEN TO YOU. SO, THANK YOU FOR THE STUDY, 09:12 LORD, AS WE STUDY ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT. 09:14 PLEASE JUST SEND A DOUBLE PORTION, A TRIPLE PORTION ON 09:19 EACH ONE OF US, THAT WE CAN FINISH YOUR WORK AND GO HOME 09:21 WITH YOU. WE LONG FOR THAT DAY AND WE PRAY 09:24 THESE THINGS IN YOUR PRECIOUS AND HOLY NAME, JESUS, AMEN. 09:28 >>AMEN. >>OUR STUDY TODAY WILL BE 09:30 BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR MARSHALL MCKENZIE AND HE IS THE 09:34 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR AT AMAZING FACTS. 09:38 >>GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY SABBATH. 09:40 >>GOOD MORNING. >>YOU KNOW, I WAS - JUST AMAZING 09:43 - I WAS JUST BLESSED AS I STUDIED THIS LESSON. 09:46 AS WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS LESSON AS A WHOLE, I'VE BEEN 09:49 BLESSED. AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE 09:50 HOLY SPIRIT - THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE FRUITS OF THE 09:53 HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY SPIRIT'S LEADING IN OUR LIVES. 09:56 AND IT WAS IMPRESSED UPON ME EVEN MORE AS I FINISHED THIS 10:00 LESSON, AS WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT, 10:04 THE WORD AND PRAYER - HOW IT'S REALLY NOT ABOUT US, IT'S REALLY 10:10 ABOUT GOD - WHAT GOD CAN DO, WHAT GOD LONGS TO DO, AND WHAT 10:14 HE WANTS TO DO EVERY DAY IN OUR LIVES. 10:17 AND IT WAS JUST SO FORCEFULLY PUT IN THIS LESSON, AS WE TALK 10:21 ABOUT PRAYER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, HOW MUCH IT'S NOT ABOUT 10:25 US, IT'S REALLY ABOUT GOD. IN THIS WEEK'S STUDY IN 10:31 RELATIONSHIP TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE WORD 10:35 OF GOD AND PRAYER - TWO SUBJECTS THAT ARE ALWAYS OF VITAL 10:40 IMPORTANCE FOR ANY CHRISTIAN WHO IS WANTING TO FOLLOW CHRIST WITH 10:45 THEIR WHOLE HEART - PRAYER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT - 10:50 THE WORD OF GOD. BEFORE WE JUST JUMP RIGHT IN, I WANT TO SHARE 10:55 AN INSPIRING THOUGHT FROM A LITTLE BOOK ENTITLED 10:58 STEPS TO CHRIST . THIS IS FOUND IN PAGES 94 AND 95 11:03 AND IT'S IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER. 11:07 NOW, THE LESSON'S GOING TO GET INTO THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER 11:09 AND WE'RE GOING TO GO THERE, BUT THE REAL EMPHASIS IN 11:12 RELATIONSHIP TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, IN THIS LESSON, IS THE NEED TO 11:15 PRAY AND TO PRAY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT. 11:20 THIS IS THE STATEMENT FOUND IN PAGES 94 AND 95 IN THIS LITTLE 11:24 BOOK ENTITLED STEPS TO CHRIST . 11:26 IT SAYS, "WHY SHOULD THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD BE 11:29 RELUCTANT TO PRAY, WHEN PRAYER IS THE KEY IN THE HAND OF FAITH 11:37 TO UNLOCK HEAVEN'S STOREHOUSE WHERE ARE TREASURED THE 11:41 BOUNDLESS RESOURCES OF OMNIPOTENCE?" 11:44 NOW, I WANT TO STOP THERE JUST FOR A SECOND. 11:45 PRAYER IS THE WHAT? "PRAYER IS THE KEY IN THE HAND 11:50 OF FAITH THAT UNLOCKS HEAVEN'S STOREHOUSE WHERE ARE TREASURED 11:56 THE BOUNDLESS RESOURCES OF OMNIPOTENCE." 11:59 MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU TRY TO GET IN SOMEWHERE - YOU TRY TO 12:03 ACCESS SOMETHING WITHOUT THE KEY - YOU CAN WHAT? 12:07 FIND YOURSELF IN A LOT OF TROUBLE TOO, RIGHT? 12:10 MATTER OF FACT, IT'S INTERESTING, JESUS SAYS, IN JOHN 12:13 CHAPTER 10, VERSES 1 THROUGH 3, "MOST ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, 12:18 HE WHO DOES NOT ENTER THE SHEEPFOLD BY THE DOOR, BUT 12:25 CLIMBS UP SOME OTHER WAY, THE SAME IS A THIEF AND A ROBBER. 12:30 BUT HE WHO ENTERS BY THE DOOR IS THE SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP. 12:34 TO HIM THE DOORKEEPER OPENS, AND THE SHEEP HEAR HIS VOICE; AND HE 12:40 CALLS HIS OWN SHEEP BY NAME AND LEADS THEM OUT." 12:44 IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE KEY IF WE'RE GOING TO WALK THROUGH 12:50 THE DOOR, BECAUSE IF WE TRY TO FORCE OUR WAY IN SOME OTHER WAY, 12:55 IT CAN BE A CHALLENGING SITUATION. 12:57 WE CAN FIND OURSELVES IN A LOT OF TROUBLE. 13:01 MY BROTHER AND I WERE 14 AND 15 YEARS OLD, AND MY MOTHER WORKED 13:07 IN THE MORNING AND SHE ALWAYS TOLD US - LISTEN, WE LIVED IN AN 13:11 APARTMENT - FIRST FLOOR - SHE SAID, 'WAIT BY THE DOOR UNTIL I 13:16 GET HOME, BEFORE YOU GO IN THE HOUSE.' 13:21 WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? WE DIDN'T HAVE THE KEY. 13:25 BUT, IF WE HAD THE KEY, WE COULD HAVE ENTERED THROUGH THE DOOR. 13:28 BUT MY BROTHER AND I HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA; WE THOUGHT, 13:32 'WELL, WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO WAIT BY THE DOOR VERY LONG. 13:35 WE REALLY DON'T WANT THE KEY, WE NEED TO GET IN.' SO WHEN WE GOT 13:39 HOME, WE ACTUALLY FIGURED OUT A WAY IN THE BACK - THERE'S A 13:42 SLIDING DOOR WITH A SCREEN DOOR THERE - AND WE FIGURED OUT HOW 13:47 WE COULD GET INTO THE HOUSE WITHOUT THE KEY. 13:50 SO WE GOT INTO THE HOUSE AND WE WERE DOING SOME FUN THINGS AND 13:55 ALL OF A SUDDEN I RAN TO THE FRONT WINDOW TO NOTICE THAT MY 13:59 MOM WAS GETTING OUT OF THE CAR. 14:02 AND WE REALIZED, AT THAT POINT, IT'S TIME TO GET OUT OF HERE, 14:06 BUT MY BROTHER DIDN'T REALIZE THAT I HAD CLOSED THE SCREEN 14:09 DOOR, LIKE A GOOD SON, WHEN I CAME INTO THE HOUSE. 14:13 SO, WHEN HE TOOK OFF RUNNING, HE TOOK THE SCREEN DOOR RIGHT OFF 14:15 THE HINGES AND CARRIED IT OUT INTO THE BACKYARD. 14:19 AND THERE, MY MOM COMES IN THE FRONT DOOR AND SHE SEES US AND 14:22 WE'RE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE. WHY? BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE KEY. 14:26 SHE WANTED US TO WAIT BY THE DOOR. 14:28 THE KEY - PRAYER IS THE KEY IN THE HAND OF FAITH THAT UNLOCKS 14:34 HEAVEN'S STOREHOUSE. JESUS SAYS WE NEED TO GO THROUGH THE DOOR. 14:38 WE DON'T NEED TO CLIMB UP SOME OTHER WAY. 14:40 THIS IS WHY PRAYER IS SO VITAL AND SO IMPORTANT AND WE'RE 14:44 ENCOURAGED TO PRAY CONSISTENTLY - AND THE SPIRIT IS THERE TO 14:48 HELP US IN PRAYER AS WE GO THROUGH OUR LESSON THIS MORNING. 