Welcome to Thinking About Home.
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I am Kathy
Matthews, and our guest today
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is Richard O'Ffill from
the Florida Conference of
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Seventh-day
Adventist. He has been with us
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for a little series
now, and we are happy to
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have him back again.
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We have a lot of fun together.
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Yes, we sure do and
we've been talking about
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our children mostly
not our little children.
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We've been talking
about mostly our grown
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children maybe our
teens and what happens
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when they get
married, and what happens
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when they got off the road, yes,
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and maybe they leave the Lord.
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Really want all the
pain that's involved
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during that time. And
I've been telling about
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my own story that
Betty and I've been through
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and having a
prodigal who was a drug addict
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and actually an
alcoholic, and all the
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feeling that this
brings forth. Now and we have
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the pray for ten years
for Dan. We had to pray
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for ten years and the
grief that we suffered
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raising a little
grand daughter, and I'm sure
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that we are not
alone that we are not alone
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that there is many
who've gone through the
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similar things. You
did a lot of praying.
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Do you know when
you, when you go through
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an experience I'm
sure you found in your life
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that's, that's
difficult you can't stay the way
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you were, no, no. I
think that the trouble
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and trial in our
lives, changes us,
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one way or another,
yes, you see if some people,
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but it changes us. Well
definitely it can drive us
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away from God. You can
become bitter or better,
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that was profound.
Someone told me that
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once upon a time.
And in this program,
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we want to talk about
prayer because I think
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that at one point
that prayer is the way
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or is the vehicle
through which God gives us
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the strength to
be able to go through
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these things. Now,
we're gonna talk about
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lots of things about
prayer in the program.
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Today the title is
Lord Teach us to Pray,
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Lord Teach us to
Pray, and it occurred
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to me yesterday, we
were talking with some
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of our friends about
prayer you know, yes.
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And I thought to
myself, there must be a better
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way to say this
that prayer is not an end
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in itself but it's
a means to an end that
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could we say that
prayer is kind of like
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the plumbing, its the
pipe through which the
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Holy Spirit flows
into our lives, the avenue,
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avenue that's much
more you know distinguished,
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but in a way when
you think of water
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I mean you know
Jesus, He is the living water
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that prayer is the
opening of the heart
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to Him, yes, it's the
key in the hand of faith.
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But when I think
about prayer it seems to me
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Kathy that, that
prayer is not so much
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to change God you
know it's just if,
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I've got to
convinced God to be forgiving,
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yes, or I've got
to convince God to be
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compassionate,
right, I think is the other
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way around. If we
feel like that we've got
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a wrong concept
of his character.
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Well because, because
really prayer is the way
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in which we get to be
like Him, it's not that
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we are the good
guys trying to make
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Him like us. He
is the long suffering
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in gracious and, we
are the one in need,
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we are the one
that needs a change.
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A prayer is very much
in these days you know
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it's kind of become
it's the spiritual discipline
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de jour as we say
de jour, so de jour.
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And so any, I remember
though back about 14, no
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even 18 years ago,
book came out call the
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ABC's of prayer it
was about the only one
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you could ever
find. That was about
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all that was, but
it's not the way anymore
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I wrote a book
called transforming prayer,
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yes, and prayer books
are really everywhere.
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But I'm gonna in
this program I am going
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to sort of tilt to
one side, and I would like
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to tell our viewers
in advanced that I don't
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mean to take away
of from any good thing
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about prayer. Prayer
is so wide and so deep
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and so high that
nobody can pick up you know
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it's like picking up
a grain of sand from the
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beaches, this is the
beach. So, so we can't
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get to the place where
we say this is real prayer,
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you do it this way,
but I do think that we do
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run the, the risk of
seeing prayer as a technique,
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have you ever
thought about that?
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Yes. I think it's got
to the place where you know
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we are so anxious and
so desperate to get out
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of our problems
that we get to the place
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well just teach me
to pray, just teach me
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what to say, if I can
just pull all the levers,
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and push all the
buttons that God will give
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me answers,
then God will answer.
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I had a story that
if you probably heard me
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tell before and maybe
even some of the viewers
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have heard me tell
this story that happened
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to me in Bangladesh,
and I was doing some summer
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school over there, and
so one afternoon a lady
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came to the
compound where I was staying
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and she announced
that the devil was about
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to kill her daughter,
and she wanted us to come
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and pray you know to
kind of exorcism you know,
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yes, you've heard
of that. And this was a
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Christian family and
they had made some kind
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of in fact a
deal with Hindu priest
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or something, and in
the deal have promised
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that if their
daughter would get well,
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they would pay 1
pound of sugar for each
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pound of her body
weight. Well, she got well but
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they didn't pay,
there were too poor
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and so I don't know how
long the time pass maybe
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a couple of weeks she
had gone across the river
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to visit her uncle,
and so one morning when the
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little girl's went to
the well to get some water
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this apparition, this
evil spirit comes out of the
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ground and it says
to her you owe me sugar,
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and if you don't
pay I'm gonna kill you.
