Participants: Kathy Matthews, Janet Page, Jerry Page
Series Code: TAH
Program Code: TAH000148
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00:31 Welcome back to "Thinking About Home."
00:33 I'm Kathy Matthews and I'm glad 00:34 that you've join us again. We have been talking 00:37 about experiencing God's power through prayer 00:40 and we have with us again Jerry and Janet Page 00:44 from the Central California Conference 00:45 and I would just like to go over a little bit of 00:49 your background. Well, you are the president 00:52 of the Central California Conference correct? 00:54 I plead guilty, and Janet you were with 00:57 Woman's Ministries and a Prayer Ministry? 00:58 Yeah, just for those who haven't seen 01:00 you here before? And we have been going over 01:03 some of your spiritual journey and I would like 01:06 to just review that for a second, 01:08 Jerry you went through a time, you were raise 01:10 in a Christian home but you went through 01:12 the time of rebellion and it's a burden 01:15 for you in our life isn't it to get people to 01:17 pray and because it was so important 01:19 how your family prayed for you, and 01:22 how the Lord apprehended you wasn't that so. 01:25 Yeah, intercessory prayers changed my life 01:27 my parents got some may be were praying 01:29 for me then my wife at another point in her life 01:31 after she was reviewed that much a woman 01:33 praying for me and it had change my life so, 01:34 amen. You know, it just it's a passion we have 01:36 if we pray for each another it changes lives. 01:38 And that's what we are gonna talk about today 01:40 intercessory prayer right? Intercessory prayer 01:42 and how it can change our families? 01:44 So, you have little funny story 01:46 you tell me about someone name Tony. 01:49 Yeah, Tony Campolo some of the folks probably 01:50 know him. He is a dynamic speaker 01:53 and he was at a college to speak to a bunch 01:56 of young theology people and eight guys 01:59 got him in a backroom begin to pray over 02:01 and they put their hands on his head. Really? 02:02 And he said you know I don't mind people praying 02:05 over me I will need all the prayer I can get, 02:07 but he said they were, eight guys they got 02:08 on their hands on my head and they begin 02:10 to pray then they prayed long, 02:11 he said the longer they prayed more they begin 02:13 to lean on my head. So, I was thinking 02:15 when this gonna be over but he said one 02:16 of the guys wasn't he even praying for me. 02:18 He was praying for some guy in Charlie Stoltzfus 02:20 and he was going and waxing eloquent, 02:22 he was saying Lord helped Charlie Stoltzfus. 02:24 You know, he left his wife and his three kids 02:26 this morning and do something Lord step in 02:28 intervene save that family. 02:29 And he said he went on and on and every time 02:31 he would always say now Lord you remember 02:33 Charlie lives a mile down the road in the right 02:35 hand side in the silver trader, and Tony says 02:37 I felt like saying what do you think the Lord 02:39 is asking what his a dress was or something, 02:40 so anyway this went on and on he said he prayed 02:42 and prayed and finally they quit, I preached 02:45 got in my car and headed out towards the 02:47 Pennsylvania Turnpike. He said there was hitchhiker 02:49 standing at the beyond ramp waiting to get on 02:51 and he said I know you're not supposed 02:52 to pick up hitchhiker's, but I am a preacher, 02:54 I love to get somebody captive in my car, 02:56 so he picked him up, started down the road 02:58 he said hi my name is Tony and he said 03:01 and he said what's your name? 03:02 And the guy said my name is what do you think? 03:03 Oh Charlie. Yeah it's Charlie Stoltzfus. Really. 03:06 And so Tony's eyes got big and then he said 03:08 at the next exit he got off and begin to turn 03:10 around then the guys eyes got big 03:12 and said hey mister where are you taking me? 03:14 And he said I'm taking you home, really. 03:16 And he said why are you taking me home? 03:18 He said because you left your wife 03:19 and your three kids this morning didn't you? 03:20 Oh! He must he thought he was a prophet 03:21 or he thought. The guy said yeah 03:23 how did you know that? And he said God told me. 03:26 And you know I believe God did tell him, right. 