14:53 AND AS WE'LL FIND OUT, THE REST OF THE STATEMENT THAT I BEGAN 14:56 READING GOES LIKE THIS: "WITHOUT UNCEASING PRAYER AND DILIGENT 15:01 WATCHING, WE ARE IN DANGER OF GROWING CARELESS AND OF 15:07 DEVIATING FROM THE RIGHT PATH." 15:10 MY BROTHER AND I WERE CARELESS - WE DEVIATED FROM THE RIGHT PATH. 15:16 "THE ADVERSARY SEEKS, CONTINUALLY, TO OBSTRUCT THE WAY 15:20 TO THE MERCY SEAT" - WE'RE ENCOURAGED TO GO TO THAT MERCY 15:24 SEAT IN PRAYER - "THAT WE MAY NOT, BY EARNEST SUPPLICATION AND 15:29 FAITH, OBTAIN GRACE AND POWER TO RESIST TEMPTATION. 15:34 SATAN IS ALWAYS WANTING TO OBSTRUCT OUR WAY TO THE MERCY 15:39 SEAT AND, YET, AS WE STUDY ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT, AS WE STUDY 15:42 ABOUT PRAYER, AS WE STUDY ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD, WE BEGIN TO 15:46 REALIZE HOW VITAL THIS IS AND WHY SATAN WOULD WANT TO OBSTRUCT 15:51 OUR WAY, BECAUSE GOD WANTS TO DO SO MUCH. 15:56 TRUE SPIRITUALITY, AS THE LESSON BRINGS OUT, IS CONNECTED TO 16:01 PRAYER. SPIRITUALITY AND PRAYER GO TOGETHER. NOTICE, WITH ME, - 16:07 YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES - I'D LIKE YOU TO OPEN TO 2 CHRONICLES, 16:10 CHAPTER 7, VERSES 14 AND 15 - 2 CHRONICLES - AND IT'S A PASSAGE 16:17 WE'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, AT LEAST SOME ARE. 16:21 I'VE HEARD IT QUOTED SEVERAL TIMES - MATTER OF FACT, THIS 16:25 LAST WEEK I WAS SPEAKING TO SOMEBODY AND THEY QUOTED THIS 16:29 PASSAGE TO ME, 2 CHRONICLES - EXCUSE ME - I'LL GET THERE - 2 16:35 CHRONICLES CHAPTER 7 - HERE WE GO - VERSES 14 AND 15 - 2 16:40 CHRONICLES CHAPTER 7, VERSES 14 AND 15 - THIS IS IN RELATIONSHIP 16:46 TO THE TEMPLE, AS SOLOMON IS DEDICATING THE HOUSE OF GOD. 16:54 IN THE MIDST OF THIS, WE READ THIS PASSAGE: IT SAYS, "IF MY 16:59 PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME" - 2 CHRONICLES 7, VERSES 17:05 14 AND 15, "IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE 17:11 THEMSELVES, AND" - WHAT? - "AND PRAY" - THEN HE GOES ON - 17:15 "AND SEEK MY FACE, AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN I WILL 17:21 HEAR FROM HEAVEN, AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN 17:25 AND HEAL THEIR LAND. NOW MY EYES WILL BE OPEN AND MY 17:30 EARS ATTENTIVE TO PRAYER MADE IN THIS PLACE." 17:37 GOD IS ALWAYS ATTENTIVE WHEN HIS PEOPLE PRAY. 17:43 WHEN THEY PRAY IN THIS MANNER AND IN THIS WAY, GOD IS VERY 17:49 ATTENTIVE TO THOSE PRAYERS. A HOLY GOD, IN THIS VERSE, IS 17:57 ENCOURAGING HIS PEOPLE, THAT ARE CALLED BY HIS NAME, TO BE HOLY, 18:04 TO HUMBLE THEMSELVES, TO PRAY, TO SEEK HIS FACE, TO TURN 18:09 FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS. FOR THEN, HE SAYS, HE WOULD 18:12 FORGIVE THEIR SINS AND HE WOULD WHAT? HEAL THEIR LAND. 18:18 A POWERFUL PROMISE AT THE END OF AN AMAZING ADMONITION. 18:25 I BELIEVE WE'RE ALL IN NEED OF FORGIVENESS AND I BELIEVE ALL OF 18:30 US, IN OUR LIVES, AT SOME POINT, NEED HEALING. 18:36 AND GOD LONGS TO BRING THAT AND SO HE ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO PRAY 18:42 AND HE SAYS, 'I WILL BE ATTENTIVE TO YOUR PRAYER.' 18:46 TRUE PRAYER AND SPIRITUALITY WORK TOGETHER. 18:52 THEY'RE NOT SEPARATE FROM EACH OTHER. 18:55 THEY'RE INTERCONNECTED AND ALWAYS HAVE GOD AT THE CENTER. 19:00 GOD SHOULD ALWAYS BE AT THE CENTER OF OUR ATTENTION, AMEN? 19:07 WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO THE STORE, WHETHER WE'RE JUST AT 19:11 HOME, WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO VISIT SOME FRIENDS, GOD SHOULD 19:14 BE AT THE CENTER OF OUR ATTENTION. 19:16 AND, IN PRAYER, GOD SHOULD ALSO BE AT THE CENTER OF OUR 19:20 ATTENTION. AND BOTH OF THESE THINGS, 19:23 SPIRITUALITY AND PRAYER, AS THE LESSON BRINGS OUT, ARE 19:28 ROOTED IN THE WORD OF GOD. THEY'RE NOT INDEPENDENT OF, BUT 19:33 THEY'RE ROOTED IN THE WORD OF GOD. 19:37 AND THIS IS TRULY ENCOURAGING TO ME, AS WE GO THROUGH THE LESSON, 19:40 JUST LIKE WHEN WE WERE STUDYING SPIRITUAL GIFTS A COUPLE WEEKS 19:44 AGO, YOU NOTICE WE DIDN'T JUST DIVE RIGHT INTO THE SPIRITUAL 19:47 GIFTS, WE NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT WHO, FIRST. 19:49 WE NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT GOD AND THE GODHEAD BEFORE WE EVEN GET 19:53 TO THE GIFTS. SAME THING WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRAYER. 19:56 GOD IS THE CENTER OF TRUE PRAYER AND TRUE SPIRITUAL GROWTH. 20:02 GOD IS THE CENTER OF THIS, AND SUNDAY'S LESSON - MATTER OF 20:05 FACT, AS WE GO INTO SUNDAY'S LESSON, THIS IS THE FOCUS OF 20:11 SUNDAY'S LESSON: OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD AND PRAYER 20:15 IN OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD. THIS IS HOW JESUS EVEN TAUGHT 20:19 HIS DISCIPLES. NOTICE, WITH ME, MATTHEW 20:21 CHAPTER 6. TURN IN YOUR BIBLES TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 6. 20:26 WE'LL JUST READ VERSES 9 THROUGH 13, OKAY? 20:30 MATTHEW CHAPTER 6, VERSES 9 THROUGH 13. 20:35 MATTHEW CHAPTER 6, VERSES 9 THROUGH 13. 20:39 YOU KNOW, THE DISCIPLES WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO PRAY. 20:42 THE DISCIPLES WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH GOD AND SO 20:46 JESUS, BEING THE MASTER TEACHER - AND, BY THE WAY, WHO SPENT 20:50 MANY HOURS IN PRAYER - HE TOOK TIME BETWEEN THE MOUNTAIN AND 20:55 THE MULTITUDE TO PRAY. AND EVEN IN THE LAST HOURS OF 20:59 HIS LIFE, BEFORE HE GOES TO THE CROSS, WHAT DO WE SEE 21:03 HIM DOING IN SCRIPTURE? PRAYING. 