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And of course she
you know she became
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hysterical and she
goes home as fast as
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she can get there and
she says mommy and daddy
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you got to do something
the devil is about to kill,
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it's gonna kill me.
But there was nothing
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they could do,
they were too poor.
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So anyway, that day
that she was knocking
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on the door, the
little girl had been walking
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around beside the
river and out of bushes
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comes this thing and
it says you didn't pay now
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you die. She goes
down to the ground,
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she is
unconscious, she is in coma,
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and now her mother
is saying you got to do
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something, the devil is
about to kill my daughter.
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And here I am, I've
been taking a nap by the way,
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and I am kind of
just coming awake and
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these ministers who
are my students you know
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I was doing a summer
school for pastor teachers.
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I said well come on
in, and now I had heard
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stories like this
in Sabbath school.
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I've never been a part
of them. In Sabbath school,
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right, the mission
stories you know you've heard
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these mission
stories, yes I did,
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and now it was
happening to me you see. And so
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I thought that you
know what we're gonna
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have to do is go pray
for this girl obviously,
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and when I think of
exorcism, I am thinking
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of the words you use
the words you know kind
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of mechanical,
yes, I am thinking well,
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or I trust what we've
heard. Well in exorcistic
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prayer we say in
the name of Jesus,
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we command these
evil spirits to depart,
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so I knew that's what
we gonna to do ultimately,
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but I decided Kathy
that I kind of put together
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all the mission
stories that I've ever heard,
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kind of do a checklist
you know, mentally yeah,
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composite, yes, and
that kind of do it by the
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numbers you see, and
then I need to do this,
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and I need to do this,
and this and this to get
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it right, to come
out right you see.
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So, the first thing
that occurred to me was well
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if you're gonna go and
pray for this girl pray
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that the devil's be
cast out, you got to have
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a Bible see, because I'd
heard the devil is afraid
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of the Bible you
know I scare him away,
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so I got the Bible
then I'd also heard that
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if you're gonna be
doing an exorcistic prayer
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you would better
have your sins forgiven
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because if you get
in front of the devil
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and you got unconfessed
sins he is liable to say
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them out loud in
front of everybody,
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do you heard that,
oh yeah I'd heard that
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I even talk with
the pastor that did
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happen to, no I don't
know that I was unconfessed
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sins but the, but a
person possessed of evil
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spirits actually began
to tell what he had done
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and he responded by
saying it's true that Jesus
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has forgiven me.
Well any way I think the
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point is, is that here
I knew we're gonna pray
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for this girl and so I
kind of did a checklist,
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I was being a
little you know technique,
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I was gonna make it a
technique see I wanted
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to touch all the
bases and don't leave
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anything out. So we
went over then to where
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she lived it wasn't
far, and when we were
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approaching the
house, we can hear the loud
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wailing and carrying
on and there she was,
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she was lying on
the ground unconscious
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and I dressed in a
green sari and her hands
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folded across her
chest, and I kind of walk over
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not look at her and
somebody says you want
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to her to talk and I
say how is that and they say
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we will put leaves
under her nose she talks.
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And I thought no I
don't want to hear that
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because it could be that
evil spirit or something,
00:10:01.43\00:10:03.78
right. Well anyway I
can remember I am trying
00:10:03.79\00:10:05.84
to go, I am trying
to do the technique,
00:10:05.85\00:10:07.51
I am trying to get
the technique right.
00:10:07.52\00:10:08.87
So I called the parents around,
00:10:09.73\00:10:11.19
and I rehearse with
them what they shouldn't
00:10:11.20\00:10:13.60
have done and got
them to say I am sorry.