03:27 In, prayer, united prayer as little praying God 03:30 communicate with Tony something, he need to 03:32 know it reminds me Jeremiah 33:3 which says, 03:36 Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you 03:39 great and mighty things, which you do not know. 03:40 Amen, we found not only as God wants us to pray 03:43 for each other to help our families but then 03:45 he will show us things as we pray together 03:47 that will help us work for our families. 03:49 Anyway Tony gets off the next, 03:50 heads down the road a mile to the right 03:53 hand side of the trailer, posing to drive 03:55 and the guy says how did you know I live here? 03:56 Same answer God told me. His wife comes out 03:59 and says you are back, you are back what happened? 04:01 And so he was little bit hurry, her eyes get big 04:04 like his are big. Tony says now listen 04:06 you two get in the house you sit down, 04:07 I'm gonna talk and you are gonna listen, 04:09 oh wow. And he said it was like E.F. Hutton, 04:12 and they listened and he said that afternoon 04:14 he led those two young people with Jesus Christ 04:16 and that guy is a preacher in 04:17 California today, amen. So, anyway we're just 04:20 excited with you know if we will get together 04:22 in pray intercede God will show us how to work 04:24 for a families and love ones and people all listen. 04:27 Amen. One thing I was gonna share with you 04:29 in the previous program I didn't get to, right. 04:31 It is a statement from Fifth volume 04:32 of the testimonies. The Augustine's mother 04:34 I think we talked about. Yes it is, 04:36 and it's really the ABC's of prayer 04:37 which in my life, Janet's life is we found that 04:40 it's still true the ABC's payer. It says the, 04:45 God is pleased with the faith that takes Him 04:47 at His Word. The mother of Augustine prayed 04:49 for his son's conversion. She saw no evidence 04:51 that the Spirit of God was impressing his heart, 04:53 but she was not discouraged. 04:54 She laid her finger upon the text presenting 04:57 before God his own words, and pleaded as only 04:59 a mother can. Her deep humiliation, 05:02 her earnest importunities, her unwavering faith, 05:04 prevailed, and the Lord gave her the desire 05:06 of her heart. Today he is just as ready to 05:08 listen to the petitions of his people. 05:09 His "hand is not shortened, 05:11 that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, 05:12 that it cannot hear;" and if Christian parents 05:15 seek him earnestly, he will fill their mouths 05:17 with arguments, and, for his name's sake, 05:19 will work mightily in their behalf in the 05:21 conversion of their children. Oh amen, 05:23 that's promises all through scripture, 05:24 all through the spirit of prophecy that prayer 05:26 works and if we will unite together in prayer, 05:28 one person and another person or family 05:30 member that God will work in their lives. 05:32 And he will fill their amounts with arguments? 05:34 That's right, for the Lord. For the Lord to be 05:37 able to do, whatever he needs to do, 05:38 it open doors for him. Amen, well lets move to 05:41 you Janet, you have a lot of stories it seems 05:44 like that's where after you experienced 05:50 and realizing that you needed the Lord much 05:52 more in our life. And you are asking take charge, 05:56 it was the take charge of this women's retreat? 05:58 Yeah may be lead. And after that took place 06:01 that you have a lot of stories that really 06:03 show how God has worked in lives as 06:05 a result of intercessory prayer. 06:08 Yes it has made a big difference for me, 06:11 the story I shared before about how 06:13 my life was changed. I realize sometime after 06:16 that why that happened, Jerry had become the 06:19 President of a Conference right about the time 06:22 when the whole experience happen for me. 06:25 And when he become the President it came me 06:28 to people kept coming up congratulating me, 06:30 how that feel be the first lady all this, 06:31 I hate, I hate that kind of things it's very 06:34 I don't want to get and but towards the end 06:37 of the week people starting to coming up 06:38 and saying will you have committed ourselves 06:40 to pray for you and Jerry everyday. 