The Bible tells us, "In
the beginning was the Word,
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and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God."
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It says, "To
receive with meekness
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the implanted Word,
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which is able
to save your souls.
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And to be diligent
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to present
yourself approved to God
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rightly dividing
the Word of truth."
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today is
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The Holy Spirit
and Spirituality.
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Hello and welcome to the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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My name is Jill Morikone,
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and we're so glad that
you've taken this hour,
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set it apart to open
God's word and study with us
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as we study The Holy
Spirit and Spirituality.
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With me, with our
Sabbath School Panel
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is my sister Mollie
Steenson, Pastor John Lomacang,
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Shelley Quinn
and Brian Hamilton.
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And it's just a
privilege and a joy
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to have each one of you here.
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Thank you for being
here. Thank you, Jill.
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What I like the
most about this panel
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is that they
have a heart for God.
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They're students of the Word
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but they're friends
and they're mentors.
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And it's a blessing to
open up God's Word together,
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and we are so
glad that you are here,
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part of our 3ABN family.
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We are studying
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this quarter's
Sabbath School lesson
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put out by the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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which is The Holy
Spirit and Spirituality.
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If you go to your local church,
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you're welcome to pick up a copy
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of the Sabbath
School Quarterly there.
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However, if you
want a downloadable copy
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or if you don't
have access to a copy,
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you can always
go to the website.
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It's absg,
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that stands for Adult
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Bible Study
Guide. adventist.org.
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That's absg.adventist.org.
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And you can follow along
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with what we're
doing during the day.
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It's such a blessing
to open up God's Word.
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To share and to study
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about The Holy
Spirit and Spirituality.
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This is lesson number 10.
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I can't believe we're
already in lesson number 10,
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The Holy Spirit,
the Word and Prayer.
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We started out talking about
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the Holy Spirit at the beginning
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of the quarter.
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The Holy Spirit
inspired the Word of God.
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The Holy Spirit works
behind the scenes in creation,
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salvation, pointing us
to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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The Holy Spirit is
divine, part of the Godhead,
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the Father, the
Son and Holy Spirit.
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He is a person not a force.
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We talked about baptism,
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the infilling
of the Holy Spirit,
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the transformation
of the Holy Spirit,
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the spiritual fruit,
the fruit of the Spirit
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that we get as a
result of abiding in Christ.
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We talked about
the spiritual gifts
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given to the church,
the mission of the church,
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and now we're on
the Word and prayer.
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And we want to do our
memory text for today.
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It's Romans 8:26-27.
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Well, we'll recite it together
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but you can read
along with us at home.
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"The Spirit also
helps us in our weaknesses,
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for we do not know
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what we should
pray for as we ought,
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but the Spirit Himself
makes intercession for us
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with groanings
which cannot be uttered.
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Now He who
searches the heart knows
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what the mind of the Spirit is
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because He makes intercession
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for the saints
according to the will of God."
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True prayer and
authentic spirituality
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always have God as the center.
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And both are rooted
in the written Word.
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Today as we discuss,
we'll be looking at the ABCs
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you can say of prayer,
Ask, Believe and Claim.
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Before we open up
the Word of God though,
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let's go to the Lord in prayer.
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And, Shelley, would you
open up in prayer for us?
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I'd love to.
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Heavenly Father, once
again we come before You
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in the name of Jesus,
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thanking You for all
of Your gifts of grace
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for our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ
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through whom we have
received the gift of salvation,
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for your Holy Spirit
Lord and for Your Word.
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And Father, we are asking today
that Your Spirit will come.
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We're asking in
the name of Jesus
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that You'll empty us,
help us to be emptied of self,
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fill us afresh with Your Spirit,
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anoint us and Father
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we pray for
everyone who is watching,
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that You will pour
out Your Holy Spirit
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on all who call upon Your name
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and lead us, guide
us, direct us, teach us
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how to pray, in Jesus' name.
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Amen. Amen.
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On Sunday's
lesson we look at prayer
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that is pleasing to God.
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And if you think
about a biblical example
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of who in the Bible
gives us an example of prayer
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that is pleasing to God,
who would come to your mind?
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Moses. Moses, good.
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Anything else? Jesus.
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Yes. Daniel.
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Daniel prayed three times a day.
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What we're gonna look
at today is actually Jesus
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because He's our
perfect example of divinity
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but yet combined with humanity.
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And Him
kneeling down and praying
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and then we're gonna
look at six different aspects
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of His prayer life.
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And if I had a chalkboard here,
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I would put on
this side 'Prayer Is'.
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These are the positives,
this is what prayer is.
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Prayer is and we're
gonna look at Jesus' example.
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On this side we'd
put 'Prayer Is Not'.
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What prayer is not
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and it's kind of the
flip side of what prayer is.
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We have Prayer
Is, Jesus' example.
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Prayer Is Not and often
times it's our own experience.
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But we want to come over here.
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We want to move our
prayer life to pattern
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after the Lord Jesus Christ.
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So we're gonna look
at these six aspects.
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Let's look at
Luke 5 first of all,
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and I'll ask
each one of you to see
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if we can identify together
as a panel what the aspect
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is we're talking
about in the Scripture.
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Luke 5:16.
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You have that
pastor? You want to read it?
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Sure.
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Luke 5:16.
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The Bible says,
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"So He himself often withdrew
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into the wilderness and prayed."
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So this is Prayer Is.
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What aspect do
you see in this verse?
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Prayer Is what?
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From Jesus' example
we see on this side?
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Prayer is an
individual communion with God
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where you get away in
your communing with God.
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I like that. Any other thoughts?
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Prayer Is, from this verse?
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Sometimes you have to get away
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from the things
that distract you
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in order to pray.
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Okay, being alone? Being alone.
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Okay, I had that.
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We're coming back to this
verse for point number five.
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So we're going
to, I agree with you,
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we're going to say
prayer is solitary.
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Being alone, alone with
God, being individual with God.
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That is coming as number five.
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But what I said
first for number one,
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prayer is essential.
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Did you notice he said,
often He came apart and prayed.
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Prayer is, so He
himself often withdrew
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into the wilderness and prayed.
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So point number one in
these six aspects of prayer
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for what Jesus did.
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Prayer is essential. Amen.
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Jesus often withdrew and prayed.
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Now, if we look
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at the human
perspective prayer is often,
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we think it's non-essential,
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would you say
that on the opposite,
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instead of being essential
we say it's non essential.
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Maybe I only pray
when I want something,
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when I'm in trouble.
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I need something and God says,
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I want to move you in
your prayer experience,
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in your walk with me,
so it becomes essential.
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Often spending time in prayer.
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Next, we're gonna
look at Mark 1:35.
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The second aspect of prayer.
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Mark 1:35.
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Shelley, you have
that? You want to read that?
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Yes.
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"Now in the
morning having risen a long
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while before daylight,
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He went out and
departed to a solitary place,
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and there He prayed."
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What I see here is prayer
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should be the first
activity of the day.
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Yes, absolutely. First activity.
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Prayer should be consistent,
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something we do on a
daily basis, something early.
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Rising up early
and spending that time.
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Prayer is specific.
Prayer is consistent.
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Prayer is spending early
time with the Lord Jesus Christ.
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The opposite if we look at now
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what Prayer Is,
what Prayer Is Not,
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we can say
sporadic, non-essential,
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not taking that time.
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Maybe praying
when we feel like it.
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Intermittent. Intermittent.
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That's a good
word, intermittent,
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praying when we feel
like it. Number three.
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We're not gonna
look up Scriptures
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because there are so
many dealing with this.
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I think of Matthew 19:13.
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Remember when the disciples,
when the children came,
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the mothers and
the children came
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and the disciples said,
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"Go away, Jesus is
busy, and He is important
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and He needs to meet
with important people,
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with adults with whomever."
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Jesus says,
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"No, suffer the little
children to come to me."
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And what did He do?
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He prayed over them
and He blessed them.
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Pastor, this past
Sabbath you preached a sermon
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dealing with prayer.
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And I remember one of
the verses, Luke 22:31,
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Jesus talking to
Simon Peter saying,
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"Simon, Simon, Satan has desired
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to sift you as wheat,
but I have prayed for you."
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And when you're converted
strengthen your brethren.
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Another verse I
think of is John 17.
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The entire chapter
is a prayer of Jesus
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for unity for the disciples.
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And He said, neither
do I pray for these alone
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but for all them
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also who are
gonna hear my word down
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through the ages.
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For you and for
me, for you at home.
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So the third aspect of
prayer, we're looking Prayer Is.
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The third aspect is
prayer is for others.
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For the salvation
of others, for the...
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We call it intercession.
00:10:20.32\00:10:21.92
But praying for other
people, lifting up other people.
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Often on the flip
side we pray for ourselves.
00:10:25.92\00:10:29.32
Now that's not a bad thing.
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We're supposed to come boldly
before the throne of grace
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because we need
grace and mercy and help.
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We need forgiveness of sins
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but oftentimes
00:10:37.37\00:10:39.27
if it's only for
myself and not interceding
00:10:39.30\00:10:42.24
for the needs of other people.
00:10:42.27\00:10:44.31
Jesus' example shows us
00:10:44.34\00:10:45.74
that we are to intercede
for the needs of others.
00:10:45.77\00:10:49.61
I think of Watchman Nee,
00:10:49.64\00:10:51.25
he was, maybe
theologically not everything
00:10:51.28\00:10:54.78
that we would ascribe to,
but he was a great man of God.
00:10:54.82\00:11:01.26
And he authored, you think about
00:11:01.29\00:11:03.99
when he started the church,
this is in 1923 in China,
00:11:04.03\00:11:07.10
there was just a
handful of believers.
00:11:07.13\00:11:09.16
And in less than 20
years they say the church
00:11:09.20\00:11:11.47
there grew to over 700
churches and 70,000 members.
00:11:11.50\00:11:15.60
But when he first came to Jesus,
00:11:15.64\00:11:17.51
when he was
converted, he was 17 years old,
00:11:17.54\00:11:21.44
and he made a
list of his friends
00:11:21.48\00:11:23.91
who didn't know Jesus.
00:11:23.95\00:11:25.31
Those who had never accepted,
00:11:25.35\00:11:28.02
made Jesus Christ
the Lord of their life,
00:11:28.05\00:11:29.62
as Mollie would say.
00:11:29.65\00:11:31.09
And it's not 10
or 20 or 30 or 50,
00:11:31.12\00:11:35.96
he made a list of 70.
00:11:35.99\00:11:38.56
Seventy friends that
he wanted to pray for.
00:11:38.59\00:11:41.73
And if you study it,
00:11:41.76\00:11:43.10
he prayed for them
every hour in class,
00:11:43.13\00:11:46.23
outside of class.
00:11:46.27\00:11:47.60
He's a student,
he's 17 years old.
00:11:47.64\00:11:49.40
Some nights he stayed
up all night interceding,
00:11:49.44\00:11:52.07
following Jesus' example
of praying for other people.
00:11:52.11\00:11:54.91
Interceding for other people
00:11:54.94\00:11:56.78
and you know how
many of those people
00:11:56.81\00:11:59.01
accepted Christ?