21:07 AND HE WAS ENCOURAGING HIS DISCIPLES TO PRAY. 21:09 BUT EARLY ON IN THE MINISTRY JESUS IS LIKE, 'LISTEN, LET ME 21:12 TEACH YOU HOW TO PRAY.' BECAUSE HIS DISCIPLES WERE LIKE, 'TEACH 21:14 US. WE WANT TO KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH GOD.' 21:18 AND SO, THIS IS HOW JESUS STARTS OUT. 21:20 HERE IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 6, VERSE 9 IT SAYS, "IN THIS MANNER, 21:24 THEREFORE, PRAY: OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BY YOUR NAME. 21:32 YOUR KINGDOM COME. YOUR" - WHAT BE DONE? - 21:36 "YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN." 21:40 NOTICE HOW JESUS BEGINS PRAYER IN TEACHING HIS DISCIPLES TO 21:45 PRAY. WHO'S THE FOCUS? GOD THE FATHER, HE'S THE FOCUS, 21:51 BEFORE WE EVEN GET INTO "GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD." 21:55 AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WANT OR ALL THE THINGS THAT WE NEED, 21:59 GOD SAYS, 'I WANT YOU TO FIRST RECOGNIZE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 22:04 PROVIDING THESE THINGS? AND HIS WILL SHOULD BE CENTRAL 22:10 TO THIS PROCESS OF PRAYER AND COMMUNICATION. 22:14 "OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME. 22:17 YOUR KINGDOM COME. YOUR WILL BE DONE". 22:22 THERE IS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GOD HERE. 22:25 THERE'S AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF HIS HOLINESS. 22:28 THERE IS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF A HEAVENLY KINGDOM. 22:32 AND, IN THAT PROCESS, THERE IS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE WILL 22:35 OF GOD. AND THIS IS A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT 22:40 BEFORE WE EVEN JUST DIVE INTO PRAYER AND SOME OF THE ASPECTS 22:45 OF PRAYER THAT THE LESSON TALKS ABOUT IN RELATIONSHIP TO ASKING 22:49 AND BELIEVING AND CLAIMING THE PROMISES. 22:53 BEFORE WE EVEN GO THERE, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON WHO, FIRST? 22:56 >>GOD. >>WE NEED TO FOCUS ON GOD FIRST. 22:59 IT GETS US AWAY FROM FOCUSING ON OURSELVES. 23:06 YOU KNOW, PRAYER LIFTS US UP TO GOD, AS THE LESSON BROUGHT OUT, 23:11 IT DOESN'T BRING GOD DOWN TO US. NOTICE WITH ME, IN THE LESSON - 23:17 I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO READ THIS RIGHT OUT OF SUNDAY - THIS IS 23:20 FROM, AGAIN, THE BOOK STEPS TO CHRIST , BUT HERE - THIS IS PAGE 23:24 93 - THIS IS IN SUNDAY'S LESSON, KIND OF TOWARDS THE BOTTOM. 23:28 IT SAYS, "PRAYER IS THE OPENING OF THE" - WHAT - TO GOD? 23:32 "THE HEART TO GOD." SOME OF YOU THAT ARE MARRIED 23:37 THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR 23:39 SPOUSES, YOU'RE OPENING UP YOUR HEART TO THEM. 23:43 THAT'S WHAT PRAYER IS LIKE. WE'RE JUST OPENING OUR HEART. 23:44 THERE'S NOTHING THERE THAT WE WANT TO HIDE. 23:47 WE WANT GOD TO SEE WHAT? EVERYTHING. 23:51 BY THE WAY, GOD CAN SEE EVERYTHING, CAN'T HE? 23:54 EVEN IF WE DON'T SAY ANYTHING, HE STILL - HE STILL SEES 23:59 EVERYTHING. "PRAYER IS THE OPENING OF THE 24:02 HEART TO GOD AS TO A FRIEND." BY THE WAY, THE BIBLE SAYS 24:06 THERE'S NO FRIEND THAT STICKETH CLOSER THAN A BROTHER." 24:10 AND THAT PERSON IS JESUS CHRIST. SO COMMUNICATING WITH HIM IS 24:16 OF VITAL IMPORTANCE FOR THE CHRISTIAN. 24:20 NOT THAT IT IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO MAKE KNOWN TO GOD WHAT 24:24 WE ARE, OKAY, THE FOCUS IS NOT WHAT? US. 24:29 THE FOCUS IS NOT WHO WE ARE, BUT IN ORDER TO ENABLE US TO RECEIVE 24:36 WHAT? HIM. THIS IS A POWERFUL STATEMENT. 24:40 "PRAYER DOES NOT BRING GOD DOWN TO US, BUT PRAYER BRINGS US" - 24:45 WHAT? "UP TO GOD." SO WE WAIT, AS IT WAS MENTIONED 24:50 EARLIER, WE LONG FOR THAT HEAVENLY EXPERIENCE WHEN WE CAN 24:55 BE THERE FACE TO FACE WITH GOD. BUT, IN PRAYER, WE CAN ALSO 24:59 HAVE A HEAVENLY EXPERIENCE. WHEN PRAYER - THROUGH PRAYER, 25:04 WE'RE BROUGHT UP TO GOD, WE'RE NOT BRINGING GOD DOWN TO US, BUT 25:09 GOD IS - WE ARE COMING UP TO HIM. SO GOD IS THE FOCUS. 25:15 JESUS IS TEACHING, IN THE PRAYER, THAT OUR FOCUS SHOULD 25:18 BE, AGAIN, NOT WITH OUR WANTS, BUT WITH HIS WILL. 25:24 WE NEED TO SEPARATE OUR WANTS TO UNDERSTAND HIS WILL. 25:30 OUR WHOLE PRAYER AND PRAYER LIFE WILL CHANGE WHEN HE IS FIRST IN 25:37 OUR PRAYER - WHEN HIS PLEASURES ARE FIRST. 25:40 AND THAT'S CHALLENGING. LET'S BE HONEST, RIGHT? 25:44 THAT'S CHALLENGING. IT'S CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE'RE 25:48 SURROUNDED BY A WORLD THAT HAS ITS FOCUS WHERE? ON SELF. 25:55 MATTER OF FACT, EVERYTHING THAT WE FIND IN THIS WORLD, IN MOST 26:00 CASES, IS ALL FOCUSED ON US - OUR SITUATIONS, OUR NEEDS, OUR 26:06 WANTS, OUR DESIRES, OUR PLEASURES, AND ON AND ON AND ON. 26:11 AND YET, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PRAYER - WE TALK ABOUT PRAYER - 26:15 TRUE PRAYER IS LIFE CHANGING BECAUSE GOD IS THE ONE WHO IS 26:21 FIRST. MATTER OF FACT, WE'RE TOLD, IF 26:24 WE MAKE GOD FIRST, LAST, BEST IN EVERYTHING, WE WOULD BE THE 26:32 HAPPIEST PEOPLE ON THE EARTH. THINK ABOUT THAT. 26:37 WHAT WOULD THE WORLD LOOK LIKE IF YOU WERE THE HAPPIEST PERSON 26:41 ON EARTH? HOW WOULD PEOPLE RESPOND? 26:46 YOU KNOW, JUST THE OTHER DAY - I HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I 26:48 WAS WITH A FRIEND OF MINE AND WE WALKED INTO HOME DEPOT AND WE 26:53 WERE BUYING - I WAS BUYING SOME WOOD BECAUSE I WAS DOING SOME 26:56 THINGS AT THE HOUSE, AND THIS PERSON WAS SO HAPPY - I MEAN, IT 27:02 WAS FUNNY BECAUSE WE WERE STANDING THERE AND I WAS 27:04 CHECKING OUT AND SHE WAS TALKING AND TALKING AND TALKING AND SHE 27:07 - BUT SHE WAS TALKING WITH THIS SMILE AND - AND SHE WASN'T 27:11 ACTING - I COULD TELL THIS WAS WHO SHE WAS AND IT MADE AN 27:16 IMPACT. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, 'NOW THAT'S 27:18 SOMEBODY I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH.' 27:21 MAN, JUST RADIATED - AND THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN - IT WAS 27:24 INTERESTING - THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN STANDING OFF TO THE 27:26 SIDE AND HE WAS JUST WAITING AND YOU KIND OF THINK TO YOURSELF, 27:29 'MAYBE THAT'S KIND OF RUDE.' BUT SHE TURNS AROUND AND SAYS, 'OH, 27:33 HEY TIM' - SHE KNEW THE GUY. HE HAD NO PROBLEM WAITING. 27:36 SHE KNEW HIM; SHE GOT TO KNOW US AND IT WAS NO PROBLEM. 27:39 SHE JUST RADIATED. YOU KNOW, IF WE MAKE GOD FIRST, 27:44 LAST, AND BEST IN EVERYTHING, WE WOULD BE THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE ON 27:47 EARTH AND PEOPLE WOULD SEE THAT HAPPINESS. 27:52 IT'D BE PLASTERED ALL OVER YOUR FACE. 27:54 IT WOULD BE IN HOW YOU WALK AND HOW YOU TALK AND HOW YOU 27:58 COMMUNICATE, AND IT'S INFECTIOUS. KEEPING GOD FIRST IN 28:04 OUR PRAYERS CHANGES OUR LIVES. IT CHANGES OUR FOCUS. 28:09 TO SEEK GOD FIRST SHOULD ALWAYS COME FIRST. 28:15 THIS IS WHAT THE LESSON IN SUNDAY IS TALKING ABOUT. 28:18 THE PRAYER THAT IS PLEASING TO GOD, NOT THE PRAYER THAT IS 28:22 PLEASING TO ME - IT'S THE PRAYER THAT IS PLEASING TO GOD. 28:27 JESUS, MATTER OF FACT, IN LUKE CHAPTER 6, AFTER HE TEACHES HIS 28:30 DISCIPLES HOW TO PRAY, IF YOU GO DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT FURTHER 28:34 TO VERSE 33, NOTICE WITH ME VERSE 33, JESUS LATER - HE'S 28:41 TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS THAT THE FATHER SUPPLIES, RIGHT? 28:45 FOR US - OUR CLOTHING AND OUR FOOD AND OUR LODGING - ALL OF 28:51 THESE THINGS THAT ARE OF NECESSITY. 28:55 AND THEN IN VERSE 33, THOUGH, HE SAYS, "BUT SEEK FIRST" - THE 29:00 WHAT? - "THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ALL THESE 29:06 THINGS SHALL BE ADDED TO YOU." SO HE TEACHES HIS DISCIPLES, IN 29:11 PRAYER WITH "OUR FATHER, WHICH A FEW VERSES EARLIER, HOW TO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY PRAY. AND HE BEGINS IN THAT 29:18 NAME. YOUR KINGDOM COME. YOUR WILL BE DONE." 29:21 AND, LATER, TOWARDS THE END OF THE CHAPTER, HE ENDS BY SAYING, 29:24 'BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND 29:28 ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU.' THAT'S POWERFUL WHEN 29:33 YOU PUT THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER. 29:35 EACH OF US NEED TO COME TO THE PLACE IN OUR LIVES, BY THE GRACE 29:39 OF GOD, WHEN, LIKE KING DAVID, WE SHALL BE LED SO MUCH BY GOD 29:45 THAT, LIKE DAVID SAID, 'WE SHALL NOT' - WHAT? 29:49 - 'WE SHALL NOT WANT.' HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, 'THE LORD IS MY 29:54 SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT' - WHAT? WANT. I SHOULD HAVE NO LACK. 30:00 I PRAY FOR THAT IN MY LIFE - AND THERE ARE CHALLENGES, BUT GOD'S 30:05 WORKING ON THE EDGES TO GET ME TO THAT PLACE, THAT WE SHOULD BE 30:10 CONTENT WITH WHAT WE HAVE, BUT NOT WITH WHO WE ARE, BECAUSE OUR 30:18 GOAL IS TO BE LIKE JESUS. TO GET TO THAT PLACE, WE NEED 30:25 TO TAKE SERIOUSLY THE WORDS OF JESUS. NOW THERE'S A PASSAGE - 30:32 I'VE ASKED A FEW PEOPLE THIS MORNING TO READ SOME VERSES - 30:36 AND THE FIRST VERSE IS JOHN CHAPTER 15, VERSES 7 THROUGH 9 30:41 AND WE'RE GOING TO READ THAT IN JUST A MINUTE. 30:44 I WANT YOU TO GO THERE, TO YOUR BIBLES, TO JOHN CHAPTER 15, AND 30:49 I'M GOING TO HAVE THIS INDIVIDUAL READ ALL OF THESE 30:52 VERSES, BUT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE, JUST REALLY QUICK, AS WE 30:55 GET INTO THIS VERSE - JOHN CHAPTER 15 - AND THIS IS 30:59 IMPORTANT - IT BRINGS THIS ALL TOGETHER - WHY THIS IS SO VITAL 31:03 - IF WE WANT TO HAVE THIS KIND OF EXPERIENCE, WHERE GOD IS 31:08 FIRST AND 'I SHALL NOT WANT' SO, THEREFORE, MY PRAYERS ARE 31:13 FOCUSED ON THE WILL OF GOD, NOT ON MY WILL OR MY DESIRES, OKAY? 31:20 THIS VERSE HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN MORE SO. 31:26 I'M GOING TO READ VERSE 7 AND I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT, 31:29 BUT THEN I'M GOING TO HAVE OUR VOLUNTEER READ TO US VERSES 7 31:32 THROUGH 9. "IF YOU ABIDE IN ME, AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, YOU 31:37 WILL ASK WHAT YOU DESIRE, AND IT SHALL BE DONE FOR YOU." 31:40 I'LL COME BACK TO THIS VERSE AND THAT POINT, IN RELATIONSHIP TO 31:44 DESIRE, IN JUST A MINUTE, BUT IF OUR READER COULD READ FOR US 31:48 THAT WHOLE PASSAGE - WE'RE GOING TO READ, ACTUALLY, THROUGH VERSE 31:50 9 - IF YOU COULD READ THAT FOR US - JOHN 15:7-9. 31:55 >>"IF YOU ABIDE IN ME, AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, YOU WILL ASK 31:59 WHAT YOU DESIRE, AND IT SHALL BE DONE FOR YOU. 32:02 BY THIS MY FATHER IS GLORIFIED, THAT YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT; SO YOU 32:08 WILL BE MY DISCIPLES. AS THE FATHER LOVED ME, I ALSO 32:12 HAVE LOVED YOU; ABIDE IN MY LOVE." 32:15 >>NOW THAT'S A POWERFUL PASSAGE IN RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST'S 32:19 LAST DAYS ON EARTH AS HE'S ENCOURAGING HIS DISCIPLES. 32:24 WHAT'S HE ENCOURAGING THEM TO DO IN THIS PASSAGE? 32:28 HE'S ENCOURAGING THEM TO ABIDE IN HIMSELF AND, IN SO DOING, 32:33 ABIDE IN HIS WHAT? ABIDE IN HIS WHAT? 32:37 >>FATHER. >>OKAY, FATHER - ABIDE IN HIS 32:39 LOVE. AND, ULTIMATELY, THAT HIS - WHAT? - ABIDES IN US. 32:44 >>WORD. >>HIS WORD ABIDES IN US. 32:46 IF WE'RE ABIDING IN CHRIST THEN HIS WORD ABIDES IN US; THEREFORE 32:51 WE, ULTIMATELY, ABIDE IN THE LOVE OF THE FATHER. 32:57 AND THIS IS IMPORTANT. WE WANT TO SEE GOD'S WILL DONE. 33:02 WE WANT TO NOT WANT AND WE WANT TO FOCUS ON GOD'S WILL. 33:06 AND JESUS SAYS, TO DO THAT, YOU NEED TO 'ABIDE IN ME AND I IN 33:10 YOU - AND MY WORDS NEED TO ABIDE IN YOU AND THE LOVE OF THE 33:15 FATHER, THUS WILL ABIDE IN YOU AND WE IN THAT LOVE.' 33:21 NOW, NOTICE WITH ME, VERSE 7. I READ THIS JUST A LITTLE EARLIER. 