06:41 They attended a seminar by the day walk 06:43 with on the Holy Spirit. And how important 06:45 it was pray for the Holy Spirit to be in your 06:47 Leaders lives. So, they've come and tell me 06:49 they're gonna pray for us, well I thought, 06:51 well thank you but no big deal, does prayer really 06:54 make that big difference, I've always heard 06:56 prayer just changes us when we pray not 06:58 other people, right. That is not true, 07:00 that is not true it does change us, 07:02 but it also changes other people. Amen to that. 07:05 And people starting to coming up to me 07:07 we are in a different church every week 07:09 and they would come up and say we're praying 07:11 for you and Jerry and I go oh thank you. 07:13 Not thinking it was any big deal, 07:14 but two years later after they have been doing 07:16 that my life was totally changed, 07:18 just turned upside down. 07:20 And you definitely related to that back 07:21 to their prayers. It definitely and I realize 07:23 there is a power in praying for others, 07:25 that's right. And that is just given me a real 07:27 passion to pray for others, to pray with 07:30 others and to watch lives be changed 07:33 it really is exciting, amen. I had one lady, 07:37 you had something? You take a deep breath. 07:39 I had one lady call me up I didn't know 07:41 that well, and tell me that she want to out 07:44 off a marriage, she want to get divorce, 07:45 she would married about 32 years. 07:47 And I just thinking, you know I'm not a marriage 07:49 counselor what I'm gonna do? 07:50 And is I was pray in silently about her what 07:53 she's talking, yes. I felt like God saying Janet 07:55 get together with her and start praying. 07:56 Get together once a week, so I said you know 08:00 I'm not a marriage counselor but I be willing 08:02 to get together and we do pray about 08:03 your marriage. Yes, and we could meet maybe 08:05 once a week for 20 minutes or so. 08:06 And she was willing? Yeah she said 08:08 oh I love that. So, we got to together 08:10 and first it was Lord please help my husband, 08:12 please help my husband, oh God he needs 08:15 this and he needs that and on and on. 08:17 And gradually just gently I started trying to get 08:19 her to focus more on God and 08:21 how wonderful God is, that's right and 08:23 to praise him. But, also encouraging her 08:25 to get into a relationship with God. 08:27 And it was amazing how our prayer time's change 08:30 from so much focus on her husband needed 08:32 to change, to her focus on just how much 08:35 she loved God and praise and adoration 08:38 for who he is. And that would be the by beholding 08:40 you become changed principle wouldn't it? 08:43 Yeah, I would think so sure. 08:45 We also started praying very specifically too 08:47 which I think is important and that was things 08:49 like Lord let him see his wife the way you do, 08:53 let him love his wife the way you do, 08:54 let her love her husband the way you do, 08:57 or let them you know. That's beautiful thought, 09:00 I'm sorry I just think of how to change from 09:05 the complaint to let them love like you do, 09:11 that's pretty deep and that's a 09:13 different focus all together I like that. 09:15 Well, he, he really started; 09:17 he saw difference in her because she started 09:19 glowing and looking happy, and he started 09:21 saying wanted to be around her. 09:23 And for two people who would never together 09:26 they started being together like this, 09:27 and started praying together and it just, 09:29 it change their lives. Powerful results 09:31 and it didn't happen over night, 09:32 we pray together day, week after week, 09:35 and we'd once a week for many months 09:38 before we started seeing changes. 09:40 So, that is to encourage just not to look for 09:42 something just right away, that's right. 09:43 One things that happens too that when you get 09:46 a group together you start praying 09:47 for your kids, or whatever it is. 09:50 You can count on things will get worse. 09:52 Just count on things will get worse, 09:53 yes, that's right. But, it's really a time to 09:55 praise God to give thanksgiving because 09:57 we told in Isaiah God's way is not our ways, yes. 10:00 His thoughts are high in our thoughts 10:02 and he is working we can know that because 10:04 scripture tells us that he is when we pray. 10:06 So, we need to step out in faith and to believe it. 10:10 We cancel so many of our prayers at least 10:12 I know I do, by doubting and saying getting 10:15 discourage oh you know nothing is happening. 10:17 It's stopping the prayer, yeah. 10:20 The, go ahead I'm sorry. 