00:11:59.05\00:12:00.98
Not all, almost all. And
I think I heard this, 69?
00:12:01.02\00:12:04.95
You got it.
00:12:04.99\00:12:06.32
And maybe one
did after he passed.
00:12:06.35\00:12:07.99
I'm not sure about that.
00:12:08.02\00:12:09.36
But that seems
like what I have heard.
00:12:09.39\00:12:11.19
Yeah, yeah 69.
00:12:11.23\00:12:12.56
Now I had not heard
about the one after he passed,
00:12:12.59\00:12:13.93
I don't know.
00:12:13.96\00:12:15.30
But 69 of the 70.
00:12:15.33\00:12:16.90
So prayer for
other people is powerful.
00:12:16.93\00:12:19.70
Number four,
00:12:19.73\00:12:22.44
Luke 9:28.
00:12:22.47\00:12:26.51
Luke 9:28. Okay.
00:12:26.71\00:12:30.41
You have that? Go ahead. Sure.
00:12:30.45\00:12:32.61
"Now it came to
pass about eight days
00:12:32.65\00:12:36.22
after these things
00:12:36.25\00:12:38.45
that He took
Peter, John and James
00:12:38.49\00:12:41.36
and went up on
the mountain to pray."
00:12:41.39\00:12:44.39
So we talked about
Jesus, Prayer is essential,
00:12:44.43\00:12:48.30
prayer is specific, consistent,
early, prayer is for others.
00:12:48.33\00:12:52.77
What about this
aspect? Prayer is what?
00:12:52.80\00:12:57.44
There is power in unity of
two or three praying together.
00:12:57.47\00:13:03.31
Prayer is with
other people, right?
00:13:03.35\00:13:05.31
We are called to united prayer.
00:13:05.35\00:13:07.25
Not necessarily
the opposite of that,
00:13:07.28\00:13:09.95
of course, would
be isolated prayer.
00:13:09.98\00:13:11.42
And God calls us
to solitary prayer.
00:13:11.45\00:13:13.52
Jesus gives us that
example, but not all the time.
00:13:13.56\00:13:16.16
We are not to forsake
00:13:16.19\00:13:17.53
the assembling of
ourselves together
00:13:17.56\00:13:19.19
and to gather together,
there's power in united prayer.
00:13:19.23\00:13:22.53
You think about the
early Christian church,
00:13:22.56\00:13:24.57
the church in Acts
that gathered together
00:13:24.60\00:13:27.10
for that prayer
life, for that prayer time.
00:13:27.14\00:13:29.60
Number five.
00:13:29.64\00:13:30.97
We already read this Scripture,
00:13:31.01\00:13:32.34
this is Luke 5:16 and
you mentioned it, Pastor,
00:13:32.37\00:13:34.74
He withdrew, He was alone,
00:13:34.78\00:13:36.34
we could say prayer is solitary.
00:13:36.38\00:13:38.48
So prayer is with other people,
00:13:38.51\00:13:40.02
but prayer is
also times in secret,
00:13:40.05\00:13:42.95
our own prayer closet
with the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:13:42.98\00:13:45.75
just having it out
between me and Him.
00:13:45.79\00:13:47.89
It's not just with each
other which we need that.
00:13:47.92\00:13:51.39
We don't want one with
the exclusion of the other
00:13:51.43\00:13:53.63
but it's not just solitary.
00:13:53.66\00:13:56.30
To me the opposite of that
00:13:56.33\00:13:58.57
would be maybe
someone who prays for show.
00:13:58.60\00:14:01.60
Think of the
publican and the Pharisee.
00:14:01.64\00:14:04.77
And the Pharisee
when he came in to pray,
00:14:04.81\00:14:06.81
he just prayed for show, right?
00:14:06.84\00:14:10.11
That's right.
00:14:10.15\00:14:12.35
Belike the
lesson brought this out,
00:14:12.38\00:14:14.25
how sometimes people
pray with questionable motives
00:14:14.28\00:14:19.05
and, Mollie, it would be like,
00:14:19.09\00:14:20.42
if I came to you and
I said, Sister Mollie,
00:14:20.46\00:14:22.72
we really need to
pray for Sister Shelley
00:14:22.76\00:14:25.39
'cause she's having a hard time
getting along with so and so.
00:14:25.43\00:14:29.13
So in the beginning you
think, oh, prayer is good,
00:14:29.16\00:14:31.43
we should be praying for Shelley
00:14:31.47\00:14:32.83
but the truth of the matter is,
00:14:32.87\00:14:34.20
and Shelley gets
along with people
00:14:34.24\00:14:35.57
so we're not picking you out.
00:14:35.60\00:14:37.01
But the truth of the matter is
00:14:37.04\00:14:38.64
that it's gossip
about somebody else.
00:14:38.67\00:14:42.48
That's a questionable motive.
00:14:42.51\00:14:44.71
It's the way of
camouflaging your gossip.
00:14:44.75\00:14:46.08
It is to even come in prayer.
00:14:46.11\00:14:48.38
And the final aspect of prayer
in the six aspects of prayer,
00:14:48.42\00:14:53.22
we won't look up the
verse but it is Matthew 26,
00:14:53.25\00:14:56.29
if you want to write
it down, Matthew 26:39.
00:14:56.32\00:15:00.36
And it's Jesus in
the Garden of Gethsemane
00:15:00.40\00:15:02.53
when He did not want to endure
00:15:02.56\00:15:04.87
that separation from His Father
and the agony of the cross.
00:15:04.90\00:15:08.44
And He said,
"If it be Your will,
00:15:08.47\00:15:10.54
let this cup pass from me
00:15:10.57\00:15:11.91
but not My will
but Yours be done".
00:15:11.94\00:15:14.08
So the sixth aspect
00:15:14.11\00:15:15.44
we see in Jesus'
prayer life is surrender.
00:15:15.48\00:15:18.38
Praying in surrender
to what God's will is.
00:15:18.41\00:15:21.82
Being willing
to give up my will,
00:15:21.85\00:15:23.69
my way in praying surrender
to the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:15:23.72\00:15:26.72
The opposite of that,
00:15:26.76\00:15:28.09
of course, would be
unwilling to surrender.
00:15:28.12\00:15:31.13
I just call it
plain old stubbornness
00:15:31.16\00:15:33.19
Unwillingness to
give that to Jesus.
00:15:33.23\00:15:34.56
I like that,
plain old stubbornness.
00:15:34.60\00:15:36.36
That's right.
00:15:36.40\00:15:37.90
So the prerequisite to prayer
00:15:37.93\00:15:40.07
being pleasing to God is
really abiding in Christ.
00:15:40.10\00:15:43.17
John 15:7.
00:15:43.20\00:15:45.51
It talks about
that abiding in Christ.
00:15:45.54\00:15:48.18
And now as we jump
into Mollie and Monday,
00:15:48.21\00:15:52.48
we're talking
about the ABCs of prayer,
00:15:52.51\00:15:54.78
and I think you
have the A of prayer.
00:15:54.82\00:15:56.58
Is that correct,
Ask? I have the Ask, yes.
00:15:56.62\00:15:59.69
I appreciated those six steps
00:15:59.72\00:16:03.39
and I wrote them all
down and that's something
00:16:03.43\00:16:07.13
that I wanted to
encourage you to do
00:16:07.16\00:16:09.10
to take notes, get
your Bible, take notes
00:16:09.13\00:16:13.30
because go back
then and study the notes
00:16:13.34\00:16:18.07
and you'll find it
will help you so much.
00:16:18.11\00:16:20.21
Well, I'm looking at
the A of the ABCs of prayer
00:16:20.24\00:16:25.28
which is Ask,
00:16:25.31\00:16:26.65
we're gonna really
emphasize that word.
00:16:26.68\00:16:30.89
I heard someone say once
that, now this is encouraging,
00:16:30.92\00:16:35.52
Satan can't stop God
from hearing your prayer
00:16:35.56\00:16:39.96
or from answering your prayer.
00:16:40.00\00:16:42.16
But you know what Satan can do?
00:16:42.20\00:16:44.27
He can discourage you
from asking in prayer.
00:16:44.30\00:16:48.34
He can
discourage you from prayer.
00:16:48.37\00:16:50.67
Now, if you don't pray,
00:16:50.71\00:16:52.51
does God have
anything to answer?
00:16:52.54\00:16:55.44
So prayer is
vital, it is essential.
00:16:55.48\00:16:58.58
It's good.
00:16:58.61\00:16:59.95
Before we receive
anything from God,
00:16:59.98\00:17:02.88
we have to ask
Him, isn't that right?
00:17:02.92\00:17:05.99
And let's look at Matthew7:7.
00:17:06.02\00:17:08.92
The Scripture says Ask
00:17:08.96\00:17:10.93
and I just
highlighted that word.
00:17:10.96\00:17:13.19
Ask and it will be given to you.
00:17:13.23\00:17:16.70
Seek and you will find.
00:17:16.73\00:17:19.00
Knock and it
will be opened to you,
00:17:19.03\00:17:20.74
but it starts with that asking.
00:17:20.77\00:17:23.91
We may ask the question,
if God knows everything,
00:17:23.94\00:17:29.08
why do we have to
ask? He already knows.
00:17:29.11\00:17:32.65
Have you ever heard
people ask that question?
00:17:32.68\00:17:35.18
He already knows so
why do we need to ask?
00:17:35.22\00:17:37.59
Well, first and foremost,
00:17:37.62\00:17:39.92
this is the method
that God has laid down
00:17:39.95\00:17:44.53
for His
children to approach Him.
00:17:44.56\00:17:47.20
We approach Him in prayer.
We approach Him in asking.
00:17:47.23\00:17:51.67
And when we are
obedient to His method,
00:17:51.70\00:17:55.27
again that's putting
00:17:55.30\00:17:56.97
a biblical
principle into operation.
00:17:57.01\00:18:00.78
When you put a
biblical principle into play,
00:18:00.81\00:18:04.15
you know what
you're going to do?
00:18:04.18\00:18:05.81
You're going to
reap a biblical result.
00:18:05.85\00:18:08.38
You're going to
reap the benefits.
00:18:08.42\00:18:10.02
If you put an
un-biblical principle
00:18:10.05\00:18:12.35
into operation,
00:18:12.39\00:18:13.72
you're going to
suffer the consequences.
00:18:13.76\00:18:15.66
So which would you rather do?
00:18:15.69\00:18:17.39
Suffer the
consequences, reap the benefits.
00:18:17.43\00:18:20.20
Put this biblical
principle into operation,
00:18:20.23\00:18:23.10
be obedient to God.
00:18:23.13\00:18:25.10
Shows that we trust God
00:18:25.13\00:18:26.60
when we're obedient
to what He tells us to do
00:18:26.63\00:18:29.90
and the result is,
00:18:29.94\00:18:31.71
this is Luke 11:10,
talking about asking,
00:18:31.74\00:18:35.31
seeking and knocking.
00:18:35.34\00:18:36.68
"For every one
who asks receives,
00:18:36.71\00:18:40.18
he who seeks finds,
00:18:40.22\00:18:42.55
and he who knocks
it will be opened."