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In other words doing it
all according, the sins,
00:10:16.40\00:10:18.68
by the numbers I
was gonna to do prayer
00:10:19.22\00:10:21.34
by the numbers
and I was a sincere as
00:10:21.35\00:10:23.45
I could be. Listen it
was a desperate situation,
00:10:23.46\00:10:25.84
right that's all you
know. And so then finally
00:10:25.85\00:10:28.43
we made a little half
circle around her lying
00:10:28.44\00:10:31.94
on the ground and the
person over to the left
00:10:31.95\00:10:35.21
we big prayed and of
course I close my eyes
00:10:35.22\00:10:37.62
and he prayed in
Bengali and when he got to the
00:10:37.63\00:10:40.43
place where I thought he
said in the name of Jesus
00:10:40.44\00:10:43.09
we command the
evil spirits to depart,
00:10:43.10\00:10:44.61
I wouldn't do open your
eyes like that I'm gonna
00:10:46.03\00:10:48.65
see what's gonna
happen, because I was doing
00:10:48.66\00:10:50.70
by the numbers
and nothing happened,
00:10:50.71\00:10:53.15
and then it was next
person's turned to pray
00:10:54.19\00:10:56.51
and again I have my
eyes closed and when he got
00:10:57.32\00:10:59.77
to that part in the
name of Jesus I am doing
00:10:59.78\00:11:02.05
it again, and I was
as sincere as I could be
00:11:02.06\00:11:04.67
because,
because you were anxious
00:11:04.68\00:11:06.41
to see her saved.
I wanted to see her
00:11:06.42\00:11:08.01
come out right,
yes, see like in the
00:11:08.02\00:11:09.36
mission stories, but
it wasn't coming out,
00:11:09.37\00:11:11.24
it wasn't working.
And now it's my turn
00:11:11.25\00:11:14.37
to pray and I am
thinking to myself
00:11:14.38\00:11:17.24
oh, oh, what have we
left out, what in the
00:11:17.25\00:11:20.51
prayer technique
here don't we have right.
00:11:20.52\00:11:22.89
Have you not
answered me because of the
00:11:22.90\00:11:24.64
technicality? Yeah
you are tagging me out
00:11:24.65\00:11:26.30
because of a technicality.
So I decided well we are
00:11:26.31\00:11:29.47
not probably, we
are not probably praying
00:11:29.48\00:11:30.45
right, so maybe
we are not praying
00:11:30.46\00:11:33.04
long enough or we
are not using big words,
00:11:33.55\00:11:37.22
I was serious and
maybe when it comes to that
00:11:37.23\00:11:40.25
part where it says
in the name of Jesus,
00:11:40.55\00:11:42.46
we command the evil
spirits to depart maybe
00:11:42.47\00:11:44.81
you've got to say that
forcefully and you know.
00:11:44.82\00:11:46.89
Yeah, all these
things can run through your
00:11:47.14\00:11:48.81
mind rapidly. Well
and you know even some
00:11:48.82\00:11:50.60
of these some the
ministers you've heard
00:11:50.61\00:11:54.52
in the name of
Jesus, in the name of Jesus,
00:11:54.53\00:11:56.97
you know they kind
of put a little in the
00:11:56.98\00:11:58.20
name of Jesus we
and so I thought well
00:11:58.21\00:12:00.37
maybe we're
gonna through and then
00:12:00.38\00:12:01.68
we gonna say it
rightly. And, so I close my eyes
00:12:01.69\00:12:05.76
and I prayed a
long prayer as long as I
00:12:05.77\00:12:08.34
and still stay on
the subject, and I used
00:12:08.35\00:12:11.65
big words and I just
finally I didn't know
00:12:11.66\00:12:13.64
what else to say and
I said forcefully in the
00:12:13.65\00:12:17.14
name of Jesus we
command these evil
00:12:17.15\00:12:19.63
spirits to depart
you know I did everything
00:12:19.64\00:12:22.55
I was suppose to
do, and I tries and
00:12:22.56\00:12:25.42
nothing happens.
And in that moment
00:12:25.43\00:12:30.24
I'll never
forget tears start to,
00:12:30.54\00:12:33.37
I mean you don't like
to say squirting out of my
00:12:33.38\00:12:35.85
eyes but it was
that way, it's just,
00:12:35.86\00:12:37.71
it's start coming
down my cheeks just like,
00:12:37.72\00:12:39.57
just like rivers
and I forgot everything,
00:12:39.98\00:12:42.46
I forgot all
about the techniques
00:12:42.47\00:12:43.73
and I just said oh
God, oh God help us,
00:12:44.59\00:12:49.54
and then in that
very instant she opened
00:12:53.18\00:12:57.29
her eyes and I
reach down and I took her
00:12:57.30\00:13:00.13
by the hand I
lifted her up, amen.
00:13:00.14\00:13:01.76
And, immediately I
thought of the text that
00:13:03.34\00:13:07.51
says the
effectual fervent prayer
00:13:07.52\00:13:10.83
of a righteous
man availeth much.
00:13:11.79\00:13:13.43
But you see, I'm
concerned Kathy that,
00:13:14.34\00:13:16.99
that, the fervency
wasn't just in the tone.