10:22 No it's alright, I just gonna said that 10:23 they are so many promises in scripture, 10:26 so many in the spirit of prophecy that 10:28 if we will unite together and pray over somebody 10:31 says an angel ascent and answer to every 10:33 honest prayer faith, God can give us things 10:35 they can't give us if we do pray. 10:36 And you know even my testimony were people, 10:39 lot of people praying for me, other people 10:41 can say well what about so and so who wasn't 10:42 prayed for and what about the evenness of 10:45 prayers for people but God has to figure 10:47 all that out, all I know was that in scripture 10:48 he is told us, much to pray to perceiver 10:51 and that we see it working and then maybe 10:53 40 years or it maybe 4 months or 10:55 maybe 4 minutes. But, God works in a powerful 10:57 way and her amount experience with my sister 11:00 I had a wonderful sister who helped raise me 11:03 she is a wonderful lady but, really, 11:05 she had a husband name Bob that she love 11:07 dearly and he got liver cancer and by the time 11:09 they discovered it, metastasis very seriously 11:13 and my sister been active in the church 11:15 somewhat in create a role and things but, 11:17 you know I had been totally unfair for 11:19 the Lord. This is something it's really 11:21 she said Lord you got to give me this, 11:23 you got to save my husband Bob, 11:25 you got to heal him. Bob wasn't healed physically, 11:29 he died a few months later but he had not been 11:32 a professed Christian and on his dead bed 11:33 accepted Jesus so I think he was healed, amen, 11:35 for eternity, especially spiritually. Yeah, 11:37 of course, but my sister it kinda send 11:40 her back you know she felt why didn't God 11:41 save my husband I needed him, 11:43 you know now I'm alone and she became somewhat 11:45 bitter and disturbed from God for a while. 11:46 And it's amazing after year or two, 11:50 I was really concerned about my sister, 11:51 I felt intensely urged by God to pray 11:54 and so I begin to pray and clam this promise. 11:56 1st John 5:16 which is one of those beautiful 11:59 promises it says: If anyone sees his brother, 12:01 put sister, wife, kid, anyone, sinning a sin 12:04 which does not lead to death, 12:06 I take that as an unpardonable sin, 12:08 he may ask, and the Lord will give him life 12:10 for those who commit sin not leading to death. 12:12 So, I begin putting my had right on that promise 12:14 and praying for my sister Carol and saying 12:17 God give her life, bring something into her life 12:19 that are really change her and help her see you 12:21 as you are and open her eyes and I was thinking 12:24 bring her a man God, and bring her new husband 12:26 somebody who really be on fire. 12:28 Interest thing happen though, now only after 12:31 that her friend her is became deeply converted, 12:33 God involved him in ministries and 12:35 she started sending my sister every morning 12:37 out of her devotional life, I know the thought 12:39 and spiritual encouragement whenever 12:40 and it's happened for well over a year 12:43 and it really broke my sister's heart 12:45 and she came to Jesus, she is active today 12:47 working at Union College and ministering 12:49 the people, oh good. You it's one of those 12:51 examples in my life of calming the promise put 12:53 your hand on it and well watching God answer, 12:55 and He always gonna answer. 12:56 And that, what I said a moment ago just not 13:00 giving up, not losing encouragement 13:02 or not losing our courage it just because 13:04 we don't see it immediately. 13:06 You got lot more stories that show 13:08 intercessory prayer how it's answered. 13:11 One thing I've find it makes a difference too 13:14 is to pray and ask God what scripture can I claim 13:17 for this person, and I know I have done with 13:19 my sons and it just powerful when God 13:22 especially gives you that scripture to claim 13:25 for them. What scriptures do you claim for me? 13:31 There are some I'm sure, I'm not sure 13:33 she was not ready to answer that. 13:35 No I wasn't, the we had a group that 13:40 was getting together to pray for camp meeting, 13:43 for the woman's we had like this early morning 13:45 woman's meeting we did, and this one lady kept 13:49 bringing up about her husband so you know 13:51 I came into the church through him and yeah 13:53 and yeah he doesn't want to go to church, 13:54 he is not a spiritual leader in the home 13:56 and he won't go to camp meeting, could you please 13:57 pray for him to go to camp meeting. 13:59 And to be a spiritual leader, so we started 14:02 praying for that, praying God get him 14:04 to camp meeting, get him to be that spiritual 14:06 leader in the home and camp meeting came around. 