33:24 IT SAYS, "IF YOU ABIDE IN ME AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, YOU WILL 33:27 ASK WHAT YOU" - WHAT HERE? - "DESIRE AND IT SHALL BE DONE FOR 33:34 YOU." SOMETIMES WE CAN LOOK AT THIS PASSAGE AND WE CAN SAY, 33:36 'WELL, SEE, THERE IT IS. GOD WANTS TO DO WHAT I DESIRE.' 33:42 BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE CONTEXT OF THESE VERSES, IT'S NOT ABOUT 33:46 'I'. IT'S NOT ABOUT 'ME'. 33:50 IT'S ABOUT CHRIST AND THE FATHER AND ABIDING IN HIM. 33:56 YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING - I WANT YOU TO TURN WITH ME TO 33:58 HEBREWS CHAPTER 11. IN THIS PASSAGE IN JOHN, AS 34:05 WE'RE TURNING TO HEBREWS CHAPTER 11, IN THIS PASSAGE IN JOHN THE 34:09 DESIRE, NOW, IS OUR DESIRES ARE NOW ONE WITH HIS DESIRES. 34:15 SO WHEN WE DESIRE, WHAT WE DESIRE IS THE WILL OF GOD. 34:19 WHY? BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD IS ABIDING IN US AND WE, IN TURN, 34:23 ARE ABIDING IN CHRIST. NOTICE, WITH ME, HEBREWS CHAPTER 34:27 11, AND THE LESSON GOES TO THIS CHAPTER - WHEN WE GET INTO 34:31 MONDAY'S LESSON AND WE START TALKING ABOUT FAITH, OKAY? 34:36 BUT HEBREWS CHAPTER 11, NOTICE WITH ME VERSES 13 THROUGH 16, 34:40 BUT PAY ATTENTION TO VERSE 16, IN PARTICULAR. 34:44 IT SAYS, "THESE ALL DIED IN" - WHAT? 34:46 >>FAITH. >>"FAITH, NOT HAVING RECEIVED 34:49 THE PROMISES, BUT HAVING SEEN THEM AFAR OFF WERE ASSURED 34:52 OF THEM, EMBRACED THEM AND CONFESSED THAT THEY WERE 34:55 STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS ON THE EARTH. 34:59 FOR THOSE WHO SAY SUCH THINGS DECLARE PLAINLY THAT THEY SEEK A 35:03 HOMELAND. AND TRULY IF THEY HAD CALLED TO 35:05 MIND THAT COUNTRY FROM WHICH THEY HAD COME OUT, THEY WOULD 35:09 HAVE HAD OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN. BUT NOW THEY" - WHAT? 35:15 - IT SAYS - I'M READING THE NEW KING JAMES - "NOW THEY DESIRE A 35:20 BETTER...COUNTRY." ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU SEE THESE 35:22 PEOPLE, WHO HAVE DIED IN FAITH, WHO HAVE CLAIMED THE PROMISES, 35:28 WHO HAVE ASKED GOD, WHO HAVE BELIEVED - AND WE'RE GOING 35:31 TO GET INTO THIS ON MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY. 35:33 IT SAYS THEY NOW DESIRE A BETTER COUNTRY. 35:36 THEY'RE DESIROUS OF WHAT? THEIR DESIRES HAVE CHANGED - 35:41 DRAMATICALLY CHANGED - AND IT GOES BACK TO THE WORD OF GOD - 35:48 THE PROMISES OF GOD - WHAT THEY EMBRACE - WHAT THEY CONFESS. 35:52 IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE AND THEIR DESIRES CHANGE. 35:56 SO WHEN YOU READ JOHN CHAPTER 15 AND HE SAYS, "YOU SHALL ASK WHAT 35:59 YOU DESIRE." WHEN WE'RE ABIDING IN HIM AND 36:03 HIS WORD IS ABIDING IN US - JUST LIKE THESE MEN AND WOMEN IN 36:07 FAITH IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 11 - OUR DESIRES ARE CHANGED - THEIR 36:11 DESIRES HAVE CHANGED AND WE ASK ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. 36:18 THE FOUNDATION OF OUR PRAYER LIFE MUST BE A BIBLICAL ONE, THE 36:23 LESSON BRINGS THIS OUT, IF WE WANT TO SEE GOD CONTINUE TO 36:27 CHANGE US IN THE PROCESS, AND PREPARE US FOR HEAVEN. 36:33 NOW, IF YOU TURN IN YOUR LESSONS - MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY 36:38 - MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY YOU REALLY CAN'T - I MEAN, WE 36:42 SEPARATED THEM IN THE LESSON, BUT THEY REALLY ALL GO TOGETHER. 36:46 AND, IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 11, WHERE I JUST READ TO YOU 13 36:49 THROUGH 16, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE LINKED TOGETHER, OKAY? 36:54 KIND OF LIKE LINKS IN A CHAIN. AND SO, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO 36:58 DO IS KIND OF LOOK AT MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY ALL TOGETHER 37:02 - KIND OF LUMP THEM TOGETHER. MONDAY'S LESSON - THE FOUNDATION 37:06 OF BIBLICAL PRAYER - TALKS ABOUT 'ASK GOD'. WE'LL GET INTO THAT. 37:10 AND THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BELIEVING AND FAITH . 37:13 AND THEN, OVER ON WEDNESDAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CLAIMING 37:16 GOD'S PROMISES . ALL OF THIS IS ACTUALLY PUT 37:19 TOGETHER, WHERE WE JUST READ HEBREWS CHAPTER 11. 37:23 SO, WITHOUT KIND OF GOING THROUGH THEM INDIVIDUDALLY, I'M 37:26 JUST GOING TO BRING THEM ALL TOGETHER FOR YOU THIS MORNING. 37:30 BUT I WANT YOU TO THINK OF MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY'S 37:33 LESSONS IN RELATIONSHIP TO A CHAIN THAT HAS LINKS, AND THESE 37:37 THINGS ARE TOGETHER. AND THE FIRST ONE IS ASKING - 37:42 NOTICE WITH ME MATTHEW CHAPTER - ACTUALLY, I'LL JUST READ IT FOR 37:45 THE SAKE OF TIME - IT SAYS, "ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN TO 37:49 YOU; SEEK, AND YOU WILL FIND; 37:52 KNOCK, AND IT WILL BE OPENED TO YOU. 37:56 FOR EVERYONE WHO ASKS RECEIVES, AND HE WHO SEEKS FINDS, AND TO 38:02 HIM WHO KNOCKS IT WILL BE OPENED." 38:04 NOW, THIS ASKING IS NOT INDEPENDENT OF FAITH. 38:08 THIS ASKING IS ASKING IN FAITH, OKAY? 38:14 WE'RE GOING FORWARD AND WE'RE ASKING BECAUSE WE BELIEVE - 38:18 BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT GOD'S PROMISES ARE REAL AND TRUE AND 38:23 WE CAN CLAIM THEM AND HANG ON TO THEM. 38:25 AND SO, WE ASK. WE ASK, WE SEEK, WE KNOCK. 38:32 GOD IS CONSTANTLY, THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE, ENCOURAGING HIS 38:37 CHILDREN TO ASK, BUT HE JUST WANTS US TO ASK ACCORDING TO HIS 38:43 WHAT? >>WILL. 38:45 >>ASK ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. NOT WHAT WE THINK HIS WILL IS, 38:50 OR WHAT SOMEBODY HAS TOLD US HIS WILL IS, BUT WHAT HIS WILL 38:56 REALLY IS, AS IT'S REVEALED IN HIS WORD. 38:59 ASK IN FAITH, ACCORDING TO THE PROMISES. 39:05 THIS IS WHERE ASKING, BELIEVING, AND CLAIMING THE PROMISES OF GOD 39:11 ALL COME TOGETHER AS ONE UNITED PACKAGE. 