00:13:18.16\00:13:20.61
Well, it wasn't in
the checklist you see,
00:13:21.11\00:13:23.65
or check the
words in the checklist,
00:13:23.66\00:13:24.63
you see I was just I
was praying by the numbers,
00:13:24.64\00:13:27.28
and I don't want to be
misunderstood by anybody
00:13:27.83\00:13:30.90
who is watching this program,
00:13:30.91\00:13:32.01
but I feel we are
trending toward this,
00:13:32.56\00:13:36.32
prayers technique,
yeah so then what about
00:13:37.10\00:13:39.95
the rest of us
you put the technique
00:13:39.96\00:13:41.56
how can I do it?
Well, I don't want to be
00:13:41.57\00:13:44.22
disrespectful Kathy, but
out there in the churches
00:13:44.23\00:13:49.32
they have what they
called prayer warriors
00:13:49.82\00:13:52.05
do we have to be
one, do we have to be
00:13:52.64\00:13:55.28
prayer warrior. Can I
talk with you heart to heart,
00:13:55.29\00:13:58.05
heart to heart,
well you usually do,
00:13:58.06\00:14:00.30
do you have to be a
prayer warrior for God
00:14:03.47\00:14:05.43
to hear your
prayer I say no, I say no.
00:14:05.44\00:14:08.40
You see I am afraid we
are getting to the place
00:14:09.86\00:14:11.88
where we kind of
unionizing prayer,
00:14:11.89\00:14:14.19
you know where I am coming from.
00:14:14.88\00:14:15.88
In other words
these people have the gift
00:14:15.89\00:14:19.26
of prayer. If you
want your prayers answered
00:14:19.27\00:14:22.26
go to these people. I
don't think, I don't think
00:14:22.59\00:14:26.91
that's the way
it's supposed to be.
00:14:26.92\00:14:27.89
Now, I'm sure that,
that some people are
00:14:28.34\00:14:30.46
committed to prayer,
and who have spent time
00:14:30.47\00:14:33.34
and fervent in
prayer, but the danger in all
00:14:33.35\00:14:37.20
of this is that I
begin to think that,
00:14:37.21\00:14:39.10
that God hears them
better than he hears me,
00:14:39.64\00:14:42.55
and there in
someway he is not hearing me
00:14:43.75\00:14:45.51
and I've got to find
kind of a guru or something
00:14:45.98\00:14:49.00
who pray for me.
Yeah, all good things seems
00:14:49.01\00:14:51.26
like there is an area to
go off on it isn't it like
00:14:51.27\00:14:54.72
a rabbit trail where the Lord,
00:14:54.73\00:14:56.02
where the enemy can take us off
00:14:56.37\00:14:58.16
of a good things.
Well see, can I bring up
00:14:58.58\00:15:01.13
something that
is really sensitive
00:15:01.14\00:15:02.52
and is if I have
already, there is a wonderful
00:15:03.06\00:15:07.27
prayer that's you
know in vogue it's called
00:15:07.28\00:15:11.10
the prayer of
Jabez, and it's somewhere
00:15:11.11\00:15:14.02
I think in the
books of Chronicles,
00:15:14.03\00:15:16.44
and it's little kind
of a four sentence prayer
00:15:16.45\00:15:18.92
and it starts out
with you know something
00:15:19.56\00:15:21.81
like God
increase my territories,
00:15:21.82\00:15:24.35
I don't remember it
all, so that will bring pain
00:15:24.36\00:15:26.71
on others, yeah and
so forth and bless me
00:15:26.72\00:15:29.59
it says bless me
and, because He is not
00:15:29.60\00:15:31.94
in that pain, and what
you've heard of it before,
00:15:31.95\00:15:34.79
yes. Well you see, I
think it's a beautiful
00:15:34.80\00:15:37.66
prayer if your name
happens to be Jabez,
00:15:37.67\00:15:39.75
but the word is out
that if you really want God
00:15:41.27\00:15:44.73
to hear your prayer you
got to pray Jabez prayer.
00:15:44.74\00:15:46.89
It's kind of almost
and don't misunderstand me
00:15:47.67\00:15:51.16
it's like a mantra
you know if you pray Jabez
00:15:51.17\00:15:54.21
prayer then he
will hear you oh but if
00:15:54.22\00:15:56.30
you don't to see, what
if you never heard of it,
00:15:56.31\00:15:58.69
what if you never heard of it,
00:15:58.70\00:15:59.68
does this mean that
I've got to be forgive me,
00:15:59.69\00:16:03.03
I've got to be
prayer warrior praying Jabez
00:16:03.39\00:16:05.57
prayer or he
doesn't hear me you see
00:16:05.58\00:16:08.62
I hope not I hope
not. I don't want to make
00:16:10.51\00:16:15.17
it look like that I
don't want appreciate
00:16:15.18\00:16:18.23
the prayer warriors
because I really do it.