00:18:42.58\00:18:44.82
Asking is so very important,
and asking is verbalizing,
00:18:44.85\00:18:49.59
is it not?
00:18:49.62\00:18:50.96
It's being vocal.
00:18:50.99\00:18:52.33
Now, I don't know about you
00:18:52.36\00:18:53.93
but I pray
sometimes just in my heart.
00:18:53.96\00:18:57.27
Do you do that?
00:18:57.30\00:18:58.63
Or driving down the
road, driving down the road,
00:18:58.67\00:19:01.10
I sometimes I think,
00:19:01.14\00:19:03.00
if people are watching
me from the other cars,
00:19:03.04\00:19:05.97
they're thinking
that's a crazy woman
00:19:06.01\00:19:07.88
because I'm
praying but that's the time
00:19:07.91\00:19:10.75
when I am alone with God
and I don't have interruptions
00:19:10.78\00:19:15.12
and I can just
pray my heart out.
00:19:15.15\00:19:16.55
You're communing with
Him. Communing with God.
00:19:16.58\00:19:19.15
But let's look at this.
00:19:19.19\00:19:20.52
I want you to go to Mark 11,
00:19:20.56\00:19:23.53
we're going to
look at verses 22-24.
00:19:23.56\00:19:26.96
That's Mark 11:22-24.
00:19:27.00\00:19:30.33
Jesus is talking
to His disciples,
00:19:30.37\00:19:33.44
but Peter had just
asked Jesus a question,
00:19:33.47\00:19:37.21
and here is how Jesus responds.
00:19:37.24\00:19:39.71
So Jesus
answered and said to them,
00:19:39.74\00:19:42.68
have faith in God.
00:19:42.71\00:19:44.58
Now I've also
seen this translated,
00:19:44.61\00:19:47.62
heard sermons where
it's have the faith of God.
00:19:47.65\00:19:50.39
Have faith in God, for
assuredly I say to you,
00:19:50.42\00:19:54.22
this is Jesus talking,
00:19:54.26\00:19:57.49
whoever says to this mountain.
00:19:57.53\00:19:59.63
Now what is it that they do?
00:19:59.66\00:20:01.46
They say to this mountain,
00:20:01.50\00:20:04.07
whoever says so is
it important to say,
00:20:04.10\00:20:07.04
whoever says to
this mountain be removed
00:20:07.07\00:20:09.50
and be cast in the sea and
does not doubt in his heart
00:20:09.54\00:20:13.41
but believes those things
00:20:13.44\00:20:15.31
which he, what's that next word,
00:20:15.34\00:20:17.28
which he says the
importance of asking,
00:20:17.31\00:20:19.81
the importance of verbalizing,
00:20:19.85\00:20:21.65
the importance of saying
who believes those things
00:20:21.68\00:20:25.79
he says will be done.
00:20:25.82\00:20:27.42
He will have whatsoever
things he thinks about.
00:20:27.46\00:20:30.86
No, never.
00:20:30.89\00:20:32.23
Whatsoever
things he writes down,
00:20:32.26\00:20:34.03
whatsoever things he
tells his brother about,
00:20:34.06\00:20:36.73
what does it say?
00:20:36.77\00:20:38.10
He will have
whatsoever things he says,
00:20:38.13\00:20:41.60
therefore I say to
you, whatever thing you ask,
00:20:41.64\00:20:46.04
there is that word,
whatsoever things you ask,
00:20:46.07\00:20:49.91
when you pray believe
00:20:49.94\00:20:52.08
that you
receive them, then what?
00:20:52.11\00:20:54.35
Them things
00:20:54.38\00:20:55.72
which you have
asked God for in prayer
00:20:55.75\00:20:57.95
and you will have them.
00:20:57.99\00:21:00.72
And we wanted to
look at maybe some things
00:21:00.76\00:21:06.26
that would
interfere with God hearing
00:21:06.29\00:21:09.60
and answering your prayers.
00:21:09.63\00:21:10.97
We've already
determined have we not
00:21:11.00\00:21:13.07
that God has laid
down a biblical principle
00:21:13.10\00:21:15.64
in His Word.
00:21:15.67\00:21:17.01
He told us how
to come before Him
00:21:17.04\00:21:19.97
and make our petitions known
so we come before God asking,
00:21:20.01\00:21:24.48
but there are things
00:21:24.51\00:21:25.85
that can
interfere with God hearing
00:21:25.88\00:21:28.52
and answering our prayer.
00:21:28.55\00:21:30.05
And I go to James 4:2,
00:21:30.09\00:21:35.69
we're just going to read
the B part of the second verse
00:21:35.72\00:21:38.59
and then all of
verse 3 in James 4.
00:21:38.63\00:21:42.90
"Yet you do not have
because you do not ask."
00:21:42.93\00:21:46.50
Why don't you have?
00:21:46.53\00:21:47.87
What's the word that
we're looking at today?
00:21:47.90\00:21:50.47
In Monday's lesson
we're looking at asking.
00:21:50.51\00:21:53.41
This says, James says,
00:21:53.44\00:21:55.11
you don't have
because you don't ask.
00:21:55.14\00:21:57.51
Remember the
enemy can't stop God
00:21:57.55\00:22:00.48
from hearing your prayers
00:22:00.52\00:22:02.22
and from answering your prayers.
00:22:02.25\00:22:04.29
He can
discourage you from asking.
00:22:04.32\00:22:06.65
What I want to do today
00:22:06.69\00:22:08.29
and what this group
of people want to do,
00:22:08.32\00:22:11.89
are these
teachers and these people
00:22:11.93\00:22:13.70
that love you so much,
00:22:13.73\00:22:15.06
what we want to do is
encourage you to pray.
00:22:15.10\00:22:18.07
Encourage you to ask.
00:22:18.10\00:22:21.70
Again, the Scripture says,
00:22:21.74\00:22:23.20
"Yet you do not have
because you do not ask."
00:22:23.24\00:22:26.11
It goes on to say,
00:22:26.14\00:22:27.48
"You ask and you do not receive
00:22:27.51\00:22:30.38
because you ask amiss
00:22:30.41\00:22:33.11
that you may spend it
upon your own pleasures."
00:22:33.15\00:22:35.98
I believe as the King James says
00:22:36.02\00:22:38.39
that you can consume
it upon your own lusts.
00:22:38.42\00:22:40.92
You ask amiss.
00:22:40.96\00:22:42.32
So we want to make sure
that when we are asking,
00:22:42.36\00:22:45.99
when we are praying
00:22:46.03\00:22:47.36
we're praying
according to the will of God.
00:22:47.40\00:22:49.70
And that we are
praying not for something
00:22:49.73\00:22:53.74
that would do us harm
00:22:53.77\00:22:55.10
or that we would
consume upon our own lust
00:22:55.14\00:22:57.41
but praying the will to God.
00:22:57.44\00:22:58.77
You know we can
have the mind of Christ,
00:22:58.81\00:23:00.78
the Holy Spirit will
help our infirmities.
00:23:00.81\00:23:04.28
The Holy Spirit
will direct us in prayer
00:23:04.31\00:23:07.25
and give us those
desires in our heart
00:23:07.28\00:23:09.98
that we will pray right.
00:23:10.02\00:23:12.35
Another reason that God
may not answer our prayers,
00:23:12.39\00:23:17.16
that Psalm 66:18.
00:23:17.19\00:23:20.30
The Scripture says,
00:23:20.33\00:23:21.96
"If I regard
iniquity in my heart,"
00:23:22.00\00:23:26.30
the Psalmist says,
00:23:26.33\00:23:27.80
"the Lord will not hear."
00:23:27.84\00:23:29.64
What separates us from
God? What separates us?
00:23:29.67\00:23:33.41
It's sin. What is sin?
00:23:33.44\00:23:35.64
Pardon me, what is iniquity?
We're looking at iniquity.
00:23:35.68\00:23:38.78
Iniquity is
lawlessness. Lawlessness is sin.
00:23:38.81\00:23:42.65
If I regard
iniquity in my heart,
00:23:42.68\00:23:45.82
the Lord will not hear,
00:23:45.85\00:23:47.19
and another
Scripture is Isaiah 59:1, 2,
00:23:47.22\00:23:51.99
"Behold the Lord's
hand is not shortened
00:23:52.03\00:23:55.53
that it cannot save
nor is His ear heavy,"
00:23:55.56\00:23:58.13
isn't this encouraging?
00:23:58.17\00:24:00.04
"God hears that it cannot hear
00:24:00.07\00:24:02.57
but your
iniquities have separated you
00:24:02.60\00:24:05.94
from your God
00:24:05.97\00:24:07.31
and your sins have
hidden His face from you
00:24:07.34\00:24:09.84
so that He will not hear."
00:24:09.88\00:24:11.51
So if there is
known sin in your life,
00:24:11.55\00:24:14.12
what do we do
with sin in our life?
00:24:14.15\00:24:16.35
What is the biblical
principle? I confess it.
00:24:16.38\00:24:20.79
Yeah, 1 John 1:9.
Thank God for 1 John 1:9.
00:24:20.82\00:24:24.76
"If we confess our sin,
00:24:24.79\00:24:26.53
He is faithful and just
to forgive us of our sins,"
00:24:26.56\00:24:29.80
and he goes one step further,
00:24:29.83\00:24:31.33
I always say this,
00:24:31.37\00:24:32.70
then He cleanses you
from all unrighteousness.
00:24:32.73\00:24:37.54
If you're cleansed
from all unrighteousness,
00:24:37.57\00:24:40.48
you know you're standing
before God with clean hands
00:24:40.51\00:24:43.11
and a pure heart,
00:24:43.14\00:24:44.48
and I've got that
in Psalms 24:3 and 4,
00:24:44.51\00:24:47.85
"Who may ascend into
the hill of the Lord,
00:24:47.88\00:24:50.79
or who may stand
in His holy place.
00:24:50.82\00:24:53.56
He who has clean
hands and a pure heart
00:24:53.59\00:24:56.93
who has not lifted up his soul
00:24:56.96\00:24:58.83
to an idol nor
sworn deceitfully."
00:24:58.86\00:25:01.16
You want to stand before God
00:25:01.20\00:25:02.70
with clean hands
and a pure heart,
00:25:02.73\00:25:04.80
then ask the Lord to give
you that spirit of repentance
00:25:04.83\00:25:08.24
that by the power of His spirit
00:25:08.27\00:25:10.14
He will show you
those areas of iniquity
00:25:10.17\00:25:12.74
that are in your heart,
00:25:12.77\00:25:14.11
that are separating you from Him
00:25:14.14\00:25:16.24
and He will bring
that convicting power
00:25:16.28\00:25:18.58
upon your heart,
00:25:18.61\00:25:19.95
you will confess your
sins, Pastor Lomacang.
00:25:19.98\00:25:22.45
He will cleanse
you of your sins.
00:25:22.48\00:25:24.39
He will forgive
you of your sins,
00:25:24.42\00:25:27.12
cleanse you
from unrighteousness,
00:25:27.16\00:25:28.66
then you're standing
before Him pure and clean
00:25:28.69\00:25:31.33
and you can ask
00:25:31.36\00:25:32.69
what you will and He
will hear your prayer
00:25:32.73\00:25:35.40
and He will answer your prayer.