14:09 Some way we wouldn't want to pray it give like 14:11 he was spiritual leader, but I think that's 14:13 fascinating payer that she wanted him to be a 14:15 spiritual leader, that's right I'm glad 14:17 to hear that. Camp meeting came around 14:20 and it didn't happen he wouldn't go, 14:22 and so we start to again planning for the next year 14:25 and the biggest part of planning for us to pray 14:28 together what does God want to have happen, 14:30 and as we pray she again brought it up, 14:32 will you please pray for my husband to be 14:34 the spiritual leader, do wanna go a camp meeting, 14:35 do wanna to go to church. To pray with me, 14:38 that he would wanna pray with me, 14:39 so this time we got smart and we just stayed 14:43 silent before the Lord and said God how do 14:45 you want us to pray? How do we pray 14:46 for this man you know we've tried our way 14:48 how do we pray? And I think that so important 14:51 we are so quick to give God what we think needs 14:54 to happen, but how much more we need to wait, 14:56 and say Lord how should we pray? 14:58 What scripture should we clam? 15:00 Like a disciples said. And we found like God 15:02 was leading us to pray that it would be put 15:04 in his mind, that he wanted to go to 15:05 camp meeting, why that was important being 15:08 a man I'm not sure, but that's what 15:11 we started praying, God will put in his mind 15:13 will about three weeks or so later, 15:16 he now it was actually as longer and that 15:18 was several months later, he came into the 15:20 kitchen came home for working 15:21 and he is scratching his forehead like he is not 15:23 sure where these thoughts coming from 15:24 and he said you know, I want to go to camp 15:26 meeting, I can get time off from work 15:27 and I can brought so and so this trailer could 15:29 we go to camp meeting, wow, 15:31 and she called me up oh I was exciting 15:34 he wants to go to camp meeting. 15:35 I said great sending the application because 15:37 we fill up, she said no, no when he comes down 15:39 toward he won't want to go. 15:41 I said but God's answered your prayer send it in. 15:43 But, she wouldn't do it, she put it on the front 15:45 of the refrigerator with magnets and it set there 15:47 for several weeks. Till finally one day 15:50 he noticed that he said isn't the application 15:52 for camp meeting? And she said yeah, 15:53 he said what's it doing here why don't 15:55 you send it in? And she said while we sure 15:57 that what I came down to it, 15:58 you wouldn't want to go to camp meeting. 15:59 He said of course I want to go to send it in. 16:03 She was a praying woman and I believe that 16:05 God was impressing her to wait, 16:07 wait until not I don't think 16:09 she understood why, but was impressing her 16:11 to wait till was really his idea that 16:13 he wanted to go camp meeting, amen. 16:15 So, they came but after the first weekend 16:17 she comes up to me with her arms crossed 16:19 haven't for saying fine he is here camp meeting 16:21 but what good will it do, he won't go 16:23 to any meetings. And I started ringing my hands 16:25 and I said well I don't know what's wrong 16:27 I said will you together some people to really 16:29 pray for him, that God will get him to meetings. 16:32 So, we started doing that I get people 16:34 who are comfortable praying together 16:35 and we started praying Lord get this man 16:37 into the meetings. He didn't get him 16:39 to all of them, which I thought maybe needed 16:41 but we get him to go to a few of them 16:43 that man during the week. And one of them man 16:44 in the morning it was on prayer. 16:46 And this one morning towards end of the week 16:48 the speaker gets done, he says I want you 16:50 to divide them twos and threes in pray. 16:52 And normally well this husband would do was 16:55 just sit there quietly, he wouldn't pray, 16:56 he would till everybody was done and 16:58 get up and leave. Well this preacher got down 17:00 went down the side aisle pick them out 17:02 of the middle and said I want to pray 17:04 with you too, really, yeah. Not knowing them 17:07 and it forced the husband into praying 17:09 and I don't know if it was that or just the 17:11 overall experience of the week. 17:13 But, he went home and change man, amen. 17:15 He went home telling his wife I want to start 17:17 praying together with you and he started studying 17:18 his Bible, started wanting to go to church. 17:21 Did he become the spiritual leader, 17:22 she was hoping for? He started leading out 17:23 and family worships which his wife called me up, 17:26 a while later crying and said it's terrible 17:28 he is leading out family worships and it's awful. 