00:16:18.24\00:16:20.11
In fact, I ask
people I need the prayers
00:16:20.62\00:16:23.30
of those I love, I
ask people to pray and
00:16:23.31\00:16:25.65
I would do that now
Betty and I need the prayers
00:16:25.66\00:16:28.39
of those we love
people who don't even know
00:16:28.40\00:16:30.12
that's we need their prayer.
00:16:30.13\00:16:31.20
But I think I've got to
be I've got to understand
00:16:31.71\00:16:35.42
that God hears my
prayers I look it,
00:16:36.29\00:16:40.24
I need that.
Don't we need that? Yes.
00:16:40.25\00:16:42.60
I looked in scripture
in the gifts of the spirit
00:16:42.89\00:16:46.41
I looked for the gift
of prayer and there was
00:16:46.42\00:16:49.71
the gift of healing,
and the gift of evangelism,
00:16:49.72\00:16:52.36
and the gift of
pastors, and gift of teachers
00:16:52.37\00:16:54.96
and you know the
long list, right, right.
00:16:54.97\00:16:56.45
I didn't find in those
lists of the gifts of the
00:16:57.01\00:17:00.86
spirit I didn't
find prayer, and I think
00:17:00.87\00:17:03.82
I know why? It's not
that there are not people
00:17:03.83\00:17:07.29
who are really into
prayer it's the God want
00:17:07.30\00:17:11.00
just all to be into prayer.
00:17:11.01\00:17:12.87
Yes, he is calling
in other words to pray.
00:17:12.88\00:17:15.62
In other words everybody is not
00:17:15.63\00:17:17.32
suppose to be a
teacher, everybody
00:17:17.33\00:17:20.11
is not suppose to
be a pastor, everybody
00:17:20.12\00:17:22.76
is not suppose to
have one particular,
00:17:22.77\00:17:24.40
but everybody is
suppose to pray, yes,
00:17:24.41\00:17:27.23
and when we don't
pray, then we don't have
00:17:27.93\00:17:31.50
a lifeline. We
will be disobedient for
00:17:31.51\00:17:33.75
one thing, yes right,
I've been reading a lot
00:17:33.76\00:17:35.47
about prayer lately
and I've heard these
00:17:35.48\00:17:37.96
authors referred to
the sin of prayerlessness.
00:17:37.97\00:17:41.32
Now, we are
talking about our children,
00:17:42.70\00:17:44.61
and I've heard people
say well I've just taken
00:17:45.45\00:17:49.39
my children to God.
Does that mean that I don't
00:17:49.40\00:17:52.54
need to pray for
them any more or what does
00:17:52.55\00:17:54.07
that mean? Well it
sounds like that to me.
00:17:54.08\00:17:57.09
Well I just taken
them so I won't worry
00:17:57.95\00:17:59.87
about anymore. Well,
I've taken them to God to,
00:17:59.88\00:18:03.45
it's not that I
worry about, I am still
00:18:05.92\00:18:07.32
concerned see, see I
think the tendency that
00:18:07.33\00:18:09.74
we have is Lord let
me get on with my life.
00:18:09.75\00:18:12.98
I am tired of this I
am tired of worrying about
00:18:13.73\00:18:16.89
my children; I am tired
of crying about my children,
00:18:16.90\00:18:19.13
I am tired of a broken heart.
00:18:19.14\00:18:20.67
Now wait a minute
we need to move on
00:18:21.03\00:18:22.56
but we don't want to
leave behind something.
00:18:23.20\00:18:26.28
Well, I see at this
way, we live in age in which
00:18:26.80\00:18:30.84
you can actually move
the lawn, be baking bread,
00:18:30.85\00:18:34.90
doing the
washing, wash the dishes,
00:18:36.78\00:18:37.98
wash the dishes, yes,
and listening to radio
00:18:37.99\00:18:40.09
all the same time.
But I think that in prayer
00:18:40.10\00:18:44.07
and in inner
seeding for our children,
00:18:44.08\00:18:45.88
I don't think we can
be doing other things
00:18:46.78\00:18:48.97
if you hear what
I am coming from.
00:18:48.98\00:18:50.52
In other words to
say God I'm gonna leave
00:18:50.53\00:18:52.60
the matter of
the children to you,
00:18:52.61\00:18:54.23
and so I'll go on to
something else, because
00:18:55.01\00:18:58.22
I think that as God
is saving our children
00:18:58.92\00:19:01.83
He needs us in the
mix, amen of course.