00:25:35.43\00:25:37.27
Let us therefore come boldly
before the throne of grace
00:25:37.30\00:25:40.77
that we may obtain mercy
00:25:40.80\00:25:43.61
and grace to help
in our time of need.
00:25:43.64\00:25:45.41
That's right. Thank you, Mollie.
00:25:45.44\00:25:47.18
You know this has been a very...
00:25:47.21\00:25:49.31
I love this lesson
for its breaking down
00:25:49.34\00:25:51.95
the
simplicities of Christianity.
00:25:51.98\00:25:54.38
A lot of times
we get into lessons
00:25:54.42\00:25:55.75
that are heavily theological,
00:25:55.78\00:25:57.65
settling arguments
00:25:57.69\00:25:59.02
but this is going
back to the basics
00:25:59.05\00:26:00.56
of Christianity saying...
00:26:00.59\00:26:01.92
It's practical.
00:26:01.96\00:26:03.29
Very practical saying,
if you want to get to God,
00:26:03.32\00:26:05.13
here's how you do it.
00:26:05.16\00:26:06.70
If you've been attempting
to get to God and have not,
00:26:06.73\00:26:09.13
this is why you
haven't been able to.
00:26:09.16\00:26:11.27
And I like this Mark 11:24,
00:26:11.30\00:26:12.63
I'm talking about
00:26:12.67\00:26:14.00
the foundation
of biblical prayer.
00:26:14.04\00:26:16.34
I'm now with the B. Believe B.
00:26:16.37\00:26:18.21
That's right. Believe.
00:26:18.24\00:26:20.08
Mark 11:24,
00:26:20.11\00:26:21.44
which Mollie
just read a moment ago
00:26:21.48\00:26:22.81
but I'll reiterate it.
00:26:22.84\00:26:24.18
"Therefore I say to you
00:26:24.21\00:26:25.65
whatever things you ask
00:26:25.68\00:26:28.32
when you pray
believe that you receive them
00:26:28.35\00:26:32.09
and you will have them."
00:26:32.12\00:26:34.12
The question put
forth in the lesson is,
00:26:34.16\00:26:36.62
besides asking
what other aspects
00:26:36.66\00:26:38.39
does Jesus mention in
connection with prayer.
00:26:38.43\00:26:41.86
So besides the A,
we'll also put the B.
00:26:41.90\00:26:45.57
Ask and Believe.
00:26:45.60\00:26:47.67
Belief though
00:26:47.70\00:26:49.04
and this is some
thing I want to bring out.
00:26:49.07\00:26:51.17
Belief is not unconditional.
00:26:51.21\00:26:55.04
You know we
could believe anything
00:26:55.08\00:26:56.98
but belief doesn't make it so.
00:26:57.01\00:26:59.58
It's very important.
00:26:59.61\00:27:00.95
Belief doesn't
make something so.
00:27:00.98\00:27:02.42
You could
believe, let me just...
00:27:02.45\00:27:04.99
You could fly.
Right, I can believe...
00:27:05.02\00:27:08.72
I believe I can
fly. Someday you will.
00:27:08.76\00:27:11.39
He hurt himself pretty bad.
00:27:11.43\00:27:13.73
Right, we could believe
that we can fly but we won't.
00:27:13.76\00:27:16.10
I said many years
ago, Shaquille O'Neil,
00:27:16.13\00:27:18.70
you may be from another country
and not know who that is.
00:27:18.73\00:27:20.60
He was a very, very
tall basketball player
00:27:20.64\00:27:22.67
about 7'3" 340
00:27:22.70\00:27:25.14
when he was in basketball
close to about 360 now.
00:27:25.17\00:27:28.88
I said, no matter
how much he believes
00:27:28.91\00:27:30.48
he will never be
a successful jockey.
00:27:30.51\00:27:33.75
He'll kill the horse.
00:27:33.78\00:27:36.48
So belief is not unconditional.
Belief comes with conditions.
00:27:36.52\00:27:39.79
James 1:6-8.
00:27:39.82\00:27:42.06
One of the connections to belief
00:27:42.09\00:27:44.16
which was leading us to
the very next question is,
00:27:44.19\00:27:47.93
there's a simplicity
that comes with belief
00:27:47.96\00:27:51.43
but the simplicity also
brings with it some conditions.
00:27:51.47\00:27:56.17
You know like a child might say.
00:27:56.20\00:27:58.21
When I was in school,
00:27:58.24\00:27:59.94
we took up something
called Sequence of Events.
00:27:59.97\00:28:02.74
So the instructor would ask us
when I was taking electronics,
00:28:02.78\00:28:05.78
he says, "What would
you do to start your car?"
00:28:05.81\00:28:09.88
I'd say, "You turn the key."
00:28:09.92\00:28:11.25
He said, "Are you going to turn
the key in your living room?"
00:28:11.29\00:28:13.79
I said, "No the car is outside."
00:28:13.82\00:28:15.16
He says, "What would you do?"
00:28:15.19\00:28:16.52
He said, "Describe it in events.
00:28:16.56\00:28:18.19
Get up, walk across the floor,
reach down, turn the knob,
00:28:18.23\00:28:21.86
you get the point,
00:28:21.90\00:28:23.23
open the door close
the door behind you,"
00:28:23.26\00:28:24.70
he said get very specific.
00:28:24.73\00:28:26.07
Because he says
dealing with electricity
00:28:26.10\00:28:28.50
you could die if
you forget one step,
00:28:28.54\00:28:30.94
if you forget one
step you could die.
00:28:30.97\00:28:34.31
Many electricians
00:28:34.34\00:28:35.68
they make sure they're grounded,
00:28:35.71\00:28:37.05
or they make sure
00:28:37.08\00:28:38.41
that the power is off
before they touch the wire.
00:28:38.45\00:28:40.42
These sequence of events
are so important in particular,
00:28:40.45\00:28:43.62
so there's a
sequence in our prayer life.
00:28:43.65\00:28:46.32
If any of these are
out of the sequence,
00:28:46.35\00:28:48.92
it's not going to work.
00:28:48.96\00:28:50.39
James 1:6.
00:28:50.43\00:28:51.99
But let him ask in
faith with no doubting,
00:28:52.03\00:28:57.03
for he who doubts is like
00:28:57.07\00:28:58.40
the wave of a sea
driven and tossed by the wind.
00:28:58.43\00:29:02.07
For let not that man suppose
00:29:02.10\00:29:03.44
that he will receive
anything from the Lord,
00:29:03.47\00:29:05.71
he is a double minded
man unstable in all his ways"
00:29:05.74\00:29:08.14
or as the King
James Version says,
00:29:08.18\00:29:10.18
"A double minded man is
unstable in all his ways."
00:29:10.21\00:29:14.38
Why is faith
important? Faith removes doubt.
00:29:14.42\00:29:17.92
Faith is a doubt killer.
00:29:17.95\00:29:20.49
You know when we have
faith, we can't have doubt.
00:29:20.52\00:29:22.82
When we have doubt,
we can't have faith.
00:29:22.86\00:29:26.09
So are we having faith in faith
or are we having faith in God?
00:29:26.13\00:29:30.23
You have to have
faith in God, Hebrews 11:6.
00:29:30.27\00:29:32.30
You must believe that He is.
00:29:32.33\00:29:33.67
When you come to
Him, believe that He is
00:29:33.70\00:29:35.67
and then he goes a step further.
00:29:35.70\00:29:37.57
He rewards those
who diligently seek Him.
00:29:37.61\00:29:40.54
You know the lesson
they pointed out in,
00:29:40.58\00:29:42.48
my wife and I were
studying this together,
00:29:42.51\00:29:44.51
praise the Lord
for a godly wife.
00:29:44.55\00:29:46.72
We studied this
together and they said,
00:29:46.75\00:29:48.55
"He rewards those who seek Him."
00:29:48.58\00:29:50.02
I said, "No, He rewards
those who diligently seek Him."
00:29:50.05\00:29:54.22
You could look for your keys
00:29:54.26\00:29:55.59
but if you
don't look diligently,
00:29:55.62\00:29:56.96
you won't find them.
00:29:56.99\00:29:58.33
My wife and I
recently bought something
00:29:58.36\00:29:59.69
called the Tile
00:29:59.73\00:30:01.06
which we connect to our phones,
and we put one in our wallet,
00:30:01.10\00:30:03.83
and one on our car keys,
00:30:03.87\00:30:05.20
the two most
common things we lose.
00:30:05.23\00:30:10.11
Where's my
wallet? Where's my keys?
00:30:10.14\00:30:12.04
So the other day my wife
was running around the house
00:30:12.07\00:30:13.74
without her,
can't find her keys.
00:30:13.78\00:30:15.18
I said, Honey do
you have your phone?
00:30:15.21\00:30:17.48
Hit the tile
and hit find my keys
00:30:17.51\00:30:19.91
and it plays music
00:30:19.95\00:30:21.28
and you follow the
music and it finds your keys.
00:30:21.32\00:30:23.25
That's great.
00:30:23.28\00:30:24.62
We were in Dallas, Texas
00:30:24.65\00:30:26.45
and we parked our car in
St. Louis at the airport.
00:30:26.49\00:30:28.56
I said, "Does this
thing really work?"
00:30:28.59\00:30:31.09
Find your keys.
00:30:31.13\00:30:32.46
It says, "Your keys are located"
00:30:32.49\00:30:33.83
and it showed right
in front of the hotel
00:30:33.86\00:30:35.20
right in our vehicle.
00:30:35.23\00:30:36.56
It finds this thing
wherever it is on the globe.
00:30:36.60\00:30:38.93
So now it's
becoming exponential.
00:30:38.97\00:30:40.40
This is not a commercial.
00:30:40.44\00:30:41.77
The point of the matter is,
if it's there it will be found.
00:30:41.80\00:30:45.67
If the Lord has it in store
and we follow the sequences,
00:30:45.71\00:30:48.71
we'll find exactly what
God is promising for us.
00:30:48.74\00:30:51.21
But you have to
believe that He is
00:30:51.25\00:30:53.31
and that He does reward.
00:30:53.35\00:30:55.58
There's also
another prerequisite.
00:30:55.62\00:30:59.09
Jesus said this to
Martha when He came to her
00:30:59.12\00:31:01.66
because she was
00:31:01.69\00:31:03.02
so concerned about the
death of her brother Lazarus.
00:31:03.06\00:31:05.09
And in John 11:40,
this belief prerequisite.
00:31:05.13\00:31:10.63
See there's belief
00:31:10.67\00:31:12.00
but there are
prerequisites to belief.
00:31:12.03\00:31:15.10
Say that five times, Shelley.
00:31:15.14\00:31:16.47
Prerequisite
00:31:16.50\00:31:17.84
I don't even
want to say it once.
00:31:17.87\00:31:20.04
It's a tongue
twister, it's like millennium.
00:31:20.08\00:31:23.81
Jesus said to her in John 11:40,
00:31:23.85\00:31:26.82
"Did I not say to you
that if you would what?"
00:31:26.85\00:31:29.85
Believe.