17:31 And unfortunately she was a very wise woman 17:33 and she kept him out shot, and did not 17:37 say anything to him about it. 17:39 Do you see the look on his face? 17:41 Well it's true, not just a woman but any of us 17:43 when somebody starts going spiritually around us, 17:46 we attend to start telling them how 17:47 they should do it better. We try to be the 17:49 Holy Spirit still let him do his work. 17:51 And we get discouraged, and so she was smart 17:54 and it melt it out worships got better 17:56 gradually but, it took a while. But, one thing 18:00 I don't know it was three weeks or so later 18:02 actually it was couple of months, 18:04 one night after that he have the family worship, 18:06 and put the kids to bed. Which by the way 18:07 I just gonna say that is so important to have 18:09 family worship, amen. Even if your husband 18:13 is not willing to do it, do it, do it morning 18:16 and evening have some things shorten do it 18:18 with those kids. Actually the wife is called 18:19 to do that, to take that spot if the husband 18:22 will not do it. And they need to able to approach 18:26 the children and to be relaxed with their 18:27 children and to leave their children. 18:29 I just wanna a encouraged the mothers to do that 18:32 sort of thing too because lot of times 18:33 you're alone but the Lord will be with you 18:36 and I'm you now back to Janet here I'm sorry. 18:39 It makes a difference if your kids playing 18:42 over them, for them to hear you praying 18:43 form them, absolutely. Not lecturing them, 18:45 not praying what they should do, 18:47 but just praying that you are so thankful 18:48 to have that child, amen. And what a wonderful 18:50 kid they are, I'm getting off the track here. 18:53 But, anyway this one night after the kids 18:55 were in bed, he asked his wife to come out 18:57 to the living room, he says I need your help, 18:58 so she came out there he went into another room, 19:01 came out with huge stack of magazines 19:03 and it's pornography magazines 19:05 and he is just shaking, and he says can you help 19:07 me burn these. And she said yeah 19:09 and so they put him in the fire place they set 19:11 them on fire, she said you know the burning 19:13 now lets go to bed it's late at night. 19:15 And he said no, I can't go to bed until every 19:18 one of those is in ashes they have so 19:20 controlled my life. We had no idea what this man 19:24 was suffering with, but we knew 19:27 they were problems. And you were told in 19:31 testimonies, volume 7 Page 21 it says. 19:34 Why do not believers feel a deeper, 19:36 more earnest concern for those 19:38 who are out of Christ? Why do not two or three 19:40 meet together and plead with God for the salvation 19:43 of some special one and then for still another? 19:44 Amen, that become so powerful to me, 19:47 of how important it is. That we know somebody 19:50 struggling that isn't quite right with the Lord, 19:51 we need to be interceding for them 19:53 and taking their name before his thrown. 19:55 On a consistent basis and why it's that 19:58 so important, to me it is. In this great universe 20:02 God is limited himself to our prayers, 20:05 prayer is not something that just changes us, 20:07 because prayer changes hits universe. 20:09 Amen, because God doesn't force himself 20:11 on us, right, yes. And just like he limited us, 20:14 he wants us to get out there and reach people 20:17 for Jesus. Same way he wants us to pray, 20:20 and by us praying it makes opens away for God 20:25 to working people's lives, amen and changed them. 20:27 And when we take time out of our busy schedule, 20:31 to take a 20 or 30 a week to prayed to intercede 20:35 for our church for our community 20:36 and our children, to people it's make the 20:38 difference, amen, amen. But, that has to come 20:41 also out of our relationship, yes that 20:43 we have one on one with God that 20:45 we're experiencing everyday in his word. 20:48 And what about the rest of the mans experience 20:50 because he was really turned around by that 20:52 and just became a dynamic leader 20:54 in the church, he preach sermons, 20:55 he was there in evangelistic meetings 20:56 started first one to be there when the church 20:58 door open giving Bible studies just a dynamic 21:02 leader for Christ and it become from his woman 21:05 praying specifically for the husband, 21:07 I have seen it over and over and over again 21:09 Janet told the story about our lives sort being 21:11 turned