00:19:01.84\00:19:04.51
I don't see how I can
actually separate myself
00:19:05.21\00:19:08.72
in my own life from
the prayers that I'm making
00:19:09.25\00:19:12.96
for my own children,
because he is saving us
00:19:12.97\00:19:14.04
as well. Well, and I
think that we've said that
00:19:14.05\00:19:16.62
in other
programs, yes, that it took,
00:19:16.63\00:19:18.49
it took ten years for
Him to answer my prayer
00:19:18.50\00:19:22.34
for my boy. Now
he wasn't gonna say
00:19:22.35\00:19:24.06
let's make ten
years out of this,
00:19:24.07\00:19:25.44
he probably would
have done it in the
00:19:25.92\00:19:27.69
very first day, but
my son resisted Him for
00:19:27.70\00:19:30.81
ten years, but God
never gave up I never
00:19:30.82\00:19:34.75
stopped praying.
And, I remember telling
00:19:34.76\00:19:39.86
I am sorry when
you say resist in,
00:19:39.87\00:19:42.07
there is a book
called Steps To Christ
00:19:42.08\00:19:43.68
and for years I
told the girls and
00:19:44.25\00:19:46.44
still occasionally do,
but they remember this well,
00:19:46.45\00:19:48.66
if you don't resist,
you will be drawn, oh yes.
00:19:49.21\00:19:53.37
If you don't
resist, you will be drawn
00:19:53.38\00:19:55.38
and it puts a different
light on how I can have
00:19:55.39\00:19:58.81
the assurance of heaven.
00:19:58.82\00:20:00.18
Do you know Kathy I
was reading a book on
00:20:01.21\00:20:03.85
prayer and it gave me
a thought that I never
00:20:03.86\00:20:07.60
had before and that is
prayer is not our idea,
00:20:07.61\00:20:10.86
it's God's idea,
and it's Jesus' idea,
00:20:10.87\00:20:14.60
and remember the
text where He says, behold
00:20:14.61\00:20:16.82
I stand at the door
and knock, and knock
00:20:16.83\00:20:19.22
and then hear my
voice. Hear my voice,
00:20:19.23\00:20:21.27
in other words,
sometimes we could
00:20:21.28\00:20:23.71
think well you
know I've got to Him
00:20:23.72\00:20:25.78
and get his
attention, no when the thought
00:20:25.79\00:20:30.24
occurs to me,
He is already know,
00:20:30.25\00:20:32.13
that I need to pray He
is the one that gave me
00:20:32.14\00:20:34.26
the thought, yes, it's
God's idea that we pray,
00:20:34.27\00:20:37.86
He is the one who is
calling us to prayer,
00:20:38.18\00:20:40.10
and He is not
calling us to prayer,
00:20:40.54\00:20:42.33
I ought to prayer
rather so that we can change
00:20:42.71\00:20:44.98
his mind. I think that
He is calling us to prayer,
00:20:44.99\00:20:49.24
so that He can
make His mind, our mind,
00:20:49.25\00:20:52.13
so that our mind will
be, in harmony with Him,
00:20:52.14\00:20:54.78
would be in harmony with Him.
00:20:54.79\00:20:55.87
Now, I've
discovered that many times our
00:20:56.35\00:21:00.14
prayers are kind of narrow.
00:21:00.15\00:21:01.68
One day a lady said
to me bless your heart,
00:21:04.71\00:21:07.19
she said my son is out of work.
00:21:07.20\00:21:09.64
He is not a, he is
not a believer pray that
00:21:10.63\00:21:13.33
he find work, and I
thought you know bless
00:21:13.34\00:21:17.19
your heart honey.
You know you're concerned
00:21:17.20\00:21:19.82
that your boy pays
bills, but the biggest
00:21:19.83\00:21:22.60
concerned should've
been that your boy is away
00:21:22.61\00:21:25.59
from the Lord,
and that probably she,
00:21:25.60\00:21:30.82
she should have said
or she might have said
00:21:31.43\00:21:33.76
pastor O'Ffill my
son is not a believer,
00:21:34.55\00:21:37.43
he is out of work.
Now you see the crisis
00:21:37.44\00:21:40.35
around which he is
out work could have turned
00:21:40.36\00:21:42.91
his attention. Let's
this crisis bring him to you,
00:21:42.92\00:21:45.38
don't you think
so, and so sometimes
00:21:46.17\00:21:48.51
I think we're short,
and so we'll go to God
00:21:48.52\00:21:52.03
and we want the
immediate pain soft.