39:18 IN ROMANS CHAPTER 10, VERSE 17, IT SAYS, 'FAITH COMETH BY 39:21 HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD. 39:26 NOW, THERE'S A BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATION OF THIS GIVEN TO US 39:29 IN THE LIFE OF DAVID, AND I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE A MINUTE TO 39:32 GO THERE. GO TO 2 SAMUEL CHAPTER 7 - JUST 39:36 FOR A SECOND - GO TO 2 SAMUEL CHAPTER 7 AND LOOK, WITH ME, AT 39:41 HOW THIS IS ILLUSTRATED IN THE LIFE OF DAVID - 2 SAMUEL 39:46 CHAPTER 7 - 2 SAMUEL CHAPTER 7. GOD HAS THE PROPHET NATHAN COME 39:56 TO DAVID AND HE'S GOING TO TELL DAVID SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC, 40:01 IN THAT A HOUSE WILL BE BUILT FOR GOD. 40:05 AND HE TALKS ABOUT HOW HIS SON WILL BUILD THIS HOUSE. 40:08 NOTICE, WITH ME, 2 SAMUEL CHAPTER 7, VERSE 11. 40:12 VERSE 11 SAYS, "SINCE THAT TIME THAT I COMMANDED JUDGES TO BE 40:18 OVER MY PEOPLE ISRAEL, AND HAVE CAUSED YOU TO REST FROM ALL YOUR 40:22 ENEMIES. ALSO THE LORD TELLS YOU 40:25 THAT HE WILL" - WHAT? - "MAKE YOU A HOUSE." 40:30 AND THEN WE GO TO VERSE 16 AND IT SAYS, "AND YOUR HOUSE AND 40:35 YOUR KINGDOM SHALL BE ESTABLISHED FOREVER BEFORE YOU. 40:40 YOUR THRONE SHALL BE ESTABLISHED FOREVER." 40:43 - VERSE 17 SAYS, "ACCORDING TO ALL THESE WORDS AND ACCORDING TO 40:48 ALL THIS VISION, SO NATHAN SPOKE TO DAVID." 40:51 SO GOD SPOKE HIS WORD TO DAVID THROUGH HIS PROPHET NATHAN. 40:56 NOW NOTICE, DAVID IS GOING TO TURN AROUND AND HE'S GOING TO 40:59 BEGIN TO PRAY. AND, IN THE PROCESS OF THIS 41:03 PRAYER, ALL HE'S DOING IS PRAYING ACCORDING TO THE WORD 41:07 THAT JUST CAME TO HIM FROM NATHAN THE PROPHET. 41:12 THIS IS PRAYING IN FAITH. THIS IS PRAYING, 41:15 CLAIMING THE PROMISES. THIS IS ASKING IN FAITH. 41:20 THIS IS ASKING ACCORDING TO THE PROMISES. 41:23 NOTICE, WITH ME, VERSES 25 THROUGH 29. 41:27 IT SAYS, "NOW, O LORD," - THIS IS DAVID, WHO IS NOW PRAYING A 41:31 PRAYER WHICH IS ACCORDING TO THE WORD THAT CAME TO NATHAN BY GOD 41:39 - "NOW, O LORD GOD, THE WORD WHICH YOU HAVE SPOKEN CONCERNING 41:43 YOUR SERVANT AND CONCERNING HIS HOUSE, ESTABLISH IT FOREVER AND 41:48 DO AS" - WHAT? - "YOU HAVE SAID." 41:52 IN OTHER WORDS, HE'S SAYING, 'DO YOUR WILL.' - AND - 'THIS IS 41:57 YOUR WILL. I JUST WANT YOU TO ESTABLISH 42:00 YOUR WILL.' THAT'S HOW OUR PRAYER LIFE SHOULD BE. 42:05 'LORD, IN MY LIFE TODAY, ESTABLISH YOUR WILL. 42:08 THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE SAID AND I'M CLINGING TO WHAT YOU HAVE 42:13 SAID AND I'M PRAYING IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHAT YOU HAVE 42:17 SAID.' THIS IS WHAT DAVID'S DOING. 42:19 THIS IS PRAYING IN FAITH. HE SAYS, WHAT "YOU HAVE SPOKEN 42:25 CONCERNING YOUR SERVANT AND CONCERNING HIS HOUSE, ESTABLISH 42:28 IT FOREVER AND DO AS YOU HAVE SAID. 42:30 SO LET YOUR NAME BE MAGNIFIED FOREVER, SAYING, 'THE LORD OF 42:34 HOSTS IS THE GOD OVER ISRAEL.' AND LET THE HOUSE OF YOUR 42:38 SERVANT DAVID BE ESTABLISHED BEFORE YOU. 42:42 FOR YOU, O LORD OF HOSTS, GOD OF ISRAEL, HAVE REVEALED THIS TO 42:45 YOUR SERVANT, SAYING, 'I WILL BUILD YOU A HOUSE.' THEREFORE 42:49 YOUR SERVANT HAS FOUND IT IN HIS HEART TO PRAY THIS PRAYER TO 42:53 YOU." WHAT'S HIS PRAYER ACCORDING TO? 42:56 >>HIS WILL. >>HIS WILL. 42:59 THE WORD THAT CAME THROUGH THE PROPHET NATHAN, WHICH IS GOD'S 43:03 WORD. HE GOES ON - VERSE 28 - "AND 43:07 NOW, O LORD GOD, YOU ARE GOD, AND YOUR WORDS AREE TRUE, AND 43:11 YOU HAVE PROMISED THIS GOODNESS TO YOUR SERVANT." 43:15 HE'S CLAIMING THE PROMISES. THIS IS WEDNESDAY'S LESSON - 43:23 "...PROMISED THIS GOODNESS TO YOUR SERVANT. 43:25 NOW THEREFORE, LET IT PLEASE YOU" - THIS GOES BACK TO MONDAY 43:31 - "TO BLESS THE HOUSE OF YOUR SERVANT, THAT IT MAY CONTINUE 43:34 BEFORE YOU FOREVER; FOR YOU, O LORD GOD, HAVE SPOKEN IT, AND 43:40 WITH YOUR BLESSING LET THE HOUSES OF YOUR SERVANT BE" - 43:43 WHAT? - "BLESSED FOREVER." THAT'S POWERFUL. 43:47 GOD SAID 'THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE. 43:50 THIS IS WHAT MY DESIRE IS.' AND SO DAVID GOES TO A CORNER AND HE 43:55 BEGINS TO PRAY AND HE PRAYS EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS TOLD WOULD 43:59 TAKE PLACE. THAT'S PRAYING BY FAITH. 44:04 FAITH COMETH BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD. 44:07 AND SO, AS WE PRAY BY THE WORD OF GOD, GOD'S WILL TO BE 44:14 ACCOMPLISHED, IT WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED. 44:18 HIS PRAYER WAS ALTOGETHER OF FAITH BECAUSE IT WAS ALTOGETHER 44:23 OF THE WORD OF GOD. THE WORD OF GOD WAS 44:27 THE CAUSE OF IT. THE WORD OF GOD WAS THE BASIS OF IT. 44:31 AND THE WORD OF GOD WAS ALL THE HOPE OF DAVID THAT THE PRAYER 44:35 WOULD EVER BE ANSWERED. IN JUST A MINUTE I'M GOING TO 44:40 HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ AGAIN. BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHY FAITH 44:45 IS IMPORTANT IN RELATIONSHIP TO PRAYER. 44:47 GO WITH ME TO JAMES CHAPTER 1 - JAMES CHAPTER 1, VERSES 6 44:51 THROUGH 8 - CHAPTER 1, VERSES 6 THROUGH 8 - WHY IS PRAYING 44:57 ACCORDING TO THE WORD - PRAYING IN FAITH - SO IMPORTANT WHEN IT 45:00 COMES TO OUR PRAYER LIFE? JAMES CHAPTER 1, VERSES 6 45:05 THROUGH 8 - JAMES CHAPTER 1, VERSES 6 THROUGH 8 - "BUT LET 45:12 HIM ASK IN FAITH," - LET HIM ASK IN WHAT? 45:17 >>FAITH. >>FAITH. 45:19 "WITH NO DOUBTING, FOR HE WHO DOUBTS IS LIKE A WAVE OF THE SEA 45:25 DRIVEN AND TOSSED BY THE WIND." - HAVE YOU EVER BEEN AT SEA WHEN 45:30 THERE'S WAVES AND THERE'S WIND AND YOU'RE IN THAT BOAT 45:34 AND YOU'RE BEING TOSSED? MY FAMILY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, 45:38 ONE TIME, OF GOING ON A CRUISE. AND WE HAD SOME STORMS AND SOME 45:42 WIND AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE SHIPS ARE SO BIG YOU DON'T REALLY 45:45 FEEL MUCH, BUT WHEN YOU'RE ON A LITTLE BOAT, YOU FEEL IT EVEN 45:48 MORE - JUST BEING TOSSED BACK AND FORTH. 