around right after that we said you know 21:14 we need to together with these friends 21:16 of ours and we need to begin to pray for 21:18 people and we took, that next year we took name 21:20 after name in our community 21:22 and we didn't tell them we are praying for them, 21:23 but we watch probably 15 or 16 people that 21:26 we were praying for have renewed experiences 21:29 or conversions or dramatic things and you know 21:31 we need to do that even more now because 21:33 we just when you take a person angels fly 21:36 James said you have not, because you ask not. 21:39 And great controversy says God can't give us 21:42 some things because we don't pray. 21:44 It's a rule in the great controversy some how 21:46 and yet we try to around the church and 21:48 our families so humanly so many times. 21:51 And I wanted it before we get to the end of 21:53 all this I want to know how it, 21:54 affected Jerry's church ministry or leadership 21:58 or in the home if we have time for you to 22:01 get to that, but I so you were taking 22:02 a breath to say something. 22:04 I let Jerry answer that question, 22:06 okay what I wanted to say is I don't want 22:08 parents to get discouraged, because so many will 22:10 say I've been praying for my son, 22:12 my daughter 20 years or more. 22:14 And they don't see any change. 22:15 And I just wanna say don't give up but I think 22:18 it's so important to find somebody else that 22:20 you can pray with, amen. To pray together with, 22:22 the power in numbers, meet once a week, 22:24 and claim those promises for them. 22:26 But, also we don't know why our kids 22:30 or why we have to go through the things we do, 22:32 in this great controversy, maybe on of sons will 22:35 have to spend his life in jail. 22:36 Why maybe God's needs him there to reach 22:39 the other people. Or maybe my son gets on drugs, 22:42 so that God can use him afterwards to reach 22:44 drug addicts. It's kind like a Joseph story. 22:46 Yeah and I'm not saying that God makes 22:48 it that happen because I don't think he wants 22:50 anybody to do sinful things, right. 22:52 But God turns it around for good 22:54 Romans 8:28 tells us that. 22:56 That He will take it and turn around for 22:57 good in our life. Amen. And that's a good thing 22:59 to remember, I'm glad you said that in there 23:01 because lots of times we know that the Lord 23:03 is preferred will is such that he would want us 23:05 to go thought that, but if we can believe 23:09 and remember that he would turn around for good, 23:11 we can have an awful lot of effect on other 23:14 peoples life. Well, are you going to 23:15 be able to answer the other? 23:16 Yeah, I will try to answer that a big question. 23:18 You know I have learn some things about 23:21 a marriage and praying for each other myself 23:23 and one of them I used to come out early 23:25 in our marriage and I done my devotional 23:26 time and I find something I thought 23:28 God wanted to tell my wife or my sons. 23:30 I have discovered that it's very the Holy Spirit 23:32 is very able to be the Holy Spirit. 23:33 And I need to let him do his own work 23:35 and pray but this lady is praying for me all 23:38 the time, and early on that time when her life 23:41 was turned around she and some other women 23:43 started praying for me a lot more. 23:44 And I was going through some real struggles 23:45 that you now were internal struggles 23:48 and God just really brought me into an 23:50 experience too and again we are not saying 23:52 today we are just wonderful I think you 23:54 understand that were all spiritual not but, 23:56 it changed my life dramatically and 23:58 now is she leads her ministries and there is 24:02 number of people it support me and 24:03 everything I'm dealing with I would not wanna 24:04 be a leader in this time at the end of time 24:07 in God's church, right. Facing everything 24:10 I'm trying to face in personal and suites 24:12 and issues and Satan afterwards and 24:14 every way, without know that I had a 24:16 tremendous prayer support. And this lady is 24:18 praying for me and everything I go through, 24:20 every Wednesday in the office, a team comes 24:23 together, once a man and woman and 24:25 come together and I give him a list every week 24:27 of the things that are right us night now, 24:29 you know appropriate way from the prayer 24:31 over and they go down that list and pray 24:33 for those things, good. I would just like to add, 24:35 can I interrupt, please do. It is not that 24:37 is particular people that are praying, right. 