00:21:52.04\00:21:54.90
When God sees the
big picture, and you know
00:21:56.35\00:21:59.88
this story of this
was the widow in Tyre
00:21:59.89\00:22:04.04
that came to Jesus
and said heal my child,
00:22:04.71\00:22:07.90
yes, and Jesus actually,
you hate to put up this
00:22:07.91\00:22:11.48
way kind of make
some racial slurs,
00:22:11.49\00:22:13.06
well that yeah,
who I might have to do
00:22:13.49\00:22:15.49
with you, you
know we consider you,
00:22:15.50\00:22:17.10
you know the dogs and
all that, and so at this
00:22:17.31\00:22:21.64
point this women, this
women stretched because
00:22:21.65\00:22:25.13
it wasn't about
the daughter anymore,
00:22:25.14\00:22:26.75
No. Now she is being
tested her faith being
00:22:27.58\00:22:30.54
tested, and she
holds and her heart breaks
00:22:30.55\00:22:34.55
and when it's all
over, she gets a broke heart,
00:22:35.09\00:22:38.91
she gets close to
Jesus, she commits to Him
00:22:39.62\00:22:43.09
all the way and He heals,
00:22:43.10\00:22:44.86
He heals the child,
amen. And I think that
00:22:44.87\00:22:48.82
this is what's,
what's happen to Betty
00:22:48.83\00:22:50.67
and me in the years
that we prayed for our son.
00:22:50.68\00:22:54.07
It makes me think
of a scripture in the
00:22:54.45\00:22:56.03
Old Testament, he had
smitten and he will bind
00:22:56.04\00:22:59.89
us up, yes, after
three days he will revive us,
00:22:59.90\00:23:02.88
no after two days
he will revive us,
00:23:03.40\00:23:05.14
and the third day
he will raise us up,
00:23:05.15\00:23:06.65
and we will live
in His side forever.
00:23:07.21\00:23:09.29
So, He has a more,
He sees more and I think
00:23:09.83\00:23:13.89
one of the
challenges that we have is that
00:23:13.90\00:23:17.09
our prayers need to expand.
00:23:17.10\00:23:18.68
I think of the case
of Lazarus, remember
00:23:20.17\00:23:22.67
when Lazarus die that
and Jesus finally shows up,
00:23:22.68\00:23:26.40
and the sister
says where were you man
00:23:26.41\00:23:29.26
you know Lord you could
have prevented all this,
00:23:29.27\00:23:32.23
why did you let
that happen, yes.
00:23:32.24\00:23:33.30
And maybe a little
bit of bitterness here,
00:23:33.31\00:23:34.65
why did you do
this, you are healing
00:23:34.66\00:23:36.21
everybody else.
Yes, why not my brother.
00:23:36.22\00:23:38.63
See and why not
this person you love,
00:23:38.64\00:23:40.31
now obviously they
said it real nice you know
00:23:40.32\00:23:42.66
they were real sweat about it,
00:23:42.67\00:23:43.82
but the feelings were we know,
00:23:43.83\00:23:45.33
still bound up in rebuke,
00:23:45.34\00:23:46.70
this would have never
happened if you had come
00:23:46.71\00:23:48.09
when we called,
little rebuke there.
00:23:48.10\00:23:49.72
But Jesus had something bigger,
00:23:50.22\00:23:52.64
He was gonna, he
was not only gonna make
00:23:53.84\00:23:55.69
Lazarus well, He was
gonna to do something
00:23:55.70\00:23:58.84
that would really
change the whole course
00:23:58.85\00:24:02.09
of history, so, it
will established the plan
00:24:02.10\00:24:04.34
of salvation, it
would make Jesus look good,
00:24:04.35\00:24:06.86
if He would to heal
Lazarus you know well
00:24:06.87\00:24:09.32
we don't bother
with that anymore,
00:24:09.33\00:24:10.57
but in letting it
kind of get worse before
00:24:11.08\00:24:13.73
it got better. He
get something bigger
00:24:13.74\00:24:16.26
and better, bigger
and better and I kind of
00:24:16.27\00:24:18.88
wonder in your life
and mine as we pray that
00:24:18.89\00:24:22.84
we know we could wish oh
God just make it go away,
00:24:23.20\00:24:26.58
I just, I'm fed up, I'm
tired, and this is where
00:24:27.25\00:24:31.24
one of your favorite
text what is that one
00:24:31.53\00:24:33.15
about don't get
tired, let us not be weary
00:24:33.16\00:24:35.40
in well doing, for in
due season we shall reap,
00:24:35.41\00:24:38.49
if we faint not.
And I must confess
00:24:38.50\00:24:40.91
that with our
children, just a few days ago
00:24:42.06\00:24:45.76
Betty said what good
does it to pray because,
00:24:45.77\00:24:47.80
because in the short
term nothing is happening.