00:31:29.88\00:31:31.22
"If you would
believe you would see
00:31:31.25\00:31:32.82
the glory of God."
00:31:32.85\00:31:34.56
I believe that the
reason why many people don't see
00:31:34.59\00:31:38.76
the glory of God revealed,
00:31:38.79\00:31:40.73
the blessings of God
flow into their lives
00:31:40.76\00:31:43.37
is they don't believe.
00:31:43.40\00:31:45.33
They ask God but let me make
a couple of points about God.
00:31:45.37\00:31:48.80
God is reliable.
God is not shady.
00:31:48.84\00:31:51.77
God never lies. God
always tells the truth.
00:31:51.81\00:31:55.48
As one lady in one
of my former churches,
00:31:55.51\00:31:58.28
God can do everything but
lie, die, fail and change.
00:31:58.31\00:32:02.48
So when He makes a
promise, it's sure.
00:32:02.52\00:32:04.35
It's a good promise.
00:32:04.39\00:32:05.79
So belief is not a
standalone prerequisite either.
00:32:05.82\00:32:09.52
Even when you believe
there's something else
00:32:09.56\00:32:12.59
that must happen.
00:32:12.63\00:32:15.66
1 John 5:14.
00:32:15.70\00:32:18.70
We read this earlier.
00:32:18.73\00:32:20.07
We ask anything
according to His will, right?
00:32:20.10\00:32:22.84
According to His will.
00:32:22.87\00:32:24.21
I won't quote the entire text,
00:32:24.24\00:32:25.57
but it says, this is
the confidence we have.
00:32:25.61\00:32:27.14
That's right.
00:32:27.18\00:32:28.51
You know when you
go to a restaurant,
00:32:28.54\00:32:30.25
the first thing they do
is they take you to your seat
00:32:30.28\00:32:33.45
and then they give you a menu.
00:32:33.48\00:32:35.32
Now if you go to I
Hop and ask for pancakes,
00:32:35.35\00:32:38.79
you're gonna get it.
00:32:38.82\00:32:40.16
Right, Brian? Yeah I have.
00:32:40.19\00:32:41.62
But if you go to
I Hop, I love I Hop,
00:32:41.66\00:32:45.13
but if you go to
I Hop and ask for...
00:32:45.16\00:32:48.26
Let me try to go
to another restaurant,
00:32:48.30\00:32:49.83
pull a different
thing in the menu.
00:32:49.86\00:32:51.47
If you go and ask for enchilada,
00:32:51.50\00:32:55.57
I don't know if they have it
00:32:55.60\00:32:56.94
or not but if
it's not on the menu,
00:32:56.97\00:32:58.31
you're not gonna get it.
00:32:58.34\00:32:59.67
It doesn't seem
like it. Doesn't sound.
00:32:59.71\00:33:01.04
Oh, if you ask for chop
suey, you're not gonna get it.
00:33:01.08\00:33:03.95
Yes, it's not gonna happen.
00:33:03.98\00:33:05.31
The point of the matter
is it has to be according
00:33:05.35\00:33:07.42
to His will.
00:33:07.45\00:33:09.48
If His word says it,
00:33:09.52\00:33:12.02
the assurance is we're gonna get
00:33:12.05\00:33:13.39
what His word
has revealed to us.
00:33:13.42\00:33:15.09
We ask according to His
will, that's why it says,
00:33:15.12\00:33:17.63
this is the confidence,
if we know He hears us,
00:33:17.66\00:33:20.53
because He hears us,
00:33:20.56\00:33:21.90
we're gonna get the
petition that we ask.
00:33:21.93\00:33:24.00
But there's another condition.
00:33:24.03\00:33:26.13
1 John 3:22.
00:33:26.17\00:33:28.10
This, I mean it
gets deeper and deeper
00:33:28.14\00:33:29.97
and I'm not trying
to make it difficult
00:33:30.01\00:33:31.81
but I'm trying to take
all the artichoke leaves
00:33:31.84\00:33:34.01
out of the way
00:33:34.04\00:33:35.38
to get to the heart of the issue
00:33:35.41\00:33:36.75
about answered prayer.
00:33:36.78\00:33:38.11
1 John 3:22. Do
you have that, Jill?
00:33:38.15\00:33:40.05
Read that for us.
00:33:40.08\00:33:41.42
"And whatever we ask
00:33:41.45\00:33:42.78
we receive from Him
00:33:42.82\00:33:44.15
because we keep
His commandments,
00:33:44.19\00:33:45.55
and do those things
00:33:45.59\00:33:46.92
that are pleasing in His sight."
00:33:46.96\00:33:48.76
When you live in public
the way you live in private,
00:33:48.79\00:33:54.26
when you live in private
the way you live in public,
00:33:54.30\00:33:57.17
you do those things that
are pleasing in His sight.
00:33:57.20\00:34:00.94
He says, we do
the same as parents.
00:34:00.97\00:34:03.34
Are you gonna give
your children anything
00:34:03.37\00:34:05.57
if they don't do
what's pleasing in your sight.
00:34:05.61\00:34:07.94
Amen.
00:34:07.98\00:34:09.31
Children are very good.
00:34:09.34\00:34:10.68
They do things that
are pleasing in your sight
00:34:10.71\00:34:12.35
but the difference with God is,
00:34:12.38\00:34:13.95
there's no place
that's not in God's sight.
00:34:13.98\00:34:16.79
I like what he
said about, about...
00:34:16.82\00:34:19.75
in 1 Kings 15:5.
00:34:19.79\00:34:24.16
This is beautiful.
00:34:24.19\00:34:25.53
You see none of us
is exempt from sin.
00:34:25.56\00:34:29.66
But what I love
about the Lord is
00:34:29.70\00:34:31.53
He doesn't hold our
sin against us always.
00:34:31.57\00:34:34.20
Yes. Amen.
00:34:34.24\00:34:35.57
So even though sin is a
blocker to answered prayer,
00:34:35.60\00:34:38.17
when we confess and
ask for forgiveness,
00:34:38.21\00:34:39.74
He forgives us,
00:34:39.77\00:34:41.11
He doesn't keep
holding it against us.
00:34:41.14\00:34:42.48
That's right.
00:34:42.51\00:34:43.85
And this is so
beautiful because you talk about
00:34:43.88\00:34:45.51
how you can prevent
yourself from being blessed,
00:34:45.55\00:34:48.52
here's what the
Lord said about David.
00:34:48.55\00:34:50.62
1 Kings 15:5.
00:34:50.65\00:34:52.62
Because David did
00:34:52.65\00:34:53.99
what was right in
the eyes of the Lord,
00:34:54.02\00:34:55.86
remember, doing
what's right in His sight
00:34:55.89\00:34:58.13
is one of the
prerequisites to blessings.
00:34:58.16\00:35:00.96
Because David did
00:35:01.00\00:35:02.33
what was right in
the eyes of the Lord
00:35:02.36\00:35:04.43
and had not turned
aside from anything
00:35:04.47\00:35:07.54
that He commanded him
all the days of his life.
00:35:07.57\00:35:10.97
Is that true?
00:35:11.01\00:35:12.34
We know that's not true,
00:35:12.37\00:35:13.71
but and look at
the rest of the text,
00:35:13.74\00:35:15.14
except in the matter
of Uriah the Hittite.
00:35:15.18\00:35:18.31
So the Lord said, David
did a lot of good things,
00:35:18.35\00:35:20.78
he messed up royally in one area
00:35:20.82\00:35:23.59
but he did confess
00:35:23.62\00:35:25.25
and I'm gonna not
hold it against him.
00:35:25.29\00:35:26.79
He confessed and he
repented and the promise is,
00:35:26.82\00:35:29.92
here's the
promise as we transition.
00:35:29.96\00:35:32.89
Psalm 84:11,
00:35:32.93\00:35:34.76
"No good thing will
He withhold from those
00:35:34.80\00:35:38.93
who walk uprightly."
00:35:38.97\00:35:40.30
Amen.
00:35:40.34\00:35:41.67
So if you want God to answer
your prayer, walk uprightly.
00:35:41.70\00:35:44.34
And you'll believe,
00:35:44.37\00:35:45.71
you'll ask and God
will move in your behalf.
00:35:45.74\00:35:48.51
Amen. Shelley.
00:35:48.54\00:35:49.88
I just want to pick up on that
00:35:49.91\00:35:51.25
because what you
were reading was 1 Kings,
00:35:51.28\00:35:53.11
what verse was that?
00:35:53.15\00:35:54.48
15:5.
00:35:54.52\00:35:55.85
And that is when the
author is writing this
00:35:55.88\00:35:58.79
under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
00:35:58.82\00:36:00.29
but when he quotes the
Lord is in 1 Kings 14:8,
00:36:00.32\00:36:05.63
he's talking, telling, giving,
00:36:05.66\00:36:07.73
God's giving him a message
to Jeroboam and with the Lord,
00:36:07.76\00:36:11.83
the quote is that he
tore the kingdom away
00:36:11.87\00:36:14.84
from the house of David
00:36:14.87\00:36:16.84
and gave it to you and
yet, this is what God says,
00:36:16.87\00:36:20.24
you have not been
as my servant David
00:36:20.28\00:36:22.44
who kept my commandments
00:36:22.48\00:36:23.81
and who followed me
with all his heart to do
00:36:23.85\00:36:27.52
only what was right in my eyes.
00:36:27.55\00:36:29.88
So actually then later
00:36:29.92\00:36:32.32
the author of the book brings up
00:36:32.35\00:36:35.12
the other matter just
so that we all understand,
00:36:35.16\00:36:38.06
but this just proves
to me that God forgets
00:36:38.09\00:36:42.20
what we ask Him to forgive.
00:36:42.23\00:36:44.70
This is you know, He's
cast them into the sea.
00:36:44.73\00:36:47.80
Well we've had the ask,
the believe and the claim
00:36:47.84\00:36:51.54
And the point is
made in the lesson
00:36:51.57\00:36:55.84
that all faith is useless
00:36:55.88\00:36:58.71
if we do not claim the
things for which we have prayed.
00:36:58.75\00:37:02.08
So our first scripture
00:37:02.12\00:37:03.45
and you've touched on it
00:37:03.49\00:37:04.82
is 1 John 5:14.
00:37:04.85\00:37:09.72
We're gonna go to that.
00:37:09.76\00:37:11.09
But I just want to say
00:37:11.13\00:37:12.46
that the true purpose of
prayer is to commune with God.
00:37:12.49\00:37:16.43
Prayer is not just
to give a laundry list
00:37:16.46\00:37:19.13
of what you want,
00:37:19.17\00:37:20.50
it's to have true
communion with God.
00:37:20.54\00:37:23.10
And so it's important
though that when you are asking
00:37:23.14\00:37:28.28
that you're asking
according to His will.
00:37:28.31\00:37:30.75
So let's look at this
00:37:30.78\00:37:32.81
because all of God's promises
are ours in Christ Jesus.
00:37:32.85\00:37:36.65
They are your birthright.
00:37:36.69\00:37:38.95
If you're Christian,
00:37:38.99\00:37:40.32
God's promises
are your birth right.