45:51 AND JAMES IS SAYING, 'LISTEN, A PERSON THAT REALLY DOESN'T PRAY 45:54 IN FAITH IS LIKE THAT PERSON THAT'S OUT TO SEA ON A BOAT AND 45:58 HE'S JUST BEING TOSSED BACK AND FORTH. 46:01 YOU REMEMBER, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, JESUS IS ON A BOAT 46:03 WITH HIS DISCIPLES, RIGHT? AND SUDDENLY THERE'S - THIS 46:06 STORM ARISES AND THIS BOAT IS BEING TOSSED BACK AND FORTH. 46:09 AND, AT THE END OF THIS SCENARIO, WHAT DOES JESUS SAY TO 46:13 HIS DISCIPLES? 'OH YE OF LITTLE FAITH.' WHEN 46:17 YOU SEE THEM GO THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE IT SAYS, "BUT LET HIM 46:22 ASK IN FAITH, WITH NO DOUBTING, FOR HE WHO DOUBTS IS LIKE A WAVE 46:25 OF THE SEA DRIVEN AND TOSSED BY THE WIND. 46:28 FOR LET NOT THAT MAN SUPPOSE THAT HE WILL RECEIVE ANYTHING 46:32 FROM THE LORD; HE IS A DOUBLE-MINDED MAN, UNSTABLE IN" 46:36 - WHAT? - "ALL HIS WAYS." IT'S IMPORTANT TO 46:41 PRAY NOT DOUBTING. IT'S IMPORTANT TO CLAIM THE 46:46 PROMISES AND KNOW THAT THE PROMISES ARE REAL. 46:48 DAVID CLUNG TO THOSE PROMISES WHEN HE PRAYED THAT PRAYER, AS 46:52 WE JUST READ IN 2 SAMUEL, AND GOD ANSWERED ACCORDING TO HIS 46:57 WILL AND GREAT THINGS HAPPENED. THE LORD WAS BLESSED. 47:02 DAVID WAS BLESSED. AND, FOR A TIME, THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL 47:05 WERE BLESSED BECAUSE GOD ANSWERED THAT PRAYER. HAVE YOU 47:13 EVER SPOKEN OR HAVE LISTENED TO A DOUBLE-MINDED MAN? IN THIS 47:18 BIBLICAL CONTEXT, TWO MINDS ARE NOT BETTER THAN ONE. YOU KNOW, 47:21 WE KNOW THE PHRASE 'TWO MINDS ARE ALWAYS BETTER THAN ONE'? 47:24 IN THIS CONTEXT, TWO MINDS ARE NOT ALWAYS BETTER THAN ONE. 47:27 YOU KNOW, THE PROPHET SAID - ISAIAH SAID THAT THERE WOULD 47:30 COME A TIME WHEN PEOPLE WOULD EVIL GOOD AND GOOD EVIL AND WE 47:34 GO BACK AND FORTH - DOUBLE MINDED. 47:37 'FOR WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD. 47:42 NOW, I WANT YOU TO NOTICE - I'VE ASKED SOMEONE TO READ ROMANS 47:46 CHAPTER 8, VERSES 26 AND 27. >>ROMANS 8:26 AND 27, "LIKEWISE 47:53 THE SPIRIT ALSO HELPS IN OUR WEAKNESSES. 47:55 FOR WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT WE SHOULD PRAY FOR AS WE OUGHT, BUT 47:59 THE SPIRIT HIMSELF MAKES INTERCESSION FOR US WITH 48:02 GROANINGS WHICH CANNOT BE UTTERED. 48:05 NOW HE WHO SEARCHES THE HEARTS KNOWS WHAT THE MIND OF THE 48:08 SPIRIT IS, BECAUSE HE MAKES INTERCESSION FOR THE SAINTS 48:11 ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD." >>NOW, THIS IS A POWERFUL VERSE. 48:16 IT'S OUR MEMORY VERSE - AND YOU PROBABLY MIGHT WONDER WHY WE'RE 48:18 DEALING WITH IT AT THE END. BUT THIS IS A POWERFUL VERSE 48:21 BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT PRAYING IN FAITH AND YOU REALIZE WHAT 48:25 PRAYING IN FAITH IS, SOMETIMES WE MAY FEEL INADEQUATE. 48:30 'I JUST DON'T KNOW THE PROMISES THAT WELL.' 'I JUST DON'T KNOW 48:34 WHAT I SHOULD SAY OR HOW TO SAY IT OR HOW IT SHOULD COME OUT OF 48:37 MY MOUTH.' 'I KNOW I NEED TO PRAY IN FAITH, THE BIBLE TEACHES 48:40 ME HOW TO PRAY IN FAITH, BUT I JUST AM NOT THERE.' 48:44 SOMETIMES WE FEEL LIKE THAT. 48:46 OR WE FEEL, 'MAYBE, YOU KNOW, MY PRAYER, IT'S NOT EVEN LEAVING 48:49 THE ROOM.' AND WE FEEL LIKE IT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE. 48:53 AND I LOVE THIS PASSAGE BECAUSE IT TALKS ABOUT OUR WEAKNESS AND 48:59 HOW THE SPIRIT ALSO HELPS OUR WHAT? OUR WEAKNESS. 49:05 'FOR WE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PRAY AS WE SHOULD.' GOD ALREADY 49:10 KNOWS, IN MANY CASES, THAT WE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PRAY AS WE 49:16 SHOULD, BUT WHO'S THERE TO HELP US? 49:19 THE HOLY SPIRIT'S RIGHT THERE. WHILE YOU'RE PRAYING, THE HOLY 49:24 SPIRIT IS PRAYING ON YOUR BEHALF AND FOR YOU. 49:30 AND WHO, BY THE WAY, KNOWS HOW TO PRAY BETTER THAN THE SPIRIT 49:34 WHO KNOWS THE MIND OF GOD AND GOD KNOWING THE MIND OF THE 49:39 SPIRIT? WHO'S BETTER PREPARED TO 49:41 PRAY, IF WE LOOK AT THIS? THE SPIRIT OF GOD. 49:45 MATTER OF FACT, JESUS - YOU KNOW, PETER HAD A SITUATION AND 49:49 WHAT DID JESUS SAY TO PETER WHEN HE SAID, 'I HAVE PRAYED FOR YOU 49:55 THAT YOUR FAITH FAIL NOT.' YOU KNOW, GOD IS ALWAYS DOING 50:01 EVERYTHING HE POSSIBLY CAN TO HELP US - EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO 50:08 PRAYER. NOW, BY THE WAY, THAT DOESN'T 50:11 MEAN, 'OKAY, PRAYER IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT. 50:14 I CAN SAY WHATEVER I WANT TO SAY.' BUT I WANT TO GO BACK TO 50:16 THIS VERSE BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY ENCOURAGES US, BUT AT THE SAME 50:21 TIME, THIS VERSE ACTUALLY CHALLENGES US. 50:27 HE SAYS, 'THE SPIRIT ALSO HELPS OUR WEAKNESS FOR WE DO NOT KNOW 50:32 HOW TO PRAY AS WE SHOULD.' IN OTHER WORDS, WE SHOULD BE 50:39 LEARNING HOW TO WHAT? >>PRAY. 50:41 >>PRAY. WE SHOULD BE LEARNING, EVERY 50:44 DAY, WHAT IT MEANS TO PRAY IN FAITH. 50:48 PRAYER IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO LEARN AND CONTINUALLY LEARN HOW 50:51 TO DO BETTER, AND THE SPIRIT IS THERE TO HELP US IN OUR WEAKNESS 50:57 WHEN IT COMES TO PRAYER, BUT WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE GROWING AND 51:01 LEARNING HOW TO PRAY AS WE SHOULD. 51:04 WE SHOULD BE COMING MORE AND MORE IN LINE WITH THE WILL OF 51:08 GOD. OUR MINDS SHOULD BECOME MORE AND 51:12 MORE IN LINE WITH THE WORD OF GOD AS WE PRAY. 51:16 SO WE PRAY ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, NOT OUR WILL. 51:20 BUT GOD SAYS, 'HEY, I'M WALKING RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. 51:24 I'M EVEN GOING TO HELP YOU IN THIS.' YOU KNOW, WHEN JESUS 51:28 COMES, THERE'S GOING TO BE NO EXCUSES. 51:32 GOD IS DOING EVERYTHING HE POSSIBLY CAN. 51:35 HE'S EVEN INTERCEDING WHERE WE FALL SHORT OF INTERCEDING. 