24:40 So many times this concepts getting out 24:42 there oh you think you are the only once 24:44 who can pray, right no. It's just a fact that 24:46 somebody is willing to get together and pray, 24:49 right God is calling. You know I talked about 24:52 some of that with a mutual friend of ours 24:54 just recently it was talking about the gift 24:57 of prayer is not among the list of gifts the 25:01 whole church is called to pray. 25:03 So, I'm glad you said that. But, if you read 25:05 the book of the evangelism page 99 25:07 where she is listing pursuing the 12 25:08 and the gift she also talks about the gift 25:10 of since earnest prayer along with mothers 25:13 so we argue about this, okay. So, Janet doest like 25:15 that too because she says everybody should 25:17 praying lot more and everybody should. 25:18 But, every gift needs leadership and so again 25:21 I'm not making big argument for this, 25:23 right but I believe we need people 25:24 who are called and passion pray for others 25:27 to lead some of the rest of this in the 25:28 more prayer, amen. It's just small point 25:30 it is there more holy or they are only their 25:33 prayer as count. You want to get read of that, 25:36 it just willing to get together and do it, 25:38 amen. But, for me the comfort as a church 25:40 leader that I find in New England 25:42 when this terrible meetings coming up just 25:44 crisis over here, this pastor has to be like or 25:47 something. I know I have a team of people 25:49 who are willing to pray for me it's not because 25:50 they are holy or righteousness because 25:52 somebody is praying for me, amen what a 25:54 difference it makes I could tell you story 25:55 after story, encouraging Now one of our exciting 25:58 once in last several years has been at camp 26:00 meeting we began having lot of prayer a months 26:03 at a time and during camp meeting it was just 26:04 really review so called camp meeting and some 26:06 dramatic ways we have seeing may conversions 26:08 every year. And people just sense the presence 26:10 the God in a special way because we obey that 26:13 in some unique ways in prayer, 26:15 several years ago God put it in some of our 26:17 both partners heart and this one especially 26:20 to ask God for a token the united intercessory 26:23 prayer really works. They felt convicted 26:26 we have been raising maybe $100,000 26:28 or so for evangelism and camp meeting 26:29 the 10 days every year. And they became 26:31 convicted. I ask God sort like George Muller did. 26:34 God show this society there are no one believe 26:36 you in prayer that it works and so they said 26:39 Lord really use the evangelism offering 26:42 to show and in that here we got lot more and 26:44 that for us a goal. They begin to say you don't 26:46 have faith we would raise our goal a little every 26:48 year and they would 26:49 more and then we get it. And these begin to be 26:52 almost a laughing joke with the people because 26:54 we all saw that God was showing us. 26:56 And this last year and 10 days the people give us 26:58 over half million dollars for camp meeting 27:00 evangelism offering we are able to do all kinds 27:01 of new ministries. And again it just united 27:03 prayer God putting in peoples hearts and leader 27:06 that's says thank you Jesus for people to pray. 27:08 And what letter think could you pray for an 27:09 Evangelism and the funds to be reach yeah to reach 27:13 people for Christ absolutely. 27:15 Well, you know I am unfascinated with 27:17 your stories and it certainly encouraging 27:19 to everybody and it's encouraging to me 27:21 there is I told you a little while ago that 27:23 there is lot of stories that sometimes you just 27:25 don't think that other people need to here but, 27:27 they do need to here it. They are need to 27:29 be encouraged, so lets pray for everybody 27:32 it's needing this kind of intercessory prayer 27:35 for there families, stay with us we are 27:36 gonna pray together and may the Lord bless you 27:40 and I hope that you will institute 27:41 this in your family more. 27:46 Lord, we just come together now I said 27:47 where ever two or three agree according 27:49 you were it's done and we are just praying 27:50 right now that you will call each one of us 27:52 to the places the both partners that people 27:55 that we need to be praying with and for, 27:57 give us those two or three that 27:59 we are pray for the Lord we thank you. |
Revised 2014-12-17