00:37:40.36\00:37:42.79
And our faith is not blind
00:37:42.82\00:37:44.96
because it is based
upon God's character
00:37:44.99\00:37:49.33
and God's infallible Word.
00:37:49.36\00:37:51.37
So let's look at 1
John 5:14 and 15 again.
00:37:51.40\00:37:55.40
It says "Now this
is the confidence,
00:37:55.44\00:37:57.84
we want to pray with confidence,
00:37:57.87\00:38:00.08
that we have,
notice this, in Him,
00:38:00.11\00:38:03.98
in Christ Jesus
00:38:04.01\00:38:06.58
who is the only
perfect and righteous person
00:38:06.61\00:38:10.45
that has the right
to stand before God."
00:38:10.49\00:38:13.86
He says, "If we ask
anything according to His will,
00:38:13.89\00:38:19.23
He hears us."
00:38:19.26\00:38:20.70
So we're approaching the
throne of grace in Christ,
00:38:20.73\00:38:24.27
positioned in Christ,
00:38:24.30\00:38:25.63
we're asking in Him and he says,
00:38:25.67\00:38:29.74
and if we know
00:38:29.77\00:38:31.47
that He hears
us whatever we ask,
00:38:31.51\00:38:35.21
we know that we
have the petitions
00:38:35.24\00:38:38.68
that we have asked of Him.
00:38:38.71\00:38:41.52
So what you're
saying is when you pray
00:38:41.55\00:38:43.95
according to God's will
as revealed in the Bible
00:38:43.99\00:38:47.86
and God has promised something,
00:38:47.89\00:38:50.16
you can say, Lord, thank you.
00:38:50.19\00:38:53.29
I claim that promise,
I know that it is true.
00:38:53.33\00:38:57.03
You promised it,
00:38:57.07\00:38:58.40
you're not, you're not
a man that you can lie.
00:38:58.43\00:39:01.14
Thank you so much, Father.
00:39:01.17\00:39:03.00
So, the point is
we've got to align our will
00:39:03.04\00:39:06.44
with God's will
00:39:06.47\00:39:08.38
and when we do His
answer is always yes.
00:39:08.41\00:39:10.51
Now, I do want to point out.
00:39:10.55\00:39:12.45
You know sometimes people say,
00:39:12.48\00:39:13.82
"God is not
answering my prayers."
00:39:13.85\00:39:16.38
Well, you know, God
always answers prayers.
00:39:16.42\00:39:19.72
His answer is yes, no,
or sometimes it's wait.
00:39:19.75\00:39:23.86
It's not His timing.
00:39:23.89\00:39:25.53
But when we're praying
according to our own will,
00:39:25.56\00:39:27.76
we may be praying
for our heart's desire.
00:39:27.80\00:39:29.70
Let's say that,
00:39:29.73\00:39:31.07
if you had a
child that came to you,
00:39:31.10\00:39:32.83
your son came to you
and he was 13 years old
00:39:32.87\00:39:35.24
and wanted a motorcycle,
00:39:35.27\00:39:36.60
what is your
answer gonna be to him?
00:39:36.64\00:39:38.61
No! No!
00:39:38.64\00:39:39.97
So sometimes God
knows what we're praying for
00:39:40.01\00:39:42.91
is not good for us
00:39:42.94\00:39:44.55
and it could be that
He's gonna say, wait,
00:39:44.58\00:39:46.78
but when you have
a spiritual request,
00:39:46.82\00:39:50.29
the answer is always yes.
00:39:50.32\00:39:52.95
We have all these promises.
00:39:52.99\00:39:55.12
is one of my favorite verses.
00:39:55.16\00:40:00.30
Is anybody already
there, Hebrews 11:1?
00:40:00.33\00:40:05.00
I'll go ahead and do it then.
00:40:05.03\00:40:06.37
Now faith is the assurance
00:40:06.40\00:40:10.47
and that word in the
Greek is the hupostasis.
00:40:10.51\00:40:13.61
It means, faith
is the title deed.
00:40:13.64\00:40:16.41
It is the basis of,
guarantee of the transaction.
00:40:16.44\00:40:21.52
So faith is the
assurance, the confirmation.
00:40:21.55\00:40:24.29
The title deed to the
things that we hope for,
00:40:24.32\00:40:26.29
being the proof of the things
00:40:26.32\00:40:29.32
we do not see in the
conviction of the reality.
00:40:29.36\00:40:33.33
What I love in the
Amplified, and, Mollie,
00:40:33.36\00:40:35.26
I know you love
the Amplified as well,
00:40:35.30\00:40:37.50
it has
parenthetical, in the Amplified
00:40:37.53\00:40:40.17
when something is,
excuse me in parenthesis,
00:40:40.20\00:40:43.04
that is just the
continuation of the Greek,
00:40:43.07\00:40:47.61
they're growing on the Greek.
00:40:47.64\00:40:48.98
But when they put it in brackets
00:40:49.01\00:40:50.35
and this is
bracket, then it is a...
00:40:50.38\00:40:54.48
Whoever is doing the commentary,
00:40:54.52\00:40:57.42
it's a commentary,
00:40:57.45\00:40:59.39
so in the
brackets though it says,
00:40:59.42\00:41:01.46
faith perceiving as real fact
00:41:01.49\00:41:04.63
what is not
revealed to the senses.
00:41:04.66\00:41:07.23
So I've used this
description before.
00:41:07.26\00:41:10.43
Jill, if a
wealthy European sends you
00:41:10.47\00:41:14.24
the title deed to
his estate in Europe
00:41:14.27\00:41:18.74
and it's got beautiful
acreage and everything,
00:41:18.77\00:41:21.44
you may never have even seen it
00:41:21.48\00:41:23.61
but are you now
the rightful owner?
00:41:23.65\00:41:29.35
Yes, I'd tell Greg
we're moving to Europe.
00:41:29.38\00:41:30.89
Absolutely but why are
you the rightful owner?
00:41:30.92\00:41:33.59
Because of the title.
You've got the title deed.
00:41:33.62\00:41:35.92
So that's what claiming
God's promises are all about
00:41:35.96\00:41:39.59
is we've got the title,
faith is the title deed.
00:41:39.63\00:41:42.53
And as we pray
we're like Abraham
00:41:42.56\00:41:45.63
who ignored all
the physical facts.
00:41:45.67\00:41:47.57
He had the promise of God
00:41:47.60\00:41:49.00
that he was gonna be
the father of many nations
00:41:49.04\00:41:51.67
and he did not
waver in his faith.
00:41:51.71\00:41:54.54
He claimed that promise
and he received the promise.
00:41:54.58\00:41:59.45
To move forward
00:41:59.48\00:42:00.82
we are compelled
in our Christian life,
00:42:00.85\00:42:04.52
we're compelled to
claim God's promises.
00:42:04.55\00:42:07.56
I always say
00:42:07.59\00:42:08.92
that faith largely depends
on the knowledge of the Word.
00:42:08.96\00:42:14.26
Little Word, if we
don't have much Word,
00:42:14.30\00:42:17.57
faith expects little
00:42:17.60\00:42:18.97
when we haven't got
the Word of God in us.
00:42:19.00\00:42:21.00
Little Word, little faith.
00:42:21.04\00:42:22.97
But you know Jesus compared
00:42:23.00\00:42:26.74
the Word as the seed of God.
00:42:26.78\00:42:30.61
And the lesson brings out
00:42:30.65\00:42:32.78
that in that one
little apple seed,
00:42:32.81\00:42:35.48
the whole apple tree exists.
00:42:35.52\00:42:37.85
But I always say,
00:42:37.89\00:42:39.79
if I've got a handful of
corn and a handful of wheat
00:42:39.82\00:42:42.32
and I plant wheat over
here and plant corn over here,
00:42:42.36\00:42:45.56
what am I gonna get here, Brian?
00:42:45.59\00:42:47.16
You're gonna get wheat. Why?
00:42:47.20\00:42:49.26
Because it's not
corn. That's what I planted.
00:42:49.30\00:42:51.77
It's because the
potential of the harvest
00:42:51.80\00:42:57.41
is wrapped inside the seed.
00:42:57.44\00:43:00.84
So all of your
potential is wrapped
00:43:00.88\00:43:04.88
inside the seed of God,
00:43:04.91\00:43:06.72
that's why it's' so important
00:43:06.75\00:43:08.22
that you claim these things.
00:43:08.25\00:43:10.52
Now...
00:43:10.55\00:43:13.96
When we're
claiming, one way to claim
00:43:13.99\00:43:16.19
is when you've
prayed for something
00:43:16.22\00:43:17.89
that you know it's
according to God's will,
00:43:17.93\00:43:19.89
and as you said
00:43:19.93\00:43:21.26
we know we're
walking in obedience
00:43:21.30\00:43:23.03
to the commandments,
there's other conditions,
00:43:23.06\00:43:25.67
you can claim that promise
by saying, Lord, thank You.
00:43:25.70\00:43:29.70
We've prayed for
this, Lord, I thank You
00:43:29.74\00:43:32.77
that I'm a new
creation in Christ Jesus.
00:43:32.81\00:43:35.38
The old is gone
and the new is come.
00:43:35.41\00:43:37.41
You don't have to
feel like a new creation.
00:43:37.45\00:43:40.52
You're basing
00:43:40.55\00:43:41.88
your
thanksgiving on God's promise.
00:43:41.92\00:43:43.92
You're claiming that promise
and you are thanking God.
00:43:43.95\00:43:48.36
And this is the way
Jesus, remember when Jesus was,
00:43:48.39\00:43:52.69
when Lazarus was
dead and Jesus waited.
00:43:52.73\00:43:55.86
He went to the,
this is in John 11.
00:43:55.90\00:43:59.63
He went to the tomb
and He's going to Martha,
00:43:59.67\00:44:05.17
you know, He's talking with him,
00:44:05.21\00:44:06.81
He's gonna roll away
the stone and she says what?
00:44:06.84\00:44:10.71
Oh, he stinketh by now.
00:44:10.75\00:44:12.15
He's been there for
four days, don't dig it.
00:44:12.18\00:44:15.82
But when Jesus is praying
00:44:15.85\00:44:19.05
in John 11:41,
00:44:19.09\00:44:23.12
they take away the stone,
00:44:23.16\00:44:24.73
Jesus lifts up
His eyes to heaven
00:44:24.76\00:44:27.10
and He says, Father,
00:44:27.13\00:44:28.46
I thank You that
You have heard me.
00:44:28.50\00:44:31.90
And you know the
interesting thing
00:44:31.93\00:44:33.27
that He goes on to say,
I know you always hear me.
00:44:33.30\00:44:35.60
I'm always praying
according to Your will,
00:44:35.64\00:44:37.71
so You always hear Me.
00:44:37.74\00:44:39.47
But He's claiming, He
knew what God's will was,
00:44:39.51\00:44:42.51
He was being obedient,
00:44:42.54\00:44:44.08
He's claiming that and
He thanked God in advance
00:44:44.11\00:44:47.85
while Lazarus was
still in the grave,
00:44:47.88\00:44:49.68
He's thanking God
for resurrecting Lazarus.