00:24:47.81\00:24:50.58
In other words here
we are praying that our
00:24:51.34\00:24:52.85
home be saved, and
we just prayed our eyes
00:24:53.37\00:24:56.18
out and the
divorce went through,
00:24:56.19\00:24:57.69
and it can make you
to say well what good
00:24:58.44\00:25:01.04
does it do? Now, I
believe that in this,
00:25:01.05\00:25:04.92
in this terrible the
death of the family of which
00:25:04.93\00:25:09.34
there is no resurrection
that there are something
00:25:09.35\00:25:13.04
great can come from
that, I don't know what
00:25:13.05\00:25:15.40
it will be
because, because in the end,
00:25:15.41\00:25:17.01
in the end we want all
the players to be saved,
00:25:17.02\00:25:19.63
all those who
played a part, and so,
00:25:20.06\00:25:22.29
and so I said to
Betty when she said what
00:25:22.30\00:25:25.07
good does it do to
pray, because I think as
00:25:25.08\00:25:28.12
parents feel that way sometime,
00:25:28.13\00:25:29.28
oh God this is
going from bad to worse,
00:25:29.29\00:25:31.50
what good is it doing.
I said to her after what
00:25:31.51\00:25:34.23
good it does
because we're gonna stay
00:25:34.24\00:25:35.78
faithful to
Him, we're gonna stay
00:25:35.79\00:25:37.95
faithful to Him,
amen, we're not giving up.
00:25:37.96\00:25:40.32
Are you learning to
praise Him during it?
00:25:40.33\00:25:42.59
Well you have to,
you'll have to give me a
00:25:43.66\00:25:45.00
speech on that. I can
say that remember I told
00:25:45.01\00:25:49.27
you earlier that
when we get to heaven,
00:25:49.28\00:25:51.77
I'll thank Him forever
that in this I got close
00:25:51.78\00:25:55.74
to Him, but I guess
I'm, I guess I would say
00:25:55.87\00:26:00.16
it another way in
other words when the divorce,
00:26:00.17\00:26:02.78
I know I couldn't
say thank you Jesus.
00:26:02.79\00:26:04.47
No not like
that's not what I mean.
00:26:04.48\00:26:06.44
But I know that all
things work together for good,
00:26:06.45\00:26:10.62
for good, and that
doesn't mean everything is good,
00:26:10.63\00:26:13.32
but isn't that praise.
Well, I see it I believe,
00:26:13.33\00:26:17.32
I trust in God, I
want to get to the place
00:26:18.18\00:26:21.63
where I can see the
long term and though
00:26:21.64\00:26:24.86
that the, I don't know
how it's gonna turn out
00:26:24.87\00:26:27.22
I know that He is
saving me and that
00:26:27.93\00:26:31.00
He is going to do
everything thing in
00:26:31.01\00:26:33.40
His power to save my children.
00:26:33.41\00:26:36.49
We need to believe
that. And I even said to Him,
00:26:36.50\00:26:38.49
I said God I don't
know what is gonna be at
00:26:39.24\00:26:41.50
the other end. You
know not all of His children
00:26:41.51\00:26:45.42
will be saved you
know do I have a guarantee,
00:26:45.53\00:26:48.11
not all of his
children will be saved,
00:26:48.43\00:26:49.98
and I said God on the
other end all I wanted
00:26:49.99\00:26:52.77
to know is that you
tried it's hard to save
00:26:52.78\00:26:56.60
them as the devil try
to cause them to be lost.
00:26:56.61\00:27:00.17
And the judge of all
the earth will do right,
00:27:00.18\00:27:02.39
yes, He will do right
thing. Yes, you have the
00:27:02.40\00:27:04.51
face in Him don't you, I do.
00:27:04.52\00:27:05.83
Now you've been through it.
00:27:05.84\00:27:07.03
We're thankful
that you've been with us
00:27:07.71\00:27:10.95
and I am always touched
by all that you bring up
00:27:10.96\00:27:15.18
I pray that everybody
else has been do, yeah.
00:27:15.19\00:27:17.79
And, you'll be back
again, oh yes absolutely,
00:27:17.80\00:27:20.28
yes we've got one
more to do on this
00:27:20.29\00:27:22.57
particular
series, that's right, and
00:27:22.58\00:27:24.24
I enjoy it so much, thank you.
00:27:24.25\00:27:25.98
I want to invite
our viewers again back
00:27:25.99\00:27:29.44
next time and
as we go out please
00:27:30.24\00:27:33.23
pray for us as we pray for you.
00:27:33.24\00:27:34.94
Lord, teach us to
pray, teach us to pray
00:27:35.63\00:27:39.98
to the long view. We
don't know where this
00:27:39.99\00:27:43.30
all ends, but lord
may we be faithful as
00:27:43.31\00:27:47.58
you are faithful to
us. May we be faithful
00:27:47.59\00:27:50.61
to you in prayer
through Jesus Christ
00:27:50.62\00:27:53.36
our Lord, amen, amen.
00:27:53.37\00:27:56.35