51:42 AND THAT'S ACTUALLY THE CONTEXT HERE, ALSO, OF THIS PASSAGE. 51:45 IT'S INTERESTING THAT IT SAYS 'THE SPIRIT, HIMSELF, 51:48 INTERCEDES.' YOU KNOW WHAT'S INTERESTING 51:51 ABOUT THAT WORD 'INTERCEDING'? INTERCEDE IS ON THE BEHALF OF 51:57 SOMEONE WITH SPECIFIC EMPHASIS UPON THE FACT THAT WHAT IS BEING 52:02 DONE IS FOR THE SAKE OF SOMEONE ELSE. 52:05 SO, IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU'RE PRAYING FOR SOMEONE ELSE, YOU'RE 52:09 INTERCEDING. BUT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO 52:13 PRAY IN FAITH AS YOU OUGHT. SO WHAT DOES THE SPIRIT DO? 52:18 THE SPIRIT COMES DOWN - OR HE'S THERE WITH US - AND HE IS 52:22 INTERCEDING ON BEHALF OF THE PERSON WE'RE PRAYING FOR. 52:26 THIS IS NOT ABOUT US. 52:28 THIS IS ABOUT US PRAYING FOR OTHERS AND THE SPIRIT HELPING US 52:32 TO PRAY FOR OTHERS SO THAT OTHERS MAY COME TO KNOW HIM AND 52:39 LOVE HIM AND SERVE CHRIST WITH THEIR WHOLE HEART. 52:44 BUT THE SPIRIT IS THERE TO HELP US. 52:48 HE'S THERE TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE WORD, WHICH IS THE WILL OF 52:52 GOD, BUT HE'S ALSO THERE TO PRAY WHEN OUR PRAYERS FALL SHORT - ON 53:00 BEHALF OF OTHERS THAT WE'RE PRAYING FOR. 53:04 THIS IS WHAT I SAID IN THE BEGINNING. 53:05 THIS LESSON IS NOT SO MUCH ABOUT US. 53:08 IT'S NOT ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO PRAY BETTER FOR MYSELF, THIS 53:13 LESSON IS ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO PRAY FOR OTHERS BETTER, THEN 53:18 YOURSELF. AND IN THAT PROCESS YOU ARE 53:24 BLESSED AND YOU WILL GROW AND YOU WILL BECOME ALL THAT 53:31 GOD WANTS YOU TO BE. IT'S ALL ABOUT OTHERS, 53:36 IT'S NOT ABOUT US. AND THE SPIRIT IS RIGHT THERE TO 53:40 HELP US PRAY - AND TO PRAY IN FAITH. GOD IS SO GOOD. 53:47 NOTICE, WITH ME, IN CLOSING, EPHESIANS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 14 53:52 THROUGH 19 - NOTICE WITH ME IN CLOSING - EPHESIANS CHAPTER 3, 53:56 VERSES 14 THROUGH 19 - SPEAKING ABOUT PRAYING FOR OTHERS, PAUL 54:04 WRITES IN EPHESIANS - EPHESIANS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 14 THROUGH 19, 54:10 "FOR THIS REASON" - I LOVE THAT - "FOR THIS REASON" - HE SAYS - 54:16 "I BOW MY KNEES TO THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHCRIST, FROM 54:21 WHOM THE WHOLE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IS NAMED, THAT HE 54:28 WOULD GRANT YOU, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY, TO BE 54:31 STRENGTHENED WITH MIGHT THROUGH HIS SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN, 54:36 THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS THROUGH FAITH; THAT YOU , 54:39 BEING ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE, MAY BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND 54:43 WITH ALL THE SAINTS" - VERSE 18 - "WHAT IS THE WIDTH AND LENGTH 54:47 AND DEPTH AND HEIGHT - TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST WHICH PASSES 54:49 KNOWLEDGE; THAT YOU MAY BE FILLED WITH ALL THE FULLNESS OF 54:52 GOD." HE SAYS, 'BY THIS REASON I BOW MY KNEES'. 54:56 IS HE BOWING HIS KNEES FOR HIMSELF IN THIS PASSAGE? 55:01 WHEN YOU LOOK AT HIS PRAYER, HIS PRAYER IS ABOUT THE CHURCH. 55:06 HIS PRAYER IS ABOUT OTHERS. HIS PRAYER IS ABOUT HE BUILDING 55:10 UP OF THE CHURCH AND THE MESSAGE GOING OUT AND THAT PEOPLE MIGHT 55:16 EXPERIENCE THE LOVE OF CHRIST LIKE NEVER BEFORE. 55:22 "FOR THIS REASON I BOW MY KNEES TO THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS 55:25 CHRIST, FROM WHOM THE WHOLE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IS 55:27 NAMED, THAT HE WOULD GRANT YOU" - NOTICE, I'M PRAYING - PAUL'S 55:33 SAYING - 'I'M PRAYING' FOR WHAT? FOR YOU. 55:37 AND THE SPIRIT HELPS US IN THAT PROCESS - TO PRAY. 55:42 AND, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, MAY WE PRAY IN FAITH ACCORDING TO THE 55:47 WORD OF GOD - AND WE'LL SEE GOD DO GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS IN 55:52 THESE LAST DAYS OF EARTH'S HISTORY THAT WE'VE YET TO SEE. 55:58 I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER OUR FREE OFFER BY PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR - 56:02 TEACH US TO PRAY - A POWERFUL LITTLE BOOK - TEACH US TO PRAY - 56:06 IT'S #717 - YOU CAN GET IT BY JUST CALLING 1-866-STUDY-MORE 56:13 AND WE'LL SEND THIS RIGHT TO YOU. 56:16 TEACH US TO PRAY BY PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 56:18 THANK YOU. (MUSIC) 56:31 >>FRIENDS, WE'RE OUT HERE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN NOT 56:33 TOO FAR FROM THE ISLAND OF FIJI, AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO LOOK 56:35 AT SOME WONDERS IN THE DEEP. THE BIBLE SAYS GOD MADE THE 56:40 HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA. 56:42 AND THERE ARE THINGS UNDER THE SEA THAT ARE BEAUTIFUL THAT MANY 56:44 PEOPLE HAVE NEVER SEEN. SOME FOLKS MIGHT JUST SKIM ALONG 56:47 - SNORKLE ON THE SURFACE, BUT IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE REAL MAJESTY 56:51 OF THE OCEAN, YOU'VE GOT TO GO DEEPER. (LIVELY MUSIC) 57:07 >>BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE GILLS LIKE FISH, WE HAVE TO DO 57:10 SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY TO BE ABLE TO BREATHE BELOW THE 57:13 SURFACE. BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BREATHE ALL THE TIME, WE NEED 57:16 THIS SPECIAL EQUIPMENT. (SOUND OF BREATHING APARATUS) 57:20 IN THE SAME WAY, THE BIBLE SAYS A CHRISTIAN NEEDS TO PRAY 57:23 WITHOUT CEASING. WE NEED TO ALWAYS BE BREATHING 57:26 THE ATMOSPHERE OF HEAVEN IF WE'RE GOING TO LIVE A CHRISTIAN 57:28 LIFE IN THIS WORLD BELOW. (MUSIC) 57:57 >>WOW, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD. 58:00 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-03-07