00:44:49.72\00:44:52.89
So as God's children
00:44:52.92\00:44:54.76
we are to live
on God's promises,
00:44:54.79\00:44:57.59
not on His explanations.
00:44:57.63\00:44:59.36
Some people spend
a lot of time living
00:44:59.39\00:45:01.73
on the explanations of God.
00:45:01.76\00:45:03.67
And even though we
can't see everything,
00:45:03.70\00:45:07.17
we can claim that promise
00:45:07.20\00:45:09.64
that it is God's will
we can trust His promises.
00:45:09.67\00:45:13.48
Amen, Amen.
00:45:13.51\00:45:14.84
I like that,
Shelley, that was very good.
00:45:14.88\00:45:18.51
I appreciated your
using say something
00:45:18.55\00:45:21.62
like the Amplified Bible.
00:45:21.65\00:45:25.25
I did a little study on my own
00:45:25.29\00:45:27.56
in the whole
process of translation,
00:45:27.59\00:45:30.66
taking Scripture and translating
00:45:30.69\00:45:32.89
from Greek and
Hebrew into English.
00:45:32.93\00:45:36.03
And one of the things
00:45:36.06\00:45:38.40
that I discovered
was that any given Hebrew
00:45:38.43\00:45:42.10
or Greek Word
00:45:42.14\00:45:44.21
has a whole
range of English words.
00:45:44.24\00:45:47.44
Yeah. That's right.
00:45:47.48\00:45:48.81
And so part of the struggle
of translation is picking
00:45:48.84\00:45:52.31
which English word is best
in that particular setting,
00:45:52.35\00:45:56.45
that particular verse to use.
00:45:56.48\00:45:58.75
Well, the Amplified Bible
gives you a bit of the range.
00:45:58.79\00:46:02.76
It gives you a number
of different English words
00:46:02.79\00:46:05.26
that would be very appropriate
in translating the Hebrew word
00:46:05.29\00:46:09.13
or the Greek word into English,
00:46:09.16\00:46:11.20
and so you get that whole range.
00:46:11.23\00:46:12.97
It gives you some insight
you wouldn't have otherwise.
00:46:13.00\00:46:16.17
Can I give just
one example of that?
00:46:16.20\00:46:18.07
The Scripture that says believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:46:18.11\00:46:20.71
well, the Amplified takes
the word believe and says,
00:46:20.74\00:46:22.74
trust and rely on Him,
00:46:22.78\00:46:24.48
being conformed to the image of.
00:46:24.51\00:46:26.51
So that's what belief is.
00:46:26.55\00:46:28.02
Not just mental assent,
00:46:28.05\00:46:29.62
it's being
conformed to His image.
00:46:29.65\00:46:30.99
Amen. Yeah, very good.
00:46:31.02\00:46:32.65
Now this was no extra charge.
00:46:32.69\00:46:36.52
Now We'll move back
here to Thursday's lesson.
00:46:36.56\00:46:40.20
It has praying
for the Holy Spirit.
00:46:40.23\00:46:43.83
Amen.
00:46:43.87\00:46:45.20
And our Thursday's lesson
00:46:45.23\00:46:47.54
had basically three major points
00:46:47.57\00:46:49.74
of the lesson.
00:46:49.77\00:46:51.11
One is, why should we
pray for the Holy Spirit?
00:46:51.14\00:46:54.88
It sought to
answer that question,
00:46:54.91\00:46:57.05
why is it so important
to pray for the Holy Spirit?
00:46:57.08\00:47:00.35
Number two, what's the obstacle?
00:47:00.38\00:47:04.25
It would be at
least one obstacle
00:47:04.29\00:47:06.55
that would be in the way
00:47:06.59\00:47:07.92
of us receiving the Holy Spirit.
00:47:07.96\00:47:10.46
And then the third
point I felt the author was,
00:47:10.49\00:47:14.06
major point the author
made was that receiving
00:47:14.10\00:47:18.80
or asking for the Holy
Spirit is not an end in itself.
00:47:18.83\00:47:23.27
Those were three points.
Now let's go back to first.
00:47:23.30\00:47:26.07
Why in the world should
we pray for the Holy Spirit?
00:47:26.11\00:47:29.68
Okay.
00:47:29.71\00:47:31.05
And in the very first sentence
at the very end it says,
00:47:31.08\00:47:34.58
because of our great need.
00:47:34.62\00:47:36.18
Amen. Yes.
00:47:36.22\00:47:37.55
We have this great need.
00:47:37.59\00:47:40.12
Let's look at the primary verse
that they wanted us to read
00:47:40.16\00:47:44.29
and it's
Ephesians 4, Ephesians 4,
00:47:44.33\00:47:49.03
let me see if
it's still in my Bible.
00:47:49.06\00:47:52.13
Yes, it is. Ephesians 4:16.
00:47:52.17\00:47:56.67
But really to get
the sense of verse 16,
00:47:56.71\00:47:59.01
we need to back up to verse 14.
00:47:59.04\00:48:00.81
So I'm gonna start reading
in verse 14 of Ephesians 4.
00:48:00.84\00:48:05.01
"For this reason,
and this is Paul writing,
00:48:05.05\00:48:08.32
he's writing to the
believers in Ephesus,
00:48:08.35\00:48:13.36
that's why it's
the Book of Ephesians.
00:48:13.39\00:48:15.89
"For this reason I bow my knees
00:48:15.92\00:48:18.89
to the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ."
00:48:18.93\00:48:20.46
So now he's talking about...
00:48:20.50\00:48:21.83
Are you in Ephesians 3?
00:48:21.86\00:48:23.20
Where are you,
Ephesians 4 or Ephesians 3?
00:48:23.23\00:48:24.77
You're in Ephesians 3, right?
00:48:24.80\00:48:26.13
Three, I'm
sorry. Did I say four?
00:48:26.17\00:48:27.80
Yes. Yes.
00:48:27.84\00:48:29.17
Oh, boy, now where
did that come from.
00:48:29.20\00:48:30.94
Okay. I was in fourth.
00:48:30.97\00:48:32.81
I'm glad you guys are here.
00:48:32.84\00:48:34.41
Boy, our audience
would be totally confused.
00:48:34.44\00:48:36.44
Wouldn't that be?
00:48:36.48\00:48:37.95
Okay, so back in Ephesians 3:14.
00:48:37.98\00:48:43.55
For this reason, Paul says,
00:48:43.59\00:48:46.32
I bow my knees, that's prayer,
00:48:46.35\00:48:49.42
to the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ..."
00:48:49.46\00:48:52.29
And then he has this
little parentheal thought.
00:48:52.33\00:48:56.10
"From whom the
whole family in heaven
00:48:56.13\00:48:58.63
and on earth is named."
00:48:58.67\00:49:01.37
Now that's an
interesting little tidbit
00:49:01.40\00:49:04.04
he throws in there.
00:49:04.07\00:49:05.94
Mollie, that
means you didn't come
00:49:05.97\00:49:08.28
from some cesspool of chemicals
that went bang all of a sudden.
00:49:08.31\00:49:12.75
That's right.
00:49:12.78\00:49:14.92
In other words,
and Pastor Lomacang
00:49:14.95\00:49:17.85
your great, great,
great, great grandma
00:49:17.89\00:49:21.56
and grandpa weren't
some apes running around
00:49:21.59\00:49:23.63
in the woods
00:49:23.66\00:49:24.99
that got together and eventually
00:49:25.03\00:49:26.90
you know you or
us came out of it.
00:49:26.93\00:49:29.40
I know that's right.
00:49:29.43\00:49:30.77
We gain our
heritage, we gain our lineage
00:49:30.80\00:49:34.84
from the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ
00:49:34.87\00:49:38.54
of whom all heaven
and on earth are named.
00:49:38.57\00:49:42.98
And then he goes
on, starts back in,
00:49:43.01\00:49:45.61
"That He, that is
God would grant you
00:49:45.65\00:49:48.58
according to the
riches of His glory
00:49:48.62\00:49:51.99
to be strengthened with might
00:49:52.02\00:49:56.52
through the Holy
Spirit in the inner man."
00:49:56.56\00:50:01.53
We think it also
applies to ladies,
00:50:01.56\00:50:03.37
I think that will
apply to the ladies.
00:50:03.40\00:50:06.23
Okay, it's the inner
person, our inner being.
00:50:06.27\00:50:09.44
Okay, right?
00:50:09.47\00:50:11.21
So where does that strengthening
00:50:11.24\00:50:14.88
within our
inner being come from?
00:50:14.91\00:50:16.85
It comes
through the Holy Spirit,
00:50:16.88\00:50:20.32
our greatest need.
00:50:20.35\00:50:23.45
When I was just a child,
00:50:23.49\00:50:26.19
my folks went as
missionaries to Pakistan.
00:50:26.22\00:50:29.86
And they took us along.
My older brother and myself.
00:50:29.89\00:50:32.83
I think that
was a very good idea
00:50:32.86\00:50:34.80
that they did that.
00:50:34.83\00:50:36.23
And I don't remember
much of the trip going over.
00:50:36.26\00:50:39.33
I now know that it was
on a Norwegian freighter.
00:50:39.37\00:50:43.37
That's what back in the mid,
00:50:43.41\00:50:46.37
well, early to mid '50s
00:50:46.41\00:50:48.58
all the
missionaries went overseas,
00:50:48.61\00:50:50.68
they went overseas
went on freighters.
00:50:50.71\00:50:52.85
That was the
cheapest economical.
00:50:52.88\00:50:54.45
It took us a month
00:50:54.48\00:50:55.82
or month and a half
to get there, so what?
00:50:55.85\00:50:58.05
You know it was cheaper.
00:50:58.09\00:50:59.99
When we came back,
00:51:00.02\00:51:01.36
now I remember
the trip coming back.
00:51:01.39\00:51:02.99
When we came back, we
came back on an ocean liner,
00:51:03.02\00:51:05.93
not a freighter.
00:51:05.96\00:51:08.30
And when that ocean liner came
00:51:08.33\00:51:11.03
within sight of
the harbor, it stopped.
00:51:11.07\00:51:16.24
And they had a door
on the side of this thing
00:51:16.27\00:51:19.34
and it's a
number of stories high.
00:51:19.37\00:51:20.94
They had a door that they opened
00:51:20.98\00:51:23.95
and pretty soon we saw a little
00:51:23.98\00:51:25.95
what seemed like
a tiny little speck
00:51:25.98\00:51:28.28
of a boat, comes out.
00:51:28.32\00:51:29.85
It was a launch, it came out
00:51:29.88\00:51:32.52
and a person dressed
in white with his cap,
00:51:32.55\00:51:36.26
he climbed the
ladder and climbed
00:51:36.29\00:51:38.53
through the opening
00:51:38.56\00:51:39.89
that they had in
the side of the ship
00:51:39.93\00:51:42.00
and he made his way up
00:51:42.03\00:51:43.37
into the captain's where they...
00:51:43.40\00:51:48.04
Control tower.
00:51:48.07\00:51:49.40
Yeah, of the ship
00:51:49.44\00:51:50.84
and he took over
command of the ship.
00:51:50.87\00:51:53.48
This was a harbor master.
00:51:53.51\00:51:56.28
Now the captain of the ship
00:51:56.31\00:51:58.78
could sail that
ship in the open seas,
00:51:58.81\00:52:01.22
he could chart the course.
00:52:01.25\00:52:02.82
There was lots of room,
00:52:02.85\00:52:04.79
but as soon as he
got to the harbor,
00:52:04.82\00:52:07.82
there were lot more obstacles
The quarters were close,
00:52:07.86\00:52:11.69
the dangers were
high, and so a specialist,
00:52:11.73\00:52:16.03
the harbor master came
and the captain of that ship
00:52:16.06\00:52:20.07
gave over his ship
to the harbor master.
00:52:20.10\00:52:23.67
That's great.
00:52:23.71\00:52:25.04
Well, the Holy Spirit in
effect is our harbor master.
00:52:25.07\00:52:27.64
I like that.
00:52:27.68\00:52:29.01
As we come into the
close of earth's history,
00:52:29.04\00:52:32.88
the dangers are great,
00:52:32.91\00:52:35.38
the perils are great,
00:52:35.42\00:52:39.42
and our enemy is
like a roaring lion.
00:52:39.45\00:52:43.02
He's out to get us.
00:52:43.06\00:52:45.79
And so we need someone
00:52:45.83\00:52:48.63
to take control of
our ship to guide us
00:52:48.66\00:52:52.93
through those dangers
and that is the Holy Spirit.
00:52:52.97\00:52:57.41
So what is our
greatest obstacle?
00:52:57.44\00:53:00.68
It's ourself. I'm
gonna ask the panel here.
00:53:00.71\00:53:04.45
We got a couple of minutes.
00:53:04.48\00:53:05.85
What in your mind
would be an obstacle
00:53:05.88\00:53:09.18
within ourself
00:53:09.22\00:53:10.72
that would keep the Holy
Spirit from being access to us?
00:53:10.75\00:53:14.56
You know, Jill
mentioned this earlier,
00:53:14.59\00:53:17.16
it's stubbornness and
unwillingness to yield
00:53:17.19\00:53:22.86
to the Holy Spirit's direction.
00:53:22.90\00:53:24.80
I think selfishness,
pride. Selfish, pride, yeah.
00:53:24.83\00:53:28.27
We read about sin.
00:53:28.30\00:53:31.21
If we're harboring sin
in our heart cannot hear us.
00:53:31.24\00:53:34.84
And sometimes I think a
feeling of worthlessness.
00:53:34.88\00:53:38.35
I think that there are people
00:53:38.38\00:53:40.38
who don't feel
worthy of God's blessings
00:53:40.42\00:53:42.88
or they don't feel
like it's really for them
00:53:42.92\00:53:45.99
and they put up
an intimacy barrier,
00:53:46.02\00:53:49.19
and they won't let God come in
00:53:49.22\00:53:50.89
because they kind of close
themselves off from everybody.
00:53:50.93\00:53:53.83
That's one of
Satan's temptations
00:53:53.86\00:53:56.20
to try to destroy our
esteem, our value in God's eyes.
00:53:56.23\00:54:00.77
At least in our
own eyes for our value.
00:54:00.80\00:54:03.51
Yeah. Another
one is preferences.
00:54:03.54\00:54:05.14
Sometimes the
Spirit of God is saying
00:54:05.17\00:54:07.01
"This is the way, walk in it."
00:54:07.04\00:54:08.71
We're saying, "No, I
want to walk this way."
00:54:08.74\00:54:11.08
And preference is
sometimes an obstacle
00:54:11.11\00:54:13.08
because we don't want to go.
00:54:13.11\00:54:14.58
I was reading yesterday
and we're doing Week of Prayer
00:54:14.62\00:54:17.45
reading how people
have a predetermined destiny
00:54:17.49\00:54:23.29
and they're not gonna allow
the Spirit to get on their ship
00:54:23.32\00:54:25.89
and guide it.
00:54:25.93\00:54:27.46
It's not God's destiny,
it's that they predetermine it.
00:54:27.50\00:54:30.67
This is the way I want to go.
00:54:30.70\00:54:32.03
But there is a
way that seems right
00:54:32.07\00:54:34.07
and because it
seems right to them,
00:54:34.10\00:54:35.44
they don't want
the Spirit of God
00:54:35.47\00:54:36.81
to give them any
other directions.
00:54:36.84\00:54:38.17
The final point
00:54:38.21\00:54:39.54
and I'll just do
this in passing is that
00:54:39.57\00:54:41.91
the Holy Spirit
isn't given to us
00:54:41.94\00:54:43.65
as an end in itself.
00:54:43.68\00:54:45.31
In other words, it's
for the gift of service.
00:54:45.35\00:54:47.58
It's for the
edifying of the church.
00:54:47.62\00:54:50.22
It's for the
building of ourselves up
00:54:50.25\00:54:52.82
in Christ Jesus.
00:54:52.85\00:54:54.19
It's never an end in itself.
00:54:54.22\00:54:55.89
Anyway, I'll throw
this back to you, Jill,
00:54:55.92\00:54:58.73
to bring our Sabbath
School time to a close.
00:54:58.76\00:55:01.33
What a blessing.
00:55:01.36\00:55:02.70
I've been so
blessed hearing the insights
00:55:02.73\00:55:04.77
from each one of you,
I took a page of notes.
00:55:04.80\00:55:07.07
The ask, the
conditions for that asking God,
00:55:07.10\00:55:10.61
so we want to
appeal to you at home,
00:55:10.64\00:55:11.97
ask God, is search
me, is there any sin
00:55:12.01\00:55:14.31
and He'll forgive and
cleanse, believe, conditions.
00:55:14.34\00:55:18.35
Walk in His will.
00:55:18.38\00:55:20.85
No doubting, Walk
in that obedience.
00:55:20.88\00:55:22.82
Shelley, you've talked about
00:55:22.85\00:55:24.19
the claim and
walking in His will,
00:55:24.22\00:55:25.85
aligning our will when we pray
00:55:25.89\00:55:27.79
with His claiming
those Bible promises.
00:55:27.82\00:55:29.79
We want to encourage
you to claim those promises.
00:55:29.82\00:55:32.19
And, Brian, that
harbor master was fabulous.
00:55:32.23\00:55:34.76
I loved that. That
was a wonderful story.
00:55:34.80\00:55:36.13
What a wonderful
illustration of the Holy Spirit
00:55:36.16\00:55:39.17
especially at the end of
time, drawing us close to Jesus.
00:55:39.20\00:55:42.34
I already took it,
Brian, I want you to know
00:55:42.37\00:55:43.77
it's gonna be in
one of my sermons.
00:55:43.81\00:55:45.14
So as we close out here,
00:55:45.17\00:55:46.78
we have just a
couple of moments.
00:55:46.81\00:55:48.14
So I'd like to ask
our panel if you have,
00:55:48.18\00:55:50.05
maybe we'll go down the
line, we'll start with Mollie.
00:55:50.08\00:55:51.95
And a closing
thought from each one of you
00:55:51.98\00:55:54.55
regarding the
Holy Spirit and prayer
00:55:54.58\00:55:56.45
and maybe even an
appeal to our friends at home.
00:55:56.48\00:55:58.62
Well, I want to
reiterate what Shelley said..
00:55:58.65\00:56:02.06
That is powerful, Shelley.
00:56:02.09\00:56:04.29
The potential of the harvest
is wrapped up in the seed.
00:56:04.33\00:56:07.83
So plant that
seed in your heart.
00:56:07.86\00:56:09.90
Seed produces
after its own kind.
00:56:09.93\00:56:12.27
The very image and likeness
of the Lord Jesus Christ
00:56:12.30\00:56:15.40
will be reproduced
00:56:15.44\00:56:16.87
because the
potential of the harvest
00:56:16.91\00:56:18.94
is wrapped up in that seed.
00:56:18.97\00:56:20.91
It's good. Pastor John?
00:56:20.94\00:56:22.28
The other thing is,
00:56:22.31\00:56:24.08
ask the Lord to
put self to death.
00:56:24.11\00:56:28.18
You know, Paul
said he died daily.
00:56:28.22\00:56:30.29
If Paul died daily, he
saw the necessity of it.
00:56:30.32\00:56:33.39
If we die to self,
then God will open up to us.
00:56:33.42\00:56:36.69
I used the
illustration of the peephole.
00:56:36.73\00:56:38.53
We live our lives looking
00:56:38.56\00:56:39.89
through the
peephole of God's promises
00:56:39.93\00:56:41.36
when He wants to open the door.
00:56:41.40\00:56:42.83
Ask God to keep us dead to self.
00:56:42.86\00:56:44.83
Amen. Dead to self. Shelley?
00:56:44.87\00:56:46.53
My thought would be Luke
11:9 when Jesus said to ask,
00:56:46.57\00:56:52.04
seek and knock and
it will be given to you.
00:56:52.07\00:56:54.54
Then He says in verse 13,
00:56:54.58\00:56:56.95
"How much more
will the Heavenly Father
00:56:56.98\00:56:59.41
give you the Holy
Spirit if you ask."
00:56:59.45\00:57:03.28
But in the Greek
these are linear verbs.
00:57:03.32\00:57:05.82
So what He's saying is
ask and keep on asking,
00:57:05.85\00:57:08.16
seek and keep on seeking,
00:57:08.19\00:57:09.52
knock and keep on
knocking and how much more.
00:57:09.56\00:57:12.19
So we know that
Romans 8:14 tells us
00:57:12.23\00:57:15.36
that only those who are led
00:57:15.40\00:57:16.73
by the Spirit are
the children of God.
00:57:16.77\00:57:20.00
So I think it's important
00:57:20.04\00:57:21.80
that we
recognize our great need.
00:57:21.84\00:57:23.71
I also think it's important
00:57:23.74\00:57:25.07
when we're
praying that we recognize,
00:57:25.11\00:57:27.28
we're dependent
upon the Holy Spirit
00:57:27.31\00:57:28.64
even for prayer
00:57:28.68\00:57:30.01
which was what
our memory text to us
00:57:30.05\00:57:31.55
in Romans 8:26 and 27.
00:57:31.58\00:57:34.05
Brian, can you
give me five seconds?
00:57:34.08\00:57:35.75
Yeah.
00:57:35.78\00:57:37.39
In proportion to our
desire of the Holy Spirit
00:57:37.42\00:57:40.56
we'll receive Him.
00:57:40.59\00:57:41.92
Amen. Thank you all so much.
00:57:41.96\00:57:43.29
We want to thank you
for joining us at home.
00:57:43.32\00:57:45.93
We want to encourage you
to get into the Word of God,
00:57:45.96\00:57:48.86
spend time with Him,
spend time in prayer.
00:57:48.90\00:57:51.67
Find a prayer
partner in your church,
00:57:51.70\00:57:53.50
someone that you can seek
the Lord Jesus Christ with.
00:57:53.54\00:57:57.31
Know that we love you
00:57:57.34\00:57:58.67
and that we are praying for you.
00:57:58.71\00:58:00.54
Amen. God bless you.
00:58:00.58\00:58:01.91
Thank you. Amen.
00